by Tamie Dearen
“But you were in bed with me.”
“Different kind of in bed,” Beth clarified. “Mr. Whitford thinks you two were... intimate.”
Kaevin’s eyebrows flew up. His mouth opened and closed a few times, without making a sound. “Uh, uh, most certainly, we didn’t do that—we’re not married yet.”
“I don’t know about where you’re from, but around here, it happens without people being married,” said Beth.
“Well, not in Laegenshire.” He stared at the television screen and pointed again. “What are those things?”
“Those are bombs,” said Wesley. “The planes drop them over the towns and when they hit, they explode and destroy buildings and kill people.”
“Is this real?” asked Kaevin. “Is this happening somewhere?”
“It’s just a movie, kind of like telling a story. But it’s based on something real—World War I really happened,” Wesley explained.
“I’m thinking maybe you guys did some kind of time travel,” said Beth. “How else could Kaevin be so clueless?”
“But that’s impossible,” said Kaevin.
Beth rolled her eyes. “This from the guy who was explaining how a bearer can move people from one place to another by thinking about it.”
“You guys are so frustrating,” Alora declared. “The big problem here is how to make my uncle believe me.”
“You should just relax for now. He’ll listen to you eventually—it just may not be tonight,” said Beth.
Alora huffed out of the den and plopped down into a chair in front of the huge stone fireplace, refusing to join the others watching television. She leaned her head back and closed her eyes.
“Hello, Alora. Where have you brought me?” Alora’s eyes flew open to find a willowy woman with brown wavy hair sprinkled with gray. The corners of her deep green eyes were crinkled with amusement. “You seem to be practicing your gift with increasing frequency, although I suspect it is somewhat inadvertent. Please be very careful not to send me off to some unknown destination until I’ve had time to give you some lessons,” said Raelene.
“But how can I be sure I won’t do just that? I have no idea how I got you here in the first place.”
“For the moment, it’s important to avoid strong emotions. Most beginners transport accidentally at the beginning of an emotional spike or as they begin to relax.”
“Avoid strong emotions?” Alora gave a sarcastic laugh. “Ha! That’s impossible.”
“Perhaps we could first make some tea? That might be relaxing.”
“That sounds great, Rae—Uhmm... what do I call you?”
A smile lit her face. “I’d love for you to call me Grandmother.”
“The kitchen’s in here, Grandmother,” said Alora, leading the way. Her heart grew warm and fuzzy when she said the word Grandmother. It felt so nice rolling from her tongue. “You’re in my house in Montana. Kaevin’s in the den, watching television with Beth and Wesley.”
Raelene slid into a chair at the table, her gaze following Alora with undisguised curiosity, as she filled the kettle with water and placed it on the gas stove to heat. She pulled out two mugs, and opened a cabinet to examine the tea options.
“Would you like black tea? Or something herbal, like chamomile?”
“I’ll let you choose for me—whatever you’re having.”
“Ahem,” said Charles, clearing his throat as he approached the table. “I didn’t know we had new visitors. I’m Charles,” he said, extending his hand toward Raelene.
She held out her own in similar fashion and allowed him to shake it. “I’m Raelene. I’m Alora’s grandmother. I’ve only just arrived.”
“That’s wonderful. Finally, someone who really understands what’s going on. I can actually get to the bottom of all this mess. I’m glad you were able to drive here safely with that terrible snowstorm.” He pulled out a chair and sat across from her. “And I hope, when you return home, you’ll take Kaevin with you. I really don’t approve of all that’s transpired between these two youngsters. They have no idea what they’re doing. They’re going to ruin their lives.”
Alora’s trembling hands fumbled with a spoon, which went clattering to the floor. She bent to pick it up and risked a sidelong glance at her grandmother whose face was the picture of serenity. “Yes, Charles. It seems we have much to talk about.”
Chapter Six
“Of course we’re soulmates,” Kaevin insisted. “That’s why Alora called to me at the offset. And after our hands touched, we completed the bond. Separation sickness began one day later.”
It was Friday morning, and as Wesley had hoped, school had been canceled. The group sat around the table eating a hearty breakfast of bacon, eggs and pancakes, while discussing the events of the previous week. Alora thought Kaevin looked especially nice, sporting some of the new borrowed clothes—blue jeans and a shirt that stretched tightly across his broad shoulder muscles. His unbound hair was freshly washed, the waves still damp around his face.
Alora continued the argument. “Remember, Uncle Charles? That’s when my headache started, Monday night. And then it just got worse and worse.”
“I’m certain we both would have died if she hadn’t transported me to her,” Kaevin declared.
“And Grandmother can explain why we had to keep touching for so long after that, because we’d gone three whole days without contact.” She looked to Raelene for confirmation.
“Alora, dear,” Raelene said, “I’m afraid I still cannot support your theory. We believe Kaevin was sick with the plague. The timing of his recovery merely happened to coincide with your reunion.”
“I don’t know,” said Beth. “If you’d seen them screaming with pain and passing out until they got their hands together, you might be inclined to go with that soulmate theory.”
“I agree,” Wesley said. “I can’t explain it, but I sure believe it.”
“They are too young to be soulmates,” Raelene stated in a no-nonsense tone.
“I totally agree. I think maybe they just wanted an excuse to have their hands on each other,” Charles grumbled.
“But Uncle Charles, haven’t you noticed we’re not even holding hands today? Look, he’s on the opposite side of the table, even. Now we only have to come in contact once a day.”
He mumbled something unintelligible under his breath that included the word “seventeen.”
“And we’re not dating. It’s not like I planned this. I can’t help that it happened.” She looked at him with pleading eyes. “And you do believe me since you’ve heard the whole story, right? I wasn’t in bed with Kaevin. I fell through the ice because I was stupid, and Kaevin tried to save my life. You can’t be mad at him for that.”
“I’m still plenty angry at you for pulling a stunt like that. I’ve taught you to be smart where your safety is concerned. You knew better than to run out on the ice.” He frowned, his chin jutting out, but she could see his anger had softened.
“I know, but I panicked when the hawk was going after Ringo. And I know that’s not a good excuse. Believe me, I learned my lesson.”
“When I saw you drop through the ice,” Kaevin said in a quiet voice, “I can’t describe what it felt like. Please don’t ever do anything like that again.”
Alora felt a pang in her chest as she gazed across the table into Kaevin’s eyes. Their eyes locked and something passed between them, something on a deep level. She squeezed her eyes against the tears threatening to spill out.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered. If only she could forget about all her problems and everyone else and what they thought. She wanted to be alone with Kaevin so he could tell her he loved her again... in a warm, dry and comfortable place.
She opened her eyes when she felt an unexpected burst of cold air. She found herself standing in Kaevin’s arms in the stables.
“I see I will need to take special precautions during our training,” said Raelene as one corner of her mouth twitched upward. She stood beside
Kaevin with her hand on his arm. “You shouldn’t have the ability to transport all three of us, especially when you weren’t even in contact with Kaevin. When I felt your emotions rising, I put my hand on him, thinking to prevent a transport by acting as an anchor.” Her warm smile took the sting from her words. “I think I may need to wrap him in iron instead.”
“So her gift is even stronger than you thought?”
“Yes, I’m truly amazed. And I cannot even predict the potential when she fully develops her gift.” Raelene shivered. “If you’re ready, we’ll see if I can help you take us back.”
Alora noticed her knees were trembling. Was it from the cold or the fear of trying to perform in front of her grandmother? “Maybe we should just walk back. It’s not that far back to the house.”
“This will be an excellent way to begin your training,” said Raelene, still holding onto Kaevin’s arm. “You will need to learn to control your emotions because they can hinder you as well as cause accidents. But the transport is controlled by an emotion of sorts. You must develop a strong desire or longing. It may help to see the result of the transport in your mind. So you would imagine the three of us standing inside your house.”
Alora tried to imagine making the transport, but she was acutely aware of her grandmother’s observation. Would she be disappointed if it didn’t work? How embarrassing she’d accidentally brought them out here in the first place. And she wouldn’t want to arrive back in the kitchen standing in Kaevin’s arms because her Uncle Charles would be upset.
“Alora,” Raelene spoke softly. “You have too many distracting emotions. You cannot be anxious about the transport. Also, I think you may be concentrating on making the transport rather than the result of the transport. This first time could take twenty minutes. We will not freeze to death, so don’t fret.”
“But I get my power from water and stone, and I’m not touching any. Should we go stand in the snow?”
“You’ve already reached a point where you can draw power without direct contact. I will explain later, but you can draw from water, stone, and wood. There is an abundance of those materials in your vicinity. Simply relax and imagine us inside the house.” She pulled Alora out of the warmth of Kaevin’s arms and moved to stand between them, holding both of their hands with her own. “Perhaps, as you grow colder, you will have a stronger desire to be inside.”
Alora tried to picture the three of them back inside the house. But she knew she didn’t want to face her uncle’s anger again. Why didn’t any of the adults believe they were soulmates?
“Ahem,” Raelene cleared her throat as she gave Alora’s hand a squeeze. “Think calming thoughts. Think of something comforting.”
She tried to imagine the warmth of the house. After they were back inside, she would make another cup of tea and—
“Excellent, Alora! That didn’t take long at all,” said Raelene. “Do you know what you did? Can you repeat it?” Uncle Charles, Beth, and Wesley were staring at the trio with their mouths wide open.
“I... I’m not sure,” she said truthfully. “I think it happened when I thought about having a cup of tea.”
“Where did you go?” asked Beth. “Can you take me somewhere?”
“I believe Alora should practice a bit more with me. She’s currently a little unpredictable. I can’t be certain she won’t return to Laegenshire accidentally. For now, I feel it’s much safer for her to remain here.”
“Isn’t this an amazing place, Raelene?” asked Kaevin. “They do incredible things without any magick I can detect.”
“Yes,” Raelene agreed with a worried expression. “I fear we are even farther away than I’d hoped—quite possibly beyond the reach of the expedition team. I wouldn’t like to put her within reach of Vindrake without the full protection of Stone Clan.”
Charles looked outside at the blanket of white. “It seems like the storm has passed. If you’d like, we could go for a ride, Raelene. I’d love to show you my land. And we could exercise the horses at the same time.”
“I would love that, Charles.” She pushed her hair back as two spots of color appeared on her cheeks. “But I did promise Alora we could train together today.”
“That’s okay, Grandmother,” said Alora, thinking she would enjoy spending time with Kaevin without her uncle or grandmother around. Especially since he looked so hot in his new clothes. “I’m quite tired,” she lied. “I’ll rest now, and we can train more this afternoon.”
“It’s too bad you’re so tired.” Beth waggled her eyebrows at Alora after Charles and Raelene departed. “We could all go have some fun together.”
“I’m actually feeling a lot more chipper all of a sudden,” Alora replied, grinning at her friend.
“We could go into town, maybe catch a movie,” suggested Wesley.
“I was thinking more like going for our own horseback ride,” said Beth. “We’ll go the other direction to our ranch or over to Wesley’s so we won’t run into your uncle and grandmother. This weather is perfect for bareback.”
“Awesome,” said Wesley. “Let’s go by my house and pick up two bows and some targets so Kaevin and I can practice.”
“I’ll pack a picnic lunch,” said Alora. “And we’ll leave a note for Uncle Charles so he won’t worry.”
Working together, the crew readied quickly for departure. Beth was surprised when Kaevin insisted on riding without a bridle. “I’m certain it won’t be necessary. I’ve never used one back home. And River is quite pleased about the idea. I’m sure we can understand one another well enough.”
“You’ll have to show me sometime,” said Beth. “You need to meet my horse, Petra. He’s a bit stubborn sometimes. We have a bitless bridle, but I wonder if we could go without a bridle altogether.”
“Without a bridle, your hands are free to use a bow during battle,” said Kaevin.
“Okay,” said Beth with a wry grin. “There’s an argument I never would have considered for going bridleless.”
“I’ll be plenty happy just using a bow for hunting. I don’t relish the idea of being on the receiving end of an arrow.” Wesley chuckled.
“Have you ever been hit with an arrow?” Alora asked Kaevin.
He shrugged. “I’ve only been hit once, in the shoulder. And I’ve had a few near misses.”
Alora’s stomach tightened into a distinct knot as she thought of the arrow piercing the skin and embedding in Kaevin’s shoulder.
“Hey, Alora!” Beth yelled.
“What?” she said, startled from her morbid imagining.
“You had that same weird look you got before you disappeared at the breakfast table. Just making sure you stick around so we can all go to the dance tonight.”
“Are you still harping about that dance? They probably canceled it, anyway.”
“Nope, I called Marietta, and the dance is still on for eight o’clock. Plenty of time for the snowplows to get everything cleared and no more bad weather predicted.”
“Who predicts the weather for you?” asked Kaevin
“We have meteorologists who do that, but they’re wrong half of the time,” said Wesley.
“Our weather guild is also unreliable. Perhaps they trained together.”
*****
Jireo continued to ride well after the sun had set. He slackened his pace somewhat, but the moonlit road was clearly illuminated except for the shadows of the trees. He noticed smoke from a probable campfire off the road to the east and slowed to a stop. He cocked his ear, but the only sound he heard was Surefoot’s labored breathing. Although he reasoned the expedition would have advanced farther, he felt compelled to check the camp to ensure he didn’t pass them on the road.
He tethered Surefoot to a tree and crept quietly toward the campfire. He discovered a camp of some thirty men and women with an equal number of horses. Most of the party was asleep, but two were conversing near the fire. He didn’t see anyone he recognized, but he was curious about the group, so he stole closer, until he c
ould eavesdrop on their conversation.
A man with curly brown hair and beard spoke with irritation. “I don’t like being giftless. The shire folk could be lying to us about Lena—we would never know.”
“But Sire,” said the other man, whose beard was long and straight. “They have no reason to lie to you. They cannot suspect your true identity or the identity of anyone else in our search party.”
“There’s something else that bothered me. When I was in Laegenshire today, I didn’t see Graely or Nordamen. And a number of other important council members and warriors were missing from town.”
“Perhaps they were simply at their homes or on a hunting trip. Or perhaps they have fallen sick from the plague.”
“But what if they’ve found Lena already and are hiding her somewhere?”
“I thought you said no one reacted strangely when you said the girl’s name. You would easily detect their alarm, even though you’re currently unable to access your gifts.”
“Yes, and I even questioned Raelene.” He spat out her name as if it had a bad taste. “She would certainly have reacted with distress when I said Lena’s name if she knew of the existence of her granddaughter.”
Jireo felt a trickle of sweat run down his forehead despite the chill air, but he held himself still and quiet in his hiding place.
“What will you do, Sire, if you ascertain there are others searching for Lena already?”
“I might simply follow them and let them do my work for me.” His lips spread in a vile grin. “But if the opportunity presents itself to kill Graely BarManasae, I will certainly take it.”
A gasp escaped Jireo’s lips. The two men turned their heads sharply to stare in his direction. He froze in the deep shadows behind the trees.
Murmuring softly to each other, the men stood slowly, moving with soft footfalls in Jireo’s direction. His heart pounded as he considered his options. He felt around for a large stone and, saying a silent prayer, threw it as hard as he could at an angle away from him.