had a fright
and I’m not getting up,” said the dream giver, appearing to try and sink lower.
Vital nearly bounded over to him
and shook his hand. The speed and grace with which he moved explained a lot
about his status as an unbeaten fighter.
“I’m Charlotte,” I said, reaching
out to him. When his eyes met mine I saw a calculating assessment. I don’t know
what he saw, but he must have liked it, because he smiled warmly at me and
said, “The Last Elemental. It’s wonderful to have you here. Lanca needs all the
protection she can get and it’s a dream that she’s friends with the one
paranormal who can complete the Power of Five.”
“Humph,” said Lanca from the
chair. She had started to gather her father’s papers, ignoring the rest of us.
Lisabelle stood next to her, not
moving. When it came time for her to introduce herself she waved. “Lisabelle
Verlans. Hi.”
Vital nodded. “I wish I could say
I was delighted.”
“Oh, you’ll get there,” said
Lisabelle. “Everyone does.”
“I’m still waiting,” said Sip,
rolling up onto the balls of her feet and grinning. Vital grinned back at her,
then his eyes returned to his princess.
“You told all these people and
not me?” he repeated. Lanca sighed, obviously having hoped to avoid this
conversation.
“Do I have to spell it out for
you?” she asked tiredly.
“Apparently,” said Vital. “I
don’t understand. Do you know how I felt when I saw that your bed was empty?
Luckily, I had a suspicion you had a place to sneak off to, because make no
mistake, Princess, I will tear this place to shreds to find you. Try me.”
Lanca met his steely eyes, but I
couldn’t read her expression. It was a mixture of gratitude and sadness.
“I told them because they’re my
friends. I needed a place to talk to them where I wasn’t being spied on.” She
gave him a particularly pointed glare. Apparently she counted his watching as
spying, right along with the real kind.
“That’s not all of it, though,”
said Vital, starting to pace. Even in his pacing he moved with a grace and
awareness I had never seen before. I found myself fascinated as he worried the
floor. Lough looked just as interested, keeping his eyes on the vampire.
Lisabelle scratched her nose and looked bored.
“I can talk to my friends if I
want,” said Lanca, jutting her chin out.
“But,” Vital started to argue.
Tired of the conversation,
Lisabelle interrupted, “Wow, for a brilliant fighter you’re dense,” she said to
Vital, not even unpleasantly. “She didn’t tell you, because you’re a Rapier.
It’s as simple as that.”
Vital stopped mid-pace. He didn’t
topple over, because he was too controlled for that, but his face registered
surprise.
“Lanca . . .” he breathed. “You
cannot possibly think . . . ?” He trailed off, watching her, his face devoid of
emotion. Lanca met his eyes, hers filled with sadness.
“No,” she said, “But my father
told me not to reveal this place to anyone. There are things here I have to
protect. I had to disobey that instruction to be with my friends” - she smiled
around the room at us - “but I have to stop taking risks.”
Vital didn’t say anything. He
just gave her a hard look.
Lanca fidgeted uncomfortably. He
was silent for so long that she finally gave up even the fidgeting and just
stared back at him. None of us moved. I had no idea how air was getting in and
out of the room, but though I didn’t feel stifled, I still held my breath.
“I can’t protect you if you don’t
trust me,” he said quietly.
Lanca blinked once. Again. Then
shook her head silently.
“It’s not about you,” she
murmured. “I have to take care of myself.”
Vital threw up his hands and
paced toward the desk, stopping a few feet away. “It’s never about me. That’s
the point. I don’t have feelings and I cannot die! That’s how you must think of
me. I am here as a weapon, nothing more.”
“Ah, so you ask that I forget
and I’m not getting up,” said the dream giver, appearing to try and sink lower.
Vital nearly bounded over to him
and shook his hand. The speed and grace with which he moved explained a lot
about his status as an unbeaten fighter.
“I’m Charlotte,” I said, reaching
out to him. When his eyes met mine I saw a calculating assessment. I don’t know
what he saw, but he must have liked it, because he smiled warmly at me and
said, “The Last Elemental. It’s wonderful to have you here. Lanca needs all the
protection she can get and it’s a dream that she’s friends with the one
paranormal who can complete the Power of Five.”
“Humph,” said Lanca from the
chair. She had started to gather her father’s papers, ignoring the rest of us.
Lisabelle stood next to her, not
moving. When it came time for her to introduce herself she waved. “Lisabelle
Verlans. Hi.”
Vital nodded. “I wish I could say
I was delighted.”
“Oh, you’ll get there,” said
Lisabelle. “Everyone does.”
“I’m still waiting,” said Sip,
rolling up onto the balls of her feet and grinning. Vital grinned back at her,
then his eyes returned to his princess.
“You told all these people and
not me?” he repeated. Lanca sighed, obviously having hoped to avoid this
conversation.
“Do I have to spell it out for
you?” she asked tiredly.
“Apparently,” said Vital. “I
don’t understand. Do you know how I felt when I saw that your bed was empty?
Luckily, I had a suspicion you had a place to sneak off to, because make no
mistake, Princess, I will tear this place to shreds to find you. Try me.”
Lanca met his steely eyes, but I
couldn’t read her expression. It was a mixture of gratitude and sadness.
“I told them because they’re my
friends. I needed a place to talk to them where I wasn’t being spied on.” She
gave him a particularly pointed glare. Apparently she counted his watching as
spying, right along with the real kind.
“That’s not all of it, though,”
said Vital, starting to pace. Even in his pacing he moved with a grace and
awareness I had never seen before. I found myself fascinated as he worried the
floor. Lough looked just as interested, keeping his eyes on the vampire.
Lisabelle scratched her nose and looked bored.
“I can talk to my friends if I
want,” said Lanca, jutting her chin out.
“But,” Vital started to argue.
Tired of the conversation,
Lisabelle interrupted, “Wow, for a brilliant fighter you’re dense,” she said to
Vital, not even unpleasantly. “She didn’t tell you, because you’re a Rapier.
It’s as simple as that.”
Vital stopped mid-pace. He didn’t
topple over, because he was too controlled for that, but his face registered
surprise.
“Lanca . . .” he breathed. “You
cannot possibly think . . . ?” He trailed off, watching her, his face devoid of
emotion. Lanca met his eyes, hers filled with sadness.
“No,” she said, “But my father
told me not to reveal this place to anyone. There are things here I have to
protect. I had to disobey that instruction to be with my friends” - she smiled
around the room at us - “but I have to stop taking risks.”
Vital didn’t say anything. He
just gave her a hard look.
Lanca fidgeted uncomfortably. He
was silent for so long that she finally gave up even the fidgeting and just
stared back at him. None of us moved. I had no idea how air was getting in and
out of the room, but though I didn’t feel stifled, I still held my breath.
“I can’t protect you if you don’t
trust me,” he said quietly.
Lanca blinked once. Again. Then
shook her head silently.
“It’s not about you,” she
murmured. “I have to take care of myself.”
Vital threw up his hands and
paced toward the desk, stopping a few feet away. “It’s never about me. That’s
the point. I don’t have feelings and I cannot die! That’s how you must think of
me. I am here as a weapon, nothing more.”
“Ah, so you ask that I forget
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