Love and Other Magical Adventures

twenty two

Ameretat sent us off the next morning with astonishing parting words. "If ever you are in great need, call to me and I will come if I am able."

We thanked her profusely and then took to the sky.

That night we were sitting around the fire after dinner and Sylvie brought out the dragon carving. "Today is my birthday, and I would like to give you both this small token of gratitude." She handed it to me.

"First of all, happy birthday," I said, gently bumping into her. My meditation that evening had left me feeling really mellow. "And we're actually supposed to give you gifts, not the other way around." I examined the present, lifelike in its detail. "You know I think it's incredible."

Grim set down his ukulele, reaching for it and I put it into his hand over the flames. "This is quite impressive, thank you." Holy shit, that's some talent, he sent me. Have we ever seen the like?

Not that I'm aware of. 

She pet Feebur in her lap, considering her next words. "When you two found me and saved me, I'd been a captive for seven years, two of them in that cage. Two years, three months, and seven days, to be exact. I'd given up hope of ever escaping. And the only way I could endure it was to make myself a promise." She turned toward me, her eyes meeting mine. "I was leaving that cage by my eighteenth birthday...one way or another."

What she was saying sank in, saddening us and quickening my heart at the thought of her not being here anymore, the thought of us being completely too late. I kissed her hand, turning it over to kiss her palm. "I'm so sorry you went through that, and I only wish we'd come that much sooner." At times I hated the entity or whatever it was that controlled Grim's and my destinations. Why couldn't we have been called to rescue her years earlier?

"You came in time," she said simply. "And so I am here on my eighteenth birthday, and am free to make and give gifts, and I appreciate you both. Not only that but you accepted me into your world, and have made it mine." Pale orange gratitude mixed with the colors of trust, and friendship, and love.

"We are so glad to have you with us," I told her, and truer words were never spoken. "But now I have to make you a cake for your birthday, and I'm guessing you like chocolate best." I could have conjured one up, but it seemed more caring to actually bake it rather than take a short cut. Plus my recipe resulted in the most decadent flourless cake you could ever want.

She grinned. "You guess correctly."

Later we ate cake with a rich ganache frosting and then practiced learning the other's vocabulary until Quincy blessed us with his presence. "Greetings, young Jedis," he intoned. "Row, row, row your boat, gently down the lane."

"Welcome back," I told him, shaking my head at his mindless chatter. 

He turned to poke his head under his wing, emerging with a long object in an orange wrapper, and tossed it toward me. "It's peanut butter jelly time, peanut butter jelly time," he said with a little dance, ruffling his feathers.

I picked it up. "Reese's, four peanut butter cups," I read, puzzled as they were too flat to be cups. "Sometimes he brings us things from other worlds," I told Sylvie as I tore the end of the wrapper. "Nice timing for your birthday, certainly."

She patted her stomach. "I'm stuffed but I think I have a little room left." 

I grinned. "Same here." Tilting the package caused one of the treats to slide out, a round chocolate sitting in a pleated black wrapper. I gave it to Sylvie and slid another one out for me before holding the third out to Quincy, skipping over Grimmer and his absurd dislike of chocolate.