The Falcon Prince (14 page)

She’d never heard of New Symtaria, in fact. That was strange. If anyone should know about the country, it would be her. Right? Apparently they had kings and queens there, too.

Unless it was all a scam?

But why scam Ria? Money? No, she didn’t have a whole lot. Not that Kristor would know that.

But Ria did have her own business. A thriving business.

Carly had read about men who took advantage of women, stole all their money, then left them practically suicidal, and wondering what they had done wrong.

She came to her feet and marched into the kitchen. She jammed the ice cream back into her apartment-size freezer, and dropped the spoon into the sink. If Kristor was scamming Ria, Carly planned to out him. No one messed with her friend. She went back to the living room, grabbed her wine, and headed for the bedroom where her computer was set up.

New Symtaria. If anyone could find out about this place, it was her. She wasn’t a travel agent for nothing!

R
ia opened the door to her parents’ house and called out, “Mom, it’s me.”

She hadn’t seen her mom since the night of her parents’ party. Sheesh, she was neglecting everyone lately. But her mom had sounded cheerful when Ria phoned earlier. Still, she decided to drop by and visit.

“In the kitchen.” Her mother’s words traveled to the front of the house.

Her mother was always in the kitchen. Maggie Lancaster had once told Ria that it was her sanctuary. She could think better with flour on her hands.

Ria walked in, then stopped and closed her eyes as she inhaled the aroma of…she sniffed…homemade rolls. Her mother made them from a starter mix that had been passed down from her mother.

The starter was the most godawful smelling stuff. Once, Ria had been about to throw it out when she was cleaning the refrigerator and her mom walked in. Her mother almost had a heart attack. Ria had been about fourteen at the time, and even now she couldn’t understand how something that smelled so bad could make the most mouthwatering rolls.

“Want one?” Maggie asked as she pulled the pan from the oven.

Ria grinned. “Do you even have to ask?”

“Get the butter then.”

She opened the refrigerator and grabbed the tub, then a knife from the drawer.

“I’ve always imagined that when I die and go to heaven, it will smell like your bread, Mom.”

“Kris ate six of them last time so I thought I’d make another batch. That’s the way to thank a cook, eat what she puts on the table. And he’s such a nice, single young man.”

Her mother was so subtle—not! “I don’t think you’ve ever had a problem with people not eating what you set out, Mom.” Ria decided to ignore the innuendo.

Maggie was thoughtful for a moment. “True. I’ve always thought everyone had something special they can do in life. For me, it has always been cooking. With you, it’s your grooming. You’ve always had a way with animals.”

“Except Sukie.”

“That’s because Mrs. Miller spoils the mutt as if Sukie was her own child. The dog is cute, but rotten.”

Ria spread butter on her roll, watching as it slowly melted. She had to tell her mom sometime. This wasn’t something she could keep to herself. And she didn’t want to, if the truth be known.

She and her mother had a close relationship. Ria had always told her everything…most of the time. And maybe she needed her mom to give her a reason to stay. Kristor was giving her too many reasons to leave.

“Have you ever wondered why I’m good with animals?” She didn’t meet her mother’s gaze.

Her mother took a bite of her roll, a look of rapture on her face. “The best batch ever.”

“You always say that.” Ria smiled.

“Because I’m always right.”

Maybe today wasn’t the day to mention she was part alien. Maybe no day would ever be good. Did she really want her mother to think she was crazy?

“You’ve always had a special way with animals,” her mother said, picking up the conversation. “Remember that little parakeet we bought right after we brought you home? You were only three so you might not remember Fred.”

“Fred?” Ria sat straighter. “Yes, I do remember.”

“You used to point at him and say
bird talk.
Sometimes I wondered if the bird actually did communicate with you. It was strange.” She chuckled, shaking her head. “Nonsense, of course.”

But Fred
had
talked to her. There had been silent communication between them, but she had heard the bird’s thoughts.

“When that bird died, you cried for hours and hours. It nearly broke my heart.”

“It did talk to me, Mom.”

Her mother’s eyes widened with surprise, then she visibly relaxed. “I’m sure you thought so. Little kids love to play make-believe.”

Ria knew there was no turning back. She had to say it. “I’m part alien.”

Her mother drew in a sharp breath, then slapped a floured hand to her chest, creating a little puff of flour. “I…oh, my…”

She suddenly grabbed a dishtowel and wiped at the flour on the front of her shirt.

“Ria, you know better than to say something like that. For a moment, I thought you were serious. I mean, really, what am I to think when you blurt out something like that? I’m sure—”

“Mom,” Ria interrupted. “It’s true. I’m an alien. At least, part alien.”

“It’s okay. There are doctors in Dallas. I knew we should’ve taken you there sooner, but I just didn’t want to admit there was something wrong with you.” She sniffed, then wiped her eyes with the hem of her apron.

“No, Mom, I’m not crazy. I really am part alien.”

Her mom looked around as if hoping it would all go away. Then she said, “I don’t think I feel very well.”

Ria hurried around the counter. “It will be okay, Mom. I’ll explain everything. And don’t worry. I’m not crazy.” Now that Ria thought about it, crazy might be better.

She took her mother by the hand and led her to the sofa in the living room, then made her sit. Ria continued to hold her hand while she explained everything.

“Kristor is from New Symtaria, a planet of shapeshifting aliens. He’s a prince, and I’m a princess, but we’re not related. The voice in my head…”

Her mother drew in a sharp breath. “I thought you said you didn’t hear it anymore?”

“I do. Shintara is my animal guide.”

“Shintara?” She sniffed. “You’ve named it?”

Ria pulled some tissues from the box on the end table and handed them to her mother, who dabbed at her eyes before blowing her nose.

“You said you stopped hearing the voices years ago.” Her mother’s voice quivered.

“Just one voice, Mom. Shintara is my animal guide. A hawk. That’s why I could communicate with the parakeet. And it did talk to me, in its own way.”

“My poor baby, we’ll get you help, I swear.”

“I don’t need help, Mom. I really am part alien. I shifted into a frog. Which wasn’t the best experience in the world, but I did shift.”

“I thought it was a hawk?”

“No, I’m still afraid of flying.”

Her mother waved her arms. “Of course, you can’t shift into a hawk because you’re afraid of flying. It makes perfect sense to me.” Her words caught on a half sob. “Why is your father never around at times like this?”

The front door opened and Kristor walked in. Thank God. Now maybe her mother would believe her. She had hoped to break the news to her a little more gently, but had totally screwed everything up.

But Kristor would make it right. “Tell Mom I’m an alien, part alien, that is,” she told him.

His face paled and he reached toward his lower regions. “There are no such things as aliens,” he said.

Oh, Lord, she’d forgotten about her warning. “No, I promise I won’t cut off your”—she glanced at her mom—“any part of your body, but you need to tell Mom the truth. I’ve explained everything to her. I just need you to confirm it.” God, she felt as though the hole was getting deeper and deeper.

“Confirm that you’re part alien?”

She breathed a sigh of relief. “Exactly.”

He stood taller. “Rianna is part alien.”

Her mother sobbed into her hands. “You don’t have to lie for her, Kris. I know we have to get her help. Her father and I had hoped she would outgrow the voices and everything. But my poor baby hasn’t.”

“No, Mom, I’m not lying. See watch, I’ll shift.”

Ria had sworn she wouldn’t shift again, but she had to if she was ever going to convince her mother she wasn’t living in a fantasy world.

She closed her eyes. What could she shift into so as not to cause her mother to have a heart attack? A puppy. Yes, that would work. A cute little puppy.

But a puppy would probably piddle on the carpet and it was brand new. That would really upset her mother.

“What are you, dear?” her mother asked.

Ria opened her eyes. “Huh?”

“What have you transformed into?”

“Nothing.” She frowned.

Oh, hell, now her mother was placating her. She quickly closed her eyes. She had to think of something.

“What’s going on?” Ria’s father asked as he came into the living room.

Ria jumped.

“Shh, dear. Ria is…is trying…to change into a…” She sobbed into her tissues. “A hawk! Oh, Ron, she’s completely lost her mind. She thinks she’s an alien, or a hawk, or something. I don’t want men in white coats to lock her away in a cold, sterile institution. What are we going to do?” She jumped from the sofa and ran to him, throwing her arms around his neck.

“There are doctors in Dallas.” Her father patted his wife on the back.

“I’m not crazy!” Ria jumped to her feet and began to pace the room. She looked to Kristor for assistance, but he only shrugged. A lot of help he was.

Her mother got her sobs under control, except for a few sniffles and hiccups. She stepped out of her husband’s arms and squared her shoulders. “I love you as if I had carried you for nine months. I will never stop loving you.” She blew her nose into a tissue. “And we will get you the help you need.”

“She’s telling you the truth.” Kristor walked to Ria and took her hand in his.

“Now listen, young man, we think the world and all of you, but you’re only hurting our daughter by encouraging these fantasies and I won’t allow it.” Her father wore the dark scowl he had used when a boy came to the door to take Ria on a date when she was in high school. It didn’t seem to have any effect on Kristor. Not like it had on other dates.

“I’ll prove it.” Right before Ria closed her eyes, her gaze landed on a pretty figurine of a horse. Without stopping to think about it, she concentrated as hard as she could on a horse.

Whatever she shifted into had to be something her parents couldn’t deny. A horse was as good as anything. When the burning sensation started, she had to wonder if she really was doing the right thing. No, she had to do something.

Think horse. Think horse. Think horse.

She collapsed to the sofa, then rolled off, hugging her middle. From a long way off, Ria heard voices.

“What’s going on?” her mother asked. “Ron, I’m scared.”

“I can’t see a damn thing in all this fog,” her father said.

“It’s going to be all right. Rianna is shifting,” Kristor told them.

The burning sensation was strong inside her. She couldn’t catch her breath. It was as though she’d been running for a long time.

She stretched her legs out, then her arms. Why the hell had she thought this was the only way she could prove to her parents that she was part alien? Surely there would’ve been a better way to go about showing them. She could’ve had Kristor shift. Hell, he did it all the time.

“Ron!”

“There’s a horse in our living room,” her father said. “What have you done with our daughter?”

Ria blinked several times. Again, she felt as though she looked through someone else’s eyes and, in fact, she did. She raised her head and whinnied.

“He’s a magician,” her mother said, then laughed, but it came out weak at best. “You’re a very good one, Kris, but I have to ask you not to bring animals into my house.”

“This is Ria,” he said. “We are a race of shapeshifting aliens.”

“This is not my daughter!” Ron exploded.

Ria walked over to her parents, then nuzzled her mother’s arm.

Her mother leaned closer, staring into the eyes of the horse. “Ria? Is that you in there?”

“Helloooo…” The front door opened and her mother’s best friend, Vickie Jo, walked inside carrying a plate of cookies. “I had the urge to bake and thought you would help me eat a few—” She stumbled to a stop, the plate tilting, and a couple of the cookies toppled to the floor. “You have a horse in your living room. Why is there a horse in your living room, Maggie?” She took a step back.

“No, it is only Ria,” Kristor told her. “She has shifted into a horse.”

“Ria?” Vickie Jo looked around the room. The plate crashed to the floor right before she ran out the door and across the yard, her arms flapping as if she would take off in flight at any second.

Oh, hell,
Ria thought. Vickie Jo might be her mother’s best friend but she was also Tilly the dispatcher’s friend, too. There was no telling what would be all over town by this afternoon.

You could’ve been a hawk,
Shintara’s thoughts filled her.
It would’ve been easy saying it had flown in through the back door. But no, you had to be a horse.

Shut up! I certainly don’t need your help right now.

I was only stating facts.

Ria closed her eyes and thought about being herself again. The burning began to churn inside her. She went to the floor as hooves became legs and arms. The fog rolled in. She couldn’t see. Voices became distant.

The throw on the sofa was gently placed around her and someone picked her up. She blinked, then looked up. Kristor, of course.

“Ria?” her mother tentatively spoke.

“I’m okay, Mom. Just a little woozy.”

“Your clothes are on the floor.”

And a little bit naked. Thank goodness Kristor had grabbed the throw. She glanced at her father. He looked more dazed than anything.

“I’m sorry, but it was the only way to convince you. As soon as I get dressed, I’ll explain everything, I promise.” She looked at Kristor. “I can walk.” But when he set her on her feet, she wasn’t quite as steady as she had thought. It wasn’t easy going from human to horse, then back again to human.

Ria managed to scoop up her clothes and head for the bathroom, dressing as quickly as she could. She shuddered to think what Kristor was telling her parents. And why the hell would he tell Mom’s friend that she was part alien? His timing was really off the mark.

As soon as she was dressed and had run a brush through her mane—hair—she joined everyone in the living room.

“I don’t know how I’m going to explain this to Vickie Jo,” her mom said.

“We’ll think of something, Mom.”

Her mother sucked in a gulp of air and ran to Ria, throwing her arms around her, and pulling her close. “Oh, my poor baby. You’re not losing your mind after all.”

“No, Mom, I’m just part alien, but I’m not sure which is worse.”

Kristor frowned.

Great, now she’d trampled on his feelings.