Gatewright (22 page)

“I’m
fine, really.”

Jack
appeared from the house, dusting off his hands.  {Knew you’d made it back,
little wright.}  He winked, but I could tell from the set of his shoulders
he was relieved to see me.

“Let’s
clear out the rest of the truck,” Emma suggested, luring me away.

Many
hands made
very
light work.  Granted, most of it had been done
before I arrived, but with Darren, Shawn, Jack, Emma, Rose, and me, we cleared
out the rest in under 30 minutes.  Darren and Shawn left with the other
women to get Emma’s stuff, and I dove into the shower with barely concealed
glee.  A vague sense of déjà vu hit me.  I’d made far too much of a
habit in the past month of going on adventures with no showers.  I
really
hoped those adventures had ended.

Jack
gave me a tour of the house as we waited for the team to return.  The
living room overflowed with boxes, but I could still see patches of the lightly
colored wood floor.  I learned with vague disappointment that the
fireplace wasn’t in working order, but we could talk with the landlord and see
if that could be changed.  A narrow hall led to a kitchen with tidy
black-and-white tiled floors, white cabinetry, and black countertops.

“I
made sure you had the bedroom at ground level,” Jack explained as I
explored.  “In case you need to gate in or out.”

“Thank
you.  That was thoughtful of you.”

“I
can be a gentleman upon occasion,” he told me defensively.

“Considering
all the work you must have done to make this happen, I think you’ve proved your
gentlemanly-ness for at least a year,” I teased him.

“Glad
to know I got at least
that
out of it.” His eyes hinted at mischief.

The
loft was divided neatly into two bedrooms and one bathroom.  Rose and Emma
got the first bedroom, and Jack got the second.

“What
about your studio?”  I asked.  Few of Jack’s possessions had made it
up here yet, giving it a bright, airy feeling.

“I’ll
work outside when I can, or I’ll work on smaller-scale canvases here. 
Plus, there’s all the work of actually
selling
the pieces once I make
them.  This will be good motivation for me to concentrate on that
more.  Besides, we’ll need to spend a good amount of time getting back and
forth from Azry.”

“You
think Riven’s found your family yet?” I asked hopefully.

He
grimaced.  “If he’s survived so far, yes.”

“Oh,
I’m sure he’s fine,” I waved my hand at him, although I couldn’t say how I knew
that.

Jack
squinted at me.  “Jan?” he said in a warning tone.

“What?” 
I blinked at him.

“You’re
sure he’s fine because…”

I
shrugged.  “He just is.”

Jack
hissed something in Anowir and gripped my arm.  “May I?” he asked, after
the fact.

“May
you what?” I was entirely bewildered.

Jack
didn’t reply, but instead, I felt the poke of his magic.  That was the
best way I could describe it, a mental prodding that nudged the odd feeling in
my heart.

He
exploded.

His
eyes went fully black immediately, while he let loose a stream of nearly
incoherent curses in Anowir.  I shrank back while he pounded past me, down
the stairs, and slammed open the back door.  The screen door bounced
loudly until I shut it softly.

I’d
never seen Jack so angry before. 

I
followed on his heels.  “What is it?”  I insisted.

He
smashed his hand against a tree in response, and gripped it for a long minute
before he finally made eye contact.  His irises were still conspicuously
absent.  “When did this happen?” he growled.

“When
did
what
happen?” I exhaled in frustration.  “What the fuck is
going on?”

“I’m
going to rip that Kusay’s head right off.  He made you
lianyos
, and
not only didn’t ask your permission, but didn’t even tell you he’d
done it?
”

“What’s
lianyos
?”

Jack
took a deep breath, on the verge on losing his temper entirely once
again.  “It’s a permanent, magical connection between you both.  It
ties your fey –or in your case, human – essences together.  Your
lianti. 
Soul.  Whatever you want to call it.  Generally, it goes along
with marriage.”

That
sounded a lot like commitment, and a wave of fear went through me.  “Oh,
shit.”  What
had
Riven done to me?  When had it happened?

Oh.

“I
don’t think he meant to,” I tried to reassure Jack.  “I think I know what you’re
talking about.  He was doing this thing with his magic to help me relax
and I think it got away from him when we were saying goodbye.”

Jack
was certainly suspicious, but no longer livid.  “Did something happen
between you two while you were in Anowir?”

I
shifted.  “Not that it’s any of your business.  And it’s not like
we’re going to see very much of each other.”

“This
gets better and better,” Jack drawled sarcastically.  “Did I or did I
not
warn you about him?”

“Hey,
it’s not like we’re together.  What, this
lianyos
thing just gives
me a status update on him or something?”  Please let that be it.

Jack
snorted.  “So much more than that.  I’ll let Riven share all that
with you, just so he gets to know how much he fucked up, if he doesn’t
already.”

“I
think he knows,” I murmured.  Especially if it was a two-way street. 
Lianyos
seemed like a big deal, and he’d accidentally just harnessed
himself to a human/gatewright creature with whom he couldn’t possibly share a
future.  He probably hated himself for slipping up like that.

“Either
way, he’s going to have to live with it.” Jack grimaced.  “At least the
good news is that his marriage prospects were already poor.  My illusions
don’t hold up to close scrutiny
that
well.”

“Why
would marriage have
anything
to do with this?”  I was allergic to
commitment.

“Try
explaining to a woman that you’ve already
lianyos
to another. 
Believe me, that goes over
real
well,” he said
bitterly.

I
couldn’t help raising my eyebrows.  “Jack?”

He
turned away, and I got the distinct impression he hadn’t meant to share
that.  “Let’s go inside and try to make room for Emma’s things, shall
we?  This whole conversation is fucking depressing.”  He strode past
me, forcing me to follow with all my unasked questions in tow.

We
sent enough boxes to their homes in the bedrooms or kitchen that when our
roommates finally returned with the U-Haul, the living room was ready. 
Emma hustled us as quickly as she could to empty the truck, then sped off to
the rental office just in time for us not to get hit with late fees. 
Shawn followed in an old Saturn to give her a ride home.

They
came back with beer and pizza, and we cleared a space in the maze of boxes to
chow down and toast our grand effort.  Emma and Rose were adorable, fondly
gazing at each other with puppy dog eyes, gently cuddling each other or at
least holding hands.  Darren drove home an inebriated Shawn late that
night, and Emma and Rose disappeared into their bedroom, leaving me with Jack
surrounded by the fortress of our possessions.

“This
was a really good idea,” I told him.  “Thank you for doing all this. 
I love the house.”

“It’ll
be a good change of pace.”  He leaned back and took a sip of his beer.

I
waffled a moment before continuing.  “Um, as much as I hate to bring it up
-“

“Riven’s
two weeks is up the day after tomorrow.  I know.”  Jack scowled at
me.

“I
should also probably close that gate.  I did leave it wide open.”

He
nodded.  “Speaking of which, did the fey ever find the gate you made when you
popped over here the first time?”

“No. 
It’s weird.  It’s like it’s just
gone.
”

Jack
leaned over to crack open another beer.  “Peculiar.  Did Riven learn
who was behind the attack?”

I
shook my head.  “He seemed to think someone named Jetay might do something
like that, but we’re not sure why.”

“Jetay’s
the youngest child of Queen Essint.  He’s a spoiled c
-“ 
Jack thought better of what he was about to say.  “He strikes me as
the type to hire assassins just to spite his brother, or to retaliate against
Riven at some perceived slight.  Especially if he hasn’t matured since I
last had word of him.”  I could hear indecision in his voice.

“But…?”
I prodded. 

“But
he’s not that creative, and he doesn’t have the family funds yet, at least I
would assume not.”

“Great.” 
I sighed, and opened another beer myself.  “To us, and surviving.”

“
Odhla
,”
Jack toasted, and clinked his beer to mine.

I
still hadn’t acquired a replacement for my driver’s license, so Jack took the
wheel when we left in the morning for Explore Park yet again.  However,
this time I could use my cellphone, and I grabbed an old notebook for good
measure.  I plugged my phone into the car and spent the next few hours making
a to-do list of people I needed to call, listening to voice mails, churning
through hundreds of emails, and rifling through text messages.

The
hills sped by as I eliminated the most pressing matters: my credit card bill,
overdue utility bill, and student loan payment.  A text from my mother
caught my attention: [your father wants you to call him], followed by a phone
number.  I sighed.  I’d have to make this call sooner or later. 
I dialed.

It
rang four times before Ishmael picked up.  “Ishmael Leeman,” he answered
brusquely.

“This
is Jan,” I told him flatly.

“Jan! 
Thank you for calling.”

“Mom
told me you wanted me to.  What is it?” I didn’t even attempt to keep the
chill from my voice.

“I’d
prefer to speak in person.  Can we meet today?”

“No,
I’m busy.”  It was even true.

“Tomorrow
then.  You can’t ignore what you are.”

I
almost swore at him then and there.  The
nerve. 
“Fine.”

“What’s
your address?”

“No,
you don’t get my address.  I’ll meet you at the Ahromah coffeehouse.”

“On
the Azry side.  We
will
need privacy.  Noon?”

“Ish.” 
I hung up.

Jack
raised his eyebrow at me.  “Watch the road,” I growled.

“Do
you want me to come with you?” he offered.  “I could have some real fun
mucking around in his head.”

I
exhaled some of my anger.  “Thanks.  Not this time, but I’ll
definitely keep your offer in mind.”

Our
first objective was closing the portal in the middle of the park.  Another
three-mile round trip.  While we walked, Jack brought me up to date on the
newest spike in anti-Exile sentiment.  The death of the humans had
destroyed much of the trust that had built up over years of trade.

Our
second objective, finding the construction site that mirrored Riven’s bedroom,
was easier than I could have hoped.  Even better, we had the lot to
ourselves.  Still, we grabbed a late lunch from the local deli and waited
until dusk to be on the safe side.  Only once we knew we weren’t horribly
visible did we park several blocks away and amble over.  I furtively
glanced around before I opened a portal, and Jack confirmed no one was
watching.  Just one benefit of having a psychic on hand.

I
poked my head through the portal first, and breathed out.  I’d remembered
correctly… it was Riven’s bedroom.  But one foot to the left, and I would
have been in the next room.  Riven was here; I knew it instantly, and by
the book hitting the floor as he lunged to his feet, he sensed my
presence.  I snapped the gate shut behind me before Jack could
follow.  Riven and I needed to have a private conversation first.

“Jack
tells me that you made me
lianyos
,” I stated calmly.

Riven
closed his eyes and nodded.  “I cannot express how appalled I am at my own
behavior.  I beg your forgiveness, although there is nothing I can do to
fix this grave mistake.” He sounded rehearsed.  How much had it been
bothering him?

“I
don’t understand why it’s so appalling.”  I wasn’t ready to pass judgement
on whether he’d done something terrible to me or not until I got the whole
story.  It’s not like he’d abused me… had he?

Confusion
flashed across his face.  “You said that Jack…”

“Told
me what you did, but not what it was.”

He
looked vaguely ill and gestured to a seat near the fireplace.  I took it,
steeling myself for an unpleasant conversation.  He sank into the one
across from me, and I briefly imagined the tantrum that Jack must have been
having stuck on Earth in the meantime before I refocused on the conversation at
hand.

Riven
leaned forward, elbows on knees, knitting his hands together.  Indigo eyes
met mine, his expression open and vulnerable.  “
Lianyos
is the fey
spiritual equivalent to marriage.  It is a permanent, unbreakable bond
between two people.  For the rest of our lives, we will be aware of the
general location, emotional state, and health of the other.”

I
cocked my head slightly, as I caught tiny expressions that never before would
have carried any meaning to me.  He was wracked with guilt. 
Underneath that, he was hopeful, and he cared for me, perhaps more than he
meant to let on.  I tried to smile reassuringly, and his eyes brightened
slightly.  “Just a general status on the other person?  That doesn’t
seem so bad.”

He
raised his eyebrow, amused.  “Saying it is a general status is like
calling a fire ‘red’.”  The right idea, but a poor reflection of the real
thing.  Ah, shit.

“You
said it was permanent?”  This was getting worse.

“Yes. 
And neither of us will ever be able to bond with another.”  He sounded
like he didn’t
want
to ever bond again, which bothered me even
more.  Was he
happy
to be my
lianyos?
  I hated
commitment.  Fled from it like the plague.

I
held his gaze and weighed my future.  I could either hold his mistake
against him or try to see the bright side.  If I held on to the anger, he
would feel it every time I thought of him or the bond, for the rest of his
life.  My other choice?  Forgiveness and commitment were both new to
me.

He
was worth it.

I
consciously relaxed my shoulders.  “Well, if it wasn’t for you, I’d have
never gotten to experience
lianyos.  
Humans don’t do that.”

He
smiled crookedly and offered his palm.  “Can’t do any harm now, can
it?”  His eyes danced.

I
raised my eyebrow, daring him, and clasped his warm hand, then sucked in a
breath.  The hairs on my arms stood on end, and for the first time in my
life, I felt the presence of magic, like an after-image in my vision, a torrent
of red waves flowing from him to me, illuminating a thick, bright cord that
stretched between us.  Joyous warmth followed it, chasing out the worry
and fear and darkness that lurked in my heart.  I gripped his hand tightly
against the onslaught, until it died as suddenly as it began.

“You
definitely get the worse end of the bargain,” I told him, slightly
winded.  I was going to start calling that ‘mage sex’.  I felt
amazing.  “I wish I could return the favor.”

His
mouth set in a crooked line.  “One reason I didn’t think
lianyos
was possible with you. I
probably
wouldn’t have toed the line so closely
otherwise.  But don’t sell yourself short, either.  You have a
far
more practical and useful skill than I do.”

I
paused.  I didn’t want to let Jack in but he was likely having an aneurism
by now.  Riven read my expression again and nodded reluctantly, and I
squinted.  Was he secretly a
nagali?

“If
you’re wondering if I can read your mind, I can’t.  I’m sure you’ve
noticed it’s easier to understand me.  Luckily, that applies for both
verbal and non-verbal communication.”

He
was right.  Damn, that was useful.  I bet that significantly
increased fey marriage longevity.  And probably was useful in
other
arenas
as well.  My cheeks colored and I decided now was a great time to make a
gate, but not before Riven caught my eye and started laughing.

And
that is what Jack walked in to.  Riven, laughing, and me, happy but
slightly embarrassed.  Jack had been ready to rip into Riven and was
clearly thrown off.

“It’s
ok, Jack,” I assured him.  “We talked about
lianyos
and we have an
understanding.”

“Pretty
hard for you
not
to have an understanding,” Jack snapped, but our good
humor had mollified him somewhat.

“I
did
provide a proper apology,” Riven informed him.

Jack
harrumphed.  “If Jan accepts it, then I abide by her decision.  But
only
then.”  Danger glinted in his eye, promising bloody retribution.

“I
accept his apology!” I jumped in hastily, although Riven looked a little
too
pleased with himself.  I caught his eye and scowled, and he lowered
his gaze, but couldn’t wipe the smirk from his face.  Ulg, this
lianyos
was
permanent,
wasn’t it?

Jack
crossed his arms.  “Then did you fulfill your vow to me?”

“They
live in Becot lands, near your former family holdings.  The mirror would
be in ‘Charles Town’, I believe it is called.  The more specific location
I could find would be the high grounds on the southwest side of the Lasharin
River. I’m certain if you come through a gate in there, you’ll be able to find
them… you
are lianyos
, right?”  Sudden concern flitted across
Riven’s face.

This
time it was Jack’s turn to look ill.  “No, I’m not.”

If
Riven had even a shred less maturity, he would have laughed and pointed at the
other fey.  “Oh?” was all he said, but due to my new communication
super-powers, I knew all he wanted was to rub it in Jack’s face.

“No. 
I’m not.  That location will be enough. I’ll just pick out the specifics
from someone’s brain,” he muttered.

“I
need a refresher of the binding you put on me,” Riven reminded him.  “I’m
not sure if it’s entirely fooling my mother any longer.”

“I
can do that.” Jack seemed happy for us to change the subject, and readily
grasped Riven’s head in his hands to fix his illusion.

“We’ll
be back before two weeks are out,” I promised Riven as we moved toward the
still-open gate.

Riven
nodded to Jack, then took my hands in his own and raised them to his
lips.  “Until we meet again.”  He smiled, and a hint of mage warmth tickled
my hands as he kissed them.  I hated blushing, and I was doing it too
goddamned much around him.

“See
you soon,” I answered, and as soon as he let go, I ducked back through my
portal after Jack and snapped it shut.

“You’re
both
shecoa,
” Jack muttered as we walked back to the car.

“What
does that mean?”

“A
less polite word for moron.”

“What’s
nagayos?
” While we were on the topic of words I didn’t understand.

Jack
missed a step.  “What?”