Ryker's vague directions about our destination in Mexico had turned packing a single bag into a Herculean effort. This wasn't a leisure trip. It was a desperate mission to find Zev and bring him home. I had packed with the grim awareness that we might confront thorny situations—literally and figuratively. Shirts of varying sleeve lengths, maxi skirts for versatility, a fancy dress for potential upscale scenarios, shorts for sandy shores, and long pants for the dreaded jungle. Oh, how I prayed we wouldn't end up in that godforsaken jungle.
Tossing in those rarely worn running shoes Rose had given me a couple of years ago for my birthday, a pair of sandals, ballet flats, and even heels, I prepared for every eventuality, no matter how improbable. As for hair and skincare essentials? Let's just say I had to make some tough choices. I packed a small backpack to use as a purse for a little extra room.
On one hand, I was sorry that Michael and Rowan couldn’t come along, but on the other, this adventure could turn deadly fast. I wanted my brother and nephew away from that kind of danger. Besides, I’d told Iris I’d look out for Michael, and taking him out of the country to confront someone on the supernatural dark web wouldn’t get me the Aunt of the Year award.
I truly believed Zev was in trouble. I’d absorbed a piece of him into my hand, and I was his only lifeline back to safety and freedom—at least, that’s what I kept telling myself. I was glad Carver had agreed to come along. I needed to find this hunter, and the only way to do that was to let a stranger take the lead. Having a friendly face and someone I could trust along for this wild ride was the only thing keeping me sane.
We’d parked under the cover of trees near a long, narrow runway in the middle of a grassy field. As we trudged across, a loud, squabbling flock of geese migrating north cut through the isolated silence, reminding me that this flight was going to be as illegal as hell and off the radar. What if we ran into other birds while flying south as they were traveling north? I’d seen shows about birds hitting propellers and taking down small aircraft, and Ryker’s white Cessna was certainly small.
The moon hung low in the Arkansas sky, its beams of silver and blue shining over the patchy grass. The plane sat squat and unassuming against the rural landscape, its metal exterior gleaming dully in the glowing light. A chilly breeze cut through the air, carrying the faint scent of impending rain. I rubbed my arms, grateful for the fleece sweater I’d worn.
Ryker stepped out from behind the plane wearing a black leather jacket that reminded me of Zev’s. She waved. “Throw your bags in the cargo hold.”
“Which side?” I asked.
“Either,” she pointed to the rear of the plane. “There are doors on both sides. I hope you packed light. I'm pushing the weight limit with the three of us and luggage. It wouldn’t normally be a big deal,” she explained, “but I have some extra gear that I have to bring along, and let’s just say, if something has to be thrown out of the plane at fifteen thousand feet, it won’t be my stuff.”
“Gotcha.” I stuffed my bag into the cargo hold, a surge of anxiety sweeping through me like a chill wind. My hand lingered on the hull of the plane as doubts about the mission swirled around in my head.
Was this crazy? Carver trusted Ryker, but I didn’t. She was a stranger, and I was putting myself at her mercy. Would this trip even lead to Zev? Was he really lost in the labyrinth of Mexico's supernatural underbelly? No matter how remote the possibility, I had to take the chance. I knew in my heart he’d do the same for me. Gah. The mere possibility of never seeing him again clawed at my insides. And who or what was this hunter? What did he have to do to earn the enigmatic title?
Was I going through with this? Yes.
Was I crazy? Again, yes.
Since Iris’s transformation into a tru-craft witch, I’d seen my fair share of paranormal creatures. I’d even killed a seven-foot foul-mouthed satyr who was trying to steal the pixie king’s mate and kill my sister in the process. I knew Iris and the rest of my family worried about me and my attraction to dangerous men, but I could admit if only to myself, that I was the one who had a problem with violence. Nothing jazzed me quite like a good fight. Killing, though, that had been a whole ‘nother story.
Even so, I had no regrets when it came to bashing that asshole's horny head in. What would the hunter be? A dragon dripping in merciless greed? Maybe a werewolf stalking the night with feral hunger? Or perhaps a vampire, elegant yet deadly and cruel? I would blow up that bridge after I crossed it. I thought knowing where we were going would make me feel better. I was seriously wrong.
“Where are you taking us, and how much room will there be to land?” The strip we were on stretched the length of a football field.
“If it comes down to it, I can land this baby with less than five hundred feet of clearing.” Ryker snorted. “Not that I’ll need it. As to the where, we’re headed to Isla de Altamura, a private island in the Sea of Cortes. It’s off the coast on the Pacific side near Sinaloa. Any more questions?” She opened the passenger door and dropped down some fold-out stairs. “Excellent. After you.”
As I climbed up the steps, I paused at the top. “Wait a minute, what do you mean you won’t need it? What won’t you need?”
“A runway.” Ryker’s nonchalance was disturbing as she patted me on the back and ushered me inside the cabin. She grinned mischievously and said, “I don’t plan to land.”
I buckled into my seat, my gut gurgling with excitement and fear. “What do you mean?”
She settled into the cockpit and turned in her seat. Her dark eyes swirled with intensity. “It’s hard to explain.” She gestured at Carver, whose nose was in his phone. “Get yourself strapped in. There’s a storm brewing out there, and it’s going to be a bumpy ride.”
Carver looked up, confusion evident. “Altamura is an uninhabited sandbar.”
“Sure,” Ryker acknowledged. “In this plane.”
“In this plane? You mean the one we’re sitting in?” I asked.
“No,” the djinn expert replied. “The one we live in. This plane of existence is not the one we’re staying on.”
I was more befuddled than ever. Shit had the potential to go very south. “And what plane are we going to?”
“Natheria in the Aetherrelm.” She smiled and started flicking buttons on her console. My gut clenched as lights flickered on the dash. “Don’t worry. I’ve made this flight dozens of times. I’ll get you there, no problem.”
“Isn’t the Aetherrelm fae land?” Carver asked.
“Ah,” she said. “You remember the stories I used to tell you.”
“I do.” He shifted uncomfortably as he tightened his seat belt. “But I wasn’t sure Aetherrelm actually existed.”
“Surprise,” Ryker said. “It’s all real, baby.” The plane sputtered and then roared to life. “Here we go.”
“Do we have enough gas to get over the Pacific?” I wasn’t sure what kind of mileage this Cessna got, but I dated an aerial stunt pilot when I was thirty, and his plane always seemed low on fuel.
“That’s why my Mystara is a wee bit heavy. I’ve modified her with extra fuel space and ... other items.”
“Miss Tara?” I said loudly so she could hear me.
“Mystara,” she answered as we started our taxi down the runway. “M-Y-S-T-A-R-A.” The noise inside the plane grew louder as she increased our speed.
“Cool-cool.” I anxiously clutched my backpack on my lap. My phone rang as the front pocket on my pack began to vibrate. Startled, I scrambled to retrieve it. “I’m so sorry,” I yelled up to Ryker. “I forgot to turn it off.” When I saw the lit-up screen, my heart leaped in my chest. “Oh, hell. It’s Iris!” She was finally calling me back. I glanced back and forth between the screen and the cockpit. What would happen if I answered?
“Go ahead,” Ryker shouted back. “But you might want to use some headphones.”
Luckily, I’d packed my noise-canceling pair in my pack. I quickly answered the phone and bellowed, “Hold on!” to my sister. “Don’t hang up.” I got my headphones turned on and covered my ears.
They instantly connected to my phone via Bluetooth, and I heard Iris say, “What in the world are you doing? Why does it sound like you’re riding a lawnmower?”
“I’m on a plane,” I replied. “A very loud one.” Although, the headphones provided some sweet relief from the loud noise. “Where have you been? Why haven’t you called me back?”
“Bad reception here,” she explained. It wasn’t the first time she’d used the excuse, but I was starting to have doubts about their so-called vacation.
I couldn’t worry what Iris was or wasn’t up to at this moment. I had my own problem that needed solving. “When did you last speak to Zev?”
“Oh, Marigold. Not this again,” Iris lamented. “Zev is good. He’ll return when he’s ready.”
“He told you this?”
“Yes,” she reiterated.
“When? And did you speak to him or was it a text?”
“I...he texted,” she said hesitantly. “Does it matter?”
“When was the last time?”
“Three weeks ago.” There was a pause on her end. “I have my messages up now. Here. A little less than three weeks ago, I texted him for my monthly check-in, and he wrote back. I’m fine. Do not worry for me. I’ll return when I am ready.” Another pause. “Look, I can text him again if that would make you feel better.”
My head slammed back, and my stomach lurched as we lifted off the ground. “Whoa,” I sputtered.
“No?” Iris asked.
“Yes. Text him.” I needed her to ask him something that only Zev would know. If it wasn’t Zev, the person on the other end of his phone would get it wrong. There was a spattering of freckles on my inner left thigh that Zev had said reminded him of the constellation Andromeda. He’s spent a lot of time studying that star system and the surrounding area. I knew the story of Andromeda from my study of women in Greek Mythology. She’d been sacrificed by her mother and rescued by Perseus, who later became her husband. I’d told Zev on several occasions that if I’d been tied to that rock, fated to die at the hands of a sea monster, I would’ve found a way to save myself.
He laughed and said, “Of that, I have no uncertainty. You would’ve been a great hero—perhaps the greatest of all time. There would be tomes devoted to you and your exploits.”
The plane began to shake, and I clutched the armrest with my free hand. “Ask him if he wants me to find a new home for Andromeda?”
“Who’s Andromeda?”
“Just ask.”
“Okay, hold on.”
Carver’s hand rested on mine. I turned my palm, and our fingers intertwined. I cast my gaze in his direction, and his eyes were firmly shut. The turbulence was easing up as we flew higher out of the cloudy weather.
“He says he doesn’t care what you do with the animal.” My sister made a disgusted noise. “It can go to the pound.”
“It’s not him.” I didn’t know whether to be horrified or relieved. I shot for somewhere in the middle. “Andromeda is not a cat, and the only pound Zev would want me to take it is to pound-town with him.”
“Ew!” Iris exclaimed. “And what do you mean it’s not him?”
“Zev is being held against his will. Whoever has him is the one texting you.”
“You’re.....eak..up. I...half...that,” I heard, then the phone dinged, and the call was dropped.
“Damn it!” I tried to call her back, but I had no bars. “I lost her!” I shouted to Ryker.
“Sorry,” she quipped. “You’ll just have to wait until we pass over another cell tower.”
In the interim, I typed out a phone message for Iris detailing everything that had happened between yesterday and today. It would send when we were once again in cell range. I assured her Michael was safe at home and that Rowan would keep an eye out for the kid. I finished my text with, I love you. Thank you for inviting me into your world and giving me the best time of my midlife. I thought my adventures were over, and I’m so happy to learn they’ve just begun. P.S. whatever you’re up to in Ireland, please keep yourself safe.
“It’s going to be a long flight,” Ryker informed us. “Try and get some sleep. Natheria isn’t a place you want to be without a clear head.”
As the plane cut through the sky, I leaned back against the seat and closed my eyes. I braced for whatever awaited us in Natheria. Zev had been the closest I’d ever gotten to happily ever after, and even if we couldn’t be together, that didn’t mean I wouldn’t move mountains...or in this case, planes of existence to find him. I took my hand back from Carver and rubbed Zev’s symbols embedded in my palm.
I’m coming for you, Perseus, I thought. And god help any monsters who tried to get in my way.