by Jen Robyn
Dominick’s eyes widened. “Others from our world reside there?” he asked incredulously.
“A few, yes, but in secret, for reasons I’ll explain.” Steepling his hands, his expression became concerned. “The boy I speak of is a half-dragon, as my sister Carilya’s children will be, and he bears the trait of the violet eyes. As you heard from my conversation with Devon, you know what this means. He was sent to Earth, with his parents, to protect him from the forces of darkness on Chavernos who would kill him before he reaches adulthood—when he’ll gain his full powers, whatever they may be.”
Neither noticed Devon’s presence as he overheard Lendric’s last words, nor saw the somber look on his face as he returned to his wife in the back room.
“While it’s imperative their whereabouts be kept secret from those of our world, I see no reason you can’t share this with your fiancée.”
Understanding dawned instantly with Dominick. “So if Julianna locates his family, they can provide proof that Chavernos exists, since they’re from our world.”
Lendric nodded slowly. “There is but one thing you must stress to her. She must speak only with his parents, for he isn’t meant to know his true identity until his time comes to return to Chavernos. For now, he believes he’s from Earth and is completely human as anyone else. We mutually agreed from the start that it would allow him to grow up normally on Earth.”
“I’m sure she’ll comply with that,” he agreed.
“Good,” replied the dragon sorcerer. “You can explain this to Julianna and her sister, but don’t tell anyone else, and tell them the same as well. Only they have reason to know the truth of our world for now, including the family they’ll meet.” Dominick nodded.
Another wail from the demon child rang out, sparking a series of curses from the pair in the back room. Sighing once, Lendric commented with a smirk, “You know, if you showed your grandfather that demon child, he might think twice about his request for great-grandchildren from you.”
“That won’t be necessary,” laughed Dominick. “When Julianna and I are married, we’ll be happy to grant him several.”
“Be sure to have them visit their Uncle Lendric when you do,” replied the dragon sorcerer, eyes twinkling, before he continued. “Now, let me give you the full details of how your future wife can locate the family of Oliver Dragend.”
*****
Dual stood grinning as he eyed the captive man before him. Bound to a chair and gagged, Alarius glared back at him, his expression fierce. Without a doubt, if he could have, he’d have torn his captor to pieces in a heartbeat.
Or at least tried, Dual thought with amusement.
“You really should have made things easier on yourself to begin with,” he told the half-elf. “By now, Quell and our assistants have mined most of the jewels, and should complete their work this night. Did you really think you’d manage to escape without my tracking you down?” Seeing that Alarius was unable to speak through the gag, he deftly remedied this. “Well, did you?” he demanded.
“I had no choice but to try,” hissed Alarius. “As it is, when word of my disappearance spreads, there will be allies of my own who’ll catch onto your handiwork. And when they do, they’ll see you banished from Barokka forever.”
“Maybe,” chortled Dual. “But that won’t help you or your precious family, since I’ll most certainly kill you first.” The half-elf wouldn’t reply, turning away. “Oh, by the way, it might interest you to hear the latest regarding your traitorous friend. It seems he’s presently engaged to be married.” Alarius blinked once, genuinely surprised. “Yes, I’m sure I was equally stunned to hear a woman had actually agreed to spend the rest of her life with that fool.”
“Better him than an assassin derelict from the swamps.”
Dual grinned menacingly, slamming his fist into the half-elf’s jaw. His blow drew blood, but not a sound from Alarius, who merely continued to face him icily. Raising a finger in warning, Dual hissed, “Remember, that derelict you speak of is a professional assassin many times over. And one who won’t hesitate to cut out your tongue if you don’t curb it.”
“Undoubtedly a specialty of yours,” spat Alarius, a slight trickle of blood stemming from his mouth.
His captor laughed harshly. “You have no idea what other ‘specialties’ I’ve conjured up over the years. But as to your friend’s engagement, you might wish to hear what I have planned as a... wedding present.” Alarius’s eyes narrowed as he continued. “It’s a tricky preparation, since his precious bride-to-be Julianna resides on the planet Earth, but my trusty associate Shade has kindly lent his assistance in finding her location. Thus, I can freely visit her in the dream-state this night.”
“By Chavernos, Dual, leave her be! She’s an innocent in this endless war of yours with Dominick.”
“She’s no longer an innocent since accepting him into her life, thus I can feel no remorse for what retribution must befall her.”
Alarius smiled bitterly. “I doubt your former innocent betrothed Caralei would condone your logic.”
Dual’s fist plowed into the side of his head, nearly rendering him unconscious this time. “Never speak her name upon your filthy tongue again!” he hissed. “It’s because I was once a fool to trust people like you that she died!”
“She died because of the allies of the evil demon who sired you,” Alarius replied quietly. “A demon whom you killed, which started a chain reaction...”
“Enough!” snarled Dual, lifting Alarius’s chin with the sharp edge of his sword. “Understand this, half-elf, if anyone is to suffer due to a chain reaction, it will most certainly be your trusted friend this time. In fact, you’re to be a major key to this whole affair.
Alarius’s expression became wary, but puzzled. “You see, I’ve sent a most alarming note to your dear wife, which should inspire her to beg Westbrooke to rescue you. And while all this is transpiring, he’ll be too busy searching for you to notice my visiting his future wife in the meantime to pay her my own respects. And just think,” he laughed, “if you’d acquiesced peacefully earlier, I wouldn’t have this useful means to deter Dominick tonight.”
Before the half-elf could protest, Dual quickly replaced the gag over his mouth. “Ah, no words are necessary, Alarius. I know just what you’re thinking. And I assure you, not only will I take great pleasure in keeping his betrothed occupied, but a suitable group of attackers will also be here to greet him should he find you. After that, your usefulness will end, along with your life.”
Against Alarius’s muffled curses, Dual rubbed his hands in gleeful musing. “Yes... all in all, I’d say this should be a most memorable evening for all of us.”
*****
Julianna decided it was a good thing Roger had been forced to leave the office on another business matter by the time she returned from lunch with Marybeth. Surely he’d complain of her impromptu departure to Almira the next day, but for now she was reprieved. No doubt the whole event would earn Dominick’s amusement later! she thought with a smirk.
Now much later that night, she tucked Sammy in for bed, since Crystal was busy putting away the dishes downstairs. “All set for dreamland?” she asked cheerfully. Sammy nodded once, just before his expression grew curious.
“Aunt Julie, how’s Uncle Dominick doing?” he asked.
Frozen by surprise as she clasped the covers, she gradually resumed her task, smiling slightly. “He’s fine,” she whispered. “He even asks after you sometimes.”
“Really?” Sammy replied with a grin.
She nodded once, handing him his toy dinosaur. “I told him how much you like dinosaurs, and while he says they don’t have any on Chavernos, they do have dragons there.”
“Dragons?” he breathed, suddenly frowning. “Bad ones?”
“Well… maybe a few,” she agreed, “but he says there are many good ones too. One of the blue ones is a close friend of his, called Roderlin, whom he’s known for many years.”
“Will I ge
t to meet a real dragon?” he asked with more enthusiasm.
Julianna laughed. “Maybe someday,” she replied, “but probably not for a while. In the meantime, you’d better get some sleep.”
Nodding once, Sammy curled up with his toy and shut his eyes. Julianna smiled upon him, kissing his forehead before leaving the room. As she closed the door behind her, she turned to bump into Crystal. “Oh, I’m sorry,” she said quietly. “I didn’t see you standing there.” Before she could pass, her sister prevented this.
“I think we need to talk,” she said evenly.
“There’s nothing to say.”
“I heard you telling Sammy about Dominick again.”
Julianna bit her lip and met her gaze. “What of it? It’s just a game between us.” At her sister’s continued silence, her patience reached its end. “Don’t believe me? Fine. Then what if I told you that my story to Sammy is true and that Dominick really exists out there?” As soon as the words were out—successfully leaving Crystal gaping—Julianna regretted them, pushing past her to head downstairs.
She wasn’t surprised to hear her sister’s footsteps trail after her. “Julianna Sherborne, you’re not going anywhere!”
That’s what she thinks, thought Julianna, heading for the front door. Crystal beat her to it, holding it shut. “Get out of my way,” she murmured.
“You don’t have to run this time, Julie,” replied Crystal. “There’s no one else in the house with us except for Sammy, and he’s in bed. You’ve always been able to come to me with everything in the past, and I think it’s time you leveled with me about this Dominick. Now... who is he really, and where did you meet him?”
Pausing a moment, Julianna locked eyes with Crystal. “He’s as I’ve told Sammy, and as you’ve overheard.”
Crystal groaned, rubbing her forehead. “I remember. A dream person who exists on another world, but meets you each night, that you’re supposedly engaged to. Julie, if you don’t want us to meet this man, just say so. You don’t have to conjure up stories.”
“I didn’t conjure up anything,” Julianna retorted brokenly. “Dominick does exist on another world, and we are engaged to be married. I just wish to heaven I could convince you how true this really is.” Brushing a hand across her eyes, she wasn’t surprised to feel dampness upon it.
“Julie, you’re crying,” whispered Crystal, prompting her sister to turn away. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you get so upset by a story before, whether it’s one you’ve read or one you’ve come up with yourself.”
“For the last time, it’s not a story!” snapped Julianna. “It’s the truth!”
Crystal shook her head, clasping her sister’s hands tightly. “Julie, don’t talk that way. I know you’re lonely, and you sometimes wish you had someone in your life, as I have Jerry and Vicki has Luke. But we love you too much to lose you to a fantasy world you’ve conjured up. If you repeated this to an outsider, the results could be disastrous.”
“Don’t you think I know that?” Julianna laughed bitterly. “I wouldn’t dare tell anyone, despite the fact this secret’s nearly choking me to death. So rather than confide in you or Vicki, I told Sammy instead. At least he’s an innocent child who won’t condemn me for the truth.” Her eyes dimmed to a withering look, while she shook her head. “What’s true already doesn’t need your belief.”
Her sister’s ensuing protest died, replaced by an odd expression. “All right, Julianna. For now, just between us, let’s assume that your words are true. Going by that assumption, I want you to tell me everything from the very beginning. I promise not to laugh, and I’ll hear you out before giving anymore opinions.”
Uncertainty in her eyes, Julianna glanced at her sister. “You really want to know?” she asked softly. Crystal squeezed her hands and nodded with a smile.
“I really do,” she replied, smiling. “If your sketch the other day does him justice, he looks like a handsome man.”
“In more than looks,” she agreed.
Still hesitant, but too tired to argue anymore, Julianna gradually told her everything from the moment she’d first seen Dominick to the present. She went on to say that although it sounded impossible, her dreams of him were always vivid each night, and recollected every morning with undeniable clarity. A cycle that had gone on for several weeks now.
When Crystal read between the lines, she asked her younger sister just how far their relationship had gone. Even before Julianna said a word, her flushed face more than revealed the answer, earning a knowing smile from her sister. Yet it was Crystal who was left gaping when her ‘innocent’ younger sister lightly touched on the numerous romantic encounters she’d had with her otherworld companion.
As ironic as it was, it was those selfsame descriptions that convinced Crystal that there might be some truth to her sister’s words. After all, as imaginative as Julianna was, she had limits to what subjects she would freely conjure up for stories... and romance wasn’t one of them, until now.
The mention of Chavernos earned mixed feelings from Crystal. After having been brought up in a world believing the galaxy to consist of the planets she’d known, it was hard to imagine there being a hidden one. Yet since it was more than unlikely that Earth harbored the only humans in the universe, perhaps it could be true.
“Dominick just found out from his grandfather that there was a time when Chavernians traveled to Earth,” Julianna commented. “Unfortunately, a war broke out over this, and those who knew the means to travel between our worlds were killed or lost.”
Crystal rubbed her chin. “If it was possible once, then surely another means could be found.”
“That’s our hope, and he’s looking into it now. Anyway, he says that according to the elders on his world, Chavernos has been in existence roughly as long as Earth, and that those of his world migrated there many years ago to live. Their dreamphasers—in their astral forms—discovered Earth soon after, and before they worried of Earth’s potential technology, they adapted to our language, which is why the similarity exists.”
“Since they’re both in the same galaxy, that makes sense,” agreed Crystal. Even as she nodded, inside she thought, I can’t believe I’m considering this!
Yet truth or not, she couldn’t deny that her younger sister seemed to have an endless supply of details for Chavernos. Something that at least made it sound more believable.
“Once they realized ours was a world of technology,” Julianna continued, “they shut down the possibility of communication between our worlds, magically enhancing the mist that hides Chavernos from view.”
As she finished relating what she knew, tears blurred her eyes again, earning her sister’s curious concern. “I’m crying because this should be the happiest time in my life, but I can’t tell anyone. You’re the only one whom I’ve told everything, and I can’t even blame you for thinking me crazy too. It would sound crazy to anyone.”
“Hold it right there,” interrupted Crystal. “I already told you to let me reserve judgment, and I certainly don’t think you’re crazy. Okay?”
Julianna nodded slowly. “All right,” she sighed, “but even if you do believe me, I can’t prove Dominick’s existence.” As she shut her eyes, her hand rested against her forehead wearily. “Even though I want to be Dominick’s wife more than anything else, and I won’t let anything change that, I can’t help but feel how difficult this uncertain waiting is going to be.”
Crystal’s hand on her shoulder made her look up.
“The proof of Dominick’s existence is in your eyes,” she said softly. “Along with your drawing, and the way you talk so lovingly of him. As to the restrictions of this rather unusual engagement of yours, remember this. To all intents and purposes, you’re separated for roughly the same amount of hours that a daytime work schedule separates most couples. In a way, it’s like you’re living two different lives, although being married myself, I fully understand why you’ve chosen to remain faithful in both.”
Her words c
aused Julianna to blink with surprise and building hope. “You believe me?” she whispered.
“As much as I’m able to... yes,” Crystal sighed heavily. “After all, you haven’t lied to me before, so I can’t think why you’d start now. Especially not with a story like that.”
A new joy lit Julianna’s expression. “Oh, Crystal, you can’t possibly know how much it means to hear you say that.”
“I think I can guess,” she replied with a smile. “While I’ll be the first to admit that you still have an incredible imagination, Julie, your tears convinced me that your words might somehow be true. Not to mention,” she added slyly, “I’ve never heard you make up romantic stories like those you just told me.” Giving a short laugh at her sister’s blush, she continued, “I’m just glad you’re feeling better, because we all love you, and we want you to be happy.”
A worried look crossed Julianna’s face. “Crystal, even though you can accept what I’ve told you to some degree, I doubt Vicki and the rest...”
“Say no more,” her sister interrupted. “To avoid any scrutiny from the others, it’ll remain a secret just between the two of us.” Before a correction could be spoken regarding a certain little boy, she added, “Or should I say, between the three of us?”
“Sammy doesn’t seem to mind the notion of Dominick for an uncle,” said Julianna. “And from what my fiancé says, I think he’ll be thrilled to have Sammy as a nephew too.”
“Well, as long as he makes you happy, I’m sure we’ll all like him when we meet him eventually.”
Frowning slightly, Julianna shook her head. “I told you before... that might never become possible.”
Crystal warded this away. “Maybe not. But let’s try and keep open minds about it. After all, I’ve more than kept my part of that bargain, haven’t I?”
“Much more,” agreed Julianna, leaning forward to hug her sister. “Thank you so much for believing me.”
“It’s no more than I’ve always known from you,” said Crystal, giving a slight shrug as they broke apart. “Yet even so, I must admit that it would be much easier to accept if you could somehow back up your words with proof. Have you given any thought to the matter?”