Rowena Through the Wall: Expanded Edition (42 page)

I forced my eyes to look beyond them.

Across the river, a line of Cedric's demon horsemen flanked the shore in both directions as far as I could see. Beyond the wall of ghostly black, ten thousand men or more made camp. Cooking fires dotted the landscape. To the south I could see more troops and men on horseback marching closer, in serpentine trails like ants.

"God help us," Kendra whispered.

I knew Gareth's allies would be moving down from the north.

I gazed to the left. Nothing yet.

I pointed down the hill to the flying banners. "There. That's where Thane will be."

"Should we join them?"

"I think we should stay here. Thane has scouts. He'll know soon enough that we are here."

As we stood watching, a thunderous roar rose from the troops beyond the river. Huel colors were carried into camp by a line of mounted warriors. No question what that signaled. Cedric had returned.

I shivered and wondered if we could be seen from the distance. "Kendra, I'm nervous. We should dismount and hide the horses."

We both swung down and walked our animals to the clearing.

"Should we stay here?" Kendra asked.

I shook my head. "I want to see what's coming."

Better to face it full on than shrink like a coward.

I led the way back to the forest edge. Below, a single rider made his way up the side of the hill. Thane. I could tell by the colors draped across his horse. Silver and purple—the colors of Sargonia.

My heart pounded as horse and rider pulled over the crest.

Thane vaulted off his mount and strode over to face me. "Great Zeus, are you all right?" He reached down, his tender embrace holding me as if I were more precious than gold. "Like a gift from the Gods."

I chuckled at the irony of his words.

His mouth covered mine and he kissed me passionately. When he drew away, I gulped for air.

"What happened, Rowena?"

"Cedric was about to throw me on his horse. We were in this magic force field—like an invisible bubble—and Lars couldn't get through it to help me. None of his men could."

"How did you escape?"

"Cedric grabbed my wrist and it hurt so I rubbed it. Then the sky burst open. There was a big yellow flash and I landed in the castle."

There were a million questions in Thane's deep blue eyes. I had a few myself about the 'how' of what had happened, the science or magic of it, which is why I was unprepared for his next question.

"Who is Lars?"

My mouth shot open, then closed. "Lars is one of the Dane leaders, an ally of Gareth's."

"You were that far north? I've had scouts all over our lands, but not there. I've been mad with worry."

And you were quite right to be worried,
I thought. But I didn't say it out loud.

"Cedric followed me after the whole Gareth kidnapping thing, so Kendra and I took horses and went east. I ended up in a fortress and could feel him drawing closer. It's a long story." I glanced at my wrist. "Thane, how could this happen? I wished to be with you and rubbed your mother's bracelet."

"You wished to be with me?"

I nodded. "I remember thinking that I fervently wanted to be back in the library. That's the last thing I remember before the yellow flash of light."

He pulled me to him. "It is worth it then. It will all be worth it." His arms were comforting, his scent was soothing, everything about him was reassuring—except for those words.

"What will be worth it?" I demanded.

"We are ready. My troops are amassing to meet Cedric's forces."

"No!"

Thane caught my shoulders with both hands. "I must, Rowena. There is no other way."

But there was another way.

Thane dropped his hold and stood back. The fingers of one hand raked through his hair. "We'll meet on the field at dawn tomorrow unless the fiend defies convention and attacks tonight. How to keep you safe though. That is what disturbs me."

I gazed over the battlefield below. Tens of thousands of men would be hurt or killed. Thane and Cedric would fight to the death. There would be no victor. In my heart I knew that. They would destroy each other.

I turned to Kendra. "We've got to leave. It's the only way. You know that, right?"

She stared at me, her eyes two pools of liquid chocolate. "Yes, I know. There'll be a bloodbath if we don't."

I spun back to Thane, who seemed to have turned to stone. "If you love me, tell me the truth. How much magic do you know? Can you open the portal for a brief time?"

He hesitated. "I don't know. But I think
you
might be able to."

My jaw dropped. "What?"

"The bracelet. It was your mother's. You never asked how it came to be in my possession."

Bugger. How had I missed that? "Tell me."

He paced the ground, stroking his chin. "Sargon found the bracelet in the forest by the split oak tree. He recognized it as the one that was willed to your mother by our own. I think it broke away from your mother's wrist when she slipped through the portal to your land."

My brain's synapses were working fiendishly to figure this out. "You're saying magic doesn't work on the other side of the wall? Did you test it when we were there?"

He stopped pacing. One eyebrow lifted. "I am always astonished by your quick intelligence. That is exactly what I meant. Magic doesn't exist in your land. I tested it. The bracelet chose to stay on this side rather than relinquish its power."

"Like a living thing," I murmured.

Maybe that was it. Magic was
a living thing in Land's End.

"Before it separated," I said, "the bracelet gave my mother the power to open the portal."

The headache came on like a siren this time. Before I could say anything, I was on my knees, gripping my head and moaning.

"What is it?" Thane cried.

"Cedric's here." I closed my eyes to concentrate better. "He's calling me. Trying to draw me into view so he can better focus the spell."

I gasped. The tendrils had found me and were reaching in.

"We've got to leave now," Kendra wailed. "If Cedric gets close enough, she'll have no will left."

I heard nothing after that but the call. Soft, sweet words took over every space in my mind, owning it, filling every crevice with yearning and desire for him alone.

I screamed in frustration.

Thane raised his arms and chanted to the sky, words I'd never heard him say before—ancient words. The air seemed to shimmer before us. The dark magic released and slowly faded as my mind cleared.

"I've set a magic shield in place. I don't know if it will hold." Thane shook me. "Rowena! Can you hear me?"

I nodded. "See if you can open the portal."

He hesitated.

"Please, Thane! If the shield doesn't hold, I'll use the bracelet to escape back to the castle."

He freed me.

Kendra was already dashing toward the split oak.

"Go with her, Thane," I said. "She'll show you exactly where."

He stepped around me and ran for the tree line, while I backed up to the edge of the path.

This was
my
time. I would face my greatest test of courage.

I waited, my arm stretched out. The bracelet twinkled in the sun and I watched the jewels start to glow, first softly and then shimmering.

Magic was building all around me. I could channel it.

Two riders pounded up the hill. Cedric and Richard. They stopped about fifty feet away.

I felt Cedric's siren song and willed it back with the bracelet.

It worked! A jolt hit my wrist and ricocheted.

Cedric jerked in shock. He leapt from the palomino and moved forward, sending waves of magic in my direction. I pushed them back with equal force and his body jerked with each hit.

His face was black with anger. He raised his massive arms and chanted words to the sky, the devil's own words. The ground shook, but nothing could touch me. The bracelet reinforced the invisible shield Thane had created and every magic arrow boomeranged off it with increasing force.

Cedric roared like a lion in agony.

Beside me, Kendra gasped. "What the—” She stared at Richard, who had dismounted and moved to her side. To
our
side.

The significance of that hit me. Cedric would be furious. I had to do something to keep him from following us.

I used my other weapon—words. "Cedric, your magic won't work beyond the wall. Magic doesn't work there."

I felt a slight drop in his power. Then just as quickly, it surged. I was nearly flung off my feet as spears of lightning ricocheted off my bracelet. Still, I held my wrist firm.

"Think of it, Cedric." My voice dropped to seduction. "No power, no wealth, no title. You will be nothing more than an ordinary man if you walk through the portal. Cedric, a common peasant."

His fury fed the magic. A blast of force surged against me, nearly knocking me over.

For a second I panicked. Until I felt Thane's presence beside me, reinforcing the shield.

"It's open," he said. "I don't know for how long."

I nodded in comprehension. "Kendra, you go first."

Her eyes caught mine, then turned to seek Richard's. For a shocking second they stood locked in gaze.

Richard? She loved Richard?

Before I could say a word, she walked through the wall.

The next thing happened so quickly I barely saw it.

Richard stormed after Kendra. He raised one arm at the portal, then vaulted through it and was gone.

A deafening growl came from Cedric. Then a battle cry boomed from far away.

There was no time to spare.

I turned to Thane. "How much do you love me?"

"More than my life."

"More than your kingdom?"

He didn't hesitate. "Yes. I'm coming with you."

"I don't know if we will get back."

"It matters not." His sapphire eyes searched mine. "Wherever we go we'll be together, Rowena."

Desperate to break through the barrier, Cedric threw arcs of pure destructive power. The shimmering force field held, though I knew it would dissipate the moment I touched the wall.

With one last breath, I grabbed Thane's hand and pulled him toward the split oak. The air sizzled as our combined magic dispersed at the portal. There was a sudden tug and an earsplitting roar.

The bracelet fell from my wrist. The earth shifted from forest to classroom.

With one final step, we walked out of the past…and into our future.

~ * ~

Message from the Author:

Dear Reader,

Do you crave a short escape from real life at times? One day, when I was feeling overwhelmed with work, family and parental caregiving, I thought to myself: I wish I could walk right through that wall into another world.

That night,
Rowena Through the Wall
had her start. I hope you too have enjoyed escaping through the wall with Rowena, and will look forward to the second book in the series,
Rowena and the Dark Lord.

Please follow my blog:

www.funnygirlmelodie.blogspot.com

Thank you again for reading!

Yours in escape,

Melodie

About the Author

By day, Melodie Campbell is a mild-mannered association executive; by night, she transforms into a fevered scribe of comedy and suspense. Melodie has a Commerce degree from Queen's University, but it didn't take well. She has been a banker, marketing director, comedy writer, association executive and college instructor. Not only that, she was probably the worst runway model ever.