Page 12 of Light and Shadow
In Portland, Maine, we stop for the night. The busy area, with so much activity, will keep us hidden. Harper parks the car in front of a tall white building with lots of windows and a large glass door. There are three other similar buildings close by and smaller ones that have signs boasting the kind of food they serve. She calls it a hotel and says we can stay the night. I’ve never heard the word before, but I assume it’s similar to the travelers’ inns at home.
At the desk, the clerk smiles. He’s tall and big, with thick glasses and an easy way about him. “How can I help you?”
In a common area, a lady sits with two men at a small table. All three have computers in front of them, and they’re clicking away without regard to anything around them. This was a new word to me also, but Harper showed me hers and calledit a laptop. It was amazing to see how she could look up our destination with a few clicks on the keys.
A second clerk is also typing on a computer.
Harper clears her throat. “Do you want your own room?”
I may be able to hear the soft sweet music of her soul, but I can’t tell if she wants me to say yes or no. I held her each night until her mother moved into her home, then I was back on the couch. “I want to keep you safe, but you can decide.”
Biting her bottom lip, she turns to the clerk. “We need a room for tonight. We’ll be leaving in the morning.”
My body reacts, but I know better than to hope for more than comfort. She deserves respect, and as much as I desire her, that decision will have to be hers.
The blue rug and white and red walls are a vast contrast to the muted tones of Harper’s home. “Is it typical for these places to be so colorful?”
She adjusts her backpack on her shoulder and looks around. “It depends, but often they are. Fancy hotels less so.”
Taking her pack from her shoulder, I add it to mine, and we get in the elevator. The doors open one floor up, and I follow Harper to door 206 where she waves a card over a panel and is rewarded with a click and a green light.
The room has two beds and beige paper on the walls. The art is geometric and pleasant, but nothing to catch the eye or warrant exploration.
She flops on one of the beds. “I’m too tired to eat.”
“You will regret it if you don’t.” I drop our bags on a small bench.
Shrugging, she closes her eyes.
Outside, wolves howl.
Harper sits up. “I can’t believe there are wolves in town, or even in Maine. I remember reading about how they were all pushed west by people and settlements.”
Looking down from our window, I see a large canine run through the parking lot. “I don’t think those are normal wolves.”
Standing beside me, she gasps. “How is this possible? You said the witch queen turned elves into shadow demons. Those are actual wolves. Really big ones.”
“I’m not sure, but I’m going to ward the hotel so you can get some sleep.” I sit cross-legged in the middle of the other bed, close my eyes, and call my magic.
The other bed’s springs squeak.
It’s not easy to push aside the knowledge that Harper is watching me. Breathing and letting go of all that is material, I call the magic to life and ask for protection. The hotel forms in my mind. The white building with a blue and green illuminated sign is clear behind my eyes. Magic slips around it like a white bolt of lightning.
The whimpering of the wolves spins a web of satisfaction.
“They’re leaving.” Harper’s voice cuts through my concentration.
Opening my eyes, I find her standing at the window.
“I can see a glow around everything,” she says.
“Can you?”
“Won’t people notice?” She cocks her head, and her hair falls across her back.
“Most people in this world will not see magic. My ward is not visible to them. Those who do see it will write it off as something logical, like lights shining on the building.” I rise and dig in my pack until I find one of the protein bars I packed. “Eat this and get some rest.”
Making a face, she eats the bar, then grabs her pack and goes into the bathroom. When she comes back, she’s in a t-shirt and gray pants that hug her shapely legs and ass.
