All's Fair in Love and Lion

by Bethany Averie

  “You charmer.”

  Within a couple of hours I’m packed. I pick up the phone and call Mel.

  “You’re going on a romantic getaway?” she gushes.

  “For a month, if you can believe it.”

  “Oh, you naughty woman.”

  “Mel, come on, you know me.”

  “I dunno . . . with the right guy and dim lights anything can happen.”

  “It’s not like that with Monroe and me. He’s not an opportunist.”

  “I didn’t say he was. But, he is a man.”

  “Whatever. I’ll see you in a month.”

  “You can count on it. When you return, you’ll have to give me all the gory details!”

  “We’ll see.” I hang up the phone and adjust my broad-rimmed sunhat.

  “All set?” Monroe gets up from the couch.

  “You’re positive about this?”

  He hugs me. “Definitely.”

  “Okay, I’m ready.”

  When we approach the rift, I hold my breath. Squeezing my eyes shut, I grip Monroe’s hand.

  “Does it hurt you when we go through?” he asks.

  “No, just always afraid it’s a dream.”

  “It’s not. See the shimmer?”

  I open one eye and let my breath go out with a whoosh. We step through into Monroe’s den. A sense of foreboding washes over me.

  Chapter 29: Monroe

  “Here we are.” I wave my hand.

  Sasha gasps and spins around. “You were right.”

  I follow her gaze over the beach, toward the gently rolling waves of a clear blue-green sea and white sands.

  Around the beach swaying palm trees shelter hibiscus flowers, and the Third Realm Princessa Rose, a large pink and red flower, surround a shell-covered pathway leading up to a looming white palace.

  She sets her bag and purse down. Then, slipping off her shoes, she wades through the waves. Water swirls around her ankles. A serene expression steals over her face.

  “Happy?”

  “It’s more beautiful than in my dreams.”

  “I thought you’d like it here.”

  “How come you never told me about this place?”

  “For one thing, the weather has been too cold to come. For another, the island belongs to Cyndra and I don’t see her often.”

  “Okay.” She puts back on her shoes, takes my arm and we stroll past double gold doors inlaid with opals and into the palace entranceway.

  A maid leads us down a hall to another a set of doors. “Miss Brighton, this will be your room.” The servant opens up the room, then turns to me. “Lord Dubay, yours is over here.” She directs me a short ways down the hall from Sasha’s room and opens up a door on the right.

  “Thank you,” I say. I place my suitcase inside the room before returning to Sasha’s room. “Well?”

  A huge bed rests near the center of the room and more doors on the right hand side lead into the bathroom. “The room looks like a sunset.” She fingers the bed curtains, then goes over to a window and looks out. “I can’t believe the view!”

  I join her at the window. “That’s their garden. See the large flower there?”

  “The bright purple and red one?”

  “It’s The Third Realm Ambrosia Flower. The nymphs use it to make their Ambrosia Wine.”

  “It’s huge.”

  “One of the largest flowers in the Third Realm.” I put my hand on the doorknob. “Go ahead and change for dinner, I’ll return in half an hour.”

  I leave her and go down the hall to my own room. My room is done in bright blue and green with evidence of Cyndra’s touch in every corner. I unzip my suitcase and choose out black slacks, a white, long-sleeved shirt, and a maroon tie.

  I’m about to leave the room when Clarine appears.

  “What are you doing here? I thought Brinda said act like nothing’s wrong.”

  Clarine’s forehead creases. “She did and she will reprimand me the moment she hears I visited you.”

  “Then why are you?”

  “I have to warn you, Monroe.”

  “About?”

  “Alveron.”

  I tense. “What do you know?”

  “He will free Lily.”

  “Did he say that?”

  She wrings her hands. “No. However, I know how he operates.” She lowers her eyes. “We were involved . . . many years ago. I learned his habits. He never gets in the way of what his niece wants. If Lily wants her freedom, she’ll have it.”

  Reeling from the news, I nearly stumble backward. Her and Alveron? “If you were involved, why should I trust you?”

  “It was years ago, before you were born. After I heard what he let Lily do to you, I left him. He wanted to marry me, but I refused.” She sucks in a breath. “He did not take my rejection well. Magicians never do. Lily is a lot like him. Ruthless, conniving, and single-minded. Beware, Monroe. I will do what I can, but he will help Lily get to Sasha. Our failed relationship will motivate him more than anything.”

  I study her face. I can’t detect a lie. Grudgingly I ask, “Have you learned where he is?”

  “Not yet.”

  “Keep me informed.”

  “Any news we receive I will relate directly to you through a mental link.”

  “Won’t that deplete your energy?”

  “I will risk it. I have a fondness for you both. I want you and Sasha to have a happy ending.”

  How could she have ever thought of marrying Alveron? He doesn’t care for anyone except Lily. Then again, perhaps she’s telling the truth and Alveron giving Lily what she asks for is his way of seeking revenge on Clarine. However, I’m not entirely convinced. “I don’t need your concern.”

  “You may not believe me, now, but you do need my assistance. Until we meet again, be well.” She vanishes.

  If she does help us, I’ll have to repay her. If it’s a trick, no amount of fairy curses will keep me from revenge.

  When I arrive at Sasha’s door, she’s already waiting, attired in a light purple ankle-length sundress and black sandals. “Will this do for dinner?”

  “Perfect. You’re exquisite.”

  Her lips curve into a tentative smile as I escort her to the dining hall. Several servants attend us as we indulge in a five-course meal.

  After dinner, I escort her into the garden. “Here’s the Princessa Rose. This flower has a legend attached to it.”

  She runs her finger over the petals. “I’ve never smelled a rose with such a sweet fragrance. What’s the story?”

  “It’s said,” I begin, “years ago a princess was given a white rose by her suitor. A rival for the princess’s affections tried to kill the suitor but hit the princess instead. The princess’s blood stained the rose. Before she died, she kissed the flower. She handed it back to the man who gave it to her asking him to keep it in remembrance of her. The man, a prince, took the rose back to his palace and planted it in his private garden.”

  Sasha’s rapt attention encourages me to continue. “When the rose sprung up, the blossoms were red, pink, and white from her blood. The pink was the same shade as the princess’s lips. The center turned the pale blue color of the princess’s eyes. The prince never married and always had these roses in his garden.”

  “How romantic,” Sasha says. “Is it true?”

  “No one knows.”

  “What happened to the rival?”

  “The story says in a fit of panic the rival hanged himself off of the princess’s favorite tree.”

  “Yikes.”

  “Not every story has a great ending.”

  She chews her bottom lip. “You think ours will?”

  “If we don’t have any more trouble from Alveron and Lily, we could.”

  Sasha turns back to the rose bush. “The likelihood they won’t do anything isn’t very high.”

  “No.”

  “I’m not done with you, yet.”

  A chill comes over my heart.

  Sasha�
�s hand on my arm jerks me back. “What’s the matter, Monroe?”

  I reach out mentally, but I can’t sense Lily anywhere.

  “Perhaps I was mistaken,” I murmur.

  “About?”

  “Nothing,” I say with a smile. From the corner of my eye, I catch a movement. When I flick my gaze in the direction of a cluster of trees, everything becomes still.

  “Strange,” Sasha whispers.

  “What?”

  She blinks. “I guess I was seeing things.”

  My pulse picks up speed. “Did you notice something?

  She shrugs. “I suppose not. Maybe we should go inside.”

  I nod, but keep my senses on high alert.

  Despite the warm air, the chill in my bones remains. Did Sasha catch the movement, too?

  I struggle against a shudder. The figure appeared to be Lily. But how? She’s still in prison.

  Shaking off the cold sensations, I escort Sasha back inside the castle.

  If Alveron frees Lily, everything will change. Oh, Creator, don’t let it happen!

  Chapter 30: Sasha

  The afternoon sun warms my skin while the dull roar of the ocean crashing against the shore lulls me into half-sleepiness. My cheeks flame when I recall the intensity in Monroe’s gaze the first time he saw me in my blue and white swimsuit. Even though it’s a one-piece, his expression made me feel like I was wearing less. Despite my blush, I revel in the knowledge that Monroe desires me.

  An uneasy prickle in my mind mars my contentment. Monroe won’t tell me what upset him a couple of weeks ago. He hid his worry behind an off-hand comment, except I got a knot in my stomach from the icy tinge in his voice. The same thing happened the day before. I’m sure Lily is involved. I grit my teeth. She’s the shadow around every corner.

  Monroe jogs up the sand, splattering water everywhere. His presence chases Lily from my mind. I memorize every detail of him. From his knee-length cerulean swim trunks, up over the muscles in his chest. All mine. Little tingles of joy shoot through me.

  “Like the view?” he asks, amusement in his tone.

  I adjust my sunglasses and face the surf. “I think the water is beautiful.”

  “You’ve no thought for my ego, do you?”

  “Your ego is fine without my help.”

  “How about I tell you how you look?” He leans over me, running his hands down my arms. Sparks of awareness shoot down my nerve-endings. “You’re gorgeous,” he says, leaning over me. His kiss is light, yet the tingles travel all way down to my toes. “Care for a swim?”

  Attempting to mask my reaction, I say, “I’m going stay here. Maybe three layers of sun block will prevent me from burning.”

  “You might not burn.” He glances at my bare legs. “But if I keep looking at you, I will.”

  Afraid to follow where his words lead, I flick sand at him. “Oh, go jump in the ocean!”

  He winks at me, gets up and runs down the beach. I watch him execute a perfect arc into the waves.

  I lean on my elbows, watching him cut through the water with powerful strokes. A movement off to my left catches my attention. I sit up straighter.

  A familiar and sinister voice echoes in my head. “You think you’re safe?”

  My gaze narrows on the place where the movement came from, but all is still. However, I can sense her. Somewhere—somehow she’s here. “What are you doing here, Lily?”

  “You know my uncle will free me.”

  A bit of the tension eases from me. She’s still in prison, so she isn’t on the island.

  “Perhaps I’m not there physically. Yet, how certain are you I’m not there some other way?”

  If she can’t appear physically, then what did I see?

  “You’ve a lot to learn, human.”

  “I’m not interested in your games, Lily. Get out!” I shove her with all my strength out of my mind. A low cackle echoes in my head, then silence. Sweating, I fall against the blanket. Calm down. She’s in Mount Iron. I will my heart to slow. It’s been awhile since she pierced my consciousness and I’m out of practice getting her out of my head. My heartbeat returns to normal and I consider my options. I can’t keep all this from Monroe indefinitely. I’m not as strong as he is, if the massive headache is any indication.

  Monroe said the fairies were searching for Alveron. But every time Monroe contacted Clarine there wasn’t any news. They told him the other day to enjoy his trip and not worry.

  Yesterday had been the first time in days I saw him seem rested and happy. He took me through the Island’s rainforest. When I close my eyes, I can still see the vivid oranges, reds, yellows, purples, and greens mixed together under enormous palm trees. At the center of the rainforest we found a waterfall. The pool beneath the falls had been cool. Tingles from Monroe’s kiss as the water crashed over us dance over my lips.

  “Sleeping?” Monroe’s deep voice cuts through my thoughts.

  “Just thinking.”

  “Pardon my interruption,” he says, dripping water on me. He uses his towel to dry me off before rubbing it over his chest.

  My gaze wanders over his firm, muscular chest. Yesterday I acquainted myself with those muscles. Strength and power flow in them. Anticipation rises in my chest. A few more months and I’ll know every part of him. I wrap my towel around my shoulders to hide the delicious shivers.

  Draping his towel around the back of his neck, he settles on the blanket. “What were you thinking about? Other than me, of course.”

  “How modest of you.”

  His chuckle drives away the fear Lily’s mental visit invoked. He’s laughed more since we’ve been here than he has in an entire month. I pull my knees up to my chest and rest my chin on them. “The waterfall.”

  “Has that been your favorite part of the island?”

  “Yes. What about you?”

  “I agree. The waterfall has been the highlight.”

  “Strange how things have changed.”

  “In what sense?”

  “All this existed only in my dreams. You weren’t real, either. I can’t believe it’s true.”

  He props himself on his side. “Yet, here you are.”

  I pick up a pale blue shell. “Sort of makes me feel sorry for other humans who miss out.”

  “Firstlings have fairy-tales and imagination. They aren’t missing out.”

  “But to see it face-to-face. To touch, taste, and experience the Third Realm.”

  He doesn’t answer.

  “I don’t seem to be able to get over the wonder of the Third Realm. Of everything I’ve done here and seen.” The waves go in and out in a hypnotic dance. “I have a life in the First Realm. But, if I was to become a man-beast lioness, I could stand up to Lily better. I’m torn.”

  “You don’t have to join the Third Realm.”

  “What if Alveron frees Lily?”

  “The Council and I will deal with them.”

  “You can’t protect me from everything.”

  “I must.”

  “Why?”

  “Because it’s my duty, my pleasure. You are my future wife. If a man can’t keep his lady safe, then what’s the point of him having her in his life?”

  “To share his life with her?”

  “Well, yes. But we men, even man-beasts, know how important it is to provide, protect, and give everything to our wives and families. You give me the strength to face Alveron and Lily, whatever the cost.” He kisses me. “Hopefully Alveron doesn’t free her for a while. We’ll marry and I’ll keep you far away from both of them.”

  “Okay.” I don’t tell him he can’t protect me from Lily and her uncle forever. It would hurt his pride.

  When we get back, The Council announces Alveron arrived in the Magic Region, although no one knows where in the region he’s residing.

  “I’d feel more comfortable if you came home with me,” Monroe says. It’s Friday and the fall semester starts on Monday. His face creases with worry. “I sense it won’t be much lo
nger until we’re confronted by Lily and Alveron.”

  I set my purse on the counter beside a pile of mail waiting for my attention. I’m positive I’ve a ton of paperwork for the new year at St. James High. “I promised Mel I’d visit her tomorrow. School starts next week and I have a lot to do. Ayres is watching the rift and since Lily is still in jail, there isn’t anything to be done.”

  His face clouds over. “Sasha, don’t be careless.”

  “I’m not. Brinda told us to live life as usual, so I am.”

  “Why do you have to be so stubborn?”

  I flash a smile. “I learned from the best.”

  He grumbles under his breath.

  “Go home, we’ll get together later.”

  “Stay on guard.”

  “I will.”

  He steps through the boundaries and I listen for Lily’s voice. Silence.

  The following day I pull into Mel’s driveway. The heavy, humid air drapes around me. After the mild weather in the Third Realm, the oppressive heat almost stifles me. The weather report says ninety-five degrees. That’s probably in the shade. It must be at least a hundred in the sun.

  Mel opens the door. “Oh my gosh, you have a tan!”

  “Barely. I think I’m more red than bronze.”

  She laughs. “Come on in. I have lemonade. We finally finished the porch, so we can sit there.”

  I step inside. She leads me through a narrow doorway into another room. “You’ve completed the remodeling in the kitchen.” A granite island stands in the middle of the slate tile flooring. Along one wall granite counters gleam with new polish. Above the counters, mounted wood stained cabinets hang. Glass doors on the cabinets replace the old green ones that used to be there. “It looks amazing.”

  “Thanks. It’s a nice change over what was here.”

  “Olive green isn’t your color.”

  Mel shudders. “No way.” She beckons. “Come, let me show you the sun porch. It’s my favorite room. We even have air-conditioning in there, too.”

  “In the Texas summers you need to, regardless of what room you’re in.”

  She leads me into their spacious living room and out a sliding glass door. She steps back. “What do you think?”