"That makes sense," Edith conceded. "I already like you better."
Mags chuckled, tossing her head back and placing a hand on her stomach. It reminded Edith very much of Santa Clause.
"Are you lovely ladies hungry? I bet you're starved. Let me grab some vittles for you and then I'll work on clothing." She pursed her lips for a moment, frowning as she eyed them both. "I think you'll need several styles. Obviously you'll want modern clothes for regular stuff, but you'll need some gowns for the meeting later. Maybe a blue. Yes, that will do. And..." She left the room, still chatting away as she shut the door behind her.
The girls stood staring at the door for a full minute before Dana broke down into laughter. "I like her. She's nuts."
Edith grinned and nodded, feeling safe and somewhat relaxed for the first time that day. "Yeah, I think she'll be fun."
A heavy curtain hung along the wall opposite the main door and Edith found herself drawn to it. After locating the pull-string in the middle, she opened the curtains. The view that greeted her took her breath away. Huge, blue snow-capped mountains spanned the horizon beneath an amber sky. The forest that led up to their base was thick, green, and lush. The open lawn beneath the windows stretched a good quarter of a mile before hitting the treeline. She could see animals darting across the grass to and fro and spotted movement in the trees.
"Wow." Dana stood beside Edith, her eyes wide and her mouth partially open.
"I know. It's beautiful. I've never seen anything like it in my life."
"Maybe after supper we can go for a walk, if you're up to it," a voice said from behind them.
Both girls spun at the voice, Dana clutching her chest briefly. "You scared us," she chided.
Charles smirked from the doorway before dropping his eyes as his cheeks reddened. "Sorry, I should've knocked. I didn't think." He cleared his throat, his momentary embarrassment gone. "Anyway, I saw Mags. She said she should have clothes for you soon. Then we'll head down to eat. I cajoled Niatha into making an early meal for us. He wasn't happy, but he never is, the crotchety old bugger. I swear I'd starve if I didn't have Mags to convince him to cook once in awhile."
"Maybe if you weren't such a bossy boss he wouldn't be so abrasive toward you." Mags pushed Charles out of the doorway, her arms loaded to her chin with clothing. "Here you go, ladies. This should last you until I can get some more made. I included some nightclothes, too, so you won't have to sleep in your dirty scraps." After setting the bundles on the bed, she shooed Charles out. "Give the girls some peace, would you?" She turned back at the door. "I'll be back in an hour to show you to the dining room." She winked and was gone.
Dana moved to the pile of clothes, shuffling through the lot of them. Most ended up discarded in a pile on the other bed. She picked up the few she deemed worthy and took them into the bathroom, shutting the door behind her. Edith rummaged through the discarded garments. Without much trouble, she found a pair of jeans and a soft, plain t-shirt, along with a few other necessary garments. They were all exactly her size and she sent up a silent thanks to Mags.
Edith settled on a cloth-covered bench in the bay window while she waited for Dana to finish in the shower. She rested her head against the wall and surveyed the landscape set out before her. She became so lost in its beauty that she almost missed the strange blue birds darting up from inside the wooded area. Something was moving in the forest. Something big enough to startle anything that could take flight. Edith stood up and pressed her forehead against the window, watching the movement of the birds and other animals that were darting out of the forest. Whatever it was was coming closer at a very fast pace.
Her heart began racing as the thing neared the edge of the woods. Whatever it was would be breaking through soon, and she was certain it was headed straight for her. A big black shape about the size of a horse appeared, shooting out through the trees like an arrow from a bow. It made a beeline for the house, moving quicker than she would have thought possible. As it drew near, it took on a noticeable form.
"A dog?" she whispered to herself. Its features resembled a typical canine for the most part, excluding its massive size, satellite dish ears, and spiked tail. Halfway across the lawn it slowed, tongue hanging out and club-like tail wagging furiously. Edith looked down, closer to the house. Charles trotted across the lawn, arms out. The creature barreled into him, knocking him to the ground and slobbering all over his face as he embraced the beast.
"That's Ollie, Charles's baby," Mags said.
Edith squeaked, slapping a hand to her mouth as she jumped a foot in the air. "You scared me," she chided before changing topics. "Ollie? Kind of a mild name for something so ginormous, don't you think?"
The older woman smiled. "Charles is very fond of his humans, and one of his favorite Keepers was named Oliver. When he found that little pup abandoned in an old mine shaft one day, it was no bigger than a squirrel. Tiny thing. His Keeper was here that day, a boy no more than eight at the time. Charles named the dog Ollie after him. The beast has been with us for nearly a century now, and I swear he hasn't stopped growing. Eats us out of house and home, he does. And don't get near him when he's been swimming. Smells simply horrid and soaks everything in reach when he shakes. The little rat."
The woman's tone was annoyed, but the affection she felt for the massive beast showed in the unrestrained smile as she watched her brother frolic with the creature who could easily tear him in half in one bite. It was strangely surreal and only added to the weirdness of her day.
When Dana finished with her shower, Edith stepped in, thankful for the hot water. She finished quickly, loathe to keep Mags waiting longer than necessary, and was still putting her wet hair up in a pony tail as they were escorted to the patio. Charles was sitting on the stone steps leading down to the lawn, scratching his hairy friend between the ears. As the girls approached, the dog sneezed violently, causing an ear bigger than a dinner plate to smack Charles square in the face. The man tumbled backward in an overly exaggerated fashion, playfully swatting the dog until he saw that his guests had arrived.
Clearing his throat, he stood and straightened his jacket and shoulders, trying to appear moody and aloof. "All right then?" he asked the teenagers.
Edith bit her lip, fighting back a smile. "Yeah, just fine. Mags has been more than helpful."
"Good, good."
Awkward silence ensued momentarily until Ollie had enough of the boring situation and bounded up the steps, launching himself at Edith. She pulled back, wondering how she would fair against the dog if he actually tried to bite her with those clamp-like jaws, but he stopped his forward momentum before he reached her and simply bumped into her as he licked her hand furiously. The impact was still enough to send her stumbling back a step or two, but she remained upright. She scratched his head with her other hand until he pulled away to sniff Dana. The cheerleader backed away, putting her hands up defensively.
"Come, sit." Charles waved at the table.
Four places were set at the table on the patio. Edith sank into the thick cushion of one of the chairs and Charles and Dana sat on either side of her. With the help of an older man and what Edith assumed to be a child, Mags laid several trays before the guests. She dismissed the servants and took the remaining seat before serving the food.
"Eat up," Charles said before digging into the meal.
Edith took a couple bites. She wasn't super hungry, but it was possibly more delicious than the food she had had at the diner. She wondered if any charms were hidden nearby, making her want to eat more than she meant to.
"Where's Alex?" Dana sat with a frown on her face, poking at her food.
"He said he was tired. I had a tray sent up for him."
The cheerleader nodded, but the frown didn't fade.
Edith heard a huff beside her, followed by a thump against her leg and pressure on her foot. Ollie had somehow managed to sprawl under the table between Charles and Edith. His head lay on his master's shoe and his leg pressed into he
r big toe. Edith raised an eyebrow at the dog, but got no response from the creature.
"He seems to be attuned to Keepers." Charles had seen her questioning expression. "Every time I've brought one back here, even with other people around, he always knows who it is. And he protects them as he does me. This old man has been in more than one battle and he hasn't failed me yet." Charles smiled fondly at the dog as he scratched his head.
While they ate, Mags asked them questions about their lives back home. She seemed particularly interested in the advances in technology and giggled with excitement when Dana pulled out her fancy cell phone. Charles seemed quite eager for dinner to be over so he could shoo his sister off to the kitchen. The remaining three sank back into their chairs, stuffed to the gills, but happy as clams. Picking up a huge stick by his chair, Charles chucked it and they watched Ollie chase after it. Before it hit the ground, the stick grew wings and zipped off across the lawn with the dog not far behind.
Charles laughed at Edith's shocked expression. "Dog toys in Alaesha are a bit more advanced than those in your world." He gave her a wink and she rolled her eyes.
"So now what do we do? We can't stay here forever. My mom will be looking for me." She wondered for a moment if that statement was true, then dismissed it. She was enjoying herself and she wouldn't let negative thoughts depress her.
"Well, we need to find the missing keys. The other advisers will be here tomorrow and we'll discuss how to go about doing that. Well, further discuss it. We have been for awhile now. Then we'll figure out what to do with you."
"Which other keys are missing?"
Charles leaned forward, sighing as he rested his head in his hands. "You saw the news about the Queen of England, right? She's a Keeper. As far as we know, she had the key until she fell ill. Now it's gone. We don't know where or how. And the Keeper in Nepal has disappeared, taking the key with her. We're not even sure she's still alive."
"Are all Keepers female?"
Dana shook her head. "No. They don't have to be. It's just coincidence that so many are right now."
"What do we do once we find the keys?"
When Charles looked at Edith, his eyes were filled with an emotion she could not place. Was it annoyance at her constant questions? Fear for what would happen if they didn’t' find the keys? A mixture of both?
He stood up as Ollie brought the squirming stick back. "I'm exhausted. I'm sure you girls are, too. Let's all head to bed and we'll discuss this more in the morning."
He clicked his tongue and Ollie dropped the stick, which went dormant immediately. "Come boy," he said, patting his side as he headed into the house. The dog licked Edith's hand once then followed obediently.
A moment later, Mags appeared in the door. "Ready to go back to your room, ladies?"
Shortly afterward, they were settled into bed, having been tucked in lovingly by Mags, each given a kiss on the forehead and a "Sleep tight, don't let the bedbugs bite." Edith lay awake in the dark, staring at the ceiling she couldn't see. Bare minutes had passed before she heard Dana's breathing change. She envied the ex-Keeper. The new girl would get no sleep tonight.
Chapter 8
"Rise and shine, ladies." Mags's sing-song voice rang out through the room as she drew open the enormous curtain. Light bathed the girls still bundled up under the thick comforters.
Edith groaned and rolled over, drawing a pillow over her head to block out the offending glare.
"Tsk tsk," Mags chided as she pulled the pillow away and tossed it to the end of the bed. "None of that now. The other advisers will be here within the hour and you need to be fed and presentable before then."
Like an annoying older sibling, the woman stood beside the bed and poked Edith in the arm until the teenager relented and crawled from the comfort of the down mattress. She groaned as she stood and wiped the goo from her eyes. Satisfied, Mags turned her attentions to the cheerleader as Edith stumbled to the bathroom.
The mirror was not kind to Edith that morning. Her eyes were puffy from lack of sleep, her hair a rat's nest from tossing and turning all night. She washed her face and brushed her teeth before returning to the bedroom. Dana stood outside the door, arms crossed, tapping her foot. She rolled her eyes and pushed past Edith, slamming the door behind her.
Mags was bustling around the room, humming as she worked. Edith's bed was already made, two dresses were hanging from a very elegant folding dressing screen, other garments had been laid on the bed, and a steaming breakfast was at the table.
Mags waved the lint brush she was holding toward the table. "Better eat before it gets cold. Coffee is in the carafe. The chef sent up both orange and cranberry juice. Drink what you like. I'll dump what you don't so that he doesn't throw one of his famous fits." She tossed a merry smile at Edith and went back to her humming.
The breakfast was standard fair. Bacon, toast, eggs with tiny yolks the size of grapes, fruit and muffins. Edith picked up a muffin and sniffed it. "What kind are these?"
"Hmm?" Mags pulled her attention from dusting the windowsill. "Oh, bualdaberry. Very scrumptious. Like a mix between a blueberry, a grape and a pineapple. My favorite."
Edith smiled until Mags turned her back, then set the muffin back down. Safer to stick with what she knew. The breakfast was delicious and the coffee was the best she had ever had. She tore off a piece of toast and lifted it to her mouth. Chewing thoughtfully, her mind drifted to the events to led her to where she was. She thought about what had happened in the last day. None of it seemed real, but she couldn't deny it. Bad things were happening, and somehow she had ended up smack dab in the middle of them. A cloud started to settle over her until the chair across from her moved, pulling her out of the growing funk.
Dana plopped down at the table, face pressed into a scowl, and picked at a muffin. Before she was half done, Mags whisked the breakfast away and shuffled them over to the dresses.
"What do you think? I made them myself last night." She beamed with pride.
Edith examined the dresses. They were very detailed with intricate patterns stitched into the bodice and sleeves. The gowns looked like something out of a regency romance novel.
"You made these last night?"
Mags nodded emphatically. "I'm a very accomplished seamstress. My talents are praised throughout Alaesha. Come, come, let's get you lovely ladies dressed and ready."
Less than fifteen minutes later, they were both stuffed into their respective gowns and had their hair done up. "There now, don't you both just look so beautiful?" Mags propped her hands on her rounded hips and smiled.
Edith stepped in front of the full length mirror. She barely recognized herself. Her hair was done up in several small braids that twined intricately around her head. Little golden flowers were tucked into the strands. She gently stroked one. They seemed to glow of their own accord, though she knew that couldn't be possible. She ran a hand down her bodice, feeling the silky gold fabric. Small silver flowers were stitched into the waist and down the long lacy arms that ended in points at each wrist. Twirling around caused the skirt to lift and flow regally. It made her feel like a princess and brought tears to her eyes.
The expression on Dana's face mimicked how Edith felt. "I feel so..." The cheerleader was at a loss for words and couldn't stop touching her own baby blue gown with lavender trim. Her eyes glowed, the first real smile Edith had seen stretching across the girl's face.
Mags let the girls admire themselves for another minute or so before she clapped her hands together twice. "All right then, let's get going. Best not to make them wait."
She shooed the ladies out the door and down the stairs. She took them in the opposite direction from the patio. The door she stopped in front of was carved with a series of pictures. Edith recognized a dragon, but the other beasts were unfamiliar. She didn't have time to study the carving though because the door opened wide into a large meeting room. Fourteen chairs were arranged around a circular table. The table itself looked like a slab from a huge tre
e. The design of the chairs varied. Some looked to be carved directly from a chunk of wood. Others were twigs teased and intertwined until they formed a suitable shape. A couple were simply stumps with part of the tree left in place to form a back.
Charles was already seated, along with six others who took alternate spots around the table. He waved a hand at the seat to his right, smiling at Edith, his eyes glowing warmly. As the dress shifted around her, she felt like she floated across the room.
Charles leaned over as she sat. "You look lovely, my dear."
She blushed and returned his smile. "Thank you."
He winked before turning his attention to Dana, who remained standing at the door, shifting uncomfortably. "We're not used to having former Keepers in this room. You may sit next to Edlaner." He pointed to a short man who very much resembled a hobbit from Middle Earth. The man grunted and raised a hand in the air.
With a pinched face, Dana crossed the room and took her seat. From the look on her face, Edith guessed he probably hadn't washed anytime soon.
"Can we get started now that the princesses have arrived, fashionably late?" Edlaner's gruff manner fit his appearance. He narrowed his already slitted eyes at Edith. They glowed with a strange orange light momentarily, but when she blinked, it was gone.
"Yes, let's get started," Charles said. "First, I would like to introduce the new Keeper of the Third Key. This is Edith Myers."
There were grumbles and a few waves from around the table as well as more than one glare directed at Dana.
"She'll remain here until this all gets sorted. Now we need to decide what to do about the other missing keys." Charles's gaze settled on three individuals at various points around the table. Each in turn blushed, if they were capable and bowed his or her head. "Before we get started, Boxy, how are Elizabeth and Philip? Any sign of improvement?"
The Third Key (The Alaesha Legacy Book 1) Page 6