Read Online Sixty-One Nails: Courts of the Feyre by Mike Shevdon - Free Book Online
Authors: Mike Shevdon
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compliment with something of a degree of respect that had been absent before. "I just chose the ones that felt right. "
"Just so."
I turned back to Megan, pulling out my wallet.
"No cards," said Blackbird. "This is a cash transaction between you and Megan. There is to be no intermediary."
"For a friend of Blackbird's–" Megan began.
"It is for a gift and for that it must be Rabbit's to give," Blackbird told her.
At that Megan nodded her understanding and scooped the stones back into the pouch. "How much do I owe you?" I asked her.
"You owe me nothing, Rabbit, but I will accept ten pounds if you agree?"
I smiled and offered her a tenner from my wallet which she squirreled away in a cash box after handing me the black pouch. It felt weightier than it should. "Thank you, Megan." If this was a test, maybe I had passed it.
"If I may?" She scanned quickly across her wares and plucked a stone from a box. She held out her closed hand for me to put mine underneath.
I glanced at Blackbird and there was the slightest indication of a nod. I put my hand out, palm underneath her fist. She dropped the stone into it. It was shaped into a tiny pear in a deep glossy blue and had a silver ring attached where the pear-stalk would be. It felt initially cold in my palm but it pulsed into warmth in my hand as if fuelled by some inner heat. It didn't look any different, but it felt somehow alive in my palm. "Megan, we're not…" Blackbird started to explain then halted. She blushed very slightly. I looked from her to Megan, waiting for some explanation.
Megan looked thoughtful for a moment then offered, "Lapis will aid your physical awareness and perhaps enhance the focus of your power. It has other properties, too, but those are the ones that are important for now. "
"Why does it go warm like that?"
I was talking to myself, but Megan thought the question was for her. "It does?" she said, surprised. "Hmmm," added Blackbird in a tone that told me she wasn't going to elaborate.
"Here, let me." Megan held out her hand for the stone. I gave it her back she took it and turned away for a moment. When she turned back she had threaded a leather thong through the loop, which she tied deftly in a knot.
She passed it back to me. "Wear it close to your heart and may it bring you good fortune."
I didn't know quite what to say so I slipped the loop over my head, loosening my tie slightly to allow it to fall down inside next to my skin. I felt it rest cold against my chest then flare to warmth again before slowly cooling to skin temperature, confirming what I had felt before.
"Thank you, Megan." It felt odd to start wearing rocks around my neck, but the warmth emanating from it told me there was more to this than I had thought, and I needed all the good fortune I could get.
"Megan, it has been a pleasure to see you again, but we must go. Rabbit, it's time we were moving on." I nodded, acknowledging the gift once again and slipped the black pouch into my jacket pocket. Then I followed Blackbird through the random swell of people out of the market and back onto the cobbles. "Is she Fey?" I asked Blackbird as we moved out of earshot.
She glanced sideways at me but then continued walking and, for a moment, I thought maybe she hadn't heard me. Then she spoke.
"Megan is an interesting person because she is sensitive to our kind. She can usually tell if a person has Fey blood – she knew you did straight away. And you've seen the skill she has with stones." We were momentarily separated by an American couple with broad Western drawls delighting over the ancient monument of Covent Garden, reminding me that what people considered ancient was all relative.
"But she has no power as far as I am aware," Blackbird continued as if she had not been interrupted. "I came across her when I was
"Just so."
I turned back to Megan, pulling out my wallet.
"No cards," said Blackbird. "This is a cash transaction between you and Megan. There is to be no intermediary."
"For a friend of Blackbird's–" Megan began.
"It is for a gift and for that it must be Rabbit's to give," Blackbird told her.
At that Megan nodded her understanding and scooped the stones back into the pouch. "How much do I owe you?" I asked her.
"You owe me nothing, Rabbit, but I will accept ten pounds if you agree?"
I smiled and offered her a tenner from my wallet which she squirreled away in a cash box after handing me the black pouch. It felt weightier than it should. "Thank you, Megan." If this was a test, maybe I had passed it.
"If I may?" She scanned quickly across her wares and plucked a stone from a box. She held out her closed hand for me to put mine underneath.
I glanced at Blackbird and there was the slightest indication of a nod. I put my hand out, palm underneath her fist. She dropped the stone into it. It was shaped into a tiny pear in a deep glossy blue and had a silver ring attached where the pear-stalk would be. It felt initially cold in my palm but it pulsed into warmth in my hand as if fuelled by some inner heat. It didn't look any different, but it felt somehow alive in my palm. "Megan, we're not…" Blackbird started to explain then halted. She blushed very slightly. I looked from her to Megan, waiting for some explanation.
Megan looked thoughtful for a moment then offered, "Lapis will aid your physical awareness and perhaps enhance the focus of your power. It has other properties, too, but those are the ones that are important for now. "
"Why does it go warm like that?"
I was talking to myself, but Megan thought the question was for her. "It does?" she said, surprised. "Hmmm," added Blackbird in a tone that told me she wasn't going to elaborate.
"Here, let me." Megan held out her hand for the stone. I gave it her back she took it and turned away for a moment. When she turned back she had threaded a leather thong through the loop, which she tied deftly in a knot.
She passed it back to me. "Wear it close to your heart and may it bring you good fortune."
I didn't know quite what to say so I slipped the loop over my head, loosening my tie slightly to allow it to fall down inside next to my skin. I felt it rest cold against my chest then flare to warmth again before slowly cooling to skin temperature, confirming what I had felt before.
"Thank you, Megan." It felt odd to start wearing rocks around my neck, but the warmth emanating from it told me there was more to this than I had thought, and I needed all the good fortune I could get.
"Megan, it has been a pleasure to see you again, but we must go. Rabbit, it's time we were moving on." I nodded, acknowledging the gift once again and slipped the black pouch into my jacket pocket. Then I followed Blackbird through the random swell of people out of the market and back onto the cobbles. "Is she Fey?" I asked Blackbird as we moved out of earshot.
She glanced sideways at me but then continued walking and, for a moment, I thought maybe she hadn't heard me. Then she spoke.
"Megan is an interesting person because she is sensitive to our kind. She can usually tell if a person has Fey blood – she knew you did straight away. And you've seen the skill she has with stones." We were momentarily separated by an American couple with broad Western drawls delighting over the ancient monument of Covent Garden, reminding me that what people considered ancient was all relative.
"But she has no power as far as I am aware," Blackbird continued as if she had not been interrupted. "I came across her when I was
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