“Until then, my friend,” Paff replied.
Halima stepped closer to Paff, and he took her hand in his. She squeezed his hand and smiled. Yes, things were going to be different on Pale, but Paff had no doubt things would be much better. His only hope was that he was a part of it.
***
A Park
Planet: Earth
Ann tossed a couple breadcrumbs onto the ground so the ducks could gobble them up. She had the strange feeling that she’d done this before. At some point in the past, she had been at this park, sitting in this exact spot, feeding the ducks. Her first instinct was to shrug the feeling away, but she stopped herself. What if it was true? What if she had been here before? What if William had been sitting on this very bench right next to her?
“Penny for your thoughts,” he said.
She glanced at him and caught the way he smiled at her. She frowned. What if he said ‘Penny for your thoughts’ and smiled like that before? What if all of this was more than a case of déjà vu?
Releasing her breath, she gave the ducks the last of the breadcrumbs and sat back. “I don’t belong here,” she finally said.
His smile faltered. “Are you thinking about Florida again?”
“No.” She shook her head. “I don’t know why, but I have this nagging sensation that I’ve already moved there. I think I was also at college and living in another state.” She struggled to think of what state it was, but all she could picture was snow and a flat landscape. “It must have been somewhere north.”
He laughed. “That’s crazy.” Taking her hand in his, he squeezed it. “There’s nowhere you belong but here. With me. I’ll do everything I can to make sure we end up together.”
“No, you won’t.” The words came out so fast, she didn’t have time to stop them.
“Of course, I will. You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”
“No, I’m not.” She pulled her hand out of his. “This isn’t right.”
“Do you really think I’m going to break up with you after you move to Florida?”
Noting the hurt tone in his voice, she glanced at him and images flashed in her mind. Her moving to Florida in September. Her coming back to Ohio for a visit that Christmas. Him telling her he couldn’t handle the long distance relationship. Her finding out he had a new girlfriend a month later.
That was exactly what was going to happen. He was going to break up with her after she moved. Maybe he loved her now, but it wouldn’t last. She couldn’t tell him, though, because it hadn’t happened yet.
But more surprising than the realization they would break up later that year was the fact that she wasn’t upset about it. What they had belonged to the past. And it was best that it stayed there.
“Hey,” William said, nudging her arm. “Let’s see that movie I bought. I think you’ll like it.”
She almost said no, that they should just end this now so she could go back home but then thought it best she play this out. Even if she wasn’t sure where she was in the future or why she was brought back here, she needed to do the same things she did in this time so she could end up where she was meant to be.
“Alright,” she replied and stood up.
Before he could take her hand, she headed for the car. Alright, so maybe she would have held his hand in the past, but she couldn’t bring herself to do that much with him. It wasn’t right. Not anymore. There was someone else she was supposed to hold hands with. Maybe that man in her dreams.
Or maybe not. It was hard to tell. But either way, she couldn’t bring herself to pretend to be who she was in the past when she knew full well that someone else was waiting for her. It wasn’t fair to that guy, and deep down, she knew he was worth forsaking all others for. She just wished she could remember him.
***
Royal Palace
Planet: Raz
Hathor closed the Book of Spells and slammed it on the desk in his mother’s den. He strode over to the Great Magician. “What do you mean Raz’s magic has been blocked?”
“I mean exactly that,” the magician replied. “The Palers have rendered our magic useless. We can’t get to Earth.”
The door opened and his mother asked the magician to leave them alone. After he left, she closed the door.
With a heavy sigh, she shook her head. “I can’t do anything. I can get to every planet except for Earth. I can even get to one of their satellites, but I can’t transmit a message to the leaders of that world. Whatever spell the Palers used, it’s a powerful one.”
Hathor ran his hand through his hair and groaned. “I was with her when she disappeared. Why didn’t I go with her?”
“The spell was only meant for her,” his mother said, her voice soft. “There was nothing you could have done to prevent it.”
“I don’t understand. How can the Palers have magic that potent?”
“Despite what you believe, Raz’s magic isn’t the most powerful in the galaxy. The Palers are a formidable enemy.”
He stared at her. “So that’s it? We’re supposed to give up?”
“No, I have something else I can do. But,” she shot him a pointed look, “if they can’t get to her in time, then it will be hopeless. My birthday is in three days, and their spaceship can only go so fast.”
It took him a moment to realize she was going to visit the Olympians. Their pact with her would require them to help, and he knew they’d want to rescue Ann. But she was right. Would they be able to get there in time?
She walked over to Hathor and hugged him. “You mustn’t blame yourself. This isn’t your fault.” Releasing him, she added, “All we can do is our best.”
“Take me with you,” he pleaded.
“I need you here. Everyone will be in a panic soon. Someone needs to be here to calm things down.”
“The Great Magician can do it.”
“They need someone they know and trust. You have been at my side for over ten years to assist me. The magician is always holed up in his room. They aren’t familiar with him.” When Hathor shook his head, she patted his shoulders. “If nothing else, take comfort in knowing Ann will live, even if we don’t. And if we cease to exist, she will forget us and won’t have to live with any regrets.”
Clenching his jaw, he told himself not to cry. But that proved to be an impossible task. Why couldn’t Raz have picked someone who already lived on their world? Then she would have already been crowned and none of this would be happening. Except, he couldn’t imagine anyone else being the next queen. Ann was perfect for the role. Perfect for him. He couldn’t imagine loving anyone else.
His mother stepped away from him. “Wish me luck.”
He tried to do as she wished, but the words got stuck in his throat and more tears came.
A swirl of purple smoke surrounded her then she disappeared.
He wiped his eyes. There had to be something they hadn’t tried. Surely, the Palers couldn’t be that effective. There had to be a weakness in their magic.
He went back to the Book of Spells and opened it. Something had to be in here. He flipped through the pages, searching for something—anything—he could use.
“Whatever you’re looking for, you won’t find it,” came a familiar voice.
He turned and saw Seta standing by the window. Leaping up from his seat, he retrieved a sword and put it against her throat, “Get Ann back here!”
“I can’t,” she said and pushed the sword away. “The spell forbids any Razians or Palers to get her. But, my first commander has ensured that a group from our world has sought help from the Olympians. She figured if the Olympians helped Ann Kerwin once, they’ll do so again.”
“How can I know you’re telling me the truth?”
“You can’t. You’ll just have to take my word for it.”
He thought about striking her with the sword to let her know exactly what he thought of her for putting Raz—and Ann—in this predicament, but it wouldn’t do any good. Even if she was lying to him
, Raz wouldn’t last longer than three days. And at that point, none of this would matter. With a heavy sigh, he lowered the sword.
“How long ago did the Palers leave for Olympia?” he finally asked, though he couldn’t help but think of how pointless talking to her was. He should be going through that book.
“They stole the spaceship shortly before we sent Ann to Earth,” Seta told him. “I’m guessing it was twenty-seven hours ago. Our ships are fast. It would have only taken them an hour to get there.”
“And how long would it take them to climb up the mountain to talk to the gods and goddesses?”
She shrugged. “I have no way of knowing. I haven’t been on Olympia. But our physique allows us to run six times faster than humans.”
He glowered at her. “The queen can transport herself to their palace immediately.”
“I’m not comparing Palers to humans,” she said. “I’m merely saying that given how athletic we are, I believe the Palers have already talked to the Olympians. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Olympians are already on their way to Earth.”
A head start. The Palers who went to Olympia had given them a head start on getting to Ann. It wasn’t much of one, but maybe it was enough.
“Anyway,” Seta continued, “I only came here to tell you that we’re doing what we can to make up for all the grief we caused. We are sorry for what we’ve done. Hopefully, Ann will be willing to forgive us. Maybe we can even work out an alliance.”
“If was up to me, there would never be an alliance between Raz and Pale, but the judgment isn’t mine to make. It’s the queen’s, and I’ll abide by her decision.” If Ann got back in time to save Raz.
“That’s all I can ask.”
Once Seta dematerialized, he returned to the book. Maybe it was pointless to go through it, but he had to do something. Because if he didn’t, he would be stuck thinking of all the things that could go wrong. And that was the worst way to help those on his world.
Chapter Twenty-Four
William’s House
Planet: Earth
Two hours passed, and in that time, Ann had finally pieced everything together. It started off as snippets that were out of order, but as she pretended to watch the movie, she sorted through her memories until it made sense. She was supposed to be the next queen of Raz, and if she didn’t make it back there, everyone on that world was going to die. But no matter how much she willed it, she couldn’t get back there. Wishing for it had worked the first time the Palers took her back here when she was in her North Dakota apartment. But it wasn’t working now.
Hathor would be looking for her. She glanced out the window. He’d been at the Brown Fir Tree Dwelling with her. It’d take him time to get back to the Royal Palace so he could get to the Book of Spells, but she had no doubt when he did, he’d do everything he could to find her. It’d be another adventure for him. He lived for this kind of stuff.
Except, the longer she waited, the harder it was to stay optimistic. Did the Book of Spells allow for time travel? What if he couldn’t get here? Even magic had limits, didn’t it? What if she wasn’t going to get back? What if she was stuck here?
She swallowed. Hathor, Inno and all the fauns, and all the other creatures on Raz would die. The world, as she knew it, would be destroyed. She took a deep breath. No. She couldn’t let her thoughts go there. She needed to stay positive. Hathor would tell her there was a way back. No matter how hopeless the situation, there was always a way out of it.
“Did you see it?” William asked.
She turned her gaze to him. “See what?”
“This part in the movie.” He picked up the remote and rewound it. “This scene shows you the whole meaning of the movie.”
With another glance out the window, she reluctantly focused on the movie. The man on the TV yelled something about freedom as he tore his room apart. She shook her head. There was an entire world to save. She didn’t have time for this.
“I have to go,” she told William.
She got up, and before he could stop her, she headed out of the house. She had to get home. Maybe Hathor or someone from Raz would be looking for her there. Maybe she was in the wrong place.
“Ann?”
She turned back on the porch in time to see William following her. “I have to go,” she said.
“Did I do or say something to upset you?” he asked.
“No. It’s nothing like that. I just…”
She tried to think of something she could tell him. She doubted telling him that she was trying to find a way back to Raz would go over very well. He’d think she was crazy.
“What’s that?” he asked, looking up at the sky.
Her gaze went up, and she gasped in surprise and relief. The Sphinx! And if she saw right, there was a Lax with her. She smiled but then remembered William was there.
The Sphinx was swift in her arrival and settled on the lawn as if she weighed a feather. Ann glanced around but didn’t notice anyone who might be watching them.
The Sphinx bowed before her. “I have come to rescue you, Queen Ann.”
She ran over to them. “You have no idea how glad I am to see you!”
“Representatives of the Laxy Rebellion went to the Olympians to assist you,” the Lax said. “I’m Cem. I don’t know if you remember me.”
“The Lax in the Great Prison?” she asked.
“Yes. You took the injection for me.”
She nodded. “I remember you.”
“I owed you a favor for protecting my identity from Leader Seta,” he said. “We will take you back to Raz.”
“Good. I tried to wish my way back, but it didn’t work.”
“No, it wouldn’t have after twelve hours. Raz’s magic is greatly limited until you’re crowned.”
Apparently so. “Where’s Hathor?” she asked.
The Sphinx stretched her wings. “He could not rescue you a second time from this boring planet because of the spell Leader Seta and First Commander Jaz put on you. But fortunately, this spell did not affect the Olympians. That’s why I was able to come.”
“Won’t someone see you?” Ann asked.
“As soon as we leave the atmosphere, they won’t remember we were here. Your past will remain intact. Everything will happen as it should.”
That was a relief. Ann hated to think this was going to show up in a tabloid at a grocery store checkout stand.
“What’s going on?” a familiar voice asked from behind her.
Ann turned around. In all her excitement, she’d forgotten about William. She looked over at the Sphinx and Cem. “Can I talk to him for a moment?”
“The queen can do whatever she wants,” the Sphinx replied.
“Queen?” he asked.
Oh boy. Just how much should she tell him? Taking William’s hand, she led him back to the porch and sat next to him. “William, I don’t belong here.”
“You mean you’re an alien?”
She chuckled. “No. I’m from Earth. I grew up on Earth. It’s just that four years from now, I’m going to find out I have a destiny on another planet. But it’s okay. You see, after I move to Florida, you will find someone else and fall in love with her. I don’t want to go into too much detail, but I just don’t want you to think there was a future for us because there wasn’t. You’re meant to be with someone else.”
“But I don’t want anyone else. I want to be with you.”
Never in a million years did she ever expect the situation to be reversed. How many times over the past four years had she hoped he’d say this? But it wasn’t the same anymore. She’d done a lot of changing in those four years.
“You can’t go with me,” she softly told him. “You belong here. You love computers and cars. Neither one of those things are on Raz. There’s someone waiting for you in the future, and there’s someone waiting for me. It’ll work out. You’ll be happier with her than you ever were with me.”
“Don’t you have anything to stay on Earth for?”
He rubbed the back of his neck. “So much will happen in the next four years. It’s a lot to take in.”
“Don’t worry. When I leave, you won’t remember this. You will live in the past that I remember.”
As she stood up, he reached for her hand and stopped her. “I want to remember this.” He pointed to the Sphinx and Cem. “I want to know that you had something better waiting for you than Florida. I know how much you were dreading Florida, and I can see you’re excited about going to Raz.”
“Well…” Was that a good idea?
“I won’t tell anyone. I just want to know you’re happy.”
She supposed it couldn’t hurt. Not if everyone else who was watching this forgot they’d seen two aliens in the neighborhood and he didn’t tell anyone. In the past, he’d always been good at keeping secrets. She had no reason to doubt he wouldn’t keep this one. “Alright,” she finally decided.
“Can I have one last kiss before you go?”
Under ordinary circumstances, she would have said no, but for the sake of what they had once meant to each other, she figured she could oblige him. With a nod, she leaned forward and kissed him. In all the time she’d thought kissing him again would be wonderful, she was surprised at how final it felt. But she was glad she did it because there would never be any doubt that she made the right decision in choosing Hathor to be her husband.
“Good-bye, Ann,” William whispered.
“Good-bye, William,” she said then turned back to the Sphinx and Cem.
It felt good to finally be able to put that part of her life behind her. Now she could go to the Dark Castle and save her world. Yep, it was just one more adventure in the life of the queen. Even if she still didn’t feel fully equipped for the task looming before her, she would do her best.
A Royal Engagement (Enchanted Galaxy Series Book 1) Page 21
