I look at Ladimer as connections are made by my brain. Gunthreon and Ladimer: friends. Gunthreon and my mom: friends. Ladimer and my mom?
Ladimer twists uncomfortably as he stands. “We will go find Gunthreon for you, and I will ask him to meet you here. Thanks again for your safety. We were both able to sleep soundly.” He sneaks his hand in mine, already such a comfortable and familiar feeling.
Sleep? Is that what you humans call what you were doing? I feel the blood come to my face in embarrassment. Greer lays his head back down and opens a small passageway for us to exit. As I walk by, I cannot help but feel his scales with my hand as I walk by. I see his one eye open and wink at me as we leave.
Thank you, great Greer. I think this last thought with respect, and notice a small altar-type ledge at the entrance of the lair. It is laden with precious stones, chalices made of gold, and other priceless gifts apparently given to Meadow’s Edge’s great dragon. I reach in my pocket and pull out the gray rock I picked up yesterday and place it on the altar. I think this is just as beautiful.
After a touch on the forehead from Ladimer to relieve my sudden headache, he tries keeping ahead of me to get to Gunthreon first, but I keep up with him. After deciding that anger toward my mother is worthless, I decide that knowledge of my history might prove much more worthwhile. “Why am I the last to know everything?” I say. “You know my mom? What was my father like? What did he look like? When did I leave here?”
“We must find Gunthreon and send him to Greer. We can talk later. Stop asking me all those stupid questions. I don’t know everything, you know.” He’s perturbed, so I just settle on daydreaming.
Lupa’s cottage is ahead, and I see her and Gunthreon tending to her many fruits and vegetables. Kioto is barking at the many strange creatures roaming the nearby meadow, but once she spots me she bounds towards us at full speed. She stands on her hind legs after reaching us, looks me directly in the eye, then kisses my face. She jumps down and smells Ladimer, then licks his hand. He caresses her head as we walk to the cottage.
Lupa has an amazingly green thumb, and I only wish that my patio planter of cherry tomatoes would actually grow tomatoes, let alone plants nine feet tall. I pick a plump ripe bluish berry as we walk through her garden and know I don’t even need to wash it since everything here is pesticide-free. (Lupa did, however, warn me about the topola bugs, which resemble flying chocolate sprinkles—cute, but one accidental swallow and you’re in the bathroom for three days.)
“Remember when I said I had some of the best teachers?” says Gunthreon, as we arrive, seemingly in love with not just the woman of the house but also the pepper plant looming before him. “Lupa has taught me many a trick. If only I could get my plants back in our realm to grow like this. Just imagine what my tomato and onion tart might taste like! Just too damn bad she cannot seem to grow roses—her favorite. Must be the soil.”
“Gunthreon, Greer requests your presence, immediately,” Ladimer yammers, totally unaware of the culinary inventions that could be created from the produce around him.
“I will see him at once,” replies Gunthreon. “Kailey, what did you think of our Greer?”
“Please go see him, sooner rather than later,” says Ladimer, pleading with his eyes. “I’ll take Kailey around for the day before we leave. Maybe you could do with some souvenirs?” he says toward me. He expects to divert my attention. For the time being, I allow it.
“He’s sarcastic, but likable,” I say to Gunthreon. I steal a glance toward Ladimer meant for Gunthreon. “Greer, that is.”
Gunthreon looks like he agrees. “Make sure to pick up a replacement teacup.”
“Crap!” I knew I broke that damn cup.
*********
So, first thing, I find a replacement cup, even though it just doesn’t feel the same. Every shop in Meadow’s Edge is teeming with items I feel I need to own, or at least buy for someone, don’t know who, but someone would love them. I know that, by the time we get home, I’ll owe Ladimer my whole life’s savings. I was hoping that currency in Renhala would be something easily accessible, like geodes or sunflower seeds, but they use gold: coins, jewelry, nuggets, whatever weighs the required amount. I see Ladimer place a few gold chains on the counter. “Philip’s mom won’t miss them, right?”
I respond, “Maybe you shouldn’t say that in front of karma.”
He laughs, loudly. “Let’s just say I have a hefty savings in the karma bank.”
A snow globe with a beautifully detailed wooden base that I think my mom would love catches my eye. Inside is a miniature cottage and lilac bushes, with a mini Greer floating around. I pick it up and shake it, watching Greer fall over on his side. I continue shaking until I’m satisfied with him right-side up. I push a button on the back, and it actually emits the scent of lilacs.
For Bu, I get a stuffed dog whose collar tag is the rune of Meadow’s Edge. When you squeeze him, he farts, and it, too, smells like lilacs. Amber is getting a pendant from my favorite metalsmith, so I tell Ladimer we shall see him last. Also, I should get something for Conner, since I never did actually call him back after Spa de Serenite. What to get a man I hardly know, but am very attracted to? I contemplate asking Ladimer, but feel that may not be the right step to take.
We scan the last store, and that’s when I see it. Perfect! It’s a small plaque made of slate, and engraved in simple block letters is “The truth shall set you free.” We pay and head to my favorite metalsmith’s forge.
As we approach the shop, we notice the doors are shut tight and the lights inside off. “Funny,” mutters Ladimer. “Mortimer is always open.” Ladimer tries the front door, then puts his ear to the door, but nothing. “Let’s try the back entrance,” he says, at the same time that shouts come from within. We step quietly. My monk’s spade is warm, and I see Ladimer reaching inside his shirt, no doubt for his blade.
A man shouts from inside. “This has turned from a request to a demand, Mortimer! If you do not cooperate, we shall see how loud you scream when your precious metal penetrates your precious heart!”
A loud crash has us both on our toes, not daring to be seen before we can figure out who is causing the ruckus. The back door opens, and a rather large man comes limping out of Mortimer’s shop in a hurry. As he runs around the corner, I catch a glimpse of the hands and know this man is the one from the barn.
“Let’s check on Mortimer,” I whisper, grabbing Ladimer’s arm, restraining him from chase.
We enter the shop and find Mortimer sitting, startled by our entry. I walk to him and ask if he’s hurt, but he’s mainly stunned, petting his tabby cat, rather voraciously.
“Mortimer, what’s that guy want from you?” asks Ladimer.
“He was just a customer who wasn’t pleased with an order, that’s all,” responds Mortimer. “So what may I help you with?”
I can tell Ladimer is not happy with the response, but he chooses not to pursue the matter. “Kailey here would like a pendant for a friend of hers,” he says as he watches the back door.
“Hmm, good friend, or just acquaintance?”
“Best friend, if you must know. Her name is Amber.” I flash him my biggest smile.
“Beautiful! How about something representative of her name?” says Mortimer. “I have a pendant with a beautifully enrobed specimen of amber. It’s not gaudy, and it sits wonderfully upon the womanly frame.”
He wanders to the front of the store and comes back with a small, handmade wooden box. He opens it slowly and shows me a most beautiful piece of amber, with a few small specks of something within it. It’s undoubtedly older than me.
I turn to Ladimer and tease, “Predate you?”
He smirks and says, “You’ll never know.” He pinches my cheek as he looks around the shop, clearly checking to make sure nobody else is hiding from us.
“I think it’s perfect, Mortimer!” I say. I hug him and question how on earth he is able to lift a mallet with his small frame. “Ladimer, pay the man, p
lease,” I say with regality, as if I am the queen of England. I then walk around, admiring all the beauties in the shop.
Ladimer stands, holding out his coin purse. “Are you set yet, Kailey? I seem to have run out of currency, you know.” Ladimer shows me that the purse is empty.
I make sure to hug Mortimer once more, and Ladimer offers his help if he has any more unruly customers. Mortimer shows him his weapons behind the counter and Ladimer seems to leave the matter at rest.
“Are you worried about the guy who ran?” I say, after we leave.
“Yes, but he, I fear, is only a speck in what’s happening here,” says Ladimer. “When we can, we must talk with Gunthreon.”
“Why is it that everyone’s gotta talk to Gunthreon? Gunthreon, Gunthreon, Gunthreon.” Then I realize there’s nobody better with whom I’d like to share my Devoten experience. “Okay, whatever.”
“Mortimer is a very special person, Kailey.”
“Yeah. He’s cool, I like him.”
“Yes, he’s nice, but he has a unique power of his own.” Ladimer points to my necklace. “He has an ability to produce a metal that is special in itself. Nobody knows how he does it. We call his metal ‘lutheose.’ This metal has certain...nasty effects for anyone with unhealthy convictions who touches it,” he says, staring at my necklace. “First few seconds, the metal burns; beyond that, it leeches poison into the skin of those it’s touching, and eventually, if kept in contact long enough, kills. Those who have turned to Velopa, and believe in its need to rule realms through brutality and slavery should be very afraid of Mortimer’s metal, but for some reason, I feel they may be seeking it out, instead.” He turns toward Mortimer’s shop for one last look. “But why?” he says to himself.
I touch my pendant upon my chest and feel its coolness. “Well, you know whose side I’m on.” I raise the pendant toward Ladimer.
“It is stunning on you.” I suddenly feel the need for Ladimer to touch it. His slow hand movement toward the pendant stops, as if I’ve just slapped him in the face. “Do you not trust me, Kailey?” His mouth is open, slightly, as he stands still, looking shocked. The suddenly overwhelming sadness that I feel radiating from him hurts badly. He feels betrayed.
“I was only joking. Cool down,” I reply. Bad part is, I was actually not. Worse part is, he didn’t touch it. But how could I not trust this man thoroughly? Why would I doubt someone who’s come to my rescue? Simply because my mom taught me not to trust everyone, but I damn well want to be able to, especially someone as valuable as Ladimer. I shake off his sadness, not wanting my own emotions to mix with his. I need to think clearly.
Once again, Lupa’s cottage is within our view. Gunthreon is apparently back and ready to leave. We say our goodbyes to Lupa, and I see the tears in Gunthreon’s eyes as he kisses her, softly. “Stay safe, my dear love. My offer is always open, you know.”
“Are you trying that persuasion of yours on me again?” Lupa kisses him on the cheek and smacks him on the butt to send him off. He grunts, and seems embarrassed that we witnessed it, which makes both me and Ladimer laugh to ourselves.
Leaving Meadow’s Edge makes me sad, but as I look to the sky and see the long, snake-like silhouette so many miles above us, I relish the small amount of hope I have in my new friends, including a certain sarcastic, fire-breathing ally.
Chapter 25
Defeated
“Kailey, I admit you’re a great worker, and one of the very best here, but you have not been very dependable lately. And you just can’t not show up. We were worried about you.” Over the phone, Evan sounds not angry, but disappointed, which is even worse.
“I’m so sorry,” I murmur. “I’ve got some personal issues going on, and I don’t like it, either. I don’t know what to do, and you know this totally unlike me. How many paid personal days do I have left this year?”
“You have six left.”
“Thanks for not firing me.” I mean this sincerely.
“Just don’t quit on me. I know you’ll get through this,” he says. “Call me if you need anything. Take care. Just please remember, business is down right now, and the board of trustees is looking to downsize.” He hangs up.
“I don’t know what to do. Will I ever be able to go back to work and lead a normal life?” I say this to Ladimer and Gunthreon, who are sitting at my kitchen table, sipping tea and eagerly exchanging news that each acquired in Meadow’s Edge. With maps spread out and a safe place to speak openly, they seem to be coming up with plans for more traveling.
Gunthreon sits up a bit more straight. “Try to hold on to your job, because it’s a grip on a normal life,” he responds, “but if it really came down to it, you would be taken care of. Actually, I hate to admit it now, but I have helped out you and your mother before.”
“Thanks, Gunthreon.”
“It’s the least I could do for your mother. She’s come to many a person’s rescue, my dear, present company included.”
I want to tell him what happened to me the other day, during my massage, but I bite my tongue, remembering my mom’s request.
“Ladimer, Kailey,” says Gunthreon, “I’ve spoken with many people and creatures, and nobody seems to know where Neda and Velopa are. It’s true that all their locations were generally kept secret, but I have always had a track on them, until now. He turns to me. “Energies this strong shouldn’t be able to vanish like this. It’s strange that they are both missing, but oddly reassuring to know that it’s not just one that is gone. I think, in finding them, we will discover what is truly going on with both our realms. The only clue I heard was that Devoten’s castle is now under lockdown.”
I shudder at his name as it rolls off Gunthreon’s lips. “That guy gives me the willies. Even just seeing him made me feel very strange,” I comment. “What’s his story?”
Gunthreon and Ladimer exchange a very brief glance, and Ladimer holds out his hand, giving Gunthreon the go-ahead. “Believe it or not,” says Gunthreon, “Devoten is infatuation—that’s his ability.” My brain churns how dangerous that could be. “He can make you willing to give your own life just for a chance to stand next to him. Thank Neda he mostly chooses grebles, for they seem to be the weakest against him. Still, quite the deadly fan club.” He hesitates. “In my experience, one knows they are under his control, bowing to his every need. It makes one feel small and unworthy. But it’s draining for him. He must constantly keep control over his minions. Some have the natural ability to block his control, but he’s very strong.”
“Devoten was not always what he is today,” begins Ladimer. “He was actually once a kind and gentle soul, capable of making anyone happy when the chips were down. Believe it or not, we shared the same circle of friends. We shared some good times together, but he came upon some much harder times after a bad deal with regards to a neighboring piece of land. He began talking nonsense and travelling with some strange individuals.
One day, he returned to town, and I remember his exact words: ‘I’ve learned to hate in full strength, and the power is incredible. Fear tomorrow, Ladimer.’ And with that, he was not seen again for a long time.
When he did show up again, I felt his new power and saw it in action. He had developed what the elders call sudo-abominor: a change in oneself in which hate takes over a portion of one’s cognitive being, like a leech, sucking and draining all goodness until it’s fed. It happens rarely, but when it does, the individual should be contained as soon as possible, for once sudo-abominor is fed, it can travel to a new host.” Ladimer’s energy briefly shudders, then resumes its complacency. “Unfortunately, Devoten was too wise to be caught. He appeared in town one day and began engaging with a local woman. The fire in his eyes was insanity itself. She deflected his passes at first, but he was so persistent, he made her fall madly in love with him. After weeks of her attention, he grew tired and annoyed with her, so he had her cut out her own tongue with Mortimer’s golden knife.
Still, she followed him around silently for a mo
nth, doing all his nasty biddings. One day, I caught her alone in a horse stall, crying. I turned her face to mine and knew it had to end. I could fix her tongue, but not her infatuation, so I did what I had to do. I hate Devoten for what he has become, but I fear him. Infatuation is no simple emotion.”
My doorbell rings. Ladimer reaches for one of my bags as I open the door for my mom. She seems excited to see us all. She gives Gunthreon a big kiss on his cheek and hugs Ladimer very tightly, confirming my belief they indeed know each other. I notice Ladimer shake slightly as he releases my mom. But if they are acquaintances, or even friends, why has he not healed her?
Suddenly, Ladimer starts laughing, holding Amber’s lutheose pendant and grinning ear to ear, evidently not burning his hand.
“Gunthreon, do you know what I’m holding in my hand?”
“Jewelry.”
“It’s that damn plant you get your tea from. I can feel it through the amber. I could probably get it to grow again.”
“Why, I’ll be,” Gunthreon twitters.
As I run to see the pendant, the rush of excitement hits me so fast that I trip over my own two feet, but before I even hit the floor, my mom has me in her arms.
“Thanks, Mom.” She helps me to my feet. “Since you can move like that, how come I remember a certain painful fall off the monkey bars at age ten that sent me to the emergency room?”
“You had to learn, honey,” she says. “I couldn’t totally shelter you.”
I bite my tongue and just furrow my brow. “Well, I did get that pendant for Amber. I can’t keep it for myself. Karma, remember? Maybe when she tires of it I can reclaim it. Well, giving it to her gives me a damn good reason to go to work.” I hand my mom her snow globe and her eyes twinkle as she shakes it.
Ladimer stands up and announces that he’s going home.
“Uh, don’t you think your mom might freak out if you just wander in?” I ask.
Renhala Page 17