SaDiablo Hall, Dhemlan, Kaeleer, Midmorning Thursday [Fandom time]
(Cont. from here)
Emma"Morton." Emma kept herself from running up to him, instead giving him a genuinely warm smile and offering him her hand. "Always a pleasure, darling, although I wish it was under better circumstances."
Morton"Lady Emma," Morton returned with a respectful nod and a slight smile of his own. "I share your sentiments."
Emma"I'm going to put a bell on your cousin, I swear," Emma told him. "Have you heard anything new?"
Morton
"Nothing," Morton scowled. "And the bell is probably a good idea. I'll help you pick one out." Because holding onto your sense of humor helped... right?
Emma"An entire necklace of bells," Emma agreed, reaching out to brush her fingers lightly over his arms. "We'll find her, Morton. I promise."
"Afterall..." Emma gestured subtly to the expanse of the Hall, taking in the Fandomites. "I brought you an army, darling. A rather ill-tempered army, true, but there will be no stone unturned in any of your realms by the time they're done."
MortonMorton tensed at her touch for a moment, but then relaxed slightly. And smiled. Just a bit.
"Thank you, Lady," he said softly, falling back on Protocol to mask the warmth in his voice. "It... helps."
Jack"Is the same true for me?" Jack asked.
He was trying to keep his usual joie de vivre in his tone, but Emma no doubt knew him well enough to tell it was a strain.
Emma"Always, Mr. Priest." Emma favored Jack with a smile, offering him her hand. Normally he'd get a kiss, but this was not the time or the place. "Forgive me if I seemed abrupt over the phone, but I have need of your tricksy mind, darling."
JackThis wasn't the place or time for kissing, really. Jack bent over the hand, barely brushing his lips against it in the most formal way he could manage.
"My mind -- and the rest of me -- is yours," he murmured. "And you didn't sound abrupt, just as if you were doing a thousand things. Thank you for taking care of my portal."
Emma"Thank you for coming on such short notice," she murmured in response, brushing against the outskirts of his mind as light as a butterfly wing. "I know Morton appreciates it, and Karla will too."
"Will I need to write a note to your professors, since this is a family emergency?"
JackJack shook a head. "I'll have to get a deferment of a day or so, but it's nothing to worry about. More important I'm here."
Amused, he added, "Are we family, now?"
He'd never been entirely certain what the word meant, beyond Sebastien.
Emma"Well, it's a family emergency for me," Emma decided, a flicker of worry finally crossing her face. "I'm going to put a bell on Karla, I swear."
JackJack touched his own temple, hesitantly. "You can't -- reach out and find her?"
EmmaEmma shook her head. "Wherever she is, she's out of my range," she admitted, frustrated with herself. "I can cover something the size island with ease, but this is too big."
JackA ghost of a smile traced across Jack's face. "She wouldn't be Karla if she made it easy on us. I suppose all we can do is say the game is afoot."
JulianJulian felt that perhaps people needed to be reminded of why they were here, beyond dancing attendance upon landens. "When are we going to start doing anything it takes to find my Queen," Julian growled, pacing back and forth across the carpet. "What in Hell was she even thinking, going off alone?!"
Emma"It's Karla. If you think she's your Queen, you had best get used to her doing Very Stupid Things, and her rather unconventional friends." Emma replied, turning to the boy after she had greeted Morton properly. "Otherwise, get out, because you're going to be no use to us if you're snarling at everything in sight."
JulianJulian was going to just gape at Emma for a moment. Forgive the stupid expression, but no one had ever spoken to him like that. "You can't say that about my Queen!"
The boy had no idea who he was dealing with. Any of them.
KhardeenKhardeen was just going to cough a bit and turn away, becoming very interested in the spread of food. Someone had clearly never met the coven.
Poor thing. He'd never survive.
Emma"Have you met her?" Emma just raised one eyebrow and folded her arms. "I could say a lot worse, and I probably have at some point or another."
She loved her Sister dearly, but sometimes Karla made a specialty out of Being Difficult.
"Now shut your mouth, darling, before you swallow a fly. You look like a codfish."
JulianJulian...couldn't really argue with that. The general impression he'd gotten from Karla was on the side of 'strong-willed.' He'd say 'stubborn as a pig,' but he was trying to be polite, here.
"I do not!"
Brilliant comeback, Prince.
Emma"Fantastic. Ill-mannered and the wit of a limpet." Emma rolled her eyes expressively. "And here I thought any boy who set foot in the Hall had basic Protocol beaten into him by Prince Lucivar."
Khary"He's new," Khary supplied helpfully. "Lucivar was gone before we arrived. We're certain the requisite beating will begin as soon as he gets back though. This one needs a lot of work before he's fit company for anyone."
Khary gave Emma a delighted grin and bowed over her hand. "You must be the Lady Emma. I recognized you from certain pictures sent to Morton. You're by far lovelier in person. I'm Lord Khardeen, and anything Karla's told you about me is an absurd lie, truly."
Emma"Utterly charmed, Lord Khardeen," Emma practically purred. "I'm certain that there's nothing Karla could say that would do justice to you."
Khary could take that as he would; Emma wasn't going to tell what Karla had or had not said about the various boyos at the Hall.
"So Morton's been sharing the pictures, has he? Good, I was afraid he'd keep all the treasure for himself."
Khary"Are you kidding? We'd drum him out of the circle if he'd let them go unshared!" Khary said. "Any more you'd like to send along would be much obliged, truly."
He gave her his most charming smile and added, "Who was that male she was dancing with? We were all wondering."
And possibly planning...things. Good things, really! Like hugs and drinks and certainly not interrogations or anything!
Emma"No one of importance," Emma decreed lightly, waving a hand. "But since I know you're so concerned about Karla's progress at school, I would be happy to continue to send Morton regular updates on her education."
This was Revenge, Karla, for getting kidnapped and making Emma deal with Prince Limpet. Morton would be getting many, many more pictures to share with the boys.
Khary"I think that would be most kind of you," Khary said, looking solemn. "And gracious, of course. I would declare myself forever in your debt, but I've been warned that doing so might not be wise. Of course, I'd be very unsurprised if you didn't drive many a wiser man than I to doing many more foolish thing."
Khary was head-over-heels in love with Morghann. But Emma was gorgeous, he wasn't blind, and flirting with Emma was guaranteed to make at least one, possibly two males grumpy at him. For Khary? It was a win.
Emma"Now now, Khardeen," Emma chided, waving a finger at him. "Flattery, sir, will get you into very dangerous territory."
Khary"Is this where I assure you about the size of my 'bravery'?" Khary asked, grinning to show he didn't mean a whit of it. "I always skipped over this part of the tales to get to the fighting."
Emma"I find that it's not the size of a man's bravery, but how he uses his wit that proves how dangerous and how interesting he can be," she teased.
Khary"By virtue of being Blood, we are all dangerous, Lady," Khary said with a small bow. "But I would never be so stupid as to dictate whether a female finds me interesting or not."
Khary decided right then that they should keep Emma. She was fun. And almost certainly dangerous.
Julian"Hell’s fire and Mother Night," Julian cursed, leaning against a wall. This wasn’t a rescue operation, it was a bloody circus.
CassidyCassidy didn't like the tone of this guy's voice, but she wasn't sure if she would get Karla annoyed if she snapped at one of her males.
"We're her friends," she said in her calmest, adhering to Protocol voice. "We're here to help her and to deal with anyone who gets in our way of getting to her."
Strange how she said that in a respectful, yet cheerful voice.
AaronJulian didn't have a chance to respond to Cassidy. Aaron was going to get to her first.
"Cassidy!" he demanded, grabbing for her arm. "What in the Hell are you doing here? Why are you wearing your Tigers Eye? Why do you look twelve!?"
CassidyPardon here while she stared at Aaron in shock for a fraction of a second, and tried to pull her arm out of his.
"I'm fourteen!" she fired back. "And I wear the Tiger's Eye because I haven't made the Offering yet."
And then like any young Queen being nagged by a male, she stamped her foot. "When did you get older than me?!" And so hot.
Oh he better not get any ideas of acting all Warlordly Prince with her just because she was younger than him.
Aaron"You are not fourteen!" Aaron contradicted, ignoring the fact he was holding a very much younger Cassidy by the arm. And trying not to shake her. "You are twenty-three, you're serving in the Second Circle of your District Queen's Court and you most certainly did have your Offering! I have a gift in my rooms for you and everything!"
It was a little late. Oops.
CassidyHe better not shake her or she would shake him back or kick him. She was getting close to riled as she glared at her cousin.
"I think I would know what my age and my Jewel are, Aaron. I am not twenty-three and perhaps you need to study your mathematics again. I am fourteen and I go to school with Karla."
Aaron"You go to school with Karla?" Aaron demanded. "To her crazy school with no Blood males and short skirts and dances with no chaperons?"
The shaking had commenced. "I won't have it!" he yelled. "Karla may get to go, but not my cousin! Dharo is no Glacia! Where is Uncle Burle so I can pack you home right now?"
Aaron actually looked around, as if he might see his uncle so he could deliver his cousin immediately.
"AND HOW ARE YOU TWELVE?!"
Cassidy"You let go of me!" Cassidy yelled back, kicking him in the shin when he started shaking her. "You are not the boss of me and you don't get to decide what I do or don't do!"
It hadn't occurred to Cassidy that her raising her voice might draw the attention of her friends -- or others -- to her, but she was not going to be yelled at and shaken by someone without reacting. Even if he was her cousin, a Warlord Prince, and hot.
"I am here to help Karla and you can go to Hell if you think you're going to stop me!" She glared at him, her green eyes full of temper. "AND I'M FOURTEEN, NOT TWELVE!"
Family reunions were fun!
Aaron"Mother Night, Cassidy!" Aaron let her go to grab his injured shin, hopping about awkwardly on one foot. "Not I know what Clayton meant about you and pointy shoes."
Realizing that they were indeed starting to draw the attention of others, Aaron stopped hopping and tried to regain some semblance of dignity. "How in the Darkness are you fourteen then?"
CassidyCassidy was still glaring at him as he gotten her very fired up from shaking her.
"Clayton would know better than just to grab me and try to start shaking me," she said tartly.
"Oh, now you're in the mood to ask questions?"
AaronIf Aaron's expression was anything to go by, he was more in the mood to grab Cassidy and shake her again. "Please, lady, indulge my curiosity," he said through gritted teeth.
Cassidy
Two could play the forced courtesy game. Cassidy was positive that this Aaron probably wouldn't survive two days in Fandom.
"I don't know the answer to that any more than I know how you are older, but not smarter." Her voice was still tart. If he shook her again, she might be tempted to kick him somewhere other than his shin. "Karla is my friend and I was very glad to see that she was at the school that mother sent me off to."
Aaron
Well, that answer was pure Cassidy, if nothing else.
"Karla being there is the only reason I'm not bringing you back to Dharo by your hair," Aaron informed her. Well, that and he had no idea how to explain to his aunt and uncle how he'd come into possession of a twelve year old version of their daughter. "Of course, that just means it'll be two of you getting into mischief and not just one!"
Aaron was going to go buy Morton a drink after all this was done. He'd never been responsible for Cassidy, so he'd been completely unaware of how frustrating being the male protector for a cousin could be.
Cassidy"You even try such a thing and your shin won't be the only thing on you that will be bruised, Aaron," Cassidy said sweetly. Well, she said it as sweetly as she could with her jaw clenched. "You are not the boss of me. You are my cousin and a distant one at that, so you have no say so in my life." Oh, Cassidy, so cute in your naivete. "Karla and I don't get into mischief!"
Well, not yet...
Aaron"I am a Warlord Prince, Cassidy," Aaron growled. "I serve and protect. That is my honor, my privilege, and my duty and you do not get to call those into question."
He loomed over her a little, secure as only a male invoking Protocol can be. "I outrank you, I'm--somehow--older than you, and, distant or not, I'm still your family. So, whether you like it or not, little cousin, right now I serve you. And the first rule of service is not obedience."
CassidyCassidy looked like she wanted to hit him, but she restrained herself. She was confused enough about how Aaron was older than her here, and now he was invoking Protocol?! It just wasn't fair! Her own training was too ingrained in her not to respect who and what he was, but that didn't mean she wasn't going to do her best to extract herself from this situation.
"I apologize, Prince," Cassidy said as pleasantly as she could with her teeth clenched like that. "I would never call any of those things into question or insult a male by implying otherwise." She gave him the brightest smile she could give him. "But since I won't be here very long, you don't need to worry about me."
Yes, because when she went back to school he wouldn't try to keep tabs on her now that he knew a younger her existed?
Aaron"No, you're about to go traipsing all over Kaeleer searching for our errant Sister," Aaron corrected. "The only reason I'm not keeping you strapped to my back is because if Karla's in Glacia like we assume, it's going to be far more dangerous for us than it is where you're going. Though I'm going to make certain Morton knows exactly who and what you are and does his damnedest to keep you safe."
Aaron raked a hand through his hair and began pacing. "Keeping you here at the Hall is a bad plan. The High Lord is already on. Maybe I can send you to Nharkhava to wait for us. Kalush would know what to do with you."
CassidyOh Aaron.
"Keeping me strapped..." Cassidy sputtered. "Making sure he... sending me... KALUSH WOULD KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH ME?!" There was indeed a temper that went along with all of that red hair and Cassidy was dangerously close to losing it completely. Only the respect she had for the High Lord kept her from using Craft to make her voice a loud shout as she railed at her cousin.
"You may be a Warlord Prince... you may outrank me and you may be family, but I am still a Queen and you will not treat me like I am some unwanted baggage that you can just stick in a closet somewhere!" She was so angry and upset that it was a concentrated effort to keep her voice from shaking. "I may not be pretty like every other female around here, but I am still a capable witch and a person and I will not be treated as less because of it."
Her psychic scent was filled with anger and hurt as she glared at Aaron.
Aaron
"Who says you aren't pretty!" Aaron demanded, looking around the room as if he could find the person responsible. It was perhaps telling that his eyes first darted over to Julian.
The he gave himself a small shake, realizing that was unimportant right now. "Dammit, Cassidy, this in no time for teenage vanity!" he snapped, suddenly missing his older, wiser, calmer cousin. His Cassidy might have gone through a similar phase as a girl, but he'd been too young to pay much attention to them, thank the Darkness.
Though he didn't think it was fair that he had to witness them now, either. "What the Hell does your face have to do with me wanting to keep you safe? You don't think I see what Morton's going through right now?" He dropped his voice to a low hiss, willing Cassidy to understand. "He has no idea where Karla is and can only fear the worst. I know you think you understand what dangers are out there, but you don't. Neither of us really do! And that's because Dharo is a safe place, a good place, thank the Darkness. Do you honestly think I can accept the idea of my cousin throwing herself into danger and just be comfortable with it? Every instinct I've got is screaming at me to tuck you away somewhere safe because I don't want to have to wear the expression Morton does when he thinks no one is looking."
CassidyCassidy was so startled by his vehemence about her looks and then his comparison between him and Morton that only her determination kept her from stumbling back in surprise. It hadn't occurred to her that the reason that Aaron was being so unreasonable -- in her opinion -- about her age and her being here was because he was fearful for her. The further surprise came when he admitted that she wasn't the only one of them that might not understand the dangers that existed outside of Dharo.
This was one of those situations that she would have argued further, or she might have showed him the memories from the dying island around her, but she did something different instead. (Besides, if her ever found out about that happening at the school, he might follow through with his threats to stash her somewhere. She took a deep breath and then lifted her hand towards him.
"Wait, Prince" she said gently, in the tone she had heard her mother use on her father many times. "Wait." She looked at him and her tone continued to stay calm. "Aaron. I didn't realize, cousin, and I apologize that it was not clear to me that seeing me here and at this age has been a shock that you weren't expecting on top of the disappearance of our Sister and whatever has happened to Lady Jaenelle. All I saw was that an excited male was yelling at me and telling me what I would and would not do and then talking about sending me off somewhere until you knew what to do with me. I should have sensed that and held my temper better."
Because really. Her world's Aaron was protective of her, but he was also younger than her and so she wasn't used to this kind of behavior from him.
"I didn't come here to cause you distress. I came here with the rest of the group from Fandom because we care about Karla. I know that there are so many things outside of Dharo that aren't like what I'm used to. Aaron, I go to a school in another world -- that your Aunt Devra insisted I go to so that she didn't have to be so worried about the stories coming to Dharo and her daughter. What kind of stories would cause someone as stubborn as Devra to send me to another world -- and which ones would have Uncle Burle and Clayton agreeing with her? So, I do know that there are bad things out there and dangers that I have never thought of. I know I could get hurt here, but I can get hurt anywhere. That's just how life is for all of us."
She looked over at Morton and then looked back at Aaron. Her voice was still in the calm male soothing tone. "I don't want you to ever have to wear that expression over me, but hiding me away is not the best way to that. Queens have just as many duties and privileges that are important to us and are as much of a part of us as yours are. When Karla disappeared, everything within me pushed to get here so quickly in order to do what I could to help her."
AaronThere was a huge difference between a Queen riding out to oversee her holdings, surrounded by the males of her Court, and Cassidy flinging herself into danger in a foreign Territory, surrounded only by some half-grown friends from school. And besides, he only wanted to hide her away until she was a little older, a little more mature. Say...twenty. Maybe twenty-five. Twenty-eight at the latest, really.
Except he couldn't. Yet, anyway. Right now, their priority had to be to get Karla away from whoever had her. The fears he had about Cassidy's safety was nothing compared to the dangerous reality Karla was facing.
That didn't stop him from leaning forward and grasping her shoulders again. This time, however, his grip was gentler. He had her attention right now and couldn't afford to lose it again. "You will listen to whatever Morton says," he told her. "If he says to run and hide, you will. No questions, no hesitations, no protestations. I don't care who you leave behind or what happens, you hear me? You will do as he says and keep yourself safe. Promise me, Cassidy. On your Jewels, promise me."
CassidyThe expression on her face and in her eyes showed very clearly that Cassidy did not like the idea of having to make a choice like that. While some of these people she didn't know, she knew Raven and had seen others of the group. She wasn't happy that she might be forced to leave them to danger in order to save herself.
A Queen takes care of her people and those in service to her.
She could hear that lesson from her tutors as clear as if they were standing next to her. Aaron had already invoked Protocol and declared himself in her service, so there was no way she could sidestep that by pretending otherwise. She knew that nothing she might say besides what he wanted her to say would get Aaron to allow her to leave the Hall to search for Karla. She had no doubts that he would do as he had threatened and get one of the High Lord's people to take her away somewhere.
She took a deep breath and blinked back the tears of emotion and frustration that she really didn't want anyone -- much less her cousin -- to see.
"All right," she finally said quietly, in a voice that said how unhappy she was about this. "On my Jewels, Aaron, I promise that I will stick close to Morton and do whatever he tells me to do." She swallowed, and her voice became firmer. "I will do anything I have to in order to stay safe. No matter what."
It was probably a good thing for both of them that Cassidy didn't even consider that Karla might be able to circumvent this, huh?
Aaron
Aaron drew Cassidy to him, enfolding her in a tight hug. "Everything has a price," he murmured in her ear, voice rough with understanding. "Part of being a Queen means making tough promises like that to the males who wish to keep you safe." Then he set her back, dropping his arms to his sides. "And the price of being an overprotective male is sometimes having to watch those you care about go into danger."
He gave her a small smile. "Thank you for your promise, Lady."
Dinah
Dinah gave Morton a small smile and sent, I'd hug you if there was time before saying, "We're here to help. Any way we can. Where's Prince Saetan?"
Yeah, protocol, not so much her strong suit.
Morton
"He's... planning." Not brooding. Or stalking around his office angrily.
That would be undignified.
Dinah
And that would never do!
Dinah shot a look toward the Prince of Hell's office, and asked, "Does he know we're here? I'm assuming. And-- I'm guessing we should wait for him, hunh?" Impatient, impatient, but no reason to piss off Karla's uncle when he was already pissed.
Morton
"He knows. And," Morton smiled just a bit, "waiting is probably a good idea. It's rarely a good idea to interrupt him."
Dinah
"Ohhhh, maaaan..." Dinah sighed, restless, then smiled back. "So, are any of those guys Karla met her last time here going to help, you think?"
Morton
"I've got a few of them looking for her. We're still not sure exactly what happened to her. He sighed and gestured towards Julian. "He insisted on leading the search party in Glacia."
Dinah
"Anything I can do right now? Aside from stuff my face?"
Morton
"Nothing comes to mind. Just be ready. I'm hoping to know something soon."
Khary
After a while of watching Julian stalk around and make an ass out of himself at every opportunity, Khary had had about enough. "You're going to have a problem dealing with Karla if that's the kind of attitude you're going to serve her with," he snapped, cornering Julian by the food. He was generally easy-going, but Julian was testing even his temper. "You know nothing of her."
Julian
"Lady Karla," Julian contested. He didn’t like how all the males here were so free with his Queen’s name.
He was not making friends today.
Dinah
"You, I like," Dinah said to the darker-haired guy. "And you," she turned to Julian, "are the guy Karla got into a pissing contest with when she was here, and won against, or I'll eat Beale's vest."
Julian"She did not!" Julian denied hotly. "I mean, we did not!"
They had simply...made one another's acquaintance! No pissing contests involved!
...And she hadn't won! They'd tied!
Dinah
Dinah grinned back at the new guy and then said to Julian, "Look. I get that we're setting off some territorial instinct we don't even understand, plus it looks bad that most of us are blowing off protocol right and left." She pointed at the dark-haired guy. "He gets that we're from so far away none of your rules about magic or good behavior apply. Right now, we can't care about that. Can't." She stressed that. "You're Court. We're family. Got it?" She grinned at dark-haired guy. "I'm Dinah. Karla might have mentioned me as the blonde who coaxed honey-pears out of Mrs. Beale, and then hit Lucivar."
Khary
"She did. I'm half in love already," Khary assured Dinah. "If it weren't for everything that's going on right now, I'd invite you in back and watch you hit Lucivar some more."
Julian
"Why are you constantly joking?!" Julian snapped at Khary, since he didn't think it wise to express his frustration towards Dinah directly. "My Queen is missing. Do you not understand how dangerous it is for her?"
Dinah
Dinah laughed at Khary, then sobered, and grimaced at Julian. "And what are you accomplishing, snapping at everyone and assuming we're stupid? We can't do anything useful until her uncle tells us what's up; we know way better than you what could happen. If we're not dwelling on it every single second it's so we don't go insane."
Khary
Khary didn't even glance at Dinah, glaring steadily at Julian. "Your caste might outrank mine, Prince," he said coldly, "But Karla was my friend long before she was anything to you. So don't you question my dedication to her again. Are we very clear."
It wasn't a question.
Dinah
Dinah leaned over and suddenly hugged Khary. "Noooo fighting. Against Protocol. You can't hit him if I'm hugging him," she told Julian.
Khary
"I don't need you to protect me, Lady," Khary growled, his attention still on Julian.
Julian
"Are you sure?" Julian asked snidely. "Or perhaps it will be better, do I leave you here and go off to Glacia myself!"
Dinah
"No, I'm protecting him. I'm sure you can take him..." At Julian's words, Dinah tightened her arms on Khary, and then asked, "Is there a reason I can't just punch him and get it over with myself?"
Aaron
"As amusing as I think we might all find it..." Aaron crossed the distance to them, his expression unreadable, "...I believe that it is time we left for Glacia."
When Julian opened his mouth to say something, Aaron just coolly stared him down. "I outrank you, puppy. You're in such a hurry to find your Queen that you can't even remember basic courtesies, then it is clearly time we left."
Only then, did Aaron turn to Dinah. "Lady," he said with a small bow. "If you could release Lord Khardeen? He's starting to look far too comfortable in your embrace." The last was said with a small smile, so she'd know he was only teasing.
Dinah
"Awwwww." Dinah grinned back at him, liking Aaron immediately too, and with a last squeezing hug, let Khary go. "Smart guy wins." She gave Julian one last glare. "Learn to make friends, guy." To Khary she said, "I'm so telling Karla how cool you are when I see her."
Julian
"If we're going, can we please go?" Julian demanded. "Rather than standing around, admiring our wit?" It was like they weren’t even worried about Karla, standing around, eating and flirting with landen females! What was wrong with them?
Dinah
"It's not too late for me to hit him. Just a little," Dinah reminded the other two.
KharyRather than say anything and further delay their departure, Khary just gave Dinah one more quick bow, exchanged eye-rolls with Aaron, and proceeded to practically frog-march Julian from the room.
He was going to tell Karla all about how good he'd been, not telling Prince Julian exactly how much of a jackass he was. Or letting her friend beat him up, even a little bit.
BealeNo more than ten minutes after Aaron, Khardeen, and Julian had caught the Purple Dusk Wind to Glacia to search for signs of Karla there, Beale entered the room quietly, a bundle in his arms. "Ladies? My Lords? A moment of your time please."
He set down bundle, the t-shirt on top recognizable as one of Karla's. "This was just delivered from the Keep," he said, his voice carefully neutral. "It was hidden away in the rooms Lady Karla had stayed in when she arrived from school. Lady Draca sent along this as well."
He held out an envelope. In Karla's loopy scrawl there was a single name on it: High Lord.
Saetan SaDiablo, High Lord of Hell
"I will take it then, Beale," Saetan said from the doorway behind him.
Saetan looked...old. Defeated. His shoulders were slumped and he shuffled rather than walked. The Jewel at his neck was Red, as was the ring on his finger.
He called in his half-moon glasses as Beale handed over the envelope, and slit the top with a fingernail.
"Forgive me," he read aloud. "But she is my Sister, my friend, my Queen. I cannot simply return to school as Lucivar bid. I am going after them to help. Forgive me."
He cleared his throat. "It's signed 'Karla,'" he announced. As if anyone had any question.
Beale"Lady Draca said that her belongings were found near the remains of a tangled web," Beale continued. "Apparently, Karla wished to make sure that they would not be found for several days."
JackA flash of anger slashed through Jack like a knife. "Is there any chance," he asked carefully, in a level tone that meant he was very mad indeed, "she would have taken anyone or anything? A servant, a dog, anybody at all?"
Saetan"Karla? When she's intent on mischief?" Saetan snorted, but his derision was aimed at his wayward niece, rather than Jack. "Of course not. If she's trying to keep up with Lucivar and Jaenelle, she's best going alone. Never mind what dangers that opens her up to."
JackJack nodded slowly. "I thought as much," he said. "So any number of things could have happened. How much protection would magic be for a woman alone?"
Saetan"Karla's very strong," Saetan said quietly, passing his hand over his eyes. "I would like to say that in Kaeeler, it wouldn't matter how gifted in Craft she is, but I think there's no point in arguing that anymore, is there?"
Saetan looked back to Jack. "I would trust Karla to handle herself against any single person she came up against. It's the odds of her coming upon anyone, singular, that concern me."
Jack"No, that's what I meant," Jack said. If Karla had run into some gang and gotten herself killed or -- worse, he wasn't going to do anything except make things more awful by speculating about it. His voice was lower as he murmured, "I just wish she wasn't alone."
He stepped back into the throng then, letting others ask Saetan their questions.
DinahAfter a moment's shock, Dinah nodded. "Right. Which direction did they go? And how fast can we get there?"
She was going to be first in line to shake Karla when this was over, yes.
Ben"And what will we be facing?" Ben added, feeling that to be a more important question. From the vague way the boyos had talked around Saeten's anger and Lucivar's disappearance...he had a bad feeling about this even with the threat of kidnapping removed. "What is Askavi--" he pronounced the word carefully, "--like?"
Saetan"Askavi itself is a fairly lovely Territory," Saetan said slowly. Without being bid, Beale brought a chair for the High Lord to sit in and a glass of yarbarah. Even without the events of the past few days, the strength of the noonday sun would still be debilitating for him. "The terrain is mostly mountains and valleys, the traditional Territory of the Eyrien people."
He took a long sip of yarbarah, then made a face and summoned a tongue of witchfire to warm it. That he had forgotten to do so earlier was a sign of how much he had on his mind.
"Karla came to Kaeleer because she dreamed about the attack Jaenelle suffered in Little Terreille. In the simplest terms, while Jaenelle was in Little Terreille, she ended up signing a marriage contract, supposedly of her own free will, but I doubt that. Before she was locked into the bridal suite with her new husband, she was given a dose of a drug called safframate."
BenBen's eyes narrowed. "Which does what?"
He would bet his shiny red landspeeder that the answer wasn't going to be something he liked.
SaetanIt was a sucker's bet, really.
"Safframate," Saetan explained, his voice striving for neutral and scholarly detachment, "is a sexual stimulant that's used to prolong stamina, prolong one's ability to give pleasure. The seeds are the size of a snapdragon seed. Normally, to enjoy the effects, one would add one or two crushed seeds to a glass of wine and they would last until morning."
He blew out the tongue of witchfire and tried to raise the glass to his lips. His hand trembled so badly, he just set the cup aside instead. "In certain places, rather than one or two seeds, they crush it into a powder and use it by the spoonful. Pleasure very quickly becomes pain. The body becomes so stimulated, that contact with anything hurts. The sex drive obliterates anything else, but that much safframate also blocks the ability to achieve orgasm. So there's no release, just driving need and sensitivity that's constantly increased by the stimulation."
He didn't add how he’d learned about the latter effects.
TahiriPleasure and pain . . . Tahiri understood that, instinctively, though never quite on this level.
She ducked her head, turning bright red and not saying a word.
Ben"Forgive me for asking this," Ben said, blushing to his hairline and not meeting anyone's eyes, "but how would Karla think she would be able to help?"
SaetanSaetan had just finally managed a sip of his yarbarah when Ben asked his question. Choking, he called into a handkerchief and coughed a little into it, before folding it and tucking it away.
"Excuse me," he said formally, his color high. "Ahem." It took him another few seconds before he could even begin to answer that question.
"Not...like that, I am certain. Lucivar's plan was to take Jaenelle hunting in Askavi. Being overdosed on safframate can lead to violence just as easily as it does sex. Moreso, even. Knowing that Jaenelle would never consent to sex, even for the small relief it might give her, Lucivar hoped that she might be willing to unleash the violence instead."
Neither Saetan nor Lucivar expected Lucivar to come back from the trip. It was obvious in Saetan's momentarily broken expression, almost immediately shuttered away.
"I can only assume Karla thought Jaenelle would be more comfortable having another female around. One small and slight, who wouldn't present a threat. Being dosed with safframate might bring up...bad associations for Jaenelle, even if she doesn't consciously remember them."
Briarwood is the pretty poison. There is no cure for Briarwood.
Raven"When we find them" -- not if -- "I may be able to heal the poison from Jaenelle," Raven offered quietly. Given what she'd just heard described, however, she would want someone to tie her up or knock her over the head until she worked it out of her system.
Of course, they just had to find Jaenelle and Karla first.
Saetan"I would be most obliged to you if you could," Saetan replied with grave courtesy. "Jaenelle would never forgive herself if she accidentally brought harm onto Lucivar or Karla because she was under the influence of safframate."
Raven"Will the safframate make her resistant to the thought of healing?" Raven asked. If Jaenelle refused her, she wanted permission to heal her anyway.
If it were Karla, she wouldn't ask permission, she'd just do it.
Saetan"I don't think so?" Saetan said. "Though I highly doubt it is something that can simply be Healed, Lady. It isn't an illness or injury."
Raven"I am no ordinary healer," Raven said proudly. "There is very little I cannot heal. I can remove toxins from the blood as surely as I can heal wounds to the flesh."
It came in handy for curing hangovers, as some could attest to.
Saetan"We would appreciate it should you just make the attempt," Saetan said. "I don’t know how long the safframate can last in her system, but if you can ease it at all, Raven, you would have my thanks."
TaraTara wasn't sure her locating spell would even work in Kaeleer, but Karla's friends seemed interested in it, and it would be foolish not to at least try.
"I need a quiet room," she said softly. "And, um, a map of the area she's gone to -- as detailed as you have."
Patting her satchel, she added, "I brought everything else with me."
SaetanSaetan looked over at her and offered her a smile. "I can offer you the use of my study," he said. "And I am certain I have a map of Askavi that will serve. May I show you?"
He stood, taking longer to do so than he really would have liked, and offered his arm.
Tara"Of course," Tara said, watching him with some anxiety. His hesitation wasn't much, but it was enough that she could tell the stress was taking a toll on him.
She took his arm and obediently followed after him, going over the Latin phrases she'd need in her head.
SaetanSaetan led her into a large study, tastefully decorated in dark woods, burgundies, leather, and brass fixtures. Wealth and taste were evident here, though they played second fiddle to comfort and a love of books. Several walls were devoted to shelves of leather-bound, with oversized leather chairs available to curl up in.
The focus of the room, however, was Saetan's large, ravenwood desk. Pens, ink, and paper were scattered across the surface, but Saetan vanished those with a wave and steered Tara over to it. "Feel free to do whatever you need to," he advised, fetching a detailed map of Askavi and laying it on the desk. He affixed it in place with a bit of Craft, "Is there anything else I can fetch, my dear?"
TaraTara shook her head mutely. She'd never tried a spell like this without sitting on the ground, but the chair could hardly ruin things, and she was too intimidated by the setting to want to risk getting her spell supplies on the rug. She took a seat before the map, and, hesitantly, looked to Saetan.
"Do we have anything of Karla's?" she asked. "I can do this without it, but it'd make -- it'd make tracking the energy easier."
SaetanSaetan called in the bundle of clothing and belongings Karla had left at the Keep. "Will these suffice?" he asked. "I can send Helene to fetch some of the things Karla leaves in her suite, if you'd prefer."
He realized he was hovering rather anxiously over Tara's shoulder and took a step back. "Say whatever it is you need and you'll have it," he said.
TaraTara seemed surprised at the size of the bundle, and picked through it with a delicate hand until she came upon a handkerchief. "Just this is fine," she said. "And -- I mean, you can stay in the room, but could you go sit down, please?"
She was reaching for her satchel and trying to gather her focus.
SaetanSaetan wheezed a slight chuckle. "I apologize. I'm doing an excellent impression of hummingbird. I'd like to stay, if you don't mind and you're certain my presence won't interfere. I'm interested in the way other witches use Craft."
TaraTara shook her head. "No, it should be fine. I, I might kind of use your power, like a battery or something. Let me know if you feel it."
She smoothed the map, and wrapped some herbs and a crystal in Karla's handkerchief, which she then set neatly to the side of the paper. "We're here?" she checked, tapping a finger at more or less the right place.
SaetanSaetan glanced at Tara's finger and nodded. "Yes, just over the border in Dhemlan. The Keep, where she ran away from is here," he pointed to a different spot, where Ebon Askavi was scripted, "--and we're pretty sure that she followed Jaenelle and Lucivar here."
He gestured towards a large section of the map, empty save for a few villages and a lot of forest.
Tara"That's about what I thought," Tara muttered, almost to herself. She still wished Saetan wouldn't hover, but he'd given her all the help she needed. She reached into her satchel and pulled out a small packet of some dried herb, sprinkling it over the map, then lifted her hands over it and began to chant in some ancient tongue.
At first, it probably looked like nothing was happening. Then the powder lit up a bit and started to swirl and move of its own accord, eventually concentrating in one spot on the map.
"That ... should be where she is," Tara said, sounding a bit worried. "Would that make sense?"
SaetanSorry! But Saetan was worried! And curious!
...And kind of hovery by default. He'd at least gone around to the other side of the desk so as not to be sitting at Tara's elbow the entire time.
Out of politeness, he hid his surprise at what Tara was able to do. Not that he'd doubted Tara's claims to being witch--exactly--but had thought it was more of an honorary thing, like Karla's granting of male caste titles to her friends. But then seeing Tara's magic--a magic that was different from anything he'd ever seen--it had been a pleasant surprise.
"Hmmm..." Saetan bent over, examining the map. "Mostly in the wilderness, as I suspected, but...what's this?" He looked to Tara for permission to brush away the powder. "I think there's a village here."
TaraTara nodded softly, granting the permission. She felt drained but pleased, as if she'd been walking a long way and had finally arrived at her destination.
"Then she's probably in the village," the girl suggested. "I-if it's small it shouldn't take long to find her at all."
Or she could get a more detailed map of the village and repeat the process, but she wanted to conserve her supplies and her energy until she knew they were needed.
Saetan"This marking shows that it's a landen village," Saetan said, tapping the map. "So it shouldn't be too large."
"Though why they'd be there is a mystery," he murmured. "A landen village especially. They were going to avoid populated areas entirely. It's...safer that way."
TaraTara raised her eyebrows. "Could they be there against their will?" she asked in a hushed voice.
Saetan"I don't know," Saetan said, looking even more concerned. "I'm not sure what could compel them in a village of landens."
Saetan was having trouble thinking of any scenario that ended with them in the village that didn't mean significant trouble.
"Perhaps I should go with you," he mused. "Whatever is happening, it's affecting my son, my daughter, and my niece. I don't--"
His head tilted for a minute as he paused. "And it seems my guests from the Dark Council have arrived," he said, his lips thinning with dislike. "It appears that regardless of what is happening in this landen village, I will not be able to accompany you."
Tara"You won't ...." Tara's voice trailed off, and she gulped nervously. "It's all right," she said. "Now we have a place to look. The rest will be easy."
She couldn't even make that sound convincing, as much as she wanted to.
Emma"Morton." Emma kept herself from running up to him, instead giving him a genuinely warm smile and offering him her hand. "Always a pleasure, darling, although I wish it was under better circumstances."
Morton"Lady Emma," Morton returned with a respectful nod and a slight smile of his own. "I share your sentiments."
Emma"I'm going to put a bell on your cousin, I swear," Emma told him. "Have you heard anything new?"
Morton
"Nothing," Morton scowled. "And the bell is probably a good idea. I'll help you pick one out." Because holding onto your sense of humor helped... right?
Emma"An entire necklace of bells," Emma agreed, reaching out to brush her fingers lightly over his arms. "We'll find her, Morton. I promise."
"Afterall..." Emma gestured subtly to the expanse of the Hall, taking in the Fandomites. "I brought you an army, darling. A rather ill-tempered army, true, but there will be no stone unturned in any of your realms by the time they're done."
MortonMorton tensed at her touch for a moment, but then relaxed slightly. And smiled. Just a bit.
"Thank you, Lady," he said softly, falling back on Protocol to mask the warmth in his voice. "It... helps."
Jack"Is the same true for me?" Jack asked.
He was trying to keep his usual joie de vivre in his tone, but Emma no doubt knew him well enough to tell it was a strain.
Emma"Always, Mr. Priest." Emma favored Jack with a smile, offering him her hand. Normally he'd get a kiss, but this was not the time or the place. "Forgive me if I seemed abrupt over the phone, but I have need of your tricksy mind, darling."
JackThis wasn't the place or time for kissing, really. Jack bent over the hand, barely brushing his lips against it in the most formal way he could manage.
"My mind -- and the rest of me -- is yours," he murmured. "And you didn't sound abrupt, just as if you were doing a thousand things. Thank you for taking care of my portal."
Emma"Thank you for coming on such short notice," she murmured in response, brushing against the outskirts of his mind as light as a butterfly wing. "I know Morton appreciates it, and Karla will too."
"Will I need to write a note to your professors, since this is a family emergency?"
JackJack shook a head. "I'll have to get a deferment of a day or so, but it's nothing to worry about. More important I'm here."
Amused, he added, "Are we family, now?"
He'd never been entirely certain what the word meant, beyond Sebastien.
Emma"Well, it's a family emergency for me," Emma decided, a flicker of worry finally crossing her face. "I'm going to put a bell on Karla, I swear."
JackJack touched his own temple, hesitantly. "You can't -- reach out and find her?"
EmmaEmma shook her head. "Wherever she is, she's out of my range," she admitted, frustrated with herself. "I can cover something the size island with ease, but this is too big."
JackA ghost of a smile traced across Jack's face. "She wouldn't be Karla if she made it easy on us. I suppose all we can do is say the game is afoot."
JulianJulian felt that perhaps people needed to be reminded of why they were here, beyond dancing attendance upon landens. "When are we going to start doing anything it takes to find my Queen," Julian growled, pacing back and forth across the carpet. "What in Hell was she even thinking, going off alone?!"
Emma"It's Karla. If you think she's your Queen, you had best get used to her doing Very Stupid Things, and her rather unconventional friends." Emma replied, turning to the boy after she had greeted Morton properly. "Otherwise, get out, because you're going to be no use to us if you're snarling at everything in sight."
JulianJulian was going to just gape at Emma for a moment. Forgive the stupid expression, but no one had ever spoken to him like that. "You can't say that about my Queen!"
The boy had no idea who he was dealing with. Any of them.
KhardeenKhardeen was just going to cough a bit and turn away, becoming very interested in the spread of food. Someone had clearly never met the coven.
Poor thing. He'd never survive.
Emma"Have you met her?" Emma just raised one eyebrow and folded her arms. "I could say a lot worse, and I probably have at some point or another."
She loved her Sister dearly, but sometimes Karla made a specialty out of Being Difficult.
"Now shut your mouth, darling, before you swallow a fly. You look like a codfish."
JulianJulian...couldn't really argue with that. The general impression he'd gotten from Karla was on the side of 'strong-willed.' He'd say 'stubborn as a pig,' but he was trying to be polite, here.
"I do not!"
Brilliant comeback, Prince.
Emma"Fantastic. Ill-mannered and the wit of a limpet." Emma rolled her eyes expressively. "And here I thought any boy who set foot in the Hall had basic Protocol beaten into him by Prince Lucivar."
Khary"He's new," Khary supplied helpfully. "Lucivar was gone before we arrived. We're certain the requisite beating will begin as soon as he gets back though. This one needs a lot of work before he's fit company for anyone."
Khary gave Emma a delighted grin and bowed over her hand. "You must be the Lady Emma. I recognized you from certain pictures sent to Morton. You're by far lovelier in person. I'm Lord Khardeen, and anything Karla's told you about me is an absurd lie, truly."
Emma"Utterly charmed, Lord Khardeen," Emma practically purred. "I'm certain that there's nothing Karla could say that would do justice to you."
Khary could take that as he would; Emma wasn't going to tell what Karla had or had not said about the various boyos at the Hall.
"So Morton's been sharing the pictures, has he? Good, I was afraid he'd keep all the treasure for himself."
Khary"Are you kidding? We'd drum him out of the circle if he'd let them go unshared!" Khary said. "Any more you'd like to send along would be much obliged, truly."
He gave her his most charming smile and added, "Who was that male she was dancing with? We were all wondering."
And possibly planning...things. Good things, really! Like hugs and drinks and certainly not interrogations or anything!
Emma"No one of importance," Emma decreed lightly, waving a hand. "But since I know you're so concerned about Karla's progress at school, I would be happy to continue to send Morton regular updates on her education."
This was Revenge, Karla, for getting kidnapped and making Emma deal with Prince Limpet. Morton would be getting many, many more pictures to share with the boys.
Khary"I think that would be most kind of you," Khary said, looking solemn. "And gracious, of course. I would declare myself forever in your debt, but I've been warned that doing so might not be wise. Of course, I'd be very unsurprised if you didn't drive many a wiser man than I to doing many more foolish thing."
Khary was head-over-heels in love with Morghann. But Emma was gorgeous, he wasn't blind, and flirting with Emma was guaranteed to make at least one, possibly two males grumpy at him. For Khary? It was a win.
Emma"Now now, Khardeen," Emma chided, waving a finger at him. "Flattery, sir, will get you into very dangerous territory."
Khary"Is this where I assure you about the size of my 'bravery'?" Khary asked, grinning to show he didn't mean a whit of it. "I always skipped over this part of the tales to get to the fighting."
Emma"I find that it's not the size of a man's bravery, but how he uses his wit that proves how dangerous and how interesting he can be," she teased.
Khary"By virtue of being Blood, we are all dangerous, Lady," Khary said with a small bow. "But I would never be so stupid as to dictate whether a female finds me interesting or not."
Khary decided right then that they should keep Emma. She was fun. And almost certainly dangerous.
Julian"Hell’s fire and Mother Night," Julian cursed, leaning against a wall. This wasn’t a rescue operation, it was a bloody circus.
CassidyCassidy didn't like the tone of this guy's voice, but she wasn't sure if she would get Karla annoyed if she snapped at one of her males.
"We're her friends," she said in her calmest, adhering to Protocol voice. "We're here to help her and to deal with anyone who gets in our way of getting to her."
Strange how she said that in a respectful, yet cheerful voice.
AaronJulian didn't have a chance to respond to Cassidy. Aaron was going to get to her first.
"Cassidy!" he demanded, grabbing for her arm. "What in the Hell are you doing here? Why are you wearing your Tigers Eye? Why do you look twelve!?"
CassidyPardon here while she stared at Aaron in shock for a fraction of a second, and tried to pull her arm out of his.
"I'm fourteen!" she fired back. "And I wear the Tiger's Eye because I haven't made the Offering yet."
And then like any young Queen being nagged by a male, she stamped her foot. "When did you get older than me?!" And so hot.
Oh he better not get any ideas of acting all Warlordly Prince with her just because she was younger than him.
Aaron"You are not fourteen!" Aaron contradicted, ignoring the fact he was holding a very much younger Cassidy by the arm. And trying not to shake her. "You are twenty-three, you're serving in the Second Circle of your District Queen's Court and you most certainly did have your Offering! I have a gift in my rooms for you and everything!"
It was a little late. Oops.
CassidyHe better not shake her or she would shake him back or kick him. She was getting close to riled as she glared at her cousin.
"I think I would know what my age and my Jewel are, Aaron. I am not twenty-three and perhaps you need to study your mathematics again. I am fourteen and I go to school with Karla."
Aaron"You go to school with Karla?" Aaron demanded. "To her crazy school with no Blood males and short skirts and dances with no chaperons?"
The shaking had commenced. "I won't have it!" he yelled. "Karla may get to go, but not my cousin! Dharo is no Glacia! Where is Uncle Burle so I can pack you home right now?"
Aaron actually looked around, as if he might see his uncle so he could deliver his cousin immediately.
"AND HOW ARE YOU TWELVE?!"
Cassidy"You let go of me!" Cassidy yelled back, kicking him in the shin when he started shaking her. "You are not the boss of me and you don't get to decide what I do or don't do!"
It hadn't occurred to Cassidy that her raising her voice might draw the attention of her friends -- or others -- to her, but she was not going to be yelled at and shaken by someone without reacting. Even if he was her cousin, a Warlord Prince, and hot.
"I am here to help Karla and you can go to Hell if you think you're going to stop me!" She glared at him, her green eyes full of temper. "AND I'M FOURTEEN, NOT TWELVE!"
Family reunions were fun!
Aaron"Mother Night, Cassidy!" Aaron let her go to grab his injured shin, hopping about awkwardly on one foot. "Not I know what Clayton meant about you and pointy shoes."
Realizing that they were indeed starting to draw the attention of others, Aaron stopped hopping and tried to regain some semblance of dignity. "How in the Darkness are you fourteen then?"
CassidyCassidy was still glaring at him as he gotten her very fired up from shaking her.
"Clayton would know better than just to grab me and try to start shaking me," she said tartly.
"Oh, now you're in the mood to ask questions?"
AaronIf Aaron's expression was anything to go by, he was more in the mood to grab Cassidy and shake her again. "Please, lady, indulge my curiosity," he said through gritted teeth.
Cassidy
Two could play the forced courtesy game. Cassidy was positive that this Aaron probably wouldn't survive two days in Fandom.
"I don't know the answer to that any more than I know how you are older, but not smarter." Her voice was still tart. If he shook her again, she might be tempted to kick him somewhere other than his shin. "Karla is my friend and I was very glad to see that she was at the school that mother sent me off to."
Aaron
Well, that answer was pure Cassidy, if nothing else.
"Karla being there is the only reason I'm not bringing you back to Dharo by your hair," Aaron informed her. Well, that and he had no idea how to explain to his aunt and uncle how he'd come into possession of a twelve year old version of their daughter. "Of course, that just means it'll be two of you getting into mischief and not just one!"
Aaron was going to go buy Morton a drink after all this was done. He'd never been responsible for Cassidy, so he'd been completely unaware of how frustrating being the male protector for a cousin could be.
Cassidy"You even try such a thing and your shin won't be the only thing on you that will be bruised, Aaron," Cassidy said sweetly. Well, she said it as sweetly as she could with her jaw clenched. "You are not the boss of me. You are my cousin and a distant one at that, so you have no say so in my life." Oh, Cassidy, so cute in your naivete. "Karla and I don't get into mischief!"
Well, not yet...
Aaron"I am a Warlord Prince, Cassidy," Aaron growled. "I serve and protect. That is my honor, my privilege, and my duty and you do not get to call those into question."
He loomed over her a little, secure as only a male invoking Protocol can be. "I outrank you, I'm--somehow--older than you, and, distant or not, I'm still your family. So, whether you like it or not, little cousin, right now I serve you. And the first rule of service is not obedience."
CassidyCassidy looked like she wanted to hit him, but she restrained herself. She was confused enough about how Aaron was older than her here, and now he was invoking Protocol?! It just wasn't fair! Her own training was too ingrained in her not to respect who and what he was, but that didn't mean she wasn't going to do her best to extract herself from this situation.
"I apologize, Prince," Cassidy said as pleasantly as she could with her teeth clenched like that. "I would never call any of those things into question or insult a male by implying otherwise." She gave him the brightest smile she could give him. "But since I won't be here very long, you don't need to worry about me."
Yes, because when she went back to school he wouldn't try to keep tabs on her now that he knew a younger her existed?
Aaron"No, you're about to go traipsing all over Kaeleer searching for our errant Sister," Aaron corrected. "The only reason I'm not keeping you strapped to my back is because if Karla's in Glacia like we assume, it's going to be far more dangerous for us than it is where you're going. Though I'm going to make certain Morton knows exactly who and what you are and does his damnedest to keep you safe."
Aaron raked a hand through his hair and began pacing. "Keeping you here at the Hall is a bad plan. The High Lord is already on. Maybe I can send you to Nharkhava to wait for us. Kalush would know what to do with you."
CassidyOh Aaron.
"Keeping me strapped..." Cassidy sputtered. "Making sure he... sending me... KALUSH WOULD KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH ME?!" There was indeed a temper that went along with all of that red hair and Cassidy was dangerously close to losing it completely. Only the respect she had for the High Lord kept her from using Craft to make her voice a loud shout as she railed at her cousin.
"You may be a Warlord Prince... you may outrank me and you may be family, but I am still a Queen and you will not treat me like I am some unwanted baggage that you can just stick in a closet somewhere!" She was so angry and upset that it was a concentrated effort to keep her voice from shaking. "I may not be pretty like every other female around here, but I am still a capable witch and a person and I will not be treated as less because of it."
Her psychic scent was filled with anger and hurt as she glared at Aaron.
Aaron
"Who says you aren't pretty!" Aaron demanded, looking around the room as if he could find the person responsible. It was perhaps telling that his eyes first darted over to Julian.
The he gave himself a small shake, realizing that was unimportant right now. "Dammit, Cassidy, this in no time for teenage vanity!" he snapped, suddenly missing his older, wiser, calmer cousin. His Cassidy might have gone through a similar phase as a girl, but he'd been too young to pay much attention to them, thank the Darkness.
Though he didn't think it was fair that he had to witness them now, either. "What the Hell does your face have to do with me wanting to keep you safe? You don't think I see what Morton's going through right now?" He dropped his voice to a low hiss, willing Cassidy to understand. "He has no idea where Karla is and can only fear the worst. I know you think you understand what dangers are out there, but you don't. Neither of us really do! And that's because Dharo is a safe place, a good place, thank the Darkness. Do you honestly think I can accept the idea of my cousin throwing herself into danger and just be comfortable with it? Every instinct I've got is screaming at me to tuck you away somewhere safe because I don't want to have to wear the expression Morton does when he thinks no one is looking."
CassidyCassidy was so startled by his vehemence about her looks and then his comparison between him and Morton that only her determination kept her from stumbling back in surprise. It hadn't occurred to her that the reason that Aaron was being so unreasonable -- in her opinion -- about her age and her being here was because he was fearful for her. The further surprise came when he admitted that she wasn't the only one of them that might not understand the dangers that existed outside of Dharo.
This was one of those situations that she would have argued further, or she might have showed him the memories from the dying island around her, but she did something different instead. (Besides, if her ever found out about that happening at the school, he might follow through with his threats to stash her somewhere. She took a deep breath and then lifted her hand towards him.
"Wait, Prince" she said gently, in the tone she had heard her mother use on her father many times. "Wait." She looked at him and her tone continued to stay calm. "Aaron. I didn't realize, cousin, and I apologize that it was not clear to me that seeing me here and at this age has been a shock that you weren't expecting on top of the disappearance of our Sister and whatever has happened to Lady Jaenelle. All I saw was that an excited male was yelling at me and telling me what I would and would not do and then talking about sending me off somewhere until you knew what to do with me. I should have sensed that and held my temper better."
Because really. Her world's Aaron was protective of her, but he was also younger than her and so she wasn't used to this kind of behavior from him.
"I didn't come here to cause you distress. I came here with the rest of the group from Fandom because we care about Karla. I know that there are so many things outside of Dharo that aren't like what I'm used to. Aaron, I go to a school in another world -- that your Aunt Devra insisted I go to so that she didn't have to be so worried about the stories coming to Dharo and her daughter. What kind of stories would cause someone as stubborn as Devra to send me to another world -- and which ones would have Uncle Burle and Clayton agreeing with her? So, I do know that there are bad things out there and dangers that I have never thought of. I know I could get hurt here, but I can get hurt anywhere. That's just how life is for all of us."
She looked over at Morton and then looked back at Aaron. Her voice was still in the calm male soothing tone. "I don't want you to ever have to wear that expression over me, but hiding me away is not the best way to that. Queens have just as many duties and privileges that are important to us and are as much of a part of us as yours are. When Karla disappeared, everything within me pushed to get here so quickly in order to do what I could to help her."
AaronThere was a huge difference between a Queen riding out to oversee her holdings, surrounded by the males of her Court, and Cassidy flinging herself into danger in a foreign Territory, surrounded only by some half-grown friends from school. And besides, he only wanted to hide her away until she was a little older, a little more mature. Say...twenty. Maybe twenty-five. Twenty-eight at the latest, really.
Except he couldn't. Yet, anyway. Right now, their priority had to be to get Karla away from whoever had her. The fears he had about Cassidy's safety was nothing compared to the dangerous reality Karla was facing.
That didn't stop him from leaning forward and grasping her shoulders again. This time, however, his grip was gentler. He had her attention right now and couldn't afford to lose it again. "You will listen to whatever Morton says," he told her. "If he says to run and hide, you will. No questions, no hesitations, no protestations. I don't care who you leave behind or what happens, you hear me? You will do as he says and keep yourself safe. Promise me, Cassidy. On your Jewels, promise me."
CassidyThe expression on her face and in her eyes showed very clearly that Cassidy did not like the idea of having to make a choice like that. While some of these people she didn't know, she knew Raven and had seen others of the group. She wasn't happy that she might be forced to leave them to danger in order to save herself.
A Queen takes care of her people and those in service to her.
She could hear that lesson from her tutors as clear as if they were standing next to her. Aaron had already invoked Protocol and declared himself in her service, so there was no way she could sidestep that by pretending otherwise. She knew that nothing she might say besides what he wanted her to say would get Aaron to allow her to leave the Hall to search for Karla. She had no doubts that he would do as he had threatened and get one of the High Lord's people to take her away somewhere.
She took a deep breath and blinked back the tears of emotion and frustration that she really didn't want anyone -- much less her cousin -- to see.
"All right," she finally said quietly, in a voice that said how unhappy she was about this. "On my Jewels, Aaron, I promise that I will stick close to Morton and do whatever he tells me to do." She swallowed, and her voice became firmer. "I will do anything I have to in order to stay safe. No matter what."
It was probably a good thing for both of them that Cassidy didn't even consider that Karla might be able to circumvent this, huh?
Aaron
Aaron drew Cassidy to him, enfolding her in a tight hug. "Everything has a price," he murmured in her ear, voice rough with understanding. "Part of being a Queen means making tough promises like that to the males who wish to keep you safe." Then he set her back, dropping his arms to his sides. "And the price of being an overprotective male is sometimes having to watch those you care about go into danger."
He gave her a small smile. "Thank you for your promise, Lady."
Dinah
Dinah gave Morton a small smile and sent, I'd hug you if there was time before saying, "We're here to help. Any way we can. Where's Prince Saetan?"
Yeah, protocol, not so much her strong suit.
Morton
"He's... planning." Not brooding. Or stalking around his office angrily.
That would be undignified.
Dinah
And that would never do!
Dinah shot a look toward the Prince of Hell's office, and asked, "Does he know we're here? I'm assuming. And-- I'm guessing we should wait for him, hunh?" Impatient, impatient, but no reason to piss off Karla's uncle when he was already pissed.
Morton
"He knows. And," Morton smiled just a bit, "waiting is probably a good idea. It's rarely a good idea to interrupt him."
Dinah
"Ohhhh, maaaan..." Dinah sighed, restless, then smiled back. "So, are any of those guys Karla met her last time here going to help, you think?"
Morton
"I've got a few of them looking for her. We're still not sure exactly what happened to her. He sighed and gestured towards Julian. "He insisted on leading the search party in Glacia."
Dinah
"Anything I can do right now? Aside from stuff my face?"
Morton
"Nothing comes to mind. Just be ready. I'm hoping to know something soon."
Khary
After a while of watching Julian stalk around and make an ass out of himself at every opportunity, Khary had had about enough. "You're going to have a problem dealing with Karla if that's the kind of attitude you're going to serve her with," he snapped, cornering Julian by the food. He was generally easy-going, but Julian was testing even his temper. "You know nothing of her."
Julian
"Lady Karla," Julian contested. He didn’t like how all the males here were so free with his Queen’s name.
He was not making friends today.
Dinah
"You, I like," Dinah said to the darker-haired guy. "And you," she turned to Julian, "are the guy Karla got into a pissing contest with when she was here, and won against, or I'll eat Beale's vest."
Julian"She did not!" Julian denied hotly. "I mean, we did not!"
They had simply...made one another's acquaintance! No pissing contests involved!
...And she hadn't won! They'd tied!
Dinah
Dinah grinned back at the new guy and then said to Julian, "Look. I get that we're setting off some territorial instinct we don't even understand, plus it looks bad that most of us are blowing off protocol right and left." She pointed at the dark-haired guy. "He gets that we're from so far away none of your rules about magic or good behavior apply. Right now, we can't care about that. Can't." She stressed that. "You're Court. We're family. Got it?" She grinned at dark-haired guy. "I'm Dinah. Karla might have mentioned me as the blonde who coaxed honey-pears out of Mrs. Beale, and then hit Lucivar."
Khary
"She did. I'm half in love already," Khary assured Dinah. "If it weren't for everything that's going on right now, I'd invite you in back and watch you hit Lucivar some more."
Julian
"Why are you constantly joking?!" Julian snapped at Khary, since he didn't think it wise to express his frustration towards Dinah directly. "My Queen is missing. Do you not understand how dangerous it is for her?"
Dinah
Dinah laughed at Khary, then sobered, and grimaced at Julian. "And what are you accomplishing, snapping at everyone and assuming we're stupid? We can't do anything useful until her uncle tells us what's up; we know way better than you what could happen. If we're not dwelling on it every single second it's so we don't go insane."
Khary
Khary didn't even glance at Dinah, glaring steadily at Julian. "Your caste might outrank mine, Prince," he said coldly, "But Karla was my friend long before she was anything to you. So don't you question my dedication to her again. Are we very clear."
It wasn't a question.
Dinah
Dinah leaned over and suddenly hugged Khary. "Noooo fighting. Against Protocol. You can't hit him if I'm hugging him," she told Julian.
Khary
"I don't need you to protect me, Lady," Khary growled, his attention still on Julian.
Julian
"Are you sure?" Julian asked snidely. "Or perhaps it will be better, do I leave you here and go off to Glacia myself!"
Dinah
"No, I'm protecting him. I'm sure you can take him..." At Julian's words, Dinah tightened her arms on Khary, and then asked, "Is there a reason I can't just punch him and get it over with myself?"
Aaron
"As amusing as I think we might all find it..." Aaron crossed the distance to them, his expression unreadable, "...I believe that it is time we left for Glacia."
When Julian opened his mouth to say something, Aaron just coolly stared him down. "I outrank you, puppy. You're in such a hurry to find your Queen that you can't even remember basic courtesies, then it is clearly time we left."
Only then, did Aaron turn to Dinah. "Lady," he said with a small bow. "If you could release Lord Khardeen? He's starting to look far too comfortable in your embrace." The last was said with a small smile, so she'd know he was only teasing.
Dinah
"Awwwww." Dinah grinned back at him, liking Aaron immediately too, and with a last squeezing hug, let Khary go. "Smart guy wins." She gave Julian one last glare. "Learn to make friends, guy." To Khary she said, "I'm so telling Karla how cool you are when I see her."
Julian
"If we're going, can we please go?" Julian demanded. "Rather than standing around, admiring our wit?" It was like they weren’t even worried about Karla, standing around, eating and flirting with landen females! What was wrong with them?
Dinah
"It's not too late for me to hit him. Just a little," Dinah reminded the other two.
KharyRather than say anything and further delay their departure, Khary just gave Dinah one more quick bow, exchanged eye-rolls with Aaron, and proceeded to practically frog-march Julian from the room.
He was going to tell Karla all about how good he'd been, not telling Prince Julian exactly how much of a jackass he was. Or letting her friend beat him up, even a little bit.
BealeNo more than ten minutes after Aaron, Khardeen, and Julian had caught the Purple Dusk Wind to Glacia to search for signs of Karla there, Beale entered the room quietly, a bundle in his arms. "Ladies? My Lords? A moment of your time please."
He set down bundle, the t-shirt on top recognizable as one of Karla's. "This was just delivered from the Keep," he said, his voice carefully neutral. "It was hidden away in the rooms Lady Karla had stayed in when she arrived from school. Lady Draca sent along this as well."
He held out an envelope. In Karla's loopy scrawl there was a single name on it: High Lord.
Saetan SaDiablo, High Lord of Hell
"I will take it then, Beale," Saetan said from the doorway behind him.
Saetan looked...old. Defeated. His shoulders were slumped and he shuffled rather than walked. The Jewel at his neck was Red, as was the ring on his finger.
He called in his half-moon glasses as Beale handed over the envelope, and slit the top with a fingernail.
"Forgive me," he read aloud. "But she is my Sister, my friend, my Queen. I cannot simply return to school as Lucivar bid. I am going after them to help. Forgive me."
He cleared his throat. "It's signed 'Karla,'" he announced. As if anyone had any question.
Beale"Lady Draca said that her belongings were found near the remains of a tangled web," Beale continued. "Apparently, Karla wished to make sure that they would not be found for several days."
JackA flash of anger slashed through Jack like a knife. "Is there any chance," he asked carefully, in a level tone that meant he was very mad indeed, "she would have taken anyone or anything? A servant, a dog, anybody at all?"
Saetan"Karla? When she's intent on mischief?" Saetan snorted, but his derision was aimed at his wayward niece, rather than Jack. "Of course not. If she's trying to keep up with Lucivar and Jaenelle, she's best going alone. Never mind what dangers that opens her up to."
JackJack nodded slowly. "I thought as much," he said. "So any number of things could have happened. How much protection would magic be for a woman alone?"
Saetan"Karla's very strong," Saetan said quietly, passing his hand over his eyes. "I would like to say that in Kaeeler, it wouldn't matter how gifted in Craft she is, but I think there's no point in arguing that anymore, is there?"
Saetan looked back to Jack. "I would trust Karla to handle herself against any single person she came up against. It's the odds of her coming upon anyone, singular, that concern me."
Jack"No, that's what I meant," Jack said. If Karla had run into some gang and gotten herself killed or -- worse, he wasn't going to do anything except make things more awful by speculating about it. His voice was lower as he murmured, "I just wish she wasn't alone."
He stepped back into the throng then, letting others ask Saetan their questions.
DinahAfter a moment's shock, Dinah nodded. "Right. Which direction did they go? And how fast can we get there?"
She was going to be first in line to shake Karla when this was over, yes.
Ben"And what will we be facing?" Ben added, feeling that to be a more important question. From the vague way the boyos had talked around Saeten's anger and Lucivar's disappearance...he had a bad feeling about this even with the threat of kidnapping removed. "What is Askavi--" he pronounced the word carefully, "--like?"
Saetan"Askavi itself is a fairly lovely Territory," Saetan said slowly. Without being bid, Beale brought a chair for the High Lord to sit in and a glass of yarbarah. Even without the events of the past few days, the strength of the noonday sun would still be debilitating for him. "The terrain is mostly mountains and valleys, the traditional Territory of the Eyrien people."
He took a long sip of yarbarah, then made a face and summoned a tongue of witchfire to warm it. That he had forgotten to do so earlier was a sign of how much he had on his mind.
"Karla came to Kaeleer because she dreamed about the attack Jaenelle suffered in Little Terreille. In the simplest terms, while Jaenelle was in Little Terreille, she ended up signing a marriage contract, supposedly of her own free will, but I doubt that. Before she was locked into the bridal suite with her new husband, she was given a dose of a drug called safframate."
BenBen's eyes narrowed. "Which does what?"
He would bet his shiny red landspeeder that the answer wasn't going to be something he liked.
SaetanIt was a sucker's bet, really.
"Safframate," Saetan explained, his voice striving for neutral and scholarly detachment, "is a sexual stimulant that's used to prolong stamina, prolong one's ability to give pleasure. The seeds are the size of a snapdragon seed. Normally, to enjoy the effects, one would add one or two crushed seeds to a glass of wine and they would last until morning."
He blew out the tongue of witchfire and tried to raise the glass to his lips. His hand trembled so badly, he just set the cup aside instead. "In certain places, rather than one or two seeds, they crush it into a powder and use it by the spoonful. Pleasure very quickly becomes pain. The body becomes so stimulated, that contact with anything hurts. The sex drive obliterates anything else, but that much safframate also blocks the ability to achieve orgasm. So there's no release, just driving need and sensitivity that's constantly increased by the stimulation."
He didn't add how he’d learned about the latter effects.
TahiriPleasure and pain . . . Tahiri understood that, instinctively, though never quite on this level.
She ducked her head, turning bright red and not saying a word.
Ben"Forgive me for asking this," Ben said, blushing to his hairline and not meeting anyone's eyes, "but how would Karla think she would be able to help?"
SaetanSaetan had just finally managed a sip of his yarbarah when Ben asked his question. Choking, he called into a handkerchief and coughed a little into it, before folding it and tucking it away.
"Excuse me," he said formally, his color high. "Ahem." It took him another few seconds before he could even begin to answer that question.
"Not...like that, I am certain. Lucivar's plan was to take Jaenelle hunting in Askavi. Being overdosed on safframate can lead to violence just as easily as it does sex. Moreso, even. Knowing that Jaenelle would never consent to sex, even for the small relief it might give her, Lucivar hoped that she might be willing to unleash the violence instead."
Neither Saetan nor Lucivar expected Lucivar to come back from the trip. It was obvious in Saetan's momentarily broken expression, almost immediately shuttered away.
"I can only assume Karla thought Jaenelle would be more comfortable having another female around. One small and slight, who wouldn't present a threat. Being dosed with safframate might bring up...bad associations for Jaenelle, even if she doesn't consciously remember them."
Briarwood is the pretty poison. There is no cure for Briarwood.
Raven"When we find them" -- not if -- "I may be able to heal the poison from Jaenelle," Raven offered quietly. Given what she'd just heard described, however, she would want someone to tie her up or knock her over the head until she worked it out of her system.
Of course, they just had to find Jaenelle and Karla first.
Saetan"I would be most obliged to you if you could," Saetan replied with grave courtesy. "Jaenelle would never forgive herself if she accidentally brought harm onto Lucivar or Karla because she was under the influence of safframate."
Raven"Will the safframate make her resistant to the thought of healing?" Raven asked. If Jaenelle refused her, she wanted permission to heal her anyway.
If it were Karla, she wouldn't ask permission, she'd just do it.
Saetan"I don't think so?" Saetan said. "Though I highly doubt it is something that can simply be Healed, Lady. It isn't an illness or injury."
Raven"I am no ordinary healer," Raven said proudly. "There is very little I cannot heal. I can remove toxins from the blood as surely as I can heal wounds to the flesh."
It came in handy for curing hangovers, as some could attest to.
Saetan"We would appreciate it should you just make the attempt," Saetan said. "I don’t know how long the safframate can last in her system, but if you can ease it at all, Raven, you would have my thanks."
TaraTara wasn't sure her locating spell would even work in Kaeleer, but Karla's friends seemed interested in it, and it would be foolish not to at least try.
"I need a quiet room," she said softly. "And, um, a map of the area she's gone to -- as detailed as you have."
Patting her satchel, she added, "I brought everything else with me."
SaetanSaetan looked over at her and offered her a smile. "I can offer you the use of my study," he said. "And I am certain I have a map of Askavi that will serve. May I show you?"
He stood, taking longer to do so than he really would have liked, and offered his arm.
Tara"Of course," Tara said, watching him with some anxiety. His hesitation wasn't much, but it was enough that she could tell the stress was taking a toll on him.
She took his arm and obediently followed after him, going over the Latin phrases she'd need in her head.
SaetanSaetan led her into a large study, tastefully decorated in dark woods, burgundies, leather, and brass fixtures. Wealth and taste were evident here, though they played second fiddle to comfort and a love of books. Several walls were devoted to shelves of leather-bound, with oversized leather chairs available to curl up in.
The focus of the room, however, was Saetan's large, ravenwood desk. Pens, ink, and paper were scattered across the surface, but Saetan vanished those with a wave and steered Tara over to it. "Feel free to do whatever you need to," he advised, fetching a detailed map of Askavi and laying it on the desk. He affixed it in place with a bit of Craft, "Is there anything else I can fetch, my dear?"
TaraTara shook her head mutely. She'd never tried a spell like this without sitting on the ground, but the chair could hardly ruin things, and she was too intimidated by the setting to want to risk getting her spell supplies on the rug. She took a seat before the map, and, hesitantly, looked to Saetan.
"Do we have anything of Karla's?" she asked. "I can do this without it, but it'd make -- it'd make tracking the energy easier."
SaetanSaetan called in the bundle of clothing and belongings Karla had left at the Keep. "Will these suffice?" he asked. "I can send Helene to fetch some of the things Karla leaves in her suite, if you'd prefer."
He realized he was hovering rather anxiously over Tara's shoulder and took a step back. "Say whatever it is you need and you'll have it," he said.
TaraTara seemed surprised at the size of the bundle, and picked through it with a delicate hand until she came upon a handkerchief. "Just this is fine," she said. "And -- I mean, you can stay in the room, but could you go sit down, please?"
She was reaching for her satchel and trying to gather her focus.
SaetanSaetan wheezed a slight chuckle. "I apologize. I'm doing an excellent impression of hummingbird. I'd like to stay, if you don't mind and you're certain my presence won't interfere. I'm interested in the way other witches use Craft."
TaraTara shook her head. "No, it should be fine. I, I might kind of use your power, like a battery or something. Let me know if you feel it."
She smoothed the map, and wrapped some herbs and a crystal in Karla's handkerchief, which she then set neatly to the side of the paper. "We're here?" she checked, tapping a finger at more or less the right place.
SaetanSaetan glanced at Tara's finger and nodded. "Yes, just over the border in Dhemlan. The Keep, where she ran away from is here," he pointed to a different spot, where Ebon Askavi was scripted, "--and we're pretty sure that she followed Jaenelle and Lucivar here."
He gestured towards a large section of the map, empty save for a few villages and a lot of forest.
Tara"That's about what I thought," Tara muttered, almost to herself. She still wished Saetan wouldn't hover, but he'd given her all the help she needed. She reached into her satchel and pulled out a small packet of some dried herb, sprinkling it over the map, then lifted her hands over it and began to chant in some ancient tongue.
At first, it probably looked like nothing was happening. Then the powder lit up a bit and started to swirl and move of its own accord, eventually concentrating in one spot on the map.
"That ... should be where she is," Tara said, sounding a bit worried. "Would that make sense?"
SaetanSorry! But Saetan was worried! And curious!
...And kind of hovery by default. He'd at least gone around to the other side of the desk so as not to be sitting at Tara's elbow the entire time.
Out of politeness, he hid his surprise at what Tara was able to do. Not that he'd doubted Tara's claims to being witch--exactly--but had thought it was more of an honorary thing, like Karla's granting of male caste titles to her friends. But then seeing Tara's magic--a magic that was different from anything he'd ever seen--it had been a pleasant surprise.
"Hmmm..." Saetan bent over, examining the map. "Mostly in the wilderness, as I suspected, but...what's this?" He looked to Tara for permission to brush away the powder. "I think there's a village here."
TaraTara nodded softly, granting the permission. She felt drained but pleased, as if she'd been walking a long way and had finally arrived at her destination.
"Then she's probably in the village," the girl suggested. "I-if it's small it shouldn't take long to find her at all."
Or she could get a more detailed map of the village and repeat the process, but she wanted to conserve her supplies and her energy until she knew they were needed.
Saetan"This marking shows that it's a landen village," Saetan said, tapping the map. "So it shouldn't be too large."
"Though why they'd be there is a mystery," he murmured. "A landen village especially. They were going to avoid populated areas entirely. It's...safer that way."
TaraTara raised her eyebrows. "Could they be there against their will?" she asked in a hushed voice.
Saetan"I don't know," Saetan said, looking even more concerned. "I'm not sure what could compel them in a village of landens."
Saetan was having trouble thinking of any scenario that ended with them in the village that didn't mean significant trouble.
"Perhaps I should go with you," he mused. "Whatever is happening, it's affecting my son, my daughter, and my niece. I don't--"
His head tilted for a minute as he paused. "And it seems my guests from the Dark Council have arrived," he said, his lips thinning with dislike. "It appears that regardless of what is happening in this landen village, I will not be able to accompany you."
Tara"You won't ...." Tara's voice trailed off, and she gulped nervously. "It's all right," she said. "Now we have a place to look. The rest will be easy."
She couldn't even make that sound convincing, as much as she wanted to.