eldritch files 07 - elemental blood Read Online Free
Author: phaedra weldon
accent.
Crwys held up his hand and opened his mouth to speak, but—
"What's going on here?" Detective Damali had her hands on her hips as she moved past them to the counter. She wasn't asking the Risi, but directing her question at Kyle.
To his credit, the Hedge Witch didn't lower his crackling hands. "This…contingent of Elves showed up about five minutes ago and pointed their weapons at us. They haven't said anything else, yet, because you three walked in."
"Well, they're not Elves," Crwys said as he lowered his own hands and followed behind Tas. No one fired, but they did keep him in their sites. "Their people are known as the Nisse." He made sure to say it clearly. NEE -say. "These are Risi." He said this as REE -say.
"You know of us?" the closest one said. He was a little taller than the rest—maybe Sam's height when she was barefoot, but still shorter than Tas, Levi, and Crwys. His hair color was soft blue like a clear sky, and his eyes were a similar hue. A Risi's features were timeless, ageless, and androgynous. They could all pass for male, and they could all pass for female. The only way to tell was the tenor of their voice and their bodies. The feminine shape was a dead giveaway—but not under all that gear. His horns resembled a gazelle’s, long, spiraled and grew several inches past his temples on the sides of his head.
"Nisse? Risi?” Ivan said. Crwys glanced at him, and could tell by the faint green glow of his eyes the Cyber Witch was looking up the word on the Internet. He blinked a few times. "These are Trolls? I thought they were Elves, though the horns were throwing me off."
"We are not Elves ," a green-haired one said.
Kyle cleared his throat. "Well, whatever you are, you need a lesson in the fine art of diplomacy because busting into an establishment owned by a Witch is just the way to get the Witch's Parliament's attention."
"We are in accord," One of the taller ones with yellow hair said as she stepped forward. Her gear was a bit toned down, her golds and greens subdued and not as flashy. "I am Yolyn, First Soldier to King Satar Windsong. I'm here on the behalf of the Risi of this province. We beseech an audience with the Arcane Wielder Witch."
Crwys pursed his lips and looked over Yolyn's head at Kyle. Kyle waved his hands a bit and the arcing ceased. Dharma kept her Water shield up around herself and Ivan.
Crwys glanced at Tas and hoped he was conveying the question, Should you tell them or should I? with his eyes.
Kyle said, "Put down your weapons if you want to talk. Not before."
Yolyn hesitated, then turned and raised her hand. The weapons vanished. So did half of the contingent.
"Where did they go?" Dharma asked.
Ivan shifted as he looked around, his eyes still glowing. "They're still here."
"You can see them?" Levi asked.
"I can make out their presence. Like when I sense Arcane?"
"They're made of Arcane?"
"We all are, in a way," Crwys said. "Though they are native to this realm."
"That explains why they're glowing green and sparkling," Ivan said. "And not red."
Crwys put his hands on his hips as he directed his attention to the First Soldier. "Why do you want to talk to Sam?"
"Sam?" Yolyn narrowed her eyes. "We beg audience with the Witch."
"The one who wields Arcane isn’t here," Kyle said. "But there are three Witches in front of you, ready to help."
"Just don't shoot us," Ivan said, then smiled.
"You don't have the mark of Dark Power." She looked at all three of them. "None of you do."
"If you mean Arcane," Ivan said, "no. Only Sam does. Her name is Samantha Hawthorne."
"And she is not here?" Yolyn sounded worried. She turned and spoke to the man…no, woman beside him. But Crwys understood it. He was wondering if the Arcane Witch was actually with his father.
Crwys cleared his throat. "Yolyn," he said, and waited for her to look his way. "Sam's not with your King. Why do you need to see her?"
Yolyn said quickly, "King Satar's been missing for over a
Crwys held up his hand and opened his mouth to speak, but—
"What's going on here?" Detective Damali had her hands on her hips as she moved past them to the counter. She wasn't asking the Risi, but directing her question at Kyle.
To his credit, the Hedge Witch didn't lower his crackling hands. "This…contingent of Elves showed up about five minutes ago and pointed their weapons at us. They haven't said anything else, yet, because you three walked in."
"Well, they're not Elves," Crwys said as he lowered his own hands and followed behind Tas. No one fired, but they did keep him in their sites. "Their people are known as the Nisse." He made sure to say it clearly. NEE -say. "These are Risi." He said this as REE -say.
"You know of us?" the closest one said. He was a little taller than the rest—maybe Sam's height when she was barefoot, but still shorter than Tas, Levi, and Crwys. His hair color was soft blue like a clear sky, and his eyes were a similar hue. A Risi's features were timeless, ageless, and androgynous. They could all pass for male, and they could all pass for female. The only way to tell was the tenor of their voice and their bodies. The feminine shape was a dead giveaway—but not under all that gear. His horns resembled a gazelle’s, long, spiraled and grew several inches past his temples on the sides of his head.
"Nisse? Risi?” Ivan said. Crwys glanced at him, and could tell by the faint green glow of his eyes the Cyber Witch was looking up the word on the Internet. He blinked a few times. "These are Trolls? I thought they were Elves, though the horns were throwing me off."
"We are not Elves ," a green-haired one said.
Kyle cleared his throat. "Well, whatever you are, you need a lesson in the fine art of diplomacy because busting into an establishment owned by a Witch is just the way to get the Witch's Parliament's attention."
"We are in accord," One of the taller ones with yellow hair said as she stepped forward. Her gear was a bit toned down, her golds and greens subdued and not as flashy. "I am Yolyn, First Soldier to King Satar Windsong. I'm here on the behalf of the Risi of this province. We beseech an audience with the Arcane Wielder Witch."
Crwys pursed his lips and looked over Yolyn's head at Kyle. Kyle waved his hands a bit and the arcing ceased. Dharma kept her Water shield up around herself and Ivan.
Crwys glanced at Tas and hoped he was conveying the question, Should you tell them or should I? with his eyes.
Kyle said, "Put down your weapons if you want to talk. Not before."
Yolyn hesitated, then turned and raised her hand. The weapons vanished. So did half of the contingent.
"Where did they go?" Dharma asked.
Ivan shifted as he looked around, his eyes still glowing. "They're still here."
"You can see them?" Levi asked.
"I can make out their presence. Like when I sense Arcane?"
"They're made of Arcane?"
"We all are, in a way," Crwys said. "Though they are native to this realm."
"That explains why they're glowing green and sparkling," Ivan said. "And not red."
Crwys put his hands on his hips as he directed his attention to the First Soldier. "Why do you want to talk to Sam?"
"Sam?" Yolyn narrowed her eyes. "We beg audience with the Witch."
"The one who wields Arcane isn’t here," Kyle said. "But there are three Witches in front of you, ready to help."
"Just don't shoot us," Ivan said, then smiled.
"You don't have the mark of Dark Power." She looked at all three of them. "None of you do."
"If you mean Arcane," Ivan said, "no. Only Sam does. Her name is Samantha Hawthorne."
"And she is not here?" Yolyn sounded worried. She turned and spoke to the man…no, woman beside him. But Crwys understood it. He was wondering if the Arcane Witch was actually with his father.
Crwys cleared his throat. "Yolyn," he said, and waited for her to look his way. "Sam's not with your King. Why do you need to see her?"
Yolyn said quickly, "King Satar's been missing for over a
Readers choose
Elena Poniatowska
Louise Doughty
Chudney Ross
Jonathan P. Brazee
Alexia Purdy
Robyn Carr
Jenni Rivera
Paige Steele
Robert E. Howard
Greg Sisco