Holly felt relieved when Ryan asked the waiter to move them to a more private table.
“Sorry about that,” Ryan said once they were alone again. “Cody’s a pretty popular character for some reason.” He sounded baffled.
“He’s popular because you’re a good actor,” Holly said loyally. “Just wait until the movie comes out. You’ll have people asking you for Michael Vallant’s autograph.”
Ryan groaned, which made her feel better.
The black linguini looked weird but tasted fine, and they shared a mouthwatering white chocolate brownie for dessert. Then Ryan paged their driver, and the limousine met them out front.
“Shall we go out to a club?” Ryan asked, sliding in beside her. “I’ve always wanted to go to the Roxy.”
“Won’t they card us?”
“Not if I’m recognized.” He grinned.
Holly hesitated. She didn’t want to go through a repeat of earlier. “I don’t know.”
“I thought you loved dancing.” Ryan regarded her quizzically.
“I do like to dance. But…”
His expression sobered. “But you don’t want to go to a club where I might be recognized.”
Holly winced.
He buzzed the chauffeur and told him to take them home. Silence blanketed the back of the limo.
“I’m sorry,” Holly said miserably.
“I don’t know what you want me to do,” Ryan said tightly. “Having fans and signing autographs is part of being a movie actor.”
“It’s not the autographs that I mind,” Holly said balefully.
“Then what?”
“The rest of it.” Holly floundered. “You know. The bending over and the—the girls throwing themselves at you.”
“It’s not like I have any intention of catching them,” Ryan said. “Don’t you trust me?”
“Of course I do!” Holly had learned her lesson from the Cassie episode. “It’s just they’re all so much prettier”—and sexier—“than I am.”
“They are not prettier than you.”
Holly rolled her eyes. Yeah, right.
“You’re special.” He touched her hair.
“Special,” she said skeptically. “Is that like having a good personality?”
“So, I’m only supposed to love you for your body?” Ryan asked. “Isn’t that a little twisted?”
Holly crossed her arms.
“Not a single one of those girls would sit down beside the poor boy at lunch,” he said flatly.
Holly felt a small smile curve her lips. “You wore the ugliest shirts. Shannon was appalled.”
“Those girls want to date a celebrity. Any celebrity.” His mouth tightened. “They watch Cody on TV and think they know me.” He leaned in so that his mouth was only centimeters away from hers, making her pulse speed. “You’re the one who really knows me, better than anyone.” He kissed her persuasively.
Holly’s heart soared. It was true. She did know him best, and not just the secret of his merman heritage. “I can at least tell the difference between you and Kyle,” she said breathlessly as he kissed her neck.
Ryan pulled back. “What?”
Holly felt a twinge of uncertainty at his harsh expression. “I just—I thought you based Cody’s character on Kyle.”
“I don’t want to talk about Kyle,” he said firmly. “I don’t want to talk at all.” He pressed her back against the white leather, kissing her hotly.
Holly kissed him back, running her fingers through his hair. His hand settled on her rib cage. It didn’t go any higher, but she tensed.
Ryan gave her a strained smile. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to rush you.”
Tears welled in Holly’s eyes.
His sheepish expression turned to one of horror. “Holly?”
She shook her head. “You didn’t do anything. It’s just”—she blurted out what was really bothering her—“that girl in the restaurant wanted to have sex with you.” And Holly loved Ryan, but she wasn’t ready to go that far yet. Wasn’t he going to get tired of that soon?
He sighed and tipped his head back against the seat. “If all I cared about was getting laid, I could have had all the girls I wanted back in BC.”
Her brow wrinkled. “You didn’t date.”
“I did in junior high. Back when I was friends with Kyle.” Ryan vented a humorless laugh. “Cody isn’t Kyle. Cody is who I’d be if I’d taken a different path.”
“What do you mean?”
He responded slowly. “I told you how we used to go joyriding, right?” She nodded. “Well, one time it was raining, and we offered two girls a ride. Kyle decided that we should go parking. I sweet-talked the girls into it. That’s how I thought of it back then, as sweet-talk.” His fist hit his thigh.
“I was in the front seat with Marlie, and Kyle was in the back with your friend, Shannon—”
Shannon? But Shannon despised Kyle.
“I was French-kissing Marlie when Shannon started to cry and say she wanted to go home. Kyle just looked irritated. He told me to ‘do my thing’ and calm her down. I told Shannon to stop crying, and he said”—Ryan flushed with shame—“he said while I was at it, to make her take off her shirt, too. I said, ‘No way. Are you crazy?’ and he said, ‘Why not? You think Marlie would be kissing you if you hadn’t sweet-talked her?’” Ryan swallowed, looking nauseous. “And I looked at Marlie, and she looked scared, but her mouth was open—because I’d told her to open it for me using my siren voice.”
What he was saying should have horrified Holly, but she could hear the self-loathing in his voice. She reached for his hand. He took it blindly and held tight. “What did you do?” she asked.
“Kyle started yelling at me, calling me a wuss. I ordered him to get out of the car. To shut up and never speak to me again. Then I drove the girls home, and I made them forget it ever happened.” He stared out the window.
“You stopped as soon as you realized something was wrong. You’re nothing like Kyle,” Holly said fiercely.
Ryan turned his intense midnight-blue gaze on her. “I try not to be. But do you see why the thought of some girl, who may be partly enthralled by my siren voice, throwing herself at me freaks me out? I can trust you to tell me no or to call me on it if I start acting like Kyle. I need you.”
The naked emotion on his face brought tears to her eyes. “Oh, Ryan…” She didn’t know what she would have said, because just then Ryan’s cell phone rang.
Swearing, he dug it out of his pocket and grimaced. “It’s Nimue. If I don’t answer, she’ll be mad all day tomorrow.”
Holly nodded permission.
“Hello?”
Whatever Qeturah said drained the color from his face. He powered down the window. “We’re almost home. Stall for five minutes, okay? I’ll be right there.”
“What is it?” Holly asked.
“I don’t know. She’s hysterical.” Ryan looked bewildered. “She says your dad’s not home, and the police have come to arrest her.”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Two Girls in One
A police cruiser sat at the end of the driveway.
What could the police want with Qeturah? Holly fervently hoped she’d been stupid enough to shoplift.
Ryan tipped the driver and jumped out as soon as the limo rolled to a stop.
Fending off the chauffeur’s assistance, Holly hurried after Ryan. “Wait!” She caught him on the porch and grabbed his shoulder. “Let’s find out what this is about before you barge in.”
He nodded, and they followed the sound of voices to the den. Two uniformed L.A. cops stood just inside: a sandy-haired man with a mustache and a blond woman. The blonde’s braid swayed as she clipped her badge back on her belt. “You need to come with us, ma’am.”
“Oh, really?” Qeturah relaxed into the black leather sofa, sounding amused. “I have broken no laws here.”
The blonde’s lips thinned. “Ma’am—”
Qeturah sipped iced tea. “I assume El
lona sent you.”
Ellona? Wasn’t that the name of the First Councillor? Ooh, if Qeturah was deported to the True World, it would solve all Holly’s problems.
She sneaked a peek at Ryan. His brows were drawn together in a puzzled frown.
The two cops exchanged looks. The sandy-haired man raised his eyebrows behind his sunglasses. “Your call.”
“Besok’s toes, yes, Ellona sent me.” The blond policewoman shook out a pair of handcuffs. “Did you think you could evade the consequences for what you’ve done? Stick out your hands, or feel free to resist arrest. I’d be glad for an excuse to shoot you.”
“Hey!” Ryan protested. The blonde jerked, startled.
Vicious glee flashed in Qeturah’s eyes, but her voice quavered. “Ryan? Don’t let her take me away.”
“What’s this about?” Protectively, he stood in front of Qeturah, while she cringed into the sofa cushions.
“She’s wanted for murder,” the blonde said.
“For questioning,” the male cop said more smoothly. “I’m Officer Dunne, and this is my partner, Pratt.”
“Whose murder?” Ryan looked incredulous.
Pratt hesitated. Holly guessed she wanted to say “her otherself” but couldn’t. “We need to take her down to the station and question her.”
“I don’t want to go.” Qeturah sounded eerily like Nimue. What game was she playing?
“You’re coming with us.” Pratt took a step forward. Holly silently cheered her on.
Qeturah hid behind Ryan’s back. “She’s lying. She’s not really going to take me to the station. Ask her. Make her tell the truth!”
Pratt frowned. Officer Dunne removed his sunglasses and stared at Ryan with interested brown eyes.
Ryan directed his siren voice at Pratt. “Tell me the truth. What’s going on?”
Pratt’s blue eyes became glassy. “I’m here to bring Qeturah No-House to justice for the murder of her otherself, Nimue Sullivan.”
Relief lightened Ryan’s face. “There’s been some mistake. This is my mother, Nimue Sullivan.”
“Nimue Sullivan is dead.”
Holly bit her lip. Should she speak up?
“I don’t want to die,” Qeturah said, still playing crazy. “I don’t think she’s a real policewoman at all. Ask her.” She pinched Ryan’s arm.
Ryan sighed. “Are you a cop?”
“No,” Pratt said, still compelled. “My otherself is.”
“Otherself?” Confused, Ryan turned to the male cop. “What’s going on?”
Holly held her breath, ready to corroborate his story. But either Dunne hadn’t received the focus of Ryan’s siren command, or he was resistant, like Holly, because he lied.
“I don’t know what’s going on.” He turned to his partner. “Pratt, why don’t you go back to the squad car while I apologize to these nice folks?”
She scowled at him. “I’m not leaving without Qeturah. You know our orders.”
“The boy says his mother’s alive,” he said. “Perhaps, uh, Captain Ellona was mistaken.”
“Ryan, make her go away,” Qeturah whimpered.
Ryan’s chin lifted. “I’d like you to leave now.”
“She’ll come back,” Qeturah whispered. “Unless you make her stay away.”
He focused on the blonde. “Go away and forget us.”
Forehead smoothing out, Pratt turned and left.
Dunne lingered. “Sorry, I don’t know what’s come over my partner. I’ve been covering for her, but I can only give her a little more time.” From the look he directed at Qeturah, Holly didn’t think he was talking about Pratt anymore.
“She needs to see a shrink,” Ryan said harshly.
“Could be.” Dunne put his sunglasses back on.
Behind Ryan, Qeturah held up five fingers. Dunne gave a subtle nod, then let Ryan escort him to the door.
Holly’s mind raced. Pratt was obviously a True Worlder working for First Councillor Ellona, but the signals Dunne and Qeturah had exchanged suggested that he secretly supported Qeturah’s faction. Thank goodness Holly hadn’t spoken up; she would’ve given herself away to Dunne.
Ryan returned to Qeturah, speaking carefully, “Mom? Are you okay? Did you take your medicine this morning?”
“Yes… No. I’m not sure.”
“Let’s go check.” Ryan nodded to Holly, then steered Qeturah down the hall with a gentleness at odds with the bleakness in his eyes.
…
Leah couldn’t sleep. She spent the night pacing. Every so often, she opened the book of magic, but it made her eyes burn, and she ended up putting it down and pacing some more.
Emptiness expanded inside her chest. Without her soul mate, she was hollow. Twice during the night, a noise compelled her to climb the Aerie, but no one was there. How could there be? The dragon was dead.
She would never see Gideon again.
But her heart couldn’t accept that bitter truth, because she had seen him. She’d seen Ryan on Water, touched him, kissed him…
Leah fell into a dangerous daydream where she was Holly and her soul mate still lived.
…
“Did you tell your dad?” Ryan breathed into Holly’s ear as he slid onto a stool beside her the next morning.
Startled, Holly looked up from texting Shannon. “No.” She hadn’t had a chance.
“Please don’t. She just missed her dose. She’s fine now.” Ryan inclined his head to where Qeturah and Holly’s dad were pouring coffee. To her disappointment, Holly couldn’t see any cracks in her dad’s infatuation; he smiled at Qeturah adoringly.
Holly hesitated, trapped. The incident with the police was the perfect wedge to separate her dad and Qeturah, but how could she refuse Ryan’s request? His eyes looked haunted. She nodded.
“Shall we spend the day at Disneyland?” her dad asked.
Holly turned to Ryan. “Have you been yet?” She could show Ryan all her favorite attractions.
He shook his head.
“Actually,” Qeturah interrupted, “I’ve rented a private beach today. Joseph, I was hoping you and Holly would join us, but if you’d rather spend some father-daughter time…”
“Let’s all stay together,” Holly said firmly. No way did she want to leave Ryan alone with Qeturah, especially not on a private beach where Ryan could take merman form.
“We can do Disneyland another day,” her father agreed.
After breakfast, Holly snagged Ryan and pulled him into the den. “There’s something I wanted to tell you.”
He raised his brows inquiringly.
“I did some research into that otherselves thing the blond cop mentioned,” Holly lied. “It’s kind of disturbing.” She laid out the whole Mirror Worlds and otherselves theory as if she’d found it on a website.
“There’s a lot of weird stuff on the internet,” Ryan said.
“I keep remembering the yarn Nimue used to cover your bathroom mirror. Did she believe in otherselves?”
Face stony, Ryan shrugged.
Holly slogged on. “What if your mother was right about her otherself wanting to take over her body? What if that’s what happened the night of the play? It would explain how differently she’s acted ever since.”
Ryan screwed up his face. “What?”
Holly talked faster. “On some level, you know she’s a different person.” Because he always called Qeturah “Nimue,” never “Mom.” Until last night.
“Stop! Just stop!” Ryan raised his hands as if to ward off a vampire. “I don’t want to hear any more.”
“I know it’s hard to believe,” Holly began carefully.
“It’s insane,” Ryan said harshly.
“There’s an easy way to find out if I’m right,” Holly continued, relentless. “Just ask her. If you use your siren voice, she’ll have to tell you the truth.”
“No!” Ryan’s face reddened. “I’m not going to Voice my mother to ask if she’s been taken over by aliens. You know it’s only for emerge
ncies.”
Her temper stirred. “If that’s true, why did you use it on Officer Pratt last night? Isn’t keeping your mother out of jail against your whole it’s-not-fair-to-others principles? You broke the rules for her.”
Ryan’s expression hardened. “I can’t do this,” he said flatly. “I can’t deal with a crazy mother and a crazy girlfriend.”
His words struck deep. She wasn’t crazy. While Holly was still blinking, trying to assemble a defense, Ryan stormed off.
(here!)
A firewasp flew out of the TV screen and landed on the back of the black leather couch. Holly’s heart skipped a beat as smoke rose.
She whacked the firewasp with a pillow. It fell, buzzing, on its back. Crap! She hit it again, and its light extinguished. She searched for a hole but found only a hot spot on the leather.
Furious, she advanced on her reflection in the darkened TV screen. “You could have burned down the house!”
(show it to Ryan.)
That—could work. Holly considered the dead insect, but without the glow, it didn’t look that different from a regular wasp. Ryan wouldn’t be convinced—because he didn’t want to hear the truth about his mother. “There’s no point,” she said bluntly. She used a tissue to transport the insect to the garbage disposal.
…
Leah glared at her otherself, goaded beyond all measure. Holly had sworn to tell Ryan about the Mirror Worlds and otherselves. Instead she’d given up after one botched try and thrown away the proof Leah had handed to her.
Couldn’t she tell they were running out of time? Qeturah obviously had something planned for today.
Leah would not stand by and watch Gideon’s otherself be murdered. Holly had broken her word. Leah would be justified in taking care of the matter herself.
…
Walking across the convenience store parking lot, Holly struggled to hold onto four bottles of pop and a bag of chips—snacks for the drive up the Pacific Coast Highway.
Qeturah took two of the bottles from her with an annoyed sigh. “Why didn’t you take the plastic bag the clerk offered?”
“Plastic is bad for the environment,” Holly said. “You know, global warming.”
Through Fire & Sea Page 29