by Shea Berkley
“Terrible,” his suddenly small voice says.
“Tell me something I don’t know. Why’d they come here?”
“I know naught.”
“This one wanted me. Only me. But this one wanted only Kera. Why?”
“I know naught.”
“Not good enough, Bodog.” I lean closer. “I need to know why it wanted Kera.”
“Reasons for enchanting are for the enchanter to know.”
“Someone enchanted that thing? Whatever happened to making pumpkins into coaches and mice into horses?” Wyatt asks in disbelief. “This has all the makings of a twisted Cinderella story.”
“Who?” I demand, ignoring Wyatt.
“I know naught.”
With each question, Bodog slips in his chair until he’s a puddle of brown- and green-colored rags.
My hand slaps the table. “You have to know something. Where would it take her? Think!”
Out of the corner of my eye, I catch a movement. Leo leans forward, his broad shoulders breaking into my line of vision.
“Don’t interfere,” I snap. He has no right. He returned after everything went quiet—after Kera was taken and the area lay in ruins.
I shouldn’t blame him. Leo has no powers, no defense against the creatures that inhabit Teag. But his abandonment still stings and brings out one clear fact. Nothing has really changed. No one has my back.
Not put off, Leo moves closer. “You’re scaring him.”
His deep voice, usually calming, has no effect on me. “Good! I’m freakin’ pissed, and I need him to tell me something I can use.”
“Remember who and what he is.”
“Okay,” sarcasm drips from my tongue as I lean back in my chair, “what is he?” My gut clenches when I watch the odd little man nudging the image of the beast I’d drawn off the table. “I’ll tell you. He’s a guy who showed up uninvited and probably let that thing into our world.”
“Untrue.” Bodog straightens in his chair.
“How’d it get in, then?”
“The wall weakens.”
“Are you telling me the wall, the whole thing, is breaking apart now?”
Grandma, who’d been quietly staring out the window waiting for Grandpa to return, whirls around in time to see Bodog nod. “Good God.”
Leo lets loose a muffled curse. His fingers grip the back of my chair, and he turns to glance out the window. “Anything can be out there. Like the pux.”
“What are pux?” Wyatt asks.
“Spiteful little flying devils. They outfitted me like a ganja-smoking Rastafarian and nearly enslaved me in their world.”
I pop out of my chair; my heart is pounding, telling me to do something, except I have no idea what. “Lani caused the breach, but they were small areas.”
Bodog slips the corner of his shirt collar into his mouth and nervously chews. “The pux made their sacrifice. The powers that kept it strong have gone.”
I don’t like the sound of that. Especially since I’m the brand-new owner of some pretty intense powers that aren’t my own. It would be just my luck if Navar had been the one keeping the barrier strong. I spin around and head for the back door. “This is stupid. I shouldn’t be here. Kera’s in trouble. I’ve got to go.”
“Yes, yes, yes. Find Kera.” Bodog hops out of his chair and scurries next to me, his expression hopeful.
Grandma grabs my arm. Her eyes cloud with sudden panic. “And exactly how are you going to do that?”
Bodog grabs my other arm, his determination equaling Grandma’s fear. “I will help.”
Her fingers dig in, and she throws Bodog a hard glare. “Help him get killed is more like it. You’ve already admitted you don’t know anything. Now let go or I’ll…I’ll throw you in a tub full of soap. God knows you need a good dip and scrub.”
The back door opens, and everyone turns to see Grandpa and Reggie enter the kitchen. They’re loaded down with some impressive weapons. Grandma lets go of my arm and rushes to Grandpa, while Leo and Wyatt take the bulk of the guns and stack them on the counter.
Bodog pulls me down to his level. The hunching coward is gone, and the Bodog I know he can be stares back at me, strong and insistent. “Her usefulness is in bringing you back. To hurt you. You must go now or she dies.”
“You’re talking about vengeance? Was that in your vision?” Who in Teag hates me so much that they’re willing to hurt Kera in order to cause me pain? “Do you know who’s doing this? Tell me.”
“No time.” He moves closer and drops his head. “If you wait, all is lost.”
I don’t need any more encouragement. “Let’s go.”
When I straighten, Grandpa is standing between me and the door.
“We’ve been through this before, Dylan,” he says, though there’s no heart behind his words. He’s saying what Grandma wants to hear.
Bodog tugs on my arm. “Come. Come.”
I take a step forward, encompassing them all with one look. “What’s there to know? Kera’s in trouble. She’s in Teag, and I’m going to find her.”
The whole room explodes with everyone talking at once. They crowd around me, cutting off my path to the door.
“Why you?” Grandma asks.
“Good. Let him go,” Reggie yells.
“I get it, dude,” Leo says, “but are you sure?”
Grandpa cups my shoulder. “Leaving half-cocked isn’t wise. Let’s plan this out. Get a clear picture of what’s going on.”
“Exactly,” Wyatt says, agreeing with Grandpa.
They’re suffocating me, inching closer and closer. My breathing grows ragged. I feel panic rise in my chest where it hammers out an insistent beat. No time. No time.
I see Bodog by the door, waving me forward. “Come. Now.”
“Let go,” I say, and struggle to reach the door.
“He’s going to leave. George, do something!”
Grandpa’s big hands slam against my shoulders, their weight crushing. If I don’t get away now, I never will.
“Calm down, Dylan.” He gives my shoulders a squeeze. “You can’t go. Not yet.”
I stare into his war-hardened eyes and search for something that’ll make him listen. “I know you think I’m making a mistake, but I love her like you love Grandma.”
Wyatt groans and shakes his head like being in love is something to be avoided at all costs.
I ignore him, focusing instead on Grandpa. Winning him is all that matters. “I have to go. There’s no other choice.
The room is quiet. Everyone is holding their breath, watching Grandpa. A flicker of understanding shows, and the hardened soldier relaxes. I slip around him, and he lets me go.
“George!” Grandma’s strident objection reverberates against the cabinetry.
“What?” He faces Grandma, a resigned air about him. “You heard him. How can I stop him from doing something I would do?”
“He’s not prepared! You said it yourself. Please,” she says on a sob, “you have to stop him. We’ve lost Addison. We can’t lose him, too.”
This is a no-win situation for him, and I know without a doubt which side he’s going to choose.
He heaves a heavy sigh, and I feel a big hand spin me around. I’m ready for him, and I swing. Grandpa pulls back. I miss.
I actually miss!
I spy Wyatt chuckling as he leans against the counter. Our eyes meet. His grin widens and he waves.
I’ve done what he tried to teach me not to do—underestimate my opponent. Grandpa’s old, but he’s still got moves.
I refuse to believe as Wyatt thinks, that I’ve lost my chance, and nudge the door open with my heel. If I can keep Grandpa off me for a second longer, I can outrun him. I hold up a glowing hand and warn, “Don’t make me do something I’ll regret.”
Grandpa’s expression changes from compassionate to outrage. “Boy, nobody threatens me.”
And in the next instant, he swings. His knuckles connect with my jaw. Bones crunch. My legs fly out f
rom under me.
I’m already starting to lose consciousness when I reach the floor, and the kitchen goes dark.
The dream hits me in the face almost as hard as Grandpa’s punch. I jackknife straight. The forest clearing is stripped of color. Browns and grays melt together. The leaves’ edges are tipped with silver, and though they shimmer, they bring no warmth. A feeling of hopelessness presses down on this spot. I glance right and left, and then I see Kera.
I feel a tug of alarm. I never expected her to be here in this cold, barren place, sitting quietly, her knees tucked under her chin, her arms wrapped around her legs. The picture feels…wrong.
Her hair is a tangled mess and her clothes are wet and dirty. A crinkle of danger slips against my spine. A swift glance around doesn’t find anything suspicious lingering nearby. Kera looks small. Lost. With her cheek pressed against her kneecaps, she stares off into the trees. I scoot closer. Take her hand. The tips of her fingers are icy and pale. I gently rub them pink. Wherever she is, it’s freezing.
When I first met Kera, she was my dream girl, a mute fantasy relegated to the night. I still don’t know how she entered my dreams, but she saved my life back then. Even when I grew old enough to know better than to have a make-believe friend, I’d call on her and she would always be there. Always.
Little did I know back then that we were two souls destined to be together. I used to know what she was thinking. A tiny nudge, and she’d relay her heart. She has expressive eyes. Soulful.
In the last week, she’s become distant. Oddly secretive. I can feel her confusion, her need, but I can’t place the source. Her fingers suddenly tighten against mine. She’s staring at me, her violet eyes intense and rimmed with fear.
“Do you love me?” Her whisper pulses with tension.
Chills sweep my spine. An image of Mom flashes in my head. She’s standing in the kitchen asking Grandma the same thing right before she abandons me. Blood suddenly surges through my veins. Light-headedness causes me to sway. “Why are you asking me—”
“It’s either yes or no.” Though Kera speaks softly, the edge to her voice has the ability to cut.
The message behind her words nearly chokes the breath from me. It could completely destroy me. There’s no choice. I could never deny what I’m feeling. Not to her. “Yes. I’ve loved you all my life.”
She lifts her head from her knees. Tears sparkle against her long lashes. Is that despair? Does she no longer believe me?
My panic must show. She brings our clasped hands to her lips and places a butterfly kiss on my knuckles before pressing her forehead to them. Her whisper is low and filled with pain. “I’ve loved you for so long, I can’t comprehend a life without you.”
She still loves me. Yet my relief is short-lived.
She lowers our hands and returns to staring at the trees like they’re growing feet and will take off. “I hate not being with you. Worse, I will never see you again.”
“No.” It’s a small word filled with shock.
I tug her close and fit her against my side. She’s despondent, I can feel that much, and she’s listening. Looking. Her body pressed against mine is taut. Expectant. I wait for a moment, and then ask, “What’re you looking for?”
“Home.”
The longing in that one word surprises me. “Where are you, Kera?”
I wait, and when I think I need to repeat my question, she says, “Is this a dream?”
The fear radiating off of her is physical. My heart nearly stops. I tell myself to keep breathing. “Yes.”
“I thought so, but I wasn’t sure. I don’t feel right.”
“What do you mean?”
She lifts our entwined fingers. “I cannot feel. My senses are dull.”
“I don’t understand. Are you hurt?”
Her face struggles to contain her panic. “I can’t leave.”
She rests her forehead on her knees. I hold her tighter and search the woods more closely. Why can’t she leave? Why can’t she tell me where she is? The thought of her being hurt sends my heart racing. “I promise I’ll find you and bring you home.”
She shakes her head, her long hair veiling her shoulders as if to hide her. “It is wrong to wish you here. I’m stuck and no one can help me.”
When will she learn? I’m not going to walk away. Ever.
I run my fingers up and down her spine, lean close, and kiss the shell of her ear. “It’s not wrong. I’m coming to get you. Don’t worry.”
“You don’t understand. Your going back to Teag is my greatest worry. They’ll kill you, and then we’ll both be dead.”
Sobs slip from her throat and the dream slowly dissolves, leaving me more empty and alone than I’ve ever been.
Leaping Ahead
Nothing can rip your heart in two more than someone you love sounding scared. It’ll wake you out of the nastiest punch and put you on your feet ready to fight the world. I sway, blinking against the fuzz that encases my brain.
My legs are braced apart and my fists are up, ready to fight for Kera. But the girl I love, the girl I need more than my next breath, isn’t here. I instinctually try to sense her, and I barely feel her even though she’s crying out. That worries me.
The bedroom is dark except for a soft light coming from my bedside lamp. Leo glances up from his book The Color of Science. “That’s three times you’ve been knocked out in as many days. It’s common knowledge the brain can only handle so many concussions. You need to slow down, or at least get a new game plan before you end up with only half your brain functioning.”
The clock reads 5:00 a.m. My heart is pounding in my chest and my breathing grunts past my throat. Something weird is going on. “Were you just reading out loud?”
He smiles and places the book on the bedside table. “Your grandpa is one tough old man.”
My fists slowly drop, and I finger my jaw. I have to agree. The place is tender. Probably bruised. “What’re you doing here?”
“Babysitting while they ‘figure things out.’ I’m responsible. Everyone knows that. You snore, by the way.”
“They don’t trust me?”
He stands and shrugs his shoulders. “Nope.”
“Smart.” I take a good long look at him. Nothing odd about his appearance. His hair is as messy as it’s always been, but something about him is different. I can’t place it.
He cracks his knuckles, a motion that’s awkward. Does he feel the weird tension in the room, too? “Bro, are you going to be a problem?” he asks.
So that’s it. He thinks I’m going to bolt. I am as soon as I can figure out a way to safely, and quietly, tie him up.
I echo his shrug and step forward. “No problem. Not if you get out of my way.”
He takes a step forward. “I can’t let you go.”
I step forward again, nudging at his space; my torso flexes, ready. He may be taller, but I win the muscle contest...and the weird power thing. “You don’t have a choice.”
“At least not by yourself. If you’re going, I’m going.”
Um, okay, huh? All my aggression suddenly dies out. “You want to come along? Why?”
“Because. I’ve got your back.”
Prickles of “been here, done this” race along my skin. “What?”
Leo slaps my shoulder good-naturedly. “I know I freaked when that thing showed up. Two monsters in close succession. That’s trippy. But I won’t anymore. Besides, I’ve been to Teag. I know what to expect. And you need me.”
Ah, hell no. He’s not going all best buddy on me now, is he? I like him, but he’s done enough. I shrug out of his hand. “Don’t take this wrong, but you’re a liability. You’re breakable. You’ve got no defenses whatsoever. You’re a dead man walking in that place. It’s only a matter of time.”
“I see where you’re coming from. Fair enough. I would’ve agreed with you yesterday, but now…” A smile splits his lips, flashing a wide, neat swath of laser-white teeth.
A something-is-defin
itely-wrong-with-this-picture feeling skitters up my back. “What’s changed?”
“Bodog’s waiting for you by the wall. I’ll meet you on the other side.”
With that, Leo disappears. Not a normal, walk to the door and leave kind of disappear, but a seriously abnormal one-second-you’re-there-and-the-next-you’re-not kind of wizardly disappearance.
I twist around, eying the bareness that is now my room in search of the tall, lanky dude. “Leo?”
No answer. Am I still dreaming? There’s the scent of bubble gum in the air. Leo wasn’t chewing bubble gum. I pinch my skin. A twinge of pain answers. Nope. I’m awake.
I’m totally freaked now. Leo isn’t like me. He’s normal. A human. There is no way he should be able to do that. I’m pretty sure I can’t do that. “Leo? Leo?”
I take stock of what I have on hand. Someone, probably Grandpa, stashed my sword in my closet. I take it and strap it on. Too much weirdness is starting to happen again.
Once my sword is secure, I go to the window. Fireflies swim in the air. One bumps into the windowpane and a small face reveals the truth. Pux.
Did Leo know they were out here? No way would he willingly go outside if he saw them.
I grab the sides of the windowsill and place my forehead against the cool glass, rolling my head back and forth, thinking. How did he just disappear? It’s blowing my mind.
He said he’d meet me in Teag. First the dream about Jason. Then Kera’s gone, and now Leo vanishes like a snow cone on a hot day. Someone’s gone to a lot of trouble to make sure I’d want to return to the first realm. “Okay, you win. Whoever you are, I’m coming.”
A dozen pux now hover outside at eye level. One turns and moons me. The others bend over laughing. Disrespectful little jerks. I’d be more than happy to smoosh them like the glorified bugs they are.
One lands on the sill and tries to open the window. I flick the glass and startle him off. I’ve got to leave, but I can’t, not with the pux waiting for a chance to play dirty. Grandma will have a fit if they tear through her house.
Oregon being Oregon, dark clouds have gathered and rain is imminent. An idea forms.
