Storm Warned (The Grim Series) (13 page)

“Aye, he doesn’t strike me as the kind of man to sit idle while others are working,” said Caris. “You’re worried he’ll not be resting overmuch.”

“Exactly. I told Liam I just plain didn’t want him here, that it would make my job harder to have to babysit him as well as the animals. I gave him every reason why he should do himself a favor and stay in the hospital. Or in a motel
next
to the hospital, just for a night, just in case, but
no-o-o-o
. Nothing worked. And so now I owe you an apology.”

“Me? My heavens, whatever for?”

“After I hung up, I called his doctor’s office. They won’t tell you anything if you’re not family, so I lied my face off and pretended to be Tina so he’d tell me what the tests showed. Liam
does
have a concussion, but it doesn’t appear to be serious. Still nothing to fool around with of course, and the doc said he’ll have to take it easy, rest a lot, not overdo things.”

“Right-o, everything a man is naturally bent to do,” snorted Caris. “My da was the same once.”

“So Liam needs some help around here, at least for a couple of weeks.”

“Well, of course he does!”

“And I said you’d do it.”

It was a long, speechless moment before Caris recovered herself. “You want me to work here on Liam’s farm? With Liam?” Her voice wobbled a little. Something deep inside was fluttering like a bird—both appalled and excited—at the thought of spending so much time with the blue-eyed man.

“I know it’s a lot to ask, especially when Liam’s such a . . . such a . . . Well,
hell
, I don’t know what else to call him but a grumpy old hermit. He won’t be easy to be around, I know, but Jay and I have to get back to the clinic tomorrow at the latest.”

“I don’t know what to say.”

“Look, I’ve watched you today, Caris, and you really know what you’re doing.” Morgan softened her voice. “I know you just got back to being human and all, but maybe this would be good for you while you get your bearings. Familiar surroundings, right? You said you grew up on a farm.”

“It was a long time ago. Jay showed me the
machine
here that does the milking—I’ve seen them before of course. I know what all the equipment is, and what it’s for, just like I know what all the machines are in the house. As a grim, I walked the human world, and I’ve witnessed all the new ways over the years—but I don’t know how to use a single one of them myself.”

“Anyone can learn to use technology, but you already know the animals, and that’s the most important part. I know animals too, and I can see when someone is gifted with them. Please give Liam a hand for a little while, a few days maybe. Just until I can find someone else? You’d be paid fairly for it, of course. And then I’d love it if you’d consider taking on a position at my clinic. I’d like you to work for me.”

Caris was grateful she wasn’t the crying sort—she’d be in tears for certain at Morgan’s kind offer. “And here I was wondering where on earth to begin, how to find a place for myself in this new life.”

“You’ll have more support than you know, I promise you that. Like I mentioned before, my husband, Rhys, was a grim once. And my friend Aidan, too. So you won’t be alone.”

“Fer certain ya won’t be alone!” The familiar voice made Caris look down. Ranyon had his spindly hands planted on his hips—or where his hips probably were. “I’m not fer leaving ya here on yer own, even with Liam. I’m thinking you need a little backbone on yer side.”

“A little
what
?” asked Morgan.

“You know, like in the TV shows that my friend Leo likes to watch. The police always call fer backbone when they fall into a tight spot.”

Caris didn’t know what on earth he meant, but she could see Morgan trying her best not to laugh.

“
Backup
,” the woman explained. “They call for backup. It means—”

He waved a hand at her. “I know well enough what it means. It’s when someone has yer back, right? Well, I’m not fer going anywhere until I know fer certain that
llygru
prince is gone fer good—and if he’s not gone, I’m wantin’ to know what he’s up to! Seems to me, as well, that this good lady might need a bit of a friend while she’s getting used to being human again.”

“I’m sure Liam won’t be
that
miserable to be around,” began Morgan, but she trailed off when Caris shook her head.

“Liam won’t be mistreating me, I’m sure, but he doesn’t believe me one bit. I made the mistake of telling him what I was, so he already thinks I’m touched in the head,” she explained. “As much as he needs help around the farm, he won’t be trusting me, and he might not even want me here at all.”

“Ha!” the ellyll snorted. “I’m thinking that Liam would like fer ya to be here far more than Liam himself knows.”

Caris wasn’t sure that was true, but she solemnly clasped one of the ellyll’s twiggy hands and shook it gently. “I’m very glad of your offer, dear Ranyon. You’re right about things being a mite strange right now, and a bit of understanding company would be welcome.”

“Aye, well that’s settled then,” he declared, then charged off in the direction of the house.

“Wait—where are you going?” asked Morgan.

Ranyon didn’t slow down a bit but called back over his shoulder: “We’ve got some planning to do afore Liam comes home, but surely we don’t need to be doing it on empty stomachs, do we? I’m fair to fade away here!”

“He always is,” Morgan whispered to Caris. “But for once, I can feel myself fading too. Breakfast was an awfully long time ago. Let’s go see if we can scrounge up some kind of meal for the three of us, and then we’ll put our heads together.”

“He’s
hungry
?” Caris was perplexed. “But he’s fae—he could conjure a banquet for himself right here and now if he wished.”

“Of course he could, but he won’t. In fact, Ranyon could have done
all
the work for us today with just a few charms, but he didn’t. He uses magic only where it’s needed—at least, most of the time. He reminds me a lot of my friend Brooke that way. She’s a very powerful witch, but she follows a strict code. She respects her gift by using it sparingly, and only to help others. You won’t find her snapping her fingers to fold the laundry or wash the dishes for herself.” Morgan hurried to catch up to the ellyll.

Caris followed, but slower, as she turned over the woman’s words in her mind. It seemed respectful, felt
right
, that magic should be reserved for need. How different from the faery realm, from everything she’d experienced there. And how unlike the Tylwyth Teg, who used magic for everything and anything.
Can any of them so much as comb their hair with their own hands?
Small wonder that their hearts were cold, their emotions faded, and their desires forever unsatisfied.
They never touch anything that’s real.

Right now, Caris had never felt more thankful for her ability to work. She was dirty, hot, tired, and hungry—and it was sheer glory.

A little of the shine rubbed off that glory about halfway to the house. It was further than it looked to be, and as she trailed her companions, dodging wreckage and rubbish, Caris found herself wishing for a steaming pot of tea. How strange to want anything, to feel
need
after decades of nothingness.
It was like being numb
, she decided. Her body had continued to exist, certainly. But in its canine form, it was as if her human senses had been suspended, hibernating like dormice under an endless snow.

Now her body was making demands. It was bad enough that she’d had to adopt an enormous old pair of barn boots that surely were too big even for Liam, but at least Morgan and Ranyon had managed not to laugh. They couldn’t help but chuckle, though, when her stomach growled like an angry bear.

They were most of the way across the ruined yard, stepping over and around a myriad of things so shredded and shattered that Caris couldn’t even identify what they had once been, when she thought she saw movement from the corner of her eye. She paused and looked hard at a long, low-roofed building filled with old machines and tools. It was shaded and dark, but she discerned an immense shadow pooled beneath it all, blacker than the rest . . .

“Don’t be looking at it!” hissed Ranyon, seizing her hand and tugging her along with surprising strength. “Pretend nothing’s amiss.”

She obeyed at once, clasping his twiggy fingers and swinging his arm lightly as if they were simply dear friends out for a stroll. It made sense to defer to the little ellyll. Goodness only knew just how old he was, but for certain he was far more experienced than she was in most matters, magical or otherwise. Just ahead of them, Morgan was completely unaware, explaining to them how the house had once belonged to Liam’s aunt and uncle, and he hadn’t changed a single thing since he moved in, and
wasn’t that just like a man
. . .

Caris leaned down and whispered to her small protector. “You saw it too. What was it?” The ellyll just shook his head emphatically, saying nothing.

The roofed porch of the big old house was welcoming, partly because of its cool shade, but mostly for its sense of shelter, however slight. Still talking, Morgan opened the door and walked in—and she was startled as Ranyon abruptly shoved her out of the way and yanked Caris in after her. In a flash he’d turned the lock (an odd move, considering every window was already shattered), then planted his long thin hands against the thick wooden panels, as he chanted a brief but emphatic spell.

“What the . . .” began Morgan, but she got no further.

ELEVEN

A
dull thud, like the fall of a giant’s mallet, reverberated through the floorboards, and Caris could feel the vibrations in her bones and teeth. She peered through a broken pane as the charm’s power spread out from the house in all directions like ripples on a pond. The magic itself wasn’t visible, but its effects were. Every blade of grass flattened before it, and each fallen branch and scrap of debris arranged itself outward until the expanding circle reached the building.

The shed collapsed in an immense cloud of dust, both roof and walls, burying the machinery inside in a tangle of broken boards and twisted beams.

“Ha! ’Twas just as I thought,” declared Ranyon, folding his thin, branchlike arms across his bright blue shirt.

“What the hell happened?” demanded Morgan. “Did I just see you wreck Liam’s machine shed?”

“We had a bit o’ company,” he said. “And it was hiding in there.”

“The fae are
still here
?” She fisted her hands in apparent frustration. “Dammit, I have the
knowing
, but I can’t feel anything except that a whole parade of Tylwyth Teg trampled through here. Why didn’t I sense that one of them was still within spitting distance?” Morgan pointed at Caris then. “For that matter, why didn’t I know right off that you were a grim? If Ranyon hadn’t found the collar, I might not have guessed.”

The ellyll fanned his spindly hand in a calming gesture, encouraging Morgan to sit down. “Yer not losing yer touch, good lady. She wasn’t a fae creature when ya met her, but as mortal as you are. I thought she was a human meself, dontcha know.

“But as for that great creeping
anghenfil
out there”—he pointed out the window in the direction of the ruined building—
“
’Tis neither mortal nor fae, and a danger to both.”

Anghenfil.
Monster
. Caris found a kitchen chair and sat quickly before her legs refused to hold her. There were many kinds of faery beings, as she had witnessed for herself at the queen’s gathering. But there were other things that lived in the worlds above and below, things dwelling in the Inbetween,
predatory
things that even the Fair Ones feared. She’d never seen an anghenfil herself, even when she’d traveled with Maelgwn’s hunt to this land, but several of the riders had been very much afraid . . . “Jay’s out there by himself,” she breathed. “He won’t know to beware.”

“He won’t be having to.” Ranyon shook his narrow knotted fist at the closest window. “I might not be able to best a creature like that toe-to-toe, but I’ve given it a headache it won’t soon be rid of.”

“Are you certain it’s gone?” asked Caris.

“Fer now. It’s fled to whatever hole it crawled through to get here. And I’m hoping it’s tellin’ all its friends to steer clear o’ this place.”

“Great, it has
friends
too!” Morgan was punching numbers into her phone. “I’m warning Jay.” Frustrated, she tried twice more. “
Crap
! The stupid thing says he’s out of range. I should have thought about the hill behind the farm—Finger Ridge is practically solid basalt under the soil.”

“
Pfft
, basalt!” The ellyll acted as if they were talking about mere paper instead of stone and abruptly plucked the phone from her hand with his long, twiggy fingers. He didn’t press a single button but simply put the bright little rectangle to his ear. “Are ya there, Jay? Aye, it’s Ranyon.” They chatted as if nothing in the world was wrong, as if something huge and menacing had never been lurking nearby.

No doubt to channel her anxiety over Jay, Morgan started clearing broken glass from the countertops with a will. Caris followed suit, seizing a broom and attacking the shards that littered the floor. She was working on her second glittering pile when the ellyll finally revealed the existence of the otherworldly creature to their friend.

“A
what
?” Jay’s voice through the phone could be clearly heard.

“Now, then, there’s no cause fer alarm,” soothed Ranyon, and after a short but vigorous conversation, Jay must have believed him. A moment later, the ellyll handed the cell back to Morgan. “I had a good look through the phone while Jay was talking,” he said as he began piling books and magazines onto a kitchen chair. “Our boy’s found most of yer friend’s cows, and t’other horse as well. He’s bringing them back to us. And you’ll be pleased to know there’s no anghenfilod anywhere near him.”

Caris was relieved but also fascinated. “You can
see
through the little machines, too?”

“No, not the way he means,” explained Morgan. “He used it like a scrying tool, like Brooke does sometimes.”

“I’m glad to know we have a witch on our side,” said Caris, and she saw that she’d surprised Morgan.

“I wasn’t sure you’d feel that way,” she said. “It’s still not a popular occupation, and it makes some people uncomfortable.”

Caris laughed then. “We have faeries and monsters all about us, and I should find myself concerned about a witch? Our preacher would be horrified of course, but people in my village were appalled by many things that have since proved to be without harm. As for myself, I’m thinking we need all the magical help we can get.”

“Good answer,” Morgan said, and smiled.

As Ranyon brought more books for his chair, Caris helped him stack them, then put a gentle hand on his spindly arm. “Are you certain Jay will be safe?” she asked.

“As sure as little fishes,” he declared. “Anghenfilod are big, and deadly dangerous if you blunder too close to them, but most are shortsighted. It’ll think our friend’s just part of his horse. But since the good beast has plenty o’ spots, there was never anything to be worrying yourselves over.”

Caris waited in vain for an explanation and finally Morgan ventured: “Okay, I’ll bite. How are Dodge’s spots going to help the situation?”

The little ellyll looked surprised. “Why, a pied creature repels faery sight, dontcha know. ’Tis the mix of light and dark that does it, and even scrying will not reveal it. Few creatures outside the human realm can see such an animal unless they happen to touch it, because only touch can break the illusion.

“And as fer yer good Dodge, a horse as speckled as
that
one is a powerful shield against magic as well. Brooke told me that the peoples who once lived in these hills were wise about such things, and treasured their applesauces.”

Morgan’s mouth twitched. “Appaloosas,” she corrected.

“Aye, those are the very ones,” said Ranyon, heaving one last book on top of the pile on the chair.

“But . . . But you didn’t have any trouble seeing Dodge, did you?” she asked.

Caris knew the answer to that question. “He’s an elemental. His power is drawn from the earth, and it’s not the same as fae magic at all.” She looked at Ranyon, hoping he didn’t mind. “There are many in the Nine Realms who say that the magic of the Ellyllon is far stronger than that of the Tylwyth Teg.”

Morgan goggled at him, but he only shrugged.
“
’Twas not strong enough to save my clan from betrayal and murder,” he said quietly. “And the blow of it robbed me of much of my strength. Oh, I can still make a powerful charm, dontcha know. I have all the knowledge I ever did, and I’m forever learnin’ more. But my talents are not what they once were.”

“I’m truly sorry about your people, Ranyon.” She put a comforting hand on his shoulder, and he reached up to clasp it with his twiggy fingers. “But I think you’re the cleverest fellow I’ve ever met, and your charms and talents are truly amazing.”

Morgan’s words had the desired effect, and a small but genuine smile returned to the little man’s face. “I do believe there was some mention made of a meal?” he asked.

“Well, we’ve been working on it, but the windows didn’t just break, they
exploded
. There are glass slivers from hell on every surface in this room,” Morgan explained. “I’ve cut my finger twice trying to wipe the counter, and frankly, I’m afraid to get any food out just yet.”

“No food!” It was Ranyon’s turn to goggle, as he clasped both hands over his stomach. “Well, we’d best be remedying
that
!”

“If I may, I think we need to remedy quite a few things,” added Caris. “From what I can see, the rest of the house is the same as the kitchen or worse. We can’t have Liam coming home to such a mess. With that lump on his head, he’ll be having to rest—and not even a lazy man could relax in a house like this. I’m thinking I could start upstairs and . . .”

Ranyon winked at her. “Not to worry, good lady. The house is as anxious to be in order as you are to tidy it up.” He scrambled up the tower he’d made on the chair, motioning to Caris to sit next to him. She did so just as he spoke a few words in a faery language so old she’d seldom heard it spoken (and her time as a grim had exposed her to countless languages both mortal and fae). A drawer in a massive oak buffet flew open, and Morgan jumped back out of the way as a variety of silver items flew to the table: teaspoons, saltshaker lids, pickle tongs, and tiny creamers. A kitchen drawer by the stove spit out several iron trivets and a cast-iron ladle.

“What did you mean about the house?” asked Caris. “You made it sound like it was alive.”

“Well, most houses are, dontcha know. At least, they are after enough years go by. They gain a sense of themselves, so to speak, and they don’t like to be disturbed overmuch.”

Morgan sat down abruptly at that. “But I was planning to paint my kitchen!”

Ranyon chuckled. “Yer dear old farmhouse won’t mind a bit of paint, good lady. She’ll be like a woman with a new dress. Same if you move the furniture, or hang a fine picture. Nay, it’s the bigger things that disturb a house’s peace. Leo’s neighbors, the ones that just moved in, barely introduced themselves to the building
afore they were knocking out walls and windows, and building on a whole new wing. That poor old house has been grumbling for months over it now.”

Caris looked around, wondering what Liam’s house thought of the three strangers sitting around the table.
I hope it knows we mean well.

While the little ellyll’s skin appeared wooden, his movements were anything
but
. Ranyon was quick to select a number of things from the pile, then pulled out some treasures of his own, stones and gears and wire. His long fingers were adept at fine work, and Caris watched in fascination as he rapidly assembled a growing pile of copper-wrapped kitchenware. Each was bound to some little item with a flourish—a feather, a stone, a button, even a pencil—and the wire was knotted and woven into intricate designs. Ranyon’s lips wove words over his creations, and in no time at all, he was finished.

“They’re all quite pleasing to the eye,” she said, and Morgan agreed.

He nodded in satisfaction. “Clean magic often is.” Scooping up all his creations, he deposited them into a large bowl that Morgan had found. “Caris, with all the heaps o’ glass everywhere, I’m thinking yer the one fer the job. Ya have the stoutest shoes of any one of us.”

She tapped the boxy toes of her borrowed footwear together and chuckled. “I surely have the
biggest
shoes.”

“Not for much longer,” said Morgan. “My truck’s out by the road. As soon as we’re done, I’ll go see if there’s a pair of my runners in there that you can use instead of those work boots. They’ll be much more comfortable for you. You know, I might have some other clothes too.”

The ellyll cleared his throat. “When yer done with yer fashion planning,” he said, handing the bowl to Caris, “Would you be so good as to take these and place one on the sill of each and every window or any other opening ya happen to notice. Don’t miss a one, now, even if it’s not broken.” He patted her hand. “Top to bottom always works best, so make yer beginnings in the attic. It helps the magic.”

As soon as Caris went upstairs, Morgan turned to the ellyll. “
It helps the magic
? Are you kidding?” she whispered fiercely. “You’re not just fixing glass, you’re charming all the entrances to the house.”

“Aye, well, the glass will be put to rights too, so where’s the harm? And top to bottom
does
help with some spells, dontcha know? Ask yer friend Brooke the next time we visit her fine shop.” To Morgan’s surprise, Ranyon deposited several of the strangely wrapped charms into her palm. She could have sworn he’d put them all into the bowl. “Yer a tall lass, so could you be placing one of these o’er the top of each door that leads to the outside? Set the rest along the kitchen sills, if you please. And best to be checking the cellar fer windows as well.”