CHAPTER TWENTY

I screamed and pulled away. It was too late; the knife was too close. I watched as time slowed down. The glinting metal came down toward my flesh, closer, closer, and then something hard hit my side and I was shoved out of the way. I tripped on my skirt and fell. My head hit the ground and my vision went black and then was full of stars laid over the night. A screaming noise coming from somewhere. It was inhuman and far off but permeated through everything. It took a moment until I realized it was Marea; she was crying out at something in a way I had never heard. Lightning clapped above us and filled the air with a second of white light. I tried to get to my feet, tried to run, but my feet were tangled in my skirt and I couldn't get up.

Lisette clutched my arm. I looked to where she was staring, wide-eyed, sparks and tongues of flame reflected in her eyes. Rochelle was still standing, but her face was twisted into an expression of horror and pain; her hand seemed to be stuck to the handle of the knife, which had been plunged deeply into someone's arm. It wasn't mine. I was here. The thoughts took forever to process, and my eyes took even longer to drag them to the face of the person attached to the arm. He was on his knees, head bowed forward. Eran.

I wrenched my arm from Lisette's grasp, and ran forward. Rochelle didn't seem to even notice me; I grabbed the knife and pulled, and a scream tore itself from my throat. The moment the knife was again in the air, she crumpled to the ground. All the lights went out instantly and there was a moment of ringing silence and stillness. And then, as one, everyone began to move. I didn't know what there were doing; my eyes were fixed on Eran's face. His gaze was unfocused and jaw was slack. He didn't seem to notice I was there.

There was a loud crashing, and a dozen or more men came charging into the clearing, some with swords, others with long knives, several carrying torches and glowing orbs, others with long silver chains. One of them called to Ryne, who ordered them to bind Rochelle and Mensonge. While some of the men were tying them up with the chains, Ryne turned to the knight who seemed to be in charge.

"What happened?" he asked tightly.

"There was a barrier, Majesty," said the man. "We tried all the usual methods but couldn't get through. Then there was this screaming and lights and it broke."

"I see," said Ryne. "I see." His eyes roved over the assembled company and met mine. He saw Eran and something in his jaw twitched. "Get everyone up to the castle immediately."

"Wait," said Orion. He had been standing to the side. Now he moved forward and came to where Eran and I were kneeling. I looked up at him; he was the master shephard, surely he would be able to fix this. He met my eyes for the briefest of moments, then turned to Eran. He looked at him for a long time, and then his shoulders fell and he drew back.

"Take him," he said quietly. I sat there, numb, while one of the knights lifted Eran into his arms. He didn't resist or give any reaction whatsoever. They left the garden, walking quickly. Ryne lifted me to my feet.

"Marina," he said. I blinked. "Marina. Please. Try to listen. Lisette will take you up to your chambers. Pearl and I are going to go address the people and then make sure that Rochelle and Mensonge are being held."

"What happened?" I asked. The sound of my voice startled me. Ryne took a deep breath.

"I don't know. I've never heard of a substitute in a life spell. I don't know what will happen. But I promise you, we will do everything in our power to help him. Now, go with Lisette, please."

I nodded slowly. Lisette's hand found its way around my shoulders. We walked through the gardens and into a side door. It led into one of the hall passageways that the servants used. Eran's face was burned into my eyes, that blank look, that total lifelessness. I kept walking.

We passed a few servants. They were laughing and talking, but fell silent as soon as they saw us. More walking. Up some stairs. And then Lisette pulled open a door. We were in the hallway outside my room, and then we were in my room. It was familiar, and because of that, very strange. I sank onto the bed.

"You should probably change out of those…" she said, and trailed off. There was a moment of silence, and then she sat on the bed next to me. I leaned against her and she pulled me close, comforting herself as much as me. We sat there for a long time like that. Thoughts were running through my head, but they were disjointed and forgotten as soon as they entered.

The door opened. Pearl dropped to her knees in front of us in a cloud of dirty blue silk and took my hands in hers. She looked deeply into my eyes, then closed her own and kissed my hands repeatedly. I watched without moving or making any response. She bit her lip.

"Ryne will be here in a moment," she said. She rubbed my hands gently. "I'm so sorry."

"It's not your fault," I said. My voice seemed loud inside my head. Every movement of my tongue against my teeth felt like a huge effort. "I shouldn't have… I was so stupid, I didn't think…"

"Shh," Lisette said, her head pressed against mine, the smell of her hair sweet but smoky. "It's all right. It's not your fault, it's not anyone's fault but theirs. It's going to be all right. We'll get things back to normal soon."

"We won't, actually," Pearl said. She looked from Lisette to me and back again. "Rochelle and Mensonge have already broken two of the chains. We can try to hold them but it's only a matter of time."

"She's not that much stronger than we thought?" Lisette said. Pearl nodded.

"She is. Our magic isn't going to hold her here beyond tomorrow. Nereida's already arranging transport and we've sent for Lady Grethel. She is skilled in disguise. And then…" She swallowed. "And then we're going to do just what we did eighteen years ago, except this time she's going to have to go it alone."

Lisette rose to her feet and was at the window in a moment. She pressed her forehead and a fist against the glass. Pearl watched in silence. At last Lisette turned around.

"I'll go arrange for papers," she said. "And a place. Where?"

"Same as last time," Pearl said. "Rochelle won't expect it, and Marina will still have the sea close by."

"What's going on?" I said. No one answered for a moment, and then Lisette took a deep breath.

"We're sending you away," she said, voice catching. "Back to Maine. Rochelle's going to escape soon. Our magic cannot hold a sorceress when our laws can have no claim on her. Various ancient treaties grant her a certain immunity. We could keep you here, but ---"

"We'll make a pretense," Pearl broke in. Lisette nodded.

"We'll make a pretense of your being here, but you will be far away where she won't think to look. It's unheard of for a crowned princess of Merlana to venture to the non-magical realms except in cases of international crisis, and it would be only natural for us to send you somewhere with spells for protection. In America you will be hidden by being mundane."

"You'll have a different name and a disguise," Pearl said. "We can arrange a job and place for you and then you'll have to simply blend in while we work this through. Ryne is doing what he can to give you extra security, but there is little more that we can offer now that you've come of age."

"I don't understand," I said. "I…"

"You've got to go back to Maine," Lisette said. "You'll just blend in until this is solved and we've taken care of Rochelle."

"I'd rather stay," I said. "Whatever powers I have must be of some use."

"We don't even know what they are, Marina," said Lisette. "We don't know what they are and you don't know how to use them. And Eran interfered in a very powerful spell. Rochelle is furious about it. He did something to her; she's weak. Still powerful and clever, but there's something different about her. We don't know what that is, either."

"We don't know much now other than that you need to get out of here and quickly," said Pearl.

I had listened to everything but only really caught one word. "Where's Eran? What happened to him?"

"We don't know," Pearl said.

I realized with a jolt why I felt so disjointed from everything. Whatever connection I had had to him, those feeling deep down that were his, had fallen silent. I strained and closed my eyes and tried to feel, but there was nothing.

"Are you all right?" Lisette said. I shook my head.

"I need to see him."

"There's not time," Pearl said, then stopped. She looked carefully at me, then said softly, "Very well. But be quick. He's in the physician's wing with Orion. I have to go with Ryne and address the people, give them some explanation of what's happened. Make sure you're back here by the time that's done."

I nodded, and fled without another word. My body was almost beyond walking, let alone anything faster, but somehow through desperation and dread I managed to run through the corridors and up stairs until I found the place I wanted. The door was closed; I charged in without knocking.

Orion was sitting at Eran's bedside. The royal physician was busy cleaning cuts and bandaging wounds. The gash on Eran's arm had started to clot somewhat, though it was still gaping and painful-looking. His eyes were closed, but his chest rose and fell in a deep rhythm.

"Marina," Orion said. He beckoned me closer, and then glanced significantly at the physician, who nodded and left. "Marina. Can you feel him?"

I shook my head. "Nothing."

He closed his eyes and exhaled. "I see. You must feel him. You must be able to feel him again."

"Rochelle must have broken the connection."

"Rochelle cannot have broken that connection. No magic will break a soul-binding. Only you or he can do that. I know you haven't, and if I know anything of him and his feelings for you, neither has he."

"Then what's wrong?"

"I don't know. But I can't feel him either. He is changed. I do not know how. You must find out."

"They're sending me away."

There was a long silence, and then he said, "I see." I shook my head.

"I have to do something. I can't leave him like this."

"It appears you will have to."

"I can't."

He looked at me for a long time, piercing eyes tracing every rise and hollow of my face.

"Then you will have to find a way to keep him with you," he said. I nodded. He would come with me. He would travel back to America, and there… I didn't know what we would do, but I would have plenty of time to figure it out.

"Okay," I said. "Thanks. I have to go back, but… will he be well enough to travel tonight?"

"The doctor and I will do what we can."

"Is he going to be all right?"

"I do not know. I hope. All we can do is hope."

This was not promising, but I nodded again, and then went back to my chambers. Pearl had not yet returned; Lisette was pulling clothes from my closet.

"The gowns won't help me blend in," I said. She pursed her lips.

"I know. Just give me a moment."

She set a simple summer gown of blue cotton aside and waved her hands. There was an illusion of threads unraveling and re-weaving, and a moment later the dress had reformed itself into a pair of jeans. She did the same with another gown, turning it into a t-shirt and hoodie.

"Put these on," she said. "You'll be able to buy more clothes when you get there."

I changed quickly. "Eran's coming with me," I said as I pulled the shirt over my head.

"What? Says who?"

"Me," I said. "And Orion."

"I don't think that's a good idea."

"I think it's our only option," I said. "So does he."

"Eran?"

"Orion."

"Why's that?"

I explained about the soul-binding. She pursed her lips.

"I don't think it's a good idea. He's going to be more of a liability than an asset to you. He can't defend himself in his condition… whatever that condition is. We don't even know what's wrong with him."

"But Orion thinks I can help."

"I still don't think ---"

It was time to pull out the big guns. I cringed inwardly and said, "Look, I've gone through an awful lot this past year. First I find out I'm a princess or this magical island, then I had to get trained in about a million and seven subjects I have no natural aptitude for, am constantly under pressure to be perfect, have to guard myself constantly from evil minions, a couple of whom kinda put me in this situation to begin with, and now that I'm finally getting the hang of things I'm being sent away, on my own, with no clue what I'm doing and no one with me. I want a little tiny bit of say in all this. I want Eran to come with me."

I could see the parental guilt all over her face. I was feeling a little guilt of my own --- the poor woman had been through enough for one day without her sort-of daughter jumping down her throat --- but it got results.

"You're right," she said. "I'll bring it up with Pearl and Ryne."

"Thanks."

They arrived a few moments later, followed by Grethel.

"Nereida has arranged for transport," Pearl said. "We have papers, and we've arranged for an apartment in Portland fairly close to the water."

Grethel hugged me tightly. Her eyes were red.

"It's all going to be fine," she said. "Just fine. Oh, it better. Sit down, I'm going to disguise you."

I sat, and my three parents briefed me on what would happen when I arrived in the states. Their words were occasionally punctured with a sniff from Grethel; I tried to say something but she shushed me and claimed she wasn't crying and these disguise spells always made her nose itch.

"Your name will be Mary King," Ryne said. "We have a social security card, birth certificate, everything you'll need."

"We'll need to get papers for Eran as well," Lisette cut in. There was a flurry of debate about the question of his coming, but it was finally settled in my favor, and messages were sent to put things in order. He would pose as my husband, Aaron King, and we would both be young college graduates trying to get settled in the big world.

There was a soft tap at the door, and then Aretta came in, footsteps timid but head high.

"It's almost three," she said. "All the arrangements have been made. Nereida is waiting at the gates to escort the princess and the shephard to the sea. She advised me to tell you to hurry."

"Thank you," Ryne said. Aretta nodded and left, but not before shooting me a glance that was so full of concern I could almost touch it.

"Have a look," Grethel said. She nudged me toward the mirror. I almost jumped at what I saw. It was a girl, who looked vaguely like me. But she had layered dirty blonde hair, freckles, and brown eyes. I touched my face; the reflection in the mirror did the same.

"I'm impressed," I said. I hugged her, and she squeezed hard. We rocked back and forth for a moment before she let go. "Thanks," I added. I felt something prickling behind my eyes and turned away.

"Come on," Pearl said. "Let's go."

A/N: Not my fastest, but not too bad, I hope. Okay, I've got an idea I want to pitch to ya'll. My NaNo novel '07 has been sitting on my computer for a couple of months now, and I want to start editing it for possible publication. (It's another fantasy, this time a retelling of Beauty and the Beast with several little twists --- an old war, elves, and sailors, to name a few.) My question is: would anyone be interested in helping? I need some objective eyes and you, my dear readers, have proved yourselves more than worthy. I'd send it in installments, rather like but through e-mail, and... yeah. If anyone's interested, let me know. If not, that's cool too... just throwing it out there to see what happens.

Audra Laudargue: Hahahaha... I'll admit, that was exactly the response I was going for... And yeah, I loved the Jane Austen bit, too. I've kinda got an Austen fetish... (BTW, just so everyone knows, PBS is doing Austen remakes on Masterpiece Theatre for the next few weeks. They already did Persuasion and Northanger Abbey... Mansfield Park is next... and then I don't know. But anyway, they're brilliant. Check local listings... it's 9 on Sundays around here.) And thanks again for the Maine idea.

InChrist-Billios: Lol, thanks. Review in six words... it's like degrees of seperation only not. And I fixed the breath/breathe thing --- thanks for pointing it out!

ShadowedBeneathMoonlight: Thanks! Hope to see you again.

Allyp: I'd rather be in a jewel tone too... but light colors are more Austenish, and, as you well know, it's a pet obsession of mine. ;) You're more cooler. And... yeah, I know EXACTLY what you mean about you-know-who, lol. And TAMPON! Why didn't I THINK of that?!

ChiefEditor: Ah! You changed your name! I like it. :) Never shy away from obsessive, that kind of passion is what runs the world. (Or scares non-equally-obsessive people away, but that's beside the point.) Glad you liked the last chapter! Hopefully this one followed it okay.