by M. V. Kallai
Dana loved living at the beach house, mostly because she could go outside whenever she wanted. Not that she could stay out for long. The coastal region where Maeve had built her home was extremely cold. It was one of the few unpopulated areas of Daxia and it was clear that privacy was the top priority for anyone who chose to live here. The house itself was large and open. It was simply decorated in shades of blue, gray, and white. Glass panels, from floor to ceiling, spanned the length of the house facing the ocean and the wall opposite had a long rectangle fireplace cut into it. A large, white plush rug lay in front of the fireplace and instantly became Dana’s favorite spot in the house. Lee preferred the large basement. When they arrived, it was filled with Maeve’s weapons and technical gadgets, organized in cabinets and shelves that protruded and retracted by remote. It had been Dana’s job to clear the area and box up her things. It was now a mini version of Tripple Laboratories. Ina had been sent out to a nearby town the day she arrived, to procure a large refrigeration system. Lee installed it in one of the smaller rooms off the basement’s main floor and Dana was happy to not have body parts taking up space in the kitchen freezer anymore.
Lee had begun working on his weapon project for Maeve, but put it aside after a week went by without word from her. Now, after a month, he was beginning to grow anxious and decided it was time to contact Camden. He did not want to be found by the government until his amnesty was returned and his passage to Myris was secure. Camden could help with that, even if it took years.
Today, it was raining and Dana took a break from working in the basement and made some tea. She sat on the floor in front of the fireplace and Ina joined her.
“Are you worried?” Dana asked, “that we have imprisoned ourselves here?”
“Not yet. I’ve been with Lee a long time and I believe this will pass,” she answered.
“I just wish Maeve would contact us.”
“If she does or if she doesn’t, Lee is an important man. The government will welcome him back soon.”
“Maybe. But you don’t know what he’s working on down there.”
“Nor do I want to. I’ve learned over the years that the less I know about his work, the better I sleep.”
“You’re so loyal to him. Where does that come from?” Dana asked.
“He’s the only family I have.”
“Family? You and Lee are family? I had no idea.”
“No one does, not even Lee. He knows we have a connection, that’s why I was given permission to come here, but he doesn’t know he’s my brother.”
“What about your parents?” Dana asked.
“Both dead, tragic really.” Ina started, and then stopped because Lee walked in. “But that’s a longer story,” she added softly.
Lee looked displaced and out of sorts. He stood there looking at them and scratching his head.
“Tea?” Dana offered.
Late that night, the rain stopped and the sky lit up with stars and moons. Dana wrapped herself in one of Maeve’s warm coats and climbed up a staircase that led to the roof. She sat, hugging her knees, breathing in the moist clean air, and staring at the sky. She wondered if the embryos were still safely in their stasis, or if they’d been discovered and why they hadn’t heard from Maeve. She focused a small handheld telescope, which she’d found in a closet, on the surface of Myris, looking for any sign of life. It wasn’t powerful enough to see details, so she found nothing. She missed Bearden and her parents and felt her stomach tighten into a knot as she scanned the almost barren landscape of what would be her future home.
Watch for book two in The Tripple Chronicles
Mother Myris
Coming out in late 2012!
www.mvkallai.com
