Good Night

by L. R. W. Lee

  Wasila looked between Sandrin and me, then said, “My sister is actually the reason for our visit. And in fact—”

  “Hello, Sandrin.” I waved.

  He squinted as he studied my face, my hair, my flight leathers, then sized up my stature. I could almost see the wheels turning in his head. He drew back the heartbeat recognition dawned. “Why, Princess, is that really you? You’ve… changed.” Propriety caught up with him and he blanched. “Forgive me, Princess.”

  I grinned.

  Kovis smiled. But Wasila’s mood had again taken hold of her and she didn’t respond.

  “Please. Come in. Come in.” Sandrin led us into the grand foyer that stretched up all four floors to the roof that let light in through the clear glass at the top, much as the atrium in our palace. Selova had carried the theme of abundant foliage from outside into the space. A sequence of topiaries depicting the formation of sand beings being formed adorned the curved walls all the way up. Clearly, she loved what she did. I’d always thought her gardener must be a magician to maintain it all.

  “Please wait here while I let Selova know she has some special visitors,” Sandrin said.

  I raised my hand. “Actually, could we come with you? I haven’t seen the nursery in forever.”

  Sandrin smiled. “As you wish, Princess. Then, if you’ll follow me.”

  Our guards remained in the foyer while Wasila, Kovis, and I mounted the sweeping staircase behind the steward.

  Kovis and I had never discussed children, but I speculated it wouldn’t be long before we had that conversation, not after he saw all the adorable sandlings. At least I hoped he liked them as much as I did.

  We stopped on the third-floor landing and the sounds of crying filtered out to us. Sandrin turned right and pushed open the nursery door. Crying grew in intensity, approaching wailing as I soaked in the sight of the three rows of cradles. Selova had been busy. I counted green or yellow tags on nineteen of them. Kovis ruffled his wings and looked to me with big eyes.

  I chuckled. Such a male. The most powerful warrior the Altairn Empire had ever known, overwhelmed by babes.

  The three attendants had their hands full with other malcontents, so I plunged into the chaos. I quickly located the culprit. After checking diaper dryness, I scanned the chart. He’d been fed not long before. “You need a nap, young one.”

  I assumed my rocking stance and picked him up, feeling power well up at my feet. “Go to sleep. Go to sleep, little one,” I whispered, then launched into a lullaby.

  His eyes closed, and his wails ceased. Only his bottom lip quivered as the remnants of his tantrum ebbed.

  I felt a hand rest on my shoulder and didn’t need to look up to know it was Kovis.

  Wasila had taken a seat in a rocker and forced a smile as I caught her eye.

  I finished the second verse of the lullaby, gazing at this precious life in my arms. He was amazing in every way. Tiny fingers wrapped around mine. Tiny wings with tiny pin feathers. My heart filled, then overflowed with love.

  “Don’t you think you had an unfair advantage?” Kovis asked, a smile playing in his tone. “Using somnus on him.”

  I looked up. “He needed a nap.”

  “You’re a natural.”

  “Do you want to hold him?”

  Alarm filled his eyes. “No. No, I’m good.”

  I smiled. “He won’t break.”

  Something akin to panic mounted Kovis’s face.

  “Alissandra, you’ve returned.” I knew that voice even without glancing.

  I placed the sandling back in his cradle, leaving him to sweet slumber, and practically ran to Selova. I threw my arms around her, and she hugged me back. She gave the best hugs, the ones only a grandmother who’d spent her life around babes could. I inhaled her sand and sea scent—I loved it.

  At length, I pulled back. She looked the same as always. Wrinkles—smile skids I called them—filled the corners of her eyes and mouth. She’d braided her long silver hair and let it flow over her black knit shawl. She’d added a white sheep scarf with sparkles over her shoulders—its horn and front hooves hung down on one side, gray tail and hind quarters on the other. She’d knitted it and many others, and always wore one, an animal of some kind. And of course, she wore fun leggings like always. They were red and pink horizontal stripes this sun.

  “Sandrin told me you’d changed, but you’re still a sight for sore eyes.” She beamed as she rustled her wings, then ran her hand over my hair as if trying to understand how the transition had recreated me. “You must tell me all about it.”

  Kovis and Wasila joined us, and she looked Kovis up and down. “And you must tell me how you came to be in possession of these fine wings.” Her eyes danced. I wondered if she looked for new ideas to try. Turning to Wasila she said, “Princess, it has been a very long time since I last saw you, but you’re looking as radiant as ever.”

  Wasila leaned forward and hugged her. “Thank you, Selova. It’s good to see you too.”

  “Let’s adjourn someplace more comfortable to talk, shall we?” She headed out the doors, then up the stairs and turned left. We passed her workroom—she never allowed anyone in while she crafted sandlings, not even me—and stopped at the end of the hall. A moving sand sculpture—a sheep sitting on its behind held knitting needles that flew as it knit its own wool into a sock—greeted us. A dancing sand hippocampus had greeted me the last time I’d been here.

  Interesting. Kovis’s comment held awe.

  The sand of her door parted like a curtain, and we followed her inside, into her suites. Kovis looked around at the army of dream catchers adorning every sand wall—humans believed the things helped them dream when placed at the head of their beds. Wynnfrith, my roommate, had made one as a joke and put it on the wall above her bed. I’d never asked, but Selova had a funny sense of humor too. I could see her doing it for similar reasons.

  “Please, have a seat,” Selova invited. She headed to a dark wicker sectional with puffy white cushions. It had been situated before a large window that let in the cheery sun and permitted an expansive view of the bay. The seating arrangement filled the center of the spacious room atop a white-and-lime-patterned rug. A host of coordinating lime throw pillows made it even more inviting. Kovis sat down beside me. Wasila took the matching chair.

  Selova clapped her hands. “Alissandra, it is so good to see you. But I dare say that’s not why you’ve paid me a visit this sun.”

  I explained the situation regarding Alfreda and Velma going missing as succinctly as I could—she shook her head at parts and huffed at others. When I finished, I asked, “We were wondering if you know the geographic location of the sand person as well as the dreamer whose dreams you stitch together. If you do, we should be able to locate them.”

  She tilted her head. “You know, I’ve honestly never paid any attention. Location never seemed important to my work.” I let my shoulders fall as she held up a bony finger. “However, I’d like to try.”

  I looked up with a flicker of hope that Wasila mirrored. Kovis put his hand on top of mine and squeezed.

  “We can’t use your human charge, can we, Alissandra?” She winked at Kovis. “So, Princess Wasila, would you do the honors?”

  Wasila sat forward. “What do you need me to do?”

  “You have a dream charge.”

  “Yes, Isabel. She’s fourteen annums.”

  “Do you know where she is?”

  “Let me find her.” Wasila closed her eyes and several heartbeats later nodded.

  “Put her to sleep if you would and get her to dream. I’ll see if I can locate her when I connect that dream to the next.”

  Wasila remarked, “She’ll get in trouble for wool gathering, but it’s for a very good cause. Okay, I’m starting.”

  I bit my lip as I watched my sister. How I hoped this worked.

  Selova yawned before closing her eyes to commence work. She covered her mouth. “Sorry, past my bedtime.”

  I hope she d
oesn’t fall asleep on us, Kovis said.

  Please, don’t even say that.

  Sometime later, Selova opened her eyes again while Wasila continued working Isabel’s dreams.

  “Well?” I asked.

  Selova shook her head. “I couldn’t tell where either were. Of course I knew where Wasila was, but I looked for indicators that would tell me where she was, as if I didn’t already know, and found none. I couldn’t tell where Isabel was either. But just because I couldn't doesn't mean I can't. I'll need to try a few things. I've had worse challenges than this in my time.”

  Selova had been selected from among the best and brightest when we all first learned how to help humans sleep and weave their dreams. She wasn't short of mind power, and that fact allayed some of my fears. That and I knew she could be tenacious.

  “Have any other sand people gone missing?” she asked.

  Kovis and I looked at each other and he said, She’s quick.

  “We don’t know for sure, not yet,” I said. “But we believe Father is somehow using sand people to force humans to do his will.” I told her about Alfreda and Kennan and the times we’d run into rebels. “Every one of them had cloudy eyes. We believe it’s the manifestation of Father somehow possessing them.”

  “Via their sand person,” Selova clarified.

  “Yes.”

  “If there were a number of sand people who… hmm… I wonder if that’s why…” Selova brought a hand to her chin, considering.

  “What?” I prompted.

  “I’ve had a lighter workload of late. I wonder if whatever your father is doing is keeping dream connections from breaking.”

  “That’s possible?” I asked. Father had never attempted anything like that between me and Kovis.

  “So you wouldn’t have as many to join,” Kovis finished her thought.

  Selova nodded.

  “Each of the rebels are in what seems to be a dream state,” Kovis added. “Kennan had fought his way out of what he described as one horrendously long nightmare when we saw him, like his dream state never ended. But based upon what he said as he dashed off, that connection might have been reestablished.”

  “I’ve never heard of a substance or spell that could accomplish such a thing, but your father is a crafty one. If he’s formulated…” Selova shook her head.

  Wasila had made Isabel wake and now rejoined the conversation. “Prince Kovis, if they’re like your brother, once that connection is broken, they should have free will again, right?”

  “It would seem so,” he agreed.

  “I pray it’s so and they return to their homes.” She bit her lip.

  Kovis added, “Assuming several citizens have gone missing, we need to find them and your sisters as well as determine how to break that connection. Our list is growing.”

  Selova had continued thinking and now spoke from where her mind had taken her. “Prince Kovis, you said Kennan is Alfreda's charge. As I think about it, I haven’t connected dreams for him in ages. It seems your theory, that he is again under control by another, may well have merit.”

  I frowned. Poor Kennan, he didn’t deserve this.

  “What is Velma's charge’s name? And where was he when you last knew his whereabouts?” Selova asked.

  “Her current charge is JT,” Wasila replied. “He’s a healer at the capital.”

  I furrowed my brow. I didn’t think I knew that. Velma never talked about her charges. I’d never thought about why. Perhaps she wanted to protect them from Father. If so, I understood. I would have hidden everything about my charge too, based on what had happened between she and Father with the former Emperor Altairn. The less anyone knew about them, the better. I did a quick roll call of my apprentice friends and acquaintances, but none bore the name JT. He must be in Sand City.

  Selova clapped her hands, recognizing the name. “Oh, JT, yes. I connected dreams for him last night. That’s good news.”

  My stomach quivered. Yes, good news, but how to find Velma through him?

  Wasila looked hopeful.

  Selova pondered further. “If I think through who I’ve stitched dreams for recently and determine whose missing, we should know who is affected. At least in this province. Perhaps you can see if you can locate each citizen and question them. Oh, but you said you believe the citizens have been taken. And this still won’t locate either the human or the sand person. Well…”

  Kovis held up a hand. “Selova, thank you for your efforts. Would you keep trying? Who knows what your insights might help us with. Any information is better than nothing.”

  Selova rustled her wings and smiled as she rose. “It would be an honor. I’ll keep trying and will let you know immediately if I discover their whereabouts. I’ll also work to find a way to break that seemingly permanent dream state. They would at least wake up, and I should think that would prevent them being used.”

  We all stood, and I leaned over and gave Selova a hug. “Thank you.”

  “It is my pleasure, Princess Alissandra. I will do whatever I can to help you.” She patted my cheek.

  Wasila’s hug extended longer than mine, and I heard her sniff as Selova held her tight. “We’ll find them, Princess.”

  My sister bobbed her head against Selova’s shoulder and wiped her eyes when she finally pulled back. “Thank you,” she whispered.

  Turning, Selova said, “Wickford.” Another liveried steward appeared. “Please show them out and have the kitchen put on a large pot of coffee. Tell them to make it strong. I’ve got a long sun ahead.”

  We made it back to the palace as the sun cast long shadows and learned Aunt Dite had accepted Mema’s invitation to dinner next sun. While the news was encouraging, I was not at all settled. We shared with everyone what Selova had said. I knew she would try her best, but we hadn’t made any progress finding Alfreda and Velma, not really.

  Wasila begged off further conversation and headed straight to bed. Perhaps having Wynnfrith to share her room with would make it not so lonely.

  “You’re rather quiet,” Kovis commented. We’d headed to my bedroom, and I hugged Bliss as I leaned against the pillows at the head of my bed. Kovis sat beside me, stockinged feet, with wings thrown over the headboard. He’d stretched out his legs and crossed them at the ankle.

  “I’ve been thinking,” I said.

  Kovis gave me a long look.

  “Dite is not really my aunt. We just call her that as an honorary title. But I do have three aunts, on my father’s side of the family, Grandfather’s sisters, that I’ve never told you about.”

  “Okay.”

  “Nona, Ches, and Ta. They live at the Palace of Time. Great Aunt Ches decides the length of every human life. Aunt Nona sets in motion a device to measure it when a human is born, and Aunt Ta ends it when it’s over.”

  Kovis’s eyes grew wide. “I’m familiar with them, but never realized you were related. You certainly have a colorful family.”

  “You’ve only met a few of my relatives.”

  Kovis grinned as he shook his head.

  “Anyway, most people see them as reclusive crones as old as time itself.”

  “You mention them, why?”

  “Father asked them to change your lifespan.”

  Kovis leaned forward.

  “They wanted to get my side of the story before they acted, so I had to appear before them.”

  “Do I want to know what happened?”

  “They decided not to change it.”

  Kovis exhaled. “At least I hope that’s a good thing. I hope to live to a ripe old age… as humans go that is.”

  I smiled. “I think they might know where every human is located geographically.”

  Kovis’s mouth dropped open. “Why didn’t we go there first then?”

  “Everyone, shall we say, holds a healthy respect for them… out of fear of what they can do to the humans they care about.”

  “Ah. You sound like you don’t fear them. Why is that?”

  “Whi
le I was there, I got to know them a little, and they’re actually really nice.”

  Kovis’s brow rose. “Hold on, everyone else is afraid of them for what sounds like good cause, but you’re not?”

  “It’s hard to explain.” I bit my lip and hugged Bliss tighter. Was I crazy to think my aunts might help us? I’d gone the first time to answer their questions. But they’d wanted me to return with reading material. My face warmed at the thought. This time we’d be going to make a request of them, if we went. But what other choice did we have?

  Kovis drew my hands together and held them. “Ali, I want to find them as much as you, but—”

  “You don’t understand. This is why I didn’t think of them first. If anyone finds out, they’ll try to stop us. I know they will.”

  “You’re human now.”

  I pulled a hand away. “Kovis, I know this sounds crazy, but my gut tells me they’ll see us as well as help.” I prayed I sounded more convincing than I felt.

  Kovis let out a long breath. “Ali, you know I love you, and I trust you. I just don’t want anything to happen to you.”

  I forced a smile. “Nothing will. And I think we’ll find my sisters.”

  Kovis closed his eyes and shook his head. “I can’t believe I’m actually agreeing to this, but when should we go?”

  I drew a hand to the back of my neck. “We need to collect a few books to take with us first.”

  “Books? Like what kind of books?”

  “Um…” My face warmed.

  Kovis furrowed his brows.

  “Don’t ask me how, but I discovered they…” How to even say it. “They have unusual ways of… letting off pent-up passion.” Yes, that’s how Aunt Ches described it.

  “Passion? What are you saying?” A corner of his mouth hitched upward.

  “They’re old and… it’s just the three of them, and a few stewards and…”

  Kovis’s mouth dropped open. “No! Surely you don’t mean…”

  I scrunched my face and bobbed my head.