Cruising for Love -- The End!

“Run!” Marcus took off at warp speed.

“Yikes!” Tricia yelped as he grabbed her hand and dragged her down the hallway. Realizing running in spike heels wasn’t working, she kicked them off and snatch up the hem of her gown as she scrambled to keep up with Marcus’s longer strides. “Shorter person here.”

“Kill them all!” Eric Leif, the Red, bellowed, as he raced after them with a heavy duty, and extremely sharp, sword in his hand and a wave of followers on his heels.

“This was supposed to be a fun cruise!” Tricia panted, as Marcus, along with Mustafa and Jean Pierre as human bookends. “I was only supposed to walk around in pretty gowns and expensive jewelry!”

“Sometimes we don’t get what we want.” Marcus flashed her one of those bone-melting grins. “And sometimes we do.”

“Hurry!” Merry called out from ahead of them, her gown billowing around her with brilliant sparkles and her wand dancing in the air.

“What are –?” Tricia’s question faltered as the four of them seemed to swim through an invisible wall of Jell-O. She looked behind her to see Eric literally bounce off the Jell-O wall. She pulled free of Marcus’s grip and did a quick victory dance.

“We’re not safe yet.” Marcus reclaimed her hand and turned her to face him. “How brave are you, my love?”

She gulped. “Brave as in not screaming when I see a mouse or brave as in not going all hysterical because my life has been in danger and I could have been sold as a sex slave?”

He smiled. “Brave as in leaving this world for another. Leaving all you know behind.”
Her eyes widened with the implication of his words. “

“It’s time to go,” Jean Pierre reminded him.

“Quickly!” Mustafa seconded his words.

“Marcus.” Merry put in her own two cents. She smiled reassuringly at Tricia. “It’s beautiful in our world.”

Tricia was at a loss for words. “You’ll be there? You won’t just take me there and suddenly take off for another alternate world or come back here?”

He brushed the back of his fingers across her cheek. “Why would I when you would share my life and my world?”

“I’m not an impulsive person,” she admitted, feeling an odd rumble under her feet.

Merry waved her wand and the end of the hallway seemed to expand. At the end of the hallway was a roiling swirl of color.

“Uh.” Tricia’s stomach suddenly took a nosedive.

Marcus lifted her hand to his lips.

“You are my soul mate, Tricia. I promise you will never regret your decision. I will love and cherish you for all of my life.”

What could she do? No man had ever made her feel the way Marcus did. Plus, what man tells her they’re soul mates?

“We must hurry,” Merry urged them. “The Gate cannot stay open much longer.”

Tricia took a deep breath and laced her fingers through Marcus’s.

“I’m going to need a wardrobe.”

He grinned. “Not for awhile.” His low growl brought a blush to her cheeks. He wasted no time leading her toward the Gate that hummed away.

Tricia felt an odd sensation as they stepped into the Gate.

“You do have Nordies and Sephora on your world, don’t you?” she asked, as the Gate started to close after Mustafa who entered last.

“What is Nordies and Sephora?”