Part 7 (1/2)
”Can I call you Moondancer?” Keelie asked.
”Do not speak my true name here.” Coyote moved ahead.
”I like him.” Sean said. ”He's grown on me.”
Elia had been quiet. Keelie hoped she didn't have any bright ideas swirling in her elf head that could lead to complications with the queen.
Salaca and Fala had stopped outside a shop that had a wide front porch with rocking chairs and carpeted cat perches. ”Since you're fond of cats and vermin”-Salaca looked over at Coyote-”we thought you might like to see this place.” He waved his hand for everyone to enter.
Keelie hesitated. ”Are you sure the queen won't mind?”
”We bought time,” Salaca reminded her. ”And the Timekeeper asked you to shop.”
Not shop, she thought. The wise old Timekeeper probably wanted her to get to know the fae before she met their queen.
Keelie touched the wood (aspen, from the ancient forest). She turned the quicksilver doork.n.o.b and entered the shop.
Inside it was warm and cozy. Quilts were draped on the back of cus.h.i.+oned sofas and cats purred in front of a fireplace. Aquariums cast sapphire light on the hardwood floors.
A loud splas.h.i.+ng caught Keelie's attention. It was a manta ray. He waved his stinger at Keelie and dived back under the water.
She turned to Fala.
”Sea witches need familiars, too.” He looked at her as if she should've known that simple fact.
She looked at the next aquarium and a big eye blinked at her. Then she heard a humpback whale singing. ”A whale?”
”It's a dimensional doorway,” a woman's honeyed voice said. ”The humpback has to be able to view its potential partner. Would you like to fill out an application?”
Keelie turned around and gasped when she saw an enormous lion affectionately rubbing the woman's leg as if he was a big old house cat. He had the most beautiful mane she had ever seen. He had gold ribbons woven through it and in the candlelight it glinted with sparkling perfection. Laurie would've been jealous. She paid top dollar at an expensive salon in L.A. to get that sun-kissed look.
The fairy woman wore a blue corset, with sapphire ribbons laced between quicksilver grommets. ”I am the proprietor of this shop. I match magical folk with their magical helpers,” she said. ”My name is Maemtri.” Her eyes were almond shaped and greener than an elf's, as if some verdant light glowed bright from within. The skin around her forehead and down her neck was spotted like a leopard's.
She motioned a delicate hand to the lion, who lovingly beamed up at her. ”This is my familiar, Henry.”
Henry held out a giant paw, and Keelie shook it as she would a dog's. Henry's paw was soft as velvet and he purred happily. It sounded like a muted chainsaw.
”My name is Keliel.” She couldn't stop staring at the lion. She wanted to pet him so badly she couldn't stand it. Knot glared jealously.
Maemtri bowed her head. ”You and your companions are welcome, and if you do find a familiar, I think you will find the terms of our arrangements agreeable to all parties. I did not expect a visit from you, Milady Keliel, or I would have prepared. Are you here to purchase a gift for the queen, perhaps?”
Fala bowed slightly. ”We're just visiting, Maemtri.”
A gift for the queen. Keelie's heart stuttered. She'd never even thought of that. She looked around at the magical creatures, but even here, giving someone a pet was a bad idea. A companion animal was a very personal choice.
Henry was sniffing Elia's skirt, and she'd backed up against a wall. Every cat in the shop was standing at attention, looking at her with their eerily intelligent eyes, like an army of Knots.
Knot yodeled and jumped, sending a box to the ground. Its lid flew off and loud hissing erupted as a dark and icky wave poured out of it.
Keelie recoiled at the sight of huge and angry c.o.c.kroaches scuttling on the floor. The roaches turned, as if sensing something, and headed straight for Elia. She screamed and jumped against Sean, who picked her up and held her above the floor.
Coyote snickered and then laughed, pointing his paw at Knot, whose fur was bushed out to the max. Henry the lion danced back when the c.o.c.kroaches came too close to his paws.
”Naughty fairy,” Maemtri said. ”Serves you right, you curious creature.”
The lion lowered his head and cast a menacing glance at Knot.
Maemtri held out the box and snapped her fingers, and the hissing c.o.c.kroaches all jumped back into their container.
”Who would want hissing c.o.c.kroaches for a familiar?” Keelie heard the squeak of panic in her voice and tried to calm herself.
”Usually some of the dark fae, maybe a troll sorcerer. If there is a specialty familiar, Maemtri is the one to see.” Salaca leaned his elbows against a counter. He seemed bored.
Fala opened the door and gestured toward the bustle outdoors. ”Now that we've seen the familiar shop we need to move along. Good luck with any potential clients.”
”I will see you at the masquerade tonight,” Maemtri said and her eyes held Fala's. Keelie watched as a glance, like a secret, pa.s.sed between them.
She wondered what that had been about as she and Sean stepped out onto the porch.
”What's next?” Keelie asked. The shop had been interesting, but she wanted to get her mission over with.
Fala turned around and smiled wickedly at her. ”You're just going to have to wait and see, but our next stop is going to be educational for Lord Sean.”
He and Salaca laughed.
Sean and Keelie exchanged a glance, and she saw a hint of worry in his eyes. She turned away quickly, but she was sure he'd seen it mirrored on her own face. Those two could not be up to anything good.
Keelie didn't know how far the Timekeeper's protection of them extended. From what she'd heard, the fae could find a loophole in any rule and exploit it. She didn't like the sound of the fairies' laughter, and she could tell that Fala and Salaca loved to create problems. Given the apprehension in her companions' faces, it was clear that everyone knew they had to keep their guard up.
Led by the tall fae, the group merged into the flow of odd-looking foot traffic, pa.s.sing shops that catered to the Other Realm's inhabitants. They stopped at a blacksmith's shop, where a hot fire burned brightly in the forge. Three s.h.i.+rtless fae worked inside, not a drop of sweat on them despite the heat, although their red-tinged skin shone as they hammered on a sword. The loud clanging of metal on metal echoed around them. It wasn't a sword of iron and steel these fairies forged-it was quicksilver, the metal glowing as if it were alive and was being formed into a living being.
Sean stepped forward, the siren song of the weapon calling to him. Keelie saw the sword weave its magic upon him.
Fala leaned close to him, his voice a whisper. ”Elf, I can hear your warrior heart calling out to the sword. You want it. I will give it to you.”
The fairy reached for another sword, which was hanging from a display. He held the blade up and it erupted into flames. Within the flames appeared the alluring outline of a woman, wearing nothing but the flickering fire. She stared at Sean as if she really saw him.
Sean's eyes were glued to the flaming woman's and he drew closer to the sword. ”There are legends about swords such as this. My grandfather told me stories about them when I was a boy, and Elianard spoke of it in Lore Cla.s.s.”
Keelie grabbed Sean's wrist as he reached out to take the sword. ”Think, Sean. There will be a price. There is always a price when a fairy offers you a gift.” She turned to Fala. ”Tell him. Fairies speak true, that's what my Grandmother Jo always said.”
Fala winked at her, unperturbed. ”The price, Lord Sean, is that you freely give up the part of your heart that belongs to Keliel.”
The sword flamed once again, and the flaming woman appeared. This time, she tossed her hair back and winked seductively at Sean over her shoulder. When she looked at Keelie, her eyes turned into slits.
”No sword is worth that price.” Sean glowered at Fala. ”How dare you even think I would trade my heart for a sword.”
Fala returned the weapon to its scabbard, the flames snuffing as the sword entered the sheath. ”Ho hum. Don't you get tired of being so honorable? Don't you want to let loose and have some fun?”
Salaca pointed at the sword that was being forged. ”Put that one on hold for me. I'll be back for it.”