Later that night, it was time to say goodbye. It was hard. In the past twenty-four hours, these people crawled into my heart.
Charles, Luke, Marcus and Tom took us with a horse and carriage as close to the creepers as possible. Emanual touched Charles’ shoulder. “Two days, at most.”
Charles slid a smirk up one half one half of his face. “I have all the faith in you.”
It felt wrong to leave and tears pricked in my eyes as they all looked lost standing by the carriage as I took Dad and Blake out. On the other side, nobody waited.
“It’s too early, Blake. We can walk, it’s not that far. Go get your dad.”
He nodded, and we walked to the other side. Sir Robert waited as the three of them kept staring in awe at how the creepers acted differently with me.
We took his father back and went back for Emanual.
“Two days. We will find you. Don’t come here and wait for us, please,” Emanual said again.
Charles nodded. “Please, tell my dragon I’m still alive.”
“It will be joyous news.”
“Thank you all for bringing us hope again. I can’t remember the last time we felt it.”
“You are welcome. We work like tornadoes, so have that meeting and get ready,” Emanual said and pointed at Tom. “No guns cocking next time.”
That elicited a round of soft laughter.
“Promise.”
We took Emanual out and walked back to the lodge. The sun peeked over the horizon. Orange and yellows danced off the lodge’s roof and overpowered the sky. The sun rises and sunsets were breathtaking in Paegeia. We trudged through the open door and found Connie and Shelby cooking in the kitchen.
“I’m pooped.”
“Go, sleep. You were awake for an entire day.” Dad kissed me on top of my head.
“I’ll come with you,” Blake said.
“Uh-uh.” Dad wiggled his finger.
“Just walking her to her room,” Blake said, and I shook my head at my father.
Connie’s voice filled the area, welcoming Dad, Robert and Emanual back. Blake wrapped his arm around me as I stopped in front of my room.
“Wake me up around noon, please.”
“I will,” he said and gave me a juicy kiss.
I opened the door and slipped through after saying goodbye to Blake, then crashed on my bed. Sleep came faster than I thought.
Blake woke me up with kisses around noon.
It was a great sleep. “What did David do when you told him?”
“Your dad wanted you to see it. We hadn’t told him yet. We are keeping it for when you are with us.”
“What? That is cruel. What did you tell him?”
“Everything. We just kept Charles out of it.”
Silence lingered as Blake just stared at me. “I get why your father wants to do this so fast. I want to go back in. They must be terrified. Not knowing if we would come back or not.”
“Stick to the plan. It’s hard enough to keep my dad sticking to the plan. I don’t want to babysit you too, as you are the only one that can go through the creepers. I can’t follow. They will tear me apart.”
A nosy chuckle escaped my lips. “I’ll never do that to you.”
“You better not. I’m way too young to die and they said death by creeper is horrible.” He kissed my lips and got up. “Get up. I can’t wait any longer to tell him.”
His excitement became mine, and I jumped out of the bed, put on my sneakers and rushed downstairs. I had to slow down as David was busy at reception filling out forms.
“Had a great sleep, Elena.”
“The best. It’s so beautiful here.”
His lips fanned out into a toothy grin as I rushed past him and to help with setting up lunch.
“Elena, you are awake,” the queen said and wrapped her arms around me as King Helmut and Sir Robert sat at one table with coffees, speaking in depth about what was going to happen next.
“Your father told me how hard it was to say goodbye and that Anouk is with them. We need to get her out for Constance’s sake.”
“Does she know?”
“Robert phoned her. He wants you to take her in.”
Tears pooled in my eyes. “What?”
“She is coming with Master Longwei and Isabelle. We didn’t tell them what, just that they needed to come. It’s not something you tell someone over the phone.”
We sat down and Connie’s food smelled amazing. I was ravenous.
King Helmut said grace and thanked God for bringing us home safely and keeping a hand over the people of Etan just a few days longer.
We dug in when he said amen. We all started eating, and Blake kept raising his eyebrows at Dad.
“Fine. Robert?” Dad said. “You want to share the good news?”
“You want me to share it?” Sir Robert’s eyes locked with mine.
“I think it’s cruel that you said nothing, but I get why you waited. Thank you for that,” I said.
“What good news?” Connie asked.
“We waited for Elena before telling you.” Sir Robert looked at David.
“Tell us what?” His eyes flickered from Sir Robert to mine.
Sir Robert touched David’s hand. “Charles is still alive.”
“What?” David looked at Connie and then stared at the table as tears welled up in his eyes. He flickered his gaze to Robert. “How?”
Sir Robert told him he had gotten the deed earlier and had to tell his family. He wasn’t in his home when the creepers came. He was on the farm with Marcus and Gertrude.
His lower lip wobbled, and then he covered his face with his palms as his shoulders shook.
I bit my lower lip as tears glistened in my eyes and Blake pulled me in for a side hug. Connie raised to her feet and hugged her husband sitting on the chair as he sobbed.
My gaze flickered to Dad, then to Robert, the queen and king. Everyone had tears in their eyes, even Emanual but he pulled them back so fast.
David sniffed and laughed through his tears. “Sorry. I’m such a git for crying like this.”
“Don’t apologize,” Queen Maggie said. “It’s wonderful news.”
“He acted the same way when we told him you were still alive. Sorry for my little fib, but he is Jared.”
“Jared?” I asked.
Dad laughed as David gasped. “He’s the head of the farms.”
“Sir Robert had to give him a name, Bear.”
I got what he was saying and watched Sir Robert nodding.
“Oh, he always had a head on his shoulders.” David’s shoulders relaxed and laughter expelled from him imagining seeing his rider again. He looked at his wife. “The old bugger is still alive.”
“He is still alive. It’s great news, and we have to celebrate it,” Connie said.
“It’s the best. Can I please go in with you?”
“Love?”
“Connie, it’s fifteen years. I get how Robert feels, wanting to save the king. Please,” he begged. “I’ll be careful.”
She touched his face, closed her eyes, and sighed. She opened them and nodded.
“But first, we need to celebrate. I think it’s time to get out that crate of brandy I’d been saving for just the right occasion.”
Connie got up and their son followed to help her. They went down to the cellar as Sir Robert told him the plan of trying to get as many out as we can in the next few days. “Some soldiers are joining us tomorrow.”
“Calpri,” Blake said, and then everyone looked at him.
“What?” Sir Robert asked.
“The bird guy?” Emanual looked at him.
“He has trained birds. They can get word to King Albert.”
“Blake?” King Helmut said.
“Think about it. Our men might not get to him, to tell him to get ready. Help is coming, but the birds can,” Blake said.
“It’s a brilliant plan, son. You just forgot about a tiny thing. We don’t know if there are birds in Etan, those types of birds, and second, the birds don’t know Etan.”
Blake’s shoulders fell.
“It was a grand plan, but it will not work. Not with the time we have,” Emanual said.
I nudged his leg with mine under the table.
“We need to give your dad some news about what is going to happen. They are trained men.”
I got what he was saying. “They are also tortured and broken. You heard what Charles said.”
Blake’s face fell.
“We might find a way to use it. If you have more ideas like that, speak up,” Sir Robert said.
“It took me more than a day to come up with that one, Dad.”
“Just imagine tomorrow’s idea.”
Blake’s lips curved.
Connie and Charles came back with the crate and put it on another table. Charles opened the crate and took out a bottle of his dad’s best brandy as Shelby went to get glasses for everyone.
They poured us each a glass, and I had never had brandy before. I sniffed it and pulled my nose as Dad laughed.
“Just a sip,” Dad said, and I nodded.
We cheered with David, and I swallowed a sip. The liquid burned my lips and stole my breath away. I coughed as Blake hit my back while the others thought it was hilarious.
We ended up in the library, and the men had more brandy, discussing ideas of how to get in touch with my father and his men.
The bird idea wasn’t a bad idea. I kept looking at maps and found Sovereign. It was one place that kept popping up. It was where they kept my father. I wished there was something we could do; to get a special map and scoop him up, out of danger. Maybe squashed Goran with my finger.
“What are you doing?” Blake asked as I actually squashed the tiny castle in Boliva.
“Nothing,” I said.
“Are you squashing Goran?”
My cheeks burned. “Pretended it was some sort of magic map, and my hand was something similar to the hand of God.”
Blake pulled me closer to him. “If only it was that easy.”
The door opened and Master Longwei entered with Constance and Isabel in tow.
Sir Robert got up and walked over to his wife.
“Your mom is here,” I said, and Blake looked over his shoulder.
He left me and walked over to his mother.
Connie took them first to their rooms as Blake and Sir Robert came back.
“You going to wait till dinner to tell them?” the queen asked.
“No, I’ll do it soon. She has to know. They both need to know,” Sir Robert said.
“Chong might not be that strong, Bob,” Queen Maggie said.
“I know. I’ll be gentle.”
They walked back into the library. The two sisters looked identical, but there was one difference. Their eyes.
Isabel walked over to Blake and gave him a hug. “When are you going through the creepers?”
“Soon, better take a seat, Mom.”
“Okay?” She looked all serious at Blake and then took the seat next to her husband and Constance sat down next to her. Master Longwei took an opposite chair.
“Why are we here?” Master Longwei asked.
“We already made a trip to the other side.”
They all gasped.
“The scientists had the perimeters of the creepers wrong. It’s about a mile,” Sir Robert spoke.
“You already went in?” Constance asked.
“Elena is the key. The creepers still act out, but they don’t attack,” Sir Robert said. “We took refuge for twenty-four hours at the farmers.”
“Do the farms still exist?” Isabel’s hand fanned over her chest.
“They are the food source on that side. They had lost all the deeds. It’s horrible, Is.”
Emanual started telling them the way things work that side, what happened and then he looked at Constance and Master Longwei.
“Don’t you dare look at me like that?” Constance jumped from her chair.
“He tried to save Albert eleven years ago. He failed,” Emanual said.
“My son is dead?” Master Longwei asked.
“He went out a veritable dragon. They didn’t break him, they couldn’t. I’m so sorry for your loss, Chong. For yours too, Constance.”
Constance broke down and cried. Blake held her tight and comforted her.
After a while, she took a huge sniff and broke away from her nephew. She looked at Emanual. “What about my daughter?”
“It’s why you are here. She is on the farm.”
She looked at Blake and then at Sir Robert. “What?”
“She looks more like Uncle Lee,” Blake said.
“You saw her!” She cupped her mouth.
He wrapped his arms around his aunt and brought her to his chest. “I held her just like this and I spent time with her. She can’t shift to her dragon form anymore.”
Constance’s muffled cries broke my heart.
“She is alive. She will be fine.” Blake chuckled and his mom spoke softly to Sir Robert.
“She is a fine young lady, too,” Sir Robert said. “Went through a lot of rough, but just perfect.”
Blake’s mom sniffed and lifted her head to look at Robert. “She looks like Lee.”
Everyone laughed, and Constance finally snorted a laugh. “I want to see her. I want to go in.”
“It’s why you are here. We thought the same. Go in, help them get packing and help us get them out. There are no two more organized women I know than you and my mom.”
She looked at Isabel and she got up and the two sisters hugged each other. “She is alive, sis. That’s all that matters.”
More sniffs came from Constance. “Does she know I’m coming?”
“No, we didn’t tell her.”
She laughed as tears rolled down her face and she wiped them away. She looked at the ceiling and closed her eyes.
Master Longwei excused himself and left. King Helmut followed him.
The rest started telling Isabel and Constance everything. Goran didn’t allow magic on that side and it would be crucial to use only abilities in need. He knew when someone used magic and always investigated.
In two days, they wanted to bring as many out as they could and take as many inside as they could.
“I need to see her, please.”
“Tomorrow.” Sir Robert said.
“No, tonight.”
“Constance!”
“Bob, please. She is all I have left.”
I kept seeing her dragon form, wanting to go through the creepers to get to her family and how Isabel had to stop her. “I’ll take her.”
“Bear?”
“Dad, please.”
He closed his eyes as Constance begged Sir Robert.
“Okay, fine. Only a small group. In and out. You leave your mom and aunt there and come back with Elena, Blake. Tomorrow is an important day.”
Blake nodded at his dad.
“Thank you, thank you.” Constance grabbed Sir Robert’s hand.
“I guess we should go pack then,” Isabel said, and they got up from their chairs. Constance mouthed her thank you, and I nodded as they walked out of the library.
Sir Robert sighed.
“I know it’s a detour in your plan, but you should’ve expected this, Dad. Telling her she wouldn’t sleep tonight at all.”
He nodded. “Yeah, I should’ve known that. It’s not a problem. Just stick to the plan.”
“I will. You have my word.”
“I’ll go with you,” Dad said. “Just to make sure that they settle in.”
“Elena needs her rest as she will take through plenty of people the next day,” Sir Robert spoke.
“It’s probably why the Viden saw us both,” Blake said.
“Meaning?” I asked.
“She didn’t see your fear of the creepers.”
“Haha.”
Everyone chuckled.
