The gods did not wish for their path to be easy.
At one point, Ivar had insisted they split up to look for women, and Finn let him go. Ivar could handle himself, and Finn wasn’t worried about the cat-shifter prince. Besides, Ivar would be within shouting distance should trouble occur.
“I see you have had the same bad luck as I,” Ivar stated. Though Finn had hoped it would be otherwise, the cat-shifter appeared at their meeting place alone. “The scouts were right to mark this location as unusable. There are no women of appropriate age to be had. All the ones I have seen unattached are too young. All those old enough appear to be wearing the Earth finger shackle.”
“I found two,” Finn said. “They’re waiting for us at the portal.”
“What?” Ivar glanced down the block in the direction they must take to get home. “Where?”
Finn nodded. “Yes. They’re of the right age. They’re pretty. They appear kind. They are perhaps a bit too delicate, but—”
“All Earth women are fragile. That is to be expected,” Ivar put forth.
Finn gestured that they should move. “The hour turns late. They are waiting near the portal for us.”
“I don’t understand,” Ivar’s steps quickened as he headed toward Faulkner Alley. Finn wasn’t sure if it was out of nervousness or excitement at the prospect of meeting his future. “How did you convince them to come?”
Finn grinned and motioned his hand. “What woman can resist the smooth charm of a dragon?”
Ivar’s pace quickened. Finn hurried behind him. They crossed the circular street toward the central white building before again crossing to reach the shadowed passageway. The locals kept out of the shadowed pathway and instead stayed on the lighted streets.
Reaching the location of the portal, Ivar glanced inside the passage before searching along the side of the building. He then crossed through the passage and did the same thing on the other side. “Where are the women? You said you found women for us.”
“They were excited. I bet they already found their way through.” Finn motioned that Ivar should go inside. “Just beyond the black door. You should go in after them. The caves will be dark on the other side of the portal, and they might be frightened.”
Ivar moved toward the portal. He glanced around to make sure no one watched as he lifted his hand. The tips of his fingers grazed the edge, activating a soft light for the barest of seconds. Finn held his breath and didn’t move.
“Hey, are you guys in line for that secret grilled cheese place?” a young kid called down the alley. “I don’t think you can get in this early.”
Ivar jerked his hand back.
“No,” Ivar and Finn said in unison.
“Oh, doesn’t look like you’re dressed for it anyway,” the kid answered before going on his way.
“This place is odd,” Ivar stated. He lowered his hand and didn’t go through. He slowly turned toward Finn. His eyes narrowed, and he nodded toward the portal. “You first.”
“What?” Finn gave a nervous laugh. “Go ahead. I’m right behind you.”
“I insist.” Ivar crossed his arms over his chest.
“It will close soon,” Finn said. He reached to give Ivar a small push. “Stop playing around and go.”
Ivar barely moved. “There are no women, are there?”
Finn thought about continuing his lie, but he needed to get Ivar through the portal to home. “No. You’re right. There are not. I had hoped that fate would smile on us, and we’d find the ones we were meant to be with, but I wasn’t forthcoming about the plan in coming here.”
“Get in the portal. We will discuss this on our home world.”
“I’m not going back. I’m staying for the next year. I need you to tell our parents they can’t cave in the portals. I am a prince. They will not leave me behind. This is the only way to negotiate more time for our people. You know as well as I what the elders are going to demand at that meeting. They have been seeking an excuse to cut off Earth since the directions to the portal were first unearthed in the Draig royal library. They are scared of things that are no longer threats. Look at this world, Ivar.” Finn swept his arms wide over the town. “There are no more shifter hunters. There are no more knights. There aren’t even the castles the old ones talk about. We don’t exist in this world but in fairy tales and fantasy. Convince them that this is for the best for both cats and dragons. When the portal to this place opens back up, I will be here, waiting.”
“I’m not leaving you behind,” Ivar denied. “How will you survive on this planet? I am looking around, and they are a primitive, strange people. They do not even acknowledge the existence of beings beyond their skies. How vain are these humans to think they are the only ones to crawl out of the infinite?”
“Your feelings are exactly why I didn’t tell you my intentions. I had hoped it wouldn’t come to this, but the gods are not smiling upon us. We don’t have time to debate.” Finn held his bag open to show Ivar what he had with him. “I assure you I have thought this through. I will be fine. I brought supplies. I have Earth cash money papers, dried meat, clothes—”
“Unacceptable,” Ivar interrupted. “I forbid you from staying.”
“You have no authority over me,” Finn denied. “You can’t forbid me from doing anything. This isn’t Var territory.”
“And you’re not a prince here, dragon,” Ivar stated. “You have no protection, no way of calling for help.”
“Nobility does not change with location.” Finn did not need the cat-shifter prince telling him how dangerous his plan was. He well knew of the risk.
“Your royalty is not recognized here.” Ivar snatched the bag from Finn’s hands and held it tight in his fist. “Get in the portal, or I will throw you in. I will not leave you.”
“I left a note explaining this to the king and queen in my room at the palace,” Finn tried to explain, but Ivar’s determination did not lighten. He was well aware that humans might walk by at any moment. The darkening sky and the enclosed passageway kept them somewhat in the shadows, but the artificial lights illuminated the alleyway enough to see their figures. “Now, go and be well. I’ll be here in a year.”
Ivar didn’t hesitate. He lunged for Finn, grabbing him by his shirt. Finn tried to pull away, and the material ripped.
“You’re going home,” Ivar commanded. “Get in the portal.”
“No.” Finn swung his hand to block Ivar’s oncoming grip. The force of the contact sent a jolt of pain through his arm.
“Get in the portal.” Ivar swung again.
“No.” Finn ducked. He tried to angle Ivar so he could push the man through. They struggled for footing, each trying to slam the other toward the portal wall.
Ivar became more aggressive. The glint of his inner cat flashed a bright green in his eyes, threatening to surface. Claws extended from his fingertips. Finn gave a low growl of warning in the back of his throat on instinct. His flesh tingled with the urge to shift, but he knew he couldn’t do such a thing on Earth.
“Get in the portal, Finn,” Ivar demanded, louder than before.
Finn knew time was running out. The portal could close at any moment. He balled his fist, cocked back his arm, and let fly a punch. It found its mark hitting Ivar flush on the jaw. Finn stumbled as he lost footing on loose debris on the ground.
“Stop,” a woman yelled. Her authoritative tone distracted Finn long enough to take his mind off the task which life as he knew it depended upon.
In the shadowed alley, he saw the silhouette of a woman, presumably the one who shouted out to him. She stood, feet shoulder length apart, like it was her turf and they were trespassing.
The unknown woman held up one of the rectangular glowing devices humans seemed to cling to for dear life. It blocked her face from him. Instinctively he walked toward her. “Or I’ll call the cops,” she threatened.
Finn’s attention diverted long enough for Ivar to get the upper hand. The cat-shifter punched him square in
the jaw, knocking him senseless before grabbing him by the arm and flinging Finn at the portal like a discarded piece of rubbish.
Finn flailed in the air, his limbs were all over the place. It became impossible to grab onto something solid or find traction of any sort. The familiar pull of portal travel sucked him in, and he became cocooned in a sheath of dense pressure. If he didn’t know better, he would have sworn that this was the end.
The air in his lungs became thick, the blood in his veins congealed, and his eyes dried until he could not even cry out from the discomfort. The disassembly process felt like the exact opposite of what really happened. His body was torn into a sextillion pieces, flying like data through the portal tunnel. Their scientists said that the feeling of being compacted was the mind hard at work, willing all the physiological pieces back together once they reached the other side.
The trip was over before he could even fathom that he had failed. Ivar had forced him home. And the fate of his people was being sealed.
4
“Stop!”
Sadie wasn’t sure what possessed her to want to break up a street brawl. She’d been thinking of ways to set her blog apart from the many other travel sites. But fighting your way through a dark alley to your next destination might be detrimental to one’s health. The men were in her path to scouting out a location to a rumored speakeasy. At her warning shout, the leaner of the two men obeyed, turning to look at her. Her breath caught as the light revealed his face. It was the guy from earlier in the courtyard. His eyes appeared to capture a reflection before the other man grabbed him and shoved him hard into the wall. A bright light flashed, and the man disappeared.
Sadie froze in horror, too petrified by what she witnessed to move. She couldn’t even blink.
The remaining man turned on her. That was not a reflection in his glowing eyes. The fur of a tiger sprouted over his face. And then sharp fangs extended from his mouth.
Finally, she screamed as she sprang into action. But alas it was too late. The morphing catlike creature was too fast.
He had a hairy hand over her mouth and had her back against his chest before she took two steps. His sharp nails grazed her skin like carving knives as he dragged her deeper into the alleyway.
Sadie wanted to break free, but his hold was too tight. She kicked her legs, trying to find a foothold on the walls. All she managed to do was cause him to stumble a few times.
“I’m sorry, but this secret can’t be revealed,” a gruff voice whispered in her ear. She threw an elbow back, making contact with his ribs. The man thrust her forward. She expected to hit the wall but instead felt her body being sucked into a vacuum. At first, the strange feeling didn’t hurt. A bright purple light flashed and a loud roar sounded. Then, a stabbing sensation covered her body, reminding her of a junkyard car being squashed into a block of waste metal.
Sadie cried out in surprise as her muscles seized. She flung forward into the darkness and knocked into someone. The roaring noise abruptly ended as she landed on the mysterious person. She couldn’t move right away. The purple light faded, leaving her in pitch black. The way the legs brushed up against her felt like a man. Hard armor covered his chest and thighs. He moaned as if dazed by the fall.
Sadie’s arms shook as she pushed off him, and whispered, “Mister?”
He moaned again. Not knowing what else to do, she reached for where his face would be in the dark. Her fingers met with a strange mask. A ridge formed along the bridge of his nose and brow, like touching the hard-plated skin of an alligator. Sadie made a weak noise as she fearfully jerked her hand back.
A furry creature and now this? Logic told her to run, and she had no reason not to listen.
She felt around the stone floor. Her eyes adjusted to the dark, and she detected a soft glow. She crawled past the man on her hands and knees, doing her best not to touch him as she found hold on the rocky surface. She panted loudly no matter how hard she tried to suppress her heavy breathing. She needed to get out of this basement-cave-whatever-it-was. If she could make it to the city streets, she’d be safe.
She flung her hands to find anything in the dark that might block her way to freedom. The light became brighter, giving context to what her hands found. The black stone looked more natural than manmade. She pushed to her feet and ran toward the front of the cave, bursting out of the opening into what should have been a city street.
“No,” Sadie mumbled, shaking her head. This couldn’t be right. The expansive valley had no place inside city limits. She rubbed her eyes and temples. The colors weren’t right. The sky was tinted green and the grass yellow.
Food poisoning? Had she been drugged? Virtual reality?
Sadie felt sane, but her eyes could not be trusted. The breeze against her skin gave her goosebumps. The sweet scent wafting in the air was unmistakable like spun sugar at a carnival. The sound of wind tickling the grass crashed over the valley in a song. None of these elements were reachable from within a dark alleyway in downtown Oxford, Mississippi.
Yet here she was.
To recalibrate, Sadie turned in a slow circle to summon her bearings. She hated how her limbs shook, but she couldn’t stop the wobbling.
Fear had a way of superseding all else, suspending hope and clouding clear thought. Mustering determination from heaven knows where, Sadie made a promise to herself, “I will get through this. Whatever this is.”
Whenever things got out of hand or when the going got tough, Sadie promised herself that she would rise above the problem to find the solution, no matter what. It was a trick her mother had taught her.
The valley stretched into the distance with hints of trees and mountains along the horizon. She’d emerged from beneath a jagged crag. The black stones soaked in light and hid the depths within. Above her, two suns shone in the sky. This was a hallucination of some sort. In time the drugs would wear off. In the interim, she needed all her wits about her, so she wouldn’t do anything stupider than she had already done to land herself in this mess.
Sadie whimpered. The feeling of being watched caused a shiver to course over her. That is when she noticed the cool sting of tears rolling over her hot cheeks. This delusion could not be real. If she held still, maybe it would all go away.
A slight movement caught her attention, and she gasped, completing her circle. Men waited beside a rocky protrusion, some partially hidden, all silently watching her like living statues. They dressed like the man she’d seen beaten in the alley.
For the longest moment, they merely stared, gazes combing the landscape for any sign of others, it was as if they couldn’t believe that she was there. She understood the feeling. This hardly seemed real. One opened his mouth to speak, but the sound that came out was a strange guttural rambling of cacophonous noise. Sadie shook her head and covered her ears.
The man from town stumbled from the cave, holding his temple. Brown hair hid his expression. When he pulled his hand away from his head, blood marred his fingers. He looked up, and a breeze blew his hair back to reveal that his face was covered with hard brown flesh.
At the sight, the onlookers all turned toward her. Their bodies jerked strangely as they leaned forward. They morphed and changed, flesh becoming a hardened shell, eyes glowing with gold, as they shifted forms to become, what Sadie could only describe as part man, part prehistoric creature. Dragon? Talons extended from their fingertips. Fangs protruded from between their lips. They snarled in warning and inched forward as if awaiting a command to attack. More of the dragon creatures appeared from behind the rocks.
A scream had erupted from her throat before her body did the only thing she could think to do. She ran. As fast as she could to get away from the insanity. Sadie’s heart thumped so loudly she couldn’t hear what was behind her, but she was sure the dragon men were hunting her. And, once they caught her, she’d surely be dead.
5
Finn tilted his head and watched the screaming human woman take off across the valley. Turning toward the shi
fted guards, he frowned and gestured at them to be quiet. “I hit my head in the cave. There is nothing to be alarmed about. We are not under attack by humans. Prince Ivar is by the portal. Go see if he needs help.”
The screaming stopped. He glanced over to see the woman had tripped. She pushed up from amongst the tall valley grasses, and the screaming resumed as she ran aimlessly, stumbling as she went. The valley was extensive and it wasn’t like she’d reach the forest anytime soon at the pace she was going.
Finn glanced at his fingers. They were bloody from the wound on his head, but nothing to be worried about. He’d suffered worse. Eventually, the pain would subside.
The screaming continued. He thought about giving chase, but the truth was he felt a little wobbly on his feet. So, instead, he crossed his arms over his chest and waited to see what would happen.
The woman tripped again, and the screaming stopped. She didn’t immediately stand.
Finn dropped his arms and took a few steps toward her.
She’d made it a fair distance, but he could sprint to her if he so wanted. Slowly, she pushed up to sitting and jerked her arms up, twisting one way and then the other as if warding off an attack. He stopped and narrowed his eyes, using the power of his shifted sight to see her more clearly. Light brown hair blew past her face, masking her mouth and nose. Brown eyes searched over the valley as if surprised she wasn’t being followed. Her arms dropped.
The beauty of the woman took him by surprise. He’d caught a glimpse of her in the alleyway, but not enough to register the full extent of her. It had been hard to concentrate with Ivar’s fists coming at him.
Delicate fingers lifted to pull the hair from her face. Her parted lips drew in hard, heavy breaths. For the longest moment, she sat, panting for air, shading her eyes as she peered over the valley in his direction. She didn’t appear to see him, not as he saw her. Her lips moved, but he couldn’t determine what she was saying.
Mischievous Prince Page 3
