Chapter 10
Chapter Ten
“ L et’s see if you can stand up,” Padriag said sliding a hand under Liam’s arm.
Niall did the same on the opposite side helping Liam up from the bed.
Stabbing sensations shot through his hips, but he managed to remain standing. He puffed out breaths waiting for the throbbing to subside. It did, just a bit.
“You can let go,” he told them. Reluctantly, they released him. He wobbled and took a step. The pain was not as bad as the initial shock of standing.
Liam took several more tentative, excruciating steps. “You can stop hovering. I will not fall.”
“There’s our little ray of sunshine,” Padriag said arms loosely at his sides, ready to catch him if he fell.
“Where is Gavin?” Liam asked, surprised the man wasn’t around to pester him. Niall and Padriag exchanged glances, eyebrows raised. “Not that I care. I expected him to be here, just to annoy me.”
“He’s still on the other side,” Padriag replied with a frown. “He should have returned by now.”
“Aye,” Niall agreed. “It is worrisome, unless his enchantment has been broken.”
They waited all day and still Gavin did not appear. Several times Padriag went to the place where he’d appear, and he was not there.
When night came, they expected he would be there the following morning.
The next morning Liam could get out of bed unassisted with barely a twinge of pain. He went down the stairs cautiously, one hand bracing on to the wall. Niall and Padriag sat at the large table in the great room, in deep conversation. They didn’t hear or see him enter.
“One of us has to try to go to Tristan’s home,” Padriag said. “At least to find out if Gavin’s been broken free. If he’s trapped by Meliot, then we can plan to go and rescue him. Although, I do not think he has returned here.”
“What’s happening?” Liam asked nearing the table.
“Gavin still has not returned,” Padriag told him. “One of us has to go and try to find out what happened.”
Liam closed his eyes concentrating on an image of Gavin, pulling in any foresight that came. He saw Gavin, lying on a wet surface, like stones. He was alive. There was a man bent over him.
“I’ll go.” He told them moving to the middle of the room.
“The door is that way,” Padriag pointed at the front door.
“I can leap from within the keep.”
“Now you tell us?” Padriag walked up to him, eyes narrowed. “What else are you not telling us?”
“Have a care,” Niall warned, standing. The quiet man’s eyes met Liam’s. “Tell Tristan that Gavin was pulled back by Meliot prior to going to the real world, that he relived his past. It could be the reason for this delay.”
Liam nodded, knowing it was useless to ask for more details. “I will return as soon as possible.”
He leaped.
Tristan’s home was larger than Liam expected. A large grey stone edifice, with imposing gates and large rounded wooden doors looked every bit the sixteenth century keep. He stood in front of it, looking around to see a long drive and many trees. He inhaled the fresh air, allowing the memories of it to barely tickle, before heading for the front door.
He was shocked when Tristan himself opened the door, grabbing him into a bear hug. Seeing him brought feelings that Liam didn’t expect, joy and the urge to cry.
“Liam, why are you here? Have you escaped the enchantment?”
“I am not free and unsure how long I can remain. Something happened.”
Tristan kept his arm around Liam’s shoulders as he ushered him into the home, yelling for Gwyneth to come. Gwyneth rushed into the front room, behind her a redhead Liam assumed was Sabrina.
Gwyneth smiled broadly at him, her bright green eyes sparkling. “Liam!” She rushed forward and embraced him and then kissed his jaw. “How is this possible?”
“What happened to Gavin?” The husky female voice got his attention. The red-haired enchantress locked gazes with him. She was beautiful, with large, green eyes, a heart shaped face and pouty lips. The woman would make a good partner for Gavin, both being astonishingly attractive.
“Something’s wrong isn’t it?” She approached him, paling more with each step.
Liam nodded. “Gavin never returned to the alter-world. Is he not here?”
“No,” Tristan said, worry emanating from him.
“Oh my God.” Gwyneth went to her sister.
“Sit down Sabrina, you look about to faint.”
Gwen’s comment brought a glare from her sister. “I don’t faint.”
Tristan turned to him. “Liam are you sure he has not returned to the alter-world? You didn’t sense his entrance?”
“Nay, none of us felt him reenter. He remains in this realm.”
“Is that a terrible thing?” Sabrina asked, not allowing her sister to lead her to a chair.
Liam deferred to Tristan, who replied. “Aye. We cannot remain in this realm overly long. Until the enchantment is broken, we age quickly if we remain away for too long.”
“How quickly?” Sabrina, her face reflecting the same fear he felt.
Liam shrugged. “Perhaps about a year for each day.”
This time Sabrina did sink into a chair. Her legs must have given out because she seemed surprised to find herself sitting and she sprang up. “We have to find him. We need a plan.”
“How old was he when he entered the enchantment?” Gwen asked, eyeing her sister.
“Five and thirty,” Liam replied. “How many days since he left here?”
Both Tristan and Gwen looked at Sabrina. “He was here the day before last. When he vanished, and I assume he returned to your world.”
Liam’s stomach lurched.
Gwen met his gaze. “Do the days here or there count against you?”
“We believe here, but we’ve never had to test it. It is what we were told when first enchanted. Of course it could have been another of Meliot’s many lies,” Tristan said and then turned his attention to Sabrina. “Did he say anything prior to leaving? Did the pull for him to leap seem different?”
Sabrina nodded. “There was something different. For one thing, he stayed much longer than normal. At one point I asked if he felt the urge to return and he said no. Instead of the way he usually just disappears, this time he seemed to fade slowly.”
“He’s here, in this realm,” Liam told them sensing Gavin was near. He studied Sabrina for a moment. The woman was hard to read. Although it was obvious she was fearful of what happened with Gavin, she was not distraught. Had yet to suggest magic to help.
Pushing his assessment aside, Liam described his vision to them. “I saw Gavin lying in wetness. It looked to be a cobblestone road.”
“Can you try again and see if you can notice anything different?” Sabrina asked. This time he noted the worry lines. She was indeed distraught.
Closing his eyes, he held his hands palms up and allowed his mind to open to his power of foresight.
Slowly a picture formed. Gavin no longer lay in the wet ground. Instead, he seemed to be walking into some sort of bookstore. The vision was blurry, but he clearly saw words etched onto the glass of the door. “Stewart’s,” he whispered, then the vision was gone.
“Is there a bookstore near here called Stewart’s?” he asked.
“You have to be kidding me?” Sabrina exclaimed, “This is freaking Stewartland!” She dashed to a desk and began pounding at the keys on a device. “I’m googling it. If we get less than five hundred hits, I’ll be shocked.”
“I’ll make some phone calls, going to get my cell.” Gwen rushed from the room, leaving Tristan and Liam standing, neither with a clue what to do.
“I’ll call for Miles. He’ll help,” Tristan said, a triumphant look on his face as he hurried from the room.
Liam watched Sabrina as she glanced at the display on her device. Even with her brow scrunched with worry and lips pressed tight, she was astonishingly beautiful. Gavin had definitely met his match. He moved closer, not daring to speak, not sure it would affect what she studied.
Her gaze rose to his. “Thank you for coming, the sooner we find him, the better.” She held her hand out, after hesitating, he took it. She smiled at him. “You will be leaving the enchantment soon Liam. I sense it.”
Astounded, he withdrew his hand. He liked her. That he had not expected.
She picked up a small device and pointed to it. “Telephone. It allows me to communicate with other people in other locations. I’m calling the first bookstore on the list.”
She glanced back at the display. “Yes, hello. I’m looking for a friend of mine that went to your bookstore yesterday. He’s about six-five, blonde, very good looking. You can’t miss him….”
Gwen returned, another one of the same devices at her ear. She patted his shoulder in passing.
When Tristan returned a bearded older man of thick build, with solid gray hair, walked in with him. Instantly Liam could tell the man was someone of good character by the lack of judgement when the man met his eyes and nodded in greeting.
“Listen to me,” Tristan said, getting Miles’ attention. “I will explain something that may be hard for you to believe.”
Liam sat, all the activity reassuring.
Gavin would not be missing for long. He avoided the thought that Gavin could be trapped there and age until dying.