Studs, page 24
“He’s fine. When I dragged you out of the pond, he scrambled on top of me, and clung to my head. I think I have scratches all over my scalp. I probably look like I was attacked by a very angry cat.” Travis bent over, parted his hair with his fingers, and showed her the short, red marks. “As soon as we got on dry land, he ran off. Which was the smart move considering how much I wanted to get him off me. I think he’s hiding behind the cabin.”
Charissa tried again to sit up and this time made it with Travis’ help. “Can you blame him? You started this whole chaotic chase when you threatened him with an axe.”
“Hey, I didn’t know he was your pet. Hell, I didn’t know what he was. A man has to defend himself against sharp, little teeth, you know.” Travis pushed a strand of wet hair away from her cheek. “Why did you go after him? It was easy to see you didn’t know how to swim. You’d think with all the amazing things Matlantians can do, they’d learn how to swim.”
She gawked at him as his words filtered through to her. “So you believe me now?”
“I do.” He glanced toward the cabin and blew a puff out in disbelief. “After seeing that little creature, who wouldn’t?”
The sound of horses interrupted them right before they heard Jim’s shout. Travis helped her to her feet and held her to him. “Let’s keep your little pet our secret for right now. And, of course, the fact that you’re not exactly a normal Texan. I need some time for this all to sink in. Or do we need to take him with us?”
Charissa shook her head and sent Boggens a silent message. Go home, Boggens. Go give the Council your report. “No, he’ll find his own way.”
She waved as Terey, Jim and Rici rode up to them. Rici on a horse? She reconsidered the oddity. At least Rici on a horse was better than Rici in a horse.
“Good to see you two are all right.” Jim leaned forward in his saddle. His knowing gaze flicked over Travis and Charissa. “Going for a swim?”
“In your clothes?” Rici half-slipped, half-fell off his mount and Terey followed him, latching onto his arm before he’d made it halfway to Charissa. “I’d give you a hug, but I don’t have free use of my arm.”
“Oh, Rici, you’re funny.” Terey turned to Charissa and giggled. “He acts like he doesn’t like my attention, but I know better.”
“No you don’t.” Rici pried off her hands. “Jim, help me out.”
But Jim’s shrug and droopy face said it all. “I’ve tried. All the way out here, I’ve tried to get Terey to understand you don’t want her. Don’t feel about her the way I do. But I guess the better man won.”
“I don’t want to win.” Rici couldn’t get away from his human attachment, though, as she hooked her arm in his again. “This isn’t my choice.”
Something was off. Her spell had missed getting Rici as the target for the push on Terey. So how had Terey switched from Jim to Rici? Had Rici pushed Terey and now regretted doing so?
Holding her brother against her as tightly as she could, Terey’s infatuation rankled Charissa’s nerves. Did the girl have to paw her brother so much?
Charissa glanced at Travis and wondered if he felt the same way about her chasing after him. He’d gotten pushed into loving her and wasn’t that the same thing as taking away his right to choose? She had to get the spell removed. Then if Travis wanted her, she could love him with a free conscious. She met Rici’s gaze and couldn’t help but feel guilty. Rici had wanted Terey’s love in a natural way and she’d ignored his wishes by placing a spell on Terey. And he’d retaliated in kind by counteracting her spell with one of his own. So who could she blame for this mess except herself?
“Could we get back to the ranch? I want a hot shower and a change of clothes. Not to mention a decent meal.”
Rici sniffed his sister and grimaced. “I second the motion. But please, for everyone else’s sake, take the shower first.”
“Ha, ha. So funny.”
“Who’s trying to be funny, Charissa? Not me.” Rici dodged her fist as she struck out to punch his arm. “Besides, we need to have an understanding about recent events and, um, shall we say, visitors?”
“Well, then, I suggest we get the horses saddled up.” Travis jerked his head to the side, gesturing for Jim to help him. “Terey, why don’t you go inside and make sure the cabin’s secure. I think Charissa and Rici have some things to talk about.”
Charissa bit her tongue until the others took to the horses and the cabin. “So talk, brother dear. Why did you send Boggens to me? And why did you push the Love emotion into Travis after I told you not to do it?” She checked with the men and verified that they were busy in the lean-to with the horses. “As if I didn’t already know the answer to that. You wanted revenge.”
“Revenge? For what?”
“Don’t play dumb, Rici. I pushed Terey and it backfired and she fell in love with Jim. You wanted her for yourself and I messed that up.” Again, Charissa made sure the others weren’t overhearing her. “What I can’t figure out is how you broke my spell. You aren’t more powerful than I am. So how?”
“Boggens isn’t the only one visiting here from Matlantia.”
“I thought as much. Well, tell me. Who’s dropped in on us now?”
Rici stepped closer to lower his voice to a whisper. “Altalia.”
Charissa sucked in air as she tried to phantom Rici’s answer. “Altalia? On Earth? Oh, shat. She never goes to Earth unless the situation is serious.”
“She did this time.”
“What did she want? Did she come to take us back?” She tried to clutch Rici’s arm, sending him skirting away from her.
“Please, don’t grab my arm. I’ve got bruises up and down it from Terey’s intense hold on me. But relax, Altalia’s not here to take us back. Believe it or not, she wanted to help. She’s the one who took your spell off of Terey and pushed her to me.”
“Wait a second. You didn’t want me to use my powers on Terey. You said you wanted her to love you the normal way.”
“I did. But then you messed things up with your push. So Altalia helped me out by breaking your spell with one of her own. Too bad I found out I didn’t want Terey after all.”
Great. First he doesn’t want Terey unless it’s true love and then he does. “You don’t want her any longer? Rici, you can’t keep playing with their emotions this way. You’re going to hurt Terey and you’ve messed things up with Travis, too. And all for your stupid revenge.”
What was that look about? Rici looked like he wanted to argue with her, but didn’t. And Rici backing away from an argument was always cause for suspicion.
“You know what, dear brother? I think I understand what the Elders tried to teach us. Emotions are too fragile to play with and I’ve learned my lesson.” Charissa whirled toward the cabin as Terey stepped through the doorway and straight into Jim. With a stern nod, she removed the spell from Terey, allowing her to love Jim as she always had. “There. I’m made it the way it should be. Those two care about each other and their love is real. Anyone with eyes can see it. Even when she was enamored with you she continued to care for him. I broke Altalia’s spell with one of my own—along with the power of true love.”
Rici hugged his sister to him. “You have no idea how much I wanted the same thing. Oh, if Altalia and the Elders could see you now.” He jigged a quick step as Terey and Jim fell together, lips locked and bodies together. “Thank the Elders, I’m free! No more air kisses. No more death-grip hugs. No more insipid, cutesy, girlfriend talk!
Did he think he was off the hook so easily? “Not so fast, Rici. Take your spell off Travis.” She glanced at Travis as he led her horse to her.
“My spell? Who said I put a spell on him?”
As the rush of Anger welled inside her, she grabbed him by his shirt and yanked him to her. “Don’t act all innocent, Rici. Boggens told me what you did.”
“Ah, my sweet, naïve sister. Think about it. Boggens told you. And what do dirt faeries do the best?”
As his meaning flowed over her, she swiveled toward Travis. “They lie.”
In a flash of light, Travis disappeared, leaving two horses without someone leading them, and two very bewildered Matlantians gawking at the place where he’d stood.
****
“Where the hell am I?” Travis spun around, but saw nothing except a fine golden mist surrounding him. He reached out through the golden haze, hoping and yet fearing what he might touch. “Is anyone there?” One second he’d been walking the horses toward Charissa and Rici, and the next second he’d arrived here in this strange world of mist.
“Really, Altalia, what do you think you’re going to accomplish by bringing this human here?”
“You’ll see, Yahtan. You’ll see.”
The voices floated through the mist as Travis strove to see them—anything. “Hey, who are you? Are you in the mist? Show yourselves.”
The woman’s voice seemed to whisper in his ear. “Be quiet, Travis, until I tell you to speak.”
Travis swiveled his head toward the sound, but saw nothing. “Look, lady, I don’t know how you did this or what you have in mind, but I don’t take orders from anyone. Much less some faceless female.”
In one swift motion, the mist swept away from him, leaving him standing in front of a floating purple platform behind which sat seven beings. Travis bent over to peer under the platform, but didn’t see any chairs or legs or anything. How could people sit at a table-like platform and hide their lower halves? The effect gave the people the appearance of having been sliced in half and had Travis holding onto his stomach.
“Oh, my, he looks a bit green. Perhaps we should stand on the platform. I think it might be less disconcerting to him.” One of the men cocked a multi-colored eyebrow at Travis.
“He’s a strong one. He’ll get his feet in a moment. Are you better yet, Travis?”
A beautiful woman in long flowing dress walked up to him and took his arm. In a flash, his nausea left him and a warm, soothing feeling rushed over him. Soothing, but not enough for him to give up on finding out why he was here. Wherever here was.
“Where am I? Why am I here? And where is here?” He turned to the beautiful woman, sensing she was more receptive to his questions than the others. In fact, the oldest one of them, sporting a green beard, appeared pissed off at Travis.
“My name is Altalia and I’m the one who brought you here. This place is called Matlantia. I believe you’ve heard of it?” Her bright eyes twinkled at him with the secret joke.
“This is Matlantia?” Travis forced his voice to remain calm although his pulse wanted to bounce like a Mexican jumping bean. This was Charissa’s world?
The older man’s voice boomed, shaking the old guy’s green beard, as the rumble spread over him. “How does this human know of Matlantia? Altalia, I must protest. To bring a human here is bad enough, but to tell him about Matlantia is too much.”
“First of all, I didn’t tell him of Matlantia.” The woman called Altalia waved off the old man’s complaints. “Secondly, Yahtan, I have my reasons. One of which is this. It’s time to reevaluate the human population.” She walked behind Travis, giving him the impression of being inspected like a prize pig at market. “These people have progressed quite nicely since we last paid them any real attention. I believe, having visited their world, that they now have the capacity to handle emotions.”
A chorus of complaints brought the other beings alive, some hopping to stand on the platform—thankfully with legs—while others shouted their misgivings. Altalia ignored them and continued to explain.
“I also brought him here as a test. A test for our fellow Matlantians, Riciseon and Charissa.” Her smile faded as she shot him a hard look. “And as a test for Travis and Mankind.”
“A test?” Why did he have to take a test? Why did he have to put up with any of this?
Because you can’t get home by yourself.
Travis gaped at her as he heard her words in his head. “What the hell? How did you do that?”
Ah, Yahtan, you see? He can hear us telepathically. Man has never been able to do so. At least, not before now..
Travis scanned the people in front of him and tried to cast a thought their way. Who said that? Had he just spoken with his mind?
You did. A smaller woman, standing less than four feet tall, waved at him. I am Maehe, the newest member of the Council of Elders.
“Could we get down to business?” Yahtan spoke aloud, as if he didn’t want to communicate telepathically with a man.
“Very well, Yahtan. Although I’d have thought all your years would have taught you more patience.” Altalia disappeared from beside Travis to show up on top of the platform. “Travis. Tell us. Do you care for Charissa?”
It was one thing to reveal his feelings to Charissa, but did these people expect him to voice them here? Travis wasn’t ready for a public display of emotion. Especially to strangers.
“Yes, Travis, we do expect you to voice them here.” One of the others spoke aloud this time. “We can hear your thoughts anyway, so you can’t hide them. You may as well tell the truth.”
“You love her, don’t you?” Altalia spoke the question, but made it more of a statement.
Since they’d know his thoughts whether he liked it or not, he decided to go ahead and spell it out for them. “Yeah, I do.”
“Someone’s pushed him.”
Travis didn’t like the older man to begin with, but now he found him downright irritating. “No one pushed me.”
“Foolish, human, you wouldn’t know if someone had.” Yahtan leaned forward and sniffed. “However, what you say is true enough. You don’t smell as though someone has.”
“Then his love for her is real.” A very pretty woman smiled at him. “Oh, I do so adore a love story.”
“Geisa, you’re a romantic at heart. You should read those books humans write. The ones they call romances.”
“Actually, I have. In fact, I just started reading one of them. It’s called Wild Cat and it’s about a shifter and this mortal female and it’s so sexy and funny and—”
“Enough Geisa!” Yahtan clamped his hands over his ears. “You dare to read human trash? You put yourself at risk for intermixing with humans.”
Geisa gritted her teeth, her happy-go-lucky expression morphing to one of steel. “I don’t mix with them. I simply bring a few of their books up here.”
“We’re getting off track, everyone.” Altalia appeared at Travis’ side again. “Tell us, Travis, if Charissa wanted you to live here, on Matlantia with her, would you? Would you give up all you hold dear and come here to live?”
“She wouldn’t ask me to.”
“That’s not what I asked.” Altalia’s sparkling eyes turned cold and unforgiving.
“If living here…” Travis glanced around him and shook his head. “…is the only way for me to be with Charissa, then I’d have to say…howdy, neighbor.”
Altalia laughed as the others stared at him in confusion.
“Is he saying yes or no?” Yahtan stroked his long, green beard.
“Oooh, I get it. He’s a cowboy.” Geisa pointed at Travis. “You’re a cowboy, aren’t you? I just adore cowboys.” She leaned sideways, placing her body in a horizontal position, and propped her head on her hand.
Altalia moved closer to Travis and patted his shoulder. “Yes, he’s a cowboy and he’s saying yes. He does love Charissa.”
Geisa clapped in mid-air. “Oh, goody. We have a real cowboy romance!”
Altalia tightened the grip on his shoulder and delved into him with her piercing gaze. “It takes two to have a romance, Geisa.”
Forcing Travis to do the same, she turned to the others. “We have yet to see what Charissa will say. But if she says yes to loving him, will the Council of Elders allow this union between man and Matlantian?”
****
“Boggens, I swear I’m going to throw you in the water again if you don’t tell me what happened to Travis. And this time, no one’s going to save your sorry little butt.”
Jim and Terey stood a few feet away from Charissa and Rici and watched as Charissa held up the dripping Boggens and grilled him. As yet, neither she nor Rici had explained the odd creature to Jim and Terey, but they weren’t about to interrupt the interrogation. Perhaps they were in shock. After all, they’d seen Travis disappear. What was a strange creature compared to that?
“Boggens is supposed to tell Mistress Charissa.”
She rolled her eyes at Rici. Why were dirt faeries so difficult to talk to? “Then tell me.”
“Will Mistress Charissa throw me in the water when Boggens tells Mistress Charissa the message? Mistress Charissa won’t like what Boggens is supposed to tell Mistress Charissa.” The mucky-colored faery shivered with the breeze whipping across the pond and ruffling his short, coarse fur. What little fur he had covering his body.
“I’ll like it even less if you don’t tell me. And tell me right now.” Charissa picked up the faery by the back of his neck and shook him. “Boggens, where is Travis?”
After a squeak of resentment, Boggens told her. “Mistress Altalia told Boggens to tell Mistress Charissa this.” He puffed up his chest and mimicked Altalia’s voice. “‘Your human man is with the Council. They will judge him this day.’ Now will Mistress Charissa let Boggens go?”
That was it? Nothing more? No demands to appear before the Council? No commands to leave Travis and all the other humans alone? Charissa wasn’t sure what to make of the curt message. Could Boggens have gotten the message wrong? Did he leave something out? And if so, by accident or on purpose?
“Didn’t Altalia say more? Like ordering Rici and me to come home?” Altalia had left too many questions unanswered.
Boggens squirmed and tried to shake free of her grip, but couldn’t. “No, no. Boggens told Mistress Charissa everything. Please, please let Boggens go home.”
“Sister, you can’t do anything. The Council will do whatever the Council wants to do.”
“But why judge Travis? He’s done nothing wrong. Except care for me.” Had her love for him put him in danger? Would the Council punish him for caring about her? By harming Travis, did the Council hope to hurt her? Punish her through him? Charissa imagined Travis standing before the Council of Elders. He didn’t stand a chance.
