Bound In Blue: Book One Of The Sword Of Elements (6 page)

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Peter was pre-occupied and tense as we drove to the mansion.  Except for a puzzled question about my now working air-conditioning which I dodged, we were silent. I didn’t mind. It had taken over half an hour to shower off the stink of mildew and seaweed and my head hurt.

When we pulled into the driveway and parked, Lacey was waiting for us beside a rusty old hatchback. Her cheeks went bright pink when Peter gave her a quick hug.

Peter knocked on the front door and a middle-aged man opened it.

“Yes?”

“Mr. Taliesin?”

The man laughed, his tanned skin wrinkling into deep lines. “Heaven forbid, no. But I’ll get him for you.”

“We’re actually here for Ty and Daley.”

“Oh I see, the new recruits. C’mon in.” The man disappeared down a hallway as we stepped inside.

Lacey frowned. “What did he mean by ‘recruits’?”

I shrugged and looked around. The foyer was two stories high and the staircase in front of us swept up to the top floor at the back of the house. Muted paintings hung on the walls and niches displayed tasteful decorative items.

Lacey pointed up at a crystal and iron monstrosity. “Look at that chandelier! It must have cost thousands. This place is amazing.”

I decided to refuse to be impressed. “It’s boring if you ask me.”

“It’s a rental,” a voice with a lilting accent agreed. A trim man with close-cut salt and pepper hair and a neat beard entered from a side hallway. “It was more the location than the house that attracted me.”

Lacey gave the man her brightest smile. “The house is beautiful, Mr. Taliesin.”

“Please, it is simply Taliesin. Daley apprised me of the details of your misadventure yesterday and I agreed that I should meet with you to explain as much as I can. I have some business to attend to first, but I have asked Rowan to escort you to the dining room where lunch is waiting.” He gestured to the man who had greeted us at the door and now returned to the foyer. With a nod, Taliesin exited the same way he arrived.

“C’mon kids.” Rowan waved us over with a friendly smile. “This way.”

We followed him down the hall into a grand room where a table that could easily seat twenty stretched from the window to the entry. Tynan, Daley and Miko sat at the far end.

“Ah, here the miscreants are,” Rowan announced genially. He gestured to a sideboard with serving dishes on it. “Fill up and take a seat.”

We helped ourselves as Rowan led a discussion on everything from whether any of the movies out were worth the price of admission to if there was a chance the new Bachelorette would find love. We all relaxed except Daley. I could feel him watching me. I expected a flare of yellow or orange in response—or even the more complicated mix of scarlet and rose I was starting to feel whenever he was around—but there was nothing.

“If you are finished, I would ask that you accompany me to the study.” Taliesin’s quiet appearance at the doorway was unnerving; the man moved like a ghost. Rowan thanked us for our company and as he left, all the ease and warmth left with him.

We filed after Taliesin into another tasteful cream on cream room. He sat down behind a massive mahogany desk and we settled into the couch and chairs around the room. I chose an overstuffed armchair and regretted it as I sank into the cushions. Daley leaned against the wall with his arms folded.

I examined Taliesin. The man wore dark jeans and a white cotton shirt, but his clothing was so crisp and tailored that it whispered, not shouted, designer. I knew I was anxious—a strong enough emotion to usually inspire some color—but all I could sense along the edges of my sight was a deep indigo. Pain suddenly swelled in my temples and I wanted to run and hide from this quiet, terrifying man.

Rhiannon, listen to me! We cannot be seen! Hide in the shadows and be still and silent!

Mom’s voice seemed to scream at me and I imagined myself grasping at wisps of misty blue until I finally managed to drag a few scraps around myself.

Miko pointed. “She’s doing it again.”

Taliesin frowned as his eyes flicked around the room. A haze passed over my eyes and the world went dim, but I couldn’t hold onto it. Mom’s color slipped away, and indigo—an oilier, denser blue—replaced it.

“And now she’s back. See?” Miko’s voice was triumphant.

Taliesin nodded. “Yes, I do now.”

“Daley didn’t believe me.”

Daley made an impatient gesture. “I didn’t say that.”

“You did!”

Their voices hurt my head. “I’m right here. What exactly do you think I’m doing?”

Taliesin raised his hand and the room went quiet. “Yes, you are definitely here with us now, Miss Lynne, but I could not see you in the room even though I had been warned about your peculiar ability.” He leaned forward and rested his chin on steepled fingers. “No spell? No incantation?”

I thought of Mom’s voice and the words I heard her speaking in my head but decided not to mention it. “How would I even know how to do something like that?”

His shrug was the barest of movements. “There is a great deal of dangerous information to be had if you know where to search. The internet has changed everything, even that. You had no idea that you were essentially rendering yourself invisible?”

Something about the man put my back up and I didn’t like admitting what I’d already guessed. “Maybe everyone needs to get their eyes checked.”

Taliesin leaned back in his chair and regarded the others. “Well?”

Tynan brushed his hair away from his face and flashed me a shy smile. “I thought you might still be in the dining room.”

Miko sat with her legs crossed on a small ottoman. “I couldn’t see her—which should be impossible since I’m the glamour girl here—but I’ve been working on keeping track of her just in case.”

Great, now I have a tiny harajuku stalker.

“Mr. Larsen?” Taliesin prompted.

Peter snorted. “I think I would have noticed if Rhi had a habit of turning invisible.”

“Typical Protector,” Miko said, smirking. “What about you, Lacey?”

Lacey hesitated before answering. “I could see her.”

“So could I,” Daley volunteered.

Taliesin nodded thoughtfully. “Interesting. Given their close relationship, Mr. Larsen is likely Rhiannon’s bonded Protector and would be able to sense her presence whenever she was near. He might not notice that he was not actually seeing her with his eyes. Miss McInnis’ lorelei blood must protect her from this particular glamour as well. But why you, my son? None of your abilities should protect you from such a spell and I thought you said that you had trouble finding her at the school.”

Something in my stomach jumped as my eyes met Daley’s, but then he shrugged and looked away. “I don’t know.”

Miko fidgeted and twisted one of her ponytails around her finger. “Let’s not forget that Rhi can also see and hear the harp even without me wishing it.”

Taliesin tapped his fingers once on the desk before responding. “Yes, ‘curiouser and curiouser’ as Alice in Wonderland would say. But perhaps I should first explain to our new friends what happened yesterday and what it meant.”

Lacey stood and balled her fists on her hips. “I know what happened. It was just some dog attracted to the garbage at the park. Miko saw how freaked out we were and thought she’d have a little fun. I don’t appreciate being messed with like that.” The two girls glared at one another.

Taliesin gestured for Lacey to sit. “Miss McInnis, please.” His tone was firm and she obeyed. “I wish I could let you remain in ignorance, but the fact that we have taken an interest in you will not have gone unnoticed by the spies who make it their business to trade in this kind of information.  Knowledge is needed now for you to protect yourself from those who would seek to make a trophy out of one of even your very limited ability.

The expression on Lacey’s face shifted to outrage as she realized she’d just been told she was basically a magical non-entity.

Peter wasn’t convinced. “Right, so I’m some sort of a magical security guard, Lacey’s popular because great-grandpa knocked up a mermaid, and everyone thinks Rhi can float away and disappear. Oh, and yeah, the woman who planted the friggin’ tulips in our friggin’ garden was the Lady of the Lake!” It was as close to swearing as I’d ever heard my best friend get and was proof of how upset he was.

It was my fault; I should have prepared him for magic. Taking a deep breath, I came clean. “There’s some stuff I haven’t told anyone yet. The day Mom died, I met a woman named Morgan who said she was Mom’s sister. Then a guy called Thomas Redcap ate some of Mom’s skin—but that’s a normal thing for him,” I hastened to add when I saw Peter’s shocked expression. “When I fell and hit my head, I lost my memory of what happened for a while. But when I went to the lake to scatter Mom’s ashes, a river goddess tried to kill me and Redcap saved me. He told me Mom wasn’t my birth mother.”

I turned to address Taliesin because I couldn’t bear the look on Peter’s face. Except for the silver-haired man and my colors, I’d never kept anything from him before. It was time to fess up about at least one of those.

“I see colors in my mind when I feel things, but I always thought it was a weird kind of synesthesia. When I saw the Cŵn Annwn’s magic, I knew I was wrong, or at least, not all right. I took its power somehow—I’m not sure how. Peter and I found paw prints and a bathtub full of seaweed on his property, but I don’t know if it has anything to do with the Cŵn Annwn.” Sinking back down into the chair, I fingered the wheel charm on the bracelet under my sleeve as I stared at a spot on the floor.

“I thought I would be the one providing illumination today.” Taliesin’s voice sounded amused, but when I glanced up, his face was stern. “You and I will talk on this further, but for now I will be as succinct as you have been.” He considered each one of us until he was sure he had our attention. “Parallel to our world, there exists a place of magic—the Grey Lands of Avalon. The lord of that land was called Cernunnos the horned god by the Celts, though both he and his land are known by different names in all the cultures of the world. His three sisters reigned with him: Morgana, Morgause, and Viviane.”

Shocked pink striated with orange alarm ran across my sight.

Taliesin raised his hand before I could speak. “I know you have many questions. Let me finish and perhaps some will be answered. The abilities of Greylanders are heightened in this world of light and dark so different from their twilight home. They found their way here and became the creatures of our myths and legends. Morgause and Viviane were goddesses in many lands. Morgause was a seer. Cassandra of Troy was one incarnation; Andraste of the Celts was the last before her current one as the Seer of New York. Viviane chose the moon and water as her symbols—Diana, Hecate, Tethys—she was all of these and more.” His face was sympathetic. “It was fitting for she was known to be cold and barren. When she appeared among the Celts—my people—she named herself the Lady of the Lake.”

“The ancient tales of gods falling in love with mortals were based on truth. The mating of Greylanders and humans sometimes produced children of unprecedented skill. Our abilities may vary, but we call ourselves earth magicians for we are loyal to it. But one was born who was gifted by the earth with pure magic sprung directly from it—the Earth King—and his power rivaled that of the Lord of the Grey Lands. Cernunnos sent Morgana, his most beloved sister, to destroy the King.”

Morgana. Morgan.

Taliesin sighed. “It is a sad story of all too human betrayal and suffering. Despite the Earth King being already married, he and Morgana fell in love at first meeting. They planned to conquer this world and the Grey Lands and rule both together. They almost succeeded. In the final battle, Cernunnos brought down the Earth King through treachery—not to death, but to an ageless sleep. The chaos that ensued led to the time we call the Dark Ages. Cernunnos created the Wall between our worlds to protect himself should the Earth King ever rise again.”

The lilting tones of the man’s voice sent a shiver down my spine. “I lead the earth magicians and those Greylanders stranded behind the Wall who have sworn loyalty to me. Together, we fight the ones who have no love for the world and have chosen to become monsters. We stand ready for the day the Earth King awakens, for he is a tyrant who cares nothing for the lives of those who follow him. And we stand ready to fight on a last front against Cernunnos, who will not be content to remain behind his Wall forever.”

Only Peter was brave enough to break the silence that followed. “Rowan called us ‘recruits’. If you expect us to fight against this ‘Earth King’, I think we deserve to know his name.’

Taliesin’s voice was soft but his eyes were hard.

“King Arthur of Camelot.”

CHAPTER TWELVE

A lot of shouting followed the announcement that the great enemy of the world was King Arthur. Peter had a hard time accepting that the character he’d identified with in movies and novels was a world-conquering dictator.

“Enough!” Taliesin’s shout brought immediate silence.

Wow. He could do Broadway with that thing.

“I understand this is difficult for you to believe. The legend of the great King Arthur and his noble knights of the round table is a powerful one. Indeed, much of it is true.” He turned away to gaze out the window. “Whatever the blindness of his vision, Arthur was a true believer. He saw Morgana and those of her kind as victims of an evil overlord who oppressed his people and kept them in twilight. He was not entirely wrong. Arthur believed his power was a sign from God that he was to be the liberator of both Avalon and this world, whether the people in it wanted his liberation or not. I have set my life in opposition to his quest. I was a bard—a singer of songs and writer of poetry—and I was a warrior too, but I never expected to be anything but human. Yet the earth magic claimed me and so I must continue in life until it frees me.”

Taliesin bowed his head. “We were friends once, brothers. I would have followed him to the steps of hell. I suppose I did. I was with him and his army when he attempted to invade the Grey Lands. Only eight of us returned. I saw then that the lives of men, especially those of no magic, meant little to Arthur. I chose a different path after that day.”

“Sir, are you saying you’re a couple of thousand years old?” Lacey’s voice was respectful but disbelieving.

An unreadable expression flickered over Taliesin’s face. “Most accounts of my birth give it as 534 B.C., but I was born a couple of hundred years before. I changed my name when it became clear I would not age and die naturally with the rest of my kin. Taliesin is the name under which I gained the notoriety I bear now, but last August the third was the two thousand, five hundred and twenty-second birthday of a Welsh baby named Gwion Bach.”

“As to what you believe, Miss McInnis, after today it will be none of my concern. I am gathering an army. The hint of magic in your blood will be useful to you in all your pursuits. You are not, however, useful to me. Rowan will give you something we call a fith-fath which will allow you to mask your supernatural side if you feel threatened. There are also herbs and charms you can place around your home as a protection. We will give you the instructions, and as long as you are vigilant, you will be as safe as anyone else is in this world and I will have discharged my duty towards you.”

“That’s it?” she squeaked. “You expect me to go home, scatter a few herbs around, and just forget about everything?” Peter and I looked at each other. We knew Lacey wouldn’t accept being so low on the food chain easily.

Taliesin sat back down behind the desk. “What would you have from me? Your abilities are slight and I need warriors not schoolgirls.”

Lacey folded her arms across her chest. “Miko said I could become a witch.”

Miko rolled her eyes. “I thought you didn’t believe any of this?”

“Of course I do.” Lacey looked around the room. “OK, do you honestly think I’m so stupid that I can’t see what’s right in front of my face?”

I shook my head. “You ran away before the Cŵn Annwn showed itself.”

“I came back. Not all the way, but I could still see what happened. Just like I can always see you. I figured out a long time ago there was something weird about how no one except me ever seemed to notice you. I didn’t know it was magic, but I knew it was something. It was another good reason to try to keep you away from . . .” she broke off and flushed as she glanced at Peter.

Taliesin’s voice hardened. “I am sorry, Miss McInnis, but I have nothing else to offer you. I have enough blood on my hands. I will not add yours.”

“What about me and Rhi?” Peter asked.

It was Daley who answered. “Being a Protector makes you a born warrior which is why you’ve always been so good at sports. If you join us, we can train you to access physical and mental abilities you can’t even imagine now.”

For a moment, Peter looked interested, but then he frowned. “What about college? My parents? I can’t just leave them and take off.”

Daley glanced at his father and they shared a moment of silent communication before he continued. “We can work around that for now. Taliesin is the hub, but the spokes of his army spread out over the entire earth. You will need to spend some time training with us, but then you can go home. All we ask is that if Arthur is awakened, you’ll join us when we call.”

I felt a chill as Peter crossed his arms and ran his thumbnail up and down the groove between his teeth.  He was considering it. The comic book loving, wannabe superhero inside him could never turn down such an opportunity.

“And me?” I asked.

“You are a mystery that we must get to the bottom of,” Taliesin replied. “Mr. Larsen and Miss McInnis may return to their homes, but for the moment, you will stay here with us.”

I stood in alarm, but no colors answered my call. “What do you mean ‘stay here’?”

“You will be our guest until I can determine the nature of your abilities and if you are a threat to our cause.”

Peter was on his feet now too. “That’s ridiculous! How could Rhi possibly be any kind of a threat?”

“Really?” Miko drawled. “And I suppose she didn’t suck the power out of a supernatural watchdog? She’s a mystery and mysteries are
always
dangerous.”

“You can’t keep me here against my will,” I said.

Tynan spoke up. “Untrained abilities are dangerous. Our father can help you. When he found me, I had no memories of my past and my abilities were erratic.”

“
Are
erratic,” Miko muttered under her breath.

My breath caught at the hostile expression that flickered over his features. “I knew I needed to earn his trust. Dad is the only one standing between the world and scarier things than the Cŵn Annwn.”

Daley’s eyes seemed to flash with light. “Not to mention you were raised by the high priestess of our enemy. Viviane was as cold-hearted as her moon and either she was lying, or you’re lying about being her daughter. That’s enough reason for us to be careful.”

“Enough.” Taliesin’s tone was mild, but Daley looked down and was silent. Taliesin’s power was in the beautiful tones of his voice and the way everyone listened and obeyed. I could feel it when he turned his attention back to me.

“Viviane’s purposes were always unfathomable. She gave Excalibur to Arthur. Later, she took it from him and aided his betrayer, yet she never returned to her place by her brother’s side. Whatever her true aim, by abandoning Arthur and his people, she lost the worship which her power had become tied to and at last died a mortal death, as you were witness to. I admit that I neither liked nor trusted Viviane. There seemed to be no love in her for either humankind or Greylanders so why would she take you in, a human child?”

I couldn’t answer that, but I didn’t want to stay here. I wondered if I could see Taliesin’s power and maybe do something about it. I closed my eyes and tried, but oily indigo lapped at the edges of my mind like waves at the shore.

It’s some kind of spell.

I opened my eyes in shock. “What have you done to me?” Peter jumped to my side, but I pushed past him to confront Taliesin. “You’ve done something to me! I can see it!”

Tynan stood and moved towards me, but Peter stepped between us with his fists raised. Daley edged closer to his father in case Peter decided to strike in that direction.

“Careful,” Miko murmured. “Protector, remember?”

“I’m not going to hurt Rhiannon,” Daley said. “None of us are.”

I was shaking. “What are you doing to me right now then?”

When Taliesin spoke, his voice was soothing and I could see the muscles in Peter’s shoulders relax a little. “This is one of my abilities: to bind power temporarily. I am holding yours, whatever their true nature, just out of your reach. No lasting harm will come of it.”

“All I can see is indigo blue trying to cover me.”

He raised an eyebrow. “How interesting. Just as with the Cŵn Annwn, you are seeing the manifestation of my power as color.” Taliesin sat back with a sigh. “Give me a show of good faith. Help me to trust you and you will be free to leave and never return if you so wish.”

“And if I don’t co-operate?”

His smile was wintry. “Then I may be forced to conclude that you are not to be trusted.”