Pairing the Partridge

by Zenina Masters

  “They have made it hard to gauge the passing of time. How have things been here?”

  “Well, you were here right after King Larion and Dira signed a treaty for use of the Crossroads. We have mages here now.”

  “That’s something nice. I like mages. I mean, from a distance.” She wheezed a little as they walked. Her lungs felt strange, and her body was shaking.

  “Are you doing all right?”

  Zee snorted. “I am just trying to stay on my feet. Is there any way of getting some underwear?”

  Teal laughed. “I can set something up. The king sent along some luggage for you that arrived a few hours after you did, but we put it into storage.”

  “Do my parents know what happened to me?”

  Teal sighed. “They do. They get monthly updates on your status, and the king makes sure that any fey who come bring some of your fruit home with them. It has gone from being an irresistible aphrodisiac to being a mild aphrodisiac.”

  Zee groaned. “That is embarrassing.”

  “Don’t worry about it. The Crossroads has managed to bleed a lot of the magic overload out of you.”

  They crossed the meadow and were walking on the smooth gravel path.

  The crunch of the gravel ahead of them brought Zee’s head up. She saw the man with wings.

  “Teal, do you need help?”

  Teal looked at Zee and asked, “Hey, Axl. Can you lift her? She’s a little large for me unless I fling her over a shoulder.”

  “Sure.” The man who had been resting and picnicking with her picked Zee up and held her against his chest.

  She didn’t know where to look.

  He frowned. “What happened to her?”

  Teal chuckled. “Traumatic shift. She’s going to be staying at the Axion.”

  “Right. Is Drak expecting her?”

  She smiled. “He has been holding her room since the Axion was built.”

  Zee was trying to remain very still as she was carried to the large glowing castle that had been visible from her position in the field. Well, the man carrying her hadn’t had a violent orgasm, so that was progress.

  Teal walked her to the door, and Drak opened it with a welcoming but wary smile. “Zekila, it is good to finally see you here.”

  She waved weakly. “It has been a strange journey.”

  Drak reached for her, which took a lot of nerve considering that he had been in the court when she had set everyone off. Axl’s arms tightened on her, but he relinquished her to the host.

  Teal and Drak thanked him for his assistance, and she was carried into the castle. She closed her eyes as moving made her dizzy.

  “Are you all right? You seem different, Zekila.”

  She chuckled. “Over a decade in a wooden skin will do that for someone. I am pretty sure that the power that used to rise and roar remade me.”

  Drak carried her up a set of stairs until he reached the top of the tower. He opened the door and settled her on the bed. He smiled and got a glass of water for her. “Just tell the room what you need. It will get it for you. How are you feeling?”

  She sat up slowly and took the water. She slugged it back after she remembered how to drink without using her hands and feet to absorb it.

  She turned and sat with her legs over the edge of the bed, not really caring how much of her skin was exposed. “I think I am going to need rehab of some kind. Maybe some physiotherapy. I can’t remember how to move properly.”

  “Rest for the remainder of the night. I will discuss your options with Teal and Tony. This hasn’t happened before. Folks have blown up the Meditation Centre, but they haven’t rooted into the Crossroads.”

  Zee sighed and reached for the jug of water on the bedside table. It took a few tries, but she managed to grip the handle and lift the jug. Pouring it was messy, but she got most of the water in the glass. The room was cleaned up with a slight glittery mist that dissipated with the spilled water.

  She chuckled. “That’s handy.”

  “It can be. Are you all right here tonight?”

  “I am fine. I can get myself together and practice moving around in here where I can’t hurt anyone.”

  Drak smiled, his golden skin gleaming in the evening light that streamed in via the windows. Drak was pretty; that had always been part of his charm.

  “Thanks for helping me, Drak.”

  “You are a guest of the Axion and, as such, are entitled to the same amount of care as any of the others. Don’t worry. The Crossroads is a new place. You are safe from your past here.”

  She blinked. “Right. I guess only the fey would know what I am or was or whatever.”

  “Sleep on it if you can, or do whatever you like, but please, don’t leave your room until someone comes for you tomorrow morning. Okay? I want to make sure that you are attended until you are stable.”

  She nodded. “I will be fine. Thanks for your help.”

  He stood straight, bowed low, and left her alone. Zee exhaled in relief. She stretched and got to her feet. A shower was in order. She was wearing a lot of grass, dirt, and sap.

  She passed her balcony and looked out at the stars before she headed to the bathroom. Priorities were important. She remembered that much.

  It took a lot of hot water to remove the sap from her skin, but when she was clean, and her body had absorbed what it wanted, she wrapped herself in a towel and walked into the living area.

  She heard the heavy thud of wingbeats and looked toward the balcony. She grabbed for a robe and pulled it around her and shucked the towel off. Somehow, being on her own feet and unclothed was going to be different with Axl around.

  Chapter Three

  She finished tying her robe as he landed on the railing of her balcony. He inclined his head. “Good evening.”

  “Um, hello.” She curtsied.

  “May I come in?”

  Zee stepped back. “Of course. Please come in.”

  He hopped down and stepped into her room. “So, what kind of shifter is carried directly to the Axion?”

  She paused. “What?”

  “Teal said you were recovering from a bad shift. I came to check on you.” He walked toward her. “You look damp but otherwise fine.”

  Zee blinked. “I am fine. Thank you for checking on me. It is very kind.”

  He looked at her ears. “You are an elf. What kind of shift was it?”

  She smiled. “An uncomfortable one. It took hours, and then, I was naked and cold on the grass. I don’t remember a lot before that. Why don’t you ever become your beast?”

  He paused. “What?”

  “Your beast. You always appear with wings but never as an animal. There must be a reason for that.”

  He smiled, and his golden good looks glowed through the flicker of nerves. “You have been watching me? I have not seen you around.”

  She laughed. “I have not been around much, but I have been watching the Crossroads. I have been waiting for the right time to join in the festivities.”

  “You have been here this whole time? I am remiss for not seeing you prior to tonight.”

  She wrinkled her nose. “Elves who change form do not do it the way that shifters do.”

  “How do you do it?”

  She smiled. “Can I offer you some hot cocoa?”

  He smiled, and his wings retracted into his shoulders. “Thank you.”

  She went to the bar area and asked, “May I have two hot chocolates, please?”

  Two mugs appeared with marshmallows floating in them. She picked them up and carried them over to the table, setting them down carefully. She took one of the chairs and nodded, “Please have a seat.”

  “You know, I thought that a room this high up would be colder.” He sat down and took the mug in front of him.

  She nodded. “So, why didn’t you answer my question. What are you when you shift to your beast?”

  He sipped at his hot chocolate. “I wi
ll tell you if you tell me what you transformed into?”

  She shrugged. “Sure. A fruit tree. Now you.”

  He chuckled. “Fair enough. I am supposed to be a partridge, but I just hate the idea of fitting myself into that small of a space.”

  Zee stared at him. “Really?”

  “My beast is content with a partial shift and has been for years. He has never needed anything more, so he doesn’t pull at me.” He sipped at the cocoa.

  She chuckled. “And you wander around areas looking like an earth angel and getting women to fawn all over you.”

  He blushed slightly. “There is that effect.”

  They sat in silence for a moment, and he asked, “You shifted into a tree?”

  She snorted. “Sort of. I was chucked to the Crossroads, Teal and Tony helped me to the meadow, and the tree took me over. I had always worked with trees until that point, so becoming one was a bit shocking.”

  Axl looked at her. “You were that tree? How did you get out of the garlands?”

  She cackled. “The tree split me out. It is still there and still very pretty. You did a nice job.”

  “So, you were inside the tree.”

  “Yes.”

  “For how long?”

  She paused. “Teal said it was nearly fifteen years. The memories are a little vague, but I remember watching all the moments of love and romance in the shifter’s meadow.”

  “So, a little voyeurism?”

  Zee chuckled. “Trees can’t look away. They see what they see, and they see it all. Rain or shine.”

  “So, why did you come to the Crossroads?”

  “The king sent me here. He felt that my powers would be best diluted with another being. I am going to be stuck here until I have a mate and split my energy with him.”

  “That sucks. I mean, it’s great for the guys around here. I haven’t seen many fey females at the Crossroads in the last few weeks.”

  “That isn’t surprising. Most of us are guarded like national treasures.” She sipped at her cocoa.

  “Why were you different?”

  She smiled. “Too much. I could cause a wave of sensual overload with the touch of my hand. That wave could be contagious to others. Before you knew it, the entire court was on their knees. I mean, except for the king, of course, but he was already seated. He didn’t bear a grudge, though. Unless this was his revenge years later. But he actually seemed happy to be sending me here but not in a mean way.”

  Axl nodded. “That is something, at least.”

  She smiled. “I think I will enjoy my time here as long as most of the folks haven’t met me before.”

  He grinned. “Well, may I be the first to wish you luck on the longest night of the year.”

  “And to you as well.” She raised her cup to his. “Merry Yule.”

  “Happy Christmas.” He grinned and raised his cup.

  They toasted the night, and when the cocoa was gone, she smiled. “I think I should get some sleep. It is funny having a body again.”

  She got to her feet, and he stood as well. He walked around the table and put his hands on her shoulders. He pressed his lips against hers and leaned back. “Merry Christmas. My name is Axl.”

  She smiled. “My name is Zekila, but my friends call me Zee.”

  “Happy Yule, Zekila.”

  “Merry Christmas, Axl.”

  He stroked her cheek and walked out to the balcony. He perched on the railing, stood up, his wings expanded, and he fell.

  She walked to the edge of the balcony and watched his wings flap. He shot out across the landscape, spinning outward and upward until he paused in front of the moon before laughing and flying into the night.

  The sound of his laughter stayed with her as she stripped and went through a yoga routine that had her back in touch with her body and sure of what she was feeling where. By the time dawn had gotten up, she felt a lot more like her old self but with less of a feeling of being about to blow apart.

  She put on the dress draped at the foot of her bed, found some flat shoes, and went to sit on the balcony. It was amazing to see the Crossroads from this vantage point.

  There was so much more there now than there had been when she arrived. Instead of the small town, there was another tower in the distance and a huge body of water, a mountain where there had been no mountain, and a deep forest with trails of smoke curling up from chimneys. There was a small village in the middle of the woods. It was amazing what happened when you lived life as a fruit tree.

  A soft knock at her door got her up on her feet, and she walked over and opened the panel of wood, smiling at Teal.

  Teal smiled. “I have something for you. We didn’t get around to it the first time.”

  The guardian tied the small charm onto Zee’s wrist. “This will let you pay for anything at the Crossroads. There is a fully stocked general store, and if you can’t find something, they can get it in a few hours.”

  Zee smiled. “Would you like to come in?”

  “Why don’t we head down for breakfast?”

  “Oh. Okay. Thanks.” Zee looked at her dress. “Is this okay?”

  Teal smiled. “For an elf, definitely.”

  Zee nodded and followed Teal down the spiral of steps that led to the main floor. Drak was setting a sideboard with food. There was a huge table set with plates and cutlery.

  “Good morning, Zekila. Glad to see you up and well-rested.”

  She looked at the food, and her stomach growled. She grabbed a plate and took samples of everything.

  Drak blinked as she included sausage and bacon. “I thought you would be a vegetarian.”

  Zee snorted. “Not likely. My dad was in the hunt, my mother was a princess. We ate what the humans ate.”

  She sat down at the table and consumed her breakfast. She drank orange, apple, and pear juice in turn.

  Teal smiled and set a pot of tea and a cup of coffee down as well. “Your thirst is probably fairly intense.”

  Zee chuckled. “You could say that. Too much time getting my sustenance from the world around me.”

  Drak refilled her coffee cup as it mysteriously emptied. “How did you manage that time? What did you think of; what were you interested in?”

  Zee sighed. “I heard the wind, and I felt the magic. The soft rain fell through my branches and nurtured my roots. Then, there were the people who picnicked and made love in the meadow. So many shifters running and flying.”

  Drak chuckled. “That does sound like this place.”

  Teal nodded. “It does sound like this place.”

  Zee smiled. “So, what does one do around here to find a mate?”

  Teal blinked. “It is similar to back home. You wear clothing that is comfortable but slightly embarrasses you. Let people come up to you and talk to you, and don’t threaten them unless you feel you are in danger. Oh, and feel free to call on any staff members at any time. No one is ever undefended at the Crossroads.”

  “That is good to know. I am not really worried, though. This place feels almost a part of me.” As she said it, both the host and guardian looked at her cautiously.

  She sighed. “Right. What is it?”

  Teal rubbed the back of her neck. “Your tree is there and very healthy, but it is definitely still yours and not part of the landscape. I have sent a message to Dira asking about what it means, but she hasn’t been forthcoming yet.”

  Zee nodded. “I understand. I have only been active here for a day. I think I can wait for a few before I find out what I need to do or what has to happen. I will have to remember how to dance, though. That memory is gone.”

  Drak frowned. “Are you missing other memories?”

  She shrugged. “Just a few that don’t bother me. Like my first kiss or the first time I was presented to court.”

  Drak blinked. “You forgot that?”

  “It doesn’t seem to have any ramifications on my life going forward, so t
he tree discarded it when she remade me.”

  Teal was surprised. “Remade you; I thought you were inside the bark the whole time?”

  “No, any animal matter left in that kind of proximity to a tree will rot. My original body is gone now, into the soil of the Crossroads.” She pressed a hand to her chest. “The tree and the magic decided that it was time to be me, and they remade me.”

  They stared at her, and she smiled and took the last of the tea. “So, now I am an old thing and a new thing born near the longest night of the year.” She chuckled. “Does that make me Santa Claus?”

  Teal smiled. “I don’t know that he was born on Christmas; I know that he was generous to those around him.”

  Zee shrugged. “I suppose I will see what I have to give, and it will probably be pears.”

  Drak let out a crack of laughter. Teal giggled, and breakfast was concluded. It was time to begin her first day at the Crossroads, seeking a partner.

  It was unlikely that she would find one, but she would try.

  Chapter Four

  The first few steps outside were strange. It felt odd to change the world she walked through by turning her head. Movement was fresh and new again.

  She crossed the wide stone entryway, and Axl was waiting for her.

  He grinned at her host. “Hey, Drak, I can take her around.”

  The host paused. “You can?”

  “Sure. I have spent enough time learning this place, and I can even show her the outer reaches. It will be an interesting way to spend some time with an interesting woman.”

  He inclined his head. “Provided that she agrees.”

  Zee looked around at the concerned faces and smiled. “That sounds like a fun idea, as long as we can stop for food on the way.”

  Axl extended his hand and smiled. “Well then, lady, shall we be going?”

  She looked down. “I think the first thing I need is a change of clothing. This is lovely but not very practical for exploring.”

  He smiled. “Clothes are easy.”

  “I have always thought so. Let’s start there.” She put her hand in his.

  The moment that his hand closed around hers, she felt the strong shock of power hitting power. The flare of light was surprising.