It occurred to me too late to tell Rowan where I was going, but I was in a bit of a state. I paced my living room, feeling like I was full of gnats as my insides buzzed and crawled with magical energy.
Fortunately, he appeared moments later. “Are you hurt?” he asked worriedly. “What happened?”
“I felt elfsong! I’m still feeling it! I have to give it back, you need it! How do I give it back? Elo, what did we do?” My heart was definitely pounding as I danced back and forth. He was blocking my pacing path.
“Be still now, take a breath!” He caught me by my shoulders and forced me to stay in place. “Do you remember how to sing? Can you control it?”
It was like we had a second set of vocal cords or something that we used for elfsong, and it took me a little bit to both remember the sensation and remember a song. I finally came up with a calming song, one my father sang regularly to me in the hopes of tempering my enthusiasm.
And it worked. It worked! I had elfsong again!
But no, I should be singing to him, and I tried to imagine it flowing in his direction. Since it seemed strongest when we had our foreheads pressed together, I did so again. The tingle strengthened at the connection, and then began to flow away from me.
There is a hierarchy to elven greetings. Strangers, acquaintances, and healers bowed, the depth of it varying according to rank. Family members embraced, companions and lovers touched foreheads. I don’t know if it was fate or poor balance that kept putting our heads together, but we were across that line at this point.
Well? Why not? We’re stuck with each other now.
Rowan must have been thinking along similar lines, because as the last of the elfsong returned to him, he kissed me.
And damned if he wasn’t good at it, too. I’d thought the Void had also killed my libido, but it came roaring to life at that point, fed by the warm, insistent, repeated press of his lips against mine.
Elfsong came trickling back to me again with those kisses, this time stronger and steadier. He was singing the same song I’d been singing, but it was off, somehow. It had the desired original effect, at least. My heart rate was calming down, and my muscles were relaxing. I made sure I sang it properly this time as I sent it back again, not wanting to mess him up further.
I pulled away before he tried to return it again. He sagged against me and then rocked back, looking a bit stunned. “How are you? Do you think it worked?” I asked.
He nodded, straightened up, blinked a few times, and nodded again. “It . . . it is a great improvement,” he marveled, holding out a hand that was now much steadier than it had been at the bar. “How are you?”
I grinned and fanned myself a little. “I’m good! That was intense. It felt a little weird, but the buzzing’s gone now.”
He turned away, pushing loose strands of hair away from his face. “Dancing?” he mumbled. “Why would it be dancing?”
“Do you like to dance?”
“Dancing is always enjoyable, but never have I felt a significant attachment to it.”
“Perhaps it’s any exercise. Have you done any sword forms or whatever while you’re here? I know that takes a lot of focus, and you’ve said you’re good at it.”
“I have been neglecting it,” he admitted. “I will resume it and see. But I still don’t know how to move it out and back to me again. The purpose is to do it alone.”
“Then we’ll keep trying things, but you can dance with me until you figure it out. I’ll find some tutorials and you can learn all the local dances. There’s a lot of fun ones.”
“Very well.”
“And remember, that’s not an order. If you don’t want to -”
“I want to. But what of you? What if I have done something to you? What if I’ve now made you dependent on elfsong again? You did not wish to return home, but when I leave -”
I hadn’t thought of that, damn it. “We’ll figure that out later. The next thing we need to do is to see how long this lasts before you need to do it again. Or if I need to do it again.” He nodded, but he didn’t look thrilled. More confused than anything.
I tapped his arm. “Smile! We’ve made huge progress! You’re gonna be ok now, you hear me? Look at what we’ve already solved on your first afternoon of working with me. They just don’t know how to use you properly.”
The corner of his mouth twitched, and I thought for a moment he was going to cry. I held my arms out for a hug, and he practically melted into them. “You’re gonna be ok,” I murmured into his ear.
We stood that way for a long, comfortable minute, and I began to wonder how to get out of it. I didn’t want to push him away, and the only other reasonable response I could think of was to kiss him again. Fortunately, I was saved by the muffled ‘ding’ of his viewer. He growled in annoyance into my shoulder, and then pulled back to remove it from his pocket.
“You can turn that off, you know,” I said with a chuckle.
“Then I am scolded for not responding to messages.” He peered at the screen. “Milo has sent down the paperwork. Bryce just forwarded it to me. I will give it to you.”
The names on the simple document were longer than the purpose of the paper.
----------------
Transfer of Duties
Milo, Son of Saoirse Pearl, City Patrol, City Patrol Clerk, Lore Clerk, Lore Secretary, Survivor of the Destruction, Royal Clerk, Royal Secretary, Ilannian Ambassador, and Void Ambassador
Lets it now be known that:
Alpinia, Rowan, son of Hestia Callock and Vernon Alpinia, foster son of Merrin Lachley, Spouse of Celeste Roseli, Royal Companion, Survivor of the Destruction, Ranger of the Forest Patrol, Palace Guardian, Skyhawk, Reborn, Royal Guardian, and Guardian to the Void Ambassador
Has been transferred by Milo to the authority of:
Wilrhyn, Auglathla, daughter of Tamsin Wilrhyn and Cardis Ellisei, Ranger of the Forest Patrol, Crew of The Forthright Swan, Survivor of the Destruction, Transcended, Lyran Portmaster of Linden, where she is known as Aggi WyCliffe.
Let the title of ‘Guardian to the Void Portmaster of Linden’ be added to Alpinia’s Name.
-----------------
“Holy shirtballs, you’re married?” I squawked before I’d gotten very far.
He shifted back uncomfortably. “No longer,” he finally said. “She died.”
I blinked stupidly at him. “Oh. OH. Oh, no. I’m so sorry.” It must have been the reason he’d been in torpor in the first place. We did not handle death and loss well on the rare occasion that it happened. “I didn’t mean to bring it up, I just didn’t expect to see it. You never said, and then you just - um -”
“I do not remember her,” he admitted. “And I only know a small amount. Those that did know her don’t like to talk to me about her, for fear that I will fall into despair again.”
The worst part was, I recognized the name. She’d been a mere one hundred years old - the equivalent of about fourteen in human years - when I gave her knot tying lessons during her visit aboard the Forthright Swan. Cute. Fun. We’d both gotten in trouble. “I guess I won’t say any more, then, either? Can I ask you about ‘skyhawk’ though? It sounds like you can fly or something.”
“I do not remember that, either. But we do have some flying ships - they are a Panatian invention that we modified for our use. They rely on heat to stay afloat. I was one of the operators of the first one. They named it The Skyhawk.”
“Really? A human invention? It sounds like a hot air balloon.”
“It was necessary at first, in order to traverse Lyramir again, but it is a quiet and peaceful way to travel, so it has become a pleasant pastime. I have since ridden in them, but as a passenger, not an operator.”
“Huh. We can do that here, too, if you want. And I see Milo’s not even bothering with his father’s name anymore.”
“Do you know why? No one will talk about it. Even Elorhyn does not know.”
“Because he and his father basically hated each other pretty much from the moment Milo was born? Like, they even had to go before the Court because they tried to kill each other after he came of age and could fight back. It was a nightmare. I think it was really why he always wanted offworld duties.”
“I have never met his father, nor heard him mentioned.”
“Trust me, don’t bring it up. Well, it looks like you have a pretty impressive background! Fighter, pilot, tracking and survival skills, good dancer, even better kisser.” I winked at him, and he actually blushed, the tips of his ears turning pink. “Do you normally kiss your superiors like that?” I taunted, amused.
“They have not been nearly so pleasant to kiss,” he replied, and this time it was my face that were burning. “Your excitement was so infectious that I was pulled in along with it. If a kiss was not your intention, then I must make amends for the unwanted touch.”
“No no, no need, I am not complaining one bit. I just thought we’d have to establish boundaries, since you work for me now.”
“It is your decision which boundaries you wish to establish, if any, as well as my tasks, which so far you have declined to assign. Unless you have thought of some?”
“My only thought is that I want to show Milo up by building a model port. I just have no idea what they’re like, and I figured you’ve traveled a lot more than I have, and could help me. Even a description would do!”
“You’ve never been inside a port hall in your own travels?”
“I usually had to stay on the ship. I may have started a few fights with handsy humans.”
He nodded. “I always had to escort Miribel whenever she had to go to human cities. So many humans are very rude.”
“Miribel?”
“One of my companions. She is Elorhyn’s healer, and rated for offworld travel because of it. I think she would have happily broken her peace vow if I were not there to intervene.”
“Maybe you’ll make an ambassador yet, if you keep having to mediate for aggressive women.”
“I would rather not. I will tell you what I recall of various port halls I have visited, but I cannot promise that my descriptions will be accurate, or complete.”
“It’ll be better than anything I can come up with on my own. Are you hungry? I am. Want to do it over dinner?”
“Yes.”
He was full of surprises tonight. I decided to spring one of my own. “Have you tried tacos yet?”
“Everyone speaks very fondly of them. I will try them.”
I grinned, relieved. He had to be feeling better if he was willing to try something new. “I know just the place!”
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