In the staff cafeteria that evening, Ellie sat at a table with Jeralee, Kerry Jo, and Rosa. Partway through the meal, she blurted, “Kerry Jo, I’ve been dying to know what happened today on the island. Where is Tor now?”
“I don’t know.” Kerry Jo answered between bites. “Madame hasn’t yet come back.”
Ellie stared, blinking. “She is still there? On the island?”
Kerry Jo shrugged and kept eating.
“All we know is, she isn’t here,” Jeralee answered for her. “This afternoon, the fog around the island vanished all at once, and there was black smoke rising from the volcano. Ben keeps saying it can’t be a volcano, but what else do you call a hill that smokes?”
“It’s a volcano,” Rosa said quietly. She had pushed her tray away and now played with the little vase on their table. The carnation and fern spray in it were sadly wilted.
Ellie pressed her knuckles into her cheeks, trying to think. “The sirens didn’t do anything to Prince Omar. He was right there next to the island, but according to Dr. Smith, he wasn’t siren-enthralled. He had a headache when I picked him out of the water, but otherwise he seemed perfectly normal.”
“He didn’t look perfectly normal when you brought him to the dock, girl,” Kerry Jo observed with a smirk. “He looked lovesick.”
Ellie didn’t know how to react, but she knew her friends could read her face no matter what she did or said.
Kerry Jo rose and picked up her tray. “I’ll see you all later. Devon asked me to watch a meteor shower with him from the docks tonight. Are any of you going?”
Ellie and Rosa shook their heads.
“Maybe,” Jeralee said, waving a carrot stick. “See you later.” She pulled her short legs up on the bench, crossing them tailor-style, and grinned at Ellie. “So your prince looked lovesick, did he?” She snapped off a bite of carrot and munched noisily.
Ellie rolled her eyes. “Kerry Jo has love on the brain.”
Jeralee swallowed and waved the carrot again. “Point granted, but she’s not the only person who’s noticed how he keeps appearing wherever you are.”
“He does have a talent for getting himself into trouble when you’re near.” Rosa looked both amused and concerned. She leaned forward slightly to say, “You must be careful, Ellie. You’re good at hiding your feelings, but Madame Genevieve is no fool. And it sounds as if your prince is as transparent as a greenhouse.”
Ellie focused on the little vase between Rosa’s hands: The carnation’s petals were now vivid pink, and the fern looked fresh cut.
“Would you marry the prince if his family disinherited him?” Jeralee seemed genuinely curious. “He is handsome and seems like a great guy, but his country is so different from Adelboden. What could he do to support a family? Most of these princes are layabouts.”
“Omar isn’t,” Ellie said quickly. “He is a mathematician and has nearly finished his university studies. He works very hard, and he could get a job or teach anywhere, on any continent. Besides, I can work hard too.”
Rosa looked at Jeralee. “Omar, she calls him.”
Jeralee shrugged. “I told you, she’s been gone on him for years.”
Ellie sat back on the bench, her face flaming. “But this discussion is ridiculous. No prince would marry me.”
There was a pause, and she noticed her friends watching something behind her. Rosa murmured, “Oh no!”
“What?” Ellie started to turn just as someone stepped over the bench beside her and sat down. Someone who smelled very nice and wore a t-shirt and faded jeans. Someone with intense eyes and a dangerous smile.
“Hello, Ellie. You did not imagine your evil deeds would go unpunished, I hope?”
Ellie’s face went hot. “Prince Briar!” She had entirely forgotten him. “What are you doing here?”
“Guests do not visit the staff cafeteria. Ever.” The statement might have carried more weight had Jeralee not spoken in a breathless tone.
“Ah, but they do, as you witness, fair maiden, for I am a guest,” Briar responded, and Jeralee’s face turned red. Ellie could not recall ever seeing her cheeky friend blush before.
The prince then turned to Ellie, his gaze accusing. “I scooped up that stinking blob and dumped it into an empty cage like you told me to, and it came back to life. You did not warn me of this, and I believe I lost at least a year off my life, along with terrifying several brownies with my screams.”
Ellie maintained a straight face. “The poor brownies!”
“Yes, well, they might recover eventually. Then a withered gray creature popped in and cussed me out with no regard for my sensitive royal feelings. The brownies tried desperately to hush him and finally wrapped him in what appeared to be a tablecloth before hauling him away. Still swearing, mind you.”
Ellie gave up the fight and laughed. “That must have been Geraldo the hobgoblin. He has no regard for class or rank or species.”
Briar crossed his arms over his chest, lowered his chin, and gave her a straight look between thick lashes. “I took two showers before the sulphur smell faded to bearable levels. Did you ever intend to come and relieve me, or am I doomed to feed greens and carrots to those ravenous beasts for all eternity?”
Ellie sent him a penitent look. “I don’t know how I could have forgotten you and the sprites, but I truly did. Did you really keep feeding them all day?”
“They are insatiable. The brownies kept me supplied. They felt sorry for me, I believe.” His eyes twinkled.
Hearing a tiny sigh, Ellie glanced at Jeralee, who stared at the young prince with stars in her hazel eyes. “Oh, Your Highness, may I introduce my friends Jeralee and Rosa?” She indicated each in turn. “This is Crown Prince Briar of Auvers.”
Ellie thought he winced slightly at the title before he smiled graciously and addressed each girl by name. When he said, “The pleasure is mine,” Ellie believed he meant it. What a charmer! She noticed a certain coolness on Rosa’s part but set this down to shyness. Or perhaps she viewed him as a ladykiller in no need of encouragement.
“Your Highness,” Ellie said, “I do thank you for feeding the cinder sprites today and for enduring horrible smells and sights and sounds. I should run to the ballroom and clean up the mess, I suppose.”
When she stood up, he rose along with her, excused himself to her friends, and stepped over the bench. “I’ll be glad to help you carry cages or whatever you need.”
He waited while she turned in her dinner tray, then fell in step beside her, even holding the door for her. Embarrassed, she tried to think of a polite way to dismiss him. “This is quite unnecessary, Your Highness. You have already far exceeded any reasonable expectations. I was totally out of place to demand your help the way I did.”
“Maybe so, but I truly don’t mind,” he told her with a genuine smile. “You can pay me back by telling me what happened on the lake today, since no one seems to know. Or else no one will tell me.”
“I can’t tell you much, since after I pulled Prince Omar out of the lake I spent the rest of the day answering questions and filling out legal forms. Again. I suppose the legal ramifications of siren enchantment might be severe, but most of the questions I answered today seemed silly and entirely unrelated to the situation.”
“You are talking to a law student, Miss Calmer. Watch your language when you speak of legal forms.”
Ellie laughed again and offered no further objection to his assistance. Not only might his attention help people forget seeing her and Omar together, but she found his dry sense of humor both refreshing and challenging. She related most of the morning’s events to him as they walked to the ballroom, then told him she expected the Gamekeeper to arrive that evening. “He usually meets me at the castle after dark—I think he checks in with the director—so I should wait around here. The brownies often tell me when he arrives.”
“I am interested to see this Gamekeeper. But hasn’t the director been away all day?” he asked as she opened the service door to the ballroom.
“She must have returned by now. Would you go and see while I clean this floor?”
“Why not?” Briar smiled, bowed, and walked away.
Ellie looked after him for a moment, frowning. Few royals possessed magic these days. She couldn’t help liking him, yet she did not think he was a person she should fully trust. But then, what boy that good-looking ever was trustworthy?
Giving her head a little shake, she entered the ballroom. Cinder sprites squeaked from the cages in the corner. “Good evening, squeakers,” she said, infusing her voice with happiness. “I hope you enjoyed being served by a prince all day.” After checking on them, she switched on a few lights in places that didn’t get natural light from the windows, took a broom and mop from the janitor’s closet, and pulled out her cleaning-fluid spray bottle. Either Briar or the brownies had cleaned the floor already, but nothing eliminated a sulphur stink like her herbal spray. She mentally infused it with the scent of a mountain breeze and set to work.
When the polished ballroom floor reflected the evening’s last rays of sunlight and the domed ceiling, she stopped, leaned on her mop’s handle, and surveyed her handiwork. Often, while working, she forgot to notice the beauty surrounding her.
Faraway Castle was truly a worthy setting for its noble and royal guests. She could easily imagine royal balls held in this room, balls hosted by a great king, long departed. The guests would have danced to the polonaise and mazurka in huge hoop skirts. Or was the castle that old? She knew little about its history, and no one else seemed to know more.
She turned around and nearly screamed. A huge, hulking figure loomed from a shadowy corner. “Oh! Gamekeeper, I did not hear you arrive.” No surprise there. He walked with the stealth of a panther.
“I entered only a moment ago.” His deep voice was quiet, yet it seemed to shake the floor. He wore a hooded cape that entirely concealed his face, of which Ellie had occasionally caught glimpses and knew better than to attempt a clearer look. She was content to remain ignorant.
“Where is your wagon parked?” she asked.
“A young prince advised me to park it beside that door.” He pointed to the delivery service entrance. “He told me you were here. I stopped by your cottage first and loaded up the sprites and imps. Are these cages ready to go?”
“Yes sir. I caught these sprites this morning. The big male went ember, but he seems to be recovering well.”
The idea of this huge creature entering her locked cottage with no effort and removing her creatures was disconcerting, but there was nothing she could do about it except be grateful that he was benevolent.
She thought she had concealed her thoughts, but his hooded head tilted slightly. “I did not enter your home,” he said.
She ducked her head. “Thank you, sir.” She should have known. His magic skills were beyond anything she could guess, and during the three years she had worked for this mysterious personage, not once had he given her cause to doubt his integrity.
The Gamekeeper bent over the cages on the ballroom floor. “They look healthy and well fed. I will not disturb them now. I tend to frighten other creatures at first.”
Ellie did not doubt it. He had many characteristics of a predator. His gloves could not completely hide the sharp claws within, and his feet, though booted just now, were large and wide.
“I will carry them out,” she offered.
“I can help.” Briar walked across the ballroom floor from the main hallway. “I met the Gamekeeper near the director’s office and told him what I know of today’s events.”
He sounded so nonchalant that Ellie gave him a close look. Encountering someone like the Gamekeeper should affect any normal person. Briar’s eyes looked wide, yet he maintained an outward show of unconcern. Bravado, perhaps.
“Has Madame returned?” Ellie asked, handing him two cages.
“Not yet,” the Gamekeeper answered for him. “I will speak with her soon.”
No more needed to be said. Ellie well knew that her supervisor could handle the sirens, the director, the lake monster, or any other issue or entity that might arise.
Briar and Ellie carried cages out to the wagon, leaving their arrangement to the Gamekeeper. Ellie avoided looking at her mysterious supervisor more often than necessary, so she wasn’t certain whether he did this manually or with magic. The wagon itself seemed solid. Or was it? She couldn’t be sure.
As they brought out the last three cages, the Gamekeeper said, “Prince Briar told me of yesterday’s encounter with the unicorn. Have you any details to add?”
“One of the men spoke of hunting the unicorn,” Ellie said. “I informed him that magical creatures are off limits to guests, but I’m not sure he will respect the rules. He showed no respect for me, that’s certain.”
“The unicorn eluded me today,” the Gamekeeper said. “Wild unicorns fear me, which complicates the situation. I will return soon to seek it again.”
“Do you want me to search for it?” Ellie asked. The idea frightened her, for she knew nothing about unicorns, but she was willing to try.
“Only in an emergency. And I will not hold you accountable for injured guests. Enforcing resort rules is the director’s job.”
“But what about the unicorn’s safety?” Ellie asked.
“If you believe the unicorn is in imminent danger, contact me immediately, then do your best to protect it without risking your own safety. Although I appreciate your willingness to serve anywhere at the resort, your official position is Controller of Magical Creatures. If anyone disputes your authority or attempts to prevent you from serving as you see fit, I will intervene on your behalf.” His deep voice was grave and authoritative. “Do you understand?”
“Yes sir,” Ellie said. “Thank you.” He could only be speaking of the director.
“Now tell me what you know about this siren situation,” the Gamekeeper said. “You have twice rescued young men from the island?”
Ellie once again related her siren-related adventures.
“Was Prince Omar siren-enchanted, would you say?” asked the Gamekeeper.
“No sir. Not at all. He said he had a headache, but he knew who I was and had no desire to stay at the island or find a siren.”
The Gamekeeper turned his head toward her, and she felt the weight of his gaze. Without thinking, she took a step closer to Briar, who rested one hand on the side of the wagon behind her in a subtly protective stance.
“Are you certain this Prince Omar is fully human?” the Gamekeeper asked.
“Yes.” She paused. “Is it terribly unusual for a man to be immune to sirens?”
“Some enchanters can resist a siren call,” Prince Briar said, as if with firsthand knowledge. If his magic was that strong, Ellie thought, little wonder he could block her clumsy efforts to probe his emotions!
“Yes. So can a man who is already deeply in love with a woman,” the Gamekeeper countered, “which is less common than one might imagine.”
“Oh.” Ellie could only hope the dim lighting concealed the heat she felt spreading up from her collar.
Running footsteps approached, then Ellie heard feet skid on gravel and what sounded like a stifled gasp. The Gamekeeper lifted his head, looked past her, and faded away. One moment he was there, huge and looming, the next moment he was gone.
“Well, hello there, Omar and family,” said Prince Briar.
Ellie turned quickly. On the far side of the delivery road stood Omar and three of his younger siblings. He was carrying Rita piggyback. All five of them observed her, Briar, and the cart with round, dark eyes, and all but Rita puffed for breath.
“What are you doing here?” Omar sounded deeply shaken.
“Wh-what was that thing?” asked Rafiq. “A monster? Its eyes glowed red!”
“Teeth!” Karim wailed. “Big teeth!”
“Where did it go?” Yasmine cried, her voice panicky.
Karim clung to Omar’s leg, and Rita whimpered quietly into his shoulder, while the older two partially hid behind him.
Ellie walked toward them and used her soothing voice: “There is nothing to fear, children. The Gamekeeper looks frightening but is gentle and kind, and he will take good care of the cinder sprites for us. I caught some new ones today in the ballroom, and Prince Briar helped me carry them out here to the Gamekeeper’s wagon. See the cages stacked there? The sprites we caught in your suite are here too. He will take them up to his home, where he has a safe place for all of them to live together. The mother sprite let me know that she wants to go there. I would never give our sprites to someone who would harm them. Would you like to see them?”
All four children visibly relaxed and nodded, so she beckoned them to her. Omar brought Rita then lifted her down from his shoulders, still looking wary and worried. “That was the Gamekeeper I’ve heard you speak of?” he asked.
She nodded shortly, gave him a warning look, and lifted a sprite from one of the cages. “Do you remember this little fellow? He is all recovered from going ember, and now he isn’t afraid when I hold him. See?” She held the fluffball down at Rita’s level, and the little girl gingerly touched its back then smoothed its fur. “He isn’t smooshed anymore,” she observed with a smile.
Behind her, Ellie heard Omar and Briar speaking but couldn’t understand them at first. Then Briar said clearly, his voice edged with humor, “You’re the one who sent me to find her this morning. And for my trouble I ended up scooping melted sprite off the ballroom floor. You will pay.”