“I agree. There are dangerous people out there.”
As his eyes met mine, I knew who he was referring to. He thought I was some kind of evil sorceress. He thought I’d orchestrated his abduction and planned to use him in some sort of power play to takeover Faythander. Worse, I knew how stubborn the guy was. Once he had his mind set, it was hard to change it. But I also knew something else about him, something I could use to my advantage.
“Look at me, Kull. Do I look like I want to hurt you?”
He stood at the door, ready to leave. Although he didn’t turn toward me, he didn’t leave, either. Maybe I had a chance.
“Look at me, Kull.”
Finally, he turned and took a step toward me. When his eyes peered into mine, I had the urge to flinch, but I stood tall.
Theht reacted to his presence, fear and anger flooding my body in response to her awakening. This was unexpected. If he could see the goddess in my eyes, then he’d never trust me.
He said nothing as he held my gaze. Then, he turned away.
“I don’t know who you are, but I will find out.” He marched to the door, but stopped as he glanced at the sword on the back of the love seat where I’d left it. He looked at me.
“Take it,” I grumbled. “If it will make you happy, then it’s yours.”
He only nodded, then grabbed the sword and exited my apartment, leaving me alone.
Chapter 15
After Kull left my apartment, I stood alone, staring at the door. I wanted to scream in frustration or break something. Unfortunately, everything was already broken. I settled for kicking the couch stuffing, then I collapsed on the floor.
Why didn’t anything ever go my way? Just once? One single time? Sometimes I wondered why I even tried.
I had to figure out a way to break that curse and get us back to Faythander—those were the only things that mattered. With that thought in mind, I stood and started packing.
Wandering to my bedroom, I felt as if I’d entered a stranger’s house. I grabbed some clothes off the floor and stuffed them in a duffel bag. When I entered the bathroom and grabbed my toothbrush, fear came over me as I glanced in the mirror.
I’d seen the Dreamthief in that mirror once, a long time ago, when I was a different person. The feeling that something was wrong came to me again, stronger this time, as I studied the mirror.
As I approached the glass, I felt a strange enchantment, something I’d never felt before. Reaching out, I tried to decide where the magic came from. A silvery-blue haze flickered for a half-second. Had someone used it as a portal?
I opened my magical senses to the enchantment, but whatever magic had lingered in the mirror dissipated, like smoke into air, and I couldn’t feel it anymore.
Odd.
I shook off my unease and finished packing. As I stood at my door, looking over my apartment, at the possessions that had once been mine, sadness tried to overwhelm me. I couldn’t help but feel that this apartment was a reflection of my life now—in shambles, a cluttered mess that was impossible to untangle.
But those kinds of thoughts had never done me any good, so I turned away, locked the door behind me, and headed for the restaurant around the corner. I still wasn’t sure why Brent had wanted to meet there, except something about my apartment had spooked him.
As I walked down the sidewalk, listening to car engines rumbling and laughter and loud voices coming from the seawall, I wasn’t sure why I felt so uneasy, but I constantly glanced over my shoulder.
My neck prickled. I got the feeling that someone was watching. I could feel it.
I didn’t know who, but I suspected that whoever had torn up my apartment wasn’t some random criminal. They were looking for something. They were looking for me.
The unease stayed with me as I walked to the restaurant’s parking lot. I spotted a bench under a green awning, and I sat to wait. Sooner than I expected, Brent’s silver Honda appeared and pulled up in the parking space in front of me. Brent stepped outside the car. He wore street clothes—jeans, a polo shirt, and leather dress shoes. His hair was slicked with too much gel, and I had a feeling it smelled of that natural wax crap he liked to use. He also wore a leather vest with his detective’s badge pinned to the front.
“That was fast,” I said, standing.
“I was speeding. There are perks to being an officer. Did you grab everything you need?”
I held up my duffel. “I packed what I could find.”
“Good, we should get going. The further you get from that apartment, the better.”
“Hold on, we can’t leave yet. We’ve got to go find Kull. He ran off a while ago and—” I stopped mid-sentence when King Skullsplitter himself appeared across the street. Still toting the sword, he walked toward the restaurant with a purpose, his eyes smoldering as if he were off to war instead of crossing toward the parking lot of the Island Burger Shack.
Brent’s eyes widened as he took in the guy.
“Why’s he packing a sword? Good grief, Olive, can’t you find anyone normal?”
“Kull is normal.”
Brent eyed me.
“I mean, when he’s not under any spells, in a good mood, and you know, when he’s not waging war or anything.”
“Uh-huh. So why’s he got a sword?”
“We stole it from a warlock, all right? Don’t give him a hard time. He’s not in his right mind at the moment. I already told you about the spell, so take it easy on him.”
“Will he try to kill anyone with it?”
“Do you want an honest answer?”
“Olive—”
“Look, he’s keeping the sword. There’s no way you’ll get him to let it go, all right?”
Kull spotted us, so he headed across the parking lot. He stopped when he reached us, towering over Brent and me, holding the sword, making my heart race. The two men stared each other down. Neither spoke, so I decided to break the silence.
“Brent, you remember Kull, right?”
“Hi,” Brent said and held out his hand. Kull only narrowed his eyes until Brent stuffed his hand in his pocket.
“Kull, this is the person I told you about. We’re staying at his place tonight.”
Kull worked his jaw back and forth. “I know who he is.”
“You do? Great. Then we all know each other. How about we get going?” I said.
“I like that idea,” Brent said and walked to the driver’s side door.
Kull stayed at my side without walking to the car. He held something out for me to see.
“Is that my pack?” I asked, taking a step closer. Sure enough, he held my bag. With any luck, my mirror would still be inside. “Where’d you find this?”
“On the beach,” he answered. “Not far from where the portal opened. It had items that stank of magic, so I assumed it must belong to you. It’s yours?”
I crossed my arms. “They stank of magic?”
“That is what I said, isn’t it? Does it belong to you or not?”
I snatched it away from him. “Yes, it’s mine. Thank you for returning it to me,” I said curtly.
The two of us climbed into the car. I sat up front in the passenger’s seat and Kull climbed in behind me, folding his legs behind the seat as best as he could. As we left the parking lot, I glanced down the road leading to my apartment, thinking about how much I would miss the place—remembering the outdated gold numbers tacked to the doorframe, the door’s ugly brown paint, and the planter box under the window with the long-dead Salvia flower stalks sticking up from dry potting soil. Sure, it wasn’t the cutest place ever, but I’d made it my home. Leaving it now, with the furniture ripped up and my belongings carelessly dumped on the floor, was harder to do than I thought.
The drive to North Houston during rush hour was a tedious process. Semis sped past, shaking the tiny Honda. When we merged onto 610, I broached the subject of the break-in, but Brent didn’t have much to offer. I got the feeling that he wanted to discuss it without Kull listening i
n, so we drove in silence.
After making it off the freeway and through the suburbs, we found Lake Houston. Its deep blue water sparkled under the evening sun. A few skiffs and small boats bobbed over the surface, creating waves in their wake.
Brent’s place sat at the end of a cul-de-sac, shaded by oak trees with moss hanging from their branches, blowing slightly in the wind. His house sat on stilts overlooking the lake. It was one of those modern places, with glass and stucco walls and a metal roof.
The house brought back memories I wished would go away. Brent and I had held a steady truce for the last several months, and we hadn’t dated for more than a year. The romantic aspect of our relationship had thankfully fizzled, yet I hadn’t been back to his place since we’d been together. The memories it brought back were unwelcome.
Sometimes I hated myself for leading him on when I’d known better. But that was all in the past. Brent and I were friends now. I was engaged to Kull, and even though Kull couldn’t currently remember that fact, I could.
Brent parked the car, shutting off the engine. Still in silence, we climbed out, Kull unfolding awkwardly from the backseat. Brent led us down the footpath and up the stairs. Kull gripped the sword as his eyes darted, looking for threats that weren’t there. Once Brent unlocked the door, he ushered us into the house.
Sleek and modern were the two words that came to mind when I entered Brent’s place, although it had changed some since I was here last. He’d put up a few pics of himself in his officer’s uniform and added a new trophy to the fireplace mantle.
The house smelled of antiseptic, reminding me of a hospital. Brent had always been too much of a neat freak. Gray walls contrasted the dark, teakwood floors. The open kitchen was all stainless steel and quartz counters, with utility-style pendant lights hanging over the island counter.
Kull entered the house behind me.
“You can stay upstairs if you want,” Brent said, tossing his keys on the counter. “I’ll order take-out or whatever. Your cat is hiding upstairs in the en-suite bathroom.”
Turning to Kull, I motioned for him to follow me. I made my way upstairs with Kull trailing behind me until we reached the second floor.
Brent had two guest rooms and two bathrooms upstairs. I debated on heading to the bathroom to check on Han, but decided against it. First, I needed to ditch Kull, so I decided to show him to his room. We walked down the hall until we located the second guest room. Opening the door, I walked inside and Kull followed.
“Will this work for you?” I asked.
He studied the room, all grays and blues, a bed with a double mattress, a desk, and a window looking out over the lake. It was sparse and lifeless. There weren’t any pictures on the walls, no plants, no color. In truth, the room, just like the whole house, felt lonely. Kind of like Brent.
That was a place I didn’t want to go.
“It’s sufficient,” Kull answered.
“Good. We’ll stay here for tonight. After that, we’re leaving for Faythander.”
“Why can’t we go now?”
I flexed my fingers, searching for my powers. Alarmingly, they still hadn’t returned since we’d crossed to Earth. I didn’t want to worry Kull, but there was a chance that the portal crossing had taken my magic away from me. I prayed I was wrong, but there was a possibility my powers wouldn’t come back at all.
That thought scared me. Without magic, we were stuck here, and Kull was left without his memories of me.
But if the portal had taken away my powers, then theoretically, crossing through another would return it. That was huge speculation on my part, but portals, especially those going to Faythander, wanted things ordered in their own way. Since I naturally had magic, a Faythander portal would try to return it to me.
However, without my powers, how would I create a portal in the first place?
One thing at a time. First, we needed food and rest. I never did my best thinking when I was exhausted.
“Olive, why can’t we return to Faythander now?”
“Well…” I wasn’t sure how to explain it to him. Did I tell him the truth? I didn’t want to alarm him, but I didn’t want to mislead him either. “I’m afraid my magic still hasn’t recovered yet. It may be nothing, but there is a chance that the portal took my magic away.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means I may not be getting it back at all.”
Kull crossed his arms. “We’re stuck here?”
“Maybe. Like I said, it may be nothing. After I get some food and rest, it may come back and we’ll have been worried about nothing.” Though I doubted it.
“Very well. Rest and eat, but I’ll have you know, I have every intention of returning to my world. If I must find a way without you, then I will.”
“Sure. Good luck with that.”
“You think I cannot find a way back to my world without you?”
“Actually, yes. You’re pretty much stuck here without my help. I suggest you start trusting me.”
He smirked. “You’ve abducted me and taken me to a strange world. I do not trust you now and I will not trust you ever.”
Sighing, I turned away from him. He was impossible. “Check the closet. Brent keeps some of his old clothes in there. He probably has something you can fit into. I suggest sweatpants. Meet me downstairs for dinner if you want.”
I shut the door behind me. Fuming, I went to my own room and locked myself inside. This room was a little more cheerful than Kull’s. Leis were tacked to the walls and a mandolin from Brent’s trip to Hawaii was displayed in a shadow box hanging over the bed. Brent had dared to find a comforter with tropical flowers printed on the fabric. Shocking. But the rest of the room was boring. Beige walls, white curtains, and a hardwood floor covered with a white rug, but I couldn’t complain. If Brent hadn’t come to my rescue, I’d be stuck in my ruined apartment.
I headed to the adjoining bathroom, stepped inside, and spotted Han huddled beside the toilet. He mewled, but stayed put. I reached out to pet him, and he shied away.
Typical. Han hated me now just like everyone else.
“Hey, Buddy,” I said quietly. “I came all this way to rescue you. Don’t you want to say hello?”
He only stared at me with those wide cat eyes. After several minutes of coaxing, he finally came out. As I petted him, I felt the same magic from my apartment attached to him. My stomach sickened as I contemplated what Han must’ve have seen. But who in the world had been in my apartment? Brent still hadn’t told me what he knew. Maybe it was time we had a chat.
I gave Han one final good-bye and then made my way downstairs. Brent stood in the kitchen. The smell of grilled onions and seared steak filled the house, making my stomach growl. When was the last time I’d eaten? It felt like days.
I sat on one of the barstools as I watched Brent chop a bell pepper.
“You’re ordering take-out, huh?”
He shrugged. “Since I had guests—which, believe me, never happens—I thought I’d make fajitas.”
Brent’s fajitas were to die for. I wouldn’t complain. I snatched a strip of meat from a platter near the sink and nibbled it as I watched him work.
“So, what did you think was off about my apartment?”
Brent glanced at the stairs. “He’s still up there?” he asked quietly.
I nodded.
“Good. I didn’t want anyone listening in. Since I started working for HPD, I’ve learned not to trust people.”
“What a wonderful lesson to learn.”
“It is. I know.” He finished chopping the pepper and tossed it on the grill. I grabbed another piece of meat. He eyed me, but didn’t say anything. Instead, he placed a tomato on the cutting board and started slicing it.
“So, what’s up?” I asked. “What looked off?”
“Small things, really. When I got to your apartment, it was locked, the door was intact, and the bolt was secured. The window could have been used as an entry point, but I saw no signs
of tampering. Also, when a burglar breaks into a place, they do it fast and go through everything in the same way. They’re usually feeling rushed, so, for example, when they enter the bedroom, they’ll take the drawers out of your dresser and dump the contents on the floor.
“But in your case, the dresser drawers were still in the dresser.”
“But the contents were messed up.”
“True, but like I said, that isn’t typical. Also,” he added after a pause, “the refrigerator. I’ve never seen any burglar go after the fridge. People don’t typically keep valuable items in a fridge. What burglar would waste their time going through the cheese and yogurt when they could be taking jewelry and electronics? It almost seems as if whoever broke into your place didn’t know what a refrigerator was.”
I stopped chewing the meat to debate his statement. “Like someone from another world, maybe?”
“Yeah, maybe. You think this could be a fairy thing?”
Remembering the magic I’d felt in my bathroom mirror, it seemed very likely. “It’s possible,” I answered. “If that’s so, then who would’ve done it? And why would they be in my apartment?”
“You don’t have any idea?”
I thought for a moment. It could’ve been the elves. They’d been after the sword of Dracon for longer than us. If they’d gotten word that we were going after it, then maybe they’d been following us.
It didn’t seem likely that they would’ve followed us through the portal into the third world. It would’ve been more likely that they would’ve waited for us to return to Faythander, and then ambushed us and taken the sword after we arrived.
Was it possible that they could’ve waylaid the Wults once they arrived back in Faythander? If they did, they would’ve quickly learned that the others didn’t have the sword, which meant they would’ve gone after Kull and me instead. Which would’ve led them here.
“It could be the elves,” I said, “but we had only just arrived when they trashed my apartment. The timeline doesn’t make sense.”
Fairy World M.D., Boxed Set Two (4-6.5) Page 58