“
A bath?” I asked,
confused.
She laughed, “Well, yes. A
little cold for lake bathing here.” She led me to a large basin in
the corner of the room. Water streamed in from the window and
filled it half way. “I’ve laid out some clothes for you and there
are some lovely soaps on the table.” She spun and glided out of the
room, closing the door behind her.
Lovely
soaps.
I examined the room as I
undressed.
Her bedroom
. A large bed topped with decorated pillows and colorful
blankets centered the opposite wall. It was twice the size of the
one I’d been using. A tall rack in the corner was draped with
materials, deep violet and emerald green silks, dark wools, and
thin scarves in several patterns. Shelves alongside were filled
full with curiosities and a few books lie on the bedside table
beside a lantern. I stepped into the tub as light steam rose from
the water. It smelled slightly floral, lavender, I thought as I
sank down. I breathed deep, it seemed to be helping, so I closed my
eyes and relaxed. The water started to chill several times, but I
was hesitant to get out so I warmed it with fire, careful not to
over do it and boil myself into a stew.
Finally, I felt well enough
to stand. I picked up one of the soaps and washed quickly, then
pulled the water from the tub with magic to wash the suds away. I’d
not had much opportunity to practice with water; I made a mental
note to work on it. I felt refreshed. The soap left a light
fragrance in the air, it smelled a little like morning and cold and
I wondered if the fairy dust was still affecting me. I dried off
and dressed in the clothes Ruby had left me. They were a little
small; I questioned whether they were her cast offs but on second
thought, she seemed to like her own clothes a little tight and
revealing. There was another full length mirror here and I giggled
at my reflection.
No, I wouldn’t have
chosen these for myself
. I couldn’t say I
looked bad though. I turned away, still painfully unaccustomed to
my new appearance.
Steed let out a long whistle as I entered the
main room. Ruby was sitting with him, a warm smile on her face as
if we were old friends. Chevelle was near a window on the front
wall, leaning on one shoulder, his body turned toward me. He was so
hard to read.
“
Better?” Ruby
asked.
“
Yes, thank you.” I was
polite but it burned a little to thank her after what she’d
done.
Steed was smiling. “Some night.” He shook his
head from side to side exaggerating the slow movement. He looked
like he was trying to keep a secret. I flushed with embarrassment
as I remembered climbing in his lap.
Ruby grinned at him conspiratorially. “Yes,
so educational.”
Had I talked in my sleep? Ugh, could this get
any worse?
Yes, it could. It came back to me then, the
worse I’d feared. I dropped in a chair, my head falling into my
hands to cover my face. Yes. Much worse.
Ruby started to say something but Chevelle
cut her off. “Won’t you offer your guest breakfast?”
She sniffed. “Lunch maybe.” A plate of food
landed on the table in front of me with a slap.
“
Thank you,” I managed. I
was hungry, despite the horrified embarrassment. I grabbed the
plate and started eating.
Ruby and Steed were sitting
across from me. She was reclined, her bare legs showing where the
material of her skirt was pulled to the side. When I looked up, she
resituated herself, leaning toward Steed and talking low about some
nonsense. She suggestively walked her fingers up his chest as she
talked and looked to me for reaction.
She’s
trying to make me jealous?
I was furious
now. She wanted to provoke me. She’d poisoned me and now this.
She’d gone too far, I wanted to burn her right then and there. I
caught Chevelle’s expression as I glared at her. He had seen what
she was doing, knew her motives most likely, but I could tell he
thought it had worked, he thought I
was
jealous.
Perfect
.
I smelled something odd and
glanced down. The meat I was holding had burnt in my hand.
Damn it!
I looked back to them and
Steed was watching me, smiling.
Great, now
he probably thought I was jealous, too
. I
considered going back to bed and staying there indefinitely. Ruby
laughed and it made my hair stand on end. No, I’d stay. She might
be our host now but I’d get my chance, I’d fix her. She leaned
slightly away from him and the markings on her leg caught my
attention. A thin vine, painted on I assumed, appeared to trail up
to her thigh.
She noticed me looking. “Well, Frey, I feel
like I know so much about you.” She smiled slyly at Chevelle. “But
you know so little of me. Let me tell you a few things, since we
will be traveling together.”
I felt my head jerk to find Chevelle, not
believing what I had just heard.
Ruby continued, “I’m sure you’ve heard by now
I’m an amalgamation, a half breed.” She said the last part with
distaste and glanced at Steed before going on. “I will give you a
short version of events so when the subject comes up, and do
believe me someone will ask, you are not overcome by curiosity and
forced to seek less than honorable venues to discover the
facts.”
She spoke with a flourish and blunt
casualness at the same time. “My mother was a power-hungry wench
seeking notoriety. She was an element fairy and, like me, sported a
fine head of red hair.” She bounced her hand under the curls twice
for emphasis. “She heard a story one day of a mixed-species birth
and got it in her head she could breed a more powerful magic.
Apparently she thought she could control her offspring and use the
magic to her advantage… I suppose she thought she could rule the
world.” She smirked. “She studied various species for a few weeks
and decided her best chance at conquest was a dark elf. She made
her way to this very village and happened across my father, poor
unsuspecting sap.”
She flitted her fingers and glasses came out
and stopped in front of each of us. She continued as wine followed
and filled each glass, “So, there he was and she, just a wisp of a
woman, flew up to him in her best seduction and blew a little fairy
dust… well, you know about that.”
I ignored her blatant point and focused on
the story.
“
He was putty in her hands.
It was all over before he even knew her purpose. She kept him under
her enchantments and lies as long as she could. She thought she was
safe hiding here in the village but, as you know, an elf birth is a
hefty event. Upon the hour of my birth, the entire village had
gathered to see the new elf (at my father’s request, of course).
Can you imagine the shock when they found my mother was his
intended?”
She laughed but her audience was quiet.
Chevelle wore an extremely uncomfortable expression as he turned to
watch out the front window.
“
Needless to say, it did not
go as she had planned. At her death, my father was released from
her bonds. He was horrified at what he had done, at what had been
done to him. But he hadn’t the heart to destroy his crop. He simply
left.”
I felt like a tear might fall from my own
eye, but hers were dry and clear. I wondered how many times she’d
told this story.
“
I hear he wanders the
mountain. Probably killing fairies.” She laughed again, this time
it sounded like genuine humor. The tension in the room eased a
bit.
“
Ruby.” Chevelle’s tone was
respectful as he turned from the window.
“
They’re here?” she asked.
He nodded and she rose gracefully from her seat. “Well, looks like
we have some gathering to do. We can finish this later.” She smiled
at me as she followed Chevelle out the door.
Chapter Ten
Summit
Steed sat across from me, quiet. “Seems so
sad,” I said. I was thinking of Chevelle’s loss, of my own, and now
of Ruby’s. How could we all be without family? “Your mother...” I
asked him, trailing off.
He sighed. “My mother died
years ago, with a large part of the northern clans.” I cringed as
understanding washed through me. His mother had died because
of
my
mother. The
same as Chevelle.
I was almost afraid to ask, “And your
father?”
He smiled. “My father wanders the mountain…
killing fairies.”
I gasped.
Impossible
. “You mean
Ruby, she’s your
sister
?” Disbelief was clear in my voice.
“
Half
-sister,” he emphasized. He let me roll that around for a
while before he spoke again. “You know, Ruby told me she’d had
dealings with the infamous Chevelle Vattier but I didn’t believe
her. One can never believe the tales of a fairy.”
Infamous?
“
But imagine my surprise
when he walked out of the trees, following a green-eyed beauty.” He
smiled at the memory and then turned serious. “When I ran into the
trackers,” he hesitated at the use of the word, “I had only hope
Ruby had told the truth and might know where to find you.” He
laughed. “She tried to hide you but I recognized the horses out
front.”
“
She tried to hide
us?”
“
Ah, yes. Fairies are full
of treacheries and wickedness. Always meddling in the affairs of
others, causing trouble whenever possible. They have quite a time.
At least Red’s only half wicked.” He smiled again.
His
sister
. I was still trying to wrap my head
around it all.
“
Don’t worry, she’s had her
fun with you. She’ll be helpful now.” He grinned and I wasn’t sure
if he was being sarcastic. “Besides, sounds like you’re the biggest
trouble going. She’d do well to stick around you.” I frowned. “I’ll
keep an eye on her,” he promised.
“
You?” I remembered what
she’d said. “You’re traveling with us?”
“
You don’t mind, do
you?”
“
No, of course not,” I
gushed.
Maybe not so eager next time,
Frey
. I tried to explain, “Chevelle’s been
training me.” I could hear the distaste in my voice.
“
Well, we can certainly help
with that.”
I grimaced at the thought of Ruby’s training
methods.
“
Don’t fret. She’s actually
very talented.” His smile warmed. “An asset, you’ll see.”
An asset?
Ruby came through the door, almost whirling.
“Come on, Steed. We need to set you up outside of town. Chevelle is
afraid we are causing a scene in the village.” She laughed a
little. It seemed like she was having fun, I wondered if that meant
she was causing trouble. “Don’t think he trusts you with the girl.”
She smiled playfully at him.
“
I prefer the outdoors
anyway.” He dipped toward me, his hand folding his waist as he
stood to go. “My lady.”
My head still pounded a
little and now it was swirling with confusion.
His sister? Traveling with us. An asset?
I leaned forward, placing my head between my knees.
“
Are you ill?” Chevelle was
beside me. I hadn’t heard him come in. He was sitting forward on
the bench next to me and when I sat up in shock it put us too
close, causing me to totter. He steadied me but didn’t move
away.
“
Oh.”
“
You smell,” he leaned in a
bit more, “… like morning.” I flushed but he lingered there for a
moment, breathing in the scent.
“
Ruby,” I said. He looked
confused. “Soap.” I had been reduced to one-word
sentences.
“
Oh.” He nodded as he leaned
back. “She does have a way with potions and such.”
“
I enjoy the mixing,” she
said, startling me as she entered the house again. “But not to
worry, I keep it contained to elements and minerals, no breeding. I
leave that to Steed.” She laughed at her own words as she passed us
on the way to her room. I found myself reevaluating her now that I
knew she was Steed’s sister.
Chevelle noticed me watching her. “Do you
mind staying with Ru–” My expression cut off his sentence. He
explained, “I have some business to take care of outside of town.
She has given me her word, she will behave.” He looked at her as he
spoke the last part, a warning.
She replied from the open door of her room,
“Yes, yes. No naughtiness.” And then under her breath, “on my
part.”
“
No qualifications,
Ruby.”
“
Just
teasing
. Now, go, we have
stuff
to do.” My stomach
knotted.
Stuff
.
Chevelle looked reluctant to
get up. I thought he might reach out to me, and then he just stood
and left.
Ugh, why did he have to hate
me?
Ruby whirled into the room and grabbed me
around the waist from behind, spinning me up, over the back of the
seat and through the door before I could process what was
happening. She plopped me down in the center of her bed and swung
around to sit in front of me. My head was still reeling from the
spins as she smiled at me, waving her hands and bringing a plethora
of bottles and canisters flying toward us to drop on the bed. I
thought, with disappointment, that I hadn’t responded to her attack
as Chevelle had taught me and laughed quietly at the image in my
head. Ruby took the laughter as approval for her plans and gave me
a genuine smile as she began twisting the lid on a small metal
canister.