We went through the creepers before nightfall. It would be early morning on that side and it would be a great time to get through.
Isabel and Constance were ready. Connie packed another basket, and then David came down the stairs with a huge backpack.
“David?”
“I need to see him. Please, Elena.”
“I’m okay with it,” Connie spoke in a softer tone as she grabbed my hand.
“Why not,” Dad said. “We told him he can go. A day won’t make a difference. Three swallow annexes is not a bad idea either.”
The sun was still up as everyone plopped their bags on the truck. David ran through the list of all the things that had to be done daily.
“We know, love.” Connie touched her husband’s face. “Stop worrying about the lodge, go spend time with him.”
“We might have to wake them up. If it’s like almost two days, it might still be in the middle of the night,” Blake said. His mind was always on the go.
“Two days?” I asked.
“You were asleep. It was almost two days. The days felt longer, to be honest.”
“Two days?”
He nodded as we said goodbye and jumped on the truck.
Blake’s mom and her sister spoke to one another, and I could see the longing in Constance’s eyes. Her hands fidgeted, she couldn’t sit still, and Isabel grabbed them with hers for them to stop fidgeting.
We reached a safe distance from the creepers, and Blake’s mom gaped, staring at them. We all jumped off the truck, and I loved how Blake helped his mom while Dad lent a hand to Constance.
David looked comical with his big bag, the same kind Dad had when we entered the first time.
We took in Dad first and the concern of both women left their lips. David explained it as we neared, and then we disappeared. We slowly retreated to the other side, and it was still dark.
“We need to get the time thing right,” Dad said.
“I’m on it,” Blake pressed something on his watch.
“You’ll be okay?” Blake asked.
“I’m not scared. I’ll devour them,” Dad answered.
“Okay?” Blake’s eyes grew as he stared at me, pulling out my laughter. We rushed back to the other side and brought in David next. He was in awe of the glow and once we exited the other side, he fell on his knees and almost kissed the ground.
We had to work fast and went back to get Isabel. She gasped and looked mesmerizing around her as we stepped into the core.
Blake held her tight against him and me from behind as we walked out.
Isabel kept voicing her fear at the creepers with murmurs, and finally it was time to get Constance.
The inside didn’t take her breath away as she was in thought. She didn’t care, she only wanted to get to the other side, back to her daughter.
We exited and followed the path that led to the farms. The two sisters voiced that this side felt so unnatural with no stars in the sky. The air was wrong too. Blake was on alert as my heart thumbed at a crazy speed behind my ribcage.
When the spotlight went on and blinded our eyes, we knew we were near. It was so quiet and Blake knocked on the door.
Gertrude opened it quite fast. “Blake. It’s not even two days.”
“They have time wrong here. It’s like thirty-six hours. We need to know precisely.”
“What? Come in.”
We entered, and she paused as she saw David.
“Gertie,” he sang, and she shrieked, tears spilling down her eyes and his as they laughed and hugged each other, swaying side to side.
“You want to give him a heart attack?” Gertrude sniffed.
“No.” David chuckled. “I just couldn’t wait any longer.”
She sniffed. “Who are they?”
“My mom and her sister,” Blake answered.
She looked at them both and then at Blake as tears pulled in her eyes. “Annie?”
“She was adamant.” Blake cocked his head at his aunt.
She looked at both women. “Which one?”
Isabel pointed at Constance, who grabbed Gertrude. “Thanks for taking care of her.”
“It’s my pleasure. She is such a kind young lady.”
Constance sniffed. “Sorry, I’m still a blubbering mess because of that idiotic husband of mine. He never thinks. She was so little.”
“Shh, it’s all good.”
“Where is she?”
“I’ll go wake her up.”
“No, no, don’t. Just point me to her room. I don’t want to wake her up yet. Let her sleep.”
“Okay.” Gertrude took Constance to Annie’s room, and Blake’s mom followed.
We went to the kitchen and waited for her to come back. She was already cooking up a storm.
Her footsteps rushed down the steps and found us in the kitchen as I stirred the eggs.
“Where are the others?” she asked Dad.
“Afraid they are planning like crazy for tomorrow. These two just couldn’t wait that long.”
She laughed and filled up the silver kettle and put it on the burner.
“It’s exactly like I remembered it,” David said, and put his bag down on the floor next to him.
“Well, it’s not like we had a mall to go buy new things,” Gertrude said.
“You did good for the past fifteen years, Gertie. I’m proud.”
Gertrude’s cheeks reddened as she got coffee cups ready. Footsteps rushed down the steps, followed by Isabel and Constance’s soft voices.
Constance broke down in tears.
“What did you expect? It’s fifteen years, she is not little anymore. They all grow up,” Isabel said.
She sniffed. “I know. I lost so much time.”
“You didn’t miss the most important dates. You will be there.”
She nodded. Constance still wiped her tears as she came to sit down on the chairs by the table in the kitchen.
Gertrude put a tray filled with cups and put it in the middle of the table. “And?”
“She is perfect, just all grown up.”
“That happens so fast.”
Constance sniffed.
“Well, I have to finish breakfast.”
“Let us help, please,” Isabel said and then Constance jumped up too.
David couldn’t stop talking as the time carried on and Marcus was the first one to enter the kitchen. He paused as his eyes landed on David, who blabbered, making Gertrude laugh. “David?”
“Marcus, my boy.” His arms flung open. “Look at you. All the gray hairs and the wrinkles.”
Amusement rippled from Marcus as he wrapped his arms around David. “You got shorter.”
“I’m afraid age does that to you.”
Charles walked down the hallway as the two still spoke, and he frowned. When David spoke, he stopped. I motioned for him to come and his steps grew bigger.
“David?” Charles asked.
The two men stared at each other and then they both shortened the space between them and embraced in a hug. Charles bawled his eyes out, and David soon followed as he tried to calm his rider. It brought tears to my eyes.
“I thought you were dead,” David spoke and sniffed.
Charles laughed. “I got the deed earlier, and I had to come to share it with the kids.”
“You should’ve phoned me.” Tears still glistened in David’s eyes.
“I regretted that for the past fifteen years,” Charles said and hugged his dragon again.
They both laughed and just bicker about how age didn’t work for them both. After the introductions were made and Constance thanking Charles for his kindness, they talked about the lodge. Everyone kept waking up and joining us in the kitchen.
“Plucky, you are back.” Annie almost jumped on his lap. “I was so scared that you wouldn’t come back.”
“Hey, I’m not leaving you here. I’ll always come back.”
“I know.” Her eyes caught Isabel sitting in front of us having her cup of tea and Constance froze standing at the sink.
“Who is this?” Annie asked, and looked at Blake.
“My mom?” Blake answered.
Annie gasped. “Aunty Isabel?” She almost crawled over the table and grabbed Isabel around the neck, eliciting more laughter.
“Anouk?” Constance spoke, and she gasped as her gaze flickered to the sink.
She looked at Isabel again and then at Constance. Her eyebrows furrowed. “Mom?”
Constance nodded with a smile as her lower lip vibrated.
Annie jumped from her chair and slammed into her mother’s embrace. Constance kissed her all over her face. “If your father was alive, he would’ve been dead by my hands. I’m so upset with him.”
“Shhh, Dad tried to make things better for us.”
“Etan wasn’t his responsibility. You were.”
“Mom?”
She touched her face. “You are so beautiful. Look just like your father, too.” She kissed her on top of her head. “I’m so sorry that I couldn’t be with you.”
“Don’t. You are here now. Why did you come? They are not kind to dragons. You shouldn’t be here.”
“You really ask me that?” Constance’s voice faltered.
“Oh, your mother almost got killed by the creepers trying to get to you fifteen years ago?” Isabel said.
“What?” Annie asked.
“You are my life. I’m never leaving you again.” Constance planted her lips on Annie’s forehead.
Annie kept hugging her mother. “How is grandad?”
“He is okay? He struggles with the news of your dad, but he sends his love, and he is waiting for you on the other side.”
“We have to go,” Dad said.
“You are not staying for breakfast?” Gertrude asked.
“Not this time, I’m afraid. Miss Important has to get back.” He looked at me.
“Are you leaving?” Annie asked her mom.
“No, they are leaving. I’m staying.”
Her lips fanned into a smile as she hugged her mother again.
“I’ll be staying too, help where we can with the packing for now, until the creepers are gone,” Isabel said.
“Is it really happening?” Annie asked.
“It is. We are leaving in two days, so Gertrude, wherever you want us, we are here to help,” Constance said.
Gertrude nodded in a daze as she looked at her husband.
“I’ll take you back with the truck,” Charles said.
“I’m staying too.”
“So I’m stuck with you now, too?” Charles asked, looking at David.
“Just like old times.”
Charles laughed, followed by all the others.
Dad, Blake, and I were the only one going back and Blake hugged his mom goodbye.
He rushed out of the door behind us and jumped on the truck.
“Behave,” Isabel said, and he saluted her as David drove the truck back to the creepers. He was already falling in ease on this side.
The truck stopped, and we jumped off the truck. Charles and David got out.
“Remember to check your watch. What time is it now?” Dad asked.
“Time is different?” Charles asked, and we nodded.
“It’s around five in the morning,” Blake said.
“Okay, so mine said it’s already eleven at night.”
“When we get back, we will know exactly how time works. Stay safe,” Dad said, and the three of us walked back to the creepers. We got out on the other side and Dad wasn’t in the mood to walk back, so he changed into his dragon form and flew the two of us back to the lodge.
He landed in no time, and Sir Robert was the first to reach us
“They are safe,” Dad said.
“How was it?”
“A lot of tears. But happy ones,” Blake answered.
“I can imagine.” Sir Robert’s lips quirked.
“The team arrived?” Dad asked as he changed back. I obviously looked away. Seeing my dad naked might scar me for the rest of my life.
“Most of them had. They all went to sleep and I suggest the two of you do the same. It’s going to be a long day tomorrow.”
“Will do?”
A horrible dream about my dad woke me up. I found Blake’s arm around me, immediately settled down, and drifted away again. The next morning, I woke up. His spot was tidied up again, no sign that anyone had slept there.
I got dressed and went downstairs. I hoped it was nighttime again when we would go through.
Special ops filled the entire dining room, and King Helmut blended in with his men. He treated them like equals. A few sirs came too, but they were part of the dragon fleet and were there on Sir Robert’s orders. He had a private conversation with them that had Blake’s interest.
“Are those the men that are going deeper into Etan?” I asked.
Blake nodded. “The redhead, James, my dad wants him to get as close as he can to your father. Your dad knows him well. He’ll get word to him. They had many ways to communicate.”
“What is everyone wearing?”
“Oh, those are the buyos. It’s a nifty contraption that has the gift to turn you into anyone. They had to build half the quota to pull this off in a month’s time. My dad said they worked nonstop to get the first batch out. They actually created a lot, more than I thought would be possible.”
“Wouldn’t Goran pick up that magic entered Etan?”
“It doesn’t matter at the moment. We are going to get a lot of them out today, Elena.”
“What if they are not ready?”
“With my mom and Constance on that side. They will be.”
I smiled. “I’m glad we took her. Seeing the reunions made this so much worth it.”
He touched my face. “You will see your dad, too. I don’t want to miss that one for the world.”
After breakfast, there was a small meeting where King Helmut explained everything. When he mentioned my name, all eyes shifted on me and back to King Helmut. They all had their responsibilities and almost fifty of them were going in.
It was going to be a long day.
I started with Sir Robert’s dragons so that they have the night to travel to where they had to be. They waited for all the members of their group and said goodbye.
Then we started taking in King Helmut’s men. Emanual was first, followed by the rest. There were even women among them, and a special group left together in a different direction once their entire group got through the creepers.
The rest all waited to go with us to the farms. There were about twenty of them dressed in ragged robes to blend in if anyone was going to stop us.
David’s laughter came from the porch as we got closer.
“Already?” David asked.
“What time is it?” Dad asked. He refused to leave my side.
“It’s nine at night.”
“A day and a half.” He looked at Blake, who nodded.
“I hope you have a place for all of them.”
“The barn is big,” Charles said, eliciting laughter. “Just kidding. We have sorted you into homes that have a room or two.”
“It’s only for tonight. Tomorrow, they will take your places and you all will get out.”
“Emanual?” Charles sounded worried.
“Relax. I’ll show you how the buyos work, and then you will be at ease. We just need everyone’s DNA.”
Charles nodded and the look on his face spoke a million words. They were finally leaving.
Emanual put his hand on Charles’ shoulder. “Just for a short while. Out of danger until the creepers come down. You know the king will give you back the deed.”
He nodded.
We all entered Charles’ home and in the next hour or two ops guys left with other farmers where they were going to stay for the next few weeks.
Gertrude rushed between everyone, trying to make sure that they packed all the important things. She was close to having a panic attack, and then Constance calmed her down and took over.
In the next few hours, rows and rows of bags stood against the wall in their lounge.
“Elena, I think you should use the night time to get some of them out,” Dad said.
“So soon?” Gertrude asked.
“You want to stay here, or do you want to breathe in genuine air and see the stars?” Dad asked, and Gertrude laughed as tears filled her eyes.
“All of us?”
Dad nodded and gave her a hug. “That was the deal.”
Blake picked up bags and the ops guys helped while Emanual and Dad collected DNA and put them in buyos. I stared in awe at how the op guys changed into the person they got the DNA from. Everyone gaped and the little ones did not know who was their actual parent. You couldn’t even tell the difference. That was one hell of an invention.
Raymond, one op-guy that was going to take Luke’s place, drove the truck with the first group, which was Charles’ family. They were all somber, afraid of what was going to await on the other side. Constance and Isabel were with this group. There was no way she would let Annie go without her. She kept her promise to her daughter.
We stopped as close as possible to the creepers and everyone got out.
Blake and I took Dad through first to show them how it was done. When we exit the other side, nobody waited. “I’m going to get David’s truck. Whoever you bring through, tell them to wait on this spot, Elena.”
We went back immediately and took Isabel out so that they have someone there from the other side when they get back.
David was next. “No, take Charles first.”
“David?” Charles said.
“No, go.”
He nodded and looked at his family. “See you on the other side.”
They all hugged him as if they were going to part with him for a long time. They were such a tight family. We took Charles in. He reacted just like the others when he saw the core.
“David collected plenty of them,” Blake said as Charles tried to pluck one.
“Of course he has.”
We walked through the other side and Charles cried and fell on his knees as he took in a deep breath.
Isabel was at his side, and crouched down, rubbing his back. “Go, I have this.”
Blake left as the truck groaned on the horizon with Sir Robert and King Helmut on the back and the queen in front.
“Is it going to be like that for all of them?” I asked as we entered the core.
“Only the ones that knew that side. Fear might be on the ones that don’t know another life.”
The kids. I struggled to imagine what they were going through. We walked out, and Constance begged for Annie to be next. She just wanted her to be out of this hellhole.
“You ready, Jellybean?”
She looked at her mom with eyes pulling down at the corners. “Go.” Constance kissed her. “I’ll see you soon, promise.”
She nodded and left with us. She whimpered while I kept my eyes closed. The hissing didn’t stop, but they didn’t strike us once.
“Keep your eyes closed,” Blake said.
Inside took her breath away and dampened the horror of the creepers. Blake plucked her a flower and handed it to her. “You are going to shine soon, just like this flower.”
Her lips curved as she looked at him. “You are so sweet.”
“I know.” He fluttered his eyelashes and elicited a round of laughter.
We exited, and Annie ran to her aunt. I was glad that Charles had calmed down, speaking to King Helmut like old friends. I could only imagine what the kids were going to do when they saw him.
“Elena,” the queen called and gave us some water. We took a few sips. “She is not a dragon. She is human.”
“I said nothing,” Blake said.
“No, but she took in plenty this morning and came out with many as if she was a robot. She is royalty, for crying out loud.”
“Yes, Blake. Royalty,” King Helmut said.
Queen Maggie shook her head at her husband’s humor, and Blake’s dimples showed. “Okay, sorry.”
“Get going.” The queen gave me a tap on my bum. We went back in and burst out laughing when the creepers consumed us.
“She is worse than my mom,” Blake said and brought out Constance.
Marcus, Gertrude, Tom, Steve, Daisy and Cassie all came on this trip with us. David was last. Already taking up his duties as a dragon again. This time it wasn’t just his rider, it was his family.
Cassy jumped in fright when she saw King Helmut, and the look on his face made me feel so sorry for him.
Charles went on his knee and was in line with Cassy’s eyes. “It’s King Helmut, the wyvern king’s twin, the good one, not the bad one.”
Blake hugged me as Cassy stared at King Helmut and then at her pops. “They’ll get used to him.”
The next family waited when we got back to the other side, and this time, more ops guys paraded close to the creepers to make sure there wouldn’t be an ambush waiting.
The sky changed from a dark blue to a yellow-orange when we had taken about thirty to the other side
“You okay, princess?”
I slapped Blake playfully. “I’m fine. We knew it was going to be difficult, long hours. It’s my duty. Let me do this.”
“Okay.”
We reached the fifty mark in two hours.
When we tried to take through member number fifty-one, the creepers went ballistic and Blake moved back fast.
“What is going on?” I asked, scared that the creepers couldn’t smell my scent anymore.
Emanual and Blake stared at the creepers as the others twittered.
“How many did we take out?”
“Blake?”
“How many, Emanual?”
“They count?” I yelled as Emanual started counting with the help of Raymond.
“The two of you are fifty. She is fifty-one. They can count.”
“So we can get out?”
Emanual nodded. “Tell Helmut to bring in five more troops. They should be there by now. We will wait here.”
“No, go back. We will come to you when we bring in more.”
“Okay, hurry.”
“She needs her rest too, Emanual. The sun is almost coming up. Tomorrow night, we will take out the rest. You have many ops guys here to protect them.”
He nodded. “See you tomorrow night.”
We left and got out, rushing to Charles and Dad.
“Where are the rest? What happened?” the queen asked.
“The creepers count. Fifty went in and only fifty came out.”
“They count?” King Helmut pulled the brown bag off his head.
The queen rolled her eyes as we tried to suppress our laughter.
“Yes. I told Emanual to go back. The sun is almost coming up. I’m not at ease with the sun, doing this during the day.”
“Okay, so tomorrow we will take in the rest. They are here now. Let me get them up to speed, and we will take this back up tomorrow.”
“Great, I’m starving,” Blake said.
“I’m tired.”
“Of course you are,” the queen’s tone laid it on thick. “Let’s go.”
