Sorceress of Faith (13 page)

Bossgond
nodded.

“—and
my brother is on the West Coast.” What was that island’s name? She’d researched
the program when Andrew first considered it a year ago. Freesan!

“You
know the geography of your land and where to find him?” Bossgond’s eyes
shifted, and she sensed excitement flowing from him. He’d have someone to help
him tour Exotique Terre.

“Yes,”
she said.

He
pointed to a couple of great gears with knobs and calibrated markings. “This
will distance you from the scene, and this gear will bring you closer.”

One
eye at the lens, Marian turned the biggest gear. Her living room shrank and was
replaced by her apartment building. As she kept turning, she saw her street,
the city, the state. It was brown—much drier than Lladrana, even in the spring.
With a gentle touch she angled the viewing field until she saw northwest
Washington State, moved the binoculars again to focus on the many islands.
Freesan was small and undistinguished—long and narrow. She recalled that the
center sat on the north end of the island. Finally, she found the main
structure. She zoomed in, but couldn’t see Andrew. A fine tremor started within
her.

“You
are blood. Think of his Song,” Bossgond murmured near her ear.

That
didn’t help. She hadn’t ever noticed a Song coming from Andrew. She set her
teeth, drew in a deep breath. Her magic was strong here in Lladrana. If she
couldn’t hear him, perhaps she could sense him or see his aura—or something.
She mentally
reached
for Andrew, visualizing him. For a moment she
touched him, then lost him. She muttered under her breath,
reached
again—and there he was! Quickly, with fumbling fingers, she narrowed the scope
of the binoculars and saw him. Her heart clutched. She hadn’t seen him for a
couple of months and his recent exacerbations had taken a toll. He was very
thin, as if his will sustained him more than his body.

Bossgond
nudged her aside, but kept a hand on her upper arm as he looked through the
binoculars. “Ah yes, I hear your family melody.”

He
did?

He
glanced up at her and clucked his tongue.
“Listen!”

So
she did, with her heart and imagination, more than her mind, and caught a brief
series of notes. She
did
hear that while her own portion of the twined
melody was strong, Andrew’s was arrhythmic and missed beats.

“He
does well,” Bossgond said. “He is active.”

The
old man stepped aside, allowing Marian to peek again, and she saw Andrew
laughing in a group as they picked up packs and walked from the building.

“That
is enough,” Bossgond said, drawing her away. “You used much Power for this
session, but the worlds of Exotique Terre and Amee draw apart, and every day it
will cost more energy to view. You have much to learn, and need your strength
to do so.”

“I
want to check on Andrew at least once a week.”

Bossgond
raised his brows. “We will discuss a price for this.”

“How
about finding and supervising the cook, as we spoke of?”

His
eyes went calculating, as if pondering whether she could survive in his
culture, outside his Tower. She wondered, too, but she’d think of something.

“Very
well,” he agreed.

Light-headed
with relief, she took a couple of paces to the wall and leaned on it.

Bossgond
smirked. “You don’t know how to restore your Power yet.” Then he bent and
adjusted the gears. “They are focused on your former rooms again. ‘I am a
Circlet, behold,’” he said.

He
whistled—sharp and nearly at the edge of her hearing—and made an intricate,
swooping gesture. Then he held her PDA in his hand.

Marian
gasped.

He
bowed, grinning, and offered it to her.

She
snatched it from his hand, clutched it to her chest. “Thank you.”

“You
are welcome,” he said austerely. “Consider it payment for my failure last night
to complete the blood-bond to its proper strength.”

“You
retrieved my…little machine book. Could you possibly find my pet? He was lost
in the corridor when we came here.”

She
thought of a pocket in the green gown she wore and one appeared, perfect to
hold the PDA. She put her possession—her only possession from Earth—into the
pocket.

Waving
her hands, she tried to describe Tuck. “He’s a…a mousekin in a clear ball.”

Bossgond
shook his head. “The corridor between worlds is inexplicable. The winds can be
absent or like a hurricane. Monsters…”

“No!”

“I
saw you come through, but only glimpsed your pet at that time. I have not seen
him since. The binoculars are not designed to explore the corridor. I’m sorry.”

Marian
bit her lip. “Thank you, anyway.”

At
that moment all the chimes in the open window sounded.

“Visitors
come.” Bossgond scowled.

“A
boat?”

“No.”
He flicked his fingers to the window. “Go see.” He looked as if he suppressed a
smile…at her expense? She crossed to the window.

A
flying horse carrying two people circled the Tower, then descended to land in
front of the main door. Marian found herself leaning out of the window to stare
at the Pegasus. It was the most beautiful creature she’d ever seen, and she’d
never been a girl fond of horses. But this beast was different. It glowed with
magic.

“Hey!”
someone called. “Hey, Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair!”

Marian
choked and tore her gaze away from the winged horse to narrow her eyes at the
small woman at the bottom of the Tower. Alexa—the other Earth woman, the first
Exotique in centuries.

“Will
that grumpy old man let us in?” Alexa called, and Marian was torn between
laughter at Alexa’s words and surprise that they’d both called him the same
thing.

“I’ll
ask,” Marian shouted back in English, then turned to Bossgond. “Will you allow
Alexa to visit?”

“I
let the volaran through my shield, didn’t I?” he snapped, and Marian sensed
he’d learned enough English from her to know “grumpy old man.” She flushed but
didn’t apologize.

“I
have not spoken with the Exotique Swordmarshall Alyeka yet.” With little grace,
Bossgond tromped down the circular stairs, grumbling under his breath.

Marian
followed, excitement fizzing through her. When they reached the bottom of the
stairs, Bossgond ordered, “Light.” The lowest round chamber, which Marian
hadn’t seen before, lit with a mellow glow.

The
room was so beautiful that Marian gasped: the walls were paneled in rich wood,
carpets covered the stone floors, two large fireplaces with sculpted marble
surrounds held crackling fires. Several tapestries hung on the walls. There
were no windows. A defensive measure?

Ripples
of sound came from the entry doors—a scale rising and falling, rising and—

“Will
you stop that!” Bossgond yanked open one side of the doors, letting late-spring
sunlight flood into the room, and faced a woman smaller than he. Alexa.

She
wore thick tights and a tunic that came to mid-thigh. And chain mail, with
sheaths for sword and her wand—baton. Grinning at Bossgond, she said,
“Shalutashuns, Bossgond.”

Marian
realized several things all at once: Alexa was about Marian’s own age, small
for an Earth woman—about five foot even—and very small for a Lladranan. And she
had a terrible accent.

“Shalutashuns,
Marian,” Alexa said, sounding drunk. She sighed and switched to English. “It’s
the accent. I’m not good at languages and Lladranan still tangles my tongue.”

“Kind
of you finally to visit me,” Bossgond huffed. “I’m only the most Powerful
Circlet on Amee.”

Alexa
blinked at him. Her next words were carefully pronounced. “I had no idea you
wished to see me. You could have invited me, or come to the Castle.”

Bossgond
drew himself up so he could tower over the smaller woman. It didn’t faze her.
“I do not travel.”

“Huh,”
said Alexa. “Sounds like you were just as interested in me as everyone else in
Lladrana and irritated because I didn’t come and satisfy your curiosity.” She
grinned widely. “As a matter of fact, I’d never heard of you until a couple of
days ago.”

He
narrowed his eyes and looked like an evil mage. “Th-those arrogant Marshalls.
Those impertinent younger Circlets…” he sputtered.

“I’m
sure you’re right.” Alexa nodded. “Sometimes prying information out of them is
like pulling teeth.”

He
looked horrified.

Alexa
glanced at Marian. “You think they use that idiom?” she said in English.

“It
doesn’t look like it. I think you’ve shocked him to his core.”

“Hmm.
I haven’t had any dental problems since I’ve been here.” She ran her tongue
around her teeth. “I wonder what they do. I hope it’s better than on Earth. I
hate dentists.”

“How
long have you been here?” Marian asked.

“Nearly
three months. The weeks and days are about the same as on Earth, you know.”

“Yes.”

Alexa
heaved a sigh. “I suppose we’d better find out what you know and what you
don’t.”

“A
good idea.”

“You
must have a million questions.”

“Somewhere
around that.”

“Did
the feycoocu come with you?” asked Bossgond.

“What?”
Marian didn’t catch the word.

“Fey-coo-cu,”
Alexa said slowly. She fingered the baton sheathed at her side. “She’s my
sidekick.” Alexa grinned. “A magical shapeshifter.”

Marian
stared. “If you say so.” But a little thrill went through her.

Alexa
laughed. “Yep, we have plenty to talk about.” She turned to a simmering
Bossgond. “I am not proficient on volaranback. My husband brought me. The
feycoocu accompanied us in her hawk form.”

“Husband?”
Marian asked. “Did two of you come from Colorado?”

“Nope,
I met him here.” Alexa shifted, flushed slightly. “I know it’s been quick, but
you know that old saying about extreme circumstances and love. You don’t get
any more extreme circumstances than these on Lladrana.” All humor left her
face, and she rubbed at the scar on her cheek. “Let’s walk and talk.”

“I
think we’d better,” Marian said, swallowing apprehension. On the whole, she’d
been treating this lightly, but there was no denying that if a bunch of people
summoned you from another world, they were probably desperate and wanted
something from you.

Alexa
made a half bow to Bossgond. “May I visit with your Apprentice, Circlet
Bossgond?”

He
nodded regally. “Send the feycoocu to me if you see her. I have never met one.”
His lip curled. “And if you don’t see her, I will talk to your Pairling. I’ve
heard he is a black-and-white. We need to study those unfortunates more.”

“I’m
sure he’ll be glad to let you examine him,” Alexa said dryly.

“Pairling?”
asked Marian.

“Husband,
partner.” Alexa frowned. “Isn’t there a word ‘shieldmate’?”

“Yes,”
Marian said.

Alexa
nodded. “Then he’s my shieldmate. We fight together.”

A
chill slithered down Marian’s spine and she glanced at Alexa’s sword out of the
corner of her eye. It appeared well used, with plenty of nicks on the
fingerguard. Marian couldn’t imagine fighting with a sword or shield. A hint of
the dreams she’d had at home drifted through her mind. She’d fought, though,
with magic. This was feeling more and more ominous. She ran her hands up and
down her arms.

“You
may go, Apprentice,” Bossgond said in a tone he hadn’t used before with her.

She
stiffened and frowned at him. But that made her think, too. Alexa apparently
was a Marshall, which Marian had deduced was a powerful elite.
She
was
stuck as an Apprentice.

Alexa
jerked her head to the door. “You should have seen the horrible Tests the
Marshalls put me through the minute I arrived,” Alexa said under her breath.

She
shuddered, and Marian knew the woman was utterly sincere.

Marian
followed her. “Bossgond showed me an image of you walking in the mountains.
Colorado?”

“Yes.”

“You
had brown hair.”

Throwing
open the door, Alexa stepped into the sunlight. It gleamed on her silver hair.
She looked back at Marian. “It was one of those turn-white-overnight deals. The
night I came.”

“Really?”
Marian’s mouth had dried. As she went through the door she welcomed the cheery
warmth of the sun.

“Yeah,
and my eyes deepened in color, too,” Alexa said, her curled fingers showing
white knuckles as they clasped the top of her baton.

The
door slipped from Marian’s grasp and slammed shut.

Alexa
smiled at Marian and switched to English again. “You know your way around
here?”