Keepers of the Flame

He frowned, then said, “We’ll fly to Castleton. Mud, would you like to be my regular mount? Stay in Castleton?”

Mud pranced in place.

Calli slid her gaze to Bri, “Along with the estate and the salary, volarans are an Exotique perk.”

Bri didn’t answer. She looked at Elizabeth, who was watching their little scene, hearing the shadows of their conversation through their twin link. Bri would be the first of them to fly on a winged horse! Elizabeth might stay in the safety of the Castle, but Bri would fly! She couldn’t prevent a grin, and heard an audible mind-sniff from Elizabeth.

9

With a last stroke of Mud’s softly feathered mane, Bri said, “I’ll get my backpack.”

Calli nodded and Bri was off before Sevair could say anything. She walked fast. Her feet weren’t itching, but her hands were, wanting to pet that volaran more. Riding a flying horse! That would be worth this trip. She shut down the thought of her parents. They were in Hawaii right now and enjoying themselves, basking in the sun.

Then she was at the door and up, into the suite that was the most luxurious quarters she’d stayed in since she’d left home for college. She grabbed her pack, stuffed her clothes into it, eyed her stack of books and dumped them in, too, then hesitated. She fumbled for the digital camera, checked the memory. She had plenty, had just put in new for her Dad’s birthday party.

When she reached the courtyard again, she saw that the clouds had parted and the sun shone bright, gleaming on Mud’s rich hide, lighting hints of red in Sevair Masif’s hair, turning Calli’s coloring of blond hair, blue eyes, pinkened cheeks into a perfect picture. So she snapped it, and tucked the little camera back into the pack, began to hook up the charging cord up to the solar panel, then had second thoughts. Who knew what spectrum of light this sun had? How the solar power collected would affect Earth devices? She replaced the memory bit with a new one, took the shot again, backed up and took a few pics of the Castle—the keep and Temple. Then she connected the camera to the battery pack, not the solar panel, and headed out.

Calli stared at the backpack and touched a silver grid. “What is this?”

“Solar power, for all my electronics except laptop. Which I didn’t bring with me anyway.” A little pang of regret, though it would have been useless here.

“I can’t believe this,” Calli said.

Bri thumbed on the music player, put an earbud next to Calli’s ear.

“Wow,” Calli said.

“What is that?” Sevair’s brows were down again.

Somehow Bri didn’t think he’d appreciate her music. Music for itchy feet. Loud and raucous. She sent him a cheeky smile. “Just toys.” She put the music player away. “Reminds me.” She pulled her cell from the pouch, looked at the power indicator which showed it was juiced though the connectivity showed nothing. She hit redial for Elizabeth’s apartment. Futile.

She gulped, turned the phone off, stuck it back in its pocket, made sure everything was protected. Shrugging, she said, “That was a communication device. Nothing.”

“Hmm,” he said.

“You had to try,” Calli said softly.

“Yes.”

Let’s fly! said Mud.

“Yes. Castleton awaits.” Sevair looked at the sundial affixed to a wall. “We’re not too late.”

Which told Bri that he’d arrived at their suite very early, probably calculating that it would take quite a while to get them moving. Clever man.

“And arriving by volaran will be impressive,” Calli said.

His smile returned. “Indeed.”

The volaran had been equipped with a long modified western saddle that would carry two. Sevair swung onto the flying horse with ease. Bri handed her bag to Calli then mounted, too. The light robe scrunched high above her knees.

“Your sister is wearing the right tabard for flying,” Sevair said. He took the pack from Calli and examined it. “Odd cloth.”

“Yes.”

“Something from the Exotique Terre machines. Good craftsmanship. Excellent design.”

“It’s, um, magical.” She tapped the panels. “These will capture the sun’s power and give it to my toys.”

“Amazing.”

He strapped her bag onto Mud. The volaran craned her neck to sniff at it. Sounds and a couple of images flickered to Bri, but she didn’t catch the details.

Calli chuckled. “Mud says your bag smells of many interesting scents.”

“I’m glad she likes it.”

Calli’s hand grabbed Bri’s. “We’re only two miles away.”

Bri stared down at Calli. “I’ve been in places where two miles away is like another dimension. I reckon this is one of them.”

Flushing, Calli nodded. “Ayes.” She held out a small sphere. “A crystal ball for you.” Her mouth twisted. “Think of it as a cell phone programmed to call any Exotique. We all have one.”

“Thanks.” Bri took the inch-sized sphere. It was warm in her hands. Naturally, or from Calli’s body heat? Bri started to pocket it, realized she wasn’t wearing her jeans.

“Here.” Sevair’s large, calloused hand slid across her thigh and sent tingles through her. Now that she thought of it, he smelled good too. But he was holding fabric of her tunic apart and she saw a large pocket.

“Merci,” she said.

He clicked his tongue and the volaran trotted to the center of the courtyard. Sevair braced.

Large wings opened, lifted, and they were off the ground and up, up, up!

They were flying! The sheer exhilaration of it, of zooming through the air was like a fabulous, fantastic dream.

As soon as the initial glee wore off, Bri was inundated with Song. Loud, somehow horsey-beats—clip, clip, clop—and brass came from Mud, along with an occasional flat note reminding Bri of a squelching footstep in wet earth.

Then there was the Song of the man behind her. Now that the only natural sound was air rushing by her, she heard it, thought she heard his steady heartbeat—a little rapid as her own must be—but strong and even. To her surprise she didn’t just get a few notes from him, but a long, streaming melody, and she liked the tune. Definitely intriguing. Strong, stable but with an unexpected intricate twine of notes repeating at well spaced intervals, changing minutely each time. As life changed the man?

Personal Songs must change as an individual did. If so, her pattern must be shot to hell, and Elizabeth’s, too. She chuckled deep in her throat; the arms around her tightened and glancing back she thought she saw another smile.

Mud was flying slowly. Stretching out her moments of glory? The road from the Castle and its walls to the city of Castleton, also encircled by stout walls, was steep downward, and Mud had hardly dropped. Instead she circled over the city.

“A tour by air,” Sevair said. His whisper puffed warm air by Bri’s right ear. “Fabulous.”

Pride rang in his Song, too, a gleaming silver note. Dedication, a repeating theme of a cadence that reminded Bri of deep stone-like tones, like bedrock singing. What a fancy! But where better to explore fancies than atop a flying horse?

“Lower, please,” Sevair said loudly.