She’d been a quiet kid, not shy, but reserved. He’d liked her then, and he thought she’d become an interesting woman. But he didn’t like her acting unsure of her welcome. So, although he wanted to push her and Doris out of the demon’s path, he stood. He could talk, eat, and evade committing himself to anything that involved the two women and the hellspawn.
It would also be prudent to learn what they intended doing, if anything, about the demon.
“Great. I’m hungry.” He smiled, and watched Clancy’s smile widen and become genuine. “Did Doris feel adventurous regarding the lunch menu?”
She laughed. “No. It’s sandwiches. Chicken and avocado, smoked salmon, ham and pickle. I helped make them.”
Ordinary conversation. And now that she was relaxed, she was looking around his study, taking it all in, while he walked toward her. “That’s a lot of computers.”
He had a bank of them against one wall with a couple of over-sized screens. “Yeah,” he said vaguely, more interested in the pinkness he’d noticed around her eyes and the tip of her nose. Had she been crying. Anger twisted his gut. The demon caused unbelievable trouble—heartache. “Have you been crying?” Sure, the question was rude, but he needed her answer.
“No!” She pulled a face of indignant disgust, and started walking fast back to the kitchen. “I phoned the Collegium—I know you said you would, but I thought two of us reporting Bryce’s possession would be better, have more of an impact. Anyway, I phoned a guy I know. Thomas. He’s on reception at the Collegium, a general trouble assessor. He knows exactly who to inform of what. He put me straight through to Neville!” Her voice went up an octave on the name.
“Who is Neville?” Mark matched her pace easily. They reached the kitchen, the entrance wide enough for them and two more people to enter together.
She strode straight to the counter where Doris had just put down a platter of sandwiches. “Dr. Neville Schuster is the chief geomage at the Collegium.”
He frowned. “I think Jeremy mentioned him. He’s the one who signed off Jeremy’s responsibility for California, right?”
“Right,” Clancy said.
Doris snorted. “Neither the Collegium nor anyone else can ‘assign’ territory. Either you can control it, or you can’t.”
“Grandma, that’s not how it works. The old tradition used to destabilize things.” Clancy glanced at Mark. “Geomages would challenge each other for territory. When they did…” She clapped her hands together in a crashing motion, violently bouncing them off one another. “Boom.”
“That rarely happened.” Doris brought three mugs of coffee to the table. They all sat. “Geomages can tell who is stronger. That person kept the territory.”
“I didn’t realize you were so territorial.” Mark bit into a ham sandwich.
“I’m not.” Clancy scowled at her grandma.
Who scowled right back. “You should be.”
He got the impression the two women were arguing out an issue, with him in the middle: either as buffer or roadkill. Clancy didn’t seem sure of her strength, but Doris was a powerful woman. Her magic was only slightly stronger than his, but she was confident in herself and in her opinions.
Clancy picked up an alfalfa sprout spilling out of her chicken sandwich. “Holding territory has never been important to me. Geomages do so to forge a connection and use the Earth’s power to supplement their own. It’s how Jeremy healed himself of leukemia. He connected to the land here. Kennett, who held the territory then, gave him permission.”
“I keep telling you. No one gives you permission,” Doris said.
“Well, I can’t just take it,” Clancy snapped at her. “The trouble I caused in Iceland—” She broke off, abruptly concentrating on her sandwich.
Doris’s eyes narrowed as she studied her granddaughter, then she and Mark exchanged a thoughtful look. Clancy hadn’t simply come home. She’d run
It would also be prudent to learn what they intended doing, if anything, about the demon.
“Great. I’m hungry.” He smiled, and watched Clancy’s smile widen and become genuine. “Did Doris feel adventurous regarding the lunch menu?”
She laughed. “No. It’s sandwiches. Chicken and avocado, smoked salmon, ham and pickle. I helped make them.”
Ordinary conversation. And now that she was relaxed, she was looking around his study, taking it all in, while he walked toward her. “That’s a lot of computers.”
He had a bank of them against one wall with a couple of over-sized screens. “Yeah,” he said vaguely, more interested in the pinkness he’d noticed around her eyes and the tip of her nose. Had she been crying. Anger twisted his gut. The demon caused unbelievable trouble—heartache. “Have you been crying?” Sure, the question was rude, but he needed her answer.
“No!” She pulled a face of indignant disgust, and started walking fast back to the kitchen. “I phoned the Collegium—I know you said you would, but I thought two of us reporting Bryce’s possession would be better, have more of an impact. Anyway, I phoned a guy I know. Thomas. He’s on reception at the Collegium, a general trouble assessor. He knows exactly who to inform of what. He put me straight through to Neville!” Her voice went up an octave on the name.
“Who is Neville?” Mark matched her pace easily. They reached the kitchen, the entrance wide enough for them and two more people to enter together.
She strode straight to the counter where Doris had just put down a platter of sandwiches. “Dr. Neville Schuster is the chief geomage at the Collegium.”
He frowned. “I think Jeremy mentioned him. He’s the one who signed off Jeremy’s responsibility for California, right?”
“Right,” Clancy said.
Doris snorted. “Neither the Collegium nor anyone else can ‘assign’ territory. Either you can control it, or you can’t.”
“Grandma, that’s not how it works. The old tradition used to destabilize things.” Clancy glanced at Mark. “Geomages would challenge each other for territory. When they did…” She clapped her hands together in a crashing motion, violently bouncing them off one another. “Boom.”
“That rarely happened.” Doris brought three mugs of coffee to the table. They all sat. “Geomages can tell who is stronger. That person kept the territory.”
“I didn’t realize you were so territorial.” Mark bit into a ham sandwich.
“I’m not.” Clancy scowled at her grandma.
Who scowled right back. “You should be.”
He got the impression the two women were arguing out an issue, with him in the middle: either as buffer or roadkill. Clancy didn’t seem sure of her strength, but Doris was a powerful woman. Her magic was only slightly stronger than his, but she was confident in herself and in her opinions.
Clancy picked up an alfalfa sprout spilling out of her chicken sandwich. “Holding territory has never been important to me. Geomages do so to forge a connection and use the Earth’s power to supplement their own. It’s how Jeremy healed himself of leukemia. He connected to the land here. Kennett, who held the territory then, gave him permission.”
“I keep telling you. No one gives you permission,” Doris said.
“Well, I can’t just take it,” Clancy snapped at her. “The trouble I caused in Iceland—” She broke off, abruptly concentrating on her sandwich.
Doris’s eyes narrowed as she studied her granddaughter, then she and Mark exchanged a thoughtful look. Clancy hadn’t simply come home. She’d run
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