Challenges

by Sharon Green

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  Jovvi was filled with such excitement that she wanted to jump up and down like a small child, clapping her hands and laughing out loud. A good part of that feeling was her own, but much of it came from the inflow produced by the others. They’d shared the most incredible time, but before they repeated the experience there were things they had to talk about.

  “We can’t try again until we know it’s safe,” Jovvi reminded the others in a soft voice. “Can anyone else tell that we’re about to have company?”

  She nodded toward the closed door, beyond which she could perceive someone approaching slowly with the firm intent to be silent. The others all produced sounds or expressions of surprise which showed they had forgotten, only Lorand and Vallant also looking with their talent.

  “There’s a second one sneaking up to the windows outside,” Lorand supplied, nodding toward the terrace doors. “I say sneaking because that’s the only thing his or her pace can be.”

  “And believe it or not, there’s one above us,” Vallant added very softly. “From the mass, I’d guess it’s a woman. Is she in one of the bedchambers?”

  “No, she’s probably in the upstairs linen closet,” Tamma said with a frown, staring up at the ceiling. “And I’ve had more than enough of this. Now that we can, I’m putting a stop to it.”

  For a moment Jovvi felt just as surprised as the others at the way Tamma turned and marched toward the door. There was no doubt or hesitation in the woman—an attitude produced by the fact that she still retained her hold on the power. Jovvi felt foolish for not having seen that at once, at the same time wondering whether or not to stop Tamma. They really shouldn’t be doing anything to draw even more attention to themselves, but by then Tamma was already at the door and yanking it open.

  “You!” she snapped at the male servant who now tried desperately to pretend that he hadn’t had his ear to the door. “I want every servant in the house lined up in the front hall in five minutes. Make sure you include the one lurking outside the terrace doors and the one in the upstairs linen closet. Now, run!”

  The man jumped and took off as if he’d had his bottom singed, which, considering Tamma’s mood, was more than possible. Rion, Lorand, and Vallant all looked at Jovvi with brows high, but all Jovvi could do was shrug. Tamma obviously had something definite in mind, but the details of what that was weren’t clear. All they could do was wait to find out, but the wait shouldn’t be a long one.

  And it wasn’t. No more than the specified five minutes could have passed before all the servants were gathered in the hall, most looking puzzled, the rest nervous. Jovvi now found it easy to tell which servants were being paid to spy on them, and as Tamma stalked over to stand in front of the group, Jovvi began to file faces in her memory.

  “Is the entire staff here?” Tamma asked as she looked around. “I used to know everyone under this roof, but these days half of you are strangers.”

  “Yes, Dama, the entire staff is here,” Weeks, the chief steward of the house, replied calmly. “Everyone but the gardeners, who rarely come into the house.”

  “So they don’t need to be here now,” Tamma said with a nod of agreement. “One of you can tell them what I’m about to say, just in case it applies to them. A number of you are being paid to watch and report on everything my associates and I do, but that’s going to stop right now.”

  Murmurs and exclamations broke out in the group, a small bit of it surprise and disbelief, the rest protestations of innocence. Those who were guilty protested the loudest, of course, but Tamma simply held up a hand for silence.

  “I haven’t called you together to argue the point,” she said once they’d quieted down. “It isn’t an accusation we’re dealing with, but fact, and I have no intention of dismissing the guilty parties. What I mean to do is a good deal worse.”

  That produced a round of muttering, but all Tamma did was smile.

  “My associates and I have been told that what we’re in the process of learning is highly confidential,” she said, looking around at each member of the staff. “It’s so confidential, in fact, that even we are subject to arrest and sentencing if we pass on any part of it to anyone else. If those of you now taking silver or gold continue with your spying activities, you won’t be dismissed, you’ll be reported to the authorities. Then you can tell a panel of judges how you accidentally found out what you weren’t supposed to know even after you’d been warned. They probably won’t consider it an accident, but that will be your problem. And if you think we can’t tell when we’re being spied on, guess again. Now you can go back to what you were doing—or most of you can.”

  Tamma turned then and walked back to Jovvi and the others, who had gathered just outside the library. The staff of servants stared after her in silence, many of them appalled, and then the group began to slowly break up. Jovvi watched them go for a moment, then rejoined her own group which was now back in the library.

  “So how did I do?” Tamma asked with a laugh as Jovvi closed the door. “Did they believe me?”

  “The ones who have been watching us did,” Jovvi confirmed, the point being what she’d been making sure of. “I think most of them have decided to give immediate notice, and so have one or two of the innocent but nervous ones. There were two, however, who simply felt frustrated and trapped.”

  “They’re probably the ones spying on us for the testing authority,” Tamma said with a thoughtful nod. “They don’t have a choice about staying and watching, but if they happen to overhear the wrong thing their employers might not be able to—or willing to—protect them. If we catch one or both in the wrong place, we’ll have to test that by reporting them. This is too important for us to just let it go.”

  Jovvi felt the urge to argue that, but knowing Tamma was right kept her silent. It was the perfect time to change the subject, so after checking all around to be certain no one was listening, she did just that.

  “That noble gave us a good deal more information than he realized,” she said, gesturing the others into joining her as she went to find a seat. “One of the points is that we’re now hopefully beyond being separated as a group.”

  “Because of what he said about you being able to ‘feel’ all the rest of us,” Rion agreed with a nod as he settled himself into a chair. “I caught that as well, and his current certainty that we would eventually Blend. Was he really as pleased as he seemed, and as ignorant of what happened? I find it hard to believe he could have missed something that … intense.”

  “And yet, as far as I could tell, he did,” Jovvi confirmed. “He was just as pleased on the inside as he appeared on the outside, maybe even more so. Now that you mention it he was a lot more pleased, and I don’t really understand why—”

  Jovvi’s words broke off when the knock came at the door, a firm, deliberate knock that couldn’t possibly be considered part of sneaking or lurking. She got that intention clearly from the servant’s mind, and then the man was opening the door and stepping inside.

  “Please excuse the interruption, gentles, but there’s a caller in the hall,” the servant announced. “He said to tell you he’s from the testing authority.”

  Jovvi exchanged startled glances with the others as Tamma directed that the caller was to be brought to them there. Why was there a second representative calling on them barely ten minutes after the first? The question fairly rang in each of five minds, making it unnecessary for any of them to voice it. They’d have their answer very quickly, but that didn’t stop Jovvi from being disturbed.

  “Lord Twimmal Royden of the testing authority,” the servant announced, then stepped aside to let the caller enter. He was a fairly short man carrying far too much excess weight, and his bearded face was actually perspiring. He waddled past the servant, puffing as though he’d run for miles, and frantically gestured Lorand out of the chair Lord Carmad had been using. Lorand raised his brows but still got up, and the fat little man fairly collapsed into the seat.

&nb
sp; “Tea … quickly…” Lord Twimmal whispered with effort, pulling out a large handkerchief to mop his face with. He seemed so close to the end that Tamma rose and got him a cup of tea, which he snatched out of her hands as soon as it reached him. He clearly wanted to drain the cup, but had to settle for gulping it in between gasping for breath. It took quite a few minutes, but eventually the man was able to speak again.

  “If I survive to reach home again, I will certainly have someone’s head on a platter,” he squeaked in what seemed to be a naturally high voice, complaining to the universe at large rather than speaking directly to them. “My carriage is currently being refitted, so I hired a carriage to take me around today. Two blocks from here the hired carriage lost a wheel, and in order to keep to my schedule I was forced to walk the rest of the way. I will most likely perish from the ordeal, but if I don’t… Another cup of tea, my dear, if you will.”

  He raised the cup toward Tamma without looking at her, and after a very brief hesitation Tamma took it and turned back to the tea service. Jovvi was surprised that Tamma hadn’t refused to play servant for the ridiculous little man, but when she returned with the refilled cup it became clear why she hadn’t.

  “Oh, Great Aspect, I think I’ve scalded my entire mouth!” the man exclaimed after taking a sip and then jerking the cup away. “Why must everything happen to me? It simply isn’t fair, and I will certainly speak to someone about it.”

  “Why don’t you speak to us now about what brings you here?” Vallant suggested, swallowing the same sort of laugh all of them were currently fighting. Clearly Tamma had warmed up the man’s tea, a more satisfying response than simply refusing to be his servant.

  “Well, why do you think I’m here?” Lord Twimmal countered pettishly while trying to cool the tea by blowing on it. “I did send word ahead of me, after all, although the way things have been going I won’t be surprised if it never reached you. I’m here to teach the five of you how to Blend.”

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  Vallant felt the sense of shock which raced through the group, flaming high in all of them at the same time. He wasn’t the only one to part his lips in preparation for asking how that could possibly be, but they all seemed to change their minds about speaking at the same time. Something stranger than usual was going on, and it was clear that they’d learn more by listening than by talking.

  “It so happens we did get that message,” Jovvi said almost immediately, “but we became so immersed in our conversation about the servant problem that it slipped our minds. Do you need anything else before we can begin?”

  “Three or four days to recuperate would be nice,” Lord Twimmal replied with a sigh, obviously not joking. “That, however, is unfortunately out of the question, so we might as well begin with positioning you while my tea cools. The order you must stand in is Fire, Spirit, and Earth in a line, with Air and Water to left and right.”

  After saying that, the absurd fool went back to trying to cool his tea. The gleam in Tamrissa’s eyes said she wasn’t prepared to let that happen, which made Vallant want to grin all over again. When Tamrissa touched the power she was a different person, one who was beginning to really fascinate him…

  But this wasn’t the time for thoughts about anything but what they were in the middle of. Tamrissa, Jovvi, and Lorand were lining up slowly and haphazardly to match the fat fool’s offhand instructions, and that gave Vallant an idea. He caught Rion’s eye and gestured slightly with his head, silently suggesting that Rion move forward to stand beside Tamrissa just as Vallant was doing. They hadn’t been told to flank their Spirit magic member, so there was no reason for them to do it.

  “Oh, very good, very good,” Lord Twimmal said distractedly with a wave of his fat hand when he finally noticed them. “I just don’t understand why this tea refuses to cool off… Now, all five of you have to concentrate. Spirit magic will stretch out arms to each of you, and you’re to do nothing to avoid the touch. Go ahead and try it.”

  “Do you mean stretch out my arms physically?” Jovvi asked with great innocence. “Since I only have two of my own, how can I touch all four of them at once? Or am I only supposed to touch them one or two at a time?”

  “Why do all you people ask the same foolish questions?” the fat noble demanded in his girl’s voice, back to being pettish. “Of course I don’t mean stretch your arms out physically, why would I say such a thing? It’s your talent you must use, which presumably you have in good quantity. Send it out toward your fellow group members, and touch them all at the same time.”

  Jovvi was silent for a moment, supposedly doing as she was told, but Vallant felt nothing from her—which might have been the best idea. His being still resonated with the memory of what they’d had so briefly, the desire for more of it gnawing like a giant hunger. If Jovvi had touched him even lightly, he would have been helpless to do anything but respond.

  “All right, I’ve reached them,” Jovvi said after the moment, her voice faintly strained. “It wasn’t all that hard, only … awkward.”

  “Since this is your first attempt, that’s only to be expected,” Lord Twimmal commented, most of his attention still on the tea. “The next thing to be done involves all of you, and you must respond precisely at the same time. Each of you must touch the other four, in the same manner that Spirit touches you. Try it now.”

  Again there was a silence, during which Vallant did the same nothing as the others. The seated noble couldn’t even be bothered to glance at them, being much too involved with the mystery of his tea. Considering the fact that even a Low talent in Fire magic could have done what Tamrissa was doing, Vallant wondered what closet Twimmal could have grown up in that he still didn’t understand what was happening.

  “I’m having some trouble with this,” Lorand said after a short while, sounding a bit vexed. “I can reach our Spirit magic member, but I’m having trouble reaching the others at the same time.”

  “Yes, that’s precisely my problem,” Rion agreed, a faint and distant amusement in his tone. “I’m able to reach Spirit, but the others are a blur.”

  “Are all of you seeing it the same?” Twimmal asked, finally looking up at them. “Is there someone who can’t reach Spirit?”

  Tamrissa joined Vallant in assuring the fat fool that they were able to reach Jovvi but not each other, and Twimmal beamed and nodded, then began to struggle out of the chair.

  “Then we’ve accomplished the first step toward Blending, and now I can be on my way,” he said, breathing heavily from the exertion of standing. “It’s now certain that you will be able to Blend, which was what I needed to know. When I return tomorrow you may try again, but no practicing on your own until you’ve Blended with me watching. Now I can only hope that the carriage I sent for when I arrived has gotten here. It always takes those people so long to respond, and that no matter who you are. Horses are so limited, and completely unimpressed with a man’s position in life…”

  The words trailed along behind him as he waddled to the door and out into the hall, leaving the door open. He’d abandoned his recalcitrant cup of tea in the same way, letting Vallant and the others know what category they were in: inanimate and unimportant, good for only a single purpose. Once again Lorand ambled to the door, stood watching and listening for a moment, then came back to rejoin them without shutting the door.

  “His carriage isn’t here yet, so he’s demanding a ‘snack’ in the dining room to help him survive the wait,” Lorand reported in a murmur. “Weeks is taking care of it, but until the man leaves we need to see what’s going on out there.”

  “We certainly do, because there’s something very important we have to discuss,” Jovvi agreed. She’d been frowning when Vallant had turned to look at her, but now she simply looked troubled. “It was his comment about carriages that triggered the memory, that and what went on at the trial yesterday. No wonder those men watching the trial were frustrated and annoyed. Lady Eltrina made a bad mistake using the trial in an attempt to
damage my balance, because I found out something I wasn’t supposed to know.”

  “What could you have found out about?” Vallant asked, taking his turn at frowning as he cast his mind back. “I was right there with you, and I don’t remember learnin’ about anythin’ in particular.”

  “That’s probably because you weren’t suspicious to begin with,” she replied. “I tend to distrust most situations, so I was. But let’s sit down, and I’ll start from the beginning—and don’t forget that we don’t like each other all that much.”

  Vallant noticed that he wasn’t alone in having needed the reminder, and that was more amusing than embarrassing. Many of his attitudes seemed to have been changed by that one brief moment of merging, at least as far as the others were concerned. Lorand and Rion were no longer Coll and Mardimil to him, and he was certain that they felt the same toward him. But just to be on the safe side they spread out a bit before sitting, then gave Jovvi their attention.

  “Think back to that very first test we passed,” she said, keeping her voice low and the words calm. “That was the one we also had to survive, and when we did we were then sent to this residence. Do any of you remember how long it took for the coach to arrive?”

  “It took almost no time at all,” Tamrissa answered, causing Vallant and the others to nod their agreement. “I can remember being faintly surprised at that, but I was so pleased to be able to leave there that the thought became utterly unimportant. It still seems unimportant, but obviously you don’t agree.”

  “You’re right, I don’t,” Jovvi replied with a faint smile. “If you don’t arrange for a coach or carriage to pick you up well in advance, you always have to wait for it to arrive. There was no sign of any coaches when I first got there for my test, so it couldn’t have been just sitting there and waiting. It had to be sent for, and wouldn’t have been arranged for in advance. If I hadn’t managed to get myself out of that room, I would have had no need whatsoever for a coach.”