A Centaur for Libby Read online

  Just as he reached the edge he saw the tiny glimmer in the air. The amulet! Wasting not a second he went after it. He had one chance left to catch it or else they would end up in the Sea of Ice Lava at the very bottom of the mountains.

  The real sea would freeze a creature to death in seconds. He wasn’t exactly sure what would happen in this mind-created sea. In all probability they would be swallowed up, lost to consciousness forever.

  Markos dropped fast off the cliff edge, trying to catch up to the amulet. He had a stroke of luck as an updraft of wind sent it wafting back upward. Markos reached out, just missing it. He had only one hand as he was using his other to try and keep the very woozy Libby in place.

  The amulet did a flip and sailed past to the right. Markos strained his limbs, groaning as he made one last attempt. At first he thought he was going to miss again but then he felt the cool metal against his palm. He squeezed tight.

  Success!

  He screamed out the words of the spell, gasping for breath. With two syllables left they were just above the water. His front hooves touched the unspeakable cold, sending searing pain through his body. He managed the last syllable and suddenly everything went white. The water disappeared and the sky and his own body.

  None of that mattered.

  All he cared about was Libby.

  He was still calling out her name when he woke up in the bed, covered in sweat, the amulet clutched so tightly in his hand it had left an imprint on his skin. He had no idea how much time had passed, but it didn’t matter because Libby was there, nestled beside him, her head on his chest.

  Markos said a small prayer of thanks to the stars, kissing the top of her head over and over. She smelled so good, like a spring rain cleansing away all the darkness of winter. Strangely, though he had been with her now in a most satisfying way, he did not feel sated. Invariably a centaur craved to move on when he had captured a female’s mystery, but this human woman seemed to hold more charms than he had so far unlocked. What was it in her head, under those dark tousled curls that intrigued him so? What in those curves of hers made him ache for more and more?

  If only he had time to find out. If only he were not committed to returning to his own world, to face certain, if unfair, judgment. He knew now that he must go back and he must go alone. It was wrong to involve others in his troubles, least of all Libby who deserved to live her life here, with her own people.

  He couldn’t risk her being harmed by Scorpos or somehow getting trapped on his world. He had nearly lost her once, he wouldn’t put her at such risk again.

  Markos contemplated waking her to say goodbye, but that would be too hard for them both. She would have too many questions. She might even insist on going with him.

  No, better to make a clean break. He would use the amulet, say the alternate set of magic words, those which would transport his whole person back to Constellia, back to the court, where he would face the justice of the corrupt Scorpos.

  “Farewell.” He blew Libby a kiss, beholding her sleeping form. “I shall never forget you as long as I live.”

  Which was not going to be long once the court was through with him.

  Pressing the amulet to his chest he spoke the memorized words. The world went white again, he felt the changing of his form, the vanishing of his human-self.

  His human-self. He could say that now, thanks to her. Libby had taught him there was more to life than being a centaur.

  A brief spark passed through him, like a string of very fine lightning…and then he was gone.

  Chapter Five

  Libby stirred, reaching across the bed. She was so many layers deep that it took a few moments for her to come to the surface. “Markos?”

  He didn’t answer, nor could she feel the solidness of his form.

  She sat up, aching all over. Memories flooded her tingling body. The spanking, the sex, the incredibly vivid dream of Constellia.

  “Markos?” she called again, this time across the room.

  His clothes were on the floor. Strange. She climbed from the bed and walked to the bathroom. No sign of him. She looked in the closet, as if he might be there. She picked his shirt up off the floor, smelling his scent.

  The only part of him still there.

  Hurriedly she dressed. Was he in the lobby? Where could he have gone? He was naked, how far could he get?

  She asked at the front desk, receiving little for her trouble but a raised eyebrow and a polite shake of the head no.

  “Are you sure?” she asked, sounding as desperate as she felt.

  “Madam,” said the goateed clerk, reasonably enough. “I think I should have remembered a six-foot man, unclothed with long hair walking through the lobby.”

  How about a half man, half horse? she thought.

  The clerk cleared his throat. “Will madam be checking out now?”

  “In a little while,” Libby said, feeling more defeated than she ever had in her life.

  She nearly cried in the elevator on the way back to her room as she remembered their adventure of last night. It wasn’t fair, losing a man like Markos. It could take a lifetime to find another. She was fairly well convinced now that he had gone back to Constellia without her. The way he had talked when they were with his friends made her believe that he had decided against involving her.

  She wasn’t sure how she knew, but she did.

  He must have vanished right from her room, using his amulet, saying his magic words. That was a good thing, she supposed. A centaur on Earth? It would never work. And what could she have done on his world?

  Other than save his life.

  Libby locked the door behind her and turned the bolt. There had to be a way to get to him. She had reached his world once, in her mind. And the crab Argos had sent her dreams across the void. There was magic, she knew there was. If she could at least get Markos a message. Better still, if she could find her way there. To defend him. He was innocent, he deserved freedom.

  Plus she was missing him…already.

  But exactly how would she go about this? It was a nice theory, but she didn’t have any amulets or magic words.

  The only thing she had ever known to do—and she hadn’t done this in many years—was to pray.

  Was that appropriate in a case like this?

  Libby knelt by the edge of the bed. She folded her hands together and bowed her head. “God, I know it’s been a long time and…I hope this won’t come across as…lame, and maybe this isn’t even your area but…”

  She sighed, cutting off her own pathetic attempt to communicate with the Almighty. Honestly, she was not sure what she even believed anymore about the universe.

  She tried again, this time speaking out loud. “Whoever’s out there, whatever you want to be called, I hope you’re listening now. I made a mistake, I didn’t take Markos seriously enough. I didn’t hold on to him and learn from him when I should have. Now he’s gone and I want to be where he is. He needs my help. He came an awfully long way to find me…and I have to answer.”

  Libby squinted her eyes, waiting for something to happen. Nothing did.

  Feeling very silly and more than a little sad she got back up and collected her purse. She would have just enough time to run home and change and shower and make it to work by nine. She was just deciding what to do with Markos’ clothes when she got a new idea.

  The sense of smell was capable of bringing memories back in a powerful way. They could virtually make a person feel as if they were traveling in time. Could that work with Markos’ shirt?

  She picked it up, her fingers tingling. Pressing it to her nose she inhaled once again, this time trying to conjure the man…and the beast. She ran it through her mind, like a movie, from the first moment she laid eyes on him, holding court for a squad of police. The way he touched the faces of those horses, the love and respect he showed. And the way he looked at her, strong and fierce and proud, like a soldier, a champion athlete and a centerfold all rolled into one.

  No
t that Markos would know what a centerfold was. He truly was of another world. It should have been obvious to her sooner, the way he carried himself, the pride and courage he showed. Turning up at her office. With flowers and all that silly candy. And that cockeyed smile on his face, telling her he was here to get her into bed.

  What Earth man could get away with that? Shameless is what he was. Wanting her, he would not take no for an answer. That first kiss, confirming it all, letting her know this was no bluff. And from there a whirlwind that resulted in her being exposed in an elevator, Markos inside her, riding straight up to the room where they would consummate their love.

  So delicious. Every inch of him to die for. What did she do to deserve this? The covers of romance novels paled in comparison.

  Clenching the shirt, she exhaled and inhaled, again and again, trying so very hard.

  It still wasn’t working. Libby was going to cry. Tough as nails Libra Daniels, who took no guff, knocked down girls at the orphanage twice her age. Every other day in the director’s office, only to receive the quiet approval of all the other littler kids like her.

  They said it was poor impulse control, they blamed her father for driving her mother to an early grave and then dumping her off shortly after her sixth birthday for strangers to care for. But Libby knew better. Like her namesake mother before, she was an October child, born under the sign of Libra, which made her a natural lover of justice, determined to have balance in her universe.

  Justice and balance. Determination. That was it!

  What were Markos’ words? Let nature find a way? Let the pieces fall into place? Was it that simple—merely a matter of her own will, broadcast out to the Cosmos? Had the power been literally under her nose all along?

  Like Dorothy who could have gone home any time she chose, never needing to wait for any magic slippers.

  Libby cleared her mind, focusing, the way she did before court, the way she did when she was onto the truth, clenching it with her teeth, determined to never let go.

  Markos…do you hear me…Markos…I’m here…

  The blood pounded in her ears. She felt her own pulse, her heart racing. She held out her arms, lifting her palms to the sky, ready to fly. Was Constellia up…or down?

  She rose onto tiptoes, arching her back, graceful as a swan. She held herself until gradually the rhythms of her body slowed. She felt lighter and lighter, like a bird, prepared to alight from a treetop.

  Yes, whispered her soul, take me.

  Let nature find a way. The pieces, falling into place.

  Like the Cheshire Cat, bit by bit she vanished, all but her smile, all but her laugh.

  * * * * *

  Libby materialized in a fountain of sweet syrup, light blue in color. She was thankful for the covering over her skin, though, for she had appeared in her new environs quite naked. Her first enunciation was a sputter as she sought to remove the syrup from her mouth.

  It wasn’t unpleasant-tasting, but she had simply not bargained on a mouthful of a mixture of honey, blueberry and chocolate. Especially not with a small army of scorpions scuttling toward her.

  For a moment she considered running. They were outside, beneath a pink sky. There were trees in one direction, with puffy white leaves. In the other direction was a castle, layered like a birthday cake. Flags flew from ramparts with pictures on them of creatures, crabs and rams and fish.

  “Put up your hands in the name of the High Protector of Constellia,” hissed one of the scorpions, larger than the rest, with a medallion around his neck. Unlike the others who were red, this one was black. Libby’s hands were a bit occupied, covering her private parts. Whether or not scorpions were embarrassed by human nudity she didn’t know, but she certainly was.

  Where was Argos with his magic cloak when she needed it?

  “Please, give me some covering,” she said.

  It occurred to her she was not speaking in English. Nor were the Scorpions. She hadn’t thought about language in her dream encounter with Argos and Dalion, likely because they were reading each other’s minds.

  “Criminals don’t deserve covering,” said the scorpion. “Get out of that fountain and prepare to be dissolved to the Four Winds.”

  A good many other creatures had gathered by now, some animal and a few that looked nearly human, though the coloring of their skin was practically translucent. A number of them voiced concern.

  “You mustn’t banish her,” said a woman with long curly hair holding a set of scales. “Until she is found guilty of a crime.”

  “It’s not safe that way,” the scorpion hissed. “We must dissolve her first and put her on trial later to confirm our actions.”

  Typical government, thought Libby glumly.

  A goat stepped forward, draped in a red cloth. His hide was gray in color. He wore a medallion upon his neck, two circles interlocked. Upon his head was a pointed gold hat with a star. A pair of identical young men stood on either side, their hair fine like strands of curled copper, their eyes silver and vapid like moons. “Have you any idea what it will cost to repair this damage?” the goat asked.

  “No,” said Libby. “I haven’t.”

  The goat made a clucking noise behind his teeth. “Most irregular this is.”

  “Most irregular,” said one of the twins.

  “Most irregular,” agreed the other.

  “The cost of calculation will be added to your bill,” the goat informed her.

  “You are wasting time, you old goat,” the scorpion said. “Maybe I should kill you, too and sort it out later.”

  The twins gasped in unison.

  “This is terrible,” lamented the lady with the scales.

  “Is it?” asked a fish, flapping on gossamer wings like a butterfly, body black and white, striped like a scaled zebra.

  “Is it?” asked a second fish, identical in every way.

  Pisces, thought Libby, and those twins are Gemini and the lady with the scales was Libra. There were others in the crowd, sets of fish and humanoid twins, and women with scales. So these were Constellia’s inhabitants.

  Libby stepped from the fountain, sputtering once more as she planted her bare feet on the yellow and blue tile. Scorpions surrounded her. She was not scared, strangely enough, because they were so large. Were they small, like she was used to, they might have seemed scarier, but these were movie prop creatures, comical beings.

  The stingers looked real, though and they were aimed at her.

  “I mean you no harm. I am looking for Markos.”

  A low hush passed through the crowd, followed by whispers.

  “Silence!” ordered the chief scorpion. “The name of Markos shall not be mentioned.”

  “Sir, you just said it yourself,” one of the other scorpions pointed out.

  The leader hissed again much more loudly. “I will dissolve you all, do you hear me?”

  The creatures all cowered. Libby did a quick rundown in her mind of the astrological signs. In addition to the ones she had seen there were some Aquarian water bearers in the audience, some Cancer crabs, a ram or two and some fancy-looking women who were probably Virgos. All were accounted for but the centaurs. And the Leos, too.

  Where were they? Did their absence have anything to do with this Scorpos character taking over?

  “Zinox,” spoke a new voice, calling the scorpion leader by name. “You will do no such thing, upon my orders.”

  “Argos,” exclaimed Libby.

  “What am I?” demanded Dalion beside him. “A statue?”

  She ran up to both of them, bending down to give them a hug. It was a bit awkward, but well worth it. “You have no idea how happy I am to see you both.”

  “Argos,” said Zinox. “Do not presume to throw your weight around. You are no longer in office. The king, may I remind you, lives no more.”

  “The king lives always in our hearts,” said Dalion fiercely. “You scrounging desert cockroach.”

  Argos restrained Dalion, who was about to butt
heads, quite literally. “No fighting, Dalion, not today.”

  Another goat came up beside them. “Zinox, you are wasting time and money. I’ll tell you how much if you like. Scorpos will not be pleased. I think you had better detain the woman and pass the matter to your superiors before you make any more mistakes.”

  Zinox approached him menacingly. The ram squared off to repel him but it was the woman with the scales who intervened. “In the name of mercy.” She put herself between them, holding the brass scales in the face of the scorpion. “No more.”

  There followed a moment of silent tension, both sides braced. Zinox hissed a few times, as if to attack and then he backed down. “Take her away,” he said. “We’ll lock her up with Mar—with the one who remains nameless.”

  Libby’s heart soared. She was going to see Markos.

  Argos lifted himself on his hind claws. “Hold on tight, my dear, we are going to arrange for you to be Markos’ lawyer. Have him tell you all he knows of the case.”

  Libby kissed his brightly colored shell. “I will, Argos, I will.”

  “I am Kalos, by the way,” said the second goat, the one who had defended her and the others.

  “Thank you.” She tried to kiss him, too, but the scorpions were poking at her, trying to move her away.

  Zinox had shackles for her, gold bracelets with a long chain between. He also had a collar for her neck, smooth silver, encrusted with jewels. There was a chain at the end of it, which Zinox held like a leash. He pulled it very tight, forcing her against his side as they walked.

  The words hissed in her ear were most definitely for her alone. “I’ll lock you up, all right, in the dungeon. And I’ll teach you respect, too. Humans are slaves as far as Scorpos is concerned. As for whatever little plot you are hatching, you can forget it. You’ll be working for us from now on.”

  Libby gasped as he pulled her collar tight, cutting off her air. She stumbled forward over the tile on her bare feet. They headed straight for the castle. There was a moat, filled with a thick murky fluid and a drawbridge over it, clear as glass.