It’s for my own protection, I reminded myself, though the thought came with a sour twist of annoyance. The memory of the incident with Kadir rose, and a shiver ran over me that had nothing to do with the chill in the air. Kehlirik hadn’t been able to shield me from the creepy lord’s attentions. What the hell was I supposed to do if that sort of thing happened again? I scowled as I trudged up the path on the side of the palace away from the grove. I had a hard time believing that an oath would be sufficient protection.
I crested a rise and my scowl faded. The path dropped away to a plot of surprisingly verdant winter grass atop the cliff overlooking the turquoise sea. A light breeze snuck its way through my sweater, and I regretted not bringing a jacket. High clouds streaked the sky, and I wondered if the weather was similar enough to Earth’s that fronts could be predicted by how the clouds moved. Not that I knew how to do that. I predicted the weather by calling up the forecast on my smartphone.
On the green stood a gazebo-type thing draped in flowering ivy and surrounded by bushes of brilliant reds and blues. Soft musical tones reached my ears, and as I approached I saw small crystalline ornaments, artfully hung to catch the wind and ringing far more elegantly than the usual wind chimes. A gentle warmth surrounded me as I stepped in, and the flicker of sigils told me that the structure had been warded against wind and cold much like my balcony. The supports of the gazebo rose to delicate filigree arches, the stone translucent and glowing in the sun.
I settled on a bench and let the low melody of the crystal-things soothe me. A faas shimmied up a tree not far away and began to pluck golden winter fruits. Long-winged birds with iridescent green plumage wheeled beyond the lip of the cliff, giving soft cries that sounded more catlike than birdlike. It was all so very close to Earth yet not, in a way that was somewhat unnerving, like a doll that was a little too lifelike.
From where I sat I had an excellent view of the sea to my left and the mountains rising behind the palace to my right, and I realized the gazebo had likely been situated for that. My gaze swept over the mountain range and stopped at a section that just looked wrong. A chill raced down my spine. I squinted and realized that the dip in that area wasn’t a natural valley but a massive crater, large enough to have taken out half a mountain. More signs of the cataclysm. The decimated location of another ancient valve.
A scrape of sound on the steps drew my attention. I turned as a woman dressed in a sumptuous, deep turquoise velvet gown and a rich, dark blue, hooded cloak stepped into the gazebo. Probably in her early twenties, she had long and lush chestnut hair and big brown eyes. Her gaze fell on me, and then a huge smile spread across her face.
“Oh my god!” she exclaimed. “Detective Gillian!”
“Ummm,” I replied in a remarkable display of intelligence. How the hell did this woman know who I was, and why would she call me that? “Yes?”
She moved to the bench near mine, beaming. “You don’t remember. It’s me…Michelle.” Apparently I still looked utterly baffled because she added, “Michelle Cleland.” She laughed. “I guess I looked pretty shitty the last time you saw me.”
My jaw dropped. This was Michelle Cleland? The last time I’d seen her she’d been tied up in the middle of the Symbol Man’s summoning circle. A crack addict who’d turned tricks to score more drugs, she’d been an easy target for the serial killer. Now I could see that, yes, the features were the same, but holy crap, the difference! No longer the pinched and gaunt look of an addict, her skin and hair glowed with vibrant health, and she’d filled out to where she was now slender instead of skinny. But more importantly, she looked happy.
“Damn…Michelle!” I began to grin. “You look amazing! Wow. I guess things have been okay for you here?”
“It’s been awesome,” she said with a warm smile as she arranged the cloak around her. “This may sound kinda lame, but thank you. I know you saved me.” She dropped her eyes to her hands and then brought them back up to mine. “Coming here saved my life. I know that.”
“You have no idea how glad I am to see you’re doing so well,” I said. “To be honest, I had no idea what really happened to you after the ritual.” I grimaced. “For the longest time I thought you were dead.”
“I would have been dead pretty damn soon if all that stuff hadn’t happened to me,” Michelle admitted. “God, I was such a mess.” She lifted a hand and brushed a strand of hair back from her face. “I know I’m not perfect now but…” She laughed and gestured to herself. “I never even dreamed I could be like this!”
“You look like a damn princess,” I said with total approval. “So, tell me what happened. Rhyzkahl took you back, but do you still live with him?” Surely I would have seen her before now, right?
She shook her head, curls bouncing. “Nope. I’m with Lord Vahl. I was a mess when I got here, and it was only a coupla days before Lord Rhyzkahl sent me to Lord Vahl, accompanied by a reyza.” She bit her lip prettily. “He’s taken real good care of me. Got my habit fixed up an’ everything. God, he treats me like a queen. Me!” She laughed. “It’s like a fairy tale.”
I peered at her. “You’re really okay?” I asked. “I mean, you’re not having to do anything you don’t want to, are you?” I narrowed my eyes. “Because if so, you let me know.” Yeah, I was totally in a position to lay down a warning to this Lord Vahl. Riiight.
Her smile widened. “Nope, nothing like that. There’s sex, y’know, but it’s all cool. I’ve never been forced or anything.” Her mouth twitched, and a faint flush crept across her face. “And the sex is damn good, too.”
“I’m really happy for you,” I said sincerely. “That’s the best news I’ve had in a while.”
“So what are you doing here?” Michelle asked, tilting her head. “Back on earth I had nooooo idea you were a summoner.” She laughed. “Or even that there was such a thing, ’cept on TV or something.”
“Yeah, I’m a summoner.” I leaned forward and rested my elbows on my knees. “In fact I’m Lord Rhyzkahl’s summoner, which, um, has made things kind of,” I paused, grimaced, “interesting. I was summoned here against my will, then got away from the lord who did that and came here.” I tugged a hand through my hair. “Honestly, I’m still trying to figure out what’s going on and what to do.”
Her smile slipped, and her forehead puckered in worry. “That sounds scary. I mean, the not knowing part.
“Yeah,” I agreed. “And I miss home.” Two days until Rhyzkahl could send me home. I could last two more days, right?
“Oh…oh! You must be ‘the girl’!” At my baffled look she continued. “Right before we left, Vahl said something about coming here because of the conclave and that Lord Rhyzkahl had gotten the girl back.” She shrugged. “No big deal, just realized that had to be you.”
I straightened, doing my best to make it seem casual instead of the somewhat startled reaction that it was. “I can’t imagine there’s anyone else it could be.” I gave her a look of oh-so-casual query. “Did he say anything else?”
“Not much,” she replied. “I asked him what girl, and he laughed and said, ‘One that Rhyzkahl really needs.’” She shrugged again. “I guess if you’re his sworn summoner that makes a lot of sense.”
“Yeah, I suppose so,” I replied. Really needs? For what? To summon him to Earth once a month?
An oddly familiar discordance, like a high-pitched mental whine, distracted me from my troubled musings. I cast my gaze around but didn’t see anything out of the ordinary. Still, I stood up, uneasy.
The shimmer repeated, and this time I remembered where I’d felt it before. “Michelle, I think you need to go find Lord Vahl.”
“Is something wrong?” Michelle asked.