worth a try. So, tell me, what’s Cymmera like?” She raised her eyebrow, in the cynical way that was beginning to frustrate him.
“It’s barren, cold, desolate. There are a lot of trees, but they’re all dead. Snow and ice cover the ground most of the time, and when it doesn’t there’s only mud or dried out dirt. The underbrush all died so long ago, the remnants have long since dried up and blown away, or been reclaimed by the ground.”
“All right. Stay quiet, and let me concentrate. I’ll give it a shot.”
He backed up, walked around to face her.
She closed her eyes, a frown wrinkling her usually smooth brow.
Mia sucked in a breath at his side and held it.
Ryleigh lifted her arms, slowly, taking her time. Once they were fully extended above her head, her frown deepened, and she yanked her hands apart revealing…
Nothing.
“I’m sorry. I tried so hard.”
“I know. It’s not your fault. I wasn’t even sure it was possible, I just figured it was worth a try.” He’d been so sure she’d be able to open it. How could he have been so wrong? Was he wrong about everything? “Why don’t you get some rest? We can try again later, and maybe you’ll have better luck.”
She lowered her gaze. “Sure. I’ll get you a pillow and blanket, and you can sleep on the couch if you want.”
“I’ll come with you so you don’t have to come back out.” The suspicion in her eyes hurt. But he couldn’t blame her, really. He was a virtual stranger, and he’d barreled into her life amid a raging sea of chaos and confusion. He wouldn’t trust him either, but he wanted to study the layout of the house just in case.
The three of them moved toward the hallway.
“Do you think it’ll work tomorrow?” Mia’s disappointment mirrored his own.
“Maybe. It could be that Ryleigh just needs more practice.” He didn’t think so, though. It wasn’t a practiced skill as much as a natural instinct. “If not we’ll just have to—
The shrill peel of the doorbell echoed deafeningly in the early morning silence.
Ryleigh stopped short and shot a quick look toward the door.
“Do you often get visitors at four a.m.?”
“No, never.”
The fear etched on Ryleigh’s face caused him to hesitate before taking a step toward the door.
Ryleigh shot out a hand to stop him. She grabbed his forearm and pulled him back.
“What are you so afraid of, Ryleigh?”
The doorbell screeched again.
“I get the feeling it’s nothing to do with me, or Cymmera.”
She stared at him, her mouth clamped tightly closed.
At the third ring, urgency screamed at him to act. He pinned her with a stare, held her gaze with his. “Do you trust me, Ryleigh?”
“I…uh…” She lowered her eyes.
He grabbed both her arms in his hands, forced her gaze to his. “No. There isn’t much time. Look deep in your heart. Do you trust me?” Impatience beat at him, begged him to act. He forced it aside.
She searched his eyes. Then she squared her shoulders, lifted her chin, and nodded. “Yes. I do.”
“Tell me. Now.”
Pounding sounded on the door. The front window rattled in its frame. He ignored it.
The words poured out in a rush. “My grandmother was our legal guardian. She passed away last week, and I’m not old enough to be Mia’s guardian. It could be a social worker from the hospital. I’m afraid they’ll take Mia from me.” The last came out on a sob. “I can’t lose her.”
“Try again to open the portal, Ryleigh.”
The pounding increased, punctuated by a loud snort.
His blood ran cold. “Hurry. Try and open it.”
“Why, what’s wrong?” She pulled Mia even closer to her side, sheltered her beneath one arm.
“I doubt a social worker would show up here at this ridiculous hour of the morning to hassle you about Mia, especially if there was no complaint about child abuse or anything.”
“How do you know? You seem to know an awful lot about a world you supposedly don’t even live in.”
Desperation
“It’s barren, cold, desolate. There are a lot of trees, but they’re all dead. Snow and ice cover the ground most of the time, and when it doesn’t there’s only mud or dried out dirt. The underbrush all died so long ago, the remnants have long since dried up and blown away, or been reclaimed by the ground.”
“All right. Stay quiet, and let me concentrate. I’ll give it a shot.”
He backed up, walked around to face her.
She closed her eyes, a frown wrinkling her usually smooth brow.
Mia sucked in a breath at his side and held it.
Ryleigh lifted her arms, slowly, taking her time. Once they were fully extended above her head, her frown deepened, and she yanked her hands apart revealing…
Nothing.
“I’m sorry. I tried so hard.”
“I know. It’s not your fault. I wasn’t even sure it was possible, I just figured it was worth a try.” He’d been so sure she’d be able to open it. How could he have been so wrong? Was he wrong about everything? “Why don’t you get some rest? We can try again later, and maybe you’ll have better luck.”
She lowered her gaze. “Sure. I’ll get you a pillow and blanket, and you can sleep on the couch if you want.”
“I’ll come with you so you don’t have to come back out.” The suspicion in her eyes hurt. But he couldn’t blame her, really. He was a virtual stranger, and he’d barreled into her life amid a raging sea of chaos and confusion. He wouldn’t trust him either, but he wanted to study the layout of the house just in case.
The three of them moved toward the hallway.
“Do you think it’ll work tomorrow?” Mia’s disappointment mirrored his own.
“Maybe. It could be that Ryleigh just needs more practice.” He didn’t think so, though. It wasn’t a practiced skill as much as a natural instinct. “If not we’ll just have to—
The shrill peel of the doorbell echoed deafeningly in the early morning silence.
Ryleigh stopped short and shot a quick look toward the door.
“Do you often get visitors at four a.m.?”
“No, never.”
The fear etched on Ryleigh’s face caused him to hesitate before taking a step toward the door.
Ryleigh shot out a hand to stop him. She grabbed his forearm and pulled him back.
“What are you so afraid of, Ryleigh?”
The doorbell screeched again.
“I get the feeling it’s nothing to do with me, or Cymmera.”
She stared at him, her mouth clamped tightly closed.
At the third ring, urgency screamed at him to act. He pinned her with a stare, held her gaze with his. “Do you trust me, Ryleigh?”
“I…uh…” She lowered her eyes.
He grabbed both her arms in his hands, forced her gaze to his. “No. There isn’t much time. Look deep in your heart. Do you trust me?” Impatience beat at him, begged him to act. He forced it aside.
She searched his eyes. Then she squared her shoulders, lifted her chin, and nodded. “Yes. I do.”
“Tell me. Now.”
Pounding sounded on the door. The front window rattled in its frame. He ignored it.
The words poured out in a rush. “My grandmother was our legal guardian. She passed away last week, and I’m not old enough to be Mia’s guardian. It could be a social worker from the hospital. I’m afraid they’ll take Mia from me.” The last came out on a sob. “I can’t lose her.”
“Try again to open the portal, Ryleigh.”
The pounding increased, punctuated by a loud snort.
His blood ran cold. “Hurry. Try and open it.”
“Why, what’s wrong?” She pulled Mia even closer to her side, sheltered her beneath one arm.
“I doubt a social worker would show up here at this ridiculous hour of the morning to hassle you about Mia, especially if there was no complaint about child abuse or anything.”
“How do you know? You seem to know an awful lot about a world you supposedly don’t even live in.”
Desperation
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