by Judith Leger
Caitlyn grinned, knowing she’d find him there. Without considering what he might think, she hurried to the building. Some of the men stopped and stared at her in curiosity, but others frowned like she intruded on them. She waved and continued forward to enter the three-story high hangar. She stopped, allowing her eyes to become adjusted to the dim light.
“Caitlyn?”
She pivoted to see Shay striding toward her from a side row of crates and boxes stacked neatly on the right.
“Hi. I couldn’t rest so I thought I’d explore a little.”
The puzzled expression relaxed and he smiled. “Of course, though it might be a little dangerous roaming about in here.”
“I’ll be careful.”
He nodded and asked, “Would you like a tour?”
“Sure, but if you’re busy, I’ll look on my own.”
“Oh no. I’m not doing anything in particular.” He held out his hand, palm up, to her. “Come on. Let’s go back here. We’ll be out of the way.”
He guided her to the aisle he had just come from and they entered a wide corridor stretching the length of the building. Each side was bracketed by crates and tall boxes.
As they walked down the row, Caitlyn saw the mirror from his act in Los Angeles standing at the end. Uncovered, the lacquered wood picked up the small bit of light and gleamed. She motioned toward the piece. “That was a great performance, the one you did with the mirror.”
“Want to take a closer look?” Shay asked, lengthening his steps and tugging her behind him.
She had no choice but to follow. Once at the end of the aisle, he stopped, standing to one side so she had a better view. An uneasy feeling nudged her, and she couldn’t look into the glass. Shay reached over and brushed the back of his fingers across her cheek.
“Do you believe in magic, lovely Caitlyn?”
She glanced at him and gave a slight laugh. “No.”
“What if I tell you that after your stay here, you will definitely believe in it?”
“I’d say you were crazy.” She swatted his hand away. “Listen, maybe you can fool other people. Make them think magic is real, but your tactics won’t work on me. So give it up.”
One side of his beautiful mouth twitched. “Nope, can’t do that.”
She frowned. He was playing with her. “Why not?”
“Because.” He grabbed her hand and lifted it closer to his chest. “I feel a great magical aura deep in your soul. This magic will awaken soon.”
Caitlyn rolled her eyes. She wasn’t a magical guinea pig. He leaned toward her. A wonderful cinnamon aroma floated about her. Her mouth watered, and her knees weakened. He winked at her, and her heart missed a beat. “Guess what this mirror really is?”
Breathless from the way he affected her, she found coherent words hard to form. She fought against the reactions coursing through her body and managed to murmur, “Sorry, don’t know.”
His smile lingered, and his eyes brightened. “This is a mirror which reflects the truth. When a person gazes into the glass, the image projected is who the person truly is.”
His improbable explanation caused a measure of sanity to return. She tilted her head. “So, it’s not a gateway.”
He laughed low, warm breath touching the bare skin of her neck. “Sorry, that was just part of my act. This isn’t.”
Not understanding, she frowned. “But it’s the same mirror.”
“Look again.” Evers released a deep throaty chuckle. Her skin prickled. Wildflowers and fresh grass engulfed her mind and reminded her of a sunny spring day. Her confusion deepened the longer she stared at him, wondering about the sudden surge of floral aroma. Maybe he still carried the scents from the garden on his hair and clothes.
She glanced at the wood on the mirror and failed to see any difference in this design from the one of his performance the previous night. The deep mahogany framing the glass gleamed in the small amount of light. Carved Celtic figures roamed across the arch. Spiraling wooden pillars encased the sides, holding the glass in place. The designs appeared the same.
With her gaze angled at him, she questioned, “So you’re saying that if I look in this mirror and I’m fat then it’ll show me as being thin. Right?”
“Sort of,” he said and leaned even closer to her. His chest brushed against her shoulder. “Are you ready, Caitlyn? Do you wish to see your true self?”
The pupils in his eyes dilated until they filled the white. She had never witnessed a person’s eyes do that. Why did his? She tried to remember if they were this way when she first saw him at the entrance. The light in the hangar wasn’t dim enough to make the black centers expand until the amethyst banded the black with only a small ring. She sighed, wanting to finish this game he played with her.
“Sure, why not?”
Caitlyn allowed him to move her so she was in front of the glass. He stepped away from her and stood on the side of the tall frame. She lifted her gaze to the peak of the mirror, estimating the frame to be at least ten feet from top to bottom and five feet from side to side.
He leaned toward her, but did not step away from the mirror. Lifting his hand, he pointed toward the reflective surface. “Look. See who you are and accept it.”
In the shiny glass, dark hair entwined with twigs and leaves flowed around his crown and over his shoulders. She moved her head to the left a fraction, but his face remained hidden by the cascade of his hair.
Her heart pounded. Fear sliced through her. He played with her mind. She accepted the fact, but she didn’t care for it. Had to be an act. Fake.
“Are you frightened? There’s no need. Look into the mirror.” His words held a hypnotic tone.
Each breath she pulled in became shallower, and her eyelids drooped. Numbness raced up her body as she fought to control her muscles. The area about them darkened. Silence filled the hangar.
“I don’t want to,” she whispered.
“Why not?”
“Because it’s fake.”
“Then you have nothing to fear. Show me your strength. Look.” Again, he pointed toward the glass.
Struggling to draw air into her lungs, Caitlyn glanced at her reflection and froze.
A dress created from starlight draped her slim form from shoulders to feet as her hair, free from its brushed neatness, flowed, longer and thicker, in a mass of waves haloing her body. The dull olive green of her eyes had changed to brilliant emerald. They stared back at her minus her glasses, below a gold band sparkling with starlight which rested on her brow. A silver pendant, flickering with frozen flames, lay on her chest, its dainty chain encircling her throat.
Disbelief forced a gasp to escape. She wanted to say this was false, yet something stirred in her, a memory of a woman leaning over her, smiling, speaking to her. A feeling of intense love filtered through her. Caitlyn tried to pull the image closer, clearer, but failed.
His voice whispering her name came to her through the muddled haze of her thoughts. She tore her gaze from the mirror and looked at him. He grinned at her, but his eyes, the pupils normal once more, held a watchful glint.
Unable to comprehend what had happened, she answered with a small smile. She hoped to avoid explaining what she’d really seen, so commented, “So I am fat.”
His mouth tilted up on one side. “You’re perfect.”
Laughing, trying to control a round of shivers racing along her back, she moved away from him and the mirror. “Now, I know you are crazy. Well, it’s growing late and all of sudden jet lag has caught up to me. I’m going to lie down for a while. Maybe take a nap.”
She turned, refusing to look at him again.
“Rest well, Caitlyn. I’ll see you later.” The soft tones in his voice reminded her of her dream. With her heart racing, she had trouble pulling in a breath.
With a nod, she made her weakened legs hurry down the aisle and out of the hangar. She kept walking until she reached her room. Going to the window, she stared down at the gardens. She tried to logically
decipher how Evers had succeeded in changing her appearance the way he had with the mirror. Twisting her thoughts this way and that, she found no answer to help her understand how he managed to accomplish something so impossible. He toyed with her emotions, pushing her limit. He had to be, yet she couldn’t understand how. Or why.
After several minutes, she stepped away from the window and wandered around the room. She touched a few of the dainty porcelain figurines adorning the mantel and small tables. Mythical figures danced in the paintings she didn’t recognize on the walls. They were probably from Celtic lore. A doorway on the right caught her attention, so she made her way over to it and turned the knob. A gasp escaped before she could stop it.
The entire bedroom centered around the king-sized, canopied bed on the far wall. Caitlyn glided across the room to feel the beautiful blue spread. Silk. Nice, luxurious, so out of the ordinary for her. Unable to resist, she ran her hand back and forth over the covers, enjoying the soft material.
She hated to mess the bed, but with exhaustion kicking in, she lay on top of the mattress and pulled a pillow under her head. She removed her glasses and placed them on the bedside table next to a phone. As she shifted into a more comfortable position, she closed her eyes, ready for some much needed rest. Within moments, sleep enfolded her in gentle arms and whisked her away.
Chapter 12
Twigs snapped and leaves crackled with each running step Shay took. He ignored the cool damp forest surrounding him. He leapt over a fallen log and landed on one foot. With slow precision, he set the other one down. Balanced on the balls of his feet, he stilled all motion and listened. The forest was alive with creatures seen and unseen.
“Myrielle. Where are you?” He whispered, and searched the foliage under the towering fir trees. He didn’t see or sense anything. Where was she?
“Why, here I am.”
The soft answer came from in front of him. Shay relaxed, planting both feet solidly on the damp earth.
“Happy I am to see you, sweet Shay.”
Lights twinkled and glinted in a spot not six feet ahead of him. Myrielle, Queen to the Tylwyth Teg, had come.
A woman stepped from within the lights. Long black hair floated about her and mingled with the thin cloth of her gold and lavender colored gown. Eyes, deep emerald green, sparkled with unsuppressed joy. Shay’s breath caught in his chest as he gazed upon the beauty of her face. A gold band, glittering with the magic of starlight, encircled her brow.
“Why have you summoned me, my muse? If you wish to tell me the news of Caitlyn, you are much too late. Rhys came early this morn and celebrated with me. My daughter has been found and soon will she return from whence she came.”
“Your joy may not be lasting. You know this as well as I, my queen. Caitlyn must solve the riddle if she is to remain alive.” Shay didn’t stop the words. Myrielle knew just as well as he what risks were involved in saving Caitlyn.
“Well I know this, but just to have the child of my body returned to me is enough for now. So many years have passed. I cannot stop the hope that if this is possible, then the solving of the riddle is also possible.” She glided nearer and raised a hand. A gentle touch on the crown of Shay’s head sent waves of peace through his heart.
“I ask once more. Why have you sent for me?”
The sweet smile she bestowed on him made him want to weep for all the wrong he had bestowed upon her. She had come to him years before to tell him that she believed he had truly been innocent in Caitlyn’s kidnapping. He realized somehow that Myrielle had discovered some clue or spoken with someone who verified he had been deceived the same as she and Rhys. He’d never asked her. She never volunteered her reasons for forgiveness. And now, here he stood about to demand more from her.
“Call your mate off me. Tell him to leave me be, where Caitlyn is concerned. She must learn to believe in our world before she can accept who she is. Rhys threatens and rants about not wanting me to frighten her. It is through her fear that I will succeed.” Shay stepped to one side, averting his gaze.
He would not look into Myrielle’s eyes. She would see into his mind and know there was more to his request than what he wished her to know. What would she do if she realized he intended to seduce her daughter? He could not even begin to imagine what her ire would entail.
“He told me what you have done. You caused her to faint with fright. Do you think this is good for her?”
A slight breeze brought the sweet scent of wildflowers to him. The forest, very much aware of the one standing within its boundary, came to life with the clatter and rhythm of animals and plants rejoicing in the splendor of having their queen visit them. High above the two of them, branches separated and allowed rays of sunshine to fall across the forest floor and onto Myrielle.
“You are much loved, my lady,” he murmured, in awe of how nature reveled in Myrielle’s presence.
“As were you. I will do as you ask. In turn, I would that you do not hurt Caitlyn. She is fragile, living as she has all these years. I fear for her now even more than I did at her kidnapping. Gwyneth is still alive, and I know she watches. She will not like that you have found Caitlyn. Beware for my daughter and for yourself, my Shay. Gwyneth cares not who is harmed while she waits for the fulfillment of her curse.”
He turned and bowed low, extending a leg to show his homage to his queen. His right hand covered his heart and his eyes remained shut. When he opened them and straightened, Myrielle no longer graced him with her presence. The sunlight faded and coldness crept from the forest to enfold him.
He swallowed and hoped he’d succeed with his plan.
* * * *
A soft breeze tickled Caitlyn’s face. She brushed a hand across her cheek. Her eyes drifted half-open, and she smiled at the beautiful glowing light in front of her. So pretty. A sense of peace washed over her. She wanted to feel this way forever.
She stretched, enjoying the luxurious texture of the covers against her skin. Arms under her, she pushed up and leaned back, breathing deep. She smiled, enjoying the strange feelings of happiness within her.
Opening her eyes, she looked around the room. A deep midnight blue void spread far and wide, stars sparkling about her. Excitement accelerated her heartbeat. She dreamed again. Her dream.
She slid her legs over the bed’s edge and stood. For a moment, she listened for approaching footsteps. No sound came to her. She pursed her lips and wondered why he wasn’t here with her. This was her dream, and she wanted him. With slumped shoulders, she sat on the mattress.
A whisper reached her. Hope flared in her heart. Her name, spoken softly, came to her on the breeze. She leapt up, searching for him. Once more, wind washed over her. This time it brought not only the whisper, but a wildflower scent.
Taking a step, she stumbled over the hem of her dress. She ran a hand down the front, staring at the gown made from starlight. The same dress from the mirror. Yes, she needed this dress while she dreamed. She needed–
Grasping the skirt, she hurried forward, determined to find him. There, straight ahead, a beacon shone bright. She laughed out loud, eager to see him. Ripples in the void circled her feet and flowed from her with each running step.
She blinked. In a second, she stood motionless in front of a tree. Tall and slender, the black bark glistened in the starlight. White flowers, their petals thick and waxy, covered the branches and limbs. She frowned, disappointed Shay wasn’t there. She looked around but still she couldn’t see him.
“Caitlyn.”
His deep voice came from the tree. She leaned nearer, raising a hand to touch him, but when he continued, hesitated, “Do you trust me?”
A smile quivered at the corners of her mouth. “This is my dream. You should ask if you trust me.”
“Do you believe in me?”
She raised her chin and stared at the tree, her smile widening. “I do in this place. Come to me. I want you here with me. Come now.”
The tree blurred, mingling black with white. Shay
stepped forward. Caitlyn tilted her head back and laughed.
He traced one finger across her collar bone. She released a shaky gasp, and gazed at him through half-lowered lids. “This is my dream.”
Unable to resist, she caressed his cheeks, sliding her fingers through his silky hair and pulling him closer. She grazed his lips with hers. Inhaling his clean scent, she sealed their mouths, dipping into his with her tongue, savoring the cinnamon flavor she found there.
Gentle hands glided past her shoulders, down her back, and tugged her hips snug against his. She moaned, heat pooling between her thighs.
Slanting her head, he held her still for a moment, breaking away to mutter against her lips, “This is your dream. Do you wish it to continue?”
“Yes,” she murmured, groaning softly.
“Open your heart, and find what you lost. The magic is yours. I know you will find it. Open your heart,” he said. He covered her mouth and delved deep while his hands spread wide over her hips, holding her firm against the solid ridge pressed to her belly.
“I don’t know how to,” she cried as she twisted her face away and gasped for breath. The warmth increased, adding to the throbbing need in her lower region.
He kissed and sucked in slow spirals over her jaw and down her neck. “You must believe...believe...believe...”
Caitlyn jerked. She sat up and stared wildly around her. The beautiful guest room swayed, then came into blurred focus. Hands trembling, she swiped her brow, trying to calm her reaction to the dream. The fire in her veins continued for several moments. She waited for her blood to cool and wondered why she’d dreamed of Shay. She wasn’t interested in him. The interview was the important factor in her life. Once her assignment ended, she would never see him again.
Another dream, that’s all it’d been. Even as she thought that, in the same motion she’d made in the dream, she slid her legs over the side of the bed. She picked up her glasses from the bedside table. After she slipped them on, she stumbled to the other door in the room. The bathroom shone with startling brightness, and she inhaled the fresh floral fragrance from the air freshener the servants had used after they’d cleaned. With a twist of her wrist, cold water gushed from the faucet. Two handfuls helped bring her from the heated daze.
