by Jaymin Eve
The entire student body of Darkens was moving into the cavern, which opened up into a large tunnel. I wasn’t a huge fan of tunnels, what with the chance that a billion, trillion tons of rock could fall on my head at any moment, but this one at least was wide and well ventilated. There were also plenty of lights scattered along the wall, just above my head height. I had no idea how there were lights attached to a mountain, but like everything else I didn’t understand, I was putting it in the alien technology category.
Lexen pushed through the crowd, making his way to the front. When he spoke, everyone paid attention. “When we reach the silver city, go and find your families. They will let you know the date and time for the council meeting.”
“What’s the Silver City?” I asked Star, who was leaning close to me, her arms crossed and a slightly bored expression on her face.
“It’s the main city in Mount Draygone. There are multiple cities, situated across multiple mounts. This is the largest, and our home.”
“So this mountain is called Mount Dragon?” I clarified. “The city within it is the Silver City? And what are those lights made from?” My curiosity was apparently unsatisfied with “alien technologies.”
She chuckled, and then nudged me forward. The group had started to walk; she made sure I kept up. “To answer, yes, yes, and they are flames from the draygones. They can shoot and place a flame anywhere and it will burn forever without need of fuel or energy source. We have been blessed with many great conveniences through our bond with the majestic rulers of this land.”
Note to self: do not insult the dragons while here. They were a big deal, a very big deal.
The stone surrounding us did not change color or texture as we walked. It appeared someone had carved and polished this path, bringing the multifaceted mineral on either side to shine like the most precious of diamonds.
“How big is Overworld?” I found myself asking as I tried to map the planet in my head.
I knew there were sections, at least three, with the Imperials somewhere else, and while the land of Darken seemed vast, could it really rival Earth in size?
Jero, who had been slightly in front, dropped back. “Overworld is huge,” he said, his Discovery Channel voice kicking in. “Larger than Earth actually. Our four houses – and their lands – are part of a small sector … what you would call a country. There are lots of these sectors. Ours is called Dae. They’re all vastly different, and for the most part none of us interact. It’s forbidden to travel outside your sector.”
“So your sector is the only one who has dealings with Earth?” I asked.
Star and Jero both nodded. “Yep,” he answered. “We’re the only ones with the ability to cross to Earth, or for humans to cross to us. None of the other sectors even know about the treaty.”
The tunnel was widening now, the lights growing brighter, and I had to stifle my gasp when we finally stepped out into the open.
“I … how … holy shit.”
My stuttered exclamation would make no sense to anyone, mostly because the jumbled thoughts in my head made no sense to me.
“How is this possible?” I finally got a semblance of a sentence out.
Jero, Marsil, and Star just laughed at me, no doubt enjoying my wide eyes and even wider mouth. But, seriously, it was like something out of a dream. The inside of the mountain had been carved into a city. Silver City, apparently. It was spectacular, spreading out much further than I could see, the roof high enough to seem like a flaming speck above us. Despite its distance, that light was illuminating the entire city. Dragon fire again…
The city itself was carved from something silver, but not like the metal on Earth. The only thing I could liken it to was a silver diamond: translucent, faceted, with a shimmery color unlike any gem I’d seen. We were standing high on a ledge, before a path that wound down the side and into the city. I was ushered along, Marsil taking pity on me and wrapping an arm around me so I didn’t stumble off the side. It was a very real possibility, because there was so much to look at.
It was beautiful, like a Christmas village, everything lit up with tiny lights. Some other colors broke up the silver, golds and mauves being the most prominent.
“How long did it take to carve this city?” I turned my wide eyes on the three Darkens with me, looking between each of them, desperate for answers.
Jero turned back to his city, tilting his head as though seeing it for the first time. “Legend says this city was carved a million years ago by the Draygo, the first draygone people. They could change their shape between what you see now and the beasts who rule the skies. Their magic could bring the land to life. They would sing it into the shape they desired.”
A shiver went down my spine as I thought about the insanity of my life. It was almost too farfetched to believe. I kept waiting for someone to jump out and tell me it was all a joke. Or for me to wake from the coma I’d been in since the fire.
Somehow, it felt real. Maybe the Finnegans had rubbed off on me over the last eight months, or maybe my mind was finally gone. Either way, I was going to enjoy this new experience.
“Are there still dragon people?” I asked, keeping my voice quiet on instinct. I thought Lexen glanced back at me then, but he was far enough away – still leading the group – that I was probably imagining that too.
Marsil spared a quick glance at his brother. “There are a few,” he said briefly. “Secretive and powerful. They live with the draygones, not with Daelighters. You would do well not to speak of them again.”
In. Sane. This was all just insane.
Chapter 13
By the time we reached the base of the city I was feeling quite overwhelmed. The excitement was still there, but it had waned because there was no way to maintain that level of euphoria for an extended period of time. I was the equivalent of a three-year-old halfway through a birthday party. I’d worn myself out.
My lack of sleep was also catching up to me, the slightest of tension headaches pounding in my temples. I should have expected this though. This entire little excursion into another world was a huge deal. I’d avoided strong emotions for almost a year now, because feeling anything was painful, so today was definitely going to affect me.
Despite my fatigue, I was still cataloguing and learning as much as I could. Fascinatingly enough, this city was set out in the same block formation like big cities back home. There were even signs – not that I could read them as they were not in English, but I recognized them all the same.
“Are you okay?” Star asked, no doubt noticing my sudden quietness. Not five minutes earlier I’d been going on and on about how amazing this place was, so my silence now was kind of obvious.
“Just … tired.” That was mostly the truth.
She was opening her mouth to reply when Lexen said something and the rest of the other Darken students hurried off to find their families. We were pretty far into the city now, and it was hard to not feel overwhelmed by the shimmering silver surrounding us.
Star ignored her brothers, focusing on me. “Come on, let’s get you to our home. There should be some time to rest. I expect the council meeting won’t be until tomorrow.”
Lexen joined us then, seeming more relaxed now that he wasn’t wearing his leader hat. “We don’t know the timeframe yet,” he reminded his sister. He stood taller, looking right at home among the opulence of this world.
I would never have guessed from what I saw of him on Earth, but here it was abundantly clear: Lexen was trained and groomed to lead. The way he took charge, carried himself, spoke to the other Darken members…
I kind of missed his bastard side. He had been real. Here … I got the mask. I wasn’t sure I liked it. Nothing to do with you, my inner voice tried to remind me, but it didn’t change my feelings.
Our group was silent as we continued through the town. A lot of inhabitants were scurrying around, still surprising me with how similar our species were. The Daelighters were like Hollywood-spec humans, tall and bea
utiful.
I got a few glances from the locals, but my companions were the ones receiving the majority of attention. Also salutes – or a version similar enough that I was going with it. Lexen got bowed to. A lot. The Daelighters who crossed his path would place both of their palms flat on their forehead, one hand overlapping the other, and then they would bow very low to him.
Lexen would return the gesture with a simple head nod.
This process continued on and on. I was so fascinated that I missed the rest of the town. By the time I noticed my surroundings again we had reached their home. Well, the large gates outside it, carved from a different material, one which looked more like the outside of this mountain: a smoky, opal-colored crystal.
Lexen pressed his hand to the gate – the entire property was fenced – and said something in their language. The barrier opened immediately and we all stepped inside. I was surprised by the lack of security, especially after the overkill in Astoria.
“Does everyone speak English here?” I asked as we stepped inside, the crystal barrier silently closing behind us.
“Ever since the first signing of the treaty,” Lexen said, disarming me with his full attention again.
“Does anyone on Earth know … your language?” How intertwined were our worlds? How could no one know about this?
“Dray,” Lexen filled in the blank. “All houses use the original language of the Draygo people. There are a few representatives on Earth that understand it, but since, for the most part, we’re not known about by humans, there’s no reason for them to learn.”
I kind of wanted to learn it, but no doubt my mouth and vocal cords would struggle to form the melodic Dray words. I couldn’t sing for crap, and it sounded musical to me.
Lexen was the first to walk again, leading us along a path toward a white building.
Okay, building was a vast understatement. It was more like a resort, widely spread, square-shaped, with towering wings and lots of windows. The details were hazy from this distance, so I focused instead on the gardens surrounding us on either side. There were so many plants, huge trees, flower-filled garden beds. It could have been cluttered, having so much crammed in, but it just seemed cozy and tranquil. The scents … they were almost overwhelming, their sweet natural perfume filling the air.
It seemed a miracle to see an area so lush and natural on the inside of a mountain, but considering I flew here on a dragon carpet, anything was possible. The energy of the dragons kept things powered here. The warmth and light from that burning dragon fire, so high above us, did have a sun feel to it.
It took a long time to reach their home. Unlike a lot of the other structures under here, it was not made of the silver-diamond stone. It looked like … I reached for my necklace, pulling it free from where it had been tucked in my shirt. I rarely took it off, not even for tortu … gym class.
“What is this stone?” I asked, my voice low. “The one your house is made of?”
Star’s hand zipped out and grabbed my pendant, bringing it closer and almost strangling me in the process. “How do you have starslight stone? It’s a rare mineral which falls from our sky—”
She looked to her brothers for help.
“Like a meteorite, falling from space,” Marsil filled in for her. “This stone is not natural to our land, but we collect it every time it falls from above. It has a strong natural energy and can be used to power many things.”
“Like the stone in the treaty with Earth?” I confirmed what Lexen had told me earlier. The others looked surprised, but recovered quickly.
“Yes,” Star exclaimed, as she finally released me. “The exact same one.”
I shook my head, trying to piece all the information together. “How would my mother possess a necklace made from this stone?” Could it have fallen to Earth as well? Even if it did, why would my parents have it? They were definitely not into anything space-like.
Part of me was freaking out at what possible answers I was going to get. I adored my parents more than anything else in the world. Could I handle having their memories tainted by learning they had kept some huge truth from me.
Jero, uncharacteristically somber, reached out and lifted the chain too, gentler than his sister had. “This rock has never landed on Earth. I can tell you that for a fact. The only piece there is the one gifted as part of our treaty. It’s extra special. It has a literal beating heart which calms your world.”
“What did you say your parents did again?” Lexen interrupted.
“Accountant and school teacher,” I replied without hesitation.
“Did you ever go to their work?” Lexen pressed. “See them do these jobs?”
My reply died on my tongue as I thought about his question. I hadn’t actually ever gone to their work, but Mom had shown me tests from her class, and pictures of students.
“They did not lie to me,” I finally said. “They wouldn’t lie to me about something as huge as that.”
A darkness flittered across Lexen’s face. I couldn’t pull my gaze from his, locked on to the intensity. “Humans lie all the time, Emma. It is something we noticed from our very first interactions. They lie for a multitude of reasons, mostly to protect themselves, or to protect others.”
My breathing was harsh as I tried to calm my racing pulse. “Are you saying my family was involved in this treaty? That they hid everything from me in a bid to protect me? And that your world might have something to do with why they died?” My rushed words were just below a shout by the time I finished, chest heaving.
Star stepped forward and I could finally look away from the harsh planes of Lexen’s face. “I’m so sorry, Emma. I promise we’ll find out everything we can,” she said, her usual hug coming my way.
I squeezed my eyes as tightly as I could, not wanting to break down. I had been holding it together, but the moment her arms wrapped me up so firmly, the sympathy in her words cracked through my control.
“Star, let her go,” Lexen said, softer than he usually spoke.
I was released a beat later. Star’s eyes were glassy as if she’d been trying not to cry too. I was waiting for Lexen to pretend that my emotional breakdown wasn’t happening, but he surprised me. “Star is right, I will find out what happened to your family. There’s a reason the council is so interested in keeping you safe. A reason they’ve let you into our world – insisted on it actually. We’ll find out exactly what’s going on.”
I swallowed roughly, my throat seizing up. “Thank you,” I managed to get out. “Nothing can bring my parents back, I know that, but I’ve been struggling with closure. Acceptance. Maybe more information will help.”
I had never been able to let it rest, the fire continuing to haunt me. I figured it was a timing thing, as in I needed more time to heal, but maybe there was something more.
“My babies!”
We all turned toward the large, white, double doors we had been standing a few feet from. They were half open and a tall, slender brunette woman was dashing through them. Her face was lit up and I felt the love pouring from her as she threw her arms around Lexen. He hugged her back tightly, looking younger and more relaxed than usual.
“We missed you too, Mom,” he said with a chuckle as she finally let him go.
“I have missed you all so much. I’ve argued with your father about sending you to Earth, but he continues to say that we have no choice.”
It was hard to believe she was their mother. She looked only a few years older than me. Her hair was long and thick, hanging in a silky sheet to her waist. Her eyes were blue, just like Jero’s, her skin darkly tanned.
She was beautiful and regal. Wearing white linen pants and a tunic top, also white, everything about her screamed money and class, just like her children. As she hugged each of them, holding so tightly, a look of absolute joy on her face, I was starting to understand where the pure kindness from each of the Darkens came from.
Star snorted as she was squished tightly. “Mother, I have been gone for
two days.”
The woman pulled back, holding her daughter at arm’s length. “Longest two days of my life, sweetheart.”
Finally, after greeting each of the Darkens, she noticed me standing there. Awkwardly. I wasn’t sure how I would be received. I half expected her to treat me like an interloper in their lives, but she took me completely by surprise when she wrapped her arms around me. I was stiff at first, but this lady held the same power as the rest of her family, and eventually I relaxed enough to lean in to her, the flowery scent she wore wrapping around me.
Thankfully she didn’t hug me too long, or I might have done something embarrassing like cry. She was so loving and motherly, and after just speaking of my parents, my heart was raw.
“Welcome to the House of Darken, Emma,” she said when she pulled away. “I have heard a lot about you. Oh, and please call me Ambra. We don’t stand on formality here.”
I was grateful for that, because I’d had no idea what title to call her.
“Thanks so much for allowing me to stay with you, for offering your protection,” I said, a smile forming on my face. Why did I continue liking this family so much? I was turning into a mini Darken-stalker.
She waved her hand at me. “Anytime, darling. Think of us as family while you stay here. I can’t even imagine how you must be feeling, venturing to a new world.”
“I’m loving it actually.” I was practically grinning now. “Once in a lifetime chance to see something as spectacular as your world. I consider myself lucky.”
“Ambra, melerde,” said a man’s voice, “bring them all inside. We have much to discuss, and very little time.”
The tall, imposing male was perched in the doorway. I had no idea how long he had been there watching our exchange, but I immediately brushed my hair back and tried to make myself look a little more presentable. I had absolutely no doubt who he was – the overlord.