Moon Spun (14 page)

“Boyfriend?” he repeated, like it was a word he’d never heard before. “I am not a boy and I have no intention of being your friend. We are to be mated in the royal Seelie Court. Together, we will have great power.”

I didn’t know whether to howl with laughter or run back into the trailer and hide. Was this guy for real? Was he delusional? A bad-boy faery land stalker who wanted to whisk me away to Boundless and keep me there forever?

“Ryker,” I said calmly, like I was talking to Chad in one of his hissy fits. “That’s probably not going to happen. Let’s take it one step at a time. First step: I meet my grandmother. Okay?’

Ryker lost his bluster and smiled. He held out a hand. “Good. Come with me, Ava, um, I mean, Allie.”

Suddenly Kizzy’s words resonated through my consciousness. Full blood faeries cannot be trusted. By his own account, Ryker was a full blood faery. He could take me to Boundless and keep me there. Sure, he promised he’d pound in the nail to guarantee my safe return. But I needed more than an iron nail. I needed insurance.

“How do I know you’ll bring me back?”

He frowned. “Did I not explain about the nail?”

“Yes, but you could be lying.”

He flinched as if I had slapped him. “A prince of the royal Seelie court does not lie.”

“Unless you’re lying about lying.”

“Furthermore, it is not possible to lie to one’s mate.”

“Ryker, I am not your mate and never will be.”

“Perhaps you will be, after I woo you.”

Geez, were we in the Middle Ages? “There will be no wooing!” My voice was embarrassingly screechy.

His eyes turned dreamy. He reached out and stroked my cheek. “Are you sure?”

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I slapped his hand away. “Very sure. Now, about the iron nail. Where is it?”

He grinned down at me. “Ah, yes. The nail. It is not in my possession, but I know where your uncle stores them.”

“Then, why don’t you get your faery butt in gear and fetch it. While you’re at it, get two. He gave me a reproachful look. “Ava. What a way to speak to your future mate.”

I didn’t rise to the bait, but flapped a hand impatiently. “Go. As soon as the moon is a little higher in the sky, the time will be right.”

I had a plan and I hoped it would work.

His forehead wrinkled in surprise. “Why must the moon be higher?”

“My friend warned me about faery time. She said what seemed like twenty minutes could be four days in human time. Do you have any idea how freaked out my mother would be if I was missing for four days?”

“You needn’t worry about that. I’ll get you back before sun rise. I have to be back for work, you know.”

I wanted to trust him but couldn’t quite get there. “Something could happen. We could get stuck, maybe unforeseen circumstances beyond your control.” I shook my head. “The only way I’ll go is if I use the moonstone to stop time.”

Because stopping time was a decision of epic proportions, I tried to think of all the possible outcomes. Of course, stepping into faery land was pretty epic too. “If I stop time, will it affect Boundless? That would sort of defeat the purpose.”

Ryker gave me a superior look. “Of course not. As you said before, faery time is different from mortal time.”

“What if something happens to me in Boundless and I don’t come back? Our world would be stopped forever.”

Ryker snorted. “First of all, I absolutely guarantee your safe return. Second, do you think you’re the only one capable of stopping the mortal world?”

“Names. I need names.”

“Queen Luminata of the Seelie Court, for one. Melia too, once she gets her powers back.”

“But, would they? Don’t you see, Ryker, you’re asking me to risk the future on the strength of a rusty iron nail. This is a huge decision for me. I have no idea where I’m going or what will happen to me once I get there.”

Ryker knelt before me and clasped both of my hands in his. “As a prince of the Seelie court, I solemnly promise you safe return to your world. Should I fail, I will be banished from Boundless and doomed to live in the mortal world forever.”

Yeah, it was pretty hokey, but I had to give him points for presentation. “Prince of the Seelie Court, huh? Isn’t that a little iffy right now?”

He released my hands and stood. “It is my rightful place. But, it does not matter. Ryker Matheson does not make promises he cannot keep.”

Okay, now I’d ticked him off. Still, I pressed on. “So, is it like a punishment for a faery to live in the mortal world?’

Ryker shuddered. “The very worst.”

I turned away from Ryker and looked at the lamplight glowing through the trailer window. Faye. I had to do it for Faye. She’d been ripped from her mother’s arms as a small child and, since then, her life had been miserable. If there was a chance I could re-unite Faye and Melia, heal the wounds, it was worth the risk.

I swallowed hard, put my hand over the moonstone and told Ryker, “I’m ready to go.”

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“You worry needlessly,” Ryker said. His voice was deep and resonated with sincerity, which made me trust him even less. “You don’t know your own power. Your guarantee is hanging around your neck. The moonstone can bring you back to the mortal world whenever you desire.”

There was a strong possibility that he was right. In many ways, the moonstone was still a mystery to me. But, I’d stick to my original plan. “Are you going to get the nails or what?”

“Before I do, we must discuss the lad, the changeling you care for.”

“Chad? What about him?”

“He belongs in Boundless. Did you see his face earlier, when we spoke of going? He wanted to leave at that very moment.”

I held up a hand. “Not gonna happen. Think about it. Picture me saying, ‘Gee, I’m sorry, Mr. Hostetler, but Chad’s a faery and he wanted to go back to faery land, so you’ll never see him again.’

How do you think that would work?”

“Sarcasm does not become you, Ava. There are ways. I will think on it.”

Ryker headed for the barn to get the iron nails. The moon was peeping over the top of the apple trees. The sun’s glow had completely disappeared.

By the time Ryker returned, and we’d wrestled the top off the old cistern, the moon had cleared the trees. The concrete cistern hadn’t been used for ages. Years ago, it had been filled with water and used with a gravity flow system for watering a vegetable garden. But now, it stood empty. Uncle Sid had nailed boards across the opening. He’d always told us it was dangerous and to stay away from it. Over the years, tall grass and weeds had grown up around it, making it look like part of the landscape. Once we got the top open, I saw that Ryker had removed the boards.

“Ready?” Ryker asked, climbing down into the tank.

The moon was just a sliver in the sky and did nothing to illuminate the black, cavernous opening. The idea of climbing down the metal ladder inside the tank and into the impenetrable darkness made my blood run cold. I had no choice but to trust that Ryker would keep me safe. Not an easy task for me.

“Give me a minute.” My legs were shaking when I stepped away from the cistern and into a pool of weak moonlight. I pulled the moonstone out of my shirt. What if it didn’t work this time? What if the moon was too small, its light too dim? Only one way to find out. I turned the stone in its setting and held it so the moonlight danced on its surface. Bam! A flash of brilliant light momentarily blinded me, and my belly seized up in a violent wave of nausea. I lurched sideways, my arms flailing, as I tried not to fall down or throw up. Stopping the world wasn’t a whole lot of fun. Slowly, I regained my balance and my eyes adjusted to the strange, silver-coated world I’d managed to create once again.

Okay, Allie, deep breaths. Here we go. I took one long, last look at the trailer before I sprawled on my belly and grabbed the edge of the cistern. I let my legs drop down, scrambling around with my toes for the ladder. When I thought about the black hole beneath me, panic rose in my chest and I gasped for air.

“Steady there, girl.” Ryker’s voice came from below me. A warm hand encircled my ankle and placed my foot on a rung of the ladder. “Nice and slow. Don’t worry. I’ve got you.”

Slowly, I lowered myself deeper into the cistern, gripping the ladder so tightly, my arms shook with the effort. “Where’s the portal? Do we have to go all the way to the bottom?”

“Take four steps down and you’ll find out.”

I wanted out of this pitch black, scary place and I wanted out now! I practically tumbled down the next four rungs. When I hit the last step, I found I was pressed between Ryker’s body and the side of the cistern. One of his arms snaked around my waist. Whoa! Was this some sort of weird faery 322

seduction move? But then, reason set in. If Ryker was trying to get lucky, he’d pick a better place than a spooky underground tank that smelled like mold.

“Um, what are you doing?”

I felt the rumble of laughter in his chest. “I’m taking you to Boundless. Isn’t that where you wanted to go? Hold tight.”

I clung to the ladder as he released me. I felt him reach out with his free hand and then heard a scrabbling sound, followed by three knocks. Suddenly—so suddenly that I yipped in surprise—an oaken door outlined in flickering golden light appeared in the side of the cistern.

“To answer your question, the portal is here.” He reached around me and opened the door. Another panic attack moment for Allie. “Wait! Wait! The nail. You forgot to pound in the nail.”

Ryker sighed. “It goes on the other side of the door, so you can get back into your world.”

“Oh, yeah,” I said in a small voice. “Makes sense.”

Ryker pushed the door open and nudged me through. I stood in what looked to be a long glass tunnel glowing with a kaleidoscope of dancing light. After the inky darkness of the cistern, the brilliant colors made me blink and rub my eyes. I gazed around, trying to make out the blurred images on the other side of the glass. The tunnel looked like it was made of the glass block walls used in bathrooms so people can’t see in.

“This is it? Are we in Boundless?”

“Not just yet. We’ll be there soon. But first, the iron nail.”

I watched carefully as Ryker took a flat rock from his back pocket and tapped a long iron nail into the oaken door.

“Give me the other nail.”

“Why?” Ryker said.

“Just give it to me.”

He handed me the second iron nail.

“Take off the human hair chain you wear, the one that protects you from iron.”

I thought he would flat-out refuse, or at least try to talk me out of it. But, without a moment’s hesitation, he slipped it over his head and handed it to me. I put the nail in one pocket of my jeans and the braided chain in the other. Ryker observed my actions with an indulgent smile, like parents do when their kids are being unreasonable.

“So, this is your protection? I’ve told you time and again I will keep you safe, yet, you plan to force me to do your bidding by threatening me with iron?”

Even though I felt a little pang of guilt, I said, “Makes sense to me.”

Ryker studied me for a moment. He reached for my hand, then thought better of it and backed away. “You are in my world now, and in this world you are known as Princess Avalon. Do not forget it. And, furthermore, you will soon find out the error of your ways. Are you ready?”

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Chapter Eighteen

His words made me even more apprehensive. I almost climbed back into the cistern, but it was too late to chicken out. Instead, I checked the door to make sure it would open. It did. I glanced over my shoulder at Ryker. He was watching me with the intense gaze of a hawk. I shivered, wondering how he would look when we stepped into his world.

“Do you wish to go back?”

I looked at the oaken door, then back at Ryker. “No, I’m just thinking about my mother, wondering what she was doing when I stopped time.”

Ryker smiled. “Would you like to see for yourself?”

I felt a strong need to check on Faye. “Can you do that?”

Ryker pulled the hawk feather out of his pocket. “Close your eyes.” I did as he asked, or at least pretended to. Through one half-closed eye, I saw him using the feather to draw a large rectangle in the air over the top of my head. He spoke a few words in a language I’m sure did not exist in my world. Finally, he said, “Open your eyes and look through the window.”

I turned and gasped in disbelief. Framed in the window was the interior of our trailer. Faye, unmoving and cast in silver, sat on the couch, the phone to her ear. She was smiling, one hand in her hair, frozen in time as it twisted a curl, her unconscious habit while talking on the phone. When the image faded, I smiled and fought back an urge to wave goodbye.

I turned to Ryker. “Thanks, I’m ready now.”

“Follow me.” He began striding down the tunnel, moving so fast I had to run to keep up. A couple of minutes later, the images outside the glass walls of the tunnel came into sharper focus. Was that a palm tree? A waterfall?

“Hey, Ryker, hold up a minute.”

Ryker stopped and turned to face me. I bit back a cry of surprise. His spiky black hair was long and curly, tipped with golden feathers. His eyes were still the same shade of pale blue with black centers, but they were bigger and filled the eye sockets, with no trace of white showing around the edges. And, he was taller by at least a couple of inches. “Wow, you look different.”

He bobbed his head. “Yes, I have shed some of my glamour. Does it frighten you?”

I waved a hand. “No, no, I’m good. Can I take a sec to look around?”

“As you wish.”

I approached the right side of the tunnel and clapped my hands in delight. A sparkling waterfall tumbling into a deep, blue pool surrounded by clusters of gigantic red flowers, broad-leafed purple and pink plants the size of apple trees and lush ferns in shades of green that didn’t exist in my world. Flitting from flower to flower, I saw what looked like large dragonflies.

“Look through the other side,” Ryker said.

The view through the left side of the tunnel was equally as stunning, yet entirely different. Rolling sand dunes stretched out endlessly beneath a bright blue sky. No trees. No flowers. Nothing but sand, sky and sun. Make that two suns. I stepped closer and pressed my nose against the glass. As I did so, the image changed. “Is that the ocean?”