days. Logan waggled his eyebrows at me as I stared at my breakfast.
“Slide that over here if you can’t finish it,” he said, smiling a little. “I could use a snack.”
“Let the girl eat,” said a crisp, familiar voice. “She needs her strength before the others arrive.”
I looked right into Mrs. Alice’s welcoming face and almost abandoned my food in an effort to stand up and hug her. She placed a firm, but gentle hand on my shoulder, silently urging me not to move. With one look at Logan, he got up and made room for her on the bench. Mrs. Alice slid in beside me and hugged me with one arm. She gestured to me to eat, and I did, hastily shoveling gravy-drenched biscuits into my mouth. I wondered if hunger made everything taste so wonderful, or if the food really was that good.
“You look great,” I tried to say with a mostly filled mouth.
If my lack of manners offended her, she gave no sign. Instead she looked critically at my appearance and sighed.
“I wish I could say the same for you,” she said, a slight smile taking the sting from her words. “You look as if you wrestled with a bear… and lost.”
“Pretty much.” I nibbled on buttery tasting cheese.
Logan, banished from my side, slid a huge glass of orange juice in front of me.
I gulped it gratefully. “Bears… demons… very similar, actually.”
“Well, we’ll have to do something about that,” she said cryptically, then left me to finish my breakfast.
To my surprise, I ate every bite. My empty plate was whisked away by the woman who’d shot flames into the stove. Remembering what Cassandra once told me about elemental mages, I assumed her affinity must be for fire.
“Hello, Caspia,” the woman said softly―so softly I had to strain to hear her over the noise. “I’m Anna. Logan’s told us so much about you. You are very welcome here.” She handed the plate off to a younger boy and turned her attention back to me. “I think Cassie is about the same size as you; I’ll send some of her clothes over so you can get out of those rags.”
“Mother!” Cassandra said with an embarrassed huff. “It’s not her fault how she’s dressed. And don’t call me Cassie.”
I hoped Cassandra had something to wear besides tie-dye and flowy skirts as her mother, rolling her eyes, led me off to a small bedroom down a long hall. A narrow bed, obviously meant for one, was piled high with blankets and pillows. A small door stood open, revealing a bathroom with a claw foot tub.
My heart sang. A tub! How I missed my huge, deep bathtub back in my apartment. After thanking Anna, I wasted no time in running almost-scalding hot water. I wanted to be lobster red by the time I got out. I sank into what felt like the most luxurious bath of my life.
I emerged even sleepier than I had been when I got in it. I padded my way across the room to the pile of clothes Cassandra’s mother had left: a white peasant blouse and jeans. Secretly grateful that I’d avoided tiedye, I wadded up my soiled dress into a tight ball then threw it in a nearby trash can. I never wanted to see that thing gain. The bed looked very inviting.
Mrs. Alice had mentioned the others who were coming. Once again, I wondered who they were and what was so important about them. I was too tired to care much, though. Surely no one would mind if I just sat down on the comfortable bed and rested for a bit first? After all, they weren’t here yet…
I don’t know how long it took for me to fall asleep. It seemed as if one minute I was awake and enjoying the pile of soft blankets, and the next, I was sitting up in a house gone silent and cold. It took me a minute to register the faint blue glow emanating from my body. When I realized what it meant, I groaned.
The Dreamtime. Again. I was getting damn sick of being dragged out of decent sleep and into the realm of waking nightmares.
Then a hand grabbed mine and pulled. I stood from my still slumbering body, knowing by now not to look
“Slide that over here if you can’t finish it,” he said, smiling a little. “I could use a snack.”
“Let the girl eat,” said a crisp, familiar voice. “She needs her strength before the others arrive.”
I looked right into Mrs. Alice’s welcoming face and almost abandoned my food in an effort to stand up and hug her. She placed a firm, but gentle hand on my shoulder, silently urging me not to move. With one look at Logan, he got up and made room for her on the bench. Mrs. Alice slid in beside me and hugged me with one arm. She gestured to me to eat, and I did, hastily shoveling gravy-drenched biscuits into my mouth. I wondered if hunger made everything taste so wonderful, or if the food really was that good.
“You look great,” I tried to say with a mostly filled mouth.
If my lack of manners offended her, she gave no sign. Instead she looked critically at my appearance and sighed.
“I wish I could say the same for you,” she said, a slight smile taking the sting from her words. “You look as if you wrestled with a bear… and lost.”
“Pretty much.” I nibbled on buttery tasting cheese.
Logan, banished from my side, slid a huge glass of orange juice in front of me.
I gulped it gratefully. “Bears… demons… very similar, actually.”
“Well, we’ll have to do something about that,” she said cryptically, then left me to finish my breakfast.
To my surprise, I ate every bite. My empty plate was whisked away by the woman who’d shot flames into the stove. Remembering what Cassandra once told me about elemental mages, I assumed her affinity must be for fire.
“Hello, Caspia,” the woman said softly―so softly I had to strain to hear her over the noise. “I’m Anna. Logan’s told us so much about you. You are very welcome here.” She handed the plate off to a younger boy and turned her attention back to me. “I think Cassie is about the same size as you; I’ll send some of her clothes over so you can get out of those rags.”
“Mother!” Cassandra said with an embarrassed huff. “It’s not her fault how she’s dressed. And don’t call me Cassie.”
I hoped Cassandra had something to wear besides tie-dye and flowy skirts as her mother, rolling her eyes, led me off to a small bedroom down a long hall. A narrow bed, obviously meant for one, was piled high with blankets and pillows. A small door stood open, revealing a bathroom with a claw foot tub.
My heart sang. A tub! How I missed my huge, deep bathtub back in my apartment. After thanking Anna, I wasted no time in running almost-scalding hot water. I wanted to be lobster red by the time I got out. I sank into what felt like the most luxurious bath of my life.
I emerged even sleepier than I had been when I got in it. I padded my way across the room to the pile of clothes Cassandra’s mother had left: a white peasant blouse and jeans. Secretly grateful that I’d avoided tiedye, I wadded up my soiled dress into a tight ball then threw it in a nearby trash can. I never wanted to see that thing gain. The bed looked very inviting.
Mrs. Alice had mentioned the others who were coming. Once again, I wondered who they were and what was so important about them. I was too tired to care much, though. Surely no one would mind if I just sat down on the comfortable bed and rested for a bit first? After all, they weren’t here yet…
I don’t know how long it took for me to fall asleep. It seemed as if one minute I was awake and enjoying the pile of soft blankets, and the next, I was sitting up in a house gone silent and cold. It took me a minute to register the faint blue glow emanating from my body. When I realized what it meant, I groaned.
The Dreamtime. Again. I was getting damn sick of being dragged out of decent sleep and into the realm of waking nightmares.
Then a hand grabbed mine and pulled. I stood from my still slumbering body, knowing by now not to look
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