Paisley gripped the arms of the recliner. “Okay.” From the look on Grams’s face, this was going to be even wilder than Lana appearing in her living room.
Grams smiled. “Let me start by saying that I loved your grandfather, and I know Kate loves your father. All our marriages and the marriages of every other female in our line were predetermined. Arranged, if you will. We never knew who our husbands were going to be, or when they would come to us. And there is a reason we never got to pick our husbands. From as far back as our line has been written, every female in our family has been blessed with an ability of some sort. Powers. Your great-grandmother had the ability to heal the human body. Her mother, your great-great-grandmother, had the ability of a seer. As for myself, I can be in several places at a time, a sort of cloning effect. Our abilities are rare and varied, and must be maintained. Because of the need to nourish our powers our marriages have to be with men who can guarantee our offspring will enhance, or at the very least carry on, the abilities we have been given.” She rubbed her palms on her pants. “I say men, because that is the way it has always been. As much as the world has progressed, it is still not possible for two women to have a biological child of their own.”
Powers. Paisley ran her hands through her hair. What the hell was going on? How in the span of an hour could her whole world be turned on its end? It was her first instinct to believe they were playing an elaborate trick on her, but that thought was squished by the look in her grandmother’s eyes. This was happening. “That’s why you were both surprised when you saw Lana?”
“Yes. This is where things will get tricky, and you must suspend your belief in the reality you’ve always known just a bit. We knew our husbands would come from another realm, one where magic is commonplace, we’ve just never been there ourselves. We are not allowed to cross the barrier between worlds. Only the women of Dangor—the other realm—are allowed to travel freely through the barrier. But the men…once they come through, they can’t go back. The men who agree to wed us give up their lives and their families in Dangor to have another one with us in this world. That is the reason we were shocked to see a woman.”
“But, you spoke to her on the phone.”
“To be honest, that didn’t even dawn on us. We still expected a man until we laid eyes on her. Lana will be able to come and go through the barrier as she sees fit. That also means that you will be able to go with her. The only way she could have come through to claim you is with the King’s Council’s approval. This is the first I have heard about a same-sex union.”
Paisley adjusted her glasses. “Wait. If the cuff forms a bond, why aren’t you two wearing one?”
Her mom smiled. “When we got married, we forfeited the cuff for a wedding band. The cuff is the tradition in Dangor, rings are the tradition in our world.”
Paisley shook her head. She loved them dearly, but how could they really expect her to believe everything they were saying? They’d never mentioned any of this before, nor had Paisley ever witnessed anything odd concerning them. “Let’s just assume, for the sake of discussion, that I believe all this arranged-marriage-from-another-realm stuff. A same-sex union…that’s not the only reason you were shocked by Lana. What is it?”
“If I’m not mistaken, Lana is the name of King Perry’s second born, and his only daughter. From time to time we get progress reports on the happenings in Dangor,” Grams said.
Kate wrung her hands. “I don’t mean this the wrong way, P.J., but what in the world would Lana want with you? Never in our line have we ever been matched with royalty, and to be frank, she has to be at least ten years younger than you.”
Well, hell. What could you say to that reasoning? It hadn’t escaped her notice that Lana did look young. She knew she should have been offended by her mother’s words, but she didn’t know why she would have been chosen either. “Surely, if she wanted to, she could take the cuff off and pick someone else.” All three shared nervous glances. “Right?” Play it cool.
Her mom shook her head. “That’s not the way it works, P.J. Once the bond has been made, it cannot be broken.”
“No.” She shook her head. “That doesn’t make sense. Don’t I have to agree to this before the bond can be made? Where is my consent in this entire debacle?” She hadn’t been selective in her dating choices to just throw her life away to a stranger.
“Your bond would have been made a long time ago,” Grams said. “Bonds are not made on a whim. They are divinely done. It is destined from your birth who will become your partner. Some bonds are made for the good of the people, some are made for the good of the few, and some bonds are made for the good of the two people involved. In your case, I’m not sure what the bond was made for. But I do know this: no matter if you both wanted to, that bond is secure and no one will be able to break it.”
“So, that’s it then? I’m stuck with her?” How could everything suddenly go bat-shit crazy? She took a deep breath. “I don’t understand how this can be happening. I don’t have any sort of ability. I’m just me: Paisley Jane. And both of you know I would never agree to marry a man, no matter what happened. I always thought I would marry for love.”
“Actually…” Lana said from behind Paisley, making her jump in her chair.
Paisley glared at her and grabbed her chest. “Don’t do that. You just can’t appear and disappear on a whim.” Holy hell.
Grams pushed off the couch and stood up. “What do you mean, ‘actually’?”
Lana stepped around the recliner and leaned against it. “Paisley probably doesn’t even realize she has any power. At least not until we go back to Dangor. There, her powers can be realized.” She grinned down at her.
“She may have powers and not even know it?”
“Yes, she could. Look, I know I’ve probably upended everything, but I didn’t have a choice. This way she is protected. Now she has the protection of the Royal Elite Guards.”
Grams’s eyes widened. “Why would she need their protection?”
“There are a lot of tales in my world. Some are true and some are simply myths. However, there is one story everyone seems to agree on because it has never been discounted. It is said a woman will be the one to bring the kingdom into turmoil, and this woman will hold power unknown to many.” At the same time Lana sat down on the arm of Paisley’s chair, Paisley stood up and moved away from her. Being so close to her was putting Paisley on edge. Lana smirked at her but continued with her story. “Some are aware of her and will never stop hunting her, while others couldn’t care less about her existence. The Brotherhood of the Realm is among those hunting her. What I want to do is teach Paisley of her abilities and allow her to grow in her powers.”
Paisley’s mom stood up. “That’s all well and good, but how do you know Paisley is that woman?”
“Kate,” Grams said.
“Mom is right. How do you know that that’s me?”
Lana seemed to be choosing her words carefully. “To be fair, we don’t know it’s you. But rumor has it that this woman will come from a different land, and since I am your chosen partner, it all has sort of fallen into place.”
The story kept getting crazier by the minute. Paisley adjusted her glasses and bit her lip. At this point in time, she would have to consider every angle. “Okay.” She sighed. “Honestly, do you three realize how insane this sounds?” When no one answered her, she threw her hands in the air. So, that’s how they were going to play it? Whatever. She couldn’t fully trust Lana, but she didn’t know that she wasn’t telling the truth. Nor could she fully trust her family. She turned toward her mother to get the attention off herself. “Mom, you never told me what your ability is.” Changing the subject was an ability she had mastered a long time ago.
“I don’t have one.”
Lana cocked her head. “You don’t?”
“No. That’s why we always figured P.J. never showed any signs.”
“It could be that her and your abilities just haven’t been realized
yet,” Lana said.
Grams waved her hand in the air. “I thought it was just dormant in them. That has been known to happen.”
Lana shrugged, walked to the couch, and sat down. “I’m not really sure then.” She grabbed Paisley’s arm and pulled her down beside her.
Paisley debated jumping up, but Lana smelled amazing, like a combination of honey and vanilla. Lana seemed to sense her struggle and slipped an arm around her shoulders to hold her in place. The hand rubbing her shoulder sent shivers down Paisley’s spine. As soon as Paisley leaned closer to Lana, she received a glare from her mom and promptly pulled away from her a bit. “So, what happens now?” Paisley asked.
“You’ll come home with me of course,” Lana stated matter-of-factly.
“No,” Mom and Grams said at the same time.
Paisley ignored them. Her house wasn’t a dump, but it was older and small. An upgrade could be nice… Maybe Lana had an appealing alternative. It never hurt to listen to all possibilities before making an informed decision. “Where do you live?”
Lana’s whole face lit up. “I have a house on Dangor Lake. It’s not big, but it’s home. Imagine waking up with a view of the Matek Mountains every morning. It’s breathtaking.”
Paisley grinned right along with her. That sounded nice. A lake view and a view of the mountains. She could imagine the multitude of colors that would splatter the morning sky. She scrunched her nose when it hit her that Illinois didn’t have any mountains, and for the life of her she couldn’t recall ever hearing about the Matek Mountains. She searched her memory for a clue when something Grams had said pulled at the forefront of her memory. Another realm. She pulled away from Lana and looked her in the eye. “Where are the Matek Mountains located?” When Lana’s eyes widened, she looked to the other two women, but neither one was looking at her. Paisley stood up. “Well?”
“The Matek Mountains are in Dangor. My home country. You do know where Dangor is, don’t you?”
“No, I don’t recall.” Paisley’s words were clipped. She ran her shaking hands through her hair. None of this could be real. How could it? Everything seemed to click into place. “I need to sit down.” Before she could sit back down on the couch, her mom grabbed her arm and settled her down in the recliner. “Where is Dangor again?”
Lana jumped up. “She doesn’t know?” Kate shook her head and Lana turned toward Paisley. “I think I’ll really take my leave now and let the three of you discuss matters.” She took a step toward Paisley. “I will be back later.” She placed a chaste kiss on Paisley’s cheek and promptly disappeared.
She could feel the kiss all the way to her toes and felt certain her cheek shouldn’t be tingling where Lana’s lips had been. This was a nightmare. “This is really happening?” She had some crazy shit happen in her life. K.G., her ex and best friend, was one of them, but what was happening now took crazy to a whole other level. “Dangor?” She wasn’t sure she wanted to know, but she needed all the facts.
Her mom started. “We should have told you years ago about what was happening and what could happen. I am so sorry we didn’t. It was my responsibility to inform you, and I have failed you. And yes, this is really happening.”
“The Realm,” Grams said, “is another dimension that the men in our family, and now Lana, of course, are able to travel through. The men who cross over can never go back. I see questions behind those captivating green eyes of yours. I don’t know why our family was chosen for such extraordinary gifts, but it has always been this way and we have never taken them for granted. Your grandpa once told me that traveling through to our world was the scariest thing he had ever done in his life, but that he wouldn’t trade it for anything.”
Paisley wiped a tear away. His death last year of a heart attack had shocked everyone, and they were still dealing with his passing in their own way. “What did Lana mean when she said I would go home with her?” Moving didn’t faze her, but moving to another realm did seem a bit excessive, even for her standards.
They both fidgeted. “I can only reason that she wants you to go back with her.”
Paisley rolled her eyes. “Yes, Grams, I got that, but what does it mean?”
Kate tilted her head. “We don’t know. You’ll probably want to ask her that. It might ultimately mean you will be living with her. The men come to the women they are betrothed to, so I can only assume that you will go with her.”
By their words and their actions, they were stuffing everything into a neat and tidy box. This wasn’t a story they were retelling; this was her life. “What happens if I don’t want to accompany her back? What if I refuse?”
“I…don’t know,” Grams said. “No one has ever refused a joining before. It’s part of who we are. It makes up our lifeblood. We should have told you earlier to help you get used to the idea, but over the years no one came for you. It’s obvious now that the reason she didn’t come earlier is because she’s at least ten years younger than you. She simply hadn’t been born yet. As the years passed, we just figured no one was coming for you. Even your father had started to wonder. You should talk to him as soon as possible.”
“Honey,” her mom said. “You seem to be taking all of this rather well.” She smiled, but the tone of her voice conveyed an entirely different meaning.
How was she supposed to act given the circumstances? They’d had years to adjust to everything, and now they expected her to take in everything in a matter of hours. What she wouldn’t give to go back in time and continue to watch The Golden Girls with Jynx on the couch. She glanced at the clock. “It’s late and I think I should sleep on all of this. Maybe by tomorrow morning my brain will have caught up with everything that was discussed. After everything that’s happened, I wouldn’t say no to dinner, either.”
When they hesitated to leave, Paisley stood up, kissed them each on the cheek, and pushed them toward the door. “Really, I’ll be fine.” She closed the door after they had walked through, then leaned back against it and let her body slide to the floor with a thud. After a few minutes of silence, she lay down on the floor and traced the patterns on the ceiling with her eyes. She smiled when Jynx licked her face then settled her weight on her chest. “Jynx, remember when I said we needed more excitement in our lives? I lied.”
****
Beep…Beep…Beep
Paisley burrowed deeper into the covers and pretended that the alarm wasn’t going off. She snuggled under the warm blanket and closed her eyes in anticipation of a few more minutes’ sleep.
Beep…Beep…Beep
She sighed and rolled over, pulling the covers from her face, and blinked at the red numbers taunting her on the alarm clock and frowned. Now, she knew she was still dreaming, because that couldn’t possibly be the right time. She lay still staring at the blinking numbers until her brain finally caught up with what her eyes were seeing. It couldn’t possibly be a quarter to nine in the morning. “Shit.”
She flung the covers off and jumped out of bed. She could have sworn she set it for seven. She hopped around on one foot until both legs were in her jeans, and pulled them up and over her pink boy shorts. She fumbled with the zipper and looked from her legs to the bed, then back to her matching pink bra. Wait a minute. How did she get into bed with all her clothes off? The last thing she remembered was falling asleep on the living room floor. What the what? Play it cool. Play it cool.
She grabbed her white T-shirt that she normally wore to work and pulled it on over her head. The RiversEdge was one of only two bed and breakfasts in her small town. The hours where decent and the pay was good, and since she only worked four days a week it was the perfect combination for her. She flung her door open and was halfway down the hallway when she skidded to a stop and sniffed the air. Bacon. Considering she didn’t have any bacon in the house it was quite odd, but she figured maybe her mother had come to fix her breakfast. But, no, that wouldn’t be right. Her mother would have woken her up for work.
She couldn’t find any fault with someon
e cooking bacon for her, until she stepped into the kitchen and came to a complete stop. Lana stood at the stove in a pair of tight, black leather pants and a brown and red long-sleeved shirt. The sleeves were pushed up her forearms. Today her short hair was put up into a small ponytail and it all looked so domestic. Paisley frowned when Lana turned around to greet her.
Lana pointed her spatula at the table. “Sit down. Breakfast is almost done.” She turned back to the stove.
Paisley noticed she was flipping hash browns, and licked her lips. She loved hash browns. Why did her life have to be so complicated suddenly? “Why didn’t you wake me? I have to work. I don’t even know you. You need to stop coming into my home unannounced. It’s rude and that’s not even considering that it’s against the law.”
Lana picked up a piece of bacon and nibbled on it. “You’re not hungry?”
At that moment, Paisley’s stomach decided to show its displeasure and Lana grinned at her. Paisley eyed the plate of bacon and eggs Lana set in front of her. When she reached for the plate, Lana’s smile was almost blinding but before she could say anything, Paisley picked the plate up and headed toward the back door. “See you later.”
She walked as fast as she could, without disturbing her plate, and slid into her car. Setting the plate on the passenger seat, she flung the car into reverse and spun out of the driveway. She was tempted to look in the rearview mirror, but she couldn’t care less whether Lana was following her or not. Bonding bracelet or not, she didn’t know Lana and she wasn’t sure she wanted to.
The events from the day before were still hard to fathom. Truth be told, she would have never believed a story like that from her mom and grams if Lana hadn’t appeared in her home beforehand. She loved her family, but the story was beyond far-fetched, even by her standards. Add to that the fact that she was supposedly married, and it was almost too much for her to handle. She would try to reserve judgement until she had a chance to talk with her family in more depth. She hoped they showed a little bit more concern for her well-being instead of just throwing facts at her.
The DragonWitch Tales - An Unexpected Beginning Page 2
