Chapter 17
One Cycle Later
Gweneth walked into the reception room with Leeam and Sheera to find Ellard waiting with Niran, Lynx, and Shiloh to hold their meeting regarding Leeam and Sheera. It had been postponed one cycle after Niran had needed to take care of some business on Narenda.
“Good timing,” Shiloh said, and he walked over to hug her. “Congratulations,” he murmured. “I understand I’m going to be an uncle.”
“Maybe.”
“Be gentle with him. He’s a male, and we can be thick at times.”
A growl from behind them had Shiloh chuckling. After a quick squeeze, he pulled back and led her to a comfy chair.
Her gaze went directly to Ellard, and she found him watching her. Her breath caught at the emotion on his face, the open love and affection. She had to force herself to take a seat beside Leeam and Sheera.
Niran cleared his throat. “Leeam and Sheera have enjoyed their stay very much. They tell me you have made them feel at home and have fed them well.”
Leeam grinned. “Very well.”
“We would be honored if you would consider making this a permanent arrangement,” Niran said. “We would, of course, compensate you.”
“No,” Lynx said. “All we require is for them to participate in life around here.”
Shiloh nodded. “If Leeam and Sheera would agree to help in the same way all our friends do. That is all we require.”
“You mean to physically labor rather than conjure?” Niran asked for clarification.
“That is correct,” Lynx said. “None of us expect Leeam or Sheera to give us gifts or provide items. Shiloh and I prefer to do things ourselves rather than have people wait on us. Our friends are the same. We have all worked to better our lives. Conjuring items is all very well, but there is no satisfaction in things that come easy.”
“Very well,” Niran said, although Gweneth gained the impression something about this situation made him unhappy. “If you ever change your minds, please let me know.”
“Leeam and I would like to reward Gweneth and Ellard for saving us,” Sheera burst out.
“No,” Ellard said. “We don’t need anything. Gweneth, tell them. A reward isn’t necessary.”
Gweneth frowned. “Actually, there is one thing you could do for me. Ellard lost his Stores arm and because of the way it was attached, he can’t have another, even if he could afford it. Is there any way you could provide him with an arm?”
“No. It’s fine,” Ellard said.
“It’s not fine,” Gweneth snapped. “Not when you’re using your arm as an excuse to avoid happiness.”
“I don’t think—”
Lynx's gaze sharpened. “Niran, is this something you could do?”
“An arm would require a steady amount of energy expenditure,” Niran said. “We could do this for you. The arm would be viable as long as Sheera and Leeam stay nearby.”
“And if they weren’t nearby?” Shiloh asked.
“The arm would remain as long as Ellard requires it, but in reality, it would be better if Leeam and Sheera were in the vicinity.”
Gweneth’s heart thudded so loud it deafened all other sound. She watched Shiloh and Lynx exchange a glance, a nod of acknowledgment.
“We’ve changed our mind,” Lynx said. “Our fee is an arm for Ellard.”
“No, I—” Ellard broke off as an arm formed and filled out his empty tunic sleeve. He stared at the pale, almost ghostly fingers and wriggled them. Then, he lifted his head and stared straight at her, his smile of wonder making her eyes well up.
“Hand me a drink,” Lynx ordered.
Ellard stood and strode to a large float table. A large pot of tay sat beside a tray of empty goblets. He picked up the pot with his left hand out of habit.
“No, the other one,” Shiloh said, hands crossed over his massive chest.
Ellard sent her another quick glance, this one with a trace of panic. Some of her irritation with him softened, and she circled Lynx and Shiloh to join Ellard.
“Put the pot down, Ellard. Try your new hand.”
He stared at his ghostly fingers and wriggled them again. “What…” He paused to clear his throat. “What if I can’t do it? What if I drop it?”
Gweneth reached out and squeezed those ghostly fingers. They were cool to the touch. “If you drop it, we’ll pick it up and try again.” When he met her gaze again, she gave a small nod.
He turned his attention to the taypot, flexed the fingers of the ghostly hand.
She stood close enough to feel his rigid muscles and smell his apprehension.
Weird, but she knew it was fear. Her feline stretched beneath her skin, making her smile.
She would shift again. She knew it with every particle of her being, and that made her happy.
“Ellard, you can do this.”
A rusty sound, almost a laugh came from deep in his throat.
He reached for the pot, curled pale fingers around the handle and lifted it.
A grunt of satisfaction came from him and with growing confidence, he poured tay into goblets.
He set down the pot and picked up two goblets, one in each hand.
A big grin wreathed his face as he handed the goblets to Lynx and Shiloh.
Gweneth’s heart went pitter-patter as Ellard returned to pick up more goblets. He handed them to Niran, to Leeam and Sheera. The last two, he carried to her then he stood beside her, sipping the delicate green liquid, his wide grin still intact.
“Will the hand shift with him to feline?” Shiloh asked.
“Yes,” Niran said. “It will do everything his other hand does.”
Ellard beamed at Niran. No other word for it, and he instantly appeared years younger. “Thank you. Thank you so much.”
“You’re welcome. It’s a small thing in exchange for what you’ve done for us. Ellard’s arm will remain for as long as he requires it, but I will see to it that there is enough power to keep it in position.”
Lynx smiled at Niran and slung his arm around Shiloh’s shoulders, pulling his mate close. “Thank you for this amazing gift.”
“If you have any problems, please contact us. We can have someone here in an instant,” Niran said. “Leeam, Sheera, I believe you will enjoy living here.”
“Thank you, Uncle,” Leeam said.
Sheera hugged Niran. “We have loved our stay here. I can’t believe it will be our home.”
“Make me proud, child.” Niran blew a kiss and shimmered from sight.
“Wait,” Leeam called and Niran shimmered back into the room.
Leeam grinned at Sheera. “Uncle, we would like you here when we present our gift to our benefactors.”
Niran inclined his head.
“We have a gift already,” Lynx said. “We don’t require anything else.”
Leeam conjured a small wooden box. “This is for Ellard and Gweneth, a special thank you. It is tradition, and Ransom received the same gift from Uncle Niran.”
He opened the box and plucked out a ring. He gave it to Sheera and pulled out a second ring, which he kept.
Sheera approached her, happiness blazing on her pale features. “This is a special ring. It will shift with a feline and become invisible to all but an Incorporeal if you will it. This is a thank you for saving us and for being our friends. Let me put it on your right hand.”
Gweneth gave a faint nod and held out her hand. Secs later, a golden band with inset green stones sparkled on her fingers. She glanced at Ellard and saw a matching but more masculine version of the ring glinting on his ghostly hand.
“Thank you,” Gweneth whispered. “I didn’t…we didn’t expect a gift.”
“I know.” Sheera beamed and bounced up and down on her toes. “That’s what makes it so perfect.”
Ellard cleared his throat. “Thank you.”
“You’re very welcome,” Niran said. “Ransom’s workmanship is superior, and combined with our magic, the rings can never be lost or stolen.” With a final wave, he vanished.
“You have an arm and a ring,” Lynx said and grinned. “How does it feel?”
“A bit cold, but it works. It’s amazing,” Ellard said. “Gweneth, thank you for thinking of this.”
“Maybe now you might believe in the future.” She thought her snippy tone might drive him away.
“I deserve that. Can we talk? Walk with me in the gardens?” He offered his ghostly arm, and she bit her lip, trying not to smile.
She took his arm, the coolness making it feel more real, and they walked in silence from the room and out into the corridor. Meanwhile she could still hear Lynx and Shiloh talking.
“Why couldn’t they have their discussion here?” Shiloh demanded. “We’ll miss everything.”
“Shush, they need to work things out for themselves. We can’t interfere,” Lynx said.
“I’m going to be an uncle.”
“We’re going to be an uncle,” Lynx said. “As well as fathers. It’s good all our children will play together.”
“It is a good thing all our children will have each other to play with,” Ellard said.
“Yes.” It was still hard to believe she would be having a baby. “I will get big and ungainly.”
“Beautiful,” he countered as he led her from the castle out into the heat of the solar star.
A breeze tugged at her hair. Over to their right, a bird of some sort chortled from the depth of the trees. She couldn’t see it but its happy sound had her smiling.
“Are you still feeling unwell?”
“Just in the morn,” she said. “Mogens said it is normal.”
“I hope you don’t mind I told Shiloh about our child. I was excited.”
“I don’t mind, but I’d better tell Ry and the crew soon.”
The sound of weapons came from the far end of the grounds.
“Would you like to do it now?”
“Yes.”
They headed in that direction.
“How is the arm?”
“It works just like my other one. There’s no pain and it doesn’t feel heavy like the Stores.”
“You never told me that.”
“No, I was glad to have a functioning arm. This is so much better. It feels a bit cold, but that is a small price to pay for such a gift. And to be able to shift again without thinking, and to move freely.”
Temptation sprang upon Gweneth—the idea of running with Ellard in feline form. If she could shift again…
“Ellard, could we try shifting now? Instead of going straight to see Ry and the others.”
“I’m a bit nervous,” he confessed.
“I don’t even know if I can shift again. At least you know you can.”