The Undead Pool

Trent smiled, undeterred. “It’s a good excuse to get him to visit. If we’re going to be elves, we’re going to be elves, by God. I’d like him to officiate so I get it right.”

Ellasbeth simply stared at him. Slowly the book slid to the floor as she struggled with a squirmy Lucy and Ray quietly pushed on her sister to get down. “Bancroft is an old man clinging to traditions we don’t even know the beginnings of anymore,” the woman said. “And you are not going to sacrifice two goats. We aren’t savages!”

“Who is to say what we are, Ellasbeth,” Trent said coolly. “In the meantime, I’ll be partaking of another elven tradition of demon discourse.” His tone was far too blasé for my liking. Ceri had followed that tradition, only to end up Al’s slave for a thousand years.

An awkward silence grew, and Jenks shrugged when our eyes met. Trent stood, taking Lucy and handing Ellasbeth her purse. “The wave feels like wild magic,” he said. “It resonates with Rachel’s aura and seeks her out. Bancroft might give us something to investigate, a new direction to think about. Everything circles back, Ellasbeth. Quen can drive you and the girls home.”

Silent, the woman rose with Ray, lips pressed into a thin line and her feet unmoving. “So, who is Bancroft?” I asked as I began gathering up the toys.

“Just a man.” Trent handed Lucy to Quen and motioned for the unmoving Ellasbeth to head for the front of the church. “He knows more about the Goddess than anyone.”

“He’s a priest?”

“If you can be a priest in a land with no church. Wild magic was said to live in the space between spaces in the lines. It sounds as if it’s leaking from your line. He might know why, and then we can stop it.”

Sure, it sounded easy, but I was willing to bet someone would be dead before it was over.

Ellasbeth still hadn’t moved. Trent’s arm fell, and he looked expectantly at her. Clearly frustrated, Ellasbeth waved at the pixy kids wreathing her, all of them shrilling good-bye to the girls. “I think Bancroft meeting Rachel is an excellent idea,” she said. “Rachel, you will come out and give Bancroft your experiences firsthand, won’t you?”

Distrusting this, I fumbled for a moment, then managed, “Ah, yes, of course.”

Trent eyed her suspiciously as he handed his keys to Quen. “Good. It’s a date then. Quen, you and Ellasbeth can take the girls home in the SUV. I’ll go to the ever-after with Rachel and talk to Al. If I need a way home, I’ll call.”

Looking pained, Quen took the keys. “Certainly, Sa’han.”

Things were happening fast, and I stood there with my arms full of toys.

“It’s good to have you home again,” Trent said, giving Quen an honest smile. Lucy wiggled, demanding attention, and he focused on her in Quen’s arms, his voice rising as he said, “And you, too, Lucy. It’s been too quiet without you and your sister.”

I smiled as the little girl gave him a sloppy kiss and shouted, “Good night!”

“It’s good to be home,” Quen said, his expression fixing to a bland nothing as he turned to Ellasbeth. “Will we be needing to stop somewhere on the way home, Ms. Withon?”

“Actually, I do need a few things,” Ellasbeth said as she took a step to the hallway. “But it can wait. The girls need to go down for their naps. Trenton, can I have a word with you?”

Looking resigned, Trent edged past me and into the hall. “What?”

Quen worked hard to hide his smirk as she click-clacked into the sanctuary, Ray on her hip and dragging Trent behind her.

“Sorry about all this,” I said to Quen as I tucked Lucy’s flyaway hair behind an ear and gave her a tickle under her chin.

“It’s not your fault,” he said, his tone making it clear he wasn’t entirely sure. “You will keep him safe?”

“Always.” But I couldn’t help but worry over how Al was going to react with me dropping in with his most favorite elf.

Our attentions flicked to the hallway as Trent’s voice rose in a hushed anger, and I felt myself warm. “She has saved my life more times than you have rings for your fingers, Ellie. I’m not going to let her go alone to tell a demon that wild magic is leaking from her ley line. She needs someone to watch her back, and pixies can’t be in the ever-after until sunset. I’m going. End of discussion.”

On second thought, Al probably wasn’t going to care about Trent once he found out that wild magic was not only leaking from my line but crossing Cincinnati to find me. Maybe we should just go out to the Loveland line and see it for ourselves.

Nine

The engine’s thrum muted as we got off the interstate. I tried not to listen to Trent’s phone conversation as the wind noise dropped, but my car wasn’t that big. It wasn’t as if Trent minded talking to Quen with me listening, but I knew Trent wasn’t happy that Quen had called in the first place, prompted by Trent’s text that our visit to Al’s had been nixed in exchange for a personal visit out to my ley line. If Trent had wanted to turn it into a committee decision, he would have called.