No Such Luck

by Jaclyn Weist

  “It’s beautiful.” I looked up into the blue eyes that I’d been in love with for years. “Thank you.”

  He leaned forward and kissed my forehead. “You’re welcome. Now, as much as I’d love to stay and celebrate, I can see by the circles under your eyes that you need sleep. I’ll see you in a few hours.”

  With all the excitement of what had just happened, I’d forgotten how exhausted I was. The fatigue hit me full force, and I couldn’t help the yawn that escaped as I lay back down. “Sounds good. I love you.”

  He pulled the covers up over me. “I love you too.”

  I stared at the ring until I could no longer keep my eyes open.

  JARED

  Jared stood outside Megan’s room and smiled. She liked the ring he gave her. While the timing was completely different than what he’d planned, being here made him realize that he never wanted to let her go. Maybe that’s why it had been so hard to get ready for college. They’d be going to different schools and who knows what would happen then. This way he knew they’d be together.

  He pushed off the wall and walked back to his room. A nap sounded great after shoving all those nasty fish back into the water. Okay, so maybe a shower first. He grabbed some clothes and went to the palace bathing room. Maybe he should have made the fairies make him a bathroom like Megan did.

  The servants walked past him with food and linens, and Jared couldn’t help grinning at them. He didn’t realize he was whistling until Beth came out of the bathing room and shot him a suspicious glare.

  “What are you so happy about?” she asked.

  “I’m doing wonderful. How about you?” Jared laughed when she rolled her eyes.

  “Awesome. Now move. I’m going to sleep for a few years.” She pushed past him and walked back to her room. It wasn’t until she slammed that door that he realized Beth would have just gotten back from going to find the army with Adam. He probably should have asked how everything went.

  Jared shook his head and went into the room, making sure it was locked. It bothered him that everyone could use the same bathroom, and he wasn’t about to let someone walk in on him.

  The water was nice and hot, but tended to go cold within a minute or two, so he showered quickly and climbed out. He brushed his hair back, wishing he had his gel. But who would think of grabbing something like that when going to the fairy world to save their girlfriend?

  He walked out of the bathroom and immediately jumped against the wall. A large group of soldiers stomped past him, talking about an army that was coming toward them. Jared ran his dirty clothes back to his room and then went straight to the map room.

  Everyone talked at once until Louie climbed up on a stool and whistled for them to be quiet. A few murmurs continued, and Jared shook his head at their disrespect for Louie.

  “Louie said to be quiet, people.” He pushed his way through to the front of the room, wishing he’d brought the small crown Louie had given to him. It would have helped him avoid the glares and smirks. “What’s going on?”

  Louie pointed down at the map. “The army has finally appeared. We were right. It’s the Atlantians, and their numbers aren’t small.”

  “Why are we in here chatting when we could be out there stopping them?” one of the soldiers shouted.

  “Hold on. We don’t even know if they’re here on friendly terms. We can’t just attack them.” Jared turned to Louie. “We can’t, right?”

  Louie shook his head. “They could be a strong asset to us, but we have to approach them in the right way.”

  The soldiers grumbled. One stepped forward. “Sir, if we’re not going to actually attack, may we please be excused? We have other things to do besides plan parties.”

  “Of course. Thank you for your report.” Jared watched them leave. “They’re a pleasant group, aren’t they?”

  Louie shook his head sadly. “They’re soldiers, and they’ve been without a good leader for years. Jakob was too busy wandering around the human world to care about anything here.”

  Adam walked into the map room. “Hey, I assume you heard the news?”

  “Aye. We’re about to discuss our strategy, so you’re just in time.” He turned to Jared. “I want to watch him carefully and tell me what you think.”

  Jared nodded, but he had no idea what he was supposed to be looking for. “Puck had told me that you were back, but Beth wasn’t. Why’d you leave her behind?”

  “She only got back an hour after I did. Ethan was going slowly and she wanted to keep him company. Mostly I think she just wanted to get to know your competition.” Adam slugged Jared in the arm. “Okay, so what are we thinking? Do we move first, or do we see what their purpose is?”

  Louie shot Jared a smile. “What would you do in this situation?”

  “Is this captain dangerous?” Adam asked.

  Louie rubbed his chin. “Well, he’s fourteen, so I’m thinking he’s still pretty safe. But I’ve heard things about his powers that make me nervous.”

  Jared laughed. “Fourteen? I was thinking he was ancient. But I don’t like that he has that much power if he’s coming here.”

  “Fourteen is pretty impressive. I think that in this situation, I would wait. If the rumors and stories are true, Atlantis is highly advanced, and I don’t want to mess with them if we don’t have to. I’m thinking a huge event with a banquet or something. Get them all relaxed, and then learn their purpose in coming.”

  “Perfect. That’s exactly what I was thinking.” Louie climbed down off the stool. “Now, let’s go let Megan in on your plans.”

  Jared watched Adam and Louie leave and turned back to look at the map. It took one minute for Adam to come to the same conclusion that it had taken the rest of the group half an hour to discuss. Maybe it was time to step back and let Adam make the military decisions.

  MEGAN

  My room was dark when I woke later that evening. Something had awakened me, but I couldn’t figure out what it was. I pulled the covers back up over me and caught the glint of gold on my finger, reminding me that I hadn’t dreamed the whole thing with Jared.

  A knock came at the door, and I groaned. I’d hoped to get some more sleep, but it didn’t look like that would happen.

  “Come in,” I called.

  The door opened, and Beth walked in. “Hey, sleepyhead. August told me you wanted to see me.”

  I sat up and stretched. “Puck told me Adam was coming back, but he didn’t see you. With all the battles going on, and whatever that earthquake thing was, I got worried.”

  Beth sat down on the chair in the corner of the room and pulled off her shoes. “Oh, man, that feels awesome.”

  “Rough day?” I stood and walked over to the wardrobe to find something else to wear. What I really wanted was a bath, but I’d settle for clean clothes. And clean sheets. I’d need to find one of the servants so they could get the bedding changed. I would have done it, but I had no idea where any of the supplies were.

  “You have no idea. Or maybe you do, judging by the stench of those clothes.” Beth wrinkled her nose. “Anyway, we walked for what felt like months while Adam searched all over for some mystery army. We got to the area where they were supposedly camped, but we didn’t find anything. When that earthquake happened, Adam decided it was time to come back here and make new plans. He went ahead to make sure we wouldn’t get ambushed while I stayed back with Ethan.” She paused. “I have to admit, he’s a good guy. And he seems to think you’re the best thing that’s happened to this kingdom. I beg to differ, but whatever.”

  I threw a pair of socks at her. “I’m not that bad.”

  She laughed, but then suddenly stopped. Her eyes narrowed as she stood, and came over to me and grabbed my hand. She stared at the ring for a second before a grin spread across her face. “He finally did it, huh?”

  That was not the reaction I’d expected. She’d been upset before when she thought we were engaged. I figured there’d be yelling, followed by the silent treatment. “Yea
h, just before my nap.”

  “He couldn’t even wait until I was back?” Beth dropped back into her seat by the mirror.

  “Well, I guess he could have.” I stared at the ring, not knowing what else to say. Except for the fact that Jared had specifically waited until it was just the two of us.

  Beth laughed and lunged for me, nearly knocking me over as she hugged me. “I was totally kidding. I couldn’t be more thrilled for you.”

  I hugged her back. “Good, because you had me worried for a minute there.”

  “I could tell by the look on your face.” She took my hand and looked closer at the ring. “Man, he really knows how to pick out jewelry. First your ring and necklace, and now this one. Someone needs to teach Adam how to do the same thing.”

  “Yeah, good luck with that one. He forgot Mom’s birthday a few years in a row.” I grimaced at my reflection and pulled out the ponytail that was now flying every which way. “This is hopeless. I’m going to shower, and hopefully get it under control.”

  “You do that. I’m going to collapse for a bit before dinner. I didn’t get much sleep while I was gone. Sleeping on the hard ground has never been my favorite.”

  I laughed. “Yeah, I noticed.”

  She grinned and left to go to find Adam. I grabbed some clean clothes and went into my brand-new bathroom. Before, the bath had been down the hall, but I’d insisted on my own. April had helped them make it look just like the one I had at home. After a long, hot shower, I finally felt better. I changed into yet another gown and sat down to brush my hair.

  There was a knock, followed by the door opening. Beth, Jared, and Adam rushed into the room, followed by Louie and Eoin. I jumped out of my chair and ran over to hug Eoin.

  “You’re okay.” I was still amazed at how much he’d grown in just a few months. Guilt washed over me as I realized I hadn’t even gone to see him.

  “Aye. Well, until now. You’re squishing me.” He flailed his arms.

  I let go and straightened my gown. “Sorry. So, why did you all barge into my room? Also, please don’t barge into my room again.”

  Louie handed me a roll of paper. “The army has finally been spotted. It is an army from Atlantis. The lead captain says they’re here in peace, but I still have my doubts.”

  I took the paper and read through it. “Yeah, these locations mean nothing to me. How close are they?”

  “They’ll be here tonight.” Louie took the paper back and made it disappear. “I suggest that you plan something big to win them over. Besides Puck, they’re your biggest competition for the crown.”

  “You forgot O’Malley. And I don’t want Puck getting it, so maybe we can just give it to this head commander guy. Problem solved.” Whatever it took to get me home faster.

  Louie rolled his eyes. “You can’t just hand over the crown like that. You had to kill the last queen to gain the throne.”

  I glanced at my friends. “Um, I don’t have to actually die in order to hand over this crown, right? Because I just got engaged, and I’d like to keep it that way.”

  “You did what?” Adam asked, surprised. He looked between Jared and me. “When did this happen?”

  “About four hours ago.” I stared at Louie, waiting for an answer. I didn’t like the way he shifted from one foot to the other while avoiding my gaze. I looked down at Eoin. “Do I have to die?”

  Eoin shrugged. “We don’t know. But right now, that doesn’t matter. You remember the Atlantians, right? Remember Cam?”

  I could feel my face burning. Yes, I remembered Cam quite well. “Yes. Why?”

  “They have nowhere near the power you have, but their technology far surpasses anything on earth. They’ve kept themselves sealed away from everyone for hundreds of years, and like I said before, they’re almost like gods. The man in charge is actually part god. He comes from the lineage of Poseidon.”

  I stared at him, not knowing what to say. The great-grandson or whatever of Poseidon was on his way here. As in, the mythical gods that I had studied in high school. Beth looked like she was about to explode with excitement.

  Adam rolled his eyes. “Since the girls are too busy geeking out here, I’ll go ahead and let them know the plan. We decided that we’ll do a big dinner and maybe a competition of some sort. They’re Greek, right? Don’t they like games?”

  I nodded. “I like that idea. We can invite the other races to join in. It’s a good way to pull people together.”

  “Or pull them apart,” Beth added. “Tempers get worse when there’s a competition, remember? That said, I think it’s the only way to put us all on an equal playing field. And if we hold events that the four of us are good at, that will help remind them who’s boss.”

  Eoin and Louie exchanged glances before Louie spoke. “Be careful with what you plan, but I have to agree that it’s the only way to make it fair for everyone. Megan, I would have your guards draw up rules that work for each event. Most races will hold to those rules. Others have to be … persuaded.”

  “That doesn’t make me feel any better.” I glanced over at Jared and waited for his nod before continuing. “Okay, that’s what we’ll do. Louie, I want you to go talk to the guards. Make sure those rules are unbreakable. Eoin, go to the kitchens and make sure that it’s not fairies that make the food. We don’t need any poisoning to happen tonight. Adam and Beth, can you check out the playing fields? We need the best archers you can find. Jared and I will go to the training arena and find our best swordsmen. If you have any other brilliant ideas for events, we need them now.”

  “Running. We need to have a few running events. There was also javelin and discus throwing, boxing, and chariot races,” Beth caught our stares. “What? You guys don’t remember that from school?”

  I laughed. “Not as well as you do. But that’s awesome. Let’s go see what we can do. Not sure about chariots, but the fairy queen rode in a wagon, so there might be others.”

  Louie and Eoin tipped their hats and disappeared, leaving the four of us. I turned to get my battle clothes from the wardrobe, but Adam stopped me.

  “Hold on. You’re not getting away so easily. Engaged?” He folded his arms and glared at Jared.

  I held out my left hand. “Yes, engaged. These people want a king, and Jared’s who they chose.”

  Jared looked down at me with a strange expression. “That’s not the only reason I asked you. I’d planned to wait a while, but if we ever get out of here, I don’t want college or anything else to separate us.”

  “But you two just graduated. Like, what, a month ago? You haven’t even given life a chance yet.” Adam shook his head and turned away to leave.

  “You mean, like you did?” I shot at him. “You live at home and do nothing but school and work.”

  Beth grabbed Adam’s arm to drag him away. “Hey, we have an event to plan tonight. There’s no time for a fight between you two.”

  Jared put his arm around me as we watched them leave. “He’s fine. It just caught him off guard.”

  I unclenched my fists and pushed my anger down. “I know. I’m sorry.”

  “No need to be sorry.” He led me over to the dressing table. “Now, let’s do something about this mess before you leave the room.”

  “What me—oh.” My hair was one giant snarled blob. I picked up the brush and started at the bottom, but Jared took it from me.

  “There’s also no need to destroy your hair or the brush.” He was gentle, but even then, it pulled as he worked through the knots. He’d wince each time I did, but I couldn’t get past the tingles that shot through me as he worked.

  The silence gave me time to calm down from the argument with Adam. Of course he wouldn’t agree with the engagement. He never liked it when I did something first or won something when he didn’t. Jared laughed, knocking me out of my thoughts.

  “Okay, so I’m good with brushing, but I’m hopeless after that.” He’d tried to put in a ponytail, but it was lopsided, and hair stuck out in several places.
>
  “That’s fine. I can take care of the rest. Thank you.” I stood, wrapped my arms around him, and enjoyed his closeness.

  His arms enveloped me as he leaned down for a kiss. It was soft and tender, making my knees go weak. When he pulled away, he kissed my forehead. “Do you think we’re crazy? I mean, we’re pretty young.”

  I couldn’t help laughing. “Jared, we’re standing in the middle of the fairy queen’s castle. I have gold hair and apparently more magic than I know what to do with, and you’re asking if we’re crazy?”

  He joined in laughing and kissed me again. “You have a good point. But you know, if we end up getting out of here and you want to change your mind …”

  I pulled his head down so our foreheads touched. “I won’t change my mind. Now, you need to go. I need to change into my other clothes, and you need to figure out where the training grounds are so we can get this party planned.”

  “Yes, Your Majesty. Anything for my queen.” He bowed low and almost knocked over the chair I’d just been sitting in. His face was bright red and he straightened to leave. “I’ll meet you in the hallway in about ten minutes, okay?”

  “Perfect.” I watched him go and shook my head. It felt like yesterday that I’d spilled food all over him in the cafeteria. I couldn’t believe what had happened between then and now. It didn’t matter what Adam said. Jared and I had been through more in a year and a half than most couples deal with in a lifetime.

  I quickly changed into the leather pants and shirt the servants had brought me. The shirt was loose, which was nice for sword fighting. I slipped on some chain mail, and then a leather vest on top. I’d be dying of heat, but apparently this made me look more royal. Or something.

  The ponytail Jared had put in was quickly redone into a messy bun, and I stared at the tiaras on my makeup table for a moment before deciding not to wear any of them. I didn’t know if I’d be able to participate in the games, and I wasn’t about to let a tiara get in my way. Once my sword was strapped to my side, I opened the door to my room. Three of my servants stood there with linens and yet another dress.