by K T Munson
Diana felt herself falling back into despair but sat up and shook her head. She needed to focus on the matter at hand, but it was difficult to let go of her grief. It had wrapped itself around her heart, and every thought sent her back in that direction. It was sitting there, heavy and waiting to strangle.
“I’ll have to take her home,” Diana whispered, staring across the room at nothing in particular. “What am I going to tell her family?” Her voice broke at the end of the question.
“We’ll think of something,” Melanie responded softly. Melanie might not have been close with Stella, but she, too, clearly felt her loss.
There was a knock on the door a moment before Dimar entered. His face was stone, and she was thankful he was so serious about trying to find the killer. An invisible hand closed around her throat as she remembered again the desperate look in Stella’s eyes as she died.
Swallowing her emotions, Diana asked, “What have you discovered?”
“There was one person, but I don’t think he or she acted alone,” Dimar said. “I have a private doctor trying to determine which poison was used. Hopefully that will narrow it down.”
Diana was nodding, but the words were washing over her like harsh waves. She could hardly comprehend them, and it took her a moment to understand what he was implying. Instead of responding right away she licked her lips to give herself a moment.
“What else?” she asked.
“Maura has a small abrasion, but nothing else. She asked to see you, but Adom wouldn’t let anyone enter. Should I have her sent over?” he asked carefully.
“If she isn’t resting, I would like to see her,” Diana whispered before clearing her throat. “Anything else?”
He hesitated as though he wanted to say something. Perhaps he was trying to think of a way to comfort her or offer his condolences. Either would have been bittersweet, and she wasn’t ready to hear them. Yet a part of her, the part she had locked away until this madness was done, whispered that she wanted him to say something. Anything at all that could shed some light on how he felt about her.
In the end, he answered with a curt, “No.”
“Then you are dismissed,” she said, turning away.
Dimar said nothing as he left, but once the door closed Melanie snapped, “What was that about?”
“What do you mean?” Diana asked, glancing over at her.
“You asked him the same thing three times,” Melanie pointed out, “as though you expected something.”
“I felt like he wanted to tell me something else.” Diana shrugged. “I’m sure I’m just imagining things.”
“You can’t lie to me, no matter what powerful jewelry is on your wrist.” Melanie leaned forward with a look on her face that Diana knew meant trouble. “You like him.”
“He has helped me on many occasions,” she said. “Of course I’m fond of him.”
“As my kids would say, ‘Diana and Dimar sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G’,” Melanie said smugly, trying to cheer her up and distract her from Stella’s death. “What is the point of all this power if you can’t follow your heart?”
Diana glanced down at the bracelet and nearly spilled her secret—that she was temporary and that she was going to have to let this go. That at the end of the day Dimar was an alien and she wasn’t suited to rule anything. It was more accurate to call her Nancy Drew of the cosmos, solving a decade-old murder while she was undercover with a powerful assistant on her arm.
“Those are the rules of the cosmos,” Diana finally replied. “My only hope is to play along.”
Chapter 42
There is something exhausting about grief. When someone you loved and held dear dies, it is like a section of you goes with them. A piece of your very soul is ripped from your body, and it will take time to heal the gaping hole. The best way to heal anything is to sleep.
Despite that, Diana lay awake on the bed as Melanie napped next to her. Maura had been sedated after they’d stitched up her head so she hadn’t been by to visit. Apparently the blow was serious after all, and required she stay for further observation. Diana was fidgeting as she rolled over.
Kal Zed had tried to visit, but she refused to see him. She feared that if she let him in, she would confess her secret. It was important that everyone was convincing, and the best way to do that was to make everyone believe it was real. It was better to keep him in the dark lest she tell him everything like word vomit. So despite her pain, she had refused him.
Diana sat up and curled her arms raround her legs. The reflection from the blue light of the planet was eerie on her ceiling. Watching it for a moment, she gazed out the veranda and lay her head on her knees. Yet even it was not enough to lull her into a state of calm. She had slept too much, and her mind wanted answers.
When she heard someone say something in the hallway, followed by the dull thud of Adom’s shoes on the ground, she made her way to the door. Carefully she opened it and peeked out. Adom was further down the hall, walking with a guard. She slid out and hurriedly closed the door behind her before following them. Her bare feet made almost no noise on the carpet feeling crystal.
Diana was nearly to the room Stella had been kept in when she heard someone further down the hall. Stepping into the darkness of a doorway, she waited for the person to pass. Hamyl walked by with a man she didn’t remember seeing. There was a strange edginess to his face, and he seemed angry.
“She’ll be more on guard now,” the other man said.
Diana strained her ears as she tried to hear them better. “Our plans may need to be advanced,” Hamyl responded
The other man started to say something, but his words were garbled. She waited until their footsteps faded before continuing down the hall. Glancing back over her shoulder she nearly tripped on the bunched rug.
Stumbling, she saw a black splotch on the floor. Old blood. Swollowing she caught herself on the door before glancing back to spot the gathered carpet. It was strange that it should be squished like that since everything came from the crystal. Without hesitation she walked into Stella’s former residence. It smelled of sweat and other bodily fluids. The room was cramped, and all of the furniture had been removed except for the bed and a single, mostly empty, nightstand. They had been afraid to let Stella roam in a room full of furniture. Frowning, she felt her eyebrows furrow knowing that Stella had been so close to recovery. Maura’s last update on Stella had been a week ago, or a little over, and things had been going well.
The room was cast in the same eerie blue light as her own bedroom. She walked across and opened the window. Turning her attention back on the room, her eyes slowly adjusted to the dimness, when something suddenly swung down at her. It smashed into her head, but at the same time red light ripped off her, sending the figure flying across the room. Diana fell back against the window, her limbs getting tangled in the curtains as she tried to blink the pain away. Something shined off the person as Diana tried to push herself up. The other person struggled to his feet first but as he swung at her the red light protected her. The person was thrown against a wall before stumbling towards the door. Barely finding her feet, Diana called hoarsely for the person to stop.
Diana shook her head, the world spinning as she ambled out into the hallway through the open door. She called louder this time, but her tongue felt too big for her mouth, which slurred her words. The person’s silhouette got farther and farther away in the darkly lit hallway as she tried to follow them.
“Stop,” she called again, but the dizziness was relentless.
When she rounded the corner, she ran right into a hard broad chest. Stumbling back, her arms flailed as she tried to reach out for anything to keep her balance. Dimar’s hand wrapped around her wrist, and he pulled her against him.
She slumped in his arms and nearly fell when her knees gave out, but he caught her around the waist, keeping her steady. “Whoa, easy.”
“Man,” she whispered, her head suddenly too heavy for her body. “There was a man.
”
“Your head, it’s bleeding,” he said and started to pick her up.
“No,” she said, trying to pull away. “Go after him.”
“I won’t leave you,” he insisted as he lifted her in his arms like a limp doll.
Her fingers clutched his shirt as she started to cry. “I should never have come here.”
He paused, looking surprised at her display of vulnerability. Diana was not as strong as she always led him to believe, and now he knew it. Her fear and grief had been scratching at her insides until she’d finally bled. To her shock he gathered her more tightly against him and pressed his lips to her forehead. He lingered there as she wept. Her body was racked with her sobs as she covered her face with one hand and kept clutching his shirt with the other. After most of it had passed, he eased up and let her lie back against him. With great effort she untangled her fingers from him and wiped away her tears.
“Better?” he asked softly.
“A little,” she managed.
“Why did you leave your room?” he asked gently, but she could hear the anger underneath it.
“I wanted to see her room,” Diana admitted, sniffling. “I wanted her to be there or find the name of the murderer written on the walls.”
“Any luck?” he asked, sounding almost hopeful.
“No,” Diana whispered, disheartened, as she rested her head against his chest. It wouldn’t do any good to tell him what had happened.
“You can’t rest,” Dimar said, jostling her a little.
“You can’t order me around,” Diana tried to snap, but it came out more sleepy then anything.
“You need to stay awake,” he insisted.
“Mmhmm,” she managed, her eyes drooping. “Dimar?”
“Yes?”
“I don’t think your mother killed herself for no reason,” she whispered, her head slumping forward. “I think she had a good reason.”
“What?” he asked, and she rolled her head back to meet his eyes.
Putting a hand on his cheek she whispered, “She loved you, and I understand why.”
Her hand fell, and Dimar was calling her name. She could hear it as he tried to shake her awake. His jostling was a mere distraction from the water she drifted on. An ocean of sleep flowed around her. It wrapped itself around her like a cocoon of safety, and she didn’t want to leave.
Chapter 43
When her eyes opened next it was to blinding sunlight. Lifting her hand in front of her face to block some of it, she blinked rapidly so her sight would adjust. All around the sun was a clear blue sky with just a few perfect clouds. Sitting up, she found herself in a rowboat in the middle of the ocean.
Diana took in her surroundings with confusion. It didn’t feel like she was dreaming—she felt like she was there. Pushing herself into a kneeling position, she shielded her eyes to try to see farther and figure out where she was. When she turned around, she came nose to nose with a small tiger. Meeping loudly she fell onto her back as the mini tiger rode the now shifting boat.
It yawned lazily, and its long tail flicked left and right, in and out of the water. She stared into its eyes and was startled when she began to see the universe in its irises. Diana felt her breath catch when she realized she was looking at the Heart of the Cosmos in cat form. The black stripes seemed illuminated, as though space was captured in its stripes.
It stepped out of the boat and began to walk across the water. Diana stood too quickly and had to put her arms out for balance as the boat rocked. Inching towards the edge she bent down, dipping her hand in the water. Frowning when her hand sunk into it, she looked up to see the cat sitting on it and waiting.
“I’d better not have to swim,” Diana said and stood. Just in case she took a breath and stepped out of the boat.
Ripples disturbed the mostly still ocean when her shoe touched it, but she found it was a solid surface underfoot. Her second foot followed and she glanced back at the boat, her only lifeline. It began to float away as she turned and started after the tiger, walking on top of the water.
Cosmo, the name she decided to give to the cat, led her along for what seemed like hours. The sky and ocean seemed to forever touch on the horizon that they walked toward. Finally, they came upon a small island. It had a single tree on it that looked slightly sick, but it still stood tall.
Cosmo sat down and stared at the tree. Diana stood next to him a moment before she went forward and touched it. She closed her eyes, and images of Earth danced before her eyes. It was their tree, she realized, one that represented her home. Cosmo was showing her home.
With a sigh, she turned back to the tiger, her hand still resting on the trunk. “Why?”
It tipped its head, its tail dancing sporadically as it stared. Dropping her hand she shifted to face the feline. It kept its head at an inquisitive angle and then yawned before lying down with its legs tucked under its body. Cosmo was giving her a perfect judgmental cat stare.
“Yeah, yeah,” she said, turning back to the mystery before her. “I get it. I’ll figure it out.”
Strolling around the tree, she tried to make out anything. When she came back, Cosmo was still staring at her. Pursing her lips she studied the branches. There was nothing exceptional about it. It looked like any super tall tree. Its base was as big around as the Sequoia trees in California, and it stood just as high. Squinting she could see all different kinds of leaves at the top. One close to her was definitely a maple tree leaf.
Slowly she circled the base again, feeling all its groves and stepping over its roots. She continued to do this until she came to a narrow crack in the trunk. Slipping her fingers into it she jerked them back out. Strange thing was the cleft wasn’t deep enough for her fingers to go that far in. Realistically she should have hit the edges of it, but somehow that hasn’t happened.
Diana glanced over at Cosmo, who hadn’t moved a muscle. He was still watching her closely as she stuck her fingers in again. However, this time when she tried to pull her hand back, the island suddenly shuddered and began to sink. Diana’s immediately tried to pull her hand free, but it wouldn’t budge. The water swept over the ground and brushed against her ankles. With wide eyes she looked to Cosmo for help, panicked, but he just sat there unmoving, floating on top of the water.
“Help!” she called, tugging.
Cosmo tipped his head but did and said nothing. The water was up to her waist. Desperately she struggled to free her hand, but nothing would give. Her breathing was coming in short bursts, and her chest tightened. When the water was up to her neck, she started trying to calm herself and told herself to take a deep breath, preparing to sink. After a moment, her head was underwater.
The tree was pulling her farther and farther down. The darkness of the ocean was before her. Had she been able, she would have screamed. Instead, she kept tugging fruitlessly at her stuck hand until finally it unexpectedly came free. Exhausted, she floated, her feet touching the edge of the darkness beneath her, as the tree continued down. Drawn to the light from the sun above the surface of the water, her hands reached up, and her mind flashed back to the night before.
The images played her in her mind as the dark tentacles of the ocean began to pull her down. The air slowly escaped from her lungs but she didn’t fight the black abyss. Then her eyes opened and she pushed away from the memories as she fought to swim to the surface. She wanted to live!
Her eyes opened. The room was mostly dark as she lay with her arms on her stomach, staring at the ceiling. Her head ached with a dull thud, but she knew it could have been worse; the Heart of the Cosmos had let her be hit just hard enough that she would lose consciousness and it could communicate with her. Diana felt like complaining, but its little antic had worked. She understood now.
Her head lulled to one side, and she found Melanie passed out beside her. Kal Zed was asleep on her ankle. Warmth emanated from him as he dozed. Wiggling her toes caused him to lift his head, instantly alert. He started yawned and then stretched befo
re sitting up.
“You gave us quite a scare,” he said.
Diana swallowed, even though her mouth was dry, and tried to smile. “It wasn’t that bad.”
“No, it wasn’t,” he said with intense eyes, “but you wouldn’t wake up.”
“How long?” Diana whispered as Melanie stirred.
“Just a day,” he said as Melanie sat up groggily.
“Diana!” she called and threw her arms around her neck. “I was so worried.”
“I’m fine,” she insisted smiling as she tried to sit up. “Just a little bump.”
“That little bump has everyone up in arms,” Kal Zed told her. “Dimar is currently being assessed. They are considering removing him as your personal guard.”
“He’s the one who found me,” Diana snapped angrily. “I am tired of all of this.” Swinging her legs over the side of the bed, she stood, a little woozy.
“Don’t you dare!” Melanie protested.
“I’m fine,” she repeated with a glare and glanced around. “What room are we in?”
“Recovery room,” Kal Zed said. “Lower level.”
“I think it’s about time we finished this,” Diana said as she started for the door. That was when she realized she was wearing a strange medical suit that was like a second skin. Although she was thankful it didn’t have an open back, it was so skintight that it didn’t leave much to the imagination.
Melanie came running after her carrying Kal Zed. His ears were back in annoyance, but he didn’t tell her to put him down. Diana didn’t stop—she was on a mission. Her dream had been an abstract way for the Heart of the Cosmos to tell her what she needed to do.
When she came to a junction, she turned back to Kal Zed. “Where is Jacrifcar’s room?”
“Eleven floors up,” he said, and Diana entered the elevator.
“Floor nineteen,” Diana declared. There was a humming noise as the elevator started to rise.
“What’s going on?” Melanie asked.
“Do you know what the Babel Stone does?” Diana asked rhetorically before answering. “It translates. Every word we speak to each other is exact since we speak the same language, but every word we hear from others goes through a translator, the Babel Stone.”
