Finding Fiona

by Viola Grace

  “I am.”

  “I am doctor Mythos. Welcome to Silverwood. You have injured your legs?”

  “Yes, apparently while running for my life through the woods, I wasn’t careful about where I stepped.” She was still securely wrapped in the jacket when one of the attendants offered her a hospital gown. It wrapped securely around her instead of tying in the back. A much better design than those used by most hospitals.

  They removed the jacket from the bed and started to treat her legs. Pain flashed every time they swabbed and cleaned her gashes and scratches. When they brought out two basins and had her soak her feet, she knew a pedicure was not the next step. She squeaked in panic as the pain radiated out from her soles.

  Abax took a step forward.

  Her attendants looked warily at the unicorn and, when she turned her head, Fiona knew why. Red flame flared from where the blue white eyes had been. He was upset.

  Dr. Mythos looked to Fiona for help. “Can you calm him?”

  “I can try.” She held out her hand to the unicorn and tried to radiate a look of serenity. “Abax. This is painful, but I have to have it done to get better. You will have to remain calm and quiet if you stay here. All right?”

  He shook his head, flailing the horn around.

  “Calm and quiet, or get out.” Her voice was stern and she crossed her arms over her breasts.

  Abax nodded and his eyes returned to blue. He relaxed his stance and shifted to a less threatening position.

  Fiona nodded in approval and he tossed his head. “He seems fine now. I promise not to look like I am in pain. Even when I am.”

  The doctor nodded in approval and continued to supervise the cleaning of her feet. “Miss Matthews, I hate to say that you have quite a bit of damage to your feet. The surface that you ran across created lacerations that may have caused permanent damage to the nerves.” He was matter of fact, but it was still hard to hear.

  “I thought so, when I felt the damage and didn’t feel the pain.”

  He nodded wisely, approving her acceptance. “There are a few treatment options that we can engage in once we have an idea of what the damage actually is.”

  “Fair enough.” Although she was a little scared of what the actual damage would be, she didn’t regret the manner in which she had gotten it. If she hadn’t gotten Abax, Ander might not have made it. And without him, her life would be missing something.

  Blinking, she analyzed that sentiment while flecks of debris were removed from feet that were now blissfully numb. Mythos had given her shots of anaesthetic while she had been talking to Abax. She had been relieved when she felt the shooting pain, but she had been unable to react. The cool relief that took over her body from the knees down made her tear up with gratitude. “How is Ander doing?”

  “He was very close to the edge, but you got him here in time. You are to be commended on your actions. Very few women would have been able to release a steed, let alone ride him without his rider nearby.”

  “Ander was nearby.”

  “Not awake and conscious. That is what the rider-steed bond needs. Without him awake and aware, he could not smooth the introduction of you to his beast.”

  Fiona refrained from mentioning that she had already met his beast. It fit within her perfectly. Her calm thoughts must have gotten through to Abax, because now he was an enormous dog.

  “Huh. I didn’t know he did that. Most steeds won’t change shape unless requested.” Mythos was surprised.

  “He has done nothing but shift forms since I met him.”

  “That is unusual. But then, you are an usual mate. Ander was lucky to find you.”

  “Ander didn’t find me. I was kidnapped.” And with that sentence, everyone in the room rose in shock.

  Chapter 10

  Artemis strode through the door, the medical attendants cleared a path for her, “What did I hear? That you were kidnapped?”

  This was a little confusing for Fiona. How did they think that she had gotten the lacerations on her legs and feet? Skipping merrily along? “How do you think that I had gotten all these cuts? Ander and I were running from Baenwik and I got Abax to help carry him back here.”

  “Who is Baenwik?” Her confusion was evident. Her facial features flitted from one aspect to another. Not expression, actual faces.

  “He is one of the Lios Alfar. He kidnapped a small child so that I would join the search and he had already clubbed Ander and shackled him to a wall. I was next.” With her feet wrapped in puffy white bandages and pain free, Fiona was heading into sleepy land.

  “One of the Lios kidnapped you and tried to kill Ander?”

  Fury and a type of disgust that Fiona couldn’t figure out swam across Artemis’s features. “Yes. And kidnapped a human child, but he said he let her go. I really hope that he did.” She couldn’t keep her eyes open any longer. She felt herself drifting off.

  Artemis was giving more orders in an authoritative tone. Someone named Henry was supposed to check on something. It was the last thing that she heard before she fell asleep.

  * * * *

  There was a warm weight on her chest. It had a soothing scent that she couldn’t place. Her lids moved sluggishly open and she was facing a large dog with glowing blue eyes. “Hiya, Abax. Were you with me all day?” The tail wagging was all she needed. She gave him a hug and scratched him behind his ears.

  “He was indeed. He was more faithful to you than he has been to me.” Ander’s voice was stronger and he was in his bed, propped up on pillows. “Not that I blame him. I would be resting my head on your chest if I could get over there.”

  “How are you feeling?” She turned her head to talk to him, but left her torso flat on the bed with the dog. He was happy, so she was happy.

  “Better. I don’t remember much of what happened after the attack in the cave.” He flexed his arms and rotated his shoulders while wincing. “What did happen?”

  “You were injured, we made a run for it and I found Abax in the woods. He turned into a car and drove us back here. They brought you here and the rest is history.”

  “That doesn’t explain how your feet were injured.”

  “I had to run through the woods a bit.”

  “Then why were my feet not injured?”

  “You were incapacitated. I left you outside the caves, leaning against a tree, and I ran to get Abax.”

  “Why didn’t I come with you?”

  “Ander, you were bleeding to death, okay? There was no way I could have dragged you through the woods. And when I got your horsy, he was surrounded by brambles and I had to pull them out of the way. I used my feet.” She was getting defensive now.

  He closed his eyes and leaned back against the pillows. “I failed you as a protector.”

  She made her voice as sharp as she could. “No! You are alive, I am alive and we are safe. You did a great job as a protector.” Abax growled and she soothed him with a stroke. “You as well, Abax. We would still be in the forest if not for you.”

  He grunted and settled as she stroked him behind the ears.

  * * * *

  “Lady, you have bewitched my steed.” Ander was calmer now and looked over at his fearless steed of the Wild Hunt as she scratched his ears and ran her hands over the lithe body. He felt both foolish and jealous. After a few minutes she tired again and fell asleep. Abax remained with her and watched carefully as attendants came in to change the dressings on her feet.

  Fiona was his match in every way. So it was logical for Abax to give his loyalty and affection to her. But nestling with her was a little extreme. What power did she have to take the attention of his steed from him?

  He mulled the question over as they attended to the damage that had been done to her legs. Elven healing would have to be employed, or she would not be able to move painlessly again. Mythos was hovering over her feet now, magic flowing into her wounded tissues. She would never know how her feet had been healed, she would just assume that it had been the rapid medic
al care she had received. It was the way they had always dealt with humans.

  Fiona’s magic was finding and therein lay the secret of Abax’s loyalties. Fiona was a hunter. She could find anything. And Abax was, first and foremost, a steed of the Wild Hunt. Ander almost laughed aloud as he figured it out.

  The steed had given his loyalty to the best hunter in the family. That was unmistakably Fiona. He would have to get used to being second best.

  As long as she kept looking at him with trust in her eyes, he could manage.

  Chapter 11

  Waking up was a tricky thing. Fiona was still pinned to the bed, but a delicate wiggling of her feet had them feeling much better. The pain that had woken her several times in the night had faded.

  It was her three visitors that had her befuddled. Well, four. Artemis was hanging back, near the door. A quick look to her right let her know Ander was gone, but Abax was still snuggled against her. He had shifted into a small cat, but his eyes were still the same.

  “Fiona. We are so happy to see you again. It has been so long.” The woman who came forward was familiar. “I am Westa Lucidine. Lucky. We met at camp. This is Valentine and you may remember Hannah?”

  The familiarity came back to her in a rush. The girlish giggles, the late night tutorials on magic, given in complete and companionable silence. “Holy crap. How did you end up here?”

  “The same way you did. We were stalked by masters of the Wild Hunt. And we let them catch us. Well, all except Valentine. She was raised here.” Lucky was taking up the bulk of the conversation, the other two were fluffing her pillows and checking on her bandages.

  “You are able to leave the infirmary today, but because of your injuries, you won’t be able to get around much for a few weeks. So, we decided to have an orientation meeting here today.”

  Valentine spoke, her voice like the light breath of bells, “As you may have noticed, Silverwood is full of elves and other magical creatures. All men.”

  “I did.”

  “They have volunteered to try and find mates among the humans, to bring more magic into the modern age. They came through a few years ago to acclimate themselves to modern times and, when the bearers of the new magic gained complete control over their talents, they left to court them.”

  “That would be us then. The girls from that year at Camp Silverwood.”

  “Yep.”

  “So, Artemis is one of them?”

  “Yep.”

  “So, what is the grand plan here then? I already have my match.”

  “Why it is to help find matches for those who want regular women. We cannot simply let them run into the local population to beguile the local women away from their men. They deserve women who are as exceptional as they are. That is what we are here for. Matchmaking.”

  “You have to be joking.”

  “I am not. You talent is location. Lucky is luck, Hannah is out of body transport, and I am keyed toward love. The lasting kind, not the kind simply driven by lust.” She paused and gave Fiona a long look. “Together we can find the women that will best suit the men, give them a description and tell them where to find them. It is cheating, but it is effective. We also need a lot of luck.” She winked to Lucky and a rich laugh was the response.

  “Henry had all the luck he needed.”

  “Henry had nerves of steel, Lucky.” Artemis finally joined the conversation. “What this is all in aid of, Fiona, is that your talents will complete the group and make them more effective. If you are amenable, they will meet at your home and you can start going through the files of the men involved.”

  That last phrase threw her, “I don’t have a home.”

  “Of course you do. Well, Ander does. Until you join formally with him, you will be his honoured guest.”

  “Like I have a choice.” She was disgruntled. Being forced into close quarters with a man whose presence made her pulse beat in places she couldn’t describe, didn’t seem fair.

  “Oh, you do. No man here can force his mate.” Valentine took a deep breath before deciding to continue. “I was raped by one of the Lios when I was at my high school prom. They brought me here, castrated him and sent him back through the rift to Underhill. My mate was upset and he has not made a move on me in all the years I have been here. We live together, but until I am ready, he will do nothing.”

  Artemis chimed in, “The community at large supports Valentine and her right to choose when and if she will take Mythos to her.”

  “Mythos? The doctor?”

  “The healer, yes.”

  “He has really gentle hands.”

  “I know. It was he who had to treat me after the Lios had savaged me.” Valentine was sad, it was obvious. “I don’t think it’s an image he has ever forgotten.”

  No, it wouldn’t be. How could a man try and seduce a woman that had been brutalized?

  “I hear that the Lios are going to lose another member.”

  “Ah, has someone found Baenwik then?” The nasty pretty boy had been rather banged up when she last saw him.

  “Indeed. He had nowhere to go. His own steed rejected his actions when he kidnapped the child. She is back with her family by the way. And she has a new pony.” Lucky was smirking. It was obviously extreme for a steed to reject a rider, and to choose a human girl over it was insulting to the elf involved.

  “Where is he then?”

  “My fiancé, Henry went to pick him up. With Hannah’s Simon. He didn’t have much of a chance.” Pride in their men shone through. As well as a large dose of amusement. Apparently, these boys could play rough.

  She flashed back to the fistfight between Ander and Baenwik. Yeah, these boys played rough.

  Speak of the devil. Ander filled the doorway and stopped abruptly upon seeing the room full of women, “Ladies. I bid you good day.” His tone was formal, the tone of one who had said these words every day for centuries.

  Centuries? Where did that come from.

  “Fiona. I see you have Abax firmly in your thrall. How are you feeling?”

  Abax stretched and shifted back into his dog form.

  The girls jumped back. “That is a steed? In bed with you? Holy hells!” Valentine uttered these words.

  The dog on the bed simply wagged his tail.

  Mythos approached with a wheelchair and the dog growled at it. “Abax, she cannot walk out of the infirmary. Her feet are too tender.”

  Fiona knew what he would do, “Ladies, you had best get away from the bed. My ride is here.” She spoke not a moment too soon. The dog jumped from the bed and the unicorn was standing next to her.

  Ander walked toward the bed and the steed stood aside. “Fiona, it’s time to go.” He lifted her carefully from the bed and settled her on Abax’s back, sideways to spare her feet being knocked around.

  The unicorn immediately began a stately pace out the door and down the hallway, the steady clack of his hooves rang on the tile.

  Ander walked in front of them and stepped into the sun an instant before they did. As soon as they had made their way into the bright light of the new day, he leapt gracefully to Abax’s back behind her. He lifted her onto his lap and off they went.

  The town of Silverwood was well organized, the central buildings—library, infirmary, town hall—were tucked into the middle of the town and the branches of houses ran from this central hub. Silverwood was a wheel and Ander lived on one of the spokes.

  His home was a well-tended Victorian with a large garage and a stable in the yard out back. He was on about three acres of land and the spring in Abax’s feet told of his happiness to be home.

  He walked right up to the steps and let them off.

  Ander carefully dismounted with her in his arms.

  It was when he was settling her on the couch with her feet propped on a footstool, she remembered the gash on his back. “Ander! What are you doing carrying me around? You must have opened your shoulder.”

  “No. I am nearly healed. Mythos is a wonderful healer
.”

  She watched him disappear into the kitchen and the noises of running water and a clatter of dishes let her know what he was doing. It was lunchtime. He was cooking.

  Oh, lord. A drool-worthy guy who could fight, make love, believed in foreplay without penetration, and could cook. She was in trouble. Again.

  Chapter 12

  Ander’s guestroom was well appointed, it had every amenity. And it was in the tower nearest the stable. She could watch Abax graze and frolic with some of the other steeds all she wished. The others all kept to pure horse forms, not the flashy unicorn of her buddy. He had a certain style that just made her smile.

  She had noted when she was in the living room that there were scars from dog claws on the hardwood. Apparently he was a frequent visitor for Ander as well. For now, the steed was frolicking amongst his own kind and regaling them with whatever they talked about. If they talked at all.

  “How are you doing this morning, stir crazy yet?”

  Ander was coming up the stairs with a tray and she could hear footsteps behind him, light and feminine. Westa, Valentine and Hannah were all with him and took up chairs in her sitting room.

  “The ladies have brought some files for you to peruse. So, time to start you new job.”

  He deposited the tea tray in front of her, then leaned in to kiss her lightly on the lips. Her feet were still bandaged, but Mythos was scheduled for a visit this afternoon.

  “Behave and play nice with the other ladies.”

  She made a face at him and waved him off. “Good afternoon. Time to earn my keep. Could one of you pour me some tea?”

  Westa picked up the pot. “Of course. It is nice to see that you and Ander are still getting along.”

  “I don’t have much of a choice. He pretty well has to deliver me to anywhere I want to go. I can’t even make it to the ladies room without him knowing and picking me up, then reading me the riot act.”

  “Injuries of the feet are always difficult.” Val spoke with the wisdom of someone who lived with a physician.