Parallel Read Free

errant thoughts as they hiked along the path, which was smooth and flat—perfect for walking. As the hours passed and the sun travelled across the sky, she thought about the wisps of blue light that had pulled on her paddle and tried to remember whether they had faces. Sadly, it was all a blur. She did remember Mason’s expression though. Where was he now? Was he safe? Ava picked up her pace, taking quick steps until she was tossed, unceremoniously, upside down.
    “Ahh!” she yelled, her mouth full of leaves and prickly rope. She had been caught in a net, apparently a trap that had been triggered by the weight of her foot. The net spun and spun as she tried to pry the rope apart, her head starting to spin with it. Finally she gave up and sat, breathing hard.
    “Ava!” Avalon cried from far below. Carefully, Ava repositioned herself so she could look down and immediately regretted it. How had she shot up so high?
    “What a disappointment.” Ava’s head whipped around toward a male voice that was right by her ear. There, crouching on a tree branch, was a young man in forest green clothing, staring at her, his eyes matching his clothes. His light brown hair was tied back in a queue, pulled away from otherwise very symmetrically appealing features. Not that Ava cared about that. The guy was annoyingly handsome, but he had nothing on Mason. She preferred blonde men anyway. She glared.
    “Are you talking about yourself or your poorly designed trap?” she spat. His eyebrow lifted in surprise.
    “You’re pretty mouthy for a woman. Aren’t you supposed to be meek and delicate? I wouldn’t know really.”
    “You’re pretty stupid for a man. I don’t need to answer your questions. Let me go so my friend and I can be on our way.”
    “On your way to where?” he asked, not moving. Ava pulled at the rope again in frustration, causing another round of ring around the rosie. She growled and waited for the spinning to stop. As she circled around and around, she glared at the tree man in silence, while his expression clearly told her he had all day and didn’t mind waiting. Finally, she gave in.
    “We need to find a witch. I’ve been tricked by some portal sprites, or some nonsense, and now I have to find a way back to my world so I can get home to my boy…to my fiancé. Apparently only a witch can help us, and we really don’t have time to waste so if you could…” she gestured around her at the net. The man continued to squat on his branch, and Ava wondered absently if his quads were at all sore sitting in that position.
    “An engaged woman traveling alone in the woods searching for a witch? How very odd. Odd indeed. Even more so because our quests are exactly the same.”
    Ava frowned.
    “You’re looking for a witch, too? And I never said I was alone.”
    “One travel companion rarely counts as company, lass. And aye, I do seek a witch,” he said, finally sitting on the branch, allowing his legs to dangle. His expression softened as he stared out into the treetops. “My mother has been sick for many years; I cannot sit by and watch anymore. I figured if I could find a witch, she could give me a potion to bring my mother back to her former health again. I will not stop until I find a cure for her, you see.” The man looked back at Ava, and the light in his eyes changed.
    “What I need is a unicorn. Problem with unicorns is they’re sexist. They don’t like men. And now instead of a unicorn I’ve caught a mouthy woman, which might be even worse!”
    Ava bristled. “Hey, it’s not my problem that you’re a terrible tracker, buddy. Let me down and we can both be on our way. In fact, I hope you do find the witch and your mom gets better. Just leave me and my friend alone!”
    “But our paths lie together now, friend. I need a woman to better lure a unicorn, and you need to not be trapped in my net. So, we have an agreement upon us now. I will agree to let you go, if you agree to join my quest so that we