Just Like Magic

by Gayla Drummond

  “Good to know. Are you hungry? It’s still plenty early enough for breakfast. Or we could take a walk, maybe see a few things before lunch.”

  I took his hand when he held it out, and grinned. “There’s two of us here. Are you hungry?”

  “I could stand more food,” he admitted.

  “Then let’s go eat first.”

  Chapter Three

  We walked back to the parking lot, the distance again magically shortened so it only took a few minutes. There was another car there, a dark blue economy-sized station wagon parked a few spots from our sedan. “I need to grab my travel mug.”

  “Sure.” Logan headed for the car in response to my comment, lightly swinging our joined hands. I peeked at the station wagon’s interior as we passed, and didn’t see anything to indicate kids. This place would be a dream come true for some kids. The unicorns were gone, to my dismay, but I had faith in Logan’s assurance that we’d see them again.

  After I collected the mug, we walked across to the building and he released my hand to open the door. Inside, I stopped short to avoid bumping a teenager who was studying a rack of postcards. He noticed me and blushed, while moving around the rack to clear the doorway. “Sorry.”

  “No problem.” He looked human, maybe seventeen or eighteen, with dark brown hair and blue eyes. He was also taller than Logan, who followed me in and nodded to him with a smile. In spite of his blush, no trace of embarrassment flowed from him.

  A couple, probably his parents, were at the counter, presumably checking in, though both turned partly our way as we walked past the teen. The woman was my height, with shoulder-length light brown hair. She was wearing jeans and a flannel shirt open over a pale blue tee with “I’m sorry, did I roll my eyes too loud?” across the front. I guessed the flannel shirt belonged to her husband, as it ended a few inches above her knees. He was shorter than Logan by a few inches, with dark brown hair, broad shoulders and a trim waist. They both looked about forty or so, and the years had been kind, only lightly marking their faces.

  I wondered if they were shifters, but my attention was caught by the person behind the counter right then. She had to be standing on something, because her proportions made it clear she wasn’t more than three feet tall. My first dwarf viewing, and I managed to meet her eyes in spite of the wispy red beard covering her chin and cheeks.

  “Hi, Logan,” she said, causing the couple to turn even more our way. “Father wanted me to let you know he’d see you at dinner time.”

  “Thanks.” He caught my hand and lifted it slightly. “This is Cordi. Cordi, meet Cressley.”

  “Hello.”

  She grinned, displaying slightly crooked teeth and causing the fuzz on her cheeks to poof a bit. “Pleased to meet you.”

  “Likewise,” I said, smiling back. Bearded or not, she was cute.

  “We’re going to have breakfast.”

  “Mother baked. Avoid the muffins,” Cressley advised, earning a laugh from him.

  “We’ll do that. See you later.”

  “Okay.”

  We didn’t stop to look at anything on the line of shelving down the middle of the room, or the shelves covering the walls, but went straight to a pair of batwing doors. They opened onto a larger room, filled with round wooden tables and chairs. At the left end, there was another entrance with a matching pair of batwing doors. Everything was wood, gleaming from use and polish.

  “That’s the bar area. Where do you want to sit?” Logan waved his hand.

  “Anywhere is fine.” I felt the weight of someone’s gaze and glanced over the doors to see the woman’s head turning back to Cressley. Had she been looking at me?

  Another dwarf woman bustled out of a doorway set in the back wall. Her beard was a lot fuller and longer than Cressley’s, with beads braided into it. Her hair, a darker red than Cressley’s, was piled in a bun on top of her head. “Logan!”

  “Hi, Maggie.” He bent at the waist to hug her around the shoulders as she reached us. “Good to see you again.”

  “Same. This is her, hm?” Maggie tilted her head back to survey me. “Well, she’s a pretty one.”

  “Cordi, this is Maggie, Cressley’s mother.”

  I offered her my hand for a shake, and received an enthusiastic couple of pumps, courtesy of her smaller hand. She had a grip that could crack stone, and I winced. Maggie grimaced, letting go. “Sorry. Forget my strength at times.”

  “It’s okay. Pleased to meet you.” I resisted the urge to check my fingers for damage.

  “Come, sit.” She herded us to the closest table, and snapped her fingers. “Menus. Just a moment.”

  I fought a smile as she hurried back to the door while Logan pulled out my chair. “Thanks.”

  “You’re welcome.” He sat next to me, smiling. “The service may not be what you’re used to. They usually have buffet-style meals, with everyone helping themselves.”

  Maggie bustled out before I could respond, and proudly displayed two menus. “Here we are.”

  She hovered between our elbows as we perused the breakfast offerings, a pencil in one hand, an order pad in the other. It gave me a chance to see her clothing better. Breeches, a long-sleeved tunic with the sleeves rolled up, and belted by the half-apron she’d pulled the pad and pencil from, and golden brown boots that reached her knees. The boots were heavily tooled, but I couldn’t really make out what the design was from the angle I had.

  We both ordered the Scramble, which promised a healthy serving of eggs chockful of veggies, bacon, and cheese. Maggie took charge of my travel mug, promising to return it clean as she headed back to what I presumed was the kitchen.

  I sat back. “I just realized I’m a terrible girlfriend.”

  “You are?” Logan’s eyebrows rose. “Not sure I share that opinion.”

  “You should. Do you know, I’ve told you more about my past than I know about yours?”

  “Yours is more interesting. Mine was mostly hunting, farming, and fight training.”

  I scoffed. “Yeah, you’re right, that’s totally boring. Is Cressley the one who earned you a lifetime discount on armor?”

  He nodded. “She is. She was only four then.”

  “How close was your old territory to here? I mean, is here about the same as it was, pre-Melding?”

  “Pretty close. We came through outside the city limits, a few miles away from the end of the Palisades.”

  Which explained how they’d ended up in that part of Santo Trueno. “I’m guessing the terrain was different.”

  “Forest mostly, with some clearings. We cleared some land for our fields too.” Logan half-smiled. “Do you want a list of crops?”

  Not really, but I’d painted myself into a corner and nodded. Most of the entertainment was watching him talk, as he ticked off the crops they had grown, and added the things they’d gleaned from the forest aside from deer and rabbits. When he paused, I asked, “Do you miss it?”

  “No, because we still hunt, and frankly, I much prefer buying groceries to growing my own. We could again, of course, but it’s a relief not to have to depend on the weather to have enough to keep everyone fed.”

  I cocked my head. “But now that you have a pocket realm, wouldn’t it be easier?”

  Logan shrugged. “Sure, but what would we become, if we depended on it to do everything for us?”

  Lazy and entitled? “I see your point.”

  Maggie returned, carrying two platters heaped with delicious-smelling Scrambles, a pot of coffee, and two mugs. She scurried away again, coming back with cream, sugar, butter, and a basket of toast. Also, my clean travel mug. “There you are. Shout if you need anything, and I’ll leave you to enjoy.”

  “Thank you.” There was no way I could eat the amount of food on my platter, but after another appreciative sniff, I gave it my best shot.

  Logan had no trouble clearing his, along with half the toast slices. I had to laugh as he finished the last bite. “Could use some more food, I think you said?�
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  “It’s been awhile since I had Maggie’s cooking. Her baking,” he waggled his hand, “is a little hit or miss. But I do enjoy her cooking.”

  “Do you want the rest of mine? I’m full.” I’d managed about half, and my stomach warned that even one more bite would be too much.

  He tapped his fingers on the tabletop, and shook his head after a second. “I’d better not. From the smell of things, I think I want plenty of room for lunch.”

  I couldn’t smell anything from the kitchen. “What’s on the menu?”

  “Deer.” Logan frowned. “That’s not a problem, is it? I’m sure there will be other choices.”

  “I’ve eaten deer meat before.”

  “Okay. Well,” he patted his stomach. “I’m ready to start walking off breakfast. You?”

  “Good to go.” As I pushed my chair back and picked up my travel mug, I hoped Maggie wouldn’t be offended I hadn’t cleaned my plate.

  After leaving my travel mug at our cottage, we set off down the path. I squinted ahead, but didn’t see any other little wooden signs. “Where are the other guest cottages?”

  “They’re here,” Logan waved his hand, “but concealed for privacy. No worries about anyone popping up on our doorstep, though we’ll see them on the paths or at the tavern.” He paused, shooting me a sideways look. “That pool is a hot tub.”

  “Oh, really.”

  “Mmhm. How do you feel about nude hot tubbing?”

  I couldn’t keep from smiling at the question, though I did have one possible issue with it. “Is the water in it part of their AI system?”

  He shook his head, a faint grin curving his lips. “No. Is that why you don’t want to soak in the cave pool?”

  “Uh, yeah. I was a tad more intimate with our AI than I’m comfy with.” Wrinkling my nose at him when he chuckled, I added, “You don’t have a vagina. I do, and I don’t want living water in it.”

  “The pool is just an interface access. Our AI doesn’t live in it, Cordi. It only takes shape there when asked to. And it’s not ‘alive’ either. It’s a magical construct, management software.”

  “I get that.” I did, but the AI had taken a human form, and that was something I couldn’t bleach from my brain. “Still freaked out.”

  Logan raised our joined hands to kiss mine. “Okay, I’ll drop it.”

  “Thank you.” I didn’t want to ruin our weekend with an argument. Especially not one about a personal hang-up. Maybe AI water didn’t freak out the rest of the clan, but I wasn’t a shifter or a computer geek. It absolutely did weird me out.

  “Viewing area coming up.”

  I walked faster, eager to see whatever was there. Logan quickened his pace to keep from being dragged in my wake. The viewing area proved to be a sort of outward bump from the main path, carpeted with soft, thick grass. A roll of raised earth, also grass-covered, puzzled me until Logan sat down. It was a natural backrest.

  Watching the stretch of riverside not far away, I sat down beside him. “What are we looking for?”

  “Guessing them,” he said. “Look at the big rock.”

  I did, and gasped when I saw the two partial heads on the rock’s opposite side. The women slowly rose, revealing their thin, yet lovely faces. One had pale blue skin and long, blue-white hair. The other’s skin was a pearlescent white, the sunlight sparking rainbow ripples across it when she moved. Her hair was a riot of blue hues, dark to light. She clambered onto the rock on all fours, and I could just make out webbing between her spread fingers.

  “River nymphs.” Logan put his arm around my shoulders. “Don’t let them get me.”

  “What?” I couldn’t look away from them. They were disturbingly alien, in spite of their humanoid shape. Thin to the point of emaciation, yet somehow sleek at the same time. The one on the rock sniffed the air, which caused a flutter on either side of her neck. “Do they have gills?”

  “Yes.”

  About to ask him what he’d meant, I didn’t need to when both nymphs focused on him and froze. From their intent, suddenly hungry stares, they were predators and my boyfriend was definitely a menu-worthy item. The blue one sank below the water’s surface, only to resurface a second later, close to the river’s edge. She was still focused on him, and drew her lips back to reveal a double row of wickedly sharp teeth.

  Less than thirty feet lay between us. “Can they get to us?”

  Logan gave my shoulder a gentle squeeze while he chuckled. “No, the rocks that line everything are a protective barrier.”

  Reassured, I relaxed. “But if they could, they’d eat you, huh?”

  The nymphs burst into laughter, their scary poses dissolving. I flinched, looking from them to Logan, whose lips were twitching. “Oh, haha.” I wasn’t mad. Not really amused either. Who liked being the butt of a joke? “Very funny. You got me.”

  The nymph on the rock gracefully swung her legs around to sit. “Our ancestors did make meals of people, long ago. We’ve evolved beyond that.”

  I poked Logan’s thigh as he began quietly laughing. “How long ago?”

  “Thousands of years in the past.” She tilted her head this way and that. “What are you? He’s a shifter, but you... I haven’t seen your like before.”

  Logan nodded when I glanced at him, so I answered the question. “Natural mage.”

  “Ah.”

  The blue nymph drifted backward, closer to the rock. “What is that?”

  “She’s a child of the gods.”

  Dark eyes turned into large circles before the blue nymph sank below the surface. She didn’t pop back up anywhere that I could see. “Did she leave?”

  “Yes. She’s not very brave.”

  The descendants of a man-eating species were afraid of me. Wonderful. “And you are?”

  Pearl—as good a name as any, since she hadn’t offered one—lifted one bony shoulder, her gills fluttering. “Should I fear you?”

  Only if you try to eat Logan. “No.”

  “Then I will not.” She smiled, keeping her lips together. “Are you the one the Seelie Prince is said to be enamored of?”

  Wow, even here I couldn’t escape the supes’ uber-gossipy grapevine. “Guess so.”

  Pearl turned her attention to Logan. “Is it wise to court the Prince’s displeasure in such a fashion?”

  “I’m under her protection.” He was smiling when I looked at him, not a trace of worry or offence showing. “Would you dance for us?”

  She nodded, sliding off the rock and disappearing. A moment later, she breached in the center of the river, rising high, and landed on the water’s surface. What followed was a display of wild, joyous energy, as she spun and danced, calling the water to life as her partner.

  I sat completely enthralled, and clapped like crazy when she finished with a graceful bow, slender columns of water shooting into the air around her. Wasn’t even bothered by the fact that she was completely nude.

  Chapter Four

  “That was amazing.” We’d thanked Pearl, and were on our way to the next viewing area. I tugged Logan to a stop, threw my arms around his neck, and kissed him. “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome. We can go back, ask for an encore.” His hands curled over my hips, and he kissed me.

  I laughed. “I wasn’t saying thank you for just that, but for bringing me here.”

  For once, I was getting a look at the world he’d grown up in, and realizing it wasn’t all crazy scary. If it had been, he wouldn’t have known about dancing river nymphs.

  “Ah. Does that mean we’re on for nude hot tubbing tonight?” He mock leered, waggling his eyebrows, making me laugh again.

  “Okay, yes.”

  “Yay.” I expected another kiss, and received one, to the tip of my nose. He inched back. “Let’s get moving, woman. There’s only about two hours left before lunch.”

  “Sure.” The nude hot tubbing idea took hold as we began walking again, and I appreciated the cool breeze that whispered left to right as a thrill
of anticipation ran through me. I’d never skinny dipped, and imagining a hot soak under the stars, sans clothing and with him, sounded like a good first time for it.

  The next attraction was a pair of basilisks sunning themselves in a rocky enclosure. They sort of resembled smushed flat, goat-sized Stegosauruses, with shorter spine plates plus a neck frill, which they were using to fan themselves. Not exactly my kind of critter, less so when Logan said, “Their bite is extremely venomous, and they can immobilize their prey with a look.”

  “What kind of look?” I backed away from the invisible, protective barrier.

  “It’s a magical flash from their eyes.”

  “I wouldn’t be able to move at all, even if one was about to bite me?”

  “Well, maybe you could move since you can teleport, and that doesn’t require physical movement. But I’d be lunch.” He made a face. “And conscious as they began to eat me.”

  “I think we can move on.” Maybe the next critter wouldn’t be a dangerous one. “We don’t have any of those, do we?”

  “No. By the way, I’m happy to hear you saying ‘we’ when you mention our territory.” Logan reached for my hand. “Because it is ‘our’ territory, my queen.”

  My smile felt super silly, because I kind of loved it a lot when he called me that. “I think spending so much time there has helped.”

  We began walking, our fingers automatically entwining. I’d recently promised myself I would do better about well, everything, and realized I’d left off asking about his past. “Did you ever have to deal with basilisks?”

  “No, we were able to avoid a lot of things because of our noses. Except elves.” A scowl crossed his face, clearing away as quickly as it appeared.

  I decided not to ask questions about that, and cast about for a subject change that wouldn’t be too obvious. “Were there any unicorns near your village?”

  “Some would pass close by from time to time. They have a yearly gathering, which lets the newly mature ones meet each other. Necessary, to make sure they don’t inbreed too closely.”

  “How many are there?”