“Would you like me to wait out here?” he asked when they reached the store.
“Yeah, I’ve got this.”
“Forget something, my dear?” Mrs. Stearns said.
How do you tell someone you forgot to tell your mother goodbye? That you forgot your rational mind on the side of the road in Sedona?
“Yeah. A few things.” Ally walked down one of the aisles and picked up a toothbrush and a piece of purple soap. “What do you have to wash your hair?” Mrs. Stearns joined her and handed her a bottle. Rice husk and meringue. Yummy.
They walked to the front of the store and Ally put two coins on the counter. “Is this enough?”
“Yes, more than enough.” Mrs. Stearns pushed one of the coins back.
“Keep it.”
Corm was waiting beside Chestnut and extended his hand to help her, but she was afraid to even touch him. “Thanks, but I’m okay.”
They caught up with Liam and the others just outside town.
“Drachma for your thoughts,” Corm finally said in a low voice.
She tried to stay strong but a tear escaped and trickled down her cheek.
“A gold coin would not cover it, eh?” he said with a slight smile.
“I guess I thought… as stupid as it sounds now, I’d be home tonight. You might find this hard to believe, but boys changing into animals and people disappearing—it doesn’t happen where I come from. It’s got me a bit freaked out. It’s not normal. You aren’t normal.”
“It is the norm around here.”
“Where is here? Where am I? I keep thinking this is a dream and if I don’t wake up soon, I’ll never wake up at all. I’m scared. I’m alone. I’m afraid I’ll never see my mom or my friends again. This isn’t where I belong.”
There, she said it. She waited for him to make fun of her, to tell her how crazy she sounded.
When he spoke at last, it was slow and deliberate. “I cannot offer any explanation for your situation nor can I predict your future, but I will tell you what I do know. You are not in a dream. I am real, not a figment of your imagination. If that was the case, I hope I would be more handsome.”
Before she could stop it, she smiled.
“I believe everything happens for a reason,” he continued, his gaze cast down. “I have to. To assume the struggles we experience each day occur by chance and not for greater purpose would make this existence unbearable. I found you and you are here for a reason and, you will return home, if that is what is meant to be. Think about what might have happened if you were found by Caleb and his friends.” He lifted his head and looked into her eyes. “You are not alone, nor will you ever be as long as I am around. Do not forget that.”
She swallowed the lump in her throat. He was right. She did believe in fate. It was just easier when good things happened… easier to justify why you deserved it. It was different when it was something bad, like her father dying, or something scary, like being here. What was the explanation then? But, because of his words, of their truth, she began to feel better.
“Thank you,” she said. “I want you to know, as ungrateful as I seem, I appreciate everything you’ve done for me. You’re not like the others, are you?”
“Liam and I have much in common. The others,” he said, “know these things to be true, but they do not spend time dwelling upon them. I, however, cannot help it. It is part of who I am. One of my strengths is that I recognize my weaknesses. And, although we do not always agree, my friends accept me for who I am. That is enough, is it not?”
Yes, it was, and she realized, despite everything, how lucky she’d been. “You’re really amazing,” she said.
“So are you.” He told her about his family, his mother’s sickness, his father’s drinking, and his constant battle with the forces that threatened to destroy his family. The clouds that filled the sky earlier were a distant memory, but the fresh smell of rain still hung in the air and moisture dripped from the trees.
At a fork in the road, Liam held up his hand. “This is where we part company. I need to look in on Jade.”
“Then, if my services are no longer required,” Shane said, “I am going home. My body requires sustenance. Would anyone care to join me for a slice of my famous meat pie?”
“You mean your mother’s meat pie and, yes, I accept,” Ian replied.
“Aye, I will as well,” Oisin said.
“Corm?” Shane asked.
Corm shook his head. “Thank you, though,” He looked at Ally. “Take care of yourself.”
“Thanks Corm… for everything.”
When they reached Olivia’s house, the front door opened and a tall, slender woman stepped onto the porch. “Olivia. I was worried. You told me you were going to Liam’s and coming back. That was over six hours ago.”
“I am sorry. We went into town and I visited the dress shop.”
Her mother shook her head. “Liam, Meg, how are you both? And why are you so dirty?”
“Hi, Mrs. Banister,” Meg said.
“We are well,” Liam replied.
Mrs. Banister looked at Ally and smiled. “Who are you?”
“A friend of the family,” Liam said. “Ally, this is Mrs. Banister, Olivia’s mother.”
“Nice to meet you,” Ally said.
“And you as well. You will stay for dinner, I hope. There is a side of beef smoking on the hearth.”
“Thank you, but we need to get home.” Liam dismounted Pollux. “I wanted to take a look at Jade. How is she doing?”
“The last I checked, she was the same. I am sorry, Olivia.”
Olivia leaped from her horse and they followed her into the barn. She entered the last stall on the left.
“What is the matter with her?” Meg asked.
“I am not sure,” Liam said. “Her knee is swollen and now it appears she has fever.”
“What are we going to do?” Olivia said.
“We will start with Thea’s salve. I need a warm, wet towel.”
Olivia took his hand. “Come, I will get you one.”
The brown horse was on her side. She grunted and tried to stand, but couldn’t. Her eyes were milky. Puss oozed from their corners and discharge flowed from her nose. “Poor thing,” Ally said. At the sound of her voice, the horse lifted its head.
Ally walked into the stall, knelt down, and put her hand on the horse’s nose. Her fingers ran the length of her muzzle. The horse was burning up and whinnied at her touch. “Where does it hurt?” She looked into its eyes and moved her hand from the horse’s nose to its neck. Her hand was drawn across Jade’s shoulder and down her front left leg. I wish there was something I could do. Ally shut her eyes.
“Aaah!” she cried a moment later. She gripped the horse’s knee and an awful sensation traveled up her arm. The animal cried in protest. Ally’s arm went numb and her body began to shake.
“What are you doing?” Olivia screamed from behind. “You are hurting her!”
Olivia’s voice shattered the connection and Ally’s arm fell to her side.
Olivia strode into the stall. “Get out of the way.”
“I don’t know what happened. I’m sorry.” Ally got to her feet and ran outside. Her arm was tingling and her knee began to ache. Perfect.
Liam rushed toward her. “What happened? I heard you scream. Are you hurt?”
“I… don’t know,” Ally said. “I wanted to help Jade. She’s in so much pain. Will she get better?”
“I do not think so. The infection has spread. I need to tell Olivia how often to change the dressing and we can take our leave.”
“Tell Olivia I’m sorry. I wasn’t trying to hurt Jade.”
“I am sure she knows that. It has been a long day for her,” Liam said before he disappeared into the barn.
Seriously? Try walking a mile in these boots, baby. Ally stretched her leg, trying to loosen the muscles in her knee, but the pain was getting worse.
***
Caleb liked being in his other form. In fa
ct, he preferred it. It was easy to go unnoticed… to hide… to eavesdrop undetected by most. The big oaf did not see him tunnel underground and he slipped away while they were in the tent. He was incredibly quick when eight legs were guiding him. Yes, he accomplished that with little effort, but had failed at something much greater. Fate put the girl within his grasp and, just as quickly, took her away. He had not sensed her outside the tent, and she caught him unaware.
But, the day’s misfortune was not entirely his fault. She had not come through where the Master anticipated, and Caleb lost valuable time reaching her new destination. Two from the forest had been persuaded to detain her until he arrived, but even that did not go well. How she had fallen in with the Shayeen so quickly was a mystery, but she wore the necklace. There was no mistake she was the one. He did not believe the superstition about the Vaki, but had not wanted to chance it. It had been wise to leave the fighting to the other two. Now they were ill and had left the forest. If he got sick as well, the Master would have been terribly disappointed.
I will ensure she leaves Gilgamesh and comes to us, the Master had said, with uncharacteristic calm given the circumstance. Do not let her out of your sight. Caleb could not see him but knew the Master smiled when he added, This is turning out better than I imagined. You will be rewarded upon your return, you have my word.
Caleb shadowed the girl, and those around her, out of town and to this house. He would not lose her again. He would stay with her until the Master told him what he needed to do.
She stood, alone, just outside the barn and Caleb crawled closer.
***
Still reeling, Ally had to lower herself to the ground.
Meg appeared beside her. “I know you were trying to help. What happened in there?”
So it wasn’t her imagination. “It was strange,” Ally answered, staring at the grass.
“Well, Olivia is not pleased, but… what are you looking at?”
“That spider, see it?” Ally pointed to a spider not more than five feet away. “Look at the design on its back.”
“That is a fiddlehead,” Meg said. “But I have never seen one like that before. Its fangs almost resemble a wolf spider’s. They can give a painful bite if you are not wary of them. Nasty-looking thing, is it not?”
“I think it’s kinda cool. Scary, but cool.”
Meg brushed her boot in its direction and it skittered out of sight. “Living in the woods, you need to know which ones to avoid. Definitely, stay away from that one.”
Chapter 15
“Thea’s home!” Meg shouted, and urged Shilo to a gallop.
Thea’s horse was still hitched to the wagon, Liam noticed, but she wasn’t there. It was not like her to leave the horse unattended. Before he could dismount Pollux, the front door opened and she rushed outside.
“Where have you been? I was worried.”
“We went to town,” Liam answered. He looked at Meg, Ally, and then himself, took in their filthy appearance. He had been able to avoid Mrs. Banister’s question on the subject, but knew Thea could not be put off indefinitely. “When did you get back?”
“A short time ago,” she replied. “Why are you all covered in mud?”
“It is a rather long story,” Liam said.
Meg hopped off Shilo and led him to the barn. When Ally attempted to do the same, she grimaced. “Let me help you,” he said. “Remove your feet from the stirrups and turn to the side.” She slid into his arms and he placed her on the ground beside him.
“I need to talk to you about something important,” Thea said. “Liam, when you finish with the horses, please come inside and make sure Meg is with you. Come, Ally.”
Liam unhitched Thea’s horse and walked into the barn, followed by Chestnut and Pollux.
“Why do you think those boys were looking for Ally?” Meg asked.
The question had been preying on his mind as well. “I do not know.”
“I like Ally. I do not want anything bad to happen to her.”
“Aye,” he said in response to both statements. He was impressed with how Ally handled herself today. Very brave and very selfless... for a girl. He would have expected that from Corm or any of the others, but from someone who hardly knew them? Although Meg tried his patience, he would do whatever was required to keep her safe. Despite his complaining, he admired her. She did not take herself, or most situations, too seriously. It balanced his nature to focus on the negative, to obsess about things beyond his control. He was, indeed, indebted to Ally—more than she would ever know.
He put the horses up for the night, grabbed the hamper from the front seat of the wagon, and looked into the sky. The first stars twinkled against the dark backdrop—Ascencia and Albireo shimmered side by side. There was no time to tarry so he hurried inside.
Thea was on the couch by herself. Liam brought the basket to the kitchen and she stood when he reentered the sitting room. “Liam, before you say anything—”
Ally stepped from the washroom. Something about her looked… familiar.
“I hope you don’t mind,” Ally said. “Thea insisted and I’m really grateful.” In her hands was a basin of dirty water.
He inhaled. “Lavender?”
“Oh, that’s the soap I bought at the store.”
That was one of his mother’s favorite scents, but it was not the only reason memories of her washed over him. Ally wore a pair of her black riding pants and her favorite embroidered tunic. He had no idea what happened to his mother’s clothing. Thea had seen to that and, on any other day, even this morning, the sight would have incensed him. But at this moment, he was surprisingly at ease with it.
“I had forgotten about those.” He took the basin from her hands and placed it on the table. “You look… nice.”
“Liam,” Thea said. “Close your mouth and come sit down. Meg, please join us.”
Meg ran in and sat at Thea’s feet.
“What I am going to tell you needs to stay here, for now. Once I explain, you will understand why. The world in which we live,” Thea said and looked at him and Meg, “is not the only one that exists. There is another, similar but not the same, that travels in parallel to our own. An unseen but strong force holds them together. Many centuries ago, our world was linked to the heavens but, over time, those passageways were sealed and others created in their place—doorways to another world through which travel is uncommon but not unheard of.”
She turned her eyes to Ally. “That world belongs to you.”
Ally stared, mouth agape, at Thea, and then dropped her head against the back of the couch. “A parallel dimension,” she said softly.
Thea nodded. “Those secret corridors allow the spirit gods to travel between the two worlds. But, an indiscretion has led to their use by other beings, causing the fabric that holds them together to become compromised. It has developed tears within the seams where the energy wavers. I do not understand why you made the journey, Ally, but it is not the first time a human has traveled between them.”
Thea gave an uncharacteristic sigh. “I am telling you this so you can understand what I am about to say. There are some who believe the ability to cross between our two worlds, despite the consequences, will give them great power. However, their greed will only serve to destroy us all.”
Liam got to his feet. “How long have you known, Thea?” He could understand the subject not coming up in day-to-day conversation, but why had he never heard so much as a rumor?
Thea shook her head. “Liam, are you so vain as to assume yours is the only world that breathes life?”
He began to pace. “I have never given it a thought—” His feet stopped. “If what you say is true, what makes you think Ally is from this other world?”
“I sensed it the moment I saw her. That was the reason for my trip to Podegar’s.” Thea pulled a washcloth from her apron pocket. “This is stained with the blood I wiped from Ally’s forehead.” She unfolded the rust-colored rag. In its center was an area where the
blood was not visible. “Podegar poured tama juice on this. When the blood disappeared, it confirmed my suspicion. It is slightly different from our own.”
“That would explain it,” Ally said.
Liam looked at Ally. “How can you simply accept this?”
“You haven’t been listening,” she answered. “I told you I wasn’t from around here. You thought I was crazy. Trust me—I questioned my own sanity when I saw what happened today. People don’t change into animals where I’m from. Not literally anyway.”
“Ah, you know about the Shanyo.” Ally nodded at Thea’s statement.
“If what you say is true, Thea,” Liam said, “could the location where Corm and I found her be one of those passageways?”
Ally’s body tensed. “Yeah, why can’t I just go back the way I came?”
Thea’s expression washed over with sympathy. “The portals allow movement in a single direction. The one you traveled through leads into the forest, not out of it. In order to return home, you must find the correct one. It is true that certain spirits can travel at will between the worlds. The gods before us could do it quite easily. Yet, even then, the journey changed their powers, either diminishing them or making them more powerful. Certain objects are able to travel to and from as well. Some change. Some simply do not make it through at all.”
“So how do I find the right passageway home?” Ally asked.
Thea shook her head. “You traveled through unintentionally. Great care must be taken if you journey through again. I learned a great deal during my time away. The opening of certain doors can result in dire consequence. Almost seventy years ago, in your sense of time, a spirit traveled from this world and allowed Chaos to enter yours. It had also happened twenty-seven years before, with a similar result. Prior to your arrival, the last time someone from your world traveled here was three years ago.” Thea looked at him and Meg. “The time of the sickness that took your mother.”
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