Shades of Doon by Carey Corp

transition, it takes a moment — sometimes several — for your brain to fill in the gaps.
    This was a zillion times worse — because it was real.
    Vee straightened after vomiting into the street. I grabbed her arm and steered her down the sidewalk, away from the mess and the suspicious copper who kept giving us the stink eye. When we were out of earshot, I whispered, “What just happened?”
    She stopped. Her pale face accentuated the confusion in her eyes as she stared listlessly at the sidewalk. “I don’t know.”
    “But we’re in Alloway.”
    Her head jerked up to face me as she snapped, “I can see that.”
    Although misplaced, I understood her angry reaction and held up my hands, palms out to remind her that I wasn’t the enemy. “So what happened?”
    “Let me think for a minute.” She sank onto a nearby bench.
    “Okay.” I knew better than to push her when she needed time to process, so I paced up the sidewalk. The evening sun sat low on the horizon. In this part of Scotland, anything near seventy was considered a heat wave, and the temperature was indeed brisk. As soon as I had the thought, it was impossible not to feel the cold. Soon my teeth began to chatter.
    Ahead I could see the sign of the Poet’s Corner Coffee House — one of my favorite places in Alloway. While Vee was thinking, I would get a strawberry scone to settle her stomach and some cinnamon cocoas for us both. I took a couple of steps before realizing that I didn’t have any money. In Doon we charged everything to the castle — the perks of royalty — but here we were just two broke teenagers. At least our maxi dresses fit in with current fashions.
    I turned back toward the bench, watching as a group of girls emerged from a pub at the other end of the block. They pointed at Vee, commenting to one another in whispery giggles. Although her dress was stylish, her tiara seemed a bit much. And without a jacket to ward off the chill, she shivered conspicuously like some homeless fashionista. The whole scene was so surreal.
    Acting on impulse, I walked over to my bestie and pinched her arm.
    “Ow!” Vee leapt to her feet. “What was that for?”
    Dang. “I was hoping it was a dream,” I explained apologetically.
    She shook her head. “Nope. This nightmare is real.” She slumped back down to the bench.
    At the far end of the block, I spied the copper keeping tabs on us. Casually, I leaned over the bench. “We should go to Dunbrae Cottage.”
    “Why?”
    I shrugged. “To regroup, get supplies, get off the streets and away from the fuzz. Figure out how we’re going to get back.”
    That’s when it hit me. Every time we’d crossed in or out of Doon other than the Centennial, we’d had the aid of my aunt Gracie’s rings. They were special, magical in a supernatural kind of way. Without the rings, we were stuck.
    My insides turned to ice as I contemplated never seeing Duncan again. The princes would eventually come looking for us. But time moved slower there; how long until they noticed we were missing? We could be in our thirties before they showed up. I could be middle-aged by the time I was reunited with my eighteen-year-old boyfriend. I was already older than him — thanks to my chasing dreams in Chicago stunt — but now I could end up a cougar creeper. Did Duncan even like older women?
    “Get a grip, Kenna!” Vee shook me back and forth so hard my head rattled. Somehow I had wound up on the bench beside her. As I sputtered, she stopped shaking me and leaned in. “You were babbling. Something about Chicago and cougars and creepers.”
    Oh my! I didn’t realize I’d been internalizing out loud. Rather than explain, I asked, “How are we going to get back to Doon?”
    “With these.” Fishing around in her tiny clutch, Vee pulled out a satin drawstring pouch. Inside were the Rings of Aontacht. “I know you wanted to pretend that the vision in the arena never happened, but I felt it was better to take