“Why not? I drank some earlier, by accident. It made me feel stronger, that was about it.”
He grinned. “Then you should definitely not do that. Among other things, the water is an aphrodisiac. Here.” He handed her what was left of his cider.
She took a gulp. It wasn’t cold but it was wet.
“I must’ve fallen asleep,” she said, still in shock she’d gone out so easily.
“Yes, you did. We should get ready to leave. The sun will be going down soon.”
“Please, wait. I need to remember this.” She closed her eyes and opened them, took in the water’s extraordinary color—the purple mountains in the distance, the yellow willows, and silver sand… the strong scent of jasmine… the laughter of the children… and again, Liam. She would never think about this place without remembering the boy she’d shared it with.
“I’m ready. I’ve got it all up here.” She pointed to her head.
“Well, just in case you forget.” He picked up his sketch and handed it to her. She did little to hide her surprise when she looked at it. He’d captured the entire essence of the day, including her sleeping on the beach. It was done in black and his style, his talent, was unbelievable.
“I could not draw the snoring,” he said and smiled. “All my color charcoals are dry. I was lucky to have this one. I hope you like it.”
“Like it?” she said. “It’s beautiful. Thank you.” And, before she could stop herself, she stood on her toes, reached up, and put her arms around him. She was about to step back, embarrassed, but he put his hands upon her waist and, for a brief moment, held her tight. Oh, yeah... She looked up, into his eyes, and his arms dropped to his side.
“I think you swallowed more than a mouthful,” he said.
“By the way, I don’t snore.” She rolled up the drawing and picked up her empty bottle. “I would like to take a little of the lake’s magic. Is that okay?”
“Yes, but cover it quickly or it will evaporate.”
Their walk back was quiet, but the silence wasn’t uncomfortable. He certainly was more than she’d ever imagined.
***
The children raced down the beach to greet them. “Can we fly kites again, Ally?” Laurel asked.
“I don’t know,” Ally said and looked at Liam. “Do we have enough time?”
He nodded. “I need to speak to my aunt before we leave.”
Ally ran off, the small group close behind, and he wondered who was having more fun as he walked to find Neala.
“Liam, will you and Ally join us for dinner?” Neala asked.
“I have no doubt we would both enjoy staying longer but I would not want to worry Thea.”
“How is my mother?”
“She is doing well, given her age.”
“Please, tell her I will stop by in a few days.” When Thea had left the Merrows, Neala visited on occasion but only once since his mother died.
Neala took his hand. “I want you to know, Ally brings out the best in you.”
“Today, she brought out the child in me.”
“Sometimes, that is the best part of who we are. She is a long way from home. You need to watch over her, Liam.”
Ariana had told him the same. “What do you mean?”
“The doorway into the forest is one that rarely invites a guest. She has found you and, until the reason is clear, you must be careful.”
His eyes went to Ally and then back to Neala.
“News of problems in the East has reached our ears,” she said. “Deidre is determined to travel that way but knows her place is here for now. However, that might change very soon.”
Deidre. Of course she would want to set out and discover what lay in the eastern stakes. Her will was formidable and equally matched by her fortitude. At one time, he had been stronger than his cousin. Now, he was not so sure.
“I love you, Liam,” Neala said. She reached out and squeezed his hands. “It is wonderful to have you back.”
“You have seen some of my world today. I would like to know more about yours,” Liam said after they crossed Patalena’s Meadow.
Ally shrugged. “It’s not nearly as interesting as this one. Trust me on that.”
“I find that hard to believe.”
She explained all the devices, all the technology in her world, which made life easy… and yet so complicated.eH It was hard to imagine. But she had made the transition into his world with relatively little effort. If the situation were reversed, he was not sure he could have done the same.
They rode into the yard before the sun’s nightly disappearance.
“I will take care of Chestnut,” he said.
“I can do it. Meg showed me how.”
“Well, let us see if Meg provided the proper instruction.”
She smiled. “You underestimate her… and me.”
He kept a watchful eye and was impressed at how competently she put Chestnut up. She even finished before he completed the nightly ritual with Pollux.
Ally placed her saddle on the stand. “Perhaps you could use some assistance?”
She was correct in that regard, but she had done more than her share today. “I think I can manage, but thank you… for everything.”
Once finished, Liam sprinted up the steps and into the house. He detected the smell of roast pork, unfortunately mingled with the bitter aroma of roots. He walked quietly up behind Thea, who was stirring the source of the pungent smell, and kissed her cheek.
“Oh, Liam!” She turned around and gave him a warm smile. “The light has reentered your eyes.”
“That it has.” He picked up an apple from the fruit bowl and bit into it loudly. “I think it is safe to say Ally shares my affection for the lake. Where is she?”
“She went to her room.”
“Aunt Neala looks well. She will be leaving the lake to pay you a visit.”
“Very good. By the way, Olivia stopped by. She was upon Jade and thanked me for the salve. She feels the horse will make a full recovery.”
Jade was going to recover? Yesterday he doubted if she would survive the week.
“What did you use, Liam?”
“A remedy I found on your potion shelf. It smelled like a serum.”
“Odd. I did not have any left. I used the last of it on Ally. That is what I am preparing now. I just need to acquire some wild root to complete it.”
“That is impossible,” Liam said.
“If memory serves, a jar of burn ointment has disappeared. If that is the case, whatever helped Jade had nothing to do with me.”
“Did you tell Olivia that?”
“I did not feel the need. The horse is better, that is the main thing, is it not?”
“Aye. I suppose it is.”
After dinner, Thea ticked off what was needed in town when he and Corm made their weekly trip in the morning. “Tomorrow, I will be up with the sun in search of wild root. This is the only time of year it can be found. I could always use another set of hands. Would you be interested, Ally?”
“Sure,” Ally replied. “And oh, if it won’t bother anyone, I’d like to go outside and play the fiddle.”
A few moments later, the sound of the strings filled his ears. Liam had an idea but wanted it to be a surprise. He grabbed a lantern and slipped into the supply shed. He picked up a leftover plank from the barn repair he undertook last year. Trimmed, it would work nicely. A neatly folded pile of his mother’s bed sheets lay on the table in the corner. He smiled. These would be perfect. He picked up the materials and walked to the barn, close enough to hear her play but removed from prying eyes.
The music stopped an hour later and, after he was sure she entered the house, he went to his room and retrieved his last usable piece of charcoal.
Chapter 19
Corm usually arrived early on Wednesday, and Liam was up before the sun. He had just finished in the barn when he spied Ally and Thea walk from the house. Ah yes... in search of the ever-elusive wild root. Which reminded him�
�despite the fact they were out of Thea’s salve, Jade had somehow regained her strength and fought the infection. Liam was pleased but something about it bothered him, some connection he was missing.
He walked from the barn as Corm rode into the yard. His friend jumped from the wagon and smiled wide as he greeted Ally and Thea. Given the circumstance, Liam was surprised to see Corm in such high spirits. Perhaps his mother was feeling better. He hurried to catch up with them in the backyard.
“Liam,” Corm said, “How does the day find you?”
“Morning, Corm… Thea… Ally,” Liam said, looking from one to the other, his eyes lingering on the last. “The day finds me well.
Corm turned to Ally. “I would like to hear more about your trip to Lake Lorwyn,” he said. “Perhaps you could tell me when I return?” He gave her a warm smile, his eyes full of life, and Liam began to feel uneasy. Corm’s upbeat mood might be due to something… or someone, other than his mother.
“Has Ally remembered anything further?” Corm asked after they traveled a short distance from the house.
“Actually, Thea was able to provide quite a bit of information on the subject. An amazing amount.”
Corm whistled under his breath when Liam finished. “The concept is overwhelming, do you not agree? And how is she to find the correct passage that will deliver her to where she belongs?”
“I do not know. We are awaiting word from my father. Apparently, he has knowledge of this. We are the only ones who have been left in the dark.”
“There is something about her. Can you feel it?”
“Aye,” Liam answered, and looked at Corm from the corner of his eye.
“I believe she found your day at the lake extraordinary,” Corm said.
“It was.” Corm waited for him to go on. Liam had intended to share his feelings for Ally with Corm, but he could not do so now. His best friend liked her. And who could blame him?
Liam told Corm what he wanted to hear instead, and finished as they arrived in town.
They acquired what was needed and rode out to Doc’s. They found him in the barn, wrapping the leg of an injured bull. “Liam, I have kept a watchful eye, but there has been no sign of those ruffians since the other day. Have you seen them again?”
“No. I came to ask you the same.”
“Well, if I should, I will be prepared.” Doc picked up a heavy walking stick.
“Aye,” Liam answered, but he doubted if a piece of wood would be sufficient. “I wanted to question you on another matter as well. Pilotte received a poisonous bite. His condition is fine now but, I have to admit, I was very nervous until we drew the venom. I noticed a spider, unique from anything I have ever seen. It appeared to be a combination of a fiddlehead and a wolf spider. Have you come across anything like it?”
“I cannot say I have but I will keep my eyes open. Are you sure you removed all of the venom?”
“Yes, Ally assisted…” and then the connection he was missing earlier fell into place.
“What is it?” Corm asked.
“I… am not sure.”
***
Ally followed Thea along a well-worn path into the dense woods. They each carried a basket and spade. Thea pointed out roots and herbs and, occasionally, stopped to pull one from the ground.
They broke from the path where a knee-high stone wall rambled through the woods. A short time later, Thea pointed to a cluster of purple flowers. “Ah, here it is. It never grows in the same location twice and can be quite difficult to find.” Thea dug around one of the flowers. “Now, my dear, delicately pull the root. It cannot be separated from the bloom. There will be a bulb at the end.”
Ally gingerly tugged and succeeded in extracting an egg-shaped mass from the soil.
“Wild root,” Thea whispered and took it from her hand.
“How much of this do you need?”
“Thirty plants should be sufficient.”
Ally put the tip of the spade into the soft earth and began to carve out another root. They filled their baskets and when they returned to the house, Thea showed her how to prepare them for boiling. They were just about done when she heard the wagon pull up outside.
“You are a very quick learner, my dear,” Thea said, “and your assistance was invaluable today. These old bones do not always do what I ask of them anymore.”
Liam and Corm walked into the kitchen, their arms full.
Ally began untying her apron. “Need help bringing anything in?”
Liam placed two sacks on the counter. “No, thank you.”
Corm dropped a small wooden keg on the floor. “When we are done unloading, would you care to take a ride?”
“Sure,” Ally replied, and looked from one to the other. “Where do you guys want to go?”
“I need to attend to a few things here,” Liam said and walked outside.
“Okay,” Ally answered slowly. “Let me just grab a shirt.”
She joined Corm in the barn. “I know how to take a saddle off but I’m not sure how to put one on. Can you show me?”
“Of course. This is the most important part of the lesson.” Corm straightened the saddle. “If it is too tight, it will bother the horse… too loose and it will bother you.” He demonstrated how to cinch it and attach the bridle and when he was done, handed her the reins.
They rode through the woods and stopped the horses where a rushing creek cut through the landscape. Corm’s eyes sparkled in the water’s reflection.
“Tell me about Liam. You’re his best friend,” Ally said once they dismounted.
“Liam? What is it you would like to know?”
“I don’t know. He seems a bit… complicated.”
“Why are you asking?”
“Curious, I guess.”
“Something tells me you never ask a question without reason.”
She didn’t answer, and he laughed softly. “Mmm, I am a bit naïve.”
“You might be a lot of things, but naïve isn’t one of them,” she said.
“I have a blind spot when it comes to certain things. I should have known.” He was quiet for a moment. “Let us take a walk.”
They stepped on the flat rocks embedded in the shallow water at the creek’s edge. “I have known Liam since we were both young. My mother and his were good friends, so we spent much time together. He is smart, compassionate, honest… and a good friend. There is nothing I would not do for him.”
“I know he feels the same about you.” Ally picked up a flat stone and threw it into the water.
“Lately he is more distant than usual,” Corm said. “I know he is eager for his mark to change.” He looked at her. “And then, you entered our world.”
“Not by choice, believe me. But I want you to know, the two of you will always hold a special place in my heart.”
“Speaking of which, I see that Liam fixed your necklace.”
“Yes.” Ally fingered the silver chain. “It sucks that Caleb broke the one my father gave to my mother. He actually made a matching one for himself that fit into this one. He said his heart wasn’t whole without her, and he wore it every day, until he died.”
“I now understand why it is so important to you. I am sorry,” Corm said.
“Thanks,” Ally said and touched the heart, “but that’s why I can’t lose this. It’s one of a kind.”
***
“Liam,” Thea said when he walked into the kitchen, “Ally’s stay in this world might not be indefinite. Once we hear from your father, events may be set in motion over which we have no control. Do not live your life with regrets about what might have been.”
He thought he had hidden his feelings. “You are right, Thea. I will not allow that to happen.” He went to his room and looked at the diamond-shaped piece of cloth on his worktable. The sketch on the cover was nearly finished. The carved spine and spar were fastened together with fishing line, and he had stitched a pocket along each corner of the sail. No regrets. He picked up the kite and shoved it unde
r his bed.
Jade was fine. He knew Thea would not lie but needed to see it with his own eyes. “Thea’s potion worked,” Olivia said. “Thank you.” She hesitated. “When I stopped by yesterday, she told me you went to Lake Lorwyn. I am disappointed you did not take me when you finally decided to visit. Why is that?”
“Aside from looking in on Jade, that is why I am here,” he said, unsure of how to go on. He shoved his hands into his pockets.
“What is it, Liam?”
“I finally understand the nature of our relationship and I need to be honest. I do not share your feelings. I am sorry. It would be selfish of me not to speak the truth.”
“It is that girl.”
“This has nothing to do with Ally. I cannot give you the affection you want, what you deserve. It would not be fair to either of us.”
She sighed. “I supposed I had already sensed this. Yet I feel closer… more comfortable with you than I do with anyone. I thought that meant something.”
“It does. I can always be myself when around you and never have to worry you will not like me because I am not the person I always want to be. That means more than you will ever know.”
“Can we go back to the way it was then?”
He lifted grateful eyes to hers. “I would like that.”
It was dusk when Liam rode into the yard, and he went directly to the barn with Pollux. Curiosity burned within him to know what happened between Corm and Ally, but he was not sure she would tell him, was not sure he even wanted to know. Corm was like a brother, and he could not interfere. He removed Pollux’s saddle and began to brush him down.
“Hey, Liam.”
He turned around. Ally stood in the doorway and she looked… beautiful.
“Did you have a nice ride with Corm?” he asked, unable to help himself.
“Yeah, it was a lot of fun.”
He stared at her but remained silent.
“Liam, is something wrong? You haven’t been the same since you got back from town.”
She walked into the barn. Her blue eyes looked into his and his heart raced.
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