Enchantment (10 page)

She saved the glass pendant, figuring Dad should have the pleasure of watching her give it to Mom, since he had paid for it. On the drive home she ran out of things to talk about. Fortunately Mom picked up the slack, bringing up school.

“You've only got a week to get your supplies. Shall we stop at the office place in Santa Fe?”

Holly bit her lip. She didn't want to stop, she wanted to go up to the spring to see Ohlan, but she knew Mom's suggestion made sense. The big office store was cheaper and had more selection than the stores in Las Palomas.

“I don't have the list with me,” she said.

“I found it on your desk, and brought it along just in case. Shall we?”

Mom's smile did her in. Holly couldn't disappoint her, and didn't have any reason not to shop that she could talk about, so she caved.

It took an hour to collect everything on the list and check out, despite Holly's attempt to move as fast as possible. Mom liked to browse, and she kept getting distracted by colored sticky notes, cute magnetic list pads, and a whole aisle of scrapbook stuff. Holly bit down on her impatience and tried to resist checking her watch.

By the time they were back on the road, she knew it was too late for her to get up to the spring before dinner. She didn't want to wait until the next day to see Ohlan. She kept her frustration to herself.

At home, she dumped her gym bag, computer, and school supplies in her room and offered to help fix dinner. Mom was pleased, and put her to work cutting up vegetables. Holly spotted a pineapple upside down cake—her favorite—on the counter, and resigned herself to staying through dessert.

“I made dinner for Madison's roommates,” she said. “They don't cook, so they were all impressed.”

“You liked them?”

“Sure. Nice folks.”

“Maybe you could hang out with them some, until you make your own friends, if you decide to go to school there.”

Holly finished slicing a zucchini and put down her knife. “Mom, I'm not going to school there. It would bug Madison having me around, and I didn't like CU that much.”

“Oh. Well, if you don't like it, then of course you shouldn't go there. There's always the college fair.”

Holly didn't answer. More and more, she felt she didn't want to go away to college at all. She'd have to figure out how to get her folks to agree to it. Dad wouldn't like it, but Mom actually might.

Dad got home from work just as the chicken casserole was done. He grabbed Holly in a bear hug.

“Missed you, hon. How was Boulder?”

Holly grinned and disengaged, getting out plates to set the table. “Tell you about it at dinner.”

She went through the whole story again as they ate. Just the three of them again, at the table. They were used to it by now, but after having Mad home for a couple of weeks it did seem a little lonely.

“So, did you like the campus?” Dad asked.

Holly shrugged. “Not really. Not enough to want to go there. Thing is, I think Madison and I would get in each other's way.”

“I thought it would be nice for you to have some family nearby.”

“If I wanted that I might as well stay here.”

She glanced at him to see his reaction. Frowning. Not great.

“You know it's important to get a good education,” he said.

“Yeah, I know.”

And that was the problem. Her folks really wanted her to go to college. She wanted to stay in Las Palomas.

There was a satellite campus of the University of New Mexico in town, but its offerings were pretty limited. She should check into it, though.

Mom asked Dad about his work day, giving Holly a break for which she shot her mother a grateful smile. If Mom noticed, she didn't show it. Holly finished her meal and waited until the others were done, then offered to clear plates.

“Not in a hurry, are you?” said Dad as she stood up.

“Well—there's pineapple upside down cake.”

That made Mom smile, as Holly had intended. When they all had cake in front of them, she took out the glass pendant and presented it to Mom.

“Mad and I picked it out.”

“Oh, it's beautiful!”

She put it on, and Holly saw her father quietly beaming. Chalk up more brownie points. She'd earned enough that after she'd finished her dessert, she decided to take a risk.

“Think I'll go out for a bike ride. I didn't get much exercise the last few days.”

“Do you want company?” said Dad.

Damn.

She played it cool, shrugging. “If you want. I was just going to ride around the loop.” With a stop at Enchantment Springs Trail.

“OK, well, don't stay out too long after dark.”

“I won't.”

Holly got up, kissed both her parents, and left her dessert plate in the kitchen sink as she headed for the garage. The street lights were coming on as she pedaled down the street to the big loop of Mountain Way that defined the neighborhood. The trailhead was at the top of the loop. Holly turned right and pumped up the hill as fast as she could.

Technically, the trail was closed after 6:00 p.m. Holly left her bike in the rack and strode up the hill, wishing she'd grabbed her fanny pack, which had a little flashlight in it.

Oh, well. She'd just have to be careful. There weren't many obstacles, just a couple of rocks to step around, and she pretty much knew where they were.

Her eyes began to adjust to the dim light beneath the trees. Between the branches the sky glowed a deep turquoise. It was a magical time, between day and night. Fairy-time, she'd called it when she was a kid.

Her heart was pumping hard, and her skin began to tingle as she got closer to the spring. She hadn't seen or heard anyone else on the trail, but she heard a massive chittering of birds ahead, and slowed as she reached the edge of the glen.

Birds all over the concrete box, fluttering and quarrelling. She moved closer slowly, one tiny step at a time. One of them must have noticed her because suddenly they all flew up into the air, chirping in alarm. One little goldfinch fluttered back down to perch on the edge of the coffin.

“Hello there,” Holly said, smiling.

The bird swelled and grew, and turned into Ohlan. He returned her smile.

“You came back.”

A thrill of delight smacked her right in the chest. She felt her cheeks heating up. She took a step toward him.

“I'm sorry it wasn't sooner. My folks wanted me to go up to Boulder with my sister.”

“Boulder?”

“Yeah. She's going to college up there.”

“Ah. I hope you enjoyed the journey.”

“I would rather have been here.”

Ohlan's smile widened and he reached for her hand. “Thank you.”

“I—I missed you.” Holly felt breathless, holding hands with him, like she was standing at the edge of a cliff. “I met a water spirit. At the lake near my sister's place.”

He raised his eyebrows. “You did?”

“I asked her if there was some way to help you—you know, be stronger. She didn't know.”

“It was kind of you to ask.”

“
I
want
to help you.”

She wanted it more fiercely than she could tell him, especially if the lake spirit's guess was right. She swallowed.

“I read a book by someone who used to live here. Do you remember Amanda?”

“Amanda?” Ohlan looked surprised, and gazed into the woods for a moment. The soft smile on his lips tore at Holly's heart. “Yes, I remember Amanda. I have not seen her in a long while.”

“She's dead,” Holly said bluntly, then felt sorry. She didn't want to hurt Ohlan.

He didn't seem upset, though. He was still smiling.

“Did she … come up here a lot?” Holly asked.

“Yes. For a few years.”

So, yeah. They'd been lovers. Holly wanted to ask him outright to confirm it, but she chickened out.

“Things were different then,” Ohlan said.

“Yeah, they hadn't built this, right?” Holly knocked her knuckles on the edge of the coffin.

“No. Amanda left after they built it.”

His smile faded, and Holly felt a pang of pity. Must not be fun, having people come and go. It was kind of surprising that he still seemed to care so much about the people who came to the spring, but then maybe he had the same philosophy as the lake spirit: enjoy them while they're here.

“She got married and had children,” Holly added.

“Ah, yes. She wanted children.”

Holly tilted her head. “Could you and she have had children?”

Ohlan met her gaze, then shook his head. “This body is an illusion. It has no—what is the term—genetic substance.”

“Oh! No DNA. No, um … fertility.”

“
That's right.”

“It's a pretty convincing illusion, even so.” Holly looked at him sidelong. “You could appear as a woman if you wanted to, couldn't you?”

“Yes.”

“Why this form, then?”

The smile returned. “I wanted to please you.”

Holly glanced down at their hands, blushing furiously. Ohlan's fingers squeezed hers.

“I haven't had any human friends since Amanda left.”

A tingle shot up her arm and into the top of her head. She was having trouble breathing. She looked up at Ohlan, and he leaned toward her.

Ever so slowly, he brushed his lips against hers. Small explosions of pleasure fired off all through her.

Oh, yes. This was nothing like the kisses she'd had before.

She leaned her forehead against his shoulder. He let go of her hand, only to slide his arm around her, and she snuggled against him and sighed. It was wonderful, sitting with him. Even though she knew it was an illusion, he felt warm, smelled great. He was comfortable.

The body might be an illusion, but the love was real.

“Why do you like humans?” she asked. “I mean, you can take the form of any creature, right? So why are humans special? Or are they?”

“Oh, yes. Your souls are so brilliant. More than any other creature.”

“More than other spirits?”

Ohlan leaned his cheek against her temple. “Spirits are different. They exist at a higher—I believe you would say 'frequency.' Lighter, less powerful in some ways, at least in this world. Human will is an amazing force.”

It was nice to hear she was amazing. She would be happy to spend the night here, in his arms.

That thought startled her into opening her eyes. The forest was dim; the sky she could see through the tree branches had lost its evening glow.

“I have to get home soon or my parents will freak.” She sighed as she sat up, not wanting to leave. “I'll come back tomorrow.”

“Let me walk you to the street.”

She smiled, though this made her wonder if he had done the same for Amanda. He kept his arm around her as they started down the trail. A few paces along, Ohlan suddenly stopped, and Holly nearly tripped.

“I-I'm sorry.”

His face was dismayed, strained. Holly gave a small grunt of surprise as he leaned on her heavily.

“You can't leave the spring!”

“I forgot.”

“Can you turn to a bird and fly back? Would that be easier?”

He shook his head. “Takes energy.”

She supported him back to the concrete coffin. Illusion or no, he sure felt like a hundred-odd pounds of human.

By the time they reached the spring he was stumbling. He tumbled headfirst into the water, scaring her though she knew he'd be fine. A moment later he surfaced, looking much better.

“Thank you. I am sorry—“

“Don't be. We'll figure this out. I'll do some research.”

“You are so good to care.”

“Are you kidding? I'm crazy about you, Ohlan, just in case you hadn't figured that out.”

He smiled and reached up to caress her cheek. She closed her eyes, drinking in his touch.

“I really should go.”

“Be careful.”

“Yeah.”

Reluctantly, she backed away, still gazing at him. She realized she could see him perfectly well despite the darkness. He had the same kind of pearly glow as the lake spirit.

So gorgeous.

“See you tomorrow.”

She made herself turn away and start down the trail, walking as fast as she dared in the dim light. The back of her neck prickled with remembered fear from her brush with punk kids at the lake, but there was no one else on the trail now. When she could see the glow of street lights ahead, she dared to jog the rest of the way to the trailhead.

On her bike, pedaling for home, she felt safer. The street lights made pools of warmth on the pavement. A couple of familiar cars cruised past. She reached her street and sped for home.

Dad met her in the garage. “I was about to come looking.”

Holly looked up from stashing her bike. “Sorry. It's so beautiful out.”

He put an arm around her shoulder as they went into the house. “Don't scare me, OK? Your old man can't take it.”

“'Kay.”

She thought about how he'd take hearing that she was hanging out with Ohlan, and concluded she couldn't ever tell him. He wouldn't like anything about it. She'd just have to keep her home life and her life at the spring separate.

Holly left the house early the next morning, right after she'd done her chores. She fixed herself lunch, quietly making a second sandwich and adding a half-dozen cookies to her pack. With a cheery smile she told her mom she was going to the library, then biked straight up to the spring.

Ohlan was there. So were a troop of cub scouts. Holly hung back on the trail, listening to the scout leader talk about how springs were formed and answer the kids' questions.

As she watched, she realized that none of them saw Ohlan, though he was right there, sitting on the edge of the concrete coffin, smiling as he watched them. She took a step toward him and he looked at her. She raised an eyebrow, nodding toward the scouts. Ohlan just smiled and shrugged.