The Dragon's Flame (The Chronicles of Terah # 2)

by Morgan, Mackenzie

  Gerry shook her head. “Eventually Brena’s going to realize a pendant’s missing, and when she does, I don’t want anyone remembering that I did anything unusual around that time. The only night my assistant has off is Friday night. That’s the only night I can be gone for a few hours without anyone noticing.”

  “I understand.” Rolan slowly nodded his head. “Then how about this? We’ll travel around enough next Friday night for you to feel comfortable with it, and then, when we go to Ragenon the next Friday night, you can go ahead and get the pendant.”

  Gerry shook her head. “It’s been years since I’ve been to that chapel. I need to watch the place for a couple of hours and figure out the best way to do this. I don’t want to get caught, Rolan.” Then she leaned back and looked straight into his eyes. “Why are you in such a hurry?”

  Rolan cursed to himself. If he wasn’t careful, he was going to blow it. “We’ve waited so long. I was just thinking that if I had the pendant by the June Council meeting, I could challenge Myron then and get all of this over with. We could be married this summer.”

  Gerry kissed his cheek. “Well, we’ve waited this long. Another month won’t hurt. You can challenge him in July, and we’ll be married in August.” Gerry ran her fingers through his hair and pulled his head down towards hers. “Now that that’s settled …”

  Chapter 8

  Theresa Returns

  Monday morning Theresa knocked on the door to Kevin’s outer office. When Ariel opened it, Chris glanced up to see who was there. “Well, hello. Welcome back!” he said as he stood up and walked towards her.

  “It’s good to be back,” Theresa answered as he grabbed her in a bear hug. “Is Kevin around?”

  “He’s in his office going through applications right now. I’m sure he’d love a distraction,” Chris said with a grin as he released her.

  “Before we bother him, do you know where Laryn is? I’d like to tell you about my trip, but I’d like for her to be here, too. I’ve got a couple of questions to ask her.”

  Chris caught Ariel’s eye. “Ask Laryn to join us if she can, please.” Ariel nodded and quietly left the room. “I take it your trip wasn’t your normal, everyday, herb gathering trip.”

  Theresa laughed. “You might say that.”

  They walked across the room and sat down on the couch.

  “You said he’s going through applications?” Theresa asked.

  Chris nodded. “Sorcerers’ applications. After we sorted through all the requests for changes that had accumulated over the past year, we ended up with a vacancy, so Kevin has to arrange a competition. He’s scheduled it for June 8, but that only leaves us three weeks to get it set up. He needs to choose his candidates today.”

  “Then maybe we shouldn’t disturb him.”

  “It’s okay. I think he’s already picked out the three he wants. He’s just reviewing all the applications to be sure he didn’t overlook anything. You know him.”

  The door to the reception area opened and Laryn walked in, followed by Ariel. “You wanted to see me?” she asked Chris.

  Chris tilted his head towards Theresa. “Theresa does. She has something to tell us and then she has a couple of questions for you. Let’s go into Kevin’s office.”

  Once they were all settled around Kevin’s desk, Theresa told them about finding Jaron. She described his injuries in detail, explaining how serious the infection was and how things were touch and go until his fever broke late Saturday afternoon. “Saturday evening Hayley and I both felt like we were being watched, and then Sunday morning, Hayley noticed two eyes, floating about a foot and a half off the ground.”

  “An Alysian cat,” Chris mumbled.

  “That’s right, Chris. How did you know?” Theresa asked.

  “During the federation meeting the Alysian cat kept popping in and out, but her eyes remained in exactly the same place, whether I could see the rest of her or not,” Chris explained. “I couldn’t take my eyes off of her. Did you notice her, Kevin?”

  Kevin shook his head.

  Theresa continued, “A few minutes later, we heard a voice right beside me, but no one was there. Then, all of a sudden, a gnome appeared. It was like he wasn’t there, then he was. It turned out to be Jaron’s father, King Merdin.”

  “We’ve met him,” Kevin said. “He’s a federation representative so he has a key to Terah. Are you sure he didn’t just step out of the energy flow beside you?”

  “No, I really don’t think so. I heard his voice before he appeared, and a few minutes later, he waved his arm and a dozen more gnomes suddenly appeared, along with three Alysian cats,” Theresa answered. Then she looked at Laryn and asked, “How do they do that?”

  Layrn hesitated for a few moments and then said, “Very few humans know that Alysian cats even exist, and fewer yet have ever seen one. They’re magical creatures and they can make a conscious choice as to whether to be seen or not.” Then she glanced at Chris. “Klysa knew you were watching her, so she put on a show for you. I saw her, too. I’ve never seen her act that playful before. She must have liked you, which is a little surprising since Alysian cats don’t usually associate with anyone other than gnomes.”

  “Okay, that explains the cats,” Theresa said slowly. “But what about the gnomes? Are they magical, too?”

  “No, they’re not.” Laryn frowned and paused before continuing. “Theresa, I’m really surprised that King Merdin let you see as much as he did. The gnomes guard their secrets very carefully.”

  “All right, but just what did we see?”

  “Alysian cats live with gnomes. They protect the gnomes, accompany them when they travel, some even allow the gnomes to ride them. In exchange, the gnomes tend to the cats. They set out food and water for them, make blankets and pillows for them to sleep on, and brush them. The gnomes use the hair that they collect from the brushes to make the material for their clothes, especially their cloaks, and when they put on those clothes they can choose whether or not to be seen, just like the cats.”

  “That’s what Glendymere meant!” Kevin said. When everyone looked at him, he explained. “When we were in Davenglen, Glendymere brought us some supplies. Remember, Chris?”

  Chris nodded, but his eyebrows were raised in question.

  “He said the gnomes couldn’t be seen unless they wanted to be seen. I thought he just meant that they were really good at hiding, but he meant what he said literally! Man, wouldn’t that be great! Imagine, being able to walk into a room full of people and no one be able to see you.”

  Chris grinned. “Spies and assassins would love it.” Then he realized what he had just said and his eyes opened wide and his jaw dropped.

  Kevin sat forward in his chair and looked at Laryn. “How many people do you think have clothes made of Alysian cat hair? This could be a big problem.”

  Laryn shook her head. “I think the only humans who know about Alysian cat hair are sitting right here in this room.” She looked at Theresa and added, “That’s why I’m so surprised that King Merdin let you see that.”

  “Maybe he felt that he was safe because I’m a sister. The Sisterhood is known for keeping quiet,” Theresa said. “But what am I going to do about Hayley? Granted she doesn’t know how they just appeared, but she sure knows that they did.”

  “Isn’t she young and rather excitable?” Laryn asked.

  Theresa grinned and nodded.

  “People will think she’s just exaggerating. They won’t pay too much attention to what she says.” Laryn said. “I wouldn’t worry about it.”

  “If no one else knows, how did you find out?” Kevin asked Laryn.

  “Badec told me.”

  “Did Glendymere tell him?” Chris asked.

  Laryn shook her head. “No. He found out about the gnomes and Alysian cat hair quite by accident when he was about eight or nine years old. From what he told me, he was out in the meadow on one of his visits home. A rabbit caught his eye and he was trying to track it back to its nest,
so he dropped down on his hands and knees and started crawling after it. Freddy was apparently keeping an eye on him when he sensed an Alysian cat and a gnome in the woods nearby, so he flew down to warn them to be on the lookout for Badec. When Freddy landed, both the gnome and the cat made themselves visible. Unfortunately, Badec stood up at that instant and saw them suddenly appear out of thin air. As soon as the cat and gnome realized that he was there, they vanished. When he asked Freddy about it, Freddy tried to play it off as Badec’s imagination, but he finally broke down and told him what was going on. He also warned him that it would not be good for other humans to know. As far as I know, I’m the only person Badec ever told, and he didn’t tell me until after I had met Klysa.”

  “I guess if humans were trying to capture Alysian cats to get their hair we’d have heard about it, right?” Kevin asked.

  Laryn nodded. “Loud and clear. If that were happening anywhere on Terah you’d be expected to stop it.”

  Kevin sighed. “I guess that’s one of the perks of working in this office.”

  “Huh?!” Chris asked.

  “We’re the first to hear bad news.”

  Laryn nodded again. “You can count on that.”

  “How long were the gnomes with you?” Kevin asked Theresa.

  “Until Friday. I told King Merdin that Jaron wouldn’t be ready to travel until then, so he agreed to leave his son in our care. When he left, he asked his men to stay there and help gather herbs while we were tending to Jaron. One of the cats stayed too, but I think the main reason he stayed was to keep an eye on Jaron and make sure he did as we said. Then when King Merdin came back Friday he gave me these.” Theresa took the chimes out of the pouch. “He told me if I ever needed the help of the gnomes, all I had to do was hang these chimes and the gnomes would come.”

  Laryn exhaled a low whistle. “That’s quite a gift, Theresa. He basically adopted you and made you an honorary gnome.”

  “I figured it was something like that. I didn’t know what to say when he gave them to me. I felt funny accepting a gift like this just for tending to his son’s wounds, but there was no way I was going to take a chance on insulting him by refusing them.” She held the chimes up and jiggled the string a little. “In a way it’s a shame they’re so special. I’d love to hang them up in my window at the chapel.” Theresa put the chimes back in the pouch. “Kevin, are you going to Willow Canyon any time soon?”

  “I go every Tuesday and Thursday morning. Why?”

  “I’d like to go with you. I want to check on the herb beds and pick up some herbs that don’t grow around here.”

  “When do you want to go?”

  “Would tomorrow be okay? I’d like to stay for about a week.”

  Kevin nodded.

  “Well, guess I’d better let you get back to work,” Theresa said as she stood up to go. “See you tomorrow at breakfast.”

  ~ ~ ~ ~

  That evening, as they were getting ready to leave the office for dinner, Kevin gave Chris the names of the three sorcerers he wanted to invite to compete for the position in Zander. “When you send out the invitations, be sure to tell them that we have to know whether or not they accept by next Monday. And be sure Elin includes a basic job description and pay level, but not the name of the province.”

  Chris nodded. “I’ll write the letter tonight. Then she can make copies and send them out tomorrow.”

  “I was thinking about going to Crinsor Run Saturday afternoon to talk to Taelor. Do you want to go?”

  “Yeah, sounds good. When do you want to leave?

  “Around three or so.”

  “Are you planning to take Rigel or Alek with us?”

  “No, that’s one of the places I said I wouldn’t let them go. The elves would probably be insulted if I took bodyguards, and besides, you’ll be with me. Darrell will be okay with that.”

  Chris nodded. “How long do you think we’ll be gone?”

  “Probably until evening anyway.”

  “Okay. Are you going to talk to Landis while we’re there?”

  “I don’t know. I haven’t really thought about it.” Kevin remembered the vision he had had shortly after his father’s death. He had seen a young redheaded woman standing across a barren field from Rolan, and as he watched, they began to fight. The magical energy was so bright that Kevin couldn’t see what was happening, and the vision ended before he could see which one survived. At the time, he had wondered if the girl might be Landis. “I want to talk to Xantha if he’s around, and I need to talk to Duane about translocation. We’re going to be pretty busy as it is.”

  “It might be nice to at least say hello if you’re going to be in the area. Otherwise she might get the idea that you’re not really interested in being her mentor.”

  “You’ve got a point. I guess I really should introduce myself.” Kevin sighed. “You know, things were a lot simpler when I was an accountant.”

  “Yeah, but not nearly so much fun.”

  Chapter 9

  North Amden

  When Kevin and Chris materialized in Crinsor Run Saturday afternoon, they were standing between a rushing mountain river and a horseshoe shaped courtyard bursting with the colors of spring. Fountains and waterfalls provided backdrops for flowerbeds and the few trees in the courtyard had been strategically placed as focal points. There was a gazebo on each side of the courtyard and benches were scattered throughout the garden along pebbled walkways. Surrounding the courtyard were five large houses, and circling the courtyard, between the gardens and the houses, was a narrow road.

  As Kevin and Chris started down the road, a woman stood up near the middle of the garden. She was tall and thin, like all of the elves, and her face had the timeless beauty typical of elven women. She straightened her skirt, put her hands on her hips in an authoritative manner, and walked towards them. They stopped and waited for her.

  When she reached them, she stared hard at Kevin, then her shoulders relaxed and she smiled. “Myron. It’s nice to meet you at last.”

  Kevin raised his eyebrows. “I’m afraid you have me at a disadvantage.”

  The woman nodded. “My name’s Gwynn. I’m Hayden’s wife, Duane’s mother.” Then she shifted her eyes toward Chris. “And you must be Myron’s assistant, Chris.” When Chris nodded, she took out a small towel and wiped her hands. “I was just about to go inside for a cup of tea. Why don’t you join me?”

  “Thank you,” Kevin answered for both of them.

  Gwynn led them through the gardens to the house at the bottom of the horseshoe, and then she led them around to the back. The house was different from any that Kevin or Chris had ever seen. It looked like a large wheel, with a central hub and four long spokes leading away from the hub. The back door led directly into the kitchen, which was at the back of the central hub.

  Once they were in the kitchen, Gwynn pointed to a small table and told Kevin and Chris to have a seat. Chris had caught the rich smells of cinnamon and brown sugar before the back door was even open. The cake that was the source of those delicious aromas was sitting on the kitchen table, neatly sliced and ready to eat.

  “I’m going to have a cup of tea. Would either of you prefer something else? Maybe some scog? Or some milk? Or would you prefer water?” Gwynn asked as she put the water on to boil.

  “I’d really like some milk,” Chris said, all but drooling over the cake.

  Gwynn nodded and looked at Kevin.

  “Tea’s fine for me.”

  While they were waiting for their drinks, Kevin gazed around the hub. It was one large room, with furniture dividing it into different areas. The roof was full of skylights, and windows filled each wall, making the house feel more like a natural setting than a man-made structure. Most of the windows were framed in such a way that they could be removed, opening the house even more to the outside.

  While the tea was steeping, Gwynn set a couple of plates, a couple of forks, a pitcher of cold milk, and a mug on the table. She nodded towards th
e cake as she invited them to help themselves.

  Chris quickly poured himself a mug of milk and put a piece of cake on his plate. When he took a bite, it was all he could do to keep from moaning. If anything, it tasted better than it smelled, and it smelled heavenly.

  Gwynn brought two cups of tea over to the table, set one in front of Kevin, and sat down with the other. “I feel pretty sure that you didn’t come here to see me,” she said after she took a sip of her tea. “Who would you like for me to find?”

  “Taelor, actually,” Kevin said. “I need to talk to him.”

  Gwynn nodded. She quickly finished her tea and said, “Why don’t you two stay right here and enjoy your snack? I’ll go find Taelor and tell him that he has visitors.”

  After Gwynn left the kitchen, Kevin asked, “How in the world are you eating cake? We just had lunch about an hour ago!”

  “You really ought to try it,” Chris said between bites. “It’s incredible! And it’s still warm. She must have made it this morning,” he said as he took another bite. “Ummm. I’ve never tasted anything like it. It’s so light, so moist, so wonderful!”

  Kevin laughed. “You just like cake. You say the same things about Joan’s, and Ashni’s, and Miranda’s. I bet you’ve never tasted any cake that you didn’t like.”

  Chris was finishing his second piece when Gwynn opened the back door and she and Taelor walked in.

  Taelor’s jaw dropped, his eyes opened wide, and he stopped in the middle of the doorway. “Kevin? Chris? What are you two doing here?”

  Gwynn frowned and looked at Kevin. “Kevin?”

  Kevin smiled at Gwynn and said, “That’s my name, too. Taelor knew me as Kevin, not as Myron.”

  Gwynn didn’t look convinced, but she nodded. “I’ll leave you to talk. I need to get back to the garden.” As she turned to go back outside, she stopped halfway, turned back to Kevin, and said, “You’ll stay for dinner tonight. I’m sure that Hayden and Duane would like to see you. We’ll eat around sunset.”