“You dig up a relic in another country and go realm
hunting and I’m the one with the overactive imagination?”
“Point taken,” he grumbled. “The fact
remains, I don’t see how the two can possibly have a connection.
The dreams are from stress, Claire. Stress and anxiety over leaving
your…Mark. There was no closure.”
“No, there wasn’t,” I agreed wistfully.
“I’m sorry.”
“He wanted me to stay, you know. He was
willing to follow me here.” I peeked from beneath the bangs that
had fallen into my eyes to gauge his reaction.
“We can’t go back,” he gently reminded
me.
“Aries would have come back too. She was
waiting for you.”
“Claire—” He exhaled sharply and walked to
the window above the sink. I waited. “Don’t think I don’t miss her.
Don’t think that I didn’t care about her.”
“What if you could go back? Would you do it?
Or would that be a mistake too?” I grilled.
“That would be pointless to think about.
What’s done is done.”
“What happened to you over there?”
“It’s done, Claire. We can’t go back. No one
can ever go there again. It’s just a story now, as it should
be.”
“Right,” I snorted. “And you still haven’t
answered the question. What if there was a way that you could go
back?”
He turned slowly to pin me with a wary eye.
“What are you saying?”
“I’m saying....” I cleared my throat. “I’m
saying, maybe there’s a way.”
“There was only one key,” he stated
flatly.
“So the story goes.”
“We destroyed both halves of that one key. We
burned them to ashes.”
“Yes.”
“Claire.”
“Yes, we destroyed them,” I hedged, hating
that I had to lie to him. “I’m simply saying maybe there’s another
way in.”
“Well, there isn’t.” He started for the door
with purposeful strides.
“Where are you going?”
“To the hardware store. I want to get some
alarms for the windows.”
“We have a security system. What do we need
with window alarms?”
“You can never be too careful, especially in
light of recent developments. I want to stop off and pick up some
surveillance equipment too.”
“Cameras.” I nodded. “Now that’s a good
idea.”
“Are you picking up Ashley?”
“At nine,” I confirmed.
“I’ll be back before then.”
“Do you need money?”
“No, I got it,” he tossed over his
shoulder.
“Thanks.” I winced as the front door shut
behind him. “That went well.” I exhaled. Actually, I had to admit,
it had gone exceptionally smooth. But I knew my brother enough to
know he wasn’t thrilled to think of Terlain and other access points
to the land. I thought of the key tucked safely away in my bedroom,
and wondered what Mike’s reaction would have been had I told him
the whole truth about what really happened to the key. The phrase
“worried to death” popped into my head.
There was no need for Mike to worry, though.
Not really. My initial reasons for keeping the key hidden at the
bottom of a drawer were still valid. I would put my daughter first
at all costs. Not to mention she still had three weeks of school
left before break. The adoption process had been a grueling ordeal,
and it was nothing short of a miracle that we managed to finalize
in a matter of months. No way would I do anything to jeopardize
that. No, I conceded, the key would stay where it was…for now.
Chapter Four
Hunted
The thin, shrill cry split the silence of
night, jerking me from a sound sleep. Ashley.
“Mom...” she whimpered from across the
hall.
I was on my feet and trudging into her room
immediately, groggy but steady and coming more awake by the minute.
She must have had another nightmare, I realized, taking a deep
breath and entering the room slowly so as not to startle the child
in her already distressed state.
“Hey, baby doll. Is that you making all the
noise in here?” I gently teased.
“I had a bad dream.” Her voice wavered in the
dim room, her Dora the
hunting and I’m the one with the overactive imagination?”
“Point taken,” he grumbled. “The fact
remains, I don’t see how the two can possibly have a connection.
The dreams are from stress, Claire. Stress and anxiety over leaving
your…Mark. There was no closure.”
“No, there wasn’t,” I agreed wistfully.
“I’m sorry.”
“He wanted me to stay, you know. He was
willing to follow me here.” I peeked from beneath the bangs that
had fallen into my eyes to gauge his reaction.
“We can’t go back,” he gently reminded
me.
“Aries would have come back too. She was
waiting for you.”
“Claire—” He exhaled sharply and walked to
the window above the sink. I waited. “Don’t think I don’t miss her.
Don’t think that I didn’t care about her.”
“What if you could go back? Would you do it?
Or would that be a mistake too?” I grilled.
“That would be pointless to think about.
What’s done is done.”
“What happened to you over there?”
“It’s done, Claire. We can’t go back. No one
can ever go there again. It’s just a story now, as it should
be.”
“Right,” I snorted. “And you still haven’t
answered the question. What if there was a way that you could go
back?”
He turned slowly to pin me with a wary eye.
“What are you saying?”
“I’m saying....” I cleared my throat. “I’m
saying, maybe there’s a way.”
“There was only one key,” he stated
flatly.
“So the story goes.”
“We destroyed both halves of that one key. We
burned them to ashes.”
“Yes.”
“Claire.”
“Yes, we destroyed them,” I hedged, hating
that I had to lie to him. “I’m simply saying maybe there’s another
way in.”
“Well, there isn’t.” He started for the door
with purposeful strides.
“Where are you going?”
“To the hardware store. I want to get some
alarms for the windows.”
“We have a security system. What do we need
with window alarms?”
“You can never be too careful, especially in
light of recent developments. I want to stop off and pick up some
surveillance equipment too.”
“Cameras.” I nodded. “Now that’s a good
idea.”
“Are you picking up Ashley?”
“At nine,” I confirmed.
“I’ll be back before then.”
“Do you need money?”
“No, I got it,” he tossed over his
shoulder.
“Thanks.” I winced as the front door shut
behind him. “That went well.” I exhaled. Actually, I had to admit,
it had gone exceptionally smooth. But I knew my brother enough to
know he wasn’t thrilled to think of Terlain and other access points
to the land. I thought of the key tucked safely away in my bedroom,
and wondered what Mike’s reaction would have been had I told him
the whole truth about what really happened to the key. The phrase
“worried to death” popped into my head.
There was no need for Mike to worry, though.
Not really. My initial reasons for keeping the key hidden at the
bottom of a drawer were still valid. I would put my daughter first
at all costs. Not to mention she still had three weeks of school
left before break. The adoption process had been a grueling ordeal,
and it was nothing short of a miracle that we managed to finalize
in a matter of months. No way would I do anything to jeopardize
that. No, I conceded, the key would stay where it was…for now.
Chapter Four
Hunted
The thin, shrill cry split the silence of
night, jerking me from a sound sleep. Ashley.
“Mom...” she whimpered from across the
hall.
I was on my feet and trudging into her room
immediately, groggy but steady and coming more awake by the minute.
She must have had another nightmare, I realized, taking a deep
breath and entering the room slowly so as not to startle the child
in her already distressed state.
“Hey, baby doll. Is that you making all the
noise in here?” I gently teased.
“I had a bad dream.” Her voice wavered in the
dim room, her Dora the
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