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I looked up at Will who admired the home with a faint smile. “I guess she’s home?”
“She never leaves,” Will told me as he grasped my hand. “Now let’s see what we can learn about that flaming sword of yours.”
He guided me up to the door and rapped. Though his touch was light, the whole building shuddered beneath his call. I strained my ears to hear something from inside. Big mistake.
“COME IN!”
The loud voice made me jump back and only Will’s confident hold kept me from crashing backward into the mess. He gave me an encouraging smile before he pressed his hand against the handle-less door and opened the portal. The hinges screeched and I winced against the noise.
The door opened wide enough to reveal a completely black interior. It was as if there was a line of shadows that started only four inches from the threshold and shrouded everything in its dark embrace. I squinted at the blackness as Will drew his hand close to his chest.
“Don’t be afraid,” he whispered before he led me across the threshold.
I felt a strange chill fall over me and the darkness didn’t lift. For one panicked second instinct told me to turn around andflee. Only Will’s strong grip kept me from bolting like a wild deer.
We took a few steps into the darkness and it was as if a curtain was drawn back. The darkness vanished and we stepped into the bright lights of a huge ballroom. A large chandelier hung over our heads and cast a brilliance not unlike the sun on us. I couldn’t even see the source of the light through its glow.
The ugly walls I expected were instead elegant wood panel affairs with ornate tapestries that stretched for dozens of yards. They featured scenes of hunting, shopping, swimming, of families gathering together. Any scene you could imagine, they showed on those walls.
The only furniture was a giant loom that sat in the middle of the floor. A woman was seated on its bench. She was robed in a long white dress and flat-footed dress shoes. The stranger was about twenty with silver-gray hair that trailed down her back to drape over the floor. Her eyes were of an equally gray color and her skin was as pale as a lily.
Her features were difficult to describe. While she appeared young there were some tiny lines at the corners of her mouth that belied something far older.
Her thin fingers worked the loom as only an expert could manage. The shuttle flew and under her touch, a fabric appeared as though out of thin air. Images of people, mountains, animals, flowers, and everything else under the sun and the moon were brought to life. The cloth was crafted from a single albeit huge pile of finely twined wool, but I couldn’t comprehend how all those colors came from the plain white hair.
The woman looked up from her loom work at our entrance and she lifted her fingers from the machine. The loom paused and I felt a strange vibration travel through the air. It was as if a great piece of music had been paused.
The woman turned to us with a smile and clasped her hands in her lap. “Welcome, my guests, to my home.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
By this timemy eyes had nearly popped out of my sockets, so wide were they. The woman noticed my appearance and her eyes danced with glee. “You are most welcome, Rose Dumont. I have looked forward to meeting you for a very long time.”
My jaw flopped open and shut a few times before I managed to get control of myself. “You. . .you know me?”
She cocked her head to one side and the light shimmered across her silver hair. “Yes. I know everyone who is destined for a life which they could never have imagined.”
“Then you know why we’re here,” Will spoke up.
The woman nodded. “I do.” She stretched out her thin hands to me. “Come here.”
That instinct to run returned and I looked questioningly up at Will. He smiled and patted my hand. “You have nothing to worry about.”
My mind could think of many things to worry about but I swallowed the lump in my throat and stepped forward. Will released me from his grasp and I reluctantly moved toward the loom. The Arbiter sat as still as a statue but I could almostfeelthe life flowing out of her. It wrapped around me like a warm blanket after being drenched by a cold rain.
I reached her bench and set my shaking hands on hers. She wrapped her thumbs over mine and her eyes seemed to shine like candles. “You worry about the gift granted to you by your husband, do you not?”
I nodded. “Yeah.”
She shook her head and her hair shimmered like the ocean. “You needn’t worry. Your gift is that of protection. Your desire to help others allows you to bring forth a weapon of fire that represents your burning desire to protect everyone dear to you.”
“And here I had hoped the fire was a reflection of her love for me,” Will teased as he strolled up to us.
The Arbiter turned her beautiful eyes on him. “In a way, but perhaps not quite as literally as you desire.”
I bit my lower lip. “But. . .but how do I control it? How can I bring it out without hurting anyone?”
Her smile brightened and I felt a wave of warmth spread over me. It was like being blessed by the sun. “You could never hurt anyone you care about.” She drew her hands back and brushed her palms over mine. My eyes widened as a sword appeared in my right hand and was drawn out by her touch. The Arbiter set her hands in her lap and nodded at Will. “Now stab him.”
