"Abbie, I need your help."

"Sure, Quinn. What's up?"

"I need an alibi for tomorrow night and all day Saturday."

She could almost hear Abigail's eyes pop open wide. "Why? Where is Zander taking you? What are you guys doing?"

"Um ... it's not that. Actually ... I need you to cover for me with Zander, too."

"What? Quinn Rose Robbins! You're not cheating on Zander, are you?"

"No, no! Abbie, it's nothing like that! It's not another guy. I'm not sneaking off with a guy. It's just ... I need to go somewhere, just overnight. And I need it to be quiet, just for now."

There was a long pause on the other end of the line. "Is everything okay, Quinn? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, there's nothing wrong, or anything like that. I just need to do something. It's ... going to be a surprise."

"Ooh ... a surprise for who? Do I get to hear details?"

"Not yet."

"Why?"

"I just can't tell you right now, Abbie. If I could, I would. But for right now, I need you to help me out with this. Please?" Quinn took a deep breath and waited, hoping that this would not backfire terribly. She felt another surge of irritation with William for not asking her to go back when he was supposed to, when she might have had time to come up with a less conspicuous way of disappearing overnight.

"Are you sure that everything is okay?"

"Everything is fine, I promise."

"When will you be back?"

"Saturday evening, before it gets all the way dark."

"You'd better be."

"I will."

"If it gets dark on Saturday, and I haven't heard from you, I'm going straight to your mom and telling her everything."

She swallowed hard, suddenly a bit worried. What if something did happen to her in Eirentheos? Nathaniel would come and talk to her mom, wouldn't he? "That's fine, Abbie. Tell you what. I'll write down everything, all of the details about exactly where I am, and how to find me, and I'll seal it in an envelope and put it under my mattress. That way you have a backup."

"I don't know, Quinn ..."

"Please, Abbie?"

Abigail was quiet again for a little too long. "Does this have anything to do with William Rose?"

A thrill of fear ran down Quinn's spine. "Why would you think that?"

"I don't know. It's just ... a while back you were acting all weird, and then you got normal again, except you'd started talking to him, acting like you know him or something. And Zander said he saw you hugging his cousin or something? And now you're being all weird and secretive again. So what is going on between you and William?"

Quinn thought quickly, her heart racing. "Nothing is going on between us. We've just gotten to know each other a little he hangs out at the library a lot." She swallowed hard, wavering between lying, and giving as much of the truth as she could. "You're right, he does know about this. He's been helping me with something kind of a project."

"He knows about this?"

"Yes." An idea clicked suddenly in Quinn's head. "And so does Doctor Rose. He's helping me out with this too, Abbie. I'm totally safe, I promise." Would the promise of adult supervision be the key?

"All right." Quinn was relieved at the calmer tone in her friend's voice. "I'll cover for you. But you'd better make it up to me."

Although Abigail had agreed to help, she watched Quinn suspiciously all day at school. Quinn made sure to make a point of stopping by William's table at lunch to say hi, just to make her claims appear legitimate, although her short conversation with him had made Zander raise his eyebrows.

Through a stroke of luck, Zander had to work that night, so he wasn't disappointed to hear that Quinn was going to be spending the night at Abigail's. On Saturday morning, Abbie was going to get up and leave the house early to drive back to Grand Junction "with Quinn." They both told their moms that Abbie had discovered that a sweater she'd admired at the mall last time had now gone on sale.

After school, Zander walked her to her car. He took her hands in his as she leaned against the driver's side door. "Have fun with Abigail."

Her stomach wobbled. She hated lying to Zander. The truth, the whole story, almost poured out of her right then and there, though she knew she couldn't tell him. "I'm sure I will."

"Call me as soon as you get back from Grand Junction tomorrow?"

"I will, I promise."

He put his finger under her chin, tilting it up so she was looking at him. "We can get together in the evening. Maybe watch a movie at my house?"

"Sure." She reached up and wrapped her arms around Zander's neck, and he leaned down, pressing his lips tenderly against hers. The kiss lasted a little longer than it usually did, as if Zander could somehow feel that there was something more going on here than he knew.

He opened the car door for her, and helped her inside. "See you tomorrow."

"Yes, tomorrow evening."

He leaned inside the car, to plant one more kiss on the top of her head before he closed the door. Quinn watched him waving in the rearview mirror as she pulled out of the parking lot. She saw him heading to his truck as she drove up the street.

Although she was aware that nobody was paying any attention at all, she still took a convoluted path through town before making her way to the little house on Bray Street. William and Thomas were waiting there, on the side of the house, to direct her to pull all the way up the driveway to the tiny two-car garage behind the house.

Nathaniel's car wasn't there. He was working at the hospital tonight. Thomas had already told her that Nathaniel couldn't get away from his duties here in Bristlecone to make it to the wedding. Just the three of them were headed to Eirentheos this evening.

Two hours later, Quinn and William stood together, hidden in a small stand of pine trees near the river, peering between the branches as Thomas nonchalantly walked up to the broken bridge. He glanced around quickly, to double check that nobody was around to see him, and then he climbed up the steps and disappeared. Quinn gasped in spite of herself. Though she had known it was coming, she had never witnessed the phenomenon for herself. One second Thomas was there, and then his right leg had disappeared into thin air. In the next instant, he was gone.

"Your turn, Quinn," William said behind her. "The eyes-closed trick is even more useful on this side."

She let out a nervous giggle. "I'm not sure I could step over the edge of a broken bridge with my eyes open."

"I know I can't. I tried it once when I was about twelve. Not a good plan."

She looked at him in surprise. "I'll bet Thomas keeps his eyes open."

"Not everyone is Thomas. Now go, before we get stuck here until tomorrow and miss the wedding. I'll keep watch."

She took a deep breath and walked toward the bridge. She paused for a second at the base, gathering her courage, and then climbed the stone steps to the broken landing. Resisting the temptation to look down over the edge at the swirling mountain stream below, she closed her eyes and took a step forward.

The ground beneath her foot felt solid. Keeping her eyes closed, she took another step. The bridge was still solid underneath her. Suddenly, there was a pair of hands holding on to her upper arms. She opened her eyes, and Thomas grinned widely at her.

"Thought I'd make sure you didn't fall again."

She narrowed her eyes. "I wouldn't have."

Thomas only laughed. Hands still on her shoulders, he guided her to the end of the bridge. "William will be coming soon." He took her by the elbow and led her down the stone steps onto the wide dirt path that led up to the bridge.

"I can walk, you know."

"Who said you couldn't? But you're in Eirentheos now, Quinn, and princes treat ladies like ladies."

She rolled her eyes, though she could never actually be irritated with Thomas he was too fun, and always sincere.

While they waited for William to appear, she took in her surroundings. The crisp, clean smell in the air was wonderful and familiar. A calm feeling washed over her. She walked through the lush green foliage to the edge of the river. Thomas followed close behind her. The water flowed lazily over the smooth rocks buried in its bed. It was so clear that even in the dusk she could see the details of every stone, and every leaf of the green grasses that tried to grow up from between them. She knew that if she wanted to, she could put her head in the water and take a long deep drink.

Unable to resist, she knelt down and rested her hands in the shallow water there. It was cool, though not cold. It felt good against her skin in the surprisingly warm air. It was warmer than she remembered from her earlier trip. She sat down and stripped off the heavy coat she had been wearing against the late-winter chill of Bristlecone, and then removed the sweater underneath. She was much more comfortable in just her light, short-sleeved shirt.

Thomas, such a natural at taking care of people that he probably didn't even notice what he was doing, scooped up the articles of clothing, folded them neatly, and tucked them into the large backpack he'd been wearing before he sat down next to her on the bank.

She closed her eyes for a long moment, absorbing the utterly clean smell of the air and the sounds of the summer evening. Suddenly, her eyes popped open; something wasn't quite right.

"Where are the birds?" she asked.

"Hmm?"

"Aelwyn and Sirian. Aren't they usually right nearby when you come through the gate?"

Thomas grinned, a knowing glint in his eye. "Remember when we told you we suspected they had become a mating pair?"

She nodded.

"We're certain about it now. They're nesting, taking turns sitting on the eggs. Neither of them will go further from the nest than is necessary to find enough food."

"Wow. I thought they always stayed with their person."

"Always unless there are eggs in the nest."

"What will happen when the eggs hatch?"

"They'll both stay with the chicks until they can fly. At that point, they'll allow us to choose one of the babies to raise as a companion bird, and the rest will fly away, wild."

"And then Aelwyn and Sirian will return to us." William's voice startled her; she hadn't heard him appear behind them.

"Wow."

"Yes. Absolutely nothing like it in your world."

Suddenly, she remembered something about the birds that made her curious, but she'd never asked. "What do the birds do when you're gone in my world, when they're not nesting? How do they handle when you're away for so long?

"I'm sure it's strange for them," William said, "watching us disappear. But they are wild creatures, not fully pets. They have their own lives, too. I can't speak for the whole species, since it doesn't exactly apply to many people outside of us but Aelwyn and Sirian seem to be fine with it. They have each other when we're gone. Somehow, though, they always seem to be waiting near the gate when we return. Nathaniel's bird, Aidel finds him here, as well."

"Does she have a mate, too?"

"She may, but I've never seen any other seeker around her long enough to be sure."

"Neither have I," said Thomas. "But Nathaniel has said a few times that she's disappeared for a while, and then has a different sort of attitude when she returns."

Quinn smiled. "Definitely nothing like that in my world."

The three of them stood there for a moment, watching as the last of the sun's rays reflected off the river and the sky turned deep blue. Then they turned and started down the path together.

* 9 *.

Return to the Castle

THE CASTLE SEEMED BIGGER than Quinn remembered it. As they grew closer, its massive shape took over the western skyline. Twinkling lights from the many windows lit the now-dark evening. Of course the last time she had approached it from this direction, she had been unconscious. William led them around the southern end of the castle, toward an inconspicuous entrance. The southern side of the castle was coming into view when Quinn saw a figure about one hundred yards up the path.

She instantly recognized the petite silhouette. "Linnea!"

Linnea took off at a run toward the trio, wrapping her arms around Quinn's neck as soon as she reached her. "It's about time! What took you three so long?"

"Impatient today are we, dear sister?" Thomas grinned slyly.

"Says the one who's already had to take two trips to Earth to see her. How would you feel if you were stuck here in the castle while I was off visiting William and Quinn?"

"Touche. Next time, I'll sneak you into my backpack."

"I'll hold you to that." Linnea turned to Quinn. "How are you? You look fabulous!"

"I'm good. Happy to see you." And she was. In the last month, as she'd gotten absorbed back into her real life, she'd almost forgotten. But now she remembered. Oh, how she'd missed her friend.

Once inside the castle, they went straight to the large dining room. Stepping inside the double doors, she felt as if she had never left Eirentheos. People adults and children were scattered everywhere around the room. At one end of the table, three adolescent boys sat, playing some kind of card game, while several women conversed at the other end. Small children were all over the place, running back and forth, chasing one another, jumping from one colored tile to the next, and dragging toys across the floor.

She couldn't name everyone in the room, but she was surprised at how many of the faces were familiar. Over by the fireplace, she could see William's little sister Emma, who was always full of spunk, trying to re-tie a ribbon in the hair of Sarah, the second-youngest Rose child.

Across the room, a young boy and girl were throwing a ball back and forth, getting dangerously close to knocking over a tall vase of flowers. Although Quinn hadn't seen him walk over there, she saw Thomas suddenly step in front of the boy and intercept the ball.