Chapter 7
Prince Talvi
When they returned to the camp, Hilda was covering the last few warm embers of the fire with dirt.
“Oh? You remembered to collect some branches after all?” she observed, craning her neck up to look at them. “Sariel left without us. She said she had to speak with Yuri right away, and she wouldn’t wait on you two any longer. Where is Yuri anyway? She’s usually with you.”
“She’s at home tending to arrangements for the party,” Talvi said from his place behind Annika. “She’s an elf obsessed. It’s completely consumed her waking life.”
“Haven’t you helped her?”
“Yes, constantly,” he said, scratching his head. He picked out another bit of leaf, letting it flutter down to Ghassan’s huge black hooves. “I had to make all of the music arrangements and then address invitations until my fingers bled, since her penmanship is so bloody awful. Besides, she cares more about the details than I do. The rest I let her take care of.”
“You let her take care of, or you stuck her with?” accused Hilda. When he didn’t answer right away she just shook her head and sighed.
“Oh Talvi! I hope she makes you wear something atrocious!” Runa shrieked.
“Why should she?” he retorted. “For the past few months all she’s done is fret about this party. I don’t understand what all the fuss is for; it’s just another birthday.”
“It’s not just any birthday, and you know it,” said Hilda.
“All I know is that she’s becoming more and more like Anthea every day. She doesn’t go riding with me nearly as often as we used to. She’s taken to wearing dresses all the time.”
“Dresses!” Runa cried. “She’s wearing dresses now?”
“I’m afraid so, along with other feminine nonsense that I won’t go into,” Talvi said with a roll of his eyes, as the sisters gathered their cloaks and gear. Before Annika could try to climb down from Ghassan, Runa brought over her backpack, which Talvi strapped alongside the bundles of wood.
“It’s okay, I can ride by myself,” she said, but her stag was nowhere to be seen.
“Not if you can’t see where you’re going,” he told her. Runa took off the green sash she wore around her waist and handed it up to him. “It’s nothing against your character,” he said, reaching down to retrieve the sash, “but you mustn’t see how to get to Derbedrossivic. I’m your escort. I apologize, but I must do this.”
“Hold on, wait just a minute,” Annika said, turning around to look at him. “Why can’t I see how to get there? It’s not like I could find my way back again. I wouldn’t even be here if I hadn’t gotten lost to begin with. And you aren’t making Runa or Hilda wear a blindfold.”
“It’s not you that I’m concerned about. There are creatures here who could take advantage of your untrained mind and see your thoughts. It’s my duty to make certain that my home and my guests are safe, and I can’t allow you to put everyone in Derbedrossivic in danger. There hasn’t been a human there in ages.”
“Derbedrossivic? Where have I heard that before?” she wondered, recognizing the unusual name.
“It’s the village I’m from. I told you that already, remember?”
“Oh, right.” She realized her argument was losing momentum. “Do I really have to wear this thing?”
“We’re not going anywhere until you let me put it on,” he said. “We can wait here all day, but I’d rather get home and have a hot meal and a soft bed tonight. I’m sure you would too.”
She sighed nervously. She didn’t know him that well, but she already knew it was useless to argue with him right now. “Do what you have to do,” she said in reluctant surrender. He lowered the sash in front of her eyes and tied it gently but firmly around her head.
“You only have to keep this on until we get there. But please, Annika…if you take it off, you’re putting us all in potential danger,” he told her. “If I have to tie you up, I will.”
“I swear I won’t take it off. Just don’t let me fall,” she said, determined not to reveal the fear in her voice. Ghassan was impatiently pawing at the ground, probably thinking of the hay and oats that awaited him back home.
“That I can manage,” Talvi said confidently, wrapping a strong arm around her waist. Her skin shivered in response, especially at the thought of being tied up. She felt the lurch of the horse’s muscular body underneath her, and other than a small yelp, she managed not to scream even though it was terrifying and thrilling all at once. All she heard was the pounding of hooves against earth and stone, and her stomach leapt as Ghassan flew over logs and rocks. All she could imagine was running off a cliff or getting knocked down by a low-hanging tree limb. She couldn’t even scream, because her breath had been left back at the campsite far behind.
“Don’t be scared,” Talvi said, trying to calm her nerves. “We can’t waste time or we’ll be riding in the dark.”
“I already am riding in the dark,” Annika said in a shaking voice through clenched teeth. “And it sucks!”
“Trust me,” he assured her. “I’m not letting go of you.”
“That’s asking a lot,” she protested, but the protective arm didn’t budge; it only held her tighter. She took a deep breath and wrapped her arms around the strong one that held her. After a quarter of an hour had passed, she began to realize that she wasn’t in danger of falling anywhere. His arm wasn’t letting go of her. They rode all afternoon, and her anticipation grew as the day wore on. With all that time in the dark, alone with her thoughts behind the blindfold, she recalled their conversation from earlier.
What did he see that he’s not telling me? I wonder what that phrase in Fae means? These people really think I’m part wood nymph! But then, the matching birthmarks are kind of creepy… or convincing.
Hours passed with little conversation, until the scent in the air changed subtly. Annika could hear rapids growing closer, and the animals slowed down to walk carefully over the uneven terrain.
“I guess you can go ahead and look now,” Talvi said at long last. She wasted no time pulling the sash from her eyes. The sight she saw was breathtaking.
There was a sizeable river lined with different mills that took advantage of the rushing rapids. The swirling whitecaps sparkled in the sun like liquid diamonds. A long bridge up ahead was patrolled by two guards on each side at both ends, each with black bows similar to Talvi’s strapped on their backs and swords at their sides. They were dressed in green jackets and brown breeches, with black boots and fuzzy black ushankas with the ear flaps tied up. The guard on the right nodded his head out of courtesy while the guard on the left waved wildly at Talvi and the girls as they came near.
“Hello, Sasha!” Runa called out to him, and returned his enthusiastic wave.
“Hello, Runa my dear; hello Hilda,” he said cheerfully, and gave a playful, ostentatious bow. “And good evening to you, Prince Talvi. What are you bringing home this time, besides the fair sisters?” Sasha winked at Runa, who shamelessly winked right back. Hilda just smiled and shook her head, not being the incorrigible flirt her sister was. Talvi nudged Ghassan closer to show off his prize.
“Why, I found one of those modern girls wandering about the forest,” he replied, puffing out his chest in pride. “She’s a feisty one, too.”
“I’m betting she is, with hair like that,” Sasha agreed. “A fine specimen indeed.” He grinned up at Annika, making her blush.
“Have you ever seen a modern girl before, Grigori?” Talvi asked the more reserved guard, who shook his head. “Don’t be shy. Come have a look.”
Grigori stepped a little closer towards Annika, but seemed happy to observe from a safe distance. Sasha, on the other hand, had no qualms about walking right up to her.
“Do you have any sisters that we can send Prince Talvi back for?” Annika only managed to shake her head ‘no’. She felt completely humbled that this impertinent elf she was sitting in front of was a prince. He certainly hadn’t acted like on
e the previous night, let alone earlier that morning.
“Take a good look, gentlemen,” Talvi instructed them, smoothing her long hair affectionately as if she were his pet. “I do not want her to leave the village unless she’s in my company. If you or your scouts catch her anywhere beyond the walls of my home without me, you’re to bring her back at once. Do you understand?”
“Oh, am I your property now?” she demanded as she turned to scowl at Talvi.
“You might as well be—ooh!” Sasha began, only to have Grigori jab him in the gut, causing him to lurch forward and lose his hat. The earflaps had come untied so that when he put it on they stuck out to the side like airplane wings.
“Prince Talvi is wanting to keep you safe; this is what he’s meaning,” Grigori explained, giving his partner a stern look before returning to his post. Sasha nodded in agreement, making his hat’s earflaps bob up and down while he sent the party on their way. As they crossed the long wooden bridge, Annika could see a small group of curious elves gathered on the other side.
“I see word of your arrival has already spread. I imagine Sariel notified the guards on both ends, as well as my parents,” Talvi remarked.
“Are you going to be in trouble?”
“Oh, heavens no,” he chirped. “I’ve done far worse things.”
“You didn’t tell me you were a prince,” she hissed so that only he heard.
“Does it really matter if I am?”
“I…I’m not sure. I’m not sure of anything anymore,” she said, nervous about what impression she would make among the villagers, let alone his royal family. She hadn’t showered in a few days now, and she was positive she smelled worse than the nymphs by a long shot. When they crossed the bridge she smiled at the elves in front of her as politely as she could. They looked at her curiously, sharing glances with each other. Most of the women, especially the older ones wore simple dresses or saris made of silks and other soft looking fibers. The beautiful fabrics were all hand dyed and the vivid colors bled into one another. Green became yellow and red changed to scarlet, then violet. Some of the younger women wore pants with long blouses. Most of the men wore old fashioned drop-sleeve shirts and trousers. A few had jackets similar to Talvi’s, though none of them matched the detail put into his.
While it was a fairly large village, it remained picturesque, thick with trees that grew quite high over their heads, sometimes bending to make each stone-paved road a quietly shaded path. Annika couldn’t have imagined a more relaxing place to live. It had all of the tranquility of a spa. There were little stone cottages with pointed roofs and wooden doors with rounded tops. There were no overly-manicured lawns or neighbors jammed so close together that there was no privacy. The trees were so thick that much of the town remained partially hidden. Everything grew wild or only slightly tamed, from the rosebushes to the ivy that grew up the sides of some of the houses. The few fences that did exist were surrounding vast vegetable gardens that lay between some of the homes. Some of the chimneys were sending up thin trails of smoke, and orange, yellow, and red leaves fell slowly in the breeze, twirling madly before they hit the ground.
They passed through the small crowd relatively fast, and headed out of the most populated area. It seemed that there were more shops than houses in the town, and Annika could see the cottages become scarcer and scarcer beyond the dense woods.
Talvi and his guest continued on at their slow pace, but Hilda and Runa darted ahead of them, anxious to meet up with Sariel and Yuri. There was a bluff that towered higher above the rest of the village which was also covered by trees. Ghassan walked up the hill towards the bluff and turned at the bend in the road that led to it. Slowly, the loveliest house that Annika had ever seen came into view.
It was a beautiful country villa built of pale stone and wood, with many wings on different levels, as though it had been built one section at a time. Every doorway was arched and the walls were half overgrown with wild ivy. Annika counted at least eight chimneys and many of the larger windows had a balcony. There was one tower that stood higher than the rest of the house. It balanced on a sheer drop right along the exposed white stone of the bluff, and almost directly below the river sped past. It seemed miraculous that anyone had found the courage or the insanity to build such a structure on such a precarious spot.
Two curved staircases led the way to the massive front doors hewn from dark wood. Stained glass windows ran up the length on each side of these doors, about six feet across and fifteen feet high, where they came together at an arch. It would’ve taken an army of soldiers to break through the solid walnut.
They bypassed the front of the house and instead walked around a wide path that ran along side of it. They stopped at a stable where Talvi dismounted and helped Annika down before leading Ghassan into a stall. She peered down the center aisle at the horses out in the pastures beyond while Talvi coaxed off the saddle and bridle.
“Help me carry these inside, will you?” he said, motioning to the bundles of wood before hauling the saddle to a nearby tack room. Then he gathered the rest of his things and led her past the biggest garden she’d ever seen, where two young women were filling baskets with vegetables. Annika assumed that they were servants, since he didn’t bother to introduce her to them.
There were three great arches that opened to the back yard which they passed through, and the sight she saw took her breath away yet again. She’d stepped into a long rectangular courtyard that had been overtaken by ivy-covered stone arches, six on each side and three on each end, all at least three times her height. At the center was an impressive fountain made of black marble; four black marble fish on top were spitting the water back down the three tiers. At the bottom of the fountain were large black and orange spotted fish swimming leisurely, popping their heads up in hopes of a juicy bug.
The tiles underneath Annika’s feet were made of black granite that went to the edges of the courtyard, where the floors changed to a creamy white stone underneath the colonnade. Annika could see the massive windows just as large as the arches, with mysterious rooms inside that she couldn’t see into.
In each corner grew a white birch tree; all of them adorned with odds and ends like glass beads, prisms, colored bits of ribbon, and feathers that twisted in the softest breeze. From the branches also hung the most elaborate little birdhouses, some with two tiny stories, roofs made of soft green moss and tiny doors and windows that that were so detailed that they might actually open and shut. Then Annika looked directly in front of them, in between the two trees closest to the set of doors that led into this marvelous house, sat a table where two women were having tea. They were busy watching a dark-haired girl of about four chasing a smaller boy with a mop of blonde curls on his head. He waddled so much that Annika thought he had probably just learned to walk, and was now going to attempt running. The little girl ran across the stone tiles that wove around the trees and flowerbeds. Then she looked up and squealed while her brother crawled the opposite direction to the younger of the two women at the table. She grabbed onto Talvi’s leg and didn’t let go until he dropped his bundle and scooped her up in his arms.
“And how are you today, you nasty little larva?” he asked, and shifted the girl to one hip. His manner suggested he spoke to her this way all the time, and the smile on the little girl’s face confirmed it.
“You have funny hair like the fairies!” she squealed in the cutest little voice. Annika thought she could feel her face turn the same shade as the tresses that hung halfway down her back.
“Come on, you may as well meet the rest of my family,” Talvi said as he bent down carefully and grabbed the bundle with his free hand. Annika hoped she looked presentable, but compared to the beautiful women in front of her, she felt painfully self-conscious. She had been wearing the same clothes for almost a week and hadn’t seen a comb in longer than that, while both women had their long dark brown hair swept off their necks and held in place with jeweled pins. They wore elegant silk saris, where
layers of silver and blue fabric hung gracefully on their bodies, and the sleeves were covered in the same embroidered pattern of leaves that Talvi wore on his jacket.
“I assume you’ve already heard of her arrival by now, but you should be properly introduced to Annika Brisby. Annika, this is my mother Althea Marinossian, and my sister Anthea.”
The ladies nodded politely to Annika. Althea had silver wisps intermingling in her dark hair, but otherwise looked very much like her daughter. They both had brown eyes, olive skin, and classic features that appeared chiseled by a great sculptor.
“The little ones are my niece Stella, and my nephew Sloan,” Talvi said before setting Stella down lightly on her feet.
“How do you do?” the women greeted Annika with the same English accent as Talvi.
“Very well, your highnesses,” Annika said and gave an awkward little bow.
“Your highness? That’s one I’ve never heard,” his sister laughed, completely caught off guard, and Althea tried not to join her daughter.
“Well the guards called him Prince Talvi, so I figured, uh…” she stuttered, feeling her face turn red again. Her capillaries were getting one heck of a workout today.
“And he let you think he was a real prince?” Anthea cried, hooting with renewed laughter. Annika couldn’t remember ever feeling as embarrassed as she did right now. She glared at Talvi and he seemed just as flustered.
“Talvi Anatolius Marinossian…” his mother scolded. “How can you say such things? You ought to be ashamed.”
“He looks ashamed enough to me,” Anthea said, still shaking violently. “His face is nearly the color of her hair!” She wiped a tear from her eye.
“Annika, I apologize for my son,” Althea said, trying to keep a sense of decorum about herself. “It’s simply a term of endearment. I can’t believe he led you to believe that we were…well, actually I can believe it…oh my!” She started to laugh harder, despite herself. His sister raised an eyebrow and smiled slyly at Annika.
“So you’re the girl from the bookstore. You’re just as pretty as he said you were,” Anthea said, happily ignoring her horrified brother. “We’ve heard a lot about you. And I do mean a lot!”
“Have you really?” Annika asked, grinning back at his sister. “I hope it was good.”
“Well, if you want to know what he said specifically—”
“Are you thirsty Anthea?” he warned, glaring at his sister. “Why don’t I fetch you a glass of shut the hell up?”
“I want glass of shut the hell up, too!” Stella cried. Annika choked back her laughter, trying hard to remain composed.
“Talvi, that modern slang is no way to speak to your sister, especially in front of the children,” his mother admonished. He turned to Anthea and gave her a very fake smile and batted his long eyelashes.
“I’m so sorry, my dearest sister. Please forgive me for speaking to you in such a crude fashion,” his voice was dripping with sarcasm.
“You are forgiven, my dearest little brother. Now run along and go play with your ladies at court. You mustn’t keep them waiting,” Anthea said, trying to sound regal as she made a dismissive motion with her hand.
“Mother!”
“Do not whine, Talvi,” his mother said with laughter still lingering in her eyes. “It’s so unbecoming on a prince.” Talvi wasted no time rushing past their renewed giggles as Annika followed him through another set of French doors.
“I can’t believe you lied to me!” Annika hissed angrily when they were out of earshot. “I thought you said you were a bad liar. You made me look like a total moron in front of them!”
“I did no such thing. You did it to yourself. I never claimed to be a prince; I just asked you if it mattered if I was one, remember?” he said smartly.
“Yeah, well, at least my middle name isn’t Anatolius!”
He drew his breath in to make a retort, but appeared stumped.
They walked up to the second floor and down a long hallway lined with oil paintings. Annika heard a door creak open behind her.
“Whisking her away to your chambers already?” asked a deep, rich voice. Annika whirled around and saw a man as tall as Talvi pulling a door shut behind him. Cazadora was perched on one of his broad shoulders, preening her feathers. “And I haven’t even been properly introduced.” He shook his head slowly in disapproval, but was smiling at them both. “Tsk, tsk, tsk. How formulaic of you, Prince Talvi.”
Talvi shot him a withering look, but the man walked up to them as if he were immune to it. He cracked his back and stood up straight, revealing that he was even taller than Talvi, though not by much. While he towered over Annika, there was an atmosphere of pure calm surrounding him which instantly put her at ease. His face was clean shaven and a dark mess of loose curls hung in his eyes, helping to soften what could have easily been an imposing figure. There was nothing remarkable about his plain linen shirt or dark trousers, although he wore a bracelet strung with milky white stones that caught her eye.
“This is my brother Finn.” Talvi looked quite annoyed as he made the introduction.
“Yes, the elder and wiser of us,” Finn said in his rich, deep voice. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Annika.” He stepped closer and tossed his curly hair out of his face to get a better look at her. He was just as handsome as his brother, and if it weren’t for the subtle differences in their physical traits they could’ve passed for twins. Annika waited for him to take her hand or bow, but he made no grandiose gestures. Instead, he gave a polite nod of his head, keeping his hands in his pockets. “I’m pleased to see that your ankle has healed.”
“How did you know about that?”
“Cazadora informed me.” He reached up to pet the raven, who puffed out her feathers at his gentle touch. Annika could see that next to the black bird, his curly hair was actually dark brown, not jet black like his brother’s. “She said you had bright red hair, although she was mistaken about your eyes.”
“Oh? I thought birds were colorblind.”
“No, quite the contrary,” Finn said, raising a scholarly brow at her. “They see colors that we can’t even dream of, so when she told me yours were violet like the edge of a rainbow, I had my doubts. I'm more inclined to call them a tempestuous shade of blue…like the sea before a storm.”
“Oh…thanks,” she breathed softly, trying not to blush, but she was reeling from his compliment. Finn smiled sweetly and she wondered how the brothers could have the same smile, yet have it look so different on each of their faces. There was something so familiar about his fathomless dark brown eyes, and the longer she looked into that mesmerizing gaze, the more relaxed she felt. The quiet peacefulness that surrounded him that suggested an emotional depth and a level of wisdom unmatched by anyone else she’d ever met.
“I like the way you draw out your ‘o’s,” he told her with a tender smile. “It’s sort of…twangy. I didn’t know you were an American lass. I’ll have a heap of questions for you later on.”
“Then you can ask her at dinner,” Talvi abruptly announced. He took Annika’s hand, leading her away from his brother. When she turned around for one last look, Finn was already walking down the stairs with Cazadora, shaking his head and humming in his deep voice.
“That thing he said about whisking me away to your room; what was that about? Do you have a lot of company?” she asked dubiously. Talvi scratched his head.
“It’s nothing. Pay no mind to him.”
“Alright, well, if you’re not a prince, why does everyone call you one? I don’t get it,” she pestered.
“It’s just a nickname that Finn gave me a long, long time ago,” he said, trying to make light of the name.
“Aww, does he call you Prince Talvi because you have such a high opinion of yourself?” she teased.
“Yes, that’s the reason.” He scratched his head again and led her up another staircase to the third floor.
“Jeez, Talvi, how many more stairs are there?” Annika huffed, losing
steam. The hallway had hardly any windows, but the ones that were open let in just enough light to see.
“I’m sorry to make you walk all this way,” he apologized. “I’m such a light sleeper that I will wake up to anything louder than crickets chirping. Consequently, I have the most remote chambers.” Annika stopped dead in her tracks.
“If your bedroom is in that tower I saw, I refuse to take another step!”
“I assure you it’s not,” he said, looking a little sad. “No one’s been in that tower in years.” He stopped at the last door in the hall and lifted the wrought iron handle. An enormous suite taking the south west corner of the home opened up before them, lit by large picture windows all along the way. Annika set down everything she was carrying and walked around the decadent room. It smelled like wood and books, flower essences and a hundred other things that worked perfectly together.
If she lived in this place, she was certain this is what her own room would resemble. There was a large bed covered with a quilt made of Indian saris stitched together. But most impressive were the heavy velvet curtains tied back to the four wooden corner posts.
The row of windows that ran along both walls stretched from floor to ceiling, and from the tops of them hung yards of sheer fabric which caught in the breeze. She could see there were two doors in the windows that led to a modest balcony. There were two great armoires next to each other off to the side, and a night table to the left of the bed with a water pitcher and basin. A large desk covered with unorganized piles of paper and stacks of books sat in between two very tall bookshelves filled with antique volumes.
Annika was surprised to see what must have been an original printing of Great Expectations and Oliver Twist sitting among them. There was also a copy of Huck Finn and The Portrait of Dorian Gray. Looking around, she noticed a lot of things that were familiar to her in this unfamiliar land. There were ballpoint pens and colored pencils on the desk, and a few t-shirts lying over the chair, one of which was black, and in white letters it read ‘In Japan, I’m huge’. She almost snorted a laugh-imagining Talvi looming over a crowd of Japanese people was a bit comical.
There was a collection of wind-up toys on another shelf. Her eyes moved over a myriad of Matchbox cars and a little spaceship, and even a monkey with tarnished cymbals. A wide variety of beautiful paintings hung on the plastered walls, as well as exotic Middle Eastern tapestries, but the most interesting thing was the wall over the desk. There were countless Polaroid photographs of unfamiliar smiling faces. Some of them could not have been human. Runa, Finn, and another young woman with long black hair were in many of them, but Talvi was in quite a few himself.
He’s either very photogenic, or quite vain. Probably a little of both, she thought. Among the photos were ones of him standing in front of places like the pyramids of Egypt, the Taj Mahal, Tibetan monasteries, the ruins of Acropolis, and Stonehenge. It was impressive, to say the least.
The second most interesting thing was that there was not one area that hadn’t been embellished somehow with objects from the outside world. A seashell here, a brilliant stone there, bunches of dried lavender hanging from the ceiling by a long, silver thread, a brightly colored feather, glass jars of various sizes and purposes, containing different colored sands. It would take Annika days of snooping, and she’d probably still find things that she’d overlooked.
She walked over to the picture window near the balcony. An easel and a small table holding oil paints were set up next to the large window opposite the door. On the other side sat a gramophone and a large stereo sitting beside a mountain of boxes labeled batteries. Then there was another shelf filled with small portable game consoles, a walkman and a Discman. Underneath those was another level crammed full of vinyl records and cassette tapes, with the CD’s strewn about the floor.
“How do you have all this stuff and not have a phone?” she wondered aloud, and walked over to see what he listened to. Some of his music collection was familiar to her, and it included some of her favorites.
“It’s all battery-powered,” he explained, pointing to a pile of boxes. “We don’t have electricity here, which is unfortunate since I’m rather obsessed with it.”
“Man…what a bummer.”
“What’s a bummer?” He glanced around the room with a confused look. This time it was her turn to laugh at him.
“I mean it’s a bummer you don’t have electricity. It’s too bad.”
“Oh, of course,” he said, looking sheepish. “Well, it would be useful, but the price for it is so high. Besides, Anthea can play nearly every musical instrument I know of. We have two entire rooms just for her instruments.”
“Two rooms? Impressive.” Annika wandered around, looking over everything in his room with great curiosity.
“I suppose she was overindulged a bit, since she’s the firstborn. Finn only has one library, besides what he keeps in his room. But books are a little easier to store than instruments. You should have been there when she discovered the pianoforte. What an ordeal that was to bring home and put together. I was too young at the time to help much, but I remember Finn and my father cursing a lot. Their story gets more elaborate with every retelling.”
“Maybe I’ll hear it sometime.” Annika was half mesmerized by the contents and décor of his room, and half confused. Almost a day ago, Runa had been describing the day the twins were born, and yet Talvi said that they grew up together. But it didn’t make sense, as they both looked to be in their twenties. And it didn’t make sense what he’d just said about the piano being invented. She never heard anyone but snobs called it the pianoforte, and she didn’t get the impression that Talvi had been joking.
“No doubt you will hear that story at some point. It’s one of Father’s favorites,” he said. He grabbed two letters off his desk sealed with red wax and slipped them into his jacket pocket. Annika recognized the pair of sunglasses that Runa had been wearing at the bookstore lying among the mess. “Have you seen enough?” he asked her.
“I suppose. I’d like to clean up a little if we’re having dinner with your family,” she said, hoping she didn’t smell completely disgusting.
“Then let’s go find the girls, shall we? I’ll give you the complete tour tomorrow.”
“You’ll have to show me Anthea’s rooms. I won’t believe it until I see it,” she said, intrigued at the thought of so many instruments.
The smell of cooking food hit her nose and soon they were in a kitchen almost as large as the one in the restaurant she’d worked at. Herbs of all kinds hung in large bunches from the ceiling, and there was a wall of enormous windows to let in the light. All the wood was light colored, and the floors were clay tiles, making it look like the brightest, happiest kitchen in the world. The two women from the vegetable garden were cutting corn off the cob and snapping green beans into a huge bowl. Runa was crying while slicing onions at one of the tables as she chattered with Hilda, who was happily mincing cloves of garlic across from her. A hearth large enough for Annika to stand in had a cauldron over the fire that Sariel was stirring while talking to a girl with long black hair. Her back was turned to Annika, but she quickly guessed it was Yuri. Not only was she tall and slender like her brother, but he’d mentioned that she had an affinity for dresses, and the one she was wearing fit the bill. Her dress was beautiful, although it seemed less practical to wear in the kitchen and meant for a day at the Kentucky Derby, or walking on a red carpet in Hollywood. The samodivi stopped their chattering and looked over at Annika and Talvi. Then Yuri slowly turned around and marched over to them at once, giving her brother the evil eye while ignoring his companion.
“So, you’re finally back!” she let into him, crossing her arms over her chest. “Why did you leave without telling me? Normally I don’t care where you go or for how long, but this birthday party is important! It’s less than two weeks away and I still can’t find six hundred red and white roses! But apparently it doesn’t matter if I get them or not, because I don’t even kno
w what group you found to play the music, and I need to know where to have them set up! What am I supposed to do? And on top of all this, I don’t even know if Konstantin or Pavlo are coming! They were supposed to R.S.V.P. more than a month ago. I sent out the invitations with plenty of notice—”
Talvi whipped out the two letters from his jacket and dangled them in front of her face. She snatched them away from him and opened them at once.
“Oh,” she said, ignoring him as she scanned the contents of the letters. One seemed to intrigue her much more than the other.
“Annika, this is my delightful sister Yuri,” said Talvi with a wince. “You’ll have to excuse me; I feel a monstrous headache coming on.” Yuri watched him leave, then glanced down at Annika without any expression; without a warm hello or even a smile. Annika found herself wishing Talvi were still by her side.
“Hey,” she finally croaked. An awkward moment was shared by the two girls before Yuri finally nodded an acknowledgement of Annika’s existence.
“You invited Pavlo and Konstantin to the party?” Runa piped up, breaking the silence. She and the other samodivi swarmed around Yuri to look at the letters, but Yuri quickly folded up the opened one and tucked it into a pocket before they could see its contents.
“Are you sure you want them here?” Hilda asked.
“It’s too late to say no. They’ll be here the night of the party,” Yuri said.
“If they bring all their friends, we’re in big trouble. You especially!” Runa chortled, jabbing Yuri in the side. Yuri’s response was a prissy grin.
“I made them promise that it would be just the two of them. I told them that the guards would have specific instructions that only Konstantin and his friend would have permission to enter the village.”
“They must be real party animals,” Annika said, trying to tactfully join in the conversation. Runa looked at her with raised eyebrows.
“You have no idea,” she said. Sariel remained silent, but her lips were pressed together like she had something to say and was keeping it to herself. Barely.
“Enough about that. Now that I finally know they’re coming, I can focus on other things. I swear my brother is next to useless sometimes.” Yuri rolled her brown eyes and turned to Annika as if reading her mind. “Would you like something clean to wear?”
“If it wouldn’t be much trouble. Can I wash up a little too?”
“Certainly,” said Yuri. “You can wear some of my clothes, but they’re going to be a little long on you. We’ll just have to see what I have.” Runa squealed with delight.
“Ooh, I want to play with your clothes too!” she exclaimed. “Can I stop chopping onions, Sariel?” Sariel nodded and made a shooing motion for them to leave.
“Go on. I want to make sure this doesn’t burn,” she said, and the three girls started off down the hallway, leaving Hilda behind.
“Your room isn’t as far away as Talvi’s, is it?” Annika asked his sister.
“No, thank goodness. It’s very close to the bath, which I happen to love. Ah, here we are.”
They abruptly stopped at another door that Yuri pushed open. The room was almost as large as Talvi’s, but not a corner suite. The windows were larger though, and she had a similar bed. There were butterflies and insects too numerous to count mounted in glass shadowboxes on the walls. She had a desk nearby, but it was neat and orderly, with everything in its right place. A tall Japanese screen with silk undergarments thrown over it stood in the corner. There were not two, not three, but four armoires along the wall. Yuri carried a pitcher and bowl behind the screen and then walked over to Annika.
“There’s soap and a sponge already back there,” she told her. “Runa and I will pick out something for you to wear while you clean up, and then when you’re done, we’ll wash your hair.”
Annika wasted little time getting undressed behind the screen and poured some of the water into the basin. It was chilly against her skin, but it was clean and that alone felt wonderful. She listened as Runa and Yuri sorted through each of the four armoires.
“I don’t think we can find a dress small enough for you,” Yuri called out. “And I don’t have the patience to teach you how to wear a sari at the moment. You can wear some old pants of mine for now. I’ll let you borrow one of my gowns for the party though. We’ll hem it up so you won’t trip while you’re dancing.”
“I heard a rumor that you didn’t wear dresses until recently,” Annika said from behind the screen as she climbed out of her dirty clothes.
“That is true. I guess something just clicked and one day I woke up and said, ‘I’m fed up with trousers’. But you modern girls wear them all the time, don’t you?”
“Yeah. Pretty much,” Annika replied. A pair of dark brown pants similar to Finn’s flopped over the screen, followed by a white silk shirt with sleeves too long for her arms. The pants came down far past her feet, but she cuffed them up and stepped out from the screen.
“Do you feel better?” Yuri asked.
“Oh yeah, this is great,” Annika said, looking herself over in a full length mirror. The oversized clothes made her look absolutely tiny, but they were soft and warm, and most importantly, clean.
“You can leave your dirty clothes in the basket back there,” said Yuri. “We’ll wash them later. Now let’s take care of that pretty red hair of yours. I think I see a leaf stuck in it. Were you rolling on the ground earlier?” Annika suddenly saw an image of green and blue eyes, remembering that kiss under the trees. Her stomach did an extremely acrobatic flip.
“No,” she lied. The corner of Runa’s mouth turned upwards, but Yuri didn’t notice.
“You’re just like my brother,” she said. “He’s always got something stuck in that rat’s nest he calls his hair. I wonder what I would find if I cut it off, but he refuses to let anyone touch it. I would wager that’s where he lost his comb.” Runa snorted a laugh at Yuri’s joke, as if might very well be true. “Not that your hair is a rat’s nest, Annika,” Yuri said quickly. “That wasn’t very kind of me, was it?” She draped a thick towel around Annika’s shoulders and leaned down over the basin to let Runa wash her hair.
“It’s okay. My mom says the same thing.” Annika suddenly missed her mother more than she ever had in her life. She recalled her trips to her mother’s salon, where she let her wash her hair while she shared her troubles, and now these strange girls were doing it for her. She closed her eyes so that Yuri couldn’t see the tears forming in them. “How often do you guys come into Sofia?” she asked, quickly changing the subject.
“We all used to go there about once every month or two, but lately I haven’t been there at all,” said Yuri. “You must know about the gateways closing up, or else you wouldn’t be here.”
“You mean the portals? Yeah, Runa and I actually got through just before theirs closed,” Annika said as Runa poured cool water over her head and wet her hair.
“Really? How frightful. All the other gates have been closed for some time, although I’d hoped theirs would stay open.” Yuri said, folding her arms over her chest. She gave Runa a sideways glance before adding, “Still, only a fool would travel through it. You’re lucky you weren’t trapped on Earth or some other godsforsaken place.”
“How many portals are there?” Annika asked.
“I have no idea,” she shrugged. “There’s seven we know of, not counting the samodiva’s secret cave. There’s bound to be others we don’t know about. You’ll probably be at the meeting to learn all about them, but don’t discuss it with anyone outside the family. Father wants to keep it very small and private.” She walked across the room to sit and read her letters again. There was a dreamy look in her eyes as she read one of them over and over.
“It’s really a terrible situation,” Runa said to Annika. “Maybe not for you modern humans, but it certainly is for the rest of us. The vampires are the ones who travel through the gates most often so they can reach their main food supply. With the gates locking them out,
they’ve been forced to rely on animals, but animal blood doesn’t satisfy them. If anything, it makes them hungrier for humans; especially the younger ones. And you know what the young ones tend to do.”
“No, actually, I don’t,” Annika clarified.
“Oh, well, they haven’t got much self-control so instead of being satisfied with a pint here and a pint there, they drink every last drop and kill their victims. And it’s not like your world where people go missing all the time and no one notices. We definitely notice here when someone goes missing,” Runa said, and scrubbed the soap harder into Annika’s head. She felt irritated by Runa’s comment, but bit her tongue.
“Oh Annika, I’m so sorry!” Runa wailed. “I’m such a toad! I wasn’t thinking. I’m sure your family misses you very much. I’m sorry.”
“I guess I’m nothing but a warm body around here,” she mumbled.
“I didn’t mean it like that!”
“It’s not you, Runa. It’s something Finn said.”
“Oh, you met Finn already? Why would he say something crude like that to you? He’s such a gentleman.”
Annika checked to make sure that Yuri was out of earshot before she confided in Runa. Whatever was written in that letter must have been astounding, because she was completely absorbed in its contents.
“He didn’t say it to me. He said it to Talvi. Something about whisking me away to his room before he could introduce me. Does he bring home a lot of girls?” Runa slowed down her scrubbing to a light massage, but didn’t answer her immediately.
“I think you must have misunderstood what Finn meant,” she said.
“I don’t think so. I think Finn was perfectly clear about Talvi’s character…or lack of,” Annika said firmly. Runa bit her lip as she thought of a response.
“He does have a bit of a reputation because he’s always had a lot of girls chasing after him. How could he not? Isn’t he adorable?” Annika wrinkled her nose. Something Runa was or was not saying still bothered her.
“Well, Finn is cute too, so does that mean he has the same problem?” she asked innocently.
“Oh goodness, no! Finn would never dream of—well, what I mean is he, well…” Runa stammered. “They’re very different when it comes to ladies. Finn tends to avoid them, and Talvi, well, I suppose he makes up for his brother. He never gets serious with them, though. Yuri sees to that,” Runa said in a very quiet voice.
“What do you mean?” Annika was becoming very interested in this bit of gossip.
“She always chases them off. She doesn’t think they’re ever good enough for him. I think because they’re twins, she expects him to be devoted to her before anyone else.” Runa was about to say more, but just then Yuri walked over to them and Annika dismissed the thought for the time being.
“So uh, weren’t you saying that there’s a lot of vampires here?” she asked Runa quickly. It seemed that Yuri had been oblivious to their private conversation.
“Not here, but about two weeks or so up north,” Runa said.
“It’s sixteen days’ ride, actually,” Yuri corrected her. Runa wrinkled her little nose at Yuri for being so nitpicky.
“Really? Do you think I’ll meet any?”
“You will sooner than you think. I hope they mind their manners,” Runa said and rinsed her hair, drying it with the towel.
“Speaking of manners, we should finish up. I think it’s time to set the table,” Yuri said.
“Don’t you have someone to set it for you?” Annika asked, under the impression that even if they weren’t royalty, anyone living in such a grand house and dressed in such luxurious clothes probably had a complete staff of maids and butlers to help run the household.
“Someone such as whom?” Yuri replied, not sure what Annika meant.
“What about those women in the kitchen?” Annika asked.
“Oh, them?” Yuri stifled a laugh. “They’re only working in trade. We don’t use money for every little thing like modern people do. The ladies in the kitchen help with the gardens, and for that Finn tutors their children. It’s really quite nice.”
The girls walked back towards the kitchen where the scent overpowered them, but continued on to a spacious, yet intimate dining room. There was a very large, ancient looking china cabinet nearby. They set twelve ornate china plates and twelve matching bowls on a long wooden table with eight legs. Runa lit all the candles in the chandeliers above them with a long brass candle lighter while Yuri placed the silverware carefully beside each plate. Orange light from the setting sun was coming through the windows, casting an ethereal glow throughout the room. Hilda and Sariel came in with large covered dishes in their hands and set them along the length of the table.
“Don’t just stand there, you three! There’s a lot more to bring out,” Hilda chided playfully. When they returned to the kitchen, Talvi was standing there with Finn, sampling the different dishes that had been prepared.
“I see your headache was remedied by the magical healing powers of potato soup,” Yuri remarked sarcastically to him.
“I know. It’s truly astounding how quickly it cures my ailments. Why haven’t you told me how well it works until now?” he retorted and took another generous sample. Finn walked up to Annika, peering at her though his dark curls.
“Do you drink wine?” he asked, ignoring the now bickering twins. She chuckled to herself a little bit. He was definitely asking the right person the right question.
“Only after lunch,” she said, coaxing an easy smile out of him.
“Then why don’t you come with me,” he winked at her, taking a lamp in one hand and opening a narrow door with the other. “We’ll let Talvi finish setting the table.” Annika looked up to see Hilda thrust a huge stack of plates into Talvi’s arms. He seemed irritated that his older brother had volunteered him to set the table, but then, older brothers are good at that sort of thing.
Finn led her down into a large cellar where there were glass jars of pickles, jams, sauces, dried fruits, and other food stacked on shelves, along with bushels of apples, onions and potatoes, braided strands of garlic, sacks of brown rice and flour, but most importantly, many, many long rows of wine.
“Whoa…you could lock me in here for a month and I wouldn’t even make a dent in this collection,” she remarked, walking up and down the rows in awe.
“Pick a few that look good,” he instructed, “but nothing from the top shelf.”
“Why nothing from there?”
“Because that’s not wine,” he explained. “It’s Father’s good fairy brandy. He has a photographic memory, and he’ll know right away if we’ve been in it.”
“I don’t think I could reach it anyway,” she said as she failed an attempt to do so. She picked up a bottle and looked at the unrecognizable writing on it. She picked up another and got the same result. “I’m used to seeing French and Italian labels, but I’ve never seen ones like these.”
“That’s because these come from my cousin’s vineyard down south,” he explained, and suddenly he had Annika’s full attention. He took the nearest bottle off the rack and showed her the label, pointing to a word in a language she’d never seen before. “That says Marinossian. Why, I remember that year. He lost half his yield to botrytis but the rest turned out quite good.”
“What’s botrytis?”
“It’s a type of mold,” he said, handing her the bottle. “And I had the unpleasant task of separating all the good grapes from the bad that season.”
“I’d still pick through moldy grapes just to work at a vineyard,” she sighed wistfully. “Does he pay you in wine?”
“You’re looking at it,” he grinned, and motioned to the rows of wine surrounding them. After much deliberation they picked out a few more bottles and brought them to the table, where everyone else had gathered. A stately, dignified looking man was seated at the head of the table, and Annika could only assume he was their father. He’d clearly given his sons their looks, but he appeared more rugged than eith
er of them. He sported a neatly trimmed graying beard and black hair that was heavily streaked with silver. It was shorter than Talvi’s, but it seemed just as unruly. He looked stern, a force to be reckoned with if necessary. And while his eyes twinkled with the same greenish blue of his youngest son’s, they held that same level of intelligence as his oldest son’s.
“Does it matter where I sit?” Annika asked.
“Sit next to me,” the brothers said simultaneously, and Talvi shot his brother a nasty look. There were a few muffled laughs coming from both sides of the table that Annika hadn’t noticed. Since she was right next to Finn anyway, she sat beside him.
“Father, I’d like you to meet Annika Brisby. Annika, this is my father, Ambrose Marinossian,” he said, taking great care with the formality of his proper introduction. This earned Finn yet another irritated scowl from Talvi.
“We haven’t dined with a human in quite some time. It’s a pleasure to meet you Annika,” their father said, nodding to her.
“It’s nice to meet you too, Mr. Marinossian.”
“Please, call me Ambrose while you’re under my roof,” he said, still looking at her. “Now, it’s my understanding that you may be here for an undetermined length of time, so please know that you’re welcome to stay while we sort out this matter of the locked gates. I’m holding a meeting about it within the next fortnight, and since you’ve been affected I expect you’d be interested in attending.”
“Then I guess I’ll be there,” she shrugged awkwardly. It wasn’t as though she had other plans. “Thanks for letting me stay here.”
“You’re quite welcome. Let’s see about opening that wine, shall we?”
As everyone began passing their plates to be filled, Finn poured her a glass of wine and Hilda took her plate and bowl and returned them full of food. There was creamy potato soup, fresh corn and beans, a salad of chopped tomatoes and cucumber dressed with oil and vinegar, and warm pitas with hummus and olives. Annika didn’t realize how hungry she had been until the soup touched her lips. It was so delicious after having bland vegetable stew for the past few days at every meal. She took a few bites of everything, then swallowed a mouthful of wine, then repeated, enjoying the chatter among the Marinossians and the samodivi. It was clear that they’d been friends for years and years, but exactly how many remained a mystery to her.
“Would you like a refill?” Finn asked as he reached for another bottle.
“Sure,” she said enthusiastically. “This stuff is great!” She was slightly inebriated, but only enough that it made the candles overhead shine just a little brighter and dissolve the nervousness she had felt earlier.
All throughout the dinner conversation, she caught Talvi’s glance every now and then from across the table. He seemed like he had a lot on his mind, although his eyes clearly let on that he wasn’t particularly pleased with his brother. As the meal was winding to an end, Anthea gathered her children for bedtime while Althea and Yuri began to clear some of the dishes. Ambrose took out his pipe and leaned back in his chair, giving his wife’s hand an affectionate squeeze when she reached for his plate.
“Would you like me to help you?” Annika offered.
“No, but that is very kind of you to offer,” Althea said with a grateful smile. “You should relax with Sariel and the girls. I know you’ve had a long day and you’re probably very tired. Besides, there will be plenty for you to help with tomorrow. It takes a bit of effort to feed twelve mouths.”
Annika watched her walk away and then turned to Finn.
“I heard you have some books about unicorns and their powers,” she quietly mentioned.
“Yes, I do. I’d be delighted to share them with you,” he said, turning in his chair to face her. “Some of them have the most exquisite illustrations, but if you wish to learn anything factual I’ll have to translate, as they’re all in different languages…none of which are English, I’m afraid.”
“What languages are they in? I speak a few.”
“Do you, now?” he asked. His brown eyes sparkled with intrigue. “Which ones?”
“Besides English, I know French, some Macedonian, and a little Spanish. What about you?”
“I won’t bore you with naming them all, but it’s somewhere around one hundred and fifty, including the ones you speak. And then there’s all the dialects to consider.” Annika’s mouth fell open in amazement.
“You’re not even sure how many you speak? Well, I have to test you. Parlez-vous courrament le français? J’ai remarqué qu’une partie de votre vin était étiqueté en français. Avez-vous l'acheté en France?”
“Je parle assez à l’aise pour acheter le vin sans identification,” Finn replied with a grin.
“Your accent is trés bon,” she remarked. “I’m impressed. ¿Es usted bueno en el español? Aprendí tanto el funcionamiento justo en restaurantes de la cocina.”
“Estudié en España por un año y una mitad,” he said flawlessly. “Si usted mira en la parte posterior del sótano, usted encontrará algunos vinos de España. Asumo que mi acento era absolutamente bueno allí también.”
“So which language is your favorite?” She took another drink of wine, astounded by his intelligence.
“Eu acredito que Português é a minha lingua favorita para falar em voz alta. É tão poético, para não falar útil. Estive com Talvi no Carnaval três vezes, e estou ansioso para ir novamente. Desta vez com menos tomates.” Finn winked at her and raised his glass to his lips.
“Quit being such a show off, Finn! She doesn’t know Portuguese!” Talvi blurted out, trying with all his might not to let the scowl on his face seem so obvious. Ambrose bit down hard on his pipe, his eyes twinkling merrily at his sons, but he remained silent.
“I think it’s awesome that you guys went to carnival three times,” Annika said confidently, proving him wrong. Talvi seemed surprised that she knew what Finn had told her, but she actually had no clue what Finn had said other than deciphering this one fact due to the similarities with Spanish. “Do they really have giant food fights there, or did you behave yourselves?” she asked.
“We went to a masquerade ball the first time. The second time we got into the biggest food fight I’ve ever imagined. There were tomatoes everywhere,” Finn said, grinning a little as he reminisced.
“What did you do on the third visit?” Annika asked. Finn stopped smiling and glanced first at his brother, and then at his father. Talvi’s eyes opened wide, but he didn’t say a word. Ambrose puffed his pipe, and a huge, mischievous grin slowly spread across his bearded face.
“I see the cat finally caught that fluent tongue of yours, Finn. Why won’t you tell her what you did?” He looked to be on the verge of laughter. Annika and the nymphs waited on the edges of their seats for the rest of the story, but Finn was silent. At long last, Ambrose set his pipe down.
“The third time they went to Sao Paulo they—”
“No, Father! Don’t!” the brothers pled.
“They went to jail!” Ambrose roared as Talvi and Finn’s jaws fell open, utterly betrayed by their own father. The girls joined him in peals of laughter. “And after I brought them home from South America, they built the greenhouse for their mother. Perhaps you should go back to Brazil, boys,” he said with a twinkle in his eyes. “I’ve been wanting to expand the kitchen.” The girls only laughed harder as Talvi and Finn scowled at each other.
“Talvi, why don’t you be a gracious host and find the girls some extra blankets?” his father said, still smiling. “There’s going to be a frost tonight.”
“They know their way to the linen closet,” he said as though this were a great inconvenience to him. Finn started to get up to help, but Talvi was faster on his feet. “Though I don’t imagine they can reach the blankets on the highest shelves,” he added to his amused father and brother, and sauntered away.
The girls followed him down the hall towards Yuri’s bedroom after stopping at the closet for the extra bedding. There were two more rooms on
the left of Yuri’s, and Talvi opened the door closest to it and carried in the blankets for Sariel, Hilda, and Runa. They turned down their beds while he built a fire that would keep them warm until dawn. He left Runa and Hilda with big bear hugs, kisses on their cheeks, and wishes for a good night’s sleep. Then he motioned for Annika to follow him further down the hall.
“You know where the bath is, and you have a basin in there if you want to wash up in the morning,” he said in the darkness, setting the blanket on the bed. He lit a candle on the nightstand, then walked over to the fireplace and used it to coax a few warm flames onto the tinder. Annika looked around at her dark surroundings. It was much smaller than Yuri’s bedroom, but still bigger than any of the rooms she had lived in while moving around the world with her family. The plaster walls had a few large cracks exposing the original stone underneath, but there were no drafts. The windows were shut tight and she could see thousands of stars through the uneven glass. There was one dresser along the wall, and a small table next to it where the pitcher and bowl sat.
“Do I need to wake up at a certain time? Are we doing anything important tomorrow?” Annika asked, still somewhat nervous around him. After their kiss in the forest that morning, she had no idea what else to expect.
“No, just come down to the kitchen when you wake up,” he said, still gazing at the fire. “Unless you sleep like a bear in winter, someone will be down there by the time you get up.” He took the blanket and spread it across the bed, then drew back the covers. He sat down on the edge and reached into the blankets.
“Come sit beside me,” he said, keeping his hand hidden underneath the blanket. “I want to show you something.”
“Oh, I’m sure you do,” she said, “but I’m not getting into that bed with you.” He snickered a little.
“Silly girl, it’s not what you think. Like my father said, you and I will be under the same roof for an undetermined amount of time, and I truly want you to enjoy your stay here. I left the door open for a reason, Annika.” She glanced at the open door, realizing that he made a good point, and found herself sitting next to him.
“Now close your eyes,” he instructed. She shut them, wondering if she was going to regret it or not. Runa hadn’t been able to fully convince Annika if he was a womanizer, but her instinct was leaning towards yes. And she wasn’t counting on his courteous and sophisticated brother being so handsome, either.
Her skin prickled in anticipation, and then her nose was overcome by the scent of summer. It was lavender, without a doubt. Something tickled her upper lip and she opened her eyes. He’d been holding a sachet in front of her nose.
“I can’t believe how good it smells,” she said, breathing in the sweet fragrance.
“Wait until you pull these sheets over your head,” he told her. “You would never believe that a long winter is on its way.”
She looked at him in the dim firelight and was taken back to that same morning, sitting on the leafy ground with the trees rustling overhead. Something she had been meaning to ask had suddenly come back to her.
“You know Talvi, you never told me what Maurice-toe companya vlatzee means.”
“I’ll tell you when the time is right. You have my word.”
“Alright, then. I won’t hold my breath.”
“I keep my word, Miss Brisby,” he said, giving her a serious look. “I asked you to trust me this morning, and I didn’t let you slip out of my arms for one second, did I?”
“No, but that was different,” she said, remembering her blindfolded horse ride earlier that morning. It was true, he’d never let her go for even a moment. “We weren’t alone on a bed in a dark room then.”
“Now that is a bummer, isn’t it?” he said, recalling her use of the word in his room earlier. She let out a snort, grateful that he’d turned a serious moment into something funny and light. He leaned over and brushed the corner of her smiling mouth with his lips. By the time she turned to kiss him back, he’d already stood up.
Annika felt like her brain was going to short circuit, but then a cold feeling passed through her body like a ghost. She’d been having so much fun with her new friends that she hadn’t thought about Uncle Vince and the rest of her family in a very long time. I just hope they know I’m safe, she thought, feeling guilty for enjoying herself when others were worried about her.
“I’m certain they know you’re in good hands,” Talvi said from the doorway, having read her thoughts. “The best thing you can do keep telling them that.” He quietly shut the door behind him as he left the room, and she didn’t even bother to undress as she climbed into the sheets. She was a smart girl. She could hold her own. Her family had to know she was alright. They just had to.
The Flame and the Arrow Page 7