“Okay, I’ll bite,” I asked. “What price?”
“When you go back to your world, I want to go with you.” When neither Rom nor I answered, she continued. “You don’t realize how hellish this place is.”
Oh I think I did realize.
“So I want to immigrate.” Amy grinned. “I want to go to your world.”
Rom’s expression said “No freakin' way” and I agreed.
“Sure,” I said, facing Amy. “You bet. Just get us out of here and to the palace. We have to rescue our friends. Once that's done, you can be first who goes through the portal.”
Sergeant Amy didn’t seem to notice any deception. My poker face must have become really awesome.
She rose and crossed to the door. After opening it, she spoke to the guard outside.
"Get the general. The off-worlders have information for her.”
“But Sergeant—"
“Don’t argue, private. I’ll guard the visitors.”
When he’d gone, she motioned us out the door. We abandoned the duffels but I grabbed my messenger bag from inside one of them before we slipped out.
Sergeant Amy closed and locked the cell. She picked up a rifle from where it leaned against the wall and we crept down the hall to a back stairwell. In less than five minutes we made it out of the building and into an alley.
Once outside, Amy broke into a run. Rom and I kept pace with her. Our feet pounded on the cobblestones and the rifle slung over Amy’s shoulder slapped against her side. Three blocks away, we slowed to a walk.
Heavy acrid smoke wafted over us causing me to cough. I spotted a fire in the building on the corner that had obviously been burning for some time.
“Doesn’t anyone put out a fire here?” I asked, choking again.
“Nobody around to do it,” Amy replied.
The buildings for the most part were in a terrible state of disrepair with rotting stinking rubbish everywhere. Strangely, even though there was garbage, no one seemed to be around. When I mentioned this, Amy said that most of the inhabitants of the area were nocturnal.
“But keep alert,” she said. “We’re in enemy territory here. However, this is the most direct way back to the river.”
We approached a shop with household pots, pans and other junk hanging in the window and also sitting atop a table outside. As we neared, a short, stocky man appeared. Closer up, I saw from his sharp nose, pointed chin and red glowing eyes that this was no man. However, he also wore white face and clown make-up and so where the make-up ended and the creature began, who could have known for certain.
“Amy,” the thing called out. “Have you anything to sell today?” He eyed Rom and me. Clearly, we were the commodities that interested him.
“Not today, Fenwick.” Amy stopped. “These are for the prince.”
Fenwick frowned and he spat on the ground. It sparked a tiny flame when it hit.
“I’ll give you two hundred fifty for each,” he offered.
Amy shook her head.
He spat again, this time toward Amy’s feet. She stood her ground even though, again, a spark ignited from the thing's saliva.
Five hundred apiece,” Fenwick said.
She shook her head. “I’m not selling them to you." With a stony gaze on him, she fingered the end of the rifle.
“I know I have something in my shop you want.”
“I just said no," she stated through gritted teeth, lifting the rifle to point it at the thing.
“You will regret cheating me of these humans.” Fenwick whirled and stalked into his shop.
“Demon,” Amy sneered. “A scummy little wretch. They're all liars.”
“I always suspected clowns were inherently demonic,” I tried to joke. This failed to draw a laugh from anyone.
“He’s supposed to be dressed as a mime,” Amy noted.
Ugh that was worse. “Aren’t mimes supposed to be silent?”
Amy acted as if she had no interest in what I was talking about and obviously Rom had not heard of mimes.
“Never mind.” I rolled my eyes. “It's completely unimportant.”
Eventually, we came to another bridge over the Thames, this one not as recognizable to a tourist as Tower Bridge. Built on five stone arches, this bridge, thankfully, was low and flat. I’d had enough of suspension bridges and heights. At least from here we'd survive if we hit the water.
Amy stopped before stepping onto the length of the bridge and peered around to the underside of first on side. She walked to the other side of the path and examined the underside there too. Smiling, she waved Rom and I forward and we began to cross.
At first, Amy’s steps were tentative but soon her stride grew confident. About two-thirds of the way across a low growl emanated from beneath the bridge followed by a loud belch. The stench of beer drenched vomit wafted up to us.
“Ugh,” I groaned. “What is that?”
“Oh no,” Amy yelled. “Run for it.”
We broke into a sprint and had almost reached the opposite bank when a grayish green slug-like creature slithered from the muck under the bridge at the shoreline. The creature pulled itself onto the bridge, rearing up on two legs and waving stubby arms. The thing stood about ten feet tall and, at a width of about five feet, it blocked our way. Its face was part of the blob-like body with a few sprouts of kinky hair on top of its head
“Grrrrrrrrrrooooowwwwwww,” it growled.
Great. Crossing a low bridge wasn’t such a bargain after all.
“Bloody hell,” Amy swore, not taking her eyes from the thing. “We need to give it something.”
“What?” I asked hoping it wasn’t us but I couldn’t imagine what else it would want.
“Coins, jewelry, something shiny.”
“Why?” Rom asked.
“It’s a bridge troll. Now that it’s caught us we have to pay for our passage or it will throw us into the river.”
She could have planned for this since she knew the area and we didn’t. However, I restrained myself from commenting except to say, “Don’t you have anything?"
“How about beer?” Amy said. “Trolls love beer.”
I patted myself all over. “And where would either of us be hiding a beer?” I wasn't able to prevent the sarcasm in my tone.
The aggressive stance of the troll seemed to have increased. The thing's screaming heightened in tone and in addition to the arm waving it began to stomp.
“We better hurry,” I said. “It looks like it’s about to make a move.”
Amy looked at me, scanning me from head to foot. “How about that necklace?”
“I can’t give up my necklace.” My hand immediately went to my great grandmother’s heirloom protectively.
“Why?” she asked. “Does it open the portal?”
“No.” My defensiveness was obvious but I couldn't help it.
“I have a—“ Rom began but didn’t finish.
The troll charged us with a roar. Fortunately, it wasn’t the most agile creature and lumbered toward us with heavy straight-legged steps.
“Try to get by it,” Amy shouted beginning to run.
Rom and I dashed past Amy and then dodged the thing like a quarterback around a linebacker. We were past it when we heard Amy scream. Over my shoulder I saw the troll had Amy by the leg. Her rifle slipped off her shoulder and fell to the bridge. The troll lifted her up, stalked to the edge of the bridge and held her over the water. Amy drew a dagger from her waistband and slashed at it, but couldn't make contact.
“We have to go back,” I yelled to Rom grabbing at his arm. “I’ll give the troll my necklace.”
"No need," Rom shouted.
Spinning around, we both yelled to the troll trying to draw its attention. Rom reached into his pocket and brought out a gold coin.
“This way.” Rom waved his arms and up the coin for the troll to see.
The troll’s head swiveled, drool slipping from its oversized rubbery lips and running down what passed for its chin.
The troll seemed to spot the coin. It turned back from the edge, bringing Amy with him.
Once the troll stood near enough, Rom held out the coin. The troll dropped Amy and held out its fleshy hand, palm up. Rom dropped the coin into it.
The troll’s bulbous eyes examined the gold this way and that. Seeming satisfied, the troll closed its fist around the coin. The thing lumbered back to the bridge's edge, climbed over the side and disappeared. A loud toot and the accompanying stench convinced me we’d just been treated to a troll fart.
Once the troll had dropped her, Amy rolled to her feet, retrieved her rifle, and headed for us.
“Producing that coin took you long enough," she complained.
“You’re welcome,” I said on Rom’s behalf. “Quit bitching. He saved you didn’t he?”
Amy dusted herself off. Muttering under her breath, she started the rest of the way off the bridge.
When we came upon a huge park, my excitement spiked. This was Hyde Park. I remembered this tree-lined path. In my recollections of my version of London the path had been paved, but in this world it was dirt. We followed the path as it wound through the greenery and beside a river. The serenity of the nature surrounding us made me forget about ghouls, demons trolls and the other monsters we'd seen since crossing into Dorcha. Finally, we'd arrived someplace beautiful instead of rotting, crumbling or burning.
Just then I spotted something and almost couldn’t believe my eyes. In a ditch near the path was a patch of Downy Woundwort growing wild.
“Look.” I tugged at Rom’s shirtsleeve. “Let’s stop and get some.”
Amy’s expression turned sulky but she said, “If you insist.” She wandered over to a boulder and sat down. Amy extracted a cigarette and lit up.
Taking a small hand spade from the messenger bag that I’d packed for just this purpose, I climbed down into the ditch and dug the plants up by their roots. I’d included a few plastic bags to wrap around their roots so the dirt around them would stay moist.
After I had nine plants packed and in my bag, Rom said, "Enough."
I tore leaves off two of the remaining plants, pushed a couple in my mouth and chewed as I handed some to Rom.
“Watch out for—” Amy never finished the sentence.
A slender wraithlike female creature about three feet tall dropped from a tree branch above and onto my back. Screaming, I bucked trying to throw her off. Rom jumped into the ditch and grabbed at the thing but her claws had dug into me like a leech.
“Move out of the way.” Amy spoke with bored irritation as she pushed Rom aside. Taking her cigarette, she applied the burning tip to the creature’s arm.
“Ayeeeeeeeee,” the creature cried and released her hold on me before hopping down.
“Go or you’ll get worse,” Amy warned.
The creature's hatred-filled glare could have stripped paint. She scuttled away and scrambled up the trunk of the tree to disappear behind some foliage.
“Dryads, tree nymphs,” Amy said. “They’re such a nuisance but fairly harmless.”
Peeking over my shoulder I saw the fabric of my shirt was torn and five claw marks seeped blood. This particular dryad didn’t seem harmless to me.
I wiped my hands on my jeans. After retrieving the messenger bag, I put it over my unscratched shoulder and Rom gave me a hand out of the ditch. Just as I hopped onto the bank, a panther wandered out onto the dirt path and snarled at us. Even with all of the strange sights we’d already seen, I still did a double take. A lion, followed by a black bear and a tiger, joined the panther on the path. In concert, they formed a circle around us.
Amy crowded Rom and me together behind her body as if to shield us. Omigod. If these things frightened her…
Rom made a move to pull me with him and I knew he was going to try to run. The bear reared onto its back legs and let out a roar. The tiger darted toward us but veered off as I cowered against Rom.
At that moment a ghoul, dressed in the uniform of the prince’s guard, sauntered into view. The panther stepped aside to allow the officer to move past him on the path and enter the circle. The officer smirked. Not the sexy kind Rom favored, but rather the sneaky evil kind I’d have liked to slap.
“Lt. Colonel Bryan, at your service.” The ghoul bowed. “I’m here to take possession of the goods, Sergeant Amy.” He pointed at Rom and me.
“Do you have my gold?” Amy asked.
Bryan held up a pouch.
“You intend to sell us?” Rom asked.
I recognized the red rage as the effects of the ghoul bite entered Rom’s face. When his stance turned aggressive as if he might leap at Amy’s throat, I placed a restraining hand on Rom's arm and the flush subsided a bit.
“Yes. Sorry, I lied,” Amy said, not sounding a bit sorry. She took the pouch from the Lt. Colonel. “But you never intended to take me through the portal. So you lied too.”
She had us there. Still it would be nice to put some real bees into that beehive of hers…real stingy bees.
Amy adjusted her rifle over her shoulder and leaned toward us. “I didn’t want to go to your world anyway,” she confided in a whisper. “I’m not about to leave this fight.”
“Nice doing business with you.” Amy gave a mock salute to the ghoul. “You be nice to my friends now.”
She trotted away down the path. The bear stepped aside to let her pass.
“Shall we go?” Lt. Colonel Bryan said to Rom and me. “My prince awaits you.”
“I’ve heard that before,” I muttered to myself, stuffing the bunch of plant leaves I still held into my pocket.
Rom and I joined hands and as we walked forward to follow the ghoul. The animals bounded after him. Shifting midstride, they each transformed into uniform clad soldiers. If I hadn’t personally been at their mercy, I would have thought the transformation effect was cool.
* * * * *
One benefit of being escorted by the prince’s guard was no more attacks by strange creatures. Another was that we went directly to our destination. As we walked down the mall, a tourist’s dream panorama of Buckingham Palace and its environs came into view before us.
My watch indicated fourteen hours, eighteen minutes, fifty-seven seconds until we were trapped here forever. However, impressive the view, I didn't want to be on vacation for thirty years.
We traveled past the guards—ogres dressed in traditional bearskin hats and red tunic uniforms—stationed at the gate. Inside the palace we were led into a magnificent entry hall with towering, exquisitely detailed, tray ceilings. The cream walls were covered in portraiture. Two marble staircases, carpeted in red and designed in mirror image semi-circles, led to the second floor. The gilded baroque details of the room glittered, dazzling my eyes.
Another ghoul servant greeted us.
“I’m Eugene," he introduced himself. This one had a smarmy smile. In comparison, I’d take the evil smirk of Lt. Colonel Bryan. “I’m majordomo for his Highness,” he continued.
Eugene glanced from Rom to me and back again as if he thought we would say something in response to this information. Given that I had no idea what majordomo meant, I had nothing to say. Rom maintained his silence too.
“My apologies." Eugene bowed. "Prince Leopold would like to have greeted you himself but his highness is asleep. He left instructions to show each of you to your rooms.”
“We stay together,” Rom said.
Eugene shook his head and wagged a finger. “No,” he scolded. “I’m afraid that would be highly improper as you are an unmarried couple.” He waved a uniformed under butler forward and instructed him to lead us away. As we turned to start up the stairs, the majordomo stopped us.
“I almost forgot. I’ll take your bag Miss Taylor.” He held out a hand.
With reluctance, I gave him the messenger bag. I suppose it had been too much to hope for that I'd be able to keep the plants.
“I’d like to see my sister, Juliette, as soon as possible.”
With a wave of his hand,
as if flicking a fly, he dismissed me with, “You must address the prince himself with that request.”
“How about Billy?” I felt obligated to ask.
“I’m certain the douchebag is wandering around somewhere."
I would have laughed at his appellation for Billy under other circumstances.
"I’ll have him located and sent to you.”
Great. The perfect topper to a perfect day.
Rom and I proceeded up one side of the staircase with the butler. When we’d reached the halfway point, Eugene spoke again from below us in the hall.
“His Highness will expect you both at a small gathering he is hosting this evening. You’ll find appropriate dress has been placed in each of your rooms.”
The bedroom in which the butler installed me exceeded the size of the entire first floor of my family’s house. I opened the giant mahogany wardrobe and saw pearl encrusted and bejeweled clothes. No doubt their cost would have exceeded my family's annual household income.
A knock sounded and I whirled to find Rom entering.
“No locks or guards upon the doors,” he said.
“I suppose they have so many around the property they’re sure we won’t escape.”
The door to my room opened again, its knob slamming against the wall behind. Rom and I both jumped as Billy barged through.
“Douchebag?” Billy roared. “Thanks Taylor. Everybody in this stupid castle calls me that. Like it's my name or something.”
“Well, if the bag fits..."
“The prince even threatened to install me as the Baronet of Douche.’”
Rom and I both laughed.
“It’s not funny.” Billy's spoke through clenched teeth.
“Come on.” I wiped tears out of my eyes. “It's funny.”
“How’re you gonna get us outa here?” Billy demanded. “The food is terrible.”
“That the only reason you want to leave?”
“No of course not,” he stated. “So whatya gonna do?”
“No idea.” I shrugged.
“That definitely isn’t funny.”
“I’m not joking.” I crossed to the bed, sat down and began to pull off my shoes.
“If you get Juliette killed, I’ll strangle you, Taylor.” Billy held both hands toward me as if to put them around my neck.
Paranormal Realities (A Paranormal Romantic Suspense Box Set) Page 21
