by A E M
Zorach looked up at her. “Come down then. It’s time to learn how to use the restroom in the forest.”
Charlotte flushed. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“Not at all.”
She slowly made her way down the tree. “You’ll stay here while I take care of it, then?”
He nodded.
Charlotte stretched her sore muscles and walked toward a group of bushes. Adventuring was her father’s pastime, not hers. She awkwardly squatted forever behind the bush before she could relax long enough to finally urinate.
“The enemy would have you for supper, Charlotte.” Zorach mentioned when she returned. “You need to practice using the restroom outside until you’ve got it down.”
“It’s cold, Zorach, and when will I ever have to use the restroom outside anyway?”
“I’m going to prepare you as well as I can for anything.” He replied. He smiled at her in a rare show of affection. “You did well. Nothing is on fire. I am proud of your progress. You've come a long way from the girl I found in the woods shaking in her bare feet with puke on her dress and tears in her eyes.”
Charlotte blushed. “So am I done for the day?”
“Not quite. I have more instructions for you, and this time I will speak without the addition of your remarks. You need to start carrying your father’s bag with you. You should have a first aid kit, rope, weapons, clothing for different types of weather, toiletries, a map, a tent, a bedroll, money, matches, and some food that will keep.” He sighed. “I worry for you.” He looked at the horizon. “I worry for the younger magani who have little to no training.”
“Do you think things will be that bad?”
“I think you should be ready in case it will be. Prepare the castle, Charlotte.” He winked at her. “Think like your father would.”
“How did you know about that secret room, Zorach?” Charlotte asked. “How long have you know my father?”
“Patience, Charlotte. Let the secrets unfold in their time.” He winked and left.
13
Something Pretty
He wasn’t the same boy when he came back.
He was wings and muscles and his hair was kissed by sun and wind and sea.
Had he become a man already?
He flashed her a smile, and when he walked behind her, he tugged her braid.
She shook her head at him. No, he was a man-boy.
Charlotte spread the lace over the light blue tablecloth and adjusted it until the ends matched. She pulled out each bureau drawer and smiled with glee at the occupants: candles, fine china, silverware, slim goblets, napkins, and several decorating options were stacked daintily. She chose the ones that called out to her and placed them on the small table in the middle of the room. She glanced out the window of the top room of the left front tower of the castle. Roses climbed the metal decorative vines that wound around the five stories of the tower. The view alone tempted many to rent out a floor for private dinners or meetings; many a proposal had happened in the glass tower. Another asset of the tower was privacy, for an elevator ran between the floors that could only be accessed by a small room that was hidden behind sliding doors disguised as a large painting in a hallway of the lobby.
Charlotte settled a vase in the middle of the table, and added four roses. She turned on the CD of songs from Beau’s homeland and took one last look around the room. The setting sun danced across the plates. She added candles to the table and set a few around the room. The fireplace was already lit. It would do. She straightened her turquoise sweater dress and thigh high dark brown boots and ran her fingers through her hair one last time. She took a deep breath and headed for the elevator. For a month, Beau had given her a gift at supper. Tonight it was her turn to give him a gift. Tonight they would have supper alone.
The kitchen was loud and bright and warm and cheery. A few of the hobs were playing guitars, and Spindle and Chime were singing loudly together. Charlotte smiled and winked at Chime, who was curled into Spindle’s side. His arm was wrapped around her back and he tapped his fingers gently on her shoulder in time with the music. She hummed a bit of the song and headed for the table. Beau sat with his back to her. She grinned. She had asked Basil to make sure he couldn’t see her right away when she entered.
Beau joked with Crispin, Tomas, and Matches. His hair was askew, and his back was streaked with dried dirt. They usually met this way, both soaked with sweat and whatever else they had been through in training. Today Charlotte had taken her afternoon hours to do what she hadn’t in a month. Dress up. For the last couple of weeks, ever since Zorach and the tree, she had been able to control the heat that surged under her skin. Just in case, she had stashed a spare fairy suit in the bureau in the tower, but she wanted to wear something pretty tonight. She stopped between his wings and gently traced her finger down his upper spine. It was the unspoken I Love You of his people. He turned. His eyes widened and his mouth hung open.
“May I steal you away for supper?” She asked quietly.
“Yeah.” He managed.
Charlotte ruffled his hair and kissed the top of his head. “Well, then, I’ll lead the way. Can I trust you to keep up?”
“Yeah.”
Charlotte sauntered back to the painting in the small hallway. She flashed teasing eyes at Beau and pushed the two sides of the painting apart. They rode the elevator in verbal silence, but the air between them was full of smiles and blushes and anticipation and glances. Finally, the doors opened. Beau wrapped his arm around her waist and they stepped into the room.
“All this for me?”
“I see you’ve found your words.” Charlotte teased. “Yes, it’s for you.”
He looked down at his dirt-smeared jeans. “I’m filthy.” He grinned at her. “And you are gorgeous. This is hardly fair.”
“The dirt becomes you.” She kissed him. “Now sit.”
Beau raised his eyebrows. “Did Bliss give you the music?”
“Yes.” Charlotte beamed. “I wanted you to have a little bit of home here.”
Beau kissed the top of her head. “I appreciate the gesture.” He chuckled. “Do you know exactly what kind of music this is?”
Charlotte paled. “Oh, no. What did I do?”
“The blame lies with my scheming sister.” Beau turned the music off. He pulled a chair out and gestured for Charlotte to sit. He tugged a strand of her hair gently. “It’s wedding music.” He whispered in her ear. “More precisely, it’s an entire wedding ceremony on a CD. If we listened to the entire CD, then we would have grounds for this being our wedding.” Beau flashed a smile and winked. “Would you like me to turn it back on from the beginning?”
“Ah, wouldn’t your parents be upset?” Charlotte stammered. “And the hobs, I mean, they aren’t family, but they are. I’m sure they would want—” Charlotte straightened in her chair. Where was the air in this room? “Beau, you’re kidding, right?”
“Relax, Lottie.” Beau reached across the table and squeezed her hand. “Let’s eat. The fish will be getting cold soon.”
“I hope you like it.”
“I love it.” Beau nudged her foot with his own foot. “I love all of this. Thank you.”
She stared back at him, hoping the flames across her face would die down soon. Bliss! She would give her a piece of her mind soon!
“I wanted to do something nice for you.” She bit into her broccoli. “You’ve been so good to me this last month.” She smiled. “Are we done with the gift part? Not that I don’t mind. I love them. But I wasn’t sure if I should have a vault somewhere to keep it all.”
Beau laughed and sat back in his chair. “It’s a tradition, and yes, I’m done for now. There will be other gifts at other times, but this was a month long tradition.”
“Well, thank you.” She said. “Unless I was supposed to be giving you gifts, as well.” She frowned. “Beau, I wouldn’t know. How am I supposed to know what to do for you? Is there a guidebook or something? Do I need to take
a class?”
“No, sweet Lottie.” He settled her feet on top of his feet and bounced them gently. “There will be things about my people you can learn, but right now it’s about me wooing you.”
“I’m already wooed.” She nestled her feet in the crook between his crossed feet.
Beau sat forward and settled his chin on his hands. A smug smile was plastered on his lips. “There will be more wooing, Caramia.” He raised his eyebrows. “Also, I plan on getting revenge for this evening.”
“What?” Charlotte set her glass down and reached for her napkin. “Why?” She glanced around the room. Everything was perfect. The sky was lit with the hues of sunset. They were alone with good food. “Is this about the music?” She tried to push the heat of another blush away, but it lit up across her face anyway.
“No.”
“Beau, don’t tease me.”
“I really would have liked a tiny heads up. Time for a shower, perhaps.”
“Snob. I told you that I didn’t care. I wanted this to be a genuine surprise.”
Beau laughed. “Okay. If I had done the same to you, would I be in trouble right now?”
Charlotte sat back in her chair. “I would be game.”
“Charlotte.”
She played with her fork. “Of course not.”
“Lottie.”
She took another drink of water. “Probably not.”
Beau chuckled and stood up. He reached his hand out to her. Charlotte placed her hand in his and stood. He tugged her close and kissed her on the lips before tucking her head by his. “Caramia. If it were you covered in dirt and me fresh out of a shower and in a stunning suit, then would you be irked with me?”
“Highly.” She whispered back. “But you are a much better person than I am.”
He snorted. “Hardly.” Beau nudged Charlotte backwards and into a turn. “You still owe me a dance.”
Charlotte turned her face away. The sting of that night had been buried under the chaos that followed and changed her world. It shouldn’t still bother her, but the image of Raven and Beau dancing around the room pricked at her happiness. Beau kissed her head and continued to lead. She sighed and closed her eyes. She didn’t want to mention something that would likely irritate him. They danced around the table as the room began to darken and the sky cooled into the dark hues of night.
“What kind of silence is this?” Beau tipped her face up. “It’s unfamiliar.”
It was Charlotte’s turn to snort. Should she admit her jealousy? He already knew she was irritated with him for being gone over the summer. He had admitted that he had liked her in a not so brotherly way for at least a year, but she had never put forth her own feelings in the same way. Sure, she had told him that she loved him, but she hadn’t been as open as he had been. She looked into Beau’s gold-flecked eyes and ran her fingers through his hair streaked with white.
“I don’t like to share.” She blurted out.
“What?” Beau stopped their dance and raised an eyebrow.
“I don’t even like to share when things aren’t mine yet.”
Beau chuckled and leaned against the bureau. “I’m missing something here, Lottie.”
“And sometimes I don’t even like to share when things won’t ever be mine. Although, sometimes they end up being mine despite what I plan or believe.” She flushed. “I like to cover the bases.”
Beau shook his head at her. “Charlotte, you are going to have to give me more than that.”
She walked to the window and pressed her forehead against the cool glass. Was the heat she felt from the moment? Was she losing control? She took several deep breaths and stepped back. Beau remained where she had left him. His features were kind and patient. Charlotte lit the candles on the table and throughout the room and soon the flickering light of the fireplace and candles lit the room in a soft glow.
“I won’t share you.” She spat out quickly and looked Beau directly in the eyes.
“I’m not asking you to share me.” He crossed the room and hugged her. “Where is this coming from?”
Charlotte stared down at her feet. “The dance.”
The quiet of the room was shattered with Beau’s laughter. “Are you trying to tell me that you get jealous easily and that you were jealous of Raven that night?” He stepped closer and placed his face against her face. “And here I thought—”
Charlotte blushed. “You sound smug.”
“I am.”
Charlotte ran her hand down his arm. “I was worried about telling you.”
“Why?” They stayed face to face, but his voice was gentler now.
“I didn’t want to hurt you.”
Beau wrapped his arms around her. “I love how we work. We’ve always had an easy relationship. We do our own things, but we touch base with each other through it all.”
“Things may not always easy.”
“I don’t expect them to stay easy.” He kissed her nose. “But I do expect you to communicate with me through both the easy and the hard.”
Charlotte closed her eyes and rubbed Beau’s neck slowly. “Do you get jealous easily?”
“That’s not my style.” He replied.
“Hmph.”
“Shhh. We aren’t the same person.” They danced again through the room, slower this time. Charlotte lost track of time. They danced closer and closer together. She felt warm and safe in Beau’s arms, but eventually the blush she had been fighting off and on all night spread across her skin. She sucked in her breath. The gentle warmth that had started up her neck was now spreading across her shoulders and arms and down her back and legs.
“Oh, no.” She pushed Beau away. “Get out.” She yanked her boots off and threw them across the room. The ends of her clothes began to burn. “It might not be safe for you to stay.”
He stepped back. “Is there anything I can do?”
“Hurry and leave me.” Tears streamed down her face. “I’m sorry. I have to change. I’ll meet you downstairs.”
Beau headed for the elevator. “I’ll be waiting for you.” The doors closed.
14
Breakthrough
“Thank you, Tobias.” Audrey beamed and traced the outside of the mirror.
She turned to Charlotte. “Now you and I are going to learn to use it.”
“Do you think Papa will find out?”
“I don’t keep secrets from your father.” Audrey sighed. “But he and I won’t always be around, and you should learn this before you go out into the dane world for college.”
They keep secrets from me, but not from each other. Charlotte silently fumed.
Charlotte sat in the window seat on the loft in the library and stared out at the sunset. She clenched her hands together in her lap. Two weeks had passed since she had lost control. Her sweater dress lay singed and stained and forlorn in the bottom of her hope chest, nestled between the boots. The roses from that night were tucked away in the pocket that hadn’t burned. She flipped through the pages of the book of poetry that Beau had given her last week. He had sweetly, yet firmly, remained steadfast at her side the last couple of weeks. He didn’t fly away for separate training anymore, and he greeted her with a smile even when she didn’t smile back.
Charlotte didn’t see what the purpose of smiling was anymore. There had been no word from her parents, and no message from the fairies. There had been no more kidnappings. The Maguard was monitoring magical activity and travel, but life had resumed for most magani. She rubbed her toes against the bookshelf. She did have Beau, but the building romance between them had cooled after she lost control during the dance. She took a deep breath and wiped the errant tear from her eye. How were they ever to have a physical relationship if she couldn’t trust herself?
She had poured every minute of her time since then into training, for the exhaustion after intense physical activity seemed to help her control the heat that coursed her through her body. Most of the time, the heat rippled gently under her skin, but somet
imes it roared and stung. Those were the times that she accidentally burned items. Anger and fear were heat triggers. Apparently, so was physical attraction.
“Charlotte?”
She looked up to see Chime standing before her with a cup of tea. “Sorry, I was thinking.”
“You do too much of that lately.” Chime said gently. She offered the cup to Charlotte. “Peppermint?”
“Thank you.” Charlotte swung her legs around so Chime could sit on the window seat. “Any news tonight?” She whispered, though she wasn’t sure why she even bothered to ask anymore.
Chime shook her head no. “Zorach is calling a meeting. He and Tobias believe that they have found something.”
Charlotte stood up without thinking. “Found what, Chime?”
“Something about the kidnappings.” She shrugged. “They won’t give any details until we are all gathered.”
Her heart fell. Charlotte handed the empty teacup back to Chime. “When’s the meeting?”
“As soon as everybody gets there.”
Charlotte hurried down the circular staircase and jogged to the meeting room, which was already bustling with bodies and talk and excitement. Rows of chairs took up the middle of the room, and a podium stood in one of the front corners. Charlotte grabbed a chair from the end of a row and settled into one of the back corners of the room. There was no way that she wanted to risk somebody accidentally bumping into her. Zorach stood in front of the room with Josef and Tobias, Josef’s youngest son. Tobias had grown up meddling with electronics of both dane and weaver making. A large portion the back wall was now covered with a screen that looked like a panel of glass.
“You have useful children!” Zorach slapped both Josef and Tobias on the shoulder. “I almost want to have an offspring now! I thought they were just trouble.”
Josef laughed good-naturedly. “Well, don’t get in a hurry, my centaur friend. In the meantime, you may borrow my children now and then.”
Lodestar entered the room and headed straight to Zorach. Basil, Beau, and a few more hobs drifted in. Beau nodded at Charlotte, and sat down in the chair nearest her. He patted the chair next to him. She smiled, but shook her head no.
