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I peered at the bright light showing through the arched portal, not able to see the height of the sun. “How long from now is dinner? I’m suddenly starving.”
“You know how to find out. And I’m not surprised, it’s been days since you’ve eaten. Even magic cannot sustain your mortal flesh indefinitely.”
“I hate how you say that like it’s some fatal flaw.” I groused about that instead of commenting on the passage of time. I’d been afraid of that very thing. Later I would check the mass-mind calendar and see if I could measure just how long it had been. While I was in there and at my leisure, I would do some exploring too. And take notes. “No,” I answered his initial proposition, “I want to greet them.”
“And welcome them to your new home,” Rogue said, with implacable firmness.
“Yes, yes—lady of the castle, blah, blah, blah.”
“As such, you might dress appropriately then.”
I rolled my eyes but obliged, turning the very dusty gown I’d worn to the practice arena into a shimmering black velvet dress that matched Rogue’s outfit.
He glanced at me with some surprise that I’d willingly donned his colors. “Thank you.”
“Hey, I can play nice.”
“Who knew?”
“Ha-ha.”
By then the group had nearly made it to us. The creepy Cylon guards peeled off as they advanced, stationing themselves at regular intervals along the way. I supposed they had the virtue of perfect discipline, much as they raised my short hairs. Starling in the forefront clearly simmered with so much impatience that she easily kept up with Athena and Larch, though they were all on foot.
“Why are the horses staying behind?” It didn’t make sense. “Do you stable them elsewhere?”
“In a sense. Once the people have entered, I will change the entrance the drawbridge leads to, so that the livestock and wagons go to the correct part of the castle.”
“Including the human soldiers,” I noted, seeing them still standing on the far bank.
“Don’t start, stubborn Gwynn.”
It was an old argument between us—though I felt a bit of nostalgic fondness that he and I even had old arguments—that I disagreed with his total disregard for the human folk who lived in Faerie. They weren’t exactly like the sort of people I’d left at home, but neither were theylivestock.
“These guys are in the main part of the castle.” I indicated the men resting by the drawbridge chains, preparing to pull it up again. “Shouldn’t we banish them below-stairs or some such?”
“We’ll discuss it later then.” He gave the nape of my neck one last sweet caress before stepping aside as Starling ran the last few steps and barreled into me, seizing me in a fierce embrace.
“Gwynn!” Starling nearly shouted in my ear. “You didn’t die!”
I couldn’t help it, I laughed, though my sore ribs creaked under her grip. “No, I didn’t. I’m just fine.”
She laughed too, and pulled back, wiping away a couple of tears. “I know I’m silly, but I—we—weresoworried about you, and look at you!” Her gaze fastened on the left side of my face, her expression not horrified but certainly shocked. She quickly looked away from it. “What did you do to your hair?”
I put a hand to my hair, feeling the wild snarls. A telling sign that I’d been totally absorbed in Rogue. I cast him an irritated look. “Why didn’t you mention it?”
He shrugged. “I thought you’d adopted a new style.”
I sighed to myself. So alien and yet still somale. The scene out the arched door had changed to a lovely view of the river, with the moat monster serenely gliding by.
“Happy to see you, Sorceress Gwynn—” Athena gave me a cheeky smile, “—no matter the hairstyle. Too bad about the claws though.”
“Don’t you worry—I have them close to hand.” I winked at her and she grinned in appreciation at the joke.
“My Lady Sorceress.” Larch bowed with his usual gravity.
“Welcome to the Castle of the Dark Gods,” I said to them, trying to sound gracious and comfortable with it. Rogue settled a hand in the small of my back. “Lord Rogue and I bid you, um, welcome.”
Athena snickered and I glared at her. Clearly I needed to practice this.
