Lone Star Magic (21 page)

“You know, I believed him.” She rubbed her
arms as if she were cold, or felt spiders again. “I feel dirty
somehow.”

“Dirty?”

“Used, I don’t know… Unclean.”

He realized what she meant. “He preyed on
your emotions.”

“Yeah. But I don’t understand why. Were they
Fae? Or human.”

“The boy was most likely human. Though I
didn’t really think about it enough to check.”

“How can you tell? Other than the Fae’s
exceptional beauty, what one thing allows you to tell instantly
whether a person his human or Fae?”

He shrugged. “I don’t know. I just can tell.
With those of mixed blood, knowing is sometimes more
difficult.”

“What do you suppose he wanted?”

“I have no idea. Whatever it was, he must
have gotten it, or why would he have left?”

“Unless this was a test.” Carly looked
thoughtful. “If they used us, I can’t see how.”

Alrick looked around. TM and Merry still
stood peacefully where she’d left them, tied to their respective
trees. “Unless he wanted your dog.”

“Kayo!” Carly stepped forward, moving around
the stream. “Let me call him.”

Cupping her hands to her mouth, she shouted
her dog’s name. After a moment, Alrick joined her.

Kayo didn’t come.

“He’s gone.” Carly’s shoulders sagged. Again,
he wanted to go to her, as though by holding her he could absorb
her pain. This time, he stifled the urge, focusing instead on what
had happened.

“Yes, he’s gone.” Grimly he contemplated the
reasons for the dog’s disappearance, finding none of them
palatable. “Come on, Carly.” He turned back to the horses. “We’ve
got to keep moving.”

“I’m not leaving without my dog.”

He sighed. “I fear your dog has left this
world.”

“Are you saying you think Kayo is dead?”

“No. I’m saying he’s probably traveled to the
future with the boy.”

“That makes no sense.” She refused to hear
what she didn’t want to believe. “This was a child, not the
Warlord. Why do you think they were in cahoots?”

Cahoots
? He decided to let that one
go. “Maybe they’re not. I don’t know. But who else would take Kayo,
and why?”

“Ok, say the Warlord is behind this. What
would he want with my dog?”

“Maybe he means to use Kayo as bait, like a
hostage. If you want your dog back, come to me.”

“And then?”

“And then he’ll kill you.” He watched to see
her reaction. As expected, she lifted her chin and glared at him.
She opened her mouth to speak and he held up his hand, forestalling
her.

“Don’t even think it. No way are you trading
your life for that of your pet.”

“I didn’t plan to.” The look she gave him
told him plainly how idiotic she thought
that
was. “I was
trying to figure out how to rescue him.”

“Rescue him? Don’t you think we have enough
problems, trying to stay one step ahead of the Warlord?”

“Maybe. But Kayo counts on me to protect him.
I’ve had him since he was a puppy. I can’t just turn my back on him
now that he’s in trouble.”

Though frustrated, he could understand her
rationale. Unfortunately, he couldn’t offer her a solution.
Normally a man of action, he would have liked nothing better than
to be able to charge in a save her dog. But with the way things
stood…

“If the opportunity presents itself, we’ll
get Kayo back.” He promised, settling on a compromise. “But now
we’ve got to move. If that kid was with the Warlord, that means our
enemy has once again found us.”

“You know, all this trying to hide seems
pointless. If he found us once, he can find us again.”

Alrick agreed. But the crux of the matter was
he didn’t know what else to do. He couldn’t fight, couldn’t leave
Carly unprotected and travel to the future to attack the Warlord in
his own lair.

Or could he? Another question Alrick meant to
ask the Mage the next time he saw him.

Cheered by the possibility, however remote,
of actually having a plan, Alrick kept them riding until the sweat
drenched stallion began to tire. Despite the limited shade provided
by the blunt and twisted trees, the air felt hot, as though each
time he breathed it seared his lungs.

Finally, Carly called a halt.

“I’m tired.” She lifted her perspiration
soaked shirt, fanning her body. “And hot. And hungry.” She’d long
ago twisted her copper hair into a knot at the nape of her neck.
“Don’t you Fae need to eat every so often? We haven’t had a real
meal since yesterday.”

Guiltily he started. She was right. So much
for taking good care of his charge. “I apologize. Sometimes when I
focus as intently a I’ve been focused on this mission, I
forget.”

She waved his explanation away. “No problem.
As long as you don’t tell me you also forgot what you told me when
we left my place. “You said because you’re fae, you know how to
find food in the wild.”

Alrick looked around. While incapable of
lying, he wondered if he’d spoken truth in this case. He knew how
to find food in the
true
forest. This dry, rolling landscape
bore little resemblance to the dark, moist forests of Rune. But,
trees were trees. Hopefully that much would be the same.

He sighed. “I haven’t forgotten. I’ll search
for food, though what we eat won’t be much like what you’re used
to.”

“I don’t care. I’m starving. As long as you
don’t try to make me eat bugs, I’m good. Bring it on.”

“I’ve brought something.” A sparkle of light,
and the Mage materialized in front of them.

TO HIS credit, this time TM only rolled his
eyes and snorted.

“Mort!” Carly grinned. “Boy, am I glad to see
you.”

“Do I look younger?” His lined face appeared
almost boyish as he smiled at her. “I must, for you to refer to me
as a youth.”

While they teased, Alrick remained serious,
watching them. TM pawed the ground restlessly, as though sensing
his rider’s mood.

Finally, the Mage looked his way. Alrick
dipped his head in acknowledgement. “We must talk.” He let his tone
convey the serious nature of his request.

“Talk.” Carly nodded. “We sure do. Maybe you
can unravel the mystery of the two children we saw and my vanishing
dog.”

“Later.” Alrick said, as the Mage opened his
mouth to question her. “Feed this poor woman first.”

Carly’s stomach growled, as if on cue. Still,
she persisted. “But—.”

The mage unwrapped a small box. Fruit filled
pastries, golden brown and plump, lay nestled among ripe
strawberries, melons, and grapes. Distracted, Carly closed her
mouth.

“Help yourself. Five minutes isn’t going to
hurt anything.”

Muttering under her breath, she took two.
Alrick, hungrier than he’d realized, took four. They both grabbed
handfuls of fruit. Mort declined, saying he’d broken his fast
earlier.

After popping the last grape in her mouth,
she wiped her fingers on her shorts. “Too bad you don’t have any
mugs of steaming coffee to wash this down.”

Instead, Mort handed her a flask of juice.
“Sorry.” Both he and Alrick watched as she drank it greedily, with
unabashed delight. Simple things, Alrick thought, brought her such
joy. And, sharing her delight brought him pleasure too.

As soon as she’d had her fill, handing the
flask to Alrick so he could drink, Carly’s expression turned
serious. “Talk, Mort. Kayo’s gone missing and I think a lot of my
dog. Tell us what you know.”

Watching, Alrick hoped she didn’t think Mort
could say a spell and bring her pet back to her.

“This is news to me.” Mort frowned. “What’s
happened to Kayo?”

Alrick filled him in on the boy, the dying
girl, the way they’d both vanished, and Kayo’s disappearance. When
he’d finished, the Mage shook his head. “This worries me.”

“Me too.” Carly said. “I want Kayo back.”

“But not enough to risk your life or that of
your yet- to-be-conceived child, correct?”

“Right.” She shot Alrick a look. “Of
course.”

“Describe the boy again.”

“Odd colored hair, green eyes, freckles.
Slender, tall for his age, though not gangly.”

Mort frowned but said nothing.

Carly touched his arm. “Isn’t there something
you can do to help?”

“All my magical strength is used merely
trying to remain in your time.” The Mage smiled sadly. “Rune
rejuvenates me somewhat, but my power is but a shadow of the real
might I’ve gained in my own time.”

“What about Alrick? Since the Warlord figured
out how to travel through time, can’t Alrick travel into the
future?”

Though Alrick shook his head, Carly paid him
no heed, watching Mort with single-minded intentness. Only the
sound of the horses shifting their feet broke the silence while the
Mage considered. “I don’t know how the Warlord does it. When I came
here, I could not return to my own time. I know as things stand
now, if he travels to the future, Alrick would not be able to
return.”

“Would not, or might not?”

“I… I’m not certain.”

“There is a way. If the Warlord has learned
it, so must you.”

“I’ll work on it.” Mort promised. “Every
waking moment of every single day. Cenrick has been studying as
well. But for now… you must wait.”

“Wait?” Carly frowned, glaring at them both.
“This is getting ridiculous.”

“I agree. No more waiting. There must be
something else we can do.” Alrick let his impatience show. “You’re
the mage. Come up with something. Anything will be better than this
constant running, trying to hide, and always being surprised.”

“Yeah,” Carly put in. “This Warlord always
seems to get the jump on us, no matter what we do.”

“I don’t have a solution.” The mage spread
his hands. “If I did, I would have given it to you long before
now.”

“I thought not.” Alrick spread his hands.
“Tell me this then. Since we took pains to hide in this wilderness,
how were you able to find us?”

Mort pointed to the sky above them. The large
bird still circled overhead.

“The buzzard?” Carly’s disbelief echoed in
her voice.

“Buzzard? You insult my bird. That is no
buzzard.” Shaking his head, Mort looked offended. “So flies Tinth,
my hawk.”

Alrick crossed his arms. “You sent your hawk
to keep tabs on us?”

“Yes. I’ve sent her into the future too.”

“I thought you said—.”

The mage held up his hand. “Animals and birds
appear to have no difficulty moving through the ages. Tinth has
been to the future and back more than once. Cenrick says it’s
because they don’t understand the concept of time.”

“A hawk?” Carly raised her eyes skyward.
“You’re telling me you use a bird to gather information?”

“Of course. She is able to observe much,
unnoticed. When she returns to me, she shares with me what she’s
heard. So far, there have been no new developments.”

“Oh, come on.” Carly crossed her arms, even
though to do so meant letting go of her mount’s mane. “Though
Alrick’s always claiming he can communicate with animals, I’ve
always thought he was joking. Now you’re telling me your bird
speaks to you?”

Mort and Alrick exchanged looks.

“Yes,” the Mage answered.

With his free hand, Alrick rubbed the back of
his neck. Perspiration pooled on his back and under his arms. Even
though the sun moved slowly towards the western horizon, the day’s
heat had not waned. “When I told you I spoke to animals, I didn’t
lie. All Fae have this ability.”

“Fine.” She shrugged. “I want to roll my
eyes, but in dealing with you two, I’m beginning to learn anything
goes. After all, what’s a verbal falcon in comparison to attack
spiders or an alternate reality separated from humankind by some
sort of veil?”

“If you have nothing new to tell us, why have
you come?” Alrick wanted to lash out with frustration. “It seems
pointless.”

“I agree.” Echoing his impatience, Carly’s
restless movement caused Merry to sidestep. “My patience has worn
extremely thin. Mort, once before you told us a little about your
time. I’d like to learn more. You knew both my son and the Warlord.
Tell us what you know.”

After a startled blink, Mort nodded. “I
will.” His gaze touched on Alrick before settling back on
Carly.

He sighed. “As you know, in this time in Rune
the Fae have grown complacent. Content to play and eat, refusing to
have much to do with humankind.”

“There’s a reason for that.” Alrick
interrupted. “Mankind believes in their machines rather than magic.
This is why the veil between our worlds has grown thicker.”

“The same veil you say the Warlord tore
down?”

“Yes.”

“I don’t understand why there’s a veil at
all?” Carly asked.

“To make it more difficult to cross,” the
Mage answered. “The Fae have willed it so, to keep the worlds
separate.”

“How does this relate to the Warlord?” Alrick
wanted to know.

“I’m getting to that. Not far in the future,
the Warlord will be born a half-ling.”

“Half-ling?”

“Yes. Conceived by a human father and a Fae
mother. Leaving her son with his father in the mortal world, the
Fae mother crossed the veil from time to time to visit from Rune.
But, as the veil thickened and the half-ling child grew older, his
mother came less and less frequently.”

“He missed his mother,” Carly said, a note of
sympathy in her voice. “Poor thing.”

Alrick growled. “Let the Mage finish.”

Clearing his throat, Mort bobbed his head.
“Yes, he missed his mother. Yet even as a boy, he had strong
magical ability. He decided to use this to make humans recognize
the Fae. His dream, his personal mission, was for the two races to
live in peace. He desired one world, not separate, but together. He
decided to tear down the veil, believing if he succeeded, his
mother would visit more often.”