by A E M
“Talk later?” He mouthed.
She nodded yes and smiled tentatively. They needed to talk, but more importantly, she needed to learn to control herself around him.
“Okay, if everyone could take a seat, please!” Josef called out. “That’s right, it’s time to begin. Cease the chit chat and sit.” He waited until the room was quiet before he sat down on the front row.
Zorach cleared his throat. “Now, I know we have been over these reports time and time again.”
The room erupted with groans of disapproval.
“This time, we have the solution!” Tobias shouted over the groans. “I’ve built a screen large enough for us all to look at everything together.”
A lot of hobs shook their heads in disbelief. Basil rapped his stirring spoon on the back of a chair, and the room quieted.
“Tonight I want to focus only on the locations of the kidnappings. The last three weeks I have been in contact with all magani to double-check the locations and numbers. Tobias has been so kind as to enter the information.” He nodded at Tobias.
“It’s also been color coded by types of magani.” Tobias added. He crossed to the brand new computer that sat in the other front corner of the room. Charlotte blinked. A computer in the castle. Times were changing. The screen lit up with a map of the country that was covered in colored dots. Charlotte sat forward in her chair.
“Is it just me, or do the kidnappings seem to be grouped in circles?” Charlotte asked.
“You are correct.” Zorach confirmed. “The closest center is near the area your mother managed to escape.” He tapped the circle. “It looks like she got away just in time.”
“Although most of them were kidnapped again, anyway.” One of the hobs grumbled.
“But we wouldn’t be where we are now if that didn’t happen.” Another pointed out.
“So what do we do now?” Beau asked. “Does the Maguard know?”
“I can let Barnabas know what we found and see what he knows.” Basil offered.
“Right now, please.” Zorach commanded.
Basil left the room with a pop of air.
“Tonight and tomorrow Lodestar and I will assemble a team which will leave for this spot the day after.” Zorach knelt down on the floor. “I need to know if anybody in this room wants to go along.” He looked slowly around the room. “I also will gather a team to protect the castle. Let me know if you want to be serve in that way.”
“I’m going with you.” Beau called out. “I will represent the bronze eagles.”
“The hobs are ready to defend the castle.” Josef inserted. “We’ve been working on new protection measures and magic.”
“I will remain here to protect the castle, as well.” Wilhelm added. “I will contact my parents after this meeting. They will send my sister, Evangeline, with your team. She is young, but she has a knack for fighting.”
“I will attempt to locate Faunus.” Lodestar offered.
“Do we really need to contact him?” Josef argued. “He’s unreliable and cocky and rude and—”
“I promised him that we would.” Zorach said. “He may be all the things you said, but he’s also committed to finding out what happened to his children. He’s a decent fighter, and he can be very helpful in the wild. We may have great use of him.”
“We have a responsibility to everybody, not only the magani we like.” Lodestar scolded.
“So you’ve informed the giants, then?” Josef asked sarcastically. “What about Triton?”
“Are you okay, Father?” Chime asked.
“I’m fine.” Josef straightened his suit. “I’m a little nervous, that’s all. Two attacks on the castle are more than I thought I’d ever see.”
“I will contact the giants.” Rhett offered. “Though I can tell you now that they will not send anybody.”
“And I will contact Triton.” Zorach said. “Or rather, I’ll have one of my brothers contact him.”
Basil popped back in the room with Alcott.
“I will represent the dwarves and the Maguard.” Alcott bowed.
“How did he get here so fast?” Charlotte leaned forward and whispered to Beau. “Do hobs have that kind of range?”
“He used a portal.” Beau whispered back.
“What does the Maguard say?” Zorach asked.
“I would like to take a copy of this information to my father this evening so he has time to take it to our leaders.” Alcott took a seat. “To be perfectly honest, we need to incorporate more technology between our dens. We should have found this much sooner. We appreciate your discovery.”
“All of the magani need to use more technology.” Beau crossed his arms in front of his chest.
“Good riddance.” One of the hobs mumbled. “What has the magical world come to when we are considering using dane technology? Can’t we all get along without talking to each other constantly?”
“Is it safe to use the dane Internet for magical reasons?” Another asked.
“There is an Internet for us, you know.” Beau said.
“Really?”
“The M-Web.” Zorach said. “The Magical World Wide Web, if you want the long version.”
“The centaurs use the M-Web?” Alcott asked.
Zorach snorted. “I’m sure it’s the same across for most magani. This combination of technology and magic that’s been spreading the last few years is a hit with you young ones.” Zorach reached into a pouch on his waist and brought out something that looked like a pane of glass that was slim and the size of his palm. “This is the newest thing. It’s called a Quire.”
It was Josef’s turn to snort. He shook his head. “I’m glad Isaac wanted to keep technology to a minimum here.”
“It’s quaint, I’ll give you that.” Beau said. “And it worked for Audrey’s business, too. But times are changing.”
“We should get one for the castle.” One of the younger hobs said.
“I can make us one of our own.” Tobias said. “There’s no need to go all commercial.”
“Isaac wouldn’t approve.” Josef said.
“Isaac is gone now.”
“Get one or make one. It’s fine.” Charlotte said loudly. She sat back and played with the hem of her shirt. Could they stop talking about her parents now? Did they not know it still hurt her? She blinked back her tears and looked at the map and the nearest collection of kidnappings. She would go, of course, so why hadn’t she offered? Was it fear? She tugged at the hem. Or was it hope that her parents might contact her here? She sighed. She couldn’t spend her entire life waiting on something that might not happen, but desperation was a noisy bother. It drowned out the logic that attempted to calm her.
“Where will I best serve?” Sebastian asked.
Zorach stared at him thoughtfully. “We could use you in both places, to be honest, but I won’t have you on a battle field if it’s not what you want.”
Sebastian shook his head no. He clasped his hands together and stared down at the floor. Josef breathed a noisy sigh of relief.
Charlotte stopped playing with her hair and looked up at Zorach. “I will go.”
“Are you sure?” Josef asked her. “You’ve been unsteady lately.”
“She’s ready.” Zorach said. “And she has tonight and tomorrow to clear her mind.”
“We have already lost Isaac and Audrey. We can’t lose Charlotte. I say she stays here to help protect her home.” One of the hobs said.
“It’s up to her.” Basil interjected.
“But what will happen to us if we lose her?”
“Isaac made sure we’d be taken good care of.” Josef said quietly. “Remember, we were already facing this situation with Isaac aging and Charlotte possibly having her memory wiped and living as a dane. It’s taken care of.” He looked over at Charlotte. “But I would rather you stay, Lottie.”
“I have to go, Josef.”
“Then you will.” Beau said.
“You take care of her.” Josef said s
ternly.
“She can take care of herself. But, yes, I’ll watch out for her.” His wings ruffled.
“Well, that takes care of that.” Zorach interrupted. “Does anybody have anything else to share?” The room was silent. “Meeting adjourned. Get some sleep and ready yourselves.”
Charlotte waited until it was only herself and Beau left in the room. She sat down by him and placed her arm on his arm. He patted her arm with his other arm. She pulled his arm into her lap and traced her fingers over his scars. “Winguard?”
“Yes, Locklear?”
She leaned into his arm. “I’d like to spend tomorrow with you.”
He wrapped his arm around her shoulders. “I’d like that, too.”
“Can we go someplace?” She slipped her hand into his hand and looked up at him. “Can we fly?”
Beau leaned forward and brushed his lips against her lips. “We will fly, Lottie.”
15
Doughnuts and a Date
Audrey carried the wailing toddler into the kitchen.
“Give her to me. You get to work. Chime will take her next.” Basil ordered.
He offered the loud little girl a doughnut.
She sniffled and took a bite.
“There now.” He whispered. “Be patient and get bigger. In no time at all you’ll be running around here having all kinds of adventures. Just you wait and see.”
Charlotte watched the ripples in her tea as she stirred her spoon absentmindedly early the next morning. Outside it would be dark for hours still, but inside the fireplace roared with heat and light, and a tempting waft curled through the air with a promise of hot, fresh doughnuts. Charlotte lifted her head off of her fist and took another sip of the hot tea. She had been too nervous to sleep well, and she found that the company of others, even if was limited to grunts and sharp commands, was comforting. She squared her shoulders back and softened her eyes that kept wandering to the fire when she thought nobody was looking. She was curious about fire in a way she had never been before. Why was it that life giving and destruction seemed to walk hand-in-hand?
Basil placed a container on the table in front of her cup and rapped it with his knuckles. He tipped it up so she could see inside. Granola. Charlotte looked into his eyes and nodded her thank you. She knew that he wanted her to have food from home for the trip tomorrow. He had tried to teach her how to cook years before, but he was an impatient teacher, and she was a daydreaming learner. It hadn’t taken many burnt meals for them to call it quits. Basil rapped his knuckles near her hand and turned back to the ovens.
Charlotte thought of Beau and the plans for today. She knew where she might want to go, but she didn’t know how long it took for him to go anywhere, especially with somebody riding along. How little she knew of his people! She thought of Bliss and her invitation. She would take her up on it, and soon. There were questions she needed to ask Beau, as well. Where would they live? When and where would they marry? She blushed and dug her fingers into the underside of the table. Calm. She took several deep breaths and calmed the heat back down. There. She could do this.
“Morning, Charlotte.” Spindle sat down next to her. “I want a full account of your adventures when you return.”
Charlotte raised an eyebrow and sat up straighter. “Of today?”
“Of course not.” Spindle laughed and shook his head. “Chime will, though. I want to know about your adventure to find this mysterious kidnapper.”
“I’ll miss you, too, Spindle.”
“That’s nice.” Spindle chuckled. “But I won’t miss you. It’s just that we storytellers need new material occasionally.”
Charlotte raised her eyebrows. “Mhmm.”
“Just be safe.” Basil grunted from the hearth.
“I will.” Charlotte tapped her fingers on the container. “Do I get to hear some of my father’s stories once I get back?”
“It’s not my place.” Basil said.
“Then whose place is it?”
“Your father’s.”
So they still had hope that he would return. Charlotte traced the outside ring of the container. She wanted her parents to return, too, but how likely was it that the fairies would let them come back?
“So what are your plans for today?” Spindle asked.
“She and Beau have a date planned.” Basil said.
“Do you need a chaperone?” Spindle teased.
Charlotte ran her fingers down her arm. “Nope. I already have one.”
“I wish I had a doughnut to fix that.” Basil sat down next to her with a large mug of coffee.
“I wish there was a doughnut for each of life’s problems.” Charlotte added.
“There is.” Chime laughed. She settled down on the bench next to Spindle. “It’s called a chocolate doughnut with sprinkles.”
“Sprinkles solve most everything.”
“What sprinkles don’t fix, time will eventually wear away.” Basil added.
Matches rolled his eyes and groaned from across the table. “Such a sage room at such an early hour.”
Laughter spilled from Charlotte’s lips before she knew what was happening. She didn’t know if it was the doughnuts, or Matches’ early morning seriousness, or simply too much built up stress that had finally bubbled out of her body in release. She did know that it felt good. The hobs all stared at her for a moment before one by one joining her in laughs, giggles, hoots, and guffaws.
“How is anybody supposed to get any sleep around here?” Beau entered the back door and placed his windboard up against the wall. “It’s good to hear you laugh, Lottie.”
“Sit. You are just in time for doughnuts.” Basil waved Beau over. “How do you like yours?”
Beau put his hand on Charlotte’s shoulder. “I like mine curvy, with lots of character.” He sat down next to her, and let his hand fall down her back and settle above her waist.
Chime giggled. Basil chuckled and got up from the table. Charlotte blushed and dug her fingers into the underside of the table again. The heat settled. She placed her head into her hand again and smiled at Beau. Basil slid small plates over to them before settling a large plate of doughnuts down at each end of the table.
Beau nestled his head next to Charlotte’s. He whispered, “Where do you want to go? Trust me. If we can’t get there, maybe we can think of a similar idea. Do you want to go to the moon? I’ll find you a big pile of cold rocks. Do you want to want to fly towards the sun? I can find a hot desert. Do you want to climb a tree? I’ll find a tree so tall that we can see for miles.”
Charlotte leaned her head against his. “How about the beach?”
Beau’s eyes widened. “So you want to be really adventurous today? Welcome to introductory surfing the wind and the water all in one day. Caramia, you speak my language.”
“Will it be okay? I’m not sure how long it will take to get there, or whether you can fly both of us or—”
“It’s perfect.” Beau rubbed her back slowly as he made a dent in the pile of doughnuts. “I’m looking forward to spending a day with you.”
Charlotte took another bite of breakfast to distract her self from blushing again. Beau was in a romantic mood today, and she was determined that the day didn’t end in her burning anything up. She wiped her mouth with her napkin. “So how long does it take to fly places?”
“A lot of it depends on the wind. In this part of the country, I can speed travel up considerably if the wind is right.” He grinned and winked. “Plus, I have a magic windboard.”
They waved goodbye to the kitchen full of hobs and got on the same board they had used the night they snuck out to look for Raven and Ebby. It was dark when they left, but Charlotte was relaxed. This time she had daylight to look forward to. She was tucked into Beau’s right side, his arm wrapped around her waist and her right arm tucked underneath his. He had been either singing songs or telling stories from his homeland the entire trip. She liked the bedtime story about Donovan the Daring, and she couldn’t help
wondering how much, if any, was true. Then there was the ancient creation story of the first two bronze eagles, Enna and Padin, which made Charlotte queasy. She was relieved that Beau followed that with the naughty tale of Daisy, who fell in love with a forbidden man.
“Is that end of the story?” Charlotte blushed.
“Yes.” Beau tried to straighten his lips, but failed.
Charlotte laughed. “And you tell me this while we are flying because…”
Beau blushed and laughed. “I wasn’t thinking exactly.”
“Is it, um, true?” Charlotte laid her head against Beau’s chest.
“Eh, which part?” He took a sharp breath in.
She turned around in his arms and laid her cheek against his cheek. “The making love while flying part.”
“I guess you’ll have to wait and see, now won’t you?” Beau kissed her forehead and turned her back around. “Now stop it. I’m trying to fly.”
She giggled. “You know, I’ve been so stressed since that dinner when I dressed up and ended up burning my clothes because I was having, you know, those kinds of feelings for you. I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to be around you without exploding something and I was hurting so much inside—”
“You what?” Beau grabbed her arms and turned them into a sharp spiral that led to the ground. Charlotte sighed and stepped off of the board when they landed. Beau paced back and forth in front of her, muttering under his breath and shaking his head. Charlotte waited patiently.
“You should have told me the truth.” He finally stopped pacing. “I asked you what happened that night and you refused to tell me anything.”
“I—”
“No, you listen to me, Charlotte. I’ve been really patient with you these last several weeks, but you are about to cross a line with me. For somebody who is so sick of secrets being kept from her, you sure are keeping a lot of secrets from others.”
“I’m not keeping secrets, Beau!” Charlotte shouted. “It’s not keeping secrets if you don’t know what’s going on yourself!”
Beau put his hands on his hips. Charlotte matched his gesture and stepped closer to him. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about that night, Beau.” She felt her skin heat from her neck to her nose. “I was afraid.” She felt the wells of water rise in her eyes. “I was afraid that we might not ever be able to be intimate.”
