I become aware of a steady rise and fall beneath my head, and the faint smell of cotton blended with sweat. Sunlight shines through my eyelids, turning my vision red. There is warm, comforting pressure around my back, and I feel secure enough to let my eyelids flutter open.
Morning sunlight streams through frost-covered windows in the lobby of the Elysian Lodge Resort. I'm on a wide couch, curled up with my head on Jake's chest. He's still asleep, one arm tucked behind his head, the other wrapped around my side. I'm under a blanket, but can feel that I'm bare from the hips down, in only a t-shirt and a pair of underpants. The events of the night before slowly return to me.
We found the Lodge as deserted as The Celestial. Or at least, what little we saw of it. We didn't bother trying to find empty rooms, or food or anything. The heat was still going, and that was all that really mattered. We flicked on the gas fireplace, and just barely managed to strip off the wettest of our clothes and set them out to dry before collapsing with exhaustion on whatever soft spots we could find. I look around at my friends, scattered through the lobby. Diego and Varyyn are spooning on the floor in front of the fire, a throw blanket over them. Raj is curled up on a recliner. Craig snores on a rug. Aleister huddles on the hardwood floor beside a bed of pillows he made for Grace. I rise carefully, trying not to disturb Jake. I go over to the fire, and finding my pants and socks relatively dry, I pull them on. I walk to the window.
The blizzard has calmed outside. I stand still for a moment, replaying the previous day in my mind.
"...You're up."
Zahra's voice makes me jump. I turn around and find her sitting in an armchair, sipping coffee. I inhale a rich aroma.
"That smells good. Got any for me?"
"You're in luck. Brought an extra cup just for you." She nods at the steaming cup on the side table next to her. "You're welcome."
I pick up the ceramic mug, relishing the warmth on my hands before taking a sip of perfectly hot mocha. It's sweet taste immediately clears my head.
"Mmm...perfect. I would have figured you for a no-cream-no-sugar kind of girl."
"When you drink as much coffee as I do, variety is important."
"Did you get any rest?"
"Me? Nah. I don't sleep very much, and when I do, I don't sleep well. …But thanks for asking."
"Just wanted to make sure you're doing okay."
"I'm fine. Being an insomniac does have its benefits. I poked around last night looking for a guest list. I found one, but it was all Rourke International employee ID numbers."
"So, you think Rourke's people had been staying here?"
She shrugs. "Maybe temporary housing, maybe a cover for the massive operation. Who knows with these people?"
I look out the window again. Drifts of smooth virgin snow left by the blizzard pile against the walls and trees outside.
"Any sign of the soldiers that were chasing us?"
"Blizzard chased them off." At the male voice, I turn so see Jake sitting up on the couch, rubbing his eyes, his hair tousled. "I think we're in the clear."
I walk over to place a hand on his shoulder and offer him my coffee cup. "Take a sip of that. It'll wake you up a bit." He accepts, but he only takes a small swallow before passing it back to me.
"I've heard whispers of those Arachnid people on the web, man," Zahra says. "They're serious. Were you...one of them?"
He is quiet a moment. Then he nods. "Yeah. One of their pilots. We were supposed to be helping people. I had no idea what Lundgren was doing behind the scenes."
"Jake, why are they still after you?" I ask. "I don't understand. I mean, you were on the run, basically exiled. You had no proof of anything they did wrong. Why would they still be out to kill you?"
"For as long as I knew him, Lundgren held the meanest grudges you can imagine. Maybe he always figured I'd be able to expose him one day, ruin his whole operation...but I never even tried."
"Why not?!" Zahra demands. "How could you just let him win, after what he did to you? After what he did to your friend?"
"'Cause I've seen what trying to do the right thing can cost," he says flatly.
Zahra sighs, shaking her head. "Damn. And I thought I had enemies."
Jakes rubs his hands over his face. "Look...I'm sorry they found us. I know this is on me." He looks up at me, taking my hand, his eyes earnest as they meet mine. "But I ain't gonna let them hurt you. I swear it. I swear it on everything."
I squeeze his hand. "...Are we safe?"
"This lodge is in the shadow of a ridge. Hard as hell to spot from the air. We can lay low for a couple days, no sweat."
"And what are we supposed to do for a couple days?" Zahra asks.
"Get some rest, and prepare for the journey ahead," I say simply. "We've still got a long way north to the Lernaean Gate."
"And it just got a hell of a lot harder with Arachnid out there," Zahra remarks.
"Oughta be something around here that can help us out," Jake muses.
"Well, no time like the present. Let's wake everyone, split up and search the place. Time to get our bearings."
When we're all awake, we first make a beeline for the kitchens and forage for breakfast, making quick word of bagels, dry cereal, and fruit juice. Raj of course wants to prepare us something more substantial, but I convince him to wait for dinner. Or at least, lunch. Of course, I can't resist the opportunity for a hot shower and a chance to change my clothes. Just as at The Celestial, Elysian Lodge has a shopping level and a number of discarded suitcases. I poke around and manage to throw together an outfit of yoga pants, a tank top, and a sweatshirt to pull over it, as well as clean socks and undergarments. I take a quick shower in one of the abandoned rooms and brush my teeth with the complimentary toiletries that lie untouched in the drawer. Refreshed, I step out to explore the lodge.
A short time later, I find my way to the resort's luxurious spa and wander inside. Michelle leans against a massage table at one end of the room, an assortment of lotions, ointments, and creams spread before her. Through a clear door, I can spot Diego and Varyyn in a steam room, their bodies glistening with sweat. I wander over to Michelle.
"I am officially in heaven," she murmurs, smiling dreamily as she examines the products.
"Taking inventory?"
"If by taking inventory, you mean plotting to steal this stuff, then yes. I mean, look at it, Alodia! This is a collection of some of the most expensive and high-end skincare products in the world!" She holds up a pearl-lined clamshell case with Russian lettering on it. "This is Karolevya Zalataya Creme! It retails for around five thousand dollars!"
"Holy shit! What, is it made of gold?!"
"Extracts from super-rare Peruvian orchids, ursolic acid, biodynamic-grade vanilla...and yes, nanoparticles of gold."
"I had no idea you were so into lotions."
She shrugs. "Everyone's got their vices. Some people like expensive wine or fancy dresses. For me, it's high quality skincare." She selects an elegant-looking jar, dips one delicate finger in, and applies the cream to my cheek. "Tell me that doesn't feel amazing. You can't."
The cream sinks into skin that's admittedly a bit worse for wear after a week of salty sea air followed by a hike through a blizzard. The skin where the cream touches tingles pleasantly.
"Mmm, I could definitely get used to this." Michelle caps the jar and slips it into my pocket with a wink.
"There you go. On the house."
At that moment, Varyyn and Diego burst from the steam room. Varyyn's eyes are bright, his cheeks high with color.
"That was remarkable! You humans must be true warriors to subject yourselves to such grueling conditions for pleasure!"
Diego chuckles. "I don't think I ever get tired of showing you new things."
"Enjoying the amenities, fellas?"
"It was amazing!" Varyyn exclaims. "Diego merely pressed his hand to the wall, and glorious steam came bursting forth! I feel quite rejuvenated!"
"You don't have steam rooms in Elyys'tel?"
"There are hot spring caverns," he replies. "But the steam comes from deep within Vaanu itself, not through the walls, and not at our command!"
"Just wait until I show him a PS4," Diego quips.
"Now!" Varyyn claps his hands. "Let us run outside and hurl ourselves in the snow!"
"...Do what now?"
"Hot and cold, ice and fire! There is no greater way to feel alive!"
"But...I...I mean..." Diego sighs as Varyyn stretches luxuriously, his muscles glistening. "The things I do..."
I burst out laughing. "The things you do for a nice piece of ass!" I tease in Spanish. "Have fun out there, buddy!"
Diego waggles his eyebrows. "Oh, I will."
I wander out of the spa to continue exploring the lodge. Nearer the lobby, I find Estela alone in a small office, angrily combing through stacks of paper, muttering to herself.
"Come on, come on...it's gotta be somewhere..."
"You, uh, looking for something in particular?" I ask. Estela starts.
"Oh! Alodia!"
I chuckle. "You must be distracted if I was actually able to sneak up on you."
"I'm just looking for...I..." She slumps in her chair, and I'm struck by how vulnerable she suddenly looks. "...It's complicated."
I kneel beside her and cover her hand with mine. "You can tell me. Whatever it is."
"I know. I know I can tell you anything. Doesn't make it any less hard." She reaches over and pulls out a piece of paper with a long list of names, showing it to me.
"What's this?"
"I was looking through the office to see if there was anything helpful, and I found this. Rourke International personnel records. All the employees who stayed here."
"And...?" Hesitantly, she taps a name halfway down the list. I read it. "Olivia Montoya?"
"...My mother."
"...Your...mother?"
"She worked here, on this island. For Rourke. A senior researcher. Children weren't allowed, so I stayed with my uncle in San Trobida and helped with...the family business."
"What was that?"
"...Killing dictators."
I blink. "...Oh..."
"Anyway, my mother would send letters once a week. Telling me what she was doing. Telling me that she loved me. Her last letter came six years ago. It was messy. Handwritten. She said she'd discovered something. Something very dangerous. And a week later, she was dead. An 'accident'."
"...You think Rourke did it."
"I know Rourke did it," she says fiercely. "I swore revenge. When I learned that Rourke had a son studying at Hartfeld under a false name, I enrolled to find him. And when I won this contest to come here and meet him...I couldn't believe my luck. But it wasn't luck after all. ...She was here, Alodia. Somewhere in this lodge. If I could just figure out what room she was staying in..." She bites her lip, her eyes shimmering.
"...You're looking for something to remember her by."
"In a way...yeah. I guess I am."
"I know there'll be nothing left of her there. I'm sure Rourke cleaned it up and threw out all her possessions. I just thought...if I could find her room...I'd feel some trace of her. ..To be in the same room she'd been in...to feel some hint of her presence..."
"I get it, Estela."
She shakes her head. "Never mind. I'm being stupid."
"No you're not. ...Estela...my parents died when I was seven months old. I don't have any memories of them except in little keepsakes. ...I want to help you in this."
"...I appreciate that, Alodia. But right now, I think I need to be alone."
I sigh and nod. "...I understand. But let me know if you change your mind, okay?"
"I will."
I leave Estela in peace, wandering back into the guests' quarters. As I pass by one room with its door ajar, I hear voices from within. I peek inside and find Craig and Zahra hunkered down by the TV, apparently looking for something.
"Come on, come on!" Zahra mutters. "There's gotta be a cable around here somewhere!"
"Can't you just make us our own cable with your awesome tech skills?"
"Dude, I'm a hacker, not a hardware store!"
"What's going on here?" I ask.
"Check out what we found!" Craig exclaims. He reaches under the TV and pulls out a blocky gray videogame console.
"What am I looking at?" They both look at me like I've just asked if the moon is really made of green cheese.
"...Are you serious? It's an original GameGen 32-bit with like, twenty-five cartridges!"
"Only the best game system of our youth!" Zahra adds.
"Huh. I must've missed it."
"Then you were the saddest kid on the planet," Zahra scoffs.
"Zahra brought hers to college. We played it all through freshman year."
"If by 'play' you mean me constantly kicking your ass."
"Anyway, we were thinking we could set it up. Relive some memories. Problem is, we can't find the video cable."
"Yeah," Zahra sighs. "And I don't think we're gonna. ...Whatever, though. Standing around here is boring. I'm gonna go make some more coffee."
"Wait! Maybe we just need a fresh pair of eyes!" He looks desperately at me. "Alodia, could you help us look?"
I grin. "Let's get you guys connected."
Craig and Zahra resume their search by the TV, while I concentrate on the drawers of the nightstand. When I don't find anything except brochures in there, I peer under the bed.
"Huh...I think I see something..." I pull the lamp off the nightstand and shine it into the darkness under the bed to get a better look. I reach out and grab a thin gray cable, my fingers brushing a faded scrap of paper in the dust nearby. I pull it out with the cable. "...There's a newspaper clipping here, too..." I sit up, my eyes skimming the yellowed page:
MAY 8TH 1994
Tragedy struck the Queens neighborhood of Bayside early morning when a drunk driver sped through a red light, plunging head-on into a minivan. The collision killed the driver of the minivan, 32-year-old Arjun Sethi along with his wife Subhanu and two children in the backseat. The only survivor was their four-year-old daughter, who is currently in critical
The clipping cuts off there.
"Woah! Alodia, is that the cable?"
"You'll have to tell me," I reply, tucking the newspaper clipping into the pocket of my sweatshirt. "But it sure looks like it."
Craig grabs the cable and rushes over to the TV to plug it in. He flips on the TV, and pushes a button on the console. The screen flickers to life. Chiptone music plays over a pixelated GameGen logo image.
"It works! It works!"
"I can honestly say I have never been happier in my life," Zahra declares. "Well, Alodia, as our savior here, you do the honors. What should we play first?"
I examine the box of cartridges, and pull out one with the image of a woman in full-body armor. Aeternum Chronicles: Legend of the 7 Crystals. "Huh, this one looks interesting."
"Aww, man, isn't that one of those boring RPG's?" Crain groans.
"Uh, if by 'boring RPG' you mean 'underrated masterpiece that advanced interactive storytelling by a decade'!" Zahra cries.
"That's pretty much what I meant, yeah."
We pop the game in, and Craig and I flop on the bed to watch Zahra play. Soon, we're all engrossed in the story.
"Woah! So Garryn and Prince Deathshadow were childhood friends?"
"He ditched his best bro for power and glory! That's messed up!"
"Just wait 'til we get to the Wasteland Temple. There's a twist that'll blow your minds."
"How long is this game anyway?" I ask.
"One-hundred and fifty hours," Zahra replies. "But that's if you don't do the sidequests."
"I've got another ten minutes in me, tops," Craig declares.
"Same," I add.
Zahra scoffs. "Wimps."
After about ten more minutes, Craig and Zahra have switched to their favorite game, Deadly Bloodsport. They lie side-by-side on the bed as they play.
"Oh, come on!" Craig laughs. "You trying that harpoon trick shizz on me? Don't you know I'm the king of counters?!"
"Harpoon's just a decoy! Eat shuriken!"
I can't help but grin as I watch them playing together. I should probably leave them to it. I doubt they'll even notice me slipping out. The competative banter only escalates as I sneak away. I can't resist pausing behind the door to watch for a little while.
"No no no no no! Do not get that ult off!"
"What, you mean this ult?"
"Dodged it! Dodged it! And now for the follow-up!"
"Good luck with that!" Zahra scoffs. "Because I know your one weak spot!" She leans over, and tickles Craig just under his ribs. He yelps.
"No fair! No fair!" Craig wobbles, arms windmilling, and tumbles off the side of the bed. As he falls, he grabs Zahra by the collar and pulls her down with him. He lands on his back, Zahra collapsing in a heap on top of him. Panting, they look at each other, faces just inches apart. Craig smiles.
"Hey..."
"...Yeah?"
"...I missed you, Player Two."
She snorts. "You gotta be kidding. Everyone knows you're my Player Two. But...yeah, I guess I missed you, too."
She leans forward as he leans up. Their foreheads collide, and they both burst out laughing.
"Ow! I forgot how hard your skull is!"
As they scramble back up onto the bed to restart the game, I smile and shut the door behind me.
I head back down to the first floor, searching for the others. Down one wing I haven't explored, I round a corner and discover a casino, complete with slot machines, pachinko, and tables for blackjack, roulette, and baccarat. At a table at the far end, Grace, Aleister, Sean, and Jake sit together, playing a game of poker. I sidle up to the table, cinching my arms around Jake's shoulders from behind and kissing his cheek. He quickly hides his cards before I can peek.
"Settling in, I see?"
"It's not every day you stumble into a full-blown casino," Grace replies cheerfully.
"Wonder if Rourke wanted to finance his global domination by turning this place into Island Vegas," Sean quips.
Jake reaches back to ruffle my hair lightly. "Whaddya say, kid? You in?"
"Just tell me you're not playing strip poker."
"Naw. I'm saving that for you later tonight." I purr coquettishly and take a seat beside him.
"Aleister was just walking us through his strategy," Grace explains.
"Never had you pegged as a gambling type, Aleister."
"I'll admit it's a bit of a vice. But I've always been drawn to games of probability."
"Little sneak's a card-counter," Jake grumbles.
"A really good one!" Grace adds.
"Speaking of which, I'm out on this hand. I've got absolutely nothing."
"Me too," Grace agrees.
"Well, that just leaves you and me, Heisman. Ready to tango?"
Sean grins. "I'm always ready."
Aleister rolls his eyes. "Good lord, just get a room already."
"Preferrably mine," I add. Grace snorts.
Jake picks up his hand to examine it and slides his chips into the middle. "I'm all in."
Sean whistles. "Damn. Big move."
"Only kind of move I make," Jake replies, winking at me.
"What do you think, Alodia?" Sean asks. "Should I call?"
"Go for it."
"You sure?"
"If you call and lose, hey, at least you got to go out a hero. But do you really want to live your whole life wondering if Jake pulled a fast one on you?"
"Well, damn. When you put it like that...I call." He pushes his chips forward and flips his cards. "Three of a kind."
"Decent hand," Jake concedes. "Too bad I've got a full house."
"Damn. You don't bluff, do you?"
"Nope. Except when I do."
The doors to the casino swing open, catching our attention. Raj comes rushing in.
"Everyone stop everything! I've discovered something really important!"
"A way to get the hell off this island?" Jake asks.
"Or how to find my father's facility?" Aleister adds.
"The true nature of this island and possibly reality itself?" Grace suggests. Raj frowns.
"Okay, I'm realizing we may have different definitions of important."
I can't help grinning. "This is about partying, isn't it?"
"Dudes! Dudettes! Dudelings! Doodlejumps! Do any of you realize what day it is?"
"Uh...some time in December, right?" Sean says uncertainly.
Grace hums thoughtfully. "If it was the morning of June 6th, and we lost 204 days, plus four days since..." She gasps. "It's New Years' Eve!"
"It's New Ye—Aw, man, Grace beat me to it."
"Wow...seriously?"
"How strange," Aleister remarks. "If we skipped six months, I suppose I missed a birthday."
"We missed your birthday?!" Grace squeals. "I forgot to give you a birthday hug!" She wraps her arms around him, squeezing tightly. Aleister blushes.
"Oh! Um..."
"I'm sorry I didn't get you a gift."
"To be frank, I believe that was the best gift I've gotten in as long as I can remember."
"I bet a bunch of us missed our B-days!" Raj says. "I know I didn't get to rage for mine. And that means there's only one thing we can do..."
"Accept that time is largely a superficial construct?" Aleister asks wryly.
"Nah, dude! We throw the mother of all New Year's parties and celebrate every birthday we missed at once!"
"Let's do it!" Grace cheers.
"Heck, I'm in," Sean agrees.
"Tonight!" Raj says. "Midnight. Champagne. Dancing. Food. Music. And a special surprise!"
I laugh. "You really live for this, don't you?"
Raj grins at me, winking. "Every second of every day!"
As the sun sets behind the mountain range, my friends and I finish setting up the party in the lounge of the Elysian Lodge. Craig walks in, armed with buckets of champagne bottles.
"Yo! I found all this bubbly! No ice to chill it, though. I'm goin' outside to get some-" Murphy interrupts him with an indignant yip. He exhales, and a frigid wind instantly coats the bottles in frost. Craig laughs. "Aw, noice! High-five!"
He holds out a hand, and Murphy raises a paw to touch his palm. I pick Murphy up and nuzzle him.
"You are the smartest little fella in the world, aren't you?"
"Okay, party people!" Raj calls. "Here's the rundown! We're celebrating missed birthdays for me, Aleister, Craig, Estela, Quinn, and Zahra."
Michelle clears her throat. "Aren't you forgetting someone?"
"Seriously, Raj!" I cry indignantly. "Michelle's birthday is literally today! Oh, and mine is tomorrow while we're at it!"
He laughs. "I was just getting to you two, promise! Technically, we haven't missed either of yours yet."
"Well, you'd better not!" I retort, smiling. I look around at the decorations, and notice that there are some people missing. "Hey, where are the others? I don't see Jake-"
I pause when I realize everyone's staring at the top of the staircase. I turn to look and I spot him. My mouth goes dry. Dressed in black slacks and a tuxedo vest over a crisp white shirt and tie, he smiles down at me. His shaggy hair has been neatly slicked back and combed. He carries a bag over his shoulder.
"Awfully quiet down there. Knew you couldn't start the party without me?" He descends the stairs with a grin, running his hand through his hair. "So what'd I miss?"
"Did you see the really hot guy just come down the staircase?" I quip.
"Nah," he replies. "I was distracted by someone waiting at the bottom."
At the top of the staircase, Quinn, Sean, and Estela appear, and my breath catches again. Quinn wears an elegant mermaid dress of dark blue satin and a shimmering collar necklace. Her copper hair is swept back into a twist with gleaming pearl combs, red ringlets framing her face. Sean looks as handsome as ever in a black suit and blazer. Estela's shimmering gold gown is slit up both sides, revealing her shapely legs and muscular thighs. The front of her hair is braided around her head in a crown, the rest falling in soft curls around her shoulders. A pendant hangs between her breasts, and silver hoops dangle from her ears.
"Happy New Year, everyone!" Quinn calls.
"Anything we can do to help set up?" Sean asks.
"Woah!" Craig breathes. "Estela, is that you?!"
"Of course it's me," Estela retorts. "Who else would it be?"
"You guys look great!" I exclaim. "Where'd you find the clothes?"
"Well, me, I keep a spare New Year's Eve getup at all times," Jake quips. "You know, for emergencies. ...Actually, they were in this suite Sean was rummaging around in."
"Is it too much?" Sean asks. "I dunno, I can't resist an opportunity to dress up."
"Not in the least," I assure him.
"I saved something for you, too," Jake tells me. "If you wanna be my date tonight."
He pulls out a shimmering silver-white gown from the bag over his shoulder. Michelle gasps a little.
"Oh, Alodia, you have to wear it! And you have to let me do your hair and make-up!"
"Let me help, too!" Quinn insists. "There's some beautiful jewelry she could wear, too!"
I laugh. "Okay, okay. I guess it's not every day I get to get dolled up in fancy clothes."
Michelle and Quinn usher me into one of the upstairs rooms to change. The collar of the silver-white gown is cut almost down to my navel, the bodice hugging my torso sensuously. The skirt is long and flowing, whispering when I walk. Elegant floral designs are embroidered over the bodice in white silk thread. Quinn finds me shoes, a necklace and earrings, while Michelle braids my hair back from my face to gather at the nape of my neck, and then carefully applies make-up. When she is at last satisfied that I am irresistable, she and Quinn lead me out. At the top of the staircase, Quinn clears her throat.
"Presenting Miss Alodia Chandler!" The others turn to appraise their handiwork.
"Well?" I say. "Don't leave me in suspense. How do I look?"
Jake grins. "You had to go and one-up me, didn't ya?"
I grin back. "You know it."
"Well-played," he says as I descend the staircase. "Pretty sure I still win, though."
"How do you figure that?"
He catches me around the waist and pulls me close. "Because I get to look at you."
"Impressive, Alodia," Aleister remarks. "You almost look dignified."
"And that almost sounds like an insult," I retort, smirking.
"...Perhaps, but it was not intended as such."
"You look gorgeous, Allie," Diego says firmly. "Come on, everyone. Raj is setting up music in the parlor."
We all file into the parlor, where Raj has plugged his phone into the speaker system. Upbeat dance music pumps from the stereo.
"Let the festivities begin!" he calls.
"Man, time flies," Craig remarks. "Can't believe it's been a year already."
"...Craig," Zahra says flatly. "It hasn't."
"Who's for a toast?" Jake calls.
"Considering that I will not be able to survive this party sober," Michelle quips, "yeah. Drink please."
"What are we having?" Estela asks.
Jake grins at me. "Wanna pick, Princess?" I carefully examine my choices, and select an aged whiskey. "I like the way you think." He pours out four glasses.
Estela makes a face. "It smells like sawdust. Who drinks this?"
"Only people who want to look tough," Michelle says with distaste.
"That ain't it," Jake protests. "There's an art to whiskey. The key to appreciating it is-"
"Getting it over with," Estela says flatly. "Cheers." She clinks her glass against mine and throws back the shot, wincing. I snort.
"That bad, huh?"
"It burns," she growls. "...Pour me another."
"Looks like whiskey's got a new fan, y'all," Jake quips. We raise our glasses and toast.
"So the Vaanti don't celebrate anything like this at all?" I hear Diego ask.
"A new year?" Varyyn answers. "Of course not."
"You're missing out, my man!" Raj declares. "New Year's parties are the dopest parties."
"To mark the passage of time is a fruitless effort. It is time that marks the passing of us."
"...Was that deep?" Diego asks. "I can't tell."
"What I mean is that time is infinite," Varyyn explains. "Counting it is like...like..."
"Like counting grains of sand on a beach?" Grace supplies.
"Yes. You could do it, but to what end?"
"It's not really about counting the years for the world, Varyyn," Lila protests. "It's about what you as a person did with your year. And what you'll do with the next one."
"I agree with Lila," I chime in. "The new year is about celebrating how you've been changed by everything you've experienced over the past year. Appreciating the joys, processing the sorrows and resolving to be a better you in the year to come."
"Yes!" Lila says. "Exactly. People change little by little every year. We grow. That's a beautiful thing worth celebrating."
"Everyone had their own reasons to celebrate, though," I add.
Varyyn seems to consider our words. "Perhaps then, I have my own reason to celebrate, as well."
"What's that?" Diego asks.
"I will celebrate to remind myself that every end is a beginning...except for the last one."
Diego blinks. "...Uh..."
"Hey, any reason's a good reason, dude!" Raj declares. "Now let me tell you about the incredible invention of sunglasses that have the year on them!"
While Raj explains tacky sunglasses to a fascinated elyyshar, I wander over to the couch where Quinn, Craig, and Sean relax with drinks and slip into a seat.
"Do you know," Quinn muses, "I've never really made a New Year's resolution before?"
"Really? Never?"
"No. I guess I never really saw the point while I was sick."
"But now you've got your whole life ahead of you. What do you wanna do with it?"
"I've got no idea! It's weird to think where we'll be a year from now. Like, if it's New Year's now and we all missed our first half of senior year...then we'll all be graduates in a year."
"Wow, I didn't think about that," Sean says. "All of us, out in the real world..."
"Heh," Craig grunts. "Yeah..."
"Well, my resolution is to graduate and get drafted with my best friend here," Sean declares, clapping Craig on the shoulder. I take an awkward sip of my drink.
"Well...mine's just to, uh...really just to have the best senior year ever," Craig mumbles.
"Hmm." Quinn taps her lips thoughtfully. "Oh! I have one! I resolve to get my parents back together! Should be a piece of cake, now that they won't have to fight over their sick daughter."
"Woah!" Craig exclaims. "Well...good luck, Q. If anyone can do it, it's you."
"How about you, Alodia?" Sean asks.
I am quiet for a very long time. The ice in my whiskey glass is well melted by now. I look around at the trio around me, then let my eyes wander to the rest of my friends. Diego and Varyyn, looking at each other with an unmistakeable sparkle in their eyes...Jake and Estela playing bartender together...Raj and Zahra coming over to join them...Grace getting cozy with Aleister in front of the fire...Michelle and Lila talking animatedly over by the piano where Murphy sits curled up on the bench. I feel my throat getting tight as my heart swells with affection, and my stomach knots with dread. I have not for a moment forgotten those eleven graves...
"...I resolve to hold onto what matters," I say softly. "Craig, I think you especially inspired me to focus on now. On what's important."
"Me? Really? That's actually pretty cool of you to say..."
The night rolls on. Before long, it is eleven o'clock, and the thudding dance music is swapped out for Aleister, his graceful fingers charming out a delicate melody from the piano. As he transitions seamlessly to "Auld Lang Syne," Michelle starts to sing: "Should old aquaintance be forgot, and never brought to mind..."
Her voice is a clear, beautiful soprano, and Aleister infuses each note with delicate emotion. We all go silent as we listen. I feel Jake's arms cinch around my waist from behind.
"...And there's a hand, my trusted friend...and give us a hand o' thine...And we'll take a right good-will draught...for auld lang syne..."
The whole group bursts into applause. Tears flow unchecked from my eyes. Aleister takes Michelle's hand, and they bow together. Jake reaches over to pat Aleister on the back.
"Not bad, Schroeder. Didn't know you had it in you."
"That was beautiful!" Grace agrees.
I am grateful to see that I'm not the only one crying. Raj is also wiping tears from his eyes.
"Just...beautiful..." he sniffs. Then he gasps. "Oh my god! I completely forgot! We haven't sung Happy Birthday! Back on the keys!"
Michelle sighs. "No one ever sounds good singing Happy Birthday," she gripes.
"That's exactly why I like it!" I laugh. "I can't carry a tune in a bucket, but when it comes to Happy Birthday, neither can anyone else!"
"Are we even allowed to sing it?" Diego asks. "I thought it was copyrighted-"
"Who's gonna stop us, bro?" Craig laughs. "Unless...Dude, does Rourke own the rights to Happy Birthday? That'd be his most evil plan yet!"
"Everybody remember whose birthdays we're doing?" Raj asks. A chorus of uncertain groans answers him. "That's okay, just follow my lead! We'll wing it!"
Aleister plays a chord, and we all do our best to find the key. When we get to the line, "Happy Birthday, dear..." Raj begins pointing to each of us in succession, and we manage to stammer out the names in relative harmony, "Aleister, Craig, Quinn, Michelle, Estela, Raj, Zahra, Alodia...!" We finish the song with a flourish and an off-key chorus of, "Happy Birthday to yooooooooou!"
"Guys, that was flawless!" Raj cries. "Best birthday song ever!"
"Take that, Rourke!" Craig cheers. There is an enthusiastic round of hugs and pats on the back. That's when I notice Lila wandering outside onto the snow-covered patio. A light snowfall shines under the moonlight, dancing around her.
Perhaps I should leave her to her thoughts, but I am feeling overwhelmingly sentimental. I slip out of the group, wrap a blanket around my shoulders, and step outside. Lila stands alone, gazing up at the night sky with a champagne glass in her hand.
"...Lila?"
"Oh...hi, Alodia." She shakes her head. "Sorry, I'm just...having a moment to myself. Did you need something?"
"I just wanted to say thank you."
"For what?"
"For everything you've done. You're just here because it's your job. But you've risked your life to save us again and again. We'd never have made it if it wasn't for you." I hold out my hand to shake hers. "Thank you. Seriously."
"Oh! I mean..." She presses her lips together, her eyes shimmering with tears. She reaches out to shake my hand.
Pain lances through my head as my world flashes white...
… I'm standing in the same spot, but at another point in time. The scene around me is sepia-toned. The music of a live string band washes over me from inside the resort, where dozens of Rourke employees mingle in expensive suits and gowns. Lila is not beside me, but I can see her emerging from the building. A few years younger, perhaps, but it's her. She walks through the snow towards an elegantly dressed man staring out at the horizon.
"Admiring the view, Mr. Rourke?"
"The stars, the snow, the dazzling lights...Truly, this island is unlike anything in the world."
"It is certainly something special."
"If only you knew..."
Lila shifts a little. "You...wanted to see me, Mr. Rourke?"
"I did indeed." He turns to smile at her. "I've been reading your reports from the field. Remarkable work, especially on Expedition Zeta. Protecting my shipment from raiders in the Red Sea, refusing to abandon ship? That takes dedication."
"Protecting the shipment was my job, sir. I take my job seriously."
"Mmm. Funny thing, that. You're not the strongest security officer on the force. Or the brightest. Or the most resourceful." Lila frowns, clearly hoping there's a 'but' coming. "...But you might just be the bravest, most loyal person I've ever employed. Everywhere I go, rivals seek to undermine me. Sycophants seek to elevate themselves. But you...you're different. So tell me. Why? Why are you so faithful?"
Lila blinks. "I...that is...I mean..." She bites her lip. "I haven't had the easiest life, sir. I lost my whole family when I was little. The foster home was...it was bad. Really bad. Being a teen wasn't a lot better. I got mixed up with the wrong people. I hurt people. I stole things."
"Mmm. I see."
"I ended up on the streets at 18. That's when your recruiter found me. Offered me the job of my dreams. I assumed it was too good to be true, but it didn't matter. I'd given up. I figured I'd die somewhere along the way, and no one would know or care. But then I met you, sir. I learned about the world you want to make." Tears glisten in her eyes and slip down her cheeks. "I believe, sir. I believe in you. I believe what you're doing here, what you're creating, will make a better future. A better tomorrow. Your project, this island...you're fixing the world. Saving every little girl like me."
Rourke reaches out and tenderly brushes the tears off Lila's cheeks. She sniffles.
"...All I ever wanted was to have something to live for," she whispers. "You've given me that."
"I'm moved. Truly. And that's not something I say often." He puts his hands on her shoulders. "I asked you this question because I might have a job for you."
"...Sir?"
"A man in my position sometimes requires...a special assistant. Someone unafraid to do what needs to be done. Someone who doesn't blink. If you accept, you'll be sent dangerous places. You'll be given challenging assignments. You will turn your body into a weapon. When necessary, you'll stain your hands with the blood of those who wish to ruin everything we've worked for. But I can only trust you if you trust me absolutely. Unquestioningly." He grips her shoulders and looks into her eyes. "So. Do you?"
Lila stares into his eyes as if hypnotized. "...Yes, Mr. Rourke," she whispers. "I do."
… In the present I gasp, yanking my hand out of Lila's. She blinks at me.
"What's wrong?"
I swallow, shaking my head. "Nothing, I...just..." I force a smile. "Sorry. Just...cold hands, that's all."
She grins. "Well, I've always said I'm cold-blooded!"
I stare at her a moment. I'm saved from answering by Raj poking his head outside. "Hey, you two, there's just a few minutes to midnight!"
"Does this mean its time for your 'special surprise'?"
"The one I'm sure is perfectly safe and have no reason at all to worry about?" Lila quips.
"Mmmm...more or less. Come on, everyone's up on the roof! Bring your champagne!"
There is a hot tub up on the rooftop deck where my friends are gathered to ring in the New Year.
"Hurry! It's about to go down!"
"Ha!" Craig says with a grin. "They ain't ready for the master plan!"
"Uh, guys, what is all this?" Michelle asks warily, looking at a series of red chemical sticks lined up along the roof edge.
"Are these flares?!" Jake cries, sounding horrified.
"Yeah!" Raj says, oblivious to his tone. "One of those Arachnid commando dudes dropped a bag full of 'em!"
"Me and Raj had the idea to use them as fireworks!" Craig announces.
"So right now, we're hiding here from a death squad of highly trained, highly equipped mercenaries," Estela points out, pinning her gaze on Raj and Craig, "and your plan is to shoot off a bunch of flares over our location."
Raj and Craig gape at her for a moment, and then exchange a glance.
"Okay," Craig concedes, "when you put it like that, I can see there's a flaw in the master plan."
Raj sighs. "Aw, okay. Sorry guys. No fireworks this year..." He puts his hands in his pockets, turning for the stairs, when Grace's voice stops him.
"Wait! Look!"
In the distance, the mountain range is lighting up in shimmering colors, pulsing between a warm red and a brilliant blue.
"What is that?" Sean breathes.
"Jake!" I exclaim. "Didn't we see this before...?"
"Sure did. In the airstrip control tower, right after we landed."
"Ah, the Lights of Vaanu," Varyyn says. "They are very beautiful. My people believe they are a sign of good fortune to come."
"Hell, we could use some of that," Jake quips.
"You know what," Grace remarks. "I think it's the Doppler effect!"
"Doppler?" Craig asks. "Like Weather Channel stuff?"
"When something, like a distant star for instance, moves really fast toward you, it tints blue from the change in the light's wavelength."
"Ahh, yes," Aleister agrees. "And it tints red when it moves away from you."
"But the mountains aren't moving," Estela points out.
"No, but if time is dilating or contracting between us...then relativity could have the same effect!"
"Huh...so that's what that was, back at the airstrip." Jake grins at me. "I don't know about you, Alodia, but I'm gonna stick with Blue's Clues over here. I want that good luck."
"Well, it's not fireworks," Raj says, "But it's close enough for me. Fifteen seconds to midnight!"
I sidle up to Jake, slipping my hand into his. "Mind if I join you?"
"I was hoping you would," he replies.
"Ten!" Raj calls out, and we all join him for the rest of the countdown. "Nine! Eight! Seven! Six! Five! Four! Three! Two! One! ...Happy New Year!"
Jake pulls me close and cups my cheek in his palm, kissing me deeply. I wrap my arms around his neck, shivers racing up my spine in spite of the heat that floods my senses. He pulls back slightly and smiles at me.
"Happy New Year, Princess."
"...Happy New Year, Top Gun. ...Who the hell needs flares when you and I make our own fireworks?"
"Every damn time," he agrees, pulling me into another kiss. When this one breaks, I nestle into his arms, letting him cradle my head against his chest. Nearby, Varyyn and Diego watch the lights together.
"So...these mean good luck, huh?"
"Yes," Varyyn says. "And I know they are always true."
"How?"
Varyyn turns to face him. "...This tradition of yours. Kissing at midnight."
Diego blushes. "Well...it's not, like, my tradition..."
"...May I kiss you, Diego?"
Diego barely manages a nod, grinning goofily. Varyyn leans in, tenderly brushing Diego's mouth with his.
"Woo!" Raj cheers. "You go, Diego! Get it!"
"Ow, ow!" I whoop.
"Jake, I'm counting on you to shut her up!" Diego calls, not even looking back at me as he goes for a second kiss.
"With pleasure!" Jake obliges, capturing my mouth with his again.
"Peace, he stops her mouth," Aleister quips, then turns to Grace. "Grace? I was curious if-"
Grace throws her arms around Aleister, rises up on her tiptoes, and cuts off his question with a kiss. He startles a little, but quickly relaxes into it. When she finally lets him go, she grins at him, her eyes dancing mischievously.
"I like when you're curious."
Zahra and Craig sit side-by-side on the edge of the hot tub, dangling their bare legs in the bubbling jets.
"Look at all these dorks making out," Zahra mutters.
"Heh. Yeah. Who does that?"
"Dumb people, that's who."
"So dumb."
They look at each other, faces close, holding each other's gaze for a long moment.
"Ah, screw it," Zahra finally says, taking Craig's face in her hands and pulling him in for a long kiss.
"I knew it!" Sean cries, laughing. "I freaking knew this would happen!"
"Okay, more champange all around!" Raj declares. "Time for another toast!"
Several more toasts follow. As the group mingles and drifts, I find myself alone with Diego, watching the ethereal, entrancing lights.
"God, what a night, huh?"
"You said it," he agrees. Then his voice drops to a conspiritorial whisper. "But you know, it's not over yet."
I snort. "I know that voice. You've got an idea."
"When we were exploring the lodge earlier, I found this amazing, cozy bedroom. With a really, really nice bed, if you catch my drift."
I playfully shove him. "Your drift is honestly hard to miss at this point."
"Okay, okay. I'm obvious. So I'll not try to be coy. You should take Jake and make a kinky night of it. Ring in the New Year right."
"Me? What about you and Varyyn?"
"...Allie, we've known each other for six months, and we've only just had our first kiss. I'm not sure we're gonna be doing much more than that tonight."
"Oh, come on. With the time I lost, I've really only known Jake a little over a week. Hell, you were nudging me to make a move after...what? Five days? Six?"
He kisses my cheek, a brotherly gesture. "Yeah, but I know your style. Fast suits you, and I kinda think it suits him, too. And you know me. I'm much more of a wilting flower."
I snort again, but I know he's right. "And Varyyn is a gentleman who is going to court you slowly."
"Exactly. Besides, it is your birthday. Don't worry about me and Varyyn. We don't need the honeymoon suite. I'll leave that to my lovely sister and her stud fighter pilot boyfriend."
I throw my arms around Diego, giving him a firm squeeze. "God, I love you, Diego."
"Love you back, Allie. Now go. Before you get too buzzed on champagne."
After getting directions from Diego, I sidle up to Jake and slip my hand into his. "...Come with me."
"Where we going?"
"It's a surprise."
He grins. "Hopefully not, because I have high hopes for something in particular."
I lead him to the room, following Diego's directions carefully. I open the door and flip on the lights, revealing a gleaming, elegant suite with hardwood floors, chandeliers, a hot tub in the bathroom, a rug spread in front of a natural gas fireplace, and queen-sized canopy bed. I let out a low whistle.
"...Diego wasn't kidding about this room."
"Diego?"
"Yeah. Said he found this room exploring earlier." I smile coquettishly. "He advised me to bring you back here. Thought we might find some use for it."
"Goddamn, that boy must really love you." He reaches around to lightly pinch my bottom, making me squeak. "...Or me."
I snort in mock indignantion, making a show of sticking my nose in the air as I saunter over to the fireplace. I flick the switch and the fire roars to life, casting red-gold tongues of light over the walls and the shining floors.
"Mmm. That's cozy." I turn to face Jake, who has paused by the nightstand. He opens the drawer. "Anything interesting in there?"
"Just a dusty old notepad. ...There is something written on it, though." He pulls it out and reads. " 'Regarding the new junior researcher: I feel like I recognize her from somewhere. Do another background check and get me her history. -E'."
"E for Everett, I'd guess." Jake sets the note aside and pulls me close, kissing me deeply. My hands move up his arms, feeling the hard muscle beneath his sleeves. "You seem tense, Top Gun. Let me help."
I guide him to sit on the bed and climb up behind him, massaging his shoulders. He groans rapturously as I feel him release beneath my fingertips.
"Hot damn, Princess, you're a miracle worker. You should do this for a living."
I kiss his cheek. "You stressed about your old team showing up?"
"Not exactly a happy reunion," he concedes. He brings a hand up to cover mine. "But like I said, I'll handle 'em. That's a promise."
"A Jake McKenzie Guarantee?"
"At the very least, if I go down, I'm taking the lot of 'em with me."
I freeze as the impact of his words hits me. Jake turns around when he feels me stop and draws me into his arms. I hold him tightly, laying my head on his shoulder.
"...Stay alive for me, Jake. I mean it. Don't do anything stupid. Please."
"I won't—"
"Jake." My voice is soft but firm. I hear him exhale slowly.
"...All right. I won't. That's a Jake McKenzie Guarantee, too." He pulls back to face me, the light of the fire dancing in his eyes. He smiles. "...You know, you're wearing entirely too much clothing right now."
"Someone should fix that. ...But you know, so are you."
We lock eyes for a moment. Then we come together in our usual frenzy, pulling at each other's clothes, barely pausing for breath. I yank off his tie and belt. He finds the clasp of my dress and slips it open, peeling it off my shoulders. I tug open the buttons on his shirt and push it off his shoulders with the vest still over it. As we shed the last of our underclothes, Jake starts to lay me down, but I flip over to straddle him. He grins at me.
"So this is how it's gonna go, huh?"
I don't answer. I kiss him hard, twining my hands with his and reaching back towards the bed posts. Before he quite realizes what's happening, I've secured one of his hands to the bedposts with his tie. And before he can stop me, I get the other one with his belt. I smile wickedly down at him.
"No touching. Yet."
He grins. "Oh, you're so bad. Did I know about this side of you?"
"I hope not. I'd like to think I haven't run out of surprises this quickly."
"Just so you know, my safeword is 'pumpkins'."
"Duly noted." I straddle his pelvis and sink onto him. We lock eyes as I rock my hips. He gasps, his body quivering under mine.
"Holy..." His hands strain against his bonds, eager to feel me. He moves under me, trying to speed up. I can't hold back a mischievous smile as I resist his speed, moving agonizingly slowly. He groans. "Ohh, babe, this is torture."
"Good."
He closes his eyes, moaning, focusing on the feeling, giving into it. "This is too intense. You're too good-"
"Don't hold back. We've got time to recharge." I rock a little faster, and feel myself starting to peak as he shudders beneath me.
"Oh, God! I-" He suddenly grins at me. "Gotcha!"
Before I quite realize what's happening, Jake has flipped me over, somehow freed of his his bonds.
"Hey! How did you-"
He grins down at me. "My secret." He holds up his tie, his eyes twinkling. "You want a turn?"
"Oh, I think I've earned it," I reply, batting my eyelashes. He laughs and twines his hands in mine. His mouth moves against my neck, roaming down my collarbone to my breasts, then down my belly, and then to my pubis. I arch my back as I feel myself peaking again.
We rock and moan and gasp and cry out together in the firelight until we're both spent. Then, slick with sweat and sex, we curl up together between the sheets. Sleep finds us both quickly after that, but I can't seem to hold onto it for long.
Amidst the orgasm-induced dreams of peace and pleasure, the dragon-shaped mouth of a cave continues to creep into my mind. The cave and the eleven mounds of dirt concealed within. I cannot seem to shake the image. And much worse than the image are the thoughts that come with it. Diego. Jake. Quinn. Grace. Estela. Sean. Zahra. Craig. Michelle. Aleister. Raj. Everything I love about them flown, only their empty shells left behind. Left behind to rot in that cave in shallow graves, dug by the last one left alive...
I awake with a cry, bolting upright. Jake sits up sharply beside me, grasping my shoulders.
"What's wrong?" he demands, frantic but still groggy. "Are you all right?"
I struggle to control my breathing and calm my racing heart. "I'm okay...I'm fine..." I gasp. "Just a bad dream..."
I lie down again, tugging him down with me. He replaces his head on the pillow, drawing me into his arms.
"You wanna talk about it?"
"No," I say more firmly than I intended. "I mean...not right now. Not yet."
He is quiet for a moment. Then he kisses the top of my head. "Okay. If you say so, Princess. Let me know if you change your mind." I nod, laying my head on his chest. He strokes my hair gently, but within a few minutes, his hand slows and drops onto my shoulder as he drifts off again. I lie awake beside him until the sky outside begins to turn gray with the first rays of sunlight. Carefully, I slip out of his embrace. Finding a pen beside the notepad in the drawer, I scrawl a quick note to place on the pillow beside him: Went for some breakfast. Find me when you wake up. -Alodia.
Covering myself with a robe, I find the room where I changed the night before and grab a quick shower before changing back into the yoga pants and sweatshirt I left there. By the time I wander down to the kitchen, there's still no one up. I make quick work of a couple pieces of sourdough toast spread with butter and jam, wash them down with some orange juice, and wander out into the front lobby. Most everything is how we left it upon arriving the night before. My backpack full of the catalyst idols is untouched in the corner. I look at it for a moment before turning away. I'm not in the mood to think about them right now. I flick on the fireplace and remove my shoes. Finding the space sufficient, I take myself through a workout, warming up, stretching, and then running beam routines, using the border of the rug as a guide.
I've just landed an aerial series when I hear a voice behind me: "What are you doing, Alodia?" I turn to see Varyyn watching me curiously. I blot a light sweat from my forehead, lifting my left foot to roll my ankle.
"Gymnastics. Diego mentioned I used to do gymnastics, right?"
"Ahh, yes. You would compete in games with gymnastics, yes?"
"That's right. We would have to put together routines on a bunch of different apparatuses to show off our skills."
"Apparatuses?"
"Yeah, like the balance beam, which is a really narrow beam about this high off the floor," I demonstrate the dimensions with my hands, "And we'd have to do these tricks while balancing on it. That was my best event."
"I can see why you were able to defeat us at quuk'tanoi," he says wryly. "Such feats are quite impressive."
"Heh. Thanks." I pause. "...Where's Diego?"
"He is having a bath before breakfast."
"I see." I am quiet a moment. "...Did you enjoy yourself last night?"
"I did. Very much. It was an experience quite unlike any I had ever had before."
"Hey, Varyyn...I don't know how much Diego's told you about me, or our relationship with each other..."
"He has told me that you are his dearest friend," Varyyn replies solemnly, almost reverently, it seems to me. "That you are like his sister. He has told me that you were children together. He has told me that you are kind and courageous and intelligent and loyal. ...He speaks of you with a great deal of love."
"And I love him. Very much." I sigh. "...The thing is, Varyyn, you kissed him last night. And if you're going to be involved with my best friend, you and I need to be on the same page. That is...we need to understand each other. Otherwise, we're likely to come into conflict and make things difficult for Diego. And I'm sure neither of us want that."
Varyyn pins me with a steady gaze. "...Are you and I in conflict, Alodia?"
I meet his gaze unflinchingly. "The night you and your warriors attacked The Celestial was not as long ago for me and the other Catalysts as it was for you and Diego. For us, it was less than a week ago. ...And that night, I watched you kill the man I'm falling in love with."
...It's the first time I've said it to anyone, and I'm saying it to my best friend's new boyfriend. But I can't think about that right now. Diego is my priority right now. Protecting him from heartache, whether it comes from Varyyn or from me. My words seem to shake Varyyn's composure. His eyes widen.
"But...I...I didn't kill anyone..." He trails off. One hand drifts up to the hollow of his throat, where a blue stone was once nestled. "...Oh. I see..."
"The first time you broke through the window of my room, you caught us unawares. ...I had been in bed with Jake. He fought you. Trying to protect me. As you rolled over the carpet, he was impaled by a particularly large shard of glass from the window. He was dead in about two minutes or so. It was an accident, and I think you were sorry for it, but still. I went for you. I grabbed the stone around your neck."
"...And it undid the damage," he says softly. "...Thank you for doing so."
"I didn't know what I was doing. All I knew was that my heart was breaking and you were the cause." He winces, but I keep going. "Time was reversed and Jake was saved, but I could still remember how it felt to have him bleed out in my arms. ...And before the night was over, you broke my heart again. You took my best friend from me. You took him from me for three days. And you took me from him for six months. ...I don't think you need to imagine how that hurt him. ...I expect you could see it."
"...Yes," he concedes. "I could see. ...Do you wish me not to kiss him again?"
"No. That isn't what I'm saying. I can tell you care about him, and he cares about you. I think you two could work well together. ...But like I said, we need to understand each other. For Diego's sake. And so, I need you to understand that you hurt me in ways I find hard to forgive. And that the wounds are fresher than you might remember. ...Also, I find it very awkward that we're psychically linked. But I think that's the least of my concerns. ...What I really want you to know is that if you ever mistreat him—if you ever betray him or do him harm—I will use that psychic link to destroy you from the inside out."
"I will never hurt him!" Varyyn says fiercely. "I would never! I could never!"
I shake my head. "Don't say that. Because people who love each other can still hurt each other. And I can forgive little hurts. Sharp words, small inconsiderate actions...those are mistakes everyone makes. And those I can forgive. But don't make an enemy of me, Varyyn. I love Diego more than I have ever loved another person. Most of the world doesn't appreciate him nearly enough. Love him, protect him, cherish him. Do that, and you will have my undying friendship. But if you betray him or do him harm, that friendship is forfeit. Instantly."
Varyyn digests my words, and then nods solemnly. "...I understand, Alodia. I do not doubt the sincerity of your warning. Nor do I resent you making yourself clear. Your love and loyalty do you great credit."
"...Is there anything you wish me to know?"
"Only that I have the utmost respect and admiration for you. ...And that I appreciate Diego more every day that I am with him. ...When he grieved for you these past six months, that grief was very painful to me, moreso because I knew that I was the cause. ...I am not ignorant of the hurt I caused you both. I do not imagine it is forgotten, or even forgiven. ...But I do wish for us to be friends. Not just you and I, but all the Vaanti and Catalysts."
"...I want that, too."
"...Alodia?"
I look up at the sound of Estela's voice. She stands in the lobby archway, a sheet of paper in her hand. I am immediately struck by something in the curve of her shoulders, the way her eyes scan the lobby. There is an unusual anxiety in her posture, a vulnerability I am not used to seeing.
"Estela. What's up?"
"I...wondered if I might speak to you privately for a moment." Her voice wobbles just slightly. Concern makes my heart beat a bit faster.
"...Yeah. Of course." I get up to follow her. Instinctively, I grab the bag with the idols and the Island's Heart on my way out.
Estela leads me in silence for awhile, up the staircase to the second floor. Then she stops and shows me the paper in her hands. "I found it. My mother's room. She was here on New Year's six years ago. Room 278." She nods down the hall. "It's just down that way."
"...Have you been inside yet?"
She looks away. "...I don't want to go alone," she confesses softly.
"Say no more."
Together, we approach room 278, pausing in front of the door. Estela reaches into her pocket and takes out a keycard. I gently take her hand, giving it an encouraging squeeze.
"...Are you with me?" she asks, her voice trembling.
"All the way," I assure her.
"...All the way."
She swipes the card. The door blinks green, and she pushes the door open. We step into a standard hotel room, neatly made up, and smelling faintly of dust and cleansers. The carpet is soft and blue, the walls covered with a carefully neutral beige is just a little chilly, with the curtains open over a large window that overlooks the snowy mountains beyond. I glance over at Estela. Her expression is unreadable.
"...Huh..." she sighs.
"...What is it?"
"...I thought I'd feel something. Anything. But..." She sits down on the bed. The springs creak under her weight. "...Nothing."
"...Estela..."
"Wait! What the hell is that?"
I follow her gaze off the bed to a spot on the wall, where a familiar sigil has been burned into the beige-painted drywall. Draco. The Dragon. Estela's Hadean zodiac sign.
"Estela! That's your rune sign!"
"Yeah...Draco." She gets up and moves towards the burned-in symbol, grazing it with her fingertips. "...When they cleaned up the room after my mother died, they would have painted over this."
"...Which means, it had to have been made long after," I finish. "But what does it mean? Why is it here?"
"I think it's marking something. Something hidden." She frowns for a moment, then experimentally presses down against the wall. There's a loud series of clicks that makes me jump. And then a panel springs open around the rune, revealing a hidden camera.
"...Did...did your mother...?"
"I...don't know..." Estela admits. Then she sets her jaw. "But I'm going to find out." She reaches into the back of the camera and unhooks a flash drive. She marches over to the television set, searches for the correct port, and slips in the flash drive.
"Hang on, Estela, maybe we should wait and-" But Estela has already turned on the television and loaded the video file with a few clicks of the remote. An image flickers up on the screen, showing the same room we're standing in, but from the angle of the camera concealed in the wall. The date at the bottom reads: 2011 Dec 31.
A woman sits on the bed. She looks just like Estela, but older, with a shorter haircut and fewer scars. Estela trembles beside me.
"...Mom...?" she whispers. I grasp her hand, silently lending my support.
"How did it go?" Olivia Montoya asks on the screen. A second woman enters the frame and takes a seat next to her.
"He did it, Olivia," Lila says. "He offered me the job. I'm gonna be his special assistant."
Olivia sighs, a relieved smile crossing her face. "Yes! Now you're free to come and go from La Huerta as you please. You can go out in the world and spread the truth. Maybe you can even smuggle me out of here."
Lila shifts uncertainly. "About that...are you sure you want to do this?"
"Lila, I told you what his plans are. What he's been doing. All the people he's hurt...killed."
Olivia reaches into her bag and pulls out something that looks like a thumb drive.
"This is everything?" Lila asks.
"All the evidence I've gathered so far, yes. Everything he's really doing here. Everything he plans to do."
"...Such a small thing..." Lila murmurs.
"But big enough. You just need to get it to a journalist."
"I'm scared for you, Olivia," Lila confesses. "You ask me to do this, there's no turning back."
Olivia pulls Lila into a hug. I can see her expression over Lila's shoulder, quietly determined. She looks just like her daughter...
"Come on, Lila. We both know there was never any turning back."
"Yeah. I guess you're right."
A sudden, sharp bang nearly breaks the TV's speakers. Estela and I jump, gripping each others' hands. Olivia's expression registers shock. She pulls back, revealing a red stain spreading over her stomach. I can just make out the pistol in Lila's hand.
"...I'm sorry, Olivia."
Olivia clutches the wound, slumping to her knees beside the bed. "Lila...how...could you...?"
Lila stands, pressing the barrel of her pistol to Olivia's forehead. "I told you to stop. I begged you. Why did you have to betray him?" Lila looks away and squeezes the trigger again. Estela's mother crumples beside the bed, and lies still. The video stops there. Estela and I sit in stunned silence, staring at the screen.
"Oh my god..." I finally whisper. "Lila...she...it...was..."
Beside me, Estela's fingers curl into fists. Her breath comes out in sharp hisses through gritted teeth. I place a trembling hand on hers.
We hear footsteps, and glance up sharply. Lila appears in the doorway, a tray of eggs and pancakes in her hands. She smiles brightly.
"Good morning, you two. I made everyone some breakfast..." she trails off as her eyes drift to the TV screen, freeze framed on her standing over Olivia's body. Her expression goes cold. She stands perfectly still, the tray still in her hands. Her eyes slide from the screen back to Estela.
Outside the Elysian Lodge, the peace of the mountain forest is destroyed by shattering glass, and a howl of fury from a wounded dragon...
The Jungle
A steel blade whistles through the air. Lush green ferns part under its bite, and Yvonne the Incorrigable steps through, sweat beading on her ruddy skin. Raising her cutlass, she slices through the next curtain of foliage that blocks her path and takes another step forward through the jungle.
This would be much more difficult if her precious Chouchou had not been returned to her. Though she might never admit it aloud, she did owe the pretty blonde child a great deal for bringing them back together. ...Not enough to make her stay and fight that sea demon, of course, but a great deal nonetheless. She feels a twinge of sorrow over the girl's certain death. She was a fierce little thing that one. Had a bit of the pirate in her. If only she weren't so...noble. So loyal.
She reaches into her pocket and withdraws the compass she claimed from the Jeweled Cave. Its needle wavers before settling on a point directly ahead of her. She must be almost upon it. As she pushes forward, she can see the craggy peak of Mount Atropo looming, casting its shadow over the rainforest. At long last, the jungle thins, and the ground beneath her boots turns rocky.
A massive dragon's head is carved into the slope of the volcano. Its maw hangs open, stairs rising between its fangs and disappearing into its throat. At last...she has found it. The Fountain is nearly in her grasp.
Movement at the corner of her vision catches her attention. She sinks back into the underbrush just as someone emerges from the wilderness. Her breath catches in her throat. A demonic figure, clad all in red, with its face hidden behind a bizzare dome-shaped helmet, stands before her. Its right hand is a ghastly skeletal appendage of iron, bearing a small flame above its bony palm. The figure trudges up the stairs into the cavern, tendrils of smoke billowing in its wake.
Yvonne narrows her eyes. Whatever this vision is, it seems bound for the same prize as she. She quietly steels after it, her footsteps light as a cat's. Within the cavern, lava pours from dragon heads, pooling and bubbling around a narrow path. Yvonne slips behind a stone pillar. This lava could prove to be a problem. Even from here, the heat stings her eyes.
Twelve pedestals sit in the river of lava. Beyond the end of the pathway, an open archway leads to darkness. The crimson suit walks forward to the end of the path, and keeps going. Red boots sink into the scalding red river, heedless of the danger. It keeps going, undaunted, apparently unaffected by the deadly lava. The figure pauses by the archway.
"...Hello, Yvonne." It's voice is inhuman. Sexless. Yvonne ducks behind the column. The figure turns back slightly, addressing her over its shoulder. "Don't be shy."
"...As you wish." Yvonne lunges out from her cover, brandishing her cutlass. "I command you take me to the Fountain! I know it is here!"
The figure does not respond. The orange glow of the room reflects ominously off its hellish armor.
"Now who is shy?" Yvonne sneers. "I said I command you to-"
"You need their help, Yvonne."
"...Who?"
"...And they need yours."
"Who needs my help? Those children?"
"Go north. To the pillar." The figure steps forward into the darkness beyond the arch.
"Wait!" But the figure has already vanished. But its strange, inhuman voice carries back toward her.
"You must hurry, Yvonne. Roulez a tombeau ouvert."
And then it is gone. Yvonne stands frozen for a moment. Then, she whirls around and sprints out of the cavern...
Six months earlier...
The Celestial
"We're running out of time for a miracle!" Zahra declares, peering over the edge of The Celestial's roof. "They're almost here!"
"You have approximately sixty seconds to escape," Iris confirms.
Lila dares to peer over the edge of the roof, gulping as she catches sight of the Hostiles scaling the tower walls. She looks back just as Alodia pulls out the portal device and raises it high.
"We'll use this!"
"Hold on! You're talking about going through the portal ourselves?"
"Alodia's right. It's the only way we all get out of here together."
Lila feels her breath catch. The temporal perforator! She can't let Alodia use it. They'll lose six months! ...But she also knows she can't possibly protect them all. The temporal perforator may be their only chance to survive this.
Alodia pulls everyone into a tight group hug and aims the gun at her feet. Lila slinks to the edge of the group, pressing just close enough.
"Everyone think positive!" she calls. "Envision your goals!"
"Five seconds remaining," Iris chimes.
"Here's to adventure, eh, Allie?" Diego smiles at his dear friend. She smiles back.
"Here's to adventure."
Alodia pulls the trigger. A bubble of white light forms around everyone's legs. Lila drops into a crouch and rolls backwards out of the way. One...two...Her tour group vanishes safely into the blinding light. None of them notice their guide slipping behind the garden shrubbery. Three...four... Holding the second count in her head, she sets the timer on her watch. 42-squared...times ten to the fourth...17million, 640 thousand seconds. She hits start, and lays low, out of sight of the approaching Hostiles. That's when she hears shouting.
"Get off! Get off me!" Diego cries, anger and defiance coating fear in his voice.
"Turqq pha cupaa!"
Lila peeks through the ferns and claps a hand to her mouth. They have Diego! The Hostiles' leader pins him down as the others fan out to search.
"You won't find 'em!" Diego shouts defiantly. "They're long gone! You're too late!"
She has to help him. But there are too many for her to fight on her own. She'll have to find another way.
A massive female Hostile in bone armor shouts furiously at the leader. He answers coldly. The Hostiles bind Diego's hands and depart with him. Lila is left alone in silence. She looks down at her watch, dutifully ticking away the seconds. 17,639,952...17,639,951...
"Where are you," she whispers aloud. "Where are you, Mr. Rourke?"
197 days remaining...
… Lila makes her way over a trecherous mountain path. Rock crumbles beneath her feet. She slips, grasping for help, but there is no one there. She only barely manages to catch the ledge and save herself...
185 days remaining...
… Lila punches numbers into a keyboard, and the observatory telescope realigns.
"Andromeda..." she mutters. "...Lupus...what does it all mean?"
164 days remaining...
… Lila peers over a hill through a pair of binoculars. Far below, in the shadow of the great tree village, Hostile warriors escort Diego, pushing him roughly forward.
"We're going! We're going!" Diego grumbles. He looks rough. Like he's lost weight. His eyes are shadowed underneath. But for now, he is still alive.
"Going," the old shaman grunts. "Yes. Search. Now."
132 days remaining...
Lila races through the jungle back towards the resort. She has been to see Diego again, stayed longer than she should have. He was sick. She had to make sure he recovered before she could go back. Hearing movement behind her, she pauses.
"M-Mr. Rourke?" she whimpers, barely daring to hope. She turns around. Though the ferns, she spots lizard-like eyes and a row of razor-sharp teeth. As the creature pounces, Lila draws a knife...
100 days remaining...
Lila stands in the bathroom of a guest room at The Celestial, gritting her teeth as she scrubs at the wounds on her abdomen. They've grown infected over the last month as she made her slow, painful way back to the resort from the Hostiles' village. She doesn't dare use the plants on the rooftop before the fever breaks. That would only seal the infection inside. In a trembling hand, she picks up the bottle of antisceptic and positions a rag beneath it. Biting her lip, she dribbles the stuff into the wounds, whimpering in pain.
87 days remaining...
Somehow, she has survived. The fever has broken, and she faces a stretch of drywall in a long hallway, a sledgehammer in her hands. It has to be here. She lifts the hammer, and smashes it into the surface. A piece crumbles away, and she can make out a small section of a smooth wooden carving beneath. A door! She was right. It is here. She quivers with excitement as she raises the hammer again...
80 days remaining...
Sitting at the concierge desk, Lila scribbles furiously on a piece of paper, muttering to herself.
"Twelve letters...equals...Hadean...Zodiac...! The...runes...are...the...key...!" She sighs. "But you still have no idea what they mean, Lila. You'll never find Mr. Rourke..."
"What are you writing?"
Lila whips around and sees Iris' hologram floating behind her.
"Iris! You're not in the portal?" She blinks at her own folly. "Of course not. That's stupid, Lila."
"Are you all right? You do not look well."
"I'm just...lonely."
"I do not understand."
"You used to. You used to know what it was like to miss someone."
"I have no such record."
"I'm jealous. I wish I could forget like that."
"Facial recognition algorithim suggests you do not mean what you say."
Lila cannot answer.
54 days remaining...
Lila limps up to the fountain in the grand atrium. She gazes up at Rourke's carved visage, and slumps to her knees. Tears trickle down her cheeks.
"I can't do it," she whimpers. "I can't keep going."
Through a film of tears, she looks up at the placid marble face. It does not look back at her, does not acknowledge her pain.
"How could you leave me? After everything I did for you?"
5 hours remaining...
Lila steps out of the shower and dresses in her old clothes, freshly washed and mended. She looks at her hair in the mirror, newly trimmed.
"Good as new, Lila," she murmurs. "Good as new."
30 minutes remaining...
Lila sits motionless on a chair in the ballroom, watching a blank spot on the floor. She checks her watch. 00:29:42...00:29:41..
In a flash of light, a Hostile warrior blinks into existence, still screaming in surprise. He goes silent and looks around, bewildered. He does not see Lila approach from behind, her feet silent. She draws a blade up to the warrior's back.
"I'm sorry. I can't let you warn them."
30 seconds remaining...
Lila gazes out at the island from the rooftop garden. Her face is cold, her expression flat and distant. The bodies of the Hostiles have been disposed of. She has applied healing plants to every wound on her body. Diego is still in the Hostiles' custody, but he is alive. Lila checks her watch: 00:00:03...00:00:02...
She closes her eyes, anticipating the blinding light. And then...there they are. Her tour group. The Selected. Her charges.
"The light..." Michelle murmurs dazedly. "It's gone..."
"So are the Watchers. We made it through the portal..."
"Wait...Alodia...where's Diego...?"
Alodia has gone to her hands and knees on the flagstones. She trembles violently, barely able to form words.
"...They...took him...pulled him out..."
The others move to offer her comfort. Reassurance. Lila says nothing. Lila is a tour guide. Lila knows her place in the group. Lila knows her duty.