“Wait,” Sasha said suddenly seized with panic. “What are you going to tell my mother?”
Dominic didn’t look at her when he answered. He continued to putter around the triangle.
“Nothing unless you don’t return,” he said. “I’ll leave it up to you to explain to your mother why you defied her orders.”
“She may come looking for me,” Sasha warned. “She’s supposed to be finding me a place to hide.”
Dominic gazed at Sasha intently.
“Time here is not the same as there,” he said. “You won’t be gone long, trust me.”
Dominic bent over and lit the candle. Before Sasha could say anything he dropped a leather pouch in her hand. The heavy contents clinked together.
“Remember,” he said frowning. “Vania cannot be trusted. She’s not your grandmother. She’s the monster who put a death spell on you.”
“Wait,” Sasha said urgently as Dominic held out the thin stick and began muttering a spell. He ignored her and walked around the perimeter of the triangle, head bent in concentration.
Evan wrapped his arms around Sasha’s shoulders and pulled her to him. He pressed his lips to her ear as her vision dimmed.
“We’ll be fine,” he said. His voice echoed in her head as the light of the day disappeared and she was staring into an inky blackness. She couldn’t feel Evan’s arms anymore and twirled around to find him.
“Evan? Evan?” she yelled frantically as she searched for him in the darkness. Before her panic could consume her, she was pulled through a vortex of wind that yanked her from side to side and then expelled her with a push forward.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
As Sasha was ejected from the portal, she staggered and fell to her knees. Her surroundings were suddenly bright and blinding. She shaded her eyes but couldn’t see Evan and didn’t know where she was.
She was supposed to be in Tysseland if Dominic got the directions correct. She was able to inspect her surroundings once her eyes adjusted to the light. She saw Evan crumpled on the ground.
She ran over to him as he rolled to his side and retched.
“That was rough,” he rasped. He swallowed a few times before getting to his unsteady feet. “I did not like that.”
“Hopefully,” she said, noting where she landed, “we’ll only have one more ride home and then we are done with magic and Tysseland forever.”
They were in a small field beside a ramshackle house. It had peeling paint and a sagging roof. Sasha couldn’t tell if it was occupied.
The area was a combination of fields and forest. The field where Sasha stood contained beautiful purple and yellow flowers intertwined with menacing green weeds. The occasional red poppy glittered as if it were made of gems.
There was a dilapidated farm stand by a dirt road that ran in front of the house. The dirt road disappeared into a thick forest with redwood like trees that soared into the sky.
Why was everything in such bad shape? Sasha didn’t know what to expect from Tysseland. So far everything appeared run down surrounded by beautiful nature. She wasn’t impressed by the dichotomy; it seemed odd. Perhaps that was appropriate for an alternate world only accessible via portal.
“I need water,” Evan said rubbing his throat.
“Ok, let’s go,” she said holding his arm as they walked toward the house. They moved slowly as Evan was shaky, tripping over exposed roots and rocks. At one point he slumped to the ground.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “I feel so weak. That trip drained me.”
Sasha gazed at him sympathetically. The portal trip had the opposite effect on her; she felt energized. The vortex known as a portal had churned up her insides and made her nauseous but the feeling passed quickly. The house was only 20 feet away.
“Stay here. I’ll get you water,” she said.
As she approached the home, the front door flew open. A man with long brown hair wearing filthy putty-colored robes charged out.
“Get inside, quickly,” he hissed. “Everyone knows you are here.”
Startled Sasha didn’t know how to respond. The man ran past her and yanked Evan to his feet.
“Hurry, hurry,” he said. “They are coming.”
Sasha helped the man haul Evan into the house. The man slammed the door shut and muttered words as he waved a wand around the perimeter of the door.
“Stay here,” he ordered as he marched out of the room. Sheesh. Was everyone in Tysseland as grumpy as Dominic?
Evan staggered to a chair and slumped with exhaustion.
The room didn’t have much. The interior of the cottage was as dismal as the exterior. The floor was dirt. There was a dingy low slung couch, two wooden chairs with meager padding and a small table. Candles littered every surface. On the fireplace mantle was a sketch in a wooden frame. It was a drawing of people but she wasn’t close enough to inspect it.
There was nothing in this house manufactured past 1800 as far as Sasha could see. She was certain this man didn’t even have electricity.
The man returned holding a clay pitcher and two small glasses. He poured water into one cup and offered it to Evan. He gulped the water greedily and asked for more. The man poured him another glass full.
“You should drink too,” he said giving Sasha a glass. “You’ve never been here before. The portal can play havoc on the intestinal system.”
Sasha thanked him for the water.
“Are you Glenbury?” She asked hesitantly.
“Of course,” he snapped. “There’s nowhere else Dominic would send you is there?”
Bewildered Sasha didn’t know how to respond. Why was this man angry?
“Thanks for the water old man, but don’t talk to my girlfriend that way,” Evan said pulling himself to his feet while gripping the back of a chair. “We haven’t come here by choice. It was our only option.”
Glenbury sighed deeply. He ran a hand through his tangled strands and peered out the window from behind dingy thin curtains.
“I’m not angry with you,” he said. “It’s Dominic. He knows this will get me in trouble with Queen Vania. She is much stronger than me.”
Glenbury backed away from the window at the sound of hooves pounding down a path. “They are here. They can’t see you so don’t make a sound.”
He motioned toward the corner of the room. “Go, over there. Be quiet.”
“Who is here?” Sasha asked helping Evan get to his feet and stand in the corner. She propped him up as he swayed wobbly. Glenbury made a motion toward her with his wand and she felt her lips seal shut. She could swallow but not open her mouth to speak.
Glenbury shook his head vigorously and walked to the door. He stood aside as it smashed open and three men barged in. The burly men wore regular pants, long sleeve shirts and modern body armor. When one man turned, Sasha saw L.A. P.D. stamped on the back of the vest. Where the hell was she? Was Tysseland a suburb of Los Angeles?
The men wore baseball caps and had handguns strapped on their hips. They were like paramilitary and yet this was supposed to be a place of ancient traditions trapped in a time bubble wasn’t it?
The men walked around the three-room house swiftly, poking their heads into every doorway and cupboard. One man came within a foot of Sasha as he studied the colored glass bottles on the fireplace mantel. He picked up one and froze at the squeak of the wood floorboard. Sasha had shifted Evan’s weight over her shoulders making the noise.
She held her breath as the man leaned toward them. He stared into the corner where they were standing. Sasha couldn’t believe he didn’t see them. He leaned toward her and they almost came nose to nose before a mouse scurried across the floor drawing the man’s attention.
Glenbury must have cast a spell masking their presence. Nothing else explained why the man couldn’t see them.
When the inspection was done the lead goon pushed Glenbury into a chair.
“So where are they?” he said leaning over the old man.
Sasha had to hold
a weak Evan back from charging out of the corner. It was offensive to see young men rough up an old man. She felt the same way but they couldn’t risk blowing their cover. They had to find the talisman.
She and Evan had nothing to worry about. Glenbury could take care of himself easily.
“They aren’t here as you can see,” he said irritated. “I never saw them.”
“But you knew they arrived,” the man said nastily.
“Of course,” Glenbury said. “I felt the energy ripple like everyone else.”
“It’s against the law to travel by portal without the queen’s permission. So where are they?”
“What makes you think they arrived here?” Glenbury said huffily. “I’ve been out of the portal business for years. There are at least half a dozen other portal masters in the realm. Why don’t you bother them?”
The head goon stood straight as if he needed to consider the suggestion. He turned to one of his henchmen and whispered in his ear. The man left the house leaving the door open.
“Listen old man,” the head goon said. “The queen doesn’t tolerate liars.”
“Good,” Glenbury said getting to his feet. “I haven’t lied. I didn’t bring anyone here.”
He strode to the open door and stood beside it.
“I have nothing to hide as you’ve seen,” he said motioning for them to depart. “I have work to do for the queen that you have interrupted. Shall I inform her that her potions aren’t ready because her guards were bothering me about a portal I didn’t open?”
The lead goon strode briskly through the door followed by the spare man.
“We’re watching you Glenbury,” he said once he walked outside.
“I feel sorry for you then,” Glenbury responded. “I have such a tedious life.”
Glenbury slammed the door shut and went to the window. He discreetly peered through the curtains. The two men were joined by the third man who had run out earlier.
Glenbury motioned for them to remain where they were. It wasn’t until the men were out of view on the dirt road that he undid the charm that sealed their mouths shut.
Once her lips were freed Sasha opened her mouth and drew in a deep breath.
“Was that necessary?” she gasped.
Glenbury ignored her question and continued gazing out the window.
“It could be a trap,” he said. “We must be careful.”
“How did they know?” Evan asked.
Glenbury glanced at him from the door.
“Why do you think son? Everyone felt the magic ripple and I’m the only one this side of the Marquis River able to open a portal. It was just logical,” he said harshly.
“I don’t know any of this shit,” Evan said frustrated. “I’m just a guy from Austin, ok? I’m not up on this magic mumbo jumbo.”
Evan had taken to using Sasha’s term for magic. Whatever they couldn’t figure out was real was mumbo jumbo.
“Ok, let’s not get all freaky deaky,” Sasha said. “We didn’t mean to disturb you. My mother said she visited you a while back to make my pendant. I think Dominic just thought you’d be able to help us”
Glenbury turned away from the window.
“What kind of help?”
Sasha cleared her throat and studied Evan uncertainly. Should they tell him the plan? Evan shook his head. Sasha disagreed. How would they get Glenbury’s help if he didn’t know what they were doing?
“So a few years ago,” Sasha said haltingly. “You helped my mother create this pendant to protect me.”
Sasha fished the necklace from under her T-shirt and held the pendant so Glenbury could see it.
“Who says?” he muttered grumpily.
“Willow Bean said,” Sasha said more aggressively than she planned. “She said you would help us.”
Evan stared at her. He knew she was lying.
“She did, did she?” he said. “Did she tell you she still owes me for that job?”
Sasha panicked. She wasn’t surprised her mother had unpaid magic bills. She didn’t live in Tysseland. How would she pay them?
“No,” Sasha said hesitantly. “What does she owe you?”
Glenbury stared at her hard. It was as if he were looking through her and not at her.
“Never mind,” he mumbled moving toward the couch and flopping on it with exhaustion. “I can’t get a daughter to pay her mother’s bills. This is all about mother and daughter debt isn’t it?”
Sasha sat gingerly on a chair. “I guess so,” she said. “Except in my case I’d say it’s grandmother – granddaughter.”
Glenbury guffawed. “You don’t have a chance,” he said.
Sasha remembered the pouch Dominic gave her and dug it out of her pocket. She dumped half of the counts out in her palm.
“Is this enough?” she offered Glenbury the coins. “Half now, half later.”
She didn’t want to give him the pouch’s entire contents just yet. She might need the money to bribe others.
Glenbury seized a coin, held it to his nose and breathed deeply. Then he licked it. He snatched the rest of the coins in her hand.
“The money isn’t going to help you with the queen,” Glenbury said.
A chill ran down Sasha’s back. This wasn’t the first time she’d been discouraged from taking on the queen.
“Not your concern,” Sasha said. “All we need is passage home. You won’t be involved in any other way.”
Glenbury stared at her with pity. “Do you think it’s going to be that easy? How are you going to get into the castle? Find the talisman? Fight Queen Vania?”
Sasha was surprised he knew of the talisman. He was a portal master. He must have known why her mother created the pendant so he must know about the curse. Or he could read minds like Gus. Sasha was uncomfortable that everyone knew more than her.
“We’ll find a way,” she said. “We are resourceful.”
Glenbury laughed heartily. “You don’t know the meaning of resourceful.”
Sasha didn’t respond. She felt she’d said all she could. He was either going to help them or he wasn’t. She didn’t think there was more she could say to convince him.
“This isn’t about the queen,” Evan said. Glenbury gazed at him with surprise.
“What is your role in this?” Glenbury asked him.
“I’m just helping a friend,” he said and then smiled at Sasha warmly. “A good friend.”
“How noble,” Glenbury said sarcastically. “What do I get out of it?”
Sasha had thought of this before she came. What reason would anyone have for helping her in Tysseland?
“My mother will owe you a favor?” she said. She hoped her proposal would unlock any resistance. If the queen died then theoretically Willow Bean would inherit the throne. No one need know that Willow Bean had no plans to return to Tysseland.
Glenbury nodded approvingly. “That’s more like it.”
Sasha let out a soft sigh. She felt very close to a small victory. If Glenbury didn’t help them leave Tysseland, they would be stuck here forever.
“Alright,” he said rising to his feet. “You’ll need supplies and a map.”
Sasha jumped to her feet with delight. She hadn’t anticipated that much help.
“A map?” asked Evan. “I thought the castle was visible a mile down the road.”
“It is,” Glenbury said. “You won’t go far if you go in the front door.”
Evan shook off his naiveté. “Right,” he said. “Is there another way in?”
Glenbury stretched a piece of parchment across a table and used a piece of black coal to draw lines. “There is always a way in,” he said.
CHAPTER NINTEEN
Sasha tried to convince Evan to stay with Glenbury. He was so weak after the portal travel. He refused. He stuck close to her as if he were her personal bodyguard.
“I can do this on my own,” she said.
“No you can’t,” Evan said forthright.
“It’s nice that
you have faith in me,” she said glumly.
“I do,” he said. “I’m just realistic about your lack of abilities.”
“Oh, ho, ho, you haven’t seen anything yet,” she said like a braggart. She wished she could be even more confident, but the blue sparks hadn’t appeared in days so she really couldn’t count on them.
Was Evan only helping her because he thought she was pathetic?
“Why are you helping me?” She asked boldly. She was afraid of hearing the answer but she’d also come to a point where she no longer wanted unanswered questions lingering in her mind. They drove her crazy. If the end was near, she didn’t want any more regrets.
Evan glanced at her and smiled. “Because you need me?”
“That’s not an answer,” she said.
“What do you want me to say?”
“The truth,” she pressed. “What was the first thing that popped into your head?”
“I don’t think you want me to say,” he muttered quietly.
“Yes I do,” she said. “I’m all about the truth. I’ve been in the dark for too long.”
Evan seemed to be choosing his words carefully.
“You needed help so I helped you,” he said finally.
“Is that a polite way of saying you felt sorry for me?”
Evan shrugged. “I wouldn’t put it that way. It was more like right place right time.”
Sasha smiled. Even if he had felt sorry for her, he didn’t want to admit it. Wasn’t that a good sign? She knew Evan liked her. She just worried that he was helping her out of a sense of duty rather than love.
She shook her head vigorously. Love? Love? When did that get into the picture? She barely knew the guy. The threats to her life were making her emotional. She dismissed thoughts of love. She was being so silly. Grow up, she told herself sternly.
They left Glenbury puttering around his abode and waiting for their return. He’d promised to help them get back home. That’s all they needed from him.
There were no other travelers on the dirt road, which was more of a path of least resistance beaten through the brush and forest than an engineered route. It wasn’t smooth or graded and they had to climb over fallen trees often.
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