by Blair Drake
“I think you fainted,” Jasper replied.
Rylan sighed heavily. “It must have been the shock.” He twisted slightly and looked at Willow. “I can’t believe ye found her! My daughter! My beautiful child!”
With an unsteady hand, he pulled out his identical locket. At the sight of it, Willow let out a cry and held a hand up to her mouth.
“Papa? Papa? Is it really ye? How can this be? Ye are an old man…”
Regardless, she launched herself against him, and he enveloped her in his arms. On the floor of the forest, among the fallen debris, a father was united with his child, a child he never thought he’d meet. A lump of emotion formed in Jasper’s throat. He turned away.
A surge of longing went through him. It had been so long since he’d seen his own family. The school year was drawing to an end. He’d been looking forward to going home and spending time with his mom and dad. He missed the family dog, too.
Roxie had come to stay with them a couple of months after his dog Toby’s death. She was a purebred German shepherd and loved Jasper to bits. He’d been told she missed him even more than he missed her, and he was looking forward to seeing her again. Stuck here on the magical planet of Ardhi, he couldn’t help but wonder if he’d ever see his family or his pet again. The thought he might not saddened him.
“Hey, Jasper, give me a hand.”
Rylan’s gentle order interrupted Jasper’s morose thoughts. He shook off the thoughts that were best left alone and moved over to help the old healer to his feet. Rylan nodded his thanks and then put his arm around Willow’s shoulders.
“Ye are so beautiful,” Rylan said, brushing the hair out of his daughter’s eyes.
Jasper silently agreed. He was sure under the dirt and debris of the forest was the most stunning girl he’d ever seen. Her skin was clear and shiny with good health. Her teeth were white and straight. Heavens knows how she managed that, living in a forest, but she had.
“Do I look like my mother?” Willow asked.
Rylan shook his head. “No, my darling child. She was just as beautiful as ye, but in a different way. She was as fair and golden as the sun when it sits high above the clouds. Her eyes were bluer than the ocean, as blue as the summer sky. She was tall like ye though, and strong. And she had the sweetest laugh. She was the kindest, most generous girl I knew.”
“Ye loved her,” Willow stated quietly.
“Yes, I did,” Rylan replied with feeling. “With all my heart.”
“Do ye have a picture of her?” Willow asked shyly.
Rylan nodded and once again tugged out his locket. With unsteady fingers, he opened it and let Willow look inside. Jasper watched her eyes widen with surprise and pleasure. A smile broke out across her face. She laughed and cried, and her voice hitched when she spoke. “Ye are right. She’s so beautiful.”
Rylan gazed at his daughter and wiped away the tears that had formed in his eyes. With a tender smile, he reached for the locket around her neck.
“May I?” he asked.
Willow slowly nodded, her eyes huge in her face. With infinite gentleness, Rylan pried open the locket around her neck and stared at the picture within. Like the locket he wore, it held a charcoal drawing, but this one was of a young man in his prime. His thick black hair and striking eyes left Jasper in no doubt it was Rylan.
“You look so young!” Jasper breathed, his voice trembling with wonder.
“Yes. I had them drawn by an artist in the village not long after Aeysha and I met.”
Willow’s gaze turned dreamy. “Aeysha? Was that my mother’s name?”
Rylan nodded. “Yes. She was a princess, the daughter of the King.”
Willow smiled. “Tell me everything.”
It was hours later and after the recounting of many stories and the answering of just as many questions about their early lives that Rylan and Willow finally fell silent. Jasper sighed quietly in relief. He didn’t begrudge their need to catch up, but he was grateful for the peace and quiet after all that chatter. It was late. He was tired. His back ached from where Willow had hit him with the branch.
Rylan had shot him a concerned glance every now and then, and Jasper deduced the healer was aware of Jasper’s discomfort, but Jasper didn’t have the heart to interrupt the reunion between the old man and his beloved daughter so had remained silent.
After the initial shock of their meeting had worn off a little, Willow had taken them to her home in the forest. They walked under the most enormous moabi trees Jasper had ever seen. With their impressive parasol-like crowns, they were the same trees he remembered from his visit to Africa with his parents. Then they pushed their way through a thick stand of bamboo before entering a clearing.
Once again, Jasper was caught by surprise. He didn’t know what he expected, but it wasn’t the well-built mud hut, complete with thatched roof and openings for windows—all hidden in the forest. She’d built it herself. It was near enough to the river that fetching water wasn’t difficult, but far enough away that she wasn’t in danger of getting flooded. Jasper asked her how long the river had been so high.
“It’s been that way for nearly two weeks. It was even higher after the rains first came. Fortunately, the rain stopped a few days ago, and the waters have started to recede. Still, it’s an impressive sight, isn’t it?”
She smiled at Jasper, and his heart did a flip-flop in his chest. Ever since he’d caught sight of her, he’d been inexplicably drawn to her. It must have something to do with the magic surrounding them. That was the only explanation he was comfortable with.
Ha! Comfortable with the thought of magic! He couldn’t believe how far his thinking had changed from when he thought he was an ordinary school student less than a week ago. Or perhaps it was longer? He had no idea how time on Ardhi stood up against time on earth. For all he knew, decades might have passed. He might even be out of school. The thought was both sobering and exhilarating.
Realizing he hadn’t answered Willow’s question, he blushed and stammered a reply. “Y-yes. It’s amazing.”
“It’s just too bad. We were hoping to cross in the morning,” Rylan grumbled.
Willow’s eyes widened in surprise. She turned to her father. “Ye want to cross the river? Why?”
Rylan averted his gaze. By the light of the fire, Jasper saw him take a deep breath and ease it out between his lips. He remained silent for a long moment, and Jasper realized he was battling a decision about whether or not to tell his daughter the truth about what they were trying to do. And then his shoulders slumped on a sigh, and he looked her in the eye. Jasper knew in that moment Rylan would tell her everything.
“A long time ago, not long after ye were born, yer grandfather cast a spell on me. He turned me into an old man. I was barely twenty-one when it happened. From that moment on, I lived my life as a man well past his prime.”
Willow stared at him in confusion. “Ye said my mother was a princess and her father was the King. Yer saying the same King who banished me put a spell on ye. Is that right?”
“Yes. I was a lowly healer in the village. There was no way he’d allow me and yer mother to wed.”
“So he turned ye into an old man,” Willow said slowly, her expression filled with compassion.
“Well, first he forbade me to ever see yer mother again. It wasn’t until after ye were born and banished from the castle and yer mother…passed away, that the King cast his evil spell on me. He was mad with grief and wanted me to pay. I guess I have.”
“Oh, Papa! “How terrible.” Willow’s eyes glinted with tears.
Rylan acknowledged her comment with a nod. “It hasn’t been easy. In the early days, it was impossible to accept I’d lost yer lovely mother and then my youth. I still struggle with it.”
He went on to tell her about the second spell, the one that had him shifting from a human to an ape in moments of despair and how his gift of healing was slowly diminishing. Willow was even more horrified at what he’d suffered at the hands o
f the King.
“He sounds so evil!” she cried. “I can’t believe he’s my grandfather.” She paused, staring into nowhere… And then her gaze slid to Jasper. He blushed under her close regard. She reached out to stoke the fire, and her sleeve brushed against his. He jerked away and so did she. Color stained her cheeks. She moved further over on the log they shared until there was a distance of over two feet between them. He immediately felt the loss of her closeness. She shot him an unreadable look, appearing just as confused as he, then her gaze returned to her father. “Where does Jasper fit in to all of this, Papa?” she asked.
Rylan told her about the Book of Griffin and the predictions it contained, including the references to Jasper and his family. Willow nodded slowly, interjecting questions every now and then and sending several more curious glances Jasper’s way.
“So, the book tells ye the cave lies on the other side of the river… Is that right?”
“Yes. We must reach the cave before the end of the next full moon. Tisn’t far off. Because of that we need to cross the river and head south as quickly as we can.”
A silence fell between them. All three of them stared into the fire built outside Willow’s hut. Then Willow spoke again. “Why did the King banish me from the castle?”
Rylan sighed quietly. “When ye were born, yer grandfather took one look at ye and ordered his men to take ye away.”
“Why?” Willow asked.
“I’m afraid it’s my fault. You’ve seen my likeness in yer locket. Ye look very much like me. Yer mother was fair. When I was young, I was as dark as the night. The fact ye looked so much like the man the King despised sent him into a rage. He couldn’t bear to look upon ye, even though ye were his granddaughter. He sent ye away because ye reminded him of me, and some feared he’d even kill ye because of that.”
“What about my mother? Didn’t she defend me? Didn’t she protect me from his wrath?”
“I’m sure she tried,” Rylan replied softly. “I’m sure she fought tooth and nail. She loved me with all her heart and soul, just like I loved her, and I know she loved ye the same.”
“Did she ever tell ye how she felt about me?” Willow whispered.
Rylan shook his head sadly. “No. I wasn’t able to speak to her or see her by that time. My only communication with her was through a trusted servant. Even then, I never spoke to her directly. The last time I saw her, touched her, was the night ye were conceived. I didn’t find out he sent ye away until after it happened. By then it was too late.”
“I was told my mother took her own life. Is that correct?”
“Yes. She was devastated when her father stole ye away from her. Within hours of losing ye, she threw herself to her death.”
“She must have really loved me,” Willow whispered. Fresh tears glinted in her eyes.
Jasper compressed his lips against a surge of emotion. He’d heard the story before, but it still touched him just the same. And this time, it involved Willow. Seeing her cry moved him in a powerful way. He’d do anything to remove the sadness and bring a smile to her face. He wanted to scoot over close to her and put his arm around her shoulders. He wanted to comfort her, to assure her someone cared. Someone like him.
The realization he cared about her startled him, but the more he contemplated it, the more he discovered it was true. Despite the fact she was almost a stranger, he was attracted to her way more than he should be. It wasn’t just her feisty beauty or the toughness she exhibited. She was kind and gentle in her dealings with her father, and that spoke to Jasper even more.
Every time they were together, his gaze kept returning to her. It was like she was some exotic creature from the forest, some wood nymph sent to bewitch him. Already, she consumed his every thought. Then he remembered he was only a short-term visitor in this world. Regardless if it were love or infatuation, surely there could never be anything between them, now or ever.
The realization dampened his spirits, and that surprised him. He was desperate to leave this world and return to his modern life. There were his upcoming birthday celebrations and his final year exams. There was graduation and the parties and everything else taking place.
How can I be even a little bit disappointed when I think about leaving this place? He was as determined as ever to find the golden stone and break the spell holding Rylan trapped, but the returning to his home part was losing some appeal…wasn’t it?
Impatient with the direction of his thoughts, Jasper stood and moved away from the circle of light given off by the fire. Earlier, he watched in fascination as Rylan had used a flint and a rock he called pyrite to strike a spark that eventually ignited wood chips into flame. Willow had disappeared and then reappeared a short time later carrying a pole over her shoulder. On it hung three good-sized fish.
They’d enjoyed the fresh meal while they’d swapped stories around the fire. It had been a nice evening until he’d started thinking about Willow too much. That was ridiculous, really. They’d only just met and yet… It felt like they’d known each other forever. As if they were indefinably connected.
He’d caught her looking at him from beneath her long lashes on more than one occasion. Each time his eyes met hers, she averted her gaze. Her cheeks blushed rosy red, and he would have put her high color down to the effect of the fire, but he noticed it always happened after his gaze intercepted hers.
The knowledge she was as aware of him as he was of her excited and confused him all at once. He kicked at the clumps of dirt underfoot as he continued to wander further away from their camp. He had no flashlight, but the moon was almost three-quarters full and aided his progress through the forest. He didn’t have a destination in mind; all he knew was he needed to remove himself for a while.
He was glad for Rylan, he really was. It was wonderful to witness the man’s joy. The moment he realized he’d found his daughter… It was really something else. The two of them talked non-stop. Jasper remained mostly quiet, on the sideline. But now he was restless and irritable. He covered another quarter of a mile before it hit him.
It wasn’t just that he was facing an unwelcome attraction to a girl he could never have. The truth was, he was jealous. He wanted Willow to look at him like she looked at Rylan. To hang off his every word. To be so engaged in his conversation she was almost deaf and blind to everything and everyone else. If it hadn’t been for the secret glances he’d unwittingly intercepted over the course of the evening, he’d be feeling entirely overlooked.
Disgruntled with the direction of his thoughts, he ventured further and further away from the camp. A low menacing growl somewhere above him alerted him to the fact he was not alone. He stilled, his heart pounding hard in his chest. He should never have strayed so far from the safety of the fire. Now he could be facing another unknown danger.
The growl came again, and this time he realized it was coming from the tree beside him. He looked up and saw nothing. And then the animal moved and moonlight glinted off its glossy coat.
A black panther.
A man-eating black panther that looked like it weighed more than a hundred pounds. It was poised above him, on a thick branch, looking like it might leap on him at any moment. He knew how agile panthers could be and how well they could jump and climb. They could also run very fast—much faster than him. Even if he could call on his supernatural strength, there was no guarantee it included speed. He had yet to test his powers in that regard, and choosing to do it now with a massive panther on his heels didn’t seem like the best time.
As slowly as he could, Jasper eased away from the tree. Perhaps the big cat hadn’t noticed him? Maybe the animal had already eaten and was merely settling down for the night? He had no idea. All he was sure of was he had to get away before the panther made a move.
Taking another step and then another, he continued his slow progress away. He kept a close eye on the cat, certain that at any moment it would leap from the tree and tear him limb from limb. He could almost feel the long fangs sinking
into his flesh. He shuddered.
Another step and then another, he was almost ten yards away. He was no longer beneath the tree, but he wasn’t out of the danger zone, yet. With his heart thumping and the blood roaring in his ears, he continued to pick his way through the forest. He didn’t relax until he spied the light from Rylan’s fire in the distance.
With a sigh of relief, he picked up his pace and arrived back at the campsite almost puffing. Rylan and Willow turned curious gazes in his direction.
“Is everything all right?” Rylan asked.
“There’s a black panther perched in a tree back yonder. It startled me. I thought I might end up in its belly.” He laughed unconvincingly, the memory of the threat the panther represented, still fresh in his mind.
Rylan immediately looked concerned. “A panther? Quick, throw some more logs on the fire. We need to frighten it off.”
Willow laughed, and the sound of it filled Jasper’s ears with music. “Don’t be silly, that’s Mika. I’ve known him since he was a baby. He won’t hurt a soul. In fact, he likes to keep watch over me through the night.”
Jasper stared at her in amazement. His admiration for her ratcheted up several notches. “You have a pet panther?”
Willow laughed again. “Well, I’m not sure I’d call him a pet, but he’s friendly enough. Sometimes he comes close enough to pat.”
Jasper shook his head slowly back and forth and smiled at her in disbelief. She was a truly amazing person. She smiled back at him softly and reached out and touched his arm for no reason he could decipher. His heart turned over in his chest. Oh hell, he was a goner. There was nothing surer.
“Papa told me what ye are doing for him—seeking out the golden stone that will break the evil spell. It’s very brave of ye, Jasper.” Willow’s softly voiced words sent a shaft of longing through him.
Just like that, he fell head over heels. It was foolish, complete madness, and yet he couldn’t get the grin off his face.
“Good night, Jasper,” she murmured, her eyes big and round and intense.