new.”
“It
is
new,” Tiana said, and walked over to check out where the ragged tear had been. She couldn’t see it.
“They rewove the threads.” She hummed in approval. “Heavy-duty Flair.”
“Your general protection spell on it as well as the fact that it is quality material and workmanship helped,” Camellia said. She was a little flushed, still new to all the wealth and skill she could command as a GreatLady.
Tiana nodded. Her perscry, a personal communication pebble that she’d placed on an end table, glowed and pinged. “Twenty minutes until your meeting with High Priest T’Sandalwood,” the calendar sphere part of the perscry announced.
“I need to go,” Tiana said.
“We’ll help you with your gown,” Glyssa said, murmuring the spell to release the dress as Camellia came around and took her robe back with not-very-suppressed chuckles. She shook her head and said, “Fams.”
Tiana stood for a moment in her undergown while her two friends slipped the formal robe over her head, murmuring more spells as they did so. The dress now fairly hummed with Flair.
With a last twitch at the skirt, Glyssa stood back. “There, you look great.”
“Take some flatsweets,” Camellia urged. She smiled at Tiana’s narrowed eyes. “They can’t hurt. And I think GrandLord High Priest T’Sandalwood particularly likes the ones with white cocoa bits.” She offered a little papyrus bag that smelled great. But no time for dessert for Tiana.
“And I’ll, ah, take care of this.” Glyssa’s mouth twitched as she picked up the clean leg bone from the carpet that Tiana hadn’t noticed. She closed her eyes and flushed, even though these were her best friends.
Glyssa kissed her on the cheek, took the bag from Camellia, and thrust it into Tiana’s hands. “A goodwill offering. Especially since you think he’s going to be as hard on you as his lady, High Priestess D’Sandalwood.”
“Glyssa,” Camellia protested.
“Well, it’s the truth.”
Tiana grimaced. “I’ve had a lot of the truth today.” She rubbed her hand over the robe, and it soothed her. Narrowing her eyes, she looked at her friends. They both tried to appear guileless; Glyssa did it better. Tiana shook her head. “Thank you for whatever serenity spells you added.” She frowned. “I don’t think we’re allowed—”
“They are spells fueled by the love of friends, and primarily to protect an expensive gown.” Camellia nudged Tiana. “Go.”
“You can nail this interview!” Glyssa said. Of course,
she’d
already gone through her tests and been promoted in her career. As for Camellia, she was a businesswoman and worked for herself, so she didn’t have to deal with performance reviews.
Hauling in a deep breath, Tiana shifted her stance as she also tried to shift her state of mind into tranquility. Mostly it worked, though some niggling, worrying bit chittered in the back of her brain, which she ignored.
“I love you both!” She concentrated on her friends, on the warmth she had for them, the love, drew it through her, along her nerves.
“We love you!” they chorused. “Blessed be!” They boosted her Flair for the teleportation.
“Blessed be.” She smiled with real sincerity and ’ported to the GreatCircle Temple’s priest and priestess lounge.
“There you are.” GrandLord T’Sandalwood, the High Priest, smiled at her, but his eyes were sharp.
She might need the flatsweets.
* * *
S ince Antenn had been in the office too long and the afternoon had warmed, presaging summer, he took the box with the replacement gown for FirstLevel Priestess Tiana Mugwort and went to the teleportation pad in the lobby of his offices. “I’m heading out for the day. I’ll be in tomorrow at the regular time, or I’ll come back if Chief Minister Custos needs me here to sign papers. Scry me, then.”
His assistant, who worked the reception desk, finally smiled at him. She’d made a point of announcing loudly to
“It
is
new,” Tiana said, and walked over to check out where the ragged tear had been. She couldn’t see it.
“They rewove the threads.” She hummed in approval. “Heavy-duty Flair.”
“Your general protection spell on it as well as the fact that it is quality material and workmanship helped,” Camellia said. She was a little flushed, still new to all the wealth and skill she could command as a GreatLady.
Tiana nodded. Her perscry, a personal communication pebble that she’d placed on an end table, glowed and pinged. “Twenty minutes until your meeting with High Priest T’Sandalwood,” the calendar sphere part of the perscry announced.
“I need to go,” Tiana said.
“We’ll help you with your gown,” Glyssa said, murmuring the spell to release the dress as Camellia came around and took her robe back with not-very-suppressed chuckles. She shook her head and said, “Fams.”
Tiana stood for a moment in her undergown while her two friends slipped the formal robe over her head, murmuring more spells as they did so. The dress now fairly hummed with Flair.
With a last twitch at the skirt, Glyssa stood back. “There, you look great.”
“Take some flatsweets,” Camellia urged. She smiled at Tiana’s narrowed eyes. “They can’t hurt. And I think GrandLord High Priest T’Sandalwood particularly likes the ones with white cocoa bits.” She offered a little papyrus bag that smelled great. But no time for dessert for Tiana.
“And I’ll, ah, take care of this.” Glyssa’s mouth twitched as she picked up the clean leg bone from the carpet that Tiana hadn’t noticed. She closed her eyes and flushed, even though these were her best friends.
Glyssa kissed her on the cheek, took the bag from Camellia, and thrust it into Tiana’s hands. “A goodwill offering. Especially since you think he’s going to be as hard on you as his lady, High Priestess D’Sandalwood.”
“Glyssa,” Camellia protested.
“Well, it’s the truth.”
Tiana grimaced. “I’ve had a lot of the truth today.” She rubbed her hand over the robe, and it soothed her. Narrowing her eyes, she looked at her friends. They both tried to appear guileless; Glyssa did it better. Tiana shook her head. “Thank you for whatever serenity spells you added.” She frowned. “I don’t think we’re allowed—”
“They are spells fueled by the love of friends, and primarily to protect an expensive gown.” Camellia nudged Tiana. “Go.”
“You can nail this interview!” Glyssa said. Of course,
she’d
already gone through her tests and been promoted in her career. As for Camellia, she was a businesswoman and worked for herself, so she didn’t have to deal with performance reviews.
Hauling in a deep breath, Tiana shifted her stance as she also tried to shift her state of mind into tranquility. Mostly it worked, though some niggling, worrying bit chittered in the back of her brain, which she ignored.
“I love you both!” She concentrated on her friends, on the warmth she had for them, the love, drew it through her, along her nerves.
“We love you!” they chorused. “Blessed be!” They boosted her Flair for the teleportation.
“Blessed be.” She smiled with real sincerity and ’ported to the GreatCircle Temple’s priest and priestess lounge.
“There you are.” GrandLord T’Sandalwood, the High Priest, smiled at her, but his eyes were sharp.
She might need the flatsweets.
* * *
S ince Antenn had been in the office too long and the afternoon had warmed, presaging summer, he took the box with the replacement gown for FirstLevel Priestess Tiana Mugwort and went to the teleportation pad in the lobby of his offices. “I’m heading out for the day. I’ll be in tomorrow at the regular time, or I’ll come back if Chief Minister Custos needs me here to sign papers. Scry me, then.”
His assistant, who worked the reception desk, finally smiled at him. She’d made a point of announcing loudly to
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