by Jessica Grey
“We’re right in the middle of rush hour, and with the rain traffic is going to be crap either way. But, the 110 has a carpool; you can take it to the 101, that might still be best,” Alex answered. Becca nodded and made a left at the next intersection so she could catch the on-ramp.
“So honestly, about fairytales, especially Sleeping Beauty, I’ve seen the Disney version and that is pretty much it,” Becca glanced at Alex as they pulled onto the on-ramp. “Do you have internet access on your phone? Maybe we should Google it? We could go to the library, but we don’t really have time if we want to get to the museum before it opens.
“Why do you keep referring to Sleeping Beauty?” Lilia chimed in from the back seat. She had found a stack of magazines and was slowly flipping through the pages looking at the pictures. “Beauty is part of my inheritance, so of course everyone knows that I am beautiful. But how do you know about the sleeping spell?”
Alex dramatically rolled her eyes at Becca who giggled and then answered, “We have fairytales—stories about fairies and princesses, wicked stepmothers, handsome princes, that sort of stuff. One of these stories is called Sleeping Beauty and is very like what happened to you. Maybe it might even be that it’s based on your story—that when you were first enchanted, someone told about you and that somehow became the story we know today.”
“Oh, so I am famous here, even in this age?” Lilia seemed pleased by the concept.
“The idea of you is famous,” Alex differentiated.
“Oh man, it’s a freaking parking lot,” Becca muttered in irritation as she nudged her way off the on-ramp and onto the freeway. “And the rain is not getting any better. At least the lightning has stopped.” Another flash of lightning ripped across the sky. “Um, never mind,” she said edgily. “Lightning makes me nervous.”
“I’m sorry, just concentrate on driving,” Alex soothed as the thunder rolled overhead.
“Storms do not scare me,” Lilia said. “There was a very large one yesterday, I mean the day I succumbed to the enchantment. It actually started the night before my birthday and raged all night. My lady in waiting was quite frightened; she thought it was not a natural storm and portended some evil—” Lilia broke off and laughed, a sweet, tinkling laugh. “Perhaps she was right, it was indeed followed by me pricking my finger and now here I am.”
The two girls in the front seat glanced at each other in dawning horror.
“You don’t think?” Becca asked nervously, her hands gripping, white, on the steering wheel.
“I don’t know what to think!” Alex breathed out, trying to calm herself. Dealing with a seventeen year old girl, born almost nine hundred years ago or not, was very doable in comparison to dealing with magic that could rip lightning across the sky and send torrents of rain down on Los Angeles in the middle of summer. She twisted in her seat to look back at the princess. “Do you think this storm could be caused by magic as well? Do you think it could be related to your waking up?”
“I am not sure,” Lilia’s pale blue eyes drifted shut. She appeared to be intently listening, her pale face almost too still and quiet. Alex realized that this must have been what she looked like when Luke found and kissed her, pale and perfect and beautiful. Something curled inside Alex’s chest. It wasn’t jealousy exactly. Certainly not jealousy over Luke, she argued with herself. More like a resigned realization that she would never look as perfect or beautiful. Lilia’s eyes flicked back open, her pupils wide and out of focus. She blinked slowly a few times. “It feels fae to me, there are tendrils of magic threaded through the clouds. I am sensitive to nature magic. I think on my birthday I was just too excited to pay attention. I am sure it was a similar storm.”
“Alex,” squeaked Becca, “did she just say she is sensitive to nature magic?” Alex turned back to her, worry creasing her forehead, and nodded. “I’m not quite sure I’m ready to accept there is ‘nature magic,’” Becca took her hands off the wheel to do quote marks in the air around the term.
Alex just shook her head. “I don’t know what to think at this point.”
Becca re-gripped the wheel, muttering to herself. Alex caught the words “woman of science,” and “crazy superstition.” She broke off with a muffled squeak as another streak of lightning sizzled down right near the freeway.
For her part Lilia settled back into her seat and resumed flipping through the magazines. Apparently talking about magic intruding on the twenty-first century did not unsettle her as much as it did the other two girls. But really, why should it, thought Alex. Lilia’s very presence was evidence of magic—and possibly dark, evil magic at that. It sounded like she had grown up with the knowledge that she was cursed, and had handled waking up over eight hundred and fifty years in the future more calmly than Alex had handled the stress of finals week.
~
Twenty agonizing minutes later they finally arrived at the museum. Every other driver had been just as taken aback by the out-of-season deluge, and the roads, slick with months of oil buildup, had caused several pretty bad accidents.
As they pulled into the covered parking structure Becca relaxed her white-knuckled grip on the steering wheel. “Sorry,” she flashed a chagrined smile at Alex. “I’m not usually such a nervous driver.”
“It’s all right,” Alex assured her, “the whole storm thing is making us both a little freaked out.”
“Seriously,” Becca agreed. “Well, I don’t see any of the staff cars at least,” she observed as she pulled into a space near the walkway leading to the museum. “Although, I don’t see Nicholas’s car either.
Alex blew out a breath she hadn’t known she’d been holding. “Oh well, I guess we just go in and wait for him. Maybe we can do some research while we wait.”
The inside of the museum, with its flickering fluorescent lights and silent echoing had been eerie enough in the early morning light. Alex was aware that if she had been here by herself now the dark and wet sounds of the storm raging outside would have made it even creepier. Somehow, with Becca with her the empty rooms felt more cheerful. Safety in numbers she figured.
“I think we should go check on Luke,” Alex said.
An apprehensive look crossed Becca’s face before she seemed to square her shoulders and nod. “Yeah, good idea, we don’t know for sure that no one has been here since you guys left.”
Becca followed Alex down the hallway to the storage rooms, Lilia trailing behind them, still absorbed in the magazine she had brought in with her from the car.
“My sister subscribes to every fashion mag known to man,” Becca stage whispered to Alex. “They’re entertaining her at least.”
“Why are you whispering?” Alex whispered back.
“I don’t know. It seems kind of a solemn occasion doesn’t it? Kinda like a—”
“Don’t even say funeral,” Alex cut her off in her normal voice.
“I wasn’t going to say funeral,” Becca said defensively. “Okay, maybe I was, but I meant it only as an example of a solemn occasion. I’m sure we’ll figure out how to wake him up.”
They reached the door to the storage room, which Alex had made sure to close securely behind them when they’d left, just in case anyone walked by. As Alex put her hand on the door she looked at Becca who nodded in response.
“I’m ready.”
Alex pushed the door open and sighed in relief. Luke was still there. She immediately walked over to the side of the bed and leaned down a bit. She could see his chest rising and falling. She hadn’t admitted to herself quite how worried she had been that something would happen to him while she was gone.
“Hey,” she said softly, feeling kind of foolish to be talking to him when he obviously couldn’t talk back. “It’s me, Alex. I’m back, and I’ve brought Becca.” She looked up to where Becca was still standing in shock, about halfway through the door. “And, of course, the princess you woke up. Nice mess you’ve managed to get us all in here.”
“Oh my god, Alex,” Becca said from the d
oorway. “I see why you were getting all worked up over these gems. This is insane. Have you noticed the faceting on these garnets?” She took a few tentative steps towards the bed, looking askance at Luke’s sleeping form. “If it weren’t for scary, hairy Luke sleeping on it, I’d say this was the most amazing find of the century,” she cautiously approached the bed and peered down at Luke.
“Totally wild,” Becca breathed. “Are we a hundred percent sure it’s him?” She tentatively reached out her hand and brushed some of the hair off his forehead so she could see his closed eyes and the bridge of his nose. “Yeah, that’s pretty much him. Geez. This is freaky!”
They stood side by side staring down at Luke for a moment. “It’s so unfair that a guy would get lashes like that,” Becca observed. “You or I could spend hundreds on mascara and never get close.”
Alex snorted. “He used to get teased about them.”
Becca looked at her with wide eyes. “Alex, what are we going to do with him?”
“I am hoping Nicholas might have some ideas, ‘cause I am coming up with a big fat nothing right now.”
“What was he thinking? Here’s Sleeping Beauty—let me just kiss her?”
“No idea. I guess he probably thought she’d just wake up. Who knew the kiss would backfire?”
“Well, maybe you should try kissing Luke,” Becca offered.
“What?!” Alex choked out.
“Well, maybe one of us should try, and you make the most sense,” Becca pointed out.
“How’s that?” Alex asked. Kissing Luke had honestly not even occurred to her. The very thought of it caused her to feel faintly warm and nauseated.
“I barely know him. I think I’ve talked to him like four or five times here at the museum, and that’s it. Lilia’s probably not the best choice because it obviously didn’t work properly when they kissed. That leaves you.”
“I am not planning to kiss anyone until I meet my true love. And my true love will be a royal of course,” Lilia piped up from behind her fashion magazine.
“Yes, I believe you have mentioned the royal requirement,” Becca noted. She turned back to Alex. “In theory, enchanted person woken by a kiss? But then what if it backfires again…” Here Alex made a strangled sound. “I mean,” continued Becca, “what if then all of a sudden he’s awake and you’re enchanted. Okay, on further review scratch that idea.”
“Yes, let’s scratch that one right off the list,” Alex agreed vehemently. But now that the idea had brought up, the image of her bending down and pressing her lips to Luke’s had taken up residence in her mind. She steadfastly ignored it and looked back down at Luke, focusing her eyes on the bridge of his nose, and refusing to let her eyes slide any lower towards his mouth. “So, what else is on the list?” she asked.
Becca looked concerned, “There is no list. That was my one brilliant idea. I’ve got nothing else.”
Alex sighed, “Me either.”
“I want some new clothing,” Lilia interjected.
“What?” Alex turned to look at her. Lilia was holding the magazine open to a full page spread entitled “Hottest New Fashions for Summer.”
“I need some new clothing. I cannot wear this dress everywhere; it does not fit in here—even you said so to Becca back at your home. I want some new dresses, and some trousers too.”
“Lilia, this isn’t really high on our priority list right now, but I am sure once we can talk with Nicholas and decide what to do with you—” a flash of annoyance crossed Lilia’s face, and Alex knew that she sounded like Lilia was more of a problem than a person. She was forcibly hit by the thought that they couldn’t just send Lilia back. It was quite possible that she was permanently here in the twenty-first century. Someone was going to have to be responsible for her long-term. “I mean, where you will be staying,” Alex quickly amended. “Once we have that sorted out, then I’m sure Nicholas, or whoever, will get you some new clothes.”
Becca nodded. “We’re still just a little bit shocked by the whole situation. We’ve never experienced magic and enchantments before, and this guy is our friend, so we are having a hard time coming to terms with everything.”
Lilia breathed a soft, disgruntled sigh. “Fine, I will wait. Is it true that you have never experienced any magic at all? That is quite odd. Perhaps you just have not noticed it? The storm outside is heavy with magic, and you work in this place which is filled with gems that are themselves quite powerful.”
“Gems aren’t magic,” Alex said automatically.
“Really,” concurred Becca, “it’s just that primitive societies associated them with things they couldn’t explain any other way, so they imbued them with folklore and legend.”
Lilia stared at them as if they’d each grown another head.
“Surely you jest?” she asked, incredulous. “How dense do you have to be not to feel the magic thrumming through certain gems? They are very powerful tools, often used by the fae. Each kind of stone has inherent powers, and they can be used in spells and sorcery whether for good or for ill.”
“I can’t believe we are having this conversation,” Alex shook her head. “However, seeing as we are having it with someone who was born in the twelfth century, maybe I shouldn’t be so quick to throw out absolutes.”
“Point taken,” Becca laughed. “Okay, we need some kind of plan for the immediate future. Frankly, Luke is kind of creeping me out,” she shot a look down at the sleeping figure. “Sorry, Luke, it’s not personal. So why don’t I go to the front office and keep an eye out for Nicholas. If he comes he has to walk past there whether he goes to his office or here first. I can intercept him, or anyone else trying to come down this way. I think you should stand guard here with Luke.”
“That sounds like as decent a plan as any.”
“What about me?” Lilia asked. “I am bored. I have finished looking through this soft book.”
“Magazine,” Alex corrected. She looked at Becca, silently pleading with her to take Lilia with her.
“How am I going to explain her if anyone but Nicholas sees her?” Becca asked.
“Please?” Alex mouthed silently. Becca looked between Alex and Lilia for a minute, and evidently figured it would be best to separate them for awhile.
“Lilia, would you like to come with me to the front office?” she asked. “I’m sure Maureen has more magazines up there. We could find something for you to look at.”
“Thank you,” Alex said under her breath.
“No problem. I’ll text you if anything happens. If he doesn’t get here by ten minutes to opening then we’ll come back down here to regroup.”
Becca ushered Lilia out of the room. As they walked down the hall back to the front of the museum, Alex heard Lilia asking questions about where clothing like that shown in the magazine was procured.
~ Chapter Six ~
AFTER BECCA LEFT with Lilia, Alex let her shoulders slump. The stress of the situation was definitely getting to her. She didn’t usually consider herself a short-tempered or rude person, but Lilia was pushing her buttons. Yes, Lilia came off as spoiled and snobby, but that’s probably because she was bred to it. She couldn’t be expected to have modern sensibilities. She had literally been raised in the Dark Ages, and as a princess of course nobility would be important to her. But none of this computed in Alex’s contemporary American brain.
Alex settled down, cross-legged, on the floor against the wall near the door and leaned her head back on the wall. She closed her eyes and tried to let her mind just rest in the quiet for a moment. She needed to turn off all the competing stressful voices in her head.
The problem was, as soon as she closed her eyes, the image of her kissing Luke popped right back into her mind.
“Damn you, Becca,” she whispered under her breath as she snapped her eyes open again. She took a moment to try to clear her mind, and then closed her eyes again. The image was still there, as if the insides of her eyelids were a movie screen stuck on one scene.
&nbs
p; She gave up on relaxing in disgust. She drew her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around her legs as she studied Luke from afar.
When she had touched him earlier in the morning she had been able to feel the muscles in his chest. So his hair was the only thing that had significantly changed or aged, his muscles hadn’t atrophied, he appeared to be just as he had been the day before.
“The funny thing is” she said out loud to Luke, “as much as Lilia is all caught up in the idea of being awakened by a prince, you are probably the closest modern American equivalent. High school sports star, headed for a big career in professional sports, smart, attractive, women falling all over you, blah, blah, blah. Leave it to Lilia to want an actual crown too.”
Alex ran her eyes over the bed—such an unusual piece of workmanship. It was almost obnoxiously beautiful, in its own way it kind of reminded her of Lilia. “She is your type though—” she continued. “Blond, gorgeous, annoying. Probably just as crazy as your last girlfriend too. She’s convinced the rain is magical instead of a random cold front and she thinks gems have inherent magical qualities.”
As she spoke she was looking at one of the larger roses. Its petals, created out of unspeakably flawless rubies, were half closed and clustered protectively around a half-hidden diamond center stone. For a moment the petals seemed almost alive, as if the flower were in the very act of unfurling. The rubies pulsated with living color—a deep shimmering blood red. Alex blinked in shock, and the illusion immediately dissipated. The ruby rose appeared once again to be just a grouping of stones studded into the worked metal of the vines. Amazing stones, but just stones.
She slowly took off her glasses and very deliberately cleaned them on her sweatshirt. She put them back on and stared at the bed for several minutes.
“This morning I didn’t believe in magic,” she informed Luke. “But yet there you are.” She scrambled to her feet. The thought that Lilia might be right about magic in gems, at least in the stones in the bed, skittered through her mind like an electric current.
