“Is the summit already known about?”
“Only to a few. Matt’s had a team in the grounds for a few days now, keeping an eye on things. Drew is moving in today.”
“Moving in?” Arrow blinked. Drew was Andrew Farraway, the other twin, in charge of the shifkin finances. And, like his brother, very good at what he did.
“Drew can pass for human if he needs to,” Zachary told her, smiling slightly at her surprise. “Remember humans don’t see things the way you do. Even the ones with magic don’t use it the same way.”
“That is true.” Arrow tilted her head, turning that over in her mind. “I can pass for human, too.” She had done so a few times over the past few months, spending time with Kester in the human world. The presence of an Erith would cause comment at the theatre, but with a mild glamour in place they were just two tall humans. Disguising their weaponry was harder and her brows drew together. She had been meaning to work on a better solution. “Although the sword is hard to cover with a glamour.”
“We don’t want you human,” Zachary said, still with a good dose of humour and mischief. “The staff at the Abbey think they’re ready for Erith and shifkin. Matt says they’re not.”
“So we are a warm up?” The term was a human one. Arrow’s lips twitched, seeing the funny side before the logical part of her brain turned over what the Prime had said. The humans were angry, and not ready for Erith. Not really understanding the Erith or what they were capable of. Without a glamour she would look less human. But still not Erith. “I do not have Erith clothing.”
“I think the sword, and your ears, will make the point nicely.”
“I see.” Arrow self-consciously tucked her hair behind her pointed ears, taking her hand away as soon as she realised what she was doing. Her ears looked Erith, even if her senses were not. If she wore her hair back in what Tamara called a pony tail, a very practical style, her ears would be visible. It would be even more evident if she could braid her hair as an Erith mage might, but she did not know how.
Her eyes strayed past the Prime to the city and the lands beyond, mind turning to the trail they had been following that day.
“We will need patrols. If the humans have something that can break through wards.”
“Matt is aware.” Zachary’s voice had darkened. “He’ll cover that with you.”
One worry settled, her mind turned back to her lack of residence, the maps and her packed bag.
“How long is this expected to last?”
“The Abbey is closing to guests for a month, as a precaution. But perhaps ten days. More, less, depending on how everyone gets along.” Zachary smiled. “Shouldn’t hold your trip back too much. Or keep you away from Kester too long.” He rose on those last words, teeth flashing in another grin, carrying away the empty boxes. Not one for lingering goodbyes.
Arrow glared after his back even as heat bloomed under her skin. The Prime had a way of cutting through things, her own feelings too complicated to unpick. There was no surprise that the ‘kin had noticed the fact that an Erith warrior, glamoured to appear human, had been spending time in the human world. Or that the ‘kin had noted that all that time had been spent with Arrow.
It was an awkward arrangement in many ways, with her exiled from Erith lands, and Erith being so rare among humans that the sight of one drew unwanted attention. Attention that Arrow did not want. The whatever-it-was between her and Kester felt fragile and new, something not to be exposed to the outside world just yet. Like an unknown, incredibly complex spell, she was learning little parts of the whole bit by bit. And despite the difficulty of geography and communication, with no electronic devices permitted within the Taellaneth, they were making progress. At least she thought so. She hugged her knees to her chest, eyes on the bright lights of the city below her and wondered, not for the first time, whether Kester would like to explore the human world with her.
CHAPTER 6
Arrow waited just inside the building’s doors the next morning, a nervous knot of tension in her stomach. Her escort were keeping a polite distance, silently watching. They had made no open comment on her appearance, but all the ‘kin had lifted their brows slightly when they saw her. With the money the shifkin had paid her for her work, she had updated some of her wardrobe to better quality clothing including a nearly-new, soft leather jacket that she had not been able to resist. Somehow, after years of worn out, second-hand clothing, and only a few days in borrowed, quality, clothing from the Erith, she had acquired a taste for finer garments. Everything she owned and wore now was warded and protected. Her sword was settled across her back, hair pulled back to reveal her pointed ears. She had also practised in the mirror to make sure she could show some more silver in her eyes without it being too overwhelming. Still, she did not think she looked either Erith or at all intimidating, which seemed to be what the Prime had wanted.
One of the ‘kin’s large black vehicles pulled up outside and she went out into the city air to meet Tamara and Matthias as they got out, the four ‘kin with her spreading around her in a fluid motion that gave her an odd sense of dislocation, reminding her of the way a White Guard third would move.
“Morning!” Tamara came the few steps towards her with springing strides and enveloped Arrow in a hug. Arrow returned the embrace slightly awkwardly, not all that familiar with hugs, and wondering why Tamara was suddenly being so friendly. The shifkin stepped back, familiar smile crossing her face. “Heard you had a rough couple of days. And you looked like you needed a hug.”
“T, I think Arrow was going for a sombre look,” Matthias chided gently, tugging the end of Tamara’s ponytail with easy affection. Arrow blinked, wondering at the change in him, too. Normally expressionless and far more intimidating to look at than she would ever be, he seemed almost relaxed.
“Well, yes, I saw that. But you didn’t look all that comfortable,” Tamara said, turning back to Arrow, thoughtful expression chasing away the smile. “Nice outfit, though.”
“Thank you.” Arrow recognised a sincere compliment. Tamara was impeccably dressed as always, even if the combat clothing she wore was a little snug around her middle. Not for the first time, Arrow wondered at the possible stress of the pair working together when Tamara was expecting their first child. Or children. The pair were extremely protective of each other in normal circumstances.
“Pa and Tony are meeting the Magister this morning,” Matthias told her by way of greeting, “although it looks like the magician you captured has already been released to the Collegia.”
“Annoying,” Arrow commented, the knot tightening in her middle. Caught using lethal combat magic during a break-in, the magician should have been detained for a while. And the Collegia had more to answer for, too.
“Wasn’t quite the word Pa used,” Matthias answered, eyes bright. “Tony was gearing up for war last I saw.”
“I’d love to see that,” Tamara said, wistful.
“Maybe another time. I’m sure there’ll be more chances,” Matthias told his mate, voice warm. Tamara stuck the tip of her tongue out at him.
“Do I need to do anything?” Arrow asked.
“Nope. Tony and Zachary are on it.” Tamara’s face lightened into a smile. “I think Zachary’s quite looking forward to the argument.”
Arrow nodded, the knot still in her stomach. They were heading for a summit between three races that did not like each other much at the best of times. The intrusion into her space, the thefts of Oliver Anderson’s sculptures, the reckless shooting of a human a hand’s width from the shifkin Prime, were all complications in an already fraught situation.
“We should go,” Tamara prompted.
“Pa says he has briefed you,” Matthias said, waving them towards the car. “Which I assume meant he didn’t tell you much.”
Arrow waited until they were in the vehicle, Matthias driving, Tamara in the passenger seat and her with the unexpected luxury of the whole of the back seat to herself before she answered.
/> “Summit between the three primary races. Lots of bad feeling towards the Erith from the humans. Some humans also not keen on the shifkin. Shifkin keen to avoid war. Possible interference from various parties who do not want the treaty ratified. But I do not have any details.”
“Nice summary.” Tamara pointed to a cardboard file box on the floor behind Matthias’ seat. “Details of the human principals that we know or suspect are going to be there. And a bit of detail on some of the Collegia magicians. It’s really hard to get any good information about them.”
“Interesting.”
Excellent hosts, Matthias and Tamara had provided coffee and breakfast and Arrow passed the journey through the city and out into what the humans regarded as countryside reading through the comprehensive information the ‘kin had put together.
By the time she was done and Matthias was turning the vehicle off the main road onto a smooth, single track road that ran into dense forest. Arrow frowned, leaning forward.
“Are the Erith supposed to be here already?”
“Not for another day or so. Why?” Matthias sent her a quick frown.
“An Erith vehicle has been along this road very recently. Perhaps more than one. The Taellaneth mechanic’s wards are sloppy.” Sloppy was being kind, Arrow thought, brows drawing together in concern. If anyone attacked the vehicle, the occupants would be at serious risk. At his last visit, she had provided Kester with pre-prepared ward spells for him to use on any vehicle he travelled in, unsettled feeling in her middle at the thought of him travelling in an unwarded vehicle. He had seemed pleased with the spells, memory of the smile he had given her sending a warm coil through her, chasing away the worry.
Outside the vehicle, the densely planted forest went on for perhaps half a mile before thinning out, the driveway curving so that they caught the occasional glimpse through the trees of a very large, grey stone building. As big, if not bigger, than the Taellaneth’s main building. And the heart of the Erith government had been built to impress.
At length they arrived at a wide, paved area where a pair of Erith vehicles were already parked, an Erith warrior in his day uniform waiting by each of the vehicles. This was the human world and the Erith would not leave their vehicles unattended.
Matthias and Tamara exchanged glances in the front seats. Arrow checked her personal wards, and that her hair was still in place, suddenly nervous about showing her slightly altered appearance to the Erith, when she was usually dressed as a servant among them, before they all got out of the vehicle.
The vehicles were parked near an arched opening that led through the building, which stretched far away to either side. The archway was large enough for a double-height vehicle to drive through unimpeded, and there was at least one storey of rooms above it.
The building itself sang in Arrow’s senses. An old building, as humans measured time, it had been crafted with good wards that had been maintained regularly. The wards were settled, content in the spring sunshine, sensing no threat.
Through the archway came the sound of voices. Erith, speaking in low tones, and a louder voice that sounded human to Arrow’s ear. There was something in the timbre of the voice that made her think the speaker was a tall, human male.
Matthias and Tamara began walking towards the voices, Arrow following, sending her senses out. The human-made wards on the building were unfamiliar so she could not say how many people were inside, but there was a party of five Erith and perhaps the same number of humans through the archway.
Five Erith warriors, impeccably dressed, not a hair out of place, were standing in a loose half-circle listening with apparent endless patience to a human male. Dressed in what looked like a similar outfit to Matthias, the human also carried a long knife against one leg and had a bandoleer across his chest with a series of small vials. The vials swirled with human magic. Some kind of magician, then, although Arrow had not seen that particular outfit before. The vials looked too fragile to be carried so casually. He was not quite as tall as the Erith, tilting his chin slightly to look at them and Arrow had the impression that he had puffed his chest a bit.
“Oh, that idiot,” Matthias muttered under his breath. Too quiet for any of the humans to catch but every Erith would have been able to hear it. None of the warriors so much as twitched.
“You’ll like him, Arrow,” Tamara whispered with a conspiratorial wink. The sense of mischief among the ‘kin did not end with the Prime and Arrow was immediately wary.
“Ah, Matthias, good you could join us.” The human male turned to Matthias and lifted a brow. “Now we can get started.”
“A moment. Started on what?”
“The tour, of course. Aren’t you here to look around and check the security?”
Arrow recalled that Matthias had already had a team here, according to the Prime, and wondered if the human did not know this, or if he was ignoring the ‘kin’s presence.
“In part. Introductions first, though.”
“How rude of me.” The tone was anything but apologetic. The human turned his shoulder to the Erith and nodded to the humans gathered. Three others. Two female, one male.
“George Creasey, hotel manager. Fleur Maillot, his deputy. Juniper Sage, my second.”
Both the hotel manager and his deputy, ordinary looking humans dressed in similar dark grey suits, made as if to step forward and shake Matthias’ hand. They checked their impulse when Mathias remained still, instead smiling awkwardly at the group. The other magician, dressed in a similar way to the first, merely stared at Matthias before transferring her gaze on to Tamara and then Arrow.
“Who are you?” The woman’s voice was deep, her tone curt.
“Arrow is a consultant,” Matthias said easily. He was standing with his hands in his pockets, slightly slouched. A posture he would never normally adopt. Deliberately down-playing his abilities, trying to look less lethal, Arrow saw at once, a posture copied from the Prime, perhaps. Doubtless trying to draw the as yet unnamed human male into some mistake.
“And I don’t know who they are.” The human male jerked his chin towards the silent Erith.
“I do,” Arrow said, her tone flat. He had been deliberately rude to some of the most senior warriors among the Erith. If he was trying to start a human-Erith war, he was down the right path.
“Arrow.” The most senior warrior said, implacable expression fading into a genuine smile. He bowed slightly. “It is good to see you again, even in the circumstances.” He was, naturally, speaking Erith. Miach had been the first guard at the Palace for far longer than Arrow had been alive, and was, Arrow thought, the most natural choice for the Erith to send. His companions were also no surprise.
“And you, svegraen. Do these humans speak Erith, do you know?”
“They do not appear to,” Xeveran answered. “We made several quite unpleasant remarks and received no reaction.”
“Although they may be recording us,” Kallish added.
“There is that possibility,” Miach agreed. “There has been little honour shown so far.”
“Told you we should have brought our cadres,” Elias said, sending a frown to Miach. The humans might not have noticed that the pair were standing a fraction closer together than the other warriors, but Arrow knew that neither Matthias nor Tamara would have missed that fact.
“I thought bringing Undurat was making enough of a point,” Kallish said easily, tone and the slight gleam in her eye making it a joke. Undurat, easily the tallest and broadest Erith Arrow had ever seen, sent a look at his cadre leader that would have made lesser spirits falter. Kallish did not react.
“Svegraen, may I introduce Matthias Farraway and his mate Tamara, representing the shifkin nation.” Arrow cut through what seemed as if it could be the start of a long back-and-forth discussion. Both ‘kin bowed slightly to the Erith, their manners far superior to the human magicians’. They had worked with Kallish and her cadre before, only Miach and Elias new faces.
“We are familiar with hi
s work. And that of his mate. It is an honour.” Miach bowed slightly in the direction of the ‘kin. “Xeveran, perhaps you would reveal to our hosts how well we understand them?”
“With pleasure.” Xeveran made a slight bow, catching Matthias’ attention, and went on, in nearly accent-less common tongue, to introduce the five warriors to Matthias, Tamara and the hotel staff. He pointedly excluded the two human magicians.
After that less than friendly start, Arrow thought it would be a miracle if the summit itself ended in harmony. Matthias and Tamara must have had the same thought, and also that the Prime had put a great deal of his personal energy into organising this. So the ‘kin suggested that the hotel manager and deputy lead the tour, starting with the building.
Initially appearing intimidated by the Erith warriors, the hotel manager soon warmed to his task and revealed that behind his bland, ordinary appearance, he held a great passion for the building, its history and the standards of the hotel. He became quite animated describing how the Abbey had been modernised and adapted over the years and answered a few questions from the Erith, translated by Xeveran, with detail and enthusiasm.
“Let us never introduce this fine human to Sir Messian,” Kallish suggested in a rare pause. A couple of the Erith warriors made a slight choking sound, containing laughter. Arrow bit the inside of her lip. The Taellaneth Steward’s knowledge and enthusiasm was a fair match for this human.
Like its manager, the Crossings Abbey appeared fairly ordinary on the outside but was anything but inside. Some of the finest craftsmanship Arrow had ever seen in the human world had been applied here. Long, discreetly patterned rugs lined the corridors, the floor underneath polished wood, not one creak sounding as they walked. The walls were either plaster, painted in plain colours to show off the array of artwork hanging on them, or wooden panelled, the panels gleaming with fresh polish and showing no sign of warping.
They had started their tour in the hotel’s reception area, full of polished wooden panels and older style human furniture, a giant fireplace containing a flower arrangement rather than stacked wood in deference to the season. The manager had then led them along a wide corridor, doors opening to either side, pointing out what he referred to as a sitting room, bar and library as they went past. At length the corridor ended in a set of double doors and something in the manager’s manner cued Arrow that the next room was significant.
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