Tara fidgeted with the waist of her corduroy walking suit. It was such a tedious outfit to put on and she dreaded doing it all over again, especially since the events of the last few days caught up with her and she felt abnormally tired. Keeping on the underskirt and pantalets, she positioned herself as comfortably as she could on the thick, feather mattress and did her best to sleep. Unable to accomplish total relaxation, her sleep was restless and fitful, leaving her attire in tussled disarray.Without the assistance of an attendant, she was unable to rectify the damage done to the alignment of her clothing before Joshua offered her a quick breakfast of coffee and cold biscuits to be eaten while they walked to the stables. She did her best to tug and adjust with her free hand, while she balanced the biscuit and coffee in the other hand and followed him to the stables. Noticing her dilemma, Joshua smiled to himself, but made no offer to assist. When they reached the stable,

Fiona watched the shooting star make its way across the rich blue sea of the cloudless night sky while she listened to Brandon’s footsteps steadily approach. They were solid steps belonging to a man of strength, determination and confidence. The brilliant moon cast his shadow past her long before his actual arrival. She regretted involving him with this mess. After all, he was just a time traveler with no magical skills to speak of. Placing him in such a risky position when she summoned him to her in the future almost cost him his life at the mercy of that demon. Was that really fair?“You’re deep in thought,” Brandon said in a hushed tone. “Am I interrupting?”“Not at all,” Fiona replied. “I was just thinking about what to do next.”“I’ve had some thoughts of my own. If you don’t mind I’d like to pass them by you,” he volunteered. Fiona looked at him long and

Her life force was ebbing away, making even that simple task of breathing an excruciating chore. Joshua aided her in sitting beneath the gnarled apple tree. Its rough bark cut into her back. Feeling the pain somehow reminded her she was still alive, so she made no move to adjust her position. He was off searching for more firewood. She hadn’t paid attention to the time, but it seemed like he should have been back by now. It would be dark soon. The last thing she wanted was to be alone in the wilds of the woods at night. She was completely defenseless against a myriad of predators that roamed the darkness. She hoped he’d return soon.Tara! Tara heard the voice so clearly that she swore the woman stood nearby. She turned her head quickly from left to right while she searched for its source.‘Tara, can you hear me!’ The voice echoed through her head. She wished her head was clearer, so she could tell who t

She felt like she was floating, or things were floating around her, she couldn’t tell which. Tara held her fingertips to her temples in hopes that the mild pressure she applied would help her equilibrium, but it didn’t. She heard, rather than saw the large dark cloaked figure before her. Where was Joshua? He’d whispered something in her ear, but she couldn’t recall what it was. Did he say they’d arrived? Arrived where? Oh, yes. They’d arrived in Shadow Land and he needed to go. Where did he need to go? Oh yes, he was going to see his beloved Luella. Wasn’t Lucy supposed to be his beloved? Didn’t he think she was Lucy?“Stand straight in the presence of our Lord and Master!” bellowed the guard as he cracked a small whip across her back.Tara screamed in pain and fell to her knees. Even if the whip hadn’t been used she was certain she’d have fallen to her knees anyway. Her legs were like rubber and h

Adam lay by the fire with his head resting on his paws. Things weren’t going well. The enchantress was sharp and suspicious. Instead of accepting him as a cute and cuddly collie that wandered into the boundary and was in need of human assistance she suspected him of being exactly what he was, a creature of the dark in disguise. He’d been laying low in an effort to gain her trust and convince her otherwise. He should have returned to Shadow Land with the witchdoctor in tow by now. If he couldn’t get the enchantress to soften soon, he’d have to abandon the idea of glory and fetch the witchdoctor. He really hoped it wouldn’t come to that. At least here, in the company of the enchantress and her companion, his life wasn’t at risk. He wanted to keep it that way. Delaying much longer would also put him in jeopardy with Balthazar. Any way he looked at it, getting the enchantress to enter Shadow Land with him was imperative. “How long d