Right then I would have called dozens to him, just to make him happy.
"Since animal pictures are what the magazine wants, I'll have to stick around for a few more days until I get the right ones, I guess." He cast me a quick, almost shy smile.
Or maybe I wouldn't call them. Having David stick around for a few more days didn't seem such a bad thing, after all.
At least he got some spectacular reflection shots of the mountains, the trees, and even of the clouds which appeared increasingly less friendly. I saw the way David kept an eye on them as well, so I didn't warn him. We didn't linger for too long, and I suspected we wouldn't be taking any of the longer trails after we left Bear Lake. Maybe tomorrow, instead. I did not want to take the chance of getting stuck in a storm, though I wouldn't have trouble getting clear. However, I'd have a difficult time explaining how I managed it to David.
I let David get well ahead of me on the far curve around the lake, and then used some magic to feel the area to the northwest where Terra Tomah stood. The Edge felt quiescent today. I thought I could sense a few peripix in the woods and I wondered what I would need to do to get rid of them. Maybe someone knew of a peripix trap I could make.
I turned when some movement in the wood caught my eye. Finally something I could lure to us --
Only when I reached with a touch of magic I found . . . nothing.
Jumpy, I told myself. Just jumpy and I needed to stop letting my imagination get away with me. I hurried toward David -- and saw movement. White, soft.
I feared my rider might be back. Hell. I shivered, though I saw nothing as I made my way to where David worked, setting up the Hasselblad. Perhaps I only saw a bit of errant mist; a touch of fog rising in the morning light.
I had to stop overreacting, both to the threat of danger and to the idea of David staying longer. I had even overreacted to the appearance of Aletta, as well as to the praise from Timber. Everything seemed badly out of balance, and I needed to find my center and calm. I faced all kinds of trouble from peripix to maybe a gargoyle. I knew I must get myself under control or else I might not be able to deal with the problems.
"Are you all right?" David asked, putting a hand on my arm.
And there went my balance right out the door. I grinned at him. "Yeah, I'm fine."
"I think the weather is changing," he said with obvious reluctance.
And, as if to answer his call, the wind suddenly swept through with a sudden fierce gale, sending squalls of water lapping across the lake.
"Good call." I pulled my jacket closer. "I suppose we better leave. We can skip the other hike today. There's always tomorrow."
He nodded and only stopped long enough to take a couple more pictures. I didn't rush him. We still had time.
He put a camera away and started to grab the bag when we heard a rushing through the woods. He grabbed a camera back out, put on a smaller lens and started clicking as the first few elk dashed from the trees, found themselves facing the lake, and began to dart to the right around it. It was an incredible sight -- but not natural. Nor was the rush of smaller animals running with them -- marmots, beavers, raccoons, chipmunks, rabbits, squirrels --
"What the hell?" David asked, grabbing his bag and taking a step backwards, obviously prepared to flee.
"Something spooked them."
David nodded, and I knew we both thought about the dead animals and the warnings from the rangers. And here we were, with both the weather changing and what could be something very nasty coming our way through the woods.
"I think we can go now." He still snapped a couple more pictures as the animals turned and disappeared into another area of trees. I let him go a few feet and then lifted my hand testing the direction from which the animals had run.
I could feel nothing at all except the cold bite of the wind. Maybe the wind startled the elk, and in turn they panicked the other animals around them.
I thought I saw a white moving in the forest again. Oh damn.
I hurried to David. He didn't slow for more pictures as we headed toward the lot. He glanced over his shoulder every couple steps as though to make certain I was still there. He almost tripped twice, so I jogged up beside him, and then pressed ahead so he could keep his eyes on where he was going.
I rushed past the trail entrance sign with all the warning posters. The wood groaned as the wind pounded it, promising a dangerous storm before too long. I could see the parking lot -- and there I saw something that gave me some hope. On the hood of my car sat a huge golden eagle, his head bent against the wind, his feathers ruffled and his wings held close to the body.
Waiting for me.
I hurried toward the car. It was the last one in the lot, which meant no one remained on the trails. I hadn't quite crossed halfway when the bird looked at me -- and then past me.
"Human! Traitor! Human!" the eagle screamed, spread his wings and took to the air, fighting against the wind, and then curving around to glide away.
Eagles and hawks have this big conspiracy thing going, and they really don't trust many humans at all. I hadn't considered what reaction the sight of David would bring and silently cursed as I watched the bird disappear over the stands of pine.
"I think I got some great pictures!" David said as he joined me.
I couldn't be mad at him, of course. I hoped he took my frown to mean I wasn't happy with the weather. Drizzle began to fall, and remembering my talk about drizzle, ice, and snow from earlier, I decided maybe we shouldn't waste any more time.
I thought I saw a few flakes of snow as we left the parking lot. We'd gotten all the way down to the entrance when a ranger truck pulled up. I rolled down my window.
"Cutting things close there, Kat," Jordan Fuller said, his dark face breaking into a smile.
"Yeah. We were a ways in when the wind hit. I think the weather spooked the animals too. We didn't see anything else, but they were on the move. How is the weather doing?"
"Snowing like hell at the pass. I can't tell if we're going to get anything down this way or not." A snowflake fell between us, and another, and another.
"I'd say we have a sign," I replied, still smiling.
"Go. I'm going to lock the road behind you. You're the last ones here?"
"As far as I could tell, unless you have someone in on foot."
"If they are, they'll have to hike down to wherever they left their car anyway. Go on."
I rolled the window up and eased the car along the already slick road. Jordan turned around and followed us. I felt oddly safer with him at our backs.
"Seems as though you know everyone here at the park," David said.
"Pretty much so. I get a lot of pointers and I can call on them for answers to questions, too."
The wind buffeted the car as we wound our way down from Bear Lake. The rough wind had brought down couple branches across the road, but we were able to make our way around them. Jordan stopped to lock the lower gate but he remained on the other side, probably intending to clear the branches away. I wondered if I should warn him -- but about what? We didn't see anything and I decided the sudden weather change probably spooked the animals.
I honked and waved. He waved as we drove away.
We stopped down by Moraine Park and ate an early lunch in the car, watching the rain and discussing the possibilities for future hikes, as long as the weather didn't turn worse. I had the feeling a lot of things were going to be worse before they were better, though.
The rest of the drive to Estes Park wasn't too bad. The rain fell harder, but I didn't care. We'd gotten away from the park, and for some reason I couldn't even name, leaving made me feel as though we accomplished something difficult and evaded danger.
As we pulled over to David's car he put a hand on my arm. The touch sent those a thrill from my arm and straight to my heart.
"I want to have dinner with you tonight. Me, buying. Bear Camp would be fine, or anywhere else nice and cozy. Do you think we can avoid Aletta?"
"Oh
, I can make certain she doesn't show up," I replied with so bright a smile I feared my mouth would hurt afterwards. And I would make certain she stayed away, too. I knew a nice repelling spell to send her in the opposite direction. Or if she showed up I could suggest she do some work, which would prove as effective.
"Good. I'll come back sometime between five and six. I have to call the publisher and talk pictures. I'm not sure how long this will take me."
"Don't worry, I'll be here."
"Good. See you later."
He scurried over to his own car, tossing the equipment in out of the rain. He waited while I hurried to the house. I should have invited him in for coffee or hot cocoa or something.
As he drove away I finally got better control of my swirling emotions. Damn -- this was a problem. This was damned bad timing, to be honest. Yeah, I liked the guy, but there were things I had to do, and I couldn't do the work with him around. I was letting his presence interfere with my job. At normal times, I wouldn't care. Now . . . just damned bad timing.
I stepped into the house. Shakespeare flapped his wings a couple times and Cato lifted his head from the chair where he'd obviously spent all day sleeping after our long, rough night.
"You don't look happy."
"I'll have to get him to leave," I finally admitted aloud. "Maybe if I do this nicely enough, he'll return at a better time."
"Ah. We're talking about David, are we?"
"Yes, of course."
"Of course." Cato buried his nose under his tail, and this time I had the distinct feeling he might be snickering.
"This is so typical of my life. Not only does Aletta arrive at entirely the wrong time, but I find someone I'm interested in and work gets in the way. Work I can't even mention to him!"
"Life's rough," Cato said as I went past heading for the bathroom.
I changed clothes and spent some time staring at the mirror and trying to figure out how to handle tonight. I wanted to impress David, to make him remember me after I sent him away. I tried different things with my hair and making it fancy the way Aletta did hers.
Only David didn't want to see Aletta. He wanted to see me tonight. Aletta had overdone her fem fatale act this time, and found the kind of guy who really wasn't interested.
He was interested in me.
I'd get this problem settled. The trouble with The Edge would go away soon. The problems never lasted more than a week or two, and things seemed calmer already. I'd still have to deal with the peripix, though I suspected the cats might handle them. I had things in hand.
As long as I ignored the ghost riders in the forest.
I came back to the living room, realizing I needed to settle down before David returned. I felt like a raving lunatic, worrying over everything. I wanted to enjoy tonight.
"Let me have the chair, Cato. I want to sit down for a while and relax. Anything on the peripix?"
"Fast little buggers."
I grinned as he stood, stretched and got down in his own good time. "I have a hole open in the backyard to drop them through. I can even set the spot to kick out a treat each time."
"Do you really think you can bribe us?"
"Absolutely."
"Good. Yeah, bribes will help, especially with all the work it takes to catch them. If you don't want peripix disappearing inside Pawford's tummy, then make certain the cats get something better for dropping the catches down the hole."
I nodded, pretending the same did not apply to him. What I didn't say, and never would, was the reason I didn't want any of the local cats ingesting the magic. The mere thought of it made me queasy. Cats acquiring magic on this side of The Edge . . . no, not here.
I sat down and relaxed content to have a little rest before dinner with David. We'd discuss future projects, and I could gently nudge him into the idea of returning later and hope the magic stayed with him long enough to work.
I had time to contact home and get an update on things and learn where Cago might be right now. Yes, time to concentrate on work and not David, at least for a few minutes!
I closed my eyes . . . and almost immediately caught the surge of a message from fae, with an odd, urgent feel. I lifted my hand and opened the view.
The message came through garbled and fuzzy, reminding me of something on a television with bad reception. I saw my father standing in the same room where I'd last seen him. Others moved frantically around. I saw Timber wave his arms in a very un-Timber-like gesture of frustration.
The sound proved worse. I couldn't understand anything my father frantically said.
"I can't hear you!" I shouted. He spread his arms in much the same gesture as Timber. For a moment the sound came through.
"All hell is breaking loose!"
And then the picture and sound faded away.
"Halo of hell, and with a pain -- not hell shall make me fear again!"
I glanced over at Shakespeare and shook my head. "Thank you so much for the commentary. Very helpful."
The bird nodded several times.
A cold pit of worry opened in my soul. Things were bad on the other side and I didn't know if my father tried to warn me about something specific or if he'd been letting me know I was on my own.
And that might not mean good things for the world on this side of The Edge if I didn't figure things out fast. I wanted answers.
I tried to reach him again. I couldn't get the link to take -- not to my father, and not even to my mother off at court. That ruined any thought of sitting and resting.
"You can have the chair, Cato." I stood, heading toward the door.
"You're going out already?"
"Just outside on the porch. Did you see the stuff on the link?"
"Yeah. Looked tense."
I nodded and headed to the door. The rain fell harder outside. I stood on the porch, letting the breeze blow dampness over me like a cold shower. My heart still pounded too hard and fast since the contact with my father. I wanted everything to settle -- my nerves, the trouble here and whatever problem my father and the others in fae faced. I wanted the connection to them so I could feel as though I had help.
At least Aletta was here, and I tried not to wince at the thought. She really could help. She might not be my favorite person in the world -- or two worlds, for that matter -- but she was here and she was a powerful fae.
Taking a deeper breath, I turned and reached for the door to go inside --
And saw white, filmy movement at the line of the trees. For a moment I could see the shape of a horse and rider.
Gods. My breath caught and my heart thumped harder.
Something from over The Edge should never have been so close to the city and the technology in the area. Being here is hard enough for fae and should be nearly impossible for almost anything else.
I blinked, wishing the creature to disappear. The horse and rider stood in the rain, obviously watching me. I put my hand on the door and lifted the other to create magic, but he turned and fled into the rain.
I watched, waiting for him to return. He feared my magic. He didn't return, and eventually I went into the house, trembling with fear, rage and worry.
Chapter Nine
The storm grew in intensity at sunset. As I looked out the window, the sky brightened with flashes of lightning and thunder shook the house. Cato scurried off to sleep in the closet for the night and Shakespeare danced along his perch, nervously glancing outside. I gave him several crackers, hoping he'd be content. He kept quiet.
David arrived and ran to the porch, laughing like a kid in a summer storm. Damn, why couldn't he have shown up at a better time? Humans so rarely enjoy the world the way the fae do, and I so wanted to share this with him!
"I thought we'd go for a ride before dinner," he said with a smile. "But the weather seems to be playing against us tonight."
"Oh, a short drive sounds nice." I glanced quickly toward the trees. No ghost riders there, at least. "I love rain storms."
"So do I --"
&nbs
p; I started to step forward when something rushed from the woods and onto the porch. I lifted my hand and almost did something very bad with a human present. Lucky or me, I suddenly recognized the group of cats.
Pawford had led the way to the porch. He shook, splattering my pants, and when the lightning flashed, he dashed under the porch swing. The others found various spots, safe from the storm as well, all of them cursing and complaining about the weather.
David shook his head with a grin. "I get the idea they're used to taking refuge here."
"Yeah. Let me get them some food before we leave. I'll meet you down at the car."
I added the slightest nudge of magic to the words to hurry him off the porch. He went to the car and I went inside. Cato, of course, appeared as soon as he heard me getting food for the others. I gave him some, too. He munched, but didn't say anything.
"The strays are on the porch. I'm going to see if they have anything to tell me, then I'm going to go spend the night . . . the evening with David."
Cato nearly choked on his food at my blunder. He gave me one of those really evil cat smiles, too. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do."
"You have no morals."
"Exactly."
He snickered while I headed for the porch. Pawford came from under the swing when I set the food down. He didn't look happy.
"Catch any of them?" I asked.
"Those damned peripix are fast and slippery." He gulped down a mouth full of food. "But I'll get the little bastards."
"There's a hole in back where you can drop them. I set a spell to kick out some fish each time you a live one in." I sent an image of what they needed to do. They moved uneasily at having pictures shoved into their heads, but none of them complained. "Will the fish help?"
He glanced at me, green eyes blinking. "It's a game now, you know. Catching them has gone beyond food. But I'll bring them here for the fish."
"They have to be alive."
"That's going to make the game . . . more interesting."
"Good." I almost patted him on the head, but Pawford is a real stray, and he doesn't appreciate the touchy-feely stuff. I stood and nodded to the others. "You heard the deal. Good luck."
Kat Among The Pigeons Page 9
