Enchanted Ever After (Mystic Circle)

by Robin D. Owens

  Her pants were a little loose—power walking around the Circle and down to the small business district had its benefits, as long as she didn’t stop at the gelato shop.

  She slipped on her lucky silver bracelet and hurried to the kitchen to pick up the huge pan of still-warm brownies she’d made for the potluck.

  As soon as she exited her house, she could hear the cheerful noise of voices at Jenni’s home. “You’re going to be fine. You like the neighbors you’ve met,” she reassured herself. “Amber and Rafe Davail, Jenni’s guy, Aric, and the gay couple, Dan and Frank. You’ll find something to talk about.”

  The Mystic Circle people seemed nice, really, a real community, almost a family. Since Kiri and her parents weren’t close—hell, Dad was in Baja and Mom in Florida—and they’d emotionally abandoned her as a child, and neither had the same values as she—Kiri had the hope of joining this extended family. One more reason Mystic Circle appealed to her, she’d heard they were a tight community. Another thing she wanted to accomplish today, get further along that path to being accepted.

  And if Kiri was going to work with Jenni Weavers, she’d better learn how to speak to her without stuttering.

  Kiri turned and locked her door, stopped at the junction of Mystic Circle and Linden and checked for vehicles. Nothing. Crossing Mystic Circle, she skimmed the south edge of the park, taking a few seconds’ time to watch the koi, sluggish this morning in the shadows. She drew in a deep breath of flowers, including a lush bank of roses—the thick and heady last scents of summer. Then she walked to Jenni Weavers’s place, number eight. Kiri was invited; she’d be welcome.

  Would the man she’d seen last night be there, or had she been in a haze of work exhaustion and created him from the shadows of the park?

  Had he really said he was from Eight Corp’s human resources, the company that had the job she wanted? Well, if he was at the neighborhood party, she’d see him.

  She strode up the steps to Jenni’s house and saw a brass plaque: Emberdrakes. Right! Right, Jenni wasn’t Jenni Weavers but Jenni Weavers Emberdrake—or, maybe, like the guy the night before had said, Jindesfarne Mistweaver Emberdrake. Very cool name and Kiri had better remember it. Names were important.

  Another big breath and then she went through the enclosed porch and was at the front door. She rapped with the silver Hand of Fatima knocker.

  Aric, Jenni’s husband, opened the door. He was a tall man with wide shoulders who looked like he had Native American blood. Again the recollection of the guy from the night before wisped through her mind in comparison. Aric had the build she preferred, but the man she’d met earlier had certainly been interesting.

  “Hello,” Aric said. “It’s Kiri, isn’t it? Number one?”

  “Yeah.”

  He offered a huge hand and she propped the brownie pan on her other arm and put hers in his and got a quick shake before he stepped aside and held the door wide. “Welcome. Appetizers are on the kitchen counter, salads et cetera in the dining room, and we’re grilling in the back.” He glanced down at her brownies and laughed. “Brownies. We all love brownies and chocolate, but don’t often make them. Can be confusing.”

  “Huh?” Kiri said.

  A charming smile from Aric. “Sorry, neighborhood in-joke.”

  “Oh.” She wanted to learn all the in-jokes, wanted to be truly a part of the neighborhood.

  “But we’ll really appreciate your brownies,” Aric said. Since he noticeably swallowed as if saliva had pooled at the thought of the taste, Kiri believed him.

  “Good,” she said.

  “The dessert table is in the back, too.”

  His stride was long and fast. She got tingles when she entered the house. Evidently her nerves about the job were twitchier than she’d expected. But she wanted the position, the career, so much.

  And now she’d lagged behind Aric and had to hurry through the kitchen and sunroom to the backyard. That space, too, seemed to have...a little something extra. A little more of the feeling that the whole cul-de-sac had. Increased ozone, maybe.

  The smell of sizzling meat teased her nostrils. She glanced over and nearly froze in place. Jenni Weavers—no, Emberdrake!—was at the grill. Kiri recognized her from web pics. The woman wore a red apron and poufy white chef’s hat and wielded a long fork as if it were a weapon.

  But Jenni in the flesh was more vibrant than her photo, dark red hair instead of red-brown, light brown, very sparkling, eyes.

  Kiri wrenched her gaze away to sweep over the people. Almost all of the residents of Mystic Circle were there along with folks Kiri didn’t recognize, a few guests, she supposed, clumped together in small groups talking. About fifteen people. The guy from last night—who would not have pointy ears or a shimmer to his skin that must have been some cloud-cast or rising moonlight illusion—wasn’t there.

  Kiri wasn’t disappointed. Really.

  Something bumped Kiri’s knee and she joggled the pan. What? She looked around and saw an old, fat cat lying in the sun. Neither of the Davails’ yellow Labs were close, they ran back and forth along the iron barred fence to the north—the Davails’ place—with the occasional bark.

  Tamara Thunderock walked to Kiri and swept the pan from her hands even as Kiri lost her balance again. She windmilled. “Wow,” she said. “Good catch. I think my ankle twisted.” She wasn’t sure what had happened and offered a weak smile to the woman, who was even shorter than she. Kiri was about five feet five inches, but Tamara stood a good four inches shorter.

  “Brownies,” Tamara said. “You have to watch out for them.”

  “Yes, nearly dropped them,” Kiri said.

  “Your treats look fabulous.”

  Since Tamara was a baker, a pulse of satisfaction went through Kiri at her praise. “Thank you.”

  Brows raised, Tamara said, “If you want one of these, I suggest you get one right away. They’ll go fast.”

  “That’s okay,” Kiri said and relaxed enough for her smile to widen. “I got enough when I cleaned up the bowl and the spoon.”

  There was a little moan and Kiri blinked. She wouldn’t have expected that from Tamara; the woman worked with goodies all day long.

  “I’ll just put this on the table, why don’t I?” Tamara said, not meeting Kiri’s eyes. The smaller woman’s gaze was fixed on a lower point. “I’ll make sure the brownies are taken care of. There will be no more accidents.”

  “Sure.” Which meant Kiri had to suck up her courage and greet her hostess and heroine, Jenni Emberdrake.

  So she did, after hoping her smile was sincere and discreetly wiping her palms on the sides of her pants.

  “Hi,” Kiri said, offering her hand. “I’m Kiri Palger. I live in number one, the craftsman bungalow without the enclosed porch,” she babbled, as if anyone in Mystic Circle wouldn’t know which house was number one. Jenni appeared to be five feet nine or ten inches.

  Putting down the fork, Jenni took her hand in a really warm clasp. Kiri hadn’t thought her hands were so cold. Nerves.

  “Pleased to meet you,” Jenni said with a penetrating stare. “You do fit here in Mystic Circle.”

  “Ah. Thanks.”

  “And my colleagues and I at Eight Corp are interested in your background and résumé.”

  Kiri’s relieved breath puffed out a little harder than she’d expected. She followed that with a slight smile. “Thank you again.”

  “We’ll talk in a bit, so why don’t you relax and get some food. Plenty of it here.” Jenni picked up the fork again and gestured to a steak. “What kind of meat do you want?”

  Kiri wanted to resolve the job thing, but that wasn’t going to happen right now. Meat-wise, she longed for a fat hot dog. “I’ll have one of those skinless chicken strips.”

  Jenni reached toward the far side of the grill for an empty plate, plopped a chicken strip on the bright red paper dish. The tender meat fell apart.

  Kiri’s mouth watered. “Looks great.”

  “Eat and enjoy. W
e’ll talk later.”

  A dismissal, though said with a smile that reflected in Jenni’s eyes. Maybe Kiri would pull this off after all.

  She shifted tension from her shoulders. She was so nervous she probably shouldn’t eat. Food might have trouble squeezing into her clenched stomach, but she could hardly dump her plate.

  “Come and sit, Kiri!” called Amber Davail who lived with her husband, Rafe, in the Victorian house next door to Jenni. Amber gave a welcoming wave and Rafe smiled and lifted his fork.

  So Kiri crossed to one of the picnic tables that had been set up in the shade of a box elder tree and sat.

  It took a while for her to settle down, and she gave credit to Amber, a genealogist, and Rafe, part-owner of the Denver Fencing Lyceum, for helping her. The couple was easy to be with. They also didn’t seem to be as...intimidating as Jenni and Aric or as intense as Tamara.

  Soon Kiri had munched a mixed green salad, raw veggies, chicken and fruit and felt full enough to ignore the dessert table in the corner of the yard. She was glad there were no irresistible potatoes or French fries. She even managed to stay away from the chips and salsa and guacamole, which were a real weakness. She wanted to lose a few pounds before she started her new job.

  She would get the job.

  “Your brownies were incredible,” said Rafe. He laughed lustily. Now that she’d spent more time with him, Kiri thought he was a man who appreciated every moment of life. “They didn’t last at all. Some folk went straight for dessert.”

  “Fine with me.” Kiri drank deeply of a bottle of raspberry sparkling water and glanced around the backyard, a large pretty lawn with lilac bushes edging both side fences. The space wasn’t quite as lush or groomed as the Davails’ own next door, but Jenni’s sunroom was awesome.

  “We’re glad to have you join us here in the Circle,” Amber said. “The man who lived in number one before you kept to himself. Didn’t come to the block parties, traveled a lot and disapproved of the rest of us playing together as a team in Fairies and Dragons every Thursday night.” She wrinkled her nose, then cocked a golden-brown eyebrow at her husband. “Even Rafe plays now. We’ve assimilated him.”

  Again Rafe laughed and lines crinkled at the corners of his blue eyes.

  Amber poured some red wine into a glass and lifted it. A ray of sun slanted through it, and it appeared as if she held a glowing jewel. Smiling, she tilted the rim toward Jenni. “And we’re close here, and want to support each other however we might.”

  Kiri leaned forward and low words tumbled from her. “I want that, too.” She wetted her lips. “Jenni’s my hero. I’ve applied for a job at Eight Corp. I’d love to work with her.”

  Rafe’s and Amber’s gazes zeroed in on her, one shrewd, the other considering. Kiri flushed. Did she sound like a stalker? She hoped not.

  Amber dabbed some bruschetta in flavored oil. “Well, you know what you’re doing in Fairies and Dragons for sure,” she said.

  “Thanks.” Kiri grimaced. “Eight Corp said on its website that they’ll be making the decision soon.” She cleared her throat. “Did you see a guy walking around the Circle yesterday evening? He said he was from Eight Corp human resources. He was a little...” Fascinating. “...odd. Might have been practicing for Halloween.” Or her vision had been off.

  Rafe’s smile was brilliant. “Kiri, we’re all a little odd here in the Circle.” He pointed his bread at her. “Including you, and thank God for it.” His lips quirked up, then he popped the bread in his mouth.

  Kiri smiled. She didn’t mind being different, especially in a way that meshed well with Mystic Circle people.

  “We didn’t see anyone,” Amber said. “But bad guys can’t get in the Circle. It stops them.”

  “What!” Kiri’d never heard of anything like that in her life.

  They nodded in unison. “True.”

  “Oh.” Hmm. Nope, didn’t believe that.

  “Great party,” Jenni said as she walked up, holding a glass mug of frothy beer and grinning. “Glad that you started this tradition, Amber.”

  “I am, too,” Rafe said. “Ancient tradition.” He winked at Kiri. “Seven months, a party a month.”

  Kiri tried to keep upbeat. “Sounds fine to me.”

  “We’ll move the gatherings inside when the winter comes,” Amber said. She and Rafe rose and cleared their cheerfully colored paper plates and plastic utensils. “Later, Kiri.”

  “Sure. See you later.” She wondered if there really would be a later. How humiliating that she’d spilled her guts to near strangers who might repeat her words to Jenni or Aric. What if she didn’t get the job? Would she still feel okay living in Mystic Circle? Hell!

  Jenni slid onto the wooden bench opposite. She glanced around the backyard at the clusters of people talking and laughing. “Just great to have neighborhood get-togethers.”

  Then she turned her head to meet Kiri’s gaze. “We’ve discussed you quite a lot at Eight Corp. Aric works there, too.”

  Here it came.

  Chapter 3

  KIRI FROZE.

  Something in Jenni’s eyes, a downward curve of the corner of her lips made Kiri’s stomach clench. She wasn’t going to get the job.

  The sun went behind clouds—wasn’t it supposed to be sunny all day?—drying her sweat.

  She was glad she was sitting down and braced herself, forced the overwhelming disappointment back down her throat. She hoped she’d kept a pleasant smile on her face.

  Jenni continued, “I—we—were very impressed with your work on the prospective story arcs for Pegasus Valley....”

  Kiri said it for her. “But?”

  Jenni gestured with her mug of beer. “However, our preliminary planning took the characters and story lines in a totally different direction.”

  “Oh.”

  Jenni smiled and it hurt Kiri. “Now for the but. We have a very new, very exclusive game we are developing we’d like your help on.”

  Kiri stared. “What?”

  “You’ll have to interview with Eight Corp, and take a look at the preliminary sketches and plot arcs. They need to be fleshed out. Also, there is some preliminary game testing.”

  What did that mean?

  Jenni’s husband, Aric, came up and wrapped a hand over her shoulder. “Enough business talk.” He frowned. “Clouds have rolled in and I don’t like the feel of the wind. Let’s talk with Rafe and Amber.” He inclined his head to Kiri, blinked, then said, “Ah, I mean socialize.”

  New game. Exclusive. Preliminary testing. Before Kiri could get even one of the questions swirling in her head to her mouth, Jenni had stood and she and Aric had moved away.

  Then he stepped from the shadow of a tree near the front gate and Kiri’s heart began to pound. He moved with casual sophistication through the gathering. She’d been wary of him the night before—all right, she’d been a little scared of the man—doubted his claims that he was an Eight Corp rep. But here he was. He still evoked a buzz of fascination along her nerves.

  The man nodded to Aric, inclined his head at Jenni, lifted his hand to the Davails, but Kiri got the idea that he wasn’t local.

  Finally, he reached her and he made a half bow that Kiri had only seen in movies and at Ren Faires. Never had one aimed at her in real life. “Lathyr Tricurrent,” he said with an accent she couldn’t place. His hand dipped into his pocket and came out with another blue-green card. He held it to her. She just stared at the pasteboard.

  After a few seconds, she took it and tried a tiny experiment. She let go and it fell to the table. The card landed faceup and she saw his name and Eight Corp engraved on it in dark blue.

  “I believe Jenni spoke to you about our new project.” Again that fluid accent.

  Somehow, as she’d watched him move to her, in that short amount of time, she’d forgotten the first dozen questions she’d wanted to ask. She took a sip of her drink. “Jenni said it was a new game.”

  “We are doing preliminary work and hope to market it befo
re the winter holidays.”

  “Ah.”

  “Stage one is a prelude to the game and mostly developed.” She met his eyes and couldn’t seem to look away. They were deep blue, and his pupils dilated when he looked at her. He liked what he saw? That was nice and she felt heat crawl along her neck and up into her face. So stupid to stare, but she couldn’t stop it.

  His eyes were so pretty, blue and misty, and there seemed to be even more of a depth that sucked her down and she heard the rushing of air in her ears and the humidity of the day was pressing against her so she felt droplets on her skin and her breath was caught in her chest and reality seemed to fade and gray fog edged her vision....

  * * *

  Lathyr glanced aside and Kiri panted, sucking air. Her shirt was sticking to her. So not sophisticated. Could she be any more lame?

  “Have some water,” he said. His voice seemed to fade, then amplify in her ears. Ebb, flow.

  Get a grip!

  “Thanks,” she managed weakly, but she couldn’t seem to reach for the bottle. She looked up to see his long fingers twist off the top and set another plastic bottle of carbonated raspberry water into her curved fingers. Her hand trembled, tightened on the bottle, squirted water.

  Damn! Now her cheeks were hot from embarrassment.

  “Lathyr,” said Jenni Weavers with a scold in her tone, walking up to them.

  “My apologies,” he said.

  Kiri managed to get the bottle to her lips and gulp down her drink. Thankfully, she didn’t choke. Her brain felt fuzzy, as if there was stuff going on around her that she didn’t see. Maybe like she was stuck in a sepia dimension and everyone else was colors.

  Yoga breaths—three, then another sip of water, blink and smile and think! She wanted to know more about the job. She wanted the job, the career, and to accomplish that, she had to impress the man.

  Jenni had moved away, but left the guy a beer. He was running his index finger down one of the drips of condensation. His eyes met hers briefly and his pale lips curved in a smile that seemed genuine. “Sorry I disconcerted you.”