 
# Dawn of Legend

### Dragon Dusk, Book 1

## Mac Flynn
Copyright © 2020 by M. Flynn

All rights reserved.

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### Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Appendix

Continue the adventure

Other series by M. Flynn

# 1

Darkness. Cold, merciless darkness. Could anything other than fear arise from that? Could I find more than terror within that blackness?

I was about to find out, and it all started with a broken down bus.

Scratch that. It all started with my crazy friend Lina's idea for us to go on a group tour of the castles of Wales.

I leaned my forehead against the window and sighed. The beautiful countryside passed by us, but the view was marred by a constant curtain of dreary rain. Most of the trip had been as aquatic as this latest adventure as we bumped along the rough road that marked all rural areas in the world as quaint, but painful.

The bus hit another bump in the rough, narrow road that wound through the wilds. My head bumped against the window. "Damn it. . ." I mumbled as I sat up and rubbed the sore spot.

My oblivious friend sat beside me with a map in her lap. Lina, at twenty-five years of age, was seven years older than me, but sometimes I doubted her birth certificate. She used her finger to trace our route. "That last castle was really neat, but soon we'll get to Laugharne Castle and see some _really_ neat stuff!"

She'd been having an animated talk with herself for the last half hour. I sighed and glanced around at my immediate surroundings. My friend and I sat in the middle of the short bus. The other roughly dozen seats were occupied by couples and singles, and a few pairs like us. Many wore cameras around their necks, others flipped through their phones admiring their recent pictures taken only a few hours ago at the last castle we visited.

"How soon is soon?" I asked her.

She sheepishly smiled at me. "About fifty more miles, but the bus driver says he's taking a shortcut, so maybe it's shorter." We hit another bump that made my butt leave the seat and drop back down with a hard thump. I grimaced, but slapped a smile on my face as Lina looked to me. "I hope these long rides aren't boring you."

I shook my head. "No, not at all. They're giving me time to-um, to think."

"About what?" she wondered.

"Um, about-" I glanced out the window. "About the rain, and the hills, and-" I squinted into the distance. "And that really ugly cloud coming our way."

Lina leaned toward me and pressed me against the wall. "Where?"

I squeezed my arm out and pointed at the distant west. "There." At that moment a flash of lightning struck the sky, illuminating the worried faces among the passengers. One of them was mine.

Our tour guide, a woman of fifty who with starched clothes down to her starched socks, stood from her seat at the front and turned to us. She grasped a clipboard in her long, thin hands and her nose was as sharp as the pencil that hung from a string tied to the board. Her name was Miss Livingstone, and heaven help you if you forgot the 'Miss' part. "It looks like a storm is coming, folks! If you would please keep to your seats I'm sure we'll be at Laugharne Castle soon."

"I'm not so sure 'bout that, Miss Livingstone," the bus driver, an older gentleman with spectacles, spoke up.

She spun around and her smiling face transformed into the wicked glare of a harpy. "What do you mean by that?"

He nodded at the hood of the bus. A steady stream of steam rose up from the bowels of the engine. "I don't think this coach is going to 'old out much longer."

His words proved to be the death-knell as the bus shuddered and rolled to a stop. The driver stood with a torch and rusted old toolbox in his hands. "I'm going to try to fix this, but I think you should be getting these people somewhere else for the night."

"Don't tell me what I should do!" Miss Livingstone snapped.

He shrugged and stepped down the stairs. "Suit yourself," he retorted as he disappeared outside.

"What's happening?" one of the older woman called out.

A man stood up and gestured to the window to his right as he looked to our guide. "Where the hell are we?"

Miss Livingstone frowned at the man. "Mr. Proca, please remain seated while the coach driver attempts to fix the engine."

The driver raised the hood of the bus and great plumes of black smoke rolled out of the engine. I leaned close to the window and watched him stumble to the side of the bus, waving his hand in front of himself as he tried to dispel the smoke from his face. The rain mercilessly pelted his face and he was already soaked to the bone.

"I think I know of a place we can stay," Lina spoke up as she pointed at her map. "There's a castle not too far from here that might have enough rooms for us."

Miss Livingstone turned up her nose. "I don't think that will be necessary, Miss St. John. I'm sure the coach driver will fix the engine soon."

The bus driver stumbled up the stairs, leaving a mess of water in his steps. He drew off his cap and slapped it against the side of his leg to get off the damp. Miss Livingstone sneered at him as he flung water droplets all over the front of the bus.

"No doing, Miss Livingstone," he admitted as he shook his head. "I can't get 'er going without a mechanic."

"But you said you _were_ a mechanic!" she snapped at him.

He stood straight and slapped his damp cap back on. "And one of the best coach mechanics in the area, Miss Livingstone, but this job is going to take two people, and I'm only one."

Miss Livingstone pursed her prim lips before she turned back to us. "Unfortunately, due to circumstances outside of _my_ control, we will have to remain in the coach for the night."

A great murmur of disapproval arose from the other passengers. The man from before, Mr. Proca, stood again and pointed at Lina. "What about that castle she spoke of? Why can't we stay there?"

"Because that castle isn't on our itinerary, nor would they be expecting such a large group," Miss Livingstone reminded him.

"We could try, couldn't we?" Lina countered as she looked to our fellow passengers. "What's it going to hurt?"

"Here here!"

"Let's give it a try!"

Miss Livingstone was livid as she clutched her clipboard. "Very well," she growled as her narrowed eyes zeroed in on Lina and me. "We will try."

"I think she's warming up to us," I mused as we stepped off the bus. My backpack was snuggled against my back while the other passengers struggled to get their huge wheeled contraptions out of the below-storage bins.

Lina's eyebrows shot up as she continually wiped the raindrops from her folded map. "You think so?"

"No."

Lina's face fell. "But I was just trying to help. . ."

I sighed and laid a hand on her shoulder to guide her away from the bus so the object of our discussion wouldn't overhear us. There was a convenient hedge that ran along the left side of the road that provided a thick wall on one side for us to huddle again. "I know that and you know that, but Miss Livingstone is the type of person who considers 'help' a four-letter word." Lina still looked a little depressed, so I nodded at the map. "So where is this castle, anyway?"

She perked up and pointed at a small black dot among the many other black dots. "Right here. It's called Castell-that's 'castle' in Welsh, Chwedlonol."

"What's the second word mean?" I asked her.

She shook her head. "No idea."

"It means legend."

I stiffened. It hadn't been my friend who replied. It had been a voice from my left where the wall of shrubbery stood. Lina's pale face told me she had heard it, as well, and together we creaked our heads around to face the brush.

The face of an old man stuck out from the branches. His eyes were wide and there was a wicked, toothy grin on his face. Lina and I grabbed each other and let out a chorus of screams that showed we were both sopranos. Terrified sopranos.

The face disappeared back into the bushes as our fellow travelers and Miss Livingstone hurried over to us. "What are you two screaming about?" she snapped.

Lina pointed at the bushes. "T-there was an old man there!"

Miss Livingstone squinted for a moment at where she pointed before she shook her head. "I see no one, Miss St. John. Perhaps you were imagining things."

"I can vouch for her sanity."

# 2

The voice was followed by a man who stepped out of a break in the wall I hadn't noticed earlier. He was the same person Lina and I had seen peeking through the hedges at us, but now he wore a wide-brimmed hat. The rest of his attire consisted of a heavy tan overcoat and black shoes that looked like they belonged more on a dance floor than the mud bowl in which we found ourselves.

The stranger bowed his head and a stream of water flowed off the brim of his hat. "My sincerest apologies. I hadn't meant to startle the young ladies."

"Apologies my ass. . ." Lina mumbled.

Miss Livingstone stepped between the group and the man, and eyed him with all the trust of a hen at a fox. "And who are you, sir?"

"My name is David Merthyr, and I am the lord of Chwedlonol Castle," he introduced himself as he gestured to the area beyond the hedge. "I saw your coach lights from the windows of my castle and thought I might be of assistance."

At the mention of lordship a smile slipped onto Miss Livingstone's lips. "That's very kind of you, My Lord, and I'm afraid we do need some assistance. Do you know where we might find a mechanic?"

"Or a dry bed?" Lina added as she wrapped her arms around herself and shivered.

Mr. Merthyr looked at us with a sympathetic smile. "You all are quite chilled, aren't you? I have enough rooms to accommodate you all, if you're so inclined to stay as my guests for the evening. I can have a mechanic fetched for you tomorrow morning."

"If that wouldn't be too much trouble," Miss Livingstone pleaded.

He shook his head. "No trouble at all. If you would follow the dirt path beyond this hedge, it leads directly to my castle. Even in this darkness none of you will be lost."

Miss Livingstone turned to our group. "Quickly now! Everyone grab what you need for an evening and hurry along."

'What you need' turned out to be all of their possessions as the other bus passengers continued their struggle to free their hefty bags from the under-storage. Lina and I with our backpacks stood beside the hedge with the rain pouring down on us.

"Would you two ladies like some hats?" Lord Merthyr asked us as he reached into his coat and drew out two more broad-brimmed hats.

"Sure thing!" Lina agreed as she eagerly took her hat.

"That's very kind of you," I thanked him as I grasped the brim of the other one.

Lord Merthyr grasped my wrist in his hand and I looked up to find myself staring into his keen eyes. Even in the darkness they held a brightness that was almost akin to a glow. Those brilliant eyes studied me and a soft smile slipped onto his lips. "You have a gentle touch, Miss-?"

"Bradfern," I told him as he released me.

He arched an eyebrow. "That is an unusual surname."

"My mom told me it got pretty corrupted when my family came through Ellis Island," I admitted as I set the hat on my head. "Apparently the guy taking the names that day couldn't get through the Welsh accent."

Lord Merthyr chuckled. "We are quite a rare people, by language and by customs."

"And by weather," Lina quipped as she shook her head. Droplets of water flew everywhere. "This is worse than any other part of the UK."

"You arrived at a very opportune time," he revealed as he looked up at the dark skies. "Such weather comes around only once every five hundred years."

"Your weather records go back that far?" I asked him.

Lina wrinkled her nose as she shook out her map. "And you remember stuff like that?"

His smile took on a slightly slier look as he half-turned away from us. "You might say I have a rather good memory for such things, but come. The weather won't let up for another few hours."

Our fellow travelers gathered their trunks. I saw one particular elderly couple, each with their own ancient suitcases, linked arm-in-arm as the gentleman tried to help his wife across the ankle-deep mud that was the road.

I walked over to them with a smile and nodded at their bags. "Could I take those for you?"

"We would appreciate it," the man answered as they both handed over their suitcases.

The woman set her wrinkled hand atop mine and returned my smile with one so kind that my heart melted. "You're so kind."

I shook my head. "It's nothing. Now let's get you across this road."

The wife used my shoulder and that of her husband to steady herself, and we made it to the opening in the hedge. They went ahead, but I paused just beyond the threshold and beheld a sight not seen from the road. There, situated about two miles away from us, stood a castle of such majesty that I couldn't figure out why it wasn't on our trip. The stone castle was perfectly square with a parapet around all sides of the roof. The stones in the walls were as long as I was tall, and mocked the passage of time with their untarnished sides. Paned glass windows looked down on us with a gentle expression of welcome, and soft lights from inside bespoke comfort.

I grabbed Lina's hand as she passed me and nodded at the castle. "Did you read up on this place?"

She shook her head. "Nope. It's not in any of the guides I bought."

Lina went on her way, but I stood for a while longer staring at the impressive sight. A gentle touch made me start and whip my head to my left. Lord Merthyr stood at my side. His kindly gaze looked me over with interest.

"Do you approve?" he asked me.

I nodded as I returned my attention to the stately home. "Very much so."

"Come along, Miss Bradfern!" Miss Livingstone snapped.

I smiled at our host and adjusted my bag and the extra two suitcases I carried. "Duty calls."

Lord Merthyr took both of the suitcases and offered me his arm. "Allow me."

I reached for the suitcases. "I couldn't ask you to do that."

He dodged my hands with more energy than I gave him credit and shook his head. "The pleasure is all mine, Miss Bradfern. Now if you will follow me."

He hurried away with the suitcases, and I joined the throngs of my bus-mates. The dirt path wound its way through a small open field and disappeared into a thick wood that surrounded the castle. Stepping into the shadows of those trees gave us some relief from the pouring rain, but I felt a strange tension in the air. It wasn't a bad feeling, more like the excitement a child feels on Christmas Eve. The wooded path parted a long mile that was punctuated by the grumbling of my fellow travelers, and there it was. The castle.

The path stopped at an expansive yard that wrapped around the keep. A driveway with a circle looped in front of the castle and led out to our left to another road. Rose bushes stood against the stone walls between the tall paned windows, their flowers proud and tall despite the wretched weather. Large oaks surrounded their castle and their branches offered wonderful shade to the windows. On either side of the house were stone paths that disappeared to the rear and were sprinkled with ferns and wildflowers.

Lina sidled up to me. "I was hoping for a moat."

"There is a wonderful garden at the rear of the castle," Lord Merthyr spoke up as he passed by us. He walked to the front beside Miss Livingstone and turned to bow to our group. "Welcome, and I hope you find your stay here most pleasant." I swear he raised his head just slightly and stared at me with a pointed look.

"That's very kind of you, Lord Merthyr," Miss Livingstone replied. She turned to us and clapped her hands. "Come along now! And don't dawdle, Miss St. John!"

"Don't dawdle, Miss St. John. . ." my friend mimicked as we followed the lord into his castle.

The interior was as majestic as the outside was imposing. The entrance hall was larger than my apartment. There was a polished stone floor and the walls were covered in colorful tapestries. The fireplace opposite the entrance was large enough to roast a cow with a couple of pigs on the side, and a warm fire crackled in the hearth. A wide staircase to the left of the fireplace led to the upper floors.

Lina's bag bounced on her back as she hurried over to the fire and held out her hands. The fire hissed as she dripped water over its warm body. "Now _this_ is a fire!"

Lord Merthyr set the suitcases beside the door. "If you would leave your belongings here, I will have my servants take them up while you dine."

"We wouldn't think of intruding any more on your hospitality," Miss Livingstone protested.

He chuckled. "And I won't consider anything other than a 'yes,' my dear woman. Now if you will come with me, I will have places set for all of you. My table is large enough."

# 3

Lord Merthyr led us into the dining hall in the west wing. The room was wide and long, and the table was as thick as an ancient oak and twice as wide. There were enough chairs to seat us all with our host at the head. The stone floor clacked beneath our heels, but the tapestries along the right-hand wall dampened the noise. A great fire burned in a hearth between the hanging cloths. On the opposite wall was a row of tall, narrow windows that allowed us a good picture of the messy weather we'd just escaped.

Miss Livingstone scurried over to the head, but the lord stopped her and gestured to the other end. "You may have the honor of the foot of the table, dear woman."

"Oh, that's very kind of you, Lord Merthyr, but I'm sure I'd be comfortable beside you," she cooed. My friend stuck her finger in her mouth and gagged.

"I wouldn't think of boring you with my company, so I must insist," Lord Merthyr persisted.

Miss Livingstone's face drooped, but she rallied her spirits and nodded. "Very well, Lord Merthyr. If you wish."

She grudgingly took her seat and the others took theirs. I inspected the selection and looked to be stuck somewhere in the middle.

"Miss?" Lord Merthyr called. I lifted my head and saw that he stared at me. He drew out the chair to his right and smiled at me. "This seat is unoccupied."

I could almost hear the low rumble of a growl from Miss Livingstone. Lina gave me a push. "Go on!" she whispered in a voice that was clearly heard by all present.

I stumbled forward, but caught myself and sheepishly approached the lord. He held the chair as I sat down and pushed it in for me. "Thanks," I told him.

He took his own seat and bowed his head. "The pleasure is all mine."

Lina warded off the competition for the seat on my right and plopped herself down. A young woman walked out of the door at the end of the room behind the lord, and in her hands she held a large decanter full of luscious purple wine. She poured us all a glass and her lord last.

Merthyr raised his glass to us and smiled. "To good company, and to fate which has brought us together."

"To fate," we repeated, and drank from our glasses.

The meal was then served, and plate after plate of meats, cheeses, fruits and vegetables came from the kitchen.

Merthyr leaned toward me and studied me with his bright eyes. "How have you enjoyed our country thus far?"

"It's very beautiful," I replied as I took a bite of cheese. I noticed he hadn't touched any food on his plate. "Aren't you hungry?"

He shook his head. "No. The treat of dining in such fine company has rather stolen my appetite. Now tell me, what is your favorite part of the country?"

I paused and furrowed my brow. "I suppose if I had to pick something it would be the stories."

He arched his eyebrows. "The stories?"

I nodded. "Yes. The legends and the old histories that surround all these wonderful places are really interesting."

He drew his hand over his mouth to hide a rather peculiar smile. "Then might I tell you that this castle itself has a rather interesting tale?"

"You mean like headless ghosts?" Lina spoke up, spattering food everywhere.

"Not quite, though it is unique," he admitted, and the table chatter quieted.

"Do tell us, Lord Merthyr," Miss Livingstone pleaded.

The lord looked to me. "Would you like to hear it?"

I smiled and nodded. "Very much."

"This tale is rather old, even for this country. Nearly fifteen centuries have passed since the events that unfolded here in this castle, in the garden behind the stone walls. Long ago, this castle was once a mighty home of one of the nobler lords of the land. He allowed a Christian to enter his home so that he might learn more about the strange new religion that had captured the faith of so many of his people. The visitor was unafraid of this mighty lord, but apprehensive about his ability to show him the light of the One Lord. He took to taking late-night walks in the garden to ease his mind and compose his words to the lord the next day. On one of these nights a miracle occurred. There he sat on the edge of a gurgling fountain when he sensed a strange stirring in the air. A shadow fell over him and stretched across the ground in front of him. The man arose and turned, and his heart stilled at the sight." He paused and swept his bemused eyes over our company.

"Well?" Lina asked him.

"There, standing comfortably atop the highest bowl of the fountain, he saw a strange creature, neither man nor beast but some mix of the two."

"What sort of beast was the other half?" I wondered.

His gaze settled on me and when he spoke his voice was quiet, but full of the awe he instilled within us who listened to him. "It was a dragon."

Miss Livingstone chuckled. "Really, Lord Merthyr, this is quite unusual. A man who was a dragon is a little far-fetched, even for the tales of Great Britain."

He leaned back and smiled at her. "And yet this tale holds such a creature, but I won't scold you for disbelieving the story. The Christian himself couldn't believe his eyes. Here was a creature of no myth he had ever heard standing above him with eyes as red as the very coals of hell, and yet the man could do nothing more than gape at its wings and the horns that protruded from its head. He trembled for his very soul."

"Did he try to pray?" I asked him.

The lord shook his head. "No. He thought only of fleeing, but his legs wouldn't obey his command to move even as the creature opened its long leather wings and floated down to the ground beside him. The creature, he would have considered the thing a horrible demon had its eyes not held such soft sentience, turned to him. The Christian was not a small man, but this creature's height was well-above six foot so that it towered over him. Then a more miraculous occurrence happened. The creature spoke, and in such words that showed good education. The creature told the Christian that he had wandered for a very long time, always alone, and sought companionship. The Christian, curious but not unafraid, asked in quivering tones what he was and where he had come from. The creature admitted he was not of this world, but of another where he was considered no less horrifying, but for other reasons."

Lina scooted to the edge of her seat and pushed against my side to get closer to the lord. "So he was an alien?"

Merthyr shook his head. "No. He could not find the right words to describe himself as he didn't know himself what he was. The Christian wondered what sort of companion he sought, and the creature again wasn't sure, but yet he made one thing clear." Merthyr's eyes fell on me. "He wished for that companion to never fear him." He chuckled. "Needless to say, the Christian admitted he wasn't sure he could be such a companion to him. The creature asked if no one inside the castle could provide such companionship." Merthyr cupped one cheek in his hand and closed his eyes. A sigh escaped his lips. "The Christian admitted that such a creature as he would only be feared by the inhabitants. The creature's face was impassive, and yet the Christian could sense his disappointment. He sought to suggest another castle, but the creature told him he had little time remaining before he had to return to his own world. A scream interrupted them and made the Christian turn around. One of the maidservants, a large woman who worked in the kitchens and who had taken a fancy to the Christian, looked in horror at the creature before him. Before he could speak a word of comfort the woman fled."

"At least she didn't faint," Lina quipped.

"Really, Lord Merthyr, this is a fantastical story, and I don't recall ever hearing the like in this area before," Miss Livingstone spoke up.

Merthyr nodded. "I'm not surprised. It's little known even among the local villagers."

"But what happened to the man?" I asked him.

He turned to me and smiled. "Do you mean the Christian or the creature?"

I blushed. "I meant the creature."

Merthyr looked ahead and his eyes had a faraway look in them. "He returned to his own world, but he left behind hope in the form of a statue of himself. Should a maiden worthy of him touch the statue then they will be united forevermore."

The group fell into a subdued silence. Each of us pondered the tale and its simple theme of unfound love. I noticed the elderly couple I helped earlier hold hands and smile at each other. My heart ached for such a relationship, but alas, even a boyfriend wasn't on the itinerary any time soon.

"So is the statue still there?" Lina wondered.

Merthyr nodded. "It is, by the grace of God and my ancestors. After the strange appearance of the statue the castle was considered haunted and abandoned. My ancestors purchased the remains some fifty years later and made it their home." His eyes flickered to me. "We still hope to have the legend fulfilled and the dragon creature find one who will not fear him."

Lina jumped to her feet and put her hands on her hips as she grinned at the company. "Let's go look at the statue!" At that moment a thunderous boom from outside shook the glass. She winced and plopped back down. "Or not."

Merthyr chuckled. "Perhaps tomorrow."

"As wonderful as your invitation is, Lord Merthyr-" Miss Livingstone spoke up as she stood, "-I'm afraid we won't have any time tomorrow. I'm sure the bus will be fixed by dawn and we must resume our tour of the countryside as soon as possible in order to see all the sights on our itinerary."

"Of course," Merthyr replied as he rose to his feet. In customary fashion we arose as well. "The hour is late and I must retire now, but if any of you should need anything feel free to ask any of my staff." He bowed his head to us and left through the foyer archway.

Lina dropped back into her seat and picked up her full fork. She studied the meat with a furrowed brow. "He's a little weird, isn't he?"

Miss Livingstone's face turned a slight shade of red. "Miss St. John, that is no way to speak of the lord who took us into his home!"

Lina raised her eyes to the ceiling and inspected the room. "There's something weird about his house, too. Like it's too old, you know?"

Miss Livingstone stood and crossed her arms over her chest. "If that is the direction our conversation will be headed then I believe we should all retire for the night. We have an early start tomorrow and I won't have everyone's day ruined by some late-night foolish chatter." Our guide stared directly at Lina when she spoke those last words.

Our company finished their dinner and proceeded into the foyer. A man in butler tails complete with a white shirt and spotless polished shoes greeted us with a bow. "My name is Trull, and I am the manservant of Chwedlonol Castle" He straightened and gestured to the stairs. "If you would all follow me I will show you to your rooms."

# 4

Trull led us up the stairs and to the second floor. The long hall stretched across the whole of the house, and on either side were some twenty doors. He dolled them out to us until only Miss Livingstone, Lina, and myself remained. He came to the end of the hall where the passage turned a corner and followed the wall to the back of the house.

Trull stopped and gestured to three remaining doors. "I hope you will find these comfortable."

I opened one of the doors and peaked inside. There was a four-post bed, a crackling fireplace, and windows that looked out on the green grounds. A plain ancient suitcase on the floor beside the bed told me the room belonged to Miss Livingstone.

I turned and smiled at him. "It's wonderful."

"But no TV," Lina commented.

Trull shook his head. "No, miss. My Lord dislikes such contraptions. We only have a phone for emergencies."

"Where might we find Lord Merthyr's room, should we need him?" Miss Livingstone asked our guide.

"My Lord's quarters are on the third floor, but should you need anything please feel free to ring the bell beside the bed and I will try to satisfy your need," Trull promised.

My friend looked the elderly man over and shivered. I jabbed her in the side. She frowned and silently gestured to the older gentleman, but I sliced my finger across my throat as a final warning.

Trull bowed his head to us. "If there's nothing further then I bid you all goodnight."

We bid him farewell and he disappeared downstairs. Miss Livingstone stepped into her room, but turned and eyed us with suspicion. "I expect both of you to go to sleep at once."

Lina stiffened and gave her a salute. "Yes, ma'am!"

I rolled my eyes and looped my arm through one of hers before I tugged her to the other two doors. Miss Livingstone continued to stand in her doorway until we had opened our own entrances. We slipped inside, and she stepped back and eased her door shut.

I had almost shut my door when Lina peeked her head inside and grinned at me. "Wanna go exploring?"

I leaned my shoulder against the back of the door and eased my weight onto it, slowly shutting the door on my friend. "I think I've had enough adventure-"

"What about going to see the statue?" she suggested. I paused. My curiosity had been piqued by the lord's story. A sly smile slipped onto Lina's lips. "You want to go see it, don't you?"

I drew my weight off the door and shrugged. "Yeah, but we can't. The storm is-"

"Done," Lina finished as she nodded at the windows on either side of the bed. "Or it's just taking a break."

I followed her gaze and saw that the rain had let up, though no stars could be seen. I bit my lower lip before I returned my attention to my friend. "Maybe we can have a little peek-"

"Great!" Lina replied as she grabbed my hand and pulled me into the hall.

My pulse quickened with more excitement than I expected as we tiptoed past Miss Livingstone's door and down the hall to the stairs. We reached the bottom of the steps and nearly crashed into Trull as he left the dining room. He stumbled back, but Lina and I grabbed an arm to keep him from falling.

"I'm so sorry," I apologized as we righted the help.

He straightened his suit and shook his head. "It's quite all right, miss, but might I be able to help you with something?"

"How do we get to the garden?" Lina asked him.

He nodded at a narrow hall on the other side of the fireplace. "Through there, miss. Follow that hall and it will take you to a pair of French doors. Those lead out to the garden."

"Thanks!" Lina replied as she tugged on my hand.

I tugged back and took the lead. We politely walked across the foyer and into the hall. The passage was narrow with dark paneling that shrank some of our enthusiasm. The dim lights above our heads did nothing to quell the apprehension as we walked to the darkened end. The crackling of the fire faded into the distance until we were left with only the sound of our own footsteps.

"Maybe this wasn't such a good idea. . ." Lina whispered.

"There's nothing to be afraid of," I comforted her as I looked around. "Except for the ghosts."

"Ghosts?" Lina squeaked as she whipped her head left and right to all the many doors. She fumbled for my hand and I found that she was shivering.

I gave her hand a squeeze. "I'm just joking. I have no idea if there are any ghosts here."

"So you're saying there might be?" she asked me.

I smiled at her. "If there are then we'll scream loud enough to scare _them_ away."

Lina grinned. "We can scream pretty loud, can't we?"

"Loud enough to break glass," I confirmed as we crept down the hall.

"So do you think there's even a statue out here?" she wondered.

I shrugged. "I don't know. Let's just see if there's a garden first."

We reached the end of the hall and found ourselves in a sort of rear foyer with more tapestries and paintings.

"This guy sure does like his hanging rugs," Lina mused.

The wide French doors were as Trull had said, and through them we could see dark shapes outside. We stopped at the glass and peeked out. The shapes were perfectly trimmed and rose up from seven feet. An opening in them indicated a path.

"Those _look_ like hedges," Lina mused.

"And they probably taste like hedges," I teased.

She laughed. "You think they smell like them, too?"

"There's only one way to find out," I told her as I tried the door handle.

Unlocked. The door opened and we slipped out. The rain had gone for the moment but left behind its cool scent. The wood floor beneath our feet was replaced by smooth stones. The hulking shadows were indeed well-trimmed hedges. The wall of bushes went in either direction on our left and right, and created an archway in front of us.

Lina wrinkled her nose. "He didn't say anything about a maze."

"Maybe the statue is in the middle to protect it," I suggested.

"Or protect everyone else from the dragon man," she guessed.

I rolled my eyes but couldn't suppress a smile. "Come on."

I led the way through the arch and into the maze. The height of the hedges and their thickness meant we couldn't peek over or through them, but the paths were so wide that I didn't feel any claustrophobia. However, there was something else I felt. It was the return of that sense of excitement, like I was going somewhere I'd always wanted to be.

"Hey!" Lina shouted as she grabbed my hand and pulled me to a stop. "What's the hurry?"

I looked over my shoulder and blinked at her. "Hurry?"

She nodded. "Yeah. You're walking at about a million miles an hour and we don't even know where the heck we're going."

I furrowed my brow. "I. . .I didn't even know I was going that fast."

"As fast as a horse at the Kentucky Derby," she quipped as she looked me over with narrowed eyes. "Actually, you've been kind of jumpy since you heard that story. You didn't see a ghost, did you?"

I started back. That was it. That was the strange feeling I'd been experiencing since the lord told us that tale. I ran my free hand through my hair and shook my head. "I. . .I don't know what's going on. I just have a feeling that-" A noise made me pause.

_Christine._

I whipped my head to and fro. "Did you hear that?"

Lina tilted her head to one side. After a moment she shook her head. "I don't hear anything."

_Christine._

My pulse quickened and I slowly turned to the path ahead of us. I know I should have been terrified to hear a disembodied voice calling my name, but there was such a gentle longing in the call that I couldn't help but pity it a little. "I think it's coming from there."

"What's coming from there?" Lina asked me, but I strode forward. "Chris!"

I could barely hear her over the call of the strange voice. The person chanted my name like a mantra and beckoned me to find it. I hurried through the twists and turns until I stopped at another arch that led into a small open area.

A fountain gurgled water from the top bowl and down into a large pool. Atop the highest bowl, rather than a natural spire, was a large statue of a figure that knelt on one knee. As the lord had described it, the figure was both man and beast. Thick horns protruded from his temples and stretched backwards at an upward angle. His hands ended in long, sharp nails, and behind him was a long, lizard-like tail. His back legs were elongated like that of a dog, but the flesh was hairless and appeared to be made of scales and also ended in sharp claws.

The most startling aspect of his great visage were the pair of wings that folded forward over his arms. Though the statue was cast in stone, the craftsman had performed such a wonderful work that I could see the smooth leather of those great wings and see the slim veins that ran through them.

Beyond the inhuman visage, however, was the image of a handsome man. His face was firm and his short hair suited his form. The body was muscular without being overly hardened. The eyes, however, were what caught my attention, even more than the strange oddities of his body. They were as soft as the voice I'd heard, and more sorrowful than I could have imagined a soul could be without drowning in the anguish.

I don't know why, but a strong impulse to kiss those smooth lips came to me. Maybe it was to give comfort to those pitiable eyes and to chase away their sorrow. Maybe it was-

Lina caught up to me and stopped under the arch. She hunched over and put her hands on her knees as she tried to catch her breath. "What's. . .what's the big. . .idea?" she wheezed.

I nodded at the statue. "Him."

She lifted her eyes to the statue and wrinkled her nose. "He isn't very handsome, is he?"

I tilted my head to one side and studied those stone eyes. "I think he's wonderful."

Lina straightened and shrugged. "There's no accounting for taste, but if he's your type than you have my permission to marry him."

I choked on my spit and whipped my head to her. "M-marry him?"

She turned to me, but jerked her head toward the statue. "Anybody who's in that much of a hurry to see a guy definitely wants to marry him."

"But it's just a statue," I scolded her.

The voice that replied didn't come from either of us. "A handsome statue, isn't it?"

We clutched onto each other and screamed in unison. The sound made the air quiver and echoed over the open area like a tidal wave of nails on chalkboards.

Lord Merthyr stepped out of the shadows with his face scrunched up in pain. "If I had known your reception would have been so vocal I would have announced myself sooner."

Lina snapped her mouth shut and glared at him. "You should've done that, anyway!"

He bowed his head, but I could still see his smile. "My sincerest apologies, my ladies. To be truthful-" He raised his head and his gaze fell on the statue. "I was concerned about my old friend here."

"Concerned about what?" I asked him.

He walked past us and stopped at the edge of the pool. "The storm that's coming will be rather violent, and though the statue has remained safe for these many centuries I wonder if it won't crack under the tremors of the thunder."

"What storm?" Lina wondered, and as though in response a deep rumble of thunder was heard in the distance.

Lord Merthyr walked over to us and set his hand on our backs so he could turn us back toward the castle. "Perhaps we should return to the castle before-" A sprinkle of rain fell from the sky and pelted us.

And then the storm _really_ started.

# 5

"Too late!" Lina quipped.

We broke into a sprint as the sprinkle turned into a downpour. The rain soaked our clothes and left us chilled to our bones. We reached the French doors and Lord Merthyr opened one of them for us. Lina and I scurried inside and he shut the door after himself. Our bodies were soaked and our clothes dripped little streams onto the floor.

"I'm so sorry for the floor," I apologized as I tried to cling my already clingy clothes to myself to stop the numerous waterfalls.

He smiled and shook his head, sending sprays of water everywhere. "There's no need to apologize. Nature has her way and we must make the best of it. Let me get you some towels." He walked to the side of the door and pulled on a cord. A soundless alarm rang somewhere in the house and Trull soon appeared from the hall. "Some towels for our guests, and please have the fires stoked in their rooms."

Trull bowed his head and disappeared down the passage only to reappear a short while later with the cloths. We rubbed ourselves down as best we could and ended up sogging some half a dozen towels.

"What did you think of the statue?" Merthyr asked us as we finished with our drying.

"It was beautiful," I told him as I handed Trull my last damp towel.

Lina lifted her head and wrinkled her nose. "It was okay, but it kind of reminded me of a gargoyle."

Merthyr chuckled. "It certainly has that appearance to most people." A flash of lightning followed quickly by a crash of thunder told us the terrible storm had returned, and worse than ever.

"Do you know what kind of rock it's carved out of?" I asked him.

He shook his head. "Not at all. I have had a few experts come for curiosity's sake and inspect the rock, but they all pronounced themselves baffled by its make."

"So you don't. . .don't know-" I wrinkled my nose as my nostrils twitched. A violent sneeze made me stumble forward. I rubbed the front of my nostrils. "You don't know who carved it?"

He looked kindly down at me. "Not at all, but perhaps this conversation should be for another time. You must both get into dry clothes before you catch your death of cold." Merthyr gently herded us down the hall and upstairs where he opened our bedroom doors for us. "Sleep well, dear ladies."

A thunderous crash above us made Lina shudder. "If anyone _can_ sleep through this storm." She slipped into her room and shut the door.

I stepped into mine, but Merthyr moved closer. His eyes caught mine in their deep intensity. "I hope the statue didn't frighten you."

I smiled and shook my head. "Not at all. I really did think it was wonderful, but-" I bit my lip and turned my face away.

"But what?" he persisted.

I furrowed my brow as I stared hard at the floor. "He just. . .it just looked so sad." I raised my eyes to his and studied him. "Do you believe the story you told us?"

He set a gentle hand on my shoulder and his smile was awash in warmth. "With all my heart." He moved back and bowed his head. "Sleep well, Miss Bradfern, and may you have sweet dreams." He turned and disappeared down the hall.

I eased my door shut and turned to lean my back against the hard wood. The storm thundered outside and the rain pelted the windows, but my thoughts didn't dwell on any of that. They were still with the statue. Even after I'd slipped into my pajamas and hung my clothes near the crackling fire, I couldn't think of anything other than those sorrowful eyes.

The bed was comfortable and warm, but I found I couldn't sleep. I stared up at the top cloth of the four-post bed with a furrowed brow. All I could think about were the smooth, carved lips of the statue as they beckoned to me. My traitorous body reacted to my indecent thoughts by igniting within me a sinful heat. How could I be reacting this way toward a statue?

"Why can't he be real?" I whispered.

_Is that what you desire?_

I froze. The voice had come from everywhere and nowhere. It vibrated through me and quickened my pulse. The heat inside me deepened at the deep, male sound. Fear, however, reigned supreme.

I shot up and searched the room. There was nothing but shadows and the pelting rain. "W-who's there?"

_One who desires you._

A crazy idea struck me, that this was the statue talking to me. I shook that insane thought from my mind and drew the covers close to me. "Whoever you are, leave right now or I'll scream!"

_I know your mind. My leaving is the last thing you desire._

"I-I don't know what you're talking about, but I'm going to count to three. If you're not gone then I'm screaming." I took a deep breath. At the same time a heady aroma filled the room. I fought off the soothing sensation that wafted over me and cleared my throat. "One."

The shadows on the floor in front of the dresser shifted. They shaped themselves into thin tendrils and stretched toward me.

"Two."

The shadows climbed up the covers and onto the bed.

"Three!"

The tendrils raced across the sheets at me. I yelped and pushed backward only to have my back hit the headboard. The shadows reached my feet and pressed down on the covers, trapping my legs. I tried to grab the tendrils, but my hands went through them. The tendrils, however, climbed up my flailing arms and wrapped themselves around my limbs. They climbed still further until they pressed against my throat and covered my chest.

I expected to suffocate. What I found was far more pleasurable. The tendrils were cool like shadows, but they ignited within me a deep, aching desire. The darkness slid down my body and caressed my skin with a touch so stimulating that I had to bite my lower lip to keep from moaning.

"What's. . .what's going on?" I whispered as I leaned my head back. "What are you doing to me?"

_I offer you my love, and my desire._

The tendrils stroked my body with their smooth, cool forms. I struggled to reject the sensual feelings that arose within me, but a fog of lustful desire crept into my mind. It was no use. I craved the touch of these shadows as their bodies stroked mine, fanning the flames of hot pleasure. They knew me better than I knew myself. All their caresses stimulated within me a greater desire for more. More of this sinful pleasure that teased me with promises of even more hungry wonder.

"Oh god. . ." I muttered as the heat intensified.

I reached down and brushed my fingers against my breasts. They throbbed and swelled beneath the tender touches of my strange lover. My whole body was engulfed in the sweet, cool shadows. The tendrils slid over my shivering flesh, touching and teasing me into a growing frenzy of sensual pleasure. I closed my eyes and groaned. Their lithe, slick forms wrapped around my breasts, massaging them in a slow, torturous rhythm that left me wanting more.

The feel of the cool shadows over my hot body made me squirm. Impatience pushed out fear. My mind followed my heart as caution was swept aside, replaced by a carnal desire that penetrated every inch of my body. I never wanted this to stop, and yet a tiny part of my mind still rebelled against these gentle, sensual touches. That small warning was ignored.

"Who are you?" I whispered as I arched my back, pushing my swollen breasts outward. I'd never felt so luxuriously sensual as I did then. I was like a cat purring for more milk, more pleasure. " _What_ are you?"

The shadows drew me down onto the covers and pushed up my nightshirt, exposing my hot body to the cool air. They eagerly covered my skin with their smooth, pulsing bodies and pressed against my swollen, eager breasts. I held my breath as one of the tendrils slipped between my legs. My body quivered as the darkness teased the wet opening to my womanhood. So close. So _achingly_ close. I would have given my soul for a single thrust.

A crash of thunder awoke me from my foggy thoughts. I shot up and looked around. The shadows were gone, but not the heat they'd made inside of me. Even my nightshirt was still stuck over my shoulders. I drew it down and wiped the sweat off my brow as another crack of thunder flashed across the sky.

A strange pull to look outside came upon me. I slipped out of bed and padded across the floor to the window. The storm had grown worse again and sheets of rain pelted the glass. I could barely make out the garden below my window, but something did catch my attention.

It was a white light in the courtyard at the center of the hedge maze. The brilliance was akin to someone holding a very bright lantern. I squinted and tried to make out a person, but the light was too strong.

So was the impulse to find out. I threw on some clothes and my coat, and hurried out of the room.

# 6

I hurried down the passage. Miss Livingstone's door flung open and the woman herself stepped out. "Miss Bradfern! Where are you going at this hour?"

I didn't even turn to acknowledge her presence, but fled down the stairs and into the foyer. All was dark and quiet but for the storm that raged outside. I sprinted down the shadowed corridor and to the French doors. A sudden gust of wind sprung up and hit the entrances, forcing them open before me as though the storm itself was inviting me to my fate.

The rain pelted my face and soaked my coat, but I felt nothing but the fast beating of my heart in my chest. There was terrible anticipation mixed with some urgency that I couldn't quite understand. I felt like I was late for some pre-appointed meeting, and I would only have one chance to rendezvous with a special someone.

I tripped over the smooth wet path stones and ended up stumbling through the final archway that led into the fountain courtyard. I caught myself and raised my eyes to that wonderful, sorrowful statue.

It was gone. My breath caught in my throat. I hurried forward to the pool and squinted into the darkness as rain cascaded down my face. The statue was still gone.

A sound like stone cracking made me turn around and I gasped. A hulking creature of black slime stomped through the arch. It sported a blocky body and head, and its limp arms brushed against the hedges. The plants withered beneath the toxic slime that oozed off the abomination.

The creature paused and looked around. A pair of blood-red eyes were set into its square head, and those looked around with a malice that made my blood run cold. I froze when it set its sights on me. The creature curled its lips back and revealed two long rows of sharp, rotten teeth.

I gasped and stumbled back only to trip over my own feet. The hard side of the pool welcomed my back and my rear fell hard on the stones as the creature lumbered toward me. It stretched out his oozing hands to grab me. Slime dripped from its arms and dropped onto the stones where it sizzled and left horrible black holes.

I threw up my arms and shut my eyes. A bright light penetrated my eyelids and there was a terrible cry like no creature I'd ever heard. I opened my eyes and blinked.

The thing was gone. Not a trace was left of it except for the broken stones and holes left by its dripping arms. I grasped the edge of the pool and climbed to my shaking feet.

A soft noise of wind made me turn around. My mouth dropped open as I beheld that a vortex of swirling black winds had replaced the fountain tiers.

_Christine._

That voice again. The one that had called to me earlier. Now I knew where it came from. It was this strange black hole. At the sound of the voice the fear I felt vanished. There was only tranquility.

_Christine._

He was calling me. I stretched out my hand and brushed my fingers against the wind. The darkness spilled out as shadowed tendrils and wrapped around my arm. The tendrils pulled me into the pool and drew me into the darkness.

I tumbled forward into the wind tunnel and was flung head-over-heels through an impenetrable darkness. Suffocation welcomed me as the air was pushed out of my lungs. I felt on the edge of losing consciousness when I was thrown from the darkness and landed hard on the unforgiving stone ground. My body rolled a couple of times before I crashed into a hedge.

"Ow. . ." I mumbled as I sat up and looked around.

I was still in the courtyard, but the storm had passed. The bright light of the midday sun shone down on my ragged person. How long was I out? And why hadn't anyone found me?

I tried to stand, but my right leg twisted underneath me and I heard a painful pop from my ankle. Pain exploded inside my ankle bones. I fell back onto my rear and grabbed my ankle above the pain. "Ouch." There were no broken bones, but it was definitely a bad twist.

I grabbed the thin branches of the hedge and eased myself onto my good foot. My ankle pulsed with pain, but I gritted my teeth and mentally told it to shut up. A gasp behind me made me glance over my shoulder.

A woman stood in the archway to my right. She wore a plain brown dress with a white apron over the front. Her brown hair was tied back and covered with a white, frilled-lined cap. The shoes that adorned her feet were plain black and buckled like what the pilgrims wore. Slung over one arm was a basket, and the tops of freshly cut produce peeked out over the rim.

I blinked at her until I reminded myself that Lord Merthyr had many servants, and this must have been one more of them. "Um, hi. I'm sorry I scared-" The woman spun around and fled into the maze. My shoulders drooped. "-you."

I shrugged and took a step forward. It was a bad step as a sharp pain struck my injured leg. I stumbled forward and fell against the thicker archway branches. A soft reflection made me look to my right at the pool. The statue was still gone. The strange vortex had also vanished.

"How's anybody going to believe this?" I muttered as I leaned against the hedge to catch my breath against the harsh pain.

Footsteps brought my attention back to the opening to the courtyard. I readied myself for an explanation of why I was out here. Maybe I could say I walked in my sleep or that I thought I saw a prowler.

"And I was looking for him all night?" I mumbled to myself.

Two figures appeared in the archway. One of them was the young woman from before sans basket. The other wasn't Lord Merthyr, but a much taller, younger, and definitely more handsome fellow. He was a good foot taller than me and was no more than thirty. The man was attired in a black suit over which he wore a large dark robe. His hands were covered with white gloves so that the only pale flesh visible to others started from the neck up. He wore his silver-colored hair short, and the hue complimented his dazzling golden eyes.

The most startling aspect of his person, however, stuck out of the top of his head. Two long, thin gray horns protruded from either side of the top of his head. The smooth spikes stretched at an upward angle backward for a foot before they ended in sharp points.

I didn't fail to recognize the similarity between this handsome specimen and the statue that once stood in the courtyard, although the wings and claws were noticeably absent. I cleared my throat and smiled at them. "You guys don't happen to know where Lord Merthyr is, do you?"

The man arched a dark eyebrow as he stepped toward me as though he wasn't sure what I was. His golden eyes swept over my figure like he was assessing something fate-changing. Turns out he was.

"How did you come to be here?" he asked me.

I sheepishly grinned up at him. "Would you believe a black hole?"

He nodded. "I would."

I paused and blinked at the man. "Really?" He walked around to my other side and took in all the fronts. I followed him with my eyes and frowned. "What is it? Do I look that bad?"

A soft smile slipped onto his lips. "Quite the opposite."

A blush accented my cheeks before I shook it off and tried to hop around to face him. "Listen, I really need to get-ow!" My ankle complained bitterly of any weight. I looked down and saw that the area around the bone was already swelling.

"You're hurt," the man commented.

I leaned against the heavy hedge and grimaced. "It's just a little twist. I'm sure it'll be-hey!"

The man had swept me into his arms and drew me against his body. I pressed my hand against his chest and felt the warmth of his body beneath my fingers. Thoughts of the dream from the previous night resurfaced, but I fought down the hard instincts that teased me with promises of fun. I looked up into his handsome face and he smiled down at me.

"I hope this is comfortable for you," he mused.

I gathered my wits and glared at him. "This is not! Put me down right now!"

"You're in no condition to walk," he reminded me as he strode through the arch.

The young woman stepped to the side and bowed her head. Her cap slipped a little, and my eyes widened as a cat's ear popped out of her hair. Her eyes flickered up and, seeing my shocked gaze, she adjusted her cap back into position.

The man carried me down the path, but I leaned back and kept my shocked eyes on the servant. She followed our footsteps with her head bowed, but no more visible cat features.

I clapped my hanging jaw shut and looked at my carrier. "I-I think I need to get back to my tour group."

"Tour group?" he asked me without stopping.

I nodded. "Yeah, you know, the tour group Lord Merthyr put up last night. I'm sure my friend is worried sick about me." He studied me with those brilliant golden eyes, and an unsettling feeling fell on my heart. I narrowed my eyes at him. "You. . .you do know what I'm talking about, don't you?"

"I'm afraid not," he told me.

My eyes flickered up to his horns before I started to fidget in his grasp. "I think I'd really like to be put down right now."

"But you're in no condition-"

"I'm in good enough condition to kick you with my good foot if you don't put me down," I warned him.

"Very well." He stopped and set me down on the stone path.

I limped backward away from the strange woman and man with my eyes ever on the pair. "I don't know what's going on, but if Chwedlonol Castle is having some sort of a role-playing game than count me out."

The woman furrowed her brow and looked up at the tall man. "Chwedlonol Castle? My lord, what's she talking about?"

A soft smile graced his lips as he studied me. "So my assumption was correct. Our guest is no ordinary wanderer in strange clothing. She has come from Arall."

The woman's jaw dropped and she looked at me with wonderment. "From Arall? Could it be?"

I held up my hands in front of myself and limped backward. "Listen, I don't know what you guys are talking about-" my eyes flickered up to his horns, "-or maybe even what you are, but I really do have to go."

I spun around and limped as fast as I could through the green arch. The path guided me along the hedge walls and opened to reveal the rear of the castle.

Except it wasn't a castle anymore.

In place of the stoic stones of Chwedlonol Castle was a stately country manor house of two stories. The walls were of a rough plaster and stone mixed together to create an uneven but clean white surface. The smooth wooden beams that bound the mixture together complimented the diamond paned windows that looked down at me with dark shadows behind them. The roof was steep and tiled with brown clay, and several stone chimneys pierced the sky.

I gaped at the sight and stumbled back into something hard. A pair of gentle hands fell on my shoulder, and I half-spun around to find the horned man behind me. My latest spin, however, made me step on my bad foot. Pain shot up my leg and I collapsed backward.

The man swooped forward and wrapped his arms around me, stopping me from another bad fall. He lifted me into his arms as my heart pounded hard in my chest.

"Welcome to my home, daughter of Arall," he greeted me.

True to womanly form, that's where I fainted.

# 7

I was unwillingly brought back to consciousness. A soft pillow lay beneath my head and I shifted around atop silky sheets. I was at home.

That is, until I remembered that my bed was hard, with scratchy cheap sheets and without the smell of lovely flowers. My eyes flew open and I shot up to find myself in unfamiliar surroundings.

I lay in a small but elegant bedroom with handcrafted furniture and a large four-post bed. The walls were paneled wood smoothed to perfection and lightly stained to create a glistening appearance. Against the right wall was a large fireplace with a crackling fire. Behind me on either side of the bed the dark light of the moon shone in through the high paned windows. Shadows invaded this area, showing that night had fallen during my fainting spell.

A candle stood on the nightstand beside me, lit and flickering softly. A second light was on a small table near the thick door that stood opposite me, and beside the door, seated in a chair, was the capped young woman from before. She had a small book in her lap and her head was bowed in reading. At my start, however, she looked up and smiled at me.

"Good night, miss," she greeted me.

My heart felt like it was about to thump out of my chest as I whipped my head left and right. "W-where am I?"

The young woman stood and set her book on her chair. "In the home of my master, Lord Tristan Cernunnos."

I stared at my lap and ran a hand through my hair. My attention fell on my injured foot which had been wrapped tightly in a tan bandage. I wiggled my foot and winced, but the pain was much less than before.

"You shouldn't move too much," the young woman warned me as she hurried to the side of the bed. "Lord Tristan is quite good at bandaging, but moving might loosen them."

I blinked at her. "You didn't do it?"

She blushed and shook her head. "Oh no. I'm not very good at bandaging, but Lord Tristan is teaching me a great deal."

A shadow darkened the doorway. I looked past the young woman and saw that 'Lord Tristan' stood in the door. His golden eyes stared at me with such a penetrating look that I fidgeted beneath his examination. There was also a dark expression over his brow, but I couldn't see into his thoughts. However, I felt no fear, only curiosity.

The young woman noticed my attention was behind her and turned around. She clasped her hands in front of her and bowed her head. "Good night, Lord Tristan."

He smiled and the darkness around him faded. "Good night, Chloe. I see our guest has awoken."

Chloe nodded as he joined her at the bedside. The lord leaned over and touched the wrapping. I jerked back when a stinging pain shot up my leg. "This is quite a sprain you have. I don't expect you to be able to walk for a few days."

"I'm sure I'll be fine," I assured him as I drew my leg away and scooted up against the head of the bed. "My friend's probably worried sick about me, so I really should be going."

His smile fell on me and I blushed beneath the attention of that handsome face. "Your wish to return to your friend is admirable, but I'm afraid it isn't possible."

My heart skipped a beat. "What do you mean?"

"You traveled through the dark portal between worlds, and until the portal reopens there's no way for you to return," he told me.

That dropped the mask. Handsome or not, this guy was nuts. I inched toward the opposite side of the bed. "Well, I'm sure I'll find a way. I've got all my life to-um, get back to my world."

"You don't believe me, do you?" he guessed.

I slapped a strained smile on my face and shook my head. "N-no, it's not that! I just-um, I just need to go, that's all. I've caused you two enough trouble."

"Should I restrain her?" a voice spoke up. I froze and whipped my head left and right, but I didn't see anyone.

"I would rather you not," Lord Tristan responded to the voice.

The shadows in the corner beside the fire shifted and stretched across the floor. I was reminded of my dream and my pulse quickened, but not from fear. A part of me was hoping for a sequel to that unfinished fantasy.

This darkness, however, gave off a different vibe than the sensual strands from before. The shadow was a single tendril and avoided the glow from the fire like a scared child. The darkness stopped at the foot of the bed and shot up into the air to form itself into a child made of shadows without clothes, and with a shock of short, unruly hair atop its head. The creature's eyes were the most defining part as they were little glowing white orbs set into the cherubic face.

Whatever the hell it was, it wasn't any creature I'd ever seen. The creature floated like Peter Pan over to the side which I had scooted toward.

The darkness bent down and studied me with an air of interest and disgust. "She's a little skinny, isn't she?" The shadow leaned down and sniffed the air around me. "She's got a good scent of magic, though. One of the best I've ever smelled." He paused and looked up at Tristan. "So she's the one you've been looking for all these years, is that it?"

It was at that point that I found my voice, and it came out as a terrified shriek. I scrambled backward and slammed my back into the headboard.

"Now look what you've done!" Chloe scolded him as she hurried to my side. I scuttled into her arms as she grasped my shoulders and glared at the thing. "You've frightened her!"

The shadow floated back and crossed its dark arms over its chest. "If she's frightened by me then she should run back to her own world before she's scared to death by ours."

"She may have a long wait, and in the meantime she will remain here," Lord Tristan insisted.

I shut my eyes and clapped my cheeks. "This has to be a dream. Wake up, Chris, wake up!"

Chloe looked down at my in concern. "I'm sorry, miss, but this isn't a dream."

I looked up at her and shook my head. "But it has to be! None of you guys are possible!"

She shook her head. "No, miss. This is quite real."

"Please leave us for a moment," Lord Tristan commanded the others.

The shadow rolled his white eyes, but slipped back into the corner. Chloe reluctantly released me and stepped out into the hall, shutting the door behind her.

The room was quiet, but not my mind. A terrible realization fell heavy on me as I found myself grasping the full, terrible truth: I wasn't in Kansas anymore. That portal hadn't been just a figment of my imagination. It had been real, and it had really transported me to a place with talking shadows, girls with cat ears, and a handsome guy who sported a pair of horns.

I wrapped my arms around myself to stop my trembling, but to no avail. Fear began to take hold, a terrible fear that I was trapped in a strange place, alone and without a surefire way to get back home.

The lord seated himself near on the bed near the foot and studied me with a soft look. "This must seem rather strange to you to be in a world that is familiar, and yet not."

An understatement of the year, but my mind still couldn't quite believe that it was truth. "I. . .I'm not really in another world, am I? This is just a prank, right?"

He shook his head. "I'm afraid this is very real. You have traveled from your world, what we in this world call Arall, to our world, Ledrith."

I drew my good leg against my chest and wrapped my arms around it. "I can go back, though, can't I? Back to my world?"

He sighed. "Perhaps one day, but the portal between our worlds is unpredictable, and I know of no way to create one using the magic of Ledrith."

My eyes flickered up to his horns. "You're not going to eat me, are you?"

He blinked at me for a moment before he smiled. "No, I won't eat you. On the contrary-" He reached a gloved hand out to me. I should have shrunk away. That would have been natural. However, I welcomed his touch as he cupped my cheek in his palm. He tilted his head to one side and studied me. "So beautiful," he whispered. I blushed under his compliment. He pursed his lips and drew his hand back. "I'm sorry. That was inconsiderate of me. You must be very frightened right now."

I shook my head. "Not at all. At least, not right now."

He arched an eyebrow. "You're sure?"

I managed a shaky smile. "I think it's the only thing I'm sure about."

A bright smile graced his lips. He stood and faced me before he crossed his arm over his chest and bowed to me. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Lord Tristan Cernunnos, master of this house and all the lands that surround it." He looked up and studied my face. "And what might I call you?"

"I'm Chris."

He arched an eyebrow. "Arall is rather strange. In Ledrith that is a boy's name."

"It's short for Christine. Christine Bradfern," I told him.

He bowed his head again. "It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Miss Bradfern. Please consider yourself my guest for as long as you wish."

"T-thanks," I replied as a tremble ran through me.

The shivering was not of fear but of a deep, frustrating sorrow. There was no telling when-or even _if_ -I was ever going to get home. A sob built up in my throat. I'd never longed to hear Lina's voice as much as I did then.

Lord Tristan's face fell and he took a step toward me as he reached out a hand. "Are you cold? Do you need the fire-"

I burst into tears. Large, runny ones that engulfed me in the understanding that this was indeed real and that I was trapped. I buried my head in my knees and sobbed. The sound echoed off the paneled walls and filled the room with my sorrow. I could feel the lord's shadow stretch over me, but I didn't care. All I cared about was going home, back to my friends and family, and all the stuff I-

I froze when a hand gently touched the top of my head. Tears stood frozen in my eyes as the hand stroked my hair. The bed shifted as a heavy body sat down beside me. I looked up and found the lord seated there stroking my head. His golden eyes and gentle smile soothed my frayed nerves. Even his voice was calming.

"I can't understand the grief you must be feeling at this moment, but so long as you live there's hope for you to return to your world," he reminded me.

I wiped my arm across my eyes and blinked up at him. "But what am I supposed to do until then?"

"You can remain here at my home until you've found the answer to that question," he offered.

My face fell and I set my chin on my knees. His soothing hand never stopped. I closed my eyes and took a deep, shuddering breath. "Thank you."

"You're quite welcome, Christine," he returned. I was sorry when he removed his hand and stood. "But you must be hungry. You slept for quite some time after the spell in my garden. I'm sure Chloe would be glad to bring you anything you desire."

I sniffled, but managed a shaky smile. "I'd. . .I'd like that very much."

He stood and bowed his head. "Then I will see that she brings something up to you. Have a pleasant sleep, if you can, and feel free to call me whenever you wish." He turned and strode toward the door.

The prospect of being alone frightened me as my eyes flickered nervously over to the corner. "What about that shadow thing? Is it going to come back?"

Lord Tristan paused in front of the door and half-turned to me. "Gwill is the protector of this home, but I will tell him to remain outside your room unless you call for him."

"Gwill? The shadow has a name?" I asked him.

He nodded. "Yes, though he has no manners. Fortunately, he will obey my orders completely, so I can assure you he won't enter here again unless you wish it."

I furrowed my brow as I recalled the strange shadow thing. "That. . .that Gwill thing said you were waiting for me," I reminded him as I looked up at my host. "What was he talking about?"

"That is a conversation better finished after a good meal and some rest," he replied.

I smelled a feint and frowned. "Why not right now?" I grasped the sheets in my hands and studied him with a hard gaze. "What's all of this about? Why am I here? How'd I get here?"

The lord turned his face away and when he spoke his voice was hardly above a whisper. "You traveled through a portal between our worlds, one created many, many years ago in order that I might find a suitable bride."

I froze and my eyes widened. A lump arose in my throat that I squashed down with a swallow. I flapped my lips a couple of times before words came out. "Your. . .your _bride?_ "

He gave a nod. "Yes. I have rather. . . _unique_ requirements for my bride, and was unable to find such a person in my world. I set the statue in yours to find one and bring her to me." A soft smile slipped onto his lips as he studied me. "I must admit, you exceed my expectations."

Flattery would get him nowhere as my eyebrows crashed down. "So _you're_ the one who dragged me out of my world?"

The lord stiffened. "You're angry with me."

I slammed my balled hands against the covers. "Of course I'm mad! You kidnapped me!"

He shook his head. "No. My spell was created only to work on one who would willingly come to me."

I flushed at the memory of those tendrils that had so enticed me back to the statue. Still, my anger wasn't abated. "How could I know I was going to be brought here?" I countered. "I didn't know what I was getting into!"

Lord Tristan sighed. "I see that I have upset you, and that's the last thing I wished to do. Tomorrow we will discuss this further, along with your future. Goodnight."

He stepped out into the hall and closed the door behind him, leaving me to fume.

# 8

But I wasn't just going to sit there and do nothing. I needed to get away and back to that courtyard. That portal was my only chance at getting home. If my presence had activated it on one side then maybe it could do it on this side.

I swung my legs over the bed and tested my injured ankle. The bandages limited the movement of my bones and made it possible to walk without a scream every time I put weight on that foot. I tiptoed across the room to the door and paused for a moment. There was only silence. A rattle on the knob told me it was unlocked, so I peeked my head out into the hall. The center part of the floor was carpeted, but was otherwise wood. A railing stood opposite my door and looked out over a small foyer. The stairs were against the wall twenty feet to my left, and there was also a door in the wall at the top of the steps. Identical wood doors on either side of me led to other rooms, and the hall ended fifty feet on my right.

I eased into the hall, but froze as I heard dishes clatter to the floor. Voices echoed into the foyer from beneath me. "I'm so sorry, Lord Cernunnos!"

"It's Tristan, Chloe," Tristan's gentle voice replied. "Be sure to give her whatever she needs."

What I needed was a better escape plan. I grasped the railing and leaned over. The front doors were below and on the wall in front of me. If I could just make it down the steps without being seen and heard than maybe I'd be in luck.

I held onto the railing with my right hand and inched my way toward the stairs. The wall against which the steps ran was covered in portraits of people who didn't look anything like Tristan. For one thing there were no horns, and for another they didn't have his brilliant eyes.

I reached the top step and stretched out my foot to start my descent. That was when a shadow floated out of the corner beside me and formed itself into the mischievous figure of Gwill. I clapped both hands over my mouth to stifle my scream and stumbled back into the banister on the first step.

Gwill looked me up and down with those bright white eyes. "And where do you think you're going?"

I lowered my hands and took a deep breath before I managed a shaky smile. "J-just outside for some fresh air."

He snorted. "You're a worse liar than you look, though I admit you don't look half bad." He floated closer for a better examination.

Too close. My personal-space instinct commanded my hand to fly up and smack him across the cheek. There was a satisfying 'smack' as flesh connected with whatever constituted his body.

Gwill floated back with a shocked look on his face and cupped his wounded cheek. "You. . .you _hit_ me!" he whined.

"Sorry!" I apologized before I turned and flew down the stairs. I reached the doors and grabbed the handles.

"Christine!" It was Tristan. I looked over my shoulder at him. He stood in a doorway near the left-hand wall beneath the balcony. His eyes were full of a mix of expressions, but the one that struck my heart like an arrow was fear.

My heart sank and I shook my head. "I'm sorry. I can't stay here."

I flung open the doors and rushed outside. The night was calm and the stars twinkled above me as I turned left and followed a stone path in front of the house. The path guided me to the side of the home where the hedge rose up like overgrown grass. I raced through the archway and through the short maze to the small courtyard. The fountain gave off its gentle gurgling in greeting to me, but there was no statue, no portal. Not even the gross monster that had attacked me.

I stumbled over to the pool and looked into the glistening water. My own haggard reflection stared back at me. A few tears pooled in my eyes.

"Damn it. . ." I murmured.

I dropped my butt onto the edge of the pool and cupped my face in my hands. Sobs wracked my body as the full realization of my situation hit me like a brick.

I was stuck here. Nothing was going to get me back.

Footsteps on the stones made me whip my head up. Tristan stood over me. His golden eyes held a look of such sorrow that most of my anger at him melted. Still, I was stubborn. I turned my face away.

He gestured to the empty spot beside me. "Do you mind if I sit?"

I hung my head and shut my eyes. Tears pushed out and down my cheeks. "I can't exactly stop you."

"Then I will remain standing."

I could see he was trying to be nice, but 'nice' wasn't going to get me back home. I cupped one side of my face in my hand and bit my trembling lower lip. "Why is this happening to me?"

"Because my spell thought you worthy," he reminded me.

I raised my eyes to his gentle face and pressed my hand against my chest. "But why _me?_ "

He pursed his lips. "I wish I could explain the intricacies of the spell, but I must admit even I don't understand all that is involved in its decisions."

I blinked at him. "You. . .you performed a spell that you didn't understand?"

A smile slipped onto his lips. "Understood, yes, but magic is like a wild beast that has been tamed. Though it does your bidding, the creature is still a natural force and works as it pleases to guarantee the outcome the caster desires."

I wiped my arm across my wet cheeks. "So there's really magic here?"

He held out his hand with the palm facing up. A small purple flame arose from his hand and hovered over his palm. Its single flame flickered and danced, forming itself into shapes like a horse and a bird. The flame became a dragon that flew up out of the fire. Its long tail left a trail of sparkling embers as it glided around the lord before it swooped around me. I turned my head to watch its dazzling flight before the creature returned to the flame. The lord shut his hand and the flame was extinguished.

I couldn't hide my child-like excitement at seeing fantasy become reality. "That was so cool!"

He chuckled. "I'm glad you like it."

"What else can you do?" I asked him.

The lord paused and studied me. "A great deal more, but wouldn't you like to try it yourself?"

I started back. "M-me?" I held up my hands in front of myself and shook my head. "I can't do magic. I couldn't even get a card trick to work."

"On the contrary, you showed some ability in the house," he argued.

I blinked at him. "I did?"

He nodded. "Yes. Not anyone can touch Gwill, a creature of darkness and magic. Only those with the gift of magic could harm him as you did."

I blushed. "I didn't mean to."

"There is no need for an apology. Gwill is rather forgetful of mortal customs, and needs a reminder every now and again." A soft smile fell on his lips. "Now would you like me to show you how to perform magic?"

"I-I don't know about that," I admitted as he took the seat beside me.

He turned at an angle to face me and held out his upraised hands. "Set your hands on mine with the palms upraised."

My eyes flickered from his hands to his kind face. I gathered my courage and set my hands atop his palms.

"Your hands are shaking," he noted.

I snorted. "I'm a little nervous right now."

"This won't hurt," he assured me. "Now close your eyes and focus on the air around you."

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. The air was still chilly, but there was a strange movement around us that tickled my senses. It was like a playful child teasing me with the soft end of a blade of wild grass.

"Do you feel the chill?" he asked me.

I nodded. "Yeah."

"Focus that cold into your right hand," he instructed me.

I scrunched up my face and focused all my thoughts on my hand. My trembling stopped as I felt the chill be drawn from the air and into my palm.

"Open your eyes, Christine."

I opened my eyes and gasped. There, clutched in my palm, was a round ball of water. The liquid slowly swirled inside of itself and reflected the light from the twinkling stars above us. The lord drew his hand out from beneath mine and the water dropped onto mine, splashing me with its cold body. I raised my hand to my face and looked with disappointment at the remains of the ball.

"My apologies," he pleaded as he grasped my hand in his own. He used his own robe to wipe the water away. "I thought perhaps you might be able to hold the magic yourself."

His hand, though gloved, had a warm touch against mine. A strange shiver ran down my spine, one that made me blush. I drew my hand out of his gentle hold and clutched it against my chest as I looked down at the ground. "Maybe I'm not magical, after all," I guessed.

"If you weren't then you wouldn't have been able to hold the magic at all," he told me. "You would, in the words of my world, be a syk."

I raised my eyes and blinked at him. "A what?"

"A syk, or rather, one who is without magic," he told me. "The exact translation would be 'dry.'"

"Are there a lot of them here?" I asked him.

He nodded. "The vast majority of the populace are syk, and thus the job of athrylis-that is, one who is able to use magic-is a lucrative field."

"So what can athrylisis do?" I wondered.

He chuckled. "Far too much for me to list, though I have several books in my library that contain a great deal of knowledge on them." He stood and offered me his hand. "Would you like to see them?"

I looked from his outstretched hand to his face. His expression was impassive, but his eyes were full of hope and longing. I smiled and took his hand, and he drew me to my feet so we stood chest to head. "I'd love to." Tristan opened his mouth, but something gave him pause and he looked up at the sky above the fountain. "Is something wrong?" I asked him.

He looked down at me and smiled. "It's nothing. Let's go."

My heart was uneasy as Tristan led me away, and I cast one last look over my shoulder at the fountain. There was nothing but darkness and shadows, and a feeling of frustrating helplessness inside me.

# 9

Tristan led me back to the house where we found the front doors opened and Chloe standing in the doorway. The light from the foyer cast her front in shadow, but her stiff stance told me she was worried.

"Lord Tristan!" she shouted as we rounded the corner. She hurried over to us and looked from him to me. "Are you both all right?"

Tristan nodded. "Yes. Christine merely needed some time to think."

Chloe looked to me and smiled. "Thank goodness. I thought you would leave us."

"You're too nice," a teasing voice spoke up, and Gwill appeared in the doorway. He didn't cross the threshold, but he floated above it as his white eyes studied me. "And she was most definitely going to leave us if she could."

Chloe's face fell as she studied mine. "I see. . .though I can't blame you. You must have a great many friends at your home."

"We will see to it that she is kept safe and comfortable until she can return to them," Tristan instructed her.

Chloe smiled and curtsied. "Of course, Lord Tristan. Were you still wanting food, Miss Bradfern?"

"Please call me Chris," I requested.

Chloe's smile widened and she nodded. "I'd be delighted to!"

"Christine and I will be in the library," Tristan told her. "You may bring a platter of meat and cheeses there."

Chloe bowed to him. "Right away!" She spun around and hurried back inside, running through Gwill in her eagerness to obey.

The house spirit whipped his head around at her retreating back. "I told you not to do that!" He looked back to us as we approached the door and frowned at me. "Don't think I've forgotten about that slap you gave me."

I glared back at him. "You shouldn't have frightened me!"

"I am surprised you were taken so unawares, Gwill," Tristan teased.

Gwill folded his arms and floated backward into the foyer. "It was just a lucky shot."

Tristan gestured to a pair of doors on the right-hand side of the foyer. "My library is this way."

Gwill balled his hands into fists as we proceeded to the doors. "Don't ignore me! I know where you sleep!"

Tristan opened one of the doors and half-turned to Gwill. "Shouldn't you be making your nightly rounds?"

Gwill arched an eyebrow, or at least what few facial items moved in that way. "Anywhere in particular?"

"The fountain, if you would," Tristan requested as he smiled down at me. He gestured to the room beyond the doors. "Welcome to my library."

I cast a suspicious look at him before I slipped inside. My eyes widened as I beheld a large room that occupied the entire eastern wing of the house from the bottom floor to the roof. Every wall except where the windows stood were covered in bookshelves that were broken only by a metal balcony that was accessed via a spiral staircase. More bookcases covered the walls on the second floor and a few small tables with busts of heads added to the intellectual decor. The lower floor had soft leather chairs with accompanying end tables, and a large fireplace stood in the center of the room on the wall opposite the doors.

Tristan lit some candles that hung from candelabras attached to the walls, and their soft light illuminated the room. "The library is at your disposal whenever you wish."

I stepped into the room and gawked at the countless books both new and ancient that covered the bookshelves. One of the shelving units on the balcony caught my attention. Though it was wood like the others, there was a thick glass doors on its front that slid to give access to the contents. I nodded at the strange case. "What's in that?"

He didn't follow my gaze, but rather studied me. "That is where I hold the oldest and most dangerous books in my collection. You must never open them. Do you understand?" The gravity in his voice made me nod. He relaxed and smiled. "Good. Now where would you like to start? The books on athrylisis?"

I pursed my lips as I swept my eyes over the selection. "Which book helped you create the portal?"

He sighed. "I see. I suppose I can't blame you for wanting to read that book, but I would advise against it. The portals are rather peculiar to both our worlds and involve a great deal of athrylis knowledge to create."

"Well, what about the spell you used to go to my world without a portal?" I asked him. "Can you do that one again?"

"I did, but the trip was rather more violent then the slight toss you experienced," he revealed. "The effort nearly destroyed even one such as I, as the spell involves a great deal of magic to execute properly without being thrown to the far reaches of space and time."

I looked him over from the top of his horns down to his well-heeled boots. "What exactly _are_ you?"

He smiled down at me. "I must appear rather peculiar to you with these." He brushed one hand against a horn. "This world calls me a dierth. I believe yours would call me a dragon."

"What's dierth mean?" I wondered.

His humor fled as he looked straight ahead. "Roughly translated, it means 'unknown.'"

I tilted my head to one side and furrowed my brow. "Unknown what?"

"To them," he told me as he walked over to one of the windows and brushed aside a curtain. The glow of the clear night sky cascaded into the room and cast his face in deep shadows "I don't remember my creation, only _being_."

I grasped the back of one of the chairs and shook my head. "I don't understand."

He turned to me with a bitter smile. "Do you recall your birth?" I shook my head. "It is the same for me. One moment I was nothing, and the next I was alive."

"And that's not normal for this world?" I guessed.

He shook his head. "No. Usually some force of magic brings life into the world, but mine was rather-well, unknown."

My face fell. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to remind you of it."

He shook his head. "There's no need to apologize. It is all in the past." He dropped the curtain and walked back over to me as he swept his hand over the library. "Now what would you like to read?"

"Those books about athrylis sound tempting," I told him.

"They're over here," he told me as he guided me over to the far corner. He gestured to two long shelves of books of various sizes. "All of these have information on the athrylisis, though if you should have any questions I might be able to answer them."

I grabbed a book off the shelf and opened the front cover. My heart fell as foreign writing stared back at me. "I can't read this."

"Perhaps another volume," he suggested as he plucked another book off the shelf and offered it to me.

We traded books and I found that the new tome was in a language I understood. I watched him replace my first book. "So what language was that?"

"That of the fairies," he revealed.

My eyes widened. "You have fairies?"

"And much more, but perhaps you should learn what you can about athrylisis," he suggested as he smiled down at me. "I do intend to make you my apprentice. That is, if you decide to remain here."

My jaw hit the floor and my words came out in a squeaky voice. "M-me? An apprentice athrylis?"

His smile was teasing. "Does the idea not suit you?"

I held up my hands in front of me and vigorously shook my head. "N-no no! It's just that-well, I can hardly boil water. I don't think I'm going to be a very good apprentice in something like magic."

He cupped my chin in his hand and lifted my eyes to meet his. His soft golden gaze soothed my nervous stance. "You underestimate yourself, Christine. You hold more potential than perhaps even I know." He dropped his hand and looked past me at the entrance.

I turned to see that Chloe stood in the doorway with a bright smile on her lips. She held a large silver platter in her hands and curtsied to us. Folded meat and sliced cheese, along with a mug, sat atop the platter. "I have some food for you, and a drink, if you wish."

"An excellent inclusion," Tristan complimented her as she set the platter on an end table near me.

Chloe blushed and bowed her head. "Will you be wanting anything else?"

Tristan shook his head. "Nothing at the present."

She bowed her head and left us. I plopped myself into the chair near the platter and picked up a white piece of sliced meat. The texture was a little rough, but the smell was like pork. I looked up at Tristan. "So what kind of meat is this?"

He chuckled. "You needn't fear about the creatures in this world. Many of our animals originated in your world, and vice versa."

I drew the meat closer to my lips, but paused when I noticed him watching me. "Aren't you going to have any?"

He shook his head. "I rarely need to eat or drink, but please do what pleases you."

"So how'd the animals get to be in both worlds?" I wondered as I took a chunk out of the meat. I froze and my eyes bulged out of my head. A coughing fit wracked my body as I dropped the meat back onto the platter and snatched the mug in both hands. I gulped down the smooth cider-apple, I think-and stopped my coughing. I nodded at the meat. "What kind of animal is that? An jalapeno-pig?"

"You disapprove?" he wondered.

"I've never eaten anything that spicy before," I admitted.

"Spicy meat is an old custom in Chloe's family," he revealed.

I eyed the rest of the platter with apprehension. "So does she do that to _all_ the meat?"

He picked up a dark piece and held it out to me. "This should be more to your liking."

I reluctantly took the meat and gave it a nibble. I'm no food connoisseur, but the texture was smooth, the juices flowed, and the flavor had a smoky seasoning that made my mouth water. I drew the meat away from me and studied it with wide eyes.

"This is really good!" I revealed.

"I'm glad you like it," he mused as he took a seat in a chair opposite mine. "Chloe will be pleased to learn of another who appreciates her cooking."

I set my hands in my lap and returned my attention to the strange man. "Has she been with you for very long?"

He nodded. "Quite a long time, about fifteen years come autumn."

"So this world has seasons?" I guessed.

He smiled at me. "Yes, and a great many other similarities to your own world, and many differences that make it far more wondrous and dangerous."

"Like what besides magic?" I wondered.

"That qualifies for a great deal," he countered as he stretched out one upraised hand. A tiny flickering flame appeared on his gloved palm. "Magic is a binding nature of sorts in this world, another natural element that creates and destroys. For my world to be without it would change the fabric of reality itself, much less the history and lives of countless people."

I looked down at my lap where the book he gave me rested and brushed my hand over the cover. "I guess I have a lot to learn. I mean, if I stay here." My eyes flickered to my greasy hand that had held the meat, and I lifted my eyes to Tristan. "So how _did_ the animals cross over to both worlds?"

"Old tales mention natural portals that once dotted both our worlds, many in caves," he revealed. "They slowly closed over time as the magic in your world dried up, and now all of them no longer exist."

My heart fell and I bowed my head. "I see. . ."

He studied me for a moment before he stood. "But this conversation can continue tomorrow. The hour is late and you appear to be very sleepy."

"I'm not-" My mouth widened in a large yawn. I sheepishly smiled at him. "I guess I am a little sleepy."

Tristan pulled the bell beside the fireplace and Chloe appeared. "Please save the food for tomorrow's breakfast."

Chloe curtsied and carried the platter out of the room. I stood and followed Tristan upstairs to the door of my bedroom.

He turned to me and smiled. "I hope you have pleasant dreams."

I blushed at the remembrance of that most wonderful 'dream' from before I left my world. "I-I'm sure I will. Goodnight."

Tristan bowed his head. "Goodnight." He moved over to another door and disappeared inside.

I slipped into my room and shut the door before I leaned my back against the entrance. My pulse was fast and my cheeks still red. I reached up and grasped my chest over my quickly-beating heart. I jutted out my jaw and shook my head.

"Get over yourself, Chris," I hissed at myself as I pushed off from the door. "You're not supposed to stay here for very long, anyway, remember?"

I tried to remember as I slipped into the bed covers, but scolding myself _and_ listening were two very different things. That was why I went to sleep with sweet visions of that handsome face rimmed with horns.

# 10

I awoke the next morning to find the door to my bedroom open and the sound of bustling ringing from downstairs. My old clothes from last night were still on, so I flung aside the sheets and walked out onto the balcony. The smell of sizzling breakfast came to my nostrils and I eagerly inhaled the wonderful scents.

Tristan appeared in the foyer beneath me and looked up. His dazzling golden eyes were a beautiful reminder of the strange world in which I found myself. "Good morning. How are you feeling?"

I stretched my arms above my head and winced. "A little sore from my rough landing, but my ankle feels better."

"Would you like to take a bath before breakfast?"

A smile stretched across my lips. "Do I ever."

Tristan gestured to the hall from which he had emerged. "If you would follow me we'll see what we can do."

I hurried down the steps and followed him down the hall. We passed the open kitchen doorway on the left where stones made up the floor and halfway up the walls. A large wood stove filled five feet of one side with a wide sink near a side door. The center of the room had a wood-topped island, and from the ceiling hung a rack with countless pots and pans.

Chloe knelt in front of the stove and fed the fire, though as we passed she looked over her shoulder and smiled at us. "Good morning!"

I gave her a small wave. "Good morning."

Tristan stopped at a door a few feet down the hall from the kitchen and opened the entrance. Inside was a pristine bathroom with a clawed-foot tub and a counter with a bowl. A mirror hung on the wall above the counter and reflected the opposite wall where hung a few shelves with a variety of towels. The lowest shelf held vials of brightly-colored liquids of purple, pink, red, and green. I was relieved to see a toilet beside the sink.

I stepped inside and onto the pristine white-tiled floor. The scent of fresh flowers wafted from a full vase that stood on the counter beside the mirror.

The door shut behind me, and I turned to find Tristan in the room with me. I smiled at him. "It's a very nice bathroom."

He walked past me and turned on the tap. Hot water flowed into the tub. He took one of the vials and poured some purple into the water. Bubbles floated up to the top, and satisfied he returned the vial to the shelf and turned to me. "Now let me help you with your clothes."

My jaw dropped open. "S-say what?"

He nodded at my person. "Your clothes. Let me help you take them off."

I clutched the front of my shirt and stepped back as I shook my head. "I-I'm fine, really. There's no need to help me."

"You are my guest, and so I must insist," he persisted.

"You don't have to go that far!" I assured him as I stumbled back against the wall beside the door. "I can do it myself!"

"You can't reach everywhere there is grime," he insisted as he walked up to me.

I yelped and tried to get away, but he grabbed the bottom of my shirt and tugged upward. He was faster than he looked and had a quick hand. In a few moments I was undressed. I dove for the only sanctuary I could find, the bubble-filled bathtub. Water splashed onto the tiles as I sank myself up to my chin in the suds.

Tristan grasped a washcloth from the shelves and walked over to me. I tensed as he reached behind my back and stroked my skin with the soft cloth. His touch was gentle and soothed the aches and pains in my bones. I found myself relaxing beneath his massage, so much so that I hardly heard his question.

"Huh?" I replied, and my lips gurgled out bubbles.

"I was asking how you slept," he repeated.

"Like a baby," I assured him as he cleaned the nape of my neck and under my long hair.

"Would you like some assistance with your front?" he offered.

I froze and wrapped my arms around myself. "I-I think I can manage."

"Very well," he replied as he stood and held out the washcloth. He gestured to a white dress that hung over a pole below the cloth shelves. "This is one of Chloe's dresses, but should it not fit you exactly we might have it hemmed in town. I will return to help clothe you, if you wish."

I vehemently shook my head. "N-no! I can do it!"

"All right, but don't take too long," he warned me before he left.

I scrubbed my body thoroughly and slipped out of the tub. The towels were large and fluffy, and left me with a soft feeling as I stepped up to the dress. I lifted the outfit by the shoulders and inspected the white dress with its sashed waist and slightly ruffled cuffs. The dress reached to my ankles and covered my arms halfway to my elbows.

I tossed the dress over my head and wiggled it on. Chloe was a little short and smaller than me so the dress was a little tight around the chest area and a few inches above the ankles, but otherwise the dress was a good fit. I had only one problem: a few buttons to finish the dressing were on the backside.

I turned in circles trying to snatch them, but I ended slipping on the wet floor and nearly crashing to the tiles. I grabbed the counter and caught myself before that calamity happened. A knock on the door nearly finished the job as I started and whipped my head toward the entrance.

"Chris?" Chloe's soft voice called through the door. "Are you needing any help?"

I sighed. "Actually, I am." Chloe eased open the door and peeked inside. I jerked my thumb over my back. "Could you deal with these?"

Chloe smiled and slipped inside, careful to shut the door behind her. "Of course."

I stood still before the mirror as Chloe deftly buttoned up my back. A glance in the glass at her hat reminded me of the ears I'd seen last night. "So are you a-um, like Tristan?" I asked her.

She blinked at me. "Like-oh! You mean a dierth? Oh no. I'm just a plain old gath. That is, a shifter descended from the mountain gath of old."

I tilted my head to one side and furrowed my brow. "What's a shifter?"

She paused in her buttoning and looked at me through the mirror with shock. "You don't know what a shifter is?"

I shook my head. "No. At least, I don't think so."

"A shifter is a person who can take the form of their ancestor," she explained as she finished the job. I turned to face her and she raised her hat just enough for me to see an ear. "Since I'm of the mountain gath I can change into them." She blushed and dropped her cap. "Though not very well, and I have a hard time controlling myself when I'm in that form."

"So is Tristan maybe descended from a dragon?" I guessed.

Chloe shook her head. "Oh no. He's a dierth, so he has no origin."

"But aren't there dragon shifters? Or dragons he might have come from?" I wondered.

"No such creatures existed in this world like the giant lizard he's described from yours," she told me as she stepped over to the door. "And as far as anyone knows he's the only dierth in the world. But we must hurry. Breakfast and Lord Tristan are waiting, and might I say-" she looked me up and down with a smile, "-you look even better in that dress than I do."

I blushed and looked down at the floor. The sudsy water reminded me of my recent struggle with the lord. I pursed my lips and raised my eyes to the expectant servant. "Chloe, does Tristan. . .he doesn't really understand personal space, does he?"

"Personal space?" she repeated.

"It's a saying in my world that means the area around someone. You know, like not picking people up in their arms or undressing them," I explained.

A tender smile slipped onto her lips. "You mean decorum, don't you, miss?" I nodded. "You really must forgive My Lord when he overlooks it. He hasn't really had many people around him but Gwill and me, and I think he's still trying to work things out for himself."

I frowned. "But isn't he really old? I mean, he visited my world fifteen hundred years ago."

"I don't know about your world, but he's very old even in this one, though when you've lived alone for most of that time you tend not to pick up on the little things that society demands," she pointed out as she walked over and grasped my shoulders. "I'm sure he was only trying to help."

My shoulders slumped, and their soothed muscles reminded me that he _had_ helped me. "All right, lead us onward to food."

# 11

My buttoned up self was taken back down the hall to the dining room that occupied the western wing. The hall was a long, wide room with a buffet against the right-hand wall. A large fireplace kept away the cool chill of the morning. On the wall opposite the fire was a line of windows that looked out on the front of the house. A well-manicured lawn stretched for some hundred feet before ending in an eight-foot tall hedge that surrounded the yard and disappeared around either side of the house to become the garden in the side and rear.

Light streamed into the room, casting its warmth on the thirteen chairs that occupied the table. At the head of the table opposite the door sat the lord. He rose at our entrance and drew out the chair that stood to his right where a place had been set.

"You look very nice," he complimented me as Chloe released me and slipped into the kitchen.

I sat down and tugged on the cloth at my hip to pull it out from under me. "I feel very stupid."

The lord pushed my chair in and took his own seat. "We can purchase more comfortable clothes after breakfast. For now, please eat anything you like."

I looked over the food that had already been spread out on the table. There was sausage, eggs, and toasted bread stacked neatly on the elegant white china. I looked down at my own plate and saw that the dish had a thin line of gold around the rim.

I took up my fork and hovered the prongs over the food. "This smells delicious."

"Chloe will be glad to hear you say so," he told me as the serving girl entered through a door that stood behind his chair.

"I hope you're hungry," she cooed as she walked up to me. In her hands was a pitcher of milk.

I forked a sausage and cut a large chunk off before taking a huge bite. The meat was juicy and cooked to perfection. I smiled up at her. "I'm starving, and this is really good."

Chloe blushed as she poured my drink. "Thank you." She returned to the kitchen, but only for a moment. The young girl returned and stood beside the kitchen doorway waiting for any further orders.

I glanced up at Tristan and noticed that his plate was empty, as was his glass. "Aren't you going to have any?" I wondered.

He shook his head. "No, at least, not at the moment. As I mentioned last night, I need very little refreshment to survive."

I hung my head. "I see. . ."

Tristan shifted in his chair. "But perhaps you have some questions about this world. I'd be glad to answer any of them."

I lifted my gaze and my sight fell on Chloe. "Well, I was wondering how shifters came about here but not in my world," I admitted.

"Magic was the source. The humans sought supremacy over all the lands and the beasts. The animals used primitive but powerful magic to transform themselves into humanoid creatures and used the weapons of the humans against them to protect their homelands."

I looked to Chloe. "So humans and your kind don't get alone?"

"Oh, that was a long time ago," she assured me with a bright smile. "Now we live very peacefully together."

I returned her smile with one of my own. "I'm glad to hear that. So-" I returned my attention to Tristan, "-what else is different than from my world." I tugged on my collar. "Well, besides the clothes and the decor."

"Magic stands out above all else as different," he emphasized as he leaned back from his empty plate and entwined his fingers together. "It is very much the defining attribute of this world. The humans and shifters rely on the athrylis to help them, the shifters rely on their magic to grant them the ability to hunt in their natural forms, and the athrylis rely on all of them to support their life. Unintentionally or not, much of that magic is therefore dedicated to protecting the inhabitants from the natural evils of the world."

I paused mid-chew and swallowed hard. "What kind of evils?"

"The natural world of this realm, like your own, has its wild creatures. Some of those beasts are of monstrous size, and a few are even capable of their own magic such as Chloe's ancestors," he explained.

"Like dragons?" I guessed.

A dark shadow passed over his brow. "Dragons were rather rare in this world. A beast that would be a better example is the legendary ferange, a cat from which many species of shifter cats are descended."

I looked to Chloe. "So as a gath you're not descended from them?"

She shook her head. "Oh no. They are completely different from my ancestors."

"So like humans, shifters are different from each other even if they're all cats or dogs or something like that?" I guessed.

Tristan nodded. "Yes. This world is as complicated as any other, and has its own histories."

I looked him up and down. "You must have a very long history."

"You're referring to my age," he mused.

"The story that the lord of the castle told me said you came to my world fifteen hundred years ago," I pointed out.

Tristan cupped his chin in one hand and furrowed his brow. His voice was low and quiet, and there was a hint of surprise in its depths. "Has so much time passed?"

I studied him in his deep thought. There was almost a child-like innocence to his features that I couldn't quite understand, like seeing a person who knew the world, and yet couldn't understand it.

"Were you alone for most of it?" I wondered.

He nodded. "Yes. Dierth are not generally welcomed, even when they can perform magic to assist the sick or grow the crops. And then there are these-" He reached up and brushed his hand against one of his horns. "I'm afraid I'm unable to hide them, and they bear the mark of my dierth heritage."

I admired the smooth white bone of the horns. "But they're so pretty. How could anyone not like to see them?"

Tristan dropped his hand and smiled at me. "I'm glad you think so, but not many share your opinion. However, the hour grows late." He pushed back his chair and stood. "What say we head to the village? The tailor there will be able to make some suitable attire for you after he takes your measurements."

I gobbled up more of my food and jumped to my feet. "I'm ready for that!"

# 12

We walked to the foyer and Chloe followed. She snatched a brown cloak from a hook near the door and held it out to me. "You can borrow this. Sometimes the road is very muddy and I wouldn't want you to get some on your dress."

I smiled at her and took the cloak. "Thanks, but-" I glanced down at my bare feet. "What about shoes?"

"Your strange shoes are drying in the sun outside, so you might borrow some of my boots," Chloe offered me.

I wrapped my arms around her stiff form and gave her a hug. "You're a lifesaver."

When I drew us apart Chloe was blushing, but it was a becoming red hue. She bowed her head and her hands fidgeted together in front of her. "I-it's nothing."

"Christine," Tristan called from the open doorway.

I spun around and hurried to him, swinging the cloak over my shoulders as I went. "Coming!" Tristan froze and his eyes widened a little as I joined him at the door. I blinked up at him as he stared down at me. "What?" I looked down at myself. "Do I look that bad?"

He gathered himself and shook his head. "On the contrary, but let us go."

We stepped out into the soft rays of the early-day sun. I couldn't help but look in the direction of the hedge, and the persistent question popped out of my mouth. "Has the portal opened?"

Tristan looked ahead and his answer was in a flat tone. "No. I'm sorry."

I shrugged and returned my attention to the quaint stone path that led us toward the road. "It's fine. I mean, it's only been a day, and this is a really nice one.

I wish I could have felt that optimistic, though my words did allow me to enjoy the view around me. This was my first time for a full inspection of the front of the house, and I was in awe of its wonderful beauty. The front yard was full of long flower patches that curved and turned to create little nooks where someone could read the whole day away without being disturbed. Tall oak trees cast their cool shadows over various hedges that interrupted the yard and wound their way through the gardens like sentinels standing guard over the flowers.

A flicker of light made me glance to our right and I saw a small lily-pad covered pond a short walk away. Its smooth surface glistened in the light of the sun as birds flitted to and fro catching the bugs. The yard sloped down to its cool shores and created a perfect picnic spot.

Beyond the hedges and flowers was a tree line that separated the property from the rest of the world. The trees on the left were thicker and taller than those on the right, and in the distance I glimpsed an opening that hinted at civilization.

"Do you like it?" Tristan asked me.

I nodded. "I've never seen anything so beautiful." I looked up at him. "Did you do all of this yourself?"

"Of course he didn't!" a voice piped up, and Gwill emerged from the deepest shadows of an oak tree nearest us. He crossed his arms and folded his legs beneath him as he floated beside us. "You can't make such a nice yard and house without having a strong ardwid."

"You must be very proud of this wonderful lawn," I complimented him.

His eyes widened a little and his face showed some surprise, but he pulled himself together and puffed out his chest. "Of course. An ardwid who can't make his own lawn green is a worthless one."

"What happens if you leave?" I wondered.

He shook his head. "I can't leave, at least-" his eyes flickered to Tristan, "-not without permission of the house owner. Though I _could_ leave for a few days, maybe even a week and nothing would happen. After that-" He shrugged. "There's no telling, but it wouldn't be pretty. The flowers might wither and the lawn would definitely turn brown." He looked up at the oak as we passed under its shadow. "This old guy might not even make it very long without me."

"When did you last leave?" I asked him.

Gwill's eyes flickered to Tristan and a dark shadow passed over his already-dark face. "It's been a while, hasn't it? Not since-"

"What matters is you remain here now," Tristan interrupted him.

Gwill floated around us and shrugged. "I know, I know. Gotta maintain the home fire and all that, and I'll do it, too, even if you don't come back. Now if you'll excuse me, I have some fresh flowers to make bloom." He slunk back into the shadows and disappeared.

I looked up at Tristan. "What happened when he last left?"

"The house and grounds were in rather poor shape when we returned," he admitted.

"So you two must have been gone for a while," I guessed.

"Long enough," was his evasive answer.

The stone path guided us through the array of beauty and toward a thick line of trees that divided the property from the dirt road which I could see through the narrow woods. As we reached the center of the tree line I felt a strange shift in the air. It was like a cloak had been lifted and a cold breeze wafted over me.

"Did you just feel something?" I asked Tristan.

He smiled down at me. "It's very adept of you to notice. Most people would accept it as a passing shadow and ignore the sensation."

"So you felt it, too?" I guessed.

He nodded. "Yes. That's the boundary for the house to keep evil away. Gwill's magic surrounds the entirety of my property and serves as a sanctuary for all within its blanket of protection." We reached the wide dirt road and turned right away from the deeper part of the woods.

"So why don't other people feel it as well as us?" I wondered.

Tristan tilted his head to one side and his teasing eyes studied me. "Have you forgotten that you are an athrylis?"

I looked at the ground and shook my head. "No. I just-" I raised one hand and looked over the simple palm that had held magic, albeit briefly. "I just don't feel any different than I did before."

"That will change in time. That is, if you decide to accept my proposal and become my apprentice," he reminded me.

I smiled up at him. "It's really tempting, but I don't want to bother you."

"You forget that my spell is what brought you here," he pointed out.

I shrugged. "I know, but you're trying your best to get me back, and I'm really grateful for that."

Tristan stared ahead and pursed his lips. "I see. Well, please consider my offer. It wouldn't be a bother for me to teach you some magic while you're here."

A thought struck me and made me furrow my brow. "If I did learn magic, would I be able to use it in my own world?"

He shook his head. "No. Magic relies on a natural source, and that source is no longer in your world."

My shoulders drooped. "Dang."

"You might stay in this world," Tristan suggested.

I raised my eyes to the natural beauty that surrounded us. The woods with their cool shadows and soft, tickling brush waved at us with the insistence of a soft breeze. A creek passed by us near enough that I could hear its gurgling voice call out to me, tempting me with its sweet, fresh water.

"I just-" I bowed my head and bit my lower lip. "I just don't know."

Tristan studied me for a moment before he looked ahead and sighed. "I'm sorry. I didn't intend to pressure you to remain, and I will help you return home, if that is what you truly desire."

I ran a hand through my hair. "I just. . .I just don't feel like I belong here, you know? This isn't my world, not really."

He nodded without looking at me. "I understand."

I sighed and looked over my shoulder at the thicker part of the forest that we left behind. I was glad when my curiosity overcame the heavy shadow over my heart. "What's that way?"

"The wilderness of the ellyll, or fairy wood," he told me. "You should never go there alone."

His words tempted my curiosity. "Why not?"

"The ellyll are a powerful folk who distrust mortals and cast them from their sight," he warned me. "If they are provoked they will do worse than shun you. They may cast a curse on you that even the strongest of athrylis magic would be hard-put to lift."

I winced. "So is that some of the evils you mentioned earlier?"

"It is less an evil than the order of things," he countered. "The ellyll have distrusted mortals since athrylis first used magic for their own designs. You might say they are jealous that another besides they can harness nature. Shifters are also shown the same scorn because of their very being."

"So can shifters be athrylis?" I wondered.

He nodded. "They can, and many of the most powerful of the athrylis have been shifters. There are currently several shifters on the Council of Treon."

"What does that council do?" I asked him.

He chuckled. "You have quite a curiosity for a world to which you don't belong."

I smiled and shrugged. "I might have a long wait here, so I may as well learn as much as I can."

"The Council of Treon is the governing body of the athrylis," he told me. "They are the ones who enforce the rules of the athrylis and who preside over judgment should one of our own break the sacred commandments."

I furrowed my brow. "So does 'Treon' mean something?"

"He was a legendary athrylis who wrote the texts on which the commandments are based," Tristan explained as his eyes took on a faraway look. "According to those same legends, he ascended to the aether while still alive and resides there in perpetual peace."

"So the aether is some sort of heaven?" I guessed.

"In the terms of most people, yes," he confirmed, but his attention shifted to a spot ahead of us. "We are nearing the village of Blodau, which translates to flowers."

Never was a name more apt as the forest parted and the road widened. Before us were wide fields of flowers that looked like a cross between an iris and a tulip. Their thick, long petals showed off all the colors of the rainbows. There were dazzling pinks and greens as brilliant as a pure emerald. The reds were as bright as the crest of a finch and the yellow was as bright as a rose. There were many more colors, and all blended to create their own beautiful rainbow that swayed in a gentle breeze.

Beyond the flowers sat a quaint village with a couple dozen steep-roofed houses and a single large, spire-tipped building with a bell tower. The houses were a clean whitewashed color that glistened in the sun. A few people, men and women alike and dressed all in plain rough wool clothing, worked in the fields closest to the village.

"Wow," I breathed.

"The enfise flower is the main export of Blodau," Tristan told me. "The flower is notoriously difficult to grow, but the relatively predictable climate here allows the villagers to harvest fields of them."

"I've never seen a flower with so many colors," I mused as I swept my eyes over the rainbow field.

"Even in this world the flower is unique for that very trait," Tristan revealed before he started off down the final path between the flowers. "Now let us see what the tailor can make for you."

# 13

We walked down the wide dirt road and soon reached the people in the fields. They had small sickles in their hands like those used for hand-cutting wheat and were hard at work slicing the flowers off as close to the ground as they could cut. Their long experience showed when all that was left behind them was a field of green stumps that were barely visible above the dirt.

They tossed the cut flowers behind them and other workers at their backs picked them up as quickly as they threw them. The flowers were set into large wicker baskets that hung from one arm, and when the basket was filled the people switched out their full basket for an empty one so that the pickup process was unbroken. Dozens of filled baskets sat on the edge of the field, and mostly women sorted the flowers by colors. Beside them were strings of equal lengths that they used to tie the flowers into bouquets which were then placed into new baskets. Those were carried to several nearby carts that were quickly being filled. The whole process was as smooth as the flow of a lazy river.

At our approach, however, several of the workers at the front looked up. They cast dark looks at Tristan and quizzical glances in my direction. Some of them even sneered at Tristan as we passed.

I lowered my voice to a whisper as we left the workers behind. "Do they not like you?"

"A dierth is trusted by very few because they cannot tell where my loyalties lie," he mused.

I blinked up at him. "Your loyalties?"

He sighed. "Chloe was not quite right to say that the animosity between shifters and humans was long past. Patches of the world, and even whole empires, still distrust one another and have made war in recent memory. For one such as I who cannot claim an ancestry from either side, I am feared and loathed by both sides."

"He's coming!" a young boy whispered.

"Quiet, Aeron!" a young girl's voice hissed.

"You're the one not being quiet, Enid!" the first voice argued.

We reached a grouping of large wooden casks, and it was from them that the voices originated. I paused and peeked over the top of one of the front ones. There was a little hole in the middle, and in that space was packed two young children, a boy and a girl. They both yelped and scrambled back, but their own hiding place trapped them.

The young girl, who appeared to be about ten, wrapped her arms around the boy and glared up at me. "I won't let you eat him!"

I blinked at her. "Who's going to eat him?"

Tristan moved to stand beside me and the girl pointed at him. "He's going to eat him!"

I laughed. "He's not going to eat anyone, but I might." I reached a hand toward them. The children screamed.

"What's going on there?" a man called out. I looked over my shoulder to see a burly fellow with a cleaver in one hand and a stained apron over his ample belly. He stopped five feet from us and eyed both of us with suspicion. "Well?"

"She wants to eat us!" Enid called out.

The man blinked for a moment before a smile slipped onto his round face. He cupped his belly and threw back his head for a great, big laugh. "Eat _you_ , Enid? You're not fit to be eaten by a scrawny cat!"

Enid jumped to her feet and her head just barely peeked above the barrels. "I am, too! I'll be eleven soon!"

"And not an ounce of good meat on you," he countered as he strode up to us. He looked to Tristan's horns and his grin didn't disappear. "You really need to learn to hide those things, Tristan, or someone might think you'd look good on a wall."

Tristan sighed, but his expression was one of good humor. "You know I can't, Rhys."

Rhys shrugged. "Maybe a hat, then, or a cloak with a hood. Like this young woman has." He gesture to me. "And what a pretty thing she looks in it, too. I don't believe I've seen you before."

"She's a monster who wants to eat us!" Aeron piped up as he climbed to his feet. His short statue meant he couldn't look over the barrels.

Rhys frowned and wagged his cleaver-filled hand at the pair. "Now stop spreading those lies around here. Nobody's gonna eat anybody except for those ellyll."

Tristan arched an eyebrow. "What's this about the ellyll?"

Rhys shrugged. "I wish I could say for sure, but nobody knows. One of the hunters was out the other day in Harlipren when they found the body of some poor soul. The man had been ripped apart and his body sprinkled with acid."

I looked up at Tristan. "Harlipren?"

"The woods where the ellyll dwell," he told me as he frowned at Rhys. "The ellyll have warned you to stay away from there."

"A man's got to feed his family," Rhys countered.

"The king wouldn't find that a convincing argument if he should catch you," Tristan argued.

"But what I want to know is if you think it was the king's work," Rhys wondered.

Tristan shook his head. "I can't be sure, and I'm no more welcome there than any other creature."

I felt a tug on my sleeve and turned to find Enid and Aeron standing behind me. It was the little girl who held me, and her eyes were as big as saucers as she looked me over. "You're really not going to eat us?"

I turned and bent down so I was face-to-face with her. "No. I much prefer sausages made by Chloe."

"Who's Chloe?" Aeron asked me.

"She's the shifter who lives with Tristan," I told them. "I'm sure you've seen her around."

Enid nodded. "Yes, I've seen her, but she doesn't talk much."

"It's because she's a witch who eats people," Aeron insisted.

Enid frowned down at him. "Oh hush. Nobody's going to eat anybody."

"But you said-"

"Just forget what I said and listen to what I'm saying," she ordered him before she returned her attention to me. "I've never seen anyone walking with the dierth before. What are you doing with him?"

I tapped her nose. "His name is Tristan, and he's taking me to get some new clothes."

She wrinkled her nose, but still held her smile. "So you're living with him, too?"

"For a while, at least," I told her.

"Do you want to play with us?" Aeron asked me.

"That's not how you ask that, dummy!" Enid hissed at him. "You have to be more polite!"

"Christine," Tristan called to me.

I stood and ruffled both their heads. "I'll play some other time, okay?"

Aeron swatted away my hand, but Enid smiled up at me. "Yes, please!" The pair scurried off to play.

Tristan and I continued down the street. "The children seemed fond of you," he mused.

I nodded. "Yeah, they're not bad kids." I looked up at him. "So how come Rhys likes you?"

"I cured him of an illness some years back," he admitted.

"So what do you think attacked that guy?" I wondered.

He shook his head. "It's impossible to say without seeing the body and where it was found, and even then the mystery might remain unsolved because of the many wild beasts that roam the Halipren."

I winced and wrapped my arms around myself. "They don't come onto your property, right?"

He smiled down at me. "No. Even if they were to wander out of the pren-that is, the woods, Gwill would take care of them. Ah." He stopped us in front of a two-story home. "Here we are."

We walked inside and a little bell above the door rang. The shop was small, but was filled with shelves upon shelves of fabric, buttons, sashes, and all else needed to make any variety of clothing. A central aisle stood in the middle of the room and led to a small desk at the back with a peddle-powered sewing machine on its top. Narrow stairs in the right-rear corner led to the second floor.

"Wow," I commented as I admired the many different colors and types of fabrics.

"Vaughn is very proud of his diverse inventory," Tristan told me.

"I recognize that sweet voice," someone cooed. Footsteps hurried down the stairs and a slim man appeared. He wore a simple white blouse with gray pants, but the fabric of both were of a much higher quality than the sparing attire I'd seen the other villagers wear. His black, sharp-pointed shoes were smooth enough to show our reflections as he hurried over to us. He grasped Tristan's gloved hands in his and smiled up at him. "It's been far too long, Tristan. I thought you were running around naked months ago."

"Your clothes will outlast the spires of Laethion."

"Speaking of Laethion, I have the latest fashion from that dazzling city. Would you-" The man noticed me for the first time. He smiled and bowed his head. "If you would wait just a moment, miss, I'll be glad to-" He paused and squinted at my clothes. The man scurried forward and grasp the cloak in his hands. "This is the cloak I made for Chloe." He raised his eyes to me. "How did you come to have it?"

"Chloe allowed her to borrow it until you make her one of her own," Tristan explained.

Vaughn's mouth dropped open as he looked from Tristan to me and back again to him. "You. . .you're with this celibate priest?"

A snort escaped my lips before I clapped my hand over my mouth. Tristan straightened and looked down at the man with a slightly hard expression. "This is Christine. She is a guest at my home and in need of clothes. Can you supply them?"

Vaughn's eyes lit up and he grasped my hands. "Make clothes for such a beauty! Why, I am your servant, and you my master, my dearest dear Christine! Tell me what you wish to have and I will make it! Even if I have to go to the edges of the world, I will make it!"

"Could you make me some pants?" I pleaded.

He blinked at me for a moment before a barking laugh escaped his lips. "Ah, the simple type, aren't you? A simple style for a woman who is far from simple." He cupped his chin in one hand and walked around me. His head bobbed up and down, and a few hums and hahs slipped from his lips. "Yes, quite an extraordinary face, and what pose!" He stopped in front of me and smiled. "My dear, you have the elegance of a queen, and some of the looks, too."

I shrank beneath his praise and shook my head. "I'm not really that-" He pressed a finger to his lips and leaned in close so our noses almost touched.

"You're beautiful, my dear," he whispered to me with a wink. "And don't ever let anyone tell you otherwise." He straightened and gestured at my body. "Now how would a couple of nice blouses and some pants work for you?"

I smiled and nodded. "That would work just fine."

Vaughn looked to Tristan who stood beside us. "I can have the clothes done by tomorrow. As for you-" He set his hand on Tristan's lower back and guided him toward the back wall. "Step right over here, my dear Tristan, and feast your eyes on the latest fashions from the capital."

I was left to my own devices, but I didn't mind that at all. There was so much to look at, and so many colors to admire, that I didn't even notice the shadow that leaned out of the end of the shelving.

A hand appeared out of the corner of my eye and clapped over my mouth. My eyes widened as I let out a muffled scream as an arm wrapped around my waist. My assailant drew me out of the main aisle and into the shadows of the corner of the store. A hot breath wafted over my ear as a few whispered words came from my unknown but definitely male attacker.

"Hello there."

# 14

My eyes widened and my heart quickened. I prepared myself for a muffled scream. My captor stiffened. "Don't scream. I don't want to hurt you, I just want to talk. Okay?" I nodded my head. "Good. I'm going to let you go now, so don't scream."

The person released me. I spun around to find myself face-to-face with a slim man of thirty-five with a slightly balding head at the front. He had a wide smile on his face and wore a tight-fitting suit of some sort of leather, but a shimmering cloak hid his clothes from a good look.

The man glanced at the front of the store before he returned his attention to me. "We don't have much time, but hear me out. You're the new girl with the Dusk Dragon, right?"

I furrowed my brow. "The Dusk Dragon?"

"The dierth," he rephrased.

I nodded. "I'm with Tristan, but-"

"No time to explain. Just know that I can help you out. That is, if you'll let me. I'm sure he's already been cruel to you."

I shook my head. "Not really. He's been very kind."

He cast a quick look at the back of the store. "Yeah, well, most people around here already know about his cruelty. That must mean you're not from this village, so why'd you leave home to be with him?"

My heart fell and I dropped my gaze to the ground. "I can't go home. At least, not yet. He's trying to help me."

He flashed me a grin. "Your home must be pretty far, but not so far that I couldn't help you myself."

I looked up at him and arched an eyebrow. "You know magic?"

He nodded. "And the best kind. It can get you back, no matter where in the world you're from."

I bit my lower lip. "What if I'm not _from_ this world?"

His eyes widened, as did his smile. " _Really?_ " He cupped his chin in one hand and studied me a moment longer as his yellow eyes glistened. "Well, that would make it trickier, but not impossible." A noise from the rear of the store made him stiffen. He fumbled in his pants pocket and drew out a shimmering item about the size of a thumbnail. The man grabbed one of my hands and stuffed the item into my palm before he closed my fingers over it. "Take this and meet me in Harlipren tonight at midnight. I'll be under the thorny tree about a mile down the road from the house and a hundred yards into the woods. When you get there I'll take you home." He gave me a wink. "But don't tell the Dusk Dragon. He'll try to stop you."

The man slipped away and out the front door. The little bell announced his leaving. I followed him for a few moments before I looked down at my hand. I opened my fingers and saw that he had set a smooth, slim stone-like square into my palm. A slight tilt of my hand made the surface shimmer like the surface of water.

"What was that about?" The voice was Tristan's and it came from behind me.

I spun around and hid my hand behind my back as I gave him a shaky smile. "I-it was nothing. The guy was just-um, was just asking about you and me." Not quite a lie, but Tristan's golden gaze studied me for long enough to make me shrink under the scrutiny. I looked past him at where Vaughn was busy picking out fabrics. "So did you get what you wanted?"

He stared at me for a while longer before he half-turned to our eager friend. "And more. Vaughn is generally a little too enthusiastic about any job I give him."

"It's because you're just such a wonderful challenge!" Vaughn gleefully shouted from the back as he dropped layers upon layers of fabric onto his desk. He waved his hand at us. "Now shoo, both of you! I must create!" He plopped down in the seat and began to sew away.

We left the store and walked out into the warm light of the sun. I tucked the strange square into a pocket of the cloak and looked to Tristan. "That guy was pretty curious about you."

"It's not uncommon for that to happen," he mused as we walked down the road back to his home.

"Because you're a dierth?" I guessed.

He stared ahead and nodded. "Just so."

I furrowed my brow as I thought back to the conversation. "He called you a 'Dusk Dragon.' What does that mean?"

"It refers to many things, depending on the user," he admitted as we walked past the flower workers. "The one who found me gave me the title because he found me, newborn to the world, at that time of day." A small smile slipped onto his lips. "He was fond of referring to that time as the kiss between day and night, so I imagine he meant to tease me."

"But when others use it?" I wondered.

Some of his humor fled. "Dusk is the point between light and dark, and not everyone appreciates the beauty of the darkness because of the terrors that hide in its shadows."

I looked up at the clear sky with its shimmering sun. "The night can be pretty scary."

He looked down at me and his eyes twinkled with mischief. "Surely the darkness doesn't frighten you?"

I sheepishly shrugged my shoulders. "I'm not exactly a fan of it."

"Then I will be sure to have Chloe keep extra candles in your room," he promised.

"How'd she come to work for you?" I wondered.

He smiled. "You mean to ask why she would work for me when so many others are terrified in my presence?"

I winced. "Sort of. . ."

"You needn't avoid the topic. I am quite accustomed to their stares," he assured me as we strolled down the road. "As for your question, Chloe came to me rather unwilling. She was orphaned at a young age, and I took her in as a companion and assistant."

"Assistant?" I asked him.

"She acts as an agent of sorts for me in order that I might purchase the many magical items and tomes that become available on the many markets," he explained.

"So what would happen if she wasn't your agent?" I wondered.

"The price for the items would no doubt be higher, or they wouldn't sell at all," he guessed.

"Because you're a dierth?" I surmised.

There was a look of sorrow in his eyes as he stared ahead. "Unfortunately, yes."

I looped my arm through one of his and clasped his hand in mine. He looked down and looked at me with child-like eyes. I smiled up at him. "I don't mind that you're a dierth."

His eyes softened and he set his other hand atop mine. "I am very glad to hear that."

Our quiet walk back wasn't uncomfortable. I didn't feel like we had run out of conversation, but that the topic required us to be silent. That topic was the beautiful world around us, even as we left behind the open, colorful fields and entered the trees. Everything was just like my world, and yet not. There was a scent in the air that made wonderful shivers run up and down my arms and legs. It was like a secret that I could almost touch, a secret only a few people in the whole world could ever learn. Maybe this was what it meant to be an athrylis.

My mind invariably returned to the conversation in the shop and I pressed my hand against the outside of my pocket. _I'll take you home._ Those words thrilled me, but not as much as I thought they would. There was a certain melancholy inside of me that made me both surprised and angry. How could I feel anything other than gladness at the chance to go home?

I looked up at Tristan. The sun caught the shimmer of his smooth horns and the golden light of his bright eyes. His handsome features stood out against the dark coat he wore like night and day. That heaviness struck my heart, harder and stronger than before. Could I be in-?

No. I turned my face away. I couldn't do this to myself. I was going home. I _had_ to go home.

We reached his house in time for lunch which Chloe had graciously prepared. When my lonely meal was over-Tristan once again didn't partake of anything save for a little wine-we both stood.

"Would you like me to teach you more magic?" he asked me.

I shook my head. "I'm kind of tired. I think I'll go take a nap."

"I might make you some herbal medicine-"

"Thanks, but I really would just like to be alone for a while," I insisted.

Tristan studied me for a moment before he bowed his head. "Of course. I hope you sleep well."

I hurried upstairs and shut the door to the my bedroom behind me before I flopped onto my bed. _My_ bedroom. _My_ bed. How could I become to comfortable so quickly? How could I leave behind so much without a brief bit of regret?

I buried my face into the pillow and sighed. "You're going home tonight," my muffled voice insisted. I turned my face to one side and lay my cheek on the pillow. The small mirror above the vanity showed my reflection. There was almost a sad look on my face as a spoke a few soft words. "You're going home. . ."

I really was tired, though, and slept the day away. When I awoke I found that the sun had set and the light from the clear sky shone into my room. I sat up and reached into the pocket of the borrowed dress. The strange square was still there.

I hopped off the bed, but paused. A chair stood near the bed, and over the back was my old clothes, cleaned and pressed to perfection. I lifted up the pants and admired the job Chloe had done for me. My heart fell at the thought of not saying goodbye to her.

"I'm sorry," I whispered before I slipped into my old attire.

I crept over to the door, but paused with my hand hovering over the knob. This didn't feel right, sneaking out without saying goodbye.

_I'm a guest, not a captive. I can leave any time._

A quick peek into the darkened hall told me all was clear. I tiptoed out into the passage just like last night and turned around to ease the door shut behind me.

And just like last night there was an unwelcome visitor. "You sure you want to go out?"

I turned to find Gwill floating above the railing. His legs were crossed beneath him, but there was no humor on his shadowed face.

"I'm just going for a walk," I insisted.

He snorted. "Your lies are getting worse, but I won't stop you this time."

I arched an eyebrow. "Why not?"

Gwill folded his arms over his chest and shrugged. "Let's just say this should be a good lesson to you." He floated away from the stairs and jerked his head in their direction. "Now go on before I change my mind and call Tristan."

I pursed my lips, but hurried down the stairs past him. The cool night air did nothing to ease my fast-beating heart as I hurried down the stone path to the road. At the road I paused and half-turned to look toward from where I'd come. The house was dark and still, but the bright stars cast their twinkling forms down on the quiet home.

"Goodbye, Tristan," I whispered before I hurried down the left-ward part of the road.

# 15

My feet pounded against the hard-packed dirt that made up the road as I sprinted deeper into the woods. The fresh scent that surrounded Tristan's home was smothered by a thick odor of rot and dew. The first scent hinted at the great age of the Harlipren and the other the renewal of life that was forever taking place in such an untamed and untouched area. The shadows of the thick branches that hung over me seemed to stretch out and paw at my clothes.

A soft glow flitted in front of my face. I braked hard and ended up falling backward on my rear. The soft glow landed on my knee and through the light I could see the shape of a tiny woman. She was naked, but her features were so soft and smooth that there was nothing indecent about her figure. The creature had green eyes without pupils and matching long green hair, and her skin was a tan color. Her fingers ended in sharp nails, and on her back was a pair of birds wings as white as fresh snow.

She set her hands on my knee and leaned forward to inspect me. "Hello!"

I swallowed the lump in my throat. "W-what are you?"

She giggled. "I'm an ellyll, of course!" She flitted around me and landed on my shoulder. The little ellyll grasped some of my hair in her tiny hands and inspected the strands. "What beautiful magic! You must be a powerful athrylis!"

"I-I don't really know magic," I admitted as I leaned away from the little creature.

The ellyll floated up and in front of me. "There's no need for you to be afraid of me, little athrylis. I would never hurt someone with such gentle magic. What's your name, little Nirion?"

"Nirion?" I repeated as I climbed to my feet and brushed myself off.

The ellyll giggled. "It means 'gentle.'"

"Oh, well, my name's really Chris," I told her as I looked around us. "Um, could you tell me where a thorny tree is?"

She wrinkled her nose. "That old thing? What do you want to go there for?"

"I'm supposed to meet someone there," I told her.

The ellyll floated around me. "Why don't you come with me instead? We could have so much fun!"

"I really need to find this tree," I insisted.

My little fairy friend sighed. "All right." She pointed to my left and into the woods. "It's in there a-what do you mortals call it? Yards? A hundred yards?"

I nodded. "That's the one. Thank you so much."

She pecked a kiss on the tip of my nose and floated backward away from me. "I hope you don't find what you're looking for. Goodbye!" She flitted away and disappeared into the darkness.

The moment I stepped off the path I felt a cold, damp chill sink into my body. My mind kept warning me to turn around before something horrible happened to me, but I forced myself onward. The brush clawed at my clothes and the tree limbs brushed against my face, but I kept to a worn path that looked like animals used it.

A few minutes later the path opened to a small clearing. In the center stood a large, gnarly old tree. The branches sported not only thick leaves, but thorns as long as my fingers. The tree stretched high above its brethren and children, and cast its shadow over where I stood.

I crept toward the tree and looked around for the man. "Hello?" I called out. The only answer was a soft breeze that wafted by me. "Hello?" Again, there was silence.

I reached into my pocket and drew out the square. My finger brushed against the rough surface and a wave of color followed. I gasped as the square expanded and wrapped around my fingers, encasing them in its hard body. The thing duplicated and expanded down my arm to wrap itself around my chest. It was then that I realized the square wasn't a piece of strange leather but a scale.

Now it was thousands of them, and they were all of one mind to wrap around my body. In a few moments I was completely enveloped in the thick false skin. The scales cut through my clothes and into my skin, forcing blood out of a thousand wounds. I screamed and thrashed, but to no avail. I lost not only the battle, but my balance and toppled onto my side on the ground.

A pair of shoes appeared around the trunk of the tree. I raised my eyes and found myself staring into the grinning face of the man, and yet he was no longer a man. His yellow eyes were narrow slits that glowed in the dim light, and through his unbuttoned shirt I could see his flesh was more scale than skin.

I flailed in the hold of the serpent skin, but still failed to free myself. "Let me go!" I demanded.

He laughed as he strode toward me. "Why would I do that?"

My eyes widened as his body began to transform to match his flesh. His face stretched into the nose and his legs blended together to create a long tail that trailed behind him. He rose up on his tail to tower over me as tall as the lord. His fingers melded into three, and his upper body shed the human skin and revealed a thick mess of scales that completely covered his body.

He grabbed me by my scaled prison and lifted me up so I hung even with his long face. His tongue flicked out and brushed against my cheek. "I can see why that dierth would want you. I can taste the juicy magic coming off of you."

I shook my head. "You're wrong! I can't do magic!"

He chuckled. "Perhaps not, but with time you might have become a decent athrylis. Pity you don't have that time."

He lifted me up above his head and opened his wide jaws. I could see down his long throat and saw that the sides of his gullet were covered in long, sharp spikes with barbs on them. The walls of his mouth pulsed with eagerness as he lowered me toward that horrible death.

A shadowy tendril wrapped around his jaws and slammed them together. The creature stumbled back and shook his head, but that didn't dislodge the shadowy strap. He clawed at the darkness, but his clawed fingers only sank into the body of the tendril.

"That one is not for you," a voice spoke up.

My eyes widened. I knew that voice! I looked over my shoulder. Standing at the edge of the clearing was Tristan. A shadow stretched out from his feet in our direction.

My captor stumbled back and the tendril retreated back to Tristan. He sneered at my savior. "Why don't you mind your own business, dierth?" the snake hissed. "Besides, it sickens me to listen to your sweet speeches when you had the same intention as me. You're much worse than me. You were going to draw out her hope of going home, and what's more cruel than toying with your food?"

"Whatever my intentions, they aren't to harm her," Tristan argued as he stretched out his hand. "Now return her to me."

The snake chuckled and drew me to his side, though I still hovered above the ground. We now both faced Tristan. "Make me. Show me the true power of a legendary dierth."

Tristan bowed his head and a sly smile appeared on his lips. "Very well."

Tristan's shadow sprang outward in all directions, absorbing all others in its wake, including ours. The darkness of the natural shadows was pale compared to the deep black that colored his being. He leaned forward and leathery wings sprouted from his back. His arms which hung limp at his sides stretched downward so they nearly brushed the ground, and his hands distorted into terrible claws that glistened in the starlight.

Even the stars shrank from his appearance. Their light was extinguished by a gathering of clouds that appeared overhead. Their dark bodies matched the shadows around us and the far-off rumble of thunder warned of more than just rain.

Tristan's form shifted and expanded into a hulking figure of dragon and man. Sharp thorns stretched out of his body in all directions and accentuated his unearthly look. His face elongated into a serpent-like appearance, but with a closer shape to that of a cold, merciless lizard. He raised his head and his golden eyes changed color to glow as red as the fires of hell.

The snake backed up and looked on in horror at the dark world that now belonged to Tristan. He flicked his tongue out and his face wrinkled in disgust. "W-what is this thing that has such a terrible taste?" the snake hissed.

When Tristan spoke his voice was deep and guttural. There was more beast than man in the tone. "You wished to see the true power of a dierth. That will be your last view of the world."

Tendrils shot out from the darkness beneath us and wrapped around the snake's long body. My captor screamed and stumbled back. With his concentration broken he dropped me onto the cold, oozing ground. The tendrils wrapped around me, but only to lift me up and draw me to Tristan's side. Another horrible cry made me look over my shoulder.

The snake writhed and fought against the tendrils, but more shadows wrapped around him like bracing ropes. They covered him in their black bodies and dragged him into the darkness that lay across the ground. The last I saw of him was his clawed hand reaching up to grasp at something, anything to save himself. That, too, disappeared into the shadows, and all was silent. The scales around me fell to the ground and blackened to ash.

My heart was pounding in my chest as I looked back to Tristan. His inhuman eyes still stared at the spot where my captor had vanished. His mouth was slightly agape and a terrible black breath emanated from his jaws.

And yet, I felt no fear. Those terrible eyes were full of such pain that I could only feel pity for the grotesque creature before me.

"Tristan?" I whispered.

It was as though I had slapped him. Tristan whipped his head away from me and shrank down into his own hulking form. "Don't look at me."

I shook my head. "I'm not afraid of you. No matter what you look like, I'll never be-"

"Don't look at me!" he boomed.

His tendrils exploded upward from the ground like gelatinous columns, separating us by their very creation. The ones that held me, however, softened and slid over me. Their sensual touch was relaxing. Sleep drifted over me and soothed my frayed mind. I closed my eyes and slipped into blissful slumber.

# 16

Visions of tender touches and sounds of soft moans shaped my dreams. In my fantasies there was always a shadow over me, a familiar creature with blood-red eyes. Like all dreams, mine ended. My eyes fluttered open and I looked around myself. I was back in my bedroom in Tristan's house.

I sat up and clutched my head. "Was. . .was that a dream?"

"No."

I whipped my head to my right. Tristan stood in front of the fireplace with his back partially turned to me. His shadow stretched across the floor behind him, and I swore the darkness shifted against the grain of the flickering fire. He looked at the flames with his normal golden-colored eyes.

I grasped the covers and swallowed the uncertainty I felt. "What are you?"

"A dierth," he reminded me.

"But that. . .those shadows," I stuttered as I thought back to that strange, twisted form. "Is that what you really look like?"

Tristan raised one of his hands and studied the gloved palm. His words were so soft I wondered if he was talking to himself. "I am a creature of nature, and yet I am the figure of a man."

"Is that special for dierth?" I asked him.

He dropped his hand to his side and stared ahead at the wall. "Are you not afraid of what you saw?"

"I. . .I just want to know the truth," I told him.

"The truth. . ." he whispered as he dropped his hand to his side. "The truth is that I exist only in legends, and those legends speak of dierth being nothing more than feral animals with bodies derived from their surroundings."

"So a dierth from a rocky place would look like a rock?" I guessed.

He nodded. "Yes, and would perhaps have some shape similar in guise to that of a shifter or human, but none of the _soul_ which defines creatures of higher status."

I tilted my head to one side and studied him. "You don't think you have a soul, do you?"

A bitter smile slipped onto his lips. "Perhaps I believe I don't deserve one, but-" he clasped his hands behind him and turned to face me, "-I don't wish to discuss this tonight. You have had a trying evening, and should get some rest."

A gust rattled the windows. The storm that had shown itself during the confrontation in the woods had arrived at the house. Rain pelted the windows and a few far-off flashes of lightning warned of greater danger elsewhere.

I drew the covers closer to myself and glanced at the glass. "I really do hate storms. . ."

"And yet you came to the courtyard, when my spell called you," he reminded me.

I turned and blinked at him. "How'd you know about that?"

"In order to draw you to my world the spell I cast had to be rather specific about its activation," he admitted. "The one who would be my companion had to overcome any fear they had of the darkness and enter it of their own free will. Unfortunately, such a powerful spell was also bound to cause a disturbance in the surrounding atmosphere, hence the storm." A thought came to me, and a memory, and I tightened my grip on the covers. He arched an eyebrow. "Is something the matter?"

"The monster. . .was that a part of the test, too?" I asked him.

He blinked at me. "Come again?"

"That tar monster at the portal in my world. Was that one of your tests, too?" I asked him.

He shook his head. "Christine, I have no idea to what you're referring."

"When I went to the courtyard that night there was this hideous monster made of black ooze waiting for me," I revealed.

Tristan stiffened and his expression hardened. "What happened to this creature you saw?"

I shrugged. "I don't know. It tried to attack me, and I threw up my arms and except for a few scorch marks on the ground it just disappeared."

Tristan strode over to the window and looked out on the rear of the house. "I see."

A horrible thought struck me and my hands that clutched the sheets quivered. "That wasn't something you made, was it?"

He shook his head. "No."

"Then what did? Why was it there?" I asked him.

"I wish I could give you an answer, but I have none," he admitted as he half-turned to me. His golden eyes studied me for a moment and his lips parted in speech, but he pressed them shut again. "But you should get some rest. The scales of that creature have bruised much of your body, and even my herbal medicine is not a quick cure-all for such wounds."

For the first time I looked down at my arms. They were dotted with bruises. I raised one arm to study the fresh skin and saw that I wore a slim nightgown. "But didn't he cut me?" I wondered.

"Yes. You lost a great deal of blood and shouldn't strain yourself for a few days," he warned me

I winced and hung my head. My voice was soft and muffled. "I'm sorry. . ."

He stepped up to my bedside. "For what?"

Unbidden tears sprang into my eyes. They dropped onto the rumpled sheets in my lap. "For not telling you what I was doing. For not believing you when you told me that getting back wasn't going to be easy, or even be very soon. For-" A gentle hand settled atop my head. I looked up and found Tristan smiling down at me.

"You have nothing to apologize for," he assured me. "Hope is a powerful emotion, and if I had been in your place I no doubt would have done the same." His fingers glided down my face and he cupped my chin in his hand. The touch was gentle, almost petting. He lifted my eyes to his. "I'm glad you returned." He leaned down and pressed his lips against mine.

The kiss was chaste, almost hesitant. I leaned into it and a sweet sensual heat flowed down my body. When he pulled away I was left breathless and blushing.

"Goodnight," he whispered, and left the room.

I fell backwards onto the pillows and stared up at the ceiling. "Wow."

The rest of the night was spent in a peaceful, dreamless sleep, and I awoke to the bright sun shining in through the windows. I sat up and rubbed the sleep from my eyes. A knock came from the other side of the door.

"Chris?" Chloe called to me. "Are you awake?"

"Come in," I replied.

She opened the door and stepped in with a bright smile. "Good morning. I just wanted to see if you were ready for breakfast."

I flung aside the covers and jumped out of bed. "I will be after I dress."

Chloe bit her lower lip. "I'm afraid your clothes were ruined last night, but you're very welcome to my dress until I can fetch the clothes from Mr. Vaughn later today."

I grinned at her. "You're a lifesaver, Chloe."

Chloe blushed, but her eyes sparkled. She helped me into the dress I'd borrowed the day before and we both stepped out into the hall. Gwill met us at the top of the stairs and floated beside us as we descended.

"So you survived last night," he teased me as he looked me over. "Nice bruises, by the way."

Chloe frowned and waved a hand at him. "Don't be so mean to her! She had a rough night!"

"And it's all because she wouldn't listen to us," Gwill countered.

"But that doesn't mean you have to be so-"

"It's all right," I spoke up as we reached the closed doors to the dining room. I turned to both of them and smiled. "He's right. I shouldn't have left, and I'm sorry for the trouble I caused."

Chloe grasped my hands and shook her head. "You're no trouble at all!" Gwill snorted. She cast him an ugly look before she returned her attention to me. "I'm very glad you're here, and I hope you'll stay."

"Like she has a choice. . ." Gwill mumbled.

"Of course she has a choice!" Chloe snapped.

I grasped her hands and gave them a gentle squeeze. "I'll stay."

Chloe's face brightened with her wide smile. "I'm so glad to hear that! Oh! But you must be hungry!" She flung open the doors and ushered me into the dining room. "Let's get you something to eat right away!"

Unlike the previous morning, Tristan's chair was empty and there was no plate or glass laid for him. "Is Tristan all right?" I asked Chloe as I took a seat in my chair.

"Mr. Moody is out in the garden staring at the fountain," Gwill announced as he floated in behind us. He settled onto the table in front of me and crossed his arms over his chest. "He won't even tell me what he's looking for."

Chloe scooted up to my side and waved her hand at him. "I've told you a thousand times not to be on the table!"

Gwill chuckled, but floated up a foot from the top. "And how many times do I have to tell you an ardwid can't dirty up his own house?"

"I've seen it done before," Chloe snapped.

Gwill's bemusement fell from his face and a dark look passed over his dark brow. "Those aren't ardwid, not really."

"Then stop acting like them and distracting me from my work," she scolded him as she scurried into the kitchen.

Gwill floated close beside me, but his eyes were on where Chloe had disappeared. "A little touchy this morning, isn't she?"

"You know her better than I," I pointed out.

He flashed me a grin. "Yeah, and don't let that nice act fool you. She's a real wildcat when she wants to be."

Chloe reentered with a platter filled with all the breakfast food I could imagine, and then some. She set the steaming platter in front of me and poured me a glass of milk. "Did you need anything else?"

"A larger stomach," I teased as I picked up my fork.

"Well, if you mortals are going to be boring then I'm leaving," Gwill mused as he floated toward the ceiling.

"And good riddance," Chloe snapped before he disappeared. Her eyes remained on the ceiling as she folded her arm in front of her and shook her head. "That ardwid is such a nuisance."

"I think he likes you," I mused.

Chloe choked on her spittle. "L-likes me? But he's always bothering me!"

"A guy who bothers a girl that much _has_ to like her," I pointed out between mouthfuls of food.

A bright red blush appeared on her cheeks, and she gave the ceiling a second, confused look before she looked back at me. "You. . .you really think so?"

I pushed my empty, greasy plate away and stood where I turned to Chloe and set a hand on her shoulder. "As a friend of mine once said: if he's willing to risk annoying you the rest of your life then he's a keeper."

She blinked at me. "That's rather strange advice."

I dropped my hand and shrugged. "She's a strange friend, but what she was saying is that someone who pays attention to you that much _must_ like you."

Chloe dropped her gaze to the floor and wrung her hands in front of herself. "I. . .I suppose you're right."

I patted her on the shoulder. "He'll tell you eventually. Just give the little annoyance a chance." I looked past her at the doorway. "He said Tristan was out in the garden, didn't he?"

She nodded. "Yes, at the fountain."

"I'll be out there with him," I told her as I walked toward the entrance.

"Chris?" I paused in the doorway and looked over my shoulder. Chloe faced me with a soft smile on her face. "I think Lord Tristan likes you, too."

It was my turn to blush. "Maybe, but I'll see you later."

I hurried out the door, but no matter how far I ran I knew I couldn't escape the truth, and that truth was that maybe-deep down inside-I liked him a little, too.

# 17

I walked out of the house and into the bright sunny day. The birds sang overhead and the flowers glistened with the morning dew. I turned my steps toward the side of the house and the hedged walls that lay back there. I had just reached the archway when I saw Tristan coming out of the hedge. His head was bowed and his brow furrowed in thought. My heart quickened as I thought how handsome he looked in the bright light.

He lifted his head and smiled at me. "Good morning. I hope you slept well."

I nodded. "Very well, thank you." I leaned to one side and looked past him in the direction of the fountain. "Were you looking for something?"

He stopped at my side and half-turned toward the hedges. "'Something' is an apt word."

"You're thinking about that thing I saw in my world, aren't you?" I guessed.

Tristan looked to me and smiled. "That's quite astute of you to notice, and to answer your question, yes."

"Do you think it was attached to your spell or something like that?" I suggested.

He looked back to the maze and shook his head. "I couldn't be sure without having seen the creature myself."

I pointed in the direction of the fountain. "Do you mind if I take a look?"

"The portal isn't there," he told me.

I dropped my hand and smiled. "I know, but it's a nice fountain, and I really like the hedges."

The corners of his lips twitched upward. "Do you? I'm very glad to hear that. You see, I planted them myself many years ago."

"You did a wonderful job," I complimented him as we walked into the hedge and I admired the perfect uniformity in the walls. "I've never seen one so tall and-"

We reached the fountain and a cold chill ran down my spine. Tristan wrapped his arm around my shoulders and drew me against his side. I looked up and saw that his bright golden eyes held a tinge of red and that his face was twisted in disgust. "Stay near me," he commanded me.

"What's going-" My question was answered before I finished it.

A dark puddle rose up from between the stones and congealed itself into a humanoid shape. My eyes widened as I recognized the same hideous creature as the thing I had confronted on that fateful night. "That's the thing that attacked me!"

"Gwill!" Tristan shouted.

Gwill flowed out of the shadows of the hedges to our left. "You-" He glanced at the creature and started back. "How in all the gods did that get in here?"

"I thought perhaps you would know," Tristan countered.

Gwill crossed his arms over his chest and shook his head. "I didn't sense even a slither out of that monster."

The black blob lifted its red eyes to the floating shadow. It let out a gurgling snarl and lunged at Gwill, but his incorporeal form meant the attacker merely flung itself through him. The thing splattered onto the stones five feet away from us and congealed into a puddle. The black liquid didn't so much as twitch.

I took a step toward it, but Tristan stretched out his arm in front of me to block my way. "Don't approach it."

The blob rose up and formed itself into its giant ooze monster self.

"It's a mud golem," Tristan told me as the creature's red eyes rolled over and fell on us. It opened its fat-lipped mouth and revealed the same sharp teeth as the other one from my world.

"I've never seen one that polluted before," Gwill commented as he flitted behind us. "Or that mean."

"So do we run now or wait for it to start chasing us?" I asked him.

"There's no need to worry," Tristan assured me as he crossed his arm over his chest. A red flame appeared in his upturned palm.

The creature charged at us gnashing its teeth. Tristan threw his arm in an arc ahead of him and pitched the flame at the monster. The fire hit the creature squarely in the chest and set the thing ablaze. The creature tipped its head back and screamed as its body was consumed by the fire which wasn't a fire. I felt no heat, nor did the fire consume any of the vegetation around the beast. In a moment the monster had disappeared. The flame dropped to the ground and was extinguished.

Tristan walked over to the spot where our foe had stood and knelt on one knee. He brushed his hand over the ground and furrowed his brow. "Interesting."

Gwill floated down to join him and frowned. "You know I hate it when you say something bad without explaining what it is."

"The monster is not magic," Tristan revealed.

My jaw hit the ground. "Not magic? Then how'd the pile of mud come alive?"

Gwill floated between us and jerked a thumb at me as he looked to Tristan. "Are you sure she's really worth keeping?"

Tristan's eyes flickered up to the shadow. "Even you were once a mere shadow too afraid of the light to come out of the corners."

Gwill crossed his arms over his chest and frowned. "Well, that was different."

Tristan returned his attention to me. "Natural elements are often confused with magic, but they are merely life forces with unique abilities. You mentioned that you had met a dark creature in your world. Was this the same one?"

I nodded. "Yeah, even down to the red eyes."

"Tell me exactly how it came to disappear," he insisted.

I shrugged. "I don't really know. I tripped over my own feet and dropped onto the ground, and the thing jumped at me. I shut my eyes and threw my arms up, and there was this heat in my hand. The next thing I knew the thing was gone."

Tristan cupped his chin in one hand as he furrowed his brow. "Interesting. Perhaps the creatures are attracted to the portal, even if it no longer exists. However, until I'm certain of that I would ask that you remain in the house for the time being."

I nodded. "Sure, but how are you going to find the answer?"

"I have an extensive collection of books on rare creatures. They may hold an answer to this mystery," he reminded me as he looked to Gwill. "Inspect the area for any visual signs of more creatures." Gwill pursed his lips, but nodded and disappeared.

"So Gwill can't sense any natural creatures?" I asked him.

"That is one of the puzzlements of this mystery," Tristan mused as he looked over the scorched spot where the creature had burned. "Gwill should be able to sense anything that comes into the property down to the lowliest worm, and yet this aggressive creature entered without his knowing."

A horrible thought struck me. "He wouldn't lie to you, would he?"

Tristan turned to me with a smile. "He is incapable of lying to the owner of the property, though even if he weren't bound by our pact I have complete trust in him." He set a hand on my shoulder and led me out of the courtyard. "Now let us return and warn Chloe about the possible danger."

"Did you want me to help you look through your books?" I offered.

He smiled down at me. "Would you know what you're looking for?"

I winced and hung my head. "I guess not. . ."

He set a hand atop my head. "But I thank you for the offer."

My eyes fell on his hand at his side. "So what was that light you threw at it?" I wondered.

"A cleansing spell," he told me. "It seemed the most practical application considering the creature's unclean body."

I bit my lower lip. "Do you. . .do you think I could do that spell?"

He arched an eyebrow. "I have no doubt that you have the talent, but are you sure you want to?"

I met his eyes with my unflinching gaze and nodded. "I want to. I don't want to stand there again and be helpless."

"Then I will teach you, but in front of the house," he promised as he looked down at the shadows of the hedges. "Gwill."

Gwill's white eyes made their appearance in the darkness on the ground. "What is it now?"

"Warn Chloe to remain inside until further notice," he instructed the shadow.

Gwill sighed. "All right, but don't expect her to listen to me." The eyes sank back into the darkness.

Tristan led me to the front of the house and into the rows of flower beds. We stopped by a large patch of grass near the pond. I could see little splashes as fish swam to and fro beneath the lily pads.

Tristan stepped ahead of me and turned to face me. He took a step back. "Since you've done this spell before you won't need my assistance."

I blinked at him. "Done it before? When?"

"When you first faced the mud golem," he revealed. "The light you witnessed and the warmth in your hands reveals that you unconsciously cast a spell of purification to protect yourself."

"But you said that magic couldn't be done in my world," I reminded him.

"It can't unless a portal is opened to this world, and when you used your powers the portal was open," he pointed out.

I raised my hands and looked down at them. "So how do I get these things to turn on when I want them to?"

He chuckled. "First, don't force the magic. It must come willingly from nature, otherwise what springs forth may become bydron, or corrupted magic."

"What happens if I do that?" I asked him.

"You risk destroying not only yourself, but the natural space around you from which the magic was forced," he revealed.

I winced. "So how can I tell when I'm doing the magic wrong?"

Tristan looked around us at the great beauty. "The effort you expend will strain your physical body and the natural world around you will begin to whither."

"Maybe you _should_ help me with this one," I suggested.

He smiled and stepped further back. "I'm sure you'll be fine. Remember what I told you before with the water, but in this spell you must concentrate on all the elements around you. The earth, water, even the air are your ingredients, and all you need do is weave them together to create the spell you see in your mind."

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. "All right, here goes."

"Open your hands in front of you with your palms turned upward to receive the magic," he instructed me. I did as he told and stood as still as possible. "You must remember to breath."

I creaked open one eye and frowned at him. "I'm working on that."

He chuckled as I closed my eyes and focused on everything around me _and_ breathing. I felt a shift in the air around me and a breeze wafted by. The gentle wind tickled my cheeks and brought a smile to my face.

That was when a column of fire burst out from both of my hands and threw themselves twenty feet into the air. Tristan and I were thrown back by the force in opposite directions and the flames were extinguished. I sat up and blinked at him as he did the same across the yard.

"What the heck was that?" I asked him.

His eyes fell on the spot where I had stood. "I believe that was nature giving you its blessing."

I followed his gaze and my eyes widened. There was a round scorched circle in my place. I climbed onto my knees and gawked at the crispy grass before I lifted my eyes to Tristan. "Did I do it wrong?"

"In a way," he agreed as he climbed to his feet and brushed his dark robe off. "And yet this isn't your fault. Apparently nature has a strong affinity for you and wished to grant your plea, but in a rather exuberant manner."

I rubbed the back of my head where it had struck the soft grass. "Is that natural?"

"They are not unheard of," Tristan told me as he walked over to me and held out his hand. "Would you like to try again?"

# 18

"Should I?" I countered as I took his hand.

Tristan helped me to my feet and stepped back. "The choice is yours."

I stiffened my jaw and nodded. "I'll do it."

Tristan smiled and took a few more steps back. "Perhaps limit your plea to one element."

I held up my hands in front of me as before and furrowed my brow. "Which element is in charge of the protection spell?"

"Any that you choose. Protection comes from all quarters," he told me.

I sighed, but closed my eyes and focused on that gentle breeze that had kissed my cheeks. _Here, breeze. Good breeze. I just want a little bit of help. Please?_

I felt a soft warmth develop in my hands and risked opening an eye. Both my hands held a pair of small, glowing yellow balls. They pulsed with a light that warmed my body and made me feel a little giddy. I was at a loss what to do, but an unfamiliar instinct took hold.

I pressed my hands together and the balls merged. The gentle pulse spread outward from the single ball and brushed over the surrounding area, leaving a soothing comfort in its wake. The ball in my hand faded into nothing.

A strange lethargy came over me. I clutched my head and swayed from side-to-side. The world around me began to spin.

"Christine!" I heard Tristan shout as his strong arms wrapped around me.

I shook my head and cleared it a little before I looked up at him with a smile. "Did I do it?"

He smiled down at me and nodded. "Yes, and it was quite a sight to behold. However-" He swung me into his arms and pressed me against his chest. "I believe we should allow you to rest. While magic comes naturally to an athrylis that doesn't mean the effort isn't taxing on our bodies."

"I'm fine, just a little dizzy," I assured him, but he strode toward the house.

"A little food and sleep would be beneficial to you," he insisted.

Tristan carried me into the house where the noise of our entrance brought Chloe out of the hall. She hurried over to us as Tristan set me down. "Are you okay? What happened?"

"Did Gwill inform you to remain inside?" Tristan asked her.

She gave a nod. "He did, but he didn't say why."

"A mud golem tried to squish us into mud pies in the garden," I told her as I half-turned to Tristan. "But Tristan took care of it."

Chloe blinked up at him. "But how did it get that far?"

"That's what Gwill and I must find out," Tristan commented as he stepped back to the door and lay his hand on the handle. "Both of you remain inside until we return. Do you understand?"

Chloe nodded, but I stepped up to him. "But I want to help."

Tristan set a hand on my shoulder and smiled down at me. "Rest and practice summoning nature, though inside the house."

I looked around at the furniture and walls. "Can I do it in here?"

Tristan sported a sly smile as he opened the door and stepped out. "Try and see." He shut the door behind him.

I crossed my arms and frowned at the entrance. "That's not fair to leave me hanging like that."

"I'm sure Lord Tristan only wishes to encourage you," Chloe suggested as she gestured to the hall. "But would you like something to eat? Or maybe to drink?"

I licked my lips that had been parched by the sudden fire show. "Actually, a drink would be nice."

Chloe led me into the kitchen and poured me a glass of water. I leaned my back against the kitchen counter and looked around at the room. "You know, I haven't seen all of this house." I looked to Chloe and smiled at her. "Do you think you could show me around?"

Chloe nodded. "I'd be very glad to!"

Together we visited all the rooms in the wonderful house. There was the library I had already seen and my own bedroom, but there was also the other guest rooms and a rather spacious attic underneath the tall roof. However, there was only one bathroom, and I couldn't help but notice that pristine modernity of it compared to the old-fashioned styles of the furniture in the other rooms.

We had looked over all the rooms and were returning to the kitchen when I noticed a door in the hall that we hadn't opened. I was behind Chloe, and stopped to test the knob. Locked. "What's in here?" I called to her.

Chloe paused and half-turned to me. A little of the color left her cheeks. "That's the basement, but you wouldn't want to go down there."

Her assumption piqued my curiosity. "Why not?"

"There's only wine racks and some old crates from when Lord Tristan first moved in," she told me as she turned her face away from me. "Nothing other than those and cobwebs. Now I should get lunch started."

Chloe hurried down the hall and took a sharp turn into the kitchen. I glanced down at the immovable knob and pursed my lips. Still, there was nothing to do with a locked door other than to step away, and this I reluctantly did.

I was helping Chloe make sandwiches when I opened a cupboard for plates. A dark face popped out of the shadows and our noses nearly touched. "Is lunch ready?" Gwill teased.

I screamed and stumbled back only to fall on my rear. Chloe stomped over to the cupboard and slammed the door shut. The plates rattled, but the wood went straight through Gwill's incorporeal form. He floated out of the cupboard and crossed his legs under him as he hovered around us.

"Is that any way to greet your protector?" he teased Chloe.

Chloe wagged a finger at him. "A protector doesn't give those they protect a heart pain."

I sat up, but a pair of arms looped under mine and effortlessly lifted me onto my feet. I looked over my shoulder and found myself staring into the smiling face of Tristan. "Are you okay?" he asked me as he released me.

"I'm fine," I assured him as I brushed myself off.

"You shouldn't have done that!" Chloe continued to scold the indifferent shadow.

He shrugged. "I was just having a joke, like a little celebration."

I tilted my head to one side and arched an eyebrow. "A celebration for what?"

"We didn't find a single hint of murderous mud," Gwill announced as he floated around our little group.

I looked up at Tristan. "Then do you know where it came from?"

Tristan shook his head. "No, and that's most unfortunate."

"Maybe it's better to just leave well enough alone," Gwill recommended as he drifted toward the windows that looked out on the lawn. "You don't want to be inviting more trouble than we usually have."

Tristan frowned at him. "That's enough."

Gwill shrugged as he floated through the glass. "All right, all right. If anyone needs me I'll be shadowing myself underneath the trees." He slipped through the window and disappeared into the shadows.

I caught Tristan's gaze. "'More trouble than we usually have?'" I repeated.

"Being a dierth and an athrylis is not without its difficulties," he pointed out.

"Lunch is ready," Chloe reminded me as she pulled the plates out of the cupboard.

"If you'll excuse me, I have some letters to write," Tristan spoke up as he bowed to us. He strode from the room.

I watched him leave as Chloe walked toward the dining room. "Does he _ever_ eat?"

Chloe paused beside the doorway. "Very rarely, but would you like to sit down?"

My gaze settled on a small table beside the island with two chairs. "Why don't we eat in here?"

Chloe smiled, but shook her head. "I'm sure you wouldn't want to eat with me."

I marched over to her, set my hands on her shoulders, and guided her over to the table. "Any company is better than no company, and there's nothing wrong with you," I insisted before I took the plates and set the table with them. "So what say we eat together?"

Chloe's cheeks bloomed with color and her eyes sparkled as she nodded. "I'd like that very much!"

Together we ate a lively meal of sandwiches and conversation, and I regaled her with stories of the technological advances of my world.

"So these 'cars' are very fast horses?" she guessed.

"Only mechanical," I corrected her.

"I have heard there are such things in Laethion, but powered by steam and not this 'electricity' you speak of," she mused.

I finished my last sandwich and leaned back from the table with contentment in my stomach. "I guess I'll see if I can't try some magic. Would you like to watch me?"

Chloe stood and shook her head. "I would dearly love to, but I must do some chores."

"Then I won't keep you," I assured her as I rose to my feet.

During the tour of the house I had seen no larger room to do magic than the library. I slipped through one of the doors and into that spacious room with its warm sunlight flowing in through the many windows. The clean, smooth binds of the countless books shone back at me as though winking at me as I pushed away some of the lighter furniture and made a small area for myself.

I positioned myself firmly atop one of the many large rugs and stretched my arms in front of me. The times before I'd kept my eyes closed, but this time I wanted to see the magic. This time I focused all my thoughts on the sunlight that drifted into the room. Like a child experimenting with the world for the first time, I wondered what I could form from the abundance of natural magic that surrounded me.

My eyes widened as I watched shimmering strands form in the palms of my cupped hands. They were ribbons of sunlight that twisted and spun around one another in tight, leisurely paths that reminded me of a gentle river. Their smooth bodies warmed my hands and the heat traveled up my arms like a heated blanket.

I eased my hands toward an angle and the strands turned with them, but flickered as though the movement threatened to blow out their light. Another little bit of tilt and the strands completely vanished.

"Damn it. . ." I muttered as I refocused my attention on the sunlight.

The strands reappeared hovering above my hands, but they were fewer and smaller than the last ones. I squinted my eyes and focused harder, but they refused to grow.

A pair of long arms stretched along either side of mine and the hands pressed themselves against the back of mine. A shadow fell over me and I whipped my head up to find myself staring into Tristan's smiling face.

"I told you not to force it," he scolded me.

I frowned. "But I'm not."

He looked to our left and nodded at something near the doors. "Look there."

I followed his gaze and saw that he indicated a large plant situated beside the door. Many of the leaves were shriveled, and some had fallen to the floor. My eyes widened as I watched one of the leaves change from green to yellow, and then float to the ground.

# 19

I couldn't take my eyes off the decrepit plant, and my voice shook. "Did. . .did I do that?"

"Yes. That is the price nature pays when you try to force its power into you," he explained.

I looked up at him. "Can I fix it?"

He shook his head. "Only time and a tender hand can return its vitality." My shoulders drooped and I hung my head. "However, I will show you how you can feel if you're forcing the power from nature."

He pressed his hands tighter against the back of mine and pressed his front against my back. My mind turned to thoughts much less pure than his intentions.

"Focus," he whispered to me. His smooth, velvety voice didn't help, but I took a deep, shuddering breath and focused my sight on my hands.

Nothing appeared in my hands, and I shook my head. "It won't come unless I force it."

"Your fear holds you back," he scolded me. "Don't be afraid to harness the magic offered by nature."

"It might help if you tell me what I'm supposed to be feeling so I don't accidentally kill another of your house plants," I pointed out.

"A stream."

I blinked up at him. "Come again?"

"The flow of the magic is like a stream flowing around you," he explained as he swept his eyes over the room. "The stillness and artificiality in this room will allow you to focus on the few strands of magic that flow through its walls."

"You mean there's less magic in houses because there's less nature?" I guessed.

He nodded. "Yes. The walls, though crafted from nature, are barriers to the natural flow of magic. That's why in all of the schools for athrylis you'll find a large courtyard, and in the larger academies there are many open-roofed rooms where individuals can practice their arts."

"So there are schools for athrylis?" I asked him.

Tristan smiled down at me. "Yes, but I will be teacher enough for you. That is, if you would focus."

I nodded and stared ahead. My hands trembled a little, but with a deep breath I willed them to stop moving. I relaxed the rest of my body and looked at the far back wall as though I was staring off into space.

"Not too relaxed," came Tristan's voice through my foggy mind.

I nodded and cupped my hands a little tighter together. My eyes caught something out of the corner of my eye, like a shadow but one that moved against the natural sunlight. I stiffened, but Tristan pressed against me, comforting me with his warmth and presence.

He leaned down and his hot breath wafted over my ear. "Don't be afraid. Those are merely the flows of magic being brought forth into your sight. Focus a little more and you'll see them more clearly."

I took a deep breath again and allowed my mind to focus on a single fixed point ahead of me. It was a large tome with unfamiliar writing on the spine. As I watched that book, shimmers of flowing light like the strands I once held floated past. They were like ghosts, unaware of our presence as they floated throughout the room. The strands came more into focus and I could see them fly through the walls, but with some difficulty, like watching someone try to squeeze through a space almost too small for them. They could easily float through the furniture, and was deeply attracted to the few plants that dotted the room.

The strands were never-ceasing in their movements, but their sizes and shapes changed. They were ribbons one moment, and then a thick wave would flow along their length that morphed them into wide waves or skinny strings. The colors, too, shifted like emotions. Bright colors were replaced by dull ones and vice versa, like a tapestry that was forever changing.

"Wow," I breathed as one of the threads skimmed over my hands.

The strand dipped down into my palms and a flicker of magic like sparks appeared, but only lasted a moment. The thread moved on, a little different color and appearance than before its contact with me.

"That is the flow of the magic, and its gift to you are the fine dust the ancients called methrina," Tristan explained.

My voice came out in a hushed whisper. "What does that mean?"

"Cherished."

I looked up at him with a puzzled look. "Why that word?"

"The elfennau-you would know them better as elements-bestow their gifts on only a few mortals, and that number has dwindled a great deal over the last few centuries," he revealed as he watched a strand drift close by his head. "They consider we athrylis as their children, and thus grant us their power that we might protect ourselves against the darkness in the world."

A strand floated by my face and brushed against my cheek. The beautiful light graced my cheek with a sensation like a sweet, tender kiss before it flowed away.

"This is. . .this is wonderful," I breathed as I watched the strands dance around us. I leaned my head back to look up at Tristan. "Can I always see the magic now?"

He shook his head. "Not always. The darkest reaches of the world hide their ancient magic before they deem the athrylis worthy of their gifts. Others are much smaller, too small to see, and then there are others larger than you can imagine."

I smiled up at him. "That sounds beautiful."

He nodded. "It is a sight to behold. Now focus your attention on one of the strands and let its gift flow into you."

I returned my attention to the magic and focused on the strand that had kissed me. The silky beam of light floated down to me and ghosted across my palms. The sparks from before reappeared, but this time they formed into a bright white ball that pulsed with heat.

An unfamiliar, but not unwelcome, instinct whispered in my mind's ear. I closed my eyes and parted my hands. The ball's energy exploded outward and swept over us as Tristan's had done earlier in the garden, engulfing us in a wonderful flow of comfort, though the color was white instead of the fire-red.

The warmth faded and I opened my eyes. The strong feeling of protection was gone from both myself and Tristan. I turned around to find he was at the door to the library. His back was turned to me, but I could tell he was tense.

"You must excuse me," he whispered in a hoarse voice as he set a gloved hand on the door frame. "I'm not feeling well, and feel I must retire for a time."

I took a step toward him and stretched out my hand to him. "Maybe I could help you-"

"No!"

I started back and grasped the front of my shirt with my scorned hand. "Was it something I did?"

He shook his head. "No. On the contrary-" He paused and his hand tightened its grip on the frame. "If you'll excuse me." He hurried from the room, not forgetting to shut the door behind himself.

My heart sank and I looked down at my hand. A few whispered words left my parted lips. "What did I do?"

That thought nagged me the rest of the day as afternoon passed into evening. There was no sign of Tristan at dinner as I was served alone.

"Where's Tristan?" I asked Chloe.

She paused in setting down a dish and pursed her lips. "He told me he needed to retire for the rest of the day, so I think he's sleeping."

I looked down at my half-finished plate and pushed some of the food around. "I see."

"Would you like to me light the fire in your room? It might be chilly tonight," she offered.

I pushed my plate away and stood. "No, it's fine. I think I'll go to sleep, too."

"Goodnight," Chloe called to me as I left the room.

I grasped the railing and trudged up the stairs to the second floor. At the landing I paused and looked down the hall. Tristan's room was situated a little farther down the hall from mine. I walked down the passage and rapped on the door.

"Tristan?" I called out. "Are you okay?" There was no answer. I tried the knob. The door gave way and I peeked my head inside. "Tristan?"

The room was much like mine except for a larger bed without the posts. Like the rest of the room, the bed was empty. I walked over and brushed the tips of my fingers against the covers as I walked to the head. There wasn't any sign that he'd ever went to sleep.

"What are you doing in here?"

I yelped and spun around to find Gwill floating behind me. His eyes were sharp and narrowed, and his form was tense as he floated around me. "You're not supposed to be in here."

"I-I was just looking for Tristan to see if he was okay," I explained.

"He's gotten along fine without you looking after him for a lot longer than you can imagine," Gwill mused as he paused his floating at my side and studied me. "And he'll probably get along just fine when you're long gone."

I spun around to face him and glared at the shade. "Why do you hate me?"

"Maybe you're just a person to hate," he mused as he floated away. His figure began to fade into the deepening darkness as the last rays of the sun set. The shadow's last few words faded into the blackness as his body did the same. "Or maybe you're a person to fear. . ."

"Fear?" I repeated as his eyes disappeared. I stretched out my arm to him and stumbled forward. "Wait a minute! Why would anyone fear me?"

My reply was the stillness of the night. With a heavy heart I left the room and shuffled to my own. A squishy package wrapped in brown paper sat on the chair near the bed and showed me that Chloe had gone to the village. I opened the package and revealed three pairs of smooth leather pants, as many white blouses, and on top was the most wondrous item of all.

As promised, Vaughn had made for me a cloak, but what a cloak! The color was silver, but the material was completely unknown to me. It was as thick as leather, but had the smoothness and weight of silk. I draped it across my shoulders and the hem hung just even with my ankles for a perfect fit.

There were even pockets on the inside. I heard something crackle in one of those pockets and drew out a folded slip of paper. The paper was a note, and the message read as follows:

* * *

_Dearest Christine. You have no doubt looked over all my gifts to you, but I leave you with the list one: cherish him. He may be a little scruffy and old, but he has a good heart, and in this world that is worth more than all the fabrics in it. Sincerely yours, Vaughn._

* * *

Those words brought a smile to my face. I set the card down and lifted my new precious items into my arms. The dresser was empty and so my few belongings fit comfortably in the drawers. I hung the elegant cloak on a hook near the door. The silver shimmered in the moonlight that cascaded into the room, creating an appearance of a serpentine creek reflecting the stars above its gentle shores.

I slipped into my long nightgown, another loan from Chloe and which I'd forgotten to ask Vaughn about, and dipped beneath the covers. The night was chilly and I half-regretted not agreeing to Chloe's kind offer of a fire, but all that magic practice had left me tired enough that I slipped into a gentle sleep.

Some time later a soft rapping noise intruded on my dreamless slumber. I creaked open my eyes and sat up. The noise came from my left and on the other side of one of the windows. One of the panes was aglow with light from a tiny and familiar source: the ellyll I'd met in Harlipren.

"Chris! Chris!" she cried out in her tiny voice. "Please let me-hey!" A shadow hand appeared out of the darkness of the window sill and wrapped around her tiny body.

The shadow stretched out and revealed himself to be Gwill. "You're kind isn't allowed here," he snapped at the fairy.

The little ellyll pressed her hands against the top of his and tried to push herself out of his clutches. "Let me go, you dirty caethwas! Let me go right now! I need her help!"

Gwill began to float away from the house. "I'll let you go at the edge of the property and back to that rotting woods where you came from."

"Wait!" I called out as I rushed to the window and flung open the glass. "She's a friend!"

Gwill looked to both of us and wrinkled his nose. "A friend of this pipsqueak?"

"That's better than being a friend to a caethwas!" she snapped.

"What's a caethwas?" I asked her.

"It means slave," Gwill explained as he glared at the little ellyll. "At least an ardwid has more purpose than pissing people off." She stuck out her tongue.

"Please let her go," I pleaded.

Gwill scoffed. "Why should I?"

"Because she's someone who needs help, and she must need it pretty badly to leave Harlipren and risk your security to get here," I pointed out. I looked him in the red eyes with a steady gaze. "And wouldn't you risk the same for Tristan? Or Chloe?"

Gwill pursed his lips, but rolled his eyes. "Fine." He opened his hand.

The ellyll flew from his palm and fluttered in front of my face. "You have to help us, Chris! Harlipren is under attack and nothing we do is working, and the Lady and Lord are away, and if you don't hurry everything will be ruined!"

I cupped her in my hands and drew her a little lower. "Slow down. What's attacking you?"

"A mud golem!" she revealed.

"What business is that of ours?" Gwill snapped.

The little ellyll whipped her head around and glared at him. "It's everyone's business if that thing taints the forest with its vile body and stretches its sick muck beyond the tree bounds!"

Gwill floated behind me and folded his arms over his chest. "If it's that powerful than you've got the wrong athrylis. This one can barely make a protection spell."

"What about Tristan?" I suggested.

The ellyll shook her head. "Yes! Him! He must help!"

Gwill sneered at the creature. "You ellyll haven't done _him_ any favors. Why should we-"

"Gwill," I whispered as I looked down at the quivering ellyll. I cupped my hands around the ellyll and smiled down at her. "I'll take you to him."

"Don't assume he'll help them!" Gwill snapped as I stood. "They haven't done anything to deserve his help."

I raced to the door in my bare feet and paused with my hand on the knob before I looked over my shoulder at the shadow. "He might not help, but I have to try."

# 20

The ellyll landed on my shoulder and took a seat as I hurried out of the room. I tried his room, but the bed was still untouched. My bare feet pounded on the steps as I raced down into the foyer. The doors to the library were opened and I stopped in the doorway. The room was empty, but I heard a sound of rummaging coming from the hallway that led to the rear of the house. I pointed my quick steps in that direction and followed the noise to one of the doors on the right-hand side. It was the one to the basement.

I rapped my knuckle on the door. The noises ceased.

"Who is it?" Tristan called out.

"It's me Christine," I replied as my eyes flickered to the ellyll. "And I have someone here who needs your help."

The ellyll flew off my shoulder and fluttered beside me. "Please, Dierth! It's the Harlipren!"

The door opened and Tristan stood in the doorway. His body framed the entrance perfectly so that all I saw was the step on which he stood. There was something strange about his form, almost as though there was no end or beginning between his body and the shadows around him. "What of it?" he asked the tiny creature.

She flew up to be even with his face. "It's a mud golem! It's attacking everything and we can't stop it!"

Tristan's eyebrows crashed down. "Where did it come from?"

"It's one of the golems from the hills. He usually comes down for some water, but this time something's wrong with him! Horribly wrong!"

"It would be best if you dealt with the matter yourselves," he suggested.

She balled her tiny hands into fists at her side and glared at him. "You think we haven't tried that already? We've tried everything, but nothing's working, and without your help everything will be corrupted!"

I grasped Tristan's sleeve and gave it a tug. "Please, Tristan, they need our help."

Tristan looked down at me. His face was impassive, but his eyes told me a different story. There was indecision, but finally resolve. "Very well." He brushed past us, shutting the door behind himself so securely that I didn't get to see anything further of the basement. Tristan strode into the hall and drew on his cloak. He turned to me as I caught up to him. "Remain here until I return."

I frowned and shook my head. "I'm not going to let you leave here without me."

"More athrylis will always help!" the ellyll agreed.

Tristan pursed his lips, but his eyes glided down my form. "Very well, but first you should find more suitable clothing."

I followed his gaze and let out an 'eep.' I slipped out of my nightgown and into my new clothes. The cloak was as warm as cotton and flitted behind me as I hurried down the stairs where the others waited for me. Chloe was awake and at the door.

"You're sure you want to go?" she asked me.

I smiled at her. "I'll be fine if I'm with Tristan, and I'll be looking forward to one of your hot drinks when we get back."

Chloe nodded and stepped back. Tristan led us out the door where the ellyll took the lead. She guided us at an angle across the lawn toward the Harlipren.

Gwill followed us to the edge of the property where he turned to Tristan. "You sure you don't want me to come?"

"A mud golem is no threat to us, but we'll need you to remain here in case another should come through," Tristan pointed out.

Gwill frowned but floated back toward the house. "I hate it when you're right." He paused behind me and caught my attention. "Don't let him do anything stupid."

I smiled and shook my head. "I make no promises."

"Hurry! Hurry!" the little ellyll shouted.

Her flight was quick so that we were nearly at a run into the thick woods. The scent of rot and rebirth permeated the air around us the large branches blocked out the bright night sky. The ellyll cast a soft glow on the plants and revealed the shadowy shapes of wild animals as they stared at us from the darkness.

I stumbled through the dark, but kept pace with the ellyll's smooth flight and Tristan's long stride. One of my feet, however, got caught in a bent root and I fell face-first onto the ground.

"Ouch. . ." I mumbled as I raised my head.

I froze as a pair of familiar red eyes blinked back at me. Sitting before me, about the size of a small dog, was a lump of mud golem, though its tan-colored flesh was barely recognizable. I yelped and scrambled back. Tristan and the ellyll paused and looked back to me.

"We don't have time to stop," Tristan scolded me.

I pointed at the golem that slowly slithered toward me. "Is this what we're looking for?"

The ellyll flew up in front of my face and rapped me on the forehead. "No, silly! That's just a baby golem!"

"A baby?" I wondered as I looked past her at the muck. The creature slithered past me bobbing up and down for momentum. I climbed to my feet and watched it disappear into the brush. "So they're not all big?"

Tristan walked over to me and offered me his hand. "Very few creatures begin their existence in their full forms."

I took his hand and he helped me to my feet. "Did you?" I wondered.

He turned his face away, but nodded. "In a way."

The ellyll flew in front of us and stabbed a finger at the forest. "Hurry! Use those funny legs and follow me!"

We traveled another mile into the woods before I was struck by a change in the air. The scent of the woods was replaced by the terrible wreak of corruption.

"We're getting closer," the ellyll warned us as she slowed her pace.

A few minutes later we stumbled upon the signs of its destruction. Wilted plants and rotted trees stood as testament to the mud golem's terrible assault. Even the animals weren't spared, those that couldn't escape. I paused and knelt beside a young bird that was covered in filth. It lay on its side and its breathing came out in harsh gasps. The poor creature's wings were singed and its body was a mess of tar and dislodged feathers.

I scooped the poor bird into my palms and looked up at the pitied expressions of the ellyll and Tristan. "This is awful."

"We must continue on," Tristan insisted.

"But I can't leave it like this," I argued as I looked back down at the bird.

He swept his hand over the area. "There isn't enough strands of elfennau to cure the creature. The only way to help it is to destroy the golem. Only then can the area be cleansed."

I pursed my lips, but set the bird down and stood. We continued on with a terrible cloud of creeping horror the deeper we traveled in the quagmire. The ground changed from dirt to a slick much, and I found myself losing my footing more than once.

A glowing light flickered through the dead and dying trees, and intercepted us. It was another ellyll, and this one was splattered in muck. "Sister!" The new ellyll crashed into our guide and hugged her. "Thank goodness you're okay!"

Our guide ellyll drew them apart and looked over her companion. "What happened? Where are the others?"

"That vile creature has them! They can't get out of its body!" She grabbed her arm and tugged her back in the direction from which she came. "We must hurry!"

We rushed forward after the pair of ellyll and through the dying trees I could see a natural clearing. The ellyll flew in first and froze on the edge. Tristan and I joined them, and I gasped.

There, nestled in the center of the clearing was a huge blob of stinking mud. The other golems had hardly been larger than a man, but this creature was the size of a huge boulder. Its pustule-covered body exploded with popping boils. The ground beneath it was covered in black sludge that consumed everything-rocks, grass, and trees-and grasped them in a slow death by rot.

I clapped my hand over my mouth, not only because of the horror but because of the stench. The foul thing smelled like sulfur mixed with skunk and putrid death. "What happened to it?" I asked Tristan.

His expression was a mix of disgust and uncertainty. "The creature has absorbed the elfennau of the forest-the natural lines-and used that to grow larger."

Our ellyll acquaintance fluttered in front of us. "If it absorbs any more there won't be any left to grow the forest back!"

Tristan nodded. "We will cleanse the creature immediately."

The creature had other plans. At the sound of our voices it turned in our direction. Even its eyes had changed with its body. They were still red, but their appearance was bulbous and mud poured out of them like tears. There was almost a pitiable expression on its face as it opened its wide mouth to reveal rotten, broken teeth made from stone and tree.

That's when I heard the small cries. Mixed in with the dead trees and stones were dozens of ellylls. They thrashed and fought against their imprisonment, but the muck held them tight in the creature's body.

"No!" my ellyll friend screamed.

The golem flung its hulking body toward us. Boils popped in our direction, sending horrible hot mud spray in our direction. Tristan raised his arm and a bright wall of shadows burst outward in all directions. The mud splattered against the wall and sizzled, but didn't penetrate the light. Tristan flung his arm down and the wall dropped. The black mud fell harmlessly to the ground at our feet.

"Remain here," he instructed me as he strode forward.

I looked around for one of the bands of magic to help him. A small sliver of light floated to my left. I rushed toward it, but something hot and slimy wrapped around one of my ankles. I looked down in time to watch a tendril of muck pull my leg out from under me. I fell hard onto my back, and the knock forced the air from my lungs.

"Chris!" Tristan shouted as he rushed back toward me.

Thick grotesque limbs exploded from the body of the golem and cut him off. They stretched around and tried to grab him, but Tristan took a step back and raised his palm. More purifying light burst out and destroyed the limbs, but more grew back in their places like a hydra.

My little ellyll friend fluttered over to my ankle and raised her hands above the muck. Small strands of green light sprang from her palms and cut through the tendril. The gashes only lasted a moment before the monster renewed itself.

Then it began to pull me toward it. I twisted to my left and reached out for the strand of light. "Please!" I yelled.

The light heard me and flew over. I felt its fiery warmth touch my hand and a ball of light appeared. I swiped my arm in an arch between me and the monster. The light burst forward like a curved blade and sliced into the center of the creature's body. The golem screamed and shuffled back. Its tendril tightened its hold on my leg and I cried out as I felt the oozing burn of its horrible body sink into mine.

"Enough!" Tristan boomed above the cries of the suffering.

My eyes widened as I watched his body expand. Wings burst from his back and stretched high into the air above him. His form shifted and the lines blurred as he blended in with the muck and shadows that surrounded us. Tristan's face elongated into a snout and his horns thickened and lengthened until they were larger than my legs. He dropped onto all fours and his legs transformed into thick hind legs. His clothes morphed into dark scales that covered his body except for his hair. That changed into a long, wild mane where the strands swirled around him like snakes.

Tristan let out a terrible roar that shook everything in the clearing. I felt a terrible coldness sweep over me, but whether it was from the aching bite of the golem or Tristan I couldn't be sure. Tristan charged the golem and latched onto its gelatinous body with his powerful teeth. The golem cried out in pain and twisted its body to free itself.

My little ellyll friend grabbed my arm and pulled me away from the fight. "We must leave or those monsters will destroy us!"

I shook my head and eased myself onto my feet. My injured leg throbbed with pain, so I leaned my weight on the other one. "I'm not leaving Tristan!" A light strand curled beside me and brushed its warm body against my arm like a gentle pet.

The ellyll let go of me and gaped at the strand before a sly smile slipped onto her face. "Very well! I'll stay here, too, and help you!"

Tristan wrenched his head back, and his powerful jaws took with him a huge chunk of the golem. Several of its tendrils slipped between Tristan's clawed feet and behind him. They rose up like daggers and pointed their sharp tips at his back.

I gritted my teeth against the increasing agony on the golem bite and flung my arm forward. A slice of light flew out of my hand and cut the tendrils. They clattered to the ground like flopping fish before they exploded into sparkling golden dust.

"That's it!" the ellyll told me as she flew in front to face me. Her body glowed a bright green color like woods in bright daylight. "Do that again, but bigger, and I'll help you."

I nodded and the strand of light flowed in front of me. The ellyll stood on my shoulder as I held my hand out. The elfennau dipped into my palm, granting me its blessing even as the glow from the ellyll flowed into me. There was such a feeling of warmth and comfort in those gifts that all my fear and uncertainty fled before them.

My body glowed with a brilliant mix of green and gold. The light pulsed around me and cleansed the ground of the black muck, allowing grass and flowers to bloom at my feet. Vines climbed up my good leg and their stalks bloomed with beautiful purple flowers.

I drew my hand back and flung it forward, releasing a large wall of light. The wall passed through Tristan and he stumbled back with a roar. The brilliance struck the golem and soaked into its body. The creature tilted its head back and opened its wide mouth to the starry sky. It let out a strangled cry before its body erupted in a burst of golden dust.

The change to the woods was immediate. The ground burst with green life of vines, grass and flowers that flowed over each other. Leaves sprouted from the trees and the birds flew overhead, chirping their glee. The ellyll trapped in the monster fluttered above its remains. My little ellyll friend squealed and joined them as they all chattered together.

The strength granted to me by the magic left, and I clutched my head as a deep fatigue washed over me. Through my fingers I saw Tristan revert back to form and hurry over. He wrapped his arms around me and pressed my side against his chest.

"That was quite impressive," he complimented me.

I looked up and gave him a shaky smile. "I didn't know I had it-" I froze. The pain in my leg shot up my limb and seemed to race through my veins up to my chest. My heart was seized by a terrible cold

"Christine!" I heard Tristan shout.

And then I knew nothing.

# 21

Nothing, that is, except a terrible cold mingled with an almost unbearable heat. My whole world was consumed by those contradictions. Darkness and light. Sun and shadow, and the time in-between. Dusk.

A few slices of consciousness intruded on my bleak existence. My eyes fluttered open and I found myself staring at the canopy of my bed. A warm fire crackled in the hearth and the shadows from the windows told me it was still dark.

I turned my head to my right and saw Chloe seated in a chair beside the bed. She was turned to the nightstand where a bowl of water stood. In her hands was a small cloth from which she wrung water.

At my moving she turned her head to me and her eyes widened. "Chris!" She scooted to the edge of the chair and brushed her hand over my bangs. Her hand was so warm, but not as warm as my forehead. And yet, the rest of my body was stuck in a chill. "Don't try to move. The poison is all over your body."

My eyes swept over the room. It was only the two of us. I returned my attention to Chloe. "T. . .Tristan," I whispered.

"He's gone to fetch a doctor, but I'm sure he'll be back soon," she assured me.

I slipped back into the feverish state. More time passed, an imperceptible amount of minutes and hours. Sometimes I would almost awaken, and other times I swore I was awake and that voices hung around me like shadows. They whispered words in tones that I didn't like. They frightened me.

Eventually the chill and fire faded. One sunny day I found myself able to open my eyes. My fever had passed and the chill in my body had lessened, and yet I still felt this strange tension in my body. The warm fire still burned in the hearth and the sunlight flowed into the room through the open windows. The seat beside the bed was occupied, but the light cast the front of the person in shadows.

"Tristan?" I whispered. My voice sounded so hoarse.

The figure chuckled. "No." He leaned toward me and revealed himself to be a young man of twenty-five. His hair was blond and reached to just below his ears. "My name is Maddock. According to some people I'm a doctor, and others call me other names." He smiled down at me. "I'm here to treat that nasty curse that's on you."

I blinked up at him. "Curse?"

He placed his hand on my forehead and nodded. "Oh yes. Many monsters in this world leave their mark on the lives of those they touch. For you, that's quite literal."

I tried to sit up, but my arms shook so badly that I ended up falling back. An effort to move my legs was met with the same failure, but panic began to nibble at the corner of my thoughts. "Why can't I move?" I asked the

"You've been in bed for a week," he revealed as he slipped an arm beneath my head. "Let's get you sitting up so you can get some nourishment."

I was too distracted with his words to do more than stare at him with wide eyes. "A. . .a week?"

"I was told you drew a great deal of elfennau from the forest," he reminded me. "That combined with the curse made you very ill. However-" He looked down at me with a kind, almost pride-filled smile. "You have a certain degree of stubbornness about you that's matched only by your husband."

I blinked at him. "My husband?"

His expression was one of shock, but his sparkling eyes told a different story. "Did I say that? I meant Tristan, of course. So silly of me to mistake those two words. Now let's get you up so you can get some food into that body of yours."

Maddock tucked a bunch of pillows behind me and helped me sit up. He grabbed a glass from the nightstand and clasped my hands around it. "Take this. It should get some of your strength back."

My hands shook, but I clutched the glass hard between my palms and raised the mouth to my lips. The drink was thick like a milkshake and tasted like strawberries. I happily swallowed the whole cup and handed the drink back to the doctor.

"What was that?" I asked him as he set the cup back on the nightstand.

"A medicine of my own making, along with a little bit of ancient knowledge to prevent any nasty side effects," he added with a wink.

I set my hands in my lap and studied the young man. "So Tristan got you for me?"

He leaned back in his chair and nodded. "Yes. I happen to be very good at my job, though some people would beg to differ. I am an athrylis like Tristan and yourself, and my specialty is healing medicine, and Tristan fetched the best person for just this job." He tilted his head to one side and examined me. "He's quite lucky. I didn't expect his wife to be so pretty."

I blushed and looked down at the sheets that pooled in my lap. "He. . .he said something about being his bride, but I think he was just teasing me."

His expression was one of bemusement. "If that's true then I'm sorry my friend developed such a poor taste in humor. However, none of this talk is going to help you get better, so we should let the matter drop."

I shook my head. "But I want to know now."

The doctor paused and stared at me with surprise before he leaned back and laughed. After a moment he wiped a few tears from his eye. "You must excuse me. Someone once said that exact same thing to me a very long time ago. It was rather annoying then, but time soothes all wounds, or so the saying goes, and now I find it very humorous to hear it from another's lips." He stood and took the cup in hand. "But you really should get some sleep. My medicine will help."

"But I'm not-" My eyes grew heavy and I fell back against my pillow.

Maddock leaned down and brushed his warm hand against my forehead. "Sleep well, sweet briodferch, and dream of twilights to come."

Time was pulled from me and passed beyond my reckoning. The next thing I was aware of were voices. They were soft and yet firm, angry and yet quiet. They were also familiar. It was Tristan speaking to Maddock.

"She has the right to know," Maddock insisted.

"She intends to leave," Tristan countered.

Maddock snorted. "You and I both know the likelihood of that happening is slim, at the very best. Your spell brought her here for the rest of her life, and that was your intention all along."

I peeked open one eye to a slit and saw that the darkness of night enveloped the room. Maddock occupied the chair, though the back of the seat now faced the nightstand. Maddock himself had one leg folded over the other and his arms were crossed. His gaze lay on a dark figure near the fireplace. It was the tense form of Tristan. He leaned one arm across the mantel and stared hard into the fire.

When Tristan spoke his voice revealed anger, confusion, and even a little regret. "I won't lie and say that wasn't my intention. However-" He pressed a hand against his chest and narrowed his eyes. "Even a creature such as I can regret their actions."

Maddock sighed and rolled his eyes. "You've been listening to those villagers again, haven't you? The ones that give you that look out of the corner of their eyes that tell you you'll never be like them."

Tristan straightened and turned to face the bed, and his gaze fell on me. Sorrow was etched into the lines of his face. "Can a monster not wish to be like others?"

Maddock leaned back in his chair and a little smile appeared on his lips. "He can, but I think she would love you as you are just as much as she would love you as a man. However, why don't we ask the young lady herself?" He looked to me and winked. "Right, briodferch?"

I opened both eyes and shrank beneath the covers. "I didn't mean to eavesdrop."

"It was rather careless of us to speak in your bedroom," Maddock pointed out. Tristan shot him a suspicious look which the good doctor returned with feigned innocence. "Why, Tristan, you look as though I had planned the whole conversation."

Tristan marched past us and out of the room. I winced at the hard slam of the door. As his footsteps faded down the hall I sat up and looked to Maddock. "Is he angry at me?"

Maddock turned to me with an arched eyebrow. "Why do you believe he would be angry with you?"

I hung my head and bit my lower lip. "Maybe he's disappointed in me for that fight. I let that thing get a hold of me and then I was sick. It must have been a pain to-"

"That's enough." The sharp tone cut into my words and I whipped my head up to Maddock. His humor was gone and his face was creased with a hard, serious look. "He would never be disappointed with you. On the contrary-" He returned his attention to the door and sighed. "I would say that he's more angry with himself for placing you in that danger."

"But I'm the one who insisted he take me," I pointed out.

A few whispered words left Maddock's parted lips. "If only he would see that mortals are reckless and wonderful in their sacrifices." He shook himself and turned to me with a smile. "But that's enough of that. How do you feel?"

I raised my arms and looked myself over. "I don't feel very tired anymore. At least, not as tired as earlier."

"Then I'll have you drink another glass of medicine tonight and let you rest until tomorrow," he suggested as he grabbed a new cup from the nightstand and held it out to me.

I dutifully drank the strawberry-flavored medicine, and Maddock moved to leave. He was at the door when I called back to him. "Maddock?"

He paused with the door open and half-turned to me. "Yes?"

"Could you ask Tristan to come in here?" I requested.

He pursed his lips. "I could, but I doubt he'll come."

I flashed him a mischievous smile. "Then tell him I'll come to him if I have to, and remind him how reckless we mortals are."

Maddock chuckled. "Smart girl. I'll see what I can do." He bowed his head and closed the door behind him.

# 22

I plumped the pillows behind my back and tried to ease my butt into the mattress, but there was no making myself comfortable. It wasn't the bed that was the problem, but my nerves as I waited to see if Tristan would visit me. I kept my eyes on the door, and every creak and groan made me think it was his footsteps in the hall.

Finally, there was the soft but firm footfall of his shoes. The door opened and Tristan stepped inside, but not completely. Part of him remained in the hall. "Maddock said you wished to see me."

I folded my hands in my lap and nodded. "I did. Please close the door behind you."

"You should get some-"

"Get in here and shut the door behind you," I insisted.

Tristan looked like he was about to leave, but he moved all the way inside and shut the door. His stiff manner reminded me of a naughty schoolboy about to be punished. The comparison made me smile.

I patted a spot on the bed beside me. "I'd like to talk to you."

Tristan reluctantly moved to the side of the bed, but didn't sit. "So Maddock tells me. Are you hurting? Should I fetch the doctor to-" He turned to leave, but I caught his sleeve.

"I'm fine. I just want to talk to you about something," I told him.

He turned his face away. "On what matter?"

"On the matter of you avoiding me right now," I explained. I leaned forward to catch his eye, but he averted my gaze. A sly smile slipped onto my lips. "Maddock says you're mad at me for messing up."

Tristan stiffened and whipped his head to me. "I told him no such-"

"I know." My firm voice cut through his words. I gave a harder tug on his sleeve. "You know, you're really tall and it's kind of hard to talk to someone really tall when you're sitting in bed."

Tristan eased himself down on the bed. "Then what do you wish to speak with me about?"

"I want to tell you you can stop beating yourself up," I explained.

He arched an eyebrow. "Over what?"

I shrugged. "Over everything. Bringing me here, taking me into the forest. Everything."

His gaze fell on my forehead. "My taking you into the forest nearly cost you your life, and my bringing you here _has_ cost your life."

I reached my hand up and cupped one of his cheeks in my palm. "But you gave me a new one, and this one _is_ a little more exciting than my last one. As for the forest, I don't mind being sick before."

Tristan pursed his lips. "Maddock hasn't told you."

I blinked at him. "Told me what?"

"The mud golem cursed you," he revealed.

I soaked in the information before I smiled. "Yes, he told me about that, but I feel a lot better now."

Tristan shook his head. "This curse isn't one that can be defeated by rest alone, and the effects are far worse than a fever."

My heart quickened and my eyes widened a little. "What do you mean?"

Tristan stood and walked over to the vanity. He removed a hand mirror from the top and returned to sit beside me. With some reluctance he lifted the mirror so I could see myself. I froze as I noticed a black smudge on my forehead between my eyes. The stain was shaped like a crude circle and in the very center was a red rock the size of a pea. The dot glistened like the red eyes of the golem.

I reached up with my shaking hand and gingerly touched the mark. The stone was solid, as was the smudge. I looked over the mirror at Tristan. "What is it?"

"That is a mark of the void beast, in this case the golem that touched you," Tristan explained. "The curse it brings is to consume your life force to sustain itself. That was why the golems sought the Harlipren and the portal. They sought to consume every living thing to satiate its corrupted appetite."

I grasped my chest with my shaking hands and swallowed the lump in my throat. "How much of my life force will it consume?"

"If left on its own it will consume everything and kill you."

My heart stopped. I hung my head and fought to hold back the tears.

Tristan cupped my chin in his hand and raised my eyes to his. They were full of sorrow and apology. "I'm sorry. The life I offered you is not a safe one, but I had hoped it would be brighter."

I took a deep, shuddering breath. "Isn't there anything we can do to lift the curse?"

He dropped his hand and looked away from me. "The curse of the void beast is not easy to break because it is less magic than it is other things."

I shook my head. "I don't understand. What other things?"

"Alchemy," he explained as he reached into his pocket and drew out his hand. He opened his fingers and nestled in the lines of his palm were tiny pieces of glass. "The ellyll found this in the woods near a pond where the golem fetched water for its body, and where he first began to corrupt the forest. It is the remains of a vial alchemists use to store their creations and explains the horrible mutation of the golem. "Alchemy would also explain why Gwill wasn't able to sense the creature."

I looked up at him with wide eyes. "So there's alchemy in this world, too?"

"Yes, though I'm not sure what stories are told in your world about its potency," he mused as he tucked the glass into his pocket.

I shrugged. "Just that they were always trying to make gold."

"That would be a blessing indeed if they kept their research to merely making precious metals. Unfortunately, this adventure has reminded us both that the alchemists in my world are less preoccupied with earthly goods than with creating chaos."

"What _were_ they trying to do?" I wondered.

He furrowed his brow. "I'm not sure."

"So Gwill couldn't sense the golem because alchemy was used on it?" I guessed.

Tristan shook his head. "Not quite. The alchemical potion used on the golems granted them a certain degree of invisibility from magical beings. That was why it was able to penetrate so deeply into the grounds and destroy so much of the forest before the ellyll fetched us."

I leaned back against the headboard and frowned. "So can just _any_ alchemist do this type of potion?"

"It is a rather tricky potion to concoct," he admitted as he studied my face.

I reached up and brushed my fingers against the mark. "So this alchemist might have a cure for my curse, right?"

"That is likely, if only to cure themselves of the the curse if they should accidentally fall victim to it," he confirmed. He raised his eyes to my forehead where the mark bore witness to my attack. "Unfortunately, alchemists are rare in this area and I myself know of none."

"I think I might be able to help with that," a voice spoke up. I looked past Tristan and saw that Maddock stood in the doorway. In one hand was a slip of paper that he held up. "I just had a message from a friend in Laethion who included this bit of news. It's a list of the alchemists, living and dead, who are known to be in this area." He walked over and handed the list to Tristan who studied the paper with fervor.

I looked up at Maddock. "Why would we want to know about the dead ones?"

His face darkened slightly. "Even dead alchemists can cause trouble, or their potions, at least, if they fall into the wrong hands, and I believe our situation merits the inclusion of that assumption."

"So a college keeps track of alchemists? Is it an alchemy college?" I guessed.

"Yes, and one of the best in the world. I would guess that someone capable of such a difficult potion would be from an illustrious college," he mused. "Each person who is accepted into any of the alchemist colleges and takes any courses must henceforth give their address to the college, even if they don't finish their training."

"Why?" I wondered.

"The knowledge granted to them through the courses and the libraries of the colleges are quite extensive, and dangerous," Maddock explained to me. "To allow anyone to come into the college and collect that information only to disappear into the world would be reckless, to say the least."

"This lists two alchemists who currently reside within ten miles of the village," Tristan announced.

Maddock crossed his arms over his chest and frowned at Tristan. "Not even a thank-you? That wasn't easy to acquire, you know. Most colleges laugh at anyone who even asks about the lists."

Tristan stood and tucked the paper into his pocket. "We must confront them about the matter."

"But how do you suggest we convince the rogue alchemist to reveal themselves?" Maddock wondered.

Tristan shook his head. "I don't know, but something must be done."

"Then might I suggest we ask our adorable little friend here to help with my plan?" Maddock suggested as he turned to me. "That is, if she can act."

"Act?" I repeated.

He turned and smiled at me. "Yes. If you would pretend to possibly recognize the face of both of them then the guilty party might confess to the heinous deed."

"But I haven't seen any of them," I pointed out.

"We know that, but do they?" he countered. "You might say that you were stumbling through the woods when he caught sight of a person moving away from the direction of the golem attack."

I furrowed my brow. "I guess I could say that. . ."

Tristan frowned. "Christine is in no condition to assist us, and the alchemist will be a danger to us."

"I'm fine," I insisted as I flung the covers off. I swung my legs over the bed, but a dizzy spell struck me. The world spun around and I clutched my head to stop the spinning. My other hand clenched the sheets to keep myself from toppling onto the floor.

"Christine!" Tristan yelled as he slid across the bed and grabbed my shoulders. His golden eyes were beautiful handsome with his genuine concern. "Are you all right?"

I dropped my hand and smiled up at him. "I'm fine."

"And a terrible liar," Maddock spoke up as he walked around the bed to where I sat. He knelt in front of me and studied my face. "The mark is a little brighter than earlier. The void curse is absorbing some of your life energy."

I would be lying if I said I wasn't struck by a little bit of fear. "What will it do to me before. . .before the end?"

"Fatigue, mostly, though at the end when most of your energy is gone the curse could become more forceful in its extraction and cause you some pain," Maddock told me.

I looked from Maddock to Tristan. "How long do I have?"

Maddock shook his head. "There's no way to tell, but I would give you less than a week. Perhaps only a few days."

"Then I'd better get up," I insisted as I moved to slide off the bed.

Tristan wrapped his arms around me and drew me against his chest. "Not tonight." I leaned my head back and looked up into his bitter smile. "Rest. Tomorrow we will go see them."

I pursed my lips. "You promise?"

He nodded. "I swear it."

Maddock sighed and stood, but there was a soft smile on his lips as he looked down at us. "I suppose he's right. Our interviewees would no doubt be less willing to talk to us in the middle of the night than they would during the day." He walked over to the door and half-stepped out, but paused and looked to us. His eyes sparkled with mischief. "Don't keep her awake for too long, Tristan. She has some traveling to do tomorrow." He slipped out and shut the door behind him.

I looked up at Tristan who frowned at the door. His eyes were so wonderfully beautiful and his face so handsome. He held me tight, but with such a soft grip that I didn't feel trapped at all. I reached up and cupped his cheek in my hand.

He looked down with surprised eyes. I smiled up at him and leaned my back against his chest. "Could we stay like this just for a little while longer?"

Tristan drew me closer and the warmth of his body soothed my frayed nerves. "Forever, if you wished it."

I closed my eyes and drifted back into a deep, peaceful sleep.

# 23

A new day came again, and with it the disappointment that there were pillows beneath me and not a handsome dragon man behind me. I opened my eyes and sat up. My room was filled with the warmth of sunlight, and the fire crackled softly in the hearth. Someone had covered me with sheets, enough that I felt snuggled under a heavy, soft weight of refreshing heat.

I flung aside the sheets and grasped one of the posts at the front of the bed. I eased myself onto my feet. They were a little shaky, but held me up. I shuffled over to my dresser and slipped into my new attire. The clothes were as soft and warm as the sheets, and twice as light.

I walked over to the door and opened the entrance. A shadow filled the doorway on the other side. I started back and lost my weak balance. Tristan swooped inside the room and wrapped his arms around me.

I sheepishly smiled at him. "Good morning."

"You should be in bed," he scolded me as he drew me into his arms.

"And you should let me down so I can go downstairs," I insisted as I squirmed in his gentle but firm hold.

Tristan turned and marched us down the hall toward the stairs. "I will carry you downstairs."

I cupped his face in my hands. He paused at the top of the stairs and looked down at me. I pressed our foreheads together and smiled at him. "Please? I really want to do this on my own."

Tristan studied my face for a moment before he set me down. "Very well, but I will accompany you."

"I'd like that," I agreed as I grasped the railing with both hands.

Tristan walked at my side all the way down and into the dining room. Maddock was seated near the head of the table, but he stood at our entrance. He smiled at me and bowed his head. "Good morning."

"Good morning," I greeted him as I made my shaky way down the table to my chair. There wasn't a place set.

"Chloe," Tristan called.

Chloe appeared in the doorway. "Yes, Lord-Chris!"

I snorted as Tristan pulled my chair out for me. "That's a new title," I teased her as I plopped myself into the seat. The rest was very welcomed. Even that short distance made me feel like I had run a mile.

Chloe scurried up to my side and looked from me to Tristan. "Should she be up?"

"Perhaps not, but would you bring her a plate?" Tristan requested.

I glanced at Tristan's seat where no plate had been set and raised my gaze up to his face. "You're not eating again?"

He shook his head. "I don't need-"

"To eat, I know, but since you're here," I suggested.

"What a wonderful idea," Maddock agreed as he looked to Chloe. "Two more plates, Chloe, if you would."

Chloe blinked at me before she glanced at Tristan. He sighed, but nodded. "Please bring two plates." Chloe nodded and hurried to obey.

I looked across the table at Maddock as he sat back down. "So what kind of people are these alchemists? Do they like visitors?"

He shook his head. "Generally not. I expect us to become very acquainted with the wood of their doors."

Chloe returned with two plates and set them down in front of us. I pushed the plate of sausages toward Tristan. "Then I suppose we'd better get eating our meat before we start chewing wood fiber."

Tristan shook his head. "I am-"

"Going to join me for my first breakfast downstairs in quite a while," I insisted as I stabbed a sausage with his fork and held it out to him. I gave him a bright smile. "At least just this once."

Tristan took the forked sausage and set the meat down on his plate. He took other dishes and in a short time his plate was full, as was mine. Together we forked a small piece of sausage and I held my fork toward him. "Bon appetite." He arched an eyebrow. "It means 'good appetite.'"

"Then 'bon appetite,'" he agreed as we clacked our forks together and dug in.

Chloe stepped up with the milk jug and a smile. "Tea, if you would," Tristan requested.

Maddock cupped his own steaming mug in his hands as he leaned his elbows on the table as his attention fell on me. "How do you feel?"

I rubbed my forehead and wrinkled my nose. "This itches a little, but I don't feel very different."

Maddock's sharp eyes studied my features. "Your face is a little pale."

I shrugged. "I guess I don't feel very strong, but I was in bed for a long time."

"Don't assign to bed rest what is invariably the curse's doing," Maddock advised me as he downed his tea and set his empty mug on the table. He rose and smiled down at me. "I'll go hitch up the wagon, and then you and I can be off."

I blinked at him before I nodded at Tristan. "Isn't he coming?"

"Actually, I intend only for you and I to visit the alchemists," Maddock revealed.

Tristan frowned. "Why should I not follow?"

"They might not let us in the door if they know that you're involved," Maddock pointed out. "And you won't fit in the cart."

Tristan's frown deepened. "That is a poor reason when you are aware of what I'm capable."

"Yes, but the first one is perfectly valid, and if I know what you're thinking than I wouldn't advise it," Maddock countered.

"They are alchemists, not athrylis," Tristan argued. "They will see nothing but her shadow."

Maddock's eyebrows shot up and a sly smile slipped onto his lips. " _Her_ shadow? You've chosen her as your companion?"

"Wait a sec," I spoke up as I looked from one to the other. "What about my shadow?"

Maddock folded his arms over his chest and looked to Tristan. "Yes, Tristan, what about her shadow?"

Tristan cast a dark look at Maddock before he turned to me. "I will accompany you by hiding in your shadow. In that capacity I would be able to both protect you and observe the alchemists."

I blinked at him. "You can do that?"

"My powers are most attuned to the shadows of dusk," he told me. "Thus I am able to hide in the shadows of others."

"So an alchemist wouldn't notice you there?" I asked him.

" _Possibly_ ," Maddock spoke up as he looked to Tristan. "Some alchemists do have some sight, after all, and since we're dealing with one who is dabbling in some powerful potions than we shouldn't underestimate them."

"In that same thought we should have Christine protected as much as possible," Tristan pointed out.

Maddock closed his eyes and chuckled. "I can see I'm not going to win this battle. I'll go get the cart hitched while _both_ of you finish your breakfast." He left the room.

I turned my attention to Tristan. "Do you really think the alchemist who corrupted those golems will really hurt me if they see me?"

Tristan's eyes flickered up to my forehead. "They may upon seeing that mark."

I reached up and brushed my fingers against the hard, cold surface. "I could hide it."

He shook his head. "Unfortunately, it would be better if you kept it in the open for them to see. They will see that whatever story Maddock will tell them has some grain of truth, and it will help convince them that you might have seen them around the areas of attack."

"What do you think Maddock will tell them?" I wondered.

Tristan looked at where our companion had gone and sighed. "No doubt a fanciful tale. He is very fond of those."

Maddock peeked his head around the corner and into the dining room. "The cart is ready!"

Tristan stood and I followed suit, though with a biscuit in hand. I also grabbed my cloak by the door and we made our way outside. A small cart with enough room for two atop the box stood a hundred feet down the stone path. An old nag was hitched to the cart, but though she was old her coat shone like silk and she kept her head high.

Tristan set a hand on my shoulder and I looked up into his worried face. "If anything happens, know that I'm with you."

I set my hand atop his and smiled. "I couldn't be safer."

My eyes widened as Tristan's form dropped into the ground as though he'd become a black puddle. I spun around to face his shadowy shape and could still see his golden eyes staring at me.

_Don't be afraid,_ he soothed me as he slipped into my own shadow. His voice was like a soft echo in my head.

I looked over my shoulder and shook my head as I smiled at him. "I could never be afraid of you." Though he had no face, his eyes showed his pleasure.

Maddock leaned down and offered me his hand. "Shall we go?"

I took his hand and he pulled me onto the box. He took the reins in hand and hardly shifted them, but the mare picked up her tail and hoofs, and we trotted toward the road. My shadow stretched out behind me, and I could feel the golden eyes staring at me. That gave me comfort rather than unease.

I leaned over the box and watched the stones fly by beneath the wheels of the cart. "I didn't know you had a cart and horse, Tristan."

_They actually belong to Chloe,_ he revealed. _She brought them when she first came and couldn't be parted from them, so the horse remains in the fields and the cart on the far side of the house in a small shed._

"I see," I commented as I turned my attention to Maddock. "So what are we going to tell the alchemists about why we're there to see them?"

Maddock flashed me a mischievous grin. "I'm going to tell them that my little briodferch is ill because of those mud golems and to ask them if they don't have a potion that might heal her."

Tristan spoke up, and his voice was sharp. _You take chances, Maddock._

Maddock laughed. "I do, don't I? But I believe they're worth the risk."

I furrowed my brow at him. "You called me that before. What does it mean?"

"It means 'bride,' but enough talk!" Maddock cracked the reins and we flew down the road. "Onward to victory!"

# 24

I glanced from one of my companions to the other and frowned at both of them. "Why is that taking chances?"

"I'm sure Tristan would be glad to explain that to you," Maddock replied as we trotted past fields and homes. We had taken the right-hand path away from Harlipren, but had turned off the main road at the field of flowers.

I looked down at my shadow behind me with the golden eyes. "You mentioned before about me being your bride, and that you couldn't find anyone on this side. Why not? Chloe's pretty, and a lot of the women in the village are nice."

My own shadow shifted a little like distorted water. Maddock stiffened at my side as his keen eyes stared down at Tristan. Tristan sighed and some of the light in his eyes faded. _They fear me. Even Chloe has some inkling of fear._

I scooted around to face him as best I could. "I suppose that would be pretty important, but how am I different? Why don't I fear you?"

_Can anyone understand the emotions of humans?_ Tristan returned. _Can humans themselves explain why they feel love for their mate, and yet cannot extend that deep love to all else?_

I reached out a hand and brushed my fingers against my shadow. "You've been alone a long time, haven't you?"

My shadow rippled again. _Yes._

Maddock straightened and cleared his throat. "I do recall you having a companion on your earlier adventures. A certain handsome young man, if I recall, who thought you quite a nuisance sometimes, especially when you burned dinner."

I sat forward and looked over Maddock. "His earlier adventures? You were with him?"

Maddock smiled and bowed his head to me. "I had that sometimes-displeasure."

"But isn't Tristan really old?" I asked him.

Maddock flashed me a smile. "He is, but I am far older than even our shadowy friend here."

My eyes widened. "How old are you?"

He flinched and stared ahead. "To tell you the truth, it's been so long that I've forgotten. I can't even remember the day of my birth, but then, the reckoning of the days and years have changed many times since I was born."

"So do a lot of athrylis live as long as you two?" I wondered.

"To meet a short-lived athrylis is the rarity, though we ourselves are an increasingly rare breed," Maddock told me.

My pulse quickened. "You mean. . .will I live a long time?"

"That will depend on fate," Maddock returned before he squinted into the distance. "But I believe I see our first destination."

The road stretched before us over rolling hills and through fields. Low stone walls divided the path from the crops and yards of the few houses that spotted the landscape. I followed his gaze and saw one of the picturesque stone walls guarding a small cottage. The walls were made of clay whitewashed to perfection and a small garden of flowers decorated the yard. The rough stone chimney puffed out a bit of gray smoke, signaling to us that the owner was home.

Maddock pulled the cart up to a small gate in the wall and helped me down. I was struck by the sweet smell of flowers and a delicious smell of herbal cooking.

Maddock continued to grasp my hand as he led me off the road. "Let me do the talking," he whispered as he guided me up the short stone walk to the front door. "Merely look at the alchemist as though you might recognize them."

I nodded, and he knocked on the door. There was a pause before the sound of footsteps came to the door, and the portal was opened by a young woman of eighteen. Her long golden hair fell down to her waist in smooth waves and her skin was slightly pale.

She looked at us with bright blue eyes and a quizzical expression. "Can I help you?"

Maddock smiled at the young woman. "My wife, too, is of a frail nature, and she seems to have caught something worse. This mark-" He nodded at my forehead. "Appeared on her head a few days ago, and we were wondering if you might be able to tell us what it is."

The woman squinted at me and pursed her lips. "That appears to be a curse of some sort. Where did she get it?"

"She was walking in the woods and stumbled on some dead flowers," he explained with a smoothness that came from lying a lot. "We foolishly plucked them and has been sick ever since. One of the villagers told us you were good at herbs and might help us."

The woman smiled and stepped aside. "Come in and I'll see what I can do." We stepped into the cottage and I saw that it was clean and well-maintained. "My name is Katherine."

"I'm Madcox, and this is my bride, Maddy," he introduced us as she closed the door.

"How funny to have names so similar," she mused as she led us into a small parlor. "And I don't believe I've seen you around here," she commented.

"We've only newly moved into the area," Maddock told her as we took a seat on a sofa. "We bought a nice house not too far away. The owner was this rather creepy man who rather frightened my wife."

She arched an eyebrow. "Can you recall his name?"

"I believe the strange man said his name was Tristan." Out of the corner of my eye I noticed a stir in my shadow.

Both of the woman's eyebrows shot up. "The Dusk Dragon has left?"

"You knew him?" Maddock asked her.

She shook her head as she took a seat in a chair near me. "No, I only heard of him, though I had hoped to meet him."

"Why is that?" Maddock wondered as she took my hand in hers.

Katherine turned my palm up and studied the lines. "Merely to learn more what he knew about herbs." Here was my chance. I leaned in and examined her face as though it was the last face I'd ever see. Katherine looked up and frowned at me. "Is something wrong?"

"Haven't we seen each other before?" I asked her. "Maybe in the woods?"

Katherine shook her head. "I don't recall ever meeting you before now."

"My bride asks because she thought she saw someone in the woods shortly before she touched those flowers," Maddock explained.

"I don't often wander into the woods," Katherine admitted.

Maddock glanced around the room and his gaze stopped on a plaque. "You're an alchemist?"

She smiled at him. "Yes, but not a very good one."

"But wasn't that given in recognition of your having graduated?" he inquired.

Katherine stood and walked over to the plaque. She took it in hand and studied the words that were too small for me to read. "No, it's merely a reward for good behavior." She set the plaque face-down on a nearby end table and turned to us with a sad smile. "I'm really quite embarrassed to not have finished."

"But why then did you leave the academy?" Maddock asked her.

She bowed her head and blushed. "As I said before, I. . .I've never been very strong in my health, and thought that perhaps a few years in this beautiful country would help me get better. However, even though I'm not a full alchemist I hope I can help you two."

"What can you do?" Maddock wondered.

Katherine cupped her chin in one hand and looked me over. "I'm not sure. I'm not an expert on curses, but I might be able to make a potion that will ease some of the pain she may be feeling from it."

"There's also some weakness," Maddock added.

"Then I'll put in something to help with that," she assured him as she walked over to the doorway. She paused and smiled at us. "This shouldn't take too long, but please make yourselves at home until I come back." With that invitation she left us.

I looked to Maddock, but his eyes lay on the plaque. "What is it?" I whispered, but he shook his head and pressed his finger to his lips.

"It's a nice day today, isn't it?" he asked me.

_A cunning alchemist would leave a way to overhear their guests,_ Tristan revealed to me. _That is why you mustn't speak about anything that would give away our true reason for being here._

I glanced down at my shadow beneath me and frowned. "But what about you-"

_My words cannot reach anything an alchemist could create,_ he assured me.

"What do you say, my bride?" Maddock persisted. "It's a nice day for a walk?"

I stiffly nodded my head. "I-I suppose it is, but I don't feel up for it."

Maddock winked at me. "Then we'll hope that this kind alchemist can make a potion to help you."

"You're in luck," Katherine spoke up as she hurried into the room. Cupped in her hands was a long vial and on her face was a bright smile. "I had some medicine potion already made for a client, but you can have it. I merely had to put some soothing herbs into the creation for your bride."

We stood and she handed the vial to Maddock. He bowed his head to her. "We thank you very much, but do you have any way of knowing how to remove the curse? Or is there another alchemist in the area we could go to?"

She turned her face away and bit her lower lip. "There is another alchemist, but I'm afraid you won't find him very friendly."

"I'm sure I can convince him to see us for Maddy's sake," Maddock insisted. "But where can we find him?"

Katherine sighed. "Take the road back to your house, but two miles away turn to your left and go down a bumpy drive to the end. You'll find him there."

"And his name?" Maddock requested.

"Harry," she revealed.

Maddock smiled and bowed his head. "Thank you very much." He turned to me and grasped our hands together. "Let us go, my bride."

# 25

We hopped onto the box and returned to the road. I glanced over my shoulder and saw Katherine standing at the gate. She waved to us and I returned the gesture before I turned to look ahead.

"She seemed nice," I commented.

Maddock pursed his lips. "Looks can be deceiving."

I frowned. "You mean you think she's the one who corrupted the golems?"

He shook his head. "No, only that we must be suspicious of all until we find the one responsible for your curse."

I brushed my fingers over the mark on my forehead. A horrible thought struck me. "Do you think the alchemist will give me the antidote even if we do find out which one it is?"

_I will ensure they do,_ Tristan promised.

"Within reason," Maddock scolded him. He flicked the reins and the steed hurried along down the road. "Now let us see about this man named Harry."

The trip to Harry's house was short and soon we were nearing the end of the long, rugged driveway. Smooth dirt would have been an improvement, but ruts dotted the way and weeds blurred the lines between pasture and pathway. The 'road' widened and turned into a somewhat circular patch of open ground, and in the middle was what I could generously describe as a hovel.

The house was a single floor which was good because even that floor appeared to be rather shaky. The walls were at a slight incline in one direction and the paned windows-at least those panes that weren't broken-were too grimy to see through from either side. The single, rough chimney also leaned, but in the opposite direction of the house so that there was a gap at the roof where house and chimney parted. What paint had covered the wooden walls had long-since peeled off, and a porch in front of the open door had more broken than unbroken boards.

"This Harry gentleman appears to be a very different sorts than Katherine," Maddock mused as he stopped the horse in front of the porch. He hopped down and turned to offer me his hand. "Let us see if the man doesn't match the house."

I grabbed his hand and lifted a foot to step down, but a slight dizzy spell overcame me. Maddock's hand was of no use to me as I tumbled to one side. He lunged for me, but hands reached up from my shadow and caught me before I hit the hard-packed ground. They set me down and in doing so disappeared into the darkness. Maddock knelt by my side and pulled out a vial from inside his coat. He popped it open and eased me into his arm as he put the mouth of the vial against my lips.

"Drink this," he instructed me.

I gulped down the medicine and shuddered. It tasted like bitter roots mixed with rotten cabbage. I unwillingly swallowed, but a coughing fit struck me. "What. . .what was that?" I managed to choke out.

"The medicine I've been giving you without the added flavor," Maddock informed me as he tucked the vial back into his coat. He opened my eyes wide with his thumb and forefinger, and examined them. "The taste will go away with Chloe's cooking, but how do you feel now?"

The medicine left a dry taste in my mouth, but it warmed my insides like good whiskey. "Warm."

He smiled down at me. "That's a relief. It means the medicine still has some affect against the curse."

"What's going on here?" a voice snapped as a man stepped out of the open doorway of the hovel. He was about thirty-five with shaggy brown hair and his face was dirty. The man wore a pair of dirty jeans and a shirt that was stained with many meals and potions. This, indeed, was Harry. He noticed us on the ground and frowned. "What are you doing on my property?"

"We apologize profusely," Maddock replied as he helped me to my feet. "But you see, we heard you were an alchemist-"

"Who told you?" Harry questioned him.

"Katherine down the road, and she-"

"How'd she know?" Harry interrupted.

Maddock sighed. "She's an alchemist herself, but if you'd listen to me my bride here is in need of your help and-"

"And I'm not interested in helping anyone, especially not a charity case, now get lost," Harry snapped as he disappeared back into the house.

"We have money," Maddock added.

There was a moment of silence before Harry reappeared. His studied us for a moment before he arched an eyebrow. "How much?"

"I'm sure we have enough for your time, and maybe some medicine," Maddock told him.

Harry frowned, but jerked his head to the interior of the house. "Get her in here."

Maddock assisted me up the rickety steps of the porch and across the broken boards to the door. We both hesitated on the threshold and stared in awe at our single-room surroundings.

The inside of the hovel was both magnificent and grotesque. The walls were washed cleaned, as was the floor, and the furniture-though bare-was sanitary. What was grotesque about the house was one corner, the one farthest from the door and on our left. Animals hung on hooks from the rafters, creatures of all kinds and some I couldn't identify.

"You seem to dabble in some strange concoctions," Maddock commented as Harry set out a chair and held onto the back.

"I do what I do because it makes me money," Harry snapped as he nodded at the chair. "Get your wife over here."

"Bride, but as you wish," Maddock corrected me.

I took a seat in the chair and Harry knelt in front of me. He examined me for a moment before he shook his head. "Nope, can't help you. That'll be five coins."

Maddock arched an eyebrow. "For doing nothing?"

Harry stood and turned to him. "You wanted my opinion and you got it, and that isn't free."

Maddock reluctantly dug into his pocket and drew out the coins. Harry snatched them from his open palm and nodded at the door. "You can let yourself out."

"I believe the man means it," Maddock whispered as he helped me to my feet.

He led me over to the door. I paused on the threshold and looked over my shoulder at Harry. Our 'host' stood by the hanging animals and glared at us from the dimly lit corner. "Don't I know you from somewhere?"

He shook his head. "Nope. We've never met before."

"You must excuse my bride, she thought she saw someone in the Harlipren the day her illness struck," Maddock explained.

Harry shrugged. "Wasn't me."

Maddock smiled and bowed his head. "Then we wish you good day, and thank you for your help."

Maddock helped me across the boards and to the cart. I appreciated the help climbing up and slumped into the seat. He took his spot next to me and flicked the reins.

We had gone a mile from the house when he looked down at me with concern. "You haven't finished your ill-health act."

I tried to keep my body from trembling as I pressed my arms around my stomach. "That's because I really don't feel well."

My fatigue had been replaced by a terrible pain all over my body. It was like feeling muscle cramps everywhere all at once.

"You may lean against my shoulder if you wish," he offered.

"That won't be necessary."

That was the true voice of Tristan as he rose up from my shadow. His arms were drawn from the darkness and lifted me up so I was cradled against his chest. I looked up into his golden eyes. They were cooled by concern, and I thought I saw a little anger in their depths.

I leaned my head against his chest and closed my eyes. "I'm sorry."

"For what?" Tristan asked me.

"For being such a pain."

Maddock chuckled. "The lovely woman unwillingly trapped in our world wishes to apologize for being here."

Tristan wrapped his arms closer around me and set his chin against the top of my head. "There's no need to apologize, nor worry. We'll find the cure."

I opened my eyes and looked at my two companions. "But what do we do now?"

"Now we wait for one of them to make their move, though unfortunately that will no doubt be evil against you," Maddock warned me.

I brushed my fingers against the mark on my forehead and pursed my lips. "I think it's worth it."

Maddock smiled at me, but his eyes flickered to Tristan. "I quite agree with you."

# 26

We returned home and found Chloe and Gwill waiting for us on the stone path to the house. She took the reins from Maddock, but her eyes were ever on me as Tristan hopped off with me in her arms. "Is Chris okay?"

I smiled at her. "I'm just a little weak."

"And still a terrible liar," Maddock scolded me before he turned his attention to Tristan. "I believe now would be a good time to practice some magic." He nodded.

My eyes widened as I looked between them. "Magic? Now?"

Chloe, with a deep frown on her face, nodded. "I agree. Doing magic might hurt her."

Maddock smiled and shook his head. "On the contrary, magic might be just the medicine for her right now, especially _healing_ magic. She would be taking in the elfennau from the surrounding area which would replace her own depleted life force."

"Can I heal this curse?" I asked him.

He shook his head. "Unfortunately, no. Many curses can be dispelled with magic, but not this one. There's too much complications from the alchemical properties to attempt anything more than some healing magic and simple medicine."

"You would be the better teacher for this magic," Tristan told him.

Maddock shook his head. "That may be, but your little bird should be kept under your wing until she's better. Now-" He scooted around Tristan and gave him a push in the direction of the garden. "Off you go!"

Tristan stumbled forward with me in his arms, but paused and looked down at me. "Are you willing to try magic right now?"

I nodded. "I want to."

He strode forward and took us into the garden. The sweet smell of the bushes and the gurgling of the fountain eased my discomfort. Tristan set me down atop the fountain wall and I clasped my hands in my lap as he stepped back.

"Healing magic is very similar to protection," he explained as he raised one hand. Some of the strands of elfennau floated through his palm and created a ball of light. The glow from the ball soothed some of my aching.

I started back when his ball crackled and sparks flew out like wild electricity. His ball popped and little fragments of light rained down on the ground.

"What was that?" I asked him.

"My natural discordance with healing magic," he explained as he dropped his hand. "The shadows from which I sprung are incompatible with the light provided by such pure magic, and the consequence is that I cannot hold such magic for very long before it breaks down."

"So can anyone do all the different types of magic?" I asked him.

He shook his head. "No. Only the legendary Treon was said to be capable of doing so."

"How many different types _are_ there?" I inquired.

"Many, and their intricacies would be better suited for another time," he suggested as he took a seat beside me. "Now it's your turn to attempt to create healing magic."

I nodded and raised my upturned palm. The elfennau floated into my hand and I gathered their energy into a small glowing ball of magic. The gift of the elfennau soothed my aches so that I hardly felt anything, and my fatigue vanished.

"That is a protection spell," Tristan informed me. "You must create a healing spell."

I squinted at the ball. "How can you tell? And how can I create a healing spell?"

He smiled at me. "It's a matter of practice. Do you see these lines in the magic?" He pointed at the swirling lights within the ball that looked like . I nodded. "What do you see?"

I tilted my head to one side and furrowed my brow. "I see lines."

"Look closer and tell me what you see."

I leaned in closer to the light. "I see. . .I see-" The lines warped and transformed into a bird with a long tail.

My eyes widened as I watched the beautiful creature, something akin to a peacock but with the grace of a swan, fly around in circles. Its tail encircled the whole of the central glow, and its body itself created the lines. It leisurely flapped its wings to continue its motion, but as it passed by it turned its bright yellow eyes on me. I felt a soft warmth from that look.

I looked up at Tristan with my mouth agape. "What is it?"

"We create spells through the magic granted to us by the elfennau," he reminded me as he nodded at the bird. "That is one of them, or at least a manifestation of the elfennau that grants protection magic to the user."

"You mean magic is alive?" I asked him.

"That would depend on who you ask," he told me. "Some believe it is, while others see the elfennau as less sentient than the users, like animals. Others still believe they are nothing more than wayward magic attracted to athrylis."

I looked back to the floating bird. Its golden feathers glistened in the dazzling light of the ball. I raised my hand up and the bird itself flew upward. It spread its wings and the protection magic burst outward in a small, warm explosion of light. As the light faded so, too, did the bird until nothing remained.

I looked to Tristan who's gaze lay on the sky above us. "Will it always be the same bird?"

Tristan looked at me and nodded. "For you it will be, though others have a slight variation on the manifestation."

"Like what kind of variation?" I wondered.

"Some of the elfennau look more akin to hawks, and others have a bundle of plumage on their head. Those variations," he explained. "However, they are all considered the same elfennau, and the ancient name for that creature is Cadwa."

I stared down at my hands and a thought struck me. "How come I didn't see the Cadwa before? I've seen the spell a couple of times, but I don't remember seeing any bird."

"That's because your eyes were shut to the wonder," he revealed as he softly smiled down at me. "Seeing the elfennau now shows how far your abilities have advanced."

"So how does this help me figure out how to perform spells?" I asked him.

He looked ahead of us and nodded in that direction. "Look at the elfennau now."

I followed my gaze and my breath caught in my throat. The strands were no longer mere threads, but were creatures that floated through the air. There was a frisky stallion and a slow turtle, and another looked like a badger. One of the creatures was the Cadwa. The elegant creature floated past me and tickled my nose with the tips of its wing.

I wrinkled my nose, but my face was aglow with my wondrous smile. "They're so beautiful."

Tristan studied me with his own soft smile. "Beautiful indeed."

I blushed under his compliment, but cleared my throat and looked around us. "So which one is the white magic?"

His smile turned into a mischievous grin. "That is for you to learn."

"Is there a manual I can look at before I start grabbing all of the elfennau?" I wondered.

He chuckled. "That would be a feat that I would be most interested in seeing."

I arched an eyebrow. "Why?"

"To do so causes too much elfennau to flow into your body," he revealed as he looked me over. "That causes a great deal of strain on the body, and many athrylis have died in the attempt."

I winced. "Has anyone succeeded?"

"Some legends say that Treon succeeded, but beyond those stories there are none that I know of," he admitted.

"Then I think I'll keep with one," I suggested as I looked over the strands. "So I still have to guess which one is the white one, huh?"

"Guessing would be foolhardy and take quite some time," Tristan pointed out. "All you need to do is wish for healing and the right elfennau will come to you."

I sighed, but held up one upturned palm. "Here goes nothing."

I focused my thoughts on the idea of ridding myself of the curse that weakened me. One of the strands, a creature that resembled a snake, turned away from its path and slithered toward me. The color of its light was slightly green and its eyes were of a jade hue. The creature slipped into my hand and I felt a cool sensation run through my body. The chill wrapped around the mark on my forehead, and I felt it fight for a moment before the cold faded.

I winced as I was struck by another aching pain in my body. Tristan grabbed my shoulders to keep me from falling forward. I wrapped my arms around me and clenched my teeth.

"What happened?" I choked out.

"You attempted to cure the curse and despite your best efforts the curse repelled the elfennau," Tristan explained.

I sat up and sheepishly smiled at him. "Remind me not to do that again." I took a deep, shuddering breath as the pain began to fade. "I think I'm all right now. So what other powers are there? I mean, besides healing and protection."

Tristan stood and offered me his hand. "Perhaps that is a lesson best learned through books, at least until your curse is broken."

"Agreed," I replied as I took his hand and he pulled me to my feet.

"Lord Tristan! Chris!" I heard Chloe shout. She came running through the hedged arches and into the courtyard. In her hands was a towering basket of fruit. "This just arrived!"

"From whom?" Tristan asked as I walked up to admire the wonderful assortment.

Chloe plucked a card from her pocket and handed it to him. "The delivery man didn't say, but the card says it's from 'Harry.'"

Tristan studied the front of the card before he flipped it over to its blank back. "And there was nothing more?"

Chloe shook her head. "No, My Lord."

"What does the card say?" I asked him.

"Only that he means to apologize for his rudeness with this basket," Tristan told me.

I plucked out an apple and studied the shiny skin. "I wouldn't have expected this of him."

I raised the fruit to my lips, but Tristan snatched the apple from my hand. I spun around to face him and found a cloud on his brow. "Nor would I," he agreed as he sniffed the apple. His lips curled up in a snarl. "Poison."

Chloe's eyes and my own widened. "Are you sure, My Lord?" she asked him.

He nodded. "Yes. Don't touch any of the others and-"

"What a fine basket!" a voice spoke up, and we turned to see Maddock walk up to us from the house. He noticed the dark looks on our faces and his own good humor fled. "What's happened?"

"A basket of poison, courtesy of Harry," I told him.

Tristan handed him the letter. "This note arrived with this basket of poisoned fruit."

Maddock read the contents and looked up at Tristan. "Perhaps we should pay Harry another visit."

"I agree," Tristan replied as he turned to Chloe and set the apple back among its deadly brethren. "Place the basket in the kitchen, but don't touch any more." She nodded. "And take Christine with you."

I frowned. "But I'm coming with you."

"You are in no condition for further travel today, and this will be a dangerous venture," he pointed out.

"But-"

"For once I must agree with Tristan," Maddock spoke up as he moved nearer. "Your pale face tells truer tales than any words you may speak."

My heart sank. "So what am I supposed to do? Just sit here and wait?"

"There is the library and your studies," Tristan reminded me.

I bowed my head. "All right, but what are you going to do?"

"We will have a chat with Mr. Harry and see what he meant with his 'gift,'" Maddock explained as he grinned up at Tristan. "Between the two of us this should be a rather safe chat, though I can't say the same for Mr. Harry."

Tristan cupped my chin in his fingers and raised my eyes so I looked into my eyes. "We will return as soon as we can." I pursed my lips, but nodded. He looked to Chloe. "Watch over her carefully until we return."

She nodded. "I will."

"And don't let the basket out of your sight," Maddock instructed us. The men hurried away, leaving us holding the basket.

Chloe set a hand on my shoulder and smiled at me. "I'm sure they'll return very soon. Why don't we go inside and fix something to eat?"

I could only nod my head and let her guide me back to the house. Chloe cleared the island and set the basket on the lonely top. We began fixing a little something to eat, but our thoughts were ever on the two absent from the house.

It was ten minutes later that we heard the knock on the front door.

# 27

Chloe and I glanced at each other. Our faces told the same story. The guys were back, and we almost dreaded to know what news they brought.

Chloe wiped her hands down her apron and gave me a shaky smile. "I'll answer it."

She left the room. My ears strained to hear every fall of her feet as she walked to the door. She opened the entrance and there was a pause.

"Can I help you?" Chloe asked our visitor. My heart sank. It wasn't the the guys.

"I was wondering if a Miss Maddy lived here," the familiar voice of Katherine answered.

"There's no one by that name here," Chloe replied.

My heart quickened and I flew out into the hall. "That's me, you silly!"

Chloe turned to me and revealed Katherine standing just outside. She had a small vial in one hand and a quizzical expression on her face. "Your name _was_ Maddy, wasn't it?"

I nodded. "Y-yes, of course. What can I do for you?"

"I was thinking about how little I was able to help you, and I looked into some of my books from my academy days," she explained as she held up the vial. "I thought maybe I could find something in them to help you, and I believe I have."

My pulse quickened. "A cure to the curse?"

Her smile widened and a strange glint slipped into her eyes. "Not quite." She popped the vial and threw the contents into Chloe's face. Chloe's eyes rolled back and she dropped to the floor.

"Chloe!" I shouted as I rushed to her side. She was still breathing. I shook her shoulders, but she didn't awaken. "Chloe!" A shadow fell over us. I whipped my head up and glared at Katherine. "What have you done to my friend?"

She tapped the mouth of the vial against her shoulder as she grinned down at me. "Well, I had intended to come here after your friends left and make _you_ to go to sleep, but this little cat brat got in the way of that plan."

"Why were you going to do that to me? Why do that to anybody?" I questioned her.

Her eyebrows rose up. "You don't know yet? Do I have to _spell_ it out for you, cursed one?"

My eyes widened and my heart stopped. "You're. . .you're the one."

She nodded. "Yes, I'm the one who's been playing with those piles of mud, so I guess that makes me the one who's cursed you."

I stood and glared at her. "How could you do this? Why?"

She shrugged. "I wanted to test out a theory about the golems and their ability to absorb magic. It worked out better than I thought when one of them found that legendary portal created by that dierth."

"But you destroyed so much! All those golems and the forest!" I protested.

She rolled her eyes. "Seriously? You're really going to try to convince me to suddenly care about all the variables in my experiments?" She leaned her head back and laughed. "You really are too stupid, aren't you? However-" She walked toward me and drew another vial from her pocket. I stumbled back deeper into the hall. "Since you saw me in the woods that day I'm sorry to say that I have to inconvenience myself by getting rid of you."

My frantic mind grasped for excuses. "B-but you can't do that! Everyone will know that an alchemist killed me and they'll suspect you!"

She raised the vial to her grinning face. "Oh, this is a special potion. It'll make you go insane and kill yourself. Isn't that smart of me?"

A flicker of familiar light floated through the wall to my left. The protection phoenix, Cadwa. I reached out for the elfennau just as Katherine uncorked the vial. She threw the contents at me as my fingers brushed against the feathers.

Cadwa's brilliant light burst outward and enveloped me in its beauty in the form of a thin wall. Katherine's potion splashed against the wall and slipped to the floor.

Katherine stepped back and glared at me. "Damn it. You're an athrylis."

The protection barrier dropped and I stood straight. "I am, and-"

Katherine sneered at me. "Only if you catch me." She turned and raced toward the door.

I took a step toward her to pursue, but my shadow was faster. The darkness beneath me slipped across the floor and latched onto Katherine's shadow. She cried out as she fell face-first onto the floor. My shadow stretched upward and morphed into Tristan.

Katherine yelped as he grabbed her ankle on the way up and lifted her off the floor. He hung her upside-down in front of her and looked down at her with unmistakable hatred. "You filthy human," he snarled. "You dare to touch my bride?"

"Let me go! Please let me go!" Katherine pleaded as she thrashed in his hold.

"I should gut you while you swing here," he snapped. His golden eyes were more red than yellow, and in their depths was a hint of cruelty that left me not with fear, but with sorrow and pity.

I ran up to him and wrapped my arms around his waist. I pressed my face against his back and shut my eyes. "Please stop! Don't hurt her?"

Tristan stiffened and his voice was cold. "Why?"

"Because it won't change what happened!" I countered. I looked up at him and shook my head. "It won't help those golems, it won't help me, and it won't help _you_."

There was a long, torturous pause before Tristan opened his hand. Katherine dropped hard onto the floor. She scrambled back away from him and hit Chloe's feet. The sudden stop made her start and turn around.

"Awaken her or I will not heed my companion's words," Tristan threatened her.

Katherine reached a shaking hand into her coat and drew out a vial. She held it out to us. "T-this is it."

"Administer it yourself," he commanded her.

Katherine scooted over to Chloe and lifted her head. She poured the drink into her parted lips. In a moment Chloe coughed on the medicine and her eyes fluttered open. She sat up and blinked at the group around her. "W-what happened?"

"N-nothing," Katherine replied as she stood and took a step back toward the door. "I'll just be-"

"The cure to the curse," Tristan reminded her.

She winced. "I-I don't really have one."

"That would be very reckless of you," a voice spoke up from behind her, and we all looked to see Maddock in the doorway.

Katherine half-turned to him and shook her head. "B-but I don't have one! I didn't know the golems would create that kind of curse! I swear it!"

Maddock studied her for a moment before he pursed his lips and looked past her at us. "I think she's telling us the truth."

"I am!" she insisted.

My blood ran cold at Maddock's pronouncement. I looked up at Tristan. "But then how are we going to cure the curse?"

He shook his head. "I don't know."

"There is the alchemy at Laethion," Maddock suggested.

Tristan pursed his lips. "Even by magic, the strain may prove to be too much."

"What other choice do we have?" Maddock countered.

Tristan returned his attention to Katherine. "What sort of potion did you administer to the golems?"

She shrank back from his question. "I. . .it's a potion of my own making."

"What are the ingredients?" Tristan snapped at her.

Katherine bowed her head. "Some herbs, some soil, and . . .and my blood."

Maddock's eyes widened. "Your blood? In a potion? Don't you know the laws against that?"

She shot him a glare. "I do, but what do I care? My blood is too weak to sustain even me. What could it hurt to give it to a pile of mud?"

"It hurt the Harlipren," I reminded her. "And me."

Maddock crossed his arms over his chest and furrowed his brow as he stared hard at the floor. "Blood alchemy. The worst kind for the origin of a curse, but that explains the terrible curse itself."

Chloe climbed to her feet and looked around. "But there has to be something that can be done for Chris! There has to be!"

I felt a terrible ache in my body and clutched my hand over my chest. No cure, no chance to return home. Heck, no life here in this world.

A light caught my attention. It was the snake elfennau. The creature hovered beside my face and rubbed its cheek against mine. I reached up and brushed my fingers over its smooth body. A warmth entered me, and at the same time a strand of its light floated over to Katherine. She appeared completely oblivious as it wrapped itself around her neck.

Maddock's eyes widened. "Of course! Blood magic!" He hurried over to me and grasped my hands in his as he looked me in the eyes. "You must extract some of her life force into your own."

I frowned and shook my head. "I don't understand. Can she still help me?"

"Nobody's extracting anything from me!" Katherine refused as she turned to flee. Tristan's tendrils rose up from her own shadow and wrapped around her ankles, pinning her in place. She thrashed and pulled. "Let me go!"

Maddock grasped my hand and drew me closer to the captured woman. "This is rather a simple trick, and I'm sorry I didn't notice it sooner." He nodded at Katherine. "Since her blood caused the curse, her blood, or in this case her life force, can cure you."

"So sort of like a 'hair of the dog' idea?" I asked him.

He smiled at me. "Quite right. In order to have the best chance for the lifting you will have to draw her life force using Gaeis. That is, the snake you see here."

I shook my head. "But I don't know how to do that."

"And you're not supposed to do magic on anyone against their will!" Katherine snapped.

Maddock raised his eyes to our 'guest' and glared at her. "That is correct, but since you have already attacked her this is to defend herself." He glanced over his shoulder at Tristan. "Surely you've taught her basic healing magic."

Tristan nodded before he looked to me. "You need only summon the elfennau's help as you have done before and it will guide you."

I stiffened my jaw and nodded. "I'll try."

I returned my attention to Katherine who continued to struggle and raised my hand. Gaeis pulsed with his green light and raised the slender spear of light. I winced as the sharp end stabbed into Katherine's arm. She flinched, but stared at the spot in confusion and horror.

"What are you doing to me?" she screamed as she resumed her struggles. "Let me go!"

Gaeis drew back his 'tail' and scratched my arm with the tip. I felt a warmth flow through me that focused in my forehead. The heat grew hotter until the room grew blurry with fever. I clutched my head and swayed to one side, but Tristan caught me before I collapsed.

But he couldn't stop me from fainting from the heat.

# 28

I shifted and winced. My head ached at one specific spot. I reached up and brushed my fingers against the center of my forehead. My breath caught in my throat when I didn't feel the now-familiar touch of the hard curse mark.

My eyes flew open and I sat up. A gentle pair of hands grasped my shoulders and pressed me back against the myriad of pillows behind me.

"Don't move too quickly," Tristan advised me as he dropped his hands and sat back.

I sheepishly smiled up at him. "A lot of people are saying that to me lately, aren't they?"

He returned the smile and nodded. "Yes, though I wish that weren't true."

I pressed my fingers against my forehead again and relief washed over me. "I think that isn't going to happen as much as before."

He nodded. "Yes. You cured yourself. I must admit I didn't think it possible."

"You underestimate your apprentice," Maddock called from his standing place beside the crackling fire. He leaned one shoulder against the mantel and tilted his head to one side as he studied me. "She has the potential to be quite the magnificent athrylis."

I looked down at my upturned palms that lay in my lap and furrowed my brow. "That would mean giving up on going home."

Maddock's face fell and he straightened. "I didn't mean it that way."

I raised my eyes to him and shook my head. "I know you didn't it, but it's hard to get around the fact that I'd have to stay here for a while to learn anything. But then, I think I'm going to be stuck here for a while."

Tristan turned his face away. "I'm sorry."

I cupped his cheek in my hand and turned his face back to me. "Don't be. Even though I've had a lot of danger, I've also had a lot of fun. Your world is amazing, and I'm glad that I've been able to see it."

Tristan searched my eyes. I suspected he was looking for doubt or lies. I leaned forward and pressed a light kiss on his lips. When I drew back his eyes were wide and his mouth was slightly agape.

Maddock laughed. "Now that's the first time in a long time that I've seen that face on you, Tristan."

Tristan smiled at me. "It has indeed."

I cleared my throat and looked around the room. One of my friends was noticeably absent. "Where's Chloe? Is she okay?"

Tristan nodded. "Yes. She's fixing something for you to eat right now."

"And Katherine? What happened to her?" I asked them.

Maddock chuckled. "I gave her quite a choice. She could either go with me to the academy at Laethion for a fair trial, or she could present herself before Tristan's merciless but just jurisdiction."

My eyes flickered to Tristan. "She chose Laethion?"

He nodded. "She did."

I fell back against the pillows and smiled. "I'm glad that's over." A thought struck me. "So what happened to Harry?"

Maddock pursed his lips. "He was near death when we found him with an unconvincing suicide note lying beside him. Fortunately, I carry quite an extensive supply of antidotes and was able to cure him."

I winced. "And that's what Katherine intended for me, too. . ."

"She won't be hurting anyone else any time soon," Maddock mused as he walked over to the window to the left of the bed. He brushed aside the curtain and smiled at the sunny day. "A beautiful place, but remind me not to become your neighbor. The others in this area appear to be either very wicked or in danger of being killed."

"I will endeavor to remind you of those dangers if you are ever to return," Tristan promised as he stood.

Maddock looked to me and smiled. "I believe I will be returning more often than I used to. But if you'll excuse me, I must try some more of Chloe's cooking before I leave." He bowed his head and left.

Tristan remained beside the bed. I reached out and grasped his hand. He looked down at me and I smiled up at him. "I really am happy to be here."

He gave a nod. "I know. Your eyes are too pure to lie." He paused and opened his mouth, but shut it.

"Is something wrong?" I asked him.

He shook his head. "Not at all. I will leave you to rest."

That rest turned out to be a few more days, but with Chloe's cooking I was nearly my old self again. Tristan, however, wasn't nearly his old self, or what little I knew about him. I didn't see him for more than an hour during that time.

"Where's Tristan?" I asked Chloe as I dressed myself.

She had my empty dishes on a tray and nodded at one of the windows. "He's out in the garden. He's been there a lot these last few days."

I furrowed my brow and went in search of my elusive host. I found him seated on one of the benches in the center of the maze. His eyes lay on the fountain and didn't move as I made my appearance.

"Thinking?" I wondered as I walked over to him.

A dark shadow passed over his brow. "Christine, there is-" He pursed his lips and looked away from me.

I stopped in front of him and frowned. "There's what?"

Tristan closed his eyes and sighed. "I have not been entirely truthful with you, and after what happened I feel you must be told."

My heart quickened. "Told what?"

He opened his eyes and looked up to me. "I have the power to return you to your home."

My jaw hit the paved stones. "You. . .you _what?_ "

"I have the power, and I have always had the power," he reiterated.

"But you said-that is, I-" I shook off my shock. "Why did you lie to me?"

He couldn't look at me in the eyes. "I sought to keep you here, but I see now how foolish and selfish was my choice. I can no more protect you from the evils of this world than I can force you to be my bride."

My legs wobbled a little, so I sank down on the seat beside him. "You. . .I. . .I can go home?"

He looked at the fountain and stretched out his hand. A faint glow appeared in his palm and a beam of light shot out. It struck the fountain and the familiar portal spread open. Tristan dropped his hand and looked to me. "Return to your world, Christine, and may you be happy there."

I studied the darkness for a moment before I looked to Tristan's face. His eyes were full of sorrow and conviction. He would allow me to go home and be left alone in his world, possibly to wait another thousand years for his betrothed.

A faint smile slipped onto my lips and I sighed. "Close it."

He blinked at me. "Pardon?"

I put my hands on my hips and frowned at him. "I said close it before another mud monster decides it looks tasty."

"You are sure?" he persisted.

"Do I have to close it myself?" I warned him as I stood.

He followed me to his feet and grasped my upper arms. His eyes searched mine. "Your truth lies in your eyes, and yet-"

"And yet you're standing here jabbering," I teased as I nodded at the portal. "So you know I want you to shut that. Besides, it's not like you can't open it again, right?"

Tristan furrowed his brow. "Truth be told, there are certain conditions needed to open the portal, and the effort is a strain on this form."

I grabbed his shoulders and spun him around to face the portal with me at his back. "Then you'd better shut it before I get angry, and you don't want to see me when I'm angry."

Tristan raised his hand and the light shone again. A single ball flew out of his palm and struck the portal. The swirling vortex collapsed into its center and disappeared. Tristan swayed a little, but I caught him.

"Easy!" I shouted as I helped him back onto the bench. "That does take something out of you, doesn't it?"

Tristan had his gloved hand over his face so that I couldn't see his expression. "Quite."

I took a seat beside him and looked at the empty air. There wasn't regret, but I felt as though I had closed a door and didn't know where to look for the next one. "So what now?"

He dropped his hand and smiled at me. "Now we begin your apprenticeship in earnest. That is, when you are ready."

A flicker of phoenix floated by me and I smiled. "I think I'm ready."

But how little I was ready for the adventures that lay ahead, but with my new friends by my side, and Tristan there for me, I was prepared to take on the world.

First, though, I had to take on a box.

# Appendix

_aether_ a word that refers to both 'air' and 'heaven.' Those with the skills of an _athrylis_ are said to be able to ascend to the aether while still living and reside there forevermore in perpetual peace.

* * *

_Arall_ the name for our world which lacks the magic of its twin world, _Ledrith_.

* * *

_ardwid_ refers to spirits that protect households. They are usually shadow in appearance, but can take on human shape.

* * *

_athrylis_ the term for a magician in the world of _Ledrith_. A competent consure is able to make a good living by helping others with their abilities.

* * *

_Blodau_ a village within two miles of Tristan's home. The inhabitants specialize in growing the _enfise_ flower.

* * *

_bydron_ the corruption of magic when it is forced from nature rather than freely given. The consequences of an _athrylis_ calling forth bydron are numerous, and most end in the death of not only the athrylis but the surrounding nature from which the magic was forced.

* * *

_Cadwa_ the ethereal manifestation of the protection _elfennau_ used by _athrylis_. The creature has the appearance of a phoenix-like bird, though as an elfennau the form is slightly different for each user of magic.

* * *

_caethwas_ the ellyll term for a spirit that is bound to a mortal.

* * *

_Council of Treon_ a group of five individuals who enforce the rules of the _athrylis_. Their name derives from a legendary athrylis named Treon who was said to have gathered all the wisdom of the world unto himself and disappeared into the _aether_ , though not before leaving behind sacred texts and the initial commandments of the athrylis. They also preside over judgment should an athrylis break any of the sacred commandments.

* * *

_dierth_ creatures of _Ledrith_ that have unknown origins, but are generally considered mutations spawned from the darkness within nature.

* * *

_elfennau_ an ancient name of unknown origin used in reference to the elements of the world of _Ledrith_. They are incorporeal beings that control the natural order and bestow their powers only on a few mortals, namely the _athrylis_. To the inexperienced athrylis they appear as strands of light, but a trained athrylis is capable of seeing their unique ethereal form. One such form is that of the _Cadwa_.

* * *

_ellyll_ the singular and plural name for the fairy folk of _Ledrith_. They inhabit the deepest and oldest parts of the world, and like _athrylis_ they weave their magic from nature. However, they are considered immortal, unless struck by illness or mortally wounded, and generally consider the mortal world to be a cold and miserable place which they gladly avoid.

* * *

_enfise_ a flower that looks like a cross between an iris and a tulip. The flower is highly sought after for its many varieties of color, and fetches a high price because of its reputation as a difficult plant to grow.

* * *

_ferange_ an orange tabby cat the size of a tiger that is capable of using magic.

* * *

_Gaeis_ a snake _elfennau_ that is the ethereal manifestation of healing magic. Like other elfennau, its characteristics are slightly different for each user of magic.

* * *

_gath_ a feline species of shifter with a humanoid appearance but incapable of hiding their cat ears. They are descended from the mountain cats, or ancient gath, that inhabited the higher elevations.

* * *

_Harlipren_ the woods near _Blodau_ in which dwell the _ellyllon_. The name translates to Shade Wood in reference to the deep shadows cast by its ancient trees.

* * *

_Laethion_ the capital city of one of the larger empires and home to a prestigious college for _athrylis_.

* * *

_Ledrith_ the name for the other world that is connected to our own, but still retains the magic our world lost ages ago.

* * *

_methrina_ an ancient word defined as 'cherished' that refers to the relationship between an _athrylis_ and the natural elements. The elements, or _elfennau_ , consider those bestowed with their gifts as their children and grace them with their powers that they might thrive in the world.

* * *

_syk_ a word that translates to 'dry' and refers to people who are incapable of using magic. Much of the population of _Ledrith_ are syk.

* * *

_Treon_ a legendary _athrylis_ whose texts were the foundation for the sacred commandments of all those _athrylis_ who proceeded him. He is also the namesake for the _Council of Treon_.
**A note from the flynn**

> Thanks for downloading my book! Your support means a lot to me, and I'm grateful to have the opportunity to entertain you with my stories.
> 
> If you'd like to continue reading the series, or wonder what else I might have up my writer's sleeve, feel free to check out my website, or contact me at mac@macflynn.com.

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# Continue the adventure

Now that you've finished the book, feel free to check out my website for the rest of the exciting series. Here's also a little sneak-peek at the next book:

* * *

**Shadows of Myth:**

> A wondrous collection of beautiful creatures floated around me, and the evil little things were doing a good job of ignoring me.
> 
> I held out my hand to the familiar phoenix that was Cadwa, the elfennau of protection. "Over here," I coaxed. The creature floated over to me somewhat languidly, but finally settled itself in my palm. I looked down at the elegant creature of light and frowned. "Sometimes I wonder if you guys really don't like me."
> 
> "It's because you hesitate to summon them," Tristan countered.
> 
> My dragon mentor sat on a nearby rock. Around me was the wondrous front yard of his estate. Flowers bloomed and birds sang, and all around our magician selves were the floating entities known as elfennau. They were the source of our magic, the beings that gave us their different powers so we could use it to form spells.
> 
> I dropped my tired arms to my sides and bowed my head. A sigh escaped my parted lips. "I know. It's just that-well, I don't know why they think I can use them." I raised my head and looked to Tristan. "What makes someone an athrylis? What do we have that so few others have?"
> 
> He stood. "Many athrylis have tried to unlock that mystery, but the only closure they have found is that each of us must discover our own path in using the gifts the elfennau gift to us."
> 
> "So what they've found is that we special few need to find our own path like everyone else in the world?" I guessed.
> 
> He smiled. "Yes."
> 
> I dropped my head. "I guess I really shouldn't expect anything else. I mean, I haven't even been in this world for more than a month."
> 
> Tristan walked over and cast his shadow over me. He cupped my chin in his palm, and I looked up to find his golden eyes sparkling. "I would not have traded this month for all the world."
> 
> I tilted my head into his hand and smiled. "You always know how to make a girl feel better."
> 
> "I may have a betterment for your skills, as well," he teased.
> 
> I noticed movement behind him and toward Harlipren, the wood that bordered two sides of Tristan's property. "Chris!" a tiny voice called, and a tiny form latched onto my neck.
> 
> I started back, but smiled when I recognized the small figure of the ellyll who had befriended me on my first adventure in this world called Ledrith.
> 
> She looked up at me and her face was aglow with glee. "I have very good news! My Lord and Lady have returned, and they wish to see you!" She cast a side-glance at Tristan and frowned. "Oh, and you, too, but we prefer you not to come."
> 
> "I have no qualms about staying out of Harlipren," he agreed.
> 
> I blinked at the ellyll. "Your lord and lady?"
> 
> "The ellyll of Harlipren are ruled by a pair of higher ellyll," Tristan informed me.
> 
> The little ellyll nodded. "Yep, and they want to invite you to a feast in your honor!"
> 
> I sheepishly smiled and shook my head. "I-I didn't do that much-"
> 
> "Of course you did!" the ellyll countered as fury replaced glee. "You saved the Harlipren from that nasty golem! Even if you were to save the rest of the world, we couldn't think better of you for what you did!"
> 
> My face softened as I smiled at her. "Then we'd be glad to-"
> 
> "We refuse." Tristan walked up to us and frowned down at the ellyll. "We thank the Lord and Lady for their kindness, but my apprentice would not be able to resist their temptations."
> 
> "Temptations?" I repeated.
> 
> The ellyll flew above my shoulder and glared at Tristan. "My Lord and Lady do not 'tempt' anyone!"
> 
> "They would merely wish for us to remain for all eternity within their haven," he retorted.
> 
> She crossed her arms over her chest and sneered at him. "Only one of you would be welcome, _dierth_."
> 
> I looked from one to the other. "What about tempting? What's going on?"
> 
> The little ellyll flitted up to my face and pecked a kiss on my cheek. "I'll make sure you come, just you wait." She flew off back into the woods.
> 
> I turned my attention to Tristan. His gaze lay on where the ellyll had gone, and there was unease in his expression. "Why didn't you want us to go?"
> 
> He looked to me with pursed lips. "The lord and lady of Harlipren have a bad habit of keeping their guests indefinitely."
> 
> I shook my head. "Indefinitely? You mean they wouldn't let us leave? But why would they want us to stay? We're not ellyll."
> 
> "As athrylis we are considered like kin by some of the ellyll, though not all," he explained. "Both of us are granted the ability to use the elfennau and we are both long-lived. Therefore, we are considered as children of the elfennau like they are."
> 
> "Children?" I wondered as I watched an elfennau float by.
> 
> "Because we are granted their powers, the ellyll consider the elfennau to be the parents of us," he revealed. "We are their children and so they grant us leave to use magic."
> 
> "I suppose that makes sense," I mused as I looked out toward Harlipren. "So the lord and lady would just want us to be together like a family?"
> 
> He nodded. "Yes, but we would be unable to return. Or rather, our forms would be so changed that we would no longer be welcomed in the mortal world."
> 
> "Changed? Changed how?" I asked him.
> 
> He shook his head. "The change is different for everyone, but mortals who wander into the realm and were adopted by ellyll have been known to turn into centaurs and other partial woodland creatures."
> 
> "But we didn't change when we went in there last time," I pointed out.
> 
> "The city of the ellyll lies deeper in the woods and through a portal created by magic," he explained.
> 
> "So _could_ we visit them?" I wondered. "Even for a little while?"
> 
> He nodded. "Yes. The risk is only if we remain."
> 
> "I see. . ." I mused as I bowed my head.
> 
> Tristan studied me for a long while, and when he spoke his voice was soft. "Would you wish to see them?"
> 
> I shrugged. "A little, but not if I'm going to be stuck there and turn into some sort of were-turtle."
> 
> He arched an eyebrow. "A were-turtle?"
> 
> I smiled and shook my head. "Never mind."
> 
> "If the ellyll returns with a promise from the lord and lady not to keep us, we will reconsider," Tristan suggested.
> 
> "I'd like that."
> 
> Movement from the direction of the road made me look there. A young woman in a worn traveler's cloak walked down the stone path toward the house. She was about eighteen with short bobbing brown hair, and she stood a little shorter than me. In her hands she held a small wooden box with strange wooden strands plastered over its surface. She looked left and right, and her teeth bit her lower lip.
> 
> I waved to her. "Hello there!"
> 
> The woman lifted her beautiful brown eyes to us. "H-hello."
> 
> I walked over to her and Tristan followed behind me like a shadow. "Are you looking for someone."
> 
> She nodded. "Y-yes. I'm looking for the dierth, Lord Cernunnos."
> 
> I nodded at Tristan. "He's Lord Cernunnos."
> 
> She turned to him and bowed her head. "I'm sorry to intrude on you, My Lord, but my family and I are in urgent need of your help."
> 
> "Help with what?" he asked her.
> 
> She hung her head and held out the box in her hands. "It's. . .it's this box. It's cursed."

# Other series by M. Flynn

**Contemporary Romance**

Being Me

Billionaire Seeking Bride

The Family Business

Loving Places

PALE Series

Trapped In Temptation

**Demon Romance**

Ensnare: The Librarian's Lover

Ensnare: The Passenger's Pleasure

Incubus Among Us

Lovers of Legend

Office Duties

Sensual Sweets

Unnatural Lover

**Dragon Romance**

Blood Dragon

Dragon Bound

Dragon Dusk

Fated Touch

Maiden to the Dragon

**Ghost Romance**

Phantom Touch

**Vampire Romance**

Blood Thief

Blood Treasure

Vampire Dead-tective

Vampire Soul

**Urban Fantasy**

Death Touched

Oracle of Spirits

**Werewolf Romance**

Alpha Blood

Alpha Mated

Beast Billionaire

By My Light

Desired By the Wolf

Falling For A Wolf

Garden of the Wolf

Highland Moon

In the Loup

Luna Proxy

Marked By the Wolf

The Moon and the Stars

Moon Chosen

Moon Lovers

Scent of Scotland: Lord of Moray

Shadow of the Moon

Sweet & Sour

Wolf Lake
