by Lynn Crain
Shivering, she glared at him. “I thought you acted surprised when Merna teleported.”
Ronan rubbed her arms through her coat as he held her tight, one of her hands still clenched around her suitcase handle. “What I did wasn’t teleportation. Merna can go to places she’s never been to, at least it seems so. Me, I’ve had to have been to the exact spot I want to go. Hence, we’re in front of the estate’s home not in the bedroom I last occupied.”
“That would be awkward if someone were there.”
“You think.” His eyes glittered with desire.
She gave a low chuckle. “Either awkward or I’m sure they would get a peepshow.” She deemed herself a little warmer and stood a little straighter. “Want to tell me a bit about the house?”
“The loinnir itself is ancient of course, whereas the house was built in the 1850s during the height of the Victorian age. A lot of the interior has been refurbished, but the overall style is still of the era. It’s pretty cool. Lots of dark wood.”
Giselle walked to stand at the bottom of the stairs, the cold forgotten, looking up at the nearly floor to ceiling windows. The overwhelming feeling she had been here weighed heavy on her heart, she couldn’t define it nor put it into words. It just was. She took a deep breath and walked to the base of the stairs. “We need to tell Alma we’re here.” Dragging her suitcase behind, she started toward the front doors when unceremoniously she was pulled back.
“Did you say Alma?”
Incredulous was all she could think about the look on his face. “Yeah, she’s still the housekeeper, right?”
He stared at her for a long moment before taking the steps two at a time, throwing open the door and calling the housekeeper.
Alma came running out from what Giselle assumed was the kitchen, drying her hands on a towel. “What the heck is going on?”
Giselle stared at the woman. The housekeeper wasn’t as tall as Giselle and her dark hair had a few white streaks similar to those in Ronan’s. But there was more, something undefined and all she could do was stare, trying to make some sense from the gobbledygook swirling around in her head. It was so confusing as the thoughts streamed across her mind for a few more moments.
“Hi, Alma.” She swallowed hard and didn’t know who’s awareness of the shock was greater, hers or Alma’s.
“You.” The woman’s hand went to her chest and she stumbled to the nearest chair.
Giselle came to her side. “I’ve upset you. I am so sorry. I—I don’t understand what you see.”
Ronan looked from one to the other, wondering what the hell had happened. “Are you telling me you’ve met Giselle?”
The housekeeper raised glazed eyes to him. “Ronan, you brought her here.”
It wasn’t a question but a statement. Maybe everyone here knew more than they were saying. “Of course, I brought her here. Where else would I bring my soul mate to get our questions answered? Believe me, there are lots of them.”
The woman swallowed hard, but looked Giselle over good. “I—I must have been mistaken.”
“Alma,” he warned.
She gave her head a fierce shake. “No, not her, but the other who resides with her. I can’t tell you any more, it’s not my job.” She sat there, wringing her hands, worried.
Giselle gripped her hand. “It’s all right and I’m so sorry to have startled you.”
Ronan clasped the housekeeper’s other arm in a harsh manner. “We need answers. We’ll be going into the council blind.”
Standing up, her eyes got a misty look, then she patted his hand. “Not blind. Aingeal and Fearghus are here.” She turned back to Alma. “I don’t think they’ve brought the children, but I do know you need to inform the council. We’ll need to see them soon. It can’t wait.”
Ronan didn’t quite know the woman beside him. She wasn’t the timid Giselle who he was sent to protect all those years ago, that fact was for sure. Nor was she the rich, girl debutant any more out to show the world who she was, but she wasn’t quite someone else either. It was obvious there were many concepts she didn’t understand about the elven world. Still, incidents in the past few hours were so strange. They waited for the call from the council.
With the arrival of her cousin, Aingeal, the woman seemed bubbly, asking about the kids and everyone at the North Pole. Then she started asking some serious questions about things no human would ever know about Santa’s distinctive loinnir. She even had Fearghus frowning after a few minutes.
“What? Were my questions out of line? I mean, it’s important to the elven communities the North Pole have extreme security. I think Santa has been lax on a few things of late. I mean if you could see what I see, then you’d understand.”
Ronan touched her arm. “What do you know about the security at the North Pole?”
She squinted her eyes and stared at him for a few moments. “If you don’t know what they are, why should I tell you? We’re out in the real world now, you know the rules.”
Aingeal gasped. “Giselle, are you all right?”
Her surprise was evident. “I’m fine. It’s you three I’m worried about.”
“Giselle, you never cared one whit about what you said inside or outside a loinnir for that matter. Rules are inconveniences to you.” Aingeal observed her with cool eyes.
“That’s what you think. You never once asked me. Or even found anyone but Lacey who I’d ever talked to on the outside.” Her eyes sparkled as she issued the challenge to her cousin to prove her wrong.
“What are you talking about? What about Jason Renton when you were in second grade?” Aingeal asked furious. “Or Nathan Monroe? How about those two?”
“I was five and twelve respectively. After the second one, my Dad beat my butt so hard I couldn’t sit down for days. I can tell you I never wanted to experience the feeling again.” She smiled brilliantly and twirled her hair around her forefinger as if she were a child. “Gotcha ya, didn’t I?”
Aingeal stared for a few more moments before she got up. “I can’t stand this anymore. Are you sure it was only three times you’d ever talked to people?”
She sat there nodding her head. “Positive.”
Aingeal flashed her husband a look of concern. “While she may be right, this is not good. Not good at all.”
“Ronan, how long has she been like this?” Fearghus clasped his shoulder and turned him away from the woman he loved.
“For the past couple of hours since she met Alma. No, it was on the steps. She told me we needed to greet Alma.”
Fearghus shook his head, confused. “How did you get here?”
“Just a regular transportation spell. Nothing fancy, being her first time and all.” Apprehension etched his face.
“I suppose she could be out of sync. It could be the travel. Has more happened than what you’ve mentioned?”
“Happened?” Ronan glance up at his friend through hooded eyes. “What do you mean?”
The man turned and looked at him. “I know you aren’t daft, man. You know exactly what I mean.”
He gulped hard. He had wanted to tell the council first, but he had blurted it out to Alma. The elf next to him was more intuitive than most. He might as well start with him and his wife. These two would need to be on their side. “We’ve begun nor’ahkeem. Matter of fact, if truth be told, I would say we completed the process. It happened so fast. It’s like I was a man possessed and from what I’ve been told, while what we experienced was the same as every other elf, I knew it was very different as well.”
“What? Are you joking, man? Explain different.” The incredulous look made him cringe.
“I’m not joking. I couldn’t have stopped even if I had wanted. I felt driven and focused. And I’ve loved her from the moment I touched her as an infant.”
“You are daft. You know there are strict rules guiding protector-guardians and their wards. There could be big repercussions for both of you. The feelings you possess may not be love at all. Did you think beyond the s
ex?” Fearghus looked at Giselle, then back at Ronan. “Hell, man, I’m not sure you haven’t scrambled her brains!”
“You’d like that, wouldn’t you?” The object of their conversation yelled across the hall and smiled widely when they looked at her. “Sorry, impeccable hearing.”
Ronan gazed at her, then back at the elf next to him. “We’ve got to see the council and we’ve got to see them now.”
“You know as well as I do it isn’t wise to barge in on them.” Aingeal came up to stand by them.
Ronan gave her a beseeching look. “I know the rules, young lady. I was a youngster when some of them came into being. I am well aware of the consequences as well.” He cast another look at Giselle who waved at him like a little girl before he turned and continued. “They’ll know what’s the matter with her. And the gods willing, will get her at least back to her old self.”
Aingeal nodded once and grabbed her husband’s hand. “I can at least warn Merlin we’re coming.” She closed her eyes for a few moments and opened them with surprise. “They know we’re coming and are wondering what took us so long to ask them ourselves. Ronan, you take lead with Giselle. Let’s try and walk there. Maybe the walk through the forest will help her before we get there as the loinnir has a calming effect on people.”
He nodded once and went to get Giselle, reaching for her hand. “Come on, baby, there are some people you need to meet. Remember, we talked about the council.”
She gave an affirmative nod. “You bet I do. Those old buzzards won’t know what hit them. Come here, sweetie, give me a little kiss.”
She pulled him to her and took possession of his mouth. The kiss deepened, it took all he had in him not to try and push her in the hall closet. His desire for her piqued fast and he had to put her away from him. It was sudden, a living thing he didn’t know how to deal with. “Come on, let’s go.”
Ronan lead the way out of the house with Giselle in tow. Not far behind trailed Aingeal and Fearghus, watching every step they took. At the edge of the loinnir, Giselle laughed and put out her finger and touched the barrier. It lit up like a net, which Ronan had never seen before. He cast a quick glance at Fearghus who shook his head.
“It feels so weak,” she murmured. Looking back at those following her, she motioned to them. “Hurry up. You need to be inside.”
They went inside the barrier and turned perplexed eyes again to Ronan who shrugged.
She smiled at them “Good, you’re inside.” She bent her head, chanted words they didn’t understand and raised her hands, putting one against the barrier, the other in Ronan’s grasp. “Serak, matack, segal.” The lightning arched from her hand and into the barrier. She emitted a cackle of glee before the chant was said more forceful. The lightning went from her hand to the barrier a second time.
They stood there stunned, all the hair on their heads practically standing up straight.
“Get ready for the big one. Hold on tight, Ronan!” She smiled with a twinkle in her eye. “Serak, matack, holdta!”
Lightning burst from the sky, touching Giselle’s head and flowing into the barrier. She went down like a rock.
Ronan was immediately down on one knee, disheveled hair falling around his shoulders. “Giselle?”
Aingeal was there as well, patting her cousin’s smoking hair. “Fearghus, is she breathing?
He touched her face and felt her chest. “She’s breathing and her heart’s beating. What the hell was that?”
“I don’t know, but hold on, a walk through the forest isn’t the best thing.” He pictured the hall of the council meeting room in his mind and closed his eyes to open them at the place he pictured. “Sorry, Aingeal, I hope I didn’t hurt you in anyway.”
She patted his shoulder. “Not a problem, we travel by spell mode all the time now. Except with the children, of course.”
He was still kneeling, got up and swung Giselle into his arms. Making big strides through the receiving room to the door of the council chamber, he indicated he wanted it opened. “Open the damn thing. And I don’t care about protocol. Please come with me as I’ve a feeling I’ll need some help with this one.”
“They’re the council, man!”
Ronan looked at him with angry eyes. “And don’t be surprised if I smack some of them around if I find out they had anything to do with this.”
Frowning, Fearghus did as he asked and pushed the door inward as Ronan carried her in.
Chapter 7
Ronan was surprised all the council members were on their feet coming toward him. It had to be the first time ever because he never saw them look as concerned as they did now.
“Put her on the table, Ronan. And Cesan conjure up a pillow and some blankets.”
Sorcha MacInnes issued the orders in even tones, her voice firm yet soft. “This has come to pass way too soon. Ronan, we need to know what happened and leave nothing out.”
He placed the woman he loved on the council table. “You knew this would happen?” He gave Sorcha, head of the elven council, a bewildered look.
She closed her eyes and shook her head. “Not exactly.”
“Well, then just what did you know, Sorcha?” This came from Fearghus, standing next to him. “You can’t tell me the council had some hand in this.”
She shook her head yet again. “Not this council.”
Ronan’s intent gaze started the woman to squirm. “If it wasn’t you, then it must be. Arghhh! They expect me to do their bidding.” He seethed with frustration as he held Giselle’s hand. He contained his emotions enough to look at the present council. “What am I supposed to do now?”
“What we all do, boy, what we all do.” Conall Darroch, the oldest council member, patted his shoulder. “Wait until they give the choice.”
Aislinn Ferguson nodded her head in agreement. “She’s with them. But I can tell you, if she was supposed to die, she would already be gone.”
A gentle hand touched him on his arm. “Talk to her, just talk to her and tell you how you feel. Sit here and wait until she wakes up. Make sure you’re the first one she’ll see when she does.”
He watched Aingeal for a few moments. “I just asked this question of Giselle a few hours ago. How did you get to be so wise?”
“Because I enjoy a wonderful family and these people here taught me a lot as well.”
Someone shoved a chair under him and he sat down hard. He watched as others made Giselle as comfortable as possible. Now all he had to do was wait for what seemed like a miracle.
Her head hurt worse than it had ever felt in her life. The last event she remembered was a vague feeling the lightning would hit her if she didn’t move. She groaned and tried to open her eyes, but it took more effort than she wanted to expend at the moment. Still, she wasn’t known as a slacker, rather more of a busybody than anything.
She managed to push herself up and looked at the world through slit eyes. The surroundings were unfamiliar with mist hanging near the ground. It took all her effort to sit up. Thinking was another matter she didn’t even want to contemplate.
“Indira, what in heaven’s name did you do to the girl?”
“What I was supposed to do. At least I think I did. I brought the lightning and magic to her as I felt she was taking too long to get to it.”
She opened her eyes and tried to see through the mist. “Is anybody there?”
“Well, it’s obvious someone is, you ninny.”
“Ninny?” If her head didn’t hurt so much, she’d think the person funny. Or she was in some sort of time warp. “So unfair. If I laugh, my head will hurt even more.”
“Maybe this isn’t a laughing matter, young lady.”
Giselle rubbed her eyes and still she couldn’t see anything. “Maybe it isn’t. But you need to see the situation from my side. I’ve been hit by lightning. My head aches and someone called me a ninny. I think the whole experience rather funny.”
“You do realize you’re in one of the most serious places in the whole univer
se.”
“Right.” She rolled her eyes. After all that has happened. “Wait a moment. Did you say that someone named Indira had done a number on me?” She started to look around. “Just where am I?” Giselle didn’t know if she should be concerned or not. She understood a lot of strange things happened in the elven world and she might take part in some of those events. She had gone through nor’ahkeem with an elven man and recognized her life would never be the same. Obviously, this was one of those times.
“She’s right to have questions. We did put her in a rough position without letting her know what was going on.”
The mist cleared from the floor and three people came forward. One was a woman who reminded her of her Uncle Bevan. She looked up at the woman from her sitting position from the floor. “You look like my uncle. Should I know you?”
“I’m your uncle’s fraternal great-great-great grandmother, Aylwen MacKensie.”
The man next to her threw up his hands and let them drop, dejected. “Did ya haf to tell the lass yer name, woman?”
Aylwen glared at him. “If you would let things be, then we wouldn’t be here again. These people are important to us and the rest of the elven nation. When are you ever going to realize that, you daft man?”
“I’m a daft man now, am I?”
Giselle frowned at them. “Children, for heaven sakes. Tell me why I’m here and let me be on my way.” They all looked down as if realizing she were still with them.
Aylwen nodded once. “You are quite right. Whatever issues we have amongst us will be here when you are gone. We will deal with them then.”
“I’m waiting.” Giselle sighed. Her head wasn’t getting any better and she wanted to go home.
“Right. You know you’re in the Hall of Elven Elders, do you not?”
She strained to remember some of what Lacey had told her when she had woke up from her head injury. “I remember my friend telling me a little in regards to her being here, but no, it has never been described to me in any detail.”
