Forged in Stone (10 page)

“You wouldn’t really let me walk away, would you?”

“I have to protect you. Everything I am doing is for your own good.”

“That makes you sound even more frightening. It sounds like what crazy people say.”

“Frightening?” He stepped toward me. “Do I scare you?” His eyes bore into mine.

The truth slipped from my lips. “No. You don’t.” I was more afraid of my attraction to him. I shouldn’t have still wanted him, but I did. Hopefully that would stop once I came off this strange trip.

“We should go. We want to get to Bellgard before it gets dark.”

“Before it gets dark… so it really is day time there?”

“You can’t tell?”

I knew walking back through the gate might change my life forever, but there was an urgency to James’ voice that rang true. There was always the chance he was crazy, but maybe he wasn’t. Maybe he was telling the truth. Besides, would I ever get an experience like this again? I took a deep breath and walked back through the gate. He let the gate close behind me. I looked up at the bright blue sky. It was an unnaturally deep blue. “I’m really doing this.”

“You are, but if it helps you’re not alone.” He held out his hand.

“If this is all an elaborate hoax or trick, please try to keep me alive.”

“The only reason we left when we did was to keep you alive.” He grabbed my hand. “Come on. There is plenty more to see.”

“Fabulous.”

“No complaining. I am going to have a lot of explaining to do about why I brought you with me.”

“Why?”

“Because we are not supposed to bring in people from your world.” He started walking, and for one reason or another I let him lead me.

“But Charlotte and her brother are from my world. And the neighbor’s son.”

“Liam, Debbie’s son, yes. Charlotte and Kevin are from both worlds.”

“Oh…”

“It is not worth explaining all the details now, but their dad is from your world. Their mom is from mine.”

“I should have insisted on meeting the owners before I moved in.” I’d been so relieved to have a place to stay, I hadn’t questioned things nearly enough.

“And what would have changed? You had no idea I was from another place when we first met.”

“Still, I might have gotten a clue.” Maybe it would have sent off a red flag or something. Then again the fact that people were willing to let a stranger take care of their house should have set off red flags anyway.

“There is no reason to look back. It will not help.”

“But looking forward might not help either.”

“Who said it would?” He tightened his hold on my hand. “Look at the now. Focus on the moment. It is the only way to live.”

“Just get me through this alive, okay?”

“Do we have to rehash the same conversation again?” He glanced over his shoulder. “Come on. We need to go.”

“I can’t go. I’m going to get fired.” I hadn’t even thought about work. I wasn’t due in at the law firm until Monday, but I had two shifts at Yogurt Love coming up.

“I have taken care of that already.”

“How? How could you have taken care of it?”

“As you pointed out earlier, I have a phone. While I waited for you to change, I called you out sick. Isn’t that what people do when they would rather be someone else other than work?”

I laughed despite the situation. “Yes. It is.” I had no proof he’d called, but with everything else going on, my jobs were the least of my worries.

“You are good for a few days. I might have you back by then.”

“Might?”

“Yes. I am sure you understand that word.”

I sighed. “Yes, unfortunately I do.”

T
he timing was less
than ideal, but it could not be helped. I attempted to hide my panic from Ainsley when I found the parchment with her name, but no amount of pretending could make it less frightening for me. It was impossible to know if we were being watched. I still did not know where the enemy waited. The sooner I got us inside the walls of Bellgard, the better.

I barely knew the girl, yet I already cared for her. No one should have known that. I refused to believe she was being targeted because of me, but in some ways that would be the least frightening possibility. The other possibilities involved my father’s followers knowing about her for another reason. If I had more time I would have tracked down the professor myself to make sure he was who he seemed to be, but it would be faster to find Stan. On a vacation or not, he could be found.

After a period of denial, Ainsley finally accepted that staying home was not an option. I only hoped that when all was said and done she would not hate me. Either way, my decision was the right one. I could not leave her alone.

We left the garden behind us and moved into an open field. If we hurried, we could make it back to Bellgard before dark.

“It’s much warmer here.” She pulled off her coat.

“There is some positive thinking.” I held out my arm to take the coat.

She shook her head. “I can carry it myself.”

“I can put it in your bag if you prefer.” I carried both of our bags.

“I can take that too.”

I shook my head. “No. I have it.” There was no chance I was turning it over.

“Why? You don’t have to play chivalrous games with me.”

“There is no game here. I know you are capable of carrying it, but you have had a long enough night as it is.” Eventually she would get used to being treated the way she deserved.

“You haven’t slept either.”

“No, but I am not in a new world for the first time.”

“You were once.”

“I was.” Years and years ago. I grabbed her coat.

“When?” She made a face, but did not reach to take the coat back. I took that as a win.

“The very first time I was young. Very young, and all I did was step inside for a few minutes. I spent months in Charleston in High School. Like I told you.”

“Why were you here this time? I mean the other night.”

“To get wasted at a bar where people don’t know me.” I looked away. It was not something I was proud of.

“No, be serious. Tell me the truth.”

“That is the truth. You saw what happened the night I showed up.”

“But why did you come back today? Or yesterday?” She looked up at the sky. “This whole night and day thing is confusing.”

“You get used to it eventually.”

“But why were you there? I don’t believe it was just to fix a bassinet.”

“No.” I stayed alert as we crossed through the open field. “We will be at the village where I left my horse soon.”

“Maybe this isn’t the best time to tell you, but I’m really not a fan of horses.”

“Not a fan? They are beautiful animals.”

“They are very beautiful, from afar.”

“Have you ever ridden one?” I watched her closely. She had so many little tells, but I was only beginning to understand them. I knew so little about her childhood, and I sensed I would need to understand it more fully before I really understood her. As much as I disliked dwelling in the past, occasionally it was necessary in order to fully understand someone.

“Yes. Once on a vacation with my friend’s family.”

“Then how do you know you do not like them? You have too little experience to make that assessment.”

“You are either a horse person, or you’re not. There’s no in-between.”

“There is always an in-between.” I looked up at the sun. We needed to pick up the pace.

“For such an anti-social person, you are very optimistic about things.”

“Understanding that things are more than black or white does not make me optimistic. I have experienced enough in my life to understand that things are never as simple as they seem.”

“Like me.” She smiled lightly.

“What about you?” I slowed down.

She leaned her head to the side. “I’m not as simple as I seemed.”

“Who said you ever seemed simple?” I had been struggling to understand her from the moment we met.

“I thought you were–well, not simple, but not what you are.”

“You mean my coming from another world and all?”

“No, it has nothing to do with where you’re from. It’s just you.” She studied me closely before turning away.

“Are you going to elaborate on that?”

“Maybe later.” She grinned.

I looked her up and down. She looked great in jeans, but it was going to make her stand out. “I should have told you to wear a long dress.”

“Excuse me?” She put a hand on her hip.

“That is what women wear here. Most of them at least.”

She shook her head. “No thanks.”

“You don’t like dresses?” I was already picturing her in something more feminine. And the towel. I would enjoy seeing her in that again.

“I do… but I don’t like wearing them because I have to. I wear them because I want to.”

“In theory I understand.”

“Only in theory?”

“Do you want me to carry you?”

“What?” She stopped short.

“I only ask because we are in a hurry.”

“Great. Now you are calling me slow.” She grimaced.

“I am not calling you slow, well not exactly.”

“Do we need to continue in this direction?” She pointed in front of her.

“Yes. We will hit a forest soon.”

“I’ll meet you there.” In a whirl she took off.

The girl could run. I stared after her for a moment while adjusting the bags on my back before taking off after her. I quickly caught up, but her speed was impressive. “You run much?”

She glanced over at me but continued at her brisk pace. “I ran track all through high school.”

“I believe it.”

“If you wanted me to run, you should have told me.” She wore a satisfied smile. She liked impressing me.

“You do not have to run.”

“I don’t mind.” She smiled again.

We entered the forest, and we both slowed down to more of a jog. The tree cover blocked out some of the sun, making the evening seem even closer. “We are almost to my horse, and then it will only be a two hour ride.”

“Two hours?” Panic crossed her face. “Can’t I just run there?”

“It’s twenty miles. Even with your speed you could not make it there by nightfall.”

“Are you sure your friends are going to be okay with me coming? I mean you did talk all about preparing things.”

“Wait, are you admitting this is not a drug induced trip or a dream?”

She glanced over at me for a second. “It would have ended already, and I doubt it would involve jogging through a forest.”

“Glad you are seeing things more reasonably.”

“I don’t know if ‘reasonably’ is the right word. More like giving up hope.”

“If you had given up hope you wouldn’t be moving. You have hope.” I glanced around at the thick trees. At least we had their protection for a short while. The rest of our journey would be out in the open.

“I have to admit something.” She looked straight ahead, so I could not see her face.

“Oh yeah?”

“I’m kind of excited about this.” She glanced over her shoulder.

“About running for your life?”

“Well, when you put it that way…”

“Sorry. Excited to be here?”

“To be doing something different. My life’s been pretty boring lately.”

“I’m not sure I would call it boring.”

“What do you mean?”

“Not to upset you, but after what happened with your boyfriend…I would classify that as frustrating and upsetting, not boring.”

“Well yes. But boredom is the overarching part right now.”

“I doubt this is boring for you.”

“Not at all. A bit terrifying.”

“No one is going to hurt you as long as I am around.”

“And will you always be around?” She slowed down to nearly walking.

“Yes. Whether you like it or not.” I led the way toward the edge of the woods. “Ok, we need to be as inconspicuous as possible.”

“Why? This is your horse, isn’t it?”

“Of course it is, but I do not want to have to explain who you are and why you are dressed that way to anyone.”

“Oh… not because your girlfriend lives here?”

“I have no girlfriend. We have been over this before.” I tried to hide a smile. The jealousy she wore was entertaining.

“You said it, but that doesn’t mean it’s true.”

“It is true.”

“Either way, I can be quiet so we don’t get in trouble.”

“I am as single as I can possibly be.”

“It doesn’t matter.”

“It does. I need you to believe me.” I did not know why I cared so much, but I did. She needed to understand I was not like her last boyfriend. I may have flaws, but I was telling her the truth.

She shrugged. “We’re not involved, so it’s none of my business.”

“Are you so sure about that?” I crushed my lips against hers while I wrapped my arms around her waist. I pulled her body close to mine and deepened the kiss, getting us back to the place where I had cut things off the night before.

She moaned, making me need her more. I slipped my hand underneath the hem of her shirt, needing to feel her skin. It was as soft and warm as I expected.

She moved her hand under my shirt, and her feather light touch set me on fire.

“James.” She whispered my name against my lips. It had never sounded so sweet.

Loud laughter had us each pulling away.

I turned to see a very familiar face. I glanced at Ainsley in time to watch her wipe her mouth. The gesture stung.

“Hello, Nathaniel.” I greeted the fellow Guardian. I was not surprised to find him by his home village. He returned home any chance he got.

Ainsley stiffened beside me.

“Hello, James. Kidnapping another innocent girl from the lost world?” He grinned.

“What?” Ainsley stepped away from me.

“He is kidding.” I reached out for her arm, but she flinched. “Ainsley, this is Nathaniel, Nathaniel this is Ainsley.”

“Pleasure to meet you.” He held out a hand to her.

She did not accept it. “What do you mean kidnapping another girl?”

“She does not know about Charlotte?” Nathaniel asked.

I glared at him. “She knows of her, but not the full story.”

She eyed me warily. “Charlotte is your friend. That’s what you told me.”

“She is.” I nodded. “A close friend.”

“But she was not happy when he tricked her into coming home.” Nathaniel laughed.

“Tricked her?” Her face paled. “Like you tricked me? Like you lured me into that garden?”

“Lured her?” Nathaniel stepped toward us. “What does she mean? I was only jesting about the kidnapping. But did you trick her into coming with you?”

“There was no trick. I did it for her safety. I do not have time to waste explaining it all. I have to get her to Bellgard.”

“Why?” Nathaniel did not understand the urgency of the situation, but he should have read it from my tone and eyes.

“Uh, I need to go to the bathroom. Should I just walk off here a little?” She pointed deeper into the woods.

“We have a facility at my parents’ farm home,” Nathanial offered.

She shook her head. “No, the woods are fine.”

“Don’t go too far.” I gave her a long look.

“Just far enough that you can’t see me.” She walked off.

“You have a minute now. Fill me in,” Nathaniel urged.

I pulled my eyes from her retreating figure. “Blake’s followers are back.”

“What?” His face fell into a mix of shock and dismay.

“Exactly…”

“But why bring the girl?”

“They somehow know her name.”