“Well,” Madness began reluctantly, “I believe that taking sides in such a debate would be a mistake.”
“Agreed,” Cassidy chimed in. “Here’s to neutrality!” She tipped her glass towards Madness with a wink.
“C’mon, Cass, you’re supposed to have my back!” Goldenrod protested.
Cassidy shrugged.
“What about you, Madness? Aren’t you gonna support your big sister?” Estarria added.
Madness shifted from foot to foot uncomfortably. “I’m almost positive I’m older than you.”
“That doesn’t answer my question!”
“Easy, easy,” Derek interjected. He turned towards Madness. “Madness, don’t let Estarria push you into agreeing to anything.” His voice dropped about an octave. “You’ll never stop regretting it.”
Estarria raised an eyebrow at him. “Are we still talking about the drinking contest?”
Derek’s face darkened. “You know we’re not.”
Derek’s thoughts started spinning out of control. I still can’t believe I ever agreed to-
Alaura felt a hand on her shoulder jolt her out of Derek’s mind. She looked up to see Madness, his blood red eyes gleaming with…was that concern?
“Alaura, you seem tense.”
Alaura frowned. That was one way of putting it. “Estarria broke, like, three glasses, and they’re only going to get into more trouble.” She crossed her arms across her chest. “How can they just relax like that? It just…” her voice trailed off as she rubbed her temples.
Madness gestured towards the door. “Maybe we should take a break from the party,” he suggested calmly.
Alaura nodded. She hadn’t noticed until now just how badly she wanted to leave. She got up out of her chair and followed Madness out the door.
As they walked down the hallway, a thought suddenly came to Alaura, and it didn’t come from Madness.
She was jealous, she realized. That’s why she felt so…furious. After all the diplomatic meetings and Council sessions and hours spent poring over documents in her study…her stomach felt like a maze of bundled knots. Every muscle in her body felt strained, constantly, and her head never stopped throbbing. And now, she had to sit here and watch all her friends relax, while she looked on, as tense as ever.
Madness nodded. With a jolt, Alaura realized she had said that all out loud.
“I…um…” she stammered. “I didn’t mean to say all of that.” She sighed, gazing back towards the dining room. “Today is supposed to be Goldenrod’s special day, and I’m ruining it.”
Madness shook his head. “I think earlier was enough excitement for everyone. As for what’s happening right now, I doubt they’ll remember much of it tomorrow.”
Alaura shrugged. “Still.”
Madness paused, staring at the end of the hall. “Perhaps, you simply need to relax.” He turned to Alaura and extended his hand. “I might have an idea as to how to do that, if you’re interested.”
Alaura felt her heart swell. When did Madness become so kind? She honestly couldn’t believe that there had been a time when she thought he was just like the Nightmare. The two were almost polar opposites.
Alaura grabbed his outstretched hand. Some part of her half-expected the flickering flames to bite her skin, even though she knew they wouldn’t. A warm touch greeted her instead.
Suddenly, she felt her feet floating in midair, only for them to quickly find solid ground. Alaura glanced around, only to see that the stony walls had been replaced by the crashing ocean and a sea of stars. She smiled fondly. This was the beach they went to after defeating the Balance.
Madness gestured towards the sea. “Whenever I feel…” his voice trailed off and he made a small choking sound. “I come here. It calms me.”
Alaura spread out her wings, letting the balmy air rush through them. She felt saltwater sting her nose and giggled. Sand squeezed in between her toes. She plopped down on the shore, letting her gaze settle on the horizon where the sea met the starry night sky. She could make out the dim shadows of a flock of seabirds flying there, their wings straight as the wind propelled them forward.
Madness slowly sat down next to her in the sand, and he followed her gaze out to the ocean. “It almost seems alive, doesn’t it?” he murmured.
Alaura watched the waves crash and bend in the wind, tossing frothy bands back and forth with the tide. “Yeah,” she agreed, “It does.”
She felt the knots in her stomach loosen a little. She leaned closer to Madness, resting her head on his shoulder. He tensed for a moment, his eyes shining bright with puzzlement and panic.
“Thanks, Madness,” Alaura said quietly. She meant it.
Madness remained silent, but after a moment she felt his body relax. Alaura closed her eyes, listening to the crashing of waves.
The rhythmic sound, combined with the whistling of the wind, somehow managed to pull her into the sweet release of sleep.
The Adventures of Cassidy and Goldenrod
“Ugh, my head is pounding,” I murmured as I popped a pain pill in my mouth. I sat down at the kitchen table, massaging my throbbing head.
Goldenrod slumped into the chair next to me, groaning. “Tell me about it.” She dragged her fingers down her face. “What even happened last night?”
I struggled to sort through the haze of memories in my brain. “Well, let’s see…” I tapped my finger against my chin thoughtfully. “We celebrated your birthday at that roastwing place in Rithgardia. Then, we came back here? I think?”
Goldenrod grimaced. “Didn’t Estarria and I have a drinking contest or something?”
I paused, vaguely remembering Estarria shattering glasses and Goldenrod talking smack. “Unfortunately, I think you did.”
Goldenrod groaned. “Did I win, at least?”
“No idea,” I replied honestly.
Goldenrod slammed her head into the table. “Uuuuugggh…what was I thinking?”
“I don’t think you were.”
“Ugh.”
Rubbing my aching temples, I added, “Apparently, neither was I.”
At least we had a fun time, I mused. Well, from what I remember.
What I remembered…A thought suddenly occurred to me. “Goldenrod, I forgot to give you your present! Wait right there!”
Before Goldenrod could say anything, I raced up to my room to grab a small box wrapped in shiny blue wrapping paper. I sprinted back down the stairs to the kitchen, my socks sliding on the tiles. I slid to a stop and placed the present on the table in front of Goldenrod, the bow tilted slightly askew from my antics. “Here.”
Goldenrod smiled. “Would this be why you went with Madness to Aqualita a couple weeks ago?”
I shrugged slyly. “Maybe.”
Goldenrod gently removed the wrapping paper before taking the lid off the box. Her eyes widened. “A holoprojector?”
She grabbed the little box and flipped it over. A loud gasp erupted from her mouth. “Lidiana and Ro? Cassidy, oh my god! Where did you find this?”
I grinned. “It wasn’t actually that hard to find.”
Which was a huge lie. It was very hard to find. I had to hit five stores in the shopping district just to find someone who would tell me where to buy it. I eyed the label on the holoprojector, smiling broadly.
In bright green text it read, The Adventures of Lidiana and Ro, The Story of Two Magical Twin Sisters. Goldenrod and I used to watch that stupid show all the time as teenagers, seeing as it was one of the only Oman-produced shows on the network. Over time, the show grew on us, even though Lidiana and Ro were actually pretty dumb.
Goldenrod grabbed my arm and pulled me into a hug. “Thank you so much, Cass.”
I carefully wriggled myself from her grip. “No problem.”
Goldenrod’s eyes widened as she continued examining the holoprojector. “This includes all three seasons?”
I nodded. “I thought you might like it.”
Goldenrod wrapped me into another hug. �
��I love it!”
Once again, I pried myself out of her grip. “I’m glad.”
“And now, with the power of friendship and goodness, we will find a way to vanquish the Bad Dream!” Lidiana’s voice boomed from the speakers as she waved her magic wand, sending a shower of sparks everywhere.
“The Bad Dream, huh?” I said. “I guess the censors wouldn’t let them say ‘Nightmare’.”
Goldenrod pointed at the screen. “Oh my gosh, look at the Bad Dream!”
Grimacing, I noted that the Bad Dream looked like a giant worm that had been dipped in tar.
“I will get those meddlesome magical twins with my fearsome fire powers!”
We both burst out laughing.
“We should have just shown the Nightmare this. He’d have given up and died on the spot,” I exclaimed.
Ro and Lidiana entered the Bad Dream’s lair.
“First you should control your atrocious alliteration!” Ro yelled, brandishing her wand.
“Super amazing teamwork attack!” Lidiana and Ro chanted together, waving their wands together to make a shower of glitter.
I started laughing so hard that tears streamed down my face. “Oh Creator, we have to try that next time! Attack Nightmare and Light with glitter!”
Goldenrod forced her expression to turn serious. “No, Cassidy. I wouldn’t wish such torture on even my worst enemy.”
The glitter caught on fire, causing flames to explode all over the Bad Dream’s tar-like skin.
“This show is even dumber than I remembered!” I exclaimed, seeing Bad Dream melt into a black puddle.
“Hooray!” Lidiana cheered.
“Hooray for murder!” Goldenrod echoed.
“Wait, Lidiana, there’s something wrong,” Ro said gravely as she examined the tar-like puddle. “The Bad Dream always carries his magic sword with him to haunt people’s dreams. If he’s dead, where’s the sword?”
Lidiana brushed her fingers against the puddle’s surface. “The body’s a fake!” She gasped dramatically.
“If that’s not him-”
“-Then where’s the real one?”
A holoscreen popped up in front of Lidiana and Ro. “Sorry to disappoint, but I had other business to attend to. However, I appreciate you coming by. I even left something behind for both of you.”
An automated countdown blared through the speakers.
“A bomb!” Lidiana yelled.
Dramatic music played as the narrator questioned, “How will our precocious pair get out of this one? Find out same time next week!”
“I can’t believe I used to get up early to watch this,” I said, chuckling.
“Me either,” Goldenrod agreed. “This is really dumb.”
After a brief moment of silence, Goldenrod met my eyes.
“Let’s watch another one.”
“Yeah.”
Just Being Honest
“Agh! Son of a-” Manuel cursed as he heard a loud hiss from the dryer. With unsteady fingers, he lifted the lid and swore. The machine still wouldn’t start up, and now an acrid smell filled the air. Manuel wrinkled his nose in disgust.
Derek leaned over Manuel’s shoulder, glancing at the sodden pile of clothes laying in a massive heap in the dryer. “No luck, huh?”
Manuel groaned. “Nope.” He paused hopefully. “Maybe I could ask Goldenrod to take a look at it later. She’s good with machines.”
Derek probed one of the shirts with his finger. His fingertip came back cool and damp. “Where is she, anyway?” he asked.
“She and Cass are out doing something together,” Manuel responded. Heck of a time for his only friends with mechanical expertise to be gone.
Derek sighed. He started yanking the dripping clothes out of the dryer and throwing them into a basket.
“What are you doing?” Manuel asked, confused.
“We’re taking these to my place,” Derek replied. “My dryer actually works, and there’s no reason for you to walk around in damp clothes.”
Manuel stared at him. “Jeez,” he said uncomfortably. “Thanks, man.”
Derek shrugged. “Don’t mention it.”
Derek handed Manuel the full basket. “Here. Take this.”
Manuel grasped the basket handles with both hands, hearing the trickle of water dripping to the floor through the holes in the plastic. Suddenly, he felt the pressure of Derek’s hand on his shoulder, and the entire world melted into a golden mesh.
In an instant, he felt his feet find solid ground. He rubbed his temples, feeling a light throbbing in his head. Manuel would never get used to the jarring yank of teleportation- he didn’t understand how Derek did this constantly.
Manuel gently set down the basket, glancing around at his surroundings. He found himself in a tiny room, empty except for the washing machine and dryer, which looked almost exactly like the beat up one Manuel had just left behind. The room had bland, beige walls and he noticed a slightly stained carpet.
As Manuel dumped his sodden clothes in the dryer, he tried to hide his surprise. Derek’s house looked so normal.
Derek pressed the start button, and the machine whirred to life. Manuel let out a sigh of relief. Well, that was one of his problems solved, at least.
“So,” Derek remarked, walking out of the tiny room. “I don’t think you’ve ever seen this place before, right?”
Manuel shook his head as he followed Derek out into the living room. “I guess not.” He glanced at the kitchen table and noticed two chairs. Did he live with someone else? He subtly examined the rest of the room, noting small details. Piles of dirty dishes. A jacket messily thrown over the couch. Discarded earrings littering the floor. A photograph of Derek in a graduation cap.
Manuel scratched the back of his head uncertainly. “This place seems pretty big for one person,” he said.
Derek gave him a perplexed look. “What?” After a moment of silence, realization crossed his face. “Oh, no, this is my mom’s house.”
Manuel stifled a gasp. “You live with your mom?” And Estarria called me a loser for that exact reason, he thought smugly. Derek is just as much of a loser as me!
“It’s temporary,” Derek responded hastily.
Ah, well. So much for that.
“Back when Fury was looking for me, she burned my apartment down. I’ve been crashing here until I can find another place.”
Manuel grimaced, remembering the eerie light from Fury’s red eyes reflecting off her flickering black flames.
“Derek!” a voice called, interrupting Manuel’s thoughts. He turned towards the sound, seeing a woman with graying dark hair and round glasses that pressed tightly against her face. He instantly recognized her as Dr. Andrews, Derek’s mom.
“Hey, doc!” Manuel said cheerfully.
Dr. Andrews froze. Recognition crossed her face as she glanced at Manuel’s I’m With Ragnar hat.
“Hey, Mom. Manuel here was having trouble with his dryer so I’m letting him use ours,” Derek blurted out before she could say anything.
Dr. Andrews stared at the pair of them. Manuel tried to ignore Derek’s uneasy glances at the door. “Ah…is that so?” she finally said. “It’s so nice to see one of your…er…new friends again.”
Manuel grinned. “It’s nice to see you again, too.”
The doctor turned towards Derek, pushing up her glasses nervously. “None of the others are with you, right?”
Derek nodded, looking everywhere but at his mother. “Yeah. It’s just me and Manuel today.”
Manuel adjusted his Ragnar hat nervously. Derek had dropped hints that he and his mother weren’t on great terms, but Manuel hadn’t expected this…uneasy coldness. To think he had thought that he and his mother had problems…No wonder Derek spent so much time at the castle.
Dr. Andrews sighed in relief. Manuel studied her expression carefully. Had his friends really made that bad of an impression on her? An image of Estarria sending him flying across the room flashed across his mind. Okay, mayb
e that wasn’t very hard to believe.
“They’re, uh, good people when you get to know them,” Manuel stated.
Dr. Andrews remained silent, pressing her lips together so tightly that they turned a pale white.
Derek glanced at them nervously. “I’m gonna go get some coffee,” he said quickly. “Either of you want some?”
“Uh-” Manuel began.
“Great! I’ll go do that right now!” Derek interjected, swiftly leaving the room.
Manuel stared at Derek’s retreating figure. Hey, come back, he wanted to shout. However, as he remembered Derek’s panicked expression, Manuel decided against it.
“So…” he said awkwardly, turning towards the unsettlingly tall doctor and putting on a smile that probably looked more like a grimace. “Nice place you got here.”
Dr. Andrews sat down at the kitchen table with a strained smile. “Thanks, Manuel.” Her voice had a hard edge to it.
Manuel nodded, sitting down across from her. “Yeah.” He gazed uncertainly at the empty doorway. “So…Derek seemed really excited to get the heck out of here.”
Manuel mentally slapped himself. No tact whatsoever. What right did he have to ask, anyway?
She raised an eyebrow at him. “Yes, he did, didn’t he?”
Manuel lowered his eyes to the on the table, tracing his fingers around the swirling patterns in the wood grain. “I shouldn’t have said that. Sorry.”
Dr. Andrews sighed. “No, you were just being honest.” She paused, a frown crossing her face. “Something I should have done.”
Manuel decided not to comment.
“Maybe if I had, he would listen to me about hanging out with murderers.”
Manuel nodded. “Ah. So that’s what this is about.”
Dr. Andrews jolted up in her seat. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said that.”
Manuel let out a light laugh. “It’s okay. You were just being honest.” He winked.
Dr. Andrews tried to hide the smile creeping up on her face. “No, that was…disrespectful. After hearing your friends’ stories I know what they went through. I don’t mind you all as patients, I just-” her voice broke off.
“Don’t want us around your son?” Manuel finished helpfully. “I get it. I mean, we all almost died. You’re probably worried about us getting him in trouble, right?”
So We're Not Dead, Now What?: The Lightmare Series Page 3