“And you’re going to teach me how to do that?”
“I’ll try.” Kevin pointed to the willow tree. “I want you to join with the breeze from the stream and use it to make the limbs on that tree move.”
“What breeze?” Rhianna asked. “There isn’t any breeze.”
“It’s there, but you have to search for it. Close your eyes and open your mind.”
Rhianna looked at him like he was nuts, but when he raised his eyebrows, she folded her arms and closed her eyes. After a few minutes, she felt the faintest of breezes, like a butterfly fluttering near her face. It was a breath, barely felt, but it was there. Without opening her eyes, she said, “I’ve found it. Now what do I do with it?”
“Join with it.” Kevin said, feeling more relaxed. Maybe he’d be okay as long as he kept his focus off the elf and on the magic. “Picture yourself floating on it. Once you’ve joined it, open your eyes and guide it to the tree.”
A couple of minutes later, Rhianna opened her eyes, then frowned.
“What happened?” Kevin asked.
“Nothing. I felt like I was floating, but as soon as I opened my eyes, it was gone. I can’t feel the breeze anymore. It just stopped.”
Kevin frowned. “With your connection with nature, I figured you probably played with the wind as a child.”
“Why? You’re part elf. Did you?”
“Well, no, but I didn’t know I could.”
“And neither did I.”
“But you spent your entire life around elves. Surely, at some point, someone used the wind to either stir up a rain storm or calm a rough one down.”
“They may have, but they didn’t do it around me.” Rhianna thought for a moment. “Come to think of it, whenever there was a bad storm, Landis and I were sent inside, and most of the time, right after we went in, things did settle a bit. I hadn’t connected the two before.”
“Wonder why they didn’t let you watch what they were doing,” Kevin said thoughtfully. “Maybe for the same reason young sorcerers aren’t allowed to watch magic when it’s being used.”
“Probably. If I’d known I could play with the wind, I’d have tried to see what I could do with it.”
Kevin laughed. “I can picture it now. You, in your Mom’s garden, with all those flowers and shrubs, stirring up whirlwinds.”
Rhianna shook her head. “That wouldn’t have happened. I knew better than mess with her gardens.”
Kevin tilted his head towards the stream. “Try it again, but play around in the breeze this time, get comfortable with it, get to know it before you open your eyes.”
Rhianna wrinkled her forehead. “Do you know how crazy that sounds?”
Kevin grinned. “Try it anyway.”
Rhianna took a deep breath, closed her eyes, relaxed her mind and body, and reached out to find the breeze again. Once she had it, she pictured herself floating on it. After a while, she felt like she really was floating.
Kevin watched her carefully, and saw a hint of a smile tease her lips. He started to tell her she had it, but was afraid the sound of his voice would break her connection so he decided to give her a few minutes to have fun with it.
Rhianna let herself drift with the breeze, enjoying the freedom of flying. She felt like she was a bird, drifting up with one current and down with another, racing ahead, diving towards the ground, catching an updraft and shooting skywards. She was playing, and having a wonderful time.
Then she heard Myron’s voice, faint, as if it was far away, calling her back. She tried to ignore him, but he became more and more insistent. Finally she sighed in exasperation and opened her eyes. “What?” she snapped. “I was doing what you told me to. Why did you interrupt me?”
“Well, you’ve been playing for about half an hour. I didn’t want you to get too far away the first time.”
Rhianna’s mouth dropped open. “Half an hour? Really?”
Kevin nodded. “You lose track of time when you’re off like that. I know. The first time I joined with a thunderstorm I was gone longer than that, but I could have sworn it was only a few minutes.”
Rhianna shook her head, but then a slow smile spread across her face. “That was fun. I had no idea I could do that.”
“Just don’t do it when you’re by yourself until you’re used to it.”
“Why not?”
“It would be too easy to stay with the wind and not come back. I’m not sure what would happen. I imagine you’d get tired eventually and have to sleep, and that would bring you back, but in the meantime, you wouldn’t know what was going on around you. You could be in danger and not realize it.”
Rhianna frowned. “What danger? No one’s out to kill me.”
“As far as you know. But Landis is in danger, and because of your connection with her, you might be a target, too.”
Rhianna shook her head. “I don’t think so. Killing me wouldn’t stop her. It wouldn’t do anything except upset my parents.”
“It would do a great deal more than that, but I was thinking more along the lines of natural dangers. A flash flood, a forest fire, something like that.”
“Oh.” Rhianna glanced at the walls of the canyon. “I see what you mean.”
“Even with as much practice as I’ve had, I don’t join with the wind unless Chris is beside me.” Kevin grinned. “Or at least those are my orders.”
“Chris?”
“And Glendymere.”
“All right. Now that I can join with the breeze, what comes next?”
Kevin nodded. “This time, you need to split your focus. Part of you stays with the wind. The other part has to stay grounded. Try it again, but this time, try to see the tree, the rocks, the stream, me, everything in the canyon. You won’t feel as free, and you can’t play like you were doing last time, but if you’re going to do anything with the wind, you have to be grounded.”
Rhianna nodded and closed her eyes. After a moment, she was floating on the breeze again. She tried to keep that feeling as she opened her eyes, but it didn’t work. As soon as her eyes opened, the floating feeling was gone, and so was her connection with the wind. She shook her head to let Kevin know it hadn’t worked.
“Okay. It takes time to get it. But we can’t do anything else until you can do that, so I guess we’ll stop for today. Practice joining with the wind and staying grounded until you can do it. Things will get easier then.”
“Now I know how Landis feels. This having to master one thing before you move on is frustrating.”
“Oh, yeah,” Kevin agreed. “Frustrating is an understatement. Be sure you have someone else with you. It doesn’t matter who, but tell them not to let you play more than fifteen minutes before they call you back.”
Rhianna started to protest, but Kevin held up his hand. “Fifteen minutes is long enough to connect and try to split your focus, which is what you’re supposed to be doing. Now, do you want to go back up to Wildcat Mountain?”
Rhianna nodded.
“Stand beside me and I’ll fly us both up there.”
“You’re not going to drop me, are you?” she asked as she stepped beside him.
Kevin laughed. “You sound like Chris. Don’t worry, I’ve been doing this for a while now.”
“Is Landis going to be able to do this?”
“If she decides to become a sorcerer, yes.”
“Oh, what fun. And I suppose I’ll be the first one she tries it out on.”
“Probably,” Kevin answered. “But you can always do what Chris did when I used him to test my skills.”
“What’s that?”
“Insist that Glendymere be around for the first few runs. He won’t let you get hurt.”
“Don’t suppose we could wake him up for this one, can we?”
“Relax, Rhianna,” Kevin said as he lifted them both off the ground. “Why are you so nervous? You’ve flown with Xantha, haven’t you?”
“Sure, but that’s different. He has wings. You don’t. And I was seated on
his back with a handful of mane. With you, I’m standing on air with nothing to hang on to. Not the same thing at all.”
By that time, they were almost at the peak of the mountain. Kevin moved them over the treetops and set them down near the front door. “Now, was that so bad?”
Rhianna shrugged. “I still prefer flying with Xantha.”
Kevin grinned. “So do I.”
The front door opened and Chris stepped outside. “Are you coming in?” he asked Kevin. “Or are you ready to head home?”
“I’ll go in to say hello, but then we’ve got to go back.” Kevin turned to Rhianna. “You’ll be in Crinsor Run next Sunday, but we can still work on this. Will it be all right if I come after I finish sparring with Glendymere?”
“You’ll have to stay for lunch. You know Mother.” Rhianna turned to Chris. “You’re invited, too.”
“Sorry,” Chris said as he shook his head. “Kevin’s booked next Sunday for lunch.”
Kevin looked at Chris. “I am?”
Chris nodded. “Family lunch with Dayed. Laryn set it up. You can go to Crinsor Run Sunday morning but you’ll have to be back in Milhaven by 11:00.”
Rhianna interrupted. “Why don’t you pick us up a little earlier Sunday afternoon then?”
“Around 3:00?” Kevin asked.
Rhianna nodded. “We’ll be ready.”
Chapter 18
An Evening with Allisandra
Later that afternoon, Kevin was at his desk when he heard Chris say, “He’s in his office.”
“Thank you,” Laryn answered as she and Steve stepped into Kevin’s office. “Ready?”
Kevin nodded as he stood up. “Where are we going? I mean, I know we’re going to Allisandra’s, but where does she live? Do I need my cloak?”
“Not this time. She lives near the Agrenon Bay.”
Kevin took off his key and handed it to his aunt. Seconds later, they were in front of a large, one-level house that had more windows than walls. The front yard was sandy, with palm trees interspersed among several small garden areas made up of potted plants. A gravel walkway wound around the gardens through iron arches which supported flowering vines. Tiny glowstones sparkled from the palm trees, the arches, and even the potted plants.
As Laryn approached the door, it was opened by a woman who looked like a female version of Shadron, except for the unmistakable bulge at her waist. Laryn stared open-mouthed at her sister for a moment and then pulled Allisandra into her arms and cried, “You’re pregnant!”
Allisandra laughed. “I can’t breathe. Loosen up.”
Laryn pushed her back and took a good look at her. She playfully punched her sister in the arm and asked, “Why didn’t you tell me?”
Allisandra shrugged. “There’s been so much going on I decided to wait until things calmed down a bit. And speaking of stuff going on, you’re getting married!”
Laryn laughed and introduced Steve. After Allisandra led them into the living room, Laryn asked, “How far along are you?”
“A little more than six months.”
“Have you told Danyelle yet?”
Allisandra shook her head. “We haven’t told anyone yet. Well, anyone who doesn’t live nearby. I think everyone in town has figured it out by now.” Allisandra wrinkled her nose. “You know how our family is about babies. Danyelle will make a list of everything I need to do for at least the first five years of the baby’s life and want to go over it with me before the baby’s born. Shadron’ll want me to come stay with them so Kayla can take care of us. Kyle will try to surround me with nanny dogs, and there’s no telling what Dayed will do.”
“Flood you with furniture. He’ll make you a cradle, a rocking chair, a clothes chest, anything you want for your baby,” Laryn said with a grin. “Just don’t ask him to be anywhere around when you give birth. I think that would do him in.”
Allisandra laughed and nodded her head in agreement. “I was planning to wait until after the baby was born and then send out an announcement. But now that you’re getting married in a few weeks and we’ll all have to show up, I don’t think my plan will work.”
“No, you can’t hide it at this point.” Laryn looked at Allisandra’s waist. “You know your life will be simpler that weekend if they know you’re pregnant before they see you, don’t you?”
“I don’t think anything will make that weekend easy, but I’ve already decided to send out notes sometime next week.”
“Good,” Laryn said. “Now that that’s settled, what else has been going on in your life?”
After they sat in the living room and talked for a while, Allisandra said she had a few more things to do in the kitchen for dinner. “Why don’t you take Steve and Kevin out back?” she asked Laryn. “It’s nearly sunset, and the back garden’s nice this time of day.”
“Speaking of your gardens,” Laryn said.
Allisandra raised her eyebrows. “Yes?”
“Cryslyn’s in charge of the reception,” Laryn explained, “and she wanted me to ask you to take care of the flowers for the tables in the dining room for the brunch Saturday morning and dinner Saturday night. I told her I thought the same ones could be used for both, but she said to leave that to you. She also wants several arrangements for the entrance hall at the castle and the main rooms in the governor’s house. But you don’t have to do it, Alli.”
“Why the governor’s house?” Allisandra frowned.
“She and Joan are planning some kind of party for me Saturday afternoon.” Laryn shook her head. “It’s too much. Don’t worry about it. I’ll tell her you can’t manage it this time. She’ll understand.”
“Nonsense,” Allisandra said. “I’m pregnant, not sick. Of course I’ll do the arrangements. Tell her to let me know the number of tables and the color scheme she wants me to use.”
“You don’t have to do this,” Laryn said. “It doesn’t matter to me whether we have flowers or not, and if she wants them bad enough, she can have someone in Milhaven do it.”
“If I didn’t want to do it, I wouldn’t,” Allisandra said. “I’m not the timid child I used to be, Laryn. I’ve learned how to say no, but in this case, I don’t want to.”
“Are you sure?”
Allisandra nodded. “Now go on outside and let me finish up dinner. And while you’re out there, make a note of any flowers you like and I’ll be sure to include them.”
The back garden was laid out similar to the front, but Allisandra had added several pools of water in the back. They followed the gravel walkway until it ended at the vegetable and herb garden Allisandra had planted between the house and her husband’s blacksmith shop. While they were looking at all the vegetables that were still growing, Allisandra’s husband, Craven, walked out of his shop, shut the door, and waved to Laryn.
Allisandra had dinner ready by the time they got back. The conversation was engaging, but inconsequential, and after a bit, Kevin sat back and observed. Laryn was completely at ease with her sister and brother-in-law, just like she’d been with Shadron, Kayla, and Kyle. These people might live hundreds of miles apart but they had a bond, a closeness he’d never experienced with anyone on Earth, certainly not with anyone in his foster family. And he’d never seen any evidence his foster parents had this kind of relaxed closeness with anyone either, not even with each other.
All too soon, dinner was over and it was time to leave.
“Take care of yourself,” Laryn said as she hugged Allisandra goodbye. “See you in a few weeks.”
Then, with a turn of the key, they were back in Kevin’s office.
“You got quiet for a while during dinner,” Laryn said, looking at Kevin. “Is everything all right?”
Kevin nodded. “I was listening.”
Laryn didn’t look convinced, but she let it go. “Well, I guess we’ll say goodnight and let you get back to what you were doing before we left.”
After Steve and Laryn had gone, Chris came in. “Did you have a good time?”
Kevin
nodded and told Chris about the gardens and dinner. “They all seemed so relaxed at dinner, so comfortable with each other. It was nice.”
“Yeah, family dinners can be,” Chris said, “and they can be nightmares. Sort of depends on the family.”
“What were yours like?”
“Loud,” Chris said with a laugh, “especially while we were young. Everyone would talk at once and Mom and Dad wanted to hear everything everyone said. It got confusing at times, but mostly it was loud.”
“Dinner at our house was quiet,” Kevin said. He didn’t bother to add that until he was in his mid-teens, he either ate in the kitchen with the cook or up in his room. “About the only thing anyone said was please pass the bread.”
“I think I prefer loud.”
“Me, too.”
“What about when you went to a friend’s house to eat?”
Kevin shrugged. “Same as at our house.” He couldn’t remember one time he’d eaten with the adults at any of his friends’ homes until after he’d graduated from high school.
After a moment, Kevin leaned back in his chair and asked, “Anything happen I need to know about while I was gone?”
Chris shook his head.
“Then let’s call it a day.”
Chapter 19
Colby Falls
Shortly after breakfast Tuesday morning, Kevin looked up Colby Falls on his map. The letter he’d received had come from Chadwick, the district minister of Norwyn, but Kevin thought he should go see the district sorcerer, Nicolas, first. Chadwick maintained that the road was covered under the original contract. Apparently Nicolas didn’t agree.
Kevin went upstairs to get his heaviest cloak. Norwyn was in the area Kevin knew as upstate New York, and since he’d never been there, he’d checked with Steve. The Adirondack Mountains were in that area, and Steve said some of them were well over 4000 feet. Kevin figured with the way his luck was going, Colby Falls would be on top of the coldest one.
When he got there, he decided he was half right. Colby Falls was only midway up a mountain, but it was cold. The town was a little larger than Milhaven, having two inns instead of one and a few more shops. He spotted the Chapel of Light tucked into the hillside near the edge of town and was considering heading there to ask for directions to Nicolas’s house when he saw the blacksmith step outside his shop to take a break.
The Fourteenth Key (The Chronicles of Terah Book 3) Page 17
