Astra gestured for me to go on. Trying to condense everything as much as possible, I told him about Rand’s ability to become solid, omitting the reason he did so, the incident at the dinner table when Rand had tried to touch the sapphire before it was set in the bracelet, and what had happened during the battle on the highway. I quickly described his comatose state for the week afterwards, and how he’d woken. Before I could stop myself, I said, “I’m afraid to touch him now. I don’t know what will happen—if it will hurt him, turn him back into a ghost, or . . .” I couldn’t even speak my last thought out loud.
Olen processed everything I’d said, then gave an apologetic shake of his head. “I do not know what would happen. There are too many unknown factors for me to hazard a guess. My advice? I would ask the stone.” He nodded to my bracelet. “What it did, it may have done for a reason. As its mistress, it would want you to be protected and you were in battle at the time this happened. It may have chosen him to be your protector, your knight. From what you’ve said, it sounds as though he has already been in that role for a while now, so perhaps it only took it a step further. That he is at least a little fae and could hold a physical form, if only for short periods, probably helped. The more the bracelet becomes, the more it will wish to please you. Most of the time,” he added with a wry smile. “Or it may have just been feeling mischievous.” He shrugged. “With fae Objects it is hard to say, but with the power it has already demonstrated and all that you just told me, I would name it soon. Choose a name that will please it and bind it to you. There are only a few in the histories who have managed to Make or acquire an Object and keep it long enough to see what it becomes. They are often killed before it is powerful enough to protect either them or itself from those who seek to wrest it from them, though it would have been useless to the thief in many cases.” Someone behind me gasped, but I didn’t look back to see who it was. He cocked his head. “I do not think you will have that problem.” Abruptly he turned and headed for the water, calling back, “I am out of time, Madame Witch. Until we meet again.” He dove gracefully into the water, his clothes disappearing midair. A second later, a large tail waved at us before disappearing beneath the dark water. Arella’s head popped up to take one last look at us before she dove under, her tail slapping the water and sending ripples in every direction.
Sam laughed. “Roxie, have I mentioned how interesting you make life?”
Chapter 3
Advice from Danai
Clyde drove the Gator back to the house, taking Dutch and Gloria with him. The remainder of our group walked back more slowly as we discussed the meeting, Toby and Jake romping along ahead of us. Astra and her flight flew beside us, which was part of the reason either Clyde or Dutch didn’t insist on accompanying us, I figured. Between the estate itself, the pixies, and my own magick, a person couldn’t ask for better protection.
“So, naming the bracelet might not be as bad as you thought?”
Astra didn’t answer right away. Then she said, “Perhaps I was too hasty in my judgement. The water fae’s knowledge seems greater than my own, so I would follow his advice in this.”
When she didn’t elaborate, I changed the subject. “Astra, do you know if my aunt and Olen were,” I paused, trying to figure out how to ask her delicately, “involved?”
Her musical laugh rang out across the lawn. “At one point, they were lovers, yes, but it was not serious for either of them. I believe your aunt was lonely when Toli left and Olen was both available and willing.” She shrugged, her eyes candid. “Your aunt never confided any of this to me, it is only what I observed. The estate was in a state of minor turmoil—though that might not be the best description—after your mother left and your grandmother died. Sometimes a woman simply needs solace.” Her eyes slid to Rand, who walked about twenty feet ahead of us, tossing a ball for the dogs—well, for Toby anyway. Jake was a good sport about it, though, and still seemed to enjoy the chase itself. “I’m sure you know how that goes.”
How the heck did she know about Rand and I? I racked my brain to remember if I’d mentioned anything about him to her before. It wasn’t as if we ever had time to sit and have a heart-to-heart or even just simple girl talk. Giving up before my brain started hurting—I was still reeling a little from everything Olen and Dorn had said about the bracelet—I moved on. “It must not have lasted long if he has a, er, mate now.”
“It didn’t, from what I recall. He was much younger then, and unmated at the time. He has only been with Arella for perhaps ten or fifteen years.” She gave me a sly, sidelong glance. “Many of the water fae often take more
