“Excellent idea,” said Henriella enthusiastically while she began to steep her special autumn tea within the hot kettle. “Better than the smaller cups on a night like this.”
Mattie crossed her arms and partially leaned against the counter, staring at the woman in disbelief. “Who are you, and what did you do to my Aunt Henriella?”
A hearty laugh came from her before she strode over and gave her niece’s right arm a friendly squeeze. “Oh, Mattie, you’re not a child in need of my help anymore. I’m sorry I had to be stern as hell with you. Your father treated you more like a son and bestowed on you a greater amount of leniency than most lords would ever allow their daughters. When I saw that you were becoming an unholy terror, I sat young Gregory down for a tongue-lashing. Life isn’t kind, and us womenfolk get the short end of the deal most days. Someone had to help balance you back out.”
“And that explains why you were a bitch to me?” asked Mattie incredulously.
Henriella’s eyes flashed with anger for a moment before she went over to check on the tea. She gave the concoction a sniff before letting it steep for a while longer. Her hands were soon on her hips once she turned around.
“What I did was do my damnedest to handle a child who kept accusing me of trying to take her mother’s place!” she growled. “You weren’t exactly cooperative with me in any respect, and I am not a saint! Though the One knows, you could try the patience of one!”
Mattie shrugged because the woman had a point. “Maybe that’s my calling, Aunt Henriella.”
The angry lines in her face softened a bit as she chuckled, “The fact you’re still alive after all you’ve been through, that just might be the truth.”
Mattie leaned all the way back as she watched the woman inspect the brewing tea again. The position wasn’t comfortable at first, because the tightness of her pants painfully reminded her that there was a package in her pocket. Sighing, Mattie pulled it out and placed it on the counter.
“You better see the seamstresses soon. Those two are miracle workers when it comes to making practical and comfortable clothes for the town’s pregnant women.”
Mattie’s mouth dropped at her aunt’s sudden suggestion. “H—how did you know?”
Henriella’s green eyes were kind as she took a glance at Mattie’s midsection. “I’ve given birth to five children, though not all survived, you know. You have all the early signs that will make many a mother wonder about your condition.”
“And my father told you,” grumbled Mattie, quickly coming to an even more plausible reason.
“He did,” Henriella confirmed while she crossed her arms. “I gave him hell for that impromptu ceremony between you and the Von Bos lad, so he told me why it had to be done on the quick. While I’m glad your honor won’t be tarnished by your reckless behavior, it still grieves me that you had even found yourself in that potentially disastrous position! Did you even consider that you could have been disowned and sent to live with distant relatives in Tundrel’s Moor!? Damn it, girl; we raised you better than that!”
Henriella then ran her hands over her face and let out a monstrous sigh. “But what’s done is done, and things worked out for the good. At least, in that respect.”
Something about the way the woman had phrased that last comment made it seem like she knew a hell of a lot more than what she was letting on. Though curious as to how that could be, Mattie really wanted to get off this subject for now. Her hand landing on the former bulge in her pocket gave her the perfect opportunity to do so.
While her aunt was inspecting the tea again, Mattie lifted the cloth-wrapped package off the counter and held it up. “Oh, before I forget. I brought something back for Uncle Tad.”
Henriella nearly slammed the lid back on the kettle before she lifted her head. Those eyes had narrowed, as if she knew her niece was avoiding where the conversation had been heading. Still, the woman asked, “From the Stronghold of the Mage?”
“Yes,” said Mattie while cringing at the reminder her aunt was so much older than she appeared, for no one had called the fortress by its original name in over a century. A name deemed less threatening than “Stronghold of Tristen”, especially to a paranoid king who had snatched the crown from his eldest brother.
A sharp noise of disgust came from Henriella before she grumbled, “The saying ‘too little; too late’ immediately springs to mind. I doubt your uncle will even want to open that damn thing.”
“I pretty much told them that,” said Mattie with a sigh. “But they wanted to try to make amends anyways.”
Henriella let loose a growl before she said, “Get the tray and place it on there then. I’ll put that so-called gift in the library for him to look at later—after we serve our guests.”
Mattie obeyed as the woman grabbed a thick hand towel. By the time she returned, her aunt had used the cloth to help lift up the kettle and was pouring the hot beverage into the mugs. Mattie didn’t need to be told to place the steaming cups on the wooden tray, the strange packet soon resting in the middle. All conversation was on hold for the moment; because if there was one thing her aunt hated above all else, it was letting hot food or drink grow cold.
Chapter 4
Mattie’s aunt was a violent storm ready to unleash itself at any given moment. At least that was Garin’s first impression of the woman when she deftly carried a mug-laden tray into the room. Henriella Brewer’s features and well-trimmed figure made her appear to be more like his wife’s older sister rather than someone who should have been his foster mother’s age. The crazy red hair and green eyes reminded him greatly of their friend, Orla, but that was were the similarities ended.
Unlike the young mage, this woman eerily reminded him of his birth mother, Iantha. There was no physical resemblance, but Henriella Brewer carried a similar edge to her soul. And if it weren’t for the fact her sharp eyes had already zeroed in on him, he would have found a nice corner in which to hide for the rest of the evening.
“Some hot tea to help warm up the bones even more. Come and get some,” said Henriella in a pleasant voice that didn’t reach her eyes. There was an all-too-familiar glare in them just for him.
“Thank you, milady,” said Leto as he was the first to answer their hostess’ call.
Henriella made tsk-like noises at the white-haired Draconian when he reached for a cup. “Leave those titles to their proper owners, sir,” she kindly reprimanded. “I’m just the humble wife of an innkeeper.”
Watching the old gruff stumble over an apology for his mistake gave Garin a great deal of satisfaction. The meek expression on the ancient being’s face as he sat down on the couch closest to the fire almost made this unexpected stop worth it. Selina was next, muttering a thank you as she quickly snatched a cup off the tray. Henriella raised an eyebrow at the girl while she sulked back to the front of the fire. The woman turned her head to where Mattie was standing behind her. Garin wasn’t sure what expression her aunt gave her, but his wife’s response was a weary shrug.
“Here, girl,” commanded Henriella while she began to hand the tray to her niece. Mattie quickly took it from her, making it look like an easy and oft done exchange. Garin started to wonder about just how this woman had met the current inn’s owner when a knot hit his stomach. “I’m going to ask your fine husband to join me in the library.”
“Aunt Henriella…” pleaded his wife as her face went a little pale.
The woman waved off Mattie’s concerns. “Just a talk,” she said with a half smile as she grabbed a mug and a wrapped bundle off the tray. “You’ll get him back in one piece, I promise.”
Garin couldn’t help but gulp when his wife sent a warning through their bond: She knows I’m pregnant, and she’s not happy about missing our marriage ceremony.
She can interrogate me about those things right here. These two are well aware of the events, he told her while stepping forward and grabbing a cup off the tray.
Looking into his wife’s eyes, there was a swirl of concer
n in their depths. I can’t be sure, Garin, but I think she wants to speak with you about more than those two events. Please, go have that talk with her—just don’t piss her off if you can help it.
Surprised at the fearful tone in that remark, Garin asked, What aren’t you telling me?
If he hadn’t said the same thing to her in the past about matters he had been sworn to keep secret, he would have growled when she sighed, It’s complicated.
“Don’t keep an old lady waiting!” said Henriella snappishly as she beckoned to him from the doorway. “Time is too precious a thing to waste, especially these days.”
After giving the universe a glare and Mattie a kiss on the cheek, he hurried to obey.
***
It wasn’t the thick shelves heavily laden with books, nearly reaching from ceiling to floor, that had caught Garin’s attention first. It was the one wall filled with stuffed animal heads that almost caused him to bolt from the room. Deer, elk, a bear, and a smattering of various feline predators stared back at him with lifeless eyes. Their silent presence chilled him to the bone!
“Unnerving, aren’t they?” commented Henriella as she approached the disgusting trophies. She studied the poor creatures for a moment before merrily adding, “But all my boys do love a good hunt.”
Garin couldn’t help but wonder if that was an underlying threat considering he could shift into various animal forms. “I can’t imagine how anyone can read in here with an audience like that,” he said, willing his feet to enter the ghastly room.
Heading directly towards the books on the opposite side, he made sure to keep his back to the wall of death. He heard soft footsteps right behind him indicating Henriella was slowly on her way over. Was it anger or fear that had his hand shaking when he lifted the mug to his mouth?
The tea tasted a little like warm apple pie, which helped ease his nerves enough to sound calm. “So what did you wish to discuss with me?”
“Oh, the normal things,” answered Henriella good-naturedly as she walked up and stood cattycorner from him. The strange package was placed on the closest shelf. “You know, the ‘harm my niece, and they won’t find your body’ sort of things.”
“Already heard that from your husband,” said Garin flatly, remembering the time when he found himself flying across the room from that beast of a man’s punch. “He made it an unforgettable conversation.”
She softly chuckled. “He would at that.”
He turned his head and glared at her. “But that can’t be the only reason you dragged me away from the others.”
Red hair flowed from side to side when she shook her head. “No, lad,” she said despondently after resting her cup on the same shelf as the packet. “There are things that must be discussed now that you plan on becoming a part of this community. First and most important—has Mattie told you about her connection to Crosshawk?”
And my own, which we’ve come to believe happened because we are blood bonded, he thought to himself. He kept his mouth shut, however, only nodding as he sipped the tea and turned his head away from her.
“Ah, so she told you about the unusual happenstance in regards to you and this land as well,” Henriella said with a quiet disbelief. “I’m surprised. The girl never wanted to admit the full truth to herself before. Either she’s finally growing up, or you might have been a good influence on her—no matter how hard it is for me to believe that last one.”
Why would she say such a thing when this was the first time he had ever met the woman? Garin swallowed the growl, making his question come out gruff, “How do you know about what happened to me?”
“Crosshawk is rife with ancient magic, lad, some of which is older than the very world itself. And while The Exiles might have left a couple of centuries ago, this land and their descendants still resonate with their powers as well. There will be some here who will recognize exactly what you are on sight, which could bring problems to you both.”
Garin’s face became tight with angry confusion. Did Lord Gregory tell this woman about what the Dragon’s Heart had done to them? That the giant stone had turned them into dragons? His feelings of rage worsened when Henriella began to chortle at him.
“I’m not talking about the fact that you are bonded to the land, except for a couple of jealous types who might take exception,” she finally said after her chuckles had subsided. “And my words were not because of what you and Mattie have become. No. Dragons were never in danger here. Our ancestors were exiled for their loyalty to Maximus and his desire for keeping the peace with them after all.”
“Then what in the hell are you talking about?”
The woman crossed her arms and glared. “Are you truly that unobservant? Or are you just an idiot?”
Garin growled at her words. He then brandished his free hand at the disgusting trophies and barely kept his voice below a shout, “Maybe I am an idiot for being back here in this horrific room and talking to you! So far, you haven’t told me a damn thing I haven’t learned on my own already!”
Maybe Garin should have been less rude in his response because she growled, “Then let me mention some other things you have already discovered to point out that you don’t know everything yet, Soul Caller!”
He took a few steps away from the woman at hearing that phrase, but Henriella wasn’t about to let him escape. She matched his steps even when he kept going after she added, “What’s wrong, Weather Guide? You look rather pale.”
How could this woman possibly know these things? Mattie wouldn’t have betrayed him, he was sure of it. Yet somehow Henriella was pointing out the gifts of elven magic within him!
“Am I making you nervous, Blood Binder? You wouldn’t be the first one to tell me so.”
Checking the distance to the door, his fear doubled when he realized that there was no way he could easily escape. Somehow the woman kept growing larger with every step, or at least the power she was amassing unto herself made him feel like a rodent squirming in a trap. If he tried to bolt, she could easily pounce on him before he went two steps!
Then he found his back hitting a bookcase and causing it to precariously shake after she said another title that struck him to the core. “Well, Shadow Bender—still believe you have the answers to everything?”
“How is this possible!?” he finally croaked out. Besides the four he trusted, no one should even know about that power! Not with the dire hints and warnings he had received all his life about having to keep it a secret!
“One of my gifts is to discern the kinds of magic surrounding a body,” she explained with a short tone. “You’re damn lucky that your past visits here didn’t land you in hot water. There are others around these parts who also have the sight, and a couple of them are not the most trusted of folk.”
His denial came out a little too shrill, mostly caused by an all too recent ordeal he would give any money to forget. “But I’m not a Shadow Bender!”
“No?”
Some books then fell after he bumped into the shelves again when Henriella took another step closer to him. The shattering of the mug as he dropped it on the floor barely registered with him. Her green eyes had turned to the color of steel as all the shadows in the room started to glide closer to her. But it was the fact he could almost hear the dark shapes whisper to him that made his heart race with fear! Memories of shadows nipping at his soul and trying to tear him apart made Garin want to throw the woman far away from him—anything to silence them! Only the fleeting thought of how angry Mattie would be if he hurt her aunt stayed his hand.
The frightful woman tilted her head to the side as if inspecting him. Those silver eyes had a strange piercing sheen of gold within them before a sly smile appeared on her face. “You hear them, don’t you?” His cringe was the only answer she needed before continuing, “You’re right about not being a Shadow Bender. That power alone can’t hear their song. Luckily for everyone, the arcane energies closely resonate with one another and hide the truth for now. But if you don’t le
arn how to deal with this gift, you’ll be driven insane or worse! It’s happened to others of your ilk, and I’d kill you before you take Mattie down into that spiral of hell!”
“Then help teach me!” The words were out of Garin’s mouth before he had even considered them.
He didn’t want to know a single thing about controlling shadows, but Henriella’s warning about this power’s ability to harm his wife rang true. Maybe this was the teacher Metis had told him about all those months ago, the one who could help cloak him from an unknown enemy. Damn it! For Mattie, he had to try anyways!
In a manner that made it seem as if the woman had heard his last thought, she nodded and said, “For my niece’s sake.”
Then the tightness released from Garin’s chest when the room shifted back to normal after Henriella turned away from him. Dizziness hit him as if he had been holding his breath a little too long, and the pain from his ringing ears made him swallow a groan. When he finally looked at the woman again, she was calmly sipping her retrieved tea.
Those green eyes looked a little too amused at his discomfiture. Then she chuckled a bit before making a line for the door. “Make sure you clean up that mess before you rejoin us,” she firmly said when she waved a hand at the ceramic shards, the pools of tea, and the books haphazardly scattered near his place on the floor. “There’s a rag and a small bucket in the cupboard behind you.”
Garin watched Henriella walk out of the room, her shoulders relaxed and her steps evenly paced as if nothing unusual had occurred. He shook his head for a moment before he bent down to retrieve the fallen tomes. His wife’s uneasiness about being under this roof made one hell of a lot more sense to him now.
Unraveled Homecoming Page 3
