‘Oh, and which Agent is he with?’ Phantom enquired conversationally whilst he subtly propelled her towards the door of the tavern.
‘Fortes and English.’
‘Ah, but of course he is.’ Phantasm nodded appreciatively and opened the door, stepping quickly aside to allow his brother and Mistral past. ‘Only the most exclusive Contracts are offered by Fortes and English, which is precisely is why my brother and I shall be signing up with them the very moment our apprenticeships are repaid.’
‘Most exclusive maybe, but also the most dangerous!’ ’ Mistral exclaimed.
‘Really?’ Phantom prompted in an interested voice while he guided her over the threshold into tavern’s dim interior.
‘Oh yes! Only last night he was dreaming about some work he’d done in the Northern Range when giants were first introduced to the Isle. Some moron from the Council had them rehomed within the cyclops’ territory and all hell was let loose –’
Suitably distracted by recounting one of Fabian’s past Contracts, Mistral didn’t realise that the twins had successfully walked her into the tavern until a loud cheer went up. Startled, she looked up see all of her brothers sat at their usual table, laden with tankards, bronze coins and a scattered pack of cards. Immediately leaping to their feet, Brutus and Xerxes strode towards her and lifted her between them, carrying her over to their table amidst gales of laughter from the rest her brothers and earning her a broad grin from Samson, leaning against the bar with a group of similarly dishevelled looking warriors.
‘Just what the hell do you think you’re doing?’ Mistral spluttered once they had placed her down on a chair.
Xerxes gave her a concerned look, ‘We’ve got to treat you carefully now Mistral.’
‘Yes, especially now you’ve got precious cargo on board.’ Brutus added with a soppy smile.
‘Oh please no.’ Mistral buried her face in her hands. ‘This is exactly what I wanted to avoid.’
‘What? Can’t you take a little teasing now you’re pregnant Mistral?’ Cain leaned across to whisper under the cover of their brothers’ laughter.
She lowered her hands to stare at the cluttered table, ‘This is so embarrassing!’
‘What? Being laughed at in The Cloak? That’s a daily event for all of us Mistral!’
Mistral shifted uncomfortably on her chair, ‘No not that ... oh, you know –’
Cain frowned, ‘Not really.’
‘Now everyone knows about me ... and Fabian –’
Cain threw back his head and laughed, ‘Come on Mistral! Aren’t you forgetting that we were all on your honeymoon with you? You didn’t come out of that cabin for days! Besides, you are actually married, it’s not as though you’re having Xerxes’ love child or something!’
Mistral sighed, ‘No I suppose not.’
Cain gave her a crooked smile, ‘They’re just happy to have some good news for a change. Let them enjoy it.’
‘Yes, but why can’t they be happy a bit less loudly,’ she muttered and looked up reluctantly to meet their grinning faces.
‘I must admit pregnancy suits you Mistral, you look really good!’ Xerxes ran an appreciative eye over her new curves.
Mistral gave him a poisonous look and turned back to Cain, ‘I don’t think I can take that kind of attention from him as well as Serenity. She followed me across the damned village square this morning asking when I was going in for my trimesterly check or something.’
‘You’re going to have to accept some medical attention Mistral.’ Cain said practically. ‘It’s not about you now.’
Mistral nodded and fiddled thoughtfully with the frayed sleeve of her shirt, one of Phantom’s; her own were no longer comfortable in areas she would rather not reveal, ‘Cain?’
‘Hmm?’
‘Your mother was the tribe’s midwife wasn’t she?’
‘Yes,’ he said warily. ‘And I think I know where you’re going with this.’
She looked at him beseechingly, ‘Please brother! I can’t stand Serenity’s mothering! She irritates me at the best of times, never mind when she’s talking to me like I’m a brood mare or something!’
Cain narrowed his eyes at her over the brim of his tankard, taking a long drink while he considered his response, ‘I will be your healer throughout your pregnancy –’ he raised his other hand to stem her rush of relieved gratitude ‘– on one condition.’
‘Name it!’
‘You do what I tell you to … with regards to your pregnancy that is, anymore would be, quite frankly unbelievable and outside my remit. You are thankfully Mage De Winter’s problem now.’
Mistral’s expression became guarded, ‘Do what you tell me? Like what?’
‘Diet, exercise, alcohol intake, Contracts and, er, a few other things that are probably best discussed not in a tavern.’
Mistral gave him a truculent look, ‘Whatever. Just say I don’t have to suffer Serenity and you can tell me to take up knitting for all I care. We both know I’ll do what I want anyway.’
Cain set his tankard down and leaned back on his chair, folding his arms firmly across his chest. ‘Then the answer is no.’
‘Oh come on! I was only joking!’
‘No you weren’t Mistral! There’s no way I’m wasting time giving you advice you won’t listen to!’
‘Please?’ She tried in a wheedling tone.
He shook his head.
‘I’ll promise on … on –’she cast around for something profound to swear upon and prove her sincerity.
‘On Saul’s memory?’ Cain suggested quietly.
Mistral held his gaze evenly, ‘I swear on the memory of our brother that I will do as you say during my p – p … time,’ she finished lamely.
‘Pregnancy.’
‘Yes, that.’
Cain sighed and rolled his eyes, ‘I must be insane –’
‘Oh, thank you brother!’
‘Just heed my advice or you and I will fall out,’ he threatened, ruining the effect with a grin. ‘Now, since this is our first official consultation, is there anything you’d like to ask?’
‘Actually,’ Mistral shunted her chair a bit closer so that she could whisper without being overheard, ‘yes. I have got one or two questions.’
‘Here we are!’ Phantom called out cheerfully as he sauntered up to the table carrying a tray of tankards.
Phantasm lifted one of the tankards aloft in a toast, ‘Let’s raise our tankards the latest addition to the Valley.’
Mistral raised her eyebrows at the tiny tankard Phantom had placed on the table in front of her, ‘Are you winding me up?’ She asked, picking up the quart pot with a look of disgust on her face.
‘Good health!’ Phantom winked, raising his own brimming tankard.
‘Ah, damn that’s good.’ Xerxes smacked his lips together appreciatively, slamming his nearly empty tankard down with a hearty bang.
Mistral shot him an envious look and took a tentative sip from her own toy-sized tankard. The ale tasted good. Mistral drained her tankard in one swallow, suddenly grateful that honey had made her sick, not ale. She placed her empty tankard down and eyed the dregs in the bottom regretfully, knowing that the twins wouldn’t allow her to have another.
‘So what’re we having then?’ Xerxes demanded, slamming both hands on the table and fixing her with a questioning look.
‘Another round?’ She asked hopefully.
Phantasm gave her a stern look.
‘Baby-wise Mistral! What are we having?’ Xerxes asked, looking at her in eager anticipation, his hand hovering near the top pocket of his jerkin.
Mistral started at him blankly for a moment before her expression slowly changed to one of horror, ‘Oh, Xerxes no! Please tell me you haven’t told the whole Valley that this is your baby!’
Brutus burst out laughing and slapped his brother on the back, ‘Even Xerxes wouldn’t be that foolish Mistral! He means, what are we having? A boy or a girl.’
‘We?’ Mistral rep
eated, frowning at them both in puzzlement.
‘Yes, we’re going to be uncles!’ Xerxes announced with a grin. ‘I personally want to borrow the baby on Saturday afternoons when the girl from the saddlery is off. Girls just can’t resist cute babies and single men!’
‘It might not be that cute brother, considering the mother’s charming nature.’ Cain winked at Mistral. ‘Now don’t avoid the question Mistral, surely you know what you’re having! Being a Seer must have some benefits to finding these sorts of things out ahead of time, and now I’m your healer I need should really be told.’
Mistral scowled at him then dropped her gaze to stare at her empty tankard, running a finger thoughtfully around the rim.
‘Well?’ Brutus demanded impatiently.
Mistral sighed, ‘A boy.’
Another loud cheer went up while Xerxes pulled a battered piece parchment from his top pocket and counted up how many wagers he’d taken on that outcome. Mistral dropped her head into her hands and looked beseechingly at Phantasm through her splayed fingers, but he merely shrugged and grinned happily back at her. She closed her eyes and sighed; he was just as stupidly excited about being an uncle as the rest of them.
‘Here’s to my nephew!’ Brutus said loudly and raised his tankard again. ‘And to the five silver coins I just won!’
‘I always knew she’d get something right … eventually.’ Xerxes agreed proudly and smashed his tankard into his brother’s in a noisy toast.
‘Er, just how long have they been in here?’ Mistral whispered to Cain, eying their exuberant grins warily.
‘Most of the afternoon –’
‘Oh, great.’
‘So what’s this about you being part-centaur then?’ Xerxes demanded loudly, making Mistral cringe when several warriors at the bar turned to stare at her.
‘Not part, full actually.’ Phantasm corrected quietly. ‘Hence the ability to bear children. Although, Mistral was really born to be a Seer and not a specific breed of any kind, which explains the lack of centaur appearance.’
‘Don’t know about that!’ Brutus laughed. ‘I always said she should’ve had hooves, horns and a tail.’
‘Centaurs don’t have horns Brutus.’ Xerxes looked hazily at his brother. ‘Do they?’
Mistral blew her cheeks out and looked over her shoulder at the door, willing it to open and reveal Fabian coming in to rescue her. To her amazement the door promptly opened and Fabian stepped into the bar, meeting her happy look with one of bemusement he immediately stepped aside to hold the door open for the person behind him. Mistral’s jaw dropped as Melsina De’ath stepped lightly into the tavern and paused to gaze around while she slowly unwound a fur stole from around her neck. Her perfect features were carefully composed in an expression of polite indifference but Mistral could see her obvious distaste for her surroundings reflected in her aura. The twins and Xerxes instantly leapt to their feet; the twins to solicitously help their mother with her long fur-lined travelling cloak and Xerxes to pull out a chair at their table for her.
Mistral glanced at Xerxes and hid a smile; he was staring at Melsina in open-mouthed astonishment. Watching Melsina gliding gracefully towards their table, Mistral could see why. Even dressed for travel she was the epitome of style and elegance in a fine wool riding habit and fitted jacket trimmed with white fur. The biting cold air had tinged her alabaster cheeks with the faintest hint of colour, making her skin glow like polished marble. Her green eyes sparkled with amusement when they alighted on Xerxes, scampering around like an excited terrier, waiting to assist her into the chair.
‘So kind. However I shan’t be staying.’ Melsina smiled enchantingly and rested one slender, leather gloved hand on the back of the chair.
‘No?’ Xerxes’ face dropped. ‘But you’ve only just arrived! Perhaps a goblet of spiced wine to warm you up?’ He offered, giving her a slavish smile.
‘Thank you, but no.’ Melsina demurred quietly but firmly and turned to look at the twins. ‘I have come at the request of my boys, on an errand of mercy.’
An errand of mercy? Mistral raised an eyebrow wonderingly and leaned back on her chair to look at Fabian behind Melsina’s back. His expression was amused, but his thoughts were purposefully neutral. She frowned, suddenly suspicious and narrowed her eyes at the twins. Their faces were composed masks of filial concern for their mother and their thoughts also revealed nothing. Mistral sighed irritably and drummed her fingers on the table. They were all becoming far too adept at evading her gift for her liking, and something was definitely going on. Just what was Melsina doing in the Valley? And on an “errand of mercy” too –
Abruptly switching her beguiling green gaze to meet Mistral’s pondering look, Melsina smiled sweetly and held out a hand to her, ‘I understand that congratulations are in order! I have a gift for you.’
Mistral felt her face freeze in a horrified expression when Melsina took hold of her hand in a familiar iron grip. Phantom quickly glided over to pull her chair out, leaving her no choice but to stand up. ‘Care to tell me what this is about,’ she hissed at him under her breath.
‘You are the errand of mercy,’ he whispered back, throwing her cloak around her quickly.
‘Oh please no!’ She moaned.
‘You didn’t really expect to keep borrowing my clothes did you?’ Phantom smirked and stepped back swiftly to avoid a well-aimed stamp at his foot.
Feeling burgeoning dread at what Melsina was going to submit her to, Mistral threw Phantasm a pleading look, but he avoided her eyes and moved lightly to his mother’s side, holding her cloak out for her.
‘You will come for tea tonight won’t you mother?’ He enquired politely while he dutifully helped with her cloak.
‘Sorry darling, but your charming Training Captain, Leo is it? Well, he has invited me to dinner – oh, and Vilius and I shall be staying in one of the guests rooms in the Main Building too, so there will be no need for you to go to any effort to find room for us.’
‘What a pity.’ Phantasm managed to look suitably crestfallen. ‘We were so looking forward to showing you our house.’
‘I know darling, but I shall come and visit you before I leave tomorrow.’ Melsina smiled and laid a gloved hand briefly against his cheek.
‘Oh good.’ Phantom forced a smile.
‘Er, I’m really sorry Melsina, but Fabian and I were just leaving –’ Mistral improvised wildly, giving Fabian a desperate look. ‘We need to get home before nightfall you see –’
‘I shall not keep you long my dear; I know how important your rest is for you now.’ Melsina took Mistral’s hand in a vice-like grip once again.
‘Fabian?’ Mistral wailed frantically. ‘Won’t this hold you up?’
‘Actually no.’ Fabian’s face suddenly grew thoughtful. ‘I do have a matter I need to discuss with Samson.’
‘What? Now?’ Mistral cried.
‘Oh yes.’ Fabian nodded, frowning seriously. ‘It really can’t wait.’
Mistral glared daggers at him but he merely raised a sardonic eyebrow and accepted a tankard of ale from a grinning Samson. Mistral cast one last despairing look at Prospero in the vain hope that her faithful dog would leap to her defence and tackle Melsina to the ground. But he was stretched out beneath the table watching her lazily through one half-opened eye. It seemed as though even her dog was content to abandon her to a fate worse than death … or De’ath. Xerxes almost ran across the tavern to hold the door open, smiling in a star-struck fashion at Melsina while she hauled Mistral outside, still giving Fabian filthy looks over her shoulder.
‘Now darling, we need to make sure that you are appropriately attired for the duration of your pregnancy. It can be a challenging time style-wise, believe me, I know! Have any ideas on colours? I think we should avoid black –’
‘Thank heavens for that!’ Phantom gave a relieved sigh when Melsina’s silvery voice was abruptly cut off by the door swinging shut.
‘What a woman!’ Xerxes gasped, tottering
back to the table and falling into his chair.
The twins gave him a pitying look, ‘You have no idea,’ they muttered in unison.
The musical tinkle of the bell above Eudora’s door sounded to Mistral like the tolling of a funeral bell, signifying the start of a depressing event. Eudora was nowhere to be seen. The tiny seamstress was skilfully camouflaged by her black dress to blend in with the ceiling high shelves of black. Mistral was sure it was a habit she’d adopted just to pounce on more unsuspecting male customers. Melsina appeared unperturbed by the lack of greeting and coughed politely into her gloved hand, signalling their requirement for service.
You’ll be lucky! Mistral thought sourly.
Melsina coughed more loudly until it was impossible for Eudora not to either offer her a glass of water or finally acknowledge the fact that she had a customer to attend to. A rustle of black drew their attention to where Eudora had been concealed beside a row of black cloaks.
‘Oh!’ She suddenly appeared, her painted lips rounded into a perfect ‘oh’ of surprise and one hand clasped theatrically to her bosom. ‘Is that really you Melsina?’
‘How lovely to see you Eudora.’ Melsina replied in a voice that clearly implied it was anything but. ‘You look … well.’
‘Why of course I do! But I have to confess that you look a trifle out of sorts.’ Eudora’s sapphire blue gaze roved critically over Melsina’s clothes. ‘Travelling can be so wearing. Were you forced to camp overnight in that outfit?’ She enquired sympathetically.
Melsina stiffened slightly at the implied insult and Mistral had to stifle a snort of amusement. It appeared that not only did Melsina and Eudora know each other, but there was apparently no love lost between them either. Her hellish shopping trip had suddenly become a lot more interesting.
Letting go of Mistral’s arm, Melsina swept gracefully towards one of the towering sets of shelves. She ran a gloved finger lightly along the surface, holding it up she pointedly examined the tip for dust. ‘Oh dear.’ Melsina sighed softly. ‘Dusty shelves? That doesn’t bode well –’
The Seer Page 34
