hero. No, not fireflies. Static. As though they'd caught electrical sparks between their palms.
Then one tiny point of energy found her wound, sliding right in and up her bloodstream. She jerked, but he held her fast, keeping their hands pressed together.
Bit by bit, the static wormed its way in, swarming through her wrist, creeping up her arm until she trembled with the horror of it. He said something, crooning nonsense syllables meant to reassure her, but she couldn't focus.
Then suddenly it burst on her. It was as though the energy dancing up her arm hit a major artery and went straight for her brain. She screamed as her vision faded into a wash of white. Her thoughts spun in the dizzying vortex of energy that swarmed through her mind.
From somewhere above her, she heard his grunt of surprise, but she was still dealing with the reeling, pounding electricity throbbing through her consciousness. In the end, she gave herself up to it, letting it flood her senses on the wildest sensory trip virtual reality sci-fi had yet to create.
Then it faded, and she was left sweetly energized, her thoughts sparkling like Christmas lights gone berserk. "Wow! That's better than coffee. Even my coffee!"
Her hero still sat on her, his expression dazed and confused. "That was unusually intense," he said, his voice hushed and lyrical.
"Intense? It was great! What was that stuff? And how come you're suddenly speaking English?"
He looked down, his face slowly spreading into a Hollywood sex god smile. "I'm not. That's what that was."
Jane blinked. "You've lost me."
"You are right with me. My companions are never lost." He sounded vaguely insulted.
She struggled onto her elbows, propping herself up so she could peer into his dreamy eyes. Unfortunately, he immediately lifted himself off of her, politely settling onto the grass beside her.
"I don't mean physically lost like geographically. I mean—"
"I know, woman," he cut in. "I was testing the magic. Language is a tricky thing, and we're supposed to be able to understand each other completely."
"Huh?"
"That was a spell. Permanent. I am sorry I used it on you, but it was necessary." From his expression, it was clear he meant "waste" it on her.
"Well, excuuuse me." She rubbed her hand, staring at the fleshy part, now completely healed over.
"No need to apologize," he said. She peered at him, wondering if he was teasing or serious. "I needed to know if it worked."
Jane took a deep breath and tried to sort through the confusion while keeping panic at bay. "You mean, we're both talking in our own language, but I hear English and you hear... uh—"
"Svenetrins."
Jane sat up. "Really? So I'll always understand sene—Svenet—"
" Svenetrins . And no. It's a personal spell between two people. You will only understand me. And I, you."
"Oh." Then she shrugged. "Still, that's better than a secret decoder ring. Where'd you get it?" She tried to act casual as though magic sheep guts were normal.
He looked at her oddly. "A bard sold it to me for thirty doleens."
"Thirty doleens?" What were doleens?
"I know. Exorbitant. But she was... entertaining. And she had the most stunning blond hair, like the color of sunlight on Nansar's pond." His eyes grew abstract as he focused on some pleasant memory, and Jane felt the first stirring of annoyance.
"A little hair dye, and they all go on a testosterone high," she grumbled. Then she stood up, moving slowly in case the dizzies came back. "Well, this has been fun, but would you mind if I borrowed your phone? Preferably without working video." She self-consciously tugged at her mousy brown locks, matted now with bits of grass.
He stared at her, his face registering disappointment. "The spell must not have worked well. I don't understand your words."
"Oh. I need a phone." She mimed putting a cell to her ear. "Or a computer. Actually a computer would be better. Then I can hook into the University Net and get a lock on the damage." She looked around,
Then one tiny point of energy found her wound, sliding right in and up her bloodstream. She jerked, but he held her fast, keeping their hands pressed together.
Bit by bit, the static wormed its way in, swarming through her wrist, creeping up her arm until she trembled with the horror of it. He said something, crooning nonsense syllables meant to reassure her, but she couldn't focus.
Then suddenly it burst on her. It was as though the energy dancing up her arm hit a major artery and went straight for her brain. She screamed as her vision faded into a wash of white. Her thoughts spun in the dizzying vortex of energy that swarmed through her mind.
From somewhere above her, she heard his grunt of surprise, but she was still dealing with the reeling, pounding electricity throbbing through her consciousness. In the end, she gave herself up to it, letting it flood her senses on the wildest sensory trip virtual reality sci-fi had yet to create.
Then it faded, and she was left sweetly energized, her thoughts sparkling like Christmas lights gone berserk. "Wow! That's better than coffee. Even my coffee!"
Her hero still sat on her, his expression dazed and confused. "That was unusually intense," he said, his voice hushed and lyrical.
"Intense? It was great! What was that stuff? And how come you're suddenly speaking English?"
He looked down, his face slowly spreading into a Hollywood sex god smile. "I'm not. That's what that was."
Jane blinked. "You've lost me."
"You are right with me. My companions are never lost." He sounded vaguely insulted.
She struggled onto her elbows, propping herself up so she could peer into his dreamy eyes. Unfortunately, he immediately lifted himself off of her, politely settling onto the grass beside her.
"I don't mean physically lost like geographically. I mean—"
"I know, woman," he cut in. "I was testing the magic. Language is a tricky thing, and we're supposed to be able to understand each other completely."
"Huh?"
"That was a spell. Permanent. I am sorry I used it on you, but it was necessary." From his expression, it was clear he meant "waste" it on her.
"Well, excuuuse me." She rubbed her hand, staring at the fleshy part, now completely healed over.
"No need to apologize," he said. She peered at him, wondering if he was teasing or serious. "I needed to know if it worked."
Jane took a deep breath and tried to sort through the confusion while keeping panic at bay. "You mean, we're both talking in our own language, but I hear English and you hear... uh—"
"Svenetrins."
Jane sat up. "Really? So I'll always understand sene—Svenet—"
" Svenetrins . And no. It's a personal spell between two people. You will only understand me. And I, you."
"Oh." Then she shrugged. "Still, that's better than a secret decoder ring. Where'd you get it?" She tried to act casual as though magic sheep guts were normal.
He looked at her oddly. "A bard sold it to me for thirty doleens."
"Thirty doleens?" What were doleens?
"I know. Exorbitant. But she was... entertaining. And she had the most stunning blond hair, like the color of sunlight on Nansar's pond." His eyes grew abstract as he focused on some pleasant memory, and Jane felt the first stirring of annoyance.
"A little hair dye, and they all go on a testosterone high," she grumbled. Then she stood up, moving slowly in case the dizzies came back. "Well, this has been fun, but would you mind if I borrowed your phone? Preferably without working video." She self-consciously tugged at her mousy brown locks, matted now with bits of grass.
He stared at her, his face registering disappointment. "The spell must not have worked well. I don't understand your words."
"Oh. I need a phone." She mimed putting a cell to her ear. "Or a computer. Actually a computer would be better. Then I can hook into the University Net and get a lock on the damage." She looked around,
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