The Gossamer Gate by Wendy L. Callahan Page B

home.”
    “It is quite simple. First of all, as I said, you must not indulge in any of the pleasures of the Otherworld. Food, drink, and sex are all forbidden to you, as partaking of any will bind you to the Otherworld forever. Secondly, you need to find the precise gate through which I traveled to your world. That is probably the easiest thing for you to do and I will tell you now that it is in my palace.”
    “That doesn’t sound so difficult.” Khiara knew that he could hear the nervousness underlying her bravado , but she continued. “You underestimate my willpower and endurance.”
    “Actually, it’s those things that drew me to you.” Ronan ran his finger along her jaw line, causing her to shudder yet again. “There is one final requirement, though. Somebody who loves you must find their way to you. Without that, you cannot go home.”
    “Th en, that isn’t simple at all,” she said angrily. “Why are you adding the final condition?”
    “This is your debt to me , so I get to make the rules about its repayment.” Ronan looked at her, his gaze implacable. “If you truly have a reason to return to the mortal world, then I am sure it will come to retrieve you.”
    Fighting the urge to take a swing at him, Khiara simply answered, “Two of my coven sisters know that I’m here. They will try to get to me home if they can.”
    “Theirs is not the type of love required to release you from the Otherworld. It must be a romantic and true love.”
    Khiara stared at him, her mouth agape as she shook her head. “That is so not fair,” she said once more. “There is nobody back home who loves me like that!”
    “Then save yourself the heartache and accept your fate. Stay here with me, where you belong,” Ronan said, extending his hand toward her. “I will love you more than any person in the mortal world ever could or would. I will be faithful to you if you take your rightful place at my side. If our love fades, then I will send you home with wealth and riches beyond imagining. You will not age, no matter how many years you remain here. You could be immortal, Khiara.”
    Holding back a trite “never”, she instead retorted, “No thanks.”
    “Very well,” Ronan said, letting his hand fall to his side. “Now, you are the one wasting your time, as it is already ticking away in my favor. I have made you a very generous offer. The longer it takes you to accept it, the less willing I will be to show you any kindness. It will be far easier for you to simply accept the inevitable. Although,” he continued, a smirk pulling at his lips, “I must say that it will be far more exhilarating for me to bend you to my will.”
    Ignoring the icy sensation that shot through her, Khiara snapped, “That is never going to happen.”
    ****
    Cate looked up as the door to the shop banged open forcefully.
    “What the hell just happened to Khiara?” Sean asked, slamming his hands against the top of the glass counter.
    “Is that Sean?” Felisa said from the other end of the phone.
    “Uh-huh.” Cate was gripping the cordless, her knuckles white. “How do you know she’s gone?” Cate asked Sean, her own eyes wide with fear.
    “I saw it happen.” He looked deathly pale. “She disappeared right before my eyes. Please tell me that I was imagining things.”
    “He saw it?” Felisa’s voice pinged through the receiver.
    “I saw it!” he shouted. “Give me the fucking phone.” Cate handed it over without question and Sean held it to his ear. “What the hell is going on here?” he demanded to know.
    “You’ve known Khiara for nine years now?” Felisa asked. “You’re best friends, right? You know more about her than even Cate and I do.”
    “Yeah, so what? Get to the point. What happened to her?”
    Felisa sighed. “Well, you don’t know everything…”
    ****
    Khiara sat against the gnarled, gray, leafless tree, her head in her hands as she tried to regain her bearings. “What the fuck am I going to do?”