The Royal Hunter Part 3

follow him into G.o.d knew what.

"The doorway will not remain open forever," Baleweg replied, his features looking somewhat strained. "Go or stay. Choose now."

"s.h.i.+t." Archer slapped his thigh and Ringer jumped into his arms. "Until we figure out where in the h.e.l.l we are, just stay a cat, dammit, hear me?" Ringer merely purred and b.u.t.ted his head against Archer's hand.

Archer held him tightly, then stepped into the watery air in front of them.

Baleweg followed.

A moment later Archer found himself standing on a busy downtown thoroughfare. He turned and looked behind him just as the triangle doorway to Baleweg's jungle garden shrank to almost nothing, then evaporated. In a blink it was as if it never existed.

He swallowed hard, urging his heart to slow to a rate that would keep it from exploding out of his chest. He'd faced the unknown many times. This is merely another adventure, mate.

The buildings didn't tower nearly so tall. In fact, he could see the tops of every one of them. And sky traffic was nonexistent. Also, the building materials were more raw and crude-looking. The busy intersection was filled as usual with b.u.mper-to-b.u.mper traffic. Then he noticed all the cars rested directly on the ground. He coughed as one sped by. And they belched smoke.

"Great." He waved a hand in front of his face. Whatever time they were in, air purification hadn't been mandated yet. Ringer squirmed in his arms. He looked down. "Jesus, didn't I tell you- Never mind." He tucked him under one arm. "Just stay quiet, for G.o.d's sake."

Cl.u.s.ters of people pushed by them, apparently oblivious to the sudden arrival

of two men... and a big white duck. "What year is it, anyway?""It is the beginning of the second millennium. The year two thousand one, to be exact."

"What part of Britain is this? This isn't Llanfair."

"No, it isn't. Britain was still somewhat united in those days, with only one monarchy, I believe, not three. But we are not in Britain. We are in America."Archer swung his gaze back to the old man. "America? We hopped time and continents? Are you sure we're even in the right place?"

"Close enough. We are in the right state. Connecticut."

"How in the h.e.l.l can you tell?"

Baleweg gestured at a metal plate on one of the vehicles parked curbside.

Archer ignored the smile. "She's here, then? Eleri is here?"

Baleweg laid his hand on Archer's heart. "The one you seek is close." Then he

turned, white robes flowing, and whistled sharply for a taxi.

Chapter 2.

Talia, can you come here? Something's wrong with this puppy."

Talia Trahaern crossed the day room and helped her new employee with the wriggling pile of fluff he was trying to handle. "What happened?" The young man looked to her, eyes overbright. "The colonel was playing tug with his blanket and he caught his teeth in the threads and-I'm sorry, Talia." "It's okay." Talia felt a bit like squirming herself under Jimmy's imploring stare. There was something about him that bothered her, but she couldn't put her finger on it. Something about the focused way he watched her. But he was always polite, extremely loyal, and good with the animals. He was probably just trying too hard, she told herself. That was rare enough these days and dedicated kennel help was difficult to find. Still, her smile was a bit forced. "I can take it from here. Why don't you go help Miss Helen over there? She'll have cat hair from head to toe if she lets Marble rub all over her like that." "I think she just likes the lint roller afterward," Jimmy said with a roll of his eyes, then hurried off, leaving Talia choking on a surprised laugh. Maybe he was just going through that awkward teenage phase, she told herself. She knelt by the colonel's chair. Furry Friends Day at the Lodge was her favorite day of the month, but there was always a crisis or two to keep things interesting.

"Young fella here seems to have his tooth stuck," the older man said, trying to calm the puppy down, his spotted hands a bit shaky. Talia smiled rea.s.suringly, but swallowed as she prepared herself for the onslaught that would hit her as soon as she made the connection. Keeping her voice soft, she put her hands over the colonel's and nudged his aside so she could hold the little one. Pain instantly shot through her gums, but she managed not to flinch or give anything away. "What did you do you little rascal," she managed through gritted teeth. As carefully as she could, hoping the fine trembling in her own hands wasn't too noticeable, she gently worked the fine strands of yarn loose from two of the puppy's teeth. He'd pulled so hard that the yarn had shredded and cut into his gums. "Steady, there you go,"

she murmured, using her sleeve to dab at the blood as the last thread slipped free. The throb in her own gums dulled immediately and she smiled as the puppy wriggled and licked her all over, happy once again. "You little imp." She tried to get another look at the puppy's gums, but it was hard. There didn't seem to be any fresh blood. She looked up at the colonel. "He'll be okay, but we can't let him chew on your blanket. Use the rawhide or the squeaky toy." She placed both in his lap, then carefully handed the dog back to him.

"Orders received," the colonel said with a salute. At the age of eighty-eight, his body was beginning to fail him, but his booming voice could still easily command an army.

Talia saluted him, then stood and looked around at the seniors presently nuzzling the animals from her private shelter. The unconditional love shared in this room was in many cases the only affection some of the Lodge residents ever received. And all of her orphaned animals needed as much love as possible.

Still smiling, she turned in time to see a man with a long white flowing beard and equally white flowing robes enter the room. He beamed her a smile and an odd s.h.i.+ver ran down her spine. It was as if she recognized him somehow, but she knew she'd never laid eyes on the man before.

The sensation was quickly forgotten when she spied the man who entered just behind him. He was closer to her own age, tall, rangy, and dressed in dark pants, black boots, and a leather jacket. The clothes looked different somehow, but she couldn't quite figure out why. She also couldn't imagine what connection he had with the older man; they couldn't be more different. Where the older man was almost glowing with pure white, the younger man had dark hair and even darker eyes. His stern expression only served to enhance the hard lines that shaped his face. He was definitely a bit wild, made somehow more so by the small scruffy dog he cradled in his arms.

She relaxed at once, realizing the reason for his intensity and the surprise intrusion. Obviously he'd found a stray, or his dog had been hurt and someone had steered him here. She wasn't quite sure what to do with him; he was unsettling in a way she couldn't put her finger on. But she knew what to do with the dog.

She crossed the room reluctantly. If she hadn't been so focused on the way he filled the doorway, she'd have picked up more quickly on the fact that the dog wasn't communicating anything to her. Usually she knew what an animal was feeling even before she looked at it. Not this one. She stopped a few feet short as confusion settled in. "Can I help you?" she asked. "Is this about your dog?"

His gaze locked on hers and she was aware that he didn't seem all that concerned about his pet. In fact, his attention seemed completely focused on her. She was on the verge of taking a step back when the older gentleman stepped forward.

"We've come looking for you, Miss Trahaern."So they knew her name, not all that odd if someone had indeed steered them her way. "About the dog?" The old man was looking at her-into her-in a way that made her even more uncomfortable. For a moment she wondered if he knew about her special... ability. But that couldn't be.The younger man, obviously impatient, b.u.t.ted in. "Eleri? You are Eleri Trahaern, are you not?"

Talia froze, only peripherally aware of the older man shaking his head.

Hearing her mother's name for the first time in over twenty years left her speechless."Archer, we can't simply leap-""We have little time to waste," he stated flatly. "You are Eleri Trahaern, aren't you?"

Talia began backing away, her skin p.r.i.c.kling in alarm. Years of working with

animals had taught her much in reading the signals they gave off. Especially those between predator and prey.

He pulled a folded piece of paper from his back pocket. "I just want to talk to

you." He unfolded the paper and flashed a picture at her.

It was her mother, there was no doubt about that. Talia felt her knees give a little. She didn't have a picture of her. As far as she knew there was no one

alive who had ever known her mother. If there had been, she wouldn't have been left to the sisters at St. Evangeline's when she was six years old.

Her head began to swim. She looked just like her mother. The powerful punch-

in-the-gut connection she'd wanted so badly for so many years had finally been made. Distant memories of her mother swam to the surface of her mind.

For years she'd carefully pulled out the few she had, but they were like worn

storybooks with pictures faded from too many readings.

"Eleri, we must talk."

It was hearing her mother's name again that yanked Talia from her nearly

trancelike state. She jerked her gaze to the man called Archer. This man had known her mother. "I'm... I'm not-How did you know-?"Archer scanned the room behind her. "We need to talk, but not here. Is there somewhere more private?"

She realized she had to act before he made a scene. She turned toward the residents, pasting a smile on her face even as her mind was reeling. "I'll be right back," she said, hoping she sounded rea.s.suring. She sure didn't feel it at the moment.

Colonel Rosewall started to stand, obviously ready to put his forty-seven years of military experience to use if she needed his aid. He couldn't move faster than a snail and had less strength than a puppy, but the gesture warmed her heart. "It's fine, Colonel. I'll be right back."

But it wasn't fine. Talia turned to the two men, a million questions filling her mind, but her tongue hopelessly tangled. She started to lead them into the lobby, when all of a sudden Archer froze and yelled, "You!"

She whirled around just in time to see Jimmy leaping toward her. Before she had time to think, Jimmy grabbed her, and with a strength she hadn't thought he was capable of, he spun her around and locked his arm around her neck, twisting her other arm behind her back for leverage. Her heart was drumming, her mind spinning, unable to comprehend what was happening.

"You're too late. She's mine, Archer. I got here first."

"Too bad you weren't the last, Dideon." Archer launched himself over the chair between them.

Talia instinctively closed her eyes and flinched against the expected impact, but instead Jimmy stumbled back away from Archer, tripping over someone's walker, sending them all sprawling. His grip relaxed slightly and Talia immediately fought her way free. But Jimmy was already rolling to his feet and racing for the door, shoving through the chairs, knocking several of the residents aside in his haste. Archer was fast on his heels.

Talia crawled to her feet as the melee erupted in full. Dideon? He'd called Jimmy Dideon. "But Jimmy's last name is Mason," she mumbled, to no one in particular. She spied the old man in the flowing robes, who now had the scruffy dog tucked under his arm, being carried out with the crowd, and headed after him.

It was complete chaos. Canes were waving, there was swearing and shouting, dogs barked, Marble screeched, walkers banged into each other. The scene was topped off by a wheelchair logjam in the doorway as Archer raced out, hot on Jimmy's heels.

The whole group spilled into the foyer. Talia managed to shout to the desk manager as she raced by to please help calm everyone down. But those who were mobile were all giving chase-at varying speeds, of course. The entire scene came to a tangled halt just past the courtyard at the edge of the parking lot, when Jimmy made it over the rear wall and disappeared into the wooded area behind the main building.

Archer was walking back toward her, breathing hard and cursing quietly. The mob of residents moved closer, ready to rescue her. If she hadn't been so dumbfounded by the whole situation, she would have laughed. If they could only see themselves. This was the most animated they'd been since that morning Mr. Lambert had been found dead, with a smile on his face, in Mrs.

Zambini's bed.

"It's okay, everyone," she called to them. Had Jimmy really tried to hurt her? Or had he just been scared and she'd been a convenient target? I found her first. She s.h.i.+vered at the memory of his words, the look in his eyes. But it made no sense. "Show's over," she called out, trying to sound confident.

"He chased that sweet Jimmy," Miss Helen cried, cat hair sticking straight out all over her sweater. She pounded her cane on the sidewalk and waved her sticky roller in the air. "I say let's get him!"

"Your 'sweet Jimmy' tried to choke our Talia," the colonel barked. "I say we

call the police!"

"It's okay, Miss Helen, Colonel. I'll find out what's going on. Please, could you all go back inside and help Tom round up the animals for me?"

Worry for their furry friends all left behind in the stampede immediately filled their faces, as Talia had hoped it would. She knew the desk manager had likely rounded them all up at this point, but they wouldn't have thought of that.

They all shuffled back toward the building. All except for Colonel Rose-wall.

"Young man, I'll have it from you now." He rapped Archer smartly on the chest with the handle of his cane, as if lie were running inspection and Archer had failed it. Miserably. "Why in blazes did you come in here like the fourth cavalry charging a hill when a simple question or two would have sufficed?

I'm certain whatever the situation is with young James, it could have been handled more discreetly. "

Archer nudged the cane handle aside. "Sorry, Commander, this really doesn't