"Congratulations to you and the hero of the hour."
"Of the millennium," she corrected.
"So. 'Tis a love match then." He grinned and cast a glance in Aelsong's direction without realizing he had paired the phrase 'love match' with a need to look her way.
At the same time, Elora saw that her conversation with the prince had drawn Ram's attention and that he was regarding her with distinct curiosity. Not wanting to press her luck, she said good night to Duff Torquil who stopped her long enough to shake her hand as he palmed off a card with his personal number on it. "Let us no' lose touch as the Americans say."
Elora walked away wondering where she could put that card. She thought about her bra and then laughed to herself. Had she seriously entertained the idea, even for a millisecond, that her bra might be a safe place to hide something from Ram? She walked straight to Kay and told him she needed him to keep something for her, no questions asked. As she knew he would, he pocketed the card looking straight ahead, no questions asked.
Gods. She loved Bad Company.
EXCERPT III The Witch’s Dream
"Okay. Well, here's the thing then. We haven't had a chance to really get to know each other yet, but I grew up oldest of six. I had five sibs in my own world and two of them were girls. So I have experience being a big sis and I'm comfortable in the role."
"Oh. Aye." Song looked like she wondered where this was going.
"While we're gone for Kay's wedding, you'll be here completely on your own." Song nodded. "Away from home for the first time." She nodded again. "So, on that note, I'm volunteering to put my nose where it wasn't invited and offer advice. It will be best if you take every care to avoid Duffy for now."
Aelsong looked a little baffled, a little surprised, and a lot paler. "Duffy?" she asked cautiously.
"The Prince. You do know his name is Duff and his hooligan friends call him Duffy?"
Song nodded ever so slightly while her expression read shell-shocked. "How did you know?"
Elora pointed at her face with two fingers. "Eyes."
"We were so obvious?"
"Apparently not. Astonishing as it is, I seem to be the only one awake enough to see what is plain as day." Song blew out a breath of relief on learning that her brother was unaware. "I'm going to do everything in my power to help you, but it's going to take some time and a miracle or two."
She was looking at Elora with wide, hopeful eyes that could break Elora's heart. "People around here know how to make miracles. Right?"
Elora cocked her head while she appraised Aelsong. "Can you read for yourself?"
Song shook her head. "That would be handy, but my own future just whirls around like...sort of like smoke. If I try to force it, I see bad things - no' the actual future - things scary enough to make me stop askin'."
"And you can't ask anyone else in this department to read for you because of what they might see."
"Aye. Exactly."
"Well," Elora reached over and patted Song's hand, "when we get back I will start working on your mother and your brother. And your other brother. But it must be gradual. It's a big change we're hoping for. And Duff is going to see how far he can get from his side."
Song's lips parted and she hissed in a little air. "I saw you speak to him."
Elora smiled at her sister-in-law's reaction. "Guess what we talked about. Indirectly, of course."
Song's eyes coated with a dreamy expression. "He was so gorgeous in his kilt, was he no'? It made my heart hurt."
Elora smiled, knowing exactly how it feels to find a male so beautiful you never want to look away. "Indeed. He is a real life Prince Charming."
Song looked confused. "You mean he's a charmin' prince?"
Elora sighed. She might never get used to living in a dimension without fairytales. "Right. Anyway. He says he has nothing personal against elves and thinks that continuing the feud is silly. That was his word. But he also said that, if I quoted him on that, he would be forced to deny it. He thinks there is a growing movement among some of his peers to resolve the dispute and put an end to the animosity."
Aelsong looked even more enraptured. "He said that?"
"Yes. That does not mean it will happen. He indicated that the mission is daunting from his side."