Rolf started, guilt chasing fear across his face. “Er…what?”
“Who else did you tell about the portal?” Nikola asked, his voice deceptively calm. I knew better, however. Beneath the surface, his anger was as hot as the hunger that he held at bay. “Who else did you give the means to destroy Dark Ones?”
“No one! I told no one! Er… I might have hinted at something like a portal to the demon lord Ashtaroth, but—”
Nikola gave a mental groan.
That’s bad, yes?
Very bad.
I glared at Rolf. “You bastard.”
“My parents were properly wed!” he snapped back, but the fire had gone out in him. He slumped back, his arms across his chest, and glared at us all.
Io—
I know, I know. I cleared my throat, not wanting to say what had to be said, but seeing no other way around it. “I have to close the swirly thing. I don’t know how to do that, though.”
“You will find the way,” Tallulah said, pushing back the bowl. I was uncomfortably aware of her gaze on me.
“I’m glad someone has faith in me, because I have to admit that right now I don’t.” I took a deep breath and glanced at Nikola. “I don’t suppose you know how to lock up a portal?”
“Lock up? No.” Tallulah rose to her feet, her hands flat on the table as she leaned toward me. “You cannot simply close the portal, Io. You must destroy it for good so that no one may ever use it again. That is the only way to bring back balance, and to ensure it remains.”
I felt literally sick to my stomach with the knowledge of what this would mean to Nikola. I looked at him, taking in those bright pale blue eyes ringed with impossibly thick black lashes, his long, straight aquiline nose, that chin that I loved biting so much, and felt a few tears burn behind my own eyes. I’m sorry, punkin. I’m so sorry.
He gave me a supportive squeeze. I know you are, and I will do what I can to make your life a happy one.
“You will…huh?”
“I will do everything in my power to make sure that you do not regret the choice to stay with me,” he answered, filling my head with all sorts of erotic promises.
“You think I’m going to go back with you before I destroy the swirly portal?” I asked, knowing the answer even as the words left my lips. Of course he expected that—he always intended on returning back to his time, and assumed I’d be going back with him. “But…we’re here now. Couldn’t we just stay here?”
“Uh-oh,” Fran murmured, getting up and pulling Ben up after her. “I think this is where we make ourselves scarce.”
“I believe that would be wise,” Tallulah said, glancing at her watch. “You may make use of my trailer as long as you need it. I will be in my booth, should you wish to consult with me again.”
“Where are you taking me?” Rolf said in an outraged voice when Finnvid, after a whisper from Imogen, yanked him to his feet and shoved him along the aisle. “Unhand me, you deranged spirit!”
“Come with me, Uncle Rolf,” Imogen said in her soothing voice. “Papa and Io need a few minutes alone.”
“I don’t care what they need, I will not be treated in this manner—”
In a matter of seconds, the trailer was cleared of everyone, the puppy included. I stroked a hand along Nikola’s cheek, relishing the emotions that rolled through me when he turned his head to kiss my palm.
“You do not wish to return with me.”
It was a statement, not a question, and behind it was an entire world of pain.
“I want to be with you. I want to spend my life with you. Dammit, I already told you that I was in love with you, and I don’t have any idea how or when that happened, because everything was just fine with us being fond of each other, and now I just want to cry because I do love you, Nikola. I love you so much I want to stand on top of this trailer and yell it out to everyone.”
“But you do not wish to return with me to my home.”
“It’s not that. I liked your castle. But you haven’t spent as much time here as I spent in your time. There’s so much more to see, Nikola. So many cool gadgets and scientific crap and advances that you can’t even dream of, and you’ll never know about them if we go back to your time. We’ll never have a microwave, or a laptop, or even a hair dryer, and let me tell you, I miss my hair dryer almost more than I do modern underwear and toilet paper. Well, OK, not more than toilet paper. That really is something that is missed once it’s gone.”
“And what of Andras Castle?”
“Well…we can rebuild it, and live there.”
“What of the servants? How will they go on without me to provide for them?”
“They’ve been dead three hundred years, Nikola.”
“But they were alive when we left. It’s not that I care about them, you understand. I simply do not like shirking my duties.”
I shook my head at him, warmed at the genuine concern for others that he felt. “Oh, come on. I think we both know that you are Mr. Pushover when it comes to any misfit you run across. Why else would you have that motley collection of servants? But honestly, I’m sure they got along just fine before they met you, as they did after you went through the portal.”
He looked at me, just looked at me for a few minutes, keeping his thoughts closed off so I couldn’t hear what it was he was thinking. But I felt his emotions. I felt the pain, and the doubt, and the need to protect. I felt his innate nobility of character, and I knew what he was going to say before he said it.
“Then we will stay here, in your time. We will take up our lives here, and begin again.”
“Nikola—”
“No.” He laid a finger across my lips. I bit it. “I did not think I was capable of it, but somehow, it has overtaken me, as well. You are my life now, Io. You are my heart and being and I cannot think of existing without you. You say you love me so much you wish to yell out your feelings—I love you so much that I am willing to do whatever it takes to make you happy. We will remain here, in your time, and you will spend endless nights making up to me the sacrifice I have made because I love you so greatly.”
I laughed and kissed him, tears spilling over my eyelashes as I let him feel the depth of my emotions for him. And I love you so much that I’m going to let you get away with that wholly and utterly outrageous statement. Come on, lover boy, let’s go back to the hotel so I can feed you. Then we’ll go do a bit of shopping.
“Shopping?” he asked, allowing me to escape his lap. “More presents?”
“More presents. But this time, I think, we’ll get me some. And I need to call my cousin. But mostly, I want to shop.”
He said nothing, but gave me a long look as I left the trailer.
“I don’t know why, but I feel kind of sad,” Fran said softly as, several hours later, we stood before the swirly portal.
“He made his choice,” Ben told her, giving her a squeeze.
“Yes, but it seems kind of sad that he’s going to give up his home just to stay here. I mean, I totally understand, because now is much nicer than three hundred years ago, and of course, he has Io and you and Imogen and everything, but it still seems kind of a shame.”
I set down the large carrier bag that held a bit of shopping we’d done before the shops all closed. We’d come straight to the clearing from my shopping spree, stopping only long enough to pick up Nikola’s children and brother before heading for the portal.
I stared at the swirling smoke as it twirled and twined around on itself, marveling once again that such an ethereal thing could work such miracles.
And be the tool of unspeakable horrors.
“This portal is going to be destroyed,” I said loudly, my eyes on Rolf. He was extremely grumpy, having been woken up from where he was sleeping in Imogen’s trailer, Finnvid having remained behind to guard him. “Your demon lord buddy won’t be able to use it to do squat.”
“You woke me up for this?” he asked, his voice shrill in the night air. “You dragged me out of a warm bed to be shown this portal? I have already seen it, woman!”
“I just want to make sure that you understand that it’s not going to be functioning anymore. No one will be able to go through it. You got that?”
He said something in German that I suspected was very rude. Nikola gave a start, and answered back in a manner that had Rolf sniffing to himself and wrapping the blanket he held tightly around him.
So you think all I have to do is focus on this portal, and will it destroyed?
I believe if you focus all your attention on that, yes, you will be able to seal it forever.
I looked deeply into his eyes. I love you, Baron Nikola. I’m going to expect you to marry me.
So you can be a baroness?
So I can be your baroness.
We will do so immediately, then. “Imogen, Io has proposed marriage to me, and I have accepted. You will enjoy witnessing our marriage ceremony.”
I laughed out loud. “You aren’t supposed to tell people I proposed to you, you big oaf.” I moved around the portal to hug Imogen, who was offering her congratulations. “I was wrong about your father. I am madly in love with him, even though I just know he’s going to tell everyone that I proposed to him. Despite that, I will make him very, very happy. I promise.”
“I think that you already do,” she said, giving me a kiss on the cheek.
I hugged Fran, as well, since she was standing next to Imogen. “And I forgive you for being mean to my future husband.”
“Mean? Me?” She giggled. “I would never!”
I laughed with her, passing Ben and the two Vikings, stopping at Finnvid, who stood with one hand on Rolf. “My name is Iolanthe,” I told the former, giving him a little hug, too. “Note the consonants in it. Just don’t name a girl Yolanda, OK? Rolf. You know, I can’t think of a life more annoying than having it filled with you. So I think I’m going to take pity on everyone.”