Autumn (21 page)

             
Arabel’s mind was now linked with Francesca’s and the two girls focused on the details of Jonty’s face, bringing his energy to the forefront with magical intention while also sending waves of command to penetrate his thieving soul.

             
Ira cried loudly, Caw! Caw! Caw! His voice pierced the uneasy silence just seconds before the front doors burst open with a wildly dramatic crash.

             
Arabel jumped and Francesca dropped her hand, startled, as they stared in apprehension at the front doors of the Elder’s Lodge.

             
To the complete and utter amazement of all assembled, there stood the errant thief, Jonty Governs, alone in the doorway, fastidiously covered in snow, his sly face frozen in abject terror.

             
“They’re coming!” Jonty shouted ominously, and then fell to his knees, swaying, before crumpling into a small heap of anguish on the floor, unconscious.

             
The room erupted.

             
Chaos reigned as numerous Gypsies raced toward the fallen thief. Arabel stayed where she was, close to Francesca, and their worried eyes met briefly in the melee. Someone rushed forward to shut the large front doors but snow had already blown into the room and a chill permeated the air despite the glowing flames of the well-stoked fireplace.

             
“He must be tended to properly,” Francesca said quietly, speaking of the collapsed man.

             
“Yes, and I wonder to whom he is referring?” Arabel murmured. “Who is chasing after him?”

             
Eli made his way immediately over to Arabel. He took her in his arms and embraced her tenderly. She clung to him for a long moment, waves of colour and love washing over her. Eli kissed Arabel once, twice, three times, lingering in her sweetness.

             
“Too long,” he said, smiling. He kissed Arabel’s brow. “It’s been far too long.”

             
Arabel smiled back up at Eli, relief and contentment spreading throughout her body. She could see Mireille and Baltis making their way over to join them and Arabel noticed now that Francesca had disappeared into the crowd of excited Gypsies. Arabel also noticed that Ira was no longer perched upon her shoulder. Exactly when Ira had flown off, Arabel did not know, nor was she sure how she missed it, but miss it she had.

             
Arabel searched the room and spied Ira hovering a few feet above the excited crowd clustered around Jonty. The black bird seemed overly enthralled and Arabel sent a quick message asking the bird what it could see. Arabel received the distinct return impression that the entertainment had actually just begun and that the naughty bird was preparing to settle in to enjoy the upcoming events with a saucy, irreverent glee.

             
Xavier pushed through the throng to examine Jonty. Arabel could see his crouched figure but the mass of people around him made it impossible to tell exactly what was going on. Eli placed his arm around Arabel’s shoulder as a shiver ran through her lithe frame. Baltis and Mireille finally reached them and they each kissed Arabel’s cheek.

             
“You did well,” Baltis said, giving Arabel a reassuring pat on the back.

             
“Yes,” Mireille chimed in. “You were very clear.”

             
Xavier now stood and all eyes were once again upon him. He motioned to two Gypsies to carry the fallen man to the front of the room, nearest to the fire to warm him, and to wait for him to regain consciousness. The slight man was transported easily and laid upon the bench, where his eyelids fluttered restlessly, but did not open.

             
Xavier addressed Arabel.

             
“Arabel Spade, you have summoned Jonty Governs to us, and for that, we thank you. I will reflect upon your statements with the Elders and we will offer our deliberations within the next day. Thank you again for responding to our inquiry with your presence.”

             
Xavier offered Arabel a small bow and she sensed it was her cue to leave the Gypsies to their business; she had just been politely dismissed. Arabel remained an outsider, no matter how much she loved Eli, or how involved she became with the Gypsies, it was very clear to her now; she would always be an outsider.

             
Arabel dropped a respectful curtsy to Xavier and did not speak; she had nothing left to say. She made her way with Eli, Mireille and Baltis to the large rack where their coats, capes and outerwear hung. In silence the four of them donned their heavy outerwear and braced themselves for the winter-like conditions outside.

             
Arabel peered inquisitively at Ira. The bird flew through the room at breakneck speed to land once again upon her shoulder. Arabel knew the bird was keen to witness the ensuing excitement and drama but Arabel’s invitation to the Lodge seemed to have expired and so the bird would leave as well. For now.

             
“Sorry, Ira,” Arabel murmured softly. “You’ll have to find out later what happened.” The bird cooed into her ear and Arabel knew he preferred to be with her, no matter how much drama he might be missing. And of course, he could always sneak in a return visit.

             
Baltis pulled one side of the elaborate, double doors open and held it as the small group exchanged the warm building for the cold and snowy landscape. Arabel pulled her hood closer around her head and was glad for Eli’s strong arm around her shoulders. The snow continued to fall in thick sheets of dancing flakes and it had become near white-out conditions.

             
Baltis and Eli had horses tethered in the small stable at the back of the building, Arabel was relieved to note. She knew there was no way the carriage she’d arrived in would be able to make it back to Crow’s Nest Pass in this snowstorm. Arabel hoped that the horse would be able to brave the blowing drifts but she wasn’t certain at all that she was going to make it home tonight.

             
Arabel bit her lip. If she was caught out at night even one more time, she would literally be house-bound forever. There existed no chance at all that Amelia Bodean would allow her only granddaughter a free pass to what she would consider amorality. Arabel’s timetable seemed slightly off and she wasn’t sure if this was a freedom week or not; being so ill for so long had confused her internal clock.

             
“What’s wrong?” Eli asked, sensing her mood as he un-tethered Jovah and readied the sleek black stallion for their journey.

             
“My grandmother- “, Arabel paused, watching Baltis assist Mireille up onto their mount. “She’s quite likely to have a fit if I don’t make it home before she’s finished at her club.”

             
Eli boosted Arabel up onto Jovah’s strong back. “I’ll see you safely home,” he promised.

             
Baltis appeared to have heard their conversation as he turned toward Arabel and offered her a quick grin of reassurance.

             
“You won’t get caught, dear girl. I can see your granny – she’ll be stuck in town tonight or at least, will come home much later than you. She’ll not be making it home in this squall anytime soon. You needn’t worry.”

             
“You are most welcome, of course, to stay with us tonight if you’d prefer to journey home in the morning,” Mireille spoke up.

             
The offer was tempting. Arabel would love to make her way to the Frankel’s caravan, which was situated only a short distance away, and to curl up there with Eli, content, safe, warm. But the desire to make it home was stronger, if only to settle the unease in her belly, and so Arabel smiled and thanked Mireille for the offer but declined, and the two couples went their separate ways.

             
Alone now with the blizzard, the horse, and the crow for company, Arabel and Eli commenced upon their one hour journey toward Crow’s Nest Pass, although the adverse conditions would surely add time to their travels. The wind had picked up and a strange keening was upon it.

             
“It’s the Ondines!” Arabel exclaimed excitedly as she recognized the chants.

             
“The Ondines?  Really? You saw them?” Eli asked her quickly, marvelling at her disclosure.

             
“Yes, on the way here,” Arabel replied. “They are most enchanting!”

             
“Their sound is…sorrowful,” Eli decided, after listening for a long moment.

             
“Yes, it is,” Arabel agreed. “It is old sorrow, pain of the past, mixed with uncertainty for the future.”

             
“How can you decipher it so easily?” Eli asked Arabel in wonder. “I can sense the sadness, and feel the uncertainty, but knowing it is old, that I cannot fathom.”

             
Arabel shrugged in the dark. “I feel a connection with them,” she said simply and then described the earlier encounter she and Mireille had shared with the bright, blue-white creatures.

             
Eli was fascinated. “I’ve always wanted to see them,” he admitted.

             
“It’s doubtful we’re going to see anything in this snow,” Arabel remarked. “Are you certain you’ll be able to find the way?”

             
“Truly, you doubt me, sweet Arabel?” Eli teased, bringing Arabel’s gloved hand to his lips for a quick, stolen kiss. “So soon within our illustrious acquaintance?”

             
Arabel smiled and laughed softly. “No,” she replied contentedly, “I don’t doubt you at all; it’s quite lovely actually.” Arabel snuggled into the warmth of Eli’s back, wrapping her arms tightly around his chest, and surrendered herself to the moment.

             
They rode in silence for some time and Arabel quietly watched Ira gallantly flying ahead of them in the snow and she reflected upon the night’s happenings.

             
“Who do you think Jonty was so terrified of?” she pondered.

             
“He said ‘they’re coming’”, Eli repeated, “so it might be a group or it could be just one or two people.”

             
“Somehow I don’t think mere people would terrify him so thoroughly,” Arabel mused, her calmness giving way to a vague, un-named irritation. “I think it must be some other force driving him, some unknown entity - I only wish I knew what it could be!”

             
“Well, don’t vex yourself on Jonty’s account. Xavier will let us know everything, as soon as he himself is clear on what it is that’s going on. You can trust him. Xavier isn’t swayed by anything but his own integrity and inner knowing, both of which, I must say, after having seen him in action before, are most formidable. ”

             
Arabel suddenly felt like gnashing her teeth, and probably would have, if only she could figure out exactly what gnashing your teeth actually was. All Arabel knew was that it sounded like an appropriate activity to loosen some of the pent-up energy that was suddenly threatening to overtake her, and at this point, she was willing to try anything.

             
“I know Xavier can be trusted,” Arabel reluctantly said, once she felt she had her tone and energy under control and evened out again. “But I feel we are only now getting close to ascertaining what the grey energy consists of and of knowing who the mastermind is behind the killings! It’s so hard to be patient with our progress! Jonty is somehow a key piece to the puzzle; I just know it!”

             
Arabel fidgeted as they rode, shaking her head in the dark. Ira swooped Arabel’s hood, pulling it down to expose her black hair to the falling snow, his playful action designed to distract her. Arabel pulled the hood back up, glancing briefly at the merry crow, refusing, somewhat irrationally, she realized, to fully let go of her vaguely outlined irritation.

             
“I don’t want to wait – I really want to figure it out now!” she exclaimed.

             
Arabel felt the keen edge of mounting frustration and she bit it back; it would not help her seek answers.

             
“The grey energy tonight seemed strong, as if it is gaining momentum,” Eli observed and Arabel agreed with him.

             
“Did no one else notice it?” Arabel wondered aloud and Eli shrugged.

             
“I did, you did, my parents did, and for sure Francesca and Xavier would have.”

             
“But no one speaks of it? No one does anything to destroy it?”

             
“Perhaps it is what chases Jonty. Perhaps it has infected you as well this eve, Miss Spade.”

             
“Perhaps.” Arabel spoke a tad petulantly and Eli grinned to himself, determined to lighten her mood and chase away the last remnants of the dark force in Arabel’s energy field.