Bears liked honey, bees made honey, so buzzing was a side effect.
“Thank you for breakfast, Dira. I know it says it on the sign, but most B&B’s I have been to have nasty muffins and scones.” Ezzy looked admiringly at the expanse of bacon, eggs, toast, muffins, beans, sausage, fruit salad and the tower of pancakes.
“Most shifters are big eaters. I take that into account.” Dira chuckled and stabbed four of the pancakes for her own plate.
Buzz had ploughed through a third of the offerings, and he was going back in for more.
Ezzy usually dismissed the term eat like a bird, but she felt the comparison was apt, considering the company.
Dira was making serious inroads on her side of the table, Buzz was ravaging the contents of the platters on his side of the table and Ezzy sat at the head of the table and ate the equivalent of two eggs, toast and bacon.
“Do you have a lot of guests?” Ezzy smiled as Dira quickly swallowed to reply.
“About two hundred per year. Folk come and folk go, but I remain here. There is no place for me in the outside world.” The woman’s brilliant green eyes were rather sad.
Ezzy nodded. With that much power, there would be a spectacle if Dira ever publicly shifted. She didn’t have the countenance of a small animal—she would be big, and the power would flow.
“You are checking out today, Buzz?” Dira smiled.
“I am. Our next stop is the Meditation Centre, and from there, we will find out if Tony and Teal take requests.” Buzz’s words were completely comprehensible, which was amazing considering his mouthful of food.
Dira raised a dark brow, “You have an alternate destination?”
Ezzy finished her plate. “I need to talk with my friend, and she is no longer at home.”
“Where is she?”
“At the home of the Transporter Guild Master.” Ezzy sipped at her coffee. “Do you know it?”
Dira blinked. “The Transporter Guild Master, or The Guild Master? They are different people.”
Ezzy frowned. “I don’t know. Teal would. She is the one who told me about it.”
“Fair enough. They will get you where you need to go.” Dira finished her meal and picked up her own coffee. “Nothing like good food and good company. It was an honour hosting you, Buzz, you as well, Ezmerelda.”
“I was only here overnight, and only part of that.” Ezzy’s blush was intense.
“Love warms the heart of the building whenever it rests here. It doesn’t matter how long it was here, a true match leaves a positive mark on its surroundings.” Dira had a wistful smile on her pristine features.
“Have you ever found your mate?” It was a personal question, but Buzz appeared curious.
Dira blinked in surprise. “Matches for my kind do not come along easily. I will wait here until he arrives. In the mean time, I can help others’ relationships along their way by providing comfortable and private accommodations.”
Ezzy had to know, “How long have you been here?”
“Two hundred years, three, I hardly remember. I will be here as long as I need to be or until I feel the need to go elsewhere.”
The calm resignation that Dira would wait as long she needed to until her mate arrived was impressive. Ezzy’s heart ached for the loneliness in the other woman’s expression.
Ezzy reached out and took Dira’s hand. A spark of power jumped from Dira’s hand to hers. “I do apologize. That happens if I get too emotional. The power surge will wear off soon.”
Ezzy rubbed her fingers together. “What do you mean, power surge?”
“Your shift will be faster, your body stronger for a few years.”
Buzz blinked. “Years?”
“Well, it isn’t much time for one like me. Since I have been out of the world for so long, time has reduced in meaning for me.” Dira smiled and got to her feet. “I will wish you both good journey and a happy and long life. Thank you for coming to the Open Heart Bed and Breakfast.”
Dira disappeared and the dishes went with her.
Ezzy blinked and got to her feet. “I know a dismissal when I get one. Do we have time to go to the avian hostel to get my things?”
“Of course. Shall we?” He offered her his arm and retrieved his bag from the stand by the door. Together, they exited the building and slowly made their way to the hostels.
It took her under two minutes to get her bag and return to Buzz. When she was at his side once again, they walked straight to the Meditation Centre. After hearing that Ezzy wanted to see Krisia, Teal took Tony’s hand, and together, they moved Buzz and Ezzy directly to the home of the Guild Master.
Ezzy swayed against Buzz, and he kept his arm around her waist. He raised his hand and knocked on the huge double doors in front of them.
A short, wizened man opened the door and looked at them with a jaded expression. “Hello?”
“I am here to see Krisia.”
“Madame Krisia is not available to see clients. You will have to come back another time.” The man started to close the door, but Buzz stopped it with a clawed paw.
Ezzy cleared her throat. “Tell Kris that Ezzy is here to see her, and see what she says. I will wait in the entryway.”
They pushed in and settled themselves in the foyer. The butler frowned in displeasure, but he scuttled away.
A flash of light made Ezzy blink, and to her astonishment, an angry angel was staring down at her. “Krisia is not well enough for guests.”
Ezzy put her astonishment aside and scowled back at him. “Listen, sport, I am Ezmerelda Atkinson. I have known Kris since we were six, and I am not going to let you stop me from talking to her.”
“You are Ezzy?” The man frowned.
Buzz cleared his throat. “Cut the crap, Tobias, and let her in. She is mad enough to punch past you if you keep up with the bouncer crap.”
“Buzz, I thought that was you. Why are you with my mate’s best friend?”
Ezzy cleared her throat. “Good, you know each other. Where is Kris?”
Tobias extended his right arm. “Down the hall, fourth room on the left. Your touch will unlock the door. Just a warning, she is still weak from the attack last night, so don’t let her exert herself.”
Ezzy turned to Buzz, but he gave her a quick kiss before she could speak. “Go to her. I will be here when you are ready.”
She smiled brightly at him and ran to find her friend, secure that he would still be there when she returned.
Chapter Eleven
Knowing that Kris was bound to be in a bad mood, she knocked first. “Kris? It’s me, Ezzy. I am coming in.”
She was barely in the door of the ultra-feminine room when Kris’s arms wrapped around her and held her tight. “Oh thank the rotating spectrum that you are all right.”
“Glad to see you too. You look really pale. Maybe you should sit.” Ezzy was concerned. Krisia was usually pale, but not like this.
“Did Tobias tell you to keep me on my butt?” Kris scowled.
“No, your grey pallor told me that. Sit your ass down.” Ezzy took her by the hand and shoved her into a comfortable chair covered with rose-embroidered flowers.
She hauled over a matching chair and poured Kris a cup of tea. “Now, what are you doing here?”
Kris smiled weakly. “Well, you see…Tobias is my mate.”
Ezzy sat back and whistled. “I know how my people do it, so I know it can be sudden, but how long have you known that Tobias was your mate?”
“Ten years or so.”
Astonishment must have shown on her face, because Kris laughed. “The secrecy pact was quite the downer. I knew that Tobias Orcross was my mate the day he took his position as Guild Master.”
“Whoa. Why the wait to join him?” Ezzy had to know. “If I had met my mate years ago, you can bet I would be with him, and you and I would be burning up the phone lines.”
Kris sighed. “Well, there was the little matter of Tobias being sealed to the community in a public ceremony.”
“That doesn’t sound so bad.”
“The ceremony involved public sex with a member of the community or with Tobias’s mate.”
“Oh. Not cool.”
“No, so since I have a few really whacky food allergies, I went out and picked some specific items from the buffet to give myself hives, and to ensure it, I went out and rolled in the local poison ivy patch.”
“Oh my. I remember that. I brought you calamine and oatmeal for two weeks. I just thought you had a family camping disaster.”
Kris sighed, “Well, speaking of family. Guess who was my stand-in during the public screwing?”
Ezzy knew the expression on Kris’s face. “Your cousin?”
“My cousin volunteered the moment that it was apparent my body was no longer a suitable vessel for the goddess.”
Ezzy took her friend’s hand. “You regret your hesitation.”
“Yes and no. I have a little of my grandmother’s foresight, and it was not time for me to settle down with Tobias, but at the same time…why did it have to be her?”
“If there is anything I have learned since you sent me to the Crossroads, it is that destiny will move in its own time. Fighting fate can get you smacked, but doing the right thing feels like there was no other option in the universe.”
Kris smiled, “What is he like?”
“He’s a bear.”
“Grumpy?”
“No, an actual bear. He is a bear like I am an owl.”
“Ouch, how does sex work?”
“The same as it does for you, hot and messy. It is better without the fangs, claws and fur though.” She pulled down the neckline of her shirt to show her friend the red markings on her chest.
“Wow, so you are always feathers when you shift, he is always fur. Would you like to chance a meeting in the middle?” Kris had a calculating look.
“Oh, no, we are talking about you and Tobias. Were you ever going to tell me?”
“How could I, with our pact in place? It was killing me to know that when I told you, I would have to leave, move in with Tobias, but because of our pact, I couldn’t tell you.”
“You can tell me now, so tell me now. You love him, don’t you?”
Kris sighed. “I do. I have since I was a teen. I found out he was my mate one day before he was announced as Guild Master. I never had a chance to get used to the idea.”
“He looks like a pissed-off angel.”
Kris grinned. “That is his normal face when he is talking about me. Generally, he is amazing to look at. I want to take up painting every time I seem him with a calm expression.”
“When are you going to formalize your union?”
“This evening. When are you going to publicise yours?”
“I don’t know. I haven’t told anyone yet. Usually, it is within the first week of mating so that the families can register any complaints right away, but I don’t know how it works with Crossroads couples.”
“I can help with that. We can have a double ceremony. We need one witness from your clan, one from his.”
The door opened, and Tobias entered with Buzz.
Ezzy got to her feet and put an arm around Buzz’s waist. “Krisia, my best friend, my entire life, this is Buzz, also known as Edgar Northrup. He lives in Alaska, so I hope that you can transport yourself as easily as you did me.”
“Oh, I can.”
Tobias frowned. “You will gain my permission first.”
Ezzy put her hand between them. “She will tell you when she is going to visit me. And you will tell her when you expect her back. Kris has suggested a joint ceremony. Do you have any objections, Buzz?”
Buzz put his lips to her neck, “As long as I am being bonded to you, I don’t care.”
Kris nodded. “Fine. Tobias, I will bond to you—bring me one of my relatives, one of Ezzy’s and one of Buzz’s.”
The man who radiated power froze. “That is it? That is all you want before you will solemnize our joining?”
“Well, and whatever you want, but basically, yup. Move.” She waved him away, and Ezzy was amazed at her friend’s casual dismissal of the man of power.
Tobias looked at Ezzy with a smile that turned his face into one of unearthly beauty. “Thank you for coming. Next time, when she says she wants to speak to you, I will bring you to her.”
He disappeared in a rush of light, and Ezzy blinked to clear her vision. She looked up at Buzz, “You really don’t mind formalizing it here?”
“Well, we will still have to register formally in the human world, but that is only paperwork. This is a melding of souls so that I may hear you and you me when we wear the other shapes.”
Kris cleared her throat. “Ezzy?”
“Yes, Kris?”
“Can I see your other shape? I have never seen it close up.”
“I will have to remove my clothing. Is that okay?”
Kris blinked in surprise. “Of course.”
Ezzy grinned at Buzz and kicked her shoes off. “Shifters think of casual nudity as a step to the next phase, like putting on or taking off a winter coat.”
She shimmied out of her jeans and her top, quickly stripped off her bra and panties. Buzz held all of her clothing as she disrobed, and his heated gaze made the shift to owl form far more rapid than it should be.
She flapped her wings a few times and perched on the arm of Kris’s chair. She preened and stretched her neck as much as she could.
Buzz helped her friend. “You can pet her. She likes it. Just go with the feathers. Going the other way is bad.”
Kris stroked her breast and marvelled at the softness of her feathers. “It is amazing.”
Ezzy opened her wings to show off a little more, and Kris laughed. “It’s like you are wearing a trench coat when you do that.”
Clacking her beak, she expressed her irritation. She tucked her wings back against her body and stared at Kris with her owl’s gaze. She blinked. Shock rippled through her shifted form as she saw the truth of her childhood friend. Every inch of Krisia rippled with power. Waves of it came off her, changed direction and crashed back against her skin.
Amazed, Ezzy made a few soft sounds, ruffling her feathers and stretching her neck as her friend stroked her between her eyes.
“I know what you are seeing, Ezzy. Thankfully, you can’t see it with your human eyes, or our little promise would never have made it past my turning sixteen. That is when I became the Transporter Guild Master.”
A thousand questions ran through Ezzy’s head, but a slow stroke down her feathers sent the questions to the back of her mind. She sat and let her friend touch her soft feathers while the questions of the moment were pushed aside. She was seeing Krisia as she truly was, and Kris was seeing her. There was no hiding from the ones you loved.
Chapter Twelve
Performing the joining ceremony for Kris and Tobias was surreal, but Ezzy followed her friend’s instructions to the letter in front of the witnesses that Tobias had summoned.
“As destiny has called you, so you shall answer. Krisia Margaret Vehn, I do hereby bind you for life and beyond to Tobias Christopher Orcross. You shall respect him as your Guild Master and cleave to him in everything else.”
Ezzy reached out and placed Kris’s hand on top of Tobias’s. She bound them together with silver chain.
“As duty has called you, so you shall answer. Tobias Christopher Orcross, I do hereby bind you for life and beyond to Krisia Margaret Vehn. You shall respect her as the Transport Guild Master and cleave to her in all other matters.”
As she bound the next hands together, she felt a surge of that power that Dira had mentioned. She throttled it back, but it kept rising.
“Those assembled now witness, the bond has been created, and once consummated, it shall mark the heavens.”
As instructed, Ezzy placed her hands over the chains, and she lost control of the power at that moment.
The spark of energy jumped from her to Krisia and back again. The silve
ry chains disappeared and became part of the joined hands.
Kris’s eyes widened in surprise, and Tobias’s immediately followed. “What did you do?”
Ezzy looked to the assembled, then shrugged and focussed back on the couple. “A shifter in the Crossroads zapped me with some power. She said it would dissipate after a few years. I wasn’t expecting it to jump out now.”
Kris looked at the silvery tracing on her hand and smiled. “Well, I was hoping for an old fashioned-type of wedding. This definitely qualifies.”
Tobias nodded. “I suppose so, though no one has worn this kind of mark for centuries.”
Ezzy blinked, “It was a very old shifter.”
“Then that explains it, though not exactly the nature of the gift.” Tobias straightened.
Kris cleared her throat, and Ezzy remembered the final part of the ceremony.
“And so I pronounce Krisia and Tobias formally bound to one another and to the power of the world beneath our feet. May they live long and share their joy and power with all around them.”
A cheer rang out from the magic users as power flared between Tobias and Krisia until the light filled the room.
Ezzy stepped back and joined Buzz in the gathered crowd. He took her hand, and they watched while Kris and Tobias leaned in for their first kiss.
Ezzy could feel the attraction between her friend and the man who held her as if she was a piece of fine porcelain. She leaned against Buzz and listened to the steady thump of his heart. As long as they lived, if she could hear that thudding metronome in her ear, she would know that her world was all right.
Once the kiss of joining was over, Kris smiled up at her new mate with a slow smile that bloomed out of her heart and spread across every inch of her body.
Ezmerelda had seen that smile once before, the day that they made the silence pact and agreed that nothing that happened in their other lives would come between them. Kris’s young face had had that same smile.
Buzz whispered, “You think that she will be happy?”
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