Forever May Not Be Long Enough

Forever May Not Be Long Enough

By

Chajo and Lady MoonHawke

   “‘It all keeps adding up. I think I’m cracking up. Am I just paranoid, or am I just stoned? Am I just paranoid, or am I just stoned?’”

   Adryanna belted out the last few lyrics and the band behind her quickly wrapped up the last few chords. The audience burst into applause over the last notes.

   “Thank you!” Adry shouted from the edge of the bar’s stage. “We’re gonna take a few minutes, then get back up here for one last set.” Applause thundered again, and Adryanna moved toward the steps to the floor then made her way to the table in the back and its single occupant.

   “Hey, David!” She accepted the beer he held up and drained half of it in a few gulps. “Wow, that’s good.” She dropped into a chair, wincing. “Damn, these pants are tight.”

   “You don’t have to tell me that,” David said. “I’ve been appreciating them all evening.”

   She laughed. “And scowling at every drunk making a lousy pass. I didn’t think you were going to make it tonight. But I’m glad to see you anyway.”

   “It’s a mixed blessing. I can’t make dinner tomorrow. My unit is being recalled for a training exercise. I’ll be free next weekend, though.”

   She frowned but didn’t complain. Arguing about the perceived needs of a military unit was an exercise of its own, in futility. “I have to go to Uncle J.’s late tomorrow night. The annual family get-together is next weekend, and my grandfather wants to look me over. Make sure I still exist or something.”

   David made a face. “Damn. Call me when you get back?”

   “Absolutely. Are you staying for the last set?”

   He looked at his watch. “I can stay about an hour. Will that do?”

   “I’ll manage.” She bounced up. “I’m going to hit the lav then get back up there. Maybe I can rush through in 45 and we’ll have 15 minutes to ourselves for once.”

   “That would be nice. Who in their right mind carries on a romance in an environment like this if they have a choice?”

   “Someone looking for courage in a bottle, I expect.” She downed the last of her beer and bent over to kiss him quickly. “Promise me you’ll stay for the last song if I run late?”

   “I’ll try.”

   “Promise. It’s important.”

   He smiled. She was childishly demanding and infuriating sometimes, but he could never seem to mind. “I promise.”

   “Good.” She kissed him again. “You won’t be sorry.” She straightened up and scurried away. And within 5 minutes, the band was back in place and she was standing in front of the crowd singing, and casting him glances occasionally.

   The set ended right at the top of the hour, and by the time she made her way through the appreciative crowd, the table where David had been was abandoned. She was still staring at it when a waitress approached her, and handed her a napkin. “He said he couldn’t stay any longer. But he left you this.” She slipped away again into the crowd.

   Adry unfolded the napkin slowly and read the message written in David’s spiky hand.

   Forever may not be long enough, but it will have to do.

   She smiled. He’d stayed long enough after all.

***
To: ziv@ziveu.com
From: AMLandon@SLInd.com
Subject: Thanks for the offer…

Dear Aunt Zan

Thanks so much for your kind offer to play at some future gig. However, I find that my plans for re-starting my career have changed, and I will not be in need of a band at all. And please tell David that a deeply regret that I will be unable to keep our appointment this weekend. My recent visit to my relatives has negated the need for me to be employed in any concern or undertake any social life on my own. My grandfather has taken a personal interest in my future and gone to considerable effort to arrange for me an advantageous match to a very good friend of his. I have not yet had an opportunity to meet the gentleman, but I am told he is extremely desirable in terms of background and person. My aunts and cousins are certain that I will find him perfectly amiable and will come to enjoy his company if I apply myself.

I don’t know when I will be able to write again. Think of me often, as I will think of you and your family.

Your Fledgling in a gilded cage,

Princess Adryanna of Avalon

***

A few hours later…

To: shadowlady@ziveu.com
From: a_m_fledge@hotmail.com
Subject: HELP!

I only have a few minutes, while no one is standing around looking over my shoulder.

Auntie, you have to help me. I saw him, the guy thats Grandfather friend. Auntie, I can't do it. I thought maybe it wouldn’t be that bad, that I owed my family this kind obediance, but I just can't. He's awful…too many ways to tell you now.

I've been careful since they lockd me up. Nearly bit my tongue in half more times than I can tell. They haven't forbidden me to leave my room, but I'm seldom alone. I have freedom to wander the compound, and I could get out, but I only have one shot. If they bring me back, I'll never get out again. Mom and Dad can't help me. They both swore that Grandfather would be my ultimate guardian until I married. He's never done anything like this before, and I think they were taken off guard.

Can’t reach David. He’s on patrol and can’t get messages. Tell me what to do, please, Old-Auntie. I'm scard. I don't think I've ever been this scared before.

Noises outside. Have to go. Miss you. Miss David. HELP!

Fledge

***

    "Damn!" she said slamming her hand down on the desktop.

    Mac looked up at her actions. "What’s wrong?" he asked alarmed.

    "Do you remember Commander Aurora Landon? Well she has a daughter and the girl's trouble."

    "Can't her mother do something then?" he asked. He remembered her last visit and how determined the Commander was then.

    "No, apparently her parents agreed to stay out of it. It's to be an arranged marriage to an older man apparently."

    Mac winced. "Oh, that's bad."

    "Yeah." She sat back in her chair, steepling her fingers under her chin and turning the chair around to face the huge picture window behind her. "What ships do we have leaving North America in the next 12-24 hours?"

    "New Eden or ZIV Enterprises Unlimited?" his fingers flew across the keyboard on his desk, bringing up the information. He knew she was plotting something.

    "Both."

    "If you’re going to do what I think your going to do, nothing that is fast enough to get here before someone starts looking for the girl. But, we do have a courier leaving here in the next hour with dispatches to the company HQ on Earth."

    "That will be even better." She spun back around, "patch me though to HQ, please, Mac."

    "My pleasure," he said. This reminded him of the old days back with the Mob in Limbo. Plotting to steal something out from under the noses of the SilverHawks. Only difference was that with Zan, it would work.

***

To: shadowlady@ziveu.com
From: a_m_fledge@hotmail.com
Subject: Outside the (barred) window

I think Mom dropped me a hint about wherever I am. Said she was going to visit Vancouver for a few days, then ‘catch a ferry to the island and see you.’ So my best guess is Vancouver Island. There’s a gulf or bay at the back of the property, and I can see the sunset everday. That puts me on the west side of the isand, right? I found some maps on-line, but can’t narrow down any better.

Supposed to look at ‘finery’ tomorrow. Planning to be sweet but stubborn. Trying to take as much time as possible.

Voices coming.   Hugz.

F.

***

    I pondered her latest message and started to compose my own reply. I hope she picks up on certain words. Now that I have an idea where she's at I can get in contact with the closest ZIVEU-owned business and go from there. A last glance at things then I hit send.

***

To: a_m_fledge@hotmail.com
From: shadowlady@ziveu.com
Subject: Hunting parties

I'm working on some things at the moment. Would you like to go a-hunting? I can arrange it next time we meet. Wide open spaces as far as the eye can see. Somewhere you can spread your wings and fly free. You may even see the famous hawks the locals speak so highly of. I've seen them up close and they have a wicked set of talons.

Oh, David's coming home soon. Maybe you'll get a chance to see him again.

Auntie

***

   "Mac? Do we have any holdings near Vancouver?"

    "Vancouver? Umm… Let me check." His fingers flew across the keyboard. "Bringing it up on the screen now"

    Zan turned to look at the wall screen. Damn, didn't have anything that close. But she could still arrange for the 'Hunting Party' to get pretty darned close. "Can you patch me though to the Main HQ here, the Main one on Earth and the local regional office closest to Vancouver?"

    "Yes Ma'am." After a wait of a few minutes, the screen blinked and was replaced by 3 faces.

    "Ladies, Gentlemen." she said in way of greeting.

    Replies of Ma'am, Your Grace, and Duchess came back.

    "It seems an emergency has come up and I require your help. This is what is happening…” Zan glossed over certain items. But in the end they knew things were going to be hectic for the next week or two. The next call she put it was to David.

    "David, this is Zan. I know your not home right now, but as soon as you get in call me. I need a favor of you that concerns a fledgling."

***

   She’s coming, with reinforcements, no less. So I have a chance. Flying free…I could now, if I really wanted to…for about five minutes. And then I’d be locked away and warded til I almost can’t breathe and delivered into the hands of…I don’t even know what he is. Just the thought of him icks me out something awful. And that comment he made, that I would find him an energetic breeder. It was really all I could do not to vomit on him. But it got me thinking. The only thing my family respects aside from raw power is the ability to breed true, to churn out more fae. It literally bought my mother her place, allowed to remain my father’s only wife because as a mere mortal, she could produce children of the blood. But it means that my only true escape may be to take a consort and prove that I am worthy to keep him. And I don’t mind, really. The guy I have in mind I’d be very happy to spend the rest of my life with. But I’m not sure what he’d think of all this. And I don’t know if Auntie would approve, either.

   So I’m going to fight fire with fire, and try not to get burned up in the middle.

***

To: shadowlady@ziveu.com
From: a_m_fledge@hotmail.com
Subject: Re: Hunting parties

Would love to go. Sounds fun. Name a time and a place, and you’ll find me there waiting.

Thanked Mom for her info; told her I may be busy and not to worry. She understands.

Glad to hear David can come hunting too. Looking forward to seeing him again.

Dresses all FUGLY! :P

Fledge

***

To: a_m_fledge@hotmail.com
From: shadowlady@ziveu.com
Subject: Dress styles

They always are, dear, when you don't want to deal with them. You should have seen some of the outfits they wanted me to wear to some of the local shin-digs. Tacky was not the word for it. Even a desperate Drag-Queen would not have touched that stuff.

But enough on that.

Sunset, Sunrise then Sunset again. Water Side, if possible. Hawks like to go fishing in the evening.

Auntie

***

I had received a call back from David. Once I told him the situation he agreed in a heartbeat. Even with the distance between us I could tell that he had some strong feelings for her. He even managed to get an emergency leave on short notice starting tomorrow and ending a couple of weeks from then. I hope that is enough time for things to work out.

I hope that she understands that tomorrow someone is going to be coming for her. I pray they will be able to get away without something happening.

***

To:shadowlady@ziveu.com
From: a_m_fledge@hotmail.com
Re: Dresses and the universe…

How does that song from the musical go? “Sunrise, Sunset. Swiftly fly the years’? Always seemed too long to me. Hound of the Baskervilles is in a rush. I gave everyone within the sound of my voice a wailing declamation of ‘female troubles.’ Look at them run. Cowards.

In the West where the sun goes down. I‘d like to follow it forever. (Anything’s better than here.)

Tell Tall, Dark and Handsome I wish I’d stayed home. Family reunions aren’t what they used to be.

Adry

***

   Once the message had been sent, Adryanna turned off the laptop she had wheedled from her uncle. It wasn’t like him to deal in the most modern technology, and he’s done exactly what she’d hoped; sent someone out to buy her a new one sight unseen. And it had come with all the modern conveniences, like a modem and the receipt one of his lackeys had used to purchase it, carbonless impression and all. Ten minutes and a free Internet offer later, she was working on her plan to get out if necessary. And it had been necessary. Obedience to her grandfather was one thing, but Morabus was quite another.

   She moved to the window and watched the last rays of the sun fall into the ocean. She wondered if she’d ever be able to watch another sunset, or if her memory of it was forever tainted. There was a knock at the door, but she ignored it. Maybe they would just go away.

   No such luck. The door opened anyway. “Princess? Leisl said you weren’t feeling well. Can we do anything to make you feel better?”

   “You could let me go.”

   “That I cannot do. Your grandfather-“

   “Oh, for the love of Mike, Uncle O! Forget about him for a minute. Think about me! I don’t want to marry that ogre.”

   “He’s only half-ogre. And he finds you compelling. You should be flattered.”

   “I’m disgusted. All he wants is my possessions and children. Let him get them somewhere else.”

   “You have flitted around the world on your own agenda for too long now. Your father has never pressed you to do anything against your will, when you should have been married ages ago.”

   “Maybe he wanted my mother’s opinion first,” she snarked, turning around.

   “Do not overestimate your mother’s value to us. She is a mortal with a reasonable aptitude for the gifts who caught your father’s eye.”

   “He loves her, and she loves him. It’s more than most of you will ever have. It’s more than you’re offering me.”

   Oberon’s stern face melted a little. “None among us will think less of you if you choose to dally with the mortals after you give Morabus an heir.”

   “Maybe you won’t but I will.” She turned away again. “Good-night, Uncle.”

   After a long moment of silence, he turned and left.

I was back on-line as soon as he left. I need a place, wide open, west side of the island. And I need to be able to get there reasonably quickly. That part should be easy, actually. It will be the waiting that will be hard. The last rays of the sun have gone; I missed them arguing with Uncle O. 24 hours and David will come. I can’t let myself think he won’t. But the plan I’m contemplating to stay free, if he can’t cope with it, then I might as well stay here. Too late now to send a message and ask; they’re probably on their way, and it’s so complicated. I found a tracker, a way to find out where I am. West coast of Vancouver Island, like I thought. Bless you, Mom. I may get out of here yet.

I seem to be near a place called Esperanza, and I take it as a good sign. I will wait and hope. There’s an island west of here, and it looks very open and empty, just what Auntie asked for. I take the chance to e-mail Zan the island’s coordinates. It’s the most direct reference I’ve made, but time is tight. I tell her I wait and hope. I hate to wait.

   The sound of the door opening woke Adryanna, but she chose to ignore it, burying her head further under the pillow. Whoever was disturbing her didn’t seem to care for her preferences, though. There was the distinct sound of curtains being opened, though it’s didn’t bring much extra light into the west-facing room.

   “Time to get up, Highness.”

   “Go ‘way, Leisl.” she muttered.

   “Lord Oberon’s orders, m’lady. You need to get up and get to the chapel right away.”

   Adryanna poked her head out from under the pillow. “What’s happened?”

   “Lord Oberon has set the time of your service. You’re to wed the Lord Morabus at high moon tonight.” She pulled back the blankets. “I dare not interfere, m’lady. You must do as you are ordered.”

   “Oh, hell.” She swung herself upright and dragged on the robe Leisl offered. “What time is it now?”

   “Near noon. Lord Oberon said to let you sleep, so you would be well-rested this evening.”

   “Great,” she replied flatly. “All right, then. Is my breakfast here?”

   “Lord Oberon said after chapel. He wishes everything to be done according to tradition.”

   Adryanna sighed. “Fine. We’ll do it his way.” She grabbed clothes form her closet, shrugging into a sweatshirt and jeans.

   Leisl frowned. “You cannot go to the chapel like that.”

   “Uncle’s in a hurry for me to get down there and show how obedient I am, right? Well, this is what he’s getting for his rush.” She stepped into a pair of shoes and stormed out the door.

   Her aunt was waiting for her.

   “You’re troubled by this arrangement, child.”

   Adryanna lit her incense and sat down. “I don’t like being told what to do. No one bothered to ask if I had any plans about getting married.”

   “And have you any plans?” Titania asked gently.

   Adryanna fingered the dreamcatcher pendant at the throat. “No one’s actually asked yet. That doesn’t mean I’m not hoping.”

   “You have had time to find a consort, child. You pursued vanity instead.”

   “Can I help it if I needed to be straight with my mother first?” she snapped. “Is my mother even coming tonight? Seems a shame to get married without seeing her.”

   “Your parents have been informed,” Oberon said, striding up the aisle. “If they wish to attend, they are welcome. Provided they do not interfere, of course.” He glanced at Titania, who shook her head. “Accept what we have arranged, Princess. You will be happier than if you struggle and are forced.” He patted her on the head like a puppy. “Go back to your rooms now. There is still much to do, and it would be best if you were out of the way.”

   She stared at him a minute, then stood to leave.

   “And dress appropriately this evening, Princess. I do not wish to humiliate you by sending you to the altar naked.”

   She bit back a smart reply and left. The timing tonight would be close, and she didn’t have any to spare making her uncle angry.

   “Princess?”

   “Hmm?” Adryanna turned from where she stared out the window. She’d watched the shadows all day since returning to her room. They were long now, and the sun blazed into her room. Soon things would start to happen, but she could only guess where she would end up.

   “It’s time for the ceremonial bath, Princess.”

   “I’ll just take a shower, thanks. And could you leave me alone, Leisl?” She could see the place she intended to aim for, a high cliff on the island overlooking the bay outside. From there, she would run west, as far as she could get before she was rescued or caught. Either way, something would happen soon.

   “Lord Oberon-“ the girl started.

   “You know, the one good thing about this is that once it’s over, I won’t have to hear about what Lord Oberon wants every 10 minutes. I suppose you have to spread that stinking stuff on me, too.”

   “The sacred oil-“

   “Let me tell you something, Leisl. It’s just oil. And it stinks.” She went into the bathroom and gathered some towels. “I hate the towels in the pool room. I can at least have this much control, I hope?”

   Silenced, the girl merely nodded and followed Adry into the hall.

   “Look, Leisl, I’m sorry if I’m being mean here, but not once, in this entire comedy of errors, has what my uncle wanted been what I want.” They trooped through the halls and into the room housing the spring-fed pool. Leisl set down the towels she had carried for Adry, then started to help her off with her clothes.

   “I can do it myself, really. And I could use a little privacy.”

   The girl quavered but held her ground. “You must be attended, m’lady.”

   “Oh, fine,” Adryanna said in a show of concession. She tossed her clothes into a corner and made her way down the steps into the pool. She leaned her head against the side and listened to Leisl fidget with the discarded clothing. “Are my parents here yet?” she asked.

   “I don’t know, m’lady.”

   “Well, could you go ask? And this water is too cold. Tell them to heat it up while you’re at it.”

   “I cannot leave you alone, m’lady.”

   Adry laughed. “I’m naked in the pool. Where am I going to go like this?”

   “I don’t know…” she said doubtfully.

   “Just go, Leisl. I won’t move til you get back. And get my hairbrush. I may as well do that while I’m down here.”

   The girl finally gave up her fidgeting and left, and once she was alone, Adryanna sighed in relief and hauled herself out of the water. She returned to her pile of towels, only to discover that while the towels were there, her clothes were not. Instead, she was left with her least favorite of the outfits she had tried on. It was a hideous shade of pink, and she had blushed even pinker the first time she had tried it on. It hadn’t lacked in amount of material, but the thin gauze did nothing to cover her. The top had hardly enough reasonable fabric to cover her decently, and the skirt was nothing more than a bikini with long swaths of gauze. And her loafers had been replaced by tiny gold sandals. “This is too much,” she muttered, struggling into the clothes. It had been a tight fit before, and now she nearly dislocated an arm fastening everything. She studied herself in her aunt’s mirror and shook her head. The top pushed her normally modest cleavage to overflowing, and the skirt revealed more than it concealed. No time to waste trying to do something about it, though. She strapped on the sandals, then peeked out the door. Assured that she was alone, she dropped a line of towels back toward the main staircase. Then she returned to the pool room and seized a handy bathrobe. Within moments, she was outside, across the bay, and running toward the setting sun.

   The swept-wing craft lifted over the edge of the cliff, startling a flock of birds into flight.

   “Anything yet?” Zan asked, fighting an updraft.

   “No.” David studied the chart. “Sun’s going down. She should be here, somewhere.”

   “There’s a lot of coast line. She’ll be here. And if we have to break her out, we will.”

   “What if it’s too late? She hasn’t replied since last night….”

   “Think about something else, please. You’re no good to me or her if you start freaking on what might have happened.”

   He was quiet for a moment, then she could hear him humming softly, under his breath.

   “Mighty Mouse?” she asked after a few bars.

   “I can do Dudley Do-Right if you prefer,” he snapped.

   “It’s not Penelope we’re looking for.”

   “No, it’s a needle in a hay --” He broke off suddenly. “There she is!” Across the meadow, a figure was emerging from a stand of trees. “Set us down. I’ll go out to get her.” He was out of his seat as the ship descended.

   “David, wait til we --” It was too late. He was on the ground before the ship touched down, running toward the girl.

   Adryanna had ducked into the stand of trees to wait out the last few minutes. Distantly, in the back of her mind, she could hear the clamor in the house. Leisl had returned and discovered her gone. Now her uncle was searching the mansion from top to bottom. She could hear her parents as well. Aurora was thinking loudly about how long it took to format a hard drive, even on a laptop. Adry would have reached out to thank her, but she was still too close. To touch any member of her family would be like sending up signal flares. Here I am. Come get me.

   The roar on an engine made her look out, and she saw a huge bird-shaped craft skimming over the island. She pushed out of the concealing trees, only to find her robe caught on a stubborn branch. She dropped it, running through the field grass in her wedding finery. She crashed into David and let herself luxuriate for a moment in the feeling of safety. Then she was dragging him toward the ship.

   “We have to leave. They’re looking for me already.”

   They scrambled up the ladder and into the ship. David locked down the hatch, then got his first good look at her.

"Holy...Where are your clothes?" He felt his face flame.

"My maid took them, and I wasn't going to look for her to argue the point.” She wrapped her arms around herself, shivering. "David, I beg of you. Lend me a coat, a jacket, a handkerchief. Something with fabric. I feel like someone's blow-up doll here."

"Err... um…'' He couldn’t stop staring at the expanses of pale skin. They’d managed to meet at the beach once, and even then, she hadn’t been so exposed.

Zan’s voice cut in over the radio. "David, wake up and quit thinking with your dick. Get a move on, boy! We have a ship to fly here."

"Oh, Hehe. Yeah. There's a spare flight suit in the back seat." Her legs went on for miles, it seemed. He wondered if her skin was really as soft as it looked..

Adry sighed. "Thanks, Auntie. David, go. This isn't even a spectator sport yet, let alone a contact sport. I'll find you in a minute."

"What's wrong with looking?" David muttered. Still he returned to his seat and worked to get the ship flying again. They shot out over the cliff edge and lost some altitude looking for the updraft. "Sorry for the rough ride."

"We're gonna have to talk seriously about it before I start getting naked, David." She joined them, decked out in the flight suit. Zan suppressed a laugh. Adry had taken whatever she had been wearing and used part of it to fashion a belt for the baggy suit, and a hair tie, pulling the river of hair out of her face. "And I don't do group parties. But if you want to wear it and I'll ogle, that's fine." She ran an affectionate hand through his hair and sat down. "Where are we going?"

David laughed. "Pink isn’t my color, and I’m prepared to say it’s not yours either. We’re going home. To the Wind Walker Plains, by way of Huntington. Gotta return the ship."

Adryanna nodded, chewing on her lip. "That should take them a while. But they're going to find me eventually, and make lots of noises about hauling me back in iron."

"Then I guess we'll have to do something about that. Mom knows a lot of stuff that might help. So does James. Both are Wiccan priests and Dad's a Shaman along with Jessica. I think my family is about as mixed as yours."

"I know what's going to get me out of it. It's just...really complicated, And involved. And probably a little dangerous, at least for me. You know they used to kill family members for defying the head of the family? Not looking forward to that possibility."

Zan sensed a very personal conversation coming, and dragged her flight-headphones over her ears. She couldn’t get up and leave in the middle of navigating the ship, but she could manage the appearance of privacy.

"Then we'll face the fire together, Luv." He moved the ship smoothly through the atmosphere and into lightspeed.

Adryanna tasted blood on her tongue and let go of her lip. "David, let me make this real clear. I'm not really getting out of getting married. I'm getting out of marrying what has to be the single most repulsive creature I've ever seen, and I grew up with goblins. If I marry someone else, I can maybe get around my family. And you ARE the list of my personal choices. But I have to know you want to, not that you're just doing me a favor. I couldn't live with it if you were just helping me out." The adrenaline she had been running on started to fade. She tried to blink back tears, then swiped the heel of her hand across her eyes.

Setting his controls on autopilot for now he turned so that he could look at her while speaking, "I've loved you since the day I met you all those years back. I know it's silly, the whole Love at First Sight thing. But I do know there is something there that I can't name. And no, it's not just to help you out. I want to grow old next to you, to see our children grow up and have children of their own. I want to be your lover, your life mate, your all."

She slumped down. "Oh, thank the gods." The unshed tears in her eyes magnified the sapphire blue. "David, I couldn't have lasted this long without you. All I could think was 'David will come. Keep your mouth shut, don't make it harder for him.' I just had to wait long enough for you to come get me." She leaned forward, resting her forehead against his, chilly fingers burrowing into his hair. "Don't let me go."

"Never my love, for we will be together, forever." He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into his lap.

"It'll have to do." The stress of her escape caught up with her and she fell asleep, curled in his arms.

   Zan chanced a glance over and saw the pale girl sleep on her foster-brother’s lap. “Why don’t you move that poor girl to her own seat and get her a blanket? She looks frozen.”

   He was in another world. “I want to keep her.”

   “David, I’m not worried about how you plan to work out your personal relationship. I need you to fly this ship, and you can’t do that and snuggle. Now put her in a seat, get her a blanket, and get your head back in the damned game. We’re not home yet.”

   “Can I have a minute to enjoy the best thing in my life, do you think?”

   “You can have every minute you want, once we get home. Move, Winter Fire. Now.”

   He shot her an irritated look, then rose carefully and set her gently into her seat, buckling the restraints securely around her, and tucking in every edge of the blanket until her head was the only thing visible. He brushed back a loose strand of hair and kissed her forehead. “You’ll feel safe soon,” he whispered. “I’ll make sure of it.” Satisfied that she was comfortable for the long flight, he returned to his seat.

   “David,” Zan started.

   “You know, Zan, you could try being happy one of these days. I mean really happy; living for one of those moments when everything is perfect. Do something for yourself. Not the kids, not your people, just yourself. Because that moment when you think everything is within reach, it’s wonderful.” He slipped his headphones over his head and took over the controls, guiding the ship home.

   Lisa “Silver Moon” RunningHorse looked up from her herb garden at the sound of cantering hooves on the dirt drive from the road up to the main house. There were two horses in the yard, one carrying two riders. The single rider dismounted, and Lisa stood as she recognized her.

   “Zan!” she called, waving. She picked her way carefully through the rows of herbs, then hurried over to her foster-daughter. As she approached, she was able to recognize one of the other riders. “David? I thought you were on regular patrol shifts for the next month. What are you doing out here?” She studied his companion carefully, noting long dark hair and a rumpled flight suit.   She was slumped over David’s arm, either exhausted or unconscious.

   “We had to get Adryanna,” Zan explained as David dismounted then slid Adryanna down carefully. She leaned heavily against David, but stayed upright, leading Lisa to believe the girl was only at the end of her strength rather than knocked out.

   “We have to get married,” David said, “Right away. The sooner, the better.”

   Lisa reached out and carefully lifted Adryanna’s chin, exposing a thin, pale face with dark rings under her eyes. “What in the name of all that’s holy happened to you?”

   Her eyes opened a little, and she smiled. “Lisa? Good. Sorry about this…” She slumped further and David reflexively scooped her up.

   Lisa looked from Adry to David to Zan. “Someone tell me what’s happening here,” she demanded. “David, is she pregnant? Is that what this rush is about?”

   “If she is, it’s not my doing. Not that I care. We have to get married TODAY.’

   “Her family wants her to marry another man,” Zan said. “She’d rather not, so they’ve been holding her in an isolated location, trying to put everything together. She contacted me, and David and I went to get her. She got herself out of the house, but I don’t think she’s been eating or sleeping well for a while now.” She turned to David. “When did you see her last?”

   “Three weeks ago. She had to go to her uncle’s the next night, then a family reunion the next weekend. She was going to call me when she got home.”

   “She e-mailed me instead, when someone wasn’t breathing down her neck. Lisa, she’s Fae. She lives by their rules, mostly. You know what that means.”

   Lisa nodded. “If she marries and produces a child right away, she can get out of the arrangement.” She studied her son, normally so quiet and closed-off, who was clinging to the girl like she was a lifeline. “Do you know what you’re getting into, David?”

   “She told me. Mom, I can’t let her go. She doesn’t want to marry the other guy. And she’s mine. I spent too long getting to this point to be stopped now. It would be better for her if you would help us. But I’ll find the nearest Justice of the Peace if I have to...”

   “That won’t be necessary,” Lisa said. She turned back to the house. “Lisa! Melissa!” David’s younger sisters came out in response to the summons, followed by the rest of the family. “Girls, take Adryanna inside and let her sleep a while. See if you can find something for her to wear. She’s closer to your height, Lisa, than she is to Melissa’s. James, go help your father set up the altar. We’re going to have to put our heads together and come up with some kind of ceremony for this evening. Jessica, call William. We need a marriage license for today. David, you’re going to have to help her. There’s some information about Adryanna’s parents that will be needed. Elizabeth, we’re going to need to come up with some food for a reception, and whatever guests you think would be able to come on short notice. Boys, keep your brother out of my hair.” She frowned as they gaped. “Go. Now. There’s not any time to waste.”

   Jennie stepped forward as the others fanned out. “What do you need me to do?”

   “Bless you, Jennie. Keep an eye on the kids, and make sure I don’t miss anything. Something always gets overlooked at the last minute.”

   Adryanna woke to a cool hand resting on her forehead.

   “I don’t think she has a fever,” she heard Lisa say. “Melissa, bring in some of that chicken broth and some toast. If she is pregnant, I don’t want to upset her stomach.”

   She shook her head and forced her eyes to open. “No,” she murmured.

   “You’re not hungry? You might feel better with something in your stomach.”

   Adry pushed herself up until she was sitting. “It’s not that. I’m starving. But I’m not pregnant. Just at the end of my wits.”

   “You’re sure?” Lisa asked.

   “Very. It would be one of those biblical miracles. The kind they build religions around.”

   Lisa smiled. “Good enough. We were worried when you collapsed.”

   “I haven’t been very hungry lately. Righteous indignation kills the appetite. But right now, I could eat a horse.” She clapped a hand over her mouth as soon as the words were out. “I’m sorry,” she said dropping her hand. “That’s probably not very funny.”

   Lisa chuckled. “I’ll leave the details about that up to you and David.” She noted that Adry turned pink at the suggestion. It was clear that whatever had been going on between her son and this girl for 6 years had not been physical. “He insisted that you had to get married today.”

   Much of the tension Adry was feeling seeped out of her. “I knew he wouldn’t forget,” she murmured.

   “So this was your idea,” Lisa concluded.   “This isn’t a game to him. I know how the Fae regard mortals, and I won’t tolerate you toying with him then throwing him aside. He’s been hurt once like that, and it was one time too many.”

   Adry looked at her, eyes serious. “There’s nothing I can say that will make you believe this is the real thing. I might be able to make you think you believe it, but that’s wrong and an abuse of my abilities. I hesitated to even tell David about my father’s side of the family because I wanted them to have nothing to do with him. But they are part of me, and I can’t change that. I can tell you that both my father and the uncle who raised me were completely devoted to their mortal wives. I’ve never understood the inclination my grandfather had for meddling in mortal women’s lives, and I have no desire to imitate him. Once I marry David, I will be his wife for the rest of my life, regardless of what happens to him, what any court says, or how things appear to be.   You’ll be stuck with me forever.”

   “I don’t suppose I can ask for more.”

   “I could promise to die the same moment he does, but it might be inconvenient later.”

   Lisa smiled and patted her hand. “We won’t ask that of you.” There was a knock at the door and Melissa entered with a tray. Lisa took it and set it down on the table next to the bed. “Get yourself on the outside of this, and then if you want, we can find something more substantial for you.” She looked back over to her youngest. “Melissa, what’s the situation on the clothing front?”

   “We’re working on it. No offense, Adry, but you’re really thin compared with the rest of us. Jenny’s clothes would probably fit you better than Silver Wing’s. I’ll see what she’s got available.”

   “That’s fine. Get the tear-dress down from the top of my closet. We’ll be needing it tonight,” Lisa instructed.

   Adry looked confused as Melissa left. “I thought I met all of David’s sisters at Christmas.”

   “Silver Wing is my daughter Lisa. We refer to her that way to keep the confusion to a minimum.” Lisa picked up a brush and started to straighten Adry’s hair. “What about your family? What do they call you?”

   “Adryanna. Or Adry. ‘Princess’ in that tone when there’s trouble. My uncle likes that one. He likes to remind me that I’m his subordinate. Especially when I’m supposed to marry someone horrible.” She shuddered involuntarily.

   “He wasn’t attractive, I take it?”

   “It’s not just that. There are a lot of the Fae who aren’t beautiful, but they’re personable. And there are a lot of the opposite; beautiful and cruel. This guy had neither. I felt like a piece of meat in the butcher’s window. And he was going to hand all my property over to my grandfather. My dad received it when he left, and Grandfather thought Dad would get tired of playing mortal and come home. When he didn’t, Grandfather started looking for other ways to get it back.” She was relaxing under Lisa’s carefully touch. “Big shock to him when they go to my firstborn. I’d almost like to see his face when he realizes it.”

   “But if you’re not pregnant…”

   “I don’t plan to stay that way.” She set the empty bowl aside, wrapping arms around her drawn-up knees. “I want lots of kids. David’s eyes and my hair… Maybe my eyes and his hair…” She drifted off, still murmuring.

   Lisa helped her to stretch out, then sipped out of the room, taking the empty plate and bowl with her. She almost ran into her husband in the hall.

   “How is the girl?” he asked.

   “Recovering,” Lisa replied. “Her family has been using her like a chess piece. I think she’s pleased to have turned herself into a queen.”

   “Her parents didn’t seem like the type to do these things. David’s spewing venom in the steam bath right and left.”

   “She never said it was her parents. She mentions her grandfather and an uncle the most. They must be a very strict family in that regard.”

   “Poor little mouse. And to think she had the courage to run away. Did the chamomile help?”

   “It knocked her back out. But she’s calm. And she’s very serious about marrying David. I feel more certain that we’re doing the right thing here.”

   “Prince Charming to Sleeping Beauty. Come in, Sleeping Beauty.”

   Adry smiled without opening her eyes recognizing the voice. “His name was Phillip in the movie, silly. Prince Charming was Snow White. And my mother is Sleeping Beauty.”

   “What?”

   She opened her eyes and sat up. “Sleeping Beauty’s name was Princess Aurora. It’s a running joke in my family, because her father was King Stephan. It borders on those things kids do not want to know about their parents.”

   David laughed. “So I’ve caught the daughter of a fairytale princess. These things end ‘and they all lived happily ever after,’ right?”

   “Usually.” She smiled at him and scooted over. “So are you joining me?”

   “Not just yet,” he sighed. “But I appreciate the invitation. You’ve got to get up. There are some things that need doing, and some things we have to talk about. And Melissa brought some clothes.” He handed her a pile of clothing.

   She looked through it quickly and nodded. “Should I pick something for the ceremony from this?”
   “No. Mom has something in mind already. Just put on whatever’s comfortable and come on out.” He stood up. “I’ll be waiting.”

   “You’re not staying for the floor show?”

   “You said we had to talk first.”

   She slid out of the bed and wrapped her arms around him. “We did. I’m fine with that.”

   The rough fabric of the flight suit was a much-needed distraction. “We’d never get out of here if I stayed.” He kissed her forehead. “We’re working against a time limit, and I don’t want to be rushed.” Her kissed her once more, then pulled away. “Quickly, love. We’re pushing it as it is.”

   She was dressed and out within minutes. “What do you need me to do?” she asked, tying her hair back into a knot.

   David handed her a sheet of paper. “This is the application for a marriage license. We have special permission from a Council member to waive the waiting period and tests, but this still has to be filed before they close. Billy’s waiting for you to sign it and then we’ll fax it back to him and he’ll turn it in and get the license and bring it out.”

   Adry took it and the pen he offered. “Never hurts to have friends in high places.”

   “Family, actually. Billy’s my husband. I’m Jessica.” She was taller than Adry, with dark hair and eyes. “Billy’s the Council member for the Cherokee tribes.”

   “Wow. I’m getting in higher than I thought.”

   “You’ll manage,” David said, leading her to a chair. She sat and read through the information quickly, then signed the empty line.

   “Okay,” she said, handing it back. “What else?”

   Michael and Lisa sat down across from her. “We need to know what specifically is involved in a ceremony your grandfather and uncle will recognize. If we are to have any hope of protecting you form them, we must be able to say we have done everything the way they would have it done.”

   Adryanna cast her mind back over all the ceremonies she’d seen in her visit to Avalon. “The bond of blood was the most important. Both people had their hand cut, then pressed them together. Then your blood is one and you can’t be separated. If anyone questioned it, they’d find out if they’d slept together. That almost never happened, though. It’s an insult to question a bonding.”

   “Were there particular words used?”

   “Just that they would love each other and remain true. And come home to Avalon. But that’s really only for people who go out from Avalon. I may be a princess there, but it’s not my home.”

   “That reminds me,” Michael said, picking up a newspaper. “Your disappearance has not gone unnoticed.”

   Adry sighed. “I didn’t think it would, really. Too much to hope for.” She read the headline he pointed out. “‘International Search for Missing Heiress.’ That’s a bit dramatic, isn’t it? ‘Interpol called in to consult.’ Uncle O’s gone way overboard there.” She set the paper down. “If I call my parents, the police or whoever are going to trace it right back here and people will start getting arrested.” She chewed her lip in thought. “I need to get a hold of someone who will call them and tell them I’m fine without getting into trouble.”

   "It's international dear, not intergalactic. Besides, there is nothing yet that allows off world authorities to remove anyone from New Eden. Why do you think Mac has been here so long?" Zan pointed out.

   “Still, I can’t leave them with no idea of what’s going on. And a call from way out here would alert someone to something. Not all my relatives care about international or intergalactic law.” She considered a few more moments. “I need to e-mail someone, I think.”

   “We can arrange that, I think,” Lisa said. “I think the only problem left is that we have no member of your family here to represent you. It’s not absolutely necessary, but I think it would be good.”

   “The ones who could get here in time wouldn’t be very willing to help, I don’t think.”

   “Well, we won’t worry about that now.” There was a knock at the door, and one of the girls went to answer it. She reappeared a moment later, a bulky figure following her.

   “Hey, gang. Have you seen… Oh, there you are, Zanna. I was starting to wonder when you were going to appear again.” Will saw the back of an additional dark-haired figure at the table. “Aurora? What are you doing…?”

   Adry turned to face him, then erupted from the chair and launched herself into his arms. “Oh, Uncle Will. I’m in such a mess.”

   He patted her back. “Okay. Whatever it is, your mom can fix it--”

   She shook her head violently. “She can’t get involved. It’s one of those things.”

   Lisa and Michael exchanged looks. “She called him uncle without prompting,” Michael pointed out.

   “It works for me. Will, can you stay for a while?”

   He looked up from Adry’s rambling explanation. “You need me for something?”

   “She’s claimed you as a family member. It will make this whole thing that much easier.”

   He nodded. “I think I get the picture.” He looked sternly at Adryanna. “You have talked to your mother about this?”

   “I’ve told her as much as I can. But if my grandfather finds out where I am too soon, he’ll haul me out of here.”

   Will looked around at the stony set of the faces around him. It seemed that whatever Adryanna had gotten herself into, and according to Aurora’s tales, it could be quite involved, she would not easily be removed from Zan’s family. “All right. I’m in, whatever you plan to do. But you should plan on explaining to your mother once things are settled.”

   “Thanks, Uncle Will. I promise I’ll do it.” She sat down next to David again. “So what are we left with?”

   Lisa studied the list. “Should we have the exchange of baskets with the rings?”

   “That should be fine. What about the hand-cutting ritual?”

   “Just before we tie the knots, I think. What about rings?”

   “I have one,” David said.

   Adry looked surprised. “You do?”

   “I wasn’t leaving anything to chance.” He wrapped a hand around hers.

   “Well, that’s good,” his father said. “I think we can find something around here to manage with until you and Adry have some time to find something more permanent for you, David.”

   “Wait,” Adry said, freeing her hand to slide a gold ring off her hand. “My grandmother gave me this years ago, a couple of day after we first met,” she told David. “It was my grandfather’s. He couldn’t wear it after he was modified. I want you to have it.”

   Lisa looked down at her list again. “That covers just about everything.” She checked her watch and frowned. “We need to get things moving. Zan, can you take Adryanna to James and Jenny’s cabin? I’ll make sure the dress is delivered to you there, and you’ll have some privacy to send your e-mail. The rest of you can head out to the circle. There’s still a bit of work to do before we can proceed.”

   Adryanna stared out the small window at the gathering of people in the clearing behind the cabin. “I can’t see anything,” she complained, wiping her damp palms on the full skirt of her dress.

   “There’s not very much to see right now,” Zan said from the front room. “They’re Calling the Corners now, most likely.” They could hear the chime of bells through the open window.

   “Will’s coming,” Adry noted, joining Zan. “I guess this is it, right?”

   “Unless you’re having second thoughts.”

   She shook her head. “No. I want to do this. It’s just been a tense few days, and now I don’t have to worry about much but flubbing my lines and finding myself married to one of David’s brothers or something.”

   Zan snorted. “Not likely. David’s happier than I’ve ever seen him, not to mention jumpier. He won’t let anything go wrong.” There was a knock at the door, and Zan opened it.

   “They’re ready,” Will said, carefully staying outside.

   Zan took Adry’s hand. “We’re on our way.’

   The sights and sounds swirled around Adry, and later, she would be hard pressed to remember any of the details, except for the warmth of David’s hand in hers, and the anguished look in his eyes as blood welled from the cut on her hand. ‘I’m sorry,’ he mouthed as their hands were wrapped round with cord, right and left in a figure-8. She felt the tingle as her palm started to heal and focused on sending the feeling into David’s hand, warm beneath hers. He kissed her then as the ceremony wound down, and she could feel her familiar power in him like a beacon, calling to her and her people.

   “…And in continuing news tonight, the missing daughter of a Colorado entrepreneur has apparently been in contact with her parents. She was reported missing from a relative’s home in British Columbia, sparking an international search. Though her current location was not disclosed, she apparently stated that she was there by her own consent, well, and in good spirits.”

   “So are you happy?”

   Adryanna lay sprawled on her stomach, the soft hair of the fur below her tickling her bare skin. David’s fingers combed through her hair from where he knelt behind her.

   “Mmm, yeah,” she answered. “You?”

   “I could get used to it. Sorry my family was so nosy.” He was twisting her hair up, moving it off the smooth skin of her back.

   “I’ll get used to it.” She felt more than heard his laughter.

   His hands roamed her back, finding, cataloguing, memorizing each laugh, sigh and gasp. Everywhere he touched left trails of fire on her skin, and she sank further into the sensations sinking into her. His hands slid her arms, reaching out to cover her own hands, his body covering hers like a blanket. Heat radiated from him, driving out the lingering emotional chill her enforced visit with her relatives had left her with; the warmth of his love melting the cold of their manipulative maneuverings.

   He kissed the back her neck and the tendon between neck and shoulder, nudging aside the leather thong that secured her dreamcatcher around her throat. He nibbled at her shoulder, then stretched up to possess her ear as she turned her head further to the side.

   His hands slid back up her arms and slipped under her, more heat seeping up from his touch, and it pleased her groggy brain to understand where the ‘Fire’ in his name came from. His hands continued their tour, recording and cataloguing each sigh and shift. Then they slid around her waist, lifting her up as he raised himself back up to his knees and holding her easily until she found her balance.

   Her dark hair fell back across her shoulders, covering her to the hips. David gathered it up and braided it quickly, trying the end with a handy thong and sliding it back over her pale shoulder. “You’re so pale,” he whispered, hands sliding around to caress her again. “Like moonlight on snow. Beautiful and magical. I’m afraid to blink; you might vanish.”

   “Never again,” she whispered back. “Mom said once there’s a pull, like a compass pointing true North. You’ll always know where I am.”

   “Good. I never want to feel that empty again.” His hand stole up to toy with the pendant at her neck. “If I hadn’t known you were alive….”

   “Shhh. All over now. Don’t think about it.”

   “I want to join with you,” he whispered, and felt her laugh.

   “We’re getting there, I think.”

   “It’s not that.” He held her tight against him, still afraid to let go, and her head tilted back against his shoulder. “It’s more than a joining of bodies. It’s souls, spirits, merging, being one. I want to be a part of you forever.”

   She turned her head to kiss whatever she could reach, his jaw in this case.   “All right. As long as it’s not an either/or situation. I didn’t tell you before, but I’m into the bodies thing, too.”

   “It’s the whole enchilada, love, with extra sauce on the side.”

   “I like spicy,” she replied with a distracting shimmy.

   “You’re going to skip the best part if you keep that up.” He stretched her out on the fur again and covered her pale skin with his own.

   It was different this time, she let herself think. He was different. Not searching or looking for responses, but guiding, leading her someplace where nothing but feeling mattered. The sliding sensation as he entered went on and on, til she realized that his soul was sinking into her along with his body. The wonderful heat was inside her now, in her arms, her legs, in her head. She was distantly aware that they were moving in concert, but it was irrelevant in the face of the heat she basked in. Then the heat grew and she started to feel singed, then burned. David, David, it burns. She didn’t know if she had called out to him or merely thought it, but she heard his voice somewhere, soft and reassuring. It’s okay. You’ll walk out the other side, I promise.

   The heat was rising, and she rose with it, the image of a phoenix popping into her head. It rose from the heart of the blue-white fire, shedding flames from its wings. Then she was the phoenix, rising from the conflagration. It spiraled higher and higher, then cried out with her voice, and she plummeted toward darkness.

   With the last fringe of consciousness, she felt David’s kiss on her cheek. “I knew it would be you,” he whispered, and then she was gone.

   Adryanna woke curled against David, their legs tangled in a complicated knot.

   “Well, good morning. I was starting to wonder if you were ever coming back.”

   She blinked rapidly, trying to force comprehension.

   He must have read it in her face. “It’s getting near noon. You’ve been out for hours.”

   She tiled up an eyebrow, indicating that it certainly hadn’t been her idea.

   “Anyway, everyone’s probably wondering if we’re getting up today.”

   She felt the blood rush up to her cheeks. But the damage was likely done already. His collection of siblings and their spouses probably had a pool going on how long they would remain sequestered. She started to slide over him when the tangle of their legs stopped her. She flopped back and started the arduous task of unwinding herself.

   “Naked Twister.” The words popped out of her mouth without warning.

   He laughed out loud, then broke off suddenly, putting a gentle finger to her lips when she started to ask a question. “Oh, hell,” he muttered. “They’ve found us. I really hoped we’d have more time.”

   She could hear the voices now, and no one sounded especially pleased. “Shit.” It was a strange time to regain control of her verbal skills.

   David sighed. “We won’t let them take you. Welcome to the third Battle of Wounded Knee.”

   She pushed the covers aside grimly. “Not if I can help it.”

   His father was arguing with the tallest of the three men. David saw Adryanna’s father among them, clearly unhappy with the tall man. David joined his brothers, another tall, dark-haired figure in a sea of bodies, frowning at their ribald whispers.

   “My son and his wife are in seclusion. If she wishes to contact you later, she’s free to do so, but we will not disturb them.”

   “She is a willful child who has run away from home. We must discipline her as we see fit.”

   Adry’s father intervened. “Now wait a minute, Oberon. If this is what Adryanna wants, Aurora and I support her decision.”

   “That is not an option, brother. You and Jareth were always besotted by the idea of true love, and Adryanna has run wild because of it. She must come back and do as her grandfather orders.”

   “I don’t know who you think you are, Mr. Oberon, but if Adryanna’s father accepts the arrangement, it’s good enough for me.” He offered his hand to Steven. “I’m Michael RunningHorse. David is my son.”

   He took it. “Steven Landon. I believe we met briefly at Duchess Zannatasia’s Christmas Gala, but it’s good to see you again, Mr. RunningHorse. David is a good man.”

   “Thank you. I look forward to knowing your daughter better. She is welcome here always.”

   “Steven, it is not your decision. Father is her guardian. He wants her to marry Morabus.”

   “He might not get his way,” the third man said. David moved toward the back of the pack. At the rate things were going, they could probably go back to bed. But he wasn’t about to leave with the outcome in doubt. The third man, the crafty looking one, was continuing. “Jareth Landon. I’m Steven’s older brother. You mentioned that my niece had married your son?”

   “Yes…”

   He smiled. “Well, that’s it, then. Her grandfather’s guardianship ends with her marriage. Throw some rice, crack open some champagne, and let’s toast the happy couple.”

   “I see no couple,” Oberon said stubbornly. “I have yet to see my niece. I have no way of knowing if she is not being held against her will.”

   For David, that was the final straw. He stormed across the grounds. “That’s about enough! You have insulted my wife, but you are her family, so I will let it go. You dismiss my family’s importance, but you do not know us, so I let it go. But you do not accuse us of abducting or holding someone against their will. Not after what you’ve done. She was lured among you then locked up to await a fate she did not want. She begged my foster sister for help because no one else would dare. She doesn’t blame any of you. She understands why this crap works this way. But I don’t, so I can find plenty of blame to spread around.” He turned and stormed back to the cabin, slamming the door behind him.

   Michael RunningHorse shrugged. “My son is passionate.”

   “Indeed,” said Oberon. “I must speak to my niece,” he continued. His tone had more to do with reason than orders. “If the marriage is valid, she will have the right to do as she wishes. But a punishment will have to be invoked for defying her guardian’s will.”

   “I will speak to David,” Michael offered. “Perhaps something can be done.”

   David ignored the knock at the cabin door, holding Adryanna against him, rocking back and forth. “I won’t let you go,” he whispered over and over.

   “David, let me in, please,” his father called finally.

   “Go away. They can’t have her.”

   Michael sighed. David had been so cool for so long, so detached from emotion, and suddenly this girl no one had seen before had brought him back to life. If only the timing wasn’t so bad.

   “We’re trying to work something out, David, but we can’t do it alone. Will you please let me in? I need to speak to Adryanna.”

   He relaxed his grip a little. “Okay?” he asked.

   She nodded. “Yes.”

   He let her go long enough to open the door, then returned to her, wrapping arms around her possessively.

   “Good morning, Daughter,” Michael greeted her.

   “Good morning, Father,” she replied promptly, and he smiled.

   “You’re a good girl.”

   “Depends on who you ask. Uncle O. wants something.”

   Kestrel In Flight nodded. “He says if you marriage is valid, you may do as you wish, but you will be punished. Your uncle has great power. It could be difficult to force him to leave.”

   She tipped her head back against David shoulder, thinking. “I’ll see him,” she said at last. “I’ve done everything I can think of to make this work. And if it’s not enough, I’m not going to cooperate with his plan. He may haul me off, but I won’t consent to anything. Eventually, he’ll give up. My heart is here.” She laced her fingers through David’s then pulled out of his grip. “Let’s do this before I lose my nerve.”

   When Adryanna stepped out into the sunlight, she felt every eye trained on her. There were murmurs, gasps, and quite a few nods of approval.

   “What?” she asked.

   “Look at you skin,” David murmured. He seemed in awe of something too.

   Adry had thrown on a sundress while David had been outside, and it left her arms bare to the shoulders. She’d been singing at all-night bar gigs for so long that she knew her normal faint tan had faded. But when she looked at her exposed arms in the bright New Eden sun, they were golden-brown, the kind of color that took her months of careful tanning, getting enough exposure to color her skin without burning it. And it had happened in a night.

   “I was burning up,” she whispered.

   “And you walked out the other side,” David said. “I told you that you would.”

   “Ka!” Michael shouted, calling for attention, thought it was already focused on them. “My son has brought his wife to us, and the Great Spirit has given to me her name. She is SunBird, guarded by the Phoenix.”

   One by one they came to greet her, murmuring greetings and welcoming her again. Finally, she was left with her father and uncles on one side, and the entire clan behind her. It was a reassuring feeling. She squeezed David’s hand, then released it and crossed the intervening ground.

   “Good morning, Father, Uncles.”

   Oberon stared at her a moment. “You have created quite a problem for us, Niece. The police and media have been involved in the search, and many questions have been asked. We have had to work quickly to keep things quiet for the rest of the family.”

   “Yes, Uncle.”

   “You have nothing to say for yourself?”

   “I don’t answer to you anymore. Grandfather is no longer my guardian.” She held up her right hand, palm out to expose the scarred cut across the base of her thumb. She had healed with the same speed as the rest of the family.

   “Your consort is marked as well?”

   “Yes.” She smiled sweetly at him. “Tell Morabus I’m sorry it didn’t work out.”

   “We can require further proof of your marriage, Princess. Do not test me.”

   She made a show of looking around. “I don’t see my mother or my aunts. You don’t have any women to examine me.”

   “Women are permitted as a consideration. They are not required to perform the examination,” he warned her.

   “Let it go, Oberon,” Steven growled. “I’ll knock you down at least once before you smear me all over the ground, and I’ll make it a good one. I acknowledge my daughter’s marriage.”

   “I acknowledge as well,” Jareth said. “It’s two against one, brother. Steven and I can call another who’s sympathetic to her cause, and then it won’t matter anymore. Wouldn’t you like to have some power here?”

   “You should have been a lawyer,” Oberon muttered. “Very well. I acknowledge. But you will be punished, Princess. Adryanna of Avalon, you are forbidden to travel to the Isle from this day until five years hence. You are further forbidden from making use of your gifts for a 12-month. If you admire the mortals enough to defy us and be with them, you will be as one. Should you violate these strictures without specific permission from your grandfather or me, we will find cause to violate your marriage. Do you accept these terms?”

   She caught the slight nod from her father. “I do. Thank you for coming, Uncle.” Her smile was wicked. “Oberon of Avalon, you are not welcome here.”

   His face twisted, and with a slight pop, he vanished.

   Steven wrapped her in a bear hug. “That was brilliant.”

   “It’s sacred ground. Anyone welcome here can do it.”

   Michael RunningHorse joined them, with David close behind. “Welcome, gentlemen. What a marvelous display. Now, who’s ready for a party?”

   Jareth offered one of his most charming smiles. “I’m afraid I can’t stay, but thank you for the offer. I do need a moment with my niece before I go, though.”

   “Of course,” Michael agreed. “Com on, David.”

   Adry wove her fingers through David’s and pulled his arms around her. “David should hear this, Father. It’s all right. We’re in no danger now.”

   Michael nodded after a moment and stepped away.


   Jareth studied them for a long moment. “You’ve certainly gone and done it this time, haven’t you, Princess?”

    “I wouldn’t have had to if Grandfather wasn’t so greedy or underhanded. He and I could have talked about it.” She shrugged.

   Jareth’s smile turned tight and knowing. “Your grandfather isn’t in the habit of talking about what he wants.” He sighed. “You’ve complicated things, my dear. You know Oberon will not permit your father to oversee your punishment.” He shot Steven a look. “He would be entirely too lenient. So it falls to me. You may use your gifts only in the direst of emergencies. We would not have you die over this. Now I must go and listen to Oberon rage. Be a good girl. Make us proud of you.”

   She stepped forward and kissed him on each pale cheek. “One for you, and one for Aunty. Tell her I send my love.”

   “Of course.” He looked at Steven. “Well, brother?”

   “Take Aurora and the boys home for me, if you would. I‘ll stay and make sure she’s settled in.”

   “With pleasure.” He bowed floridly, then turned and walked away.

   “The city’s the other way,” David said as Jareth receded into the distance. “Where’s he going?”

   “I’ll tell you later,” Adry said, leaning back into his embrace. “Well, Dad?”

   “Why didn’t you say something sooner? It would have saved several people, yourselves included, quite a bit of trouble.”

   “Because David and I are probably a pair of the worst procrastinators in the world. Worlds. I don’t know. What do you think, love?”

   “I don’t know. I’ll get back to you later.’

   “Daddy, it’s all right. I know you’re going to say that you would have thrown us the biggest wedding Colorado’s seen in a decade, but that’s not what’s important to me.”

   Steven opened his mouth to protest, then had to laugh. “Second biggest. But if this is what makes you happy, then I’m all for it. So, young man. Your father, I believe, said something about a party. I imagine it’s not much fun without the guests of honor.” He kissed Adry on the forehead. “Don’t keep everyone waiting too long.”

   Adry watched him join the crowd, greeting Will and Zan fondly, shaking hands with David’s multitude of siblings. She squealed a little when David’s arms snaked around her waist and lifted her into the air. “David!”

   “Shall I put you down back inside?” he whispered.

   His breath was warm against her ear and she shivered. “Later. Your family is putting together this great party for us. We have plenty of time.”

   “Better than that, love. We have forever.”

*THE END*

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