Chapter 11

Castaspella was caught up in their kissing, lost in the silky feel of Adam's hair as she ran her fingers through it. When Adam's hand trailed down her back and lower still, she moaned and arched into his body. But then, just when things were looking very promising, Adam broke off the kiss and jerked away, turning his back on her. One hand over his heart, the other held lightly over his mouth, Adam drew in long shuddering breaths.

As stunned as if he'd just slapped her, the wizardess gazed helplessly at his back for a moment as she struggled to regain her composure. When she thought she could trust her voice again, she said, "Adam?"

Giving his head a little shake as if clearing it, Adam turned around and smiled rather neutrally at her. The blandness in his smile alarmed her, and Castaspella found herself wondering if he was regretting his decision to come to Etheria with her.

"I'm… tired," he said tentatively.

Relief washed over her like a tidal wave. "Of course you are," she exclaimed. "Neither of us got any sleep last night, and it's been quite a hectic morning." Reaching out and taking his hands in hers, the wizardess began to draw him toward the bed. "Why don't we just take a little nap? Then, when we're both feeling more rested, I can show you around the castle."

Adam nodded, but he dug in his feet and stopped moving toward the bed. "Where's my room?" he asked, still in that incredibly neutral tone, though the smile on his face was friendly enough.

"Your room?" Castaspella repeated forlornly. "Oh, well, I thought… " She trailed off, finding it inexplicably difficult to explain what she'd 'thought.' Why can you just stay in here? With me?

Seeming to sense her distressed confusion, Adam sighed and explained. "This is all just a little too fast for me, Casta. What we shared last night was truly amazing, but that doesn't mean I'm ready to act like we've been doing this for years."

The wizardess nodded reluctant understanding.

"I need time, Casta. That's all. Besides, it's not like that's the only thing between us. Is it?" His eyes were very wide and very vulnerable.

"No! Of course not!" she declared, flushing with mortification. "I love you, Adam. All of you. Not just… that. I mean, not just – well, you know what I… that."

Adam grinned wryly at her, relieved by her protestations and apparently amused by her uncharacteristically missish behavior. He tweaked her nose, earning a playful slap, then asked once more where his room was.

"I'll put you in the Vernos Suite," she said, still laughing as she held him at bay while he attempted to have another go at her nose. Then, abruptly, she realized that one of her guests was missing. "Where's Cringer?" she demanded in some alarm. "I know he made it here with us…"

"He slipped out almost the instant we arrived," Adam said, shrugging. "He always likes to explore new places right away. I'm never sure if it's because he's trying to protect me or if he's just searching out the best hiding spots in case there's trouble."

Castaspella laughed. "I'm really quite fond of Cringer. He may be timid, but he's quite fierce when you're in danger."

"He definitely has unplumbed depths," Adam agreed warmly. There's more of Battlecat in my poor Cringer than he'd care to admit.

The Vernos Suite, it seemed, had been named for an infamous dragon that spent centuries terrorizing the people of Mystacore before befriending one of Castaspella's distant ancestors and joining in that king's battle against the evil warlord Pengrath. As such, the suite was decorated with tapestries, paintings, statues and frescoes of the dragon, Vernos by name. What made it all just a little irregular was that fact that some of the images depicted Vernos as a monster while other portrayed him as a great hero. The fresco that adorned the bedchamber's ceiling was an idealized depiction of the moment of the Battle of Sleeg Forest when Vernos saved the king of Mystacore. Yet, in one particularly magnificent tapestry, that same dragon was shown preparing to devour a bevy of beautiful maidens while fighting off the villagers who'd come to save them. Adam snorted. Of course the maidens would be beautiful. Woman about to be consumed by dragons always were.

There was a statue of Vernos rearing beside the brocade-curtained bed. It was about the same size as Cringer, and Adam was suddenly filled with dire forebodings of his companion's reaction to this aggressively decorated suite of rooms. The prince was fairly certain that the only reason Castaspella had chosen this suite for him was its proximity to her own chambers.

She isn't going to be happy with 'no' for an answer very long, Adam thought with a heartfelt sigh. You'd better get your head on straight, boy, before she gets tired of your moping and decides to find someone else. Then where would you be?

Deliberately pushing all thoughts of Castaspella, Teela, romance and… intercourse from his mind, Adam spent some time unpacking his belongings and then lay down for a much needed nap. While he could somewhat successfully push the loves of his life from his thoughts, he could not eject them from his dreams, and his sojourn in the land of slumber was not a peaceful one.

When he finally awoke four hours later, a covered lunch tray was sitting on a table across from the bed, and a large Eternian tiger was laying across his legs, snoring. He tried to slip out from under Cringer without waking him and failed miserably. The great cat rolled over, looking sleepy and disgruntled, got his paws under him, and padded up the bed to sit beside Adam.

"I miss, Teela," he said with a tremendous yawn. "She always slips me extra fish at breakfast."

Teela landed her skysled at the end of the ribbed land bridge that connected Castle Grayskull, in the center of its abyss, to the rest of the forest that surrounded it. She ran across the bridge, the heels of her boots clicking on the hard, green stone, and stopped just short of the raised drawbridge.

"Sorceress," she called. "Sorceress, I need to talk to you."

She expected an immediate response. After all, the winged guardian of Grayskull had always been there for her when Teela needed her. At any moment, the drawbridge would lower, and the Sorceress herself would appear. She would be consoling and helpful. No doubt the older woman would be outraged on Teela's behalf and anxious to help the young warrior retrieve the man she loved. Teela knew this. Knew it in her bones.

But the castle remained starkly silent.

Raising her eyes to one of the tower windows far overhead, Teela yelled, "Sorceress! Please answer me!"

When there was still no answer, Teela walked closer and rapped on the wood of the drawbridge with her closed fist. But still there was no answer. Again and again she struck the door, pounding it in complete and total desperation.

"Sorceress, please! I need your help badly! I must – " She broke off, her own voice choking her as she fought not to break down, here of all places. "I must get to Etheria! I have to find Adam! Sorceress!"

A flock of birds flew high overhead, calling out to each other as they skimmed through the sun-filled sky. Teela looked up at them, squinting against the light. What will I do? she wondered. Ancients, what will I do?

Her hands pressed flat against the still closed drawbridge, Teela dropped her forehead to the hard, cold wood. She no longer tried to stop the tears that fell from her clenched eyes. What was the point? If the Sorceress would not help her…

Teela dropped to her knees, burying her face in her hands. "Why won't you help me?" she whispered hoarsely. "I thought you cared."

How much time passed before she rose to her feet and walked away from the drawbridge, Teela could not say, but the sun had moved a great distance in the sky. Her face dry and her heart numb, Teela climbed onto the seat of her skysled. She pressed the ignition, and… nothing happened. She blinked, depressed the ignition again, and still nothing happened.

"You can't be serious!" she shrieked, punching the button repeatedly. "Start! Blast it, start!" She slapped her palms against the handlebars three times, pressed the ignition one last time, then hopped off the skysled.

Howling in rage, she kicked the offending vehicle until her toes felt bruised in her boots. Why? Why me? Why! What did I do to deserve this? What did I do to deserve Castaspella? Why couldn't she have stayed on Etheria where she belonged? Why did Adora ever have to bring that woman here!

When she lost her balance during one particularly vigorous kick, Teela fell on her backside. With a frustrated whimper, she pulled her knees up to her chest, crossed her arms over them, and dropped her forehead onto her folded arms. Grayskull wouldn't let her in, and the skysled wouldn't let her go home. She simply could not win. It was as if the whole of the world were conspiring against her, all of Eternia working in concert to keep her separated from the man she loved. The whole benighted planet stood between her and –

"Teela?"

The captain looked up sharply, startled to find Orko hovering a couple of meters in front of her. The Trollan's ears were raised high and pointing aggressively forward. His eyes were wide, his pupils enormous.

"Gee, Teela, are you all right?" the little jester asked, floating over to her. "You're not hurt, are you?"

The captain shook her head disgustedly. "No," she said wryly. "My skysled won't start, and I can't get into Grayskull. I was beginning to think I was going to have to walk home."

Orko blinked repeatedly, and one of his ears twitched. "But, couldn't you call the palace on your comlink? Man-At-Arms would send someone to pick you up."

"Ohhh," Teela groaned and thumped her head back on her arms. "I am a complete idiot," she grumbled. "This just tops it all."

Dipping still lower, the jester patted her gently on the shoulder. "You're not dumb, Teela. You're Man-At-Arms' daughter, after all, and you're one of the smartest people I know."

She peered up at him, feeling utterly pathetic, and said nothing. Orko looked around, and saw that nothing even moderately exciting was happening anywhere nearby. "Ummm, Teela, what are you doing here, anyway? Was there an attack on Grayskull?"

"No," she said, taking a deep breath, determined not to cry again.

"Oh?"

Teela wrestled with herself for a moment, debating whether or not to unload her pathetic problems on the slim shoulders of her Trollan friend. Finally, misery won out over embarrassment and she began a babbling explanation.

"I wanted to see the Sorceress! Gate! I wanted her to make a gateway! For me! To get to Etheria! Adam… " She ground her teeth. "That trollop and Adam went to Etheria together! I've lost him! I lose him if I don't tell him how I feel! I've got to – but the Sorceress won't – and the drawbridge just – it's all too much to – WHAT DO I DO?"

Orko backed a meter away, his ears flattening to the brim of his hat as Teela ranted and wailed. When she was done, however, he immediately came back over and gave her a gentle hug.

"It'll be okay, Teela. Don't worry."

"But I've lost him," she sobbed. "And with the Sorceress not answering me – "

"Ah, but you don't need her," Orko said cheerfully. "I can send you to Etheria any time you want!"

"You," the captain gasped, horrified by the very thought of Orko controlling a dimensional portal. "But, your magic always… I mean, it isn't powerful enough, is it?" She shuddered as she contemplated the mayhem that Orko could commit with an interworld gateway.

"Not normally," he agreed. "But there's a special way that Dree-Elle and I worked out so we could visit each other. I can make it work for you too." He bounced in the air for a moment.

Teela's thoughts spun dizzyingly. To trust to Orko's magic for something so serious was lunacy. But, to do nothing would be far worse, for it would mean giving up Adam's love – forever. For several unnaturally long seconds, Teela contemplated her options and came up blank. Orko was her only choice and her only chance.

"Let's do it," she said, standing abruptly. "Right away."

Adora was curled up in a corner of the sofa in her sitting room, reading a surprisingly funny book on court etiquette when there was peremptory knock on her door. Eyebrows climbing, the princess set the book down and rose to answer the door. To her surprise, Man-At-Arms was waiting for her on the other side. Before she could even say hello, he began firing questions at her.

"Did you know about Adam's plan to go to Etheria? When did you find out? Why didn't you tell me? What the devil were the two of you thinking?"

"Wha – ?"

"You are NOT interchangeable! You can't just decide that you'll switch planets!"

Adora's eyes widened to their fullest extent as she leaned out, holding onto the edge of the doorjam and searched the corridor beyond the Master to make certain that no one was within range to overhear their conversation. "Duncan!" she hissed through gritted teeth. "This isn't the place!"

"And where, may I ask, is Teela?" he continued as if she'd never spoken at all. "I won't believe for one moment that she willingly went with Adam and Castaspella to Mystacore. So where is she!"

"I don – "

"If she's gone chasing after that boy, I swear I'll… I'll… I don't know WHAT I'll do! How could he do this to Teela? How could you HELP him? Why? Just tell me why!"

Swallowing nervously, stung by the anger she saw in the tense lines of Duncan's face, Adora dropped her own gaze to the floor. "I think you know why, Man-At-Arms. You and I both know that Adam has loved Teela since he was a boy. She's put him through every kind of hell. If she waited too long to figure out how she feels, well, I could say that's just too bad for her."

"Adora! I… you… I thought – "

"But I won't say it," the princess said, peeking up at the Master through her lashes. "Because I happen to know that Adam still loves Teela, even if he doesn't know it himself anymore. That's why I suggested that she go see the Sorceress and – "

Duncan ripped his helmet off with a frantic swipe and began to rub his forehead. "But I just spoke to the Sorceress, and she hasn't seen Teela! She said that Teela came to see her about three hours ago, but she didn't let her into Castle Grayskull. She said that Teela gave up and left after a short – "

"What?" Adora demanded. "Why didn't she let Teela in? She was supposed to help her! Why would she turn away her own dau – uh, I mean one of her friends?"

Man-At-Arms' jaw dropped open at the princess' slip of the tongue, and he went shockingly pale as the blood drained from his face. "How do you… by the Elders! Adam swore he'd never tell a soul, but you… "

"He didn't tell me, Man-At-Arms. I figured it out on my own because I'm not blind," she hastened to reassure him. "Adam would never break a confidence in such a way. I asked the Sorceress directly, and she admitted the truth. She swore me to secrecy as well. You and Adam are the only ones who I'm allowed to discuss it with."

Duncan sighed long and hard, then looked imploringly at the princess. "But that still doesn't tell us where Teela is now."

"I'm sorry, Man-At-Arms. I don't know anything more."

"Fine, fine. I'll find her," he said, putting his helmet back on. "Once I make sure that she's all right, you and I need to talk. This swap that you and Adam have made is not necessarily going to work, but now I've no choice but to help you all I can. And you are going to need a lot of help… princess."

Adora gulped and smiled wanly as he turned away. Before he'd gone two steps, however, they were both arrested by the sight of Orko floating down the hall.

"Orko, have you seen Teela?" Man-At-Arms asked as he immediately walked up to the Trollan. The little jester stopped in midair and turned a wide-eyed stare on the chief of the Masters. When he grabbed the hem of his robe and started wringing it in his hands, the princess knew that something was up.

"Orko?" Man-At-Arms demanded, sounding as suspicious as Adora felt.

Stepping forward, Adora put a hand on the Trollan's thin shoulder. "Orko, do you know something you aren't telling us? Is something wrong with Teela?"

Man-At-Arms turned an alarmed gaze on them both, and his anxiety only grew as the jester hemmed and hawed. "Well, not wrong, precisely… "

Teela spun through darkness, nausea gnawing at her gut. After the first few kaleidoscopic seconds, she'd squeezed her eyes tightly shut, cutting off the whirling, surreal colors and shapes that assaulted her mind. She must have been mad to trust Orko when he said he could send her to Etheria. But what choice had she been given? The Sorceress wouldn't answer her call, and the captain had no time to wait. No time to waste!

Suddenly, the wild, dizzying ride stopped and Teela could feel a gentle, salt breeze blowing across her face. She opened her eyes, saw blue sky extending to the horizon, and heaved a sigh of relief. That was when gravity kicked in.

She plummeted toward the ground. She opened her mouth to scream, but the fall sucked the air from her lungs, and she couldn't even make a squeak. Not knowing how far above the earth she was nor what was beneath her, she could only force her body into a limp tumbling position and pray for the best.

She hit with enough force to drive the last of the breath from her lungs before a swirling vortex of saltwater closed over her head. Every muscle shrieking with indescribable pain, Teela forced her limbs to spread out, trying to slow her descent, but she plunged onward. How deep was the water here? How far down could she sink and still be able to make it back to the air far overhead?

Lungs burning in her chest, Teela struggled to orient herself to the world above the water. Opening her eyes, blinking against the stinging salt-water, she looked up at the slowly darkening surface far overhead. Then, just when she thought she'd never hit bottom, one of her legs scraped painfully against something hard and sharp. The captain only just managed to stifle a gasp as she jerked instinctively away from the contact. An instant later, her feet hit a soft, shifting sea floor. She slipped to her knees, her head swimming from lack of oxygen while the rest of her sank into a crumpled pile. She was dimly aware of ocean life darting away in every direction, raising enormous clouds of sand. Then, gathering her strength, she straightened her arms over her head, hands pointing toward the air far above, and pushed off.

She shot upward for a few swift meters, then began to slow. Scissor-kicking with all her might, she swam doggedly onward. Her vision was darkening despite the increasing brightness of the water around her, and Teela knew she was running out of time. Not like this! Not now! Ancient, please! Adam needs me! I need… I…