“I heard you’re next in line to rule this world once your dying king takes his last breath.”
He nodded. “Yes. I am well connected, and I can and will use that influence to my advantage to see that nothing happens to you. Please let me help you.”
“And never go home to my world?”
“Your home is here with me now, ruling by my side.”
She reached for his hands to make one last plea. “Go back to your castle. Forget about me. I have to run one quick errand, and then I’m going back home.”
“Heading into deeper enemy territory to find your sister, are you? Do you want to get us both killed?”
She gazed up into his blue eyes. “Don’t follow me, and you won’t have to worry about it.”
“Let me come with you. I assure you that I can help.”
“No way!” she demanded, certain he’d say anything to get her back in his grasp.
“I can’t let you go deeper into Dornia without me. I hate to do this, but it’s the only way. I’m sorry. I need you to surrender to me now.” He closed his eyes and repeated his command in a stern voice.
She could feel him at the edge of her mind, trying to break in. Closing her eyes, she tried to break out of the vision and go back to her friends, but her mind would not let go of him; it was as if he was held there, captive, right before her eyes. She could smell his woody scent, and her skin still felt his light caress on her bare arms.
He kissed her forehead. “Don’t fight it. I’m hundreds of years old, while you are merely an infant, only a day old as far as Immortals go. I’m doing all of this to save your life.”
She could feel him stroking her hair, his hot breath on her cheek.
“I can’t let you die,” he said.
“These feelings we’re having…it’s just because of the ring,” Sarah reasoned, trying to convince herself as much as she was trying to convince him.
He picked up her hand, touching her finger. “This ring is capable of more than you know, but one thing it cannot do is force someone to fall in love where those feelings do not exist. I can sense what you feel. It’s stronger than your will, yet you frivolously try to run from it, from me?”
Sarah fought to wake up, but it was no use.
“Wait for me along the river’s edge,” he commanded. “Come alone.”
A burst of heat spread through her body, and everything seemed clear. Why am I even running? Of course I must surrender to him. I’m his…his wife. He’s only trying to save my life. If he says it’s dangerous to go into Dornia, he must be telling me the truth. This is his world, and I need him if I’m to survive in it.
“I’ll be there soon,” he whispered in her ear.
“I’ll wait for you at the river’s edge, my King.”
Like through a tunnel, she could hear the voices of her friends breaking through.
Beth yanked on her finger. “Get that ring off!”
“That’s not the way it works,” Frank explained. “We’ve tried everything, and it won’t budge.”
She felt somebody rocking her back and forth, shaking her. “Snap her out of it!” said Adam.
Panic flickered in Frank’s voice. “I’m trying!”
“How did he hypnotize her like that?” asked Steven.
Ice-cold water rushed over her skin. She blinked as if waking up from some kind of long nap. Pushing the hair out of her face, the rushing river echoed in her ears. I’m back in the river? Her gaze darted up to her friends’ faces, staring at her. “I felt like a swim?”
Steven touched her shoulder. “Yo, man, what happened? You were in some kind of freaky trance. We thought dunking you in the cold water would snap you out of it.”
“Sorry ‘bout the bath.” Beth helped Sarah to her feet. “You walked to the river to meet Victor.”
Sarah cupped a hand over her mouth. “How do you know that?”
“You told us,” Adam said, rubbing his arm. “You were on some kind of mission. I tried to stop you, but you threw me against that tree like ragdoll. We didn’t know what else to do.”
“It’s okay…and, um, I’m so sorry about your arm. I guess I don’t know my own strength, especially when I’m in Zombie Land.” Sarah stood and glanced up at Frank. “He can feel everything I can, and I can feel everything he does. He was stabbed in the stomach while fighting the two Immortals we saw. That was why I fell down in pain—his pain.”
“How’re you feeling now?” he asked.
“I’m fine. He healed quickly.”
“So if we keep ourselves safe and he gets hurt, then Sarah pays?” Adam asked . “He’s bound to get some bumps and bruises along the way, considering he’s in enemy territory.”
Sarah shook her head. “Add that to our long list of problems.” She put a hand to her head. “I can sense him. He’s close.” Looking up, she gasped. Victor was mounted on a white horse riding along the cliff’s edge, wind blowing through his dark hair, blue eyes blazing as he met her gaze.
“I can see a figure, a man,” Beth said. “He’s hard to make out. Can any of you guys see him?”
Sarah could see him perfectly, down to his dimple. Anger flooded through her as she held up her hand with the ruby ring. How dare he use his powers to control me? Who does he think he is? Her voice echoed into the cliffs. “I don’t want to be Immortal! I want my life back. Do you hear me? I’m going to figure out a way to get this ring off, and when I do, I don’t ever want to see you again!” He stared into her eyes, and her knees weakened. Am I…am I going to faint? Clearly, he was using his psychic ability, showering her with mumbo-jumbo again. She could feel herself losing control as his voice filled her mind: “Come to me now.”
Beth tugged at her arm. “Do something…quick! She’s going into that trance again.”
“Why do you engage him?” asked Adam, shaking Sarah. “You know he has those freaky mind skills. Come on!”
Sarah’s legs wouldn’t budge, though, no matter how hard she tried. It was as if she had no choice but to wait for Victor. Closing her eyes, she could feel him. He was so close she thought she could touch him. She reached out her hand and collapsed.
“Great. She’s back in Zombie Land,” Steven said through the blanket of fog that enveloped her mind.
Somebody scooped her up. “I’ve got her!” Frank said. “C’mon. It’s about time we break the connection between her and Houdummy.”
Sarah opened her eyes and found herself being carried. She looked up into green eyes. “Frank,” she whispered.
He motioned the others to stop as he laid her down on the ground. “She’s coming to.”
Sarah’s mind started to clear at the sound of Frank’s voice. He helped her stand on her feet and touched her shoulders at arm’s length. “You okay?”
She nodded.
The others stopped, and Beth rubbed her back. “You sure you’re all right, Sarah?”
Sarah hated being the damsel in distress. “Listen, I’m fine, but thanks for asking. Let’s keep moving.”
“Look!” Adam yelled. “The king just got off his horse, and he’s standing by the cliff. I bet he’s going to jump down. He’ll be here in seconds, man!”
Sarah rushed back through the vegetation.
“Sarah!” Beth shouted. “Do not engage the king. Get back here!”
There was no way he was going to drag her back to his castle. She felt a sudden jolt of electricity rushing through her body as her hands glowed and crackled with balls of energy. Focusing on Victor, she whipped her hand back and flung a fireball straight up at him. He fell backward just as darkness enveloped her and spots danced in her vision. Oh no! I’m going to pass out.
Sarah fluttered her eyes opened and felt the cold ground.
“Dude!” Steven shouted. “Whoa! You’re like some kind of superhero. I want powers like that! The way you flung that fireball was like something straight out of X-Men! You just—”
“Steven, that’s enough.” Beth touched her forehead. “I guess you can fe
el what he does. You knocked yourself out right along with him, Sarah.”
Sarah slowly sat up and groaned as a rush of dizziness flooded over her. “Oh gosh.”
“I was wondering when you were going to wake up,” Steven said. “We’ve found the cave and everything.”
Adam touched her shoulder. “You’ve been out for nearly two hours.”
Sarah moaned. “I know. Me and my bright ideas. At least I stopped him from following us for a little while.” She rubbed her temples. “I’m so sorry about passing out. I’m sure whoever carried me has a sore back.”
Frank raised a hand. “That’d be me. I could sure use a massage, Your Highness.”
Beth rolled her eyes. “You’re such an idiot.”
Frank shot her a glare when Steven changed the subject. “Why doesn’t the royal dude just go look for someone else to marry?”
“Because,” Sarah began. “The Immortals only get one chance to bond with someone, and he wasted his opportunity on me, thinking I was Princess Gloria. Immortal idiot.”
“Well, yeah, if you completely ruined his game, I guess he would be pretty royally ticked off,” Steven said. “Pardon the pun.”
Beth sighed. “Geesh, Steven.”
Sarah stood. “He says he’s not ticked off at me and that he doesn’t care about whatever little agenda he previously had going. He’s just glad fate stepped in and that we met.”
“Don’t trust him!” Adam said. “That could be a ploy to get you into his grasp. He could throw you in a dungeon for the rest of your life or worse…kill you.”
“I know.”
Adam started picking up small twigs. “Let’s get a fire going and we’ll start fresh in the morning. So where to, boss?”
“When we wake up, we’ll head north to Ripteenia. We need to find Charles, the man my sister ran off with. Maybe she lives there with him, or maybe we could find his family. Anyway, let’s get some rest. I’m beat…and hungry.”
“Hey, any chance Dominos delivers around here?” Frank asked.
“Right. In thirty decades or less,” Beth said, rolling her eyes yet again. “Besides, between yours and Steven’s stupid jokes, I think we’ve already got plenty of extra cheese.”
* * *
The fire crackled as hot embers floated into the night air as they camped in the cave Jules had clued them in on. Frank, Adam, and Steven had already fallen asleep.
Sarah smiled at Beth. “Looks like it’s just us gals.”
“Great,” she said. “Maybe you can fill me in on how you managed to tie the knot with that gorgeous king…or even better, what’s up with you and Frank?”
Sarah hesitated. “I guess I can say it’s complicated on both counts.”
Beth grinned and sat down next to her. “I like complicated…and I’ve got all night. We don’t need our beauty sleep as much as those three do,” she said, glancing back at the snoring men.
Sarah laughed. “You have a point.” She glanced down at the ring. “I married the guy because I had no other choice,” she began, then went on to explain the entire story. It sounded insane, even to her, and she was the one who’d lived through it.
Beth squeezed her hand. “Don’t worry. We’ll find your sister. I’m so glad you found out she’s here in this place because the ‘not knowing part’ was killing you inside.”
Sarah nodded as tears welled up in her eyes.
“I know she’s a beautiful person. I can’t wait to meet her.”
“That means so much to me, Beth.”
“Let’s talk about the king. So he’s hot and a great kisser?” Beth asked.
Sarah’s heart fluttered. “Yes, the best kisser I’ve ever had.”
“Hmm. In that case, why would you feel so guilty about being drawn to him? I’d die to have a powerful king chasing after me.”
“For one, I’m pretty sure the only part of me he wants is my head on a silver platter. In my vision, it seemed like that wasn’t the case, but I don’t trust him. He could be trying to trick me so he can drag me back to his castle for a public execution—to make an example of me since I made a fool of him.”
Beth shook her head. “After the kiss you shared? Girlfriend, I don’t think so. I think that’s what you’re telling yourself, but you’re just running from what you feel. You’ve been hurt by men your entire life, so you put this shield up to protect yourself from any more pain. But somehow, I think Victor has gotten past it. Something tells me you’ve fallen for him…hard.”
But I haven’t…have I? Sarah set her jaw, her eyes shifting to the flickering fire bathing half of the cave in a soft glow. “Whatever. Nobody can fall in love that quick, especially with a complete stranger who starts off by kidnapping you and throwing you in a dungeon.”
“You started off on the wrong foot. But he was in the middle of a war and thought you were the enemy king’s daughter. He knows the truth now and things are different.” She grinned widely. “You got it bad for him. Your eyes are a dead giveaway. You light up every time you say his name.”
“You should have heard the pride in his voice when he introduced me as his wife to everyone as he paraded me through the crowd of people. I had on this fancy wedding gown and this gorgeous crown, and he looked so handsome. I felt like Cinderella, like I was in the middle of some fairytale, some dream.”
“See?”
“But that’s just it. None of it was real.”
“How so? You were there. He was there. It was as real as this cave is—as real as that ring on your finger, Sarah.”
“What I mean is that everything was based on a lie. He’d never marry a peasant like me. He’s next in line to rule the Cardashian Court. And it won’t be long now, because their Immortal king is dying. Anyway, once he takes the title, it’ll make him the most powerful person in this world. What would somebody like that want with somebody like me?”
“Don’t be so hard on yourself. He knows the truth—that you’re not really the princess—yet he still wants you.”
“The thing is, I can’t stop thinking about him.” Sarah smirked. “Especially that kiss.”
“How does Frank fit into this equation?”
She shook her head. “I don’t know. Frank and I were kind of getting back together, but—”
“But your tall, dark, handsome King Kiss-a-lot is coming between the two of you?”
“Nobody has ever made me feel the way Victor did, and I hardly know him. I know it sounds absolutely crazy. I don’t even understand it myself. We have this spark, this connection, this passion, and this chemistry that blows me away. It’s amazing…yet it scares me. Frank was the last straw, and it was because of him that I’d sworn off men. I just can’t win in the game of love. I guess it’s fine for everyone else, but romance is not for me, fairytale or not.”
“It’s not just your eyes.”
“What?” Sarah asked.
“When you talk about your new husband, it’s not just your eyes that light up, but your entire face and even your voice.”
Sarah giggled and gazed down at the ring, touching it, remembering how he’d slid it on and declared his undying devotion. “Really? Even if he was telling the truth and doesn’t want to kill me, I can’t spend my life here in this world. It’s not where I belong.”
“Follow your heart, Sarah. That’s the only way to know where you really belong.”
“You do realize they only say stuff like that in movies.”
Beth smirked. “Meh. It can happen in real life too.”
“I hope he’s not mad at me for knocking him out, but I can feel that he’s all right now.” Sarah lowered her gaze to her ring again. The soft light bounced from the red gemstone, shimmering unnaturally bright. “I just need to find a way to get this ring off, find my sister, and go home. But enough about me. How’re you feeling?”
Beth rubbed her stomach. “I’m four months along. They tell me I’m having a bouncing baby boy. I guess he did a lot of bouncing when we jumped off that cliff today. I’m pr
etty sure that would have been against doctor’s orders.”
“I didn’t realize you were even dating anyone. Who’s the lucky guy?”
“Um, I am not really dating—nothing serious anyway. I met this hot guy in a bar, and we downed a couple of pitchers together, drowning our loneliness away I guess. One thing led to another, and…well, bingo, I’m knocked up.”
“Does he know?”
Beth shook her head. “Nope, and I prefer to keep it that way. I don’t need his help or his money. Besides, he’s too hung up on some other chick now. Plus, he’d never understand my research.”
“Kind of like Frank?”
“Definitely…and unfortunately.” Beth laughed, brushing a stray strand of hair out of her face.
Sarah hesitated, considering her words. She didn’t want to make promises she couldn’t keep, but she wanted to help Beth feel better. The baby’s wellbeing depended on it. “Well, you know I’m always here for you, and I never got a chance to officially congratulate you.” Sarah reached over and hugged her.
“Thank you,” Beth said between sniffles.
“What’s wrong?”
“I can’t…Sarah, I just can’t have this baby here.” Beth hugged her more tightly. “What if we don’t get back home in time?”
“You’re only four months along, Beth. That gives you five months! We’ll be back home way before that baby’s born, and I’m going to spoil him rotten.”
“I’m not usually such a wimp or a crybaby. I’m sure it’s just the hormones,” Beth said. “I’m sorry.”
“You’ve got nothing to apologize for.”
Tears streamed down Beth’s face. “If we do get stuck here, what about my epidural?”
“Honey, women have been having babies naturally for generations. You will deliver your son one way or another, and you’ll both be fine.”
Beth smirked. “Yeah, I get that, but I’m not like other women. I’m not a fan of pain. They have to knock me out just to pull a tooth, and that’s a lot different than yanking an eight-pound baby out of me!”
“We’re going to get you back home, and you’re going to be a fantastic mom.”
Suspending Reality (Five Fantasy Stories) Page 43
