Chapter 11

Selene had been dreading her first night sleeping next to a demon, but she had to admit that Sam was a perfect gentleman. He helped her expand her tent, then set up his hammock before wishing her goodnight, and that was that. She kept waiting for her intuition to kick in and tell her she needed to keep her guard up around him, but the feeling never came. Her exhaustion and the gentle hum of Aurelia's forest insects made sleep come easily.

The next morning, after eating something that resembled a puffy empanada from the switch pouch, they continued their journey. As big as Sam was, he moved easily over rocks and inclines while Selene struggled with her footing. The outskirts of Queen Thema's forests were not as hospitable as the land closer to the castle. A few times, Selene's slow pace caused her to bump into Sam. He was always ready to catch her arm when she stumbled, but when she tripped on a tree root and fell back against his chest, she hoped he mistook her breathlessness for exertion.

The man—no, demon—felt like a warm brick wall. Solid and unyielding, yet exuding a heat that made Selene want to curl up against him and purr like a kitten. When his arm snaked around her waist to keep her upright, her insides dipped with pleasure. Selene had always thought she preferred men with slim, athletic builds, but there was something very appealing about all the muscle and power pressed against her.

Stop acting like a swooning idiot.

"Are you all right?" Sam breathed against her ear, still holding her tight.

He smelled like pine needles and leather. The close contact made Selene feel slightly dizzy, yet she managed to say, "Yes, thank you. I'm just not used to hiking like this."

Slowly, Sam loosened his arm and stepped back. "You will gain endurance with time."

As they continued at a slow but steady pace, the sky that had been clear that morning darkened with rain clouds in the afternoon. First, a light drizzle dampened their clothes. Then the raindrops grew heavier. After an hour, they were both soaked. Thunder rumbled in the distance.

Selene wiped the rain from her face and said to Sam, "Should we stop and get inside the tent?"

"The winds could destroy it," he replied. "We must keep moving, or we'll sink into the mud. The rain should pass us soon."

Selene trudged next to Sam, keeping her head down in a useless attempt to keep water from running into her eyes. Rain continued to pound at them, and Selene's thighs ached with the effort of pulling her boot out of the mud with each step.

I hate this. I hate this. I want to go home. I hate this.

Carefully, they climbed over slippery rocks and pushed drooping tree branches out of their path. When they reached a fast-moving creek, Sam held out a hand to stop Selene. The stream was about four feet wide and full of sticks, leaves, and other debris.

"There's no way around it. We have to cross," Sam shouted since the rain had made it hard to hear. "I'll go first, then help you across."

Selene watched Sam stretch one long leg across the creek, then the other. Once he had safely crossed, he turned and held out his arms for Selene. Tentatively, she stretched and clasped his hands. But just as she readied herself to leap across, the bank crumbled under Sam's feet. He fell forward into the creek, pulling Selene down with him.

They both floundered in the water and mud for a moment, trying to get their bearings as the rain battered them. The creek was shallow, but water was racing faster over them, making Selene fear a flash flood was approaching. The creek bed was like mush underneath her, making it difficult to stand. Sam was on his back with his head submerged, struggling to sit up. Selene could see that his backpack was hung on a tree branch wedged below the water.

Using all her strength, Selene pulled herself up from the mud. Then she reached through the rushing water to find the branch restraining Sam. She pulled as hard as she could until she felt the wood snap, and to Selene's relief, Sam bolted upright. From there, he quickly shot to his feet. Grabbing Selene around the waist, he lifted her and practically tossed her to the other side of the creek as if she were a ragdoll. He then pulled himself out of the water and onto solid ground.

"Are you hurt?" he shouted at Selene. His palms skimmed down her arms, like he was checking her for injuries.

"Fine. Are you?" she shouted back. When he cupped her jaw to examine her face, she didn't dare meet his eyes. She didn't want him to see how his touch affected her.

"Fine. Let's get to higher ground. It's not safe here."

Selene pushed the muddy strands of hair from her face and wondered why she had ever thought thunderstorms were comforting. Sam extended his hand, and the feel of his solid palm against hers melted away some of the terror she had just felt at being nearly swept away.

Sam led them through the forest until, at last, the rain tapered to a gentle sprinkle. Rays of the late afternoon sun peaked through the trees. When they reached a patch of semi-dry land near a pond, Sam suggested they stop for the night. Selene dropped her backpack to the ground, then tried to stomp off the mud from her boots.

"That was absolutely awful. Does it rain like that often here?"

"Occasionally," Sam said. He grabbed handful of fabric from his tunic and squeezed out a steady stream of water. "Thank you for freeing my pack from that branch."

She smiled, "Thank you for pulling me out of the creek. Good teamwork, huh?" She plucked at her filthy clothes and hair self-consciously. "I must look like a drowned rat."

"You don't," Sam replied. He looked as though he was going to say more but stopped himself. After a pause, he said, "Go wash up in that pond. I'll set your tent up so you can change into dry clothes."

Since Selene didn't think it was the best idea to get naked in an open field in a strange dimension, she attempted to give herself a fully-clothed sponge bath. When that went nowhere, she submerged herself in the pond's clear water. Tiny pink fish swirled around her curiously. The air was growing colder as nightfall approached, making her teeth chatter when she emerged. The pond wasn't exactly pristine, but it was wonderful to be free of all that mud.

After sloshing her way back to their campsite and taking her time to change in the tent, she stepped out to see Sam building a fire. His hair and horns were wet, and he was wearing different clothes, which sparked a pang of regret that she'd missed seeing him shirtless. The thought surprised her. She had never been the type to ogle male bodies, especially when it was someone she barely knew.

Who am I turning into?

Sam glanced up at her. "Feeling better?"

"Much. Are you all right?"

"Yes."

Selene settled in by the fire, grateful that the awkward tension between them from yesterday was gone. Apparently, tumbling into a flooded creek together was a great icebreaker. When her stomach growled, Selene asked, "The switch pouch wasn't damaged by the water, was it?"

"No, our meal should arrive soon." Sam said. He seemed to study her face for a moment. "You seem very calm for what we just went through."

Selene gave a little laugh. "You're not the first person to say something like that. Don't worry, all my wild emotions are there. I've just learned to keep them to myself."

"You find it easy to control your emotions?"

"Not always. It's a habit, I guess," she said. Sam looked at her as if he wanted to know more, and unexpectedly she found herself elaborating. "I grew up in a home with a lot of chaos. My dad traveled for work constantly, and my mom… my mom struggled with a lot of issues. She still struggles with a lot of issues. If I wanted to get anything done, I couldn't go around acting hysterical."

"Was your mother ill?" Sam added wood to the small fire, making it crackle between them.

"In a way, yes. She found it hard to keep sober while taking care of herself, her business, and her three kids. Since I was the oldest, I ended up doing many of the things she couldn't."

"Like what?"

Selene tapped her chin. "Let's see, I was eleven when I started waking up at 5:00 in the morning to get the twins ready for school. They were late so often, their kindergarten teacher had sent home three notes and called twice. The last phone call triggered a huge fight between my parents, so I took the twins across the street to the local library until the fight blew over."

She swallowed, realizing Sam was the first person she had ever told this story. "Later, after everyone had gone to bed, I moved the alarm clock from the guest room to my nightstand. The twins were never late for school again."

When Sam didn't say anything for a moment Selene asked, "Do they have alarm clocks in Aurelia?"

"No, but I understood your meaning. Eleven is young for such responsibilities."

"I guess so. But I loved my siblings, and it was harder to see them struggle than to just take care of things. They really needed someone in their lives to do that."

A pop startled Selene as the switch pouch bulged with food. Sam pulled out a covered dish for each of them, and the aroma of roasted meat and spices filled the air. They ate in silence until Selene said, "Sam, I really appreciate you taking me on this journey. It kills me to think about how my family is coping. They must think I've been abducted or murdered and are completely losing it right now. I'll be so glad to get back to them."

Sam shifted his weight on the ground from one hip to the other. "I'm sorry that Queen Thema could not send you home directly."

"Me too. What do you know about this Zaybris person we're trying to find?"

Sam looked at her sharply. "What did Queen Thema tell you about him?"

"Not much. Just that he's a vampire who owes her a favor. She said she would send him a message to say we are coming, but then she hurried off. We didn't have much time to talk."

Gruffly, Sam said, "He is a vampire who lives in Goblyn lands, and he has a stone that can send you back to Gaia."

"Is it a magic stone?"

"It is enchanted, yes."

"Why does a vampire have something like that instead of one of the queens?"

"I don't know."

"Do you think we'll run into any vampires on our trip? I'd love to see one. They're believed to be a myth where I come from."

"Not if I can help it."

"Should I be scared of them?"

"No, they are all feeble and powerless. Nothing to worry about." Sam began to eat more quickly. "Finish your meal. It's getting late."

Selene took another bite of the stew that tasted like Thanksgiving dinner in a bowl. "How long have vampires been in Aurelia?"

"Many, many years." He cleared his throat. "Do you work a trade in your world? What occupations are common for humans?"

Selene thought it was odd that Sam was changing the subject so abruptly but didn't comment. "I work in an office. We sell medical supplies to healthcare providers. My job is to… " She tried to think of how to explain Human Resources to someone completely unfamiliar with the term. "I deal with a lot of paperwork, and people come to me hoping I can solve their problems. The office is probably such a mess right now. They can barely use the coffee maker without my help."

There was a rustle in the grass behind them. Sam quickly turned and let out a growl that gave Selene chills. A little creature that looked like a rabbit with deer antlers peeked up at them before nibbling on a blade of grass. Sam relaxed. Selene strained her eyes to see in the dark then said, "Is that a jackalope?"

"It is called a brisby in Aurelia," Sam said.

Selene watched the animal hop around for a moment before disappearing behind a tree. "Another thing that's just a legend in my world. I so wish Evan could see this, he'd be absolutely thrilled." A fresh wave of anxiety washed over her, and she rubbed her forehead. "I hope he remembered that his license plate expires this month. He always seems to forget and then gets a ticket he can't afford to pay."

Sam gave her a pointed look. "You don't need to concern yourself with the needs of others right now," he said quietly. "Enjoy the time you have in this realm."

Selene sighed and took the last bite of her stew.

Easier said than done.