That relieved me in a way words couldn’t begin to express. I regained my seat and looked into the mirror once more.
An hour and a half wasn’t nearly enough time to tell them all that had happened in the past three years. But I wasn’t really interested in telling them every little detail. That wasn’t the point of this ET phone home. “Well, as you can see, I have very excellent friends and a boyfriend. How are you? It’s been almost three years since I’ve seen you last. Tell me everything.”
“We’d rather hear what’s happened with you,” my mother refuted immediately in her cute, accented English. “Jamie, he told us before that you are on a magical world? That a witch pulled you through to that world? Is there really magic where you are?”
So, Henri had called before? To set up this meeting, no doubt. I looked at my partner, my friend, and the man I was already half in love with, and couldn’t repress my smile as he looked right back at me with the same joy. “Fortunately for me, there is. All the magic in the world.”
I sat in my favorite chair, Jamie curled in next to me. It had been three days since I orchestrated the call home for her. In those three days, I saw a very different woman. I’d had no idea the stress she carried of not being able to connect with her family until that stress was removed. She was far lighter than I’d ever seen her, almost silly with the relief. Seeing her like this, I dearly wished Seaton and I had been able to figure it out sooner.
Because she still struggled to read for leisure, I read aloud to her, one of those ridiculous mystery books that had nothing to do with true police procedure. They amused both of us, and it was a gentle, easy way to pass the time with her. Of course, all three cats curled up on either us or the chair, as they couldn’t seem to resist a human at rest.
Jamie turned the page for me, my other hand effectively captured by Phil. But as she turned, she asked, “Should we pause after this chapter, go out for dinner?”
“Are you quite certain? The scent from the construction is still quite prevalent.”
“I can wear the nose guard, it’s fine. At least I know that scent will die down once they’ve finished construction at the docks.”
“Yes, true. Well, then, should we head to Christopher’s?”
“Ooh, yes. I can do with a steak. You know what, I’m too hungry. Let’s go now.”
“As you wish.”
For some reason, she snorted a laugh even as she helped extract me from the cats. “One of these days, I’m going to find a way to fully explain The Princess Bride to you. This will happen.”
Accepting her hand up, I stood and stole a taste of her smile. “I look forward to it.”
· I FOUND GARLIC! It’s strangely enough a nut. And the texture is different, but the taste is dead on. I may or may not have done the garlic bread dance when I found it.
· Tried a new drink called Shuri Ice and it did not react well with me. Or it did, depends on how you look at it. I was wired for HOURS. As bad as a toddler on a sugar high. Henri’s cut me off. I may sneak it back in for Girls’ Nights, though.
· Sat down with Elli and Queen Regina over a private dinner last night. We got to talking about smog, and pollution, and what happened on Earth in the major cities. Regina’s not at all keen on repeating this in Kingston. I told her we had good options for windmills, especially being on the coast like this, wind is a constant. Replace all of those coal burning energy sources. Elli’s been given a Royal Order to make it so, Number 1.
Speaking of Elli, I have got to re-work my inventions list. Her whole guild is now pitching in to handle the influx of ideas from me. (I kinda feel bad. But don’t. We’re all making loooots of money.)
Have:
Feminine hygiene (this went over really well)
Jeans (although convincing people women can wear them is not going well)
Running shoes
Rubbing alcohol
A/C on its way
Fridge
Telephone (speakers need serious improvement)
Need:
-Duct tape
-zipper (I can’t believe we don’t have zippers yet)
-radio
-typewriter
-COMPUTERS (whimper can’t get tech up fast enough)
-until then, Hollerith punch cards and code
- Adjustable Ratchets Handcuffs
- Anesthesia for Dentistry and Surgery
And I will figure out how to get TVs here or die trying. I miss mindless television like you wouldn’t believe.
Note to self: Ask Sherard and Jules how feasible it would be to get small packages transported here from Earth. If I can just get a few books on mechanical stuff…
Days of the Week
Earth – Draiocht
Sunday – Gods Day
Monday – Gather Day
Tuesday – Brew Day
Wednesday – Bind Day
Thursday – Hex Day
Friday – Scribe Day
Saturday – Rest Day
Months
Earth – Draiocht
January – Old Moon
July – Hay Moon
February – Snow Moon
August – Corn Moon
March – Crow Moon
September – Harvest Moon
April – Seed Moon
October – Hunter’s Moon
May – Hare Moon
November – Frost Moon
June – Rose Moon
December – Blue Moon
Werespecies: werehorses, wereowls, weremules, werefoxes, weredogs, werebadger, weremouse, werewolf, werebeavers, wereelephants
Other books by Honor Raconteur
Published by Raconteur House
♫ Available in Audiobook! ♫
THE ADVENT MAGE CYCLE
Jaunten ♫
Magus ♫
Advent ♫
Balancer ♫
ADVENT MAGE NOVELS
Advent Mage Compendium
The Dragon’s Mage ♫
The Lost Mage
WARLORDS (ADVENT MAGE)
Warlords Rising
Warlords Ascending
Warlords Reigning
THE ARTIFACTOR SERIES
The Child Prince ♫
The Dreamer’s Curse ♫
The Scofflaw Magician♫
The Canard Case
The Fae Artifactor
THE CASE FILES OF HENRI DAVENFORTH
Magic and the Shinigami Detective
Charms and Death and Explosions (oh my)
Magic Outside the Box
Three Charms for Murder
DEEPWOODS SAGA
Deepwoods♫
Blackstone
Fallen Ward
Origins
FAMILIAR AND THE MAGE
The Human Familiar
The Void Mage
Remnants
Echoes
GÆLDORCRÆFT FORCES
Call to Quarters
IMAGINEERS
Imagineer
KINGMAKERS
Arrows of Change ♫
Arrows of Promise
Arrows of Revolution
KINGSLAYER
Kingslayer ♫
Sovran at War ♫
SINGLE TITLES
Special Forces 01
Midnight Quest
THE TOMES OF KALERIA
Tomes Apprentice
First of Tomes
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~Honor
Honor Raconteur is a sucker for a good fantasy. Despite reading it for decades now, she’s never grown tired of the magical world. Sh
e likely never will. In between writing books, she trains and plays with her dogs, eats far too much chocolate, and attempts insane things like aerial dance.
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Three Charms for Murder (The Case Files of Henri Davenforth Book 5) Page 25