by Bryan Cohen
Ted put out his arms wide and wrapped them around Vella as he did his best monster impression. She squealed with glee as he placed her on his shoulder. He led her over to the sixth object.
She gasped. "My shoes! You floated my shoes?"
He gave an exaggerated nod. "I did."
"Oh. Okay!"
Vella hopped off Ted's shoulder and went running in the opposite direction. She turned toward Razellia and gave the largest smile her mom had seen from her in months. Razellia nodded her approval to Ted. It was hard to believe he was the murderer the General had led them to believe he was.
Later that day, Razellia and Natalie were cleaning up after dinner, while Ted was off playing with Vella once again.
When a playful squeal came from the other room, Natalie shook her head. "He's really playing up that fierce, heroic warrior thing."
Razellia grinned. "I can tell." She pursed her lips. "You two fight as if you've been together for a long time."
Natalie groaned. "That's past-tense, Razellia. Very past-tense. What's a step beyond past? Paster?"
Razellia laughed and collected what remained of dinner from the table. "He's cute and he's kind. He obviously cares for you."
Natalie glanced over her shoulder. When Razellia did the same, they saw Vella chasing Ted past the doorway.
"He was fantastic." She scrubbed away at one of the plates. "I did love him, but he had it bad for someone else. He still does."
Razellia handed Natalie another dish. "So, you moved on to be with the 'bad boy.'"
Natalie raised her eyebrows. "Is that what Ted told you?"
Razellia shrugged.
Natalie mumbled a few words to herself. "Travis is something else. He's the opposite of Ted in every way." She smiled when she spoke of him. "He's an athlete. Talks a good game. Confident. He saved my life before we went through the portal."
Razellia sighed. "Sounds like Vella's father."
Natalie shook the water from one plate and took another from Razellia's pile. "Is he in the army?"
Razellia nodded. "At least he was the last time we saw him." She looked out the window and into the stars. "It's been over a year. He could be dead for all we know."
Natalie laid a soapy hand on her shoulder. Razellia looked into the girl's eyes. While it wasn't easy to see on the outside, she was as kind as Ted. How could they possibly be her enemies?
Natalie gave Razellia a sly grin. "If he comes back while we're still here, I'd be happy to knock a few teeth out."
Razellia shook her head. "It's a shame we couldn't have met under better circumstances."
Natalie let out a fake gasp. "You mean falling from the sky into the middle of a war zone counts as a bad circumstance?"
Razellia chuckled.
Natalie's face grew grim. "How does a war go on for a thousand years?"
Razellia recalled when Vella had first asked that question. She wondered if the answer would ever change for daughters or strangers. "For all the magic we have on this world, we've been running out of food, water and energy for a long time. With access to other worlds, our leaders sought out new places to call home. That's where the split first happened."
"The split?"
Razellia gestured for Natalie to take a seat. She put down her last dish and complied.
"We knew we needed to go elsewhere, but every other world was as populated as ours was. One side wanted to use ancient magic to peacefully inhabit their bodies. It would reduce the strain back home, and it would give us a chance to live happier, healthier lives." She sighed. "Needless to say, there were many opponents to such a plan."
Natalie shook her head. "And that happened a thousand years ago? I feel like you guys need to work on your negotiation skills."
Razellia nodded. "Each side has only had a few different leaders during the whole conflict. The General has been in charge for at least 200 years."
Natalie gave her a sidelong glance. "You say that as if you remember the whole thing."
"Natalie, I'm over 300 years old."
She didn't seem to know how to react to that. She was a mix of horrified and impressed. "And you don't look a day over 299. Why doesn't one side just give up?"
Razellia shrugged. "Ask the people in charge. We don't exactly have a lot of decision power here."
Natalie rapped her knuckles on the table. "Fine, well then why doesn't the General protect you from the raiders?"
"We're not exactly a top priority. They're focused on winning the war."
Natalie rolled her eyes. "The endless war that's been going on a thousand years?"
"That's the one."
Their chat session was interrupted when a knock came from the front door. Razellia stepped away from the kitchen and opened it. Ferrick Gallaway, the leader of their defenses and the main tribunal judge, stood tall on the front stoop. As he walked inside, Natalie gave him the customary space for someone who held their lives in his hands. Ted walked to her side with Vella perched on his shoulder.
"Word's spreading that the raiders have set up camp nearby." His gruff voice had gotten scratchier with every successive attack. "They'll be here tomorrow." He looked at Ted with a mix of scorn and hope. "Will you be ready?"
Before Ted could speak, Natalie stepped forward. "We will."
Ferrick grunted. "You better be." He turned his attention to Razellia. "Don't take your eyes off them. If they escape, it could kill us all."
Razellia cocked her head at an angle. "They're with us, Ferrick." She let a slight smile slip to Natalie. "Till the bitter end."
Ferrick grunted his assent and walked through the front door without shutting it.
Ted lifted his chin. "Nice guy."
Vella walked up to his side and mimicked Ted's body language. "Yeah. Nice guy."
The warmth from seeing her daughter so happy wasn't quite enough to topple the cold feeling of dread.
"It doesn't matter how nice he is." She looked around the room. "He's right. Without you guys, we'd be in deep trouble."
Ted picked up Vella and placed his hands underneath to support her. "Let's just hope that after we win, Mr. Grumpypants wants to let us live."
Razellia looked out the open door. She pictured a fire spreading from the top to the bottom as she closed it.
"If we win." She took a deep breath. "If we win."
7
Ted sat on the edge of Vella's bed. The two of them barely fit in there as it was, and Ted couldn't help but wonder how she'd cope with the lack of space when she grew up. The room was drab, like everything else in the house and village, but Razellia did her best to make it livable. She'd made the sheets and blankets by hand, and in Ted's opinion, they were better than anything he'd ever bought at a store. In that way, Vella was lucky. In most other ways, he couldn't imagine what kind of life she'd have here.
If she survives tomorrow's attack.
Ted put on a happy face and tucked the sheets underneath Vella. She was like the little sister Ted never had. Maybe she'd be like the daughter Ted would never have.
"Ted?" Vella's voice contained more than a hint of sleepiness. "Are you going to stop the bad men from hurting us?"
Ted sighed. From what Razellia and Ferrick had told him, the "bad men" had attacked them in one form or another for the last hundred years. Aside from the dark soul stronghold far off to the east, there was nothing but wasteland out there. The scattered villages made it work through farming and perseverance. The raiders made it work by stealing from the villages.
He puffed up his chest. "Do you really think a bunch of sissies with guns could stop a real-life superhero?"
"I don't know." Vella giggled. "Is floating shoes really a superpower?"
Ted mimed scratching his head. "Hmm. That's a great point. I guess it's a good thing we have Natalie to help us."
Vella beamed. "Yeah, she broke a guy's foot and gave someone a black eye!"
Way to be a role model, Nat.
Vella shifted beneath the sheets. "Ted? Can you tell
me about the human people again?"
Ted grinned. "Of course I can." He cleared his throat several times, until he elicited a laugh from the lethargic girl. "Where should we start? Maybe with Dhiraj?"
Vella yawned. "You mean the one who loves money?"
"Mmm-hmm. Or I could talk about his girlfriend."
"Jennifer!" Her eyes lit up. "She tracks down the bad guys, right?"
Ted nodded. "Are you the one telling this story or should I keep going?"
Vella blinked several times, her eyes staying closed longer with each one. "You may continue."
Ted suppressed a laugh. "So polite. We could also talk about Travis."
Vella smiled with her eyes closed. "You mean the big, dumb idiot who tried to kill you once?"
Ted's eyes opened wide. "Sure." He whispered. "Let's not go sharing what I said about him with Natalie, okay?"
Vella nodded.
"Or we could talk about Erica."
Vella's voice was as light as a drizzle. "The most beautiful girl in all the worlds. She's my favorite."
Ted sighed. "Mine, too." He thought for a moment. "Do you want to hear a story about Erica?"
There was no answer.
"Vella?"
Razellia's daughter let out long, steady breaths. She was pure peace with a smile painted on her face.
Ted pulled the top cover up to her neck. "Goodnight."
Ted took the rickety stairs down to the basement. Their accommodations were big enough for two cots and food storage, but not much else. It was a good thing they didn't have luggage. Natalie was waiting for him with her arms crossed in front of her.
He gave her a sideways glance. "What?"
"Sound travels well in this place." She glared at him. "A big, dumb idiot?"
Ted swallowed. "I-I'll let you clear things up tomorrow night."
Natalie grunted and walked across the room. She planted herself on the makeshift bed, which creaked in response to her weight. She leaned up against the wall. "If there is a tomorrow night." She bit her lip. "Can you try to make the portal again?"
Every night since they'd taken up shop in Razellia's place, Ted had tried his best to open a portal back to Earth. He pictured himself creating the gateway that Yoshi went through less than two weeks earlier. Ted still had trouble believing that's how little time had passed.
"It's not going to work." Ted let out a deep breath. "All it does is make me want to throw up."
Ted wasn't sure if nausea was a required part of the portal process. He didn't remember any stomach trauma when he'd been successful, but he was injured and losing blood at the time. Nausea might not have been on his body's priority list.
Natalie walked to the corner of the room and grabbed a water bucket. She dragged it in front of him and pointed.
"If you puke, you'll be prepared." She resumed her position on the bed. "Now don't screw up this time."
He rolled his eyes. "Good pep talk, coach." Ted tried to clear his mind. "Here goes nothing."
Ted pointed his fingers outward and visualized the blue portal forming. He thought about Earth and all the people he loved who were so far away. Several tiny blue sparks wafted out of his hands like bubbles. They combined in the center of the room and formed a tiny circle no bigger than a dime. Ted's hands began to shake and his stomach twisted. Try as he might to hold onto the sensation, it was too painful. Ted let go, and the coin-sized gateway disappeared.
His dinner gurgled within him, and everything felt like it was rushing back up. Ted knelt over the bucket and prepared for the worst. Fortunately, everything went back down with an acidic burn.
He wiped a few beads of sweat from his forehead. "Told ya."
Natalie shifted from her bed to Ted's. She rubbed the sides of his neck with her long fingers. "That was the biggest one you've done yet. Maybe we can send a carrier ant through to deliver a message."
Ted let himself laugh, though it hurt a bit to do so. He stood back up and took the spot next to her on the mattress. "Even if I opened it, would we just leave these people to die?"
Natalie pondered the question for a moment. She let out a short breath. "I don't know." Natalie crossed her legs and leaned her chin on her knuckles. "Razellia said this wasn't the first attack. Not by a long shot. They're just trying to get energy or money the easy way. They rip off the people that work hard for it. Maybe the villagers'll live through this one, too."
"But we don't know that for sure."
Natalie punched the bed hard. "Even if we got the portal to work, we have no idea what we're coming back to."
Ted considered Natalie's mood and turned slightly toward her. "You don't think they made it?"
Her face was red. "There's a big difference between what I think happened and what I want to believe."
Ted criss-crossed his legs and shifted his body to face her. "What do you want to believe?"
Natalie looked up and chewed on her lip. "I want to believe that they beat Kable without us. That all of them are okay and that they've been figuring out a way to get us back." Her eyes welled up and she looked away from Ted. "I want to believe that Travis is alive." She sniffled. "And that I have a chance to tell him that I love him back."
Ted's heart didn't know what to make of the comment. A few beats in a row seemed to go out of rhythm.
She loves him? Why?
Before Ted could even consider questioning her statement, Natalie leaned forward and placed her head on his shoulder. He wrapped his arms around her and squeezed. Natalie fought hard to stifle the tears, and as far as Ted could tell, not a single one came out.
"You're going to see him again, Nat." Ted caressed her back. "If we don't find a way back, they'll come to get us. I just know it."
Natalie nodded on his shoulder and remained there for at least a minute. When she pulled back her head and lay down on the bed, Ted lay beside her.
When he looked into her eyes, he couldn't help but remember the passionate kisses they'd shared. Between the smell of her skin and the warmth of her breath, it was a challenge to keep those memories at bay.
Natalie's voice was a whisper. "What do you think happened?"
He tried to smile with his eyes. "I think Erica got him this time." He smirked. "She likes finishing what she started."
Natalie nodded. "I hope you're right." She inched closer to him. "I really hate this, Ted. We don't even know what they'll do to us if we survive tomorrow."
Ted reached out for her hand. He was surprised she didn't pull away as she interlocked her fingers with his. "First, we're going to stop tomorrow's attack. Next, you can clear up Vella's opinion of Travis." He grinned. "Then, we're going to find a way back. And that's just how it's going to be."
Natalie closed her eyes. He could tell that she wanted to agree, but it just wasn't happening yet.
Oh well. I did my best.
"It's getting late." Ted withdrew his hand from hers. "We better get some rest."
As Ted leaned off the bed, Natalie regripped his fingers. "Can you sleep with me tonight?"
Ted lowered himself back down to the bed. Nervousness crept through his body. "Okay."
Natalie turned away from him and pulled his arms around her. As he took in the aroma from the back of her hair, Ted felt himself relax. They each shifted until their heads were on the same pillow.
"Ted?"
Ted gripped Natalie's hands a little tighter. "Yeah?"
"If you tell anybody about this, I'm going to stomp on your face."
Ted hid his chuckle. "Understood."
As Natalie fell asleep, Ted thought about Erica and the night they'd had before the rally. He'd spent the night with his arms wrapped around her, though it mostly happened because they were both exhausted. One major similarity was that both nights had a major battle on the horizon. He'd barely survived the last one. Would he be lucky enough to get through tomorrow's test as well?
8
Natalie lay awake that morning with Ted's arms wrapped around her. Her face became w
arm and she hoped her bedmate wouldn't notice.
It's been a week. You need this much comfort after a week? You're getting soft, Dorn.
Natalie removed Ted's wrist from her midsection. It was warm to the touch. She placed it back against his body and pulled away from him. A sliver of sunlight pierced through the window and landed by her feet. With a squeeze, she cracked the knuckles of her fingers and toes.
She looked back at Ted, his mouth frozen in a neutral position. "You better be able to do this, Finley." Her nose picked up the scent of sweet pastries. "Or we've got our last meal coming up pretty quick."
When Ted glanced over to Natalie at the breakfast table, she turned away, concentrating on her plate instead. She ignored his sigh and looked across from her. Razellia looked how she felt: nervous and unsure about how today would go. Natalie had to give the woman credit, though. Whenever Vella was watching her, Razellia made it seem like the world was fair and safe. Natalie had played triple overtime basketball games, but nothing looked as exhausting as motherhood.
Razellia spooned some eggs onto her plate. "How you feeling?"
Natalie smiled. It amazed her that just one week earlier the woman feeding her breakfast had aimed a gun between her eyes. She supposed that when you live on a planet of war, everyone is guilty until proven innocent. If it weren't for Razellia, that proof might never have come.
Natalie munched on a forkful of eggs. "Ready. You think Ferrick appreciates that I have the most dangerous job?"
Razellia pursed her lips. "I'm sure he does. I wish I felt better about it."
Natalie tried to give Razellia a reassuring look, but it didn't seem to have much effect.
Natalie felt Ted's eyes on her again, and her neck heated up. She shot back a warning look. After drawing back from the ocular dagger, he relaxed his shoulders and shot back a glare of his own.
She laughed. "You are such an idiot."
He smiled back. "Why, thank you."
Out of the corner of her eye, Natalie saw Vella hopping in her seat as if she were sitting on an inflatable ball. While she was too young to know the specifics of what might happen that day, she certainly wasn't stupid.
