Alex shuddered at the thought, knowing all too well the crazy side effects that came from overdosing on the bubbly purple drink.
“Don’t worry,” Bear said. He looked from Roka, Kyia and Zain and then to Alex before adding, “I have a feeling we’ll be home soon.”
Johnny was silent for a beat. “Where are you?”
“Gotta go,” Bear said, avoiding the question. “See you soon.”
Just as Bear moved to disconnect their call, Johnny called out, “Wait!” causing Bear to pause.
“What?”
“News of three teenagers escaping the High Court is all over the Warden network and Dad’s probably already putting the pieces together, so in case we don’t get a chance to talk later, I want you to know I ran the footage I downloaded through another decryption program, just to be sure.”
Alex spoke up then, stepping closer to Bear and ignoring the curious looks from the Meyarins. “And?”
“I’m sorry,” Johnny said. “There’s no doubt about it now— it’s definitely fake.”
Alex let out a quiet sigh, as did both D.C. and Bear.
“Thanks for checking anyway, Johnny,” Alex said. “We appreciate it.”
“I only wish I could have given you different news,” he returned. “But anyway, I better let you—”
“Johnny? Can you go into town with Blake and find your brother? It’s nearly time for dinner and I’m beginning to worry about him and the girls. Also, would you mind—”
Whatever Bear’s mother said next was cut off when Johnny disconnected their communication.
D.C. was the first to say what they were all thinking. “We’d better get going before Johnny and Blake turn up empty handed and have to come up with some excuse for why they couldn’t find us.”
When Bear nodded his agreement along with Alex, Roka stepped forward to say, “Zain will take you two directly back to Woodhaven. The Valispath will return you in time for no one to be further concerned by your absence.”
Alex wasn’t the only one who picked up on Roka’s mistaken count.
“The two of us?” Bear repeated as he swallowed the last of his laendra, catching sight of his messy reflection in the shiny golden metal as he lowered the empty goblet. Eyes widening, he lifted the collar of his shirt to scrub it across his face, frantically wiping away the charcoal smears to keep his family from seeing evidence of their trespassing adventure. “Don’t you mean the three of us?”
Roka shook his head. “I was going to collect Alex at first light tomorrow, but now that she’s here, she might as well stay the night so we can discuss our upcoming plans. That, and I’m guessing her muddied appearance more than either of yours may draw unwanted attention.”
As apprehensive as Alex was at the idea of staying the night in Meya, let alone without her friends, she knew Roka’s words were valid. Given that Johnny and Blake were likely on their way to collect them right now, she wouldn’t have time to clean herself up before they would all be expected back at the house for dinner. And there was no way she’d be able to sneak past the keen eyes of Dorothy, William and Gammy looking like a walking, talking Swamp Thing. Bear and D.C. were at least clean from their knees up. Other than their muddy legs and eccentric hairstyles, they looked normal, especially since the laendra had cured their insect welts and other injuries. They, unlike Alex, could probably get away with some kind of half-baked excuse about trekking in the forest if Bear’s family asked about their state of disarray.
“However,” Roka said, turning to Alex, “if you’re uncomfortable with that idea, we can stick to the original plan.”
“No, it’s fine,” Alex said quickly. “It’ll be good to hear what you have planned. I haven’t had a decent nightmare in forty-eight hours—I’m overdue for some new creative material.”
Her attempt at flippancy didn’t quite hide the nervous edge to her voice, or so she figured, judging by Roka and Kyia’s knowing smiles and Zain’s snort of amusement.
“Come, mortals,” Zain said, striding purposefully from the room and beckoning D.C. and Bear to follow. “I won’t be long,” he called back over his shoulder to Roka.
D.C. skipped over to Alex on her way towards the door and leaned in to whisper, “Are you sure you’re going to be all right here?”
“You know they can hear you, right?” Alex said back, not bothering to whisper. “Meyarin hearing.”
“Yes, but if I whisper, they can at least be polite and act like they’re not listening.”
Alex heard Zain snort again from outside the room.
“I’ll be fine, Dix,” she replied, putting to a stop the conversation about Meyarin courtesy, knowing it was pointless. “I have my ComTCD. If you’re worried, call me.”
“Same goes for you,” Bear said, stepping up beside them while attempting to pat down his hair, to little effect. “And good luck with your training.” He shifted a quick glance to Roka and Kyia and said, “Bring her back to us in one piece, yeah?”
Grins were the only response he was given, so Alex rolled her eyes at the Meyarins and moved forward to give him an impulsive hug of gratitude for at least trying. But before she could wrap her arms around him, he hurriedly stumbled back with his hands raised in protest.
“Uh, no offence, Alex, but, well…” He broke off and gestured towards her body, reminding her that she was covered in dried mud.
She offered him an apologetic grin. “Oops.”
“Mortals!” Zain barked from around the corner, sounding impatient. “Make haste!”
Alex made a shooing motion to her friends. “You better go before he conveniently forgets to make the Valispath human friendly. Believe me when I say you’ll freeze your backsides off if he does.”
Roka attempted to cover his laugh with a cough, likely remembering the first time Zain collected Alex from Akarnae in the middle of the night and delivered her to the palace as a living icicle. And that was when it hadn’t been the middle of winter.
“Make sure they get there alive, Zain!” Alex called as she watched her friends hurry out of the room.
“Don’t worry, Alex,” Roka reassured her. “He’ll keep them safe.”
Choosing to trust him, Alex turned away from the doorway and asked, “What happens now?”
“Now you’re coming with me,” Kyia said, stepping forward and gently wrapping her fingers around Alex’s arm, guiding her towards the door. “Let’s get you cleaned up.”
Five
Alex stood in the middle of her bedroom in Meya’s majestic palace after having enjoyed the most luxurious bath imaginable. Once clean, she’d been given a dress made of gossamer so fine that she feared the slightest snag would tear it. It was undoubtedly beautiful, but it also made her feel like a Meyarin version of a fairy princess—something she wasn’t entirely comfortable with. Given her clothes and her surroundings, Alex half wondered if she had fallen into a dream.
“This place is unreal,” she whispered, glancing around the room in all its glory. The bed alone was like something straight out of a painting. Its tree-like posts were decorated with shining Myrox vines, which tangled into a luminescent arch across the top of a sunburst canopy. But even more spectacular was the open-aired balcony that offered a bird’s-eye view of the city spread out over the waterfall-bordered valley.