Page 114 of The Courting of Bristol Keats
“But—”
“Melizan’s waiting for you and the others over in the meadow, and you know how she loves to be kept waiting.”
Bristol sighed. Weapons training was scheduled for the afternoon. Melizan had taken a keen interest in the recruits’ ability to wield swords and spears, where she said their skills were sorely lacking. It was true. They were all much more intrigued with learning magics and practicing quick evasive maneuvers than the tedious art of throwing and stabbing. But Tyghan’s words stuck in her head.Sometimes reaching for the tools of the earth is what tips the battle.Or saves your life. “All right,” she said reluctantly, “but ask questions. Make sure they got my letter.”
“I will,” he promised, and gave her one last kiss before he left.
She lingered—at the risk of enraging Melizan—watching Tyghan walk away, his woodsy taste still on her lips. Even with all the shocking truths she had learned since she came to Elphame, these last weeks were as close to perfection as any she could remember. Her purpose and power were growing, and she and Tyghan grew more inseparable every day. It seemed that once he shared his darkest secret with her, there was no distance between them anymore. The final veil was lifted.
Of course, there was still a lot to learn about each other, but they were gaining fast ground on that, often staying up until the very late hours talking. A week ago, as they were drifting off to sleep, he had mused aloud,When this is all over, I want to visit Bowskeep with you. Smell all those laundromats and coffee shops you told me about.She had laughed but spent the rest of the night thinking about what he said.
When this is all over.Like there was a sequel to this odd story of theirs. A part two. Like they had a future together. No more fresh starts but a chance to water a seed, to let something grow and bloom. The thought had consumed her ever since. She wanted to bloom with Tyghan and see what transpired. Longings she had kept at arm’s length—like permanence—took root, because with each passing day, she was finding it harder to imagine her life without him.
Every day, he left more of his clothing and personal belongings in her room, until soon she thought another wardrobe closet would need to be brought in to hold them all. Waking up with him at her side, his arms and legs tangled with hers, now felt as natural and welcome as the sun on her face. She wondered if Madame Chastain had stopped thinking of it as a mere dalliance. What she and Tyghan shared was anything but casual and fleeting.
And even though she still had the tick, she was learning to ignore it. She hadn’t looked at it in the mirror again since the first time. Maybe she was deluding herself, but there was a steady trickle of magic still flowing into her from the injured tick, and her skills continued to inch forward. She hoped the most important skill—finding and closing portals, not just burrows—would be next.
In the meantime, she and the other recruits had great fun using newfound skills. With just a twitch of their fingers, they would yank up a bit of carpet to trip officers as they walked by or steal food and drinks from unsuspecting gentry at evening festivities, rarely spilling a sip or crumb. It was all in the name of practice, of course, since being able to summon defensive weapons or obstacles in dire situations was crucial to a successful mission.
They were all excelling, and Bristol wondered if the others had been holding back for her sake, or maybe somehow each of their strengths grew along with her own. It was like they were a confluence of swift streams that had become a powerful river. Avery was now able to coax trees to sprout new limbs for climbing, and great ferns to unfurl from the ground to provide cover. Rose was flying again, her eyesight keener than ever, able to spot and warn them about distant objects, and Sashka’s quick leaps and maneuvering skills made it almost impossible to corner her. Of course, Julia was as fierce and cunning as ever, and Hollis’s courage had blossomed tenfold. She was no longer afraid to assume her furry four-footed self. In a forest—or the empty halls of a large palace—it made her close to invisible, her light footsteps undetectable. Even the smallest opening was accessible for her. What a strange, unexpected group they were, all so different. Maybe that was what made them strong.
When this is over.She left for the meadow to join the others, grabbing a flask of sparkling wine from a supply basket on her way, and let her mind wander, just as Tyghan’s had, imagining him meeting her sisters, and the places in Bowskeep where she would take him. Sal’s, for sure. Maybe she’d even let him make his own pizza. The thought made her laugh, the powerful king of Danu fumbling behind the counter with pepperoni and olives. And then she imagined him scrambling for words when he one day met her father, because her musings included that, too. Certainty that her father was alive budded in her like spring. She would find him. Was it the fae magic in her veins telling her this secret? Or was it just common, everyday hope? Maybe hope was mortal magic. She would take either kind.
Tyghan glanced over his shoulder to make sure Bristol didn’t follow.
“What took you so long?” he asked Quin.
“We stalked and waited and turned the house inside out for three days. There was no sign of that oversized rat, but he had been there. I heard the younger sister say that Angus was missing again. That’s what they call Fritz. The older sister said he would turn up eventually. That he always did.”
“You’re sure it was him and not just an ordinary ferret?”
“There were signs. Hidden symbols he left at windows and doors, even the front steps, to alert him to intruders.”
“That slimy weasel,” Kasta hissed.
Just as they had thought, it was no ordinary animal that had created that burrow into Tyghan’s study. Fritz was a shape-shifter who was more comfortable in his ferret skin than his human one. He was supposed to be dead—at least, that was what they’d been led to believe. He had once been a knight of Danu, until he took over the duties of doorward at Celwyth Hall. He joined the search for Kierus when he disappeared. They had found Fritz’s bloody cloak in the forest and thought he was another casualty of the restless dead.
As a warrior, Fritz was brawny, powerful, and fierce, but not half as agile and sneaky as his sleek ferret form. And he had watched Kierus grow up at Celwyth Hall. No doubt an emotional investment over time made Kierus become more to him than just a resident of the manor.
“That’s how Kierus stole the art,” Quin grumbled. “He had Fritz get it. No one else could access Celwyth without detection.”
“What about Kayana?” Cully said. “With her wolf nose, I’m surprised she wasn’t able to sniff him out.”
Tyghan’s nostrils flared. “Maybe she didn’t try.” He couldn’t shake his suspicions that Jasmine had aided Kierus.
“No,” the High Witch said emphatically. “The Lumessa would never break her oath to Danu.”
Tyghan wanted to believe she was right, but his belief in oaths and loyalty was strained since Kierus had stabbed him.
“The four knights we left behind will keep watch,” Quin said. “Fritz will show up eventually.”
Fritz had a sixth sense about him. He sniffed trouble coming. It didn’t surprise Tyghan that he had vanished. But protection was in his blood, whether a doorward at Celwyth Hall, or doorward for a small, run-down house in Bowskeep. That was probably why Kierus left him behind—to watch over his daughters and protect them from mortal threats—but even Fritz was no match for a squad of powerful Danu knights. He’d be lying low for a long while. The knights Tyghan assigned to stay in Bowskeep were also there to protect the Keats sisters in case anyone else came nosing around.
“Bristol’s sisters didn’t see you?” Kasta asked.
“No,” Quin answered, “but we saw them both reading the letter on their couch. Halfway through, the older one burst into tears. That must have been some letter.”
Tyghan wouldn’t tell Bristol about the tears. Only that the letter was safely delivered.
