Aislyn

by Aislyn (NCP) (lit)

  Half of her wanted to flee; the other half of her was too petrified to move. And she wanted to take an active part in the fairy force. That wry thought, said in Seamus’s voice, echoed through her mind and lent steel to her backbone. People were counting on her.

  Aislyn cocked her head. She thought the noise moved away now, rather than toward her. A breath eased out with relief. Yes, she was positive. Aislyn stood and crept down the beach.

  The lights in Veronica bungalow winked out and for a moment Aislyn hovered in total darkness. Then she heard a boat motor. The low throbbing of an engine carried across the water. She gazed in the direction of the sound but couldn’t see any lights. A man on a fishing trip would use lights to help him navigate, but a person with something to hide might try a clandestine landing.

  The sound moved away from Aislyn instead of toward her. Bother, she thought, increasing the pace. She took two quick steps and stumbled, landing sprawled head first on the sand.

  A startled cry escaped as she sprawled head first on the sand. Oomph! The air rushed from her lungs. She gasped for breath. Then something furry rubbed against her face. Terror welled up inside Aislyn along with the thought she wasn’t cut out the fairy force. Then she heard a soft familiar purr.

  "Joe?" she croaked.

  A second purr and the flick of a tail against her face made her giddy with relief.

  "I thought you’d gone back to our room," she whispered as she sat up and gathered the black cat to her chest for a quick cuddle. "You’ve interrupted a very important mission." Aislyn placed the cat on the ground and clambered to her feet. She needed to hurry if she wanted to witness the boat landing.

  Aislyn increased her speed to a fast trot. She heard the noisy rattle of shells as Joe raced after her and grimaced. Even though he didn’t talk, he made her feel braver. She paused to listen. Frustrated, she could neither see nor hear anything. Perhaps she should return to the hostel and try again the next night. Make that the night after, she thought, remembering her date with Maximillan. Disappointed and disheartened, Aislyn turned back in the direction she’d come.

  The lights of the resort blinked in the distance. Aislyn frowned surprised to see how far she had walked.

  "Are you coming, Joe?"

  The sudden chug of a motor made her pause. Surely, she couldn’t be so lucky? The splutter of the engine died. Aislyn heard voices in front of her. Two men, maybe three, walked toward her from the direction of the resort.

  Aislyn hesitated unsure whether she should wait or move toward the boat. The voices were louder, too close for comfort. She crouched, making her body small and hopefully unnoticeable in the dark. Peering through the darkness, she made out the silhouettes of three men. Their faces were turned toward the sea. Aislyn felt Joe brush up against her leg, and she stroked his fur while she waited. As the boat neared the shore, a single light flickered on. The boat coasted to shore with the waves, and finally ground to a stop in the sand. Two men jumped from the boat and hauled it from the water.

  The men from the resort joined the occupants of the boat. Now what? Aislyn was too far away to hear the discussion. Frustration made her fidgety. The cool wind nibbled at her face and hands, making her shiver. Finally, Aislyn sat on the damp sand and thrust her hands in her jacket pockets to keep warm. Joe climbed on her lap while she waited.

  "Now what have we here?"

  Aislyn stopped breathing. Her head turned slowly. In the gloom, she made out a man right behind her.

  Busted. She pushed Joe off her knee and leapt to her feet. Then she opened her mouth in a wide exaggerated yawn. "What time is it?" she asked, trying to sound groggy. "I went for a walk after dinner and thought I would sit for a while and enjoy the peace and quiet. I must have gone to sleep."

  The man snorted loudly. "Good try, but I don’t buy it. Hey, boss." His voice traveled easily to the group who stood by the boat. "We’ve got ourselves an audience."

  The group of men looked around startled.

  "Only the one?"

  "As far as I know. Johnson’s along the other end of the beach. I’ll check with him." The man grasped Aislyn’s elbow and shoved her toward the group of men.

  A torch flickered on and shone directly on her face.

  "Aislyn. I thought our meeting was for tomorrow. Did I get the day wrong?"

  Aislyn’s heart sank. Rats, Maximillan. She’d really done it now. "As I told the other man, I went for a walk after dinner and decided to sit for a while. I must have gone to sleep."

  Maximillan’s brows shot upward. "In this cold breeze, my dear. I find that hard to believe. Why don’t you tell me what you are really doing out here alone in the dark."

  Aislyn made a frown appear on her face. She sighed. "I know it’s against the rules, but my boyfriend said he’d try to come over to meet me. His friend has a boat."

  "Really, my dear. Would you like to try again?" Maximillan stepped close and brushed a curl off her face. Although the gesture was careful, gentle even, Aislyn shuddered inside. The look in his eyes didn’t match his actions. "Unload the cargo then take the girl with you. Keep her on the boat until I direct otherwise. Lock her in my cabin."

  Maximillan stepped away from Aislyn and another bigger man grabbed her by the arm. He dragged her down the beach to the boat. Aislyn fought every step of the way. She took a deep breath and screeched for all she was worth.

  "Really, my dear," she heard Maximillan say. "Johnson, if she does that again hit her."

  She yanked away from the man Maximillan called Johnson and glared up at the mountainous hulk. One look at his detached expression, and Aislyn knew the man would hit given the provocation. She willed her body to relax and chanted a magical spell in her head. Nothing happened, but then that figured. Johnson took his eyes off her for a moment and Aislyn bolted.

  Johnson gave a gruff shout. Aislyn heard him start after her. Adrenaline lent her feet wings, but the sand was softer and much harder to run on. She panted for breath, knowing if she didn’t escape this time, she was in big trouble.

  Footsteps thundered behind her, she heard the rub of a nylon jacket, then the man tackled, knocking her to the ground. The air collapsed from her lungs. Gasping, she struggled for freedom, but the heavy brute lay on top of her sprawled body preventing escape.

  "Keep that up," the man gritted out next to her ear, "and I’ll think you’re attracted to me. That you’re trying to interest me in a little sport."

  Aislyn froze. Panic rioted inside as she realized the full extent of the danger. She would be alone with this hulk of a man and his partner on a boat. They could do anything to her. With no magic, she couldn’t stop them, and Gary wouldn’t raise the alarm until after she missed the next check tomorrow night. Since it was her day off tomorrow, she wouldn’t be missed at the resort either.

  Johnson jerked Aislyn to her feet. In the tussle for freedom, grains of sand had found their way inside her shirt and shoes. "Move," Johnson snarled, giving her a shove in the middle of her back, prodding her toward the boat. "Dave, you ready?"

  "Coming."

  The moon peeked out from the cloud cover and shyly lit the night. Aislyn saw the second man, Dave, murmur a few words to Maximillan then look directly at her.

  "In the boat," Johnson ordered, digging her in the ribs with his elbow then following this up with another shove.

  Aislyn sent him a belligerent glare as she climbed into the small boat. The two men pushed the boat out into the waves before leaping inside. Dave started up the outboard motor and they headed away from the island, navigating without lights. Aislyn had no idea how he managed, but they arrived at a larger boat after ten minutes.

  "Get up on the boat."

  Aislyn did as she was instructed, knowing Johnson would force her if she disobeyed. Another shove in the middle of the back and she’d likely end up in the water. And that would be a problem because although she was confident she could keep afloat, she wasn’t a strong swimmer. Once Aislyn was on deck, Johnson followed and caught the r
ope Dave tossed him. He tied the boat up and when he noticed Aislyn watching, jerked his head to indicate she should go below the deck. Aislyn stomped down the steps into the luxurious area beneath.

  "In there," Johnson muttered, and Aislyn steeled herself for the inevitable shove in the back.

  She stepped inside and Johnson slammed the door shut. The key rattled in the lock.

  Inside the cabin, it was pitch black, making her disorientated and aware of how achingly alone she was.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  "Gary, has Aislyn checked in yet?"

  "Well, hello to you too," Gary muttered as Seamus brushed past him. "I haven’t heard from her yet."

  Seamus headed for Gary’s kitchen, but instead of taking a seat, he paced around the kitchen table, pausing to pick up a magazine then chucking it down. "She’s overdue."

  "Not by much."

  "I have a bad feeling," Seamus muttered. Despite several indigestion tablets, his gut burned uneasily. He’d tried magic to sense Aislyn, but the bloody amulet wasn’t working.

  A loud pounding sounded on the front door. Gary groaned and went to answer the summons. He returned with Gill.

  "Has Aislyn checked in yet?" Gill asked.

  Seamus raked his hand through his hair. He hated this helpless feeling. "No, and I don’t like it. The boss shouldn’t have let her go."

  "We didn’t have any choice," Gill said. "Aislyn will be fine as long as she keeps her head.

  The phone rang and both Gary and Seamus sprang to answer. Gary beat Seamus by a hairsbreadth. He picked it up and shook his head.

  Gill nudged Seamus. "What are you so bent out of shape for? Last I heard you weren’t talking to each other."

  Seamus scowled, his gut surging with renewed uneasiness. What if something had happened and he’d left it too late to talk to Aislyn. His hands clenched, and he renewed his pacing. "I don’t want to talk about it."

  "That wasn’t Aislyn. You guys going to wait until she calls? Do you want pizza?"

  "Is water wet?" Gill asked. "What happened to your hair?"

  "Aislyn."

  "What?" Seamus stared at Gary’s hair. "I thought it was a wig."

  Gary tugged on a springy red lock. "No, it’s attached."

  "You’re saying...." Seamus shook his head, shock reverberating through him. Gary was joking. "Impossible. She would have told me."

  "Shall I order the pizza?" Gill asked. "Because I sure as hell don’t understand what the two of you are burbling about."

  "Use your cell phone," Seamus snapped when Gill went to pick up the phone.

  "All right, keep your shirt on. Gary, do you have the pizza place number?"

  The pizza duly arrived, but not the phone call from Aislyn. Gill left for home at twelve.

  Gary stared pointedly at Seamus. "You should go home too. Aislyn won’t ring now. It’s too late. She’ll ring tomorrow night, for sure. There’ll be a good reason why she hasn’t rung. You know what it’s like working undercover."

  Yeah, he knew and that’s why he was so worried. The variables. "What about the mobile. Can’t we ring her? Say it’s an emergency or something." The minute the words left his mouth, he knew he was being foolish, but this was Aislyn, dammit.

  "And blow her cover," Gary scoffed. "The staff phone is probably bugged. The cell phone is no safer. If we ring, we’re just going to draw attention to her. Seamus, you know better than that. Cripes, if it were anyone else who had missed check in, you wouldn’t be worried."

  Logically Seamus knew that but this was Aislyn they were talking about.

  * * * *

  Aislyn spent the rest of the night and the next day locked in the cabin. Johnson delivered food and let her use the facilities before escorting her back and locking her inside the cabin again. The boat never moved until evening fell. Aislyn watched through the portholes but was unable to make out any landmarks or see lights from other vessels. She crawled into the large double berth in the early hours of the morning, when it became too cold for her vigil at the porthole. The sway of the boat lulled her to sleep, but the sound of the cabin door opening woke her.

  "Breakfast," Johnson said. He marched into the cabin and placed the tray on a built-in dresser.

  Aislyn leapt from the bed. She dragged one hand through her hair. "I need to use the toilet."

  "Don’t try anything funny, or I’ll toss you overboard and drop fish-bait in the water. I don’t care what the boss says. Understand?"

  "Yes."

  The trip was a quick one and as soon as she stepped back inside the cabin, Johnson locked the door. Aislyn knelt on the bed and pulled aside two blue velvet curtains so she could see outside. Vision was limited once again, and all she saw was the sea--endless miles of water.

  Dejected, she slumped on the edge of the bed. Gary would be panicking by now. Her head pounded and her stomach lurched uneasily. She stared at the tray, but in deference to her unsettled stomach left the food sitting. Aislyn lay down again, and wondered if Seamus would worry about her. She found she missed his terse grumpiness and that irritated her. She’d bet he didn’t miss her.

  Dizziness assailed her, and she moaned softly, closing her eyes. Her head whirled so much, she hastily opened them again. Colored spots danced in front of her eyes. Every muscle in her body felt tight. Tense. She curled to into a ball and lay on the bed shivering. Her eyelids swept down, and a soft whooshing noise sounded inside her head. The nausea subsided when she concentrated on Seamus.

  Now she’d had time to think about it, she understood why he hadn’t told her he was Guardian. But what she didn’t understand was why he didn’t tell her upfront about his betrothal. That was the part that really hurt.

  Aislyn sighed. She made an experimental move and found she felt better. She opened her eyes to stare at the ceiling and shrieked. Loudly.

  Her eyes widened in astonishment, and she heard a series of gasps coming from her throat. She clapped her hand over her mouth. She didn’t want Johnson coming to investigate. Not right at this moment. Aislyn sat up and stared up at the cup on the breakfast tray. She stared at her hands and feet.

  She’d shrunk.

  To fairy size.

  Footsteps thundered outside the cabin, forcing Aislyn to bolt into action. Johnson mustn’t find her like this. She muttered a magical incantation.

  Nothing happened.

  She tried again. Still nothing happened.

  "Bother!" She bounded to the end of the bed and used the bedclothes to clamber to the floor. She searched frantically for somewhere to hide, but all the furniture was built in with no convenient gaps underneath for her to slide under. The key turned in the lock. Aislyn shot behind the door, the only available hiding place.

  The door swung open with a protesting squeak. Johnson stepped into the cabin. Aislyn didn’t wait around to witness his shock. She dropped to her belly and slithered under the door. Once she was safely outside the cabin, she sprinted toward the wooden steps leading to the upper deck and hid underneath.

  Johnson’s roar of alarm made her flinch. Her heart raced as she struggled to regain her breath and stay quiet so she didn’t attract attention.

  Johnson shot from Maximillan’s cabin and rapidly searched the other cabins. Just as Aislyn hoped, once he’d searched the cabins and the bathrooms, he thumped up the stairs to look for her on the upper deck.

  "Dave, the girl’s gone."

  "How? Didn’t you lock the door properly?"

  "Of course I did."

  "Did you check the portholes? Has she broken one?"

  "I checked. I had to unlock the door to get into the room. I checked down below the decks. She’s not there. The portholes are intact."

  "Aw, man. You’re pulling my leg," Dave said.

  "You go and look."

  Aislyn huddled under the stairs trying to decide on her next move. She needed to get off the boat. Swimming was out of the question, which meant she had to get to the small runabout. Then she would have to wait until they used th
e boat again. She cocked her head, trying to listen to the conversation between the two men.

  "Go on," Johnson snapped. "You go and look. I tell you, she’s not there."

  The two of them thumped down the stairs and went into Maximillan’s cabin. Aislyn dived from cover and clambered up the steps, arriving at the top exhausted and out of breath. No time to stop. Pounding footsteps raced from cabin to cabin, making the boat shake. Aislyn ran the length of the boat, holding her side when the stitch threatened to make her stop. The boat. The boat. The boat, she chanted in her mind. It was her only lifeline since they would use the boat to land on the island. Or at least she hoped they would.

  She reached the stern of the launch and saw that the dingy trailed behind attached by a thick rope. Aislyn’s throat tightened as she saw the drop from the rope to the water, but the thud of boots helped make up her mind in a hurry. Aislyn knew if she let them see her in her present state, she would never live a normal life again. The thought of being stored in a glass case like a museum exhibit made her fear of falling in the water seem ludicrous, her decision incredibly easy.

  Aislyn ran to the railing. The rope looped around the railing, holding the dinghy fast. She grabbed the rope, the sound of approaching footsteps and voices raised in anger urging her to speed. Gripping it with both hands and feet, she swung out over the water. Don’t look down. Do not look down.

  A blur of red and white stripes flashed before her eyes. The man was close. If he looked up ... The thought made her rush, despite the burn of the rope. Then she was over the edge and out of sight. She kept her hands and legs moving steadily, and hoped like heck neither of the men came to look over the stern of the boat.

  With the thickness of the rope, she found it difficult to maintain her grip. Each time she changed her handhold, she had to push her fingers into the strands of the rope. A jagged pain sprinted from her fingertips up her arm as she bent a fingernail back. She bit down hard on her bottom lip to stem her agonized cry. Hell’s teeth! Tears clouded her vision and for an instant, terror clogged her throat when she thought she might fall. Both shoulders screamed for relief, her hands burnt from the friction of the rope. Her abused fingernail throbbed. Pain throbbed through her body, screaming at her to give up--to let go. Waves slapped the boat, splashing up over Aislyn and the rope that was her lifeline. The rope shook like a live beast. Droplets of icy water soaked her clothes.