Read Online Mistweavers 01 - Enchanted No More by Robin D. Owens - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Robin D. Owens
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going with me.”
He nodded, no muscle of his face soft. “I remain your liaison.”
She shook her head, gestured to the place setting Hartha had made for him. “Then we should speak of saving Rothly.” Before she sat, Jenni extended her senses for any negative energy in her home or Mystic Circle—and discovered the area was better shielded than ever. The brownies and Aric had helped…and her neighbors were reinforcing it a bit. There also seemed to be some dryad Treefolk magic from the parklike center of the cul-de-sac. “We must go to Northumberland first.”
Aric flinched.
So he didn’t want to relive memories there, either? Too bad for both of them. After a deep breath that brought no relief, Jenni said, “I must see if Rothly left any notes about where he was going, and discover if he made any of the special tea that helps me enter the interdimension.” She let stew broth dribble from her spoon.
Frowning, Aric dipped his bread in the stew and ate, then said, “You didn’t need the tea often…before.”
He meant all of them, the Mistweavers, and when she lived with her family.
“The tea can be helpful even when one steps into the interdimension daily.” She scowled. She was talking as if there was more than one whole elemental balancer in the world. There wasn’t. There was only her. Hunching a shoulder, she shrugged the reality of the thought away, met Aric’s eyes. “I haven’t been traveling to the interdimension much.”
“Then it is all the more impressive that Mystic Circle and Denver are so well balanced with the four elemental magics,” Aric said softly.
A compliment. It made her throat tighten with longing for the past. Which she had to put behind her or doom them all with her uncontrolled emotions.
“Northumberland, eh?” Aric asked.
“Yes.”
He spooned up more stew, ate. When he met her eyes, his own were resigned. A corner of his mouth twisted. “A journey to Northumberland before a quest to save Rothly before a mission to help the whole magical community—”
“The Lightfolk,” Jenni corrected.
Aric’s gaze was stern. “The whole magical community, and benefiting humans, too. A mission you don’t want to know about.”
“After we save Rothly.” She managed a bite or two. Her mouth savored rich beef, but her stomach remained tense.
“About this Dark one—”
Hartha appeared, shook her finger at Aric’s nose, rumbled something in her own language, gestured to Jenni.
Aric nodded. “The browniefem’s right, such talk will definitely upset your digestion.”
Another bite before Jenni replied, “Her name is Hartha.”
“That I know, but she hasn’t given me leave to use it.”
Quiet sifted through the room, and the quality of it—gold from the brownies’ homey glow globes and the soft shades of summer green that Aric brought with him—soothed Jenni. As if this was a standard meal among family instead of two people ready to embark on a dangerous adventure. In that quiet lilted by Chinook’s purr, Jenni ate her entire meal. As soon as she put her spoon down, Hartha whisked the remains away with invisible speed.
Aric stood, turned slowly in the room as if testing the elemental energies, shields and threat. He nodded. “The Dark one can’t come nearer than that business district in the south.”
Jenni shivered at the recollection of what had happened there, expected Hartha to show up and reveal all the circumstances of her save. Leaving Jenni as emotionally naked as she had been physically and energy-wise when Hartha had found her earlier. But Hartha remained in the kitchen, actually making a little noise to show she wouldn’t be interfering. Jenni had to tighten a slack jaw at that. The brownies were loyal.
She stood and angled her body toward Aric’s again, but this time not in a face-off, this time her legs moved her almost in reflex to how she’d stood near him…before…but she didn’t step back.
He did.
That hurt but she mixed the pain
He nodded, no muscle of his face soft. “I remain your liaison.”
She shook her head, gestured to the place setting Hartha had made for him. “Then we should speak of saving Rothly.” Before she sat, Jenni extended her senses for any negative energy in her home or Mystic Circle—and discovered the area was better shielded than ever. The brownies and Aric had helped…and her neighbors were reinforcing it a bit. There also seemed to be some dryad Treefolk magic from the parklike center of the cul-de-sac. “We must go to Northumberland first.”
Aric flinched.
So he didn’t want to relive memories there, either? Too bad for both of them. After a deep breath that brought no relief, Jenni said, “I must see if Rothly left any notes about where he was going, and discover if he made any of the special tea that helps me enter the interdimension.” She let stew broth dribble from her spoon.
Frowning, Aric dipped his bread in the stew and ate, then said, “You didn’t need the tea often…before.”
He meant all of them, the Mistweavers, and when she lived with her family.
“The tea can be helpful even when one steps into the interdimension daily.” She scowled. She was talking as if there was more than one whole elemental balancer in the world. There wasn’t. There was only her. Hunching a shoulder, she shrugged the reality of the thought away, met Aric’s eyes. “I haven’t been traveling to the interdimension much.”
“Then it is all the more impressive that Mystic Circle and Denver are so well balanced with the four elemental magics,” Aric said softly.
A compliment. It made her throat tighten with longing for the past. Which she had to put behind her or doom them all with her uncontrolled emotions.
“Northumberland, eh?” Aric asked.
“Yes.”
He spooned up more stew, ate. When he met her eyes, his own were resigned. A corner of his mouth twisted. “A journey to Northumberland before a quest to save Rothly before a mission to help the whole magical community—”
“The Lightfolk,” Jenni corrected.
Aric’s gaze was stern. “The whole magical community, and benefiting humans, too. A mission you don’t want to know about.”
“After we save Rothly.” She managed a bite or two. Her mouth savored rich beef, but her stomach remained tense.
“About this Dark one—”
Hartha appeared, shook her finger at Aric’s nose, rumbled something in her own language, gestured to Jenni.
Aric nodded. “The browniefem’s right, such talk will definitely upset your digestion.”
Another bite before Jenni replied, “Her name is Hartha.”
“That I know, but she hasn’t given me leave to use it.”
Quiet sifted through the room, and the quality of it—gold from the brownies’ homey glow globes and the soft shades of summer green that Aric brought with him—soothed Jenni. As if this was a standard meal among family instead of two people ready to embark on a dangerous adventure. In that quiet lilted by Chinook’s purr, Jenni ate her entire meal. As soon as she put her spoon down, Hartha whisked the remains away with invisible speed.
Aric stood, turned slowly in the room as if testing the elemental energies, shields and threat. He nodded. “The Dark one can’t come nearer than that business district in the south.”
Jenni shivered at the recollection of what had happened there, expected Hartha to show up and reveal all the circumstances of her save. Leaving Jenni as emotionally naked as she had been physically and energy-wise when Hartha had found her earlier. But Hartha remained in the kitchen, actually making a little noise to show she wouldn’t be interfering. Jenni had to tighten a slack jaw at that. The brownies were loyal.
She stood and angled her body toward Aric’s again, but this time not in a face-off, this time her legs moved her almost in reflex to how she’d stood near him…before…but she didn’t step back.
He did.
That hurt but she mixed the pain
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