A Thief of Nightshade (26 page)

Ian reached to take Given by the arm but pulled his hand back to his side after she turned from his touch. “Follow me,”

he said.

“Wait!” Cain yelled. “You can’t just leave me here.”

“Watch me,” Ian said nastily.

HE
could only tell that the room he’d seen through the looking glass was not where he was currently. It appeared to be a home —though more like a modest castle. He saw ornate twin staircases that spiraled down either side of a grand entryway to frame an expansive but shadowed parlor.

He could make out two leather couches and two smoking chairs and the bare outline of a large fireplace. The stairs he would guess to be marble or something similar. The floor was made of intricately carved stone, laid out into the most exquisite pattern. Plush rugs and royally upholstered furniture gave the impression of old wealth. It reminded him a little of his own childhood home, though on a much smaller scale.

When he still saw no sign of Aubrey, he decided to ascend the staircase on the right. But as he reached for the banister he froze. Expecting the paw he’d grown so used to, he was stunned to see his hand, his true hand. He held it up, stared at it dumbly, then looked down at his human form. He raked his hands over his stomach and with shaky fingers felt his face for the first time in ten years.

He was about to go upstairs when he heard a noise from beyond the dimly lit room ahead of him, to the left of the fireplace. “Aubrey? Aubrey, please tell me where you are!” Still, he heard no response. He walked through the living room and down the hall at the far end of the house, listening as he went.

Finally, after trying several doors, he found one that was unlocked. It was a little girl’s bedroom, painted pale pink and adorned with elegant children’s decor that

was

undoubtedly

expensive.

Movement from the far side of the room caught his attention and he walked slowly around the bed, where he found Aubrey huddled on the floor in the corner. Gaunt and shivering, she had a lost expression in her eyes.

He crouched down beside her, “Aubrey?”

“No,” she moaned, “go away.

Please.” She shut her eyes and gathered her knees closer to her chest. She cringed as Aislinn gently touched her shoulders.

He compassionately rubbed her arms and said as softly as he could, “Hey, it’s all right. I won’t hurt you. Listen to my voice. You know me. I’m not a figment of your imagination.”

She took a painfully long time to open her eyes and even then she appeared more timid than he could have ever envisioned. “Aislinn?” she whispered.

“In the flesh, apparently.”

She reached out shyly to brush some of the hair from his face. “You don’t look anything like Jullian.”

He laughed, “Nope. Not even a little bit.” He and Jullian shared the same strong build and tall stature, but where Jullian was pale and bright-eyed, Aislinn was sun-kissed and dark-eyed. “Where are we?”

She was shaking so badly he wondered if she were going to be able to stand; odder still, he noticed that though she was visibly upset, she’d shed no tears.

Her eyes weren’t even red. “My parents’

house and none too recently,” she spoke quietly, as though she feared someone else would hear her.

“This was your room,” he said, looking around.

“No, this is my sister’s room.

Brooke.” Aubrey gazed beyond him heavy-lidded. “They’re all here, but they can’t see me. Not now.”

The words not now struck Aislinn in the chest and he instinctively reached for her hand. Just as he did, a crash came from the direction Aubrey was looking.

The sound nearly made her jump from her skin.

“Come on, let’s leave.” Aislinn said.

“Let’s go outside at least until we can figure out how to get back to—”

“The doors and windows are sealed shut.” Her words were faint and her tone despondent. Whatever she had just relived, it had been more than she could take.

He squeezed her hand and helped her to her feet, then leaned into her, saying, “We’ll make it through this, like we’ve made it through everything else so far.

You can do this. Remember what you said to Jullian? Fight this, I know you can.” He hadn’t considered his words, but the moment he realized what he’d revealed, he regretted them.

She looked at him horrified. “You heard me when I spoke to him? When the Oran was ... you didn’t see...” she trailed off.

The last thing he was going to do was lie to her. “I’m sorry. I didn’t want you to know.” He’d seen Aubrey blush at the Crimson Stair, but this was different. He’d caused it this time.

The second before the door shut behind Aislinn, he watched Aubrey’s gaze fix on something. He turned around to see a thin wisp of a child leaning against the closed door, her hands tightly clutched to her chest. The auburn tresses gave her away.

Aubrey remained still, her body held rigid. “I don’t remember this.”

Aislinn watched as the girl tried the knob once more to assure herself that no one could get in. Then she climbed over the bed to curl into a ball in the corner, where Aubrey had just been.

A tremendous pound on the door startled all of them. A man spoke; judging by the tenor of his voice, it was Aubrey’s father.

“Elana open this door right now!”

Aubrey’s breath was barely a ragged pant. “This didn’t happen. I would have remembered this.”

Her father hit the door harder and Aislinn moved to stand between it and Aubrey, taking her face in his hands. “This is a tool the Goblin King is using to trap you in your own mind. It isn’t happening now, either.” He paused, trying his damndest to consider everything. “He’s using your own fears against you.”

“Elana, I know you can hear me!” her father sounded like he was on nightshade.

His words were slurred, his tone unchecked.

“He’s drunk,” Aubrey whispered.

“That’s what alcohol does in my world.”

“Close your eyes,” Aislinn said calmly, “and picture somewhere else, somewhere you feel safe.”

“Aubrielle Elana!” Her father’s voice was making it difficult for Aislinn to hear himself think, let alone say anything out loud. He wondered if she’d heard him and was about to repeat himself when the door behind him swung open.

Aubrey finally closed her eyes and everything went black, the ground below them shifting in a dizzying direction.

When the world stopped moving, he cautiously opened his eyes and let go of where he’d gripped Aubrey hard by the arms. They were sitting on a dock, facing a small lake. “You did it!” he laughed.

“Oh my God, look at the trees!” He was amazed at the brilliant colors.

Aubrey smiled, obviously relieved and for a long few minutes they were silent, catching their breath and calming down.

“Jullian always loved this time of year,” she said. “I hadn’t really noticed, but now that I think about it, the only truly colorful things I have seen in Avalar are handmade. You don’t have seasons like this, do you?”

His world was utterly drab in comparison. The leaves changed colors in the fall, but it was such a dull display.

Everything had a grayish tint to it, as if Avalar were dying. Aislinn shook his head, “No, nothing this colorful. I’ve heard, though I didn’t really believe any of it until now, that before Saralia came, Avalar was naturally this beautiful.

You’re telling me that it’s really like this in your world? This place looks like something out of a storybook.”

“I haven’t enhanced any of this in my head, I promise.” Aubrey turned around and motioned to the top of the hill. “I didn’t need to.”

The sun was high enough in the sky to hit the stained glass windows perfectly, sending bright and vivid colors in all directions. With the forest as a backdrop, Aislinn was certain he’d never seen anything

so

breathtaking.

“It’s

unbelievable,” he murmured. “This is the cabin Jullian built for you, isn’t it?”

She nodded mutely, her gaze fixed on the lake.

“Aubrey! Are you okay?” Aislinn turned to see who he thought he recognized as Harry, Aubrey’s brother.

He was walking around the side of the cabin. “Have you been here this whole time? Everyone’s worried about you.”

Aubrey looked shocked to see him.

She glanced at Aislinn. “I came here after the funeral,” she said softly, confusion evident in her delicate features.

Harry jogged down to the water’s edge. “You should have waited for me. I would have come with you.” Once he reached her, he leaned to kiss Aubrey on the cheek then sat down on the side of the dock. He didn’t seem to notice Aislinn.

Aubrey took a shallow breath and suddenly it hit Aislinn that despite his knowledge of where they really were, this would seriously screw with Aubrey’s perception of what was real. Aislinn touched her on the shoulder. “Aubrey, you aren’t back in your world. We’re still in Koldavere.”

Harry tilted his head. “Aubs, you’re scaring me here. You sure you’re okay?”

“I’m fine,” Aubrey said carefully.

The wind picked up, sending ripples across the lake. A chorus of leaves tumbled over the ground and Aislinn would have missed the sound that blended with it had he not been paying attention— Fae laughter. More specifically, he heard Morrigan, the dirt bag Fae who’d turned him into a bear in the first place. “Damn it! Aubrey, Aubrey listen to me. You aren’t back home, sweetheart. Saralia is responsible for this.”

“Are you seeing things?” Harry cupped Aubrey’s chin with his hand.

“I don’t know,” Aubrey whispered.

Aislinn felt himself quickly coming unglued. “Think about Jullian, what will happen to him. We’ve got to get out of here! Don’t give in to this!” And in his haste to pull her from her disbelief, he reached out and found that his hands slid through her body as though she weren’t there at all.

“No! No, Aubrey, look at me!” But, it was too late. He could see the detachment in her eyes. She no longer believed that he was there.

Harry rose and held out his hand to help her up. “You’ve been through a lot.

Maybe you just need some time to yourself.” Aislinn watched numbly as Aubrey stood and let Harry wrap his arm around her. “Come on, I think you should stay with me for a few weeks. Until you feel a little more like yourself.”

Aubrey leaned against him as they walked. “I feel like I’ve lost my mind.”

“No, you just miss him. We all do.”

Just as they stepped onto the last plank of the dock, Harry glanced over his shoulder and winked at Aislinn, leaving no doubt as to who Harry really was.

“Morrigan, you piece of filth!”

Aislinn leaped to his feet and started into a sprint, only to be thrown to the dock face-first before he could reach them.

It took him a moment to gain his bearings, the sudden change of place and form catching him in a sickening wave. He opened his eyes to see that he was once again Ellohim. And when he looked up, he saw the Goblin King standing next to Aubrey, a smile spread confidently across his lips.

The King lightly brushed his hand through her hair, but she did not stir. In fact, this time even the faint rise and fall of her chest as she breathed was absent.

“My beautiful, sweet Aubrielle. She hasn’t failed this test, not really.” He placed his palm dotingly on her cheek as he turned to address Aislinn. “She will still be my queen. Saralia has promised me that as soon as the Fae king is

crowned, she will wake Aubrey from her slumber.” The Goblin King then looked back to Aubrey and kissed her softly on the mouth. “We haven’t too long, love.”

“Your

Majesty,

please

excuse

my

unannounced arrival. There wasn’t time to send word.” Ian bowed low. “Oberon tried to intercept our approach, but they won’t stand against your forces.”

Given and Ian had wandered for a short while before finally finding the odd door that led into what appeared an immense chamber, though she noted no echoing of their voices.

The Goblin King looked warily in Ian’s direction. “Yes, I’d heard something of an intrusion near the gates. You’ve come from the Winter Court?”