Part 22 (1/2)

He should have been used to such queer sights by now, for hadn't he already seen a thing that was half-faery, half-hedgehog, and another that had shrubbery growing from its head and back? He'd been allowed a peep into a different dimension and nothing more should have surprised him. Even so, when he saw four tiny imps sitting astride a swift-moving gra.s.s-snake close by he could not help but wonder what else awaited him. The imps waved and went on their merry way, the one at the front holding a little twig which he used to tap either side of the green snake's head, evidently his way of steering the reptile. More laughter when the one nearest the tail fell off as the snake swiftly changed direction to avoid coming too close to Thom.

Many of the undines had now emerged from the lake to sit in a semicircle around Thom, although they remained at a distance; others preferred to sit in the shallows and watch from there. They were all beautiful, he noticed, each one in her own way, their faces generally wan in the suns.h.i.+ne, their bodies slender and supple. Whether naked or wearing the flimsy dresses and skirts, each one was incredibly erotic -and exotic - to Thom's eyes and it was almost impossible to subdue the stirring of his loins. He tried to cover his literally growing embarra.s.sment by leaning forward from the tree trunk and resting his wrists on his knees. Even so, one or two of the nearest undines tried to smother their giggles with slender hands as they watched him coyly from the corners of their eyes.

Jennet scolded them with a look.

Fl.u.s.tered, Thom said: Tell me about the undines, Jennet. Are you one of them?'

'Yes, Thom, I'm an undine and so was Bethan.'

'She ... she lived in the lake?' He was shaking his head disbelievingly even as he asked the question.

'She came from the lake. It was over there...' she

pointed '... by the willow that your father first set eyes on her.' 'And this is where she returned/ Thom said grimly.

This is where she died.'

Were there - are there - others like my mother? Undines or faeries posing as humans?'

'Not posing, Thom. a.s.suming the ident.i.ties of humans. There is no pretence involved. But to answer your question, yes, there are several of us walking your Earth at this moment. Usually they are very discreet, but one in particular has already drawn too much attention to herself. She's quite famous?'

'Oh yeah? Who might that someone be?'

'She's an Icelandic singer. You humans think her a little eccentric, but in truth, she acts the way she does because she is still confused. She hasn't adapted yet, though she will in time. Meanwhile, most of you find her singing very strange; but persevere, eventually it will make sense to you.'

A green-silver-blue spark drifted between them and poised in the air in front of Thom. He could discern no regular shape to it, no form at all, and it surprised him by suddenly streaking off and vanis.h.i.+ng completely before it had gone five yards. Another appeared, this one red and gold in appearance, a tiny fiery star that behaved in exactly the same manner as the previous one, although zooming off and disappearing in a different direction. Thom looked at Jennet quizzically.

'Little spirits,' she explained as yet another, and then another loomed before them. These were mainly purple and silver-white, although other fainter colours seemed to flare in their auroras. They're curious about you. It's not often that humans are allowed time to focus on them, so consider yourself privileged.

Sometimes the eyes of your kind might catch their reflections, but rarely will they be seen properly unless by people who have very sensitive intuitions.'

”fou mean psychics?'

She shrugged. 'We have no special word for them. To us they're just humans who see more clearly.'

'And these ... these things?'

'I told you, spirits, elementals. They are part of everything, the hidden life-force of all that exists. Their energies have wonderful powers.'

The three pulsing lights disappeared as abruptly as their precursors. But almost immediately a whole galaxy of similarly brilliant coruscations took their place, creating a glittering nebula between them. Thom had to squint against their combined glow, but he saw that they all comprised the same shades of light, twinkling blues to mauve and indigo, their nuclei a dazzling white that emitted streaks of its own essence into the halo of colours. Thom's shoulders. .h.i.t the broad tree trunk behind him as he backed off.

'Don't be afraid, Thom.'

He heard her voice, her image hazy behind the s.h.i.+fting nebula. They're here for you. They're healers.'

Thom drew his feet up, pressing his spine even harder into the rough bark at his back. For some reason he was nervous of these dancing lights for, although other small faeries had eventually graduated into human-like figures, these remained dazzling little stars with no obvious form and therefore utterly alien to him, possessing nothing he could relate to as a human himself. Why were they here for him?

'Jennet, I...'

'Hush, now. Relax and let them do their work. Her bad magic is strong, Thom, because she comes from a long line of evil women.'

'Nell Quick is just a woman,' he insisted.

'Haven't you learned anything?'

His question came out of fear. 'Why should you care? Why are you concerned for me?'

She moved slightly so that now he could see her beyond the fainter fringes of the cl.u.s.ter. 'For Bethan's sake,' she said. 'And for ours.'

Like movie s.p.a.ces.h.i.+ps veering off to attack, the tiny stars arced towards him, each one taking its own graceful route, gliding forward to weave across his face and raised hands. They touched his bare skin, probes with no bite, scouting first before targeting. He felt their rays of light on the surface of his flesh, small beams of warmth that tickled, the soft heat sinking into him, disturbing his skin without hurting or even irritating. Some zoomed across his forehead and temples, peculiarly brus.h.i.+ng without actually touching, while others reached his bare left arm to travel its length, down and then up, a constant traffic of energizing pa.s.ses, their ethereal force entering his flesh, journeying with his bloodstream to be carried around his entire system.

He felt faint; he felt his body had been invaded by alien but friendly micro-organisms; and after a few seconds he felt a strength galvanizing every tissue, sinew and muscle. His blood seemed to rush through him with its vivifying cargo and he could almost feel its beat as it flowed in steady heart-governed s.h.i.+fts.

The faintness soon left him as his body began to respond to the infusion.

It was miraculous. It was wonderful. It was a drug-free high that made him want to cry out with the pleasure it brought. His left arm was no longer numbed, his leg no longer ached. His chest swelled with the euphoria and, when he opened his eyes, for he had closed them in his joy, he saw that the water nymphs had moved even closer and were now joined by other imps and faeries, some of whom watched him intently, while others played and frolicked regardless of his presence. Several small animals had left the denser part of the woods to come closer and two roe deer were drinking from the lake itself.

He returned his attention to Jennet and when he

searched her lovely and bewitching eyes, they were slightly hooded, as if she, herself had become tired.

But Thom had mistaken the look she was giving him, for when she touched his upper arm he felt apalpable frisson between them, a charge that seemed to run through his limbs, his body, his heart, and rather than being unpleasant, it was exciting, arousing, a kind of tingling s.h.i.+ver that was stronger than before travelling with it. It was not weariness he saw in her, but uninhibited s.e.xual hunger. Jennet had sensed his body's reaction to the micro-probes that coursed through him, instilling an energy he had rarely experienced. All sensations were heightened and he felt undeniably sensual.

As she sat on her heels by his side, Thom found it increasingly impossible to ignore her nakedness beneath the flimsy, translucent garment she wore, the delicate b.r.e.a.s.t.s and soft curve of her belly, the white unblemished flesh of her thighs, creating urges in him that were physically difficult to disguise. Oh G.o.d, he thought, embarra.s.sed that his arousal was as transparent as her s.h.i.+ft. He raised his knees higher to hide his swelling, his bare heels digging into the soft moss.

'Jennet...” he began to say, but suddenly she was leaning forward and brus.h.i.+ng her lips against his cheek.

'So many questions, Thom, and all to be answered in time. How do you feel now?'

'Uh ... I feel wonderful,' he replied, which was true enough but not quite all.

Then let's walk on and talk further.'