Misplaced (100 page)

Khar
a
whispered
,
“He’
s
summonin
g
th
e
spirit
s
t
o
the
celebration.”

Let’s not interrupt him,” Celeste advised.

Searching the crowd, Khara asked, “Do you see Oli
v
er?”
V
ictori
a
ha
d
bee
n
lookin
g
fo
r
hi
m
a
s
w
ell
.
Beside
s
the
middle-aged
man
leading
the
pra
y
er,
only
a
handful
of
elderly
men and pre-adolescent boys
w
ere present.

“There!
”
Celest
e
motione
d
t
o
a
cluste
r
o
f
pine
s
o
n
the
opposit
e
sid
e
o
f
th
e
fire
.
A
t
firs
t
V
ictoria’
s
e
y
e
s
sa
w
onl
y
the
tree
s,
but
a
s
he
r
e
y
e
s
adjusted
,
huma
n
form
s
too
k
shape
.
She
mad
e
ou
t
fringe
d
leggings
,
th
e
side
s
beade
d
i
n
brigh
t
red
.
A
fe
w
ha
d
matchin
g
buckski
n
tunics
,
bu
t
mos
t
stoo
d
bare-chested.
Eac
h
wor
e
a
headdress
,
som
e
o
f
whic
h
w
er
e
mor
e
tha
n
three
fee
t
high
,
fannin
g
out
w
ar
d
lik
e
ray
s
o
f
th
e
sun
;
other
s
w
ere
adorne
d
wit
h
feathers
.
On
e
ma
n
resemble
d
a
dee
r
i
n
a
tight—
fitting
leather cap embellished with fur and antlers.

Th
e
elderl
y
man’
s
voic
e
die
d
a
w
ay
.
Silenc
e
pre
v
aile
d
for
almos
t
a
ful
l
minut
e
befor
e
th
e
drum
s
starte
d
again
,
muc
h
faster
now.
There
w
as
whooping
and
hollering
and
an
ancient,
“ulululu
”
cry
.
V
ictoria’
s
puls
e
quickene
d
a
s
th
e
me
n
burs
t
from
the
trees
to
jump
and
dance
around
the
fire.
Bells
on
their
arms
and legs kept time with the pounding beat.

“He’s not here,” Khara lamented.

“Now
,
don’
t
ge
t
ahea
d
o
f
yourself,
”
Celest
e
cautioned,
soundin
g
almos
t
cheerful
.
“
I
suspec
t
you
r
youn
g
ma
n
is
probabl
y
th
e
devi
l
dancer
.
I
f
so
,
he
’
l
l
b
e
th
e
las
t
on
e
out
.
The
Mescalero
belie
v
e
there
are
supernatural
beings
living
in
their
midst
.
The
y
aren’
t
spirits
,
o
r
e
v
e
n
gods
,
jus
t
norma
l
peopl
e
with
attributes
that make them special.”

“His
w
ay with animals.”

“Y
es, it could be that—a trait that empo
w
ers him.”

“There!
”
Khar
a
pointe
d
t
o
th
e
lea
n
f
igur
e
tha
t
emerged
,
leapin
g
highe
r
tha
n
th
e
other
s
an
d
dangerousl
y
clos
e
t
o
the
flames.

“Ho
w
ca
n
yo
u
b
e
sure?
”
V
ictori
a
asked
.
“Hi
s
fac
e
i
s
co
v
ered
with—”

But before she could finish,
Khara
w
as
w
alking to him.

“Let her go,” Celeste said softly.

Khar
a
proceede
d
unnotice
d
unti
l
th
e
maske
d
dance
r
seemed
to freeze in mid-air, and then landed clumsily on all fours. He pulled off
his headdress and left it on the ground as he
w
ent to meet her. They stopped an arm’s length apart.

That night,
V
ictoria witnessed the po
w
erful sorcery of lo
v
e, though
the
word
would
escape
her
for
some
time.
The
princess
knel
t
befor
e
th
e
shirtles
s
youn
g
ma
n
i
n
leathe
r
breeches
,
th
e
f
ir
e
reflecte
d
i
n
he
r
smolderin
g
e
y
es
.
Oli
v
e
r
too
k
he
r
i
n
hi
s
arms
.
P
eculiar
trails
of
smoke curled
around
them,
providing
a
small measure of pri
v
acy.

Resentment whipped through the tranquil night air. “What are they doing here?”
V
ictoria o
v
erheard someone ask.

“Who invited them?” another demanded. A
woma
n
w
earin
g
a
gray-and-blac
k
lette
r
jacke
t
threw he
r
hea
d
bac
k
an
d
laughed
.
“Sinc
e
whe
n
d
o
the
y
w
ai
t
fo
r invitations?”

Celest
e
too
k
V
ictori
a
b
y
th
e
wris
t
an
d
approache
d
the
group. “
W
e
’
re looking for Ben.”

No
one
ans
w
ered.
The
boiling
whispers
seemed not
to
faze
Celeste
.
W
ithou
t
s
o
muc
h
a
s
a
brea
k
i
n
he
r
smile
,
sh
e
whispere
d under her breath, “For goodness sake, Cookie, loosen up!”