"Are you okay, Shelby?" Zach asked.
She found herself speaking from her heart. "Yes, I'm just thinking of home. Since my mother left, my father has been a mess. He wakes up wailing in the middle of the night, and he drinks all the time. Once... he was so cool before. He scared me the morning... before the portal."
Zach locked eyes with her; he seemed to be deep in thought.
Her words brought them to reality. She could sense them thinking of their families as well, wondering what had happened to their mothers and fathers, sisters, brothers, and pets while they'd been away. How long had they been gone? No one knew.
Bianca appeared in the chamber and sat down beside the mud bath. "How are you all doing?" She offered a warm smile.
"Great," Riley and Morgana chimed in.
Zach added, "Not bad. Glad to relax a little."
Shelby said, "Bianca, how long can we stay... like... here on Azimuth?"
Bianca hesitated a moment, then wiped a spot of mud off the edge of the bath with a cloth. "Your identities were breached when you were young, so we sent you to Earth to insulate you. You can stay a bit, but you'll have to return to Earth for your own protection. Your families there are genuine Meridians. Except for yours, Zach. A horrible accident took your true Meridian parents' lives, as you now know. You are the only Kin that has a choice to stay, due to Brock's passing."
"I feel like I am more loved here," said Zach.
Morgana shot him a simper and rustled mud in his hair. "I'm not letting you leave."
Emily twirled a strand of hair around her fingers. "I miss my mom and dad. And my dog."
"I have four younger sisters to look after," Riley said with a sad grin. "I wonder what kind of trouble they got into while I was away. Are they Meridians, too?"
Bianca nodded, her eyes glittering with a secret smile.
Shelby said, "My father needs me. I couldn't abandon him, anyway. He won't... he c-can't...."
Bianca cast a look of sympathy to her. "Well, let's not think of that now. You must rest. There's always tomorrow for everything else. There will be some beauticians and the like coming up to help you all prepare for the feast. I'll come by, too. The Assembly will escort you down to the gala once you're ready tomorrow evening. For now, enjoy your respite. Dinner has been brought to the main chamber for you." She plopped a pile of towels next to the mud bath and departed.
After some time, they exited the bath and rinsed off in the mineral pool next to the tub of mud. The scent of sulfur filled the steamy room.
As the others left, Shelby forced the thought of home aside. Tonight was a night for relaxation, not lamentations. Her aunt was right: tomorrow, after the feast, she could decide what to do.
She and the rest of the Kin moved on to the showers and prepared for the evening.
The night before had been restful, and now the Kins' chambers buzzed with life and excitement. Beauticians had arrived and swept the girls away. Meanwhile, the boys chose suits and dressed in their own spacious bathroom. Each young man selected a suit of a different color. The velvet jackets lay emblazoned with gems and embroidered in fine twine. The silk and satin undershirts sat folded, white and clean. For slacks, they chose ivory to match their shirts.
Zach took it all in and smiled, content for the first time in.... In fact, he'd never been this content.
"Like royalty," Max exulted, glancing in the mirror. The sheen of his black eye had gone down, but it remained swollen shut. He examined his green blazer. Around the arm strung a cord of sanguine and gold, signifying his place as a Kin. The other boys had similar markings.
"Well, you are royalty here," said Throg matter-of-factly, as he fixed his bow tie. He had slicked his hair back and trimmed his goatee. All in all, he resembled a dashing swashbuckler garbed like a prince.
Zach pulled on his jacket, deep maroon with gold embroidery. "Bianca said I can stay here."
"I think I'll remain as long as possible," said Stuart. He had chosen a blazer of navy blue, with silver and gold buttons that shone in the candlelight. "My family must be terribly worried, though...."
"I'm staying for good," said Zach.
The boys froze and gaped at him.
Max's hand stiffened on his tie. "Your family?"
"Not great. My parents passed in a car accident and I was adopted at six. They have me call them by their first names. They never truly felt like my family, and they're getting divorced. I never had a choice to pick my family. Now I do. I'm staying. Meridia is my true home."
They all nodded. While he knew he would miss Adrian, he just couldn't go back to that life. How could he live in a house with no love?
The boys finished dressing and entered the main chamber of their suite. There, they enjoyed some refreshing tea and ale. Zach sipped his ale, admiring the others and enjoying their company. When they returned home, he would miss them. Max and Stuart were like brothers to him; their links had accelerated that bond.
Throg patted him on the back. "You know, Zach, the Assembly will be thrilled with your decision. With Brock's passing, they need you to operate the Sphere, but they would never ask you to stay. Plus, I want a fishing partner, and Morgana requires someone to tend after her since her father is gone."
"No fishing at the Invunche Lake, though. I never want to encounter a wishpoosh again." They laughed, and Zach gazed at his friend, hesitating before asking one question that burned at him. "Throg, you mentioned you were Captain of the Assembly's personal guard and left due to heartache. May I ask what happened?"
Throg twirled his goatee and his eyes narrowed. "Sure. I haven't spoken of it in a while. I loved Bianca's sister, Samantha. She was ambitious, and a captain just wouldn't do, though I sensed her passion for me. She chose to marry a man of a prominent family instead. I decided to take a break, and realized how the woods had become healing for me. You'll understand one day."
The girls emerged from their bathroom in a wave of perfume and sparkling gowns.
"Jumping Manticores," Stuart whispered, his eyes wide. "Wow, Riley, you sure are dazzling."
"Hold on a second" said Max, feigning concern. "Did you see some girls named Shelby, Riley, Emily, and Morgana in there?"
The girls beamed and blushed, stunning in their resplendent dresses.
Emily wore a gown of light blue with silver scrollwork along the hem, the needlework accented with glittering diamonds the size of teardrops. Her bodice was laced tightly, and gorgeous sleeves draped to the ground. Turquoise forget-me-nots hung in her caramel hair, accented by a single white rose.
Riley's blonde locks cascaded across her shoulders and down to her rosy pink ball gown. It was embroidered with golden roses and rubies that sparkled in the firelight. A gorgeous ruby headband shone brilliantly among her honey locks. She swept the gown back and curtseyed.
Morgana preened in a midnight blue ball gown. Black lace, etched with silver, covered the dress, and sapphires gleamed as if stars. Her eyes had been painted a lovely shade of beryl, matching her fierce, warm gaze.
Zach's eyes were glued to her, and she blushed. He swallowed hard, unable to turn away.
Shelby emerged last, her raven hair braided and twirled up behind her head, where gold flower barrettes held it in place. Small daisies dotted the braids. She wore a luscious rusty orange gown. Brilliant yellow and aurous accents rose from the bottom up, swirling like flames. They hit her waist, each tendril ending in a shining topaz gem.
Max gaped at her.
"Well, we did spy them earlier," said Riley in response to Max. "They must have walked off with the group of boys who were just in here before."
They all snickered and admired their lush attire.
Bianca poked her head in the door. "Ready, Kin?"
"Yep, Auntie," Shelby answered for them, and they exited to the hallway.
Max sidled over beside her and smiled.
Zach slid next to Morgana as they walked through the stone doorway. "You are gorgeous, milady."
"Thank you
, sir. You're not half-bad looking, yourself."
The Assembly lined the hallway just outside the door, garbed in extravagant accoutrements. Each wore colors that would make a peacock envious. Long gowns adorned the women, glittering with gems and metallic threads. Rings of emeralds, diamonds, sapphires, rubies, and other blazoning gems adorned their slender, gloved fingers. Necklaces hung around their thin, elegant throats.
The men of the Assembly were as handsome as the women were gorgeous. Their coats and slacks fit them well. Each man had a single gold ring on his right hand with the symbol of the Aulic Assembly on it—an armillary sphere. The men bowed and smiled.
"You all look lovely," said Elita to them, akin to a doting mother. She rested a palm on Emily's shoulder before proceeding.
They sauntered down the hallway to a large, scarlet double door, their shoes clacking on the stone. Macklin swung it open to a cavernous ballroom.
The people at the packed tables rose and cheered, and everyone clapped as the Kin entered. The vaulted dome hovered almost a hundred feet high. Alabaster columns supported the painted ceiling, engraved with scenes of ancient texts. The floor stretched forward with dark marble, highlighted with black and white stone. A pattern sprawled across the ground, more like a mural than a checkered floor.
The artwork, Shelby realized with surprise, gleamed of the night sky. She gaped at a shooting star emblazoned with gold and silver as she walked over it.
They passed a table occupied by a bandaged Milo and the Stonecoats, and another dozen tables seated with the Battleswine. The newly appointed General Gunther's head bulged out of a black leather tuxedo and oversized dotted bowtie. Blunderbuss stood clapping with the Centurions. His pinstripe suit further elongated his tall and gangly figure.
They strode forward until they reached Lord Achernar's table. Musicians and balladeers populated the ballroom and played wonderful tunes, their fabulous music floating to the highest point in the chamber and bouncing off chandeliers of crystal and gold.
"Three cheers for the Kin," cried out Barrick from a table that featured Sculptor, Cumber, Boozer, Vilaborg, and Healer Beekman.
Simon zoomed up to Shelby in a dapper blue suit. "They gave my father a light sentence—three years confinement to his chambers—and he's been dismissed from the army. And I get to visit a lot!"
She knelt down and hugged him. "That's wonderful. We put in a good word with Bianca for him." She rustled his hair.
Just as they were about to sit, the doors to the ballroom opened and the cheers subsided. In walked Drake, his hands clasped behind his back. Murmurs flared up from the crowd, only to quiet a moment later as the Leshy held up his hand.
"Normally, I do not leave my forest." His voice echoed across the enormous chamber. "But, I have come to give my thanks to the Kin and their brave companions." He scanned the crowd, and his green eyes glittered when they landed on Morgana. "And to bring a family back together."
Loud barking came from outside, and a dog bounded into the room. Shelby gaped at the enormous dog, which resembled a German Sheppard.
"Otis!" cried Morgana. Otis raced to her, and she knelt and wrapped her arms around him. "Oh, thank you, Drake! Thank you so very much!"
Drake approached and laid a hand on Morgana's shoulder, and spoke with her in a quiet voice.
Shelby frowned and turned to Zach. "What's he saying? Do you know?"
Tears slipped down Morgana's rosy cheeks.
"I think he just told her that her father is gone," whispered Zach.
Once Drake departed, Zach left Shelby to help Morgana to her feet. Zach must have said something to her, because she nodded and smiled, then took his hand.
With Otis by her side, she returned to the rest of the Kin. "My father is dead, but he would be proud to know what we've accomplished, and that Meridia is free once more."
Shelby agreed. "Your father was a brave man, Morgana. He will never be forgotten."
"Thank you."
They sat down at the capacious round table. Waiters suited in white emerged with trays of dazzling platters. Copious amounts of honey-coated shrimp, truffle-fried squid, orange-infused duck, lemon-laced poultry, and seasoned steak tips soon adorned the table. The air was thick with the scent of mouthwatering spices.
Shelby drank it in. The splendor of the chamber, the magnificence of the people—all of it was hers to enjoy.
Morgana chatted as Otis gorged from a bowl beside her. Shelby was glad to see her doing better.
She relaxed and let her gloved hand find Max's beneath the table. Tomorrow, she'd be strong. Tomorrow, she could face her fears. Tonight was a night for celebration.
The Kin talked amongst one another as they ate. They swilled fine wines, ales, and juices amid the clamoring voices and sweet music. A bard sang of the Kin's heroics as he danced from table to table.
Max turned and smiled at Shelby. His hazel eyes shone, and she laughed.
Byron Pardow writhed in his bed. The room was freezing, the darkness murkier than usual. Red-faced demons crowed over him as he moaned.
The mattress dissipated as a fog emerged.
He rose to his knees and rubbed the ground, then pulled his hand up from the mud and stared at the wet dirt on his fingers.
"You are a pathetic man. You couldn't even hold your job, you useless slob." The distorted voice of his ex-wife, Samantha, barked out from the emptiness.
"P-please, Sam, I did my best. I l-loved you," he cried out in anguish.
"Liar!" the Samantha-creature screamed. "Liar, liar, liar, liar," echoed several venomous voices.
The figure approached him out of the mist, the sounds of its bare feet squishing in the mud as it came into view. The Samantha-creature had a pale green complexion. Her tawny teeth formed a morbid smile. She was his ex-wife, but disfigured, wearing long black hair stringy and splotched with moss.
"I am so happy without you. You are a deadbeat loser. I hope you rot," the Samantha-creature said with disdain.
The red-faced goblins accompanied her, dancing all around him. "Byron the deadbeat loser. Deadbeat loser," they chanted in malevolent whispers.
"P-please leave me alone. Leave me be," he begged from his knees, his mud-splattered body trembling.
"I did leave you alone." The Samantha-creature then cackled as the demons continued their chants of, "Deadbeat, loser, liar, deadbeat, loser, liar."
A broad shadow loomed behind the demons as the sun rose behind them. The head of a massive lion peered down on them with a broiling countenance. Its crown sat perched on the body of a dark stallion. Hefty tiger claws protruded in front. The creature was the most brilliant thing Byron had ever seen.
"What is it? What is it? What is it?" the demons chanted in a whisper.
"I am the dream-eater, Baku." He lifted his head and roared, rearing on his hind legs. Lightning flashed, illuminating his white mane, and thunder crackled from above.
The Samantha-creature discharged a shrill cry of terror as Baku swooped in and gorged her and the demons in one sickening crunch. Baku swallowed them whole, and suddenly, Byron stopped trembling in fear and anguish.
He remained on his knees, his body immobilized as the ground transformed into a groomed lawn, the sun toasty and welcoming.
Baku strode forward regally and licked his lips, and halted in front of Byron.
"Wh-who a-are y-you?"
"I am Baku, the dream-eater."
Byron stood up. "B-Baku?"
"Your daughter has been deficient of a father. You are blessed to have a Kin as your child. Go to her. You are liberated of these hellions. I am full."
"Y-yes, of course. Thank you."
"I am the dream-eater. I am finished here." Baku whirled and vanished into the woods.
Byron grew fatigued and slouched closer to the scent of the crisp sod. His eyelids weighty, he sprawled out on the fluffy green and nodded off.
He roused in his bed, deluged in sweat. Sleep was a welcome respite, and this time, it had been dreamless.
>
Outside his door, the kitchen light seeped in. With no volume, his television illuminated the room in a flickering glow. The program showed Lucas Denon joyfully playing an acoustic set on stage.
Byron exhaled, grasped a towel, and dried himself off. He shuffled out the door on wobbly knees, shielding his eyes from the sudden light as he lumbered toward the kitchen.
Shelby sat at the table, quietly drinking tea. Her black hair was braided and there was something different about her. No longer did she look young. Her shoulders were squared, her lips tight, and her gaze exhausted.
His eyes welled as he approached her. His daughter was beautiful.
"Oh, Shelby." Wet tears spilled down his face.
She continued sipping her tea.
"Baby, I am so sorry. I love you so much... so, so much."
Shelby's eyes watered and she rose from the table. "I forgive you, Daddy."
Byron swept her into his embrace and held her tightly. Heartache sped through him. The pain he'd caused her would never happen again. He swore it, his voice quivering. "Never again, my little darling. Never again. Daddy is here."
They held each other for several minutes, swaying back and forth.
The monitor peered upon the home of Shelby, but the image distorted out of view. The dark figure hissed in front of the screen and slammed his fist on the console.
"The mentors have clogged the channel," he barked as he fiddled with a switch. A Nightlander soldier scowled next to him.
The door leading into the chamber slid open and a woman marched in. Her obsidian leather suit squeaked as she strode across the dark, enormous hall carved from black stone. A few torches guttered in their braziers, casting a wicked light across the room.
"Master Hideux, the sinister Kin are ready," she said, tossing her hair aside. She smirked and rested a hand on her hip.
"Excellent, Samantha. I will inform Father." Hideux's black spiked hair stood rigid, and he glared back at the six flickering screens with blood red eyes. "The Kin resume school on Earth soon." He lit a pipe and inhaled, and a fiendish sneer curled on his pale lips. "Let's send them a homecoming gift, shall we?"
The Silver Sphere Page 28