Niran reached over and patted one of her clenched hands.“Well played, my dear.The perfect response.”
A tingle zapped up her arm, and she let out a tiny eep of surprise.The sensations ceased the instant Niran lifted his hand.
“I believe I will participate in this jaunt to the shops,” he said.“It promises great entertainment.”
“I live to serve,” Gweneth retorted.
Niran chuckled.“You are offering a distraction, my dear.I am worried and you are helping me function.”
Gweneth snorted.
“Ellard and Sable will be ready shortly,” Ransom told them.“Gryffnn, Jacinta, do you wish to come with us?”
Jacinta glanced up from where she sat with Gryffnn.“No, thank you.I am going flying with some friends.We might go swimming at the green lake.”
“I’ll stay to supervise my son,” Gryffnn said.“We need to practice fire starting.”
“Also putting out fires,” Gweneth said with a grin.“That part seems just as important.”
Ransom barked out a laugh.“True.The youngsters are always setting fire to things.We have an area set aside for them to practice their fire breath, but accidents happen.”
“Let me show you your quarters before you leave,” Niran said.
Gweneth stood, surprised that Niran was the one showing her to her room.
Niran smiled at her.“Ellard had better come with us.”
Five mins later, she and Ellard followed Niran through an ornately carved wooden door, the last one in a long passage.
“This is it,” Niran said.
Both she and Ellard came to an abrupt halt just inside the large and very empty room.
Niran gave a full-out belly laugh, and without warning, a looking glass appeared before them.“I wanted you to see your expressions,” he managed once he’d finished laughing.
“But there is no furniture.”Ellard shared his puzzlement with Gweneth.“Where did the glass come from?”
“I conjured it,” Niran explained.“We receive sexual energy from Ransom’s tribe, and in return, we gift them with material possessions.There is a catch, though.The items we conjure last as long as the user requires them.Once the need ceases, the magic dissolves the gifts.”
“What if an enemy got hold of you?”Ellard asked, his military mind working differently to hers.
“We starve without sexual energy,” Niran said.“We continue to exist, but no one can see us, and we can’t communicate easily or use our powers.”
“You become ghosts?”Gweneth asked.
Niran frowned.“Ah,” he said, his expression clearing.“I understand ghosts now that you have ceased to block me.Yes, a little like ghosts.Now, I want each of you to imagine the room furnished to your specifications.”He stared at them expectantly, then barked out a laugh.
“This is Ellard’s vision.”Niran waved his hand with a flourish.
Gweneth stared at the austere furnishings and realized he’d imagined his room at the castle.She’d peeked inside one day when he and Jarlath were sparring with the other feline males.The sturdy metallic bars, however, were telling.
“You hate me that much?”she demanded.“So much you want to keep me incarcerated?”She took satisfaction from the tinge of red that crept into his cheeks.Was she wasting her cycles?Maybe she should grit her teeth through the rest of this visit, return to Viros and retire to her room with the food that closest resembled Earth ice cream.Olivia had told her Earth women did this after disappointment in love.
“What would you suggest?”Niran asked.“Whatever you choose will remain for as long as you require the item.Once you are no longer in need, the things we conjure disappear.That works for food, drink, clothing, or any other object.”
The kindness in his expression tightened her chest, and she had to swallow twice before she attempted to speak.Part of her wanted to suggest to Niran that she would like a sumptuous bed—large, of course—since Ellard took up a lot of space.Storage units and a clothing replicator.A decadent bathing area.A bath.Candles.Perfumed cleansing tabs.A maid to wash her hair and help her dress.Pretty clothes.She drew a deep breath.No!She was smarter than that.Besides, Ellard would expect her to push her agenda.
“Are you ready?”Niran prompted.
