Blue Skies on Fire (7 page)

Andor took the clipboard she handed him and jotted down some information. “My father and mother. They are the only two guests I will require.”

Dira scowled at him. “Aren’t you happy to be wedding my niece?”

Teebie put her hand on Dira’s arm. “He is overwhelmed, but his parents are the only two qualified to make the journey.”

The mood swing wasn’t like Dira, and Teebie had a sudden idea as to why her aunt and Mak had returned. “You are pregnant.”

Dira turned bright green and scowled. “What?”

Mak came around the corner and put his arms around his mate. “She has been having control issues, so we thought it was better that she be somewhere safe until she can confirm it.”

Teebie had the idea that Mak lurked around to make sure that Dira was fine at all times. Her aunt certainly calmed the moment that she was in her mate’s arms.

“Would you like Spike to have a look at you?”

Dira sniffed, “No, Lee and Jim are coming, and they will be bringing their little girl. Lee has a talent for this kind of thing, and she was an actual nurse.”

The guests had eaten and gone about their day, so Teebie urged her aunt to the dining table. “I have something else to tell you.”

Dira looked suspicious, and Mak looked nervous. “What?”

“There is a scrying pool that just opened up in the forest. I have had the trees and vines shield it, but it can see the past and future.”

Dira scowled. “That can’t be. The scrying pools have to be linked to ley lines to see anything.”

Teebie looked to Andor, and he took her hand. “I know, but I also know what I saw. I saw my life, and I saw my future.”

Dira cocked her head. “Where are you in the future?”

“I am at the Crossroads, but I am in charge of a farm that stretches in to the distance. I see flowers blooming, bees buzzing and hives waiting for them. Oh, and three children with pale-blue skin and pointed ears, playing with a little girl with chalk-white skin and golden hair.”

Mak beamed, and Dira turned green again. Teebie knew that look, and she manifested a basin before her aunt lost her breakfast.

Teebie whisked away the used basin and provide a clean one before she went to the kitchen and got a compress for her aunt.

A few minutes later, Dira looked normal and was eating flatbread and sipping weak tea.

“I asked the beavers to make us a small cottage on the edge of the new settlement, but I think it would be better for me if I was a bit closer. Could you start on a small house for us, Teebie?”

Teebie nodded. “I can, but someone will have to mark out the plot and clear the land. You know I can’t do anything with the trees.”

Dira nodded. “The beavers will clear it by tomorrow afternoon. I suppose we will have to create a town for those with children.”

Teebie grinned. “You will need to. I think Ivy is going to be heading into motherhood soon. She hasn’t said anything, but there is a glow.”

Dira groaned. “So, we will need a portal to get to and from the Crossroads proper.”

Andor said, “Perhaps if there was a map?”

Teebie generated a map, and Mak looked over the lay of the land, pointing at the site that Dira had selected for her cottage. “We will set up home there, and I can easily run into town when I need to pop in at home for a minute.”

Teebie pointed to a spot and a small dot appeared. “That is the scrying pool.”

The businesses of the Crossroads, the other bed and breakfast buildings as well as the hostels all appeared on the map, one by one.

Teebie called the beaver alpha and made sure that he was going to be felling trees in the right spot. When they were both on the same page, she asked him to tell her when the trees were down, and he agreed.

To date, the beavers were the only family groups at the Crossroads. Teebie looked at her aunt. Apparently, that was about to change.

Andor wrapped his arms around Teebie and kissed her temple. “I believe you said you could do something to my room so we wouldn’t blow the roof off? I think we should test that.”

She chuckled, Mak waved them off and she headed upstairs to show Andor what she could do with a bit of magic and some incentive.

She heard herself whining helplessly as she got closer and closer to release. Andor was under her, focused and sweating, his hips rising as hers thrust downward.

He reached between them and stroked her clit, smiling in relief as she screamed a few minutes after he rubbed with a hard circular stroke, and he followed her into release a moment later.

The power that they generated pooled in the room before leaving through the focus that she had created. The fiery magic streaked out through the window and headed for the woods.

Teebie dropped onto Andor’s sweaty chest with a grunt. She mumbled and he chuckled, stroking her hair.

“What?”

She lifted her head. “I need a nap and a shower. I am not sure in what order.”

“Let’s try the nap first. I like you where you are.”

“Just think, only two more days until we can balance and then see what kind of damage we can wreak with the shared power.”

“I shudder delightedly at the thought.” He stroked her hair and her back until she dozed.

* * * *

Dira looked up and stared at Mak. “Did you feel that?”

“Yes, love. I am not dead. That was them?”

“Yes. Come on. I need to check out that scrying pool.”

“Don’t you have to do the dishes?”

“Teebie did them while I was puking. Come on.” She checked the spot on the map and went striding off into her domain.

The trees moved aside when she spoke to them, and Mak was at her side as she looked into the water. She saw her life, her parents, her sisters, finding her sister dead, fighting the other, taking the children to their father’s people and never finding their father. Watching her blue family grow until Teebie was born and her family’s rejection of her for looking like their ancestors.

Dira saw her meeting Mak, their first exchange in shifted form, and it spun forward to her sitting with a little girl on her lap with piercing green eyes and long blonde hair.

Dira jerked back. “She wasn’t kidding.”

Mak shook his head and rubbed his eyes. “I saw everything and then a little girl.”

Dira nodded. “Me too. There is no guarantee that this pregnancy is that little girl. It might not make it to term.”

Mak looked at her softly and stroked her cheek. “You have waited long enough for your own children. Teebie is finally starting her own life. You need to, too.”

Teebie smiled at Andor from across the Y-shaped platform. She placed her hands flat on the podium, and she waited for Emira.

The mage looked at them in turn and nodded grimly. “Right. Give me a moment.”

One of the local lads rushed forward, and in a moment, Emira was wearing the gear of a catcher at a baseball game.

“Let’s do this.”

Teebie laughed. It was quite the beginning to the ceremony. The rest of the questions and answers were standard, but she was still grinning when her magic was drained and it swirled in the middle to be met by Andor’s.

Their families watched as the power blended and flowed back into them. Teebie felt the fire as it coursed through her veins, but it wasn’t until Emira said the words to seal the balance that the release of energy happened.

A cascade of blue fire left Teebie’s body and knocked Emira over. The rest of the guests were just below the level of the wave.

Balanced and sealed, Teebie walked to meet Andor at the centre of the platform. Her embroidered and bejewelled robes dragged, the long slit tunic underneath rustled.

Andor was dressed in the practical garb of his mother’s people, and the tooled leather he was wearing made him look like an ice elf, which he would have been if he had been born to her.

He was also wearing a crown of diamonds and enough of the jewels to topple any human country.

He wrapped her in his arms, and she did the same. There was no static shock as they kissed, but the heat flowed more quickly between them. Teebie fought a smile. That was unanticipated.

The applause rose to a roar of approval as they turned to greet their well-wishers.

Teebie had hosted every wedding and baby shower since she had arrived and every one of those women were here with their mates today. The balanced fey and shifters looked amused to be back, but they also brought gifts for their previous host.

It was enough to make her blush, but she couldn’t.

Dira looked at her and grinned. “You are looking pale, Teebie.”

Teebie looked at her hand, and it was fading from blue into a soft peach. “What?”

“I thought that might happen. You got half of Andor’s power. Apparently, that half involves controlling your skin. You would have to be able to or the fire would burn.”

Dira’s gaze focused over your shoulder. “And here come your in-laws.”

Teebie turned, and she saw her skin resuming the blue hue she was used to. Andor was grinning. “Teebie, this is my mother, Meridith, and my father, Kyrok. Mother, Father, this is Teebie.”

To Teebie’s surprise, Meridith came in for a hug. Her long blue hair was studded with diamonds, and she smelled like the first winds of winter.

“Welcome to the family, Teebie.”

Teebie blinked and smiled shyly. “Thank you.”

When Meridith let her go, Kyrok came in for a hug. “Welcome to the family, Teebie.”

He was huge, shared most of the blond and gold colouring that Andor had, but his eyes were diamond white. His body hummed with very old magic, and his strength was carefully held in check as he hugged her.

“Thank you, Lord Kyrok.”

Andor cleared his throat. “Enough hugging, Father.”

The dragon slowly released her, standing back with a slow smile. “You are still changing colour.”

She nodded, and Andor removed his father’s hands from her before sliding his arm around her waist. “She will continue to shift until we finalize the bonding.”

Kyrok nodded. “Get to it, then.”

Teebie snorted. “Not with this crowd. It can wait a few hours. If I grab him and fly off, the time is up.”

Meridith smiled and pulled her mate back. “Kyrok will keep his mouth shut on the subject.”

Emira came up and hugged Teebie. It was a bit of a shock.

“Congratulations, Teebie.”

“Thanks, Emira. You did a good job. Nice call with the padding.”

Emira grinned. “I thought it was a nice touch.”

Teebie made the introductions, and Kyrok looked to his mate with a smile. “Would you like to balance our powers?”

Teebie kept Emira in the circle of her arm. “You would have to ask her for her agreement. The spell takes a lot out of her.”

Emira grinned. “Not yours. For the first time, I got more back than I gave.”

Meridith inclined her head. “Lady Mage, would you bind us as equals?”

“I will. Hop up on the stage, and we will do this.”

Teebie let Emira go and clung to Andor while his parents stepped up on the platform.

She didn’t want them to be dressed in their standard clothing, so she sent mist to them to redo their garments. A flare of fire that made both parties jump, they were suddenly wearing new clothing studded with gems, and they looked like a royal couple, which Teebie supposed that they were.

Her sister came up to her and gave her a hug. “Hello, Lekiadra.”

“The family is delighted with your union. Congratulations, sister.”

Teebie hugged her, and the feel of djinn skin against hers made her smile. “Did anyone else come?”

“No, no one else could manage the trip.” Lekiadra grimaced.

“Ah. Right. Well, Lekiadra of the Golden Sands, this is my mate, Andor, Phoenix of the Frozen North.”

Andor extended his hand and Lekiadra extended hers. He kiss the back of her hand politely. When he stood, Lekiadra looked a little dazed, her pale-blue skin showed pink patches on her cheeks.

Teebie snuggled against Andor’s side when he reached for her again, and Lekiadra snapped out of it.

“I wish you joy and many children.” Her sister grinned.

“I wish you magic and laughter.” Teebie smiled. “Thank you so much for coming.”

Teal and Tony waved at her, and she looked to Andor. “One last thing. Formal signatures.”

“Anything to bind you to me, love.” He chuckled.

They walked over to the table, signed the contracts and then spent the next hour meeting and greeting all their guests. It was more hugging than Teebie was used to, but by the time they were done, she was ready to explode.

Andor was looking drawn around the mouth as well, so she said her goodbyes, walked up to him and put her arms around him as she generated her roiling mist. The mist was shot with fire; it looked like they were riding on a thundercloud.

* * * *

The reception carried on long after the happy couple had flown off.

Dira was talking with Mak, Kyrok and Meridith when a wave of fire crossed the sky.

Kyrok looked up. “What the hell was that?”

Mak grinned. “Them. They literally make magic together. Dira has been looking it up through the archives, but there is no record of it. This is the first time that a djinn and a phoenix have gotten together.”

Kyrok looked worried. “Are they safe here?”

Dira nodded. “Safer here than anywhere on the earth. We will protect them. She is my family after all.”

Meridith looked a little uneasy. “Love, I think there is something wrong.”

Kyrok’s attention was on his mate, and he blinked. “Dira, may we stay here for a few days?”

“Of course. What is wrong?”

Meridith’s features began to shift and white scales covered her skin. Kyrok let his wings emerge, and he caught her in his arms, flying her away from the gathering before she shifted into a dragon in front of everyone.

Dira leaned against Mak. “Does that tempt you into a balance ceremony?”

The mage who had made it possible had three cups of punch next to her and four empties on the other side.

“Not until you have had our child and your body is not under any additional strain. Even the thought of becoming a dragon won’t make me risk you.”