Lone Star Magic Read Online Free

the
horizon, coloring the sky a brilliant red, Alrick made ready to
rest. The night was cool and the breeze gentle. Carly would be
safe, at least for this eve, for the Warlord had not remained.
    At the first light of morning, Alrick stood
and stretched, then crossed the unkempt fields to her farm, the
place a hand-carved, crooked wooden sign proclaimed The No Name
Ranch.
    First, he inspected the perimeter, sniffing
for telltale hints of magic, looking for magical signs left by the
Warlord. Whatever energy sustained him, the Warlord had not yet
fully made the transition to this time. They were safe, for
now.
    But the Warlord would return. Carly, and what
she meant to his world in the future, was too important.
    Her house still looked dark. Most likely she
still slept. Her dog greeted him silently, tail wagging. Instead of
presenting himself at her door, Alrick slipped into the barn, where
the horse named TM waited. As soon as Alrick slid the warped wooden
doors open, the young stallion whickered.
    “You have not eaten?” Moving closer, Alrick
looked around for the grain. “Perhaps your mistress yet
slumbers.”
    TM snorted his agreement, bobbing his
well-shaped head up and down. Energy burned in him like a
flame.
    Finally, Alrick located some sort of feed.
Made to look like green rabbit pellets, Carly kept the stuff stored
in a large, faded plastic can. Inside was also a plastic scoop, for
which he was grateful since Fae skin was burned by the touch of
metal. He’d brought gloves just in case.
    “He gets two of those.” Carly’s voice, still
rusty with sleep, made him turn. “And two of the grain. He’ll have
hay as well. That’s his regimen twice a day.”
    Alrick could not take his eyes off her. With
her tousled hair and sleep-swollen eyes, she looked at though she
had just tumbled from some man’s bed.
    He cleared his throat, forcing away the heat
such thoughts brought. “May I feed him?”
    She gave a short nod, sending her flaming
curls flying. “Go ahead.”
    Hope flared in his chest. Letting him tend to
her horse sounded as though she’d decided to let him stay.
    While he busied himself gathering the feed,
he felt her eyes on him. She tracked his every movement, like a
hawk watching a sparrow.
    TM nickered his impatience, pawing at the
ground.
    “Be still,” Alrick ordered. Immediately the
impatient young animal quieted.
    Behind him, Carly snorted.
    Once he dumped the pellet and grain mixture
into TM’s feed trough, and the horse was munching happily, Alrick
turned to face her, crossing his arms.
    “Well?”
    Swallowing, she looked away. “Where did you
sleep last night?”
    “Sleep? In the field beyond those trees.”
    “Don’t you have a car?”
    “A car.” He repeated the words, remembering.
Metal machines. “I don’t have a car.”
    “No pickup?”
    Despite the fact Alrick had no idea what on
earth a pickup might be, he shook his head. “I feel quite certain I
don’t have one of those either.”
    She frowned at that. “Either you do or you
don’t. Are you homeless?”
    “I have a home, though it’s a long journey to
there.”
    If anything, his words seemed to make her
even more unhappy. Her frown deepened. “Hmmmm.”
    He squared his shoulders and looked her in
the eye. He felt like one of his father’s overlords, defending
himself against some imaginary insult. He had his sword and his
bow, though compared to the weapons of her world, they were
nothing. And he had his magic.
    “You’ve got to leave,” Carly said.
    “Leave?” His heart sank.
    “Yes. Now.” She pointed east, towards where
the rising sun colored the clouds a bright pink. “I’m sorry, but I
can’t help you. There are lots of other ranches in this area. I’m
sure you can find one that’ll hire you.”
    “Dragons teeth—.” He took another step
closer, halting when she held up her hand.
    “You’re creeping me out. Please just go.”
    “But—.”
    “Look, Rick, Al, whatever your name is. I
don’t