by Brey Willows
“Do we know if they still have a story keeper? Even one still in hiding?”
Kody and Brenda shook their heads.
“Okay. We’re going to find out.” Maggie pulled the pouch with her hag stone and paintbrush from her clutch and put it into her backpack. She took more drinks and some food, too. She didn’t plan on being gone long, but just in case. “If I’m right, I can think of the story keeper’s house in the Nordic center, and when I open the back door, that’s where we’ll be. Right?”
Kody frowned as she thought. “I think that might work. Normally, when you go through you come out at the edge of a sector instead of in the middle of it, but if you’re thinking of a specific place, it could be that’s where we go.” She gave Maggie a tired smile. “You’re a game changer, so we have to see how it works with you in charge.”
“Then that’s what we’ll do.” She went to the door and waited until Kody had Red Beard on his feet and near the back door. He still didn’t look up. Maggie got a clear idea of where she wanted to go in her mind, and then performed the various knocks and turns needed to open the door into the fairy tale world. When she pulled it open, snow blew into the cottage. “Well, this is going to be fun.” There wasn’t time to run upstairs for winter clothing, since they needed to open the door as infrequently as possible until they had a better grip on things.
Maggie stepped through and shaded her eyes against the falling snow. A row of houses lined both sides of the street. She held up the hag stone and saw the telltale glow from the one on their left. She went to the door and knocked loudly.
An extremely tall man with a pointy face and pearlescent white hair opened the door. “Yes? How can I—” He stared wide-eyed at Maggie. “Oh, my goodness gracious Griselda.” He dropped to one knee and bowed his head much like the Big Bad Wolf had done. “Tale spinner. What an incredible surprise.” He peeked around Maggie’s legs. “And her shepherd. I had a feeling tonight would be special.”
“Can we come in?” Maggie’s teeth were starting to chatter from the cold.
“Oh, my goodness. Yes, yes. Come in.” He darted up and out of the way, and they filed past him. Once they were all in, he ran to another room and came back in with a blanket. “Please, put this around you.”
Maggie accepted it gratefully and only then noticed that neither Brenda nor Kody looked cold. “How can you guys not be freezing?”
Kody laughed. “We don’t react to temperature fluctuations like you do. And I hate the cold, but I’m tougher than you.” She made a show of flexing her bicep and grinned.
“Great.” She didn’t want to appear bitter, but it would be nice to have things be a little easier. “Anyway, I understand you’re the story keeper here?”
“I am, yes. My name is Jacub. I was required to step down from my post when the Marsh King took over and began using Loki’s children to police the sector. With no spinner to help…” He shrugged, his hands open. “What was I to do?”
Maggie pulled the blanket tighter around her. “In the old days, what would you do when a spinner brought you someone?”
He moved to the window and pulled aside the curtain. “You see that light up on the hill? That’s the story keeper’s office. It has a system of dungeon cells below ground, and we’d keep the person there until the rewriter was done getting them to remember their proper place, or until the shepherd came for them to cut their story.” He didn’t seem at all fazed by the options.
“I’d like you to resume your post, please. Take Red Beard here to one of those cells and lock him in. We haven’t decided yet what to do beyond that, but we need him out of the way. Can you do that?”
He nodded enthusiastically. “If you wouldn’t mind helping me get him there, shepherd, I’ll gladly return to my post. I’ve missed it most terribly.” He pulled on a big pair of waterproof boots and a thick lined jacket. “How exciting. What an honor to have you in my home. And how wonderful to know you’re back. Truly, what a boon. What a gift.”
Maggie looked at Kody, who rolled her eyes but was smiling.
“Would it be okay if Maggie waited here, Jacub? We didn’t really come dressed for the weather,” Kody said.
“Oh, my goodness, of course.” He hesitated. “Forgive my ignorance, shepherd, but isn’t the spinner required to keep the villain subdued?”
Kody grinned, but she looked tired. “Normally, that was true. But Maggie is something special, and she’s more powerful than any spinner I’ve ever seen.”
Was that true? Did Kody really think that? Maggie’s stomach fluttered at the praise. “I can keep his chains in place until Kody tells me they’re no longer needed, especially since I can see the building you’re headed to.”
Jacub actually gave an excited little clap. “How wonderful. How remarkable. Fantastic, really. Shall we go?” He stopped and looked at Brenda, whom he hadn’t yet acknowledged. “My apologies, little Sidhe. Would you like to join us? Or will you wait with the spinner?”
Brenda boosted herself up on the window seat. “I’ll wait here, thanks.”
He nodded, and then he and Kody stepped out into the snow, Red Beard between them. Maggie watched as they moved down the street and up the hill, and she kept the cuffs tight around Red Beard’s ankles. His wrists were still in the real handcuffs. When they were safely inside the building, Maggie took a breath. She’d been waiting for an ambush of some kind, but all was quiet.
She leaned on the end of the window seat Brenda sat on. “Do you know what Kody does? What her power is, I mean? I thought Red Beard would show up looking like he’d wrestled with a demonic two-by-four, but he didn’t have a mark on him. And Kody looked fine, too.”
Brenda stared out into the snowstorm. “Like she said, she likes to do that particular work alone, but over the centuries, you hear things. The closest thing I’ve heard that seems true has to do with electricity. Like she creates it from her own body and uses it to get whatever information it is that she needs.” She shrugged, looking puzzled. “It’s not something you generally ask, you know? You don’t want the shepherd thinking you want a demonstration.”
Maggie could understand that all too well. She’d seen the dark look in Kody’s eyes, and while it was sexy as all hell, it was also a little scary. She wouldn’t want it turned on herself in a professional capacity. “Can I ask you something else?” Brenda looked away from the window and nodded. “The thing between you and Kody…Are you okay with her now? With, you know, her and me?” Now that she’d said the words out loud, she wished she could take them back.
Brenda laughed. “She and I played that card before you were born, Maggie. For me it was like having an exotic toy for a few nights, and for her…” She sighed and her smile was gone. “For her, it was a way to chase the ghosts away for a little while. She went through a lot of women while trying to chase the ghosts away.” She took Maggie’s hand in her own. “It’s nice to see her eyes without the shadows of the past haunting them.”
Maggie’s heart swelled at the idea, and she felt Kody beginning her return from the other building. “Thank you for telling me, Brenda. And I’ve never said it, but I’m so glad you’re in my life. Thank you for watching out for me.”
Brenda’s eyes grew wet, and she wiped at them gently. “You’re going to make my mascara run.” She squeezed Maggie’s hand. “It’s a big thing to serve a spinner, Maggie. People in this world are going to think I’m the hottest thing since toasted bread, so it’s not all about you, okay?” She grinned, and they both laughed.
The door opened and Kody came in. She brushed snow from her shoulders and shook big flakes from her hair. “Red is all settled in his cell, and Jacub stayed there to start putting the office to rights again. He’s got some friends he can call in to help him retake his position now that he knows there’s a spinner back in town.”
Maggie lifted the paintbrush and wiped away the ankle cuffs, and the magic dissolved like water in the desert. “That means we can go home.”
Kody nodded, and
Brenda jumped down from the window seat. “Let’s go.” Kody held the door open, and they walked down the lane to where the cottage sat blocking the street.
“Maybe that’s why it’s not a good idea to go directly to a location. I’d hate to drop my house on someone.” Maggie worked the spell and opened the door to the cottage.
“Yeah, that doesn’t turn out very well for people who like fancy shoes.” Brenda’s smile showed even through the snow.
“Does it just disappear from that street now?” Maggie asked as she closed the door and welcomed the warmth.
“Yup. Again, probably why you should bring it to a sector edge, where it’s usually seen anyway, rather than force a move into a particular area.” Kody came over and draped a blanket over Maggie’s shoulders. “Maybe you should go take a hot shower.”
The thought sounded heavenly, and she was about to suggest she have company for it when the front door opened and Blech came in. He shimmered into Shamus and pulled a small black bag from his fur. “I think you should keep this, Maggie.”
She tipped the bag and let the large circular piece fall into her hand. It was metal, and the edges were razor sharp, just the way she thought they’d be. The needle like bits in the middle glinted in the light, and they looked…sticky.
“What’s on it?” Maggie looked closer.
“Careful. That’s silymarin honey. That’s what they use to pick up the piece of someone they’ve carved away, which they then magically transfer into the marble. It’s a nasty piece of kit.” Shamus shook himself and his fur fluffed. “I need to go wash myself.” He left the cottage again, his tail swishing back and forth in agitation.
Maggie put it back in the pouch and turned to Kody. “I’m going to need a box for all my tricks.”
Kody laughed, but it was clear she was wiped out. “We’ll get you a special one.”
Brenda stretched and yawned loudly. “That’s enough for me for one day, folks. See you at the same time tomorrow for more fun and games.” She left quietly.
Kody pulled Maggie into her arms. “You’re amazing. Every step you made tonight was perfect, and even when you started to doubt yourself, you pulled it back.” Her kiss was light, tender.
“Want to shower with me?” Maggie stroked the back of Kody’s neck.
“Yes. More than a kipchechen wants baby flesh. But if I’m honest, I’m nearly too tired to stand up.” She rested her forehead against Maggie’s. “Can I have a rain check?”
Maggie closed her eyes and breathed in Kody’s solid presence. “Only on the condition that you stay the night. I liked the night you held me at Mal’s, and I’ve missed sleeping in your arms.”
Kody pulled away and led Maggie up the stairs. “You have no idea how appealing that sounds, love.”
Maggie shivered at the endearment. She’d heard it plenty in the Celtic sector and a lot in the marketplace. It was a simple term and didn’t mean anything. But she allowed herself the little bite of hope that suggested maybe, in this case, it would grow to mean something more.
She showered quickly, and when she came to bed, Kody was on her back and breathing evenly. When Maggie snuggled in against her, Kody’s arm dropped from where it had been tucked behind her head and wrapped tightly around Maggie, pulling her close. Maggie felt all the tension leave her body. This was what belonging felt like.
* * *
Maggie woke slowly, the sounds of the city far below background noise she’d always accepted as normal. Her head was pillowed on Kody’s shoulder, and Kody’s arm was still wrapped around her. They’d fallen asleep in that position, and obviously they’d both been too exhausted to move all night. She pondered the questions still facing them and the decisions she still had to make, but she didn’t need to rush anything. She could feel the resolution to the story coming toward her, and with it would be the answers.
Kody stirred. “You’re thinking very loudly.”
Maggie smiled, liking the sound of Kody’s heartbeat under her ear. “Then you’re not sleeping deep enough.” She moved away from Kody’s body and rested her head in her hand. “Tell me about your tattoos.”
Kody opened one eye and looked at her sleepily. “Can you wait until we’ve had coffee?”
Maggie poked her in the side before she jumped out of bed. Things were on the horizon, and she was ready to put plans into motion. But it was early, so there was time to relax before they went chasing fairy tale creatures through New York. She made coffee and brought it upstairs. Kody was sitting propped against her pillows with a book in her lap. She accepted the cup of coffee Maggie handed her and murmured appreciatively over it.
Maggie pulled the covers back and crawled in, careful not to spill her own coffee. “So, you were going to tell me.”
Kody looked at her over the rim of her mug. “They say once you know something, you can’t un-know it. Sure you want that much information about me?”
Maggie traced the swirls and lines along Kody’s forearm. “I’m positive.”
Kody took another sip and raised her left arm. “Most of them are to do with our sector. Most shepherds I’ve met have lots of tattoos from their sector, and some representing other sectors or beliefs they’ve picked up. Most of mine are Celtic and have the triplism aspect present, meaning there’s the number three represented in some way. It’s sacred in our culture.” She pressed her coffee mug to the one near her wrist. “That’s a triskele. See the way the three parts sticking out look like legs? It’s a symbol of motion, and I have it where I can see it to remind me to keep going, even when I don’t feel like I can get up. I got it during a drunken night after I lost Jess and Issy, which is funny, really, since I pretty much stopped moving altogether until you showed up.” Her smile was sad but clear of the ghosts. “The oak tree on my back is a sacred tree that represents strength and stability.” She leaned forward, and Maggie pulled up the back of her shirt to see the tree’s trunk that started at the base of Kody’s spine and then grew up her spine, the branches folding over her shoulders.
“And here at the top?” Maggie traced the lines of the pictures over the top branches of the tree. The work was so lifelike it looked like rain was really falling onto the branches and dripping off, while on the other side, flames rose from the topmost branches, reaching for the top of Kody’s shoulder.
“Rain to represent the healing and destructive nature of water, and fire to represent life’s passion and creation.”
Maggie liked the way Kody shivered under her touch as she traced the lines with her fingertip. “And who is this, beside the tree?”
“Rhiannon. She’s a protector of the equine, hence her being on a horse, and she’s about handling things with political savvy and generosity. I met her once in the elven kingdoms, but they don’t have much to do with us anymore, not the really old ones. She was the most intense, wisest woman I’ve ever met.”
Maggie wondered if she should be jealous that Kody had admired a woman so much she’d had her tattooed on her body. But the emotions coming from their connection weren’t about attraction, or lust, or even love. It was genuine respect that flowed from her, almost awe. Maggie could cope with that. She lowered the arm Kody was holding her coffee with. “And this one?”
Kody was quiet for a moment. “You’re sure?”
Maggie had a feeling she knew what it meant, but she wanted to hear it just the same. “No secrets between us, okay?”
Kody nodded. “It’s a trinity knot. The three triangular points represent body, mind, and spirit. The circle running through it represents eternity.” Her expression was searching as she looked at Maggie.
Maggie waited, but there was no definite emotion coming through their connection. She didn’t know if Kody was blocking it, or if the emotion attached to the symbol, and the memories that went with it, had diminished. She wrapped her hand around the symbol and didn’t bother to wipe away the tears in her eyes. “That’s beautiful. And your love for her won’t diminish because you love someone else. I know that, and i
t’s okay.”
Relief flooded her, and she smiled at Kody’s reaction. “Thank you, Mags. For understanding, and for wanting to know.” She leaned over and kissed her, her eyes alight with mischief. “And it’s good you won’t be worried when I fall in love again.”
Maggie flushed with embarrassment and shoved Kody backward. “Brenda will be here any minute, and I’m not about to go without a shower today.” She looked at Kody over her shoulder before she went into the bathroom. “Thank you for sharing.”
Kody nodded. “Any time.”
Maggie showered quickly and heard Kody and Brenda laughing downstairs, a sound that made her smile in return. She took a moment to think about what life had been like before this amazing adventure had started. Alone in her little apartment, with no friends, no family, and a job she’d hated. And a cat who’d adopted her. She looked over the railing and saw Blech stretched in a patch of sunlight coming in through the window. It wasn’t true that she didn’t have any friends, either. She grabbed her phone and opened her email. She sent one to Casey, letting her know life had taken a crazy turn, and she wanted to tell her all about it when she was back from whatever shoot she was on somewhere in the world. It was strange that it hadn’t been all that long since they’d spoken, but Maggie’s life was unrecognizable from the one she’d had when they’d chatted about Maggie’s perpetual singleness. Now, she wasn’t exactly single, but she wasn’t taken, either. But there would be time to figure that out. For now, she had a job to do.
Chapter Twenty-six
Connections: In a hurry. Need to find workers willing to sacrifice for the greater good. Parts may be taken, but will be returned in full when victory is attained. Must not have aversion to loud music or cinnamon. Contact greeneyes21
“So, do we go after Ju-Ju man, or do we go to Kuma Lisa, the creepy woman who gets what she wants?” Maggie flipped through the book in her lap, looking for descriptions of both. “And do we know where they are?”