“Apparently not. But it’s a small price to pay for his actions tonight, don’t you think?” I nuzzled Fudge, who preened.
“Yes, I suppose so. Well done, Fudge.”
“And my thanks as well,” Nelion added. “Your deeds have helped uncover at least part of what we believe to be a conspiracy of some sort and caught my wayward son for me.”
If possible, Fudge became even more smug. “Ask if he can magic up some tuna for his repast. I deserve a big treat.”
“I will. Now get over yourself.”
We made a U-turn and started our way back to the cars. I silently thanked the powers that be for the elves’ night sight and sense of direction. I’m not sure I’d have been able to find my way back, otherwise.
This trip took longer than the first. The prisoners were, unsurprisingly, reluctant to cooperate and, at least to my eyes, purposely stumbled every now and again, forcing the guards to haul them to their feet. But based on the way they held their arms straight down at their sides, I assumed they were still “tied up,” although I could not see the bindings.
It took almost a half hour to make it back. The driver had been lounging against their car but came to attention as we emerged from the trees. He rushed to open all the doors, then reached inside and did something. It took me a minute, but I realized he’d pulled up a third row of seats. One guard clambered in back, then the driver and second guard shoved the three prisoners in the second row. They weren’t gentle about it, either. Finally, the driver and second guard climbed into the front, the engine started up, and they pulled away in a cloud of dust.
“We may as well be comfortable while we wait,” Nelion said. “They will be approximately an hour and a half returning. If I recall correctly, you enjoy coffee. Would you like some?”
Coffee was just the thing I needed. It was getting on my bedtime and now that all the excitement had worn off, I was beginning to get tired. “Yes, please. That would be lovely.”
Without even a wave of his hands, a coffee table and four wing chairs appeared on the grass near our car. A carafe, four mugs, a sugar and creamer set, and a bowl of fruit sat on a silver tray in the middle. Four blazing torches stood a few feet away from the setting, nicely illuminating the area for human eyes. Nelion considered Fudge, still nestled in my arms which, by the way, were starting to get tired. A heartbeat later, two small bowls materialized next to one of the chairs.
“He knew! Tuna!” Fudge hopped out of my arms and streaked to the bowls, first lapping at the water in one bowl, then chowing down on the contents of the second.
Gregory was the first to sit, still cradling Ev-the-bat in his hands. “Allow me,” Alberon said. He took the bat from Gregory, stared at it a moment, then loosed it. It flew off toward the trees. I opened my mouth to protest.
Alberon smiled. “Please do not worry. It – he – is on what I believe you would call a leash. I have simply allowed him to go get something to eat. He will return when he is finished feeding.”
Taking my cue from what Fudge had told me in the hotel, I poured four cups of coffee. Surprisingly, the pot felt just as heavy when I set it down as when I picked it up. I looked at it, then at Nelion who was sitting across from me. “Magically refilling?”
He chuckled. “Yes. It is much easier than creating a new one from scratch each time someone wants more.”
I would almost have given my eye teeth to be able to perform that spell! Imagine: unlimited coffee! Then again, maybe not. I’d probably never sleep.
Gregory sipped his coffee. “So, what happens next?”
“Tonight, you will be our guests. Tomorrow at the highest point of the sun, the council will meet. You will give your testimony then be driven to wherever you wish to go.”
“Although it has no bearing on their – transgressions – I would like to know how Perchaladon has been able to track me. He has appeared at various places I have been, almost as if I had the same sort of tracking spell on me that Ev has. It hasn’t been perfect because he didn’t know I was in the office when I was, but I’m finding even the hint of it unnerving.”
“I can answer that,” Alberon said. I raised my eyebrow at him.
“It is an obscure spell, one that was used when we were still in the wider world to track our children. It is no longer needed as children are not allowed out of the enclave until they reach their majority. I assume Perchaladon – or Obrist – found it in my books when I was teaching them. All we need is something with your DNA. A strand of hair plucked from your clothing, perhaps, gives us what we need and works similarly to Mr. Tremaine’s beacon spell. That person can be found wherever they are. The fact that it hasn’t been a perfect solution is suggested by the fact that he is lazy and does not pay close attention to what he is doing all the time.”
“Rest assured, that spell will be removed tomorrow,” Nelion assured me. “My son is, unfortunately, a coward at heart. Under threat, he will dispel it.”
“Thank you,” I replied, not really knowing what else to say. Calling Perchaladon a coward probably meant he knew his son was a creep. Then I let out a very undignified grunt as Fudge hopped back into my lap, turned a few times as cats do, then settled in for a nap.
We all sat drinking coffee, lost in our own thoughts. Without conversation, it became quiet; the only sound was the drone of the pesky mosquitoes. Fudge was overly warm in my lap; the night was warm and humid but not too uncomfortably so. I thought I might be able to sneak in forty winks while waiting. I put my now-empty coffee mug on the table, leaned back, and closed my eyes.
Only to immediately open them again when my butt vibrated. My cell phone. I pulled it out and looked at it, first shocked that I had service out here in the boonies and second, that it was Cassandra calling me after ten at night.
“Where are you? You need to come home!” she said after I answered.
“Calm down. What’s wrong?”
“The building’s on fire!”
“What?” I yelled. “How bad? What happened?” I stood up, dumping Fudge, and started pacing.
That made Gregory and the other two sit up and take notice. “What’s going on?” Gregory asked. I waved him off.
“I don’t know how bad it is or how it started. Flames are coming out the windows on all three stories. The fire department is here now, and they’re hosing down my house to ensure it doesn’t catch. We’re standing across the street in front of Cork’s, watching.”
“We’re in BFE, Louisiana. Hang on. Let me tell Gregory.” I relayed what Cassandra had said.
“You need to go back,” he told me.
“Someone has to be there and since Ev can’t, I guess I’m elected. But what about Ev?”
“Allow me a suggestion?” Nelion interjected. I nodded.
“Although your familiar’s testimony would be helpful, it is not absolutely necessary. I understand this emergency. Please, as soon as we arrive at the enclave, allow me to give you the use of our airplane to get you home as soon as possible.” (He pronounced it “air-o-plane,” proving again they weren’t quite as up with the times as the younger generation.)
“That would be most welcome, thank you,” Gregory said. He turned to me. “That’s the fastest you will get home. I’m guessing…” He looked at his own phone for the time, “you’ll be home by about three. You’ll have time for some shuteye before dawn and assessing the damage.”
I put the phone back to my ear. “You heard that?”
“I did. I’ll see you at the building at seven?”
“I’ll be there. See you then.” I disconnected. “Shit. This could be disastrous.”
“The building itself is brick, everything is insured, and all company data is backed up to the cloud. It will all work out.” Gregory checked the time on his phone again. “The guards should be back quite soon, and you’ll be in the air an hour after that. There’s not much you can do until then.”
I knew that but. Shit again. And damn.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
&nb
sp; The elves’ vehicle returned about ten minutes after I’d hung up with Cassandra. I’d spent those ten minutes wearing a path in the grass, unable to sit still, Fudge trailing behind me with every back-and-forth.
“You should calm yourself. Your heart rate is increased which is not good.”
“It’s tough to be calm when a disaster has struck.”
“I do not understand everything Gregory said about insurance and the clouds but I believe he was reassuring you. And there is nothing you can do until we arrive home. Stop and breathe.”
When the car pulled up, Nelion murmured something and our fancy picnic disappeared. One of the guards emerged, approached Gregory and held out his hand for the keys to our car. Gregory reluctantly released them. We clambered into the back seat, Fudge on my lap. The guard handed three blindfolds over the seat, one small enough to fit over a cat’s face.
“Please put these on. Nelion has said to trust that you will wear them correctly and not watch our progress. We will arrive at the enclave in about forty minutes.”
We dutifully donned the masks, Fudge snickering as I put one on him. Our car started moving.
As tired as I was, forty minutes would have been a nice nap, but I was too keyed up. In addition, we weren’t on a smooth interstate. Even if I’d dozed off, the occasional pothole would have jarred me awake. So I contented myself with thinking up all sorts of horrid scenarios I might encounter when I saw what remained of the office the next morning.
“What is that epithet you humans use? Gloomy Gus? Things may not be as bad as you are imagining.”
“Perhaps. Perhaps not. But even if the building is still structurally sound, contents will have to be replaced and, criminy, the smoke smell!”
“But there is nothing you can do until tomorrow. So why are you worrying about it now?”
“You know I worry things over until I can actually do something about them. It’s my nature.”
Fudge sighed. “I will never understand that.” I felt him retreat from my mind as he slipped into his usual doze.
Forty minutes wasn’t really a long time and soon, I felt the car travelling much smoother roads and finally slowing to a stop.
“We are here. You may remove your blindfolds,” the guard said.
I removed my blindfold and then Fudge’s. We were alongside an airstrip with a corporate-sized jet waiting with its stairs down. Gregory gave a low whistle as we climbed out of the car. “That is one of the most expensive private jets on the market. These elves don’t stint, do they? You will be at Flying Cloud in about an hour and a half.”
“And Fudge?” I asked.
“I will send him home for you. That way he won’t have to endure the flight and the elves won’t have to endure his presence.”
Nelion approached us. “The plane is fueled, a flight plan has been filed, and the pilot is ready whenever you are,” he told me.
He turned to Gregory. “If you will join me in my vehicle, we will convey you to our guest quarters where you may freshen up and rest.”
“Our vehicle and belongings?” Gregory asked.
“Will follow you. After the council meeting today, the same guard will convey you wherever you wish.”
Gregory nodded, then turned to Fudge, who stood at my feet. “Ready? My place, if you please.”
Fudge just looked up at him and his tail twitched once. Gregory gave Fudge a hard stare, then pushed both hands outward. One moment Fudge was there; the next, he wasn’t. I’ll admit: that was just a little freaky.
“On your way, Amy. Call me as soon as you’ve seen the office and we’ll decide what to do.”
“Miss McCollum,” Nelion interjected. “Please accept my apologies for my son’s behavior and my condolences on your current predicament. Mr. Tremaine will be able to confirm when Perchaladon’s tracking spell has been removed from you. If we have anything further to tell you, I will ensure Mr. Tremaine knows all the details.” He held out his hand. “I believe humans shake hands at this point.”
“Yes, we normally do,” I replied with a chuckle, grasping his hand in a firm grip. “And thank you very much for the use of your plane. It really is very kind of you.” Even though I wasn’t looking forward to yet another ride in a small plane, I tried to be polite.
I ascended the stairs and another handsome-as-all-get-out elf greeted me, indicating I could take a seat anywhere I wished, and please do use the seatbelts. I sat in the first row of seats and watched him pull up the stairs, secure the door, then sit in the co-pilot’s seat.
“Miss McCollum,” a different voice said over the intercom, “we will be airborne shortly. As soon as I have turned off the seatbelt sign, you will find refreshments in the galley at the back. Please help yourself to anything there. Our flight time is one hour, twenty minutes once we hit our cruising altitude of forty thousand feet. It should be a smooth ride. There are no weather disturbances along our path.”
I tried not to get nervous as the thrust of the engines pushed me back into my seat and I felt the plane tilt as we left the ground. A small plane flying higher than commercial jets normally flew. What could go wrong?
“Nothing. You are flying with elves who have the ability to command the elements. Take a nap.” Fudge’s voice sounded like he was across the aisle instead of a thousand miles away. He also sounded irritated with me.
“I am. Should something mechanically go wrong with the machine, they can cushion it with Air. Should it start to come apart, they can hold it together. It is nothing more than metal, which is made from Earth elements. There is less to worry about than if the pilots were human. Go to sleep or at least stop worrying so I can take a nap.”
Okay. So. I’m safe and should relax. Says the cat who is probably curled up on my pillow instead of sitting in a small, metal, flying contraption. I gritted my teeth, waiting for the plane to level out.
When it finally did, I unbuckled the seat belt and made my way back to the galley. Someone had been very thoughtful – a pot of coffee had been brewed. As well, there was a spigot for hot water, a selection of loose teas in marked bins, a bowl of fruit, some finger-type sandwiches, and chocolate chip cookies. Seems elves had some human-type food preferences. I opted for caffeine, chocolate, and sugar.
Once I was seated again, I had to find a way to distract myself. I couldn’t study – The Big Book of Philtres and Potions had not been converted to e-book format. So I pulled up a romance novel on the reading app on my phone and tried to settle in.
As we made our descent, the pilot came over the intercom. “Miss McCollum, we have been informed by flight control there is a car waiting for you. We will taxi to the terminal and you can meet your driver there.”
A car? At – I looked at my phone – nearly two in the morning? Who in the world…? I started getting nervous.
Once we landed, I disabled airplane mode on my phone and a moment later, it pinged with a text message. “Still concerned about security. Omar will meet you at Flying Cloud and take you to the cottage rather than your apartment. Get some sleep. He will wake you at six and take you to the office. G”
I may have mentioned him before but if you’ve forgotten, Omar was an ogre, a retired guard, and one of Ev’s best friends. He still helped out when needed and I guess Gregory decided he was needed. I heaved a sigh of relief. No stranger, thank goodness.
Omar rushed to me as I stepped off the stairs and enveloped me in a big hug. (His hugs were no more pleasant than Ev’s. He smelled just as bad.) “I wish Gregory had called me sooner. Once he told me what was going on…oh my god, elves! And Ev!”
I extricated myself from his embrace, took a big breath of fresh air, then said, “Yeah, I know. It’s a mess.”
“I’m supposed to take you to Gregory’s and watch the place while you get a couple hours’ shuteye. Do we need to stop for anything?”
“No,” I yawned. “I’ll shower at home after I’ve seen the office.”
“And a fire at the office, too!” Omar yammered nonstop ab
out Ev, the elves, and the fire for the entire twenty-minute drive. After the first ten minutes, I tuned him out and simply spaced out.
We pulled into Ev’s driveway and headed around back to Gregory’s cottage. Lights were already on. “Gregory told me to change the linens on his bed for you. I’m also supposed to ensure there’s coffee ready when you wake. Go on to bed. I’ll wake you in a little over three hours.”
I stumbled through the door, made my way to the only bedroom in the house, stripped off my jeans and shirt and crawled under the covers. A cat hopped onto the bed and started to make a nest in my hair.
As exhausted as I was, I couldn’t help but turn recent events over in my mind. Then the tears started flowing.
Fudge paused in his nest-making. “Why are you crying?”
“Anger. Frustration. Burnout, maybe? I’m tired of being the one that has to hold everything together. Just once I’d like it if Ev wouldn’t get himself into…situations…and he could handle emergencies. Or disasters.”
“Your sense of duty and your affection for the ogre make you the ideal person to take up these responsibilities. It is not the first time he has taxed your emotions and probably will not be the last. Perhaps it is time to seek other employment?”
I sniffed. “No. I’m just blowing off steam. Crying is better than punching a hole in the wall, isn’t it?”
“Less damaging, both to the wall and your hand. Get some sleep if you can. As you say, things will work out.”
I knew he was right, but I felt better after releasing some of the tension. The tears subsided and I drifted off.
It seemed I’d just closed my eyes when I heard Omar calling my name. “Amy, I’m sorry but it’s six. You need to get up.”
It didn’t take long to pull my clothes back on and pull my hair into a ponytail. I found a spare toothbrush in the medicine chest and freshened up a little. Omar handed me a travel mug of coffee when I got to the kitchen. He had the small television on low.
“We’d better get going if I’m to get you to the office by seven. They’re saying traffic into the city is already stacking up.”
Transformation! Page 17
