Protector of the Flight (40 page)

After
she’d walked a few yards away from them along the fence, the volarans came over
to her, pushing each other to greet her.

Hello,
Volaran Exotique,
the buckskin said.

Hello,
Calli!
said a bay stallion.

Hello,
whispered the
third, a black, smaller than the other two, ducking her head, then bringing it
up to look at her with large, dark eyes. This one was a sweetheart, too gentle
to fly to battle.

Salutations,
winged ones,
she said.

They
liked that, and she took turns palming their lips, stroking their faces and
necks. To Calli’s disgust, the two men sauntered up to her.

“You
have a way with volarans,” Veenlit said, reaching out to stroke the buckskin’s
nose. She backed away.

Calli
lifted her eyebrows. “Probably why I’m called the Volaran Exotique.”

A
spark of annoyance showed in his eyes before he suppressed it and smiled—too
widely. “I could use a couple of fresh volarans.”

She
played ignorant. “I thought if you wanted to increase your volaran herd all you
had to do was Sing them from the wild.” Like any volaran would come to his
call.

He
shrugged heavy shoulders. “Hadn’t thought much about it until you all came
camping. One of these…”

“These?”
She widened her eyes as if in surprise. “But these have come to be trained as
war volarans.” Then she smiled warmly. “Of
course,
I’ll work with you
and them in the fighting patterns.” Now she lifted and dropped a shoulder. “I’m
not on rotation to fight. We can begin immediately.” With a sweeping glance up
and down them, she said, “I bet I could have you two in the thick of battle and
slaughtering horrors within a week.”

They’d
backed away from the corral. She followed. “So, I’ve never asked, do either of
you speak telepathically to your volarans?” She hadn’t made time to visit with
the local volarans, something she noted she’d have to do.

They
both stared at her blankly. “What are you talking about?”

Letting
surprise creep into her voice, Calli said, “We’ve found that about ten percent
of the Marshalls and Chevaliers can mind-speak with volarans. We call their
language Equine.”

Veenlit
grunted. “Thought that was only crazy black-and-white Power, like that Bastien
has.” His nostrils flared. “Castle matters. We don’t hold with that weird new
stuff here.”

“Hmm,”
Calli said. “As the volaran trainer, I’m not sure I want to send any of the
winged steeds into battle with someone who isn’t strong in Equine. I don’t
think I’ve seen either of you fly, either.”

“Volarans
shouldn’t be just for battle. The beasts have other uses around a manor, too.
You don’t know anything about how life is lived outside the Castle.”

Anger
rose. “That’s pretty much right. All my experience has been in training volarans
for partnering Marshalls and Chevaliers in battle and fighting the horrors. I
haven’t seen much peace here.” Even now her husband was taking care of their
estate and she was dealing with these sleazeballs who thought posturing was as
important as fighting.

Turning
her back on them, she went into the corral, smoothed a hand over the buckskin.
The mare bent her neck around Calli in a volaran embrace, looked at her with
big brown eyes.
I will be an excellent battlemare.
Her ears twitched
nervously, but determination radiated from her.

I
will find you the right partner.

The
bay pushed forward.
I will be an excellent battle stallion.

Calli
moved to him, ran her hand down his strong neck, tested the flavor of his Song.
Yes.
Fly to the Castle and speak to the Chevalier trainer there.

The
black dipped her head.
And me?

If
you wish to stay with people—

I
do! Good food. Warm stables.
She licked her lips, then sent a
sideways glance.
Strong stallions.

Calli
laughed.
Then wait for Bastien to return from battle. He would cherish you
and welcome you on his estate.

I
came for
you.

The
simple statement had Calli fighting back tears. So teary today. Too many raw
emotions. Here was someone who wanted her. Just her. No demands.

Thunder
trumpeted.
I am here, too!

Keeping
her face in the black mare’s fragrant neck, Calli said,
This is no place for
a gentle soul like yourself. I will take you with me when I next go to my
manor.

With
a nicker and a lift of the wings, the bay flew away to the Castle.

Both
men had watched in narrow-eyed, cross-armed silence.

“As
you say, I’m most concerned with fighting the Dark.” She frowned, honestly
curious. “Tell me, Lord Veenlit, when was the last time you lost people to the
Dark?”

Again
his fake sad expression. “I lost a village last year. Terrible, terrible.”

His
Song pulsed and she caught a strain of terrified notes and the fact that after
he’d heard of the massacre, he’d reinforced the walls of his castle.

“The
land will be very fertile after this is done,” he said.

He
seemed to realize he’d shocked her and set his face in sorrowful lines. “I
grieve for all the lives we’ve lost.”

Yeah,
right.

T
hat night,
Marian visited Calli in her tent. Did the Circlet know she missed Marrec so
much her bones ached?

Marian
tilted her head as if listening to the Songs in the tent. “You are very bonded
to Marrec. Perhaps
too
bonded.”

“You
mean I’m holding on too tightly to him.”

“Yes,
and your daughter.”

Calli
had wondered about that, whether her need for Diaminta scared the little girl.

“Loosen
up the reins.” Marian tilted her head. “You love the volarans, but you aren’t
binding them so closely to you and don’t accept very tight bonds from them.
Maybe you can do the same with your family.”

Calli’s
smile was small and tight. “I’ve never had someone love me…or a child that
could
love me. I want it too badly.” In the shadows, she could say this.

Marian
sighed. “One of those ‘easy to say, hard to do’ things.”

“Guess
so.”

Her
smile rueful, Marian said, “Then I wonder about bringing up one of the subjects
I came to talk to you about—bloodbonding with me and Alexa.”

28

P
ulse skittering,
Calli said, “Too much for me right now.” These women would know her failures
intimately. She couldn’t bear that, she just couldn’t spread her focus now…all
right, that was a rationalization…but would she tie the other Exotiques to her
as strongly as she had Marrec? That would be wrong.

Marian
dropped to a small chair, watching her with silent sympathy. “You’ve read Alexa
and my Lorebooks of Exotiques. You know it wasn’t easy for us, either.”

Calli
made a noncommittal noise. Even scrupulous Marian probably hadn’t included all
her doubts and fears and failures. Who would? Though the visual “recording” of
her time in the Dark nest embedded in the book was enough to give anyone the
cold grue. “Don’t you think I’d make the same mistake with you?”

Chuckling,
Marian said, “Alexa and I are strong, I think we’d erect mind shields, if
necessary. And I think we’d all benefit.”

“I
can’t,” Calli said.

“Okay.”
Marian smiled as she switched to English. “Not yet.” Her eyes turned wistful,
“Though it would be good to have another female friend I could depend upon
implicitly.”

Calli
jerked a nod. She’d like the women as sisters, too, but not…right…now. She had
too many people to deal with on a personal basis as it was. Crossing to the
small liquor cabinet, she opened a side of the split top. Despite the pressure,
the four large bottles of alcohol were nearly full. Neither she nor Marrec were
big drinkers. A little unusual in both the world of rodeo competition and the
fighters of Lladrana. She shrugged off the little insight. Which reminded her
of what they had in common. “White wine, right?”

“You
have it?” Marian sounded pleased.

“Yes.
White wine, the mead you like, the ale I like and the ale Marrec prefers.”
Their squires had done well. She saw the gleam of metal and squinted, reached
into the cavity and pulled out a purple tin chased with silver, opened it and
smiled at Marian. “And tea.”

Marian
chuckled. “Alexa isn’t here, but I’m sure she appreciates the thought.”

Raising
her eyebrows, Calli said, “Why isn’t Alexa here? You don’t want to intimidate
me by double-teaming?”

“One
of the reasons. Also, she’s just plumb tuckered out from today’s battle. One of
the dreeths got too close.” Marian’s gaze slanted at Calli, back. “It couldn’t
hurt if she was bonded to another Shield.”

Calli’s
hand trembled as she clinked bottle against wineglass. She finished pouring and
stoppered the bottle, set it deliberately down and poured ale for herself. With
equal care, she handed Marian the wine. “Not fair.”

“No.”
Marian sipped.

“Every
Shieldmarshall looks out for Alexa.”

“It’s
not the same. They can’t possibly anticipate her.”

Calli
laughed. “And you think I could?”

Marian
shrugged. “Better than they.”

Sitting
on a camp stool and stretching her legs, Calli said, “Topic closed.”

“Okay.”
Marian circled her finger around the rim of her glass. “Second issue. The
Snap.”

Calli
choked, coughed. Marian put a hand on her back and hummed two notes and
everything was fine. Nifty trick.

“Jaquar
and I have learned more about it from studying the very meager information
we’ve gathered from
everyone,
including the Friends of the Singer’s
Library.”

“But
not the Singer herself?”

Marian
frowned. “Not her, nor her personal library.”

“Bet
that’s like a burr under the saddle, and collecting all that info musta plumb
tuckered you out, Prof.”

Grinning,
Marian lifted her glass. “I can’t help it, sometimes. I was born in Colorado, too,
ya know, and something about you just brings out the ol’ western slang.”

“Whatever
meager western slang you ever knew.”

Marian
laughed. “Got me there.” She took another swallow of wine and when she looked
up, her expression was serious. “But you can’t deter me from speaking about the
Snap, either. Sorry to ruffle your delicate sensibilities.”

“Yeah,
sure.” Calli shifted, brought in and extended her legs again. “What’s it like?”
she whispered.

“Like
those old-time cartoons where someone hooks a performer onstage and yanks them
behind the curtain. You know, time’s up.”

Calli
exhaled slowly. “Oh-kay.” She put grit in her words. “But Alexa didn’t actually
go into the dimensional corridor, and you went back.”

“I
had my brother, whom I love.”

“And
managed to get him and return. Good going.”

A
corner of Marian’s mouth kicked up. “Thanks. But it sure didn’t work out like I
thought it would.”

“Got
that. But I study, too. You weren’t
quite
as bonded to people here as I
am.”

“No.
But the Snap
will
come, Calli. Don’t think you can duck it. It’s Mother
Earth’s call, the primal Song of your home planet.”

“I
won’t go back.”

“No
beloved relatives?”

Calli
shrugged. “I only have my father.” Her laugh was uglier than she’d intended.

Marian
frowned. “Careful, I think unresolved issues can haul your ass back, too.” She
smiled with an edge. “I speak from experience.”

Sighing,
Calli said, “Lucky Alexa. No unresolved issues.”

“Yes.”

They
shared a moment of silence. Both of them drank and this time Calli actually
tasted the mellow ale. It was good, and the small warm path it took down her
throat and into her belly was plenty nice, too. The small gaps in the tent flap
showed white. The moon had risen and was painting the space outside her door
silver. “So what’s the deal with the Snap?”

“As
we all know, we have previously had no idea when the Snap will occur.”

Calli
perked up. “You think you can predict when it happens? That would be
big
progress.”

“We
think we might have deduced one component.”

“And
that is?”

“The
Snap happens after you have completed your task.”

Muscles
tensed. “I thought the task was something the Marshalls gave Alexa.”

“Apparently
not. There has been a specific requirement that an Exotique must fulfill.”