The Elfmaid's Curse (The Elfmaid Trilogy Book 1) (38 page)

            "Where'd you hear that from?"

            Holding herself more erect, "I am a sorceress now. I have studied many ancient tomes and histories."

            "Sorceress, huh? So, tell me, how did you steal your magical powers."

            "I didn't steal them!"

            "Right, and dragons don't shit in the woods," Danica said. "You don't have the discipline to learn the High Arts, Maeve. Remember, I've known you for years."

            "I didn't steal my powers," she said. Then she rolled her eyes and looked quite mischievous. Wagging her brows, "I earned them."

            "How's that?"

            "About a year back, I came across a wizard in Somme in dire need of my special skills in
acquisitions
," she said. "So I made him swear an oath to Sankar to reward me with whatever payment I demanded. Now, being a wily warrior, I made it look like I would want great wealth, but in the end I demanded he share all his magical powers and knowledge."

            "And the God of Oaths and Vows forced him to give you what you wanted."

            "Exactly. He had to share all of his magical knowledge with me," she said. She practically beamed with pride. Tyrians loved outwitting someone even more than defeating them in a fight. "So I am a sorceress now."

            "So he was forced to magically put all his knowledge of magic into your head," Danica said. She nodded. "Wow. I'm shocked he didn't kill you immediately after fulfilling his promise."

            "Who said he didn't try?"

            Danica stared at her grimly. Taara did something similar with her, when she stole her body. Taara gained all of Danic's knowledge, as well as his body. She also stripped the elfmaid's body of all knowledge of magic, so Danica couldn't use it.

            Shaking her head sadly, "Maeve, Maeve, when will you learn. You always take the easy way. You are never willing to invest the time and sacrifice to attain something honestly, with hard work and determination."

            "Please, my
Lady
, spare me the lecture," she said, eyeing her darkly. "It's a bad habit of yours."

            "I only lecture those I care about."

            Maeve looked away quickly. Danica watched her intently, making Maeve wonder what she was thinking. Was she recalling how good they were together? How good they were in bed?

            She looked Danica over. It was a little irritating to admit it, but Danica was a far more beautiful woman than her.
What a waste of all that beauty.
Her eyes dropped to Danica's nether regions.
No fun for me tonight.

            "I...I have been studying hard," she said. "Magic is a difficult, and very dangerous, discipline. If I am just the least bit unwary, my own magic will kill me."

            "Though I don't approve, if it made you even a little more cautious and thoughtful, I'm grateful for that," Danica said.

            "It has."

            "Then you will be careful? Please?"

            "I'm always careful," Maeve said, hurrying over to hug Danica.

            Danica slowly pulled away and turned back to the door. Part of her wanted Danica to stay, another part hadn't completely dealt with the whole elfmaid thing.

            "Danica, could you do me a little favor?"

            "Which is?"

            "I'm afraid our Vikon hosts will want me out of the tenement by morning," she said. Looking up beseechingly, "Could you help me stay at least until after you tangle with this Talar? In case you need me."

            She smiled warmly. "I'll see what I can do."

            "I knew I could count on you," Maeve said, returning her smile.

            Danica nodded, gnawing at her lower lip and staring off into space. Maeve waited patiently, fascinated by this behavior. Danic never hesitated. He knew what he wanted, and went after it almost single-mindedly. A trait she admired. This transformation had brought about certain changes in personality.

            "I have some questions you might be able to help me with," Danica said at length.

            Reaching out and laying a comforting hand on Danica's arm, "Are you having female problems?"

            "No! I mean, I don't think so." Danica paused, staring off into space a moment. "What sort of problems could I have?"

            Maeve shrugged. "Lot's since I doubt you knowing much about proper hygiene and such."

            "Oh no, during my stay at the Golden…where I met Cat, there were a lot of women eager to offer advice," Danica said, dismissing that with a wave of the hand. "But that's not what is bothering me." Again, she hesitated. "I seem to have developed certain abilities. Magic abilities."

            Maeve was suddenly alert, all humor gone from her features.

            "Tell me about them, Danica," she said, stepping closer.

            "Well, I can see magic," Danica said, watching her face closely. "I see sort of a misty light around spellcasters, that begins to intensify and swirl when they cast spells."

            "Is that all?"

            "Yes. Except the colors aren't necessarily the same. In Maag's Temple all her altars were surrounded by pink and blue Magicks, while the talisman emits a pure white light."

            Maeve shrugged, looking disappointed. "Elves are magical beings."

            "Then I can wield this Elven Magic?"

            "Maybe with years of training. I haven't the foggiest idea how it work. No one but the elves really do. However, your Mage Sight is simple enough to learn. Probably the elfmaid whose body you are inhabiting had a natural talent for it."

            "You can do it?"

            "Sure. It be easy. Any mage can."

            "What about witches?"

            "No. Mage Sight is Sorcery. Though I suppose they could learn the spell easily enough, I've never encountered a witch that used it. I think they have their own way of making those determinations, but it never occurred to me to ask," she said, then remembered something else. "I've heard that most royals can use Mage Sight, and that in the Empire even the lowest nobility is trained to use it. I've even heard that custom is starting to spread across the Tyrian Kingdoms and the Jarlands. Then again, I haven't cared enough to look into it."

            "Next question. Who are these Druigh? I've heard several people mention them around me, even suggest I might be of that caste. I got the impression they are feared."

            Maeve gave her a speculative look. He was much better educated, receiving a classical education. She would think he'd know more about that subject. Was it some sort of test?

            "The Druigh Caste is the priestly caste of the Forest Elves. They are also their only spellcasters. By all accounts, the Druigh are the highest and most honored of all the elven castes. Most elven leaders are Druigh."

            "What is it about me that tells everyone I'm Druigh?"

            Maeve frowned a moment. "I don't know that much about elves, especially the Forest Elves, but from what I recall, each caste is quite distinctive in appearance. Hair and eye color are important, as is size and shape of the ears. I only know for sure that Druigh Caste has blonde hair and blue eyes and small ears, while Warrior Caste has black hair and black eyes. I think High Castes have small ears and Low Castes have large ears."

            "Can mages steal my Druigh powers? Are they another threat I have to watch out for?"

            "No. Humans can't use elven magic, though I believe elves can learn human magic."

            "Will being Druigh hurt or help me in the use of the talisman?"

            "It won't matter. Talismans are notoriously indiscriminating about who they help or hurt."

            Danica rolled that around in her mind a moment. Maeve watched her, seeing Danic in the way she absorbed information and processed it. It was a shame Danica couldn't call on Elven Magicks, because they could do so much together by combining the strengths of both human and elven magic.

            "You've changed," Maeve said.

            Suddenly defensive, "I'm still the same man underneath. That hasn't changed."

            "Yes it has. You be different. Very different."

            Danica's face flushed bright crimson. With fists clenched, she glared at Maeve. Maeve watched in growing fascination. Danic had never displayed such emotion. He was always in such awesome control of any situation and herself.

            "It's being in this bloody female body that's changing me. It keeps betraying me. It shames and humiliates me constantly."

            "How so?"

            Danica panicked. She had secrets, and Maeve wanted to know them all! Yet, at the same time, it provided opportunity for some fun.

            "I see the problem," Maeve said. Danica looked at her warily. So much raw emotion on display! "You've become the woman you so terribly feared you'd become."

            "No..."

            "Yes, you have." She gave a short laugh. "It's not your fault...but then again, maybe so. You have strong opinions on what a woman should be, how she should act and feel. Subconsciously, you are warring with yourself. One side wants to deny what you've become, the other wants to behave according to your notions of womanhood. I should watch you closely, to see what kind of woman you truly admire."

            Danica turned delightfully red. For a second, Maeve thought she was going to start sputtering. Yes, she struck bone with that observation.

            "You're crazy!"

            "So I've been told."

            Danica stared at her a long moment, then scowled, getting angrier. Snorting in disgust, she turned on her heel and marched toward the door.

            "Danica!" Maeve called. She stopped, waiting without turning around. "I love you."

            Danica clenched her fist, and strode out with purpose. She didn't bother closing the door.

            Shaking her head, Maeve stepped into the hallway and watch her former lover act like some spoiled brat. Did Danic like women who behaved so childishly? Or was he just unable to accept the truth? She decided it had to be the latter; she could never bring herself to believe Danic was attracted to such women.

            "This must be eating the poor thing alive," she muttered. "Even the strongest man has his limits."

* * * * *

            The courtyard was empty. The surrounding stone tenement loomed over it, leaving it smothered in early morning shadows. From at least three of the windows above, free-spirited Vikon music could be heard. The joyful sounds of playing children and their barking dogs echoed in from the street outside. Normally, the courtyard would be filled with the Vikon living in the tenement, but Elise had reserved it for the day.

            "Now remember," Elise said. "Be extra careful about who and what you are thinking. The talisman will target whatever is foremost in your mind."

            "Is that what happened to the warhawks?" Cat said.

            Danica gave Cat a sharp look.
Why does she keep bringing that up?

            "Probably. She meant to attack the men, but her primary concern was probably for the warhawks, so you see why it's so important to concentrate," she said, looking hard at Danica.

            Danica nodded, frowning. She still felt weak from the magical healing the previous night, but after a big breakfast was beginning to feel better. Elise promised her strength would be back to normal after a few more hours.

            Both she and Cat had new clean clothes to wear. Cat chose black breeches and a dark gray shirt. Only Cat would pick dark gray. Of Danica's old clothes, only her steppe boots survived unscathed. She was grateful. The last thing she needed was to break in a new pair now. Otherwise, she was dressed much as before in a white shirt and black breeches.

            "This talisman will give you an advantage the wizard doesn't have," Elise continued. Holding it up, "This is powered by God Magic, so you don't have to worry about storing life energy or using too much too soon and running out."

            "I don't understand," Cat said. "What's this life energy? They took some of mine during the healing, and it exhausted me."

            Elise frowned. Spellcasters had an inborn aversion to discussing magic, or how it worked, with common people.

            "Our bodies create it when we eat," she said. "Think of it as your vitality."

            "And you need it for magic?"

            "Magic is...powered...
fueled
by life energy," she said, trying to come up with an explanation Cat could understand. "Like a fire burns wood, magic burns this energy. Most magic-users store this energy for their spells."

            "Where do they get it?" Cat asked.

            Elise gave her a hard look. Danica was pleased to see Cat was making someone else squirm for a change. How witches and mages got their life energy was well known by most, and uncomfortable for all.

            "Mostly, they siphon off and store the energy from large domestic animals, like horses and cows, but sometimes they steal it from others. The unscrupulous will steal it from derelicts and vagrants, or others no one will come looking for."

            "They kill them?" Cat said.

            Danica recalled a few times in her past, as Danic, where he "donated" some of his life energies with a mage to win a battle. Army mages didn't take much from people, since it left the donor weakened until he'd eaten once or twice.

            "I know mages will steal the stored life energy of another mage if they defeat them in magic battle," Danica said.

            "Yes," Elise said, shrugging. "Witches don't need much to fuel Witchcraft, so we rarely have to steal it. However, Sorcery especially requires a great deal of this energy, so it would take quite a few derelicts. They are already weak and don't have much to give." She paused to think. "Too many dead bodies, even in Allaria, spook the people and start investigations the mage wouldn't want."