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.She could see it even in the way Belinda worried over Clive, who was over a hundred years old.In fact, as they all trooped up the stairs like a herd of sheep, she could see deep, caring concern in the aura of every single person in their strange little group.Even Colin wanted to be back on Zug Island to make sure his father and grandfather were safe.Lana wanted to back up her cousins and Meagan, of course, was worried sick about Ric.Mairead fretted over Toby and probably Aidan too, as she’d taken on the role of mother to him years ago.The housekeeper and the butler were almost a couple.Even Fianna showed the strain, though Elise had no idea who she was so concerned about.Maybe her fear was for herself, about what would happen to her depending on the outcome, but something in her eyes said otherwise.Had she fallen for Aidan? Elise didn’t like that idea one bit.Wallis, maybe? A more acceptable option.Elise reaffirmed her intention to spend some time talking to the former Fae.“Here are some more feminine toiletries.” Bronwyn, the housekeeper, blinked in a basket of tiny pink bottles outside Aidan’s door.“I don’t think the master’s scent would suit the little lass.There’s a nightgown in there too, that should fit well enough.I try to keep a few in all sorts of sizes for guests who lose their luggage.”“Thank you.” Elise gave her a grateful smile.She tried to juggle Dina in her arms, but Meagan reached out and took the basket instead.“I’ve got my own, thanks.” Colin blinked in a bottle of a popular teen bodywash and shampoo, along with a pair of black sweats and a T-shirt featuring a death-metal band.“Mom, trust me—I can shower all on my own.”All the women laughed and let the poor boy make his own way into the bathroom.“We’ll be in the kitchen if you need us,” Mairead said as she and Bronwyn turned back toward the stairs.“Just push zero on the bedside phone and it will ring in there.”***“I’ll take the hall.” Lana leaned against a wall beside Aidan’s bedroom door and crossed her arms over her chest.“Fee can stay out here with me.The rest of you can hang out in the bedrooms—maybe get some sleep.”Meagan followed Elise into Aidan’s room, giving a soft whistle as they passed through toward the bathroom.Subtle touches marked it as the master suite—including a framed picture of Emery of Rose—Meagan’s birth father.There was also an exquisitely detailed wooden model of a sloop called the Faerie Queene.Elise wondered if Meagan knew about that part of Aidan’s past.Might be fun to be there when she heard about it.Meagan hummed as she looked around.“Nice.Hadn’t seen this room before.Makes me wonder when you did.”Elise felt her skin heat.She was nowhere near ready to talk about her tangled-up relationship—or non-relationship—with Aidan, especially to his cousin, even though Meagan had been her friend before the cousin thing had been discovered.“Okay, okay, I’m backing off.” With a wry chuckle Meagan set the basket down beside the tub and dropped into a wicker chair in another corner.“But you know I’m going to find out sooner or later.”Elise shook her head at the comment and at the opulence around her—even though she’d used this bathroom this morning.Or was it yesterday? Her family wasn’t exactly poor—the Wyndewin League had paid well for many generations—but she’d never had a bathroom big enough to boast its own seating area.“Hand me the kiddo while you get the water ready.” Meagan seemed willing to allow the subject to change.“Thanks.” Elise reluctantly set her daughter down into Meagan’s lap, and tried not to be hurt when Dina didn’t complain, just snuggled into Meagan’s arms.Meanwhile, Elise adjusted the taps and poured in a generous dollop of strawberry-scented bubble bath.Once the tub was nearly full, Meagan used her powers to ’port off Aidan’s grungy fisherman’s sweater and Dina’s tattered pajamas so Elise could help Dina into the tub.“God, this magic stuff is still so cool.I don’t know how you all manage to keep it a secret.It’s so tempting to use it all the time.” Meagan spoke softly as Elise began to gently wash Dina’s tender skin, healing small bruises and scrapes as she went.“So why didn’t I ever know you were a witch?”Elise shook her head.“After Dina was born, I didn’t want anything to do with it any more.” She glanced down at the top of her daughter’s head.“I can’t go into it now.But I basically turned my back on magic altogether, except for protection and a tiny bit of emergency healing.Oh—and suppressing Dina’s powers in public.That, my friend, is a trick you’re going to need within the year, if you plan to spend any time this side of the portal.Little ones don’t know enough not to show their magic in front of strangers.It takes a fair bit of the parents’ power to keep them under control without suffocating their abilities.” Though there were times she had been tempted to tamp down Dina’s altogether.“Belinda warned me about that too.” Meagan made a face.“And Sinead.She—umm—works for me, I guess, though she likes to pretend she’s the boss.You didn’t meet her Underhill and consider yourself lucky.Give her a habit and she’d be scarier than any of the nuns at St.Francis High School.”“She isn’t one of the elves who doesn’t like humans, is she? Or halflings?” It was so easy to forget that Meagan was really half Fae, after being raised with her powers completely blocked until a few months ago.“No, she doesn’t approve of anybody.” Meagan grinned.“When it came down to it, though, she put herself between me and the bad guys.She’s loyal as all hell to my family, just your classic grumpy schoolmarm with pointy ears.”“Okay, I believe you.”Dina yawned and blinked as Elise gently rinsed her skin.She even obediently dipped her head into the water to wet her hair, something she normally didn’t like.“Is Daddy home?”“Dina, honey, you’ve got to quit calling him that,” Elise said.“I’ve told you before…”Dina shook her head, sending shampoo suds flying.“It’s okay, Mommy.He doesn’t mind.”“No, but…” Elise looked over her shoulder and saw Meagan watching with a frankly curious tilt of her coppery head.“Never mind.We’ll talk about it in the morning.”***The dead goblins had vanished—so had one orc [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
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.She could see it even in the way Belinda worried over Clive, who was over a hundred years old.In fact, as they all trooped up the stairs like a herd of sheep, she could see deep, caring concern in the aura of every single person in their strange little group.Even Colin wanted to be back on Zug Island to make sure his father and grandfather were safe.Lana wanted to back up her cousins and Meagan, of course, was worried sick about Ric.Mairead fretted over Toby and probably Aidan too, as she’d taken on the role of mother to him years ago.The housekeeper and the butler were almost a couple.Even Fianna showed the strain, though Elise had no idea who she was so concerned about.Maybe her fear was for herself, about what would happen to her depending on the outcome, but something in her eyes said otherwise.Had she fallen for Aidan? Elise didn’t like that idea one bit.Wallis, maybe? A more acceptable option.Elise reaffirmed her intention to spend some time talking to the former Fae.“Here are some more feminine toiletries.” Bronwyn, the housekeeper, blinked in a basket of tiny pink bottles outside Aidan’s door.“I don’t think the master’s scent would suit the little lass.There’s a nightgown in there too, that should fit well enough.I try to keep a few in all sorts of sizes for guests who lose their luggage.”“Thank you.” Elise gave her a grateful smile.She tried to juggle Dina in her arms, but Meagan reached out and took the basket instead.“I’ve got my own, thanks.” Colin blinked in a bottle of a popular teen bodywash and shampoo, along with a pair of black sweats and a T-shirt featuring a death-metal band.“Mom, trust me—I can shower all on my own.”All the women laughed and let the poor boy make his own way into the bathroom.“We’ll be in the kitchen if you need us,” Mairead said as she and Bronwyn turned back toward the stairs.“Just push zero on the bedside phone and it will ring in there.”***“I’ll take the hall.” Lana leaned against a wall beside Aidan’s bedroom door and crossed her arms over her chest.“Fee can stay out here with me.The rest of you can hang out in the bedrooms—maybe get some sleep.”Meagan followed Elise into Aidan’s room, giving a soft whistle as they passed through toward the bathroom.Subtle touches marked it as the master suite—including a framed picture of Emery of Rose—Meagan’s birth father.There was also an exquisitely detailed wooden model of a sloop called the Faerie Queene.Elise wondered if Meagan knew about that part of Aidan’s past.Might be fun to be there when she heard about it.Meagan hummed as she looked around.“Nice.Hadn’t seen this room before.Makes me wonder when you did.”Elise felt her skin heat.She was nowhere near ready to talk about her tangled-up relationship—or non-relationship—with Aidan, especially to his cousin, even though Meagan had been her friend before the cousin thing had been discovered.“Okay, okay, I’m backing off.” With a wry chuckle Meagan set the basket down beside the tub and dropped into a wicker chair in another corner.“But you know I’m going to find out sooner or later.”Elise shook her head at the comment and at the opulence around her—even though she’d used this bathroom this morning.Or was it yesterday? Her family wasn’t exactly poor—the Wyndewin League had paid well for many generations—but she’d never had a bathroom big enough to boast its own seating area.“Hand me the kiddo while you get the water ready.” Meagan seemed willing to allow the subject to change.“Thanks.” Elise reluctantly set her daughter down into Meagan’s lap, and tried not to be hurt when Dina didn’t complain, just snuggled into Meagan’s arms.Meanwhile, Elise adjusted the taps and poured in a generous dollop of strawberry-scented bubble bath.Once the tub was nearly full, Meagan used her powers to ’port off Aidan’s grungy fisherman’s sweater and Dina’s tattered pajamas so Elise could help Dina into the tub.“God, this magic stuff is still so cool.I don’t know how you all manage to keep it a secret.It’s so tempting to use it all the time.” Meagan spoke softly as Elise began to gently wash Dina’s tender skin, healing small bruises and scrapes as she went.“So why didn’t I ever know you were a witch?”Elise shook her head.“After Dina was born, I didn’t want anything to do with it any more.” She glanced down at the top of her daughter’s head.“I can’t go into it now.But I basically turned my back on magic altogether, except for protection and a tiny bit of emergency healing.Oh—and suppressing Dina’s powers in public.That, my friend, is a trick you’re going to need within the year, if you plan to spend any time this side of the portal.Little ones don’t know enough not to show their magic in front of strangers.It takes a fair bit of the parents’ power to keep them under control without suffocating their abilities.” Though there were times she had been tempted to tamp down Dina’s altogether.“Belinda warned me about that too.” Meagan made a face.“And Sinead.She—umm—works for me, I guess, though she likes to pretend she’s the boss.You didn’t meet her Underhill and consider yourself lucky.Give her a habit and she’d be scarier than any of the nuns at St.Francis High School.”“She isn’t one of the elves who doesn’t like humans, is she? Or halflings?” It was so easy to forget that Meagan was really half Fae, after being raised with her powers completely blocked until a few months ago.“No, she doesn’t approve of anybody.” Meagan grinned.“When it came down to it, though, she put herself between me and the bad guys.She’s loyal as all hell to my family, just your classic grumpy schoolmarm with pointy ears.”“Okay, I believe you.”Dina yawned and blinked as Elise gently rinsed her skin.She even obediently dipped her head into the water to wet her hair, something she normally didn’t like.“Is Daddy home?”“Dina, honey, you’ve got to quit calling him that,” Elise said.“I’ve told you before…”Dina shook her head, sending shampoo suds flying.“It’s okay, Mommy.He doesn’t mind.”“No, but…” Elise looked over her shoulder and saw Meagan watching with a frankly curious tilt of her coppery head.“Never mind.We’ll talk about it in the morning.”***The dead goblins had vanished—so had one orc [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]