They walked past a large fountain that took up half a wall as a divider between the entryway and the great room. The living room had a wall of glass facing west, looking out onto the ocean. Again the theme was shades of turquoise and pale green with accent pillows and one fat tapestry chair of deep gold. Jenni headed straight for that chair. Aric settled in a pale green one of watery damask next to it. The merfem gracefully sank into a love seat close to them. She folded her hands on her lap and leaned forward with concern on her face. “Tell me how I can help.”
At that moment a clipping sound of footsteps came, along with a jingle. A smaller, thinner minor Waterfolk naiad appeared with a tray holding a celadon china coffee set and a platter of croissants. Her skin was a deeper green with a tint of gray, her eyes more protuberant.
The rich scent of prime roast coffee wafted through the room, making Jenni’s mouth water. Her throat clenched as she yearned for the taste after all the endless tea of the dryads. The naiad placed the tray on the coffee table between them. “My companion,” Diamantina said and picked up the platter. The naiad, in her jingling sandals, walked away. “Please, stay,” the merfem said.
“Rather not,” the naiad said as she turned a dimmer corner into the house.
Diamantina sighed, then chuckled. “Courtesy is not as valued by the younger generations as it was.” She took a croissant and bit into it, passed the plate to Aric, who poured some coffee for Jenni and handed her a cup and saucer, then a chocolate croissant. That left four croissants for him. He ate two in a few bites. Diamantina smiled at Jenni and winked again. She patted her mouth delicately with a napkin and leaned forward. “How can I help you?”
Aric swallowed and cleared his throat. “I don’t know if you have heard of ‘bubble events.’”
For a moment the fem appeared confused, then her brows dipped and she said, “I think I did…” She dimpled. “Centuries ago.”
Jenni had bitten into her croissant. The powdered sugar on top mixed with the flaky pastry and the chocolate—which must have come straight from Mexico—exploded in her mouth, delighting her. Incredible. “Wonderful croissants.” She sipped some coffee. The drink had definitely been brewed from prime roast beans. “Fabulous coffee. Thank you.”
After the next croissant disappeared into Aric, he added his thanks. “A bubble event is upon us,” he said.
Jenni decided to cut to the chase. “The Eight believe that the last bubble of this series will rise and burst near here.”
Diamantina sighed. “Plate tectonics. It’s been a fascination of mine, and interesting to watch, but there’s no denying that it can be dangerous living in the area.” She sounded as if she’d moved in a year ago, not going on two centuries. Her eyes sharpened. “The last? Don’t they come in series?”
“Yes,” Aric said.
“I haven’t heard anything of previous ones in the series.”
“Ah.” Aric had his impassive face on that showed he was uncomfortable under it. How often had he confronted Folk on behalf of the Eight? “Such magical events are a release of creative force into the world. The result of the first, two years ago, was the shadleeches.”
Diamantina paled. “Filthy things.”
“Yes. They originated in the area of the Darkfolk. The second bubble burst not too long ago in Yellowstone, Wyoming. The results of that occurrence are still being studied.”
Jenni said a swift and silent prayer for Rothly’s health, putting her croissant down and taking a sip of coffee. Then she stared at Diamantina and shook her head. “I would have thought the Eight would have briefed you by now. Told you all this.”
Rolling her eyes, the merfem snapped a piece of croissant off with sharp, greenish teeth and chewed. “I would have thought so, too, but they didn’t.”
Jenni took up the tale. “The bottom line is that the Eight want to do a ritual, here on your land, to shape the elemental energies that will be released by the bubble into providing a better life for the Lightfolk.” Such a stream of creativity should also influence human affairs for the better.
“Here?” Diamantina gasped and her hand fluttered to her bosom. “Here? On my land?”
“That’s right,” Aric said.
The merfem’s eyes rounded and went moist, a sign of excitement. “Oh, my.”
He continued, “The ritual dancing circle will be large, of course, since the anticipated magic to direct will be great. The Eight would like permission to stay here, and do the ritual at a place to be determined. They will be asking some of the stronger nobles to attend such a ritual. You, of course, will be included.”
Diamantina’s panting had a slight sucking sound as if she needed more humidity in the atmosphere or wanted to breathe water. “Oh, my!” She clapped her hands sharply three times and the next minute two naiads and a naiader stood dripping on the marble floor before her. “The Eight are coming, and other guests. We must prepare all the rooms, including the caves below. Mers can take the wet and damp ones, but make sure the dry, sandy ones are well readied for dwarves. All must be perfect.”
The tallest naiad, who had served the croissants and tea and now had her thick green hair braided with pearls, said, “When?”
Diamantina opened her mouth, shut it, looked at Aric.
Jenni answered. “The anticipated ritual date is the spring equinox.”
“Of course, of course,” Diamantina said.
“Ritual date,” said the naiader.
Diamantina flicked that topic away with a gesture. “We must prepare. I will move from my suite in the underwater home and give it to the Water King and Queen.” She glanced at Jenni and Aric. “My rooms have tunnels to this ridge.”
“The vernal equinox is in three weeks,” the first naiad said. “Plenty of time.”
Diamantina pouted. “Everything must be perfect. Call in your relatives if you need help.”
Jenni said, “I am here to balance the elements. That will give you more magic to draw from. If you’re going to be using a lot of water energy, let me know and I will summon more of the elements to match.”
All three of the minor Waterfolk stared at her with fishy eyes.
“Will you be staying?” asked the naiad in charge, studying Aric.
“We have been requested by the Eight to do so,” he said.
The naiad with pearls stiffened. “They watch us!”
“I think they are less sure of us than of you, and want us on site for the ritual,” Jenni said. The chocolate had turned bitter in her mouth.
“Of course,” said the naiad. “Ritual?”
Aric glanced out the window. “I’ll let the lady Diamantina explain that to you. There will be rain soon. Do you have a ritual space large enough for…ah…a hundred?”
The naiader goggled at him. “A hundred?” He turned to his mistress. “We can’t house a hundred, not even using the water home.”
“They’ll bring tents, too,” Aric said. He frowned. “I was sure they would have already contacted you by crystal ball.”
“They should have,” the pearl naiad said tartly. “Not leaving it for you to tell us. Our lady is a relative of the Greendepths, the royal water family.”
“Since your household is small—” Aric’s glance took in all four of the Waterfolk “—I’m sure that you have a personal and private ritual dancing area.”
“Underwater,” the naiader said stiffly.
“Of course.” Aric inclined his head. “I need to scout out the best place for the royal dancing circle.” He glanced at Jenni. She ate the last bite of her croissant, savored the swallow of coffee on her tongue and rose. Once on her feet she dipped a curtsy though she wore jeans. “Thank you for the wonderful coffee.” She met the eyes of each naiad and the naiader, cruised her gaze over the lady’s pert nose. “Thank you for your hospitality.”
“You are very welcome.” Diamantina stood, too. “I’ll have some rooms prepared on this ground floor, looking landward for you two.”
“Thank you,” Aric said in
a neutral tone.
Jenni said nothing. The best rooms would be either near the ocean or on the third floor, and definitely facing the ocean. Despite all her courtesy, the merfem didn’t think much of them. As Jenni followed Aric to the door, she glanced back to see the lady’s brow puckered and her mouth set in dissatisfied lines. Her eyes had deepened to a dark green with mysterious depths. Jenni thought she saw a flash of calculation.
CHAPTER 25
“JINDESFARNE?” ARIC PROMPTED. HE WAS holding the door open for her.
Lengthening her stride, Jenni passed him and walked out into the gray March morning. Aric closed the door behind them and joined her. Hands on his hips, he scanned the wooded area. “Before anything else, I need to make sure that I know every tree on her land.” He grimaced. “First just the ones around her house.” He bent and gave Jenni a quick kiss. “I’ll be chain traveling now, be back shortly.” With that he stepped into the nearest eucalyptus.
Jenni let out a breath she hadn’t known she’d been holding. She was alone. All by herself. The minor Waterfolk or the merfem might be watching, but she was in no one else’s company for the first time in a week. A few breaths of freedom until Aric stepped out of the tree. She walked closer to the cliff and stared down at the beach. Wherever the ritual would be taking place, she should be on the beach, close to where the orb might appear.
She settled into her balance to check the magical elemental composition of the land, feet wide, arms spread. Another sighing breath escaped her, then she drew in one damp with humidity, the taste of the salt of the sea and cold. She curled her toes in her shoes, opened her mouth and tasted magic. She closed her eyes for a better focus.
Overwhelming water energy. Not surprising. As she parsed each bit of energy for the house and the immediate bluff she sensed Aric coming closer as he checked every tree.
“Well?” they asked each other at the same time.
Jenni smiled, dipped her head at him to speak first.
He said, “No dryad trees. Haven’t been in a long time. I can’t tell why.”
“Maybe too much water magic? It’s about two-thirds here.”
Aric frowned. “Maybe. All the trees are acceptable for travel use.”
“Good.” Jenni didn’t much care, she couldn’t use them by herself and wouldn’t trust many—anyone other than Aric—to bring her through the tree network.
The concerned lines in his face deepened. “I think there might have been some shadleech activity. I found a stump or two of a pine that might have been cut down because they nested there.”
Her usual dread at the things trembled her nerves, and she lifted her hand and touched the sensitive back of her neck, felt the protective spiderweb inside and out. Better.
“Your findings?” Aric asked.
“Water two-thirds, earth one-sixth, fire one-twelfth and air one-twelfth.”
“Not too odd for a land that has hosted a merfem for a couple of centuries.”
“I would have expected a little more air.” Jenni rolled uncomfortable shoulders. “Too little fire.”
Aric’s smile was slow. He reached up and smoothed a curl of her hair that had been dangling by her face to behind her ear, his fingers feathering across her cheek as he did so. “You’ll remedy that.”
“Yes.”
“Then you’ll feel better about being here.”
Jenni made a moue. “I’ll bet you anything that there’s a fountain in my room.”
He shook his head. “No bet.”
A movement caught her eye and she found that the two naiads and the naiader had appeared and were staring at her and Aric.
The merfem’s companion said, “Your rooms are ready. Our lady felt you assess the elemental energies of our land. She requests that you don’t balance the magic until we have prepared our homes for the influx of visitors. Nor does she wish for you to visit the beach.”
Aric’s hand came over Jenni’s shoulder and the warmth of it made her realize how cold she was. Being inside would be good. He spoke and his voice was as cool as the air. “Doesn’t your lady know that drawing on a balanced mixture of energies will make your tasks easier? Your spells quicker and more effective?”
The naiader stepped forward, managed a stingy smile. “We are more accustomed to working with water energy. We ask that the elemental balancer does not alter those energies as yet.”
“All right,” Jenni said. “When do you think you’ll be ready for me to do my work? The sooner this area is balanced, the easier it will be to keep it so, and prepare for the ritual.”
“She will notify you,” the naiader said.
Jenni suppressed a sigh. “Fine. Can you lead us to our rooms?”
“Of course.” The second naiad’s smile was falsely cheerful, she turned with every expectation that Jenni and Aric would follow. Jenni did, and as she walked away, Aric’s hand fell. By the time they reached the door, the other naiad and the naiader had disappeared.
Well, they were true magical Lightfolk, not halflings.
She and Aric were given rooms at the opposite end of a hallway. Before Jenni could speak, Aric told the naiads firmly that they wanted to share a room. With a curled lip at Jenni, the naiad led them back to the smaller room with the lousier view. “For you, Treeman and halfling.”
Jenni stiffened, tired of the whole thing. “It appears that you aren’t so much in your lady’s confidence. Since she didn’t inform you how important this ritual is, and how much depends upon Aric and me.”
Now the naiad’s upper lip lifted. “Self-important.”
“Just important. You may address the Treeman as Sir Paramon, Representative of the Eight, and me as Princess Jindesfarne Mistweaver Emberdrake.”
The naiad froze midsneer. “Emberdrake is the name of the Fire King and Queen.”
Jenni continued, “That’s true. I see you have some tiny knowledge. My brother and I were adopted into the Emberdrake family last week. Mostly because of my import for the upcoming ritual.”
Aric pushed away from the doorjamb he’d been leaning against, arms crossed. “And since your lady wasn’t briefed by the Eight as I had anticipated, perhaps I should tell you, and you can tell her, that the ritual event may draw some Dark ones, so you should prepare any defenses you might have.”
The naiad’s mouth opened and closed several times.
“You may leave now. The household has much to do,” Aric said.
With a squeal of fear, the naiad ran.
Aric slung his pack on the bed, gave Jenni a smile. His hair appeared greener than ever due to the dull light from two small windows. Heavy drapes covered what Jenni thought was a sliding glass door. “Staying here is fine with me. The bed’s large.” He winked.
“And we certainly are away from everyone else.”
“All to the good. But I really do need to find a good place for the dancing circle. You’ll have to balance it.”
“I’ll have to balance a lot, the area, fine-tune the beach where I’ll stand during the ceremony, and the dancing circle. This house.”
Aric’s smile grew sly. “Why don’t you go ahead and balance the room, if that isn’t too much for you?”
“Might be a good idea,” Jenni agreed. She glanced around the room. “I’ll need a hot plate to brew the tea.”
His forehead wrinkled. “Tea?”
She took her knapsack and shook it, leaves rustled. “This is a huge deal. I intend to do every single thing right. By the book, our family books.”
Aric nodded. He walked up to her and rubbed his hands up and down her upper arms, kissed her. “I understand. I’m with you. All the way, Jenni.”
She wanted to believe him. She did believe him.
“Thank you.”
Jenni made tea and heated it in her hands, did her own rituals for entering the gray mist and balanced just the room and attached bath. It felt great—both practicing her craft fully the way she’d been taught by her family, and the chamber after she was done with it. Her magical s
enses had also been fully awakened and “tuned.” She could tell where her lover, Aric, was, and the lady whose house this was.
Aric was concentrating and doing his job. As she scrutinized his aura, she understood that despite what he said about the dryads and his home and his forest being his first priorities, he was content and proud to be the Eight’s man. He valued his position and defined himself with regard to it and the Eight. He wouldn’t be the same man if he resigned. And she cared deeply for the man he was.
More soul-searching for her, that he was tied to the Eight by his own bonds. She still didn’t trust them.
And from the chaos in the household, she wasn’t sure that the lady Diamantina trusted the Eight, either. Especially not to defend her. She’d called on allies of her own, and some were coming to swell the ranks of Lightfolk, who would dance the ritual and fight any Dark ones who showed up. Jenni got the idea that old, old caverns that the merfolk had excavated in this land when she’d first arrived were being opened.
Dinner was civilized and the naiads—a few Jenni hadn’t been introduced to before—were very courteous. Aric assured Diamantina that their room was fine with a stolid, bland smile that didn’t reveal he’d understood the insult, but if the lady was at all bright she must have known that he had—he and Jenni had. Or did she discount them as unintelligent, Jenni brought in to do one thing and one thing only and not smart about anything else?
Jenni didn’t care, but over the next week, as she became accustomed to the feel of the land, she understood that Diamantina hadn’t interacted with humans for a long, long time.
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