he’d spoken aloud. The slatted door opened, and Mila gave him an annoyed glare.
“Well, you might as well come in if you’re going to eavesdrop.” The door closed again, leaving him to blush in peace. But after a moment, when the silence continued to drag on, he was forced to take a deep breath and push open the door.
The same scent of flowers and fresh herbs, but far stronger, struck him the moment he entered the tidy kitchen, filled with bright colors and dark wood. Most of the floral scent originated from Mila. It was sweet, but not cloying—more the fresh subtlety of a cool orchard than a garden. Cherries and orange blossoms, with apple overtones. He realized he was just standing there, sampling the air while staring at her. And she was staring back, her nostrils flared and eyes wide.
It was Candy who cleared her throat with an impish smile that made both of them start. Mila’s face immediately dropped from the slight smile to a more disapproving expression that matched her earlier words.
“So, how much did you hear?” Mila tried to sound stern, but her light blush gave her away, and when he smiled, her eyes dropped to examine her oddly translucent teacup on the table.
“Introductions first, Mila. Where are your manners?” Again the younger woman reddened, all the way to her ear tips. The old woman dipped her head and waved a hand at an empty seat. Her thick accent made all of the vowels round and expressive. It was obvious English wasn’t her first language. “I am Nadia Penkin.” He sat down dutifully and dipped his head as she continued. “This is my granddaughter, Ludmila Penkin and her friend, Candace Hawkins.”
“Most people call me Mila.” She shrugged and caught his gaze again with those dark eyes, so that he barely heard her friend in the corner.
“And I’m Candy.”
Manners forced his gaze away from Mila once more. Bowing his head slightly, he decided that trying to pretend he was a simple human was useless considering Mrs. Penkin’s abilities … and her threats upstairs. “I am Craftman Talos Onan, a midlevel commander in the Overworld Police Agency. My friend upstairs is Alexy Duvrot. We are—”
“You are a mage. Your friend is an alchemist—a dirtdog,” said Nadia. “Fellow Guilders.”
“Baba, what is a Guilder? ” Mila blurted the words out, her frustration apparent. “You keep saying that like I should know.”
Tal opened his mouth to reply, but again Nadia spoke up, in outraged surprise.
“How you not know, Mila? I tell you many stories when you are little about the Guilders. The caves … we go visiting when you are young.” She gestured to Candy. “I take both of you, so I can show you our ways. How you not know?”
Mila and Candy exchanged confused looks and shrugs. But moments later, Candy’s face registered understanding. “Wait! Do you mean the geeders? The tiny Ukrainian magic folk who live underground like fairies? Those stories?”
This time, Nadia’s face looked confused as she mouthed the words, but then she laughed. “Ah. I see. My English, it was not so good when I came here to America. I not say all the letters like I do now. Yes. Yes, these men are geeders. But proper is Guilders, and not so tiny. You see?” She patted a hand gently on Tal’s arm, then turned his wrist over to show the birthmark on his forearm. She fingered it a moment and furrowed her brow, making him squirm in embarrassment. His mark was faint and twisted—a mark that should belong to an apprentice instead of a crafter. “This is Guilder. He is mage … fire guild. You see his mark? Like the one on your middle toe. His friend is alchemist, earth guild, like your baby toe. Sela, she was water witch guild, like your second toe.”
“What do you mean, like my toes? What do those designs you painted there have to do with any of this?”
The old woman looked taken aback by Mila’s words. She reared back in her chair and watched the young woman carefully for a long
“Well, you might as well come in if you’re going to eavesdrop.” The door closed again, leaving him to blush in peace. But after a moment, when the silence continued to drag on, he was forced to take a deep breath and push open the door.
The same scent of flowers and fresh herbs, but far stronger, struck him the moment he entered the tidy kitchen, filled with bright colors and dark wood. Most of the floral scent originated from Mila. It was sweet, but not cloying—more the fresh subtlety of a cool orchard than a garden. Cherries and orange blossoms, with apple overtones. He realized he was just standing there, sampling the air while staring at her. And she was staring back, her nostrils flared and eyes wide.
It was Candy who cleared her throat with an impish smile that made both of them start. Mila’s face immediately dropped from the slight smile to a more disapproving expression that matched her earlier words.
“So, how much did you hear?” Mila tried to sound stern, but her light blush gave her away, and when he smiled, her eyes dropped to examine her oddly translucent teacup on the table.
“Introductions first, Mila. Where are your manners?” Again the younger woman reddened, all the way to her ear tips. The old woman dipped her head and waved a hand at an empty seat. Her thick accent made all of the vowels round and expressive. It was obvious English wasn’t her first language. “I am Nadia Penkin.” He sat down dutifully and dipped his head as she continued. “This is my granddaughter, Ludmila Penkin and her friend, Candace Hawkins.”
“Most people call me Mila.” She shrugged and caught his gaze again with those dark eyes, so that he barely heard her friend in the corner.
“And I’m Candy.”
Manners forced his gaze away from Mila once more. Bowing his head slightly, he decided that trying to pretend he was a simple human was useless considering Mrs. Penkin’s abilities … and her threats upstairs. “I am Craftman Talos Onan, a midlevel commander in the Overworld Police Agency. My friend upstairs is Alexy Duvrot. We are—”
“You are a mage. Your friend is an alchemist—a dirtdog,” said Nadia. “Fellow Guilders.”
“Baba, what is a Guilder? ” Mila blurted the words out, her frustration apparent. “You keep saying that like I should know.”
Tal opened his mouth to reply, but again Nadia spoke up, in outraged surprise.
“How you not know, Mila? I tell you many stories when you are little about the Guilders. The caves … we go visiting when you are young.” She gestured to Candy. “I take both of you, so I can show you our ways. How you not know?”
Mila and Candy exchanged confused looks and shrugs. But moments later, Candy’s face registered understanding. “Wait! Do you mean the geeders? The tiny Ukrainian magic folk who live underground like fairies? Those stories?”
This time, Nadia’s face looked confused as she mouthed the words, but then she laughed. “Ah. I see. My English, it was not so good when I came here to America. I not say all the letters like I do now. Yes. Yes, these men are geeders. But proper is Guilders, and not so tiny. You see?” She patted a hand gently on Tal’s arm, then turned his wrist over to show the birthmark on his forearm. She fingered it a moment and furrowed her brow, making him squirm in embarrassment. His mark was faint and twisted—a mark that should belong to an apprentice instead of a crafter. “This is Guilder. He is mage … fire guild. You see his mark? Like the one on your middle toe. His friend is alchemist, earth guild, like your baby toe. Sela, she was water witch guild, like your second toe.”
“What do you mean, like my toes? What do those designs you painted there have to do with any of this?”
The old woman looked taken aback by Mila’s words. She reared back in her chair and watched the young woman carefully for a long
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