Cross Keys

by Ally Shields

  Kam laughed. “Then Esty had better get busy.”

  “Get busy at what?” her sister demanded, popping back into the room waving a large piece of gossamer material.

  “Never you mind.” Mother held out her hand. “Show her the lovely lace.”

  * * *

  Before returning to New Orleans, Kam had one last errand. Mother had commissioned her to take fresh bread and tea to her father at the Ryndel Guild Hall, which handled every item sent to or from any of her family’s associated Cityside guilds, including the largest one in New Orleans. Whether the refreshments were a ruse to get her to the guild or not, Kam was glad to do it. She missed her father as much as the rest of the family. At eighty-four he was a striking figure, his hair remained coal black, his eyes the same intense blue.

  “Kameo, my daughter, I see your mother has tricked you into coming to see me.” A smile lit his eyes as took the offered bread and tea and gave her a fatherly hug.

  “Nothing of the sort. I was coming anyway.” She took in the busy yet relaxed scene before them. Pale-haired elves, commoners, moved cartons with a hand wagon, stacking them next to a large portal, working steadily but without the underlying sense of hurry she felt in the human cities. “Business looks good.”

  “We almost have more invoices than we can fill. I’ve stopped taking new orders until we catch up. At this time of year our woolens are at a premium in those parts of the human world that are facing bitter winter weather.”

  “What about imports?”

  “Thriving.” He smiled and nodded toward a portal on the far side of the room. It had just opened to reveal crates of large stacked boxes. “Our latest load of bicycles.”

  “So many?”

  “They are becoming popular with the school age generation. We can sell them cheaply enough that hard workers can earn them with a month’s pay.”

  Kam watched as the crates were unloaded, opened, and taken to an assembly area. Bicycles were one of the few human luxuries allowed in the kingdom. The elven aristocracy was loath to allow their public to grow dependent on human items. Without huge factories, which would tarnish their woodland and pastoral landscape, Elvenrude could not reproduce many of the things found Cityside, nor were such items needed. Cars, for instance. Distances were short between the villages and the palace. Automobiles would simply be a hindrance…and a pollutant. The elves guarded their superior way of life jealously, and before approval, the bicycles had been subjected to a lengthy debate by the King’s Advisors, a council of twelve, five members from each of the two big guilds and two members selected from the dozen or so minor houses.

  Her father glanced at the bag she carried. “You have need of weapons in the city?”

  “Just a precaution. I have a task to do for the king.”

  He nodded, accepting the vague explanation. “I hope you will not need them.” His face wrinkled into a frown. “Has anyone mentioned we’ve had trouble with the Lormarcs on the city end? Not that kind of trouble,” he added, nodding at her bag. “But annoying all the same.”

  “Captain Brunic said something about Harad’s grandson.”

  “Seth Lormarc. A dispute over accounts. I may need you to settle it.”

  “Father, I—”

  “It will be a simple matter of giving your yea or nay to whatever our guild master proposes. You know it takes a family member’s final say in these disputes, and you will be the most available.”

  She sighed. “I guess I can do that. Just this once.”

  * * *

  Late that night, after unsuccessfully searching the New Orleans streets near the warehouse with Deni, Kam lay in bed, tired of the subject of the missing elf, but thinking about home and her visit earlier in the day. It had been good to see her family. They led a pleasant life. Maybe it was time to go back to Elvenrude, once her mission for the King was over and her year-long tour of duty was done. But nothing had changed since she left, nothing had been resolved. Did it need to or was it just her?

  Her lips curved in a smile, remembering the heat in Caleb’s eyes at their brief meeting in front of the palace…and her own quickening breath. She was actually looking forward to the ball. Did that mean she cared about Caleb more than she’d admitted to herself? He was just about as sexy as they came. What was she waiting for?

  CHAPTER TWO

  The following morning Kam took the last of her mother’s apple tea to work. At the first whiff of the fruity aroma, she settled back in her desk chair and sipped the sweet beverage. The tangy feel of it tickled the back of her throat, and she licked her lips. Just a few minutes more. She wasn’t ready to tackle paperwork.

  Kam picked up the city paper that she’d found at her office door—just like every day—and wondered again how it came to be there. Had the former Acquisitions Agent ordered it or some long forgotten tenants? She’d called the newspaper and cancelled twice, yet it kept appearing. She’d finally given up and started reading it.

  Today’s news was no better than usual. Unrest in the Middle East, scandal in an east coast state over government officials billing “massages” to their state travel accounts. Another story focused on illegal uranium shipments seized on their way to Iran. The human world had so many problems. Worrying about their abuse of antiquities was such a small matter.

  If she hadn’t been scanning the local news pages for any mention of an old man in a long white beard, she wouldn’t have noticed the article on two missing homeless men, reported to be the sixth and seventh disappearances in recent weeks. How would authorities know they were gone if they were homeless? Transients seemed to be a natural part of this culture. She’d read somewhere that the post-Katrina homeless population in New Orleans had swelled to over five thousand. Had the missing elf been swallowed up in that population? If so, he might go unnoticed for years.

  Kam wrinkled her forehead. This job was looking more difficult than she’d anticipated. Five thousand individuals would take a lot of checking. But with Deni’s help, she intended to search every abandoned building, every hideaway on the wharfs, and under and around New Orleans’s expressways. She dropped the newspaper and picked up the phone. Paperwork could wait. Hadn’t Seliwyn said he’d send someone to take over the office? She was ready to start her search. She punched in Deni’s number.

  They began eager and hopeful, but as the hours and then the days passed, Kam and Deni grew discouraged. Still, they kept looking. Nothing missed their scrutiny—the hurricane devastated areas with deserted buildings and empty lots with nothing except steps where front doors had once been, the parks, and the homeless shelters. Despite their efforts, a full week went by with no sign of the missing elf. It seemed like he’d vanished. Kam wanted to believe he had. At least from this side of the portal.

  But Captain Brunic couldn’t confirm the wanderer’s return to Elvenrude. He didn’t even know who the elderly elf was, and none of the keyholders had come forward to confess an illegal transport.

  When they met in his office at the end of the week, Brunic’s face was flushed with irritation. “We’re trying to quietly check on the activities of each keyholder, but did you know there are over two hundred of them?” he grumbled. “And they don’t appreciate anyone invading their privacy.”

  Her brows arched. “Actually, no. Do we need that many?”

  “Of course not. The king has been doling them out to Elite elves like prizes. We should be maintaining better control of our borders.” He dropped into his desk chair. “I’ve tried everything to get someone to come forward. Appealed to their sense of duty, then warned of potential penalties. Hades, I even offered immunity and promised to keep their names quiet, but no one’s talking.” He looked up. “Do you suppose it’s over? Maybe the keyholder got the wanderer back home.”

  Kam sure hoped so. But when she returned to New Orleans she still had an uneasy knot in her stomach, and she kept her eyes open whenever she was out on the city streets.

  By the day of the King’s Ball, Kam welcomed the chance to
set the frustrating search aside for a few hours. A relieved grin lit her face when she transported to Elvenrude shortly after breakfast. She was definitely ready to spend the day primping, talking girl talk with Esty, and dreaming about an entire night with Caleb. The idea made her stomach flutter.

  * * *

  Caleb was right on time for dinner at her parents’ home. Instead of using the hanging walkways that extended throughout the tree house level and could be raised or lowered to each individual house if they were open or closed to visitors, he had come by carriage.

  Stylish as ever, he wore his black cashmere suit and blue silk shirt with a flair, a white scarf knotted at his throat, and his green eyes glinted when he spotted Kam. Her elegant pale blue brocade completed their perfect couple look. After dinner—and Mother outdid herself with roasted partridge—they took a romantic ride in Caleb’s bright red, horse-drawn coach, arriving at the ball rather breathless from a few passionate kisses and looking forward to a short festive evening and a long night afterward. They joined a line-up of multi-colored carriages in vivid blues, yellows, greens—every color of the spectrum—and waited their turn to be escorted inside.

  The large ballroom, one spiraled level above the king’s audience chambers, glowed with the light of hundreds of lanterns, torches, and candles, showcasing the red and gold harvest decor, accented by colorful squashes, maize, wheat stalks and bright bittersweet. Refreshment tables held corn cakes and cheeses, grapes, apple tarts, and large bowls of punch and cider. The aroma of apples and cinnamon drifted on the air.

  Kam and Caleb shared two dances—their feet barely skimming the floor as they swirled to the ethereal music of harps and flutes—then followed etiquette by mingling and dancing with others. This was strictly an Elite ball, attended only by the dark-haired members of the houses descended from the ancient elven warriors, often referred to and sometimes vilified in human lore as dark elves. If any of those old stories were true, it was hundreds if not thousands of years ago. Their descendants had evolved into a fair-minded upper class that still maintained the warrior’s energy. Tonight, however, none of their ancestry showed, as the women swayed decorously in their floor-length gowns, the men rather stiff in their unaccustomed fancy coats.

  During a break in the music, Kam tracked down her sister. “Did Aaron McClanahan ask you to dance?” She kept her voice low.

  Esty blushed and dropped her eyes. “He did. Oh, Kammy, he is so wonderful.”

  “Wonderful? Oh, girl, you have it bad.” Kam cut off a laugh. Her sister’s hormones were at it again. At twenty-two, Esty’s body was still developing. She’d been in love three times in the past year.

  As if to prove her point, her sister suddenly pulled on her sleeve. “Speaking of wonderful, Seth Lormarc just arrived. What a waste to give all that sexiness to someone I can’t have.”

  “Hush,” Kam warned. “Mother would be appalled to hear you talk like that.”

  “Well, don’t you think he’s sexy?” Esty wasn’t the least bit cowed by threats of her mother’s censure. “He’s more your age too.” Esty’s eyes danced. She loved to tease Kam about the five years difference in their ages.

  “Stop that.” Kam’s grin belied the reprimand. “I would never think about a Lormarc in that way.” But in fairness, she turned to take a look at him. The man in question looked like he was approaching thirty and kept himself in shape. He was deep in conversation with his grandfather Harad, the head of the Lormarc family, and with his great uncle Jermon. All she could see of his face was his profile, strong, sculptured features that said don’t mess with me.

  She arched a brow. Bad tempered, no doubt, and probably arrogant too. His black hair lay tousled in a casual style; his body muscled and taut, as if containing an energy resistant to control. He might be considered attractive, she conceded. If you liked the type.

  She scanned the room until she found Caleb, charming, polished, each lock of hair carefully combed in place. Compared to him, Seth Lormarc seemed wild, untamed. Maybe a little uncouth.

  Esty’s voice brought her back to the conversation.

  “Well, I think he’s cute. Ooh, and there is his equally hunky cousin Rhyden.” Esty stifled a giggle. “I’d take either one of them. Who cares about some old family feud. One of my best friends at school is a relative of theirs.”

  Kam looked at her in surprise. “Does Mother know you’ve been socializing with the Lormarcs?”

  Esty tossed her hair. “Do you think I’m stupid? I wouldn’t tell her something like that. But Mariel is a nice person.” She lowered her voice. “We meet at The Bookstore sometimes. She has a wicked sense of humor.”

  “It doesn’t bother you that our families have been bitter competitors for centuries?”

  “Why should it? We don’t talk about business, so all that old stuff doesn’t matter.”

  “It does to Mother and Father. You’d better be careful or you’ll be grounded for life if they catch you.”

  Her sister’s chin came up. “I don’t care.”

  “Don’t care about what?” Caleb appeared from the crowd, smiling down at them from his more than six foot height. “You two are looking very serious.”

  “It’s nothing. Just feminine chatter.” Kam brushed his question off and took his arm.

  “We were talking about the Lormarcs.” Esty’s tone held a hint of defiance.

  Caleb raised his eyes to look across the room. “They do seem to be here in force tonight. I’ve noticed several of the smaller houses—including those who share our trade portals—have paid their respects to old man Lormarc.”

  “Is that unusual?” Kam asked.

  He frowned in thought. “I suppose not. Many of the smaller houses are trying to remain neutral, trading with both guilds.”

  “It sounds like good business to me. Is Father bothered by it?”

  Caleb shrugged. “Not so far.” He gave her an indulgent smile. “You really should pay more attention to the guild so you don’t have to ask me these questions. Your father will want to pass the reins someday.”

  “It’s easier to ask you, and we have plenty of time to make those plans,” she said dryly. “Father is young. Any change in leadership isn’t likely to occur for a hundred years or more.” Besides, the reins wouldn’t pass to her; it would be to her husband or Esty’s husband. Women had never been the visible head of the guilds, and Elvenrude wasn’t likely to change. Kam stifled a sigh. But Mother had her share of opinions on guild affairs. Which meant Caleb was right—it would be part of her duties to understand the issues and support her husband.

  “Um, if you two are going to talk business, I’m going elsewhere to have fun. See you later.” Esty stepped forward to place her hand on the arm of the young man who’d just implored her for a dance.

  Caleb nodded absently at the departing couple, then returned his gaze to Kam. “I’m serious. It’s time you became more involved with trade matters. In fact,” he paused, “you have several decisions you should be making. When are you coming home?”

  “I’m here now.” She clamped down on a spark of anger. Why did every conversation with him lead into demands about the future?

  “You know that isn’t what I meant.”

  She stiffened. “It’s too soon for any long-term decisions. I like where we are now.” A storm was gathering in his eyes, and she took steps to head off a fight. This was hardly the time or place. She tilted her head and looked at him. “Are you about ready to leave?” A diversion was in order before she lost her temper and said something she’d regret. “I have to be back in the city by early morning, and I can think of better things we could be doing.”

  “More than ready.” His smile held a provocative edge. “Shall we start our round of goodbyes?”

  “I’m going to visit the ladies’ room, then I’ll catch up with you.”

  “Don’t be long.”

  She ducked her head and hurried away, anxious to get out of sight before he realized just how annoyed she was. She shove
d the door open into the hallway a little harder than was necessary and ran into a solid body. She stumbled, throwing out her arms for balance.

  “Oh, I’m so sor—” Strong hands caught her, and she looked up into Seth Lormarc’s glittering green eyes. “You!”

  His eyes widened in surprise. “Do I know you?”

  A spark of unexpected awareness ran up her arms, and she tried to shake off his grasp. He held tight until she was steady. “No, but I know who you are.” She looked pointedly at his hands. “Take your hands off me.”

  “No problem.” He released her and stepped back, a smile parting his lips. “Are you always so charming?”

  She frowned at him, ready to give a sharp retort, then hesitated, realizing how rude she’d been. “You’re quite right. Mother would be appalled at my manners. Thank you for your assistance. Now, if you’ll excuse me.”

  “Certainly.” He moved to one side.

  Her throat suddenly dry, Kam hurried past and down the hall. Insufferable Lormarcs. She entered the powder room and took a deep breath. The mirror revealed her heated cheeks, and she dipped a handkerchief in the water basin to cool her face. Why had she reacted so strongly, been so impolite? Was it the lazy smile he’d made little attempt to hide or just her anger at Caleb spilling over onto the first male she saw?

  The color in her cheeks had begun to fade by the time the ladies’ room door flew open and her cousin Leila breezed in. Pretty and self-assured, Leila was two years Kam’s senior. “What a crush, huh?” Her cousin eyed the wet handkerchief. “Good idea. I’m rather overheated myself.”