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Aderyn

"There's something I've been meaning to to tell you."

"What's up?" I keep my attention glued to the map in front of me. It was a beautiful Thursday morning, a perfect day for hiking at the Hakatere Conservation Park, one of the most iconic places to visit in the New Zealand countryside.

Travis takes a seat next to me on the ground. "My contract's been renewed for another four years. By this time next month, I'll be stationed in Kabul."

It was a statement that definitely got my attention.

Long before we had married, Travis proudly spoke about joining the Army. His father, a war veteran, had insisted that he graduate from college before making such a big decision. Like a good son, he conceded to his old man's wishes.

We met at the University of Washington. Travis was a city boy, born and raised in Seattle. I, on the other hand, grew up in the middle of flatland Kansas. My parents passed away when I was a young girl, and so it fell to my Uncle Lon to take me in. He had no children of his own, and was more than happy to raise me.

Unlike my father, Uncle Lon took his Native American heritage very seriously, teaching me everything there was to know about Comanche culture. Being raised on a farm, I was no stranger to hard labor, and was confident enough to believe that I could survive whatever the military threw at me, which was why I enlisted into the service straight out of nursing school.

"You told me that you were getting out."

"I said I'd think about getting out. There's a difference."

"You can't be serious."

"Being a soldier is my life's calling, Aderyn," he says. "You know that."

I stand up and walk towards the open landscape. The mountains in the backdrop were a gorgeous sight to behold for sure, but even they were not enough to distract my growing agitation.

Travis approaches me from behind. "It's going to be alright, Aderyn." He slides his arms around my waist, his firm chest pressing against my back. "We're going to be alright. I promise."

~xXx~

We return to our Airbnb a few hours later, where Phoebe insisted that we join her and her husband, Charles, for dinner. Phoebe, it seems, turned out to be a fantastic cook, one who loved nothing more than to show off her culinary skills whenever she had the chance.

"There he goes again," Phoebe says.

"Hmm?" I follow her gaze to the living room, where Charles and Travis sat side by side on the sofa, looking at an old photo album.

"If you allow him, my husband will talk your ear off about the family history," Phoebe says, handing me a cup of tea. We had just finished washing and drying the dishes. "No matter how much I ask him to tone it down, he never listens. He's such a detailed storyteller."

I chuckle. "I'm sure Travis doesn't mind, being a history buff and all."

"And you?"

"Unfortunately not," I take a sip of my drink, relishing its sweet flavor. "I mean, I enjoy the subject, but it was never really my favorite."

"To each their own." Phoebe smiles. "Your husband mentioned that you were in the military as well."

I hum in confirmation. "Did two tours in Iraq."

"Must've been terrifying."

"The worst years of my life." I glance at my husband. "Travis doesn't like to talk about it very much."

Phoebe places her hand atop my forearm. "What the two of you did took a lot of bravery. Never forget that. What was your job in the service, if you don't mind my asking?"

"Combat nurse," I reply. "United States Navy."

"Impressive," she says. "And much more respectable profession than reading tea leaves for a living."

"Wait." I smirk. "You actually read tea leaves?"

"Like my grandmother taught me," she says proudly. "And her grandmother before that. I can show you, if you like? You might be in for real treat."

While I've always been skeptical to believe in such things, a part of me couldn't help but allow Phoebe to have her fun. I gulp down the rest of my lukewarm tea, and with a sly smile, Phoebe takes the cup from my hands. She flips the delicate china upside down onto her plate before turning it upright once more, studying the leaves intently.

"Well?" My grin is mischievous. "Am I going to meet a tall, dark and handsome stranger who will sweep me off my feet?"

Against my better judgement, my mind flashes back to the figure within the mirror, and I immediately squash down the unwanted vision.

"Maybe." Phoebe's smile slowly turns into a frown. "Maybe not. What I'm seeing here is contradictory. See the curved leaf here?" She points with a pinky finger. "It indicates a journey, yet it's crossed by a broken one, which means staying put."

"Staying put?" I narrow my eyes, not understanding.

Phoebe continues to peer at the contents carefully. "I see your husband amongst strangers," she says. "Several of them, if I'm reading the tea leaves correctly." She places the cup back down onto the table, and holds out her palm. "May I see your hand?"

With a nervous smile, I acquiesce. She grasps my fingers gently, turning the palm of my hand right side up. "Odd," she studies the lines carefully. "The pattern I'm seeing here in your hand... it's unlike anything I've encountered before."

Phoebe looks up at me, and grins. "This line means that you have a strong will not easily crossed, and this one over here...," she rubs the line in between the bottom of my palm. "This is your Mount of Venus."

"What's that?"

"Well," says Phoebe. "It means that you a have a deep, sexual sway over your husband, or any man, for that matter."

I blush bright red, making her chuckle. She continues to scrutinize the lines in my hand, and frowns. "The lifeline is interrupted into bits and pieces. And your...," she stiffens. "Your marriage line... it's divided."

"Divided?"

"It indicates two marriages," she explains. "Although..." Her eyes narrow, as if she too can't make any sense of this. "Most divided lines are broken you see, yet yours is... forked."

She meets my unwavering gaze with silence, and while I remain skeptical about Phoebe's palm-reading tricks, I couldn't shake the cold feeling of dread that she was telling the truth.

I jump at the sound of our husbands' cackling laughter as they stumble into the kitchen. With an apologetic smile, Phoebe releases my hand.

"Having fun?" Travis kisses the top of my head.

I glance at Phoebe, who begins studying my tea leaves once again. "Yeah," I say, my voice quiet. "Yeah."

~xXx~

With a satisfied groan, Travis collapses on top of me, his sweaty forehead resting against my shoulder. "That was..."

"Amazing," I finish for him, smiling and out of breath.

Travis rolls off of me. "Surviving without you while on deployment was torturous." He slides an arm around under my bare waist, pulling me close. "You wouldn't believe how many soldiers fell into temptation with their coworkers."

"Oh, I believe it," I grimace. "In fact, one corporal I'd helped nurse back to health kept dropping hints, and he was married."

Travis frowns. "You never told me about this in your letters."

"He wasn't the only one," I say. At his disbelieving expression, I smile. "Relax, tiger. Turning them down wasn't a problem for me."

"Still." He tightens his grip. "You're my wife."

"And you're my husband." I grin.

I snuggle closer against him, reveling in the peaceful serenity that our lovemaking brought us. "Phoebe and I had an interesting conversation tonight," I tell him.

"Oh, yeah?"

"After reading my tea leaves."

"... She read your tea leaves?"

"That's what she does, apparently."

"What did she say?"

"That I was going to fall in love with another man."

Travis stiffens against me.

"You don't actually think she's serious," I wonder. "Do you?"

"I mean," Travis shifts against me. "Has she ever been successful in predicting one's future?"

Now that he mentioned it, I didn't even bother to ask her. "I don't know."

We lay there in comfortable silence.

Well... relatively comfortable silence.

"I love you."

I glance up at Travis. "I love you more," I whisper back.

He holds me close.

~xXx~

Travis heads on over to Charles and Phoebe's after breakfast, intending to help the former with a few projects around the house. Despite Charles' insistence that he could handle the workload himself, Travis promised he would show up. I smile. Ever the happy helper my husband was. It was impossible not to love him. I extended my services as well, but the men ensured me that they would be okay by themselves.

I drive down to the lake several miles south of the town, once again admiring the snow-capped mountains along the way. So close, yet so far away.

Upon reaching my destination, I step out of the car and approach the lake, unimpressed with my watery reflection that stared right back up at me.

And then the unthinkable happened.

A warm light emanates from the glossy pool beneath me, and without warning, my body becomes petrified from head to toe.

'It's alright, Aderyn.' The voice speaks in a strange and beautiful language, yet I understand the words with perfect clarity. 'Everything will make sense soon. I promise.'

Who are you? I wanted to yell, but my throat tightens painfully.

'Come, child. He is waiting for you.'

Who is waiting for me?

Losing all sense of consciousness, I pitch forward into the frigid water beneath me.

~xXx~

And awake to the sound of murmuring voices.

"She shouldn't be here."

"Maybe she's lost her way."

"Wouldn't surprise me, given the fact she's a woman."

"Well, that's just rude."

With a choked gasp, I roll onto my side, emptying the watery contents of my stomach.

"Valar!" someone swears. "She got some on my boots!"

Coughing violently, I slowly push myself up onto my feet, my body shivering and soaked to the core. "Where...?"

I glance down. Gone were my jeans, sneakers, and sweater. Instead, I am wearing what appeared to be a simple, tattered dress made of wool and leather shoes.

What the hell...?

I raise my eyes. There standing all around me, were several of the most beautiful men I had ever seen. Tall, slender, and pointy-eared, they were clothed in some kind of attire one would wear while on the set of a medieval fantasy film. Each of them bore lengthy hair of different shades and color. It didn't take me long to notice their weapons as well, which consisted of bows and knives.

And they did not look pleased to see me.

"Who are you?" I take a step back. "Where am I?"

"We found you faced down inside the river bed," says a different voice. "You would have drowned, had we not been quick to pull you out."

From behind their group, another man approaches me. My eyes widen.

The man from the mirror...

He takes a cautious step forward, and I back away from him. "Don't be afraid," he says.

Good God, even his voice was annoyingly perfect.

"We will not harm you."

"I sincerely doubt that." I carefully arise to my feet.

"Captain." One of the men grasps him gently by the arm and pulls him aside, whispering into his ear.

I turn away to observe my surroundings. No lake. No mountain.

Just an unfamiliar forest.

I gulp.

This was not good. Not good at all.

"What are you doing here?" The captain demands.

"What?" I whirl around, wrapping my arms around my soaked figure.

Cold. I was so cold.

"The Woodland Realm is forbidden to trespassers," he says, standing in front of me. This time, I did not back away. "And has been for several centuries. So I ask you once more." Without warning, he grasps my arm tightly. "What are you doing here?"

"Let go of me!" I struggle against his grip. If he expects me to comply without a fight then he was in for a rude awakening.

A series of long, bone-chilling howls echo within the distance, freezing my assailant. His cerulean eyes widening just a fraction. "Wargs."

He pulls me behind him, and begins bellowing out orders in a strange language. In unison, they raise up their bows. Their bodies forming a protective shield around me.

Alarmed, I stare out into the forest. My eyes searching for any signs of danger. Judging by these archers' stances and grim faces, things were about to get ugly, and fast.

"Stay behind me." The captain shoots me a warning glance.

I obey him without question.

~xXx~

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