Key of Knowledge

Chapter Six

THEY started work on the porch, taking advantage of the fine fall weather andZoes experience.

By unanimous agreement, Dana and Malory had elected her the goddess of remodel. In their oldest clothes, and with new tools for Dana and Malory, they worked atZoes direction prepping the porch for paint.

“I didnt know it would be so much work.” Malory sat back on her heels and examined her nails. “Ive ruined my manicure. And you just gave it to me a couple of days ago,” she remindedZoe .

“Ill give you another. If we dont scrape and sand off the peeling paint, the new paint wont stick right. It needs a good, smooth, porous surface, or well be doing this again in the spring.”

“We bow to you,” Dana toldZoe , and watched her wield the little electric sander. “I always thought you just sort of slopped the paint on, then waited for it to dry.”

“That kind of thinking is why you bow to me.”

“Its already gone to her head,” Dana grumbled and attacked curls of peeling paint with her scraper.

“I wouldnt mind having a little crown, something delicate and tasteful.” Even as she spoke,Zoe kept one eye on her underlings. “Its going to look great. Youll see.”

“Why dont you entertain us during the drudgery?” Malory suggested. “Tell us about dinner with Brad last night.”

“It was no big deal. He just played some video games with Simon, ate, then left. I shouldnt have gotten so worked up about it. I just havent had a guy over in a while. And Im not used to cooking for millionaires. I felt like I needed finger bowls or something.” “Brads not like that,” Dana protested. “A guy with money can still be normal. Brad used to eat at our place all the time when we were kids. And we hardly ever used the finger bowls.”

“Its not the same. We didnt grow up together, for one thing. And your family and his have more in common. A hairdresser who grew up in a trailer in West Virginia doesnt have a lot to say to the heir to an American empire.”

“Youre not being fair to him, or yourself,” Malory told her.

“Maybe not. Just realistic. Anyway, he makes me nervous. I guess its not only the money, really. Jordan has money, he must with all those bestsellers. But he doesnt make me so nervous. We had a nice, easy time together when he came over and fixed my car.”

Dana lost her rhythm and ended up with a splinter in her thumb. “Your car?” Scowling, she sucked viciously at the thumb. “Jordan fixed your car?”

“Yeah. I didnt know he used to work on cars. He really knows his way around an engine, too. He just came by the other afternoon with all these tools and said why didnt he have a look at my car for me. It was really sweet of him.”

“Hes just a big sugar cookie,” Dana said with a smile that clamped her teeth together.

“Oh, dont be like that, Dana.”Zoe switched off the sander, angled her head. “He didnt have to bother, and he spent over two hours messing with it, and wouldnt take anything but two glasses of iced tea.”

“I bet he ogled your ass when you walked in the house to get it.”

“Maybe.”Zoe worked hard to keep her face sober. “But only in a healthy, friend-of-the-family sort of way. A small price to pay for saving me another trip to the garage. And the fact is, my car hasnt run this well since I bought it. Actually, it didnt run this well then, either.”

“Yeah, he always was good with cars.” And generous with his time, Dana was forced to admit. “Youre right, it was considerate.”

“And sweet,” Malory added with a meaningful look at Dana.

“And sweet,” she mumbled.

“He let Simon hang around him when he got home from school, too.”Zoe flipped the sander back on, bent to her work. “Its fun to see Simon pal around with a man. I guess I have to say Bradley was nice to Simon too, and I appreciate that.”

“So neither of them put the moves on Simons mother?” Dana wanted to know. “No.” With a half laugh,Zoe scooted farther down the porch. “Of course not. Jordan was just doing a favor for a friend, and Bradley… its not like that.”

Danas opinion was a long hmmm as she got back to work.

By lunchtime the porch was sufficiently prepped to passZoes inspection. They gave their tired muscles a rest and sat on the sanded boards eating tuna sandwiches.

With a mornings work behind them, the sun bright, and the mood mellow, Dana decided it was time to tell them her experience of the night before.

“So… I had a little run-in with Kane last night.”

Malory choked, grabbed for her bottle of water. “What? What ? Weve been here for over three hours, and youre just getting around to telling us that?”

“I didnt want to start off the morning with it. I knew wed all get freaked again.”

“Youre okay?”Zoe laid a hand on Danas arm. “Youre not hurt or anything?”

“No, but Ive got to tell you, the little brush I had with him before was nothing compared to this. I knew what happened with you, Mal, but I still didnt get it. I do now.”

“Tell us.“ Malory shifted so she andZoe flanked Dana.

It was easier this time. She was able to relate the experience more calmly and with more detail than shed done with Jordan. Still, her voice shook at times, and she had to reach for her Thermos of coffee, sip slowly to ease her throat.

“You couldve drowned.”Zoe put her arm around Danas shoulder. “In the tub.”

“I wondered about that. But I dont think so. If he could just, well, eliminate us, why not have us walk off a cliff, or step in front of a truck? Something like that.”

“Boy, thats really cheery.”Zoe stared out at the street, nearly winced when a car drove by. “Im so glad you mentioned it.”

“Come on. Seriously. It seems to me he can only go so far. Like it was with Malory. It comes down to us making a choice—to reaching down inside, holding on to enough of ourselves to recognize the illusion and reject it.”

“But he hurt you just the same,”Zoe pointed out.

“Oh, man.” Remembering, Dana rubbed a hand over her heart. “Ill say. Even if the pain was an illusion, it did the job. Worse than the pain was knowing what the pain meant, then the fear that he could take that from me.”

“You shouldve called.” There was as much exasperation as concern in Malorys voice. “Dana, you should have called me, orZoe . Both of us. I know what its like to be caught in one of those illusions. You didnt have to be alone.”

“I wasnt. Exactly. Afterward, I mean. I was going to call. In fact, I think I was just going to stand in the bedroom and scream for both of you, but then Jordan knocked on the door.”

“Oh.”

Dana stared at Malory. “Theres no „oh in that meaningful tone. He just happened to be there at a moment when Id have welcomed a visit from a two-headed dwarf as long as he could chase the bogeyman away.”

“Funny coincidence, though,” Malory said with a flutter of lashes. “I mean when you figure the elements of fate and destiny and connections.”

“Look, just because youre all mush-brained over Flynn, dont assume the rest of the world has to fall in line. He came by, and he behaved very decently. At first.”

“Lets hear about at second, then,”Zoe insisted.

“Unlike Brad, apparently, Jordan rarely hesitates to make his move. He cornered me in the kitchen.”

“Really?” Malory gave a sigh. “The first time Flynn kissed me was in the kitchen.”

“Anyway, Im going out with him Saturday night.” She waited, then scowled when no one spoke. “Well?”

Zoebraced her elbow on her thigh, propped her chin on her fist. “I was just thinking that itd be nice if the two of you could at least be friends again. And that maybe, from an entirely different perspective, becoming friends again is part of what you have to do to find the key.”

“I think I need to get into this a little more before I start multitasking. I dont know if I can be friends with Jordan again, because… Im still sort of in love with him.”

“Dana.” Malory took her hand, but Dana broke free, pushed off the steps.

“I dont know if Im still in love—more or less—with himhim , or with the him that I fell for all that time ago. You know, like this memory of him. This image, and its no more than an illusion now. But Ive got to find out, dont I?”

“Yeah.”Zoe unwrapped the brownies shed brought along and held one out to Dana. “You need to find out.”

“And if I am in love with him, I can get over it.” She took a huge bite of brownie. “I got over it before. If Im not in love with him, then everything gets back to normal or as back to normal as possible until I find the key.”

“What about his feelings?” Malory asked her. “Arent they a factor?”

“He had it his way once. This time around its my way.” She rolled her shoulders, pleased that the weight seemed to shrug off with the statement. “Lets paint our porch.”

* * *

WHILE they broke out brushes and rollers, Jordan relayed Danas experience to Flynn and Brad.

They sat in Flynns living room, set up as an informal think tank. Jordan paced as he spoke, and Flynns dog, Moe, watched every movement in hopes that Jordan might detour to the kitchen, and cookies.

Now and again, if Jordans direction veered closer to the doorway, Moes big black tail would thump in anticipation. So far it hadnt netted him any treats, but it did get him a few rubs on the back with Flynns foot.

“Why the hell didnt you bring her back here?” Flynn demanded.

“I guess I could have. If Id knocked her unconscious and hog-tied her. This is Dana were talking about.”

“Okay, okay, point taken. You couldve told me all this last night.”

“I couldve—and youd have rushed over there. Which wouldve annoyed her. Youd have tried to make her come here, which would have meant the two of you wouldve ended up fighting. I just figured shed had enough for one night. Added to that, I wanted to tell you both about it at once, when Malory wasnt around.”

“Now that we do know,” Brad put in, “what do we do about it?”

“There you go.” Jordan walked back to the couch, and burst Moes cookie fantasy by sitting down on the crate that served as coffee table. “We cant get her, or any of them, out of this. Even if we could, I dont know if we should. Theres a lot at stake.”

“Three souls,” Brad murmured. “I dont think Ive adjusted to that yet. Even knowing what happened with Malory, it doesnt compute in my head. But Ill go along with this. We cant get them out of it. So the question comes down to two parts. What can we do to keep them safe, and how do we help them find the key?”

“We make sure none of them is alone any more than necessary,” Flynn began. “Even though we know that he got to Malory when she was with Dana andZoe , its a precaution we ought to take.”

“She wont move in here, Flynn. I offered to move out, and she still wouldnt go for it.” Absently Jordan rubbed his chin, reminding himself that he hadnt shaved. “But one of us could move into her place. At least stay there with her at night.”

“Oh, yeah, shell go for that.” Sarcasm dripped from Flynns voice. “The minute I say Im going to sleep at her place, shell get her back up, or just brain me with the handiest blunt instrument. And she sure as hell isnt going to let you move in with her. Or Brad either.”

“I was thinking of Moe.”

The annoyance on Flynns face changed to bafflement. “Moe?”

At the sound of his name, Moe leaped up happily, knocking magazines off the crate with the enthusiastic sweep of his tail before trying to climb into Flynns lap.

“You said Moe sensed Kane, or danger at least, when you went into the building where hed separated Malory from Dana andZoe .”

“Yeah.” Remembering it, Flynn robbed Moes big head. “And he charged up those stairs ready to rip out throats. Didnt you, you wild thing?”

“So, he could be a sort of early-warning system. And if he carried on the way you said he did before, he would alert the neighbors. Potentially, he could keep Dana grounded.”

“Its a good idea,” Brad agreed, and began to pick a few of Moes hairs off his trousers. “But just how are you going to talk Dana into taking Moe as a roommate?”

“I can cover that,” Flynn said smugly. “Ill tell her Im moving in at her place, and well have the expected argument. Ill give in, then ask her if she wont at least compromise by taking Moe so I can sleep at night. Shell feel sorry for me and agree so she doesnt come off as bitchy.”

“Ive always admired your sneaky, serpentine methods,” Brad commented.

“Justgotta keep your eye on the goal. Which brings us back to the key.”

“My schedules still the most flexible,” Jordan began. “I can take all the time needed to dig into this. Research, brainstorming, legwork. Youve got your journalists resources,” he said to Flynn. “Plus Malorys willing and able to work with you, and Dana andZoe have already let you in—as far as women ever let men in—to their group. Brads got theHomeMakers advantage. He can drop by their building most anytime—Hows it going, ladies? Looks good. Can I give you a hand with that?”

“I can do that. Maybe you could casually mention toZoe that Im not now, nor have I ever been, an axe murderer.”

“Ill see if I can work it into our next conversation,” Flynn promised.

* * *

IT was time, Dana told herself, to roll up her sleeves and get to work. To do something positive, something to offset the nasty seed of helplessness Kane had planted inside her.

Shed be damned if she would let it take root.

If her key was knowledge, then shed get smart. And what better place to seek knowledge than the library?

It galled her to go back as a patron rather than an employee. But she would just swallow the bile and do the job.

She didnt bother to go home first, to change, but in her paint-splattered clothes walked straight into what had been a key in her life.

The smell caught her instantly. Books, a world of boots. But she buried the sentimentality. Inside books, she reminded herself as she headed straight to one of the computer stations, were answers.

Shed read everything available on Celtic lore and mythology, so now she would expand on that. She ran a search for titles that related to sorcery. Know your enemy, she thought. Knowledge isnt just a defense. Knowledge is power.

Noting down her top choices, she ran other searches using what she thought of as the main code words from Rowenas clue. Satisfied that shed made a good start, she headed toward the stacks.

“Did you forget something?” Her irritating toothy smile in place, Sandi stepped into her path.

“I keep trying to, but its tough when you keep getting in my face. Fuck off, Sandi,” she said in her sweetest tone.

“We dont appreciate that kind of language here.”

With a shrug, Dana skirted around her and kept going. “I dont appreciate your overly rosy perfume, but there you go.”

“You dont work here anymore.” Chasing after her, Sandi snatched at Danas arm.

“This is a public building, and it happens I have a library card. Now take your hand off me, or Im going to mess up those pearly whites that your daddy probably paid a lot of money for.”

She took a deep breath to find her calm. She wanted to get her books and get the hell out. “Why dont you run up and tell Joan Im here, nefariously checking out library books. Unless shes off in Oz picking on a scarecrow.”

“I can call the police.”

“Yeah, do that little thing. Itll be interesting to see what my brother writes in the Dispatch about how card-carrying patrons are treated these days in the local library.”

She flipped a little wave at Sandis face and swung into the stacks. “Dont worry. Ill make sure he spells your name right.”

Bile was a little harder to swallow than shed thought, Dana admitted as she began selecting her books. It was painful, every bit as much as it was maddening, not to be able to come here, even as a patron, without being hassled.

But she wasnt going to be chased away by the yappy little pom-pom queen. And she wasnt going to be frightened off by some hell-bent sorcerer.

They had a lot in common as far as she was concerned. They were both riddled with petty jealousy that lashed out and caused pain.

Jealousy, she thought, pursing her lips. It was, in a way, the opposite of love. As lies were to truth, as cowardice to valor, and so on. Another angle, she decided, and detoured to grab a copy of Othello, the king of stories on jealousy.

As she carted her load to checkout, Dana worked up a smile for one of the women shed worked with for years. She dumped the books on the counter, dug out her card. “Hi, Annie. Hows it going?”

“Good. Fine.” In an exaggerated motion, Annie slid her gaze to the right and cleared her throat.

Following the direction, Dana spotted Sandi, arms crossed, lips tight, watching. “Oh, for Christs sake,” Dana said under her breath.

“Sorry, Dana. Sorry about everything.” Keeping her voice low, Annie scanned the books, stacked them.

“Dont worry about it.” After jamming her card back in her purse, Dana scooped up her armload of books. She sent Sandi a wide, wide smile and walked out.

* * *

ONE of the perks of having a mature adult relationship with a woman, to Flynns mind, was coming home from work and finding her.

The smell of her, the look of her, the simple presence of her, made everything just a little clearer.

And when that woman, that pretty, sexy, fascinating woman, was cooking, it added just one more delight to the day.

He didnt know what she had going on the stove, and he didnt care. It was more than enough to see her, stirring something in a pot while Moe sprawled under the table, snoring like a freight train.

His life, Flynn thought, had found its true rhythm when Malory Price had walked into it.

He stepped up behind her, wrapped his arms around her waist, and pressed his lips to the side of her neck. “Youre the best thing that ever happened to me.”

“I certainly am.” She turned her head so she could meet his lips with hers. “How are things?”

“Things are good.” He nudged her around for a longer, more satisfying kiss. “And better now. You didnt have to cook, Mal. I know you were working all day.”

“I just punched up some jarred spaghetti sauce.”

“Still, you dont.” He took her hands, then frowned as he turned them over. “Whats this?”

“Just some blisters. Im telling myself theyre good for me. Shows Im pulling my weight.”

He kissed them. “You know, if youd wait for the weekend, I could give you a hand with the place.”

“We really want to do it ourselves, at least start on it ourselves. Ive got a few blisters and pretty much ruined a pair of jeans, but we have the most beautifully painted porch in the Valley. I wouldnt complain if you poured me a glass of wine, though.”

He got out a bottle and two of the wineglasses shed bought. It seemed to him there were more glasses in the cabinet than there had been the last time hed looked.

She was always slipping things in.

Glasses, fluffy towels, fancy soaps that he hesitated to actually use. It was one of the oddities and interests of having a woman around the house.

“Jordan told me what happened with Dana.”

“I thought he would.” Though it wasnt quite dark, she lit the long oval candle shed picked up for the table. “We both know how horrible it must have been for her. I know how much you love her, Flynn. I love her too. But we cant shield her from this as much as we can just be there for her.”

“Maybe not, but Jordan had an idea that might do a little of both.”

He poured the wine, told her about using Moe.

“Its brilliant,” Malory decided, then laughed down at the still snoring Moe. “Shell certainly agree to it, and if nothing else, she wont feel so alone at night.” After a sip of wine, she moved to the sink to fill a pot with water for the pasta. “I suppose Jordan told you theyre going out Saturday night?”

Hed been staring at the candle, thinking how odd it was to see it flickering away on the ancient picnic table he used in the kitchen. “Whos going out?” As it hit him, Flynn swallowed wine in one hard gulp. “Jordan and Dana? Going… out?”

“So he didnt tell you.”

“No, it didnt come up.”

“And,” she concluded as she set the pot on the stove, “youre not too keen on the idea.”

“I dont know. I dont want to get into it. Damn it, I dont want them messing each other up again.” Knowing that Jordan was working upstairs, Flynn glanced at the ceiling. “Its the person who ends up in the middle, and that would be me, who gets his ass kicked from both sides.”

“She still loves him.”

“Loves who?” Shock jumped into his eyes. “Loves him? Jordan? She loves him? Shit. Shit! Why do you tell me these things?”

“Because thats what people in love do, Flynn.” She got three woven place mats from a drawer he wasnt sure hed known was there and set them neatly on the table. “They tell each other things. And I dont expect you to go running to Jordan with this information.”

“Man.” Pacing now, he shoved a hand through his hair. “See, if you didnt tell me, I wouldnt have to think about not saying anything to him, or not saying anything to her. I would just exist in a nice bubble of ignorance.”

“And I thinkZoes interested—extremely reluctantly— in Brad.”

“Stop it. Stop this flood of information right now.”

“Youre a newspaperman.” Enjoying herself, she pulled out the salad shed put together and began to dress it. “Youre supposed to thrive on information.”

Hed never seen the salad bowl before, or the wooden things she was using to toss the greens. “Im going to get a headache.”

“No, youre not. You want your friends to be happy, dont you?”

“Sure.”

“Were happy, arent we?”

Cautious now, he replied, “Yes.”

“Were happy, and were in love. Ergo, you want your friends happy and in love, too. Right?”

“This is a trick question. So rather than answer it, Im going to distract you.”

“Im not making love with you while dinners cooking and Jordans upstairs.”

“That wasnt my idea, but I really like it. Im going to distract you by telling you that the kitchen guys are coming on Monday to start the remodel.”

“Really?” As hed planned, every other thought spilled out of her mind. “Really?” she repeated and leaped at him. “Oh, this is great! This is wonderful!”

“I thought that would do it. So, are you going to move in with me?”

She touched her lips to his. “Ask me again when the kitchens done.”

“Youre a tough one, Malory.”

* * *

AFTER a day of manual labor, Dana longed for a soak in a hot tub before she dived into her new resource books. But she lacked the courage to do it.

Since that realization was too mortifying to dwell on, she fantasized about the house shed buy one day. The big, secluded house. With a library the size of a barn.

And a Jacuzzi, she added as she pressed on the ache at the small of her back.

But until that happy day, she would settle for her apartment. Eventually, for all the rooms in her apartment, which included the one with the tub in it.

She could join a gym, she thought as she settled down to her books for an evening of research.

She hated gyms. They were full of people. Sweaty people. Naked people who would insist on sharing her Jacuzzi time.

It just wasnt worth the aggravation. Better to wait until she could afford her own place. Of course, when she could afford her own place—with Jacuzzi—it was unlikely that shed be spending eight hours scraping and painting until her back ached.

Ordering herself to settle down, she started on Othello . She had her own copy, of course. She had a copy of everything Shakespeare had written, but she wanted a different volume. A kind of fresh look, she thought.

It was jealousy and ambition that had drivenIago , she mused. He had planted “the greeneydmonster which doth mock the meat it feeds on” in Othello, then had watched it devour him.

It was jealousy and ambition that drove Kane, and so he watched as his monster devoured.

She could learn from this, she thought, of what made a man—or a god—soulless.

Shed barely started when the knock on the door interrupted.

“What now?” Grumbling to herself, she went to answer it. Her irritation only increased when the door opened on Jordan.

“This had better not become a habit.”

“Lets go for a ride.”

Her response was to slam the door, but he anticipated her, slapped a hand on it, braced it open. “Let me put that another way. Im heading up to Warriors Peak. Do you want to come?”

“What are you going up there for? Youre a bystander in this deal.”

“Thats a matter of opinion. Im going up because I have some questions. Actually, I decided to get out of Ryans place after dinner. To give the lovebirds a little space.” He leaned comfortably on the jamb as he spoke but kept that hand firm on the door. “Found myself heading out of town and up the mountain road. Figured I might as well keep going, have myself a chat withPitte and Rowena. Then I thought, You know, its just going to tick Dana off if I do that without running it by her. So I turned around and came back. Im running it by you.”

“I suppose you want points for that.”

His mouth curved. “If youre keeping score.”

“I dont see that you have anything to talk to them about.”

“Lets put this one more way. Im going, with or without you.” He straightened, let his hand drop from the door. “But if you want to come along, you can drive.”

“Big deal.”

“My car.”

The image of his gorgeous, muscular, classic T-Bird flashed into her mind. She had to make a conscious effort not to drool. “You fight dirty.”

He took his keys out of his pocket. And dangled them.

Her internal war lasted about three seconds before she snatched the keys out of his hand. “Let me get a jacket.”

* * *

WHATEVER his flaws, Jordan Hawke knew cars. The Thunderbird climbed the hills like a mountain cat, all sleek grace and muscle. It clung to curves and roared downstraightaways .

Some might think of it as a vehicle, others as a toy. But Dana knew it was a machine . A firstclass one.

Being behind the wheel wasnt just a sexy pleasure. It let Dana shift the situation as smoothly as she shifted gears. She was in charge now. The trip to the Peak might have been Jordans idea, but by God, she was driving.

The evening was brisk, and grew brisker yet as they climbed to higher elevations, but the top was down. She was glad to trade chilly fingers and the bite of the wind for the sheer joy of zipping along the roads in the open air.

The trees were at their peak, the force of colors made only more brilliant by the sheen of gold from the setting sun. Fallen leaves skipped and skittered across the road where light and shadow danced.

It was like driving into a story, she mused, where anything could happen around the next turn.

“Hows it handling for you?” Jordan asked her.

“Shes got style. And muscle.”

“I always thought the same about you.”

She slid her gaze in his direction, balefully, then focused on the road. However much fun she was having, it didnt mean she couldnt take a poke at him.

“I dont see why you need a car like this when you live in an urban environment where mass transit is not only readily available but efficient.”

“Two reasons. First, for those times when Im not in an urban environment, such as now. And second, I lusted after her.”

“Yeah.” She couldnt blame him. “Fifty-seven was the primo year for T-Birds.”

“No question. Ive got a 63 Stingray.”

Her eyes went glassy. “You do not.”

“Four-speed, 327. Fuel injection.”

She felt the long, liquid pull in her belly. “Shut up.”

“I had her up to 120.Shedve given me more, but we were just getting to know each other.” He waited a beat. “Ive got my eye on this very sweet Caddy convertible. Fifty-nine. Singlequadajetcarb .”

“I hate you.”

“Hey, a guys got to have a hobby.”

“The 63 Stingrays my fantasy car. The one Im going to have one day, when all my dreams come true.”

He smiled a little. “What color?”

“Black. Serious business black. Four-speed manualtranny . Doesnt have to be the 327, though thatd be the cream.Gotta be the convertible, though. The coupe just wont do.”

She fell silent for a few minutes, just enjoying the ride.

“Zoementioned youd fixed her car.”

“I stopped over. Timing was off, and thecarb needed a little work. Nothing major.”

She made herself say it. “It was a nice thing to do.”

“I had the time.” He shrugged a shoulder, stretched his legs out a little more. “Just figured she could use a hand with it.”

Suddenly she understood, and felt ashamed for her initial reaction when shed heard hed gone toZoes . The hardworking single mother, raising a young boy.

Just like his mother.

Of course hed gone by to help. “She really appreciated it,” Dana told him, but kept it light. “Especially since you dont make her nervous the way Brad does.”

“I dont? I think Im insulted and will now be honor-bound to work harder to make her nervous.”

“What kind of watch you got there?”

“Watch?” Baffled, he turned his wrist. “I dont know. It tells time.”

She shook her hair back and laughed. “Thats what I thought youd say. Sorry, youre never going to make her nervous.”

She slowed, reluctantly, as they approached the gates. Then she stopped, looking at the house through them as she dug her brush out of her purse. “Some place,” she commented, brushing out the knots and tangles the wind had tied into her hair. “You live in a place like this, you could have that classic Vette. Keep it in a big, heated garage like it deserves. I wonder ifPitte and Rowena drive.”

“Thats some segue.”

“No, really. Think about it. They are what they are, and theyve been around since way before anybody even thought about the combustible engine. They can do what they do, but has either of them ever taken driving lessons, stood in line at the DMV, haggled over insurance?”

She dropped the brush back in her purse, looked over at Jordan. His hair was as windblown as hers had been, yet, she noted, it didnt look unkempt. Just sexy.

“How do they live?” she continued. “We dont really know what they do, when it comes to ordinary things. Human things. Do they watch TV? Play canasta? Do they cruise the mall? What about friends? Do they have any?”

“If they do, thered be a regular turnover. Friends, being human, would have that annoying habit of dying.”

“Thats right.” She said it quietly as she looked back toward the house. “It must be lonely. Painfully lonely. All that power doesnt make them one of us. Living in that great house doesnt make it their home. Its weird, isnt it? Feeling sorry for gods.”

“No. Its intuitive. And just the kind of thing thats going to help you find the key. The more you know and understand them, the closer you come to figuring out your part of the puzzle.”

“Maybe.” Suddenly the iron gates swung open. “I guess thats our invitation.”

She drove, in the twilight, toward the great stone house. The old man shed come to think of as the caretaker hurried up to the car to open her door. “Welcome. Ill see to the car for you, miss.”

“Thanks.” She studied him, trying to get a gauge on his age. Seventy? Eighty? Three thousand and two? “I never got your name,” she said to him.

“Oh, Id beCaddock , miss.”

“Caddock. Is that Scots, Irish?”

“Welsh. Id be from Wales, in the original way of things, miss.”

Like Rowena, she thought. “Have you worked forPitte and Rowena long?”

“Yes, indeed.” His eyes seemed to twinkle at her. “Ive been in their service a number of years now.” He looked past her, nodded his head. “Theres a fine sight, isnt it, then?”

Dana turned, and stared at the huge buck that stood on the verge between lawn and forest. His rump seemed to glimmer white in the soft haze of twilight, and his rack shone silver.

“Traditional symbolism,” Jordan said, though he was no less struck by the bucks magnificence. “The seeker sees a white deer or hare at the start of a quest.”

“Malory saw it,” Dana murmured over the lump in her throat. “The first night we came here. But I didnt,Zoe didnt.” She walked to stand beside Jordan. “Does that mean it was already ordained that Malory would search for the first key? That it had nothing to do with the luck of the draw? That was just show?”

“Or ritual. You still had to choose to reach into the box for a disk. You decide to follow the deer, or turn away from it.”

“But is it real? Is that deer really standing over there, or are we imagining it?”

“Thats something else for you to decide.” He waited until the deer faded back into the shadows before he turned.

Both the old man and the car were gone. After the initial jolt, Jordan slid his hands into his pockets. “Youve got to admit, that is very cool.”

The entrance doors opened. Rowena stood dead center, the foyer lights spilling over her fiery hair, glinting on the long silver dress she wore. “How lovely to see you both.” She held out a hand in welcome. “I was just pining for company.”