Keepers of the Flame

by Robin D. Owens

  So there was really only one answer to her needs. Faucon. He was intelligent enough and knowledgeable enough about the sea and Chevaliers and the Dark’s nest to help her. He could also be a liaison between her and the Seamasters. But she felt this Castle wasn’t the place to work with him.

  An odd sound came at her door and Raine hesitated in opening it. She’d read the Exotique Lorebooks, knew danger could lurk beyond a door. Then strumming came from the door harp, but since it also sounded in her mind, she didn’t think that it was truly physical. She stepped away from the door. “Who is it?” And why were none of her pesky visitors around when she needed them?

  Sinafinal and Tuckerinal, came to her mind. The feycoocus. She knew their names from the Lorebooks written in English, had been told that their real identities weren’t mentioned in most Lladranan Lorebooks. But she hadn’t been introduced. They’d been absent lately.

  We will never harm you, Raine Emma Lindley.

  That raised gooseflesh on her arms. She remembered that Alexa had said they’d known her full name when no one else had.

  They were magical beings. Knew a lot. Didn’t reveal all. “Did you know I’d been Summoned?” Her voice came out hostile. She didn’t care.

  Ttho. We didn’t. There was a high whine. We bring someone to meet you.

  That was a standard saying of people at her door the past few days. “You can’t come in unless I invite you, right?”

  Two sighs. Ttho.

  These were the magical shape-shifting beings. She wondered what form they’d taken. The books and other women had talked about many.

  Staying on her side of the threshold—did reading those vampire books pay off or what—she swung the door out and open.

  Two swans and a little ball of fluff with eyes and sharp beak and feet, not quite a bird, stared up at her.

  They didn’t appear threatening, but their Power was strong, their melodies beautiful. She hesitated, gave in. “Come in.”

  Merci, came two strong voices and a teeny one.

  They flew in, settled on her bed.

  I am Sinafinal, said the one with a darker orange beak.

  I am Tuckerinal, said the other.

  This is our child, Enerin. Isn’t she beautiful?

  She was.

  She likes your Song the best of all in the Castle.

  Raine’s throat tightened.

  The little being fluffed her feathers, and squeaked.

  She would like to be your companion when she is older.

  Someone of her own on Lladrana. An image came of Faucon, but now that Raine had heard his story, she thought that even if they worked together, he’d keep any relationship impersonal.

  “I’d take them up on it,” Bri said from the still open door. “Pretty cute.”

  Ayes, said Sinafinal.

  Yes, said Tuckerinal.

  Ay-yes, said Enerin.

  The baby set up a cheeping, flapped her wings. Raine went over and picked her up. She was soft and downy and her eyes appeared dark blue. Raine lifted her to study her better.

  Pret-ty Song. Pret-ty Song, the little one hummed.

  “Yours is pretty, too.”

  Louder humming. Then Enerin’s sharp beak pecked Raine hard. “Youch!” She dropped the bird, but Enerin hovered in the air, her wings blurring like a hummingbird’s. She darted in and sipped the droplet of blood from Raine’s hand.

  Decided and done. We will go now, said Sinafinal. She flew from the room, followed by Tuckerinal and Enerin.

  “Let me see.” Bri shut the door behind the trio, strode in, scowling. “These Lladranans and their bloodbonds.”

  Raine’s stomach clutched as she realized Bri was right. The healer took Raine’s hands and examined the puncture, touched a finger to the small wound. A flash of flaming green warmth and the skin was whole again.

  “Extraordinary,” Raine said over the lump in her throat.

  Bri smiled. “Yeah.” She smoothed her thumb over Raine’s hand. “But it will leave a scar.” Shaking her head, she said, “I can’t do anything about that.”

  Raine liked Bri the best of all the Exotiques. Mostly because she was the newest, and learning of the land and people just like Raine. Less intimidating. And they both naturally resonated with the element of water.

  The medica glanced around the suite, stared at some ship models the Marshalls had retrieved from storage and took a chair. “I have a proposition for you.”

  Raine smirked. “Colorado woman, you know nothing of ships.”

  A chuckle from Bri, then a shake of the head. “Very true, though I think I’ve been on more boats and ships than the other Exotiques during my travels. But that wasn’t what I came to talk about. Before Elizabeth and I were Summoned, the Castleton Citymasters earmarked a house and furnished it for us.” As far as Raine could tell, only Bri and Sevair were easy with discussing Elizabeth. Everyone else hardly mentioned the other twin. In considering that, Raine didn’t hear the actual proposition. “Come again?” she asked.

  “Sevair and I live in a tower built into Castleton city wall. The house stands empty.” Bri spread her hands. “It’s not my style, but I think it would suit you.” Bri’s Song intensified and Raine sensed that Bri wanted Raine to take the house, that Raine deserved it after all she’d gone through.

  Bri said, “The Lladranans are perfectly serious when they say that they’ll give us—you—a rich estate. Something by the coast for you, maybe.” Bri shrugged. “Sevair and I have some land in addition to the tower. But the house in Castleton is mine and I’d like you to have it. Or live in it until you find something else you like better.” Bri studied her. “But I think the traditional style would suit you fine. Very elegant.”

  Raine swallowed. “Thank you.”

  “We can move you there tomorrow morning,” Bri said.

  Raine opened her mouth to remind Bri that she was doing the bloodbond thing with Sevair the next morning, recalled that everyone seemed to think it would be best if Bri was blissfully unaware of the ceremony. As if she’d bolt. Eyeing Bri, Raine thought that Sevair and the rest might be wise in springing this on her. Bri struck her as someone who was hard to pin down.

  Raine smiled.

  Bri narrowed her eyes.

  “I’ll be there a little before dawn,” Raine said.

  “You must be crazy!”

  “I’m going to do a flyover of the coast tomorrow,” Raine improvised. “See how far north I can get in a day, check out the currents and regular fishing lanes. Need a very early start.”

  “Oh.” Bri grimaced. “Okay.” Her expression brightened a little and she stood. “I’ll let the servers know that we’ll need a hearty breakfast in the house. They keep whining that they don’t have enough to do. But, really, the place is completely furnished.” She flashed a smile. “There is one purple room.”

  For a moment Raine flashed on how it would have been if being surrounded by purple was the only bad thing that had happened to her. Bri came up and hugged her. “I’m glad you were found and I’m glad you’re here. Fuck the Seamasters.”

  Raine suppressed a flinch. “Rather not.”

  “Don’t blame you.”

  One last squeeze and Bri headed toward the door, her short, scarlet medica robe whirling around her, over the creamy thin silk pants. She’d started a fashion; more and more medicas were wearing their robes like Bri. Raine smiled.

  “Um, one last thing,” Bri said, glancing up and down the corridor outside. “Can’t-make-it-to-Girls’-Night-In-tonight. See you tomorrow at some ungodly hour of the morning.” She left fast.

  “Ayes,” Raine said. For the first time, she wasn’t going to be the one on the hot seat. This was going to be fun. And interesting. She rubbed her hands and laughed.

  47

  Bri’s courage failed her. She didn’t want to be with the Exotiques. She sent a note that she was busy researching the frink and Chevalier sickness and couldn’t make Girls Night In.

  Instead she joined the
evening walk in Castleton. Breathed better. Learning the city eased her scared inner child who still felt trapped. She wouldn’t be good company anyway. If she was tired of herself, how much more would others be?

  She’d taken a peek at Elizabeth’s place that morning, had heard lovemaking noises and had immediately signed off. Elizabeth’s Song had come through and it had sounded deeply happy. Of course Elizabeth had already dealt with her experience. Not surprising. Now it was time to grow up and Bri was having trouble.

  Alexa, Calli, and Marian converged on her in a park near her tower. Her lame excuse hadn’t been accepted. She should have said she’d would be doing an out-of-body trance.

  Seeing their determined expressions, Bri knew that rationalization wouldn’t have stopped them either.

  “Oh, honey,” Calli said, and hugged Bri as if she was one of Calli’s children. Bri clutched her, wanted to cry, but stepped back. Calli kept a firm arm around Bri’s waist.

  So Bri set her feet and jutted her chin. “I’ve been having anxiety attacks.”

  “What, we couldn’t see that for ourselves?” Alexa said, walked over and hugged her, too.

  With a gesture, a smiling Marian herded them to a park bench. Bri sat with Calli and Alexa on each side. When they were settled, Marian stood before them. “Let’s consider your stress factors.” She lifted a forefinger. “Summoned to another world.”

  Alexa snorted. “Pretty much a zillion on a stress meter. Not sure why any of our hearts just didn’t give out.”

  Marian spared her a cool look. “Because we’re made of strong stuff.” She raised a second finger. “You’ve been healing every day you arrived.” Another finger lifted. “You faced the fact that only you could save a people.”

  Alexa’s foot swung. “I’ve found that to be a rough stress factor, too.”

  Calli said, “Ahem. Ayes.”

  Raising a fourth finger, Marian continued, “You’ve watched people you loved die.” That punched everyone into silence. They’d all watched people they loved die lately.

  “You contracted a fatal disease and nearly died yourself,” Marian said.

  “Gonna run out of fingers soon,” Alexa teased half-heartedly. Bri suspected Alexa’s mind was still on the battlefield where Thealia had died. Great. This little Girls’ Night In The Park session was depressing them all.

  “Most of all…” Marian squeezed into the space between Bri and Alexa and wriggled her bottom to scoot Alexa aside, then put an arm around them, kissed Bri on the cheek. “You left your twin sister and your family in another world.”

  Bri sniffed hard, but tears dribbled down her cheeks anyway.

  “That had to be the hardest blow. A new man and new friends aren’t going to replace those bonds soon,” Marian ended.

  “That all makes sense to my head, but not inside.” Bri swallowed tears.

  Calli said, “You aren’t a bad person for leaving them. Elizabeth made her choice, you made yours. They were both right.”

  “My parents and Elizabeth could all have come through.” Bri set her chin. “I know it. My Mom and my Dad had heard those chimes and chants. Mom had a craving for potatoes.”

  Amazed silence. Marian recovered first. “We believe you. A couple who could raise two daughters to travel through the Dimensional Corridor could do the same.”

  Hugging Bri tighter, Calli said, “They aren’t bad people for making that choice. They didn’t abandon you. You didn’t abandon them. You all had different choices and, well, destinies.”

  “Oh, man,” Bri said and sniveled, gave up trying to control her tears and let them come. “I’ve done an awful lot of crying lately.”

  “You had reason,” Alexa said, and shoved a grubby handkerchief in Bri’s hand. “All those stress issues. Not to mention the idea of invading an evil Dark and trying to kill it. Probably weighed a little on your mind. Nibbled at you. Can tell you it does me.”

  “Me, too,” Calli said.

  “Me, too,” Marian said. “Which reminds me, where is our newest Exotique? She was with us. We don’t want to leave her alone as much as we did Bri.” She looked at Bri straightly. “We left you in Castleton, worked more with Elizabeth—that was our mistake, not telling you how much we valued you. Just for being you.”

  “Elizabeth needed you more,” Bri said, wiping her face and blowing her nose. “And you’ve tried making up for that lately, haven’t you?”

  “Ayes. I think it’s imperative for us to—”

  “Don’t say ‘assimilate’,” Bri warned.

  Alexa gave a crack of laughter.

  Marian smiled. “Integrate Raine into our group. Or at least befriend her.”

  “I think she left people, too,” Bri said, “Or was torn from them.”

  “I did,” Raine said, stepping from the shadow of a tree. She stood awkwardly.

  They all stood, Bri held out her hand, “Come sit with us.”

  “What are you doing here by yourself?” Calli demanded.

  “Koz came with me.” Raine looked over her shoulder. “He disappeared as soon as he saw you all hugging.”

  “Just like a guy,” Alexa said.

  Bri swallowed. “Speaking of guys.” Even with these women, and logically thinking of the conversation, the anxiety in the back of her mind had only dimmed, not disappeared. Her breath came shallow. “Sevair is planning that damn coeur de chain Bonding Ceremony Ritual Whatever. I know he is. “

  No one spoke, denied it.

  “I guess I should say that we think once you’ve bonded with him, you’ll settle down,” Calli said.

  “Settle down.” Bri hopped up and paced a quick circle.

  “When you have his blood in you, it will steady you,” Calli said.

  “Oh. My. God.” Her own blood drained out of her head and her vision dimmed.

  “Definitely a panic attack,” Marian said putting an arm around Bri. Calli was up, too. They plunked Bri back down on the bench. She put her head between her knees.

  Feeling like a fool, Bri struggled against it, strove to hear her own Song, and that of the Universe. Failed.

  Maybe it was the upside-down business that blocked the Songs, so she drew in a breath and uncurled her spine vertebrae by vertebrae. Yoga. That helped, too.

  “No one is going to force you to do anything you don’t want to,” Calli said. She reached out a hand for Raine, pulled her down on the bench, too. Good thing it was a long one, but Bri figured Alexa or Marian had noticed that when they’d found her here.

  Staring at Raine, Calli repeated, “No one is going to make you do anything you don’t want to, either.”

  Now it was Raine sniffing. Calli gave her a handkerchief. Raine blew her nose, nodded. “These last few days have been good. I’ve read all your Lorebooks.” She glanced at Bri. “Except yours.”

  “Isn’t done yet,” Bri muttered.

  “Of course not. You haven’t learned your lesson,” Marian said.

  Bri gritted her teeth. She didn’t want to hear any more, but of course Marian didn’t stop.

  “You have to know in your heart that this is where you belong. That you can trust Sevair and us and even Amee.”

  Alexa took out her baton and flipped it. What people had been left in the park faded away. When she looked at Bri, her eyes were deadly serious. “You have to accept that however long your life, being here was worth it.”

  “You aren’t trapped here. You chose here,” Calli said.

  “We aren’t going to fail,” Alexa said.

  She didn’t say they’d survive, Bri noticed.

  Raine slid to the end of the bench, “Maybe I should—”

  Marian’s long arm grabbed her. “You’re with us.”

  Raine subsided. “Glad this is Bri’s discussion.”

  “We’ll get to you,” the redhead said.

  Bri was breathing deeply. “Okay. I understand with my head and not my heart. Yeah, I’m used to moving on when things get sticky. But everything has happened really fast.”
>
  There was a sudden shadow, the sound of wings, and Nuare glided in front of them. The roc didn’t spare a glance for the other women. I can take you anywhere on Amee.

  “But it’s still here.”

  Here is where you chose to be. Why? FEEL the why. That’s what you must do. Not think. Feel all the time the why. LISTEN to the why.

  “Good advice,” Marian murmured. “We can help by example.”

  They all linked hands and certainty infused Bri.

  Alexa, Marian said mentally.

  Alexa thought of Bastien. She was nervous since she hadn’t bloodbonded with him, and was planning to. But the man held her heart. They’d fought together, saved each other’s lives. Bri experienced Alexa’s aching love for the Marshalls, her team, and her deep determination never to fail them. Her love for her new sisters. Her knowledge that she’d made a place for herself in this world.

  Those feelings were layered by Marian: her questing mind, boundless curiosity. Her love for her man and her animal companion and her brother and her new true friends, fascinatingly different.

  Calli’s Song rang with complete devotion to her husband, children, volarans. New family, new world. Her emotional memory of the bloodbonding and how she’d found the loves of her life was filled with joy.

  How their emotions helped! Bri heard Sevair’s Song. The beat of his heart and his hammer as he worked in the tower on the final touches to the bathing room. After a long hard day of his own. His melody and his love for her came and buoyed her. He would never fail her, not like the rock star, not like Cassidy had failed Elizabeth. Never.

  The Songs of the women near her. Like and unlike her. Once of Earth and now here. Always friends. Not going anywhere.

  Bri felt other tugs, blinked her eyes open to clear dampness. Across the park, on the street, she saw people. People she’d healed. One or two raised their hands, and she understood some of them walked the same path that she did in the evenings, enjoying being close to her. They accepted her and valued her like no others in her life. Her gift was acknowledged and prized.

  Suddenly she wanted to go home, to her tower. Sevair had finished the wonderful lower bathing room—a room she hadn’t seen since her first day there—and was actually running the bath, scenting it, waiting for her. As he’d waited since the Snap.