Blue Skies on Fire Read online

  His eyes had sparked with energy when he looked at the cookies, and as she checked her cake tray, the cookies were dwindling rapidly.

  “How long have you been here, Teebie?” He asked her when he was refilling his teacup.

  “A few years. It was a family business.” She glanced over her shoulder at the portrait of Dira on the wall. The image of Dira and Mak was in the dining room.

  “A portrait of the founder of the Crossroads. Very tasteful.”

  Teebie blinked and her mind reeled. “You recognize her?”

  “I do, indeed. The Lady Dira. She is one of the greatest dragons in history.”

  “How do you know so much about dragons?”

  He paused and cleared his throat. “I would rather not say.”

  She did roll her eyes that time. “As you like. So, did Tony give you a comprehensive tour of the Crossroads?”

  “He showed me the bar, the café and the restaurant.”

  “There is also a salon and spa now, but he doesn’t concern himself with that kind of thing. Did you see the General Store?”

  “I did. What I am interested in this evening is my room and a bit of regrouping before I charge into the fray.”

  It was a practical way of looking at it. “Just say the word and I will take you upstairs.”

  “Why, Miss Teebie, you do move fast.”

  She snorted and then thanked her complexion for hiding the blush at the unladylike noise.

  “I am kidding. I have been warned that the workers here are off limits.” There was a hopeful arch to his tawny brows.

  “Of course we are.” Teebie wanted to give Tony a wedgie that his children would feel.

  Andor sighed, his shoulders slumping. “Of course you are.”

  He set his cup and saucer down with finality and smiled. “I am ready to get some rest if you are ready to lead me.”

  Teebie sent the tea set back to the kitchen and got to her feet. “Please, come this way.”

  Andor rose and followed her.

  “Breakfast is served beginning at dawn, and it continues until all my guests are up. It is usually over around nine in the morning. If you need a picnic for a romantic lunch, I can help you out with that. I work with Al at the restaurant to get something special together.”

  She gave him the lecture as they headed up the stairs. She turned left and led him to the end of the hallway. She opened the door.

  “The door is keyed to your wrist charm and you can come and go as you like. There is a balcony for you, as per your request, and I hope you enjoy your stay at the Open Heart.”

  She smiled politely. It was a practiced smile. “May you find what you seek.”

  He blinked at her bland tone. “I suppose I will see you in the morning.”

  She inclined her head and waited until he entered his rooms. The moment the door closed, her shoulders slumped in relief and she headed back downstairs.

  For one brief moment, she had felt a connection with someone and then reality had smacked her in the face. She was bonded to the Crossroads. There was no time off for her. Her time as host was her life. She had just been reminded of it.

  She headed back to the kitchen, and she prepped the dry goods for the next day’s breakfast. When everything was ready, she split her consciousness and body and went to bed.

  The late comers occasionally needed a little help getting settled, and she needed a presence to provide them with their hospitality. Her mist form looked solid and could wield basic magic. It let the majority of her body get some sleep.

  Tonight, she just wanted the bliss of nothingness.

  With the bed and breakfast sorted, cleaned and ready for the morning as well as for evening arrivals, she went into the underground grotto that was Dira’s horde and Teebie’s bedroom.

  She settled on the round silk-covered bed and curled up. Not thinking about Andor was the hardest thing she had ever done.

  Breakfast was going to be hell.

  Chapter Three

  Four guests was an average load in the old days, but now, nine at each seating was what she could expect. Today, there were five males and four females seated at the dining room table. It took all of her concentration to keep everything replenished as the feeding frenzy began.

  Andor was the centre of the female attention, and the other males at the table were a little perturbed by it, especially as two of the ladies had spent the night with their soon-to-be mates.

  To Teebie’s amazement, none of the men were directing their irritation toward Andor. They pinned their selected females with grumpy gazes.

  No one could get mad at Andor. This evening was going to be astonishing. When you got male shifters together, territorial nature was the prime motivation. The beasts did the choosing.

  If the beasts didn’t mind Andor being the alpha, that was their business.

  Teebie watched her guests from behind the wall, and when food was required or a clean dish was needed, she sent it out to them. They didn’t want to see her. They had other things on their minds.

  One by one, and two by two, they left the dining room, and she whisked their dishes and cutlery away on currents of magic.

  When only Andor was left, she peeped out to see him sitting and reading a computer tablet while sipping his coffee. The table was clear, and she whisked crumbs into nothing on the tablecloth.

  “Are you going to come out now, Miss Teebie?”

  Teebie wandered out, wearing her customary long skirt, boots and a comfortable top with a cowl neck. Her clothing was usually a cross between cowboy and bohemian. Under everything, she was wearing fire engine red lingerie, but he didn’t know that. It was her secret.

  “Do you always hide at breakfast?”

  “Only when there is no need for me to keep conversation going. You did just fine without me.” She looked at the crumbs on the floor and sent a broom after them.

  “What did you do in the human world?”

  She blinked. “I hid. Fey may be commonly acknowledged, but djinn aren’t around that often. They keep to themselves.”

  He frowned. “But they are known.”

  “Yes, but most have blended with the fey over the generations and are now just slightly blue. My bright-blue skin is a throwback. It carries power but also social stigma.”

  “Why?”

  “It is a symbol of primitive living. I am the only one of four sisters to have this colouring. My aunt named me.” Her lips quirked, and she summoned a cup of coffee.

  “Teebie is an interesting name. What does it mean?”

  She raised her brows. “What does Andor mean?”

  “Eagle-thunder. It doesn’t trip of the tongue.” He grinned.

  “Totally Blue. That is my actual legal name.”

  His mouth opened in surprise. “Your true name is Totally Blue?”

  “Correct. T and B, so Teebie.”

  He gave her a slow smile. “That is fascinating and charming.”

  She wrinkled her nose and sipped at her coffee. “Yes. Fascinating.”

  “How do you live amongst humans?”

  “I put all my power into a glamour. It is draining and gives me a headache.” She sat back and sighed. Her magic was making the beds upstairs and repairing the damage left by claws, beaks and unidentifiable stains.

  “You are doing something right now, aren’t you?”

  She gave him a slow smile. “Housekeeping. Each morning, the sheets and bedding are destroyed and reformed. It lets me stretch my magical wings, so to speak, and is surprisingly up my alley.”

  “Domestic magic is the strength of the djinn.”

  He said it with such confidence that she had to stare at him.

  “How do you know that? Most shifters don’t realize that there are different applications for the magic.”

  “I have studied, and I am older than I look.” He gave her a wink.

  “I see. Well, that is your own business.” She
inclined her head and finished her coffee.

  Silence dropped between them. “Well, I have a day to enjoy here at the Crossroads. How should I spend it?”

  Teebie blinked. “Walk around? Explore? I have to do my morning chores and those cannot be accomplished by magic.”

  He perked up. “Do you need help?”

  She thought of a dozen responses, but what she heard was, “Can you pick berries?”

  Andor grinned. “I can.”

  “Then, rise and prepare to crouch in the dirt. We have been trying to grow more of the fruits and vegetables used at the Crossroads.”

  “May I help?”

  “Sure. The couple who are participating in the balance ceremony today are still in bed. They plan to stay there for a few more hours. When they rise, I will have to return to the Open Heart. That gives me just enough time to do what I need to.”

  “With four hands, the work will go faster.” He rose to his feet.

  Teebie finished her coffee and agreed. “Then, why delay any further?”

  She set her cup down, and it disappeared into a puff of vapour.

  The next moment, she was on her feet and she led him through the kitchen and out the back door, collecting the gathering baskets as she went.

  “Why don’t you just generate the baskets when you are in the field?” He took a handful of baskets and settled in to walk at her side.

  “I reorder matter. I would be absorbing the plants and dirt around me to make the baskets. It would defeat the purpose of harvesting anything only to destroy the plants with ripe fruit.”

  “I had no idea that that was how djinn magic worked.”

  “It is why we are always associated with housekeeping. It is easy enough to reform items that are already around. Even dust and crumbs can be reshaped into something useful.”

  They walked across the evenly manicured grounds and toward a tall hedge that stretched as far as the eye could see.

  “That is a pretty big hedge.” Andor chuckled.

  She snorted and walked toward it. “It keeps the grazers from taking our groceries down to nothing.”

  “Is that a problem?”

  “Not usually, but every now and then, you get a frisky horse or reindeer that wants to nibble its way to a decision. They head right for the hedge.” Teebie sighed.

  The wall of green parted as she walked forward. Andor was right behind her, and when the hedge closed behind them, he whistled long and low. “This is amazing.”

  Acres of ground had been turned into a garden, and Teebie’s magic tended it. “Thank you. My aunt started it, but I added my own touches.”

  He glanced at her. “What were your touches?”

  She waved the baskets toward the cultivated crops. “All of it aside from that clump of bushes over there.”

  With purpose, she took the shopping list that Al had provided her with, and she headed for the peppers.

  “May I see the list and help?”

  She grinned and showed him. “The onions are over there. Lettuces are harvested last.”

  “Where do the berries fall?”

  “Between cabbages and tomatoes.” She gestured toward the far end of the expansive allotment. He took his baskets and trudged in the direction that she pointed.

  Teebie did what she always did. She turned into mist, and she harvested the fresh fruits and vegetables that had so recently become necessary to the smooth running of the Crossroads.

  In the old days, when it was just shifters, the veg would be brought in weekly on a specially arranged transport. Dira grew the soft fruits, but everything else had to be brought in. The Crossroads was just not strong enough to let life flourish in those days. Now, it was a different story.

  Sometimes, Teebie thought that the influx of the fey had been planned all along. She wouldn’t put it past her aunt. Dragons thought in the long term.

  She gathered the items on her list and tucked them into the baskets. Moving as quickly as she could through the task, she kept Andor in her field of view. He was careful when he selected the vegetables, but he was also quick.

  She completed her harvest and weeding in a few minutes before she regained her solid form and walked to the small orchard.

  Andor was done with his collection, and he looked in surprise at where she had been working. “You did all that?”

  “Of course. No sense in wasting time. Now, to get those lemons and oranges.” She smiled brightly and swung her basket.

  “How is that possible?”

  “Practice.” She winked and continued into the orchard where pears, apples, oranges, grapefruits, lemons and limes all held court. There were plans for cherries and other stone fruits, but the orchard was new, so they had to pace themselves.

  Today’s shopping list had lemons, a few limes for the bar and some oranges. For her own kitchen, Teebie grabbed half a dozen apples while Andor handled the citrus.

  “Can you grab me an extra lemon?” Teebie called out.

  When she looked, it was a little vexing to see that Andor could reach far higher than she could without going into gaseous form.

  She hopped up and down to grab the apples, getting the first four without trouble and then getting stuck on the last two.

  “Would you care for some assistance?”

  Teebie huffed to the ground for the fifth time. “Please.”

  Andor looked into the branches and reached above her head to pluck the last two apples she needed with one hand.

  She held out her basket. “Thank you.”

  He slid the apples in with their brethren and smiled. “You are welcome. What is next?”

  “Cabbages, leafy greens and herbs.”

  Andor chuckled. “Excellent. One question. How are we going to get this all back to the Open Heart?”

  Teebie twisted her free hand in the air and all of the baskets levitated. “Like this.”

  He nodded. “Fair enough. It explains why you can do all of this on your own.”

  She grinned. “It hasn’t always been this hectic. In times past, it was just me and a fruit patch. This does take a bit more planning.”

  “The apples were not on the list.”

  “No, they are for me. I was getting the urge to make a pie. It is also why I needed the lemon.”

  They walked toward the greens portion of the garden, and she produced a knife for him and a set of scissors for her.

  “Why don’t you just harvest this with magic?” He raised his brows and waggled them.

  “I can’t cut living matter with magic. I can lift it, but I can’t cut it. I have to do it manually.” She could do it with her mist form, but if he hadn’t seen it while she was working, she didn’t want it to be a memory of her.

  Teebie hadn’t been this distracted by a man since... ever. She wanted to show off, she wanted to preen and she wanted him to think she was ladylike. It was a conflicting situation considering that he had been told she was off limits.

  Ten minutes later and their produce parade was on its way back to the Open Heart.

  The nervous bride was in deep discussion with Teebie’s avatar. Teebie had the avatar excuse itself, and a moment later, she came around the corner with a gown draped over her arm.

  “Here you are, Missande.”

  The bride grinned. “Thank you, Teebie. It is perfect!” The woman ran up the stairs with the gown in her arms.

  Teebie manifested an avatar just down the hall from Missande’s room, and when the woman was inside her door, it knocked and moved in to help her dress.

  “What was that?”

  Andor was smiling and watching her from the kitchen doorway.

  “It was how I act as host. When one person needs attention, it seems they all do. I send an avatar of my consciousness along to help each one out to make sure that their hair and makeup is done to perfection before they head off to their balancing ceremony.”

  “What did you do before the ceremon
ies?”

  She smiled. “The balance is only needed when it is a fey and shifter union. A pair of shifters need only sign a contract and go on their way.”

  “Why do the fey and shifters need the ceremony?”

  Teebie turned and walked over to him, lifting her hand to his cheek. The crackle of energy snapped between them, and she hadn’t even made contact. “Does that ring a bell?”

  “Ah, I suppose it would wear on them if it continued for an exceedingly long time.” He shrugged. “My parents had an arranged marriage, so they had their own issues to deal with.”

  “Really? I didn’t think that shifters did that kind of thing.”

  Andor smiled. “I believe it depends on the shifters.”

  Teebie grinned and shrugged, pulling her hand back. “I suppose it does.”

  Her skin tingled from the slight touch, and she closed her hand into a loose fist to keep the sensation on her palm. “If you will excuse me, I need to get the delivery to Albert and some of the tomatoes and lettuce to the café.”

  “Can I help?” He looked hopeful.

  She shook her head. A moment later, her kitchen was clear with the exception of her apples and lemon.

  He must have felt the rush of cold air behind him, because he turned to stare at the place where their harvest had been. “You excused yourself for that?”

  “My auntie taught me that manners matter, even in magic.”

  “I would like to meet this auntie of yours.” Andor smiled and stepped toward her.

  Teebie stepped back. “Unlikely. Soon, you will find a mate and be off back to the human world.”

  He frowned, and the hand he had raised lowered to his side. “Right. I had nearly forgotten that you were off limits.”

  Teebie’s heart ached as he left her in the dining room and exited the Open Heart. It was for the best. He needed to find another shifter or a fey to live happily ever after. Her life would be an eternity in a magical limbo catering to horny guests.

  She wouldn’t wish that on anyone.

  Chapter Four

  Missande and Treymor stood together, the green vines of his magic printed themselves into her skin and his eyes glowed hot yellow with his new wolf waking inside.