by Peter Telep
“He said they’d spare my world—as long as I protect them. If they trick me, I’ll take my own life and leave them vulnerable. They know that.”
“Couldn’t they just get another queen robe?”
“No, there are others, but they’re too young and too weak to be useful to the Galleons.”
“So they need you, and they’ll say anything to get you to help them.”
“They won’t betray me. There’s too much at risk.”
“They will! Solomon’s lying!”
“Why should I believe you?”
“Because I’ve already seen them destroy your world.”
She draws back her head. “You have?”
I take her to a solar system with nineteen planets and two suns. We fly toward a bluish-green planet with continents shaped like clusters of hexagons floating between oceans even greener than her eyes.
According to Dr. Arabelle, this world is called Empress. It was once an empire ruled by an empress but then separated into smaller kingdoms, each presided over by a queen robe. Eventually, over the course of thousands of years, a single queen re-emerged as the leader, but the name Empress remained.
We blast through the clouds and soar toward vast jungles draped loosely in robes of hexagons that span all colors of the rainbow. Some are large, some smaller, like children.
I don’t pretend to understand this alien culture or society, and it’s difficult to read any reaction from the queen or learn anything more, but I do sense that this is what life is like on their world: tranquil, peaceful… All of their needs are taken care of by nature, and they have a perfect relationship with their planet… robes… scholars… and many others…
And they’re vastly intelligent, even though they look like simple plants and flowers.
Even more surprising is this warmth coming from the robes. It’s not actually heat but a feeling… happiness.
Then, the moment shatters as thunder rumbles and masks explode in the sky.
Billions of her people scream in our ears as the bolts fly and the robes tremble and thrash and get captured.
The queen shivers within our connection, and her screams join the others.
I wrench us back into space as a beam of energy shoots from the mouth of the Galleon’s ship and burrows into the planet, breaking off pieces that float through more showers of debris. In just seconds, the skies darken and the planet grows dark, dead.
With a gasp, the queen robe breaks the connection, and we’re suddenly back at the table.
“How did you get this memory?” she demands, trying to catch her breath.
“A scientist from Halsparr showed me. He was my father’s mentor.” I sigh deeply. “They saw the future and tried to fix it, but it didn’t work. For some reason they think I can do it. Maybe we both can.”
“What if this vision is wrong?”
“I don’t think it is.”
“Docherty, you ask too much.”
“Is there some other way?”
She lowers her gaze. “No.”
I toss my head back and close my eyes. “Okay, I know what I’m asking. And I guess I can’t expect you to—”
“Look at me,” she demands.
I snap open my eyes.
“Do you know how long I’ve been alive?” she asks.
I shrug. “A long time?”
“Long before your planet was born.”
I lift my palms. “I just thought I’d ask—”
“But you haven’t asked about my family, the ones I’m trying to protect.”
“I should have. I’m sorry.”
She pulls me back to her world and shows me something I’ll understand, a suburban home like mine with three little girls playing on a swing set in the backyard. The strange thing is they all have silver hair and eyes just like hers. They giggle and smile and run over to me, taking my hands in their own. They laugh even louder and begin jumping up and down, trying to get me to play along.
And then we’re back.
“Docherty, why should I believe you?”
“I don’t know. Because I’m willing to die for it?”
She sighs more loudly. “Even if I do open the cathedral doors, can you guarantee you’ll succeed?”
“Your own people think we will.”
“You mean the scholars? They’re young and reckless.”
“Just like you were?”
She almost smiles. “I need to protect my people.”
“We’ll fight to the death.”
“But you don’t know if you’ll win.”
“Not until we try.”
She glances away. “Then I’m sorry.”
“Please…”
“I can’t take a chance.”
I sigh in frustration. “Then you’re letting them win.”
“Docherty, what you’ve told me… it’s just not enough.”
“Then what’ll it take?”
“I don’t know.”
I get to my feet. “I need to go.”
“Where?”
“Back to the fight.”
She reaches across the table and grabs one of my hands. “Will you die now?”
“Yes. Because I’ll never be their slave. Can I show you one more thing?”
“All right…”
I take her to Earth, where the roof of a hospital blows off and the patients inside, including all those tiny little babies, are ripped from their beds by bolts of energy and carried into the sky, only to disappear.
I show her scenes of this from all over the planet, the pain, the suffering, the terror and agony on an unimaginable scale.
When I’m finished, I stand there, exhausted and panting.
She looks at me sadly and lowers her head.
CHAPTER SIXTY-FIVE
With a massive jolt and rush of chills, I’m back in my body, with everyone I love screaming in my thoughts—
As we charge toward the wall of masks.
Hundreds more have added themselves to the barrier, and meanwhile, there’s just me, Cypress, Hedera, Steffanie, Meeka, and Tommy, along with the grren behind us.
We’re pathetic against this overpowered force.
“We can’t get inside,” I tell everyone. “It didn’t work. Our plain failed. We have to give up.”
“No, Doc, we’re not giving up,” Meeka says. “Not ever.”
“Then we all die,” I tell her. “And I can’t ask you to do that. Just go. Jump away. Find some place to hide.”
“We’re not running,” Steffanie says. “Let’s finish this!”
“Yes, Doke,” Cypress adds. “There’s nowhere to hide.”
I’ve never felt more desperate in my life. “Tommy, what do we do?”
“You already know, son. We run toward the danger.”
My eyes start burning.
Because all of them are right.
* * *
Back inside the cathedral, I’m still connected to Keane as he struggles to hang on.
The desire to push his entire essence into his persona and become a mask is so strong now that it feels contagious, with that strange itch working its way into my own wreath.
Julie rushes over and clutches his shoulders. “Don’t fight it anymore. The pain will go away.”
“That’s right, young bachelor,” Solomon says, turning to face his masters. “Would you look at him! An awkward lump of flesh who has no idea of the power that awaits him! Now let go, boy! It’s time to come home!”
“Doc, are you there?” Keane asks.
I’m choked up and can barely answer. “Yes.”
“Dude, it would’ve been an awesome show.”
I start crying. “Yeah, it would’ve been…”
* * *
Outside the ship, I glance to the others at my sides.
Yes. We have to finish this. We can’t give up.
“Everyone? Open fire!” I order.
Together, we unleash a cyclone of bolts toward the center of the wall.
The masks react with a lightning storm so thick and so fierce that we can barely see the Galleons’ ship beyond them. The bolts ricochet off each other and gather into tangled nets of energy that flash toward us.
Cypress’s shields spring out like fingers from a closed fist.
“Hang in there, Doc,” Keane says. “I won’t stop fighting until you do. No way I’ll be first to go, so it’s game on.”
Yep, that’s Keane—turning death into a contest.
The first wave strikes, and I’m blinded again by all the needles of energy digging into my face. Grace and the scholar inside my wreath tell me how much it hurts. I wish I could do more than say it’ll all be over soon.
I mean what’s the point of living like a slave? What’s the point of living in a world where Solomon gloats in your face and everyone’s suffering?
Off to my left, Meeka’s getting the worst of the attack. Her mask tilts to one side as the bolts come in so fast that she’s stunned and shrinks back into her human form.
I do the same and jump over to shield her, but as the bolts hammer home, I get the wind knocked out of me.
At that second, she reaches out and creates a private connection between us:
“Doc, I can’t fight anymore. Just… come with me now.”
A chill rushes up my spine as we stand among the ruins of the City of Violet.
Piles of rubble rise on either side of the street, and the melted buildings beyond lean toward the sun.
“This is all I’ve ever known,” she says. “But there’s so much more waiting for us…”
Now we’re in Faldareach standing on that mountaintop balcony, only this time, instead of gazing across the empty valley, she faces me wearing that amazing sleeveless gown that’s so blue and shimmery it seems sewn from water instead of fabric. The wind tosses her hair back, and the band of tiny flowers on her forehead brightens her eyes. I’ve never seen her look more beautiful—
Princess Meeka of the Royal House of Arabelle.
She lowers her gaze and summons me with a finger.
I rush forward and take her into my arms.
The balcony dissolves around us and becomes yet another one positioned between two of the highest spires of the Royal House. I glance around in awe. The entire castle has been rebuilt and swarms with vehicles and hoverjets and people. Even the forest has been replanted with new trees. Yes, the Royal House of Arabelle has risen from the ashes, and it just feels so good, so right.
“This is my dream… and the secret I’ve been wanting to share with you,” she says. “You need to bring the rumms here and build a new home. They need you.”
“I can’t do anything without you,” I tell her.
“Yes, you can. Now, just hold me… one more time…”
“What’re you talking about?”
“Please—”
“Meeka!”
The connection shatters—
Just as another storm of bolts rips past me and into her armor. I whirl around.
Her mouth opens, and she raises her fists against the pain, against everything.
And then she faces me and closes her eyes as little Rose appears at her side, along with the two scholars.
In the next breath, all of them explode into a cloud of blinding white dust.
Gone. Forever.
Everyone’s screaming for Meeka in my head.
There’s nothing now—
Just empty space… and a hole inside so deep it’ll never be filled.
A thousand images of Meeka flash through my thoughts, every moment we spent together…
…that time we sat alone on the cliffs, where she cried and wouldn’t tell me her last name…
…the waffles she made… so many looks, whispers, kisses, chills…
I love her. So much. Oh my God…
No, this isn’t real.
It’s just a terrible dream.
But everyone’s still yelling as the bolts continue to drum into me. The world grows dim.
Trembling and crying, I jump ahead of the others and reach the blockade of masks. I cut loose with everything I have at point-blank range.
My mother wails and says she can’t take anymore, and the scholar weeps and says she’s afraid to die. I’m grinding my teeth and firing again and again—
Because they… I can’t even… I can’t even think now.
I might be a mask, but I still feel hot tears streaming down my cheeks, whether they’re real or not.
The others jump in at my sides, and everyone’s weak and taking fire but still in the fight.
“Son, it’s time to finish this,” Tommy says.
“You are a good friend, Doke,” Cypress adds. “Now we go to another realm, and we live together… forever.”
“She’s right,” Hedera says. “And one day we’ll bloom again.”
“Doc,” Steffanie begins, her thoughts as torn apart as mine. “We can’t stop! We’ll fight like Meeka now!”
Before I can react, a lone mask jumps into view and shrinks into Solomon.
The entire wall of masks ceases fire as he floats toward us, raising his hands, his armor glittering.
A sphere of blue energy surrounds our group, and a glistening floor rolls out below us. There’s gravity and air, and everyone, including myself and the grren, resumes their normal form, hunched over, whimpering and panting and moaning.
Solomon clears his throat as he touches down. He lights up a cigarette, and then comes toward us, his cape fluttering. “You like?” he asks, eyeing the energy dome now sweeping over our heads. “We’re getting so strong we can do things like this on a whim—because I love conversation instead of all this irritating mind play. You just can’t beat a nice heart-to-heart talk. By the way, love the armor. Suits you well.”
He chuckles over his own lame ass pun.
Meanwhile, Meeka’s smile flashes in my mind’s eye—
And that makes me scream and spring at him, ready to wrap my hands around his throat.
However, before I can move, an invisible barrier cuts me off. I rap on it, and the wall shimmers and sparks.
“I’ll kill you!” I shout.
“Oh, get over the whole rage thing. Meeka wasn’t right for you anyway. She might’ve had royal blood, but she was too crude, too... abrupt. Raised by rummagers. Raised in filth.”
“Shut up! Let’s finish this. Just me and you.”
“Oh, Doc, I’ve got no time for a locker room brawl. Know why? Because I’ve come with some amazing news.”
“And we don’t care.”
“You should. Because, well, I didn’t have to do this, but I went back to the Armadis, and I don’t know how I managed to pull this off, but miraculously, I convinced them that you’re still worth something to us. Give me credit for that because honestly they wrote you off. So… just surrender. Then everyone’s happy. Even my daughter might hate me a little less.” Solomon takes a long drag on his cigarette. “Do we have a deal?”
I’m ready to drop multiple F-bombs on him, but instead I just narrow my gaze and speak through my teeth: “Yeah, the deal is we attack, and you die. Do you have any last words?”
“Wow! Teenaged stupidity has reached new and incredible heights! Ladies and gentlemen, will you cast your gazes upon these children who’d rather end their lives than become part of the future of all humanity?” He faces me. “Doc, didn’t your parents teach you to make good choices? Oh, I forgot, your dad was a total loser and your mom was a whore.”
All I can do is scream in rage and finally ask, “Where’s Julie? I want to see her right now!”
“So you can say goodbye? Because if you don’t give up, you will die, right here, right now.”
“Get Julie!”
Solomon closes his eyes, as though reaching out for her.
She appears above us and floats down to his side, her eyes creased, her mouth hanging open. “Doc, I’m sorry.”
I ignore her apology and ask, “Is Keane gone? I can’t feel him anymore.”
My throat tightens. “They killed Meeka and little Rose.”
She wipes off her tears. “It’s all my fault. She takes a step back from Solomon—and gives me a look, as if to say be ready. The invisible wall sparks and flickers out.
But instead of attacking Solomon like she expected—
I jump behind her and wrap an arm around her throat.
At the same time, I reach out to Cypress and tell her to get ready to kill me and Julie.
“Doke, you’re not serious.”
“When I tell you… just do it! Do you hear me?”
CHAPTER SIXTY-SIX
“Wow, it’s getting so dramatic!” Solomon cries. “We have a hostage situation, woo-hoo!”
Julie doesn’t even struggle or jump away. “I can’t do this anymore,” she whispers.
“You won’t hurt her,” Solomon says.
“We want to talk to the Armadis—right now.”
“I bet you do.”
Solomon crosses in front of us and leans down, blowing smoke in Julie’s face and then baring his teeth. “I’ve tried so hard to make our new masters happy, but my dear daughter has put in a knife in my back every chance she got. Despite all that, I’ve made every attempt to love her. I really have.” Solomon’s tone grows even darker. “But now, my little girl, you’ve disobeyed your daddy for the last time, and they want me to prove my loyalty—if you know what I mean…”
I jerk us away from Solomon—
As a dozen more knights surround us, their eyes glowing, locked and loaded.
Solomon raises a finger, and suddenly I’m ripped off Julie and thrown across the floor, only to crash into Tommy’s legs.
“Fire!” Solomon screams.
The knights transform into masks and open up on Julie, who’s immediately overwhelmed by a storm of lightning that seizes her body and rips her into the air.
She’s paralyzed and crying and looking to me for help…
“Now,” Solomon begins, his eyes growing even wider as he glances at us and then back to the ship. “Finish it!”
With a gasp, I return to being a mask and target the others attacking Julie.
Meanwhile, Tommy, Steffanie, Cypress, Hedera, and even all the grren, rush in around me and join the fight.
