Then We Fly

by Rebecca Salas

  Dylan

  “Who contacted him?” A woman asked.

  My eyes were still closed and my head throbbed. I tried to make sense of the spinning room around me. Was it spinning, or was it just my head?

  “He’s coming around.” A gruff voice spoke somewhere above or behind me, I couldn’t be sure. Everything still spun. I tried to lay still, hoping they would go away or at least leave me alone while the world leveled out. Or better yet, let me fall back to sleep. I was tired, and it was hard to focus.

  “Dylan.” Cora’s voice was loud and grating. I winced. I tried to open my eyes, but they weren’t cooperating. “Dylan.” Her voice came again.

  “Should we move him?” The woman asked.

  “He’s as secure here as anywhere.” The gruff voice answered. “We’ll be arriving shortly. We’ll move him then.”

  “Dylan!” Cora yelled.

  “Unghh.” A groan was all I could muster. Why did she have to be so loud? At least the crew were being quieter. The crew. My mind flickered with memory. Something about the crew. Something.

  The room lit up, and instead of laying on some floor I was sitting on my bed at home. How did I get here? Cora sat across from me.

  “Get out of my room!” I tossed a pillow in her face. She caught it and rolled her eyes.

  “Dylan. Finally. You’re asleep. You were kind of in and out so I pulled you in here. I need you to focus on me.”

  I looked around my familiar room. The sun coming in the window at a familiar angle. It would be time for dinner soon. Dad was going to be upset if my homework wasn’t finished. I looked for my backpack. Finding it on the floor I picked it up, rifling through it.

  “I’ve got homework Cor. Can we talk later?” I asked. She looked around the room as if seeing it for the first time. Downstairs I could hear dad banging pots around in the kitchen. She could hear it too, and when she did her face looked pained. “What’s wrong?” I asked, worried now.

  “It’s just a dream Dylan. You’re asleep. I need you to try to remember. What happened?”

  I listened to her words and tried to focus. Dream? What happened? My mind couldn’t fully make sense of her words. I tried with frustration to understand her. The words and thoughts were like fog that always stayed just out of reach.

  “Cora!” Dad’s booming voice called up from the kitchen.

  “You had better go. I’ve got work to do, and you shouldn’t make dad wait.”

  Cora seemed torn as she looked to the bedroom door. “Ok.” She said, “I’ll be right back.”

  Cora

  I walked slowly, hesitantly out of Dylan’s room. He was so certain of his dream. I needed to get through to him, but the temptation to see Dad, even if it was simply Dylan’s dream dad, was too tempting. Would he be there? How complex was this dream world? Would it simply go black when I walked out of the room or would the world continue?

  I passed through the door and felt a sense of relief as the dream world held. The house looked exactly as it had the last time I had been here.

  “Cora!” Dad’s voice called up a second time and I hurried down the stairs. Eager to see him. I rounded the corner into the kitchen and there he was. Plain white apron on and hurrying around the kitchen as he chopped and sautéed onions. He stopped and turned to me, a knowing smile.

  “It’s so good to see you, Cora.”

  I hurried over and hugged him. Dream or not, I wasn’t going to pass up the chance to hug my father. “You too, dad.”

  His beard scratched my forehead as he gave me a kiss. “Dylan can’t seem to think straight right now. Whatever they’ve done to him, his brain needs a moment to process. Sleep will help, it was good that you brought him here.”

  I looked up at my father, processing his words. This dream creation of my father was probably right, maybe Dylan’s subconscious was trying to tell me what he couldn’t. I only nodded.

  “You need to be careful, Cora. There are lots of pieces coming together at once, and one misstep and it will fall apart.”

  “Pieces?” I asked. What was this?

  “There is more than one plot being maneuvered here, and not everything is playing out the way that I hoped. The good news is, we won’t be separated for much longer.”

  My brow furrowed. Was this dream dad saying I was going to die soon? My heartbeat began to speed up.

  “So, I’m going to fail? We’re not going to be able to fix things? I’m going to die?” The last question was slow and shaky.

  Dad smiled and shook his head. “No, you’re not going to die.” He paused for a moment and understanding crossed his face. “Cora,” he took my hands in his, “I’m not dead.”

  I sighed. This was a convincing dream. It had almost convinced me. I felt a twinge of pain in my heart. Was it any use arguing with a dream person?

  “Well, any advice?”

  “Yes.” He said. “Plenty. First, let Dylan rest for a few hours while his brain sorts through things. He got hit pretty hard. Second, trust Fynn. He knows the stakes. And third, wake up. Go with him.”

  {MISSING SYMBOL}

  I was thrust back out of the dream and into the cold waves of the ocean. A kelp frond tied around my waist. The storm had calmed. The waves were low and manageable. A pink sunrise painted the sky in a pastel pallet. Next to me floated the same otter, I assumed, as from the night before. He had untied himself. Seeing me look at him he turned and began to swim away.

  A lingering echo of my dream repeated in my mind. “Go with him.” Was the otter the him? Could I trust that part of my dream at all? I didn’t see much other choice. I loosed myself and began to swim after the otter.

  The little creature had more stamina than I might have guessed. We swam for easily an hour, never slowing. The pale pink sky gave way to a bright blue one, free of clouds. I began to question the wisdom of following this little animal. Who knew where it was leading me, if it was leading at all? I slowed. I should try contacting Oran. If the storm had stopped maybe he was close, or perhaps whoever caused it was gone, or maybe it was a natural storm and had finally passed.

  The otter made an impatient chirping noise, looking right at me. Clearly, he knew I had stopped following and he did, in fact, want me to follow him. I sighed. Fine. I would follow a little further.

  My mind wandered as I swam through the monotonous scene. I thought on Dylan’s dream, trying to remember as much as I could and to make sense of my interaction with Dylan’s dream version of dad. A low hum carried on the wind snapping my attention into focus. I looked ahead, really seeing for the first time in an hour. In the distance I could see a white dot on the horizon, blinking in the sunlight. I began to swim with more enthusiasm than I had, passing the little otter. Eager to see what it was.

  The white dot bobbed on the water and soon it was larger. No longer a dot, but a small boat. I swam harder, eager for rescue. The small boat became larger now. It wasn’t a small boat. It was actually quite large, a yacht. An enormous dome sat at the center; triangular glass facets connected by strips of gold. It shone brightly in the sun, the different facets flashing as I swam. It was like nothing I had ever seen before. I slowed, taking it in.

  I realized that the otter was gone. Where, or when, I wasn’t sure. A single man stood on the deck of the boat, looking out at the water. Looking, in my direction. I froze. Now that I was here, I wondered if it wouldn’t be better to see him before he saw me. Who was to say that this was a friendly person?

  I ducked my head under the surface of the water. Here it was a clear green and reminded me of Oran’s eyes. It was too clear here. I had to dive deeper to avoid being spotted by the man watching from the deck of the boat. I was still a far distance off and was fairly sure that he hadn’t spotted me yet.

  Swimming quickly, I approached the boat from the underside. I was shocked as I neared it to discover that a large length of the base was glass and I could see through to the inside of it. I approached cautiously. Waiting for someone to appear in that clear ro
om and spot me. The interior was an elegantly decorated living room. And so far, it was unoccupied.

  Once I was next to the side of it, I quickly swam toward the surface, unwilling to be seen from under the water. It would be hard to explain to anyone who caught me how I had managed to “hold my breath” for so long. Swimming up the smooth white side of the ship, I looked up. Eager to see before I was seen.

  The sun glinted off his golden hair blowing in a gentle breeze. His eyes reflected back the color of the green ocean that he was scanning.

  “Oran!” I called out, backing away from the hull of the boat to more easily be seen by him.

  His face turned down to find me and he lit up with a bright smile. “Cora! Swim to the back.” He pointed toward the back of the boat. He disappeared from my sight and I began to swim to the back. There was a mechanical humming and whirring and a panel opened in the back of the boat, creating a platform level with the water. I pulled my ocean-soaked body up onto the boat and took stock of my clothing. I hadn’t been dressed for swimming and the clothing clung uncomfortably.

  Out of the shadowy recess of the boat Oran appeared carrying an oversized towel which he gingerly placed over my shoulders. I accepted it gratefully.

  “How? How did you find me?” The breeze cooled me and I felt a sudden chill despite the sunny day.

  “It was the craziest thing, Cora. I think… I think it was Proteus.”

  “Proteus?” I asked confused while following Oran into the boat. He flipped a switch and with more whirring the panel closed back up.

  “I think he’s the one who showed me where to go. I never thought I would see him in my life. Such an enigma.” Oran walked up a narrow flight of stairs and led me to a closed door. Opening it he gestured inside. “I grabbed a few things out of your room. I hope you don’t mind the intrusion.” In the center of the room sat a large bed and on top of it was a duffel bag. “Go ahead and shower and change if you like and meet me up top.”

  I nodded gratefully. A hundred questions buzzing in my mind as I closed the door behind me. The shower was a welcome relief of fresh water after so much salt and then there were the dry clothes. Dry clothes. They were their own piece of heaven. How long had I been tossed around the waves? Whatever my heritage might be, I had been raised on land and still wasn’t used to that long of an exposure to the ocean.

  I admired the shiny lacquered wood along the walls of the boat as I wound my way around it’s halls in search of the stairs upward. It wasn’t long before I found them. Climbing the stairs up into the sunlit living room. The space was ringed in windows allowing the light to pour in. Oran was not here. At the far end of the room a set of double doors led out of the room and I took them in search of Oran.

  The interior of the dome was even more impressive than the exterior. It was taller than I would have imagined possible and deliciously warm. The space was encircled in potted trees and climbing vines. In the center was an oversized couch covered deeply in pillows. I stood turning in circles admiring the space from every angle.

  “You like it?” Oran’s voice came from the center of the room. How had I not noticed him there? He sat, lounging deep in the couch.

  “It’s amazing.” I answered, returning my attention to the glass dome and clear blue sky beyond. “What happened, Oran?” I hadn’t understood his answer earlier, but I was too eager for a shower and hadn’t pressed the matter. “I don’t understand how you found me.”

  He focused his gaze on me, intent. “I was looking for you, trying to see where the storm might be that you were in. I didn’t think I fell asleep. I was focusing on the weather, but I don’t usually try to affect weather that I can’t see. It was exhausting. I focused, my eyes closed and this dream came to me. I was expecting to hear from you, but this wasn’t you. Still, I saw where you were, and he gave me instructions on how to get to you. He said I shouldn’t tell or take anyone. He seemed to think some of my advisors might not be so loyal. And so, I did what he said. I went by myself. Only telling what was absolutely necessary to those I left behind. And here I am.”

  “Who?”

  “Proteus, I think. There are very few who could do what he did.”

  I furrowed my brow. “I don’t know, I seem to know quite a few people who can influence dreams. What if he hadn’t been friendly.”

  “Proteus is always truthful. If you can catch him.”

  “And you caught him?”

  “Not at all. Seems he caught me.”

  “I don’t know who Proteus is, or why you thought he was the one who helped you find me, but I’m glad you did.” I plopped onto the couch with a sigh and laid back closing my eyes. “Thank you.” I breathed out the words, by body exhausted from the long-time spent swimming. “I don’t know what’s happened to Dylan. I tried to contact him and something seems wrong. Like he can’t tell the difference between his dreams and reality. I… I got the impression that he needs some time before I’ll be able to properly reach him.”

  “Did you get anything? Is the crew ok? Is he even with the crew?”

  “I think he is. Or at least I don’t think he’s alone.”

  “That’s not the best news.”

  “No?” I asked, my eyes still closed. Equal parts worried and exhausted.

  “No. If he is with the crew and they haven’t contacted me, either they can’t or they don’t want to. Neither option is exceptionally good. And if he’s with someone who isn’t the crew. I can’t even imagine what’s happened.”

  “He didn’t seem in any immediate danger.”

  “How did you end up in the water? Is there anything that you remember?”

  “Nothing. I was asleep. I don’t know if I fell or was tossed.”

  “In the interest of everyone’s safety it would be best for us to assume the worst-case scenario. The crew is working for one of our enemies and threw you overboard, which they would only think would be helpful if they didn’t know what you were capable of, so that’s good at least. They either held on to Dylan or passed him off to someone else. Which could only mean that they have some plan for him, or else they would have tossed him as well.”

  “That makes sense.”

  “And given that Proteus didn’t want me talking to my own aides about what I was doing, I have to assume that they aren’t all entirely loyal.”

  “I have to go and find Dylan and figure out who they are and what they want with him.”

  “I’ll help you.” Oran said and I could feel his body weight press into the cushions next to me, scooting closer.

  “No.” I opened my eyes to find him right next to me, green eyes watching me closely like I was a bird that might fly away at the slightest provocation. “If you have people watching your movements, you shouldn’t draw attention to yourself by running off with me. If they find out I’ve survived, if they get any idea of what I’m capable of, it could put Dylan in danger. I can’t have you along for this.”

  Oran’s face was a stiff mask, his thoughts hidden from me. “This boat is ostentatious. It will attract attention if I send you in it. It’s too identifiable. We’ll have to find you something more inconspicuous. There is a port not too far, I can get you a vessel. If you stay below while I make the transaction, then you will be able to take it when I am not with you. So, no one sees us together. It shouldn’t be too difficult, but where will you start?”

  “I don’t know yet. I still have to finish the charm.” I patted myself down nervously. I had placed the lock of pink hair in the cargo pocket of my hiking shorts. The shorts I had taken off and left in the room below deck. I jumped up and hurried back across the atrium and wound my way down into the room until I found my pile of wet clothes. I dug through the heavy pile and found the pocket still closed. I offered a silent prayer as I reached inside, hoping the hair was still there. With relief I wrapped my fingers around the wet lock and pulled it out. It lay tangled in my hand; I squeezed my fingers closed around it. At least I had not lost this.

  “What’s t
hat? Is everything alright?” Oran’s voice came in a breathless rush over my shoulder. He had followed me, hurrying close behind to get here so quickly after me.

  “This was what we were out looking for in the first place. I know what I need to do next.”

  {MISSING SYMBOL}

  “My pet!” Violet cooed, twirling my hair around her finger. “I have missed you. You should not have stayed away so long. How am I supposed to help you if you never ask?”

  “I’m sorry, Violet.” I answered and her face brightened at the use of the name she had given herself. “I’m here now.” I gestured around myself to the fog and cloud world of Violet’s dream. She flicked her eyes upward and a shaft of light opened above her, illuminating where she stood. I could only assume that she had caused it herself.

  “Yes, pet, you are. Naturally, I assume you have made some great progress or are in some great danger. Which is it?”

  “I have made some progress.” I allowed. “I am going to need something from you in order to continue.”

  Her face became curious, her eyes whipping to my face in her birdlike movement. “What will you require of me?”

  “I need a feather, from your wing.”

  “Ah.” She narrowed her eyes. “You want to repeat what has been done?”

  “In part. I expect I will need it before I can help her. I don’t want to use it against her.”

  “And you do know that it has been used against her before.”

  “Yes.” I said, dropping my head.

  “If anyone should be ashamed it should be me. I should have never given it in the first place, although,” she shuddered, the movement rippling through her wings, “I didn’t have much of an option the last time.” Her eyes returned to mine. “Did you get what you needed from Clytie?”

  “Yes.” I answered, willing a dream version of the lock of hair to appear in my hand for her to see. This seemed to suffice for her and she nodded thoughtfully.