Keepers of the Flame by Robin D. Owens Page B

for Calli and Marian. Still,
Elizabeth could almost feel that these men trusted each other, more,
were bound together through their wives. And their love for their wives?
    Bri
and she had grown up with parents who deeply loved each other and their
children.
    “We
can go home!” Bri’s choked exclamation echoed in mind and words.
    “It’s
not that easy,” Marian said from the hall. Calli held a plate with one hand and
the door knob with the other. Marian carried a large tray.
    “You’d
think with all the magic you have here, you could just beam that over,” Bri
said.
    “It’s
not that easy,” Marian repeated.
    The smell
of eggs and coffee and ham made Elizabeth’s mouth water.
    “Alexa,
your omelette. With cheese and mushrooms,” Marian said.
    “But
you haven’t been gone very long, and the food looks fresh, so magic was used,” Elizabeth said.
    “That’s
right. Magic, which is called Power here, and more like the extension of
psi powers—”
    “Power
can heat the food, but it’s harder to translocate things,” Calli said.
“Especially more than one item at a time. And there’s an energy cost. You
always have to figure what energy you might need for something else later.” She
handed Elizabeth the plate. “Sit. We can talk over breakfast.”
    “We
often have breakfast discussions with our parents,” Elizabeth said.
    Everyone
looked at her then Bri.
    “You
have parents.”
    “Of
course,” Bri said impatiently. “Will one of you pass me my plate, please?”
    Calli
had gone directly to a gate-legged table against a wall. Marrec joined her in
setting up the table and soon there was a crowded table for eight. Opening
lower drawers of a cabinet, Calli set a cork hot plate down for the tray, then
brought out dishes, mugs and silverware. Marrec took chairs set around the room
and placed them. Everything looked familiar.
    “There’ve
been Exotiques from Earth here in Lladrana before,” Marian said. She’d found
thick glasses that looked handmade and poured water into them.
    “And
Marrec went to Colorado,” Elizabeth said.
    “It’s
part of the Snap,” Alexa grinned. She still stood near Bri and the cooler.
“That’s Marian’s topic.”
    “Let’s
eat,” Bastien said in the French-sounding Lladranan that Elizabeth barely
understood.
    Jaquar
frowned at Bastien. “I told you we refined your language potion.” Since Jaquar
still spoke English, Elizabeth deduced that Bastien had been following the
conversation.
    Bastien
grunted, moved to a chair that had its back to the foam chest and held out his
hand to Alexa.
    She
looked at the cooler. At Elizabeth. At Bastien. At Bri. After tapping her foot,
she sighed and walked to Bastien, took his hand and stood tip-toe to brush a
kiss over his mouth. But she moved to a chair where she could still see the
chest.
    Bastien
rolled his eyes, shook his head and sat next to her. “I have eaten, but my
belly can always accommodate one of these.” He unfolded the napkin on a large
basket. Letting out steam from flaky croissants, he took one, set it on his
plate, then ripped it into large pieces.
    Alexa
cut a third of her omelette and put it on Bastien’s plate, then she dug in.
    Doesn’t
look like they’re going to poison us , Bri sent mentally to Elizabeth.
    Not
since we survived the first night, but I’m sure they have plans for us . Images of the
people they’d healed came to her mind, were matched by Bri’s memories. The flow
of emotion between them was stronger than Elizabeth had ever experienced. Of
course they’d had “hunches,” intuitive feelings about each other, but nothing
like this connection that seemed to have thought sharing and definitely
included telepathy.
    Elizabeth
shifted in her seat, picked up a fork, cut into the omelette and ate.
Fabulous—and delicately flavored with spices she didn’t quite recognize.
    “So,”
Alexa said between bites, “welcome to Lladrana. You are now known far and wide
as the Medica Exotiques