by Anthea Sharp
*Choose.*
The word rolled over the Realm, moonlight and sunlight, warmth and frost, magic and despair.
Jennet’s touch was warm and steady on his arm. Tam looked at the rest of the team, battered and weary. They had all been changed by this, and there was no going back, no un-knowing that the Realm of Faerie was real.
“Guys?” Tam asked, “what do you think?”
“I’m in,” Roy said, some of his old confidence back in his voice.
Jennet’s dad glanced at Thomas, then nodded, while Zeg inclined his head in a silent yes.
“Completely,” Spark said.
Jennet squeezed his arm. “I’m with you. Always.”
The words warmed him even more than her touch. Tam took a deep breath and tipped his face up to the leader of the Elder Fey, narrowing his eyes against the eerie light.
“All right,” he said. “We agree.”
The black dragon brought its wings together with a thunderclap. Its jewel-bright companions glittered in the air around it as a fierce wind swept the circle of standing stones. The purple light flared, so brightly that Tam threw his arm up to shield his eyes.
His stomach twisted. The light turned gold and he swallowed back the sick sensation of being tumbled out of Feyland.
Tam drew in a ragged breath and lowered his arm, to find himself in his sim-chair at VirtuMax headquarters. A flashlight blared into his face.
“Mr. Linn,” a hard voice said. “Not the first time we’ve caught you breaking and entering. You’re under arrest.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO - THE TWILIGHT KINGDOM
Jennet collapsed to the ground, the trampled grasses rising up to meet her. Her mind swam with images: black dragons etched in purple light, Tam, his mouth set, agreeing to police the boundaries between their world and the Realm, her dad clasping Thomas’s shoulders and studying his face, disbelief and joy warring in his expression.
She closed her eyes, her senses humming with the aftermath of the Twilight Kingdom’s invasion into the Realm. Maybe it was loss of blood, maybe it was too many clashing magics, but she felt barely connected to her body.
“Jennet?”
She opened her eyes to see Spark leaning over her. Above the brightness of Spark’s magenta hair the stars of the Realm shone crisp and clear, mapping constellations she would never know.
“Can you sit up?” Spark asked.
With her help, Jennet levered herself to sitting. The clearing within the standing stones was quiet; no sign of the bitterly beautiful Dark Queen or the radiant Bright King. Puck sat cross-legged in the air, talking to the Bug. Roy and Zeg stood in the shadows, and near the flat stone her dad and Thomas were in deep conversation. The sight made her heart glow.
“Where’s Tam?” She glanced around the circle, anxiety rising. Had the Dark Queen managed to steal him away?
“That’s weird.” Spark’s eyebrows knitted together. “He was here a second ag—”
The gamer girl’s Kitsune character winked out abruptly.
“Roy!” Jennet called, panic shaking through her. “Zeg, something’s going on.”
Roy looked up, an odd expression crossing his face. Then his avatar disappeared, too.
“It’s okay,” Zeg said, though his dark eyes were worried. “I think they’re being pulled out—”
Empty air filled the space where he had been. Jennet clenched her hands.
“Dad?”
Her voice barely carried through the still air, but he heard it and hurried over with Thomas.
“What is it, honey?”
“Everyone’s disappearing.”
He glanced around, clearly surprised that they, Tam’s brother, and Puck were the only ones in the circle.
“They must have logged out—and we should, too.” He reached and set a hand on Thomas’s shoulder. “I miss you, old friend.”
Thomas smiled, his eyes brightening. “You know where to find me.”
Tam’s brother plucked at her sleeve. “I wanna go home!”
“Me, too.” Jennet gathered him into a one-armed hug. “Puck—help us out?”
“Fear not.” The sprite winked. “The youngling and the changeling will switch places—though the Bug is far better company than that sour creature you call Korrigan.” He leaned close, whispering in Jennet’s ear. “The boy is fey-touched. Watch over him well.”
“I will.” She was one of the Feyguard now, after all.
“I bid you farewell, Fair Jennet.” Puck tugged a strand of her hair. “Til we meet again.”
He spun himself into a series of back flips, laughing high and clear. It was the last thing she saw before golden light swirled over her senses. Dizzy, she tried to hold on to Tam’s little brother, but he slipped out of her arms and was gone.
When her head stopped buzzing, Jennet blinked, surrounded by the dimness of the testing center. For some reason, the rest of the team was standing around the doorway. Arguing loudly. She ripped her helmet off and hurried over, her dad right behind her.
In the hallway, two Security guards had Tam by the arms. They waved their flashlights, the beams careening off the walls and ceiling. Jennet’s heart thudded. Why were they taking Tam?
She tried to get to him, but her dad firmly pushed her aside and stepped to the front. He slid the lights on and everyone fell silent, blinking in the sudden glare.
“What’s going on?” Dad asked, his voice full of authority. He turned to the nearest guard. “Why are you interrupting my beta-testing session?”
“Mr. ah…” The guard squinted at the badge clipped to her dad’s shirt. “Mr. Carter. This individual has made unauthorized use—”
“He’s a member of my team. Release him at once.”
“I don’t think so.” Coranne Smith stepped from the next room, her thin lips tightened way past their usual sour expression. “What are you all doing here, Mr. Carter? Sabotage? Is this some kind of revenge against VirtuMax for demoting you?”
Jennet’s dad folded his arms. “Not at all. In fact, the game is working perfectly. We just had a few final issues to take care of.”
“Without me? Has it escaped your attention I’m part of the beta team as well?”
“Yeah but—” Roy began, then stopped when Zeg nudged him in the ribs.
“My apologies for not including you, Coranne,” Jennet’s dad said. “But we’ve done nothing illegal. Unusual, perhaps, but not grounds for arrest.” He nodded to where Tam stood, held by Security. “Let him go. I’d hate to have to counter-sue the company for harassing one of my team members.”
The two guards looked at Coranne. When she said nothing, they released Tam. He quickly slid between Zeg and Roy and put his back to the wall, well out of reach.
“Thank you, gentlemen,” Jennet’s dad said. “I appreciate your diligence. As you can see, we’re working overtime on a crucial project. You may go.”
The older guard studied the team members for a moment, then nodded. “All right. You folks have a good evening.”
He swept the beam of his light over them, an intimidating move which was a lot less effective with the lights on, then headed down the hall with his partner. Their shoes squeaked faintly on the polished floor.
Coranne Smith narrowed her eyes, pinning Jennet’s dad with her gaze. “This isn’t over, Mr. Carter. If there is anything compromised in the game, I will have you fired immediately.”
Roy opened his mouth again, probably to say something about his mom being the CEO. This time, Tam elbowed him.
Jennet’s dad smiled with no warmth. “Then I anticipate we’ll be working together for years to come.”
“We’ll see about that,” Coranne said. “You’re not the only one who can make use of the equipment late at night. Tomorrow there will be a reckoning, Mr. Carter. You may be certain of it.”
She stalked forward, and the team parted to make way as she headed for the testing hub. Jennet’s dad watched her go, his expression grim.
“I…” Jennet rubbed her
palm. “I’m sorry, Dad.”
“Let’s go.” His voice was suddenly tired. “Spark, I know it’s late, but can we debrief at your place?”
“No problem.” The gamer girl quirked her lips into a wry smile. “I keep odd hours—my people won’t think anything of it.”
What kind of life did Spark lead, as a celebrity simmer? The slice of it Jennet had seen seemed tame—but then again, Crestview wasn’t the hotbed of anything much.
Unless getting sucked into alternate worlds counted, in which case it was action central.
The team trailed down the hall, uncharacteristically quiet.
“Coranne can’t do anything to us, can she?” Jennet asked.
“Over what—beta testing like we’re supposed to?” Roy shook his head. “Don’t worry, none of us will get in trouble. Not even your dad.”
He was probably right—he’d shown he could sweet-talk his mom into just about anything. She let out a low breath. After tonight, she didn’t care what happened with the beta testing. The hardest work was done.
When the team stepped into the chilly night, she grabbed Tam’s hand. After all, her dad had no more arguments for keeping them apart.
“You okay?” she asked, leaning into the warmth of Tam’s body.
“Maybe.” His eyes were shadowed. “Getting yanked out of game by Security was not my favorite experience.”
“The team wouldn’t have let them take you.”
“I know.” His expression remained grim, and she knew what was really worrying him.
“Tam—Puck told me your brother would be returned safely.”
“He better be.”
Without saying anything, she picked up the pace. The rest of the team hurried too, their breaths misting out in white plumes as they passed beneath the orange splotch of a streetlight.
“Tam… Puck did say your brother was fey-touched now.”
Tam closed his eyes briefly, and she saw the burdens he carried etched on his face. His brother. His mother. Life in the Exe.
When he looked at her again, his eyes were bleak.
“I didn’t tell you before,” he said. “But my house is gone.”
“What?” She blinked at him. “What do you mean, gone? Did Korrigan somehow destroy it?”
“No. The drifters down the street attacked us. The place is toast now.” He gave a mirthless laugh. “Literally. They fire-bombed it.”
“Oh god. That’s terrible.”
Her mind raced, grabbing possibilities, then discarding them. Even if she could get her dad to offer Tam’s family a place in the View, Tam was way too proud to accept what he’d perceive as charity. But maybe, for the short-term, they could work something out.
“Our place is pretty big,” she said. “I’ll ask my dad—”
“No.”
The outright refusal stung. “Why not? You need someplace to go.”
“Jennet.” He clasped her hand tightly. “Your dad had his view of reality totally wrecked tonight. He’s going to have to accept a lot—and having my crazy family staying in his house is not one of them. I’ll work something out.”
“I’m not letting you sleep on the streets.”
He gave her a crooked smile. “I know.”
“Hey,” Zeg said, drifting over. “About your house, Tam… you could stay in the apartment I built for Auntie Tina. It’s been empty a few months now, and needs some tending.”
“I thought that was for your family,” Tam said.
Zeg put one big, warm hand on Jennet’s shoulder, the other on Tam’s. “After tonight, we’re all family.”
“Say yes,” Jennet urged. “Just for a little while.”
Tam shook his hair out of his eyes. “If my mom says yes, then ok. Temporarily. Until we can get our place fixed up again.”
Under the glow of the streetlights, Jennet caught Zeg’s eye. She could tell they were both thinking the same thing—no way were they letting Tam and his family move back into the Exe.
“Heh,” Roy said, clearly catching the last bit of their conversation. “Guess I can’t call you Exie any more.”
Tam shrugged, though his mouth curled up at the corner. “Too bad you’re still stuck as a Viewer.”
“Don’t get too smug,” Roy said. “I expect you’ll be spending a lot of time up here. Watch out, it might rub off on you.”
He nudged Jennet, and she batted his elbow away.
Jennet’s dad caught up to them. “The beta testing isn’t quite done—though I expect the rest to be uneventful.”
“Let’s hope,” Spark said, her breath misting out in a white plume.
“VirtuMax will be offering some internships this summer.” Jennet’s dad cleared his throat. “Any of you who are interested, consider yourself hired.”
Spark tipped her head. “Let me check my schedule.”
“Count me in,” Roy said, his eyes on the gamer girl.
“Thanks,” Zeg said, “but I’m pretty busy with the sim-café. Though I’d be up for gaming with the team, now and then.”
None of them mentioned what it meant to be the Feyguard, but the knowledge hung in the winter air around them, crystalline and cold.
“What about you, Tam?” Jennet’s dad asked.
Jennet squeezed his hand, knowing what his answer would be. Frost twinkled on the lawns like bits of scattered stars, and ahead, the lights of Spark’s mansion blazed into the night.
“Maybe,” Tam said, squeezing back. “Maybe I will.”
As soon as the door to Spark’s place opened, Tam was inside.
“Bug?” he called, his voice echoing in the huge foyer.
“Tam!”
Footsteps slapped the marble floor. He glimpsed Marny in the hall, smiling widely, and then his little brother launched himself at Tam in a blur of grimy clothes and popsicle-breath. Tam caught him and buried his face in the Bug’s hair, inhaling the familiar, beloved smell of sticky eight-year-old. Tears lodged in his throat, and he closed his eyes tight.
A gentle hand touched his shoulder, and without looking he pulled his mom into the embrace.
His family might not have any place permanent to call home, but they were here. Together.
“Let’s head to the great room,” Spark said. “I’ll have the cook bring us tea and desserts.”
The rest of the team voiced their agreement, and Tam heard them moving away. All but Jennet. He knew when he opened his eyes she’d be there, smiling at him.
And she was.
EPILOGUE
“Lines around the block at hundreds of retailers across the country prove that VirtuMax’s latest is on everyone’s must-have list.” The sleekly jacketed newscaster smiled while the camera panned the long line of people waiting in front of the game store. “Some of these eager buyers have been camping out for days, determined to be among the first to grab one of the long-awaited FullD systems.”
The door of the featured store opened, sunlight reflecting in a blinding arc from the glass, and the crowd let out a cheer.
Release day. The FullD system was for sale across the globe—and Feyland with it.
Jennet shivered and clicked off the vid feed.
“Now what?” She turned to Tam, sitting on the couch beside her in the game room.
“First, this.”
He bent his head and brushed his lips over hers. She wrapped her arms around him and pulled him close, tingles racing like scattered stars through her body. He tasted of coffee and warmth and home—the heart-deep place she’d always yearned to belong.
No fey magic could ever match the rightness, the sweetness of their kisses. But they had work to do. Reluctantly, she untwined her arms.
“Did you know that Spark gave Roy her messager number?” she asked.
“Her real one?” Tam’s brows went up. “I guess all of us need to stay in touch.”
“Yeah, but I think Roy has a particular kind of touch in mind.”
Tam laughed. “I wish him luck with that.”
Then
he sobered and glanced at the FullD systems humming in the center of the room. Jennet rubbed her thumb over her left palm and took a deep breath. Whatever they faced, they’d be all right.
“Ready?” she asked.
“Yes.” Tam stood and pulled her off the plush couch. “Time to gear up. We’ve got a world to guard.”
THE END
Ready for more adventures of the FEYGUARD? SPARK is now available!
Superstar gamer Spark Jaxley's life might look easy, but she's part of an elite few who guard a shocking secret; the Realm of Faerie exists, and its dark magic is desperate for a foothold in the mortal world.
Aran Cole hacks code and sells his gaming cheats on the black market. It's barely a living, and one he's not proud of. But when he turns his skills to unlocking the secrets behind Feyland--the most exciting and immersive game on the market--he discovers power and magic beyond his wildest dreams.
Spark's mission is clear; pull Aran from the clutches of the fey folk and restore the balance between the worlds. But can she risk her life for someone who refuses to be rescued?
~ Next up, ROYAL: FEYGUARD BOOK2 ~ Coming July 2014
Not ready to leave Feyland yet? Check out the prequel short story, FEYLAND: THE FIRST ADVENTURE
And a mini adventure short story, TRINKET, is now available as well ~ High-tech gaming and ancient magic collide when a computer game opens a gateway to the treacherous Realm of Faerie ~
Violet Yamaguchi can't wait to play the immersive new computer game, Feyland--but she doesn't suspect the game wants something in return... A short story of approximately 5,000 words (20 pages)
Don’t miss out on upcoming books! Join Anthea’s new release mailing list for notice of her new books and special reader perks - http://www.tinyletter.com/AntheaSharp
