magic wielders inside, coalesced in clusters of shapeless shadows. A few flickered with light, meaning life still seethed within them. I fingered the bottle of salt water I habitually carried to nullify curses and hexes. The water didn’t always work, but I had my Balisong as backup. If it breathed, it could bleed.
“Welcome, Chalice.”
I spun around, grabbing my knife from the sheath I’d strapped between my shoulder blades. Crouching low, I put my weight on my back leg, ready to leap at my assailant head-on. I flicked the blade open and held it in my left hand, my right palm flat against the pommel.
Having only one contact lens in place skewed my vision. It was a lot like looking through a kaleidoscope, the images fragmented, and my depth perception wobbled. The effect left me queasy.
The large person standing before me—at least I think it was a person, though it could have been a troll—took a quick step back and held both arms up as if to ward me off.
“Hey,” its surprised voice said. “I’m only the welcoming committee, the Vyantara’s housemother. Truce?”
I closed my unprotected eye and studied this committee of one. It was definitely female and she wore a colorful but shapeless caftan, the huge dress bulging in all the right and wrong places. Her pale face held wide, innocent eyes, and she had a Kewpie-doll mouth that she pursed as if to whistle or blow me a kiss. I lowered my knife and she released a breath that made her sizable bosom deflate to more normal proportions. Her hand fluttered against her chest and she blinked while fanning herself with a handkerchief that seemed to have materialized out of thin air. “Dear me, child. You gave me a scare.”
“Sorry.” I closed the knife and slipped it back in its sheath, my heart still pounding with the surge of adrenaline. “You startled me.”
“Your father mentioned you were skittish,” she said, eyeing me up and down. “But he didn’t tell me you weren’t much bigger than a pixie.”
I ignored the comment, but not the reference. “Gavin isn’t my father,” I said curtly, needing to get that straight right away. “He kidnapped me and I’ve been his slave ever since.” I waited for her reaction.
She nodded, her forehead creased with concern. “How awful.” Her gaze wandered to the bag at the curb. “Your luggage?” She turned her back on me and waddled over to snatch up the bag like it weighed no more than a loaf of bread. As if I hadn’t just confessed the most horrendous events of my life, she said casually, “Let’s get you settled in your room, shall we? And you can tell me all about the kidnapping and any other nastiness you’ve been forced to endure, hmm?”
Like I’d willingly share anything personal with the Vyantara. What I just told her was a memorized response I had perfected in my teens. I’d taught myself to bleed the emotion out of it so that it couldn’t be used against me. Getting it all out in the open was my best defense against inquisitors looking for my weak spots.
Halfway to the stairs that led to the front door, she spun around with her right hand extended. “For goodness’s sake, where are my manners? I’m Zeppelin, but please call me Zee.”
I curled my smallish hand around her massive paw, and quickly let go. I didn’t like touching people if I could help it. Since I couldn’t wear a body glove 24/7, my daily analgesic lotion usually sufficed, but not always. Direct contact with people sometimes gave me a rash. It was a psychosomatic response. I had trust issues.
“Has Shui arrived yet?” I asked, before following her up the stairs.
“Trains can’t travel as fast as jets, dear,” she said over her shoulder. “I expect he’ll be here tomorrow. And so will your fa… Sorry. I mean so will Gavin Heinrich.”
I’d much rather Shui fly here under his own steam because he’d get here faster. But despite the wings, gargoyles were not strong flyers. They could travel short distances
“Welcome, Chalice.”
I spun around, grabbing my knife from the sheath I’d strapped between my shoulder blades. Crouching low, I put my weight on my back leg, ready to leap at my assailant head-on. I flicked the blade open and held it in my left hand, my right palm flat against the pommel.
Having only one contact lens in place skewed my vision. It was a lot like looking through a kaleidoscope, the images fragmented, and my depth perception wobbled. The effect left me queasy.
The large person standing before me—at least I think it was a person, though it could have been a troll—took a quick step back and held both arms up as if to ward me off.
“Hey,” its surprised voice said. “I’m only the welcoming committee, the Vyantara’s housemother. Truce?”
I closed my unprotected eye and studied this committee of one. It was definitely female and she wore a colorful but shapeless caftan, the huge dress bulging in all the right and wrong places. Her pale face held wide, innocent eyes, and she had a Kewpie-doll mouth that she pursed as if to whistle or blow me a kiss. I lowered my knife and she released a breath that made her sizable bosom deflate to more normal proportions. Her hand fluttered against her chest and she blinked while fanning herself with a handkerchief that seemed to have materialized out of thin air. “Dear me, child. You gave me a scare.”
“Sorry.” I closed the knife and slipped it back in its sheath, my heart still pounding with the surge of adrenaline. “You startled me.”
“Your father mentioned you were skittish,” she said, eyeing me up and down. “But he didn’t tell me you weren’t much bigger than a pixie.”
I ignored the comment, but not the reference. “Gavin isn’t my father,” I said curtly, needing to get that straight right away. “He kidnapped me and I’ve been his slave ever since.” I waited for her reaction.
She nodded, her forehead creased with concern. “How awful.” Her gaze wandered to the bag at the curb. “Your luggage?” She turned her back on me and waddled over to snatch up the bag like it weighed no more than a loaf of bread. As if I hadn’t just confessed the most horrendous events of my life, she said casually, “Let’s get you settled in your room, shall we? And you can tell me all about the kidnapping and any other nastiness you’ve been forced to endure, hmm?”
Like I’d willingly share anything personal with the Vyantara. What I just told her was a memorized response I had perfected in my teens. I’d taught myself to bleed the emotion out of it so that it couldn’t be used against me. Getting it all out in the open was my best defense against inquisitors looking for my weak spots.
Halfway to the stairs that led to the front door, she spun around with her right hand extended. “For goodness’s sake, where are my manners? I’m Zeppelin, but please call me Zee.”
I curled my smallish hand around her massive paw, and quickly let go. I didn’t like touching people if I could help it. Since I couldn’t wear a body glove 24/7, my daily analgesic lotion usually sufficed, but not always. Direct contact with people sometimes gave me a rash. It was a psychosomatic response. I had trust issues.
“Has Shui arrived yet?” I asked, before following her up the stairs.
“Trains can’t travel as fast as jets, dear,” she said over her shoulder. “I expect he’ll be here tomorrow. And so will your fa… Sorry. I mean so will Gavin Heinrich.”
I’d much rather Shui fly here under his own steam because he’d get here faster. But despite the wings, gargoyles were not strong flyers. They could travel short distances
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