Alexa's chest constricted. She'd considered the baby her only friend in this place. And how absurd was that?
Hard bootsteps striding in her direction made her pivot. Reynardus, scowling and muttering under his breath, marched to her. Again she felt fury—this man's fury—batter at her. Alexa shuddered.
The little round man, Partis, hurried forward and stepped in front of her, forestalling Reynardus. Once again Partis held his staff with yellow fire flickering at the top. Facing the others, he said a few sentences.
Raising his voice, Reynardus argued. With a motion, wind whipped around him, the nobles' robes flapped, Alexa's clothes plastered cold and wet to her skin. To Alexa's surprise, Partis stood his ground. Thealia came and stood next to him, raised her hand and stilled the air. Alexa's vision sharpened—she saw the energy fields of the man and woman. His was yellow and hers as indigo as her stream in the rainbow. They flowed together as if becoming a single entity, and the whole aura pulsed stronger—and malachite green. Their Songs melded into a lovely pattern.
Finally, Reynardus stepped around the couple and flung out hishand in demand to Alexa. Alexa jutted a hip, put her hand on it, and raised her eyebrows. She'd dealt with plenty of arrogant attorneys. She smiled with all her teeth. She could be a predator too. The memory of the sound as the man she'd fought hit the wall tugged at her and nausea rose. She pushed it aside. Pushed all thought aside. She had to be strong, show no fear, if she was to win the respect she needed to be safe.
The big jerk, Reynardus, barked an order at her. Gestured.
Alexa didn't get it. She widened her stance and set her hands on her hips, just noticing that her clothes had dried. She angled her chin up. God, she'd crash when the adrenaline stopped, but she was jazzed now. The ends of her hair lifted. Heat and energy throbbed along her skin, silky with power.
He growled, his eyes narrowed in frustration. With wide movements he tapped the empty sheath along his right side. He pointed to the stick she'd hooked to her jeans. He snapped his fingers, opened a broad, calloused palm.
Alexa smiled. "No!" She put her hand on the short staff under the pointed tip and angled it forward, curved her fingers around it.
She heard the grinding of his teeth as he repeated his actions.
"No!" she shouted. Grinned. "What part of 'no' don't you understand?"
"Ttho!" Marwey said from a little beside and behind Alexa.
When Alexa slid her gaze to Marwey, the girl continued. "No—ttho!" She smiled sweetly as if she too enjoyed thwarting Reynardus. "No—ttho!"
Alexa turned back to the big guy. "Ttho! What part of 'ttho' don't you understand?"
Thealia bit off some words. Then she spouted what could only be instructions, gesturing. Alexa watched closely, but only understood that the lady wanted someone to go and get something.
A massive man, even bigger than Reynardus, clomped over. He scanned Alexa up and down. She returned his stare. He snorted, took some huge gloves—gauntlets?—from his belt, pulled them on and went in the same direction as the doctor. Squinting, Alexa finally saw the door in the shadows, huge and pointed.
After he left, the others talked among themselves. The words hummed in the room like the low-level buzz of bees on a summer afternoon.
Alexa unhooked the stick, pushed the hook into the short staff and took time to compose herself. Though the others watched her, no one was threatening. She loosened her muscles and kept upright. So many emotions and reactions to the night's adventures tumbled through her that she kept a hard clamp on them and tried to use pure observation and reason. She glanced around the room while keeping an eye out for any more danger, holding the stick ready.
The chamber, round and very large, was made of white stone. All the furnishings appeared to be the very best any world could provide. Around half the room ran a built-in stone bench with padded seats, jewel-toned large pillows and rugs around its base. Colorful tapestries of pastoral scenes alternated with bright banners showing coats of arms. Windows were set high in the wall, about two stories up, and were as pointed as the door.
The altar was in the same quadrant as the pentacle and draped in maroon velvet, with a white lace over-panel. It held the bright rainbow of crystals—could they be huge precious stones?—the chime stick, two knives, a large smoking incense burner and two goblets, one of silver and one of gold.
Alexa was just wondering if she dared explore when the door creaked open and the huge man walked in. The scent of a damp, cold night wafted in with him, along with the hint of a smokey fire. The humid mixture of odors wasn't one Alexa would smellin Colorado. Her emotions threatened to break through the barrier she had erected. She couldn't let go! She couldn't afford to be seen as weak or vulnerable. She bit her bottom lip to keep it from trembling.
The massive guy stopped in front of Thealia. He held a rolled bundle—Alexa studied it and exhaled in relief—nothing living or newly dead was in it.
They talked a moment, then Thealia directed the others. They all formed a half-circle facing Alexa. Reynardus, still glowering, was the end of the half-moon to her left.
The huge man entered the half-circle and laid his bundle on the floor before Alexa. Just bending from the waist put him eye level with her. He stared at her as he unrolled the cloth. It clinked a little, made sounds of wood and metal and glass. The cloth was made of quilted felt, and she could see seams between pockets. The man flipped back the top flap.
Alexa reflexively retreated a step. The others murmured.
Before her were four rows of ten pockets. Most showed the top of a stick like the one she held. All looked old and valuable and powerful. Imbued with magic.
Thealia glided up, and the huge man took her former place in the half-circle. She gestured expansively to the sticks. "Batons," she said. Or something close enough for Alexa to understand it. Batons. Were they the same as magic wands? What could they do? What did they signify? The healer hadn't worn one. Nor did Marwey. But everyone else did.
"Deshouse," Thealia said, making the same sweep with her hand. When Alexa didn't move, the lady frowned. She walked down the long row and indicated each pocket with one toe of an elegant slipper, as if demonstrating the word choose.
Alexa got distracted by the slipper, peeking out and showing a narrow foot, then retreating under Thealia's skirts. It waspointed and looked to have jewels set in a pattern like a flower—
"Alyeka, deshouse!"
Mind wandering. Not surprising after all she'd been through. Still, the evening of adventure and discovery wasn't over. Alexa stiffened her spine and narrowed her eyes to see the batons better. She pressed her lips together as she concentrated, believing she could see faint outlines of energy. But how did she choose? By the attractiveness? The color and the jewels that appealed to her? By the "aura"? By smell? A couple of them were polished wood. Should she touch them?
No. Definitely not touch each one. Who knew what sort of electrical, magical, whatever, charge she might receive?
Still she felt as if she was coming to the end of her strength. If she needed to choose, she would. A smooth wand of dark green jade caught her eye. It looked slightly thinner than the others. Her fingers would close easier around it. The top was finished in tarnished bronze in the shape of flames, round at the bottom, pointed at the tips. Just below the metal was a small tube of a transparent material, glass or crystal, circling the jade. Now, that was interesting. What could the tube hold? Blood? She was definitely letting her imagination run away with her. There was another clear tube at the bottom of the staff.
Each time her tired eyes traveled up and down the myriad sticks, they lingered on the jade baton.
Alexa took a step forward and everyone hushed. She thought if she squatted she wouldn't find the energy to stand again, so she bent forward to scrutinize the wand. She couldn't see anything in the tube. She nibbled at her lip. When she looked up, she met the glare of Reynardus. Awkwardly she tossed him his baton.
He grunted as he caught it. Ran hi
s hands up and down it as if checking for new nicks. Then he sniffed it and scowled at her. Hiseyes seemed to sink into the deep shadows of his sockets until they were lost except for a gleam of distaste.
Well, she probably had sweated on the thing. Or transferred some of the liquid from the pool to it. Still, sniffing seemed incredibly rude. She sent him a pointed glance and sniffed at him as if he were the inadequate one.
He muttered something under his breath.
"Sanctuaire!" reproved Thealia.
He shut his mouth, but Alexa thought he still cursed.
Minute trembling began in her calves and Alexa took the warning that she was at the end of her endurance. She slipped the jade wand from its pocket.
It blazed like a green candle, parts of it becoming translucent and beautiful.
The others sighed. She heard whispers of approval. Alexa blinked as she looked at the flame atop her new possession—her only possession besides her small fanny pack and clothes—Push that thought aside. The little sculpture glowed with copper and bronze flames, as if new. They seemed to flicker inside the metal too. Small white sparks flew from the tip of the longest flame.
Wow.
Seeing movement inside the upper tube, she brought it closer to examine. Mercury, also known as quicksilver. Mysterious and fascinating.
Thealia clapped her hands sharply. Alexa looked at her. She touched her chest with elegant fingers. "Marshall Sabre Thealia." She repeated Marwey's introductions. Thealia curved her hand over Partis's shoulder. "Marshall Boucilier Partis." Thealia inclined her head toward Reynardus. "Dom Marshall Sabre Reynardus."
Thealia nodded and waved at Alexa. "Marshall Alyeka."
Oh boy. Alexa hung on tighter to her stick—baton. She couldn't assimilate much more.
Thealia launched into a little speech with lots of gestures. She indicated the circle of Marshalls, the pentacle, goblets and gong. She hummed a snatch of the music, pantomimed Alexa whooshing down onto the floor. Then she clasped her hands and bowed to Alexa.
"Marwey?" Thealia gestured to Marwey and mimed talking, then indicated her head, Marwey's, and Alexa's. Alexa didn't like the idea forming in her mind.
The young girl, shorter and slighter than Alexa, slowly lifted thin arms. Marwey curled her palms around Thealia's face. They seemed to commune. Marwey stepped back.
Sure enough, Thealia indicated Marwey should do the same with Alexa.
There was a long pause as Alexa considered. She studied the girl, who looked young and innocent and good. When Alexa half-shut her eyelids she could see a bright aqua aura around Marwey. For some reason it reassured her. Like evil would show big black smears? Maybe. Maybe. Her instincts seemed to be guiding her well enough tonight.
Alexa jerked a nod.
Marwey eyed Alexa's baton.
Alexa sighed and dropped her hands to her sides.
Marwey came close enough that Alexa could smell her scent—girlish and floral, perhaps a prettily fragranced soap. Marwey put her warm hands against Alexa's face and the image came of soap in the shape of a seashell and the color of moss.
Alexa flinched as butterfly wings brushed her mind. Marwey's eyes grew big. She shuddered and jumped back.
She swayed and others crowded around her, leaving Alexa standing alone.
Marwey licked her lips. "Leyu exotique," she said.
Alexa tried to translate. This time "exotique" sounded almostfamiliar. "Exotique." French? French for "exotic"? A French-based language? She didn't do well with languages. She was doomed.
The girl curtseyed to Alexa. "Bar," she said clearly. "You...haff...passed...the bar."
Bar? Alexa and Sophie had passed the Colorado bar a couple of months ago.
Marwey made a frustrated noise. "No. You...haff...crossed...le bar."
That sounded even stranger, but again a little familiar. Alexa shook her head, hoping to straighten out her jumbled thoughts. Crossed—passed...
This had been a test? All this stuff—the monster, the star-ball, the baby, the killer with the knife...had been a test?
Fury built in her, radiating from her belly to the soles of her feet and the top of her head. Again her hair stood straight out from her scalp. She shifted from foot to foot. She'd never been so angry. The baton in her hand began to hum cheerfully. Tiny figures incised in the jade that she hadn't noticed before glowed and almost moved. Looking at the staff meant she looked at her arm—and the golden aura streaked with red crackling from it.
Alexa angled the baton but didn't point it. Slowly she turned and, step by step, she looked at each person in the half-circle before her.
Too much. It was too damn much. Alexa whirled to the top nobles—Reynardus with the ivory baton and Thealia.
"This was a test?" she bellowed. The tapestries on the walls shivered. Alexa grinned. She turned back to the pool and pointed her baton, wondering what would happen if she sent a bolt of energy to it. She couldn't find the urge to care.
"Ttho!" Thealia jumped in front of Alexa. Locked gazes with her. "Ttho."
Alexa's nostrils flared.
Partis pulled Thealia aside and took her place. He was protecting his wife. He spoke to Alexa, his voice rising and falling in beautiful lilting notes. She ignored the words—as she thought he meant her to—and listened to the tone, the rhythms, the cadences. Warm yellow light pulsed from him.
The craziness of it all hit Alexa. She was a Marshall. But they all wore swords. And armor.
She wasn't a savior.
Hell, they had wanted Joan of Arc.
"I think everyone except Partis and I should leave," Thealia said.
Reynardus snorted and swept her a mocking bow. "As you will, Swordmarshall Thealia."
Thealia lifted her chin a bit. "Our mission was a success. We now have a powerful new Marshall. With her aid, the plague of evil invading Lladrana will be stopped."
"You think so?"
"You doubt the Spring Song?" His constant arguing wore on her nerves. She looked him straight in the eyes. "One of the requisites for a Marshall is appropriate visits to the Caves of Melody and a trance with the Singer and the Song. Reynardus, how long has it been since you have undertaken an individual Song Quest to tell of your path?" She knew, but wanted to hear him say it aloud.
A vein throbbed in his temple. "Are you challenging me for the leadership of the Marshalls?"
"I'm saying that I've received several Song Quests in the past decade, and most recently when the third fencepost vanished."
She waited a beat. He didn't speak. "When was the last time you consulted the Singer and the Song?" she repeated.
He paced with sharp-sounding steps to where his cloak lay. Whirling it around him, he replied. "I've been."
"When you were first confirmed as a Marshall. Before you even knew whether you were a Sword or a Shield," she pointed out. "Have you been other times?" she ended quietly. He had this coming, but it wasn't an easy thing to do—to force a Marshall to carry out his duty by shaming him.
"I'll go to the Singer and endure the Song Quest." He forced the words through clenched teeth as he clasped the brooch at the throat of his cloak shut. "Tomorrow." He stared at each one of the Marshalls, lip curling. "I trust you will temper our new little Exotique and make sure she is amenable and Paired by the time I return." Reynardus spun on his heel, then swept to the threshold and out into the portico in a dramatic exit.
Thealia caught the slamming door with her power and let it gently swing shut.
She turned to face the Exotique—Alyeka, Thealia corrected herself—and found the young woman still shooting out angry energy. Thealia glanced at the huge crystal points at the end of each rafter. Thank the Song such energy could be stored and harvested later.
Partis looked at the girl with his usual compassion. "She's not happy with us," he murmured.
"Who would be, enduring such Tests?" Marwey spoke up—out of her place.
Thealia frowned at her and the teenager faded back from the Marshalls. Then Thealia s
canned the rest of her companions.
"What went wrong with Defau? He wasn't supposed to try to kill her. He was only to test her courage."
"Why ask, when we all know?" Shieldmarshall Faith said, rubbing her hands up and down her arms as if she were cold and didn't have the strength for a warming spell. Her skin showed an underlying pallor. "He hates Exotiques beyond reason. A flaw we didn't know and he didn't reveal. Perhaps he didn't know himself." Faithglanced at Alexa. "She is odder than I anticipated. Her coloring—the ebb and flow of her Power, the rhythm of it." Faith shook her head. "I don't know whether to be repulsed or fascinated."
"Obviously Defau was repulsed," Thealia said dryly.
Faith's eyes clouded and she tilted her head as if straining to use her Power. "His lifepulse is thready. I doubt he will live."
"We all knew there could be casualties among us," Thealia said. She felt the weight of their gazes.
"And you sent Reynardus away," Armsmaster Swordmarshall Mace said. His wife and Shield set her hand on his arm and squeezed. He shut his mouth.
Thealia passed a hand across her eyes, caught small beads of perspiration. "You only say what everyone thinks." She looked at them all. "We can't afford to have a negative influence in our Circle. We lost her for a moment. We could have lost her for good. Reynardus has challenged every step we took. I listened to the Spring Song and underwent a personal Song Quest." She nodded to a couple of friends. "So did some others of us. Reynardus won't listen to the Spring Song or believe our personal Song Quests." She shrugged. "He's always been a man who will only trust what he himself knows to be true—what he sees, or touches or perceives. Let him undergo trance with the Singer and hear his own Song. I only wish his results would be different and more hopeful than the rest of ours have been." Others nodded.
"Marshall Alyeka is about to fall into the pool again," Mace said. "Who knows what immersion in jerir twice in one night would do to her?"
Thealia hadn't seen any movement in her peripheral vision, but when she faced the woman, Alexa was swaying.
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