Shadow Heir

There was legitimate hurt in his voice, and I realized that I hadn’t spared much care for friends who might have wondered at my disappearance. Tim knew I was involved with the Otherworld, but he had no idea of the extent of my entanglement. He hadn’t even known I was pregnant. I’d taken off before it was obvious.

“It’s complicated,” I said. “And messy. All I can tell you is that I had some, uh, things to take care of, and it was better for all of us that I stayed away.”

“Without even a hint that you were okay?” Again, the hurt and accusation in his voice took me aback.

“I’m sorry,” I said. “I ... I just didn’t think. I can honestly say it was safer for you not to know, but I should’ve sent some message ... or even left a note.”

“If the visitors we initially had were any indication, I can understand the ‘safe’ part,” he admitted.

“Visitors?” My earlier instincts may have been right after all.

He waved a dismissive hand, like it was no big deal. “Yeah, kind of a random assortment. I don’t know what kind of creatures they all were—Lara could probably tell you. Your old man was around a lot and got rid of them, and before long, they stopped coming. I guess they recognized a lost cause.”

I hadn’t realized Roland had done that for me, though it shouldn’t have come as a surprise. He was the kind of conscientious person who would think of things like that. I owed him. If it hadn’t been for him, Tim might not be so blasé about his “visitors.”

“So, hey, that’s taken care of. No harm done. Now. Let’s move on to more important things.” He stood up and took the headdress off. “What do you want for dinner? It’s been a while, but I still remember your favorites. We’ve even still got a stash of Milky Ways.”

I grinned. “I’ll take those, but I’m afraid I can’t stick around. I’ve got to get a few things and then head out.”

Tim had been about to open a cupboard and stopped. His face fell. “Can’t you even stay to see Lara? She’ll probably be back in, oh, an hour. Two at most.”

I glanced at the clock and felt my own disappointment. “I don’t think I can. I’m heading out of town again and still have to figure things out.” Aside from my mom wanting to see me tonight, Roland and I had a few logistics to discuss about my Otherworldly trip.

“Damn,” Tim said. “You sure do know how to toy with a guy’s emotions, Eug.”

“I’m sorry,” I said, flashing what I hoped was a sympathetic look. “I’ll try to be back soon. Honest.” I wondered how Tim would feel if he knew that when I did come back, I might have two babies in tow.

He nodded. “Okay. Can I at least help you get what you need?”

“Sure,” I told him. “I need to dig out my winter stuff—like, my real winter stuff.”

That got a raised eyebrow, and he asked no questions. We were able to locate what I wanted quickly, largely because—despite his many quirks—Tim ran an efficient household and had had everything neatly arranged in storage. Once that was set, it was time for good-bye. Just like all my other partings, I felt guilty over this one. At least I knew Tim didn’t need me, not like others did. Plus, I was actually able to say good-bye this time, instead of disappearing on him. Surely that had to count for something.

I left him shortly thereafter and headed back toward Roland and Mom’s house. Again, I felt that ache in my chest as I took in the gorgeous scenery of the foothills. I loved this area. It was why I’d shaped the Thorn Land in its image. It hardly seemed fair to be leaving here so soon, yet at the same time ... a thrill of excitement ran through me. Part of my heart might be here in Arizona, but the rest of it was tied up elsewhere, in a place I was burning to see as much as I had been to see this one.

Tomorrow I would return to the Otherworld.

Chapter 12

I felt a little ridiculous when my mom dropped Roland and me off at a gate out in the Sonora Desert. In addition to my down coat, I also had on a turtleneck, sweater, jeans, tights, knee-high boots, gloves, scarf, and knit hat. Roland was similarly bundled up. It was super early in the morning, but the temperature was already on the rise. Fortunately, there were no hikers out yet to see the spectacle we made.

I was riding shotgun, and my mom caught a hold of my hand before I got out of the car. “Be careful,” she said. “And don’t stay away so long this time.”

“I won’t,” I said, hoping I could keep my word. I gave her hand one last squeeze and then stepped outside, where I was immediately blasted by morning heat. I grimaced, feeling like I was in an oven. “Let’s do this.”

Roland nodded and headed over toward the gate. To the uninitiated, it simply looked like any other place out there in the desert. We knew what signs to watch for, however, and could even sense the gate’s power. It was of moderate strength, meaning it required little effort for us to cross—and was the kind that a wayward person could accidentally get caught up in on a sabbat day. Roland gave me one last questioning look.

“Sure you’re ready?”