Blinked

by Zari Reede

  We stood in a copse of trees, hidden from the guards’ naked eye. It would be difficult to go unnoticed across the grand valley and over the drawbridge. The last, undamaged clay, spell-imbued ball was of no use since it would return me to Rhineguard. The thieving idiots damaged most of the capsules, as Max called them, rendering them useless. I lingered, trying to think of another point of entry.

  “What’s the dilemma, Princess?”

  “I see no way to cross the valley and the moat without being fired upon by the archers whose arrows are coated with a toxic poison.” I paused to think.

  “Why don’t you just throw one of those balls and transport us there?”

  “They don’t work that way, Max.” I sighed. “The transport balls are prepared in advance to take me to one, specific place. It’s a complex task taking much time. I have one intact left, but it will only take us to the council chambers, if we’re lucky. If the necromancer is laying siege to the Cyclops’ castle as we speak, they will be marching on Rhineguard soon. I wish we could warn my people. Liotte’s powers are destructive, but if we can find the machine, potion, gadget, or whatever he is using to control the dead, we have a real chance of winning the battle.”

  “I don’t think we have a lot of choices. I know you only have the one left, but a one-way ticket to hell is exactly what we need,” Max assured me.

  “I have an idea, but you may not like it.” I dug into my cloak and withdrew two spell-imbued balls that weren’t completely destroyed, merely leaking. We would have to take our chances that they were mostly intact. There was one for each of us. “I usually take two capsules and the effects last one hour. If we each take one, the flurry may last thirty minutes. That will be enough time to make it across the open field to the keep. When the flurry is over, we can get a look at what Liotte is using to make the dead rise.” I waited for Max’s confidence.

  “Okay, I trust you.”

  The warmth of his tanned hand over my cool green skin, made me shiver. I looked into his eyes. He spoke no words, but I knew his thoughts. If ventured, this was a suicide mission. His head dipped down and his lips brushed mine. The kiss was gentle, and I did nothing to stop him. Since he had kissed me in the spell chamber at the Winter Palace, I found it hard to think of anything else. In truth, I felt an unknown emotion since his arrival at Cyclops castle.

  My heart throbbed and my legs weakened as his need grew more intense. I was lightheaded and couldn’t control the moaning that welled from my inner core. Because of my status, I had never known intimacy between a man and woman. My kinsmen and servants chaperoned and protected me most of my life. Matters of the heart were a luxury that royalty need not know. I had no freedom in who would rule by my side. My aging parents rarely governed from the throne room and remained in bed most days with servants to attend their essential living needs.

  With no guidance but my own knowledge in my craft, I planned to rule singularly, without a king, until my last winter of childbearing years. I would then choose an appropriate stud to sire the grand heir, for the Rhineguard legacy.

  As Max ran his hands over my trembling form, I could think of no better stud. I would not choose a king, so it was not important to be a virgin. If I died today, which was almost certain with the state of our war, then I wanted to die satisfied and with the experience of love. If I bore a child, I would be happy that it was of Max’s stock. He was strong, fearless, and intelligent. He was the most alluring man I had ever known. I didn’t say no this time, instead I pulled him close, and let him gently lay me on the soft ground beneath the cherry blossoms.

  Chapter 48

  Mindy

  The storm abated and the electricity was restored. The telephone wouldn’t work until late afternoon, when the lines were up again. We crashed in the living room so we could watch out for one another. Rapunzel was edgy, fidgeting, and played with her hair. After last night’s pow-wow about her energy manipulation between our world and hers, perhaps she was regretting her actions. When I reflected upon Harry’s theory of ORB sanity levels changing in response to the amount of magic transferred to our world from theirs, I was leery of what was to come. I had no way of knowing what occurred on Ortharos and if anyone interfered with the energy drain. I needed to keep an eye on the young Prince Grrlec and Sir Reggie, just in case. I didn’t need either of them barbequed in Harry’s home, when, or if, ’Punzel’s powers returned.

  In the kitchen, Mom clanged pots and pans, but I wasn’t sure what she could do with flour, dry pasta, and coffee. We pretty much emptied Harry’s fridge and pantry yesterday. Perhaps I should go to the market and restock. We must meet with the council, but I didn’t see the value in a surprise visit, and we needed to eat. Cyclops boys weren’t a dime a dozen in New Orleans, even during Mardi Gras, so Grrlec had to stay at Harry’s, but I could take Sir Reggie for his own protection. ’Punzel clearly abhorred him, so maybe this would temper the fire princess. While Reggie resembled a dwarf, he smelled like a urinal due to emptying his bladder in fear earlier. I flinched at the odor as I looked down at his snoring form. The robe must go. Harry’s six-foot-wiry-frame wardrobe was doubtful to yield anything of use, but it was worth a try.

  “Mom, Harry?” I poked my head around the kitchen door. “I’ll run to the market and grab provisions for the troops.” I smiled, as they drew their almost touching heads apart, and guilt feathered their cheeks. A can of coffee sat by the sink where they started to brew a pot, but got lost in each other’s eyes. I felt like a heel interrupting, but I hadn’t known until too late. Continuing, I tried to gloss over the discomfort. “I’m going to take Reggie for his own safety. Please keep Grrlec close by. I fear the power distribution from Ortharos may heighten in the next Blink, and we’ll have front row seats to Return of the Evil Princess.” Frowning, I looked over my shoulder. “Oh, and do you have a T-shirt, Harry, that Reggie can borrow?”

  Harry went upstairs to retrieve a shirt and sweat pants. When he returned, we cut the army green legs off the sweats. The muddy yellow shirt, with a smiley face on the front almost fit like a dress, but we tucked it into the pants and cinched the string. I could purchase shoes at the market. For now, he waddled around with his size-five feet in size-ten flip-flops. His golden slippers and robe were in the wash. He also sported a baseball cap with the Saints football fleur-de-lis logo and Ray-Bans, which he pilfered from the men’s valet in the hall. It will do. I shrugged as he walked down the hall, sauntering like a Ford model. We giggled, when he executed a catwalk turn, lost a few inches of pants and tripped.

  During the jaunt in the Fury, Sir Reginaldo giggled much like Winnalea had, and I wasn’t surprised by his toying with the buttons or hanging his torso out of the window. I had been through this dog and pony show. I drawled on about our world, explaining automobiles, airplanes, television, and what we might see at the market. Utterly fascinated, he bounced in his seat like a child on his way to visit the zoo.

  The grocery was much the same as Winni’s visit, but Reggie insisted on riding in the cart like the other small royal subjects. I started to explain they were children, but the set of twins in the buggy beside us wore matching princess outfits, so I humored him. I struggled to get him in the cart until a nice man stopped to help us. Reggie was heavier than I would have thought possible for his small stature. I felt sorry for the poor man, as Reggie pushed his meaty hands through the gentleman’s hair, trying to leverage himself inside the basket.

  As I apologized for the scene, the man grunted something inaudible, righted his toupee, and left. When Reggie saw balloons handed out as a promotion, he clamored to add them to our cart. I knew I was in for it when he saw the bakery. Our cart looked like a parade float by the time we got to the register. I rolled my eyes as customers exclaimed over my cute, little boy and Reginaldo smiled, showing his dimples. The lady behind the register frowned when I slapped a candy bar out of his hand. Two birthday cakes, a box of Dingdongs, a box of Twinkies, and about ten bags of chips already filled the cart. I stared, da
ring her to say something as the total bill grew while she rang up the sugary snacks. Reggie would be worse than the fire princess. They were both spoiled rotten, but this one had dimples and charm! I really couldn’t imagine him being the evil man who extinguished gifted children. I kept that in mind and watched him warily as he winked at a large-breasted woman behind us and offered her one of the five balloons tied to our cart.

  I grew concerned when I got back to the house and no one was there. I entered the kitchen with grocery-laden arms, then set the bags on Harry’s counter. I listened for footsteps upstairs, but there wasn’t a peep. Sir Reggie followed behind me, still crooning lyrics from “Witchy Woman,” stopping to swivel his hips at intermittent oohs. I shushed him as I searched for the others. Hair pricked the nape of my neck. Maybe the princess toasted them like marshmallows in the back yard. I rushed to a back-facing window and scanned the yard. Nothing seemed amiss. Harry’s car was in the drive, so I doubted they had gone far. I returned to the kitchen to put the groceries away, figuring they would return soon. Sir Reginaldo teetered on a step stool as he leaned over the bar and fiddled with the television’s dials. I heard their voices through the snow of the television before the static cleared, revealing Harry, Mom and Grrlec.

  “Careful there, if you throw too much power at it, you will blow the line. A little to the left, yes, that’s it.” Harry directed. “Now that one’s for the phone, so be careful not to...” The set made an explosive pop and smoke filled the screen, turning the picture screen back to a dull green glass. They were on the roof! I took the stairs two at a time to the attic and flung open the dormer window. Twisting my head, I tried to view the roof, but couldn’t see a thing.

  I called out in a panic, “Mom! Harry! Prince! ’Punzel!”

  “Up here dear,” Mom called back.

  “What are you doing?” I squeaked.

  She hung her head upside down over the edge of the roof and stared at me. “Harry thought, if the princess could channel energy, maybe she could fix the phone lines. It’s sort of an experiment.”

  “Why were you on the television? And how did you get up there?” I pointed.

  “We were on television?” She paused. “There’s an attic door on the other side of the house, and a fire escape. We climbed up, but I warn you, it’s rickety!” She disappeared, so I guessed it was my cue to climb. Reggie dogged my steps as I found the ladder. I looked down, as the weathered, wrought iron ladder creaked and swiveled. Sir Reggie clung only one rung below my own feet with his head near my derriere.

  “Hey, buddy, too close! This isn’t a Twister game--I’m no Eva Gabor and you’re no Johnny Carson!” I huffed and shook my head to clear the bangs from my face to no avail. The rain had stopped, but the wind was whipping my hair in my eyes so I couldn’t see. The ladder wobbled precariously in its rusty wells, and Reggie panicked hugging my legs and pressing his head against my jean pockets. I feared the ladder would give under our weight, so I clung to the drain pipe wired to the ladder. I heard someone’s footsteps above me

  “Hmmm, she doesn’t need help. Looks like she needs privacy.”

  I recognized ’Punzel’s voice, and I looked up, annoyed. “If you leave me to fall to my death with this ass-grabbing dwarf attached to my backside, I will never speak to you again!” I warned, yelling to be heard over the wind.

  She smirked. “Promise?”

  I looked up, my forehead wrinkled and mouth ajar.

  “Oh, for the love of, Zarika, come on,” she called out and threw her braid over the side, sighing in disgust. “Just don’t disappoint me like the last Rhonderdack dropping that climbed up my hair.”

  “Who or what is Zarika, and what’s a Rhonderdack?” I asked, but Rapunzel was back to trying to repair the phone lines. “Harry, are you sure this is a good idea. The more energy she pilfers, the more flammable she’ll become, remember?”

  “And that is exactly why we need to get the phone working so we can talk to the chief, and arrange a meeting to neutralize this ORB destruction before the ORBs destroy their own world and possibly ours too. I know it’s a risk, but we need to get to ISMAT yesterday!” he called out over the wind as he pointed up at the television antenna.

  ’Punzel pulled down lightning in steady streams, though the storm had stopped several hours ago. Bolts of electricity appeared in the sky overhead, as if by magic. That was it! She was pulling Ortharos magic from a portal above Harry’s home.

  Somehow her power and ability to visually distort had affected Harry’s TV antenna and she projected their images on the television. Curious, I wondered if televisions all over New Orleans had seen the view of Harry’s roof.

  “I’ll be back,” I called out to Mom and shimmied down the rusted iron ladder to the attic landing. I hurried to the den, flipped on the television and turned to Channel Three. Breaking News scrolled across the large screen in bright yellow. The cameras panned across the skyline and showed a swirling white light above the four-year construction of the Superdome stadium. Helicopters buzzed in the distance.

  A petite Asian woman held a microphone in one hand and pointed to the sky with the other. Bolts of lightning came from the swirling atmosphere and traveled over the horizon.

  Eep! As Rapunzel pulled energy, she added to the imbalance and the whole city had noticed the influx of power. It wouldn’t be long before the media and ISMAT traced the source to Harry’s door. It was definitely time to jump ship.

  Chapter 49

  The Brownie

  The arch-spiders returned again and again, but in fewer numbers and, in no time, wee Sammy mastered her magic to repel them. Between that and the Cyclopes’ blades, they were dispensed, but it slowed our progress. I ken others in the tunnel, and listening, but they merely surveilled, so I nae spoke of it. The queen kept a fast pace, but slowed when we tired. I ken the speed, or lack of, vexed her. The passage had seen no use in eons. Layers of brown dust stirred under our feet and coated our sweaty skin until all of us, to my amusement, matched my shade. Little Miss asked about her father again. I reassured her that he was safe and she would see him soon. Crossing my fingers on one hand, I made the sign of the Shakespeare spirit cross with the other as Sammy walked ahead.

  It grew dark, but the queen revealed a faerie bauble which lit our way. It must have cost her dear. The fae rarely traded with others and to do so, was risky. Few came out of the bargain ahead--or alive.

  In places, the ceiling had collapsed and, even with Sammy’s magic, we had to dig ourselves free. At last, the path sloped upward. We tripped over roots. Strange twigs tugged at our hair and clothes as we stumbled up the uneven floor.

  The queen turned to us. “We near the end. Stay silent. I do not know what we will find above.”

  We struggled forward. The wee ones tired and were barely moving. The queen’s face creased with worry as she swept Little Miss up and perched her upon her shoulders, then gestured for her daughter to climb upon her waist, piggy-back fashion. She looked at me and held her arms out, but I shook my head. A brownie has her dignity to consider and I am stronger than others ken. Close we were, and I silently tugged the queen’s breeches. I tilted my head upward and quirked my eyebrow. I do not know if brownies live in the Cyclops realm but suspect so, because she ken my meaning and waited as I magicked myself to the surface and blended in seamlessly as my kind was ken to do.

  Cyclops astride faced their forces outward, away from their home. It was clear they expected no attack from the rear. Quieter than I thought possible, the undead crept closer and closer behind. They slithered on their bellies, their ribs down so low that clods of dirt, bits of grass, and leaves rucked up and tumbled inside the fleshless ones’ bones. The skin sloughed off in long, wet strips on the ones who had it. The snagging and ripping made bile rise in my throat.

  “Behind ye!” I called out. The warriors wheeled round. The undead rose as one, and the battle began. The Cyclops rushed at the necromancer’s horde as the undead rose. Liotte had nae sent the whole of his ar
my, perhaps a tenth, but even that few outnumbered the Cyclops two to one. More numerous? Aye, they were, but most of the undead were unskilled in fighting, and few used any weapons. This group, I was much relieved to see, did nae have undead possessed by demons. Queen Fodjes’s soldiers, so fast they were, they smashed some of the creatures before they got to their feet.

  The only ways to stop the fiends, from what I kenned during the battle, is beheading or pulverizing the bones to powder so the fiends could no longer attack. Even then, the skeletal remains would still be animated. Hearing my call, the others came to join me. The queen forced her way across the ground. Vegetation grew over the bespelled opening. She admonished the girls to remain just inside the hidden doorway. With a shout, she drew her blade and joined her people.

  I climbed up the small hillock to tend the wee ones. They clung to each other, but with their mouths pinched shut, the sweet dears refused to cry. Standing on the raised ground afforded me with a grand view. The Cyclops fought valiantly, but they soon needed to draw ranks close and fight with the wounded in the center of their life’s circle. Outnumbered, the fiends surrounded them. The necromancer had welded manacles round the undead necks to protect them from beheading. Many were missing limbs from the Cyclops’ ferocious onslaught, but it barely slowed them. One of the evil things dragged its legless body closer and closer to the queen while she fought three others, with a flashing blade in each hand. The skeleton wrapped its hands around the Queen’s ankles and jerked its torso forward. Like a snake, its head darted forward, clamping down its jaw and shredding the queen’s calf with its sharpened teeth. Distracted only for a thrice, it was too long. An undead got beneath her guard. She plunged her sword into its chest, but the horrid thing clung to her wrist. She could nae draw her weapon out. The undead climbed over each other in manic fury to hurt and maim the living.