by S. E. Smith
He turned and stared into the darkness, his eyes adjusted thanks to his cat and grinned when a tree near him opened its eyes and watched him.
“The imagination of the human females never ceases to amaze me,” he murmured with a shake of his head.
“What the… Ouch!”
“Look out! Another trap!”
Viper froze, his head turning to try to see what Zoran and Trelon were yelling about. Another trap? What kind this time? He was straining to lean forward to see if he could see better when he heard the faint thwacks followed by a pelting of small splats all over his chest. Hearing another burst being launched, he ducked to the side. He raised his hand to his chest and wiped his hand across the front of his shirt before lifting it to his nose and sniffing – mud.
“It’s mud,” he called out, searching the trees. His gaze caught on a thin wire hanging down. “There is a trip wire.”
“I see it,” Paul replied with a laugh. “Kelan, I think this one can be blamed on us. Bálint has set up the mud shooters.”
“Well, I’ve been tagged,” Kelan replied.
“You don’t have to sound so damn proud about it,” Cree muttered before he released a low curse. “I’ve been tagged.”
“Me, too,” Calo laughed. “We needed these kids during the war. They would have put us all to shame.”
“It just makes me wonder what Alice will do,” Ha’ven called out. “I think I’ll leave my shield up until we get through.”
“Chicken,” Viper retorted.
Ha’ven frowned. “I am nothing like that feathered creature your mate is attached to,” he replied in disgust.
“Son of a….! Trelon! You pile of dragon dung,” Vox hissed, staring at the white ghostly figures of the wolves darting between the trees. “I thought I told you no more of those damn creatures.”
The sound of the men’s laughter echoed with the curses when they triggered another trip wire. A grin curved Viper’s lips and he sat forward, absently wiping the quickly drying mud dots from his shirt. His own cat hissed and clawed when several of the wolf type creatures ran by his chair, but he quickly soothed it. The challenge was on.
20
“How many rooms are in the castle?” Calo asked.
Trelon glanced upward as the chairs twisted higher and higher through the trees. “Nine not counting the foyer,” he replied. “It starts in the foyer, moves to the dungeon, the Huntress’ Forest, the rooftop garden, the attic, down to the ballroom, then the kitchen, and library before entering the Throne Room.”
“What is the rooftop garden like?” Paul asked, trying to figure out which trap they were likely to encounter next.
“It has all kinds of singing and dancing flowers and animals,” Trelon said. “I think we should probably get out and walk through each section. It might be safer.”
“I’m up for safer,” Vox said with a grin.
Trelon nodded and drew out the miniature controller that he had with him. Once the chairs were level with the garden, he pressed a button to stop them and released the straps. He gripped the bar and carefully climbed out of the chair.
“Be careful, I know some of these plants spit out water,” he muttered to the others as they gathered around him.
“What are we looking for?” Creon asked, glancing around.
Trelon shrugged. “Your guess is as good as mine,” he replied. “I would say anything that looks out of place.”
Creon looked around with a skeptical glance at the dancing and singing plants and animals. “And that helps how?” He muttered before nodding toward the left. “I’ll take this area.”
“I’ll go with you, Creon,” Mandra said.
Slowly, the men split up in groups of two to search for any evidence that the younglings had been here. Creon and Mandra weaved in and out along the narrow paths between the animated figures. The music and songs of ‘This Must be Halloween’ and ‘Halloween All Year Long’ played happily in the background. They were almost to the far side when the area above them suddenly turned dark and their hair stood on end. They glanced at each other and grimaced.
“Thunderstorm,” they both said just as a swirling storm opened up into a torrential downpour.
“Great,” Creon muttered, wiping the water pouring down his face. “Just great.”
*.*.*
“These things look real,” Vox muttered to his brother.
Viper nodded. “We’re lucky that the Valdier didn’t find Cara before the war or we might not have survived it,” he joked.
Vox turned to look at his brother with a serious expression. “You are happy with Tina, Viper? I know you and Pearl still have your moments, but I will be forever grateful to you for bringing my mate’s family here.”
“Pearl is an unusual woman. I am just grateful she lives here instead of on our world,” he chuckled. “It gives us an excuse to visit frequently.”
“True,” Vox agreed. “What kind of plant is this? It looks very real.”
Viper felt his cat purr and struggle to move closer. “Do you smell that?” He whispered, closing his eyes.
“Whatever it is, my cat is going nuts for it,” Vox muttered, stepping closer. “It smells almost like Riley’s milk.”
“Tina’s, too,” Viper groaned, walking closer to the huge, glowing purple flower.
In a daze, both men reached out to touch the unusual plant. The moment their hands touched the glowing petal, their cats hissed a faint warning, but it was too late. Within seconds, both Vox and Viper were no longer standing in the narrow aisle. A pulsing light showed them locked inside the purple bloom that had closed in around them.
*.*.*
Ha’ven and Kelan paused at the fork in the path. One path led to a dancing fountain, the other through a dark tunnel of vines. Staring back and forth, they both moved in the direction of the dancing fountain as if by some unspoken agreement.
“That was pretty innovative of Bálint,” Ha’ven commented as they walked along the winding path. “Mud shooters, I’ve never heard of those before.”
“Dulce developed them so that we could play tag with Bálint,” Kelan replied. “Alice is very powerful, Ha’ven. I was not aware that your kind could teleport.”
Ha’ven glanced at Kelan and grimaced. “Not all of my kind can,” he admitted. “I did not develop the ability until the last few years. Alice…. She is much more powerful than Emma and I realized.”
Kelan paused and placed a reassuring hand on Ha’ven’s shoulder. “You will help guide her,” Kelan said quietly. “She is a beautiful and talented little girl.”
Ha’ven’s lips curved into a rueful smile. “She is also very strong willed, like her mother,” he acknowledged.
“Emma? She reminds me of the delicate petals of a flower,” Kelan stated in disbelief, lifting his hand to touch one of the odd shaped petals next to him before he realized what it was. “Run!”
“What?” Ha’ven said, startled by the change in Kelan’s voice.
“Dragonfire!” Kelan choked out, grabbing Ha’ven’s arm and pulling him forward just as a burst of flames exploded from the flower next to him.
“Dragonfire?” Ha’ven muttered, turning to see that the flowers were now turning a bright red.
“The flowers are called Dragonfire,” Kelan yelled, sprinting forward toward the fountain. “Touch them and they shoot fire.”
“Why do you have fire shooting plants?” Ha’ven shouted back, ducking and swerving when several more bursts of flame shot out.
“Ask my brother’s mate!” Kelan hollered just before he dove into the fountain.
“Why should I be surprised?” Ha’ven muttered a moment before he jumped over the side of the fountain and submerged beneath the crystal clear water.
*.*.*
Cree turned in a circle, glancing cautiously around him. He and Calo were almost finished with their section of the garden. Except for a handful of annoying, singing plants and fake animals, they hadn’t discovered anything. He crossed over th
e path to the one Calo had just walked down. His gaze swept the area, looking for any type of trap.
“Have you found anything?” Cree asked when he saw Calo standing next to a huge open flower.
“No, not yet,” Calo said, staring at the unusual egg shaped structure. “What do you think this is?”
“If you don’t know, don’t touch,” Cree ordered.
“It looks like some type of bird’s nest,” Calo muttered, bending down to look inside it. He jumped back when a beautiful, small furry creature peeked at him. “Cree, there’s something inside it.”
“Calo, I said…,” Cree started to say before his voice faded. “That looks real.”
“Maybe Mandra would know what it is,” Calo said, reaching out when the small creature rose up on its back legs and pawed the air. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”
Cree moved uneasily from one foot to the other. “Well, either leave it or grab it and bring it back with us to see if Mandra or Kelan recognize what it is. Whatever you do, we need to go. Melina could be back any minute and we still have to get back to Hope,” he reminded his brother.
“Oh, right,” Calo said. “I’ll bring it. I don’t think there is any food for it in here.”
Calo gently picked up the creature and tucked it back inside the egg shaped mud and stick nest. Picking up the nest, he tucked it under his arm and turned back the way they had come. He ignored Cree’s look of amusement.
“Who knows, maybe Melina would like it,” Calo said defensively. “It’s cute.”
Cree shook his head. “Sometimes, I wonder about you, Calo,” he chuckled. “It would get lost among all of her teddy bears.”
*.*.*
Paul stopped to stare at the glowing purple flower that was shaking crazily. Inside of it, he could hear the muted shouts and the shadowy outlines of two men – Vox and Viper, if he had to guess. They had been drawn to the sweet scent of the Mother’s Milk. Fortunately for him, his mate had quickly taught him which plants to be careful of and which to avoid.
Shaking his head in amusement, he walked forward and studied the plant. It would take months for the plant to digest the two men. He placed his hands on his hips and watched. It was obvious the two men were arguing with each other.
“Yep, greenhorns in a blizzard,” he muttered, dropping his hands to his side and striding forward.
It took him a couple of minutes to find the small yellow tentacle. It was a natural release for the plant. Wrapping his hand around it, he pulled on it hard and jumped back. Within seconds, the bloom opened up, spit the two men out, before closing up in a tight bud in defense against the predator that had attacked it.
Vox and Viper slid several feet across the floor thanks to the coating of slime from inside of the plant. Both men groaned and wiped at the liquid running down their faces before glancing up to stare at Paul with a mixture of exasperation and relief.
“What is that thing?” Viper finally asked, climbing to his feet.
“Mother’s Milk,” Paul chuckled. “It can be a very unpleasant way to die. It takes months for it to digest its prey.”
Vox spit out some of the slime and wiped a hand across his mouth, only to grimace when he spread more across his lips. He pushed up off the floor, slipping for a moment before he regained his footing. Once steady, he ran his hands through his hair in disgust.
“I’ve changed my mind, Viper,” Vox snapped, slinging the gooey residue off his hands. “I don’t like the smell of that plant anymore.”
Paul chuckled and shook his head. “Come on,” he said. “I don’t think the kids booby trapped this level.”
“They didn’t need to. Cara had already done it,” Viper muttered, shooting one last look at the innocent looking bloom that was beginning to open up again.
*.*.*
“What happened to all of you?” Trelon asked, straightening up from where he and Zoran were talking after returning to the chairs. “You – smell very sweet,” he added with a wrinkle of his nose.
“That’s what happens when you get eaten by a plant,” Vox growled, walking funny as the slime ran down the inside of his pants. “This stuff better not cause problems with my cock or I swear there’ll be another war.”
Zoran and Trelon chuckled. “We’ll ask Dola the next time we see her,” Zoran promised.
They all turned as Creon, Mandra, Ha’ven and Kelan walked up. All four men were drenched to the skin. Trelon sniffed. It smelled like they might have been a little singed as well.
“Did you guys go swimming?” He asked in surprise.
“Thunderstorm,” Creon and Mandra muttered, walking by the men and climbing onto the ride.
“Dragonfires,” Kelan glared. “Please tell me why you have real Dragonfires in the garden, Trelon,” he demanded before he stopped and stared in surprise at Vox and Viper. He sneezed when the sweet scent swept over him. “Mother’s Milk? You’ve got Mother’s Milk as well? This is a family attraction. You don’t put plants that can catch you on fire or eat you in a family attraction,” he added in an incredulous tone.
“I didn’t, Cara and her crew did. Besides, no one is supposed to be out of their seats,” Trelon said defensively.
“Hey, look what we found,” Calo said before he stopped to stare at the other men. “What happened to you guys?”
“Where did you get that?” Mandra asked in a hoarse voice, his gaze locked on the mud and stick egg in Calo’s hands.
“What? This?” Calo asked, holding it up. “We found it sitting on a flower. It has the cutest little furry creature inside.”
“I know what it has inside,” Mandra replied, stepping back and raising a defensive hand when Calo took a step forward. “I thought I had hidden all of them.”
“Why would you hide it?” Calo asked, staring in confusion between Mandra and the egg shaped item he was holding.
Mandra opened his mouth to reply when he heard the familiar sound of a hum and some clicks mixed in with the sounds of the music. A shudder ran through him as vivid memories of uncontrollable laughter swept through his mind.
“Get the ride going, Trelon,” Mandra demanded in an urgent voice. “Now! Calo throw that thing as far as you can. Move it! Move it!”
The desperation in Mandra’s voice was enough to energize the men into action. Calo pulled back his arm and threw the suddenly buzzing nest as far as he could while the men scrambled onto the ride. Trelon pressed the button, urging the ride to move faster even while the straps engaged around him.
“Mandra, what is in that thing?” Ha’ven asked grimly, noticing a dark cloud starting to appear from the nest.
“Tickle Bugs,” Mandra replied. “Those things are pure torturous death by tickling.”
21
“Where are we now?” Zoran asked, hiccupping when a giggle tried to escape him. He twitched and resisted scratching the area. Mandra said it only made it worse.
“At… Attic,” Trelon chuckled, before wincing.
“Man… Mandra, how long… how long will this last,” Kelan asked in a slightly higher voice than normal.
“We got out before we were bitten too much. A few minutes to an hour at the most,” he said through gritted teeth. “Goddess, I hate those things.”
Ha’ven chuckled and watched Vox and Viper scratch at the small insect bites on their skin. Paul and he were the only ones who had made it unscathed thanks to the shield he had erected around their chairs. He glanced at the other men who were fighting fits of laughter.
“Thank you,” Paul muttered with an amused grin.
“Well, we know what trap Jabir set,” Ha’ven commented dryly. “I wonder who will be next.”
“Phoenix,” Paul murmured in awe, his eyes rising to the ceiling of the attic.
“Sweet Goddess!” Ha’ven’s voice echoed even as the voices of the other men faded to silence.
None of the men noticed that the ride had come to a stop by itself, or that the straps had retracted. They were all too focused on the beauty above t
hem. One by one, they released their grip on the steering wheel in front of them and began to float upward toward the mirror of the universe.
*.*.*
Creon’s throat closed when he saw his sweet, precious daughter flying against the backdrop of the universe. Tears burned his eyes when he gazed up at her. Stars glittered through her body at times, making her appear ethereal.
“Phoenix,” he whispered.
Phoenix turned and froze. Her feathery wings and tail were fanned out around her. Her eyes were as black as her feathers, only deep inside them, he could see the swirling of vast galaxies and stars.
“Daddy,” Phoenix whispered, staring back at him through eyes filled with love and trust. “I’s shows the Queen how beautiful the worlds are.”
“Yes, you are, aren’t you?” Creon replied in a thick tone. “How… Did you make this?”
Phoenix gazed around her and smiled. “It’s my playgrounds. I’s sees lots of colors.”
“I see lots of colors, too, honey,” Creon murmured, looking around him at the glowing galaxies.
“Creon,” Zoran said, staring into the distance with a frown when he floated close to them. “Some of these stars are not on our charts.”
“I know,” Creon muttered.
“Daddy, I’s waiting for the Queen, but I’s getting tired,” Phoenix whispered, her eyes drooping.
“I’ll share this with her, Phoenix,” Creon promised. “Come to me.”
Creon opened his arms, caught the soft body of his daughter, and pulled her close to him. He held her close when the world began to fade and he felt his body slowly lowering back to the chairs below. His arms wrapped protectively around her when he saw the shimmering golden figure tenderly watching them. The woman reassuringly smiled at him, but the feeling did not settle the unease inside him when she gazed sadly at Phoenix.