Robin Owens - Keepers of the Flame

Once again Bri followed Elizabeth, and they began to establish a balance to handle the cycling energy. Elizabeth learned to open herself, Bri learned to limit and direct the healingstream. Marian stood behind Bri with her hands on her shoulders, steadying, supporting, but unable to join them.

By the time they’d helped six, Bri began to feel the whole jet-lagged incredible event-packed day wearing upon her and moved by rote, summoning the healingstream, sending it into sick bodies. She felt the shadow of Elizabeth’s thoughts as she studied and dismissed different diagnoses. Nothing was familiar about this sickness.

Somewhere between two hours and infinity they were finished and Bri was swaying on her feet. Elizabeth stood with the straightness of a woman refusing to give in to exhaustion then swung an arm around Bri’s shoulders and they were drawn to a moonlit opening to the courtyard. The cloister had been dark, too dark to work in, why had they?

“Light hurts the sick’s eyes,” Marian said, and Bri realized she and the other woman had shared enough of a bond for the Sorceress to pick up on her thoughts, even if they weren’t linked anymore. Dangerous.

“No,” said Marian. She bowed deeply, keeping her gaze on them. “I promise I will never hurt you. Either of you.”

“Huh,” said Bri. She started to lean on the edge of the stone door opening and missed. Was falling. Something oddly shaped set against her and pushed her upward. In the brief contact, she felt a different sort of energy wash through her, tingling from top to toe, clearing her mind, giving her own energy—and Elizabeth’s—a boost.

“Thank you—” She turned to her savior and gawked. A horse stood there, eyes huge and liquid and gleaming with…with…with magic? It whinnied and stepped back. Others like it stood in the courtyard. The smell of resinous amber crumbling into perfume wafted to Bri.

“They’re curious.” Calli walked past them into the stone courtyard and rubbed the horse’s nose. “They say you’re using Power they only dimly sensed and didn’t know how to access. One has gone to report to the alpha pair in Volaran Valley.” She pointed. Bri followed her finger to see a white horse. With wings. Soaring over the buildings on the opposite side of the courtyard and off into a night sky that held too many stars.

Impossible.

Elizabeth stiffened into rigidity. Impossible.

Another whicker came and Bri looked to the horse that had propped her up. Slowly it opened wings at its sides, spread them—huge feathery things.

Ohmygod, Bri said.

Ohmygod, Elizabeth said.

“Ohmygod,” she and Elizabeth said together.

“You’re not in Colorado anymore,” Alexa said.

Elizabeth was holding onto sanity as if it was the unraveling edge of a ratty blanket. Too much strangeness. Everything—the people, the humid air, the sky showing too many stars, and most especially the winged horses.

One was still rubbing against Bri in mutual admiration.

Sevair Masif, the man who’d come from Castleton, was ensuring the care and comfort of his people with efficient orders to soldiers and servants. The knot of the more ostentatiously dressed people—including two of the three Coloradan women—attracted his attention. He gave one last order and joined them, crossing his arms and raising his chin.

“We agreed that should the Summoning of the medica be successful and if she fulfilled our great and desperate need, she would stay here at the Castle tonight. The ladies are tired. Why are they not being led to their quarters?” The soft translation came to Elizabeth’s ear and she turned her head to see Calli smiling at her.

Calli lifted a shoulder, sighed. “They argue. Sevair’s a good man, just obsessed with frinks.”

“Frinks?” Elizabeth asked.

“Metallic worms that come with the rain. The dark sends them, too.”

Elizabeth wished she hadn’t asked.

“One of your tasks will be to smooth the way between the City and Town segment of society and the rest.”

Elizabeth shook her head, looked at Calli, then at Bri who was examining one of the horse’s wings. She seemed familiar with the animals, at least was probably familiar with wingless ones. Another change. Somewhere, sometime Bri had learned about horses. No doubt she’d traveled where a horse was still considered a necessity. Elizabeth gestured to the horse and Bri. “Why aren’t you supervising?”

“You’re sharp,” said Calli. “Remembered that I’m the one who was Summoned for the volarans and Chevaliers.” She followed Elizabeth’s gaze. “I can see auras, you know.”

“No.” If she denied all this it might go away

“Yes. Most folks here depend upon their ears and their Power to hear Songs. I hear the Songs, but auras are easier for me. Thunder is a curious volaran, and it’s difficult to ignore the fact that the horses have wings. Not something you’d see on Earth. Thunder is giving your twin sister some energy.” Calli narrowed her eyes. “Some of that is passing into you.” Nibbling on her lip, Calli continued. “It takes a while to become used to Lladrana. We, the other Exotiques and I, hoped to make your transition easier. It didn’t seem to work.”

Elizabeth raised her eyebrows. “With sixteen people in the throes of sickness needing medical help?”

Calli winced. “I suppose that would have been the equivalent of me riding most of the Castle volarans.” She met Elizabeth’s gaze steadily. “I’d apologize, but I’m not sorry. The townspeople are desperate. None of the medicas in Lladrana have found a cure for this new disease and people are dying.” Calli squinted at Bri, then back at Elizabeth. “You and your twin had a basic similar layer of green in your auras when you came but different upper layers. That’s interesting. But the bond between you two when you arrived wasn’t nearly as strong as it is now.”

Elizabeth didn’t want to hear any of this.

A man dressed in such an understated and tailored style of leathers that proclaimed him wealthy joined them. He bowed, then looked expectantly at Calli.

“This is Faucon Creusse, a nobleman and Chevalier.”

“Chevalier?”

“Knight, like I said.”

Faucon said something, and Calli translated. “An impressive display of Power by the new Exotiques, as usual.”

Before Elizabeth could answer, the discussion between the leaders got heated.

An older woman snapped something, and Calli delivered the words but didn’t match the tone. “Of course we have plenty of space, but we only prepared for one and it’s evident that they will not want to be separated.”

Masif stood solid. “We townspeople have many places where the Exotiques can stay. We paid to have them Summoned. They are our—” he glanced from Elizabeth to Bri, who were both watching him, nodded in acknowledgment and finished “—guests. They should stay in the city.”

“Not tonight,” said the woman.

Calli added, “That’s Lady Knight Swordmarshall Thealia Germain, she’s the head of the Marshalls and runs everything.”

Faucon gave another half bow to Elizabeth then turned and stepped up to the group. “Of course the sisters would prefer to room together. Which is why I requested a suite be prepared in Alyeka’s tower for them.”

“I’d like to keep them in my tower,” Thealia said. The streaks of gold at her temples were so wide they nearly reached the middle of her head. A sign of nobility? Both Faucon’s temples showed swaths of silver.

At that moment a horrendous siren went off.

Elizabeth jumped.

Bri stumbled as the volaran she was leaning against hopped away.

The courtyard was full of people and now every one of them was moving. Some were racing away to a point Elizabeth couldn’t see; the healthy townsfolk had stepped back to crowd the cloisters. Volarans alit in the courtyard and the Chevaliers—those in leathers—jumped on their backs, along with some of the younger people who had a sheath on each hip.