She grinned and nodded to Mateo before she was steered back to her chair.Samsor murmured, “Owen is afraid of you.”
“What?Why?”
“You will have to find out.For now, find out what Regis has provided to the restaurant.You know you want to.”
Emhara looked around the table at the attentive faces who were smiling at her.“Right.Let’s make the most of this, but I am gonna need coffee.”
The server smiled.“We can do that.”
Myrtle sighed.“I will have a decaf.”
The server laughed.“Yes, Myrtle.”
When the server made it around to Emhara, she murmured her order, and the woman grinned.“Yes, miss.”
They waited, and Meritha asked Myrtle, “So, I am guessing you have questions about mages?”
“Yes.So many.Where did you come from?How did you study?Are you related to the elves?”
“We are naturally born.Stress or emergency or pain is not a factor in our activation.It just happens when it’s time.There is no genetic component; the magic of the world under us just lives within us and emerges when we allow it to.It takes the shape of an inclination already inside us, and yes, there is overlap.”
Myrtle blinked.“What do you mean?”
“Overlap.A mage can share focus aspects with someone else.Someone who is physically coordinated can dance, but someone else can dance and sing.Someone else can dance and sing and write the songs.Like that.”
“Oh.Cool.What focuses have you seen?”
“Strength and grace, art and determination, beauty and grace, knowledge and understanding, psyche and chaos.There are a few more, but you get the idea.”
When the coffee and dessert arrived, Emhara looked at Myrtle.The coffee that was set in front of her was an abomination of whipped cream, mini marshmallows, and edible glitter.Myrtle grinned, giggled, and clapped her hands.
She looked at Emhara.“You did this.”
“I did not.I was here.I just thought that growing a person was stressful, so something foolish with identifiable pieces would be fun.Dessert is a mousse and limited on sugar, so you are good for balance.”
Myrtle smiled.“Thank you.This is surprisingly fun.The guys try, but they miss the whimsy a lot.”
“Whimsy is easy.It is the spot where you ask, ‘Should I?’and you say ‘Yes’ no matter what it looks like.”She smiled.“I like whimsy.”
Myrtle cocked her head.“How much for you to make a mural for the baby room?”
“Subject matter?”
“Fairy tales and elves.”
She looked from Teyval to Myrtle and glanced toward Denith in the busy kitchen.“I will need to meet the other two.”
“How did you know?”
“I heard that Denith was part of a quint.I can do math.That isn’t usual for the elves, right?”
Myrtle sighed.“You have no idea.Eat your dessert.It is quite the story.”
They sat around, and the guys obviously all knew the story, but Meritha stopped her to get more information on the way.
“So, did Toros’s nuts ever grow back?”
Myrtle chuckled.“They did.These guys can heal from just about anything.I have tested it at random times.You know, to keep them sharp.”
