Lone Star Magic

by Karen Whiddon

  “I don’t believe in magic.”

  “Even now?”

  She rubbed her eyes. “Shit, I don’t know. I’m not liking this at all.”

  Alrick crouched down next to her. He laid his hand on her shoulder and squeezed gently. “I’m sorry.”

  “Yeah. Me too. This whole thing’s creepy.”

  “I agree.” He kept his tone soothing. “You must let me protect you. Only I have a prayer of defeating one so powerful as him.”

  “The Warlord. He’s from… where?”

  “Rune. The same place as I, but far in the future.”

  “Are you from the future too?”

  “No. Rune co-exists with your world, on another level or plane.”

  “Then how do you know about him, if he’s from the future?”

  “A mage traveled from the same future to meet with my father. He told us about the Warlord’s plans, and asked for our help.”

  “I still don’t understand. Why me?”

  “For what you will do. You, or rather your child, will be responsible for the saving of the world.”

  “Child? I don’t even have a husband.”

  “The father’s name wasn’t given to me. All I know is one day, you will have a child. Your son will be instrumental in defeating the Warlord and saving both mankind and Fae.”

  “Faeries.”

  “Yes, faeries.”

  She cast a look at him from under her lashes. “And faeries really exit? Even now?”

  “Ever since the dawn of time, Rune has co-existed with your world. In the past, we intermingled more frequently. But now, Rune has become isolated. Mankind has forgotten us. So we rarely cross the veil.”

  “Why they send you?”

  “A strong Fae was needed. My father the King, chose me.”

  Her mouth fell open. “Shut up. Now you’re telling me you’re a King?”

  “I’m a Prince, in Rune. My twin brother and I compete for the throne.” He kept his voice modest.

  She looked dazed. He supposed he couldn’t blame her.

  “A prince,” she muttered. “If I hadn’t seen this Warlord guy with my own eyes, I’d know you were crazy now. This sort of sounds like overkill. Why send a prince to do an ordinary Fae’s job. I mean, anyone from Rean can do magic, right?”

  “Rune. And yes, while anyone can do magic, some are better at it than others. My father asked me to do it, as a quest. Because I want to be named heir, I agreed.”

  “You sure do have complicated delusions.”

  He blew a breath out his nose. “`No delusion. It’s the truth.”

  “Is Rune different from here?”

  “Yes. We don’t use machines, and live a simple life.”

  She eyed him. “That explains the weird clothes. Are you Amish or something, or do you guys like pretending to be medieval?”

  He drew himself up with dignity. “We pretend nothing. We like the way we dress. Rune is a beautiful place, much more full of life than here. If you’d like, I can take you there and show you, though you cannot stay.”

  “Why not? If you can use magic there, wouldn’t the Warlord find it much more difficult to kill me in Rune?”

  “You must fulfill your destiny.”

  “Oh that’s right.” She made a face. “The miracle baby I’m supposed to have.”

  He took a deep breath, wishing he could find a simple way to make her believe. “Your son.”

  “Right. And my son will save Rune. How is that possible? I’m not even Fae.”

  “Obviously.” Alrick too looked longingly at her house, which appeared to be undisturbed and magic-free. His stomach growled as he pictured the sandwiches.

  “Great. This just keeps getting better and better,” she muttered.

  Alrick decided to let that one go. “Let’s return to the house.”

  “Is it safe?”

  He stilled, closing his eyes and using all of his senses. “I believe so. I detect no magic.”

  “You can detect it?”

  “Yes. If you try, you can too.”

  “Really.” She shook her head, walking away from him.

  He grabbed her arm. “I only give you truth.”

  “Oh that’s right,” she shook off his arm and kept walking. “You cannot lie.”

  “You’re mocking me,” he said quietly, keeping pace.

  “Look, I’m sorry. But the more you talk, the less happy I am. I’m not really liking you right now.”

  Her words stung. But they didn’t matter. “I care not if you like me. Just permit me to protect you.”

  On her back doorstep, she stopped and faced him with her fists clenched, like she meant to hit him. “Look Alrick, no offense. But all of this started about the time you showed up. It’s kind of hard not to feel like you brought it with you.”

  This, he had not expected. At all. He muttered a curse in his own language.

  Unfazed, she turned her back on him and entered her kitchen. He followed, wondering why she had to make everything more difficult. Kayo slipped inside before the back door closed, staying close to Carly.

  Pulling out a chair at the table, she was about to sit when she apparently changed her mind. Instead, she went to the fridge box on the wall and retrieved two metal cans. Popping them open, she poured their contents into glasses, where the liquid fizzed.

  He simply stood where he was and watched her.

  “Come on,” she said finally. “Eat. I got you a cola.”

  Six steps carried him to the table. The chair scraped as he pulled it out. He sat. She slid one of the glasses, still fizzing, across the table to him. “Here you go.”

  Still wary, he took a drink. Bubbles filled his mouth. He swallowed quickly, covered a sneeze, and placed the glass carefully on the table.

  “You didn’t like it?”

  He shrugged, trying to ignore the way his eyes were watering. “I’m not sure. What is it?”

  “Cola.”

  The name meant nothing to him. Instead of questioning her further, he reached for the sandwiches. Grabbing three, he stuffed half of the first one in his mouth.

  Ambrosia.

  Kayo evidently thought so too. He watched Alrick with the intent stare of a master hunter. Ignoring the dog, Alrick kept eating.

  Carly waited until he’d finished chewing the last of his second sandwich. “Are you sure you can keep me safe?” She looked at him over the top of her bread. “This Warlord guy looks pretty bad-ass.”

  “Here? No. He’ll only attack again. Each time, he’ll grow stronger. I think it’s best we leave.”

  “Leave?” Horrified, she dropped her half-eaten sandwich back on her plate. “I’m not leaving. No Name Ranch is all I have.”

  Kayo whined. Carly passed him the rest of her sandwich, which he ate in one gulp. “And Kayo and TM.”

  Desperate measures made for desperate promises. “We can take the dog and the horse with us.”

  “No. I’m staying here.”

  Frustrated, Alrick grabbed another sandwich. “The next time he comes, we might not get away so easily.”

  “I’ll take my chances.” She pushed herself up from the table, disappearing into another room. In a moment, she returned with a long, wood and metal object. “Liam left me his father’s old rifle.”

  Alrick eyed the thing. “Is that a weapon?”

  “Yes.” She grinned. “Works great.”

  “You said you’d never kill, even to eat.”

  “Self-defense is different.”

  “Do you know how to use it?”

  Her smile faded. “Liam showed me once. But it’s been a couple of years. I’m not sure I remember.”

  He was shaking his head even before she’d finished talking. “Shooting a man is not the same as aiming at targets. A weapon – of any sort – is useless unless you’re entirely comfortable with it. You’re not. Leave the rifle here. He’ll turn it against you.”

  “You know, that’s what everyone says about knives too. Try and use
one to defend yourself, and your attacker can stab you with it. That won’t happen. This is a Winchester. A gun. This Warlord guy will never get close enough to turn it against me.”

  “Do you use it as a club?”

  “It’s a gun,” she repeated. Then, when he still shrugged, she elaborated. “It shoots bullets. Sort of like a bow and arrow. The bullets are made of metal and cause a lot of harm to a body.”

  Alrick crossed his arms. “He has magic. Your gun will be worthless against him.”

  “Magic.” She blanched, but set her weapon down. “Great. So much for my attempt to regain control of my life.”

  Chapter Four

  HE COULD well understand her desire for control. Alrick hadn’t felt in control of his life ever since the Mage appeared and his father had decreed Alrick must cross the veil and save a human woman’s life.

  He reached for the last sandwich and hesitated. “Do you want this?”

  “Go for it. I’ve already had two. That’s my limit.”

  Then, as he was chewing, she asked, “You really think he’ll come here again?”

  He answered with a look. No words were necessary.

  “There won’t be much left of the place if he keeps it up.” She leaned forward, resting her elbows on the table and her chin in her hands.

  Alrick swallowed, resisting the urge to pat his stomach. “He won’t stop until you are dead.”

  “Or you.”

  “Or me.” He frowned. “You still don’t take this seriously.”

  She started to answer, then apparently thought better of it. “I’m trying. Really. But I think you both have the wrong person. I’m just—.”

  Kayo barked. He leaped to his feet and ran to the kitchen window, growing more and more agitated. Still barking, he ran into the living room.

  Alrick jumped up. So did Carly.

  “What now,” she groaned. “Don’t tell me this Warlord guy’s back already.”

  “He can’t be.” As they moved into the living room, Alrick kept his body in front of hers, like a shield. “Using so much magic in such a short time period will have serious repercussions.”

  “Yeah, so you already said. Several times. I guess I need to turn on the evening news and see.”

  Trying to watch the window, he spared her a glance. “Not now.”

  Kayo’s barking grew louder, more frantic.

  “Kayo.” Out from behind him and running, Carly set off for the front door. “He only does this when TM gets loose.” She yanked open the door. Kayo ran by her, close on TM’s heels, still barking.

  Cursing, Alrick followed. He sensed no magic, and doubted the Warlord could have regrouped enough after the last attempt to return so soon.

  “TM!” The horse galloped past the house, on his way down the gravel driveway. “He’s escaped again, dang it.”

  Alrick shook his head. “I’ll get him.”

  She followed him outside. “It’d be a lot easier if the grain hadn’t burnt. I usually put a little grain and pellets in a coffee can, shake it around, and he comes running.”

  “Do you have something to lead him with? A bridle?”

  “Most of the tack was in the barn. But I think I might have left one of the halters in my pickup.”

  He looked to see what she meant. A bright red, metal machine which he recognized as a means of human transport, sat nearby.

  She reached inside and retrieved a faded blue halter and lead rope. “Got it.”

  Side by side, they jogged down the driveway.

  “You should teach him to come when you call.”

  “Like Kayo?” she puffed. “Is that even possible?”

  “Of course it is.”

  The look she gave him showed doubt.

  “You don’t believe me?”

  “Well, I know the Lone Ranger only had to whistle for Silver, but outside of the movies, I’ve never heard of anyone teaching a horse to do that.”

  He decided not to ask. He was learning that with Carly, sometimes he was better off not knowing what she was talking about.

  “You’re not even winded.” Now she sounded accusatory. She also sounded like she was about to collapse at any moment.

  “Why should I be?” He pointed out in a reasonable tone of voice. “I’m a warrior. We don’t use machines for transport in Rune. We have to stay in shape.”

  When they reached the point where her driveway met the gravel road, he saw her gate on its side in the ditch.

  “I will repair that as soon as TM is caught.”

  “If you can. I think it’s broken. Look!” She pointed. Down the road Kayo, true to his nature, had cut TM off and still barking furiously, herded him back towards home.

  “That’s one good dog,” Alrick said, pleased.

  “Yeah, and I didn’t even have to teach him that. He just does it. If I had sheep, he’d be in doggy heaven.”

  Seeing them, Tm lifted his head and snorted. He trotted up to Alrick and stopped, lowering his head so Alrick could scratch his ears. Alrick slipped the halter over his head and TM let him.

  Tail wagging, Kayo trotted over to be petted.

  “Good dog.” Alrick gave the praise in English then, because he knew the collie would understand, repeated the words in the old tongue.

  “What did you just say?” Doubled over trying to catch her breath, Carly squinted at him. “Another spell?”

  “No. I merely praised your pet. He’s done well. We should reward him when we get back to the house.”

  “I usually give him a dog biscuit.”

  Usually told Alrick that this had happened before. “Hold your horse.” Handing her the lead, Alrick slipped his hands into the work gloves and retrieved the battered gate from the weeds. It was heavier than he’d anticipated, though it still appeared to be in good shape. The heavy wire which had secured it to the fence before hung from the fence. A simple twist of each wire and he had the gate hung. Slightly crooked, a bit battered, but still better than nothing.

  “Why do you always put on the gloves?”

  Removing them and slipping them back into his belt, Alrick shrugged. “We Fae don’t like metal.”

  “But you can touch it?”

  “I’d prefer not to. Metal grounds our magic.” Alrick took TM’s lead. “The gloves protect my skin. Come on.”

  Together, they walked the long, curving drive. A docile TM tagged along after them. Kayo scouted ahead, his tail a black and white plume curved over his back.

  Several hundred feet before they reached the house, Alrick felt it. The faint tingle left by magical residue. Cursing under his breath, he stopped. “Not again.”

  Carly peered up at him. “What?”

  “He’s done something. I’m not sure what, exactly, but he’s been here.”

  “I thought you said he couldn’t use magic again so close to the last time.”

  “He shouldn’t. But the Warlord cares nothing for human lives.”

  “Great.”

  Frowning, Alrick shook his head. “The Mage has told me traveling through time takes great power. This is why the Warlord hasn’t been able to manifest fully here. For now, he comes, uses magic to try to kill you, and is pulled back to his own time and place.”

  “So until he gets strong enough to beam himself here, we should be okay?”

  “Not okay.” He turned, trying to determine the direction and shape of the spell. “He can still do a lot of damage, even while not totally here.”

  “Well.” She heaved a sigh. “Let’s go check out my house. Do you think he booby trapped it?”

  “Booby,” he looked at her, “trapped? What does that mean?”

  “Set a trap. Like when we open the door, a fireball comes at us.”

  Grim, he considered the possibilities. “I don’t know.”

  They started forward again. As soon as they began to move, Kayo ran ahead. He skidded to a halt thirty feet from the house and started barking. His warning bark.

  “Kayo, shush.” Carly rubbed her t
emples. “All this crap going on has given me a killer headache. Alrick?”

  Something in her voice made him reach out to her. “What’s wrong?”

  “Look at my house. What’s he done to my house?”

  He squinted in the sunlight. “What do you mean?” Then he saw. “It’s covered red.”

  “The red is moving.”

  They crept closer. The structure appeared to be shimmering.

  “Stop.” She grabbed his arm. “Those are fire ants! My house is covered in fire ants!”

  Whatever fire ants might be, they didn’t sound like a good thing. They didn’t look it either, swarming over the entire structure like a single, mindless, mob.

  “Ants don’t eat wood.”

  “No.” The dark look she gave him told him it was worse, at least as far as she was concerned. “They bite though, and their bite stings like crazy. Worse, I’m deathly allergic.”

  “Allergic?”

  “Yes. I swell up like a balloon, and my throat closes.”

  Concerned, he studied her. “This has happened to you before?”

  “Yes. I’m also allergic to bee stings, wasp stings, and yellow jackets. I have a self-injection kit, and I have to give myself a shot of epinephrine and take an antihistamine tablet.”

  “Where is this kit?”

  She regarded him glumly, a hint of panic in her eyes. “In the house.”

  “I’ll go get it.”

  “No way. They’ll swarm over you in seconds. Have you never been bitten by a fire ant?”

  “We don’t have them in Rune.”

  “They sting. And burn. The best thing to do is avoid them.”

  “Is they natural to this area, or did the Warlord summon them?”

  “Fire ants do live around here, and yes, every spring and summer I have to deal with their mounds. I keep a gallon of fire ant killer in the garage.”

  “The garage which is now covered with ants.”

  “Right.”

  “I’ve got to get inside and get your medicine. I can’t take the chance of you being bitten.”

  “I don’t plan to go anywhere near them.” Her dry tone didn’t entirely hide her despair. “If they’re all over the outside like this, I’ll bet there’s more inside.”

  Making a non-committal sound, he crossed his arms. “Looks like the Warlord may have made your decision on whether to stay or to leave much more clear-cut.”