by Karen Kelley
Ria cast a look at Kristor that should have had him cringing, but he only looked confused. It seemed as if he wanted to explain he hadn’t told Carly that Ria was part alien, or that he was an alien and Symtaria was another planet, but from the look of deep disappointment on Carly’s face, he might as well have told her everything.
“I’m not leaving with him,” Ria tried to explain.
“Not yet, you mean. I can see the way you look at him. He’ll convince you to leave. And I wouldn’t blame you.” She set her drink on the coffee table and rose. “He’s a prince, and you’re a princess. It’s a fairy tale, and what’s a fairy tale without a fairy-tale ending?”
“Being a princess means nothing to me.”
Carly gave her a weepy smile. “That’s what makes you so special. You’ve never cared about anything except the excitement of being alive. Not everyone can be like you, though.”
Ria stood, taking a step toward Carly, but Carly held up her hand. “No, you really need to go with him. You’re a princess.” She laughed, but it came out sounding more strangled than anything. “You were meant to be a princess.”
“I would’ve told you, but I was afraid you’d think I was crazy.”
“I never did in the past when people would say something about you talking to the voice in your head. I always sided with you.” She grabbed her purse. “I’m feeling kind of tired. I think I’ll just call it a night.”
“Carly?”
“No, it’s okay. We’ll talk tomorrow.”
“Are you sure?”
Her eyes shone with the unmistakable glitter of unshed tears. “I’ll be fine.”
Ria watched from the door as Carly made her way to her car and got in. Then Ria watched her drive off.
“I like your friend,” Kristor said. “And pizza.”
Ria turned. She was going to absolutely kill him.
“What?” he asked.
“What? How can you sit there and ask what? It will take me spending all day on the phone with Carly to make sure she understands I’m not leaving with you. Why did you tell her all that?”
“You said you were her friend. I thought you would have explained some things to her.”
“I haven’t told her anything. And now she’s hurt because I didn’t.” She marched over to her wineglass and downed half the contents.
“Why?”
“Why what?” she asked.
“Why did you not explain anything to her? At least to tell her our relationship is more than what one would think.”
“I couldn’t.”
“Yet, you say she is your best friend.”
“I don’t just say it, I know it.” He was about to drive her to tossing the rest of her drink in his face!
“But you can’t tell her this.”
“She wouldn’t understand.”
“Carly is a friend. A friend would understand.” He came to his feet and walked over to her. “You must prepare her for when you do leave.”
She shook her head. “But I’m not leaving.”
He took her glass, setting it on the coffee table. “Are you sure?” He lowered his lips to hers.
Suddenly Ria wasn’t so certain. When the kiss ended, she was out of breath. “If you tell anyone else you’re here to take me back to New Symtaria, or that I’m an alien, I swear to God I’ll castrate you when you’re sleeping.
“Castrate?”
“Cut off your balls.”
“You would do that?” His expression said he wasn’t convinced.
“Just try me.”
Carly brushed the tears from her face. Donald had been right. Ria was going to leave with Kristor. He was a freakin’ prince, and Ria was a princess. Why the hell wouldn’t she leave with him?
Her footsteps were heavy as she trudged up the stairs to her second-floor apartment. She unlocked the door, went inside, dropping her keys on the little table. There was a mirror above it. She stared at her reflection.
Plain Jane, that’s what she was. Plain Carly. There was nothing exciting about her. Dull, dishwater-blond hair, dull blue eyes. That was her in a nutshell. Dull. And she had a zit coming up on her chin. For Christ’s sake, she was almost thirty. She wasn’t supposed to have zits!
She stomped to her bathroom, grabbed the toothpaste and dabbed some on the zit. “Not fair. Not fair at all.”
After washing her hands, she went to her refrigerator, brought out her bottle of wine, and took it to the counter. Then she poured the merlot nearly to the rim of her glass.
“This might not be fit for a prince, but it suits me just fine. Dammit, Ria, you were supposed to marry someone from here.” Carly took a healthy drink, then topped it off again. This was going to be one of those nights, but right now, she didn’t care.
She armed herself with a carton of double-chocolate, fudge ice cream from the freezer, not bothering with a bowl, only a spoon. With her arms loaded, she went to the sofa.
“Life is so unfair,” she said as she curled up on the sofa. Ria was cute and sexy. Carly loved her friend. And Ria deserved to be a princess.
On the other hand, Carly was tall, five-eight and a half. And she still got zits. And now she was going to have a pity party, because she wanted to, and no one could stop her. Not that there was anyone around who would.
She dipped the spoon into the ice cream, and shoved it into her mouth, then squinched her eyes closed when she got cold throat. As soon as it was almost gone, she took a big gulp of the wine. Of course, she’d get cold throat. It was the story of her life.
Ria would leave. She’d be crazy not to. My God, look at Kristor. The guy was a walking, talking, in-the-flesh fantasy.
What did it feel like to be a princess? To have the fairy tale? Carly closed her eyes and tried to imagine a knight in shining armor rescuing her from her dull life. The vision didn’t come.
Ria hadn’t looked any different. At least, not like Carly imagined a princess would look like. She certainly hadn’t put on airs. Not that she ever would. No, Ria would always be Ria.
Carly frowned. Where the hell was New Symtaria? She didn’t know of it, and she was a travel agent. It was her job to know all the countries—big and small.
The spoon stopped halfway to her mouth. Her heart pounded like a big bass drum inside her chest.
She’d never heard of New Symtaria, in fact. That was strange. If anyone should know about the country, it would be her. Right? Apparently they had kings and queens there, too.
Unless it was all a scam?
But why scam Ria? Money? No, she didn’t have a whole lot. Not that Kristor would know that.
But Ria did have her own business. A thriving business.
Carly had read about men who took advantage of women, stole all their money, then left them practically suicidal, and wondering what they had done wrong.
She came to her feet and marched into the kitchen. She jammed the ice cream back into her apartment-size freezer, and dropped the spoon into the sink. If Kristor was scamming Ria, Carly planned to out him. No one messed with her friend. She went back to the living room, grabbed her wine, and headed for the bedroom where her computer was set up.
New Symtaria. If anyone could find out about this place, it was her. She wasn’t a travel agent for nothing!
Chapter 16
Ria opened the door to her parents’ house and called out, “Mom, it’s me.”
She hadn’t seen her mom since the night of her parents’ party. Sheesh, she was neglecting everyone lately. But her mom had sounded cheerful when Ria phoned earlier. Still, she decided to drop by and visit.
“In the kitchen.” Her mother’s words traveled to the front of the house.
Her mother was always in the kitchen. Maggie Lancaster had once told Ria that it was her sanctuary. She could think better with flour on her hands.
Ria walked in, then stopped and closed her eyes as she inhaled the aroma of…she sniffed…homemade rolls. Her mother made them from a starter mix that had been passed down from
her mother.
The starter was the most godawful smelling stuff. Once, Ria had been about to throw it out when she was cleaning the refrigerator and her mom walked in. Her mother almost had a heart attack. Ria had been about fourteen at the time, and even now she couldn’t understand how something that smelled so bad could make the most mouthwatering rolls.
“Want one?” Maggie asked as she pulled the pan from the oven.
Ria grinned. “Do you even have to ask?”
“Get the butter then.”
She opened the refrigerator and grabbed the tub, then a knife from the drawer.
“I’ve always imagined that when I die and go to heaven, it will smell like your bread, Mom.”
“Kris ate six of them last time so I thought I’d make another batch. That’s the way to thank a cook, eat what she puts on the table. And he’s such a nice, single young man.”
Her mother was so subtle—not! “I don’t think you’ve ever had a problem with people not eating what you set out, Mom.” Ria decided to ignore the innuendo.
Maggie was thoughtful for a moment. “True. I’ve always thought everyone had something special they can do in life. For me, it has always been cooking. With you, it’s your grooming. You’ve always had a way with animals.”
“Except Sukie.”
“That’s because Mrs. Miller spoils the mutt as if Sukie was her own child. The dog is cute, but rotten.”
Ria spread butter on her roll, watching as it slowly melted. She had to tell her mom sometime. This wasn’t something she could keep to herself. And she didn’t want to, if the truth be known.
She and her mother had a close relationship. Ria had always told her everything…most of the time. And maybe she needed her mom to give her a reason to stay. Kristor was giving her too many reasons to leave.
“Have you ever wondered why I’m good with animals?” She didn’t meet her mother’s gaze.
Her mother took a bite of her roll, a look of rapture on her face. “The best batch ever.”
“You always say that.” Ria smiled.
“Because I’m always right.”
Maybe today wasn’t the day to mention she was part alien. Maybe no day would ever be good. Did she really want her mother to think she was crazy?
“You’ve always had a special way with animals,” her mother said, picking up the conversation. “Remember that little parakeet we bought right after we brought you home? You were only three so you might not remember Fred.”
“Fred?” Ria sat straighter. “Yes, I do remember.”
“You used to point at him and say bird talk. Sometimes I wondered if the bird actually did communicate with you. It was strange.” She chuckled, shaking her head. “Nonsense, of course.”
But Fred had talked to her. There had been silent communication between them, but she had heard the bird’s thoughts.
“When that bird died, you cried for hours and hours. It nearly broke my heart.”
“It did talk to me, Mom.”
Her mother’s eyes widened with surprise, then she visibly relaxed. “I’m sure you thought so. Little kids love to play make-believe.”
Ria knew there was no turning back. She had to say it. “I’m part alien.”
Her mother drew in a sharp breath, then slapped a floured hand to her chest, creating a little puff of flour. “I…oh, my…”
She suddenly grabbed a dishtowel and wiped at the flour on the front of her shirt.
“Ria, you know better than to say something like that. For a moment, I thought you were serious. I mean, really, what am I to think when you blurt out something like that? I’m sure—”
“Mom,” Ria interrupted. “It’s true. I’m an alien. At least, part alien.”
“It’s okay. There are doctors in Dallas. I knew we should’ve taken you there sooner, but I just didn’t want to admit there was something wrong with you.” She sniffed, then wiped her eyes with the hem of her apron.
“No, Mom, I’m not crazy. I really am part alien.”
Her mom looked around as if hoping it would all go away. Then she said, “I don’t think I feel very well.”
Ria hurried around the counter. “It will be okay, Mom. I’ll explain everything. And don’t worry. I’m not crazy.” Now that Ria thought about it, crazy might be better.
She took her mother by the hand and led her to the sofa in the living room, then made her sit. Ria continued to hold her hand while she explained everything.
“Kristor is from New Symtaria, a planet of shapeshifting aliens. He’s a prince, and I’m a princess, but we’re not related. The voice in my head…”
Her mother drew in a sharp breath. “I thought you said you didn’t hear it anymore?”
“I do. Shintara is my animal guide.”
“Shintara?” She sniffed. “You’ve named it?”
Ria pulled some tissues from the box on the end table and handed them to her mother, who dabbed at her eyes before blowing her nose.
“You said you stopped hearing the voices years ago.” Her mother’s voice quivered.
“Just one voice, Mom. Shintara is my animal guide. A hawk. That’s why I could communicate with the parakeet. And it did talk to me, in its own way.”
“My poor baby, we’ll get you help, I swear.”
“I don’t need help, Mom. I really am part alien. I shifted into a frog. Which wasn’t the best experience in the world, but I did shift.”
“I thought it was a hawk?”
“No, I’m still afraid of flying.”
Her mother waved her arms. “Of course, you can’t shift into a hawk because you’re afraid of flying. It makes perfect sense to me.” Her words caught on a half sob. “Why is your father never around at times like this?”
The front door opened and Kristor walked in. Thank God. Now maybe her mother would believe her. She had hoped to break the news to her a little more gently, but had totally screwed everything up.
But Kristor would make it right. “Tell Mom I’m an alien, part alien, that is,” she told him.
His face paled and he reached toward his lower regions. “There are no such things as aliens,” he said.
Oh, Lord, she’d forgotten about her warning. “No, I promise I won’t cut off your”—she glanced at her mom—“any part of your body, but you need to tell Mom the truth. I’ve explained everything to her. I just need you to confirm it.” God, she felt as though the hole was getting deeper and deeper.
“Confirm that you’re part alien?”
She breathed a sigh of relief. “Exactly.”
He stood taller. “Rianna is part alien.”
Her mother sobbed into her hands. “You don’t have to lie for her, Kris. I know we have to get her help. Her father and I had hoped she would outgrow the voices and everything. But my poor baby hasn’t.”
“No, Mom, I’m not lying. See watch, I’ll shift.”
Ria had sworn she wouldn’t shift again, but she had to if she was ever going to convince her mother she wasn’t living in a fantasy world.
She closed her eyes. What could she shift into so as not to cause her mother to have a heart attack? A puppy. Yes, that would work. A cute little puppy.
But a puppy would probably piddle on the carpet and it was brand new. That would really upset her mother.
“What are you, dear?” her mother asked.
Ria opened her eyes. “Huh?”
“What have you transformed into?”
“Nothing.” She frowned.
Oh, hell, now her mother was placating her. She quickly closed her eyes. She had to think of something.
“What’s going on?” Ria’s father asked as he came into the living room.
Ria jumped.
“Shh, dear. Ria is…is trying…to change into a…” She sobbed into her tissues. “A hawk! Oh, Ron, she’s completely lost her mind. She thinks she’s an alien, or a hawk, or something. I don’t want men in white coats to lock her away in a cold, sterile institution. What are we going to do?” She ju
mped from the sofa and ran to him, throwing her arms around his neck.
“There are doctors in Dallas.” Her father patted his wife on the back.
“I’m not crazy!” Ria jumped to her feet and began to pace the room. She looked to Kristor for assistance, but he only shrugged. A lot of help he was.
Her mother got her sobs under control, except for a few sniffles and hiccups. She stepped out of her husband’s arms and squared her shoulders. “I love you as if I had carried you for nine months. I will never stop loving you.” She blew her nose into a tissue. “And we will get you the help you need.”
“She’s telling you the truth.” Kristor walked to Ria and took her hand in his.
“Now listen, young man, we think the world and all of you, but you’re only hurting our daughter by encouraging these fantasies and I won’t allow it.” Her father wore the dark scowl he had used when a boy came to the door to take Ria on a date when she was in high school. It didn’t seem to have any effect on Kristor. Not like it had on other dates.
“I’ll prove it.” Right before Ria closed her eyes, her gaze landed on a pretty figurine of a horse. Without stopping to think about it, she concentrated as hard as she could on a horse.
Whatever she shifted into had to be something her parents couldn’t deny. A horse was as good as anything. When the burning sensation started, she had to wonder if she really was doing the right thing. No, she had to do something.
Think horse. Think horse. Think horse.
She collapsed to the sofa, then rolled off, hugging her middle. From a long way off, Ria heard voices.
“What’s going on?” her mother asked. “Ron, I’m scared.”
“I can’t see a damn thing in all this fog,” her father said.
“It’s going to be all right. Rianna is shifting,” Kristor told them.
The burning sensation was strong inside her. She couldn’t catch her breath. It was as though she’d been running for a long time.
She stretched her legs out, then her arms. Why the hell had she thought this was the only way she could prove to her parents that she was part alien? Surely there would’ve been a better way to go about showing them. She could’ve had Kristor shift. Hell, he did it all the time.
