Adventures of Alexis Davenport Series

by West, Shay

  Dinner was rather reserved, since they had company. Servants brought trays with several courses and lit candles and lamps around the room when it got dark.

  Adriana got her first look at her father. She imagined he would be a hard, emotionless man, but she was surprised to find that he was both warm and charming. Martín Cortés complimented his wife and children on the magnificent meal. He asked about the Castillo family, making the proper condolences when Carlos sadly informed them that his mother was not faring well.

  “She still suffers from a nagging cough and has no energy. We fear it is only a short time before she passes.”

  The hour grew late as they ate and drank. Martín invited Carlos and his servant stay with them.

  “I insist. I will not put you out in the dark and cold to take your chances with brigands. You can leave at first light tomorrow.” Martín ordered the servants to ready the guest room.

  Alex felt giddy at the thought of Carlos sleeping only a few doors down from her own room. As Carlos and his servant bid them good night, Alex noticed the servant eyeing Hernán. Her gut told her that whatever he was planning would happen tonight.

  CHAPTER 28

  ALEX LAY AWAKE in her bed, body rigid with tension. The house was silent, except for the noises of the horses that she could hear through the open window. It was much too warm to sleep with the shutters closed. Alex hardly dared to breathe, for fear that it would mask the noise of stealthy footsteps in the hall.

  Who was that?

  She sat up in bed, heart thudding in her chest. She heard the noise again: a low shuffling noise, as if someone were walking past her door. Alex held her breath and quietly got out of bed, padding silently to the door.

  Someone was walking down the hall. Whoever it was, they were past her room and nearing Hernán’s. What do I do? Do I shout? Peek out the door? Her mouth was dry and she hoped that whoever was in the hallway couldn’t hear her heart beating through the thick oak door.

  Alex bit her lip and slowly turned the doorknob, praying that it wouldn’t squeak and give her away. She opened the door, her breath coming fast and shallow. Get a grip Alex.

  She padded softly down the hall and sucked in a breath when she noticed the door to her brother’s room standing open. There was no light coming from the room so she hoped that whoever was in there was waiting until their eyes adjusted to the dark.

  Alex threw open the door and screamed when she spotted Carlos’ servant standing over Hernán wielding a knife.

  Hernán cried out and backed up in the bed until he was against the wall. The servant snarled and turned to face Alex.

  She backed up a step at the malevolence in his dark eyes. He came toward her, the knife gleaming in the moonlight coming through the open window. Alex did the only thing she could think of. Yelling in defiance, Alex tackled the man as he darted past her.

  The servant cried out and crashed to the floor. Alex jumped on his back, trying to keep him from escaping. The man was strong and slippery as a snake. He threw her off and she hit the floor hard, knocking the wind out of her. He grabbed the knife and swung at her.

  Alex yelped in pain as the sharp blade connected with the flesh of her forearm. The man jumped on her, pinning her to the floor, trying to slash her across the throat. Alex cried out. Her arms shook with the effort of keeping the knife away from her neck.

  Martín and Carlos entered the bedroom, both in their night shirts. Carlos ran to his servant and kicked the man square in the chest, sending him flying backward. He hit the edge of Hernán’s bed and crumpled to the floor.

  Hernán jumped off the bed and ran to Alex. He helped her to sit up. “She’s bleeding.”

  María cried out when she saw the blood running down her daughter’s arm. She immediately tore a strip of cloth from her own nightdress while ordering the servants to bring hot water.

  Alex felt faint. There were too many people in the small room and their voices began to blend together in a jumbled mass. She wanted to tell them she was fine, but the words wouldn’t come. The last thing she saw before darkness took her was the concerned face of Carlos Castillo.

  CHAPTER 29

  WHEN ALEX AWOKE the sun was shining through the open window. She sat up quickly, the events of the previous night still fresh in her memory.

  A covered tray sat on her dresser, the smells wafting to Alex, making her stomach grumble. Alex was surprised at how hungry she was and devoured the eggs and fresh bread and gulped down the clear, cool water. By the position of the sun, Alex guessed it was near midday. I wonder why they let me sleep so long?

  She hurriedly threw on a robe, wincing a little when she lifted her arm, and went in search of Hernán. He was outside along with Carlos and her father.

  When they spotted her, Carlos came to her and gently checked her arm. It was bandaged in her mother’s make-shift bandage from the previous evening.

  “You should be resting,” Carlos said. Worry was etched into his fine chiseled features.

  “I wanted to make sure Hernán was safe.” Alex’s heart was galloping a mile a minute.

  “He is fine. But you should really be resting.”

  “Where is the man that did this?” Alex asked, hoping he was locked away. The Magistrate would come to collect the man soon. She wasn’t sure if he would be put to death or given lashes for his crime. I hope they kill him. Alex was not certain if this last thought came from her or Adriana.

  Carlos looked to Martín, who nodded slightly. When he turned back to Alex all of the color had drained from his face. “He escaped in the night. I bound his hands and feet but he somehow escaped his bonds. His tracks lead down the main road but he could have easily doubled back. Your father has sent men to track him. We were uncertain whether to join the hunt or to remain here to watch over you and the rest of the family.”

  “Escaped?” That means he can try again.

  “Do not worry, my love. He will be found, and he will be killed. All of the men have orders to kill on sight.” Carlos touched her face gently, as if wishing he could erase the worry.

  Alex nodded and leaned in and kissed him on the cheek. He held her close and she could feel his body trembling. She pulled away slowly, savoring the feeling. She looked into his eyes and prayed that the men would find the servant soon.

  CHAPTER 30

  ALEX SAT WITH MARIA on the front porch. They sipped iced wine and waited impatiently for any news. Her father, Hernán, and Carlos had searched the entire area close to the house and had not found the man. They refused to leave the ladies unprotected, so they had to rely on the trainers and stable hands to find the criminal and bring him to swift justice.

  “The man has only been in my employ for a few weeks. He came highly recommended by Señora DiPaola. He served their household for many years. Why would he attack Hernán? There could not have been bad blood between them, for they only just met yesterday,” Carlos said.

  “The man is clearly mad. It is not your fault. You do not control his actions,” Martín said.

  They could hear the sound of the fast-moving horse before they saw the rider. He came galloping from the south and he had something slung across the front of the animal.

  As he came to a stop, he flung the body to the ground and looked to Martín Cortés with fierce pride. “I found him lying next to the big pond in the south fields. He appeared to be asleep. When I kicked him, he awoke and pretended he had been taken over by an evil spirit and it was this spirit that tried to kill Hernán.” The man spat on the body. “I killed the lying son of a dog.”

  Alex tasted hot bile and her stomach roiled. The man’s throat had been cut from ear to ear. But it was the look of terror on his face and the stench of the body that nauseated her. Her head was spinning. She needed time to think. As she made her way inside the house, she could hear her father praising the man and offering him a large sum of gold as a reward.

  Alex felt disconnected from her body. She moved with jerky movements to the large dresser. She sat
on the stool and gazed at her reflection. She could now see herself back home in her own room, still holding the cell phone to her ear.

  I have succeeded in protecting him.

  Alex was relieved as she reached out to touch the mirror, feeling the now familiar gooey glass and the instant of excruciating pain.

  CHAPTER 31

  ALEX SUCKED IN a deep breath and managed to catch herself on the edge of her dresser. She picked up her phone and dialed Jennifer’s number.

  She answered on the first ring. “Are you okay?” Her voice sounded strained.

  “Fine. Why do you sound so weird?”

  “Paul is bringing me right now. We’ll be there in a few.”

  “See you in a bit.” Alex hung up. Jennifer was obviously playing it safe by not saying anything in front of Paul.

  She was shaking like a leaf so she sat on the bed and tried to slow her heart rate and breathing. Her mind whirled with the events in Spain. Alex smiled ruefully when she heard the water running, indicating that her mother was still in the shower. I should have known better than to worry about getting back in time for the play.

  Alex groaned and forced herself to get up. She needed to get dressed. Her costume was hanging in her closet. As she dressed, she went over everything that had happened in Spain so she could fill Jennifer in. There was so much to tell her, especially about the strange man who had tried to kill Hernán Cortés.

  She sighed. This last trip through the mirror almost left her with more questions than answers.

  Jennifer arrived and hugged Alex so hard she thought she must have bruised ribs. “I’m fine, really.”

  “What’s that?”

  Alex lifted her arm and nearly fainted when she saw the thin, red line of blood on her arm, exactly where the man had sliced her arm. She wiped it off, sighing audibly when she found her skin unbroken. “I guess this proves I don’t have a tumor.”

  “Alex…this is beginning to sound a lot less romantic than it did last time. You could have been hurt, or killed.” Jennifer ran her hands over her face. “I wonder what would have happened if he had managed to cut your throat.” Jennifer gulped audibly.

  “I don’t know. I never thought about it until this trip through. I was never in any danger on the other two trips.”

  “So what do you think happens to the other girls when you take over their bodies?”

  Alex turned around to face Jennifer. “I honestly don’t know. I kind of wondered if they came into my body and lived as me. But that can’t be possible. You said I was stiff and cold when you found me. If Anastasia had been in my body, then that wouldn’t have happened.”

  “What if she is there and just can’t make your body move? Or what if she is still in her own body but pushed to the side? Can you sense the other girls at all?”

  Alex frowned. “No. But I can sometimes remember things from their lives. So I have my own memories and can access their minds, too.” Alex hated the thought of the other girls being trapped in her body back here, about as much as she hated the idea they were in their own bodies, just unable to communicate while Alex was there.

  “Oh God! What if they are in limbo or something?”

  “Let’s not worry about all this morbid stuff. I have to do a production where I play a happy fairy,” Alex said.

  “You’re right. But we need to figure this out. This man was trying to kill someone and change history.” Jennifer stood suddenly, her face draining of color. “The servant claimed that he had been taken over by a devil or something. What if he was taken over by a time traveler too?”

  “It makes sense. But this guy must be able to control his traveling. I can’t control mine.” Alex was surprised to find that she was jealous of the strange man.

  “I think we’re in way over our heads here, Alex. What if something happens to the other girl while you are in her body and you can’t get back?” Jennifer hated to imagine what Patricia would say when she saw her daughter’s cold and lifeless body standing in front of a mirror.

  “I don’t know. But we can’t tell anyone.”

  “You told me.”

  “Only because you found me in the bathroom! I didn’t exactly have a choice, Jenn,” Alex’s voice hardened. “If this man can travel at will and attempt to change the course of history, then apparently, I have some ability to sense that and have been able to go back to when he is planning his attack and stop him. If we tell someone and they put me away, then he may succeed at changing the past, and our futures.”

  Jennifer sighed. “I know all that. But it just seems like this is getting very dangerous.”

  “I know. But what else can we do?” Alex shrugged.

  Patricia popped her head into Alex’s room. “You girls best hurry! We have to leave in a few minutes!”

  Any more talk of trips through time had to be put on hold. The girls gathered Alex’s things and met Patricia and Karen at the car. They would be driving Karen’s brand new Lexus RX450h. The girls slid into the car, loving the feel of the leather seats and breathing deeply of the new car smell. Karen had some fun and spun the tires when she pulled out of the driveway, giggling like a young girl driving her first car.

  Alex sat back and tried to focus on her lines but couldn’t stop thinking about the Cortés family.

  And one especially handsome young man by the name of Carlos Castillo.

  CHAPTER 32

  DRIFTER WALKED DOWN the hall to meet with Master. For the first time since agreeing to this mission, he felt nervous. His palms were sweaty and beads of sweat dripped down the back of his neck. Before entering the room where Master awaited, he closed his eyes and forced his breathing to slow and his heart rate to drop. It was an exercise he did before every battle.

  Once he had himself under control, he opened the door and walked to the darkened portion of the room where Master waited.

  Master sat quietly, his cigar in hand, the end an amber beacon in the dark. Drifter stood and waited for Master to speak.

  “Were you successful?”

  Drifter took a deep breath before answering. “No.”

  A very long pause. “Would you care to explain?” The whisper had sharp edges to it.

  “The sister came in and saw me. She sounded the alarm before I could kill the boy.”

  “Why did you not stay a bit longer and try again?”

  Drifter swallowed hard. “They captured me. I barely escaped.”

  This time the silence seemed interminable. “This is the third time you have failed me.” The only noise was the tapping of Master’s fingernails as he angrily drummed them on his chair.

  Drifter knew better than to speak. His life was hanging by a thread. One wrong word or move and Master would have him killed. Time seemed to stretch on forever. Drifter forced his body to remain calm.

  “You say the sister caught you?”

  “Yes. She must have somehow heard me as I walked down the hall.”

  “So it would seem. And yet…” Master inhaled deeply on his cigar, slowly watching the smoke rise to the ceiling. “I wish to test a theory. You will go forth again.”

  Drifter was puzzled. “Theory?”

  “It does not concern you. Leave me.”

  Drifter saluted and walked out of the room slowly. As he made his way to his car, he wondered what sort of theory that Master wished to test and if it put him in any greater danger.

  CHAPTER 33

  “BREAK A LEG!” Patricia called out as they dropped Alex off at the rear entrance.

  “Yeah! Break a leg!” Jennifer shouted, giggling.

  Alex looked at Amy and shook her head. “I have no idea who came up with that saying, but it’s just not right.”

  Amy laughed. “Wouldn’t it be better to say don’t break a leg?”

  The two girls went inside and met their fellow actors, most of whom looked as nervous as they felt. They milled around, whispering their lines and cues. Alex and Amy managed to find a spot in front of a mirror for one last primp. One of her fell
ow fairies had some glitter and encouraged Alex to put some on. She had to admit it added a little something extra to the look.

  Mr. Reardon clapped loudly. “Places everyone! The show is about to begin!”

  Alex tried to focus solely on the play but found her thoughts wandering. She felt drained. Teenagers weren’t supposed to be involved in life and death situations involving time travel through mirrors into the past. She wished she could pass this duty on to someone else. All she wanted was to be normal and worry about normal stuff.

  When it was her turn, she and the three other fairies flitted onto the stage. Alex lost herself in the character of Mustardseed, forgetting to be afraid of the future, the evil time traveler, and the three handsome lads with the captivating eyes.

  After the show, her friends and family met her backstage. Simon and Paul had brought both her and Amy flowers. Alex’s heart swelled as she sniffed deeply of the red roses. Her aunt and mother were both ecstatic, wondering what show she would do next.

  “I really love the costumes! The glitter looked fantastic under the stage lights!” Karen said.

  Alex mentally thanked Emily for the glitter. The night still felt so magical, as if she were still in the forest. A part of her never wanted this night to end. She had noticed Beau sitting with his family at the end of the show, and had been thankful she hadn’t noticed him before the performance. She doubted she could have even gone on stage knowing he was watching.

  “I can see it now! My daughter, on Broadway!” Patricia beamed.

  “Mom, it’s one play! Let’s not get carried away.” Alex rolled her eyes.

  Mr. Reardon grinned from ear to ear, beaming at his performers. He told them they had been superb and that he was looking forward to working with them on another project. He reminded them of the rehearsals at the college for Wicked. Alex and Amy had already decided to try out for that play.