RBC05 - Bloodline (27 page)

“I try.”

“Gunter, look who’s here!” Patty called as we entered the lovely cottage that was a perfect, larger copy of the one they had in Germany.

Gunter was kneeling next to G.C. who was riding the wooden copy of Theo that Damien had made for him before he was born.

Of course in his position as the leader of our Watchers my sudden appearance here, now unnerved him. “What’s happened?”

“Calm down, Gunter. I just wanted to come home for a few hours. I needed to make sure everything was all right here, that’s all.”

“Everything is fine, we just had a celebration. G.C. is six months old.”

“I can’t believe it’s been that long. Can I hold him?”

“G.C. do you want to see your aunt Katrina?” he said to him as he picked him off his horse.

“He’s so gorgeous.” I held my arms out. He hesitated, looked from me back to Gunter and then back to me and leaned towards me with his hands held high, a big smile on his cherub face.

“Those Voss eyes,” I marveled as I took him from Gunter and kissed his cheek.

“Why the tears, Katrina?” Gunter asked.

“I shouldn’t have come. It just makes me more lonesome for you.

Patty and Gunter both came over and put their arms around me.

“Let me fix you something to eat. That always makes you feel better.”

“I would like that.”

“I’ll take him,” offered Gunter.

“No!” I said sharply, startling both of them. “I just want to hold him, if you don’t mind.”

“No, I don’t mind, Katrina. Come sit down. I noticed Gunter exchanging questioning looks with Patty.

I had no answers for any of this and didn’t offer any. Finally I reluctantly put the baby in his high chair so we could eat.

“What can you tell me, Katrina?” Gunter asked.

“We are making progress, adding allies and doing all we can. I should know more after tomorrow.”

“I see. I am receiving new Watcher candidates nearly every day now. Arthur is sending fine young men and Avery’s recruiting has been very helpful as well.”

“Good, we will need all of them more than ever. The food is fabulous as always, Patty. Thank you. Alex, we better go back.”

“More of the mares you asked for will arrive from Europe next week,” Gunter said as we stood.

“Theo will be very busy then. I can’t wait to see all the new foals running through this valley. I’ll see you soon G.C.,” I said as I kissed the top of his head.

I walked straight out the door with Patty close on my heels. “Be safe, Katrina. We love you.”

“I will. I love you too,” I called back.

“I don’t know why I am so emotional. I must have frightened Patty and Gunter half to death. Allwain was right, why don’t I know that by now?” I said to Alex.

“You needed to see for yourself. Everything is fine. Now we can go back and you won’t have to worry about them anymore.”

I took a deep breath and steadied myself. “That’s true. I’m ready to do what I need to do now. Thank you for coming with me. Not as my Watcher, but as my friend.”

“You are welcome.”

We said good bye to Father and portaled back.

“No one is awake yet. I’m going to wash up,” I said letting Katrina fade and Suzette come forward.

“I’m going to check the perimeter.”

“Fine, see you later.”

Before I could head upstairs, Allwain came out from across the hall.

“How was your trip?”

“You were right. I shouldn’t have gone. I did see for myself that everything was fine and got a chance to talk to Father. I think I may have just worried Gunter and Patty. I got so emotional when I was there.”

“You wanted to stay, maybe run away?”

I nodded yes, again forcing away tears.

“It’s perfectly normal, no one could go through what you’ve been through and not wonder what would life would have been like if this challenge hadn’t been thrust upon them. Come with me.”

I followed him across the hall. “Look who’s come to help?”

“Tao!”

I ran right over and gave him a fierce hug. Since Elves really don’t show emotion, to him my behavior was quite undignified, but I didn’t care.

“This is Suzette, Tao. You remember me telling you about her,” Allwain said.

“Yes, yes of course,” Tao said, still stiff but relaxing somewhat, at least for an elf.

I had forgotten that I looked like Suzette and not like me. We were still very careful, even with protections because the entities we were dealing with were very powerful. Just how powerful we still didn’t know.

“I just arrived from home. I saw Elizabeth when I was there. She is well.”

“Is there any chance for a compromise, Tao?”

“We are not ones to easily do so. But one never knows.”

“I have retested the protections and since Tao arrived we have a new system. If anyone tries to supplant the protections or even test for them, it will alert us.”

“You seem very proud of yourself. What else is there that you aren’t telling me?”

“Just a few things that Tao and I are still working on. I am sure that now we can speak freely.”

“Well that’s a relief. It’s exhausting watching every word. We still have to keep using our personas or it will be to easy slip up.” I turned to Tao, “I am glad to see you, Tao. Father is going to Sangustae next week to try to help. We cannot have turmoil in the Sanctuaries now, it’s too dangerous. Your mother must see that.”

“My mother is not the problem. The councils and royal houses of many other sanctuaries including Islandria are still angry about Macchu.”

“Uhg, that again? What more can we do?”

“I don’t know.”

“I can’t worry about that right now. Tonight is the masquerade and we have to be ready.”

“Why don’t you go next door and tell us what you think,” Allwain said.

“What do you mean?”

“We have been working on the setting for not only the party, but for your ‘business’.”

“Well this is very intriguing, Allwain. I can’t wait to see what you’ve done.”

We went to the front parlor where there were double pocket doors that closed this room to not only the hallway, but to the parlor in the house next door.

When we entered I was surprised.

“What happened to the doors?”

Allwain was already beaming and we hadn’t even gotten next door yet.

“We have combined, Elf, Witch and Wizard magic and well as the ideas used in Cathos and Ceron’s underworld palaces. The doors are there, it’s just an illusion,” he said.

I walked over to the blank wall and felt for the handles and pulled them open.

“Amazing, I can hardly wait to see the rest.”

“Elves invented this kind of illusion,” Tao said as he followed us in. “Those that weren’t of the royal class always had homes that were simple in detail. To offset that, they decided to use magic to make the interiors into whatever they wished.”

The pocket doors automatically closed behind us and a romantic warm light filled the room.

The classic French architecture of the parlor with its ornate molding and carved pink marble fireplace was stunning.

The walls were now covered in creamy silk that shimmered in the flickering light.

“You can change the light to daylight,” Allwain said as the light brightened to white. “Or any color that you wish.”

As Allwain spoke, the light changed color, from red to pink to blue and all the shades in between. The wall’s color not only could go through color changes, but pattern changes as well. Even the draperies changed on a whim.

“This is wonderful.”

“If you like this you will love the ballroom.”

We walked together the short distance to the end of the hallway where a large double entrance door opened as we approached.

This room consumed the entire back of the house, and was a full two stories high. Curved marble staircases on each side of the room led to several red velvet curtained, balustrade lined balconies overlooking the room on both ends. Large crystal chandeliers twinkled with magical fire and hovered below a deep blue, star studded night sky.

All I could do was stare at it in wonder. As I did, a shooting star crossed from right to left before fading away.

White Carrere marble floors were highlighted by a center black marble medallion in the shape of a griffin.

“The symbol of the sanctuaries, nice touch,” I said.

“We left the walls plain for now. We thought you might want to choose what they would look like,” Allwain said.

“I like the simple elegance of it just the way it is. What about music?”

Allwain raised his hand and Mozart’s Requiem in D minor filled the room.

“Perfect! I love this, all of it.”

Allwain waved his hand again and it was quiet.

“The stars rotate in the sky just like they would in the real night sky,” Tao said proudly.

“Food and drinks will be served in the adjacent room. Sarah, of course has taken care of all of that. Is there anything else you think we should do?”

I sighed, “I can’t think of a thing. This is a larger version of my bathroom upstairs isn’t it?”

“I did do a little practice on that, yes,” Allwain admitted.

“The humans will wonder how it is done. In answer to their inquiries, just tell them it’s theatrical and one never reveals those secrets.”

“The girls can wait up in the balconies and come down as you introduce them.”

“In their masks of course,” I said.

“Yes. The whole purpose of a masquerade is that everyone can feel at ease throughout the evening. Nothing is to be revealed until midnight.”

“Well, I can’t thank you both enough. This is…it’s just magical. I feel so much more confident now.”

I gave them each a hug. “I am so glad both of you are on our side.”

“We feel the same way about you, don’t we Tao?”

“Yes, we should be thanking you.”

“Why don’t you go up and get some rest now. As you can see we have this under control.”

“That’s very obvious. All right, I’ll see you in a few hours.”

We went back down the hall and into the front parlor. From this side it looked like carved paneling with a portrait of a lovely young woman hung right in the center.