Free Long Hot Summoning by Tanya Huff Page B

tempered steel rang like a gong but held.
    The whistling noise was defined as the teenagers fired ceramic cherubs from heavy duty slingshots.
    “Did you want these guys?” Claire murmured.
    “I wanted rescue,” Diana admitted, “but I don’t think either of us had anything to do with this. It’s too . . .”
    “Clichéd?”
    “I was going to say too real, but strangely enough, too clichéd also works.”
    “They’re hitting the things,” Sam reported from the top of the barricade. “It’s stopping them, but they don’t seem to be taking much damage.”
    “Nah, they never do,” explained the teenager next to him, aiming and releasing again. “But if you hit them in the head, the bits of broken ceramic get in their eyes and they totally hate that. Damn! I don’t know what you guys did to get
    ‘em so worked up ’cause usually they got a zero attention span.” Another volley. And then another. And then a cheer went up.
    “And we win again. The meat-minds’ll mill around for a while, then they’ll head home.” She tossed long, mahogany dreadlocks back behind her shoulders and stared down at Sam. “You talk.”
    He shrugged. “So do you.”
    “Good point.” Holding her bow across her chest,
    she turned to face the Keepers. “I’m Kris, Captain of the Guard. Who are you?”
    “Too real?” Claire whispered.
    Although Kris and the other archers were dressed in combinations of clothes obviously pulled off the rack, there could be no mistaking the pointed ears or the great hair.
    Elves.
    Except, of course, that elves didn’t actually exist.

FOUR
    As the others moved to stand behind Kris, it became obvious that some ears were less pointed and some hair less blatantly great. Lined up in order, the seven would have looked like time lapse photography-from almost human to full elf.
    Claire’s eyes widened. “They’re Bystanders.”
    “Maybe once,” Diana agreed, watching one of them flick a brilliant red braid wound through with neon tubing back over his shoulder, “but not now. This place is changing them.” Feeling like a turtle stuck on its back, she tried to stand, struggling against the weight of the backpack. When Kris grinned and held out a hand, she accepted it gratefully. The elf’s grip was warm and dry, surprisingly callused and remarkably strong; Diana found herself lifted effortlessly to her feet.
    “You’re ‘bout right for walkin’ on the weird side,” Kris observed as Diana reluctantly released her hand, “but your . . . sister?” Both Keepers nodded. Probably because of the Lineage, the family resemblance had always been strong.
    “Well, she’s a little old for this sort of thing.” Diana hid a smile as she helped a glowering Claire stand. Since Dean and the seven-year age difference, the whole age thing had become a sensitive point.
    “And, no offense,” Kris continued, “but you’re both too well fed.”
    “Too well fed. for what?” Claire demanded, smoothing her skirt over her thighs.
    “For livin‘ rough.”
    “That’s because we haven’t been.”
    “Totally obvious they didn’t fall in off the street,” the redhead snorted.
    “No, we didn’t.” Diana agreed, breaking in before Claire’s tone got them into trouble. “We came here deliberately.”
    That got everyone’s attention.
    A very pale blond with eyes so light only the pupils showed, stepped forward.
    “You can do that? Come here deliberately?”
    “Well, duh.” A boy who might have been East Indian jabbed him with the end of his slingshot. “They’re here.”
    “Well, duh, maybe they’re lying.”
    “Yeah? Maybe you’re an idiot.”
    “Yeah, well, you’re a ...”

    “Colin. Teemo.”
    Names held power. Whether Kris had known that before or had discovered it after crossing, she certainly knew it now. The argument stopped cold, both boys looking sheepish at suddenly being the center of attention.
    “We can cross deliberately,” Diana said into the sudden silence. “Not