by M. L. Ryan
I bolted awake, heart pounding and covered in cold sweat. The comforter on which I rested was tangled up around me and one of the pillows was lying on the floor beside the bed. I was on my back, taking deep breaths in an attempt to get my heartbeat back to a normal rhythm. It was only a dream, I repeated in time with the purposeful respirations. When I was calmer, I noticed Alex wasn’t around. His absence was probably a good thing. He’d have wanted to know why I was thrashing and flinging bedding around the room, and I had no desire to rehash the nightmare.
A nice, warm shower made me feel much better. I was standing in my underwear, trying to decide what I should wear, when Tannis came by to let me know dinner would be ready in a half-hour. She had on jeans and a blouse and assured me that I should dress accordingly. I hesitated at first; I may have had denim and tops in my suitcase but they were to Tannis’ outfit as a house sparrow is to a peacock. Her one outfit probably cost more than the entire contents of my closet at home. I was lucky if my clothing options were hemmed with thread and not held together with tape. I decided on a pair of black pants, which seemed more the equivalent of what she had on than my Levi’s, and a dark purple V-necked sweater. She stayed and shot the breeze with me while I finished getting ready, then we made our way to dinner.
Even in what was essentially hiding, dinner with Alex’s family was nothing like any of my family suppers. Before the meal was served, we all gathered in another room for drinks. Alex’s parents sat together on a sofa in the center of the parlor, engaged in conversation with Kyzal and his wife, Tjryxina. Sebastian stood behind them, listening to what was being said. I didn’t see Alex.
Someone immediately provided beverages for cocktail hour, a martini for Tannis and a margarita for me. The staff must have been on alert for our arrival to have had the drinks prepared the second we stepped foot in the room. Convenient, but I never could get used to the slavish fawning. When Sebastian noticed me, he made his way over.
“Alexander is conferring with some of the generals, but will be here soon,” he announced, as we clinked our glasses together in greeting. He sipped his Scotch and eyed me over the rim of his tumbler. “Are you alright, my dear? You seem a bit flummoxed.”
“Flummoxed? I can’t imagine what I might be distressed about. Let’s see,” I began, ticking off the list on my fingers. “One, we are stuck in what appears to be the model for every scary castle ever depicted in film or fiction; two, a seemingly all-powerful freak wants to take over your world; three, the same freak likes to kill humans and leave little notes to me on their dismembered corpses; and four, my dog is being held prisoner because he somehow defied the inexorable laws of Courso magic.”
Sebastian cocked one brow. “Yes, but that is not to what I was referring. Your heart rate is ever so slightly elevated.”
“How the hell can you tell that?” I asked, checking my torso to see if there was some obvious manifestation of a faster pulse.
“I can hear it.”
The super-human hearing thing, of course. “Why didn’t Tannis notice it then?” I was being churlish, but whatever.
“Tannis isn’t intimately acquainted with your normal body rhythms,” he shot back. “Oh, do not look so askance, my dear,” he retorted when I huffed in response. “I only meant that having spent so much time listening to your inner sounds, I know them better than my own.”
“That’s kind of gross when you put it that way.” It was one thing to memorize a person’s heartbeats, but I never stopped to consider Sebastian could hear all my bodily rumblings when he was inside me. Wincing, I implored, “All my inner sounds?”
He wrapped his arm around my shoulders. “Yes, but do not fret. It was all quite soothing.”
Comforting or not, I was still appalled. Alex hadn’t ever heard me belch, and Sebastian had experienced all my less than ladylike reverberations.
Sebastian pressed on. “Are you going to enlighten me?”
“About what? You already said you heard everything,” I countered. Lowering my voice, I added, “What do you want me to do, pass gas?”
“Hardly. I was speaking of your agitation.”
“Oh, right. I had a nightmare.”
He considered the information for a moment. “Naked in public, or in a play with all your lines forgotten?”
Wow, either he’s a good guesser or while we cohabitated, he was privy to my dreams as well as my inner clamor. I knew he couldn’t read my mind while he was trapped within me, but I never thought to ask if my dreams played out for him like bad cinema. And really, I didn’t want to find out. “No, demigods and lava.”
Sebastian nodded. “The symbolism is obvious given the circumstances. You might ask Alexander to infuse you with some relaxation magic before you sleep. There is nothing like it for keeping the mind quiet.”
Warm, strong arms embraced me from behind. “I am an excellent infuser.”
Alex had snuck in while we were engrossed in conversation. I hoped he hadn’t been within earshot when Sebastian revealed he’d memorized my body sounds the way a captain knows his ship. While it could come in handy at some point—Hailey, my dear, I can tell from the way your intestines are gurgling that you need to add more probiotics to your diet—overall the whole concept was kind of revolting.
I turned around and rested my head on Alex’s chest. “If you’re going to infuse me with magic, I can think of a lot more fun ways.” I hadn’t forgotten TA was the status quo in this dimension and, if I understood Alex’s eyebrow wagging, he hadn’t either.
Sebastian sighed. “Ah, young love. It is a beautiful thing.”
A man, garbed in something akin to an old-fashioned butler’s uniform, stood in the doorway and announced dinner was ready to be served. We filed into the dining room, sat at the large table, and ate a hearty three-course meal. If not for the somewhat Spartan décor and the deadly looking guards posted at the doors, we could have been sharing a nice, family repast in the real palace. That, and the oppressive sense of doom that hung over us all.
I sat next to Tjryxina, which was way better than Alex’s spot alongside Kyzal. Unlike her husband, she was unpretentious and easy to talk to. We even found we had something in common aside from attraction to a prince of Alenquai—we both hated our own hair but envied the other’s. How anyone could covet my out-of-control curls was beyond me, but Tjryxina insisted she’d give anything to trade her gorgeous, straight ginger tresses for mine.
“You’d sing a different tune if you had to deal with this mess,” I protested, grabbing a clump of ringlets and flicking them with my fingers. “It’s not so bad now, but when the humidity is high, it poofs out to astronomical proportions.”
“Oh no, your hair is lovely. Mine never holds a curl for more than an hour or so, even with lots of gels and spray.”
I was surprised Courso women even used hair products. “Can’t you do some magical manipulation to add some waves?”
Tjryxina rolled her eyes. “No one has enough magic for that.”
By the end of the meal, we had struck up a sort of camaraderie based on nothing more than our mutual displeasure over our hair. We decided women were never happy with the hair with which they were born, no matter which dimension they were from.
After coffee in the same room we’d had our cocktails, the party sort of broke up. Rexa and Wyx were the first to leave, followed shortly thereafter by Kyzal and Tjryxina.
“I’m afraid I have some more work to do, carisa,” Alex said, kissing my head softly. “I need to finish writing up a report, but I shouldn’t be too long. I’m sure Sebastian and Tannis can keep you occupied until I am finished.”
Tannis drained the last of her brandy and placed the empty snifter on a table. “It will have to be Sebastian who entertains you, Hailey. I’m off to a hot bath and a good night’s sleep.”
“I guess it is just you and me, kid,” Sebastian teased as we watched Tannis depart. “What would you like to do?”
“Let’s go check on Rufus.”
; I wanted to make sure the dog was okay and being treated well, and I felt a little guilty I’d basically forgotten about him until now. The route to where Rufus was held was circuitous and confusing, and I was sorry I hadn’t thought of drawing a map. Or leaving a trail of breadcrumbs. Damn these gothic fortresses and their morass of endless passageways and levels. I wasn’t sure I’d ever be able to find the way on my own.
Rufus’ tiny, windowless room had the musty scent of old produce, making me think it must have once been a storeroom for root vegetables and such. Aside from a blanket-covered pad and a water bowl, the space was empty. Nothing to chew, no toys, nothing. As soon as I walked in, Rufus greeted me with his usual goofy doggie-grin, his tail wagging so exuberant I knew I’d have visible bruising on my shins by morning.
Crouching down, I ruffled Rufus’ pointy ears with my fingers. “Are you okay, buddy?” He responded by rolling onto his back so I could rub his belly. “I guess that means yes,” I said with a concerned smile.
Sebastian stood at the doorway and spoke to the slightly overweight bald guy who let me into the room. He was charged with keeping an eye on Rufus, along with feeding and cleaning up after him. Another guard was slated to relieve him for the day shift.
“And exercise? He can’t be cooped up in here all the time.”
Sebastian translated my concerns to Cue Ball. After a brief exchange, Sebastian noted that the guards were given no instructions regarding any field trips.
“That won’t do,” I said, frowning. “There has to be some way to figure out how he got here without keeping him prisoner. Even on death row, you get an hour outside every day.”
Sebastian leaned against the far wall and glowered. He still hadn’t ventured any further than the entrance, and never took his eyes off Rufus.
“Enough,” I scolded. “He’s not a danger. He’s just a dog, damn it!”
“We shall see, my dear. We shall see.”
His attitude was infuriating, and I spent longer than I had planned petting and playing with Rufus, solely for spite. The dog seemed happy enough, but when I rose to leave, he was no longer calm and content. It began with pacing, but quickly escalated into whining. The whimpers grew steadily more frantic, and he leaned against my legs to prevent my departure. As if that wasn’t bad enough, he upped the anguish-ante by gazing at me with his big, sad golden-brown eyes.
I turned to Sebastian. “I’m sleeping here tonight. Please tell Baldy over there that I will need a cot.”
If he was surprised by my announcement, he didn’t show it. “No,” he said simply.
“No?”
“Alright, hell no. Is that better?”
I crossed my arms and narrowed my eyes. “I am not leaving Rufus down here alone. If you won’t inquire about something for me to sleep on, then get out and stop annoying me.”
“I can see you will not be swayed, my dear.” Sebastian barked something at the guard, which I hoped was an order for some bedding. For all I knew, he could have been telling Melon Head to forcibly remove me. He must have relayed my request, because rather than throwing me over his shoulder, the melon man just looked at me like I was nuts and stepped out.
When the guard returned, Sebastian glared at Rufus, who was now sitting passively. “We’ll see about this,” he spat, whirled round, and left the room.
I wondered if he was talking to the dog or me.
13
Sebastian returned in less than twenty minutes, but he brought reinforcements.
“Carisa, you cannot sleep here,” Alex declared as soon as he entered the room. His tone was neutral, but I knew he wasn’t happy.
“I’m not trying to be difficult, but it’s not right to keep Rufus in the basement without sunlight or exercise. Plus, you know the old metaphor—don’t shit where you eat? In this case, it’s literal. Dogs don’t like to soil their den, and for right now, this is his. He needs to be taken out to relieve himself.” I was sitting on the floor, and Rufus dropped his head on my lap and looked up. His eyes bore into mine as if to convey his unease.
“He’ll be less stressed if I’m with him, and I can take him for walks.” Sebastian scoffed and I quickly added, “Well-guarded and supervised ones, of course.”
Alex ran a hand through his hair. “We still have not had time to determine why he was able to transport through the portal. Until we are certain what he is…”
I raised my palms. “I’ve heard all this before. He’s just a dog, for God’s sake. Aside from how he got here, have either of you picked up anything about him that would lead you to believe he is anything but?”
Sebastian folded his arms across his chest. “We are just trying to keep you, and potentially everyone else here, safe.”
“I get that. But if he wanted to harm me, he’s had a million chances already. He certainly didn’t need us to get to Courso, because he managed that all on his own. And if he’s some sort of spy, what’s he learned? We don't discuss classified information around him and, as far as I know, having paws makes hacking into the computers extremely improbable.”
Alex closed his eyes and lifted his head toward the ceiling. “How about a compromise?” he proposed. “I will make sure Rufus is taken for walks during the day, and you can visit as often as you like. But you sleep upstairs.”
“He’s still going to be lonely,” I protested.
“Perhaps, but if you insist on staying here, it will result in a lot of extra work for the staff. Extra guards, people to bring food down. Not to mention the lack of toilet facilities on this level.”
Alex knew me well. He played the “you’ll-be-making-it-harder-for-everyone-else” card, the one that got me every time. If he thought I’d back down completely, though, he was mistaken.
“Okay, I won’t sleep here. But Rufus gets four walks a day, at least twenty minutes each. And something to chew.”
Sebastian smirked. “What, no conjugal visits?”
Ignoring Sebastian’s sarcasm, Alex extended his hand to me. “I think those terms are acceptable. Deal?”
“Deal.” I reached out and we shook on it. “But he needs to be taken out now, before I leave.”
Alex turned to Mr. Clean and conveyed the message. Baldilocks left, and returned shortly with a harness and leash, as well as two other guards. They hooked Rufus up, and tried to coax him out the door. Rufus was having none of it, planting his furry butt on the floor, and refusing to budge.
“It’s okay,” I promised, patting his head. “These nice men will give you some fresh air. I’ll be back tomorrow.” I knew he didn’t understand my words, but the soothing tone of my voice must have convinced him to go because he stood up and went with his three keepers.
As we began the trek back upstairs, Sebastian asked, “Would you have actually slept there, or was that just a contrivance to negotiate better conditions?”
“Oh, I was prepared to spend the night. When you take responsibility for a pet, you do whatever is necessary to make sure they are well taken care of.” Glancing at Alex, I added, “I still think Rufus would be happier if I stayed.”
Alex laced his fingers with mine. “Of course he would, carisa. But you are too precious to me to take even the slightest risk. Given the choice between keeping you safe and keeping the dog completely content, I’ll pick you every time.”
Now I felt guilty for pulling Alex into the mess in the first place. “I know that,” I said, squeezing his hand. “And I’m sorry this took you away from what you were doing. With everything that’s going on, I’m sure you have better things to do than referee Rufus’ accommodations.”
“Not to worry, Sebastian’s emergency summons came as things were winding down anyway.”
Sebastian threw his arms up in protest. “I never said it was an emergency, Alexander. I merely informed the sentry that there was a developing issue of which you should be made aware. If he chose to exaggerate the situation, I cannot be blamed.”
“You never said, ‘Hailey is having a mental breakdown in the h
olding cell’?”
“I cannot recall my exact words. Nevertheless, I was extremely concerned for her well-being and felt you would appreciate being apprised of the situation,” Sebastian countered. “And, in my defense, she was acting oddly, even for her.”
“Asshole,” I muttered under my breath. I summoned some arcane energy into my fingertips and sent it toward Sebastian. My intent was to show my annoyance by giving him a tiny electrical jolt, like static electricity. Unfortunately, I forgot to factor in the praseodymium effect and instead of a minor discomfort, Sebastian was lifted about three feet off the ground and landed right on the part of his anatomy I had just used in place of his name.
“Oh my God,” I gasped. “I’m so sorry; I didn’t mean to knock you over. I only wanted to zap you a little.”
He stood up slowly, brushing off the seat of his pants as he rose. “Were you not paying attention when we described the unpredictable nature of magic in the summer residence? Next time, make certain you practice under these conditions. I do not appreciate being your guinea pig.” Smiling, he added, “But kudos nonetheless, my dear. That had just the right amount of force without a chance for injury.”
“Uh, thanks?” I wasn’t completely positive he paid me a compliment, but at least Sebastian didn’t seem too put out that I put him on his butt. “I thought the rare minerals built into this place made magic less powerful.”
Sebastian’s grin grew wider. “To all but you, my dear. To all but you.”
“I suppose we shouldn’t be surprised that praseodymium effects Hailey in unexpected ways, Alex noted. “None of her abilities have really followed any known patterns.”
Sebastian nodded, and we continued toward our rooms in silence. The quiet was interrupted a few minutes later when he suggested, “You know, Alexander, you should be thankful her first foray into rare mineral-tamped magic did not involve TA. You could have been gelded.”
