Ellida (15 page)

My eyes skimmed over the room and smiled.
Vases filled with pink roses were everywhere: on the mantel, on the
coffee table, side tables and windowsills.

Jack reached behind the sofa. “Close your
eyes.”

Oh, I could smell it now. The sweet, milky
scent of a young animal.

“A kitty! I got a kitty! Oh, Jack!”

Jack placed a little furry ball into my
palms. It was a silver tabby with dense black markings and deep
blue eyes, about ten weeks old. I brought it up to my face,
sniffing it, feeling its warm, soft hair against my skin.

“It’s a girl, isn’t it?”

“That she is. What are you gonna name
her?”

“I’ll think about it. Thank you, Jack,” I
whispered and almost started to cry.

“Can I hold it?” Maggie asked and gently took
the kitten from my hands. “Hey, beauty,” she murmured. “Welcome to
the family.” She turned to her brother. “Jack, I want a cat,
too.”

“I’ve been taking care of her since Jack
brought her,” Eamon said proudly. “I’ve just fed her.”

The women gathered around the kitten,
stroking it. I spotted my uncle standing by the kitchen island,
patiently waiting for his turn to greet me.

“Hi, Uncle,” I said and hugged him. “Thank
you for coming last night.”

“You’re welcome, sweetheart. You were a
wonderful sight, you know that? Jack and Betty told me about your
wolf size. Not that I didn’t believe them, but you left me
speechless nonetheless.”

“Tell her what you told us about her hunting,
Dad,” Eamon said.

My uncle smiled. “That was fascinating. The
best first hunt I’ve ever seen. Did Ellida talk to you about
it?”

“I did,” Morgaine said from across the room.
“Astrid was remarkable.”

My Uncle wrapped his arm around my shoulder
and kissed my forehead. “You let your instincts lead you, and you
didn’t make a single mistake, but then you suppressed them just in
time not to kill the deer. That was incredible, that easy switch
between your instinctive and rational sides. How is your memory
this time? What do you remember?”

“Everything.”

Jack swiftly turned to me. “Really?”

“Not too much from my previous changes, of
course, but I remember every single detail of the last forty-eight
hours.”

Betty laughed. “That’s because you were with
us. Do you see now, James, why I insisted this time on female
company for Astrid?”

Takeshi stepped into the room. “Hi, Astrid.
Can you talk to Tristan now?”

“Hello, Master Nakamura. Where have you
been?”

“I wasn’t happy with the Skype signal on
Eamon’s laptop, so I brought down mine. It’s much better now. Come,
they’re waiting. And your grandparents are there.”

I took my furry little friend from Maggie and
sat in front of Takeshi’s laptop.

Naturally, Tristan wanted to know about my
physical condition. “How are you? Why didn’t you let Gerhard check
you?”

“I didn’t think it was necessary. I’m fine,
Tristan.”

He frowned, but let it go. “What was your
blood pressure?”

“Normal, same as five, ten and twenty minutes
ago. One hundred-five over seventy-three. Happy?”

“Pulse?”

“Seventy.”

“You’re sure?”

I stuck out my tongue at him. “I’m excellent,
Dr. Blake. Take the word of a fellow doctor. I want to see the rest
of you now.”

My friends in Seattle had decided to throw
their own party, so they invited my grandparents over.

“Where’s your pet-wizard?” I said.

“Right here, honey,” Ingmar answered in a
bright voice. “How are you?”

“Good to see you, Ingmar. I’m fine,
thanks.”

One by one my Red Cliffs family came to say
hello and chat a bit with the Blakes and Vandermeers. Even Takeshi
exchanged a few words with Tristan. Maggie and Peyton talked to
Ingmar.

I smiled, listening to a subtle change in
Ingmar’s voice. Unless I was grossly mistaken, one of the girls had
captured his interest. And I was pretty sure which one it was.

Ingmar had always been an atypical wizard:
more vibrant, more relaxed and more cheerful than most of us.
Thanks to him, for example, I’d become a huge Monster Jam fan. He’d
drag me to train shows, air shows, firework festivals, football and
hockey games, even to rodeos. In short, to every place with a lot
of noise, large crowds and an excess of raw energy.

His fun-loving nature coexisted side-by-side
with his almost unnatural ability to absorb himself in his work. He
was a dedicated professional, driven by his cool logic and superb
intellect. Combined with his astonishing good looks—sleek blond
hair, piercing blue eyes, the body of an athlete—this fire-and-ice
charmer could be irresistible.

I’d keep my fingers crossed.

“Astrid,” he said to me suddenly, “I need to
talk to you about something. In private. I’ll call you tomorrow,
okay?”

Ha, there we were.

“Sure,” I said nonchalantly, peering at the
screen between Maggie and Peyton. My eyes narrowed ever so
slightly, but Ingmar caught it. The corners of his lips curved
upward almost invisibly in response. We understood each other
perfectly.

“HOW LONG have you known Ingmar?” Maggie
asked later while I logged off the computer.

“He’s been my friend since childhood. He’s
two years older. He’s also a doctor, you’ve probably figured that
out already.” I took a deep breath. “We also dated for a year or
so, before I came to Rosenthal.”

She tilted her head. “He was your
boyfriend!?”

“Uh-huh.”

“He’s gorgeous. He looks like a demigod from
Norse legends.”

I acknowledged the fact with a slight nod.
“He’s a great man. Smart, caring, generous, and funny. A wizard
with a sense of humor, can you imagine that?”

Peyton didn’t say anything. Instead, her
eyebrow arched slightly and a little smile that lurked in her eyes
briefly touched her lips.

I’d definitely keep my fingers crossed.

JAMES INTERRUPTED our chat, inviting us to
the dining room. Jack, Eamon, Takeshi and Morgaine were already
seated around the table. Jack stood up, pulled out the chair and
tucked me beside him.

“What did you make?” I asked although my nose
could recognize at least the main course.

“Tonight’s dinner is a group effort under my
supervision,” Jack said, laughing.

The food was delicious and included tender,
juicy roast beef and mouth-watering grilled chops. The side-dishes
were skillfully chosen: fancy salads, the tastiest Brussels sprouts
I’d ever tried, creamy risotto with wild mushrooms and wine.
Everything was excellent.

During dinner Jack told us about the house
renovations. “I’m moving in, Mom. Temporarily, for a couple of
weeks. I hope you don’t mind.”

“Not at all. When?”

“Tomorrow.”

“Good. I’ll prepare the room for you.”

Peyton, who sat across me, bent forward.
“Astrid, have you decided what you want to do with your house in
Rosenthal and your Seattle condo?”

I shrugged. “I think I’ll keep both. Maybe
rent them.”

“Would you like me to take care of that?”

“Please. And I think I want to renovate my
house here. I won’t live in it, but still, I want to… I don’t know…
bring life back to it, I suppose. One day somebody will live in it
again.”

“That’s a good idea, Astrid,” Betty said.
“It’s been empty for too long.”

“Should I wait until I announce my decision
about staying here? What do you think, Uncle?”

He brushed his knuckles along my cheek. “You
are going to stay, aren’t you, sweetie? Then go ahead with your
plans.”

“I’ll talk to my workers tomorrow,” Jack
said. “When they finish our house, they can continue with yours.
What do you want to do?”

“I don’t know. I have to think about it.”

“We can help,” Maggie said. “Mom and I. And
Peyton. She’s the best. We can go over one of these days and talk
about it.”

THE ADRENALINE that was running through my
system finally started wearing off after dessert. Jack had made one
of my favorite cakes, Chocolate Marquise Torte. He must be in love
with me indeed, I thought dreamily. That was a time-consuming
dessert.

I curled up on the living room sofa, suddenly
tired and sleepy.

I heard voices around me, laughing, giggling,
happy sounds, but they were becoming more and more distant and my
eyelids heavier and heavier.

“Where’s my cat?” I quietly asked Eamon, who
sat beside me.

“In her box in your room. I gave her a small
plate of cream and some water. She’ll be okay until tomorrow.”

I smiled and closed my eyes. Jack stood
beside the sofa. His fingers played gently on my neck and my
earlobes. I felt warm and safe. Tomorrow, I would continue with my
training, decide about my house, help Jack with renovations. Have
lunch with Peyton, I hoped. I glanced toward her. She caught my
eyes and smiled. I’d definitely have lunch with Peyton, then. And
I’d think about my mother. She was constantly in my thoughts since
Jack had come back from Scotland. I’d say my silent prayers for
her.

In spite of my deep fear for her life,
tonight I was convinced that everything would turn out just fine. I
was Red Cliffs’ Ellida, the powerful force of love. My sole mandate
was to bring balance and harmony, I thought sleepily. My new
friendship was proof of that. Peyton and I had done the almost
impossible in just a few days… My mother would be fine. In a short
time, Seth would strike again, but heaven help me, I would be ready
this time.

I pressed my warm cheek against the silky,
cool surface of a cushion.

“Is she okay?” somebody said, sounding
worried. James, it seemed. Or Eamon.

“She’s fine. Just tired. She hasn’t slept at
all since Saturday,” Morgaine said.

Warm, gentle fingers stroked my face. “Hey,
baby, you okay?”

“Uh-huh. I’m just tired. Don’t fuss, Jack.” I
pulled myself into a sitting position. “I fell asleep. I’m sorry.
I’m fine now.”

“I’ll take you to your room,” Jack said and
scooped me up.

“No, I want to stay,” I protested. “Put me
down!”

“I think I’ll call it a day,” Peyton said.
“It’s late. You need to rest, Astrid. If you like, stop by my
office tomorrow around noon. We can have lunch together and talk
about your house and condo.”

“Great. I’ll be there. And Peyton, thanks for
everything… I…”

My uncle interrupted. “You’ll thank her in
the morning, Astrid. Peyton isn’t going anywhere. Did anybody look
see what’s outside? It’s a snowstorm!”

“I probably wouldn’t get lost, but thanks,
I’ll be glad to stay,” Peyton said. “Where am I going to
sleep?”

“With me, in my room,” Maggie said.

“And you’re coming with me, big brother,”
Eamon said to Jack.

Jack laughed. “I certainly can make it to my
house, storm and all.”

“Yeah, but are you sure you can make it back
tomorrow morning to make us breakfast?” James said, laughing.
“Grilled cheese sandwiches, for example. Nobody’s going anywhere
tonight. This is a special evening and we’re staying together. Now
please everybody proceed to their rooms… Oh, I love snow! Makes me
feel so serene. Come on, Betty. We’ll light the fireplace, open the
curtains and watch the snow falling. Remember when we did that last
time?”

Still in Jack’s arms, I glanced toward my
aunt. She clearly did remember the occasion because her cheeks
reddened visibly.

My uncle was already on the staircase, with
Betty in tow. “No rush tomorrow morning. The first person that
shows up downstairs has to shovel the snow.”

WHEN I opened my eyes, the room was filled
with the soft silence of a snowy day and a pale, milky light. I
jumped from the bed and peered through the window. The sky was
light gray and it was still snowing heavily.

My heart leapt. I loved snow. It always
brought out my inner child.

“As if it’s not busy enough in my head,” I
murmured to myself, laughing.

A weak, high-pitched response came from the
box on the other side of the bed. I reached in and gently picked up
my little friend. She licked my finger and tried to suck on it, and
then, disappointed, closed her dark-blue eyes and fell asleep
again.

“You must be hungry, huh?” I stroked her tiny
head and neck. “Let’s fix you some breakfast and then I’ll show you
the snow. Through the window, mind you. You’re way too young to
play outside.”

The kitty and I were the first to come
downstairs. “It looks like we are going to do some shoveling this
morning,” I muttered, “unless we quickly grab you some milk and
dash back to our room.”

Eamon’s bushy head peered in. “Which would
leave the shoveling to me. No way.”

“Look who’s here, sweetie. Our grumpy old
cousin! Good morning, Eamon. I could always argue I was half-asleep
last night when Uncle made his snow-shoveling announcement, but in
fact, I don’t mind doing it.” I placed the kitten in Eamon’s hands.
“Give her something to eat while I get dressed.”

Eamon kissed my cheek. “No, Astrid, I was
just joking. I’ll take care of the snow. You make us coffee.”

“I think Astrid and I will do it faster.”
Takeshi said, walking into the kitchen, completely dressed for
outdoor activities. “What do you say, Astrid?”

I smiled. “By all means. Wait for me. Be back
in a minute.”

I put on my winter jacket and boots, my
woolen cap with a big pompom on the top, my mittens and scarf. I
was overdressed and already hot, so I hurried downstairs.

“The shovels are in the garage,” Eamon said,
but Takeshi and I dismissed his advice.

“We don’t need shovels.”

“Whoa, whoa! Wait for me!” Eamon turned
around and walked to Maggie, who had just joined us in the kitchen.
“Maggie, feed the kitty. I have to see this.”