Chapter Seven

 

 

Sweat coated every inch of her skin. He had been careful, but the knotted muscles had not relaxed easily.

Eric gathered her, picked her up and settled with her in his lap. “Breathe slowly. Relax.”

She shivered and tried to use all the techniques she was fond of before performing. The pain was receding, but her muscles were still twitching. Hoarsely, she asked, “Do you think that brook is safe to drink out of?”

“Yes. The wilderness here is untouched. Even the buildings are apart from it.”

She started kicking her feet. “Put me down. I am thirsty.”

He tilted her up, and she stretched before making her way to the brook’s edge where she knelt and scooped the icy liquid in.

When she had her fill, she sat back. “Thank you, Eric. I feel much better now.”

She placed her hands on her thighs, palms up, and leaned back until she could see the canopy of the woods around her.

“You are welcome. You recover very quickly.”

Elly straightened and pushed up into a standing position. “That is what the fey part of me does. It makes my music into magic or my magic into music, and it heals me quickly. The king was worried that it would age me, but his physicians have pronounced me standard half-fey.”

“Do you like being at the court?”

She wrinkled her nose. “The clothing is restrictive, but I love playing every night.”

“I thought your performance gear looked very comfortable.” To her amazement, he pulled out one of the cards her father had been handing around and looked at it.

“It is comfortable. At least the first three layers are. After that, it gets stifling. Each clasp is in a different position, so it forms a stiffened ridge that acts as restriction and support. As I live at court, I am always in some kind of long dress. This was my first chance in years to wear jeans.”

He smiled. “They look good on you.”

“Thank you. I thought the same thing when I saw you.”

He gave her a short bow. “Are you ready to head back? Perhaps we could get some dinner?”

Elly sighed. “I don’t want to be a burden to the café or the court.”

“I will pay for your meal, or whatever else you need. It is the least I can do after you were so cruelly used by my family.”

She wrinkled her nose. “And mine.”

“Ah. Right. Well, still, my kinswomen should have been more careful with the spells they answered.”

Elly walked up to him and extended her hand. “Fine, we are equally at fault for our lack of fault. Now, you can buy me a cheeseburger.”

“It is my fondest wish.” His fingers closed over hers, and he let her haul him out of the forest and back toward the Crossroads.

 

She was elbow deep in her burger when he asked a funny question.

“I thought elves were vegetarians.”

She paused. “Is this a problem? I can stick to the fries.”

“No, it is fine. I am just wondering about a preconceived notion that I had.”

Elly nodded. “A lot of them are, but not the ones who have lived outside the court. Subsistence living is a wonderful divider of dietary habits. In the human world, it is linked to environment, illness, or financial capability. It is something that is becoming more affordable, but it isn’t cheap.”

“I am aware. A few of my sisters have tried, but they end up cheating. Our beasts can deal with eating vegetation, but the shift requires more calories than they can intake in an evening.”

“Ah.” She took another bite of her burger.

“How does it work? I mean, your living in the fey palace?”

“Well, I get to see everything and either stand in the background or wait until I am summoned. I have seen the king speaking with governors, senators, and all minor human representatives.” She lowered her food and smiled. “I have even played at the celebrations for the first fey-shifter baby. I have seen a thousand things that I would not trade for anything, but I have also seen enough horrifying acts for one lifetime.”

“How so?”

“The fey are a monarchy within a human democracy. They are allowed their own rule, but that comes with their punishments. Those are horrific. Fey can heal from almost anything, but their own kind know what kind of wounds to inflict.”

He winced. “Yes. I can understand that. You had to witness it?”

“Occasionally, I had to provide accompaniment.”

He was aghast. “You are kidding.”

“No. I never kid about torture.” She finished her burger and used her napkin to tidy up. When she was reasonably neat, she stabbed her salad.

The rest of the café was bustling around them, but Eric was absorbing the information about her day job.

She sighed. “Sorry to spoil the evening, but you did ask.”

“You are right, I did.”

Elly finished her salad, and the server whisked it away.

He finished his chili fries, and his plate disappeared just after he set his fork down.

Eric smiled. “I think they want the space. Would you care for another walk?”

“Sure.” She slurped down the last of her lemonade and got to her feet.

He held out his hand, and she took it, sliding past the occupied tables as they made their escape.

She linked her arm with his as they wandered past the shifting field, where shifters showed off for each other in their animal forms.

“So, now that I have repulsed you, why are you still hanging around?” She nudged him a little, directing him toward the distant, empty amphitheatre.

“I am not repulsed; I just don’t think you seem like a woman who has seen horror. You are far too upbeat for that.”

“I know. I am cursed to sound perky, but it is just practicality. I don’t have a lot of career options. My savings account is only enough to buy a small house, not maintain it. I knew that there were nightmares waiting for me and had no idea if they would ever stop.”

He slid his arm around her shoulders. “I have got it now. I am sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry, just be my guinea pig. I am working on a new piece, and I need an audience. I have just decided that you have volunteered.” She smirked.

“You don’t have an instrument with you.”

“There is a great harp at the amphitheatre. I am going to use that.”

She kept them on the path that took them to the large open space with seats of stone built into the performance crater. She had seen pictures of this style of venue from Greece, and apparently, the acoustics were still viable.

There was a couple in the front row, and they were in sombre discussion. Elly waved at them and stepped onto the stage, triggering the panel that brought the harp and the chair up and into the performance area.

Eric sat in the front row, near the couple, and he propped his chin on his hands as he leaned forward.

She nodded to the couple, winked at Eric and tuned up the harp with the key. Once it was set, she set her fingers in wide claws, and on the mental count, she began to play.

 

* * * *

 

Eric narrowed his eyes as the music rose and fell in cascades that reminded him of running along a beach in his beast form, listening to the call of the sea while the grasses on the ridge whistled and sang.

 

* * * *

 

Scarlet smiled at Hiro, and he returned the soft look. “This reminds me of running through the woods and sliding down a hillside.”

“Rushing through high grass while hunting a deer for me.” Hiro smiled and wrapped his arm around her, pulling her close. “The sound is really everything the specs said it would be.”

Scarlet nodded. “I think she brings her own magic. Now hush, this song is about sunshine.”

She leaned her head against him, and they let the music wash over them. She didn’t know why the elf had come to engage in the private performance, but she was going to enjoy it.

 

* * * *

 

Elly worked through her repertoire, and then, she finished up with shave-and-a-haircut. She pulled her hands away from the harp and massaged them.

“This concludes the practice session. Thank you for your attention.” She got up and bowed formally to the couple.

They responded by rising and returning the bow.

Eric stood and applauded steadily.

She dipped him a curtsy and sent the harp back down to its storage area. “Thank you.”

With a happy skip, she left the stage and bounced up next to him. It was hard to stay perky when she was exhausted, but she hoped it didn’t show on her face.

Eric gave her a sober look. “The music was wonderful, and you have had a trying twenty-four hours. I think you should get some sleep.”

She nodded. “Probably, but there is so much to do here.”

The couple she had seen earlier had left while they spoke.

Eric offered, “Why don’t I shift and we can go for a run through the countryside?”

She grabbed at the opportunity. “Yes, please.”

He stepped back, unbuckled his belt and worked his shirt up over his abs.

She squeaked, “What are you doing?”

He finished pulling off his shirt. “Shifters do it naked. Transforming with clothing on just ends up with a confined animal.”

She blinked. “Oh, right.”

He handed her his shirt, and she folded it out of reflex. His jeans got the same treatment, along with his underwear. She waited to pick up his shoes until he wasn’t standing over them with an erection.

She had a flash of inspiration, and she opened his shirt to use it to hold everything while he shifted.

His body disappeared in a flash, and his stallion form was even bigger than she remembered. The blue-white eyes were what she recalled as comforting her through the nightmares.

“Well, shit. How am I going to get up there?”

He used his huge head to nudge her, and she let him push her back onto the stage.

“Oh, that makes sense. Thanks, Eric.”

She walked to his back, settled the bundle of clothing on the broad expanse of his shoulders, and then, she settled herself on his back with her legs barely around his barrel.

“Okay. I am on.”

She threaded her fingers through his blue-black main and hung on as he climbed the steps out of the amphitheatre, and he slowly walked across the hills with a gentle rocking step that was very soothing.

She leaned over his clothing, inhaled the scent of him and relaxed while he walked slowly and carefully across the meadows and hills of the Crossroads.