Dovetailed (10 page)

Venus bent over, picked up Amberlee’s shirt, and handed it to her. “I’m still me. As I said before, you’ll always be my sister. I’m always going to worry about you. You’re my family.”

Amberlee huffed. “Whatever,” she mumbled, pulling the shirt over her head.

“Maybe I’ll head to the war room. See if they need me,” Palmo said.

“Good idea,” Venus said, glaring at the back of his head as he walked out.

As soon as he was gone and the door was closed, she faced Amberlee.

“What is your problem?” Amberlee stomped over to the vanity and sat in the chair. She watched Venus through the reflection in the mirror. The goddess sighed. Amberlee softened. She picked up a lip-gloss and dabbed it on. “We aren’t family.” She felt bad. The words, her words obviously hurt Venus, and she couldn’t understand why. “It isn’t like we were ever close.”

Venus crushed her hands together, wringing them.

Amberlee noticed Venus looked very god-like in her white, skintight outfit. It made the black belt and her Kelvieri’s boots stand out even more.

“Do you remember when we were kids and you’d sneak into my room after we’d been tucked in?”

Amberlee did remember. It was one of her best memories of her sister, up until her Father caught them and made her promise never to go in her sister’s room at night again. At the time she’d believed it was because they thought Venus was better than her. Now she knew it was because the wanted to protect her. “No,” she said, shaking her head.

Venus came over and sat on the edge of the vanity. “I do.” She picked up a brush and ran her fingers over the bristles. “We would take my covers off the bed and build a fort with them on the floor. We did that so the bed sensors wouldn’t know you were in there with me.”

Amberlee tried to keep a straight face. She didn’t want Venus to know how much those nights meant to her.

“We would take turns brushing each other’s hair.” She pressed the brush against Amberlee’s head. “May I?”

Amberlee swallowed, unable to speak. She gave Venus a brief nod and Venus drew the brush down her hair. It was still short, but not as short as she liked it.

“Your hair was longer than mine then and I’d braid it.” Venus set the brush down. Then she took Amberlee’s hair in her hands.

Amberlee watched, filled with the happiness those memories brought up. “Afterward you’d tickle my back and tell me funny stories about the Chans.”

“That’s right,” Venus said, joy filling her face. She quickly finished the braid and tied it off, then bent down so their faces were next to each other. “We may not look alike,” she whispered. “We may not have the same parents.” She kissed Amberlee’s cheek. The place where her lips touched seemed to burn. “But you will always be my sister.” She stood, her face serious. “Always.”

Amberlee rose. “Why aren’t you mad? Why don’t you hate me for what I did?” Tears filled her eyes. “I don’t think I could forgive you if the roles were reversed.” She turned away, crossing her arms in front of her. That was the truth.

Venus came up behind her and gave her a hug. “I can’t hate you, because I understand better than anyone why you did what you did.”

Amberlee stepped out of her embrace. “It’s the godly power stuff, huh?”

“Something like that,” Venus agreed. “Just know that everything I do, I do it out of love.”

Amberlee nodded, still not quite able to believe and hope. Venus wasn’t her sister by blood, but she had no one else.

“Let’s go to the war room. I have an idea. There’s something you and Palmo can do.”

That made Amberlee happy. She just wanted to be needed. “Alright.”

As they walked down the hall, Venus slipped her arm around her sister. “And just in case you aren’t sure, I think you’re way too young to be making out like that.”

Amberlee laughed. “Fine. I’ll try to resist, but I love him.”

“I know.” A strange look crossed Venus’s face. Amberlee thought about asking her what was wrong, but decided against it at the last second. They’d reached the war room and it was buzzing with people. She didn’t’ want anyone to overhear.

Venus stepped in front of her and walked over to the Chans’ leader. “Amberlee and Palmo will take food and supplies to those who are hidden underground. Zaren and Palamina will go with them.”

Zaren stepped forward. “We promised to stay with you.”

“I know,” Venus began, “but Amberlee and Palmo need you more. There’s something I need to do, and it needs to be done alone.”

Zaren clenched his jaw tightly. Palamina came to stand beside him. “We’ll do as you ask, of course.” She pulled Zaren back.

He shrugged out of her grasp. “No, I won’t leave you.”

Palamina glared. “She’s married, Zaren.”

He shook his head, seemingly frustrated. “I’ve been your guardian since the day you arrived at the castle. I…” he shrugged. “It’s all I know. Protecting you is all I know.”

“Don’t worry, Zaren. We aren’t going anywhere,” Amberlee said, pulling Venus to face her. She didn’t want to go outside. “It isn’t safe. The drones are getting closer to the castle, and I…” She let her words trail off.

Zaren hung his head.

Venus turned away from him and faced Amberlee, who noticed everyone was looking at her. Watching her. Some looked embarrassed for her. And she realized why. She was supposed to be the Queen of Alayeah. The leader. There was no one else. The realization shocked her and she staggered back.

Venus seemed to sense what was happening. “I know it’s scary, but you’ll take the tunnels. You’ll be careful. No one but those in this room will know where you are.” She glanced at Zaren. He raised his chin and gave her a brief nod. “Zaren and Palamina will guide you. It’s important for you to go.”

Amberlee wanted to interrupt, to tell her no. She wanted to remind Venus she was just a kid and that she was afraid.

Venus caught hold of her frightened eyes and held them. “You’re all the citizens of this country have left. You are their hope, Amberlee. They need you to come to them, comfort them. They are your people now, your family. You’ve got to do this.”

Amberlee pushed down her panic. Venus was right. And becoming queen had been all she ever wanted. “Fine.” She clasped her hands into fists at her sides and met the faces of those in the room. “Shouldn’t we have a coronation first?”

Sadraden woke Michael just as they reached the outer atmosphere of the Leviathans’ home planet. From Space it reminded him of a cat’s eye. The center was black and shaped like a diamond, while the orb around it glowed yellow.

“It’s strangely beautiful,” he said, leaning forward.

The center is where most of the Leviathans dwell, and the outer edges contain a sea of liquid gold.

“Holy cret.”

Exactly.
Sadraden seemed to hesitate.

“What is it?” He patted her side in an effort to soothe her.

We need a plan. The ruler resides in the center of the blackness. It is surrounded by thousands of Leviathans. As soon as we enter the atmosphere they’ll be able to sense us. Especially you.
She roared.
I understand Venus’s reason for sending you, but the Leviathans’ first purpose was seeking out and killing Ferethers. Your kind. They’ll sense you and be able to taste you immediately.

“Not exactly my kind,” he began, thinking through some of what Ramien had said. “I’m half Kelvieri too.”

You posses the power.

A completely new creature.

Invisible.

Interesting. Can I do that? Michael asked the sisters.

It’s within you.

As foretold in the Sistine Grimp.

Yes.

Michael sat up. “Apparently I can become invisible to them,” he told Sadraden.

Really?
she asked.

“According to the Sisters, yes.”

Well that changes everything. They won’t recognize my scent, and if I can keep out of their sights we may have a chance of sneaking in, taking the blood, and sneaking out.

“I guess we better do this,” Michael said, trying to prolong the inevitable, which was finding and then obtaining the blood of the leader.

Sadraden snorted.
The Leviathans have one large eye. If they turn at just the right time, yes, they’ll see me, but I’m much faster than they are. It isn’t the seeing me I worry about. They also have long tentacles covered in porous claws. They allow the Leviathans to taste the air. While their bodies are big and bumbling, their tentacles are not
.

“Okay, so I’ll make myself invisible to them… somehow. Then you’ll use your mad flying skills and we’ll swoop in there, find the leader, take his blood, and fly out. Easy, right?”

Sadraden roared.

“Yeah, I didn’t think so either.”

Sadraden had stopped flying forward. She was in a holding pattern, her wings beating quietly.

Michael decided to ask the question that had him the most worried. “How am I supposed to take some of the leader’s blood without getting killed?” And the next most important question: “How do I get the blood into the Illeyse?”

My child, you’re going to have to figure that out. I’m sorry I don’t have the answer.

Any ideas?
Michael asked the Sisters.

The Kelvieri in you will allow you to get close.

The Ferether in you can subdue his soul.

Strike
.

The words of the Sisters inspired him. At the mention of tasting the Leviathan’s soul, his heartbeat increased. It’d been a while, and he suddenly craved the Leviathan leader’s essence.

Can you tell me how to make myself invisible to them? Michael asked the Sisters.

Think about what you want.

It’s simple.

Believe
.

Michael snorted. Fine. He shut his eyes and imagined himself invisible, hidden from his enemies’ eyes. He imagined he had no scent, that he was nothing but an apparition. As he thought, he felt his body change; it no longer held the form of a corporeal being. He glanced down. His body was gone, only an outline or an impression, like a black shade, remained.

The true form of a Ferether.

A being without a soul.

Shadow
.

Sadraden roared.
You’ve changed.

“Yes, I most definitely have.” Michael hoped he could change back. He felt unattached, as though a brisk wind would blow him apart, scattering him to pieces.

“Let’s go. You find me the leader. I know what to do.”

In answer, Sadraden pressed her wings against her back. They shot like a rocket toward the planet. Michael tried to hang on, but it wasn’t necessary. He stayed with her effortlessly.

They passed through the atmosphere. Leviathans were everywhere.

He’d gone on a fieldtrip to an aquarium in junior high where he’d seen a tank filled with jellyfish. That’s what the Leviathans reminded him of: jellyfish in a tank. Only these creatures had one giant eye and an even more giant mouth filled with pointed teeth.

Whatever you’re doing, keep doing it. Stay invisible.

Michael understood. The creatures were large and frightening, and they reeked. The whole planet stank like vomit. If he’d still had his human form the smell would’ve made him gag.

There didn’t’ seem to be any kind of structures. It was just an aquarium of darkness and liquid gold filled with Leviathans that made Sadraden look small and Michael feel even smaller.

The Leviathan closest to them swiped a tentacle at them, but Sadraden spun out of the way.

“How will we know which one is the leader? They all look the same.”

I know
. Another Leviathan’s tentacle slashed at the air. Sadraden barely avoided it. She kept flying, getting closer to the ground. Michael searched the dark landscape. Their leader had to be around somewhere.