Kristen Ashley - Fantasyland - Wildest Dreams

Kristen Ashley

Published byKristen Ashley at Smashwords

Copyright 2011 Kristen Ashley

Discover other titles by Kristen Ashley:

Rock Chick Series:

Rock Chick

Rock Chick Rescue

Rock Chick Redemption

Rock Chick Renegade

Rock Chick Revenge

The Burg Series:

For You

At Peace

Golden Trail

The Colorado Mountain Series:

The Gamble

Sweet Dreams

Fantasyland Series:

The Golden Dynasty

Fantastical

Other Titles by Kristen Ashley:

Lacybourne Manor

Mystery Man

Penmort Castle

Sommersgate House

Three Wishes

www.kristenashley.net

SmashwordsEdition, License Notes

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*****

Love Is Everything

You are sure? Valentine asked in her soft,throaty, sing-song New Orleans accented voice.

I nodded.

I was sure. Heck yeah, I was sure.

I could not wait.

Finnie, my friend Claudia hissed from myside and I looked from Valentine to Claudia to see Claudia lookedpale and alarmed. This is crazy, she went on then elaborated.Crazier than when you bungee jumped, crazier than when you jumpedfrom a plane, crazier than when you swam with the sharks, crazier

I cut her off, saying through a smile, Ididnt swim with sharks, they just crashed the party.

Claudias eyes got squinty. You know whatI mean. And Ill throw in treasure hunting with that guy whothought he was the Indiana Jones of this generation but who was, Iwill remind you, she leaned in, not. And that time you nearly got stampeded by elephants whenyou were on safari

I looked to Valentine. That wasunfortunate. And it wasnt my fault no matter what anyonesays.

Valentines eyelids lowered a little, like acat who was coasting to sleep.

Seriously, this bitch was cool.

Finnie! Claudia snapped and I looked backat my friend.

I get it sweetheart, you think Imnuts.

You are nuts if you she leaned forward again, her eyes dartingwith more than a little obvious distrust at Valentine before comingback to me, think youre going to a parallel universe.

I can assure you, Valentine put insmoothly, she will.

I looked at Valentine. Her hair was adark, shining auburn, real as far as I could tell. Her skin wasalabaster. Her body was long and very thin. Her descent, shedeclared, was pure Creole, in other words, her people were there before our people were there (her people being the Europeansand when she explained this to us during our first meeting with hera couple of days ago, after, of course, corresponding with her formonths to set up this gig, it was she who added the emphasis). She had a kickass place in theFrench Quarter. She had major class from her perfectly coiffed headto her killer Jimmy Choo clad toes. She reeked of money even morethan me and I wasloaded.

And, incidentally, she was, Id learned froma variety of reliable sources, an extremely powerful witch.

Okay, Claudia stated, say you do this.Say you send Finnie there

Her name, is Seoafin, Valentine cut inhaughtily, her green eyes sliding elegantly to me, that is farmore chic then her lips turned down and one nostril quivereddelicately, Finnie.

The nostril quiver, I thought, was a goodtouch.

Well I, andall her friends who know her and love her and dont want to see herget gouged by someone like you, call her Finnie, Claudiareturned.

Valentine forced her gaze to Claudia (andmade it obvious she did so) and she said one word, the ice drippingfrom it underlining a meaning the word did not exactly have butcould not be missed, Indeed . Then she looked back at me and her face warmed, slightly . Sjofnis the Goddess of Love. And love, her eyelids suddenly fluttereddreamily, love, shebreathed then she focused on me with a strange intensity that mademe, even me , squirm alittle, love is everything.

Okay, this bitch had style and class butshe was whacked.

All righty, I whispered.

Oh my God! Claudia cried. This isinsane!

Valentines eyes sliced to Claudia and hergaze grew sharp. It is far from insane. Magic is entirely natural it is not insane. And I will remind you of what Ive toldyou repeatedly, this is not something I would normally do. It isbecause I like your friend, I admire her her green gaze travelledthe length of Claudia seated in her chair, outside her choice inacquaintances, that is, and she carries the name of a goddess, andthat goddess is the goddess of love, that Im doing it at all. Sheshould feel honored.

I do, totally, I assured her and Valentinesmiled benignly at me.

Yeah, she should feel honored, Claudiacut in sarcastically. What with Finnie giving you a milliondollars, she should feelhonored. Right

Valentine sniffed delicately andcondescendingly as any uppity bitch would do when money was broughtup.

Claudia was a dog with a bone. So, say youcan actually pull off this nonsense. Wheres she going? Whats shegoing to do when she gets there? And are you sure you can bring herback?

She is going to Lunwyn, a beautiful,snow-covered country at the very top of the Northlands. She istaking the place of the Seoafin who lives there who, by the way,Valentine looked again at me, actually spells it properly. Sheturned again to Claudia. She will assume the life of the otherher. She will be there for the time we agreed, that is one year tothis very day, this very hour, this very minute and then, in thisvery place, she raised a pale, graceful hand and pointed a long,thin, lethally-rounded, blood red-tipped fingernail at the thickrug on the floor, I will switch them back.

Right, Claudia whispered, clearly thinkingValentine was a loon.

I grabbed Claudias hand and pulled it tome. Honey, listen to me. Valentines been in touch with this, uhother me. Shes on board and she wants this as much as me. Ivewritten a twenty page report on my life and all she needs to knowabout it to show her the way and shell have you . I squeezedher hand. Shes going to write to me about what I need to knowabout her life. Its all sorted. Its all good. But if I do this,which Im going to do, this has to happen very soon. The window isclosing.

Claudia stared in my eyes and I saw fear inhers. Okay, Finnie, I get this, I get it, Ive gotten it foryears. I get what you want from this. I get that your Dad, your Mom

My lungs seized and my back went straightbefore I snapped, Dont.

She squeezed my hand and kept at me. Iwouldnt but youre giving me no choice. Youre giving this woman amillion dollars for something she shook her head, for whateverthis is and you have no idea if its going to work, where shell send you if it doesand what will happenonce you get there.

I grinned. Thats the adventure, I pointedout the obvious.

This is why I like her, Valentine murmureddecorously.

Claudias eyes slid to the side, aiming avicious shut up look at Valentine but they cleared when they cameback to me. Your Mom and Dad

I tried to pull my hand from hers, snappingagain, Dont.

She held tight, leaned far forward to getin my space and didnt give up. Your Mom and Dad, Finnie,they died because ofthis thirst for adventure, a thirst they taught you and a thirstyouve never quenched, not once in all your wanderings andshenanigans. And I fear, honey, I fear you never will until youmeet their same end.

I yanked my hand free and looked hard ather. They died happy, I stated.