Fantastical

  Then, suddenly, all went dark and there was nothing. No vickrants, no toilroys, no nothing but the sounds of the sea washing on the shore and our heavy breathing.

  “By the Gods,” Tor muttered.

  “Holy fuck,” Noc whispered.

  I fought to catch my breath as the darkness and silence permeated my consciousness.

  Then I ducked under Salem’s neck and cautiously approached Tor. As I did, his body went alert (or, more alert), his arm shot out, caught me at the waist and he yanked me behind him.

  “Who’s there?” he called into the darkness.

  For several seconds, there was no answer.

  “Show yourself!” Tor commanded.

  I put my hands to his hips and peered around his large frame.

  Then my body froze as Tor’s froze under my hands and I felt Noc and Salem go still when a soft, pink light illuminated the space in front of us. The light came from a glowing orb that hung suspended over a woman’s upturned hand.

  My mouth dropped open.

  The woman aimed her sightless eyes in our direction.

  “Harold tells me you need some assistance,” Clarabelle remarked.

  I stared.

  Then I smiled.

  Hur-fucking-rah!

  Chapter Thirty

  Always

  “We haven’t much time,” Clarabelle whispered to me urgently.

  We were in her trailer, which was in the middle of no-fucking-where, having got there after Clarabelle righted Noc’s seriously dented SUV using magic (which, let me tell you, was way freaking cool). She rode with Noc as Tor and I followed on Salem (drizzle or no, pregnant or no, after what happened there was no way in hell Tor was letting me out of his sight).

  Her trailer was totally freaking cool. It was all witchy, illuminated solely by fairy lights and flickering, scented candles, these sending shafts of light from the varied-colored crystals and pretty stained-glass symbols hanging all around. There was a big, crystal ball sitting on a fluffy, pink pillow on a table, cushiony, velvet-covered, plush furniture and scarves hanging over lamps, the purpose of which I didn’t know seeing as none of them were lit and the old woman couldn’t see. I could only guess that a witch had to decorate like a witch. Maybe it was a rule.

  Clarabelle and I were standing at one end of her tiny living room, her hands holding mine, both of us were wet through. Noc and Tor, also both wet, both standing feet planted, arms crossed on their wide chests and both glowering identical glowers at us were at the other end. I could hear Salem snorting his impatience outside through the still open door.

  I looked down at the woman whose face I knew but who was someone I didn’t know but I knew I could trust and I would like if I’d had the chance to get to know her better. Her eyes were pointed at me, unseeing, but her fingers were working through mine as if she could read my thoughts through my skin.

  “I want this,” I assured her.

  “You must be certain,” she replied.

  I looked at Tor. His glower intensified. He was getting impatient.

  I looked back at Clarabelle and held her hands tighter. “I’m certain.”

  “There is no coming back,” she warned me.

  “I –” I began, starting to glance again at Tor.

  “He explained he made a deal with the witch on the other side,” she reminded me swiftly. “He gave her much gold, he had to, her power was depleted in casting the spell to bring him to you. It will take decades for her to replenish it. In the meantime, she will be vulnerable. And there are many powers at work in her world, not all of them good and it is very dangerous for a witch to be vulnerable. For her efforts this night, she’ll be a target. He has offered her his protection but in that world, as they are here, these powers can be insidious. She may end up needing his gold to buy safety.”

  Wow.

  “Uh –” I started.

  “What I’m telling you, Cora, is that she cannot bring you back,” Clarabelle went on to explain. “I know of only four witches in his land who have this kind of power and your prince found the only good one. You do not want to strike bargains with the others. Not any of them.”

  “Minerva,” I guessed.

  “She is one,” Clarabelle nodded. “But there are two others in Hawkvale. They plot, this I know, what they plot, I do not. But they keep their heads low and both are arguably worse than The Shrew.”

  Fantastic.

  Plotting witches worse than The Shrew.

  Brilliant.

  Still, my mind was made up.

  I moved closer to her. “I promise, I’m certain. I know what I’m doing.”

  Her unseeing eyes slid in the direction of Tor then back to me.

  “Love,” she whispered her accurate guess, her lips curving up.

  “Yes… love,” I whispered back, my lips doing the same, “and our family,” I added, moving one of her hands to my belly.

  “Ah…” she breathed, her lips fully forming a smile.

  “Can we, just… wait a few minutes?” I requested. “My parents and my best friend are on their way –”

  “We can, if you want to battle the hewcrows,” she cut me off to reply. “The she-god is working to mount her next offense.” Clarabelle moved closer to me too. “She’s more powerful than me, my dear. It took great effort for me to vanquish her army. I have enough magic to send you both and his horse back, I do not have enough to beat back the creatures she’ll send in her second wave and send you back. This magic would replenish faster than what it will take to move you between worlds, but it would still be years before I can build up enough to ensure you and your love’s safe return.”

  Her emphasis was not lost on me and my eyes shot to Tor as my heart clenched.

  “There isn’t time to wait for Mom, Dad and Phoebe,” I told him, though he had to have heard, he was only a few feet away. Still, I watched his jaw clench.

  “I’ll explain it, tell them you wanted to wait, Cora,” Noc said to me and my eyes moved to him. “Just get this done.” I swallowed and bit my lip. “Go, baby,” Noc urged gently.

  I nodded at Noc, my eyes shifted to Tor and he lifted his chin in an “it’ll be all right” that, for the first time seeing that from Tor, didn’t make me feel all right.

  Then I looked down at Clarabelle.

  “If you expend all your magic, will that mean you’re vulnerable?” I asked her.

  She didn’t answer but her face said it all.

  “When my father comes, tell him I told him to give you the money… all of it,” I told her.

  She shook her head. “I am a certain kind of witch and this is about love. And the kind of witch I am a witch is a protector of love, amongst other things. I have vowed this. It is my duty. This I do as my religion, Cora, dear. So, that’s –” she started to refuse and I squeezed her hands and I did this gently, but firmly, making my point.

  “All of the money, Clarabelle,” I stressed. “You must promise to take it all. I can’t go unless I do my bit to keep you safe and maybe you can use that money to stay safe.” She looked ready to protest again so I said, “I can’t use it, honey. So you might as well and, trust me, my Mom and Dad are so not going to take no for an answer so you might as well save your energy.”

  She gazed at me seeing nothing for a long moment before she nodded.

  “Let’s get this done,” I whispered, her hands grasped mine tightly and she nodded yet again.

  Then she said softly, “Harold has told me, if you could find a way to tell his Circe that he is doing well, he misses her and she is always in his thoughts, he would appreciate this greatly.”

  “Absolutely, Clarabelle,” I whispered. “Please tell Harold we’ll do that as soon as we can.”

  Clarabelle nodded again. Then she got ready for business and straightened her shoulders.

  “You and the prince mount his horse,” she ordered, let me go and Tor moved to me.

  Hooking me with his arm around the waist, he guided me to the door and gently mov
ed me in front of him down the trailer’s rickety steps, joined me at my side when he’d descended and he walked us to Salem.

  “Cora, I must know that you’re sure,” he whispered to me and I tipped my head back to look at him as he stopped us at Salem’s side.

  “What choice do we have?” I asked.

  He turned me into his front and his arms curved around me.

  “I stay here, in your world, with you.”

  I stared up at him.

  “But the hewcrows –” I started.

  “We’ll fight them back,” he stated firmly.

  “And if she sends something else?” I asked.

  “We’ll beat it,” he declared.

  I kept staring but said no more.

  “Cora, we will win.”

  “They almost beat us with the first wave,” I reminded him.

  “We will win,” he repeated.

  “You can’t know that,” I told him.

  “I do,” he replied.

  “How?” I asked.

  His hands lifted to frame my face and his head dipped so he was all I could see. “Because, after these last weeks, I know I will allow nothing to keep you from me. I will not go down fighting. I will stay standing until I taste victory.”

  I pressed into his strong body, my hand lifting to curl around his neck and I whispered, “Tor.”

  “Now, I must know, are you certain you choose my world?”

  “You would stay here with me?” I asked.

  Without hesitation, he replied, “Absolutely.”

  I smiled into his face, feeling the weird sensation of my heart singing just as it broke.

  “Then that’s good enough for me,” I whispered, his hands grew tight, his face asked his question and I turned my head to Clarabelle who was standing outside the trailer next to Noc. Tor’s hands dropped but his arms circled me again right before I called, “Send us back, please.”

  She nodded. Noc looked at his feet. Tor’s arms grew tighter.

  Then he let me go and moved us closer to Salem but I pulled slightly away, looked at his beautiful face and whispered, “One second.”

  Then I ran to Noc, threw myself in his arms and gave him a big hug. He immediately hugged me back.

  “Cora,” he whispered in my ear.

  “Thanks, Noc,” I whispered over his shoulder.

  “Can’t say it was fun, babe, but I can say it was an experience.”

  I smiled into the darkness.

  Then I said softly, “Sorry about your truck.”

  “Shit happens,” he replied and I held on tighter.

  I hesitated only a moment before I whispered, “I was right, you are perfect.”

  I felt his face move to my neck.

  “Be happy, baby,” he said on a squeeze of his arms and I nodded.

  Then the tears filled my eyes.

  “You’ll tell them?” I asked on a broken breath.

  Another squeeze then, “Absolutely,” then another squeeze and a whispered, “Go to your man, Cora babe.”

  I nodded my head, held on tight for another second and then let him go. Not looking back, I ran to Tor. The instant I got within arm’s reach, he caught me up and planted me on Salem, swinging up behind me before my bottom even settled.

  Tor’s arm curled around me, he pulled my back tight to his front and I lifted my fingers to my cheeks to brush away the wetness.

  “Do your magic, witch,” Tor demanded, I looked at Noc and Clarabelle and fresh tears came to my eyes.

  Clarabelle lifted both hands to the sky.

  I held my breath.

  Then I shouted, “Noc! When Phoebe gets here, look her over. She’s my best friend, she makes great dirty martinis, she’s a little crazy and she really likes shoes but, trust me, no joke, she’s loyal, she’s funny and she’s awesome!”

  Tor’s arm tightened around me as I watched Noc grin at me and shake his head.

  “Seriously!” I yelled.

  The air turned pink.

  “Shut up and go home, babe,” Noc shouted back.

  “You be happy too, Noc,” I yelled in return.

  His face split into a smile and I heard his deep chuckle.

  Clarabelle’s hands started to glow and I looked at her.

  “Thanks, Clarabelle!” I yelled.

  “My love, be quiet and let the witch concentrate,” Tor growled in my ear.

  “We have to say thanks, Tor, she’s –”

  His arm squeezed the air out of me.

  “Quiet,” he grunted and his arm released.

  “Bossy,” I snapped when I had air in my lungs.

  The pink mist started at Salem’s hooves and moved up.

  I pressed back further into Tor’s strong body and tried to control my escalating breathing.

  “We’ll be fine,” he whispered in my ear.

  The headlights bumping down Clarabelle’s muddy lane lit us from our other side. I turned my head and saw my Dad’s Volvo followed by Phoebe’s Mazda.

  Jeez, Dad drove the Volvo. It was a wonder they made it out of the city.

  That thought made my throat burn and my nostrils sting. The pink mist had covered most of Salem and was at our waists when I lifted my hand to my mouth, touched it to my lips, curled back my fingers and blew my kiss.

  Salem had disappeared and the pink mist was to our chests when the cars stopped, three doors opened and three beloved bodies urgently folded out.

  “I love you!” I yelled, raising my hand high to wave over the advancing mist. “Always!” I yelled before my throat closed and the mist masked them from view.

  “Always!” I heard Phoebe yell.

  “Always, my funny girl!” Mom shouted.

  “Always, sweetheart!” Dad bellowed.

  The sob tore out of my throat and I closed my eyes. Tor buried his face in my neck as his arms squeezed tight and Salem threw back his head and snorted.

  One tear slid down my cheek and I opened my eyes.

  The soft light from colorful lanterns all around and coming up from the city illuminated Tor’s courtyard where Salem was standing. I saw the ships bobbing at sea, their lanterns slanting long reflections across the glassy water. I heard the gentle water of Tor’s big, beautiful, circular fountain tinkling. Above us, billions of stars blinked brightly, a glittering curtain of night sky.

  Tor’s mouth moved to my ear.

  “We’re home, my love.”

  “Home,” I whispered.

  Salem stamped a hoof.

  I sucked in breath.

  Then I twisted in my man’s arms, threw mine around his wide shoulders and held on tight as I stuffed my face in his neck and burst into tears.

  One of Tor’s arms held me close while his other hand slid up my back to play with the ends of my hair and he did this for a long time as I cried.

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Compassion

  Six weeks later…

  I could hear the city of Bellebryn bustling with activity and see the white garlands of fresh blooms adorning the shops and houses. There were so many of them, the very air smelled like a blossom. All the lanterns had been changed, even the ones on the boats that rocked at anchor on the emerald green sea. They were all now white. The huge wrought iron, silver-crested gates to Tor’s castle were festooned with draping sheets of ivory held up at the sides in massive rosettes decorated with flowers. And in the fountain in the courtyard, blossoms drifted as the water drifted down twinkling like diamonds in the sun’s rays.

  Today was a day of celebration.

  But first, there was some unpleasant business to attend to and I wasn’t looking forward to it.

  To say the least.

  The fingers holding my hand squeezed.

  “Tell me again about our parents in your world, Cora,” Rosa whispered from my side and I turned to my sister and smiled.

  She asked me to do that a lot and I figured she did it because she thought it helped the ache in my heart.

  And she was right.

/>   “They’re funny and crazy and they would love you,” I told her what I always told her which also happened to be the truth. Rosa, I had discovered what I thought to be true when I first met her, was very lovable.

  Her head tipped to the side and her pretty blue eyes lit. “Do you think our mother has talked our father into getting rid of his…” she hesitated then finished, “car?”

  I shook my head, looked back to the amazing view and whispered, “Probably not.”

  And this was probably true.

  Rosa moved closer to me and I let her hand go so I could slide my arm around her waist. She reciprocated the gesture.

  Aggie, on my shoulder, hopped gently and gave a soft, “Chirpy, chirp?” which meant, “All right, Cora?”

  “I’m all right, Aggie,” I whispered.

  Aggie gave my neck a soft peck and that made me smile a soft smile.

  Rosa was doing well after the loving care Dash and her parents had showered on her once she’d been rescued from the clutches of Minerva. She hadn’t talked to me about it, rather she seemed intent on learning more about me. This was likely in an attempt to create a replacement for the sister who had betrayed her, a sister she loved, a sister she could never again trust.

  I was letting her have that play because Rosa was delicate and she needed it but it wasn’t entirely altruistic.

  I liked having a sister.

  I let the happy vibe in the air fill me as I gave her a squeeze and let out a sigh at the same time I heard the beat of boots on the marble floors behind us.

  I let Rosa go and turned to see Tor striding purposefully our way.

  God, he was hot.

  Tor stopped at us, swept me with his eyes then he looked at his soon-to-be sister-in-law.

  “You’ll stay in these rooms, no matter what. Yes, Rosa?” he asked gently.

  She nodded. “No matter what, Tor.”