A feeling of dread swept over me. I sprang to my feet. “Um, something about repaying debts.”
She pointed at the bench. “Sit.”
I had this thing about people barking orders at me. “I’d rather stand, thank you.”
“Sit. Stand. It matters little to me,” she said. “Here are the facts. You, my dear, are in my debt. I saved your life not once, but twice, and in accordance with the fourth law of the Royal Code, I must collect.”
Oh, Allie, you are so screwed!
My knees buckled, and I plopped down on the bench. Luminata fluffed her gown and sat next to me. She made a little humming sound and stared into the distance.
“Actually,” she said, tapping her forehead. “Unless I’m mistaken, which almost never happens, I believe I saved your life three times.”
“No way.” I shook my head. “You rescued me from Phaedra’s Court and you stopped Shane Boldt from stabbing me. That’s two,” I said, adding, “I’m grateful, of course.”
Eyes gleaming with triumph, Luminata said, “Who do you think sent the kelpie to pull your precious self from Rainbow Lake?”
“But . . . but . . .” I stammered.
“It was me, of course.”
Not willing to let her win, I narrowed my eyes and gave her my mad dog stare. “Actually,” I said, “Uncle Davey was simply repaying his debt since I saved him from the toadlings, who had him trapped in a net and were getting ready to serve him for dinner.”
Take that, Luminata!
We locked gazes, neither of us willing to blink.
I was concentrating so hard on not giving an inch, I was completely unaware that Ryker had joined us.
“My queen,” he said, bowing to Luminata.
“Yes,” she snapped. “What is it?”
“Your mother demands your presence.”
Luminata rolled her eyes and stood. She looked down at me and said in a syrupy sweet voice, “Welcome to Boundless, dear one. Get used to it. It’s your home now.”
Chapter Sixteen
POOR RYKER. He had little to do with the rage now sweeping through my body like an out of control brush fire. I had no one else to blame. Luminata had snapped her fingers and vanished. Along with the moonstone. And, she had no intention of allowing me to return home.
I kicked the wrought iron bench, stomped around the garden and swore at Ryker. “Damn it, this is your fault! You must have known what Luminata was up to. And why the hell did you bring Sammie to Boundless? I’ll probably never see her again. You do realize the summer solstice is just a few days away? Who knows, maybe it’s already gone by. Doesn’t Luminata care if hordes of Trimarks pour into the mortal world? Don’t you care?”
My high-pitched rant startled the birds, who squawked in alarm and rose from the tree in a turquoise cloud. The object of my fury, Ryker, didn’t seem the least bit bothered.
He shrugged and lifted his hands. “I do as I’m ordered, as we all must.”
“Screw that! I have to figure out how to get the moonstone from Luminata. Then, I need to find Sammie and get the hell out of Boundless. With or without your help.”
I headed for the mossy path winding through the garden, hoping it would lead to a gate. And then what, Allie? You’re a half-mortal stranger in Boundless. Sammie could be anywhere. It’s true, I didn’t have a plan, but I had to do something. The other option—sit around and wait until Luminata appeared—wasn’t gonna happen.
“Avalon, wait,” Ryker said, hurrying after me. “Let’s talk this over.”
“Go ahead. Talk,” I called over my shoulder. “Start by telling me where I can find Sammie.”
Ryker stepped in front of me and placed his hands on my shoulders. Before I could jerk free, he surprised me. “You’re right. I have caused you grief and for that, I am very sorry. We must formulate a plan. When Luminata returns from visiting her mother, she will be in a foul temper, so we have no time to waste.” He waved a hand and a plush, midnight-blue sofa appeared. “Come sit with me.”
Truth be told, I wasn’t too keen on the idea of wandering around Boundless on my own, and he seemed sincere in his apology. I decided to give him a chance.
I sat at one end of the sofa, making sure to put some distance between us. “What’s the deal with Luminata and her mother?”
“TurzahBelle is extremely displeased with Luminata,” Ryker said. “To put it in mortal terms, Luminata has not played by the rules.”
“How so?”
“Luminata has not done her duty. According to our law, Luminata must give birth to a daughter who will carry forth the royal bloodline. Her mother has introduced her to many suitable candidates. Luminata spurned each and every one. Instead, she brings you, a half fae, to Boundless as her godchild, hoping TurzahBelle will cease her endless matchmaking.”
“So she forced me to come here to get her mother off her back?” I said.
“Exactly.”
I slipped off my soggy shoes, curled up in the corner of the sofa and thought about Luminata’s dilemma. Apparently mother-daughter issues weren’t limited to the mortal world. If I hadn’t been so riled up, I’d have found it funny.
“It won’t work, of course,” Ryker said.
“What won’t work?”
“TurzahBelle will not be content until Luminata has found a mate. In her opinion, you are not an acceptable substitute.”
“Sounds like TurzahBelle and I are on the same page.”
Ryker frowned. “Clearly, you are not on a page. You’re sitting here on a state-of-the-art sofa which, by the way, I conjured up with a most impressive spell.”
I suppressed a smile. “Yes, I know you’re awesome. Now quit bragging and let me think.”
Ryker huffed a little but zipped his lip. Bits and pieces of my Boundless adventure floated through my gray matter. Ryker’s spell-casting ability. Luminata’s duty. The Royal Code of the Seelie Court. Death before dishonor. Always collect a debt. Love is the perfect expression of the soul.
“Hold it!” I leaped off the couch. “Luminata made me come to Boundless because, according to her, the Royal Code forced her to collect the debt I owed her. But, what about Law Number Two. The one about love conquering all? Granted, she’s the queen. But does that mean she gets to pick and choose the laws she obeys?”
Ryker stared at me for a long moment. “No, she does not,” he said. “Why do you think TurzahBelle is so upset with her?”
“Okay,” I said. “We need to find a suitable mate for Luminata. And, we need to do it fast.”
Ryker shook his head sadly. “Good luck with that.”
“Oh, really? I seem to remember your father is a Love Talker. All we have to do is find Luminata a man, summon your father and have him cast a spell on the two. Voila! Luminata falls in love. Allie grabs the moonstone, finds Sammie and beats feet back to Boundland. Easy peasy.”
“You have a man in mind?”
“Yes, and here’s the plan. I’ll tell you who it is, you use your spell-casting ability to summon him, and then you summon your father and we’ll be in business. Oh, and make it snappy, if you please.”
Ryker shook his head sadly. “We have a little problem, Avalon.”
“And that is . . . ?”
“Only females may use summoning spells.”
“Bummer,” I said. “So, teach me how to do it and I’ll get the ball rolling.”
“I’m afraid it’s not that easy. Boundless is a matriarchal society. As I said before, only females can summon other fae. Therefore, I cannot teach you because I don’t know how it’s done. It’s what you might call, a state secret.”
“Hmm,” I said. “I can’t ask Luminata or she’ll get suspicious. My grandmother, Melia, is among the missing. Why, I don’t know.”
Ryker drew himself up. “It seems she and her folk are still in disfavor with Luminata.”
“Geez, what a snob,” I muttered, feeling pity for my missing grandmother.
“I have an idea,” Ryker said. “How would you
like to meet TurzahBelle?”
“Will she teach me the summoning spell?”
“When she understands the big picture, I believe she will.”
“Worth a try. Now, how do we get there?” I looked up, hoping to see a big bubble floating by labeled TurzahBelle in flashing neon letters. No bubble. Just a glittering purple sun in a pale green sky. I watched in amazement as the sun raced across the sky and disappeared, only to pop up seconds later on the other side. Whoa, did that count as a whole day in Boundless? It seemed like I’d been here less than an hour, but I had no way of knowing for sure.
Blazing with impatience, I tugged at Ryker’s sleeve. “What are we waiting for? Let’s go see TurzahBelle.”
Ryker, gazing over my right shoulder, ignored me. “Greetings, my queen. How fares your lady mother?”
I whirled around and found myself toe-to-toe with Luminata.
“Oh, sorry,” I said, flustered. “I’m not used to people popping in and out like you guys do in Boundless.”
Luminata stood with her hands on her hips. Her slitty-eyed glare darted back and forth between Ryker and me. Ryker’s prediction about Luminata’s state of mind after the mother-daughter visit was dead on. Her face was flushed. Her eyes sparked with anger. I decided butt-kissing would be the best way to proceed.
I grabbed my silly little skirt, curtseyed and gave her my most engaging smile. The one with the dimples. “I was just asking Ryker about your mother. I’d love to meet her. I’m sure she has many things to teach me. Unless, of course, you’re ready to start my training. I’m a fast learner. Just ask my teachers.”
She stared at me for a long moment, one hand covering the moonstone like she was afraid I’d try to snatch it off her. Not that I hadn’t considered it. Finally, she flapped a hand and said, “Go, then. I need to rest. Perhaps she’ll make you her new project and stop meddling in my life. Don’t expect a warm welcome, though. And, Ryker, mind you, be careful of Spot. I don’t wish to have my godchild eaten on her very first day in Boundless.”
Ryker shuddered. “Yes, my queen.”
“Very well.” Luminata flopped down on the couch and closed her eyes. A few seconds later, she was snoring.
I lost the smile. “Spot?”
Ryker said, “Hard to describe.”
He held out a hand. “Ready?”
I slipped into my squishy shoes and placed my hand in his. “Ready.”
“No matter what,” he said. “Don’t let go.”
Uh oh.
Chapter Seventeen
TRAVELLING FROM PLACE to place in Boundless is, to put it mildly, mind-boggling. Remember the pink mud that turned into a slicker-than-snot luge track? Remember the humongous floating bubble? Okay, I should have been prepared for the trip to TurzahBelle’s pad, but I wasn’t.
When Ryker gripped my hand, we were sucked into a giant, swirling cylinder like a dust devil, but without the dust. My skirt shot straight up as we twirled madly, caught in the grip of the giant vacuum.
I’d just opened my mouth to scream when it spit us out. We plopped down next to a moat surrounding a miniature, whitewashed castle, complete with turrets and flying banners. Breathing hard, I straightened my clothes and smoothed my hair.
“You could have warned me, you know,” I grumbled.
Once again, Ryker was ignoring me. He pointed at one of the turrets. “Get ready. Here he comes.”
An unearthly, high-pitched cry rang out as something pushed off the turret, spread its wings and flapped toward us. I’d seen a lot of creatures on my former visit to Boundless. Werebats. Bilious blurkers. Pixies. Water Sprites. Toadlings. I’d never seen an actual dragon. Until now.
“Oh my God! Oh my God!” I yelled, frantically looking for a place to hide.
“Stay still,” Ryker ordered. “Show no fear.”
“Are you crazy? Anybody with common sense would be afraid.”
Ryker thrust me behind his body as the thing swooped down and landed a few feet away from us. About six feet long, the dragon had a beaked mouth (wide open and hissing), a forked tongue, leathery black wings and a green body sprinkled with purple polka dots. His thick tail, fortified with wicked-looking spikes, whipped back and forth, stirring up a cloud of dust and pebbles.
“Greetings, Spot,” Ryker said. “We’ve come to pay homage to your mistress. Please allow us to pass.”
Spot advanced toward us, emitting little puffs of smoke from his flaring nostrils.
“Spot! Sit!” A woman’s voice.
The creature folded his wings and plopped down on his butt, his head hanging in dejection.
I peeked around Ryker and spotted a woman standing on the drawbridge. Scarcely over five feet tall, she was dressed in a hot-pink jumpsuit, black velvet high-heeled boots and a beret.
She straightened her beret and peered at us over half glasses. “What brings you here, Ryker? And who, pray tell, is this flamboyant creature with the inappropriate shoes? Surely this can’t be the imposter my daughter calls Princess Avalon.”
Ryker said, “The very same, Madame.”
A loud cackle burst out of TurzahBelle, startling Spot who flapped his wings and levitated a few feet off the ground.
“Settle down, Spot,” TurzahBelle ordered. “I haven’t made up my mind about this one yet.”
Hold it! Was she sizing me up as potential dragon food?
Since Ryker seemed to be at a loss for words, I stepped forward. “Madame Queen, I have no desire to be the ruler of the Seelie Court. I believe I have a solution for your little problem with Luminata, if you will hear me out.”
“Little problem? Ha!” she said. “There is not a man in Boundless who appeals to my stubborn daughter.”
I glanced fearfully at Spot. “Call off your dragon and I’ll tell you my plan.”
TurzahBelle shook her finger at me. “I’m not a fool. What will you get out of this arrangement?”
I said, “Hopefully a trip back home, never to return to Boundless again.”
A smile lit up her face. “Now you’re talkin’,” she said. “Don’t worry about Spot. He just ate.”
“AH, HERE IT IS,” TurzahBelle said.
She placed a hinged wooden chest on the table and lifted the lid. I peered over her shoulder. The chest was filled with half-burned candles in every color imaginable.
We were standing in a room with a massive stone fireplace at one end and no ceiling. A wooden table with place settings for eight dominated the middle of the room. All four walls were lined with an array of shelves, cupboards and chests. An assortment of scantily clad faeries fluttered in and out of the room, entering from above like a colorful flock of birds.
Since Ryker was banned from learning the summoning spell, he’d changed into hawk form and flew off to search for his Love Talker father, an essential player in Part B of my plan. Spot was lying in the open doorway, his oblong yellow eyes following my every move.
“Hmm, summoning spell,” TurzahBelle mused, examining each candle. “What color shall we use?”
“Does it matter?”
“Of course it matters, you silly child. Now, how soon do you want it to work?”
“As fast as possible. I need to get home.”
I hadn’t mentioned Brian Cassidy, but it was obvious TurzahBelle didn’t care who I summoned as long as the outcome was successful. Once I mastered the spell and took care of Luminata’s relationship issues, I’d use the same spell to summon Sammie. I didn’t want TurzahBelle to know that particular fact, because faeries are all about, what’s in it for me? They assumed everybody else was too. Therefore, TurzahBelle would think I was resorting to trickery. Come to think of it, I guess I was. Blame it on the faery blood coursing through my veins.
She pulled three candles from the chest. “For a fast result we’ll use magenta, white and yellow.”
She placed the candles on the stone floor, forming an uneven triangle. “Now, stand inside the triangle.”
I stepped into the triangle.
; TurzahBelle opened a cupboard door and began pawing through its contents. As she searched, she muttered to herself. “Crushed rose petals? White or red wine? Seashells or cinnamon? Hair or blood droplets?”
Alarmed, I stepped out of the triangle. “Um, how long has it been since you’ve done a summoning spell?”
“Quiet!” she barked. “I’m thinking. And get back inside the triangle.”
Spot reared up and took a step toward me. I jumped back inside the triangle.
TurzahBelle said, “One way to find out. Fetch the book, Spotty.”
The dragon slunk away, his fearsome tail lashing from side to side. He returned a few minutes later with a leather bound book in his mouth. He dropped it at TurzahBelle’s feet.
“Good boy, Spot,” she said.
Swear to God, the dragon wagged his tail.
TurzahBelle pulled a large pink handkerchief from her jumpsuit and wiped green dragon spit off the book before she opened it and thumbed through the dusty pages.
“Ah, yes, here it is,” she said. “Just as I thought. It’s white wine and hair, not red wine and blood.”
Good news or bad? Too soon to tell.
TurzahBelle slammed the book shut and sneezed, waving away the cloud of dust. “Now, for the wine.”
She crossed to the table and poured wine from a decanter into a pewter goblet. She set it halfway between the white and magenta candles. “Step out of the triangle and watch carefully. I will demonstrate a rudimentary summoning spell.”
“Rudimentary?”
“Yes,” she said. “I have little enough hair left. I have no desire to pluck it out.”
“What? I have to pull out my hair?”
She pulled me out of the triangle and stepped in. “Of course. Did you think a summoning spell would be without personal sacrifice? Spot, light the candles.”
The dragon slithered to the candles, opened his mouth and lit each one with a belch of flame.
TurzahBelle dipped a finger into the wine and passed it through the flame of the white candle. The flame hissed and flickered but kept burning. Then she stomped her right foot three times, twirled to the left and repeated the process with the next two candles. Three twirls to the right. Three stomps with her right foot and she was back where she started. She bowed at each candle in turn. “Then, you will close your eyes and chant the following:
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