Aurora Abroad Page 9

  “That’s not to say I want to get married. Wait... what did you say about winning?”

  “You’ve won. You’ve already won the princess’ heart. She’s practically obsessed with you.”

  If his raised eyebrow was any indication, Lyric‘s interest was piqued. “She is?”

  “I’d say so. All she does it talk about you. All her simpering and pouting... and the way she fawns over you when we sit down for breakfast. It’s so obvious. And it’s really sickening to watch, by the way.”

  Aurora started walking again, but Lyric stepped in front of her. He wasn’t through with her yet. “Sickening? Why is it sickening? Only someone who is blinded by her own jealousy would say something like that.”

  “Wait... what... jealousy? What would I be jealous of?”

  “Jealous of Rachelle. You’re jealous of our relationship because you want me for yourself.”

  Aurora was silent as she let his words sink in. When it hit her, she doubled over with laughter. A lot of laughter. She clutched her stomach and erupted in a fit of giant, belly-shaking chuckles. She laughed until she was gasping for breath.

  Lyric’s brow creased as he listened to her laughter. “What’s so funny?”

  Aurora wiped tears from her eyes and took a breath. “I’m sorry...” she uttered through her laughter. “I’m sorry... it’s just... it’s just....” She couldn‘t finish her thought; the demons of laughter possessed her again.

  “Stop it! Stop laughing this instant!”

  Aurora drew another sharp breath, and her laughter finally subsided. “I’m sorry. But when you said I wanted you, I couldn’t stop myself. Trust me, you couldn’t be more wrong. No offense, Emperor, but I can hardly stand to be around you!”

  His expression didn’t change in the slightest. He didn't appear to be the least bit affronted by her words. “Well, anyway, as I was saying, I’m leaving the castle.”

  “Right. So am I.”

  “Of course you are. Because you’re coming with me.”

  “Sure. Okay. Goodbye.”

  When she started to walk away, Lyric grabbed her around the waist. “Nuh uh uh. Didn’t you hear what I just said? You’re coming with me.”

  “You’re kidnapping me?”

  “No.”

  “Placing me under arrest?”

  “Well, no, not exactly.”

  Aurora grabbed his arm and swung it away from her. “Then why in the world do you think I’m going with you?”

  “Because you’re supposed to be my cousin, and I can’t leave without my cousin, can I? It would look odd if we left the castle and went our separate ways. Besides, you said you were going to gather information, but this is a rather small town. You’d have much more success if I dropped you off in the next town.”

  “So you’re asking me to come with you so you can save face with Princess Rachelle?”

  “Well, yes... more or less. If my cousin and I part ways too soon, she might start to doubt that you’re my cousin at all!”

  Aurora shook her head. “She doesn’t seem to doubt it in the least. Maybe you’re just paranoid.”

  “Or maybe I’m right. Come on.” He offered her his hand, but she didn’t take it. She stared at his fingers as if they were each a vial of poison that he was asking her to drink. “I won’t ask you to do anything else... just do this for me. You got me into this mess. It’s your obligation to help me out of it.”

  Aurora held her breath for a few seconds, then slowly expelled it. Against her better judgment, she could feel her hesitation melting away. “You’ll drop me off in the next town?”

  Lyric nodded. “Of course!”

  “You’ll let me walk away, and you won’t say a word?”

  “Yes... yes!”

  “You swear it?”

  “Yes, I swear!”

  “Okay, fine. I’ll go with you.”

  And that was her first mistake of the day.

  V

  LYRIC HELPED HER INTO the carriage and slid into the seat beside her. He promptly closed the door, latched it, and pulled the curtain over the window.

  “It seems like you’re in a hurry to get away,” Aurora observed.

  “I am in a hurry.”

  “Don’t you want to say goodbye to the princess?”

  “No, not really.”

  “Why’s that?”

  “You know how you said you were annoyed by her simpering and pouting? Well, I’ll let you in on a little secret. It annoys me too. “ The emperor lifted one end of the curtain and peeked out. “We’re not moving yet.”

  “So you don’t like the princess?”

  Lyric clasped his hands together in a prayer-like position and kept them that way until the carriage started moving. “Oh, I like her well enough, don’t get me wrong. She’s a beautiful girl, quite possibly the prettiest woman I’ve ever seen. But all of her doting can get a little...”

  “Irritating.”

  “Well, yes. So, anyway, now that the carriage is moving, how about a change of subject?” He thoughtfully tapped his chin. “Let us imagine, for a moment, how you might look in a stockade...”

  His words were like a slap to the face. “Lyric!”

  “Yes?”

  “You said you’d drop me off at the next town!”

  “Yes, I suppose I did say that.”

  Her fury shone through her eyes like a window. “Now you’re going to put me in prison?”

  “That’s the plan, yes.”

  “You’re going back on your word!?”

  “An emperor doesn’t have to keep his word to a peasant, does he?”

  Aurora reached across his lap and tried to unhook the latch on the carriage door. When he tickled her back into her seat, she nearly punched his face in retaliation. Her balled fist stopped short of his nose.

  “Hit me,” he tempted her. “I like it when you get angry. It fascinates me. Of course, I can’t promise you won’t have to suffer the consequences...”

  Aurora sat back in her seat and crossed her arms. “I hate you, you know.”

  “Good. Oh, and, uh... do forgive me if you’re not exactly my favorite person in the world.”

  “If you were drowning in a pit of quicksand, I wouldn’t pull you out!”

  “Ooo. Harsh.” Her anger made his eyes dance with amusement, but that didn’t stop her.

  “If the bridge troll wanted to tear you limb from limb, I would help him!”

  “Even harsher. You’re getting good at spewing enmity, aren’t you? I’m impressed.”

  “If I’m getting good at it, it’s because you make it so easy for me. I hate you so much, it’s—”

  “Rrrrrrrrrrrrrriiiiiiiiii”

  An odd shriek pierced the sky, and Aurora forgot what she was saying. “Did you hear that?” she asked. “That was the strangest noise...”

  “It was probably just the wind.”

  “The wind?! I’ve never heard wind that sounds like that.”

  “yyyyyyyyrrrrrrrrrrii”

  Aurora gasped. “There it was again!”

  “It was the wind!”

  “No, it sounded like a voice!” Aurora insisted. She lifted the curtain and tilted her ear in the direction of the window. “Listen!”

  “Lyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyrriiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiic!”

  When Aurora realized where the noise was coming from, she had to purse her lips to keep from laughing.

  “Oh God...” Lyric clasped a hand to his forehead in grief. “Can we tell the carriage driver to go a bit faster?”

  “Lyrrrrrrrrrriiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiic!”

  The carriage driver didn’t speed up; in fact, he stopped the carriage entirely. A few seconds later, another carriage came to a stop behind them, and Princess Rachelle came flying out.

  “LYRIC!” Rachelle was gasping for breath by the time she got to him. She flung open his carriage door and nearly collapsed on the floor. All her shouting must have exhausted her. “Why did you leave the castle without telling me?!�
�

  Lyric looked over at Aurora, who smiled as she observed his predicament. “Yes, Lyric... why did you leave without telling the princess?”

  “I, uh, I, uh, I... uhhh...”

  “You’re so mean!” Rachelle shook a finger at him, like a mother scolding a small boy. “How could you do that!? How could you leave me like that? I thought you liked me!”

  “I do like you, of course. But there was, uh, an emergency back at my castle. I had to leave with haste, you see.”

  “You’re lying!” Rachelle whined.

  “No! I’m not!”

  “Then what is this emergency you’re talking about? What could possibly be more important than spending time with me?”

  “Nothing, of course!”

  Rachelle slammed the carriage door and started to walk away, which made Lyric jump out and pursue her. “Wait! Rachelle!”

  “I don’t want to talk to you! I hate you!”

  Aurora popped her head out of the carriage. She wasn’t going to miss the opportunity to see Lyric squirm.

  Lyric winced. He wasn’t having a very good day. He felt as if the women in his life were giving him more grief than any man should be forced to endure. “You don’t mean that!”

  “Of course I mean it!”

  “But I didn’t do anything wrong!”

  “Yes you did!”

  “No, I didn’t!”

  “Yes you did! Look... not even your cousin can stand to be around you!”

  Lyric turned around to see what Rachelle was talking about. While he was embroiled in a lover’s quarrel, Aurora slipped out of the carriage and calmly departed the scene. His prisoner was getting away! “Oh, no you don’t!” Before he could give chase, a scream from Rachelle pulled him back in the other direction.

  Two cloaked figures were heading in Rachelle’s direction. They came out of nowhere, moving so quickly that it would have been impossible to escape. As if on air, they floated toward her, their tatty monk robes billowing behind them. One of the creatures reached for Rachelle, extending a ghost-white hand. Layers of silvery skin were dangling from the outstretched hand, like skinned fish gills. There was a scattering of red, open sores, like broken boils, across the hooded figure’s chalky knuckles.

  “Lyric!” It was Aurora who shouted his name. She was running back in his direction, pursued by one of the cloaked wraiths. His hood fell back a bit, exposing a slit-like nose.

  “Lyric!” Rachelle cried out for him too. The creature seized her around the waist and proceeded to drag her away. Lyric clutched his head as he watched the scene unfold. If the women were expecting him to be a hero, they were asking the wrong man!

  “Wait.” One of the wraiths spoke, his voice low and raspy. “Wait a moment. Are you sure we have the right girl?” He placed a bony finger under Rachelle’s chin and lifted her head. He turned her head left and right as he observed her, digging his curled yellow fingernails into her skin.

  “Of course we have the right girl,” the other argued. “Medea said she was a princess, and this one’s dressed like a princess.”

  The third wraith chased Aurora all the way back to the carriages, where she took cover behind Lyric. She didn’t mind using him as a shield. If someone was going to get ripped to shreds, it might as well be him.

  “I’m not so sure. Look at that one... the one cowering over there.” He thrust a sickening hand in Aurora’s direction. “She’s got the red hair.”

  “Hmm... you’re right. Why don’t we just take ‘em both?”

  “Lyric! Lyric, help me!” Rachelle reached for him, desperate to be saved by her beau who, truth be told, looked every bit as frightened as she did.

  “That’s a good plan. Yes, a good plan indeed.”

  When Aurora saw the wraith move toward her, she reached into the pocket of her dress and felt around for the wayspinner. “Oh please,” she whispered to herself. “Oh, please let it work right now...”

  A bony hand was reaching for her, its fingernails promising pain. Before it could reach her, Aurora found the dial, grabbed Lyric by the hand and—

  A white light.

  Chapter Four

  I

  “CAN YOU EXPLAIN TO me what happened there? What in the world was that? What in the world were those... those creatures?!”

  “I have no idea.”

  They were out of the frying pan and into the freezer, but they were too shaken to notice their new predicament. They were adrift at sea. They were floating on a small dingy, tossed by the open water.

  “I just wanted to go back home! That’s all I wanted! And here I am, back where I started. I don’t believe this. Well, at least I’m not naked this time. And I can’t complain, because who knows what might be happening to Rachelle right now? Oh, poor Rachelle! But what could we have done? Those creatures wanted to abduct her... what could I have done to stop them? And it wasn’t as if it was my choice to flee. I’m only here because of you.”

  “Lyric.” She tried to get his attention, to get him to stop talking, but it was no use.

  “What do you think they’ll do to her? What do you think they wanted? I wish I could have done something! I feel so powerless sometimes.”

  “Lyric!” She tapped him on the shoulder and tried to direct his eyes to the water that surrounded them on all four sides.

  “You think I haven’t noticed that we’re adrift on a tiny boat in the middle of the ocean?” he snapped. “Believe it or not, it has crossed my mind.”

  “Well, you don’t have to be rude about it!” Aurora crossed her arms and turned away from him. “Then again, you’ve never been anything but rude. Maybe you can’t help it! I’m getting sick of your sarcasm!” A strong wave smashed against the side of their dingy. She had to grab both sides of the boat so she wasn’t thrown overboard.

  “I was so close! SO close!” Lyric whimpered. “I was a carriage ride away from being back in my kingdom... back to my nice, warm bed!”

  “And Pooka.”

  He reeled on her. “Pardon?”

  “Pooka. Your stuffed bear.”

  “Right... wait... WHAT?!” Lyric’s eyes snapped open. “How in the world do you know about Pooka!?”

  “I woke up in bed with you, remember?”

  “How could I forget?”

  “And I heard you mumbling about Pooka.” Aurora rolled her eyes. “Most men your age would be cuddling women, not stuffed bears. What are you, twenty-five? Thirty?”

  “My age is none of your business!” Like a little boy, he stuck out his tongue.

  “So, anyway...” Aurora looked in every direction, but there was no land in sight. She tapped her fingers against her sunburned cheek, noting its warmth. The sun was hot, the water was rough, and there were storm clouds on all four sides of them. It didn’t look promising. “We’ve got nothing to row with. What are we supposed to do... drift?”

  “Well, you could row with your hands.”

  “You could row with your hands! I don’t care if you’re an emperor or whatever. I’m sick of you ordering me around!”

  “Jumpy, jumpy...“ With a shake of his head, Lyric lied down and kicked up his feet. His boots were inches away from Aurora’s head, which she thought was quite rude. They didn’t really have much room to move around. “I wasn’t ordering you around, I was just making a suggestion.”

  “It’s nice that you can relax.”

  “Aha! Who’s being sarcastic now?”

  “I’m not being sarcastic. If you can relax when we’re in the middle of the ocean on a teeny, tiny boat, more power to you!”

  Lyric erupted with a loud, long yawn—as if to express his disinterest in what she was saying. “Listen, if we’re going to have to tolerate each other’s company, we could stand to cut out the hostility.”

  “That’s the most sensible thing you’ve ever said, but I hope you’re not excluding your own hostility. You haven’t exactly been nice to me!”

  “Well, you haven’t exactly been nice to me either, have you?”
Lyric tucked his hands under his head and studied her. “It’s about time you stopped the act, don’t you think?”

  “The act? What act?”

  “The whole pretending to hate me thing. It’s almost embarrassing to watch you feign hatred when I know you have an overwhelming attraction to me.”

  Aurora shoved his feet away from her. “Oh, here we go again.”

  “I can tell when a woman wants me. You can lie beside me, if you’d like.”

  “Lyric, get it through your head... I’m not attracted to you! I’d sooner lie beside a poisonous snake!”

  “Say what you want, girl, but I don’t believe you. The lie is on your lips, but the truth is in your eyes. I can see it.”

  Aurora couldn’t even stand to look at him. If she made eye contact with him for another second, she knew she’d be tempted to throw him overboard. So she turned her gaze to the purplish clouds that loomed in the distance. The sun, once blazing, had disappeared behind them. “I really wish you’d call me by my name.”

  “And what was it? I’m afraid I’ve forgotten it. Wait... don’t tell me.” He held up a finger and squinted his eyes in concentration. “Adelaide, was it?”

  She shook her head.

  “Ambrose?”

  She shook her head again.

  “Adalia? Amaryllis? I’m pretty sure it started an A.” When he saw her eyes narrow in disgust, Lyric chuckled. “I’m joking, I’m joking! Of course I remember your name! I introduced you to Rachelle, remember?”

  Aurora didn’t say a word, she just glared at him. She couldn’t think of anything worse than being stuck in his company again. She wondered why she decided to grab him before turning the wayspinner. It seemed like the natural thing to do, to get him out of harm’s way. But now she was regretting her concern for him.

  “I didn’t even know it would work,” she said aloud.

  “Huh?”

  “I didn’t even know it would work... when I grabbed you before I used the wayspinner. I just assumed that was how it worked.”

  Lyric looked clueless.

  “Don’t mind me. I’m just mumbling to myself.”

  A rumble of thunder in the distance warned them of treacherous waters ahead. Aurora’s expression was one of unease, but Lyric didn’t flinch.