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Chapter

9

The chilled air of nighttime invaded the little tent in the backyard of Gregor's house. To any local resident of Virginia, it was a cold autumn night. To Gregor himself, however, it was actually quite mild. Any time spent in the winters of the north will do that.

He and his sisters sat in the relatively limited space of the tent, trying and failing to make shadow puppets with a flashlight.

"No, Gregor. Like this!" Lizzie put her hand in the shape of an elephant. Gregor attempted to mimic the shape, but surprisingly lacked the dexterity for it.

You'd think with all that sword training…, he caught himself thinking. He figured that was a good sign; being able to make light of his past.

"Sorry, Liz. My hands just aren't that flexible."

"It's not a matter of flexion, Gregor," Lizzie said flatly.

"Well, duh Lizzie. Everybody knows that!" Gregor's voice dripped with sarcasm. Lizzie elbowed him, smiling.

Gregor looked over at Boots, who seemed to be hesitating. Her big eyes fixed on Gregor before she put up her hands in some odd shape. It was winged, Gregor could tell. Beyond that…

"Ares," Boots said gently. Pain stabbed at Gregor's heart, but only briefly. The look Boots had given him. What was she thinking in that little head of hers? Gregor found himself imagining that her worldly wisdom was outshining that of even his father.

It was at that moment that Gregor realized that he was alright with acknowledging Ares now. A year of warning looks had eventually – finally – made Boots stop brining the Underland up. Now, Lizzie was giving her one such look.

"Boots," she said emphatically, but the little girl paid her older sister no mind. Her gaze was locked with Gregor's.

Gregor felt a smile touch his lips. "Yeah, baby girl. Ares." He contorted his hands in a passable facsimile of the shape Boots was brandishing. A massive grin crept slowly onto the toddler's face, and she giggled.

"Gregor's back, Gregor's back," she sang happily, bouncing a little.

Lizzie was giving Gregor a look that was somewhere between concern and joy. She copied Boots' hands, and they had a little party of three bats on the wall, flittering here and there at will.

The batteries in the flashlight decided to die at that moment, plunging the three of them into darkness. Boots squeaked in surprise.

"Uh-oh," Gregor muttered. "I'll go get some replacements." As he stood to exit the tent, a little hand grabbed his shoulder.

"But that defeats the whole purpose! The reason we're out here is to simulate a legitimate camping trip. We wouldn't just waltz back home if our flashlight died!" Lizzie's voice was urgent. It was imperative that they not return to the house until morning.

Gregor paused, then smiled once again. It was a day full of smiles. "Alright then. Let's play a game: 'What's Outside?' I'll hear what's crawling around outside the tent and give you guys hints. Then you'll take turns guessing what it is. Okay?"

Lizzie spoke with mock dismissal, as though this were all beneath her. "Sounds simple enough."

They were able to play for a couple of hours. Gregor heard a surprising number of creatures on the ground. He didn't stop there, either. He listened underground, and even in the sky.

Eventually, they just lay there, content to be in each other's presence. When the soft breathing of a sleeping Boots sounded out, Lizzie whispered "I'm glad you're okay. I was worried for a while, but I knew you would get better."

Gregor stared into the darkness, soaking in the words of his little sister.

"I love you guys," he finally said.

Lizzie let out a tiny giggle. "We love you, t-"

Her voice was severed by the sound of a… thing crashing into the top of the tent. The force of the object tore a hole in the fabric, letting in the faint light of the moon and stars overhead.

The noise caused a flare of "light" to reveal the creature to Gregor's ears. It was a little fruit bat, maybe a foot of wingspan. The tiny thing crashed into a nearby tree and collapsed. It wasn't dead. Its little heart was still beating fast as ever. In fact, the bat righted itself rather quickly, as if it had meant to land like that.

Gregor unzipped the tent and staggered out, his legs numb from disuse. He turned to where the bat was standing, and was mildly unsettled to see that it was glaring directly at him, unmoving, unblinking.

Gregor approached the creature gingerly, not wanting to startle it further. Lizzie poked her head out of the tent. "Gregor," she whispered, "what was that?"

"Just a sec, Liz," Gregor replied. His eyes had caught what his echolocation had somehow failed to "see". The bat had a tiny scrap of paper tied to its left leg.

No, Gregor thought. No way. Can't be. How would they have even found me?!

He knelt down in front of the bat. It still made no movement, even when Gregor slipped the note – it was a not – from the thing's leg.

"Gregor?" Lizzie sounded worried.

Her brother stood slowly, still staring uncomprehendingly at the corner of parchment the note came on. The bat took flight and headed away. It went north.

Gregor dropped the note and walked with dark conviction into the house, turning on the kitchen light and going to his parents' room to wake them. This was something he couldn't puzzle out alone.

Lizzie lunged forward and snatched the paper from the ground, fearful. That look her brother had had on his face not five seconds ago was scarier than anything Lizzie had ever seen. It was like pure malevolent intent. Whatever he planned to do, she fancied, nothing with heaven or hell would stop him.

She gazed at the dried out scrap in her hands, having no trouble reading the single word scrawled in ink, as if it were written by a madman.

It said, simply…

Help

The tip of the iron bar glowed red hot as Solovet pulled it from the fire. She stared at it with a look that was equal parts fondness and contempt. She turned back to her pretty little granddaughter, not relishing the torture she gave, but not hating it either.

Luxa was splayed out on the hard stone table, arms and legs fastened by leather belts. Her expression was one of blank acceptance. This was unfavorable. If she wasn't panicking, Solovet figured, she was less likely to talk.

"You know the drill by now, my sweet," Solovet said. "Speak or burn."

The queen shot her grandmother that same look of defiant loathing she had worn for quite some time. It had been many days since this form of torture had begun. Luxa seemed almost bored of it. But Solovet wasn't.

"I have told you; I do not know. I asked one of my guards to hide it away, where none would find it. I even made sure I did not know him, and had him reassigned immediately afterward." Luxa's voice was set, not trembling in the least. A feat of great courage, to be sure.

Solovet did not doubt most of what was said. A nameless, faceless guard making off with the most important prophecy in a century? She believed that. But…

"You would have me believe that you would stay ignorant of its whereabouts? Do not make me laugh!" Her eyes wandered across the girl's nearly naked body – only two folded blankets covered her – searching for a clear spot to press the iron in.

"You have been too hard on our guest, Solovet." A disgustingly cheery voice frothed into the room. Stellovet, the upstart. "Nowhere to scorch."

As unbearable as her great niece's company was, she was right. The flesh on Luxa's arms, legs, and stomach was too riddled with burn marks to make a clean addition. As cruel as the pair was, they had decided not to roam anywhere else with the iron. Perhaps if Luxa were a man…

"Indeed. Perhaps we should change tactics. Though, I do so like hearing the shriek of burning skin. And that of its owner." Solovet held the iron close to Luxa's face for emphasis.

Luxa's deadpan expression didn't shift an inch.

"Good luck with that," Stellovet said, turning back to the door. "I only came to tell you that the boy should be receiving the message any time now. With the superior technology of the Overland, he should be arriving within a week, with any luck."

Luxa's expression changed. "What? Who?" She knew who.

"Why, have we forgot to mention?" Stellovet lingered a moment.

"It seems we must have." Solovet peered into her granddaughter's eyes, sheer malice in her voice. "We have invited your Warrior to have a sleepover. In fact, I daresay he will not wake up."

I took a hiatus to focus on college.

Now that that's out of the way, the juicy goodness can continue.

It's time for shit to get serious. Seriously.

Only one more chapter, then the last Part will commence.

Prepare your bodies, and merry [holiday]mas.