Robin Owens - Protector of the Flight

“Turnip fries,” Alexa said, biting into her burger.

“Turnip?”

“They don’t have potatoes,” Marian explained sadly.

“I taught the cook burgers and buns, and they’re all the rage, of course, but without fries…” Alexa shrugged.

“What kind of meat?” Calli bit off the end of a turnip fry. Not even hot oil and salt could make it good. She dropped the fry onto the plate.

“Cow,” Marian said.

“Okay,” Calli said. “We got mustard and ketchup?”

“Something that might barely pass for about a gold coin more,” Alexa said.

“Shoot.”

“I’m working on that,” Marian said.

Since she was working on so many other projects, Calli didn’t think she’d be seeing the condiments soon.

“Ketchup is easier than mustard. They grow plenty of tomatoes here.” Marian peeled off her bun and showed lettuce and tomato.

The burger was plump and juicy and had Calli forgetting about everything except eating. The lettuce and tomato actually had taste, unlike most of the standard stuff she’d had in diners. She bit, swallowed. Breakfast seemed days instead of hours ago.

A man cleared his throat.

Calli looked up to see a tall, somber-looking guy wearing brown cotton trousers and shirt with a sleeveless tunic of dark gray over it. His left temple showed a streak of silver—that indicated he had magical powers, she remembered.

He made a little half bow to Alexa, then Marian, addressing them by name. Alexa gestured that he could join them and scooted over so he could sit next to her. He raised a hand and the waitress hurried over. Calli heard “burger,” and smiled. By the time Alexa, Marian and she were done with Lladrana, the people would sure have some Americanizations in their language.

Alexa put her sandwich down. Calli noticed she’d only eaten a couple of fries. “Calli, this is Sevair Masif, Representative of the Cities and Towns to the Marshalls.”

Another new face. Another guy looking her over coolly. “Tell him I’m pleased to meet him.” Though she really wasn’t much, she inclined her head. “What cities?”

Marian muffled a snort beside her.

“They just aren’t as urban as we are,” Alexa said.

“Castleton is, like, the main city, right? And it doesn’t have mustard and ketchup?”

Alexa sighed.

Marian said, “We did tell you that people would give you presents. This man did me a wonderful favor by sending my teacher and me and Jaquar an excellent cook.”

“He had a spice master send me a gift of tea. Expensive here. You want to ask him for mustard?”

Marian frowned. “Have you asked about mustard, Alexa? I think the southern part of Lladrana might make it, or the country south of here.”

“Haven’t asked,” Alexa said. “How important is mustard to you, Calli? Enough to ask for it as a gift instead of anything else? Tea’s important to me.”

“And let me tell you, that cook has been a lifesaver…or at least made my crotchety old mentor into a reasonable human being,” Marian said.

The waitress set down Masif’s plate and curtsied.

“Gifts. No strings attached?” Calli asked.

Alexa said something apologetic to Masif. He nodded and began eating, a little awkwardly, as if he wasn’t used to eating with his hands, concentrating on making sure the bun’s contents didn’t slip. For some reason Calli found that endearing.

“No strings attached.” Alexa grinned. “The thing is, everyone wants to get on our good sides, and since we’re virtually inexplicable, no one expects anything in return…at least not for the first gift.”

“Huh,” Calli said. “No strings? Ask the guy if he intends to put something on my Choosing table.”

Eyes dancing, Alexa did. All three Exotiques stared at him. A faint redness appeared on his cheekbones under his golden skin. He seemed to grit his teeth around his bite of burger. Glancing at her, then away, he swallowed and said something that sounded flowery.

Alexa coughed. Marian turned to Calli and said, “He asked if you’d be unhappy if he did so.”

“Unhappy.” She looked at Marian. “What’s the word for ‘no’?”

Alexa laughed. “I learned the word for ‘no’ within an hour here!”

Calli could believe that.

“Ttho,” said Marian.

Stomach fluttering with butterflies, Calli met Masif’s gaze and said, “Ttho.”

His eyes went big and he looked as if he was having second thoughts. Since she sensed he was a very serious man, she liked the fact she made him nervous. She didn’t see that they had much in common, but he looked like a stand-up guy, and the more choices she had, the better.

They all ate in silence. When they were done, Marian said, “Speaking of the Choosing and Bonding, we’d better get back.”

“There’re hours until evening,” Alexa grumbled. “Marian—”

“Back,” Marian said firmly. “You can’t prepare for something this life altering too early.”

Calli’s burger turned to lead in her stomach.

“Just gonna dump Sevair?” asked Alexa.

“If he’s going to put a token on the Choosing table, he’ll have to prepare, too,” Marian said. She gestured around them. “The place is almost empty. Most of the Chevaliers are probably up in Horseshoe Hall meditating and bathing and Singing.”

“Singing?” asked Calli.

“Praying,” Marian said.

“Oh.” It would probably be a good thing to do a bit of that herself. Calli didn’t consider herself a very spiritual person. Her dad certainly didn’t truck with any sort of religion, so she wasn’t quite sure who she’d pray to. The closest she’d come to a spiritual experience lately was flying on Thunder. That decided her. “I’d like to see the volarans again.”

“Shoot,” Marian said, digging into a pocket of her gown and dropping a couple of gold coins into Alexa’s outstretched hand.

Alexa winked at Calli. “I won the bet that you’d want to fly again before this evening.”

Calli stared at Marian. “You’re the one who was there when I took off and landed yesterday. You like volarans better than Alexa, why would you think I wouldn’t want to fly today?”

“You fell off yesterday. You don’t have the tack you like. You should be thinking of the Choosing and Bonding ritual and preparing for it.”

“I won’t fall off. Thunder wouldn’t let me. Bastien’s bringing a variety of tack for me to examine, so I’ll find something acceptable. As for preparing for the Choosing and Bonding, I’d rather keep my mind and hands occupied. Furthermore, I think the most spiritual experience I’ve had in my life was on the back of that volaran yesterday.”

Marian’s expression softened. “I understand.”

“So do I,” Alexa said, smiling.

“I am the volarans’ Exotique,” Calli said.

Masif wiped his mouth and hands with a napkin, then stood. He’d eaten very efficiently. All his turnip fries were gone. Without ketchup. There was no hope they’d link up together. He stood and slid from the table, offered Alexa a hand.

Alexa opened her fingers and picked out a gold coin. Masif curled her fingers back over the money and said something. He nodded to Marian and Calli.

On the other hand, the guy was obviously treating them. A gentleman. She could go for a gentleman.

Alexa and Marian murmured thanks in Lladranan. Calli waited and said, “Thank you,” matching his serious expression.

He set several gleaming silver coins on the table, bowed once more and walked away.

“Nice guy,” Alexa said.

“Very serious,” Marian said.

“Yes, we seem to prefer the rogue and charmer types, huh? How about you, Calli?”

“I’d like a man who’d love me.”

Again those warm smiles. “That’s what’s important,” Marian said. She stood and Calli followed her, glancing around the place, not looking at the trophies. Not many people lingered. Two gay couples, one male, one female, all of whom smiled at her, and a grizzled old man, stood at the bar. The other booths were empty.