“She’s got us there, Kane,” Gabe agreed.
Tonya shook her head, marveling at the fact that the witch who had almost destroyed the Seven Kingdoms with her magic was now being chided for using it to cure a headache.
Life is so much stranger than fiction, she thought.
“So, Ruth is on the Isle of the Giants.”
“Yes, she married the King of the Giants, Koorgan. They are very much in love.”
“She married—?! Ok. Right, because it’s been longer there than here, or she arrived earlier, or something, and now she’s in love and she’s staying. Ok. What about Agent Tanaka? He was on the beach with us,” she asked.
“I haven’t heard anything about him,” Gabe said, looking at Kane and Magna. “The only ones reported missing were you, Ross Galloway, and Ruth Hallbrook. Ross reappeared a few days ago, but then…”
“Ross came to see me and asked me to help him return to the Seven Kingdoms,” Magna interrupted.
“He wanted to go back?” Tonya asked, stunned.
“He fell in love with someone there,” Kane said, rising from his seat and walking around his desk to lean against the edge of it next to Magna.
Tonya studied the three of them. “You—you can go back and forth between your world and this one whenever you want to?” she asked.
Kane shook his head and reached for Magna’s hand. “No. It is very dangerous for Magna to return to her world. Many people still blame her for what happened even though she had very little control of the situation. Her life would be in danger if she were to return,” he said.
Tonya could understand that. She had only spoken to a few people—mostly with Ariness and Cornelia Fae, the parents of the woman the missing Detective in Yachats had fallen in love with—but the fear and hatred of the Sea Witch that she had overheard from others in the village had made an impression. She clutched the strap of her backpack. She needed time to think about everything that had happened. According to Marty, she had only been gone a few days, even though she knew she had been on the Isle of Magic for at least a month. Now she understood why Ariness and Cornelia Fae had questioned her so extensively about the day she had left Earth—or more specifically, the date and time.
Unfortunately, she had mixed up her days after sleeping in her car the night before during her surveillance of Ruth. She lifted a hand and ran it through her tangled hair. She needed food, a bath, and some sleep.
“I need to find out what happened to my car,” she said, looking up at them.
“It’s parked in the lot behind the police station. There’s no fence, so it shouldn’t be hard to get it. I’ll call Patty and let her know that you have it. You’ll probably still have to talk to Dan. He is the new deputy. He’ll want to know where you’ve been,” Kane said.
“Yeah—but not tonight. I need some time to absorb everything,” she murmured.
“Speaking of which, what are you going to tell the police?” Gabe quietly demanded.
Tonya looked up at him before she turned her eyes to Magna. There was a haunted, resigned look in the woman’s eyes. Her lips curved up at the corner.
“I don’t know, but I’ll make up one whopper of a story by the time they ask me,” she answered in a soft voice.
“Why? This story could be the one you’ve been waiting for,” Magna hesitantly pointed out.
Tonya shrugged. “They say all great fairy tales have a kernel of truth. Who am I to destroy the dreams of children and adults all over the world? People want to know if there are others out there in the universe with magical powers, but I can’t help but believe they would be terrified out of their minds if it became a reality,” she sighed.
She rose to her feet. Her brain couldn’t handle anything else at the moment. She glanced at Magna. The glamour spell was back and Magna looked like a normal woman.
“I may have other questions. Would you mind if I stayed in contact with you?” Tonya asked.
Magna smiled and nodded. “I would like that. It will be a relief to have another woman to chat with without feeling like I have to hide who I am,” she admitted.
“We’ll drop you off at your car. Do you have your keys?” Kane inquired.
Tonya nodded. “Yeah, I’ve got them,” she answered.
Ten minutes later, she was waving goodbye to Magna, Gabe, and Kane. They waited until she had unlocked, slid inside, and started her car. She caressed the steering wheel for a moment before she shook her head at her wayward thoughts and shifted the car into reverse.
She glanced at her backpack. Inside it was a copy of a letter from the missing Detective, Mike, giving her permission to stay at his house for as long as she liked, a note telling her where his key was hidden, and what the combination was for a safe with some money and other documents that she might need.
She stopped at the local fast-food restaurant and grabbed some food. Luckily, she’d found a ten-dollar bill tucked in between two business cards. Unable to wait, she devoured the French fries and burger before she made it halfway to Mike’s house. Turning down the driveway, she felt a sense of déjà vu and something else—an emotion that she hadn’t felt in a long, long time.
She sighed as she pulled to a stop and turned off the ignition. “Something tells me that life will never be the same again for you, Tonya. How can it be, after you’ve traveled over the rainbow and discovered a whole different, amazing world?” she whispered.
Resting her forehead against the steering wheel, she sniffed and allowed the tears to flow. She’d wanted to stay, but she had also needed to come back. It would have haunted her for the rest of her life if she had left without saying goodbye to the one person who had always believed in her.
2
Aboard the Sea Wasp — Seven Kingdoms
Off the coast of the Isle of the Elementals
“Hoist the sails, Dapier, I want to feel the wind on my face,” Ashure commanded.
“With pleasure, Cap’n. Which direction d’ya fancy?” Dapier good-naturedly requested.
Ashure was quiet for a moment before he turned his face to the west. “Head west, Dapier,” he instructed.
Dapier’s eyes lit up. “Are we heading home, Cap’n?” he asked.
“Aye, Dapier, we’re heading home,” he responded.
“The Isle of the Pirates it is, Cap’n. We’re heading for home, ye lot. Let’s see how fast we can get the Cap’n there,” Dapier shouted.
Shouts of excitement filled the air. Ashure stood on the quarterdeck and watched his crew work in unison to unfurl the three large sails. As they caught the steady breeze, the massive sheets of canvas grew taut. He could feel the Sea Wasp surge forward as it picked up speed.
“We’ll have you there by morning, Cap’n,” Dapier promised.
Ashure turned toward his First Mate. Dapier had a good heart. He was as old as the hills, with more lines on his face than their two moons had craters, and he had a love for the Sea Wasp’s crew and the sea. He had been a good choice to promote after Bleu’s betrayal and subsequent demise.
“I’ll be in my cabin. Call me if you need me,” Ashure instructed.
“Aye, Cap’n. Have a good rest. I’m feeling the sea calling to me tonight,” Dapier replied.