Magics muse, p.31
Magic's Muse,
p.31
“There’s quite a crowd here.” Penelope handed Cathal a welcomed cup of coffee. He and Tomas were staying with her and her husband, Fraser, for a few days here in London while Tomas promoted his book. The smaller venue had been her suggestion. Fraser had put forward the idea of a much larger one, but Tomas had balked at it. This was a compromise.
“Tomas’s book has been well received.” Cathal let the pride he felt for his husband show in his voice. “He’s already started work on the sequel.”
Tomas looked up from his conversation with a young woman, caught Cathal’s eye, and smiled. The woman followed Tomas’s gaze, and her eyes widened. She waved at him, so he waved back, wondering who she was. She asked Tomas something, and he nodded.
“My guess is that she’s noticed the resemblance between you and Deimos.” Penelope chuckled. She lowered her voice. “And then there’s that dedication that Tomas put in the front of the book. I must say, it’s very romantic.”
Cathal blushed. “Tomas speaks from his heart,” he murmured. Tomas had been feeling particularly inspired that day, but the details of that inspiration were not something either of them were about to share.
“He certainly has yours.” Penelope smiled. “Fraser and I can see a real difference in him over the past eighteen months. He still has his moments, but you’ve definitely been good for him.”
“It’s mutual,” Cathal said softly. He finally felt as though he’d found a place where he fit, and somewhere to call home. His gaze fell briefly to the ring he wore, smiling as he remembered the day they’d spoken their vows in front of family and friends.
Wynne had passed on a few days later, but he’d found his peace at last. He’d died with his father by his bedside, one of Mikey’s sketches in his hand. Wynne had talked about seeing Alice, of her waiting for him, and her approval of Cathal and Tomas’s match. He had the blood of the mages in him, and the gift of seeing those who had gone before was not unheard of. Christian had taken the sketch afterward, gazing at it with a wistful smile. Edward had confirmed quietly that the other two women in the picture with Alice were his wife, Libby, and her mother, Sarah. Love waited. It always had and it always would with their family, no matter which world they were in.
“Tomas tells me you’re spending the rest of today with his sister.” Penelope interrupted Cathal’s memories.
“Yes, we’re going there for supper tonight. Edward and Mikey are staying there for a few days, so it’s a good opportunity for a family get together.” Edward’s cancer was in remission, but he still had to make regular trips to London to have tests to ensure it hadn’t returned. Kathleen and Grant had offered their home as somewhere for Mikey to stay while Edward was undergoing treatment so that he could remain close to his father. Christian had been a frequent visitor during that time too.
“I have something for her little girl. Remind me to give it to you.” Penelope was quiet for a moment, as though waiting for the right words to broach a particular subject. “The first time I met Tomas, he talked of a book he was trying to find. I worked in a bookshop, and he hoped I could help.”
“The sequel to In Hidden Places,” Cathal confirmed softly. Kathleen had named her daughter Alice. It was important, she said, to keep the name and the memory alive, especially after Alice had been indirectly responsible for giving her brother his own happy ending.
“He found it, didn’t he?” Penelope was an astute woman. She and Fraser didn’t know the truth about Cathal’s origins, but her eyes had widened slightly when she’d heard the familiar names and then read Tomas’s new book. “I know that Forever is supposed to be a fantasy, but there’s something about it that rings a little too true.” She shook her head, as though trying to talk herself out of the idea. “But then that would make you his muse, wouldn’t it?”
“Yes, he found it.” Cathal smiled. “He claims that I am, but I think inspiration comes in many shapes and forms. He had a muse of his own long before we met, one which was very opinionated and loud when it wanted to be, and moodily quiet when it didn’t.”
“That description reminds me of Tomas.” Penelope drained her coffee. “I really should go see what my own darling husband is doing. I don’t want him scaring off any potential customers.”
“He wouldn’t do that, would he?” Fraser had struck Cathal as very polite, but passionate about the things that mattered to him. Penelope was most definitely top of that list. They loved each other deeply, and it showed.
“Of course he would!” Penelope rolled her eyes. “I’ll be back shortly. Help yourself to more coffee if you need it.” She glanced over at Tomas. The queue of people waiting for their books to be signed didn’t appear to be getting any shorter. “Or better still, take some over to that husband of yours. He looks as though he could do with some moral support. There’s a chair next to his I’m sure I can hear calling your name.”
“I don’t want to….” This was Tomas’s day. Cathal had decided to stay in the background and keep an eye on things, ready to help if needed, but not to interfere otherwise.
“Nonsense,” Penelope said briskly, as though she’d read his thoughts. “He’s not fond of crowds, and I’m sure the readers wouldn’t be put off by a handsome man sitting next to him.” She grinned. “More the opposite, really.”
“Umm….” Cathal wasn’t sure how to reply to that, or whether he wanted to follow the route her thoughts were taking.
“Oh, good.” Penelope poured another cup of coffee from the pot on the table, shoved it into his hand, and pulled him in the direction of the table, even going as far as pulling out the chair for him. “Tomas, I’ve brought you some company. Talk to you later.”
“Hey,” Tomas said softly, after he’d finished signing the next book. He bent over to give Cathal a brief kiss, ignoring the stares they were getting. “I thought you were going to watch from a distance.” He grinned. “Or did she pull a Heidi on you?”
“I wasn’t aware that ‘umm’ meant yes, apparently.” Cathal returned the kiss. “I’m not interrupting, am I?”
“Definitely not,” said the woman next in line. She had more than one book in her hand and held out both Forever and Red Sunset, Tomas’s previous book, for him to sign. “I hope you don’t think I’m rude, but I’m curious….” Her voice dropped to a whisper. “Are you the person Mr. Kemp mentions in his dedication? It was beautiful, by the way, so romantic.”
Cathal nodded. “My Tomas claims he doesn’t write poetry, but I disagree. He has a way with words when he sets his mind to it.” He smiled and inclined his head slightly. “I’m Cathal, Tomas’s husband. It’s nice to meet you.”
“It’s nice to meet you too.” The woman returned the smile. “My name is Wendy, and I’m a huge fan of your husband’s books.”
“Wendy,” Tomas murmured, turning the front pages of Forever and picking up his pen to sign it for her, “happy reading and best wishes, Tomas Kemp.” The pages turned back to the dedication, and he smiled softly before closing it.
“I’m a huge fan of his books too.” Cathal grinned. “He gave me Red Sunset to read shortly after we met, and I was very taken with it.”
“Alan and Roger were meant to be together after the end of that story, weren’t they?” Wendy’s expression was wistful and very hopeful.
Tomas stared at her. Cathal kicked him subtly under the table. “Yes, definitely,” Tomas said firmly. He gave Cathal a resigned look. “Everyone asks that. Was it really that obvious?”
“Yes!” Wendy and Cathal spoke the word at the same time, and Wendy laughed. Tomas rolled his eyes and reached for the other book to sign it for her.
She hesitated and then reopened Forever, handing it back to Tomas. “I was hoping that you might read the dedication out loud, especially as the person it’s meant for is right here. That is if that’s okay with both of you. I… it’s… I’d love to hear it spoken aloud.”
Tomas turned to Cathal. “Would you mind, love?”
“Of course not. You can repeat those words to me as often as you like. I never tire of hearing them.” He didn’t care whether they had an audience. The words were written to be read and to be shared. That was part of the magic of Tomas’s craft.
“I can say them as often as you’d like.” Tomas cleared his throat. He didn’t need to read from the book; the words came from his heart. He met Cathal’s eyes, and for that moment, only the two of them existed in the room. “To Cat, my friend, lover, and husband. Wherever you are is home. My present and future is yours, as am I. I love you now, and I love you forever.”
About the Author
ANNE BARWELL lives in Wellington, New Zealand, sharing her home with her twin daughters, at least during the holidays, when one of them isn’t away at university. Her son has left home and started his own family, although she claims she is too young to be a grandmother already. Her three cats are convinced that the house is run to suit them; this is an ongoing “discussion,” and to date it appears as though the cats may be winning.
In 2008 she completed her conjoint BA in English Literature and Music/Bachelor of Teaching and has worked as a music teacher, a primary school teacher, and a librarian. She is a member of the Upper Hutt Science Fiction club and plays piano for her local church and violin for a local orchestra.
She is an avid reader across a wide range of genres and a watcher of far too many TV series and movies, although it can be argued that there is no such thing as “too many.” These, of course, are best enjoyed with a decent cup of tea and further the continuing argument that the concept of “spare time” is really just a myth.
Visit Anne at http://anne-barwell.livejournal.com/. You can contact her at anne0@xtra.co.nz.
Don’t miss the prequel by ANNE BARWELL
http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com
Also from ANNE BARWELL
http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com
Contemporary fantasy from DREAMSPINNER PRESS
http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com
Anne Barwell, Magic's Muse
