by Jade Lee
So Steve took the purse back, assuming complete control of prices. All Jane needed to do was point to what she wanted, then Steve would drop an appropriate number of coins on the table and walk away, oblivious to the vendor screaming for more.
She purchased a number of colorful tunics and leggings, boots, underwear, toiletries, and most importantly, a black belt with a large circle buckle to stand for Oracle. She got another one for Steve, as well as some new clothes, so there would be no doubt about who he worked for now.
Once back at the college, she lost no time in changing into her new attire. Admiring herself in the short bathroom mirror, she decided she liked what the days of exercise and worry had done to her figure. She had a definite waistline now, something she'd always wanted, and the leggings did show off the new muscles in her legs.
She wondered briefly if Daken would notice the difference. Then she smiled at her foolishness. He could hardly miss the fact that she no longer wore skin-tight, black Lycrasheen and orange high tops. The question was whether or not he'd like the change.
What did it matter? she asked herself firmly. She liked her new looks, who cared what a man thought?
Not wanting to answer herself, she pulled open the bathroom door and noticed that Steve looked quite debonair in his new clothes. He also looked like he took his job as her bodyguard much too seriously.
"You don't have to stand watch over the door when I'm in the bathroom, Steve. I'm sure Daken was just being overprotective."
Steve didn't respond by either expression or gesture, but instead, led the way across campus to the Computing Center. It would appear, thought Jane as she eyed her Aide's stiff manly stride, that boys learned quite young the basics of being a man. And that included simply ignoring a woman whenever her opinions differed from his.
The rest of the day was split between various hardware-related problems and teaching Steve how to read and write in English. He already knew Common as well as his home language of Yonks, but he would need English to work the computer. He learned quickly, and Jane guessed he'd already secretly studied the language even though only Ginsen's scholars appeared to have any knowledge of Old Speak, as it was called in Common.
All in all, it was a good day. Wonderfully undisturbed by death threats or power struggles, and Jane appreciated the peace. She never spoke to Daken, but as at that first dinner, she felt his eyes on her everywhere. Usually she'd catch a glimpse of him as she rounded a corner if she stopped unexpectedly to see if she could surprise him. In those times especially, his eyes would caress her, lingering on her face or, once, on her body. His message was always filled with equal parts warmth, hunger, and warning. The first she returned tenfold. The last, she ignored, having come to the conclusion if someone wanted to kill her, there was very little she could do to stop him or her. She took reasonable precautions and prayed that was enough.
In any event, what could happen to her with two devoted protectors? Steve was always at her side, and Daken no doubt dogged her footsteps everywhere she went. So it was with considerable surprise that evening when she found herself alone in the courtyard suddenly confronted with the dark-robed Kyree.
She'd been sitting in her room, staring at the stars and fantasizing about Daken. With the Council meeting the next morning, she was achingly aware that too soon, fantasies were all she'd have of her warrior king.
Suddenly restless, she'd turned to the one thing that never failed her. Food. Even on her worst days, from childhood through failed higher education, the One-Stop Shop had always provided the best in junk food for the indiscriminate, calorie-starved palette. What she wouldn't give now for some chocolate decadence.
"Hey, Steve, I'm starving. Is there any place for a late night snack? A brownie? Or better yet, about five pounds of pure chocolate?"
She had been muttering to herself in sort of a verbal food fantasy, but before she knew it, Steve had disappeared, his chalk still rolling on his slate.
"Probably tired of the alphabet," she said, noting his half-finished letters. She couldn't really blame him. Learning to read and write was hard at any age. She didn't begrudge him his break, especially if he returned with something scrumptious. But as the minutes slipped by and the fire began to dim in the grate, she began to worry.
Where was the boy? She didn't know where he'd gone. She sat up and peered out the window, but couldn't see anything except stars and the top of some annoyingly leafy tree. She waited a moment longer, pacing off her frustration, then pulled on her boots and went outside.
"Steve? Come on. I wasn't that hungry. Really."
No answer.
She wandered closer to campus, skirting one of the dormitories. Even it was silent, the students here being, in her mind, unnaturally studious. But then, she realized, if she had the opportunity to learn at the only magic school in the kingdom, she probably wouldn't squander the opportunity at beer parties either.
She caught a movement out of the corner of one eye and turned rapidly, scanning the shadows.
"Steve?"
There it was again, a dark movement half-hidden in a clump of trees.
"Panther?"
This really was ridiculous, she thought, even as she went closer. Why weren't there any floodlights for the area? Didn't they know how dangerous it was for people to wander around campus at night in the dark? Who knew what monsters lurked in the shadows?
She continued, knowing now the shadow definitely wasn't Steve, but fearing it held the answer to what happened to the boy.
"Olly olly oxen free. Come out, come out wherever you are. Whoever you are." She hadn't expected it to work. For one thing, she spoke in English. For another, she wasn't screaming it, but mumbling under her breath. Still, she felt like she'd thrown her first magic spell when a form materialized in front of the trees.
It was Kyree, his dark robes tight around his lean body and angular features. He gestured for her to join him in the grove. Moving more slowly, Jane approached him, but didn't enter the relative secrecy of the trees.
"Good evening, Wizard. You're out late."
"I was waiting for you, Oracle."
"Yes, well, I'm looking for Steve. You haven't seen him, have you?"
"He went toward the food commons some minutes past."
"Thank you." Jane smiled and made to leave, but Kyree stopped her, his hand large and sinewy where he touched her forearm.
"Stay a minute, Oracle. I would like to speak with you."
Jane felt a tremor of excitement vibrate through her veins. Here was her first real court intrigue. A secret meeting with the most powerful wizard in the area, if not in the world. What a great moment to tell her grandchildren, assuming this wasn't the beginning of her death scene.
"Thank you, Wizard, but I'm afraid I don't like trees all that much. I find myself much more comfortable out in the open."
"Ah. I see you don't trust me." His tone was relaxed, his expression open.
"I don't think I trust anybody right now."
He smiled, his gaze flowing easily to the shimmering night sky. "I see you are wise beyond your years."
"Not bloody likely, given that I was born over two hundred years ago."
His smile increased to a grin that neatly set her back on her heels. It wasn't so much that he suddenly became very, very handsome. True, his grin relaxed the taut lines about his face, erasing his pinched, brooding appearance, and replacing it with a kind of majesty she found fascinating. But more shocking was his appreciation of her sense of humor. She hadn't thought anyone understood that aspect of her, much less enjoyed it. Apparently, he was delighted by it.
A crack appeared in her hostility.
"You are a constant delight, Oracle—"
"Please, call me Jane."
"Then you must call me Kyree."
She nodded, and then the night wrapped around them, making her earlier fears seem almost silly. He looked at the stars, and she followed the angle of his gaze. As always, she was awed by the beauty of a night sky und
immed by smog or the relentless lights of a city. Her mind wandered back to that early night with Daken, before she became the Oracle, when they had been so easy together as he talked about the miracles of the heavens.
"Were you aware there is a Council meeting tomorrow morning?"
She'd been caught off-guard, lulled by the beauty of the evening until she'd almost thought she was with Daken. But Kyree most certainly wasn't her warrior king, and so she looked away from the sky and tried to gather her wits about her.
"Are you asking if I'd been informed of the meeting or if I knew it would take place?"
Again that sexy grin appeared on his face. "You are quick." Surprise and respect colored his tone. "I see I have underestimated you."
"Because I know about a Council meeting?"
"Because you have already realized even the formalities of your new position will not come easily."
Jane studied his face as he continued speaking in a cultured undertone. Throughout it all, his expression remained relaxed, his profile as handsome as the stars that were his backdrop.
"I underestimated you, Jane, and believe me, that's not a mistake I make very often."
"Your culture doesn't seem to encourage men to respect a woman's mind," she offered diplomatically.
His laugh startled her. It was rich and warm, like good brandy, and it blended perfectly with the night. "I have long since learned women can be as intelligent as men. They can also be as stupid. You, however, are not stupid."
"Thank you." What could she say? He confirmed everything she wanted to believe about herself.
"I wonder if you realize the magnitude of what you've accomplished in just two days." He started walking, and she followed. They ambled slowly around the grove, aiming obliquely toward the central courtyard.
"The arrival of the Keeper of Knowledge would cause upheavals no matter who took the position," she said.
"Not really. Ginsen has been planning it for years. Instead of fitting neatly into the position of Council Advisor, you've done quite the opposite. On your first night here, you discredit and expel the biggest single threat to the Kingdom."
"Borit?" She stumbled over a pebble as she tried to assimilate this new information.
"My spies tell me he has been secretly amassing an army with the intention of taking over Bosuny."
"I didn't expose him to remove a threat to the Elven Lord," she said, disliking the suggestion that she did it for political reasons.
Kyree grinned. "Of course not. But no matter the reason, it is what you have done. You'd think," he added, almost as an afterthought, "Ginsen would be grateful."
Recalling her previous evening's interview with the Elven Lord, Jane felt her temper start to rise. "I can't imagine a less thankful person," she said dryly.
"Ginsen is a wonderful scholar. But he doesn't have the understanding of statecraft required in an effective ruler. He lacks vision, or even the ability to accurately judge the people around him." Kyree stopped, turning to look directly at her. "Unlike me, Ginsen has failed to see your real potential."
Jane swallowed nervously. They stood face to face, not close, but not very far apart either. Even in the darkness, looking up at his shadowed face, she could see the earnestness in his expression, just as she saw the ready intelligence and controlled power beneath the genial exterior.
"You're very beautiful," he said suddenly.
Jane flinched at his blatant flattery, drawing back even as he lifted his hand to caress her face. "Please, Kyree," she said, disappointment coloring her tone. "You needn't resort to such base tactics to get my attention."
His hand paused in the air, his expression shocked. "My apologies, Oracle." He pulled back his hand. "I did not mean to offend you. I was just surprised." He pulled his arms tight against his robe as though he were embarrassed. "I have spent a great deal of time watching you. I've seen what you've accomplished with Steviens as well as King Daken, who is not an easy man to bring to heel."
"I wouldn't exactly say—"
Kyree continued as if she hadn't said anything. "Given Ginsen's mood last night, I'd say you saw through him immediately."
Jane smiled, knowing he was flattering her, but unable to stop herself from enjoying his praise.
"But," he continued, "in all this time of watching you, I never noticed how beautiful you are."
Jane felt her breath catch in her throat. She found it unexpectedly difficult to keep her head around this man. If he praised her in a fawning, ingratiating manner, she would have no trouble ignoring him. But he wasn't speaking that way. He sounded so surprised himself. His previous statements were just that, statements she knew were true. So when he stared at her, his hands poised awkwardly between them as he gazed with such intensity at her face, she didn't know what to think.
Was he flattering her? Yes.
Was he sincere? She couldn't tell. All she knew was that he was a handsome, intelligent man who looked at her as though she were the answer to his prayers.
"Your hair is very short," he said softly, finally reaching out to stroke a curl resting next to her cheek. "Do all the woman of your time wear it like this?"
"Not..." Jane had to clear her throat of its husky tones. "Not all of them. But many. It helps present a more professional image." His hand was warm where it brushed against her cheek, and the fiery tingle of reaction made her curl her toes in nervousness.
"I understand," he said, and Jane struggled to remember what he referred to.
It was some time before Jane remembered their surroundings. They stood nearly nose to nose in full view of one of the dormitories. She had yet to find Steve, though she doubted he was in serious danger, and she suddenly had the impression that after years of no male companions whatsoever, her love life was about to become seriously overloaded.
"Um, Kyree," she muttered, stepping away from his seductive gaze. "I really should be looking for Steve."
"I can show you where he is. My crystal is in my quarters. It will tell you whatever you need to know—"
"No, I don't think so, but thanks anyway."
"You are nervous about coming to my apartment."
Jane blushed, embarrassed that he could read her so easily.
"Perhaps you are right," he said philosophically, although she could hear the disappointment in his voice. "You haven't yet heard my proposal, and it shouldn't be spoken of when my mind is on other, um, more pleasant activities." If the warmth of his gaze left her in doubt of his thoughts, the bold caress of his fingers along the inside of her arm, down the side of her breast, told her exactly what he was thinking.
The sudden ache in her belly told her she'd been thinking the same things.
To her disgust, an image of Daken slipped into her mind. She felt like she was cheating on him, but that was errant nonsense, and so she told herself over and over. Daken had never made any claims on her sexually or otherwise. There had been that understanding in the inn, but that was before she became the Oracle. Before he decided to use her for his political ambitions. Before a lot of things.
She didn't owe him any fidelity or even loyalty. She was a new person with a new position in a new world, and maybe Daken, like a lot of other things, would have to be relegated to the past. Right now, she thought about the future, and the enticing man beside her. Who was taking things much too fast for her comfort.
"Well, I really must be going," she said, suddenly restless and confused, half wishing for the security of her own room, half wanting to run a 10K marathon until she dropped of exhaustion.
In the end, she merely headed across the yard, back toward her suite.
He matched her pace easily, his long legs keeping him effortlessly beside her. "Please, Jane. I truly have something important to speak about, and there isn't much time. Were it not for your fear of trees—"
"I'm not really afraid of them." She slowed her step. "If you really want to, we can go there."
His smile was one of relief and sudden elation. "Good. It won't tak
e more than a minute—"
"I warn you, Kyree. I'm not as defenseless as I look."
He nodded, bowing his head slightly in acknowledgement. "I swear to you, Jane," his voice was low and intent. "I will not force myself on you in any way."
She waited a moment, drawing out the silence as she pretended to weigh his integrity. She didn't fear violence. All she need do was scream and half the University would come running. She didn't even fear he'd make a pass. She knew he would. What frightened her was that she might welcome it.
"Lead on," she said, her heart practically singing with the excitement and mystery of the whole situation.
She followed him into the small grove, relieved when she realized there weren't enough trees to justify the name. The five loosely grouped trees provided a screen from prying eyes without impinging on her ability to run away if necessary.
"Okay. What's the big proposal?"
"It's really quite simple." He took a deep breath, steepling his fingers for a moment as he composed his thoughts. She waited patiently, struck anew by the calm self-possession of this man. Whereas Daken often reminded her of a caged tiger, pacing off his energy with agitated movements and abrupt bursts of intense emotion, Kyree was a quiet center of intellect. His emotions were tightly reined, his movements always smooth and economical.
Kyree was a thinking man with the power to carry his thoughts through to action. He was a statesman, constantly gauging and planning his actions for deeper ramifications. Daken was a warrior who rarely had the time or ease for deep thought. And Jane was perverse enough to find both statesman and warrior deeply compelling. Then Kyree began speaking and all other thoughts fled from her mind.
"You, Jane, are a bright, self-assured woman with enormous potential. You have the knowledge of the Old Ones at your fingertips and are just beginning a period of enormous popular support."
"Popular support? Most people don't even know me."
"True, but they know of the House of Prophesy and all it represents. Already the tale of the Oracle has traveled well beyond our borders."
"But I haven't even got the thing running yet."
