Chapter 1

Arietta

Through the portal

I felt as if we’d been dropped in the middle of an ocean with neither sail, wind, nor compass. Even if I’d had a north star to guide me, I had no idea which direction to go to find my baby brother, J.W.

Holding tight to Anthony’s hand on my right, Jayme, my other best friend, on my left and Morgan, my newest friend, behind us, we had just stepped through the glimmering portal into Terabound. Several weeks ago, Romeleo told me I’m from this alternate realm, but I have no recollection since I was not quite two when I’d been taken from here. Wherever here was.

I locked eyes with my dragon. You seem to have a natural instinct about who we are and why we’re here. Any idea which way we need to go? 

His dilated green eyes focused on me for a moment, before he spun around to view the forest around us. Sadly, I don’t.

Great drops of water dripped from the ferns and landed soundlessly onto the loamy forest floor. It must have rained moments ago, except the sky was cloudless and a full moon amplified eerie shadows from the trees overhead. Mists swirled eerily around our feet. The trees cast faint otherworldly shadows where the moon shone through the boughs. My heart constricted with fear. I’d only seen this part of Terabound through the Earthbound side of the portal. My mind raced at what we were facing.

Faltering at the daunting task before us, I turned back to the darkened portal. It had sealed tight once more, and even if I wanted to go back, I didn’t know if I had the energy to open it. My limbs ached, especially where the evil mystic’s minion had broken my arm. I squeezed Anthony’s hand, grateful he’d managed to use the pendant to heal me.

Anthony squeezed back, and I was comforted that he’d insisted on coming along. At least I wouldn’t be alone.

He flipped the switch, lighting the end of his staff and pointed it into the dense underbrush. “Any idea which way to go?”

I shook my head. “No, and Miri doesn’t either.”

Morgan stepped beside me. “Yeah, we heard.”

I’d almost forgotten that since we all belonged to the Fellowship, we could read each other’s mind. Miri called it mind-speak.

A snap in the underbrush sent us spinning toward the sound, and I ducked, yanking Jayme down beside me. Anthony and Morgan followed suit.

The hem of a white robe glimmered in the pale light. “Romeleo?” I whispered.

“Arietta?” His voice almost shimmered in the dim moonlight, like water cascading over slick, mossy rocks in a creek, so much like the voice I remembered the night my brother almost drowned.

When I stood, his eyes met mine. I took a step as if to run toward him, but anger held me back. “You said you’d come for me.”

He approached me, while ignoring my question. This infuriated me to no end. How could he just abandon us, and now he shows up as if nothing bad had happened, as if my whole world hadn’t been completely transformed. “What are you doing here? I told you to wait for me,” he asked.

Because of his absence, my brother had been kidnapped, my family endangered, and I’d almost gotten killed. With a hard shove I unbalanced him. “You left me alone. Where were you?”

He took an unsteady step backward before regaining his balance. “I was a little busy.”

Beside me Anthony clenched and unclenched his fist. This was my battle, not his. I wrapped my fingers around his curled ones and spoke to Romeleo. Why did guys have to be so vague…especially the mystic. “You never give me a straight answer.”  He’d done nothing but cause all kinds of problems, starting with stealing my mother’s pendant. I touched it where it lay beneath my tunic.

“I was on my way to get you.” Romeleo’s gaze drifted from me to my companions one by one, stopping at Anthony, an odd expression crossing his face, like he remembered him from that day in the park. I couldn’t tell if he was upset more by Anthony’s presence, or all of my friends combined. “You were foolish to bring them here.”

Well, duh, I knew that, but they’d already decided I shouldn’t come alone, and I was comforted to know they were here with me. “They insisted.”

Romeleo’s eyes hardened in the moonlight. “They have no business being here.”

Anthony’s arm went around my shoulder. “No way was I going to let her come without me.”

Jayme took my hand. “Or me.”

“Or me, either.” Morgan stood beside Jayme.

With a soft groan, Romeleo raked his hand through his hair, the pale locks lifting and floating as they had when we’d first met him. Had that only been a month ago? It felt like an eternity. He eyed the rock behind us. “Unfortunately, I can’t send you back now.” His gaze turned to Anthony. “Unless you know how to open it again.” Was that sarcasm in his voice?

Why would Anthony know how to open it? I was the one with the pendant and the power. “They’re not going back. I want them here.” I jammed my fists on my hips.

“You have no idea how this complicates things.” Romeleo shook his head. “We can’t stay out here. Fir’inis already suspects you’ve come through the portal, and he’ll have spies searching for you.”

“Fir’inis?” Was that the person or creature or whatever who’d caused all this trouble?

As if at the mention of my enemy’s name, a familiar bat-like, bird-like creature screeched from overhead. My stomach lurched and my heart raced. Not again! I’d heard that same bone-chilling flapping when one carried me off.

A netherbeast. Its feathery wings spread out against the moonlight casting an eerie silhouette against the light behind. It opened its beak, ready to strike.

Swooping down like an avenging eagle it extended its talons. In fear, I froze. The hair on the back of my neck and arms stood on end as I waited for it to scoop me up and throw me over its shoulder like it had the last time.

That was the old Loretta, the girl I used to be. As the evolving me was settling into my new identity, I whipped my bow off my shoulder, nocked an arrow, and released it toward the beast. “Not this time!” I screamed.

As if anticipating the strike, it yanked its body sideways, the arrow whizzing over its shoulder. With another ear-piercing screech, the netherbeast descended toward us.

Jayme held her polearm behind her shoulder like a bat, waiting for the beast to come closer. Morgan pulled a battle axe with a gleaming blade set in a steel handle from the leather belt fastened to his back. He circled it over his head.

I nocked another arrow and shot. Again, the creature dodged the strike.

With talons splayed, the netherbeast flew straight for me, snatching at my shadow when I ducked. Both Jayme and Morgan charged, swinging their weapons, each missing the beast as they collided. Jayme ducked under Morgan’s axe slicing the air over her head. The polearm in Jayme’s hand landed a hard blow to Morgan’s shoulder.

In a piercing cry of pain, Morgan fell to the ground. Luckily, the bayonet on the end of her weapon missed slicing off his arm; luckily, it only cut through the leather of his tunic.

The beast flew into the air and circled for another dive at me.

Why wasn’t Anthony doing anything? He normally took charge, even though this time, I’d insisted on being the mystic leader. And what about Romeleo? He’d battled these things before. Where was his dragon? Malandra? Where are you? Her fire power would have been nice to have.

She didn’t answer me.

Miri, do something. I shouted at him in mind speak.

My dragon huddled on the ground next to Anthony who stood with his hands over his ears. What was happening with them?

While the netherbeast circled, I pushed Anthony, trying to get his attention. What’s going on?

He toppled to the ground and didn’t even try to right himself but lay mysteriously frozen like he’d been that day in the park when we first met Romeleo.

“Do something,” I yelled at the mystic who stood motionless, gazing at the netherbeast with an expression of horror on his face.  Romeleo hadn’t had any trouble fighting off the evil mystic and his beast-minion once before. Why was he just standing there like an observer?

The creature advanced again. Did I seriously have to do this myself? I ducked, swinging my bow at the beast. It caught in its talons. Not my dad’s compound bow! He’d kill me if I didn’t return it. I snatched Anthony’s staff and aimed it at the beast. What had Anthony done to make it work? I hit the switch and caught the flying demon in a ray of levitation and slammed it against the ground.

“Good job.” Morgan ran to the beast, flailing his axe over his head. Then smashing it forward, he missed as the beast rolled over. “Can’t you hold him?” he shouted back at me.

I flipped the switch again, but the creature rolled away from the beam I shot at him. If I pounded the staff on the ground, it would send a shockwave, incapacitating it. The whomp on the ground, rocked the netherbeast backward, stunning him for a moment.

Jayme picked up her polearm and pointed the blade end, jesturing in a menacing way at the beast, then running, she tried to jab at the under belly of the creature.

The beast shook his head, then batted at Jamie like an annoying plastic grocery sack and sent her tumbling. She hit a pine tree. Moaning, she slumped to the ground.

This was six of us against one measly monster. Surely, we could defeat this thing. Where was Romeleo?

He lay in the pine needles. Had my shockwave done that to him? I didn’t have time to help him. Instead, I aimed once more at the creature and pressed the switch. Nothing happened. What were the other things Anthony’s staff could do? Fire power. But if the beast could avoid the levitation, it could probably dodge a direct blast as well.

Jayme moaned and barely lifted her head. The beast had her trapped against the massive tree. With its monstrous jaws, it snatched her polearm and flicked it away like a toothpick. It growled and opened its mouth, teeth gleamed in the half light, like they’d been coated with glow-in-the dark paint. All it would take was one chomp, and Jayme would cease to exist.

Leave my friend alone. It’s me you want!  I mind-shouted at the beast as I aimed the staff at it.

It roared and spun its massive head toward me for a moment, then with gleaming eyes it focused back on Jayme.

Before it could close its humongous jaws around Jayme, I slammed the end of the staff onto the ground. The shockwave sent the beast flailing backward. It collided with the unyielding ground in a loud thump, shaking the trees. Pinecones and needles rained around us.

Roaring in pain, it rolled to one side. Master will not be happy.

I snatched up Jayme’s polearm and raced across the forest floor, the soft needles, muffling the sound. You can tell your master I’m coming for my brother. I plunged the bayonet into its heart.

The creature jerked at the thrust and stared up at me, its eyes dimming as the life drained out of it, then it vanished into thin air. Breathing heavily, I dropped the polearm and rubbed my sweating palms against my leggings.

Jayme got to her feet and raced over to me and put her hand on my shoulder, then she wrapped me in a tight hug. “You saved my life.”

I ignored her for the moment and went to my dragon. Miri shook himself and stood. I’m sorry. I don’t know what happened to me. Please forgive me.

Anthony dusted off his jeans as he let his gaze fall on Miri. “I’m sure glad your dragon fixed my staff.”

I glared at him. “What the heck happened to you back there?”

He rubbed his forehead. “I don’t know how to explain it…like something froze me, and I was kind of incapacitated.”

I really didn’t want to be angry with him, especially after he’d saved my life… not to mention he’d almost kissed me. “Like that day in the park?” I softened my words and ran my hands down my leggings. “It’s too bad you didn’t get a chance to use this.” I handed the staff back to him. You would have been amazing, I’m sure.” Whoever or whatever had taken over his mind would make it too dangerous for him to be here, especially if it happened again. I had to send them all back before they got hurt or killed. I put my hand on Anthony’s shoulder. “You can’t stay here.”

Jayme stepped between us, her focus on Anthony. “It’s… it’s okay.” She tried to sound confident, but I could tell by the tremor in her voice, she was still terrified by what had just happened. “You’ll get the next one.” She patted Anthony’s hand and turned to me. “It’s seriously, okay. We want to stay with you.”

Adrenalin still pumping, I grabbed her shoulders. “No, it’s not okay.”

“Arietta, you beat it.” She still had ahold of Anthony’s hand, fear apparent on her face.

She’d been at the Halloween party and had seen the battle, but I doubted she understood what we were up against. “This isn’t some theatrical event. These monsters are real and will try to kill you.” I eyed Morgan, where he ran his hand along the handle of his battle axe. “This isn’t a game.”

Anthony peered around Jayme. “Yeah, and what about your dragon? Some help he was.”

I turned to Miri who still looked as though he couldn’t move. What about that? Why didn’t you help?

My dragon hung his head. I don’t know what happened. Something took over my mind, and I couldn’t even control my thoughts.

The last time my dragon and I had been attacked, Miri had been invaluable. At the Halloween party, I couldn’t have defeated the mystics and all their minions without him. We should have been able to take the beast down so much easier if Miri had helped.

Groaning, Romeleo sat and rubbed the back of his head. “That’s what happens when I’m not part of your Fellowship.”

The shockwave I sent to the beast had hit Romeleo as well. I hovered over him.  “Why did you paralyze Miri and Anthony?” He’d done that to Anthony once before. He’d even messed with time for Jayme and erased everything we’d filmed that day.

“It wasn’t me.” He rubbed the back of his head. “And netherbeasts can’t do that.”

“Then who?” I searched the area looking for another evil dude who might still be lurking.

He lifted one shoulder and winced. “Fir’inis. He might be close enough to do that. We can’t stay here.” He tried to stand but fell back down.

Knowing how we’d been attacked on the Earth side of the portal, I understood exactly why we needed to leave this place. I knelt next to Romeleo and held out the pendant, expecting to heal him as I did the last time.

He pushed my hand away. “You need to save your energy. Someone might have a greater need for it later.”

Not liking the ominous tone of his words, I drew my eyebrows together. “I thought that it had unlimited abilities.”

Romeleo shook his head. “It does, but you do not.”

I knelt beside him. “Turn around and let me at least look at your head.

He allowed me to examine the goose egg forming. “Ouch,” he cried out when I touched it.

Gingerly, I explored around the bump to see if he was bleeding anywhere. “I don’t think it’s too bad.”

Anthony took my hand and drew me away from the group. “Are you sure we can trust this mystic guy?”

I barely nodded. “He saved my brother… and me.”

“Yeah, well—he also controlled my mind.”

True, but he’d been so much more to me. He helped me hatch my dragon, had shown me how to use the pendant.

Romeleo stood and shifted the satchel back onto his shoulder, regarding my friends with concern. “I can’t send you back now with Fir’inis lurking nearby.” He motioned to the portal. “Come, let’s get somewhere safe.”

 

 

 

Chapter 2

So much for teamwork

Romeleo wobbled to his feet and pointed to Morgan where he still sat on the ground rubbing the back of his head. “Go check on your friend.”

Still breathing heavily, I knelt beside him. “You alright?”

Morgan rolled to his knees and ran his hand over the torn part of his tunic. “I’m okay.” He pulled his hand away. “Look, no blood.” He held out his calloused fingers for me to see. He’d spent too many days designing my elven costume.

As Romeleo turned a guarded expression toward Jayme, I sighed in relief that none of my friends had been injured.

Morgan turned to Jayme. “You need to watch where you’re swinging that thing. If I could have just gotten in closer without your interference, I could have sliced off its head with my axe.”

I’d been friends with Jayme long enough to know that she’d never injure anyone. “You almost sliced off mine instead, she said.” She was always careful, even when we used to play pretend. But now, we were in a whole different realm. No more games of fake magic. We were playing for real, and it could get deadly, even on accident.

Morgan motioned to his torn tunic. “I nearly lost my arm.”

Jayme slammed the blunt end onto the ground. “If you hadn’t butted in, I could have killed it. My polearm has a better reach than your stupid axe.” She motioned to Morgan’s weapon.

“Only because you got in the way. He took a menacing step toward Jayme. “You don’t know the first thing about fighting mythical creatures, and you’ve had no experience in group combat. I’ve had a lifetime of practice, working with a team.”

Anthony pushed his way forward. “Ugh, your stupid game again! Real life is a lot more complicated.”

I tried to hold Anthony back, while Morgan tucked his axe into his harness. “Battle for the Realm requires epic skills to defeat a mob member,” he defended.

Anthony jabbed his finger into Morgan’s chest. “Except we’re not playing a game.”

Morgan knocked Anthony’s hand away. “Sure, like you did anything. While we were fighting, you were cowering on the ground like a scared little girl.”

Romeleo waved his hand over us, and we froze, unable to move or speak.  “Children.”

He was calling us children when he wasn’t much older than we were? If I’d been able to move, I would have glared at him. Why had Romeleo frozen us? Maybe, Anthony was right—maybe the mystic was the bad guy. No, he couldn’t be. He’d given me the egg with my precious dragon, Miri. The time J.W. nearly drowned, Romeleo had practically brought him back to life. Then that day in the forest when Omevar had carried me across the mountain top, he’d come to my rescue. Romeleo wasn’t the one who took my brother. At least, I didn’t think he had. What would be the point in that? He could have lured me here. I just couldn’t let myself believe as Anthony suggested that Romeleo would betray me. I swallowed and tried to discern from Romeleo’s eyes if he was sinister.

The mystic’s gaze went around the circle of us. “Before you can defeat Fir’inis, you have to learn how to work together as a team. It takes five fingers to make a fist.”

I couldn’t say anything out loud, but I could still mind-speak to the group. We need to trust him.

Trust? Anthony said. Even in mind-speak, I could tell by the tone of his thoughts that he was questioning Romeleo’s motives, just like I had before he’d saved my brother.

I tried to look at each of my friends but found even my eyes couldn’t move. I have this gut feeling. I can’t explain it… Maybe it was how Frodo trusted Gandalf, or Luke trusted Obi Wan, or even the Pevensie kids trusted Aslan.

“Mind-speak?” Romeleo asked, disgust thick in his voice. Derisively he waved his hand, and we unfroze.

Gasping, I took a deep gulp of air as if I’d been holding my breath. Was this how Fir’inis managed to control Anthony.

“What the heck…,” Anthony choked out.

Romeleo pushed past my friends and grabbed my elbow, moving me away from the group. “We have to get far from this place. If Fir’inis sent one minion, he’ll send more, especially if he’s close. We certainly can’t defeat anything with you all too afraid to fight and nearly killing each other because of your lack of experience.” He picked up my bow, handed it to me, then motioned for my friends to follow him.

Morgan’s thoughts came out in quick succession. I don’t like this one bit. There’s something sinister lurking with this guy. I’m not about to trust him. How do you know he is who he says?

Miri had morphed back into his cat form and stood next to me. I petted the top of his head and looked back at Morgan. He hadn’t seen the things I’d seen, even if he did think his game was a result of someone understanding what existed on this side of the portal. I trust him.

Morgan shook his head. I’ve read enough stories to know that the last person you suspect to betray is exactly the one who does. Maybe this Fir’inis guy is the real hero in this story. I mean, couldn’t Romeleo have sent that beast to attack us just to get us on his side?

Romeleo stopped and turned to us. “If you’re going to communicate using mind speak, maybe you should let me be in the Fellowship with you.”

“Nope!” Anthony gripped his staff and pointed it at Romeleo.

Jayme stood with her hands on her hips. “Morgan’s right.”

Romeleo drew his brows together. “About what?”

Anthony stood beside me. “Until you prove otherwise, we don’t trust you. We’re here to protect Loretta…I mean Arietta.” Jeez, sorry Arietta, I’m still having trouble with that. He put his hand on my arm. “And we have to get her brother back.”

Romeleo ignored what Anthony had just said. “Your skills need honing.”

I stopped and looped the bow string over my shoulder, positioning it on my back next to my quiver. He hadn’t seen the way I’d managed to use my weapon against those creatures at the party. “I did great when Miri and I fought all those minions and their mystics. And we didn’t get any assistance from you or…” I turned to my companions who hadn’t helped at all in my earlier battle back in Earthbound. I wanted them here, but their very presence meant, I was putting them in grave danger.

Anthony gripped his staff. “You only defeated that beast because of this.”

Arietta put her hands on her hips. “And whose dragon made it magical?” I stroked the top of Miri’s head.

Romeleo shook his head. “That’s why we’re going to train.” He gave a disgusted huff. “If you humans are going to be here, then you might as well learn how to be useful.”

Morgan’s stance proclaimed loud and clear that he had no intention of being left out. “I agree, but I still don’t trust you.”

Even though I hadn’t known Morgan as long as I had Anthony and Jayme, I knew deep down he’d do anything to protect me.  His actions so far had made that clear. I was already so grateful for his help, and his hesitation toward Romeleo was somewhat comforting. He cared enough to be wary, and like the others, I knew he’d be there when things got rough.

Romeleo brushed off his robe and rubbed the back of his head. “Joining your Fellowship would keep me from getting injured.”

“Trust first,” Anthony said.

Romeleo grumbled something under his breath, then said aloud, “This way.” He held his hand in front of him and with a majestic waving motion, he parted the underbrush, providing a path for us to follow. “We best get moving.”

Why are we going with him? Anthony asked.

You have a better plan? I thought back to him.

Well, no… not really, he shot back. Miri, what do you think?

I wished I’d thought to ask my dragon about Romeleo. Miri, what do you sense from Romeleo? Is he who he says he is? Can we trust him?

Miri walked beside me, the warmth of his fur comforting when he brushed against my legs. I trust him. He’s kept me safe for fifteen years.

If Romeleo wanted Miri for himself, he would have never brought him to me and helped me hatch and bond with my dragon.

If Miri trusts him, then I do, too, Morgan messaged.

Romeleo hadn’t waited to see if we’d followed him. I had to hurry to catch up, while the others filed in behind us.

Anthony quick-stepped to walk beside me, the underbrush parting to allow us to walk side by side. He took my hand. I liked the way his palm felt against mine, sending little tingles up my arm. I wish Morgan hadn’t interrupted us before Anthony had a chance to kiss me. Was my hand in his a continuation of how he felt about me? I glanced down at where his fingers wrapped gently around my hand. It was like when we were younger and didn’t think much about being a boy and a girl. We were just friends. Yet, I desired more. Did he feel the same way? Did he want to kiss me because he liked me, or was it just a way of being friends, like when we were in elementary school? When had he quit holding my hand? Maybe when the other kids at school teased him. His fingers wrapped around mine didn’t feel like a friendship thing, though. It felt like more. Suddenly, as if reading my mind, he squeezed my hand, and I squeezed back.

Romeleo turned and narrowed his eyes at Anthony and said half whispering, “Quickly, shut your light off. We don’t want anyone locating us.”

Anthony’s eyes met mine, and he released his hold on me to switch off the light on his staff, then anchored it between the leather straps on his back. He didn’t reach for my hand again. Maybe it was just a friendship thing after all.

Perplexed, I stepped ahead of him and tugged on Romeleo’s robe. “Where are we going?”

“Anath Asari.”

Like I should know where that was. “Is my brother there?”

He waved his hand as if to brush off a child’s annoying further questions. I’d seen that dismissive behavior from him before.

I tapped his shoulder. “Seriously, is that where J.W. is?

Turning to me, he pressed his finger to his lips. “Sh…”

I didn’t want to be shushed. I had more I wanted to say, but I couldn’t get my mouth to work. The whole reason for coming here was to bring my baby brother back to my world where we belonged. I swallowed. Except, I no longer belonged to that other realm. I had come from Terabound, and according to Romeleo, I had some great destiny to fulfill. Even if I had to stay, I had to make sure J.W. returned home.

In frustrated silence my feet fell softly in the damp undergrowth. When I turned to see where we’d come, the bushes and shrubbery had closed behind us, leaving no trail to mark that we’d ever been here. I’d love to find out how Romeleo did that. Was he naturally magical and could control these elements like the mages Morgan had shown me in Battle for the Realm?

Behind me Morgan and Jayme seemed deep in private conversation. I’d once heard that if you eavesdrop you never hear anything good. Still, I wanted to know what they were saying. My new-found, enhanced ability to hear either came as a result of my elven ears or because I was turning into something other-worldly.

Morgan’s whisper caught easily in my ears. “So, Arietta’s ears are real, huh?”

“I guess so. I didn’t feel them. Anthony did, though. He said they’re real.”

“So, do you know anything about this world?” Morgan asked.

“If it’s anything like the story we were writing, I could tell you plenty,” Jayme said.

“Like what?” Morgan asked.

“Mythical creatures, like fairies, unicorns, dryads, druids, that sort of thing, and some we made up.”

“Did you have anything like the beast that attacked us in your story?”

Jayme paused for a moment. I knew exactly which part of the story she was thinking about—the impenetrable fortress with its dungeon and lurking monsters below that tortured whatever poor soul found himself out of favor with the all-powerful lord of the kingdom.

“Hmm, so your story would be a lot like Battle for the Realm, complete with factions and a multitude of races. I hadn’t been far off when I said that maybe someone from Terabound had crossed through the portal and couldn’t get back.” Morgan’s voice got rather excited. “So, he probably created the game to keep the memories alive.”

“Fractions?” Jayme asked. “Like the way you divide and conquer?” She snort and put her hand over her nose.

“That’s math, silly.” Morgan shrugged his shoulders. “Factions are the way people group up. Sometimes it depends on which side you were fighting for was who the good guys are. The bad guys are always the other side. Kind of like politics. It might be the same here. Maybe we’re actually siding with the wrong faction.” Morgan’s voice quieted, and I had to strain to hear him. “What if the whole balance of this world hinges on the other team?”

That was something I hadn’t considered. What if my destiny belonged with the other team, as Morgan had called them? It didn’t matter what the political struggles were here, I had to get my brother back. My mom counted on me to protect him, and I’d already let her down.

Jayme asked Morgan in a gossipy whisper, “So how did you end up coming with us again? You and Arietta seemed awfully cozy at the Halloween party.”

Morgan had deliberately held my hand when he saw Anthony and Jayme at the party. I wrinkled my nose. I wished that he hadn’t done that.

I glanced over my shoulder. The bushes seemed to sense the double wide trail they needed and spread farther apart to accommodate them. My elven ears picked up their conversation and turning back to the path in front of me, I tried to innocently look like I was listening.

“After you guys dumped her, she and Diana became friends.”

“Diana’s your sister?”

“Yeah, but don’t hold it against her.”

Jayme chuckled. “Everybody who’s anybody likes her. She’s one of those popular girls. I’m surprised she even gave Arietta the time of day.”

It was Morgan’s turn to chuckle. “I guess you didn’t see what Arietta did to her boyfriend.”

“No, but I heard. It was all over school,” Jayme said.

“Anyway, Arietta started tutoring her in math. I invited her to come to the Halloween party, and I actually made her amazing costume.” Morgan sounded like he was trying awfully hard to impress her with his skills. Truthfully, he really was amazing at leatherworking. He lowered his voice and I had to strain even further to hear him. “I had no idea her ears were real; I thought they were just part of her costume.”

I touched my ears where they came to a point. Had they grown longer since I’d arrived in Terabound? I’d never be able to hide them if I ever returned to Earthbound.

Gratitude filled me as I glanced down at my soft cow-hide tunic and leggings that he’d worked so hard to create. How could I not invite him to go with us? Besides, he knew a lot more about this realm than Anthony or Jayme did, even if it was only a game.

Jayme snorted. “Just because you made her costume is kind of a lame reason to like a girl.”

“Not really.” The swish of his axe carried to my ears, and I turned to check out what he was doing with his weapon. Morgan swung it along the plants growing on either side of them, cutting a wider trail. He leaned in to whisper to Jayme. “Except, I knew right off the bat, Arietta wasn’t like other girls. I just used the costume as an excuse to hang out with her.”

Jayme must have stopped the motion of his hand. “You might not want to do that.”

I turned to see what they were doing. The tall growth that had magically closed behind us now gaped, marking where we had been. Morgan stuffed the axe back into its harness.

“Look…” Jayme’s voice grew quiet and this time I had to strain to hear them. “Anthony and Loretta… I mean Arietta… have liked each other for as long as I can remember.”

What? How did Jayme know that? I’d just figured out how crazy I was about Anthony. It took his almost dying for me to realize that.

“At the party, Anthony was really rude to her. I was the one who came to her aid,” Morgan said.

Jayme’s footsteps swished in thick, green underbrush. “It’s a long story.”

“I’m not going anywhere.”

I smirked. Actually, we were going somewhere… to find my brother, at least that’s where I hoped Romeleo was taking us.

“We’ve been writing this story called Mystic’s Tale ever since, like, second grade,” Jayme said.

“Yeah, she told me a little bit about it.”

“It started out really dumb. You know how little kids are.”

“Yeah, but their world is just as big as yours.” Wow, Morgan actually understood kids better than I thought he did.

Jayme continued. “Anyway, this year, something about the book changed. Loretta kept bringing cool things to the story. It’s like she knew something was missing. And then the pendant…” Jayme stopped for a moment. “We all thought it was just a piece of cheap junk from her mom’s jewelry box.”

Morgan finished her sentence. “And it turned out to be something special, huh? When she healed Anthony’s head, it was nothing short of a miracle. That’s what everybody at school said.”

“Yeah,” Jayme said. “More than miraculous… he should have died in that car accident. You saw her heal his leg, too.” Jayme whispered even softer, “I don’t think the two of them realized how much they meant to each other until the accident. I mean, they’d always been together, but…” She trailed off, and I couldn’t help but wonder where her thoughts were going. She wasn’t wrong either. I didn’t know I had cared so strongly for Anthony until now… but what if he didn’t feel the same? As much as that thought scared me, I knew I needed to focus on our current task. My brother’s life was at stake.

“What about you? Do you ever get jealous of them?” Morgan asked.

“Sometimes.” My heart sank as she hesitated before continuing. “But they’ve never excluded me. Ever.” That made me feel slightly better. Jayme was a great friend; someone I’d always been able to depend on as we got older. I couldn’t imagine not having her in mine or Anthony’s lives.

“What about after the accident when he refused to talk to her? Didn’t he realize what she’d done?”

She let out a huff of air. “I guess the nurse scared her while she was healing him, and she dropped the pendant into his sheets. That’s when he remembered everything from before the accident. It wasn’t an elk he ran into but the same kind of creature we just fought. It tossed Anthony’s Mustang like it was a Matchbox car.”

“That still doesn’t explain why he was mad at her.”

“Arietta wouldn’t confess that it was her who had healed him. In fact, she wouldn’t admit to any of it. We didn’t know that she’d been forbidden to talk about who she is and where she came from. She couldn’t even tell us about her precious dragon.”

I’d had to protect them. If they’d found out… I shook my head. Yeah, they had found out anyway, and now look where we were.

Morgan said, “So, because Anthony is her friend—”

“Best friend.”

“Okay, okay… her best friend.” He corrected himself. “He felt like she should have trusted him enough to share what was happening.”

“Exactly.”

“Best friends or not, don’t I have a shot? I thought that we had more of a connection between us other than just me helping her with her costume. She did hold my hand at the party.”

I smirked. He held my hand.

“C’mon, they’re getting ahead.” Jayme jogged to catch up with us. She linked her arm in mine as if pretending their conversation never happened. 

 

 

Chapter 3

Treading cautiously

I glanced back at Morgan. He furrowed his brows and glared at the back of Anthony’s head, then softened his expression when he caught me looking at him.

He and Jayme’s conversation left me a little rattled. Maybe along the way Morgan would lose interest in me. I’d always hoped Jayme would find someone nice, and they’d be perfect for each other, except that she was as tall as him. Jayme would never be able to wear heels around him. Hopefully, she wouldn’t resort to slouching. Dang it. I promised not to, but I did it again, trying to play matchmaker with Jayme. And why not. Morgan was a super nice guy, talented, fun to be around. They’d make a good pair, wouldn’t they?

Jayme had a knack of being attracted to guys that were handy and enjoyed fictional stories. That’s what had drawn her to be friends with Anthony and me. I really hoped she could see how creative Morgan could be… if they could get over the small fact that she had almost cut his arm off. And maybe, just maybe, they’d match up perfectly as time went on.

We didn’t say anything as we continued through the dense forest. Our breathing and the soft falling of our feet were the only sounds. It felt like time had stopped as we continued in the darkness. It strangely reminded me of home, where we used to venture off into the forest and tell stories. The moon did little to light our path. The trees blocked the beams and created speckled patterns on the forest floor that mimicked the stars above.

After what felt like forever, we finally broke through the thick undergrowth and onto a worn path rutted from narrow-wheeled vehicles, not like the tires from cars or quads, more like wagon dents.

“Stay to the edge.” Romeleo motioned towards the hump along the outside. “The Ishtikini sleep while they travel and will run anyone over who gets in their path.”

A creature who sleeps while it travels? I nodded, like I pretended to understand who or what an Ishtikini was and turned to look over my shoulder from time to time when I thought I heard something coming along the path. The road remained empty. As far as I could see, we were the only travelers. I pulled out my phone to check the time—12:01. Just after midnight. Had it only been three hours since that rotten mystic had taken my brother?

I tapped Romeleo on the shoulder. “Where is my brother? Are we going to him?”

“Fir’inis has him,” Romeleo said with a note of somberness in his voice.

Why did that name sound so familiar? “He won’t hurt him, will he?”

Romeleo shook his head. “No. As long as Fir’inis hasn’t captured you, then your brother is safe.”

What would happen then? If he was safe now, what would Fir’inis do to him once we found him? Our group needed to be ready by then… That didn’t give me much comfort. What would happen to my brother once we confronted Fir’inis? “What does he want with me?”

“What does anyone want?”

With a drawn-out groan, I grabbed Romeleo’s elbow. “Why do you have to always talk in riddles? This isn’t grade school.”

“First, we reach our destination, then we train, then I’ll tell you everything you need to know.” He turned and kept walking.

Lame. From the vacant path ahead of us with no end in sight, he had plenty of time to tell me. “How about you explain everything to me right now?”

Romeleo ignored me and pointed up the road. “Wait here while I make sure the lady is asleep.”

A large, imposing stone structure lay before us, a soft gurgling echoed through the air and lingered as we waited for Romeleo to continue. His posture was stiff as he turned his attention on the rock bridge before us. I could have sworn it hadn’t been there before.

I’d once seen pictures like this of stone bridges built in medieval times. The parapet was a bit shorter than the one in my history book. One could easily take a misstep and plunge over the side into the river below.

Romeleo picked up a tree branch as thick as his arm. Then wrapping his fingers around it, he proceeded to the base of the old stones, where he tapped the side of the bridge.

Anthony sidled up to me. “What’s he doing?”

Romeleo turned and put a finger to his lips. “Sh.”

I shrugged.

He kept hitting the bridge. With each pummel, he took a step up the sloping, ancient rocks and peered over the edge. When he’d almost reached the other side, a black form crawled along the bottom side of the bridge.

“Who’s that tripping across my bridge.” Anthony didn’t try to keep his voice low.

Jayme chuckled. “The Billy Goats Gruff.”

Romeleo turned and glared at us. Jayme slapped her hand over her mouth.

The black figure advanced on Romeleo, its form contrasting with that of the mystic’s white robe.

“Look out!” Morgan hollered and raced toward Romeleo.

At the sound of his voice, dark creatures oozed like syrupy, thick tar from the fissures between the rocks and crawled over the parapet.

Romeleo swung the branch, knocking a few of them back. With so many coming at him, they swarmed him. Like black frothy tar, they crept up his robe, forming a solid mass around him.

As Morgan rushed past Anthony, he shouted, pointing at the staff. “Do something.”

Anthony chased after Morgan and passed him once they reached the bridge. He aimed his staff at the writhing blob encasing Romeleo on the stone surface, intending to blast the creatures away.

“Wait!” I screamed. That same blast would injure Romeleo as well. “He’s not in the Fellowship.”

The shadows dragged the mystic to the side of the bridge, dangling him over the murky waters below.

Anthony kept his staff aimed at Romeleo. “What do you want me to do?”

Under the bright, full moon, I could barely make out his struggling form. If they went over the side with him, he’d drown.

“Can you levitate him?” I asked.

Anthony shot a beam at Romeleo, encasing him, angling him in a horizontal position. He fought a desperate game of tug-o-war with the blobs. “I can’t pull him away from them.” Anthony’s arms shook trying to keep ahold of Romeleo.

From the water below, a woman emerged clothed in shimmering, white gossamer that floated about her. Her glistening blue hair clung to her bare shoulders, while a wreath of seashells circled her head. Her pale, slender arms reached upward as if to receive Romeleo. A haunting song floated over the water and hummed in our ears.

A siren.

I thought they lived in the ocean. Apparently, that wasn’t the case here. One thing I knew about sirens was that the male gender had no defenses against their song. I turned to Morgan, who stood just as helplessly as Anthony. Beside me, Jayme trembled as she looked from the siren to me. I wrapped my arm around her shoulder and shuddered, terror creeping across my spine as if the blobs had taken residence there.

In his frozen state, Anthony’s beam holding Romeleo dissipated, leaving the mystic dangling over the side of the bridge. Both Morgan and Miri were frozen as well.

I slapped Jayme’s shoulder. “C’mon…we can’t let her get him.” We raced to the bridge. Struggling to remove my pendant from underneath my tunic, I hoped I could do something with it.

I pointed the pendant toward the blobs, but nothing happened. “You stupid thing, do something.” I shook it in frustration.

Some of the skulking creatures turned on us and slithered along the outside of the bridge, more of them oozed from the cracks between the stones. How could we ever hope to win against them? We had no idea how powerful they were, and what we could do to defeat them. Romeleo wanted us to train… but how could we if the siren got him first?”

If I could shut her up, we’d get the aid of the guys. Shooting at black blobs, my arrows went through them like toothpicks in Jell-O.

The blobs continued to advance on us, like snails leaving shiny trails in their wake. With her polearm, Jayme swung at the blobs. She kept batting at them until they captured her arms and wrapped themselves around her weapon, while I inched away.

The siren turned on Anthony and swam to the edge of the bank. “Another?” Her smile gleamed in the moonlight, dark and sinister.

What did she mean by that?

A tail, like a mermaid, slapped the surface, reversing the flow of the water and the river moved in the opposite direction. She writhed onto the bank like an evolutionary creature our science teacher tried to convince happened millions of years ago. Her muscular arms propelled her toward Anthony with amazing speed and grace.

Behind me, the creatures sucked away Jayme’s screamed as they enveloped her.

Before the Siren reached Anthony, I aimed my pendant at her, not having the faintest idea of how I was going to use it. I spoke the only words I could remember from Mystic’s Tale, the ones that had summoned Romeleo in the first place. “Itza Azella, O’antiqua.”

The Siren stopped singing and drew back, shock written on her face. “You have Ha’avine’s wing.” She halted her advance. Then turning, she held up a hand to the ridge where Romeleo still dangled over the edge. With a snap of her fingers, the creatures released Jamie and writhed back onto the bridge. The ones holding Romeleo released him, and he landed with a splash in the river.

I raced to Jayme who lay in a pile of black, sticky goo. “Are you alright?” Tears of relief fogged my vision.

She shuddered. “That was the grossest thing I’ve ever experienced. It was like getting wrapped in doggie pooh and smelled that bad, too.” She stood and peered over the edge of the bridge. “Where’s Romeleo?”

We searched the river. Relief washed over me when his head broke the surface. The shock of the cold water or the fact that the siren had ceases singing must have brought him to his senses. He stroked his way to the opposite bank and then flopped gasping onto his back.

The siren struggled back to the water, flicked her tail fin like a dolphin in the ocean, then turned to Romeleo and hissed, like a venomous snake. “I’m not done with you yet, my darling.”

As she glided toward him. Romeleo pulled his legs from the water and scrambled up the steep bank on the other side. “Not today, Brie.”

“One day, Romie…I will have you, if not, that boy will make a nice addition to my collection.” Soundlessly, she slipped below the surface of the water.

Anthony, and Morgan raced to us. Miri, in his cat form, stood beside me and pressed his nose against my hand. I am letting you down, he said, sorrow deep in his eyes.

I pet his head, trying to comfort him. You have no defense against a siren.

Morgan’s gaze fell on Romeleo. “What happened?”

“It’s no disgrace that guys can’t do anything when a siren sings. Seriously, it’s not your fault.” Disappointed I looked down at the pendant still in my hand. I already knew it had magical powers, ones I hadn’t even begun to realize, yet this time, I hadn’t done anything when I held it up, except that when I’d said the words from our story, the creatures moved away as if they were frightened. What was the significance of this piece of jewelry that the siren had called Ha’avine’s wing?

“How did you get rid of her?” Anthony asked.

“I used this.” I showed him the pendant. “The siren called it Ha’avine’s wing.”

Morgan studied it for a moment. “Then that means there has to be another wing that mirrors this one.”

“Who’s Ha’avine?” Anthony took the pendant from me and examined it, then turned it over.

“I have no idea.” I took the pendant back and hid it underneath my tunic.

As Romeleo stood at the foot of the opposite side of the bridge, he called to us.  “It’s safe to cross now.”

Jayme stood before the first step, stabbing the end of her polearm at the stone. “You’re sure?”

“Positive.” Romeleo pulled up the hem of his robe and wrung it, water dripping around him.

Following behind them, I took nervous glances at the black water flowing beneath the bridge. I prayed the siren wouldn’t return. When I reached Romeleo on the other side, I looked into his eyes; fear still hung there. “What’s with her?” Whoever that siren was, she had some kind of hold on him, and it wasn’t a good one.

Romeleo glanced first at Anthony and then back at me. “I’m happy she didn’t get to him first.”

“Why?” Anthony stood next to me, his posture stiff as he locked eyes with Romeleo, distrust clearly written on his face. Anthony’s arm draped protectively around my shoulder, as if shielding me from the mystic.

Romeleo shook his head.  “You’re a lot younger, and she would have…”

Anthony gripped his staff, the skin on his knuckles flexed tight. “A lot younger? By what, two maybe three years?”

“Four,” Romeleo answered as if one year made a huge difference. Then turning toward the forest, he motioned. “We need to get away from this bridge before she changes her mind and comes back.”