A Thief of Nightshade(5)

That’s when she noticed that her eyes burned. Blinking, it took a few moments for her vision to clear. It also took a minute for the movement of the waves to register. She looked around, panicked to see that she was no longer at the lake. The ocean pushed her inland, where dense forests and high cliffs surrounded a black beach.

Oh, God. I’ve truly lost it.

She shook as she crawled to the shore. Sand? Sure enough, when she dug her fingers into it, it felt like sand. Okay, this is a little beyond hallucinating.

She heard the rumble of horses’

hooves like thunder in the distance. She’d spend too many years as a rider to mistake the sound for anything else. The shock proved too much and she couldn’t bring herself to move even as a dark mass of riders appeared at the crest of a nearby hill.

Where am I?

Before another thought could form, Aubrey was snatched up from behind and thrown onto the shoulders a giant furry beast. She cried out, which brought a giant paw to cover her mouth. She swore the creature shushed her. Once they had made it well past the wooded border, it dropped Aubrey onto the mossy forest floor.

“Are you trying to get yourself killed?” the creature asked.

She looked at it— at him—in mute disbelief.

It’s a bear, a talking bear. I don’t remember taking any pills.

Another voice piped up to her left, quieter and quite small in comparison.

“Maybe she can’t talk. Do they all talk? It is a she, right? Maybe we should turn it over and look.”

Aubrey turned to find a reddish brown flying squirrel resting comfortably on its haunches beside her, its cheeks stuffed full of something, to the point that bits and pieces scattered about as it spoke.

It spoke, too! They’re speaking!?

The bear shook his huge head and walked to the tree nearest them, laughing, to rub his backside against the bark. “No, no. That’s not a good idea at all. It’s most definitely a she and unfortunately yes, most of them talk. Though, this one looks to be a little on the slow side.”

I’ve hit my head on the dock. I’m dead. Harry will find me floating in the water all bloated like a fish. My mother will be horrified.

The squirrel came around and waved his little hand at her. “She doesn’t look so good. What if she’s a changeling?”

The bear answered with a low chuckle, “I doubt that my little friend—I found her too close to the ocean. Have you ever seen a changeling brave the waters?”

The bear’s words shook Aubrey from her stupor. She’d read of changelings in Jullian’s books—children stolen from the world of Man and raised in the Faerie court.

She looked up and managed to stutter, “I’m in Avalar?”

Both animals stopped their chatter and stared at her. The bear ambled closer to her. “Where else would you be?”

The squirrel laughed, more bits of food falling, but the bear’s dark eyes fell serious as he awaited her response.

Her gaze indeterminate, she chewed on her lower lip. “Jullian, why did you put this stuff into my head?”

The bear lowered to see her eye to eye. “Are you from the land of no magic?

Wake up and answer me!” An edge had crept into his tone; he sounded almost panicked.

She wanted to answer, but she shivered so much that she couldn’t speak.

All she could do was pray that Harry would wake her up soon and she vowed that she would get some professional help.

The squirrel had stopped laughing and had come to rest on the bear’s shoulder. “I’ve never heard of that world, where is Jullian?”

“It isn’t a world, little one,” the bear

said gravely. “It’s the Prince. He’s been brought back to Avalar.”

For a few seconds, Aubrey thought she heard Jullian’s voice. She opened her eyes, squinting against the bright light.

“She’s awake.” The bear came into view and her heart sank.

I’m still insane.

The space around her, though small, felt cozy and appeared to be the only room in what she guessed to be a cottage. A rich, savory scent filled her senses and she watched in amazement as a fox came to stand beside the bed, upright and fully clothed, with a cup in her hands.

“Here, dear, this will warm you up.

You’ve had quite a trip, I hear.” The fox’s voice sounded sweet and melodious. Her fur was a pretty shade of red, but had begun to gray a little around her snout and down her neck.

“You

wear

clothes,”

Aubrey

stammered.

The bear snorted, turning his back to them to fill his own cup with the soup.

“City folk. What’s the advantage of being a bear if you’ve still got to bother with buttons?”

“Don’t mind him, he’s just grumpy because he hasn’t gotten much sleep these last few days. He never left your side but the once, you know.”

“Days? I’ve been out that long?” She took note of her clean clothing, brushed suede riding pants and ivory shirt. Her hair, soaked the last time she’d checked, hung dry past her shoulders.

The fox smiled. “You must have needed the rest and I didn’t think your health would fare too well if I left you in those wet things. Does everything fit all right? Your clothes are clean and dry now, if you fancy changing back into them.”