Victor of Tucson

3 – Home Again

Victor found Bryn on the southern parade grounds outside his palace. Since Tes had arrived at Iron Mountain, he’d given his loyal guardian more free time—no need for anyone to stand watch at his tower when a dragon was nearby at all hours of the day. Of course, he hadn’t said as much to Bryn and her squire, Feist. He’d described Tes as an old friend, a formidable ally, and a tutor in the magic arts. And though Bryn had been reluctant, Victor was the duke—what could she do? When he walked onto the practice field, Bryn, in the midst of combat drills with Feist, threw her squire to the ground and jogged over to him. “Is all well?”

Victor chuckled, shaking his head as he watched Feist struggle to a sitting position and then, upon seeing Victor, flop back onto the hard, yellowing grass, no doubt capitalizing on the extra rest period. “Everything’s fine. I’m going to need you to stay on top of things for me around here for a few days, however.”

“You’re going somewhere?”

“Yes. Tes and I are leaving to conduct some training where we won’t have to worry about prying eyes.”

“You have a duel in just—”

“Five days. I know.” Victor smiled and clapped her on the shoulder. “Can you keep things running smoothly around here for me? Send me a note every day with an update? I’ll reply so you know I haven’t disappeared or died or something worse.”

“Something worse?”

Victor laughed, folding his arms as he inhaled deeply, looking further out on the field where some of his household guards were working on team drills. He didn’t know any of them very well, but he’d come to learn many of their names. “I’m just messing around.”

“He’s aware. He’ll manage the day-to-day business, as usual, but I need you to keep an eye on things. I trust you more, understand?”

Bryn straightened up, her spine stiffening as she nodded. “I understand.”

“How’s your work with the glaive going?”

“Excellently! It’s a wonderful weapon, Your Grace! I can’t begin to thank—”

Victor waved a hand. “No more of that, Bryn! You’ve earned it. Will you keep an eye on Trobban for me, too?”

She nodded. “As always.”

“All right. I’m off, then. Look for my first message tonight; I’ll let you know we’ve arrived safely.”

As he began to turn back to the palace, she asked, “Does anyone know where you’re going?”

“No.” He turned back toward her and sighed heavily. “I’d tell you, Bryn, but I feel like I’m always being watched. You know how veil walkers can be.”

“They’re bound by oaths to remain neutral in all matters—”

“Right. Yeah, I know, but let’s just call me paranoid and leave it at that. I’ll message you in a few hours.”

Bryn saluted before he could turn, so Victor felt compelled to salute her back. With a final nod, he returned to the palace and made his way back to his tower. Inside his little magical elevator, he selected the floor beneath his suite and waited as it hummed its way upward. He yearned for the day when he could openly fly with his fiery wings. He could have soared up to Tes’s balcony instead of walking through the tower and suffering through the elevator’s relatively sedate pace.

Finally, it halted, and the brass doors parted to reveal the little antechamber before Tes’s rooms. He walked to her door, slightly ajar, and pushed it open. “Tes?” ȓἈꞐՕᛒÊṢ

“I’m here. Come in.” Victor stepped into her chambers, chuckling softly at the disarray—dozens of dresses covered one sofa, hat boxes obscured her dining table, and other clothes were liberally slung from chairs, lamps, and end tables. Adding to the disarray, Tes had moved the furniture away from the center of her little sitting room and was setting some glowing silver objects that looked almost like dominos into a complicated pattern on the floor. “I’m preparing our gateway.”

“I was going to ask you about all that. Remember back on Zaafor when you had to find us a, um, acolyte of Boegh’s to open a gateway back to Fanwath?”

“Yes, I remember. I didn’t have this artifact then.”

“But, with all your power, can’t you travel between worlds?”

Tes paused where she knelt, adjusting one of the little glowing rectangles, and looked up at him. “I can travel between worlds, yes, but my method creates a violent, Energy-filled rip in reality that would kill most beings should they enter it. You’d probably survive, hearty as you are, but I promise you this: our departure would not go unnoticed, and you can be certain the veil walkers of this world would be watching for my return.”

“And this artifact?”

“Is subtle and sophisticated, designed to allow one of my kind to enter a world with powerful Energy users undetected.”

“That’s cool.” Victor gestured to the clothes scattered around the suite. “Um, are you still packing?”

“Oh, I was just going through my wardrobe, choosing some outfits. Don’t worry, I’m ready.”

Victor rubbed his chin, nodding slowly. “Ah, I see.” He stepped a little closer. “And what are you doing there? How does this thing work?”

“I can try to explain it sometime, but it’s not as easy as it may look. I have to arrange these nodes in the proper pattern to reach Fanwath. Luckily, when I left Zaafor, I did some research into your surrogate homeworld, and I believe I’ve created the proper pattern.”

Victor nodded again, stopping at the edge of her circle of tiny silvery rectangles and trying to take in the pattern as a whole. It was complicated, with many little offshoots, swirls, and sub-patterns within the greater one. “And if you make a mistake?”

“In that case, we can hope that the pattern won’t work, and I’ll know I need to make adjustments. On the other hand, it may, in a worst-case scenario, open a doorway into the void of space.” She laughed at Victor’s widened eyes. “Don’t worry. If that happened, I could freely use my ability to open a much surer gateway—no veil walkers of Ruhn would be watching.”

Victor nodded. He supposed it made sense; with an epic-tier bloodline and the power of regeneration, he could probably float around in space for a while before dying. “Anything I can do to help?”

“Almost done, love,” she said, clearly concentrating on the placement of one of her “nodes.” Of course, her term of endearment had more of an effect on him than she probably intended, and Victor found himself frowning, wondering about that. Tes wasn’t some young woman unaware of the impact her attentions had on him. When she held his hand or hugged him, when she called him “love” and “dear” and other pet names, she had to know what she was doing. What was her game? She’d overtly rebuffed his advancements, ensuring he knew she wasn’t there for “romance.”

Something crept into his spine—a bit of iron fueled by his Quinametzin pride, no doubt—and he said what was on his mind. “You shouldn’t tease me like that if you don’t want to pursue a relationship with me.”

For a long moment, Tes didn’t reply, but then she set her final node into place with a click, and the entire pattern pulsed with silvery light three times. She stood, smiling and cocking her head sideways as she stepped closer to him. “I’m sorry about that, Victor. I like to tease, and I do care about you. You know that, right?”

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“Yeah, I know it.”

“I’ll tell you this as plainly as I can so we can clear the air and enjoy our visit to your home on Fanwath. I am very intrigued and excited by you. You’re the most interesting person I’ve met in a long, long time. The growth you’ve exhibited over the last couple of years is nothing short of heroic and amazing and—” Victor started to laugh nervously, embarrassed by the praise, and Tes stopped short, staring into his eyes until he became serious again. “The point is that, yes, I would like to explore more with you, but the time isn’t right.”

“Because…” Victor frowned and folded his arms.

“Because your heart is still wounded from your break with Valla, whom I also care about. Need I remind you of that?”

“No, but is that all—”

“And I refuse to be the one you use to mend those sores on your heart. I refuse because, in a year or five or ten, you might ask yourself if I took advantage. If you didn’t, I would. Let’s spend time together, grow closer to each other, and see what fate brings us. I won’t rush anything with you because I care about you too much. Still,” she reached out and gripped his forearms where they rested against his chest, “I don’t see what’s wrong with a little affection. You are very dear to me.”

Victor, being a young man with a heart full of passion, had fixated on a simple point. “So, if you don’t want to be the one I ‘mend my heart’ with, then you’re cool with me getting together with someone else? Don’t you feel jealousy?”

Tes moved her hands to Victor’s shoulders, stood on her tiptoes, and gently, delicately nuzzled her cheek against his neck, holding herself close. She tilted her head so she could whisper right into his ear. “If I must compete with another woman when I feel the time is right, then compete I shall.”

As tingles raced down the nape of his neck, and, figuring he’d already laid bare his intentions, Victor took advantage of her closeness and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her even tighter. She allowed it for the briefest of moments, but then Tes pushed him out to arm's length, her strength irresistible—her hands against his chest unyielding bulwarks. Victor grimaced as he tried to resist her briefly, but after just a moment, he laughed and dropped his arms. “Okay, I get your point.”

Tes smiled impishly, brushing some golden curls away from her face. “So? Shall we enjoy our time together, have some fun, and just let fate run its course? Regardless of anything I say, Victor, I’m a person. I’m a woman with feelings, and sometimes, despite my better judgment, my emotions get the better of me, just as they do to you.”

“There you go again,” he sighed, “baiting your hook with hope.”

“I am what I am!” Tes laughed and turned to her pattern. “Ready?”

Victor tried to frown at her for several long seconds. He wasn’t remotely satisfied with their little discussion, but he supposed he’d have to let it go if he wanted to enjoy his time with Tes. They’d already had similar talks at least twice since she’d arrived in Iron Mountain, though this had been the first time she brought up Valla. He supposed he couldn’t hold that against her.

It was a valid concern; if Tes cared about Valla, he could see why she wouldn’t want to reconnect with her—possibly very soon—and announce that she was with Victor now. The implication that she’d been lying in wait, knowing that Victor and Valla would fail together, would be too difficult to deny. He also knew that his acting like a petulant, love-sick boy wasn’t going to impress any woman, let alone a dragon with Tes’s beauty, grace, power, and clever mind. No, he’d have to do better than that.

“I’m ready.” He smiled and shrugged. “I was ready the minute you made the suggestion.”

Tes returned his smile, her eyes bright as she held out a hand. “Join me in the center of the circle, then.” When Victor stepped close, careful not to step on any of the silvery nodes, she took his hand. “Picture your home in your mind. It will help me fine-tune the pattern so we arrive where we want to be.”

Victor nodded and closed his eyes, fixing the garden of his “hermitage” in his mind. He remembered the fountain vividly and the colorful flowers that lined the little patio where Cora, Chala, and Deyni had been playing with one of the girls’ little pets. He remembered the narrow, winding pathway that led down from the garden to the beach. He could almost smell the flowers and the salt air. He could hear the gulls in the distance and the trill of a songbird in the trees nearby. Victor snapped his eyes open and laughed when he saw that he and Tes stood in the very place he’d been picturing.

“Talk about smooth!”

“I told you it was a sophisticated artifact!” Tes grinned and stooped to gather up the little domino-shaped, silvery nodes. Victor couldn’t help watching her for a moment—she’d worn one of her more formal-looking dresses. It was silvery and white, with a section of pale blue in the middle. Like all of her dresses, it seemed multi-layered but effortlessly comfortable. She moved gracefully as she snatched up the little silvery tiles, and as her skirts swished around her feet, he saw she wore silvery, crystalline slippers that somehow flexed with the movements of her delicate-seeming ankles and feet.

“You look really nice, Tes.”

She picked up the last node, tucked it into some hidden storage container, and then stood to beam at him, curtseying. “Why thank you, milord. I love this garden, by the way. It’s understated beauty and calming atmosphere are perfect. I can hear the waves crashing nearby. Is that the Silver Sea you mentioned?”

“Yeah. You’ll be able to see it from inside the house.” Victor gestured to the glass doors leading from the patio into the solarium. “Shall we?”

Tes stepped closer and took his elbow. “By all means! I’m eager to meet your friends.”

It turned out that the only person home to meet Tes was Gorro ap’Dommic, his governor. The man was startled beyond words when Victor strode through the dimly lit house and found him sitting at his little desk, reviewing one of his ledgers. The man stammered and sputtered his apologies, thinking he’d forgotten about a scheduled visit, but Victor reassured him that it was a surprise. Gorro’s eyes flew wide as though he’d just remembered a roast cooking in the oven. He hurried around his desk and stood before Victor, wringing his hands. Victor narrowed his eyes and said, “What is it, Gorro?”

“I’m afraid your charge isn’t home! She and her governess have gone to the Shadeni village to celebrate the hunters' return. They’re not due back for several days!”

Victor smiled and squeezed the man’s narrow, bony shoulder. “Don’t worry about it, Gorro. I’m here for a few days and wouldn’t mind visiting the Shadeni. I’ll go there tomorrow.”

“Excellent, milord. I will call the house staff to duty and see that rooms are made up for your guest.” For the second time, Gorro let his gaze drift in Tes’s direction, and then, with wide-eyed awe, he jerked his face away as though he’d just witnessed the birth of a star.@@novelbin@@

Victor chuckled. “That’s great. Please do that. We’ll take a walk through the village and down to the beach.”

“Supper will be waiting when you return, milord.” Gorro turned to Tes, quickly lowered his gaze, and stammered, “V-very nice to meet you, milady.”

“And you, dear Gorro. Victor has told me so much about your talented stewardship of his properties.”

Gorro struggled to respond and ended up simply clearing his throat and nodding nervously. Victor clapped his shoulder again, then led Tes out into the courtyard. “He’s smitten with you,” he remarked once the big front door clicked shut.

“Poor man. Has he no wife? He seems quite sad, sitting there in his dim little study, reviewing the import lists from the various towns and villages of the Free Marches.”

Victor chuckled, leading the way to his gate. “Is that what was on the ledger? You’re so observant! Anyway, yeah, Goro’s a private guy, and he seems to thrive by doing his job. It’s what he loves. I tried to tell him it would be fine to keep the house ‘awake,’ as he puts it, but he insists on keeping things shuttered and dark when no one else is home. I’m sure the place is more lively when Cora and Efanie are home.”

“Are you upset that they weren’t here to greet you?” Tes followed him out the gate and onto the cobbled lane that would take them down the hill and into the little village.

Victor paused and turned to face Tes. “I’m not upset, no. Honestly, I’m relieved. I told you about how I came to be responsible for Cora, and, yeah, she seems to have forgiven me, even accepted me as a…well, a person responsible for her, but I still get nervous when I think about talking to her.”

“I’m sure it will be fine, Victor. As you said, life can be cruel, but you were just as much forced into that duel as she was forced into your care—circumstances of fate.”

Victor smiled, pleased, as always, to have Tes on his side. “We should make ourselves a little smaller. If you didn’t notice from the doorways in my house, a big person on Fanwath is six feet or so.”

Tes nodded, and before Victor could blink, she’d reduced herself to the point that she looked like a child beside him. Victor shook his head, unable to fathom how quickly and easily she could cast a complicated spell like Alter Self. He formed the spell pattern, and several seconds later, he, too, was more reasonably sized for Fanwath. He took a step down the path, but Tes reached out and grasped his arm, turning him back to her.

“Of course, I’m interested in seeing your village and meeting some of your people, Victor, but, you know, we’re on Fanwath—no veil walkers are watching you.” Suddenly, delicate, blue wings sprouted from Tes’s back, stretching wider and wider until she stood before him with human-sized dragon wings. He could see the bones in the thin, pale blue membrane as she flexed them, beaming at his reaction. “How about a flight?”

Victor grinned and nodded, sending Energy into the pathway for his wings. He heard the rush of fire as they erupted into being, dripping hot lava onto the cobbles. “Race you,” he cried, looking toward the sky and willing his wings to work. When he launched off the cobbles, leaving behind a spiral of smoky, hot air, he couldn’t stop laughing, especially when he saw Tes surging after him, each stroke of her wings pulling her closer and closer. Victor looked down at his village and, beyond it, to the sea, and with another surge of magma-attuned Energy, he ripped through the air toward the water like a fiery projectile, forcing Tes to contend with a black plume of smoke in his wake.