Keepers of the Flame

Now Marian whimpered.

Sevair lifted an eyebrow, took the potato from Bri, weighed it in his hand, glanced at Calli. “Your opinion?”

Calli smiled. “What you have there is about a thousand times more tasty than turnip fries.”

He looked surprised, then pleased. Nodding to Elizabeth, then Bri, he said, “Then you have something to barter with. However, I assure you that the Cities and Towns who Summoned you abide by tradition. You will receive property—an estate in the city or town of your choice—and enough money to support you for the rest of your days. Both of you.” He slipped the potato into the bag. “You will also receive a bounty on every plant that is developed from this po-ta-toe.”

He bowed to each of them. “I thank you both for accepting the language potion. It will make our tasks much easier. With your permission, I would like to adjourn to Temple Ward.”

Alexa was staring at the cooler and the potatoes.

“Where’s that guy who guarded them last night?” asked Bri.

“That would be my brother, Luthan,” Bastien said. “I don’t think we’ve spoken of Luthan.”

“Or Faucon for that matter,” Marian said.

Something else, here, Elizabeth said mentally to Bri as she walked over to stand in front of the chest, blocking it from everyone else.

Alexa’s wistful look turned into a pout. She speared Bri with a disgruntled gaze. “Luthan Vauxveau is a Chevalier, a knight who rides the flying horses, so flies into battle with us. He’s a wealthy nobleman with his own estate and the representative of the Singer, who is the prophetess of Lladrana, lives to the south in an Abbey, but meddles in our affairs.”

I don’t like that, said Elizabeth. We have enough to worry about with the people in this room.

I don’t either, Bri replied.

Alexa cleared her throat. “Some people have instinctive reactions to Exotiques. Either an instinctive revulsion or an instinctive attraction.”

“I’ll go for the attraction,” Bri said.

“That can be a problem, too,” Marian said.

Bri waved that away. “Better than the alternative. I’ve suffered from prejudice before. How nasty is this repulsion thing?”

“Bad enough to get you killed,” Bastien said. His usual optimistic expression had faded and turned grim, making him look like the warrior he was. “Alexa had to fight for her life.”

8

Isaw him, Luthan, shudder last night when he looked at us, Elizabeth said.

Now that you mention it…

“Luthan has the instinctive repulsion,” Alexa said, her voice cool, her manner lacking any playfulness. “He is deeply ashamed of it. He would die before he hurt any of us.”

Must be difficult to have a brother-in-law who thinks you’re repulsive, Bri sent to Elizabeth.

“Ayes,” said Alexa, reading body language or energy or Bri’s mind. “Ayes is ‘yes.’ ‘Ttho’ is ‘no.’ And Luthan has long since gotten over his first problem with me, as well as Marian and Calli. It’s only when he has to meet and interact with a new Exotique that the problem surfaces again.”

“But you must be aware that others might have this reaction,” Marrec said. “If they have never met an Exotique before, they may not know they have this flaw and may act on it instead of thinking how important you are to us.”

“We understand,” Elizabeth said. Bri could feel her need to leave the suite and get out into fresh air, someplace not as crowded with others. Bri felt it too.

“Okay, so there’s a repulsion and Luthan has it and hates it. I still sensed he was the most honest of all of you.” She enjoyed saying that. “Will he watch our goodies for us?”

Marian sniffed, took out her finger length wand again. “I can bespell the chest to keep the food cold. And Jaquar is very good with lock spells. He can put one on the door and all the windows.”

“What about Faucon?” Elizabeth asked. “Since Luthan has the revulsion, I would imagine that he has the attraction?”

“Ayes,” Alexa said cheerfully. “He’s sexy, rich, noble, a good Chevalier and a good guy. He’ll want to Pair with you.” She shook her head. “Twins. He’ll go mad at the choice. I’d advise you to take him up on any offers.”

“We aren’t staying,” they said together. Bri continued, “Our parents—” The thought of their parents grief at the disappearance of their daughters clutched at her gut.

“It’s difficult,” Marian said. “I couldn’t leave my brother Andrew.” Then her voice softened, held a wrenching undertone. “He came with me, but was badly wounded, and dying. We transferred his mind and soul into a dying Lladranan, Koz. Now Andrew is Koz.”

That still sounded weird.

“There’s a cure for MS here?” Bri asked.

Marian grimaced. “We didn’t know. We hoped. But my place was here, with Jaquar and the Circlets.” She took her husband’s hand. “With my mentor, Bossgond, and the school we wanted to found, did found.”

“I don’t believe it.” Elizabeth shook her head.

A smile lingered on Marian’s lips. “Come meet him, then.” She nodded to the medica who was waiting patiently by the door. “Jolie was the main medica to make the transfer, if you’d like to talk with her.”

Jolie said, “You did it yourself, Circlet Marian. That procedure is a matter of the soul and the Song. We medicas only kept the receiving body alive.”

All Bri’s nerves shivered at the thought.

“It was a matter of faith in herself,” Jaquar said, kissing his wife’s cheek. “She knew her Power was strong, and fashioned to be more of use here than on Exotique Terre.”

A definite prod at them, Bri thought. She said, “I have always used my healing hands.”

Jaquar switched his gaze to Elizabeth. “And you? You both have great Power here, otherwise the Song would not have reverberated in your mind—the gong, the chimes.”

Bri jerked in surprise. “How did you know that?”

“It is the way Exotiques are Summoned.” He nodded to the books on the table. “You can learn much from the others’ experiences.”

“Later.” Alexa walked to the door, sent the twins a challenging look. “Can’t hide in here all day.” She snorted with laughter as if at a secret joke. “Come along. Your new life awaits. If you dare.”

Bri spared one last glance around the room, then watched carefully in the hallway when Jaquar bespelled the door.

As they walked down the stairs the medica, Jolie, began asking Elizabeth questions. Soon they were deep in a conversation about medical techniques. Bri blinked. She didn’t want to face another new day in another new place. She was supposed to be in Denver.

When the outer door opened onto the wide courtyard of the Castle, they all hesitated.

“One of the twins should come with me to Castleton. We have a house prepared,” Sevair said. “The Exotique Summoned was for Castleton and the other cities and towns.”

“Sounds like traveling,” Elizabeth’s voice was strained. She met Bri’s eyes. A bad feeling slicked Bri’s gut.