by Jill Nojack
"Well, we missed you." Sheila squeezed her hand and then stood to go. "Sleep tight."
"I will. But first I need to talk to Lizbet privately, as my queen. Could you ask her to come in?"
"Yes, of course. But don't talk too long. You really do need your rest."
Mona rolled her eyes weakly but smiled, too.
Lizbet appeared in the doorway within a few minutes. "Mom says you needed to talk to me, but I'm under strict orders not to upset you or let you get too tired. So, I'm doing that. I may be a queen, but I'm a queen who can still be grounded, right?"
Mona nodded. "It's a short conversation, I think. I know you want to know what happened to me, but I didn't want to talk in front of everyone."
"Was it definitely Freoric who shot you?"
"Yes. I think he wanted to keep you from communicating with the fae in Europe."
"I think so, too, since the elves have pretty much sent everyone into hiding over there now. I'm sorry he hurt you."
"I don't blame you. I blame him. But there's more going on. It's not just what's happening in Europe. There's something happening right here. And Freoric is working with the person who's responsible for that."
"So spill!"
"I don't want it to be true—I thought we were friends, and I know it will hurt Tanji, but Thomas is working for the elves. And he's doing something that will cause a lot of harm."
"It's no big secret I don't trust Thomas, but he's the one who healed you. Why would he do that if he was plotting against everyone?"
"I know he healed me, and I wouldn't have survived otherwise, but Oriane is sure the elves have plans that Thomas is carrying out. They've got her locked up in a cell, and she risked a lot to communicate that information for you. I can't imagine that she's wrong about it. I just don't have details." Mona yawned. "But you need to be careful about Thomas and probably want to find out where he goes and what he does when he isn't around any of you."
"That won't be easy. He and Tanji broke up, although they seemed pretty friendly again after the healing...so, maybe not. Who knows? I think James and Eamon will already be busy trying to track down Freoric, so...I guess that leaves me to sneak around and try to figure out what my 'grandson' is up to."
"Tell me you're not thinking of doing that on your own."
"No, I can probably find a helper among my loyal subjects who has all of the requisite skills. Thank goodness people keep pledging themselves to me, or I'd end up having to be just another kid running for student council." Lizbet sighed. "Man, if only."
CHAPTERTWENTY-SIX
Sneakin’ Around
Tanji gingerly rubbed the smallest dragon, Mer, behind the ears and he responded with a low growl that sounded more like a purr than a warning.
"He likes you," Avenall said.
"I like him too. He's gorgeous, isn't he?" Tanji replied, kneeling down to get a better look at the dragon's face, "But my question is, is it safe to stand this close? Will he just flame up or something when I'm not looking?"
"Young dragons need to learn to control their fire, but they learn quickly. Their mothers are good teachers. That's why they don't take the young dragons away for training for a year or two. Mer is three years old and recently started training to the saddle. That is why he's so much smaller than the others. He'll end up being the size of a horse in a few years. Fortunately, Mer will never again have to be subject to the Dragon Riders and their rough ways."
"So, they're some pretty rude 'tude dudes?" Tanji asked.
Avenall looked confused.
"Not nice people?" she clarified.
"True. The Dragon Riders are most certainly rude 'tude dudes." Avenall's mouth shaped itself around the unfamiliar words awkwardly, then he grinned.
Tanji grinned back. So, there's some playfulness under that hotness, too.
She was sure there might have been a moment then if her phone hadn't started playing "God Save The Queen". She pulled it out of her purse and walked a little way away from the dragons and their Dragon Tender.
"Hey, Lizness, what's up? How's Mona doing?"
"She's doing okay, but...are you still with Avenall out at the barn?"
"Yeah, I'm getting up close and personal with his charges. They are uber-cool."
"Okay, stay there, please. James and I are on our way to you."
Tanji snuck a glance at Avenall, whose attention was on the dragons now. She smirked. "You so definitely don't have to twist my arm on that one, especially now that elf-boy has discovered shampoo. See you in a bit."
Tanji turned back to all five of the fascinating creatures she'd come to visit.
***
Lizbet materialized in front of the barn holding tightly to James's hand. It was a beautiful night, cold but with a clear sky full of stars. Although her breath frosted in front of her face, she wished they could stand there and enjoy the backwoods beauty for a while. But no, Avenall had come for a reason, and they needed his help if they were to find and capture Freoric and bring him to justice. She still had no clue what to do about Thomas.
She hadn't even told James about him yet. She couldn't bear to reveal that secret twice to people who cared about him. She would tell James and Tanji together.
When she entered the barn with James holding the door for her, Eamon's familiar voice sounded from behind, saying, "Hold the door, gruagachs comin' through." Eamon and Hamish buzzed by her in a rush only to stop dead and gape at the dragons on the other side of the door once they'd passed her.
"What did I tell ye, Hamish? Dragons, right?" He turned back to Lizbet. "No other place we could meet, then? Not that I've anything against dragons, mind you, but Hamish here..."
Lizbet suppressed a smirk. This was a whole new side to Eamon she'd first seen when they went to meet Avenall. She did her best not to let on she knew whose fear he was really expressing when she asked, "Hamish, are you too afraid of the dragons to stay and talk with us? Because Eamon could let you know later if there's anything we need your help with. I'm sure Eamon isn't afraid of a few dragons."
"I'm right sure if Eamon can bear being close to the dragons, then I can do the same." Hamish glared at his companion, but Eamon looked innocently away.
"Good. Because you're both very important to this discussion. You have a useful way of getting around without being seen."
James used some simple magic to move a few bales of hay into the center of the barn. While he worked, Tanji blew starweed into the air to brighten the dark corners.
"If you wish, my queen, the dragons can provide us with warmth without fire. But they will need to draw close to us."
"Are you sure it's safe?"
"I assure you again, dragons who are not trained to war would never attack a human or a fae. Their natural diet is fish and four-legged prey. They do not attack creatures that fly or walk on two legs. The dragons will protect me and my friends, not harm them. I promise you, it will be safe."
Lizbet looked to the gruagachs, neither of whom seemed reassured. "Is it okay with you guys?"
Eamon replied gruffly, "If Hamish doesn't mind, I don't mind."
Hamish replied equally as gruffly, "If Eamon doesn't mind, I don't mind."
"Okay, that's settled. Everybody take a seat, and Avenall will join us once he's got the heat going."
As Tanji passed Lizbet to find a seat on the bales, she leaned into Lizbet's ear and whispered, "He's already got the heat on." Lizbet didn't want to encourage her too much, but she couldn't help smiling. Leave it to Tanji to remind her that not everything is grim. She just hoped that Tanji would be able to keep her own spirits up once she knew what Mona had revealed about Thomas.
Lizbet looked around the group assembled on the bales and at the glittering dragons in a ring behind them. She shifted her weight way back onto her own bale and crossed her legs, then took her gloves off and set them aside. It was already beginning to feel warmer in the small barn as the dragons breathed heavily behind them.
"Okay, so, all of you are th
e people in this town I can completely trust. And every one of you has to promise that anything I tell you here tonight goes nowhere."
There was a chorus of sures and ayes.
"Good. Because we have a lot to talk about. First, we were right to think Freoric was the one who shot Mona. She confirmed it."
"I can't say I'm surprised," Eamon responded.
"No, I don't think any of us are, really. So we can go ahead with grabbing him and hanging onto him until I can call a proper court." Lizbet shifted on her bale, fidgeting with a piece of straw she rolled between her fingers. "Next, what Avenall came here to tell us in addition to helping us find Mona," she said, tipping her head slightly toward the elf who stood stiffly behind the circle, "is that the elves are planning to go to war against the humans. Which sounds crazy, except..." Lizbet broke off then and took a deep breath. "...except that they have someone here working with Freoric on something they think will even things out. And it's Thomas. He's on their side. I'm sorry. Mona just told me about it." Her eyes darted first to Tanji and then to James.
Tanji shook her head. "No way! Thomas is a stick in the mud and way too serious, but he's not a spy for the elves."
"Tanj, he is. Like I said, I'm sorry. Elder Shan of the French compound bragged to Oriane about something big 'the Abomination' was going to be doing for the elves. I have to believe that if an elder told her this when he thought she couldn't communicate it to us, it must be true."
Avenall moved into the circle of bales, drawing everyone's eyes in his direction. He asked, "Shan has captured Oriane?"
"I'm sorry to tell you this way, but yes. He has."
Avenall cast his gaze around the circle slowly, making contact with each of the humans and fae as he spoke. "Elder Shan is my father." He waited for a moment, but no one reacted. "If he has Oriane, who is my friend, and he has told her this, it makes much sense. He's a bitter man. A man disappointed and shamed that his only son was born with the magic of a Dragon Tender rather than a warrior. What he cannot take out on me now, I have no doubt he would gladly throw in my friend's face if only to taunt her with her inability to act. I'm glad she found a way to help you."
"Thank you," Lizbet said, then added, "Does this change things? Shan being your father?"
Avenall held his head high. "No. I've had much time to think about my choices since I left the compound. He lost his right as my father years ago through his own actions. He is not my father, and I reject him as my elder. I pledge myself to you, and I will do as you command."
"Well then, first—I don't command. Get it? I don't command. It's more like a..." Lizbet's forehead scrunched up in thought. "It's really more like a round table here. I suggest, and then I hope it's a good idea that you want to get involved with. Do you know what I mean?" Her eyes darted quickly to meet James's, and his eyebrows lifted just the slightest as he acknowledged their shared understanding of Avenall's origins.
"A sharing of responsibility? Like the first Elf Councils?"
"Yes. a lot like that." Or the everlasting symbolic one you created as Arthur, she thought. "We talk about it, we make a plan, and then we agree on exactly what will happen."
"Then I will gladly be a member of this circle and pledge myself to support all of its members."
"Aye, as do I," Hamish chimed in.
"Good. Because we have a real problem on our hands and it's going to take every single one of us to figure out what to do about it. First up, Freoric—because he'll be much easier to talk about. It's not like he's made any friends here since he followed James and Thomas from London. And I've never been super-thrilled that the only ambassador to the elves I've got is also an assassin."
Eamon said, "We haven't managed to gain any information on him, but the gnomes found his camp in the woods, and they've kept him in sight. However, they didn't report at the schedule time today."
"Do you know why?" Lizbet asked.
"I assume they're off behaving like gnomes."
"Yeah, well, can you find out for sure instead of making assumptions? They may have learned something."
"Aye, I'll go lookin' after we're done here."
"Perfect, thanks. And take Hamish with you. I don't want anyone working alone right now. Then, as soon as you know the location of his camp, let James know." She turned to Avenall. "Would you work with James when it's time to go after Freoric?"
"Yes, I'd be happy to work with James. I'm honored to be asked."
"Okay, so, up next...we have to make some decisions about what to do about Thomas."
Tanji crossed her arms as a pained look crossed her face. "I don't like to think that Thomas is involved in anything bad, but he's been telling me for a while that he's working on some secret. He kept saying it would be something I'd really like and well—maybe what he's been talking about is some big, bad, magical thing for the elves. He almost always gets it wrong when he tries to figure out what makes me happy."
"Look, Tanj, I saw how you sorta got close to him again after Mona. I know it's rotten of me to ask, but can you pretend that you're okay with being back together just until we figure this out? I was going to ask Hamish to spy on him, but then I realized Thomas would feel him lingering around. I don't want to put him in danger."
Hamish began to protest, but Lizbet cut him off. "No, Hamish. I think this is the right choice. So...Tanj?"
"Everybody hear that?" She looked around the circle, ending with Avenall, her gaze lingering on him longer than the others. "I'm going to be pretending I'm back with Thomas. Totally faking it." Tanji turned back to Lizbet with a look of concern. "Can I tell my dad that?"
"No. Not this time. It's fae business, and I don't want anyone who isn't fae knowing. They might try to handle it with human methods. That's not a good idea since the elves have no problem going after humans now. I'm not even telling my mom much except that I'll be investigating what happened to Mona. I think it helps to have a little of the fae tricksiness when you're trying to pretend you don't know what someone's been up to. Mom doesn't really have it in her. I don't think your dad does, either."
"Yeah, that's for sure. When he suspects me of something, it's all over his face. Yeah, Thomas would make him in a minute."
"So, that's it. James, can you keep a locator spell going somewhere so that we can know where Thomas is all the time?"
"Can do. I have some stuff he left behind when he moved that I can use for the owned object."
"Good. So, looks like we have a plan of attack: Tanji, just keep your eyes and ears open and let me know if you think anything weird is up. Don't do anything about it, okay? Eamon and Hamish, you're going to see if the gnomes still know where Freoric is, and Avenall—if you don't mind making a quick trip back to your hometown tomorrow, we've got a friend to get out of a cell."
Avenall's face lit up. "Thank you. But before we are through here, I must also mention the wisps."
"What about 'em?"
"Have you not noticed? The wisps around us are moving. And from the air, you can see that they are moving in one direction—toward the woods where you found Euphemia."
"Okay, so—what does that mean?"
"I am unable to tell you the meaning. It does seem a strange portent, especially when a wizard has been working in secret in this town."
"I'm not really into portents, to tell you the truth." She looked to her boyfriend. "James, you or Myrddin got anything on this one?"
James looked thoughtful for a moment and then said, "Maybe. You know how Thomas used wisps to give me magic? Maybe he's calling them here to make himself stronger. What he did for Mona was pretty intense. I don't think I could have done it even if he told me how. He didn't even break a sweat. But he couldn't be taking in that many wisps. I mean, he'd start fracking glowing. The human body can only contain so much magic before it leaks. Other than that—I don't think you could make an army out of wisps. They don't have any physical form to stick them together. But who knows what Thomas could macgyver? We could be looking at a bedknobs and br
oomsticks situation."
"Yike on either one of those possibilities! Maybe I'm rethinking that thing where I just asked my best friend to pretend to be his girlfriend so she can spy on him."
"No biggie, girl. Thomas would never hurt me no matter what else he's up to. He may not be the world's most attentive boyfriend, but he worships me. Who wouldn't, right?"
"Okay. But just, you know, be aware of that whole may-be-an-evil-genius-super-powerful-wizard thing."
"I hear ya. I got this. We done?"
Lizbet nodded. "I think we are." She turned to Avenall and added, "I'll come pick you up tomorrow. I'm assuming you know where they'd be keeping Oriane?"
"Yes, there are two cells in the council house. She would be in one of them."
"Okay, good. I can't aether in to a place unless I've seen it or I'm with someone who has. Don't ask me how it works beyond that, though."
Tanji asked, "You guys need a ride home?"
"I guess we'll get back the way we came. I'm pretty sure mom thinks we're still in the family room, so if she hasn't noticed we left, I don't need the sound of the front door tipping her off."
The girls hugged goodnight. "Maybe I'll help dragon-boy here get the little dragons tucked up for the night and then head home myself."
Lizbet took a pinch of pixie dust from a pouch she wore around her neck with Morgan's medallion and blew it off her fingers toward James before she took his hand and they disappeared. The gruagachs took their leave immediately after and sped off into the night to get to work finding the missing gnomes.
Their departure left Tanji to fall into step beside Avenall as he followed the dragons back to their stalls. She knew that he was communicating what he wanted with his magic. That idea was both fascinating and scary. That was some kind of power, if it let you control a bunch of dragons.
"So, your friend Oriane—how close are you two, anyway?"
Avenall looked sad for a moment, and then, without looking at her, said, "We are very close. It is my understanding she feels about me as a mother would."