Behind her, the parents and grandparents, all dressed for horseback travel, were outlining some sort of plan to aid the city. Peony wanted to gather all the healers in one place and have the injured brought to them, but Hugh felt they should move together through the city offering aid, and have the spellcasters stabilize the buildings and homes as they passed. Dougal and Ren felt that splitting into squadrons led by a mind mage, who could find anyone trapped, was the better starting point. Theo paced the room and just seemed anxious to go rather than to waste more time considering the matter. Only Bryan and Calla were holding them all up.
The adults were attempting to leave all the children behind. Bryan and Calla vehemently argued with their respective parents, while Finn stood off to one side of the fireplace, arms crossed and a scowl firmly in place.
Beth thought she should probably move Tyson, Ari, and Rose to the kitchens, where it was sure to be warmer, and make some cookies to distract them. She couldn’t tear her eyes from the city, though. Even though initial reports were that the loss of life was thankfully low, she still worried about how many people were injured, how many people had been crushed by buildings, how many were slowly suffocating —
Theo touched her shoulder and instantly jolted her out of the dark spiral of her thoughts. How her adoptive mother always knew when to do that … well, Beth guessed that she read her mind, but how she kept such a close watch on all of them at once was pretty unfathomable.
“All right, Beth?” Theo asked, her voice ever so soft, so as to not carry to the others.
“Yes.”
“You’ll stay and take care of everyone?”
“I’ll do my best.”
Theo smiled. “You always do.”
“Of course Beth is fine to stay,” Bryan interrupted. “She never wants to leave the castle at all! But Calla and I can help —”
“That’s enough,” Theo said, a steely note in her tone that Beth had never heard when she addressed Bryan. Her adoptive mother and Bryan had a special bond that predated them all — a bond that even predated the Spirit Binding. Bryan had lost his parents when Rose was only a few months old. He had gone to the Chancellor for help, and once there he’d soothed Theo when she’d been in great pain. Theo had repaid this kindness by placing Bryan and Rose under her protection. The almost invisible mark that Bryan wore on his left cheek was the embodiment of that bond. “The longer you argue the fewer we are able to help quickly. Our decisions are not arbitrarily made, Bryan. You and Calla will stay here. That is the commitment and responsibility I ask of you.”
“Yes, but —”
“No. It is not just I who has made this decision. I would be happier leaving an adult as well.”
“I am an —”
“That is enough,” Hugh snapped, and the stiffness went out of Bryan’s spine. “I am leaving the Beast. The chaos of the city will be too much for him. Look to your siblings and to your guests. We will return as soon as we can.”
The Beast was Hugh’s horse, who Beth was pretty sure was magical. Not that she’d ever ridden him. The horse didn’t like her for some reason. Bryan had suggested it had something to do with the energy of her magic but then had never elaborated.
As one, the adults strode from the library. Theo touched Bryan lightly on the shoulder as she passed, and he, perhaps ashamed, bowed his head.
“It’s just that I could do more,” Bryan murmured.
“I know you think that, but we feel you need to be here, the Chancellor especially. And I find it is never a bad idea to listen to a prophecy reader, who has yet to be proven wrong no matter how much even I tried.”
“He has foretold something?”
“Nothing specific. But, as your grandfather has pointed out in the past, the Spirit Binding can make you all a little difficult to read.”
“I understand, Mother.”
Theo turned to look back at Beth, and spoke in her mind. “You will call for me if you have any more of these dreams, won’t you Beth?”
Beth nodded, recollecting the dream she’d had of Rose screaming with a shiver, though she wasn’t sure how strong she was at mind-calling her mother yet. It didn’t matter, Bryan could convey any necessary message. Beth doubted she’d have any more dreams, or that the dream had meant anything at all.
“Sleep well, my darlings. We will be back as soon as possible.” Theo smiled at them all, and then stepped from the library to follow the others.
It felt as if all the power had been drained from the room. And indeed, as Beth watched the adults ride out through the gates, with a force of guards and servants to aid the city, the comfort of their presence drained from the castle as well.
They had all been taught that since the Spirit Binding, the magic surrounding anyone caught in the wave channeled by Theo when she brought Finn’s father, Ren, back to life, flowed freely through them all, including the Spirit Bound, Hugh, Rhea, Dougal, and Peony, as well as Ren and Theo. Though it seemed that only the powers of the children exposed to this backwash were permanently altered. In the area around the Aerie, the Chancellor’s great castle, magic even flowed from stone to air and from flower to beast. Beth supposed that when seven of the most powerful people in Cascadia were in the same location, even a castle would feel its energy diminish when they departed.
“You feel like baking us a treat, Beth?” Bryan asked as he joined her at the window. The adults dropped out of sight into a dip in the road. One of the few remaining guards moved to close the gates, which was odd as they usually stood open.
“As long as I don’t have to leave the castle to do so,” she answered. Without sparing him a glance, she turned away from her brother and the window. Ari and Tyson scrambled out of their seat to follow her.
“Ah, Beth. You know I didn’t mean it nastily.”
“But it was nasty,” Tyson retorted.
“Yeah, so nasty Beth shouldn’t share any baking with you at all,” Ari added.
Beth had a difficult time quashing the smirk that rose at Ari and Tyson’s defense of her. Slightly placated by their support, she called over her shoulder to Bryan, “Don’t forget Rose.”
“You coming, Finn?” Tyson asked as he passed by Finn, who seemed to be contemplating the fire.
“Yeah, Calla. Beth only uses the best chocolate, and you really want to be there to eat the cookies right out of the oven,” Ari informed the blond girl.
Finn followed them out, but Calla hesitated and glanced back at Bryan, who shrugged and gathered Rose, who was actually awake but still sleepy, in his arms.
“I never turn down chocolate,” Calla said.
“You never turn down much of anything,” Finn muttered under his breath.
Calla either ignored her brother or didn’t hear him as she picked up her pace, sliding her arm into Beth’s as they stepped into the hall. “Finn doesn’t like nuts in his cookies. They make him grumpy.” As Calla teased her brother, Beth tried to not stumble at the easy contact the healer made with her. She wasn’t accustomed to touching people so casually. No one was really. When surrounded by very powerful people all day, it was best to be careful. A lot of magic could be triggered by touch.
“I don’t bake with nuts often,” Beth said, even though Calla hadn’t really asked a question.
“Oh, good. That will improve Finn’s mood immensely.”
“Except for coconut, right Beth?” Ari asked.
“Oh, make those coconut oatmeal chocolate chip cookies,” Tyson practically shouted, and earned a kick in the shin from Ari.
“All right,” Beth said.
“Coconut and chocolate?” Finn asked. “I thought the pudding last night was a rare treat.”
“Beth has all the gardeners wrapped around her little finger,” Ari said.
“I do not.”
“The greenhouses are supposed to be reserved for medicinal purposes. You should see what Beth has them growing in there,” Ari said. “Grandfather gifts her with all sorts of seeds from all over the world every birt
hday.”
“The Chancellor spoils us all,” Beth said with a smile. She could feel the tension ease from her body the closer they got to the kitchens and the prospect of baking. Baking always helped her focus and relax. She liked the fact that she controlled every aspect — the ingredients, the amounts, the timing — and ended up with a finished product. She liked being productive.
Calla loosed her arm from Beth to step back and take Bryan’s. Rose had opted to walk. Bryan’s hair fell across his forehead as he bent to whisper something to the blond healer, and despite still being angry with him, Beth felt a little hollow in her belly at the pretty picture they made together.
She turned away to prevent a stumble from not watching where she was going, but not before she caught Finn watching her watch Bryan. He frowned a bit, and she took a moment to narrow her eyes at him for staring at her.
Then, of course, she did stumble, nearly knocking Ari off her feet as well. She heard Finn snort behind her, but refused to look back at him again. Maybe she would put nuts in the cookies, just to spite him. Though she wasn’t sure she could bring herself to deliberately ruin a batch.
CHAPTER FOUR
It felt late, really late, by the time Rose finally succumbed to sleep once again. The young girl had missed the discussion in the library, so after cookies, and dinner, and multiple explanations as to where their parents had gone, Rose refused to ever sleep, ever again. Which was fine while they helped the steward oversee the departure of the remaining guests — many of whom were following the initial force headed to help in the city — but began to wear as soon as the sun went down. They were all tired. Thankfully, the sun set early this time of year.
Finn headed out to the walls, saying he just wanted to scout a little, though technically the few guards remaining were under Bryan’s command. Eventually abandoning Bryan and Calla to see to the last guests, Beth, Tyson, Ari, and Rose retreated to Rose’s rooms and played a card game until the others began to nod off. Before that, much of the sibling chatter had fixated on the earthquake. Most of the questions revolved around how quickly Beth had gotten to Rose, but since Beth had no idea herself how that happened, she stayed mute on the subject.
She opted to just beat them all — rather soundly — at the game instead. Her brothers and sisters always accused her of cheating somehow whenever she trounced them, but Beth had no secret winning strategy. She simply played what seemed like the best counter or attack at the time.
In the end, she tucked Rose and Ari into Rose’s bed. Tyson insisted on napping on the couch. “For the girls’ protection,” he said. Beth didn’t feel like arguing and just got him an extra blanket. He mumbled something that sounded suspiciously like, “Love you,” as she spread the blanket over him, and she took a moment to look at him all curled up.
Tyson was already taller than her but being two years younger, still just a boy. He was powerful, maybe even potentially deadly — Beth wouldn’t want to be the person who ever tried to harm Ari — but really just out of childhood. They were all still children, even if just for a little while longer …
Beth turned and headed quickly for her own room before she got all weepy and silly.
Bryan’s door was open but his room was empty. She wondered if he was still seeing to guests, and feeling bad about abandoning him earlier, she halted her beeline to her rooms and went looking for him.
The castle was quiet and felt very empty. It was odd for Beth to ever feel lonely, as she didn’t much like people, but she was accustomed to the feel of her parents in the castle. She realized she wasn’t the only one when she noticed Theo’s magic carpet following her, though she never actually saw it move. She didn’t know much about the carpet except it was somehow bonded to her mother, and that the Spirit Binder treated it like a pet of sorts.
Beth wanted to think the carpet was either trying to be friendly or guarding her, but she knew differently. The carpet didn’t like her, just as Hugh’s horse didn’t like her, even though all her siblings had no problems with either. Theo often laughed this off as Beth being “too wild” for the horse and the carpet, which didn’t make sense because they were the wild things, and Beth was happiest baking cookies or prowling through the castle opening doors.
Bryan wasn’t in the entrance hall. The front doors were bolted, so anyone who was leaving the castle tonight must already be gone. Beth realized that she should speak to the cook about breakfast, though that wasn’t the sort of thing she usually did.
Even the kitchen felt empty, though a couple of the kitchen staff were still cleaning from the quick dinner they’d served or sent with their departing guests; usually the kitchen was always bustling, day or night.
The cook was doing inventory in the pantry.
“Ah, good evening.” Beth knew there was a formal way, a traditional way to address the cook, and arrange the meals, but she really had no idea what it was.
“Yes, my lady.”
“Ah, for breakfast … are there any guests remaining beside Miss Calla and Master Finley?”
“No, my lady, just a few guards and staff, some children, of course. I’m worried the preservation spells on all this food won’t last. What a celebration we had planned. But, not to worry, I won’t be abandoning you all like the others.”
“Oh, thank you.” The cook nodded and went back to sorting through the pantry. Beth snagged one of her cookies on the way out, and then, deciding that Bryan was probably in the stables, she grabbed a second cookie for him.
Beth braced herself for the cold and headed out the kitchen door toward the stables. It had stopped snowing, but her sweater was no real defense against the deeper chill of the night.
She wondered if her parents would be working through the night. She hoped … she hoped that few people in the city had come to real harm, even though she knew that was impossible given the devastation she had been unable to tear her eyes from earlier. If she could see that from miles and a mountaintop away, the city must be in utter ruin. Beth shivered, but not from the cold. Bending her head into the brisk wind rolling through the yard between the kitchens and the stables, she hurried forward.
An inviting golden light emanated from the stables, so she’d guessed correctly that Bryan was checking on the horses once more before bed. The earthquake had frightened them so much that many had harmed themselves trying to flee. Bryan’s power was the quickest means of calming them, so they could be tended to before the exodus of the parents and guests had all but emptied the stables.
Beth picked up her pace, eager for the warmth and easy comfort the stables always provided. The horses might not really like her, but she’d spent many hours over many years watching Bryan tend to them. They had most of their best talks those evenings. She always felt closest to Bryan when he was focused on the horses, especially in the last year when things hadn’t felt as easy between them.
He’d been especially closed off since returning from the Midlands, and she wondered now if Calla had anything to do with that change. Still, her brother was likely feeling a little guilty that he’d run to the horses instead of Rose during the earthquake, even though he couldn’t have known Rose was in any danger. He’d want to talk about it. She’d be happy to listen.
Beth reached for the stable doors, already slightly open ahead of her, but then hesitated when she caught the sound of voices. She shifted sideways until she could see through the slight opening. Inside, Bryan and Calla stood near a stall that held a black stallion — Bryan’s prized yearling from a breeding with Hugh’s horse, the Beast.
Though Bryan and Calla had been talking a moment before, they weren’t talking now.
Calla, in all her pretty paleness, was wrapped around Bryan, whose back was toward the door and Beth. Bryan was pressed against her with his hands buried in her hair, as if he was trying to absorb her through his skin. Beth flushed at the thought, but assumed that must ultimately be the point of kissing someone …
A dull sort of ache flooded through her chest, but she
just couldn’t look away. Calla pulled back a little from the kiss and murmured something to Bryan that made him laugh. A deep, husky laugh. A sound Beth hadn’t ever heard him make.
Then they were kissing again, but this time there was more … groping involved. When Bryan’s hand closed over Calla’s breast and the healer moaned softly in response, Beth finally managed to wrench herself away from the door.
She spun blindly to run back to the castle and crashed into Finn, who, somehow, was standing almost right behind her.
“Whoa! Hello! I was looking for you.”
“I was just heading inside,” she murmured, not looking at him as she disentangled herself.
“I see that …” Finn’s voice trailed off, and Beth looked up from the ground to see that he was looking over her shoulder to the stables behind her. “What has you so upset?”
“Nothing,” she replied quickly, but it hadn’t really been a question, and her insistence didn’t stop him from angling his head until he could see inside the stables. Finn had gripped her arm to stop her from falling when she’d run into him, and he hadn’t released her yet. Beth felt the moment he saw Bryan and Calla. His body went completely still. Mortification flooded through her and she wished she could just flee, but that would mean ripping her arm out of his grasp.
Finn looked away from the stables, away from Beth, at the ground. He dropped her arm. She moved to step around him.
“Well, that’s quite a show,” he said. He was angry — but at her, Beth realized. Not at Calla and Bryan.
“That’s … that’s none of my concern,” she answered, and headed back toward the kitchens.
Time Walker Page 5