and go. But we’ll need
supplies.”
“Is there a place you can obtain more?”
Backing down the driveway, she rubbed her
neck with one hand. “I suppose we could make a stop in town at the
feed store.”
The wind began to gust. “Storm coming.” Carly
sounded fearful. She pushed her foot down on the pedal, causing the
vehicle to accelerate.
Alrick smiled. His job of protecting Carly
had now become a whole lot easier. He hoped.
* * *
Taking off with a man she barely knew – what
would her mother think? Still, after paying for the grain and dog
food at the feed store, she’d stood outside while Alrick loaded it
and eyed the pay phone. Part of her knew he was right – if this
crazed Warlord really wanted to take her out, her mother would be
in danger. The other part of her, the little girl that resided
inside the core of her, wanting nothing more than to go running
home to Mommy. Even though Mommy now lived in Seattle and Carly
hadn’t returned a single call in the last six months. Her
depression had been too great to deal with her mother’s
overwhelmingly positive attitude. She regretted that now.
Leroy Toddle, a burly man who owned the ranch
immediately west of hers, sauntered past.
“Afternoon, Leroy.”
He didn’t even look her way. She let her
shoulders sag for a second before straightening them. By now she
ought to be used to the snubs and rudeness, but she wasn’t. She’d
done nothing to these people. Nothing but marry into the family of
the man whose parents had owned the biggest spread in town.
When she and Liam had taken No Name Ranch
over after his parent’s death, their neighboring ranchers had lined
up with offers to buy. Liam had turned each and every one of them
down. Now here she was, three years later, with Liam dead a year
and barely hanging on by the skin of her teeth. They all knew it,
and none of them had even once stepped in and offered to help. They
wanted her to fail so they could buy the ranch cheap. Myrna at the
feed store had even whispered that the men were taking bets as to
the date she’d give up and sell.
As if having the entire county against her
wasn’t bad enough, now she had to deal with this Warlord from the
future. And Alrick, from another dimension.
She glanced over at her truck. He’d finished
loading the sacks in the bed and leaned against the side, waiting
patiently for her to join him.
Tommy Jordan’s rude refusal to help load
hadn’t seemed to bother Alrick in the least. Maybe he didn’t
realize that loading was Tommy’s job.
She sighed and began walking. Kayo barked
once. His “happy to see you” bark. Inside the attached horse
trailer, TM stomped his feet to show his impatience. Oddly enough,
he’d walked right into the horse trailer at Alrick’s request. A way
with animals appeared to be a slight understatement on Alrick’s
part.
Distracting thoughts. All to keep her from
facing what she’d already committed to doing. Taking off down the
road with a strange man, fleeing for her life from some magical
weirdo from the future.
Were she to tell this to anyone, they’d think
she’d finally lost her mind and institutionalize her.
Might as well get on with it. She marched
over to the pickup and climbed behind the wheel. Alrick got in on
the passenger side. He’d adjusted to riding in the motor vehicle
quickly – so quickly in fact, Carly had been slightly
suspicious.
“We can see your world from Rune,” he’d said,
correctly interpreting her narrowed gaze. “We’re aware of all your
inventions and machines.”
“Yeah, you already said you don’t have them.
That’s seems weird to me.”
“We have no need. We have our magic.”
She clicked on the radio. The announcer was
talking excitedly about some freak hurricane that had struck the
east coast. Mere hours after the 6.0 earthquake that had taken out
parts of rural California.
“Oh my God.”
Alrick looked equally grim. “Such is the
consequence of indiscriminate magic
supplies.”
“Is there a place you can obtain more?”
Backing down the driveway, she rubbed her
neck with one hand. “I suppose we could make a stop in town at the
feed store.”
The wind began to gust. “Storm coming.” Carly
sounded fearful. She pushed her foot down on the pedal, causing the
vehicle to accelerate.
Alrick smiled. His job of protecting Carly
had now become a whole lot easier. He hoped.
* * *
Taking off with a man she barely knew – what
would her mother think? Still, after paying for the grain and dog
food at the feed store, she’d stood outside while Alrick loaded it
and eyed the pay phone. Part of her knew he was right – if this
crazed Warlord really wanted to take her out, her mother would be
in danger. The other part of her, the little girl that resided
inside the core of her, wanting nothing more than to go running
home to Mommy. Even though Mommy now lived in Seattle and Carly
hadn’t returned a single call in the last six months. Her
depression had been too great to deal with her mother’s
overwhelmingly positive attitude. She regretted that now.
Leroy Toddle, a burly man who owned the ranch
immediately west of hers, sauntered past.
“Afternoon, Leroy.”
He didn’t even look her way. She let her
shoulders sag for a second before straightening them. By now she
ought to be used to the snubs and rudeness, but she wasn’t. She’d
done nothing to these people. Nothing but marry into the family of
the man whose parents had owned the biggest spread in town.
When she and Liam had taken No Name Ranch
over after his parent’s death, their neighboring ranchers had lined
up with offers to buy. Liam had turned each and every one of them
down. Now here she was, three years later, with Liam dead a year
and barely hanging on by the skin of her teeth. They all knew it,
and none of them had even once stepped in and offered to help. They
wanted her to fail so they could buy the ranch cheap. Myrna at the
feed store had even whispered that the men were taking bets as to
the date she’d give up and sell.
As if having the entire county against her
wasn’t bad enough, now she had to deal with this Warlord from the
future. And Alrick, from another dimension.
She glanced over at her truck. He’d finished
loading the sacks in the bed and leaned against the side, waiting
patiently for her to join him.
Tommy Jordan’s rude refusal to help load
hadn’t seemed to bother Alrick in the least. Maybe he didn’t
realize that loading was Tommy’s job.
She sighed and began walking. Kayo barked
once. His “happy to see you” bark. Inside the attached horse
trailer, TM stomped his feet to show his impatience. Oddly enough,
he’d walked right into the horse trailer at Alrick’s request. A way
with animals appeared to be a slight understatement on Alrick’s
part.
Distracting thoughts. All to keep her from
facing what she’d already committed to doing. Taking off down the
road with a strange man, fleeing for her life from some magical
weirdo from the future.
Were she to tell this to anyone, they’d think
she’d finally lost her mind and institutionalize her.
Might as well get on with it. She marched
over to the pickup and climbed behind the wheel. Alrick got in on
the passenger side. He’d adjusted to riding in the motor vehicle
quickly – so quickly in fact, Carly had been slightly
suspicious.
“We can see your world from Rune,” he’d said,
correctly interpreting her narrowed gaze. “We’re aware of all your
inventions and machines.”
“Yeah, you already said you don’t have them.
That’s seems weird to me.”
“We have no need. We have our magic.”
She clicked on the radio. The announcer was
talking excitedly about some freak hurricane that had struck the
east coast. Mere hours after the 6.0 earthquake that had taken out
parts of rural California.
“Oh my God.”
Alrick looked equally grim. “Such is the
consequence of indiscriminate magic
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