Table of Contents

Copyright

Dedication

Part One

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Part Two

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Copyrighted Material

The Children of Gavrilek

Copyright © 2013 by Julie Kirtón Chandler

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means — electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise — without prior written permission, except for the inclusion of brief quotations in a review.

For information about this title or to order other books and/or electronic media, contact the publisher:

Julie Kirtón Chandler

http://www.juliekirtonchandler.com

ISBN: 978-0-9850173-0-9

E-book ISBN: 978-0-9850173-1-6

Printed in the United States of America

Interior design by: 1106 Design

Dedication

For the following beautiful black women:

Rosalind Chatman, Crystal Lemons-Allgood and Jamila Talley Kinchloe

And for a conversation I had once with Alyce Wellons regarding love and attachment.

Onboard El Amante Secreto, a Cuban-based luxury steamer sailing from Boston to Havana September 5, 1923

Audrianna held a bucket up to Devon’s face and rubbed his back while he vomited.

“All right,” she said. “Are you finished?”

He gagged again, and then he placed his cheek on the lip of the bucket, balancing himself with two overhand grips while gasping, “I’m sorry, Mutti.”

“Sweetheart, it’s okay,” Audrianna said soothingly.

She tilted him back into her lap and wiped his mouth with the edge of a white towel. She then placed the bucket on the floor and picked up a bottle of ginger beer from the side table.

“Drink just a little more of this. I know you don’t like it, but it should make you feel better. This storm can’t go on all night.”

The boat pitched, and the bottle went flying into the air. The bucket rolled across the carpet and splattered vomit all over the silk-covered wall.

“Christ!” Audrianna swore, and then she growled at herself for cursing in front of her son.

“It’s okay, Mutti,” Devon said as he patted her hand gently. “I’ve heard it before.”

“From whom?” Audrianna raised one eyebrow.

“From you,” Devon replied. “I also learned shit, damn, son of a —”

Audrianna interrupted him and said, “Yes, I get the point, Devon.”

She used his real name for emphasis, but ordinarily she called him by the nickname he picked for himself when he was barely old enough to formulate sentences: Tru.

“Those are Mutti’s private thoughts that you’ve chosen to listen to, and they are not for repeating.”

“Yes,” Devon said, “but that’s where I heard it.”

“Right,” Audrianna replied.

She was annoyed, but understood that his intrusion was not maleficent. He was a fourth generation descendant from the Children of Gavrilek, a group of extraterrestrial beings living undetected among humans. By way of that lineage, he inherited two fundamental traits: the ability to hear thoughts and the inability to tolerate emotion. The color of his eyes was a direct indicator of his level of existence: green was life, black was death. Any other color was transitional and changed in accordance with his emotional responses.

A knock sounded on the door. “Baroness von Traugott, may I come in?”

“Yes, come,” Audrianna replied loudly. Under her breath she mumbled, “Don’t mind the vomit.”

The ship’s second officer entered the room, tipped his hat, and said, “Forgive the interruption, Madame.”

He sniffed the air, eyed the bucket, and then looked back at Audrianna.

“The captain has sent me to inform the passengers that we’ll be putting into the Savannah Harbor overnight for refuge. The storm is becoming much too uncomfortable to manage.”

The boat pitched again, and the officer fell against the door, nearly losing his legs. Audrianna and Devon got knocked around too, but they were able to keep their seats because the furniture was secured to the floor. Devon was sick again.

Audrianna raised the towel to his mouth.

“Thank you, Mr. Simmons. It is duly noted. Would you mind handing me that bucket on your way out?” She patronized him with a half-hearted smile.

The officer collected the bucket with two fingertips and brought it back to Audrianna. Taking a step back, he wiped his hand on his trousers.

“May I have a steward attend you?” he asked.

“Yes, that would be lovely,” Audrianna replied, switching out the towel for the bucket. She doubled the towel over in her lap. “You might as well wait until after we’ve gotten out of this, though. I’m sure there’s more mess yet to come.”

“Very good, Madame,” he replied. He bowed and departed from the room.

“All done?” Audrianna asked Devon, and he nodded. She pulled the bucket away from his face and wiped his mouth again with the clean side of the towel.

“Where is Savannah, Mutti?” he asked, leaning against her chest and wedging his sweaty head under her chin.

“Savannah?” Audrianna said. She put the bucket back on the floor, but she kept hold of it just in case she needed it again quickly. She wrapped her other arm around him and played with his fingers. “Savannah is in Georgia, sweetheart — one of the southern states. I really don’t know much else about it, except that it’s supposed to be quite pretty.”

“Can we go there?” Devon asked dreamily.

“One day, perhaps,” Audrianna replied. “One day, if we have to come back here to live, I’d like to see the entire country, coast to coast. Wouldn’t that be fun?”

“Why would we ever have to come back here to live?” Devon answered her question with a question.

Audrianna let out a sigh. “I think you know why, Tru. You also know that I don’t like to talk about this, right?” He nodded, and then she felt guilty. “Sweetheart, I know you have a lot of questions about who you are, and where you came from, but I know less about all of it than you do.” She was not lying about that.

At the outbreak of World War I, Audrianna left her medical career and journeyed to Switzerland to research the mysterious disease that killed her mother. She linked the symptoms of the disease to a local folktale built on supernatural beings feasting on human souls to survive — the Children of Gavrilek. During her stay, Audrianna became intimately involved with a woman, Countess Lorna Mehlinger, and an aristocratic Austrian named Dr. Dirk von Traugott — both of whom eventually revealed themselves as true incarnates of this tale.

Shortly after the discovery, Audrianna became pregnant with Dirk’s baby. It was a union that Dirk did not survive. Foreseeing conscription of the child by the Gavrilekian Master, Lorna arranged a protective marriage between Audrianna and Dirk’s human brother, Niklas. In the course of their elopement, the Gavrilekian Master captured Audrianna and Lorna. Audrianna managed to slay the master, but the emotional trauma of the ordeal left Lorna nearly dead. At Lorna’s dying plea, Audrianna consented to kill her so they could be reunited in another lifetime. Audrianna had not seen a Gavrilekian since, except for her Devon.

Like a fool, she spent the last eight years thinking that someone else from Gavrilek would come calling and explain things to Devon, or that Lorna would somehow contact her with instructions on how to proceed. She also spent the past seven years waiting for their master to turn up. She fully expected to be murdered in her bed at some point, but that had not happened either. No one had called; no one had contacted her; and no one had turned up. Audrianna knew just as little today about the Children of Gavrilek as she had the day she had became pregnant with Devon. She was not sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

Black water pounded the broadside of the ship as it lifted and dropped in response to the waves. The porthole glass creaked as it flexed inside its frame. The worsening conditions did not stop Devon’s questions. “Why did you sell Grandfather’s house if you thought we might have to come back here?” he probed.

Audrianna squirmed. The heavy velvet covering on the chair had exceptional insulating capabilities. Between the raging gale outside and Devon’s relentless questions, she felt like she was sitting in a steam bath. “Sweetheart, I sold the house to open a trust fund for you,” she said. “I’ve already told you this.”

“Why did you use a fake name, then?” Devon persisted. “Who is Harrison Steede?”

“Devon, enough,” Audrianna snapped at him. Afterwards she hugged him to soften the severity of her tone.

The bow of the vessel began a steep climb up a wave, and then it fell as the wave broke over the top. Audrianna let go of the bucket and grabbed the arms of the chair, grimacing as her stomach dropped out from under her. A high-pitched plinking noise crackled and splintered up the one and only window in the suite. The boat heaved again, but this time when it came back down, it came down on its side. The glass shattered. The porthole imploded, and frigid seawater began to pour into the cabin.

“Oh my God!” Audrianna cried.

She lost her hold on the chairs’ arms as the ship rolled under the water. She and Devon were both thrown against the wall and then against the ceiling. The boat was upside down and sinking into the ocean. “Tru! Where are you?” Audrianna screamed. She pushed herself up in the knee-deep water and flailed about for her son. The interior lamps began to flicker. Just as the lights went out, a hand reached up and grabbed her.

“Mutti!” Devon shouted.

Audrianna pulled Devon up and held him in her arms, pressing his face against hers and calming herself as best she could.

“It’s okay,” she reassured him.

Her mind raced as she tried to determine what she needed to do. Screams inside the ship made it darker and colder than it probably was. The grating and groaning of bending steel made it more frightening. The only ways out of the room were through the porthole and through the door, and the door led to a series of upside-down passageways and an underwater deck.

“Tru, listen to me.” Audrianna shifted his weight and spoke to him with breathless instructions. “We’re going to have to squeeze through the window and swim to the top.”

“I can’t swim!” Devon countered.

“Yes, you can,” Audrianna said, trying to encourage him. She waded as close to the pouring water as she could. She moved sideways into the wall, feeling for the metal frame of the window and latching onto it with a death-like grip.

“You were born with two internal flotation devices, and besides, everyone from Gavrilek can swim. That’s how you all got around. You swam from one place to the next. Haven’t I told you that before?”

“No,” Devon answered.

“Well, there. Now I’ve told you something you didn’t know,” Audrianna lied. She had no idea if her words were true, but she hoped Devon’s fascination with his heritage would inspire him to swim. The sound of cascading seawater changed to a trickle as it surged over the top of the porthole. Snapping noises within the ship became muted. A piece of spongy material rubbed against Audrianna’s arm. She recognized that it was a life preserver and grabbed it. It was only one, but Audrianna viewed it as a gift.

“Oh God, thank you. Devon, put this on,” she cried.

By the time Audrianna had tied Devon into the oversized vest, the water had reached her chest. She pulled the slipknot on her belt and removed it, wrapping it around him three times and then knotting it twice.

“Ready?” she asked, but she did not wait for him to respond. “Take a deep, deep, breath and hold it. I’m going to push you out of the window, and as soon as you clear the ledge, kick your feet as hard and as fast as you can. I’ll be right behind you, okay?”

“Mutti, I’m frightened,” Devon whispered.

“No, you are not,” Audrianna replied sharply. “No emotion, remember? I am right behind you, and everything is going to be all right. Now go.”

She felt his head nod against her face, and then she kissed him on the forehead, wanting also to tell him that she loved him, but she knew that was the worst thing she could ever do. He took an enormous gulp of air. Audrianna pushed him down by his shoulders, guiding him out of the window by his life vest and then pushing him through by his feet. She took no time in following him, but as soon as she tried to make her ascent, her legs became tangled in her skirt. She began to sink.

From out of the murky water, a set of glowing, green eyes appeared. A human-like face with no mouth soon followed, and then hands, and then arms. The creature snagged Audrianna by the back of her shirt. It raced to the surface with long webbed feet, catapulting into the air and splashing back down in the middle of an enormous, crashing wave.

“Tru!” Audrianna screamed, and then she held her breath as the water pounded on top of her head. She became bound up in her skirt again, but the green-eyed creature zipped in front of her and ripped her out of her clothes, pulling her upward by the hand. Some might have seen the creature’s actions as helpful, but Audrianna did not. The sight of the sea creature terrified her, and she responded with a tirade of hysteria.

“Turn me loose!” Audrianna cried as she thrashed away from the creature and began to swim as hard as she could in the direction of the sinking ship. She called to Devon and begged him to respond. Muscle fatigue set in after roughly fifty yards; her arms and legs became too heavy to lift. She tried to tread water, but her effort was barely enough to keep her lips above the surface. Soon she was sinking again.

When she had slipped ten feet below the surface, the sea creature grabbed her from behind by her underclothes. With four quick flipper kicks, it propelled her to the surface. She managed a gurgling scream just as soon as her head popped up, but her trepidation vanished the instant she heard a precious, familiar voice calling to her.

“Mutti!” Devon cried.

“Tru!” Audrianna answered. She swam the few yards between them with a burst of renewed strength and tried to grab him away from a second sea creature that was cuddling him.

Devon resisted her. “Wait, Mutti! They’re trying to help us! You have to let them help us,” he said.

Saltwater raindrops stung Audrianna’s eyes as she spied a lighthouse in the distance. They would not make it — she knew it. It was much too far to swim, even in good weather, and a coast guard rescue in the middle of this storm was not likely. She looked at Devon trembling in the arms of his keeper, and she realized that hypothermia was just as much of a danger as drowning. Suddenly she realized that there was no other choice.

“Yes, okay,” said Audrianna, relenting. She twisted around and nodded at the first sea creature floating a short distance away. It paddled closer and scooted her into Devon, pressing their bodies together.

“Hold onto me, Mutti,” Devon said. “They’re telling me that all of us have to hold tightly to each other and not let go — no matter what happens.”

“Oh God, Tru. What are these things? What are they going to do with us?” Audrianna asked.

“They’re from Gavrilek, Mutti — water nymphs,” Devon replied, his voice unruffled. “They’re going to take us to shore. Hold on!”

The two water nymphs joined hands and entwined their flippers around Audrianna and Devon, enclosing them in a tight, watery swathe. The ocean around them began to rotate counterclockwise, slowly at first and then faster and faster. The opposing currents caused a downward spiraling motion, like a whirlpool, while an updraft thundercloud drew rotating sea walls upward into the air, creating a waterspout.

“Close your eyes, sweetheart,” Audrianna said.

She put her hand behind Devon’s head and pulled his face down into the crook of her neck so that he could not see what was happening.

“You’ll be sick again if you don’t,” she warned.

What she said was true, but it was not the reason she had asked him to close his eyes. They just escaped a sinking ship and were now riding inside a giant funnel-cloud across an angry Atlantic Ocean. Even with the alien factor removed — Devon did not seem to be phased by that at all — there was no way that he was not experiencing some degree of anxiety or fear, neither of which he could afford.

The water nymph closest to Audrianna, the one who had rescued her from drowning, rubbed its cheek in her hair. She guessed that it was meant to be a comforting gesture, or maybe it thought she might make a good pet. Either way, she tried not to think about anything but portraying an outward presence of calm lest Devon default to using emotion as a coping mechanism. When he was not directly impacted by her mannerisms, she allowed herself to panic, but she never did so in his sight.

The waterspout began to shorten. Lightning bolts strutted across the sky. Blustery winds drove pea-size chunks of hail through their dwindling protective levee as it stalled and then finally petered out. It dumped them into water that was four feet deep and ten yards from the beach. Three shadowy figures with similar green eyes appeared to be watching and waiting for them. Startled by the sight of more creatures, Audrianna dived into the surf, losing her grip on Devon’s life vest and coming up with a mouthful of sand. She spat the granules off her tongue and started trudging after him, commanding her feet to move, but not waiting for them to comply. She fell again.

“Mis. Ya haffuh caam down!” the figures cried as they waded toward her, human in appearance but every bit as foreign to Audrianna as the water nymphs. They were African American.

“Oh God,” Audrianna choked. “Tru, where are you?”

She threw off her fright and scrambled to look for him, easing up a little when she saw that one of the water nymphs was holding him while another was sheltering him from the hail of razor-like ice chips. They pressed their foreheads into his, one at a time, distracting him in a way that seemed to make him unaware of Audrianna’s absence — a good thing, she decided, because it left her free to respond to the approaching strangers any way she saw fit.

Audrianna heard someone say, “Come’yuh, Mis. Leh we git in da house.” She felt a hand on her arm, and she turned to find a plump Negro woman in her fifties.

“I’m not going anywhere without my son!” Audrianna snarled, taking on a fight stance and putting up her fists. She came very close to taking a swing at the lady. Before she could manage, another crashing wave blindsided her and knocked her down again.

“Whoa! Whoa!” the older woman said as she petted Audrianna’s dripping head while a slender woman about Audrianna’s age and an elderly man pulled her up out of the water by both arms.

“Ain’t nobody tryin’ tuh tek’um from ya, honey,” she said. “We jis’ tryin’ tuh git ya’ll out’uh dis’ big wind.”

“Oh,” Audrianna relented. She wiped her face with her hand, mortified that she had nearly struck some poor old woman who really did seem like she wanted to help — not that she could be trusted. “I’m so sorry,” she apologized, and then she pointed at Devon.

“Here, Martha,” the young woman said. She passed Audrianna off to the older woman and then scooted by them, face turned sideways to protect her eyes from the hail. For a moment, Audrianna caught a glimpse of her emerald eyes. She plodded over to the water nymphs and placed both of her hands on their shoulders, engaging them in what appeared to be a telepathic conference that ended with her nodding a couple of times and taking Devon into her arms.

“She gwine git’um fuh ya, honey. Ain’t nuttin’ tuh fret obuh,” Martha told Audrianna. She rubbed her hand up and down her arm, but Audrianna shrugged her off, a little relieved when the other woman started back their way with Devon. Audrianna still felt confident that she had every reason to be afraid.

Devon reached for Audrianna just as soon as he was close enough to do so, and Audrianna grabbed him and squeezed tightly.

“Are you all right?” she asked him, but she knew by looking at the color of his eyes that he was unharmed. They had changed from green to yellow, but at least they were not grey, or worse — black.

“Mutti, did you know you aren’t wearing any clothes?” Devon asked, his teeth chattering.

“Yes. Thank you, son,” Audrianna smirked at his choice of worries. She bounced him up and down to adjust his position, and then she tried to start to shore. A swift undercurrent unsettled her footing and sent her into a portentous totter.

“I gotcha,” the young woman said as she caught her. She placed her hand on the back of Devon’s head, leaning forward and speaking to Audrianna with a different, completely intelligible southern accent. “Do ya want sanctuary here?” she asked Audrianna.

Audrianna stared at her. She flicked her eyes to Martha and then back. “I’m sorry?” she finally replied.

“Chile’ don’ ondastan dat, Mass,” Martha said to her younger counterpart. “Ya gwine haffuh ax anudduh way.”

“I can’t help your son unless ya claim sanctuary here,” the young woman tried to explain the situation to Audrianna. “You’re his guardian until he comes of age, so it’s up to you to decide.”

Audrianna squinted to keep the icy projectiles out of her eyes. Another wave came up and pounded her in the hip, and the impact sent her stumbling sideways for a few steps. “I’m sorry,” she said as she steadied herself. “I don’t understand what you’re telling me.”

“Jis say yes, honey,” Martha said. She came forward and rubbed Audrianna’s back in a motherly fashion. “Fo’ y’all catch yo de’t’ in cold.”

“Fine,” Audrianna replied, annoyed. She did not know what she had agreed to, but Martha was right. They could not stay out in the elements all night, so they would just have to take their chances with this motley crew and their so-called sanctuary. “Sanctuary, please,” she added.

The young woman nodded at her, but she looked just as uncertain about the arrangement as Audrianna felt. Even so, she guided her by the arm through the remainder of the fitful tide and up onto the beach, eventually sputtering, “What’s your name?”

“Baroness von Traugott,” Audrianna replied.

“Is that what you’d like us to call ya?” the young woman asked.

“No, no, no,” Audrianna said, shaking her head. She was embarrassed at how absurd her haughty title must sound to such people. “My name is Audrianna Fos — von Traugott. I’m sorry.” She pointed at Devon with her chin. “This is Devon.”

“Audrianna, my name is Kendis Lewis,” she replied, either ignoring or not recognizing Audrianna’s apology. She continued speaking, her voice controlled and kind. “This is Martha,” she said as she gestured first to Martha and then to the man walking in front of them, “and that is Mathani.”

They came upon a crop of barbed dune grass. Mathani separated it with his hands, indicating that they should pass through the middle. Audrianna balked. Having been the victim of a number of cornfield pranks as a child, she could not help but recollect the terror of those incidents now when she felt that doom was already so much in the air.

“Down! Down!” Kendis snapped her fingers twice, and the sea straw leaned away from a center path, exposing a macabre, stick-style house, with bold brick chimneys and a front porch with spindle detailing. There were no lights on except for the flicker of one lamp in the window. “Okay, Audrianna,” Kendis said to her. “Keep going.”

Audrianna could not keep going. The sight of Kendis’ magic trick, along with the eerie old house, had weakened her knees to such an extent that she could not stand up anymore, much less walk. Her muscles failed. Her temperature soared, and her heart beat so fast that her breathing could not keep up.

“Oh my goodness, what’s wrong?” Kendis asked Audrianna. Kendis turned to Mathani and Martha for advice when Audrianna did not answer.

“Ya skay’d’um, Mass,” Mathani replied. “Come’yuh Mis.” He took Devon out of Audrianna’s arms and positioned him on one hip. He then took Audrianna’s hand and pulled her to the house, up the porch stairs, and in through the front door. The door shut behind them. For the first time in two hours, there was no more water, but Audrianna hardly felt safe. Instead, she felt trapped.

“Here, drink this,” Kendis said as she sat a steaming cup of coffee on the table next to Audrianna. She then disappeared across the hall. The bottom of the house was sectioned off into four separate areas: a parlor with a fireplace, a kitchen, a bathroom, and a bedroom. A sharply angled staircase with weathered carpet steps divided the upstairs into two rooms, one of which Devon was sleeping in now. The dwelling was large enough for a family of ten, but Kendis was apparently the only one who lived there. Martha and Mathani had gone back to their own house just as soon as they had helped Devon get warm and dry.

Audrianna looked over at the coffee cup, but she did not touch it. She wanted to guzzle half of it down and submerge her frozen fingers in the other half, but she did not dare. She did not trust the contents of it any more than she trusted the woman who had given it to her. Black magic — voodoo! She had heard of such things before. She had read Huckleberry Finn!

“It’s coffee, Audrianna, not poison,” Kendis told her. She returned to the parlor with another blanket and wrapped it around Audrianna’s shoulders even as Audrianna shrank away. “I’m just tryin’ to help ya, honey. Are ya frightened of me because I’m from Gavrilek or because I’m a Negro?”

Audrianna began to shiver more violently. She folded her arms across her chest and cinched the blanket close around her with her fingers.

“I’m not sure,” she chattered.

Truthfully, she was not sure. It was probably a combination of both of those things. As far as she was concerned, everyone from Gavrilek meant to kill her and kidnap Devon. Also, she could count on one hand how many times she had ever been this close to a black person.

Kendis sat down next to her on the couch, taking care not to sit too close. She bent over at the waist and propped herself on her knees, clasping her hands together in front of her as if she was not sure what to do next.

“You really should get out’uh those wet clothes,” she finally said. “I have a nightgown you can wear. Or,” she stuttered like she was shooting ideas from the hip, “just a clean, dry dress you could put on if that’s more comfortable for ya.”

Audrianna pulled the blankets up over her face and cupped her hands around her nose. She looked all around, first to the staircase, and then to the front door, exhaling a warm breath into the cubby hole she had created. She knew that she could not stay cold and wet much longer, but to put on a strange woman’s clothes, the clothes of a woman who probably had every intention of killing her once she got warm and sleepy?

“Audrianna, I’m not gonna hurt ya,” Kendis said, shaking her head. “I understand that ya must’ve had some very bad experience with one of us, but please at least consider what I’m tellin’ you. We don’t all have malicious intentions.” She stood up. “Lemme give ya somethin’ dry to put on, and then we can talk some more. Okay?” Audrianna reluctantly nodded. She was so numb now that she did not have much opposition left to exert. “What would ya like to wear, a nightgown or a dress?” Kendis asked.

“A dress,” Audrianna whispered. In a dress, she would at least be more capable of running away if she had to. There was a fire poker right in front of her that she could use as a weapon, and the ledge outside of Devon’s room was not so high that they both could not jump from it and be okay.

Kendis snorted, but then she apologized. “I’m sorry, honey, but your thoughts are really quite loud.” She turned around and walked into the bedroom, laughing under her breath. “Has anyone ever told ya that before?”

Lorna told her that plenty of times. It was painful to listen to, Lorna had said.

“Here ya go,” Kendis said as she came back into the parlor with a short stack of clean clothes and handed them to her. She pointed to the bedroom and gave her a little push for encouragement. “You can change in my room, if ya want. I’ll wait out here for ya.”

Audrianna got up and toddled forward on tender, chaffed legs, brushing and squeaking from the friction of wet silk. She entered the lantern-lit room and closed the door behind her, jostling the layers of blankets off her shoulders and beginning the arduous task of unbuttoning the thirty or so buttons on her underwear. There was a simple double bed abutting the front wall in the room; it was neatly made with a red and blue patchwork blanket. An equally simple dresser was at the back of the room. There was one closet with closed doors and a single windowpane facing west to the beach. A zipping wind drove slushy raindrops from the sky, bending the glass inward with a mishmash of pops and splats.

Eventually, Audrianna shimmied out of her underwear and stepped into a blue, full-length housedress. The out-of-date material was comfy and bendable, as if it had been worn a thousand times and washed just as many. It was the type of dress that she would have been happy to wear any day, but not the type of dress that a baroness would ever have owned. When she was dressed, she picked up all her wet things off the floor and headed back out into the parlor, saying, “I’m sorry. Where should I put these?”

Kendis rushed forward and took the dripping clothes out of Audrianna’s hands.

“Why are ya sorry?” she asked before sprinting into the bathroom where Audrianna could hear her laying the things out over the tub. From the bathroom she called, “I didn’t tell ya what to do with it, so there’s no reason to be sorry.”

“It’s just a figure of speech,” Audrianna replied, feeling foolish.

“Yeah, I know,” Kendis said as she came out of the bathroom and wiped her hands on her dressing gown. “I’ve just never understood why people find it necessary to apologize for somethin’ when no blame has been affixed.” She furrowed her eyebrows and then released them. “Can you tell me why?”

Audrianna hesitated, unsure whether or not Kendis meant the inquiry to be rhetorical. When it became clear that she was waiting for her insight, Audrianna replied, “I think those types of apologies are made for the inconvenience or imposition of something — just to be polite.”

Kendis paused and said, “I see.” She narrowed her eyes and propped a hand on her hip. “Even if the other party dudn’ consider it to be an imposition?” she asked.

“Well,” Audrianna chuckled, “most people can’t hear other people’s thoughts, so an apology is often made just in case.”

“That’s an excellent point,” Kendis said. She smiled at Audrianna and changed the subject. “Are ya gettin’ any warmer?” Audrianna nodded. “Come, come,” Kendis beckoned her forward, grabbing a spindly-stick chair from the corner of the room and placing it next to the fire she had built. “Come sit here,” she added.

“I should check on Devon first,” Audrianna replied.

“Of course, if you’re worried,” Kendis agreed. She swung around the swirly knob of the balustrade and ascended the dozen or so steps, two at a time, waiting for Audrianna at the top before proceeding any further. They tiptoed together into the bedroom where Devon was snuggled so deeply under the blankets that only half of his forehead and the tips of his ears were visible.

“Tru?” Audrianna whispered. She squatted down next to the bed and pulled the blanket away from his face, stroking his drying hair and whispering in his ear, “Sweetheart, can you open your eyes and look at me?”

Devon opened his eyes, but he closed them just as soon as he recognized Audrianna’s face. He pulled the covers up over his head and grumbled a little, so Audrianna decided not to pester him any further. She stood up and stared at his form in the bed, rubbing absently at her arms and speaking mostly to herself.

“I can’t believe he’s sleeping through this weather. I’ve never seen a storm like this in my life,” Audrianna said.

The taste and smell of saltwater came back into her mouth. The pain of absent breath came back into her lungs. She tented her hands over her nose and remembered the moment the ship went under the water, tracking the recollection of it with empty, unfocused eyes.

Kendis crept up beside her. “Well, he’s had a tough day,” she said quietly, and then she put her hand on Audrianna’s back. “So have you. If ya wanna try some coffee now, I can heat it up for ya.”

Audrianna blinked. Yes, she wanted some coffee. The thought of it alone was making her mouth water, but what if it were drugged? Yes, she might be overreacting, but what was she supposed to think — that her steamship had accidentally capsized in a storm, and she just so happened to end up in a house with one of the Children of Gavrilek?

“Well,” Kendis said slowly, “here’s an idea. How ‘bout you go get warm by the fire, and I’ll heat the coffee up. If ya don’t want it by the time it’s ready, I’ll drink it. How would that be?”

Audrianna snuck a smile at her. It was a reasonable offer, after all. Surely someone who meant to kill her would not consent to drink his or her own poison.

“Come on,” Kendis laughed. She nudged her with her shoulder and motioned toward the door with her head, allowing Audrianna to lead at her leisure. They walked down the stairs and into the parlor. Kendis retrieved the spurned coffee cup and took it into the kitchen while Audrianna seated herself by the fire, listening. Over the noise of a scraping iron kettle, she could hear Kendis singing an opera.

“You have a beautiful voice,” Audrianna told her when she returned. It was curious that Kendis would know such a song. “The Pirates of Penzance, right?” Audrianna asked.

“That’s right,” Kendis answered. “Have ya seen it?”

“Yes. Devon enjoys music and theatre, so I take him as much as I possibly can.”

“That’s wonderful,” Kendis said brightly. “He should enjoy his visit with us, then. I have a very musical family.”

“Family?” Audrianna asked. She had assumed that Kendis lived alone.

“You’ll see them tomorrow,” Kendis replied. She knelt down in front of Audrianna and lifted the coffee cup to her lips. “Here, watch,” she said, taking a sip and settling back on her haunches. She stared at Audrianna and asked, “How long should we wait before we’re certain this isn’t witches’ brew?”

“Ha,” Audrianna said with a laugh. She glanced down at the floor and then back up at Kendis’ engaging emerald eyes. Her playful sense of humor was completely unexpected, and her methods of persuasion were artful. “Thank you,” Audrianna replied as she inched her fingers forward and took the cup when Kendis met her half the distance with it. “I’m sorry if I offended you,” she added.

“Don’t be sorry. You haven’t,” Kendis replied. “I’da been worried if ya hadn’t been a little leery of me. You couldn’t’ve raised Devon this long without anticipatin’ some sorta’ dreadful event.” She scooted sideways on her knees and then sat down on the lip of the red brick mantel, facing Audrianna. “Don’t worry. This isn’ it.”

Audrianna tilted the cup to her mouth and sipped. Once she had sipped, she swallowed. Once she had swallowed, she swigged — all of it. Afterwards, she pressed the cup between her palms to warm her hands. “What is this, then?” Audrianna asked in a low, cracking voice. “What are we doing here?”

Kendis squinted and then replied, “I’m not exactly sure what you’re askin’ me.” She followed quickly with, “Your ship got tossed in a hurricane, actually, not a storm, and a couple of my cousins rescued y’all, and brought ya here to me. Was that what’cha wanted to know?” Audrianna grinned and then looked away to hide it. Yes, that was what she had asked, but that was not exactly what she meant. “I’m sorry, Audrianna,” Kendis said, laughing at herself. “I struggle with the language barrier sometimes.”

“Language barrier?” Audrianna asked.

“The direct meaning and the indirect meaning,” Kendis clarified. “Sometimes I get lost in emotional translations.”

Audrianna nodded, paused, and then just asked Kendis her question out loud.

“Is that because you’re only partly human?” she asked.

Kendis shook her head. She dropped the laughter but left her smile in place. “I’m not any part human, Audrianna. Of course, this,” she rubbed both of her arms in turn and then touched her palms to her face, “this is human. This body is human.” She balled up her fists and pressed them together in the center of her chest. “What’s inside is not.”

“I’m not following you,” Audrianna said.

“I still have a hundred percent of my biverse energy,” Kendis replied. She rested her forearms on her legs.

Audrianna noticed that her palms were pink — just like with white people. She shook the thought off. “I’m sorry, Miss Lewis?” Audrianna asked.

“Please, call me Kendis,” she replied.

Audrianna nodded and said, “Kendis. I’m sorry, but…” She thought quickly of how to explain, and then continued, “I really just don’t know what that means — the biverse energy, and such. I wasn’t… well-schooled on this stuff.”

“Oh, well,” Kendis chirped, “it just means that I haven’t ever been crossbred with a human. That’s all.” Audrianna’s mouth fell open. Adrenaline seeped into her blood and whipped her heartbeat into a canter. Her eyes began to bulge.

“Why does that bother you?” Kendis asked, seemingly confused. She started off her perch, perhaps to offer comfort, but then she stopped, perhaps realizing that an abrupt approach might be taken the wrong way.

“You’re one of the Masters, aren’t you?” Audrianna asked her. Fear filled her voice.

“I’m not sure who you’re referrin’ to, Audrianna,” Kendis replied. “I do have my own little group of folks that I lead and teach.”

“How can you be so cavalier?” Audrianna spat. “You force them to play that stupid game! You enslave them. When they refuse to play, you kill them — that is… if they haven’t already killed themselves.” Audrianna let the air out of her high, tight tone, suddenly realizing how foolish it was to pick a fight with one of these masters. It was only because she had been able to set the last one on fire that she had made it away from him alive.

“We aren’t all like that, honey,” Kendis said. She glanced at the fire and then stood up. “I’m just gonna move over here, okay?” She pulled up another chair and sat cattycorner to Audrianna, several feet away.

“Are you telling me that you don’t play that game?” Audrianna said, her voice venomous.

“No,” Kendis answered. She leaned forward on her elbows and looked straight ahead. “No, I play. I hafta play if I’m in human form. We all do. It’s one of the rules. The goal of the game varies from group to group, and so does the way it’s played.” She turned her head and looked at Audrianna. “I’m a freshwater nymph — a naiad. Along with my other naiad sisters, and my saltwater cousins, the oceanids, we control seventy percent of the earth’s surface — that means we control the board, so to speak. It also means that we have the liberty to play conservatively — with as much fairness and as little aggression as possible.”

Audrianna snapped, “Well, you’ve said a whole lot without telling me much of anything. Talk about being lost in translation! I’d all but forgotten the methodology of talking in circles that Gavrilekians are all so fond of.”

“Oh my goodness,” Kendis said, her eyes widening. “I’ve made you very mad, but I’m not exactly sure how I did it. I’m sorry. It wasn’t my intention to anger you.”

Audrianna stood up and handed her the coffee cup. “I don’t trust you,” she said, pivoting on her heels and heading to the staircase. Kendis followed, although at a distance.

“I just wanted you to know, so that if you do try and kill me tonight, at least you’ll know that I knew you were coming. You didn’t get one over on me. Not this time,” Audrianna said fiercely. She started up the stairs, scared to death, but determined not to let it show.

“Audrianna,” Kendis called to her. Audrianna stopped but did not turn around. “Sleep well, honey. This will all seem much better to ya in the mornin’, I’m sure,” Kendis said sweetly.

“I doubt it.” Audrianna didn’t bother feigning politeness. “It never works out like that. I never get awoken from the bad dreams, only the good ones.” She completed her climb and crawled into bed next to Devon, holding him tightly and sleeping with one eye open — all night long.

“Hey, wake up!” an unfamiliar voice called.

Audrianna shot straight up in the bed and saw a little brown boy with shiny green eyes shaking Devon’s arm. He had a squirrel’s nest head of curly black hair and a wide, bright smile. There was a small but noticeable gap between his front two teeth, and his lips were so full that they covered most of his lower jaw.

“Oh for cryin’ out loud, Kiah!” Kendis said as she rushed into the room wearing an off-white apron and holding a battered yellow spatula in her hand. “I told ya not to come in here until after they were awake, honey!” she scolded him gently.

“It’s nearly nine o’clock,” Kiah replied. “If he dudn’ get up now, we won’t have any time to play before church.” Devon stirred. He pushed himself up on one arm and stared at Kiah. “Hey, do ya like dogs?” Kiah asked him.

“I don’t know,” Devon replied. “I’ve never been around them.”

Kiah grabbed him by the arm and dragged him out of the bed and towards the door. “Come on. Hurry up! You’ll just love my dog, Allegro. He’s great, and so much fun too! Sometimes he —”

“Kiah,” Kendis interrupted him as he attempted to bypass her.

“Ma’am?” Kiah said, his progress stopped.

Kendis looked at him sternly and said, “You need to make sure that Devon has somethin’ appropriate to wear before y’all go traipsin’ around outside, understand? It’s too wet out there to be wearin’ pajamas.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Kiah nodded. He then started off with Devon in tow.

“Kiah,” Kendis called.

“Ma’am?” Kiah replied glumly.

“Breakfast in half an hour, okay?” Kendis turned to Devon and bent over at the waist so that she could look him in the eyes. “Do ya like pancakes, Devon?”

“I am Tru,” Devon responded. Kendis and Devon then made the longest, oddest kind of uninterrupted eye contact that Audrianna had ever seen. The exchange was apparently so fascinating to Devon that he had a difficult time extracting himself from it.

“Lots of firsts today, huh, Tru?” Kendis said and grinned at him.

“Come on,” Kiah said, yanking him away. “You can talk to her later.” With that, the two of them disappeared around the corner and down the stairs, leaving Audrianna and Kendis alone together in the room.

“I’m sorry, Audrianna,” Kendis said. She stood all the way up and held her free hand underneath the spatula to catch the dripping batter. “That was a horrible awakening, I know.” The corner of her mouth twitched in the beginnings of a smirk that never came to fruition. It was clear that she was making a considerable effort to keep herself in check. “I’m glad to see that you’re still alive and well this mornin’.”

“What?” Audrianna shot back at her sarcasm. “Didn’t have time to bother with killing me last night?”

“Actually, no,” Kendis replied. “I find that I’m generally very tired at the end of each day, and far more interested in gettin’ a good night’s sleep than,” she cleared her throat, “killin’ anybody.”

Audrianna folded her face into her hands and fell back into the bed. She and Devon should be half way to a Cuban beach resort by now. Instead, they were here. She peeked between her fingers at her surroundings. Here, somewhere — she did not even know where that somewhere was. How were they ever going to get out of here?

“The Tybee road to Savannah is closed,” Kendis said, “but as soon as it opens up, we’ll drive you into the city so you can send a telegram to your husband.”

Savannah — they were in Savannah. She remembered now. One of the ship’s officers had told her that they were going to anchor in Savannah in order to escape the storm. Wait — how did Kendis know about Niklas?

“You’re not in Savannah,” Kendis replied to Audrianna’s thoughts. “You’re on Tybee Island. I know about your husband because ya kept me awake all night with your cuckoo jabberin’. I mean, really, honey. How do you manage to live in that head of yours? Don’t ya ever get tired of over-thinkin’ everything, worryin’ about everything, being suspicious of everything and everyone you encounter? Isn’t it exhaustin’?”

“Yes,” Audrianna croaked. “It is exhausting, but what else am I supposed to do?” She slapped her hands down on the mattress in frustration. “I’ll rephrase. Since apparently you have us trapped here, and we are now at your mercy, why don’t you tell me what you want me to do?”

“Fine,” Kendis said calmly. “I’d like ya to stop behavin’ like a child. If Devon sees ya actin’ like this, he’ll likely follow suit. He dudn’ have the energy to waste on pointless tantrums. You know it, and I know it.”

Angered by the insult, Audrianna sat up, dangled her legs off the side of the bed, and bared her teeth. She made a move to get up and leave, but she was pushed backwards into a seated position by a solid, invisible force.

“Audrianna, wait, please. I didn’t mean to —” Kendis began, but she was interrupted.

“Mass, dem pancakes is scawched,” Martha said as she popped her head around the door. “Mornin’, Mis.” She nodded at Audrianna, but Audrianna did not respond.

“Oh, no! My pancakes!” Kendis cried as she rushed down the stairs.

After Kendis had been gone for a few seconds, Martha stepped inside the room, leaned against the doorframe, and asked, “’Smattuh, honey? Why ya quawlin’ wid Kendis? She ain done nuttin’ but sabe ya from bein’ drowndid, eh? Why ya so mad fo’?” Audrianna looked down, and Martha came over and sat on the bed beside her. She put her arm around Audrianna and said, “Ya ain’t use tuh bein’ wid cullud people, I knows. We ain’t dat diffunt from ya, honey. Cep’ we ain’t human — but dat anudduh t’ing.”

Audrianna winced. She tilted her head back and looked up at the ceiling, angry with herself for her coming off as prejudiced. “I’m sorry,” she apologized. “I know you’re not any different from me, really. I’m just scared, and I’m lost, and I haven’t the first clue what I’m going to do about any of this.”

Martha pulled her arm out from around Audrianna and patted her twice on the leg. “Lemme ‘splain what’cha gwine do,” she said. “Ya gwine clean y’self up. Den ya gwine eat wid eb’rybody. Ya hongry, eh?” Audrianna nodded, and Martha stood up and looked at her. “Den we all gwine go tuh chu’ch n’ full up wid en’gy.”

“I’m sorry?” Audrianna asked. She raised her eyebrows to indicate that she had absolutely no understanding of what Martha just told her, or what church had to do with any of it.

“We needs en’gy from de human soul tuh suvive, honey,” Martha explained. “We teks’it from de air when people prays, neba scraight out’uh humans demself.” She winked at her and then headed out the door, calling to Audrianna from behind her, “So all dat worryin’ ya done lass night ‘bout de Mass killin’ ya was fah nuttin’.”

Audrianna rubbed her eyes. It was easy enough at last to permit herself to be as tired as she truly felt. She stood up and looked through one of the two windows that opened the room to the outside. She could see Devon and Kiah chasing an orange-speckled Cocker Spaniel up and down the beach. The dog taunted their pursuit by darting into the water whenever one of them came close. The two little boys seemed to enjoy this game immensely. In the past, Audrianna was too frightened to allow Devon the company of a friend. She feared the vulnerabilities of such relationships, the challenges associated with them, and the loss they could entail. Now, seeing him with Kiah, happy and free, she knew that she had done him a tremendous injustice by instituting such overly protective measures.

She walked out of the bedroom, down the stairs, and shut herself up in the bathroom. She bathed, washed her hair, and scrubbed her teeth with baking soda. When she was finished, she opened the door to find a pair of socks and scuffed-up oxford shoes sitting on the floor, presumably left there for her use. She snapped them up, strode around to the front of the couch, and sat down to put them on, finding them just a tad tight but comfortable nonetheless.

Squeaky hinges announced Kendis’ exit from her bedroom. Audrianna turned her head just enough to see her in profile, fully dressed in a high-waisted, mid-calf length skirt, a no-frills, long-sleeved top, and button-up boots. Kendis walked over to where Audrianna was seated and handed her a belted brown coat. “It’s sorta’ nippy today because of the rain,” she said. “You might wanna have this.”

Audrianna stood up and accepted Kendis’ offering, slipping both of her arms into the sleeves of the coat and then tying the belt into a knot in front of her. “Thank you,” she said meekly, her tone a byproduct of regret for her earlier impoliteness. She looked down and ran the fingertips of one of her hands across her forehead, thinking of what she should say in order to vanquish the tension between them.

“Were your pancakes terribly burnt?” she finally blurted out, and then she rolled her eyes at herself for such a muddled attempt at making amends.

“Ah, yeah. Pretty much,” Kendis said. She laughed. Audrianna gave her a pained look, and when she did that, Kendis stopped laughing. “It’s all right!” Kendis cried. She thrust her arms forward with her palms pointed down. “I can’t cook! I’m learnin’! It was nothin’ that you did. I promise.”

“I’m sorry,” Audrianna said.

“Don’t be sorry! It’s not your fault I can’t cook,” Kendis explained. A confused look spread across her face.

“No,” Audrianna said. She laughed gently at Kendis’ reaction. “I mean, I’m sorry for the way I acted earlier and last night.” She stared at the floor for a second and then looked back up. “I think it’s safe to say that I really have very little understanding of who you people are, and that scares me.”

Kendis tilted her head to the side. “Do you mean the Children of Gavrilek, or do you mean Negroes?” she asked. Her voice was kind and patient, her posture open and curious.

Audrianna chuckled. “Both, I guess. I’m sorry,” she apologized again.

“It’s okay,” Kendis replied. She put her hand on Audrianna’s shoulder without moving any closer to her. “I’m afraid you’ll be stranded here for several days, so we can use that time to talk things through, if ya like.” She pulled her arm back and pointed her forefinger up in the air. “You’re stranded, not trapped. You can leave when ya want to. You are not my prisoner, and I have no intentions for you or Devon, other than just makin’ ya comfortable while you’re here, okay?” Audrianna nodded, embarrassed by Kendis’ clear reference to her previous paranoid behavior.

“All right!” Kendis clapped her hands together, bouncing a little as she did so. “Let’s go eat some crispy pancakes!” She swept an imaginary pathway open for Audrianna to follow, inviting her to lead the way; Audrianna watched the motion of Kendis’ shoulder to determine which direction to turn.

“I’ve found that givin’ the children an extra jar or two of maple syrup to pour on the pancakes generally quells the unhappiness of havin’ to eat’um,” Kendis said as they headed through the kitchen, out the back door, and towards a massive, oblong building. The two-leveled structure was covered all around with large tracts of tin paneling turned rusty by the rain. Two-dozen windows overran a single large door in the front.

“Children?” Audrianna asked.

“Yeah,” Kendis said. Then she stopped abruptly and touched Audrianna on the shoulder again. “Oh, I know you’re gonna tell me that I shouldn’t be givin’ um that much sugar, but I just think that they shouldn’t hafta suffer because I keep insistin’ on tryin’ to cook.” She started walking again. “It’s been quite a while since my last incarnation, ya see, and the last time I was in human form, food preparation was a much simpler process.”

“How many children do you have?” Audrianna asked.

“Six — well, seven including Kiah,” Kendis replied.

“You have seven children?” Audrianna choked.

“Yeah,” Kendis said. After a moment, she responded to the rest of Audrianna’s unspoken thoughts. “No, I didn’t give birth to’um. I adopted’um. They’re my team. Kiah is my lead player, and Martha and Mathani are my hawks.”

Audrianna stared at her. She put her hand on the back of her neck, calming her anxiety and coaching herself to be articulate. “I don’t really understand the titles very well — the players, and the hawks, and all that.”

Kendis nodded and then said, “Players enact their master’s maneuvers. Blockers create decoys and screen thoughts and plays. Searchers hunt for people and information. Hawks are the master’s attendants or representatives. Does that make sense?”

Audrianna pushed her sleeves up and looked around without purpose. She unbuttoned the top two buttons on her dress and then fanned her skin with her hand. After a moment, she asked, “This is how it’s normally done? You all adopt them, and then you….”

“No, not typically,” Kendis replied. “Most masters recruit their players when they’re children and put’um in training homes or camps until they’re old enough to play. I prefer havin’ my team with me while they’re growin’ up. I enjoy bein’ a parent, and since I incarnate infrequently, it also gives me the opportunity to learn as much about human characteristics as I can.” After seeing the look on Audrianna’s face, Kendis halted her explanation and asked, “Audrianna, are you sick?”

“No,” Audrianna replied. She looked away for a moment, and then she resumed their eye contact. “I’m embarrassed.”

“Why?” Kendis asked.

“I’m sorry, Kendis,” Audrianna said. She hid her face behind her hands. “I just keep thinking that I must be crazy to be giving credence to any of this, and that discussing these things is a surrendering to that state of mental illness. Forgive me. I don’t mean to be insulting.”

“Hey,” Kendis whispered as she pulled Audrianna’s hands away from her face and tracked her down with her eyes. “Stop apologizing. We can talk about it as much or as little as you wish. I’m sure ya didn’t ask to be thrown into the middle of our world. You’re doin’ just fine with it, okay?” Kendis opened the door for her, and Audrianna nodded and went inside.

The bottom floor of the building was an expansive open bay with a colossal copper pot sitting on a tripod smack-dab in the middle of the room. There were empty wooden crates piled up in fours all around the outsides of the walls. Each was stamped with “Tybee Island Whiskey Company.” A wrought iron staircase occupied the middle of the room, creating access to a second floor where there were six rooms, all with open doors.

“What is this place?” Audrianna asked. Her question echoed off the ceiling and threw her words back at her like a boomerang.

“A distillery,” Kendis answered. She backtracked. “It use’tuh be housing for some’uh’the junior officers stationed at Fort Screven — that’s about five miles up the beach from here. The house ya slept in last night — same thing, but for the senior officers. Then, when the Spanish-American War broke out, the army quickly figured out that they needed their officers closer to the fort. So, they auctioned this land off to the highest bidder, and my predecessor bought it and turned it into a whiskey distillery — a very successful one at that — up until 1916.” Kendis started across the sterile concrete floor and headed toward the stairs.

Audrianna asked her the next obvious question, “What happened in 1916?”

Kendis held one of her hands and said simply, “Prohibition.”

“I didn’t think Prohibition was instituted until 1920,” Audrianna replied.

Kendis let out a laugh. “Not in Georgia!” she cried. “In Georgia, they passed a state law barrin’ the sale and purchase of alcohol in 1907.”

Audrianna shook her head and asked, “So, how were you able to keep this place open and running until 1916?”

Kendis stopped at the bottom of the stairs, grabbed hold of the handrail, and spun sideways to look at Audrianna. “Oh, because of the State of Chatham, ya know?” she answered. Then she turned her face up and laughed. “You don’t know about that, do ya, Audrianna?”

Audrianna gave her a bemused smile. Kendis was interesting to watch and talk with, fun even. Besides the fact that Kendis’ words, ways, and timing differed from those of anyone Audrianna had ever met, she was also happy and unshackled. She frequently talked with her hands, and she did not seem to have any of the concerns that Audrianna could never escape.

“Well,” Kendis continued, “when the law came into effect in 1907, Savannah, and Tybee, and Thunderbolt, and all the towns in Chatham County threatened to secede from Georgia over it! Can ya believe that? The residents around here refer to themselves as the State of Chatham.”

Audrianna lifted one of her eyebrows and shifted her eyes to the right. She wondered if she had missed the point.

Kendis raised the pitch of her voice and said, “I mean that they don’t consider themselves answerable to a lotta the state’s laws — Prohibition, for instance. We all just paid a ‘fine’ to the police department, and none of us ever got shut down.” She tilted her head. “That worked until May of 1916. That’s when a new mayor took over the town and made the enforcement of Prohibition his top priority. We still get away with a lotta it on Tybee. We always know when law enforcement is comin’ out here for a whiskey raid because the train engineer signals us. If they come by car, the bridge tender at the Thunderbolt Bridge sends a runner to the other four bridges between here and Savannah so they can open for boat passage. That stalls’um a good forty-five minutes or so, long enough to hide all the liquor at least.”

The door to the distillery swung open, and Kiah and Devon came bolting in at full speed. They rushed up the stairs and through the middle of Kendis and Audrianna’s conversation, but Audrianna caught Devon by the arm before he could make it very far. He turned his head back to her, sweaty, flushed, and smiling.

“Is everything all right?” Audrianna asked him. She ran the topsides of her fingers down his cheek and dissected his expression. He nodded.

“Come on, Tru!” Kiah called to him from the platform on the second floor. At the sound of his voice, Devon turned away from Audrianna.

“Kiah, please don’t be rude,” Kendis said, looking up at him as he leaned over the banister. “Devon is speaking with his mother right now. Go on in and have a seat.”

Audrianna glanced at Kendis and smiled. “It’s fine,” she told her, and then she motioned for Devon to continue his charge up the stairs. Once he reached the top, the two boys disappeared into one of the rooms. Kendis and Audrianna followed, climbing the remainder of the stairs, albeit much more slowly.

“Do you still make a profit from your whiskey?” Audrianna asked.

“Yeah,” Kendis said slowly, scratching her head. “A little. I did a lotta exportin’ to the North and to Europe when it was legal. Now I hafta bootleg it — not quite as easy, especially for a black woman.”

When they reached the landing, Audrianna caught sight of an upright piano in one of the rooms. “Do you play, too?” she asked Kendis.

“A little, but it’s mostly there for Kiah’s use,” Kendis said.

“Oh,” Audrianna replied, shocked. “Does he play well?

“Ha,” Kendis quietly scoffed. “He’s a virtuoso. That’s why I recruited him. Shall we?” She gestured to the same open doorway that Devon and Kiah had gone into, shutting down further conversation on the matter.

Immediately upon entering, Audrianna drew the stares of the six other children, ages six to ten, seated on opposite benches along a rectangular table. She gasped. The children had Down syndrome, every one of them but Devon, Kiah, and the little boy at the end of the bench nearest to her. His slumped posture suggested that he was suffering from some other debilitating disease, perhaps cerebral palsy. An excited outpouring of vocalizations arose from the group as Kendis came in behind Audrianna, and then the children all began to scoot out from under the table. Although their afflictions slowed their progress, they were full of enthusiasm.

“Good morning, my beautiful family!” Kendis greeted them. She placed both of her palms on either side of her face, opened her mouth, and widened her eyes in an overly expressive gesture of happiness. The children trotted up to her in a mass and flung their arms around her. Although they vied for positions at her side, they did not do so with any anger towards one another. The little boy with cerebral palsy slowly lurched toward the back of the pack in an uneven stumble, his hands hyperextended and one foot dragging behind him.

Audrianna shot forward to help him. She grabbed him by the ribcage, and when she did, he put his bent-back hands up on her arms, smiling at her with the same emerald eyes that they all possessed. “My name is Gary,” he said.

“Hello, Gary,” Audrianna pushed him backwards a little and looked at him. “My name is Audrianna.” She had some experience with invalids, but as far as she knew, most people with cerebral palsy were unable to speak, at least not with this kind of articulation.

“Audri,” Gary said. He tried to say the rest of Audrianna’s name, and then he laughed when he could not.

“Audri,” Kendis repeated, drawing up beside Audrianna with the rest of the children in tow. “That nickname suits you.” She placed her hand on the top of Gary’s head. “I try to work with him on his speech every day. His mind is really very keen, ya know. He just can’t form words very well yet.” She pointed to each of the other children and introduced them one at a time. “Gracie, Michael, Maggie, Penny, and Elmer — our drummer extraordinaire.” She rumpled the hair of the chubbiest little boy in the group and teased him with a bit of a growl. “Elmer is particularly skilled at beating the reveille when we’re all tryin’ to sleep. Right, Elmer?” Elmer beamed, and the rest of the children laughed.

“Come’yuh n’ set back down,” Martha said. She appeared from a small adjoining room with one plate in each hand, both stacked high with blackened flapjacks. She set the plates down on the table and corralled all the children. “Mathani, bring dat s’up wid ya. Bettuh bring two.”

Mathani emerged with two mason jars of tawny-looking goo and put them down next to Kiah. Martha distributed the pancakes around the table, smirking at the children as they stared first at their plates and then at each other.

“Y’all go on, now,” Martha urged them. “Mass been up all mornin’ fixin’ dese bittles fuh ya. Y’all gots tuh eat’um.”

Embarrassed for Kendis, Audrianna went to one of the empty places at the table and sat down. “Well, I’m starving,” she announced, reaching for her silverware and asking Kiah, “Would you pass me the syrup, please?” Kiah hand-delivered the jar and then returned to his seat, watching as Audrianna poured a small portion of syrup over the top of her pancakes and sawed the charred pile into tiny bites. She skewered one of the pieces with her fork and stuck it in her mouth, chewing for a good long time and then crooning, “Mmmm… Delicious!”

When the children remained unconvinced, Audrianna accelerated her plan of deception. She pushed out of her seat and picked up the tankard, moving from plate to plate with it and smothering each individual stack with a generous amount of syrup. She crossed her eyes and flared her nostrils at Kendis in a gentle poke of fun as she passed. When she reached a plate without an owner, she made a “come here” motion to her and pointed down, smiling and mouthing the words, “This one is yours.”

Kendis released a deep appreciative sigh and then went to the table to eat with the rest of them. She was unable to keep her eyes off of Audrianna for any length of time during the meal. When Kendis realized that her stares had made Audrianna uncomfortable, she put her fork down and spoke to Audrianna with unblinking eye contact and an awakened curiosity. “Audri,” she said, “thank you.”

“May I ask you a question?” Audrianna said to Kendis as they pulled away from the house in a red Stanley Steamer car. It had a boiler and a network of pipes under the hood, with a pilot light that Mathani had to fire up with an acetylene torch prior to their leaving. There was a throttle lever on the steering wheel that controlled the speed, and it could, supposedly, run three hundred miles on a single tank of water.

“Of course,” Kendis replied, “ask me.”

Audrianna turned around and stared out the back window at the oversized wagon tethered to the car. It was filled to the brim with all of the children, Devon included. Kiah sat in the middle of the group playing a harmonica while the rest of them clapped along. “What is the purpose of loading everybody up like this and taking them to church?” Audrianna asked.

“Do ya mean why do we take’um in a buggy, or why do we take’um at all?” Kendis replied.

Audrianna turned back around. “Why do you take them at all?” she asked. What she really wanted to ask was why Kendis took them to church if God did not even recognize them. Her memories of Dirk’s explanations were few and far between — but not that one. The idea that God did not recognize any Gavrilekians, her son included, was too sad to forget.

“You’ve assigned an emotional impediment to that statement, Audrianna,” Kendis said, addressing her pondering. “The person who told ya that most likely put it to you that way because they were tryin’ to demonstrate our place in your world. The term ‘recognize’ was probably meant in terms of appreciation — not to be taken derogatorily.”

“How else should I have taken it?” Audrianna said bitterly.

“Well,” Kendis said, and then she paused for a moment. “Lemme think of how else to explain.” She pinched her chin between her thumb and her forefinger and tilted her head sideways. “Okay.” She straightened her head. “How do ya feel about grasshoppers?”

“Grasshoppers?” Audrianna cocked one eyebrow. “I’m not sure how I feel about grasshoppers.”

“Right!” Kendis said, snapping her fingers. “You’re not sure because you’ve never given it any thought, right?”

“Yes, I guess so,” Audrianna replied.

Kendis waved one of her hands back and forth. “You don’t care one way or another, but if pressed, you’d say that grasshoppers are fine out in nature, but you wouldn’t want’um in your house. Same thing with God. He dudn’ mind our presence on Earth, but he dudn’ want us in his home, which is Heaven,” she said. Audrianna began laughing, and Kendis dropped her hand and stared at her. “What’d I say?” Kendis asked.

“That was a horrible metaphor, Kendis,” Audrianna replied.

“How come?” Kendis asked her, looking truly perplexed.

“Because you just compared yourself to a grasshopper. I feel worse for you all now than I did to start,” Audrianna said with a laugh. From the front seat, Martha and Mathani burst into laughter. Kendis opened her mouth, attempting to recover. When they all continued to laugh at her, she just waved her hand and sat back with a smirk on her face.

“I’m sorry, Kendis,” Audrianna apologized. She looked over her shoulder to check on the children again and then turned back around. “I think I understand what you mean, but I still don’t get the point of going to church.”

“Oh, well,” Kendis rallied. “We hafta go. That’s how we get our energy.”

“Yes.” Audrianna nodded her head. “That’s what Martha said, but I don’t understand how that can be.” Lorna had not mentioned doing anything like that, and neither had Dirk — not that she had much of an opportunity to discuss all the ins and outs with either of them. Still, they had both given her every reason to believe that the only way of getting the energy that they needed to survive was from the human soul.

“That’s only partially true,” Kendis replied. Her tone turned serious. “There are other ways too, but in reference to your question, humans willingly jettison traces of their life-force for us to use. We don’t hafta siphon it out of anybody to get it.”

Audrianna looked down. Why would Lorna and Dirk have made that up? What else had they made up? Had they set her up? Had they purposely impregnated her with Devon, too? A horrible idea dawned on her, and when it did, she felt her core begin to collapse, like a big-top tent that had become un-staked and was now crushing everything underneath it. Perhaps Devon was not Devon but Dirk. Perhaps Dirk and Lorna wanted out so badly that they staged that entire horrible night, and both of their deaths, just so they could free themselves.

“Mathani, stop the car,” Kendis told him. She turned to Audrianna and touched her once on the arm. “Be easy,” she said, and when she did that, Audrianna suddenly felt heavy, mellow, and unconcerned.

“Careful, Mass,” Martha mumbled from the front seat. “Ya playin’ wid fire back der.”

Kendis replied, “It’s hard not to play with fire when there’s an active volcano sittin’ right next to ya, Martha.” She opened her door and got out of the car, and then she leaned back inside and motioned for Audrianna to climb out. “Audri. Com’ere, honey. You and I are gonna walk the rest of the way, okay? Mathani, take the children on ahead and get’um situated in the church. We’ll be along shortly.”

Audrianna slid sideways in her seat and climbed out of the car. She planted her feet on the ground and stared up at the sulfur-colored storm clouds tearing through the sky. There was a smell of saltwater in the air, and the entire atmosphere was magnetically charged from the aftermath of the hurricane. Unable to qualify the sensation, Audrianna registered the feeling simply as zestful.

Kendis closed the door and tapped the hood, pulling Audrianna away from the car as it puttered off. The children turned their heads to stare at them, but Kendis waved her hand as if to say, “everything’s fine,” and then they all turned back around, even Devon.

“Why are we walking, Kendis?” Audrianna asked as they started off on foot. She did not care that they were walking; she might as well have been floating.

“I’m sorry, Audrianna,” Kendis replied. “I’m rerouting the electrical currents generated by your state of distress to the pleasure center in your brain. That’s why ya feel the way you do. As soon as the panic fades, so will the feeling.”

“Why are you doing that?” Audrianna asked her.

“Because I said something that upset ya in the car, and I was afraid that if I didn’t, you might direct your hurtful thoughts at Devon,” Kendis replied quietly.

Audrianna stopped laughing, finding no humor in that statement at all. It made her angry, and that emotional circuit was wide open and wired directly to her mouth. “How dare you suggest that I would do anything to hurt my son?” she snarled. As soon as she said those words, she began to recall snippets of the conversation that she and Kendis had just been having in the car. She checked herself, holding her face between her hands and making a purposeful effort not to let her thoughts, or her mouth, run rampant again. “I’m sorry,” Audrianna said in a low voice. “I remember now.”

“Could we talk about it?” Kendis asked her, but she did not wait for Audrianna to answer. “I needed to separate you from Devon so that he couldn’t sense what I was doin’ to ya, and now I have a block around your thoughts, so we can talk about this without havin’ to worry about him listenin’ to us.”

Audrianna rubbed her face in an unconscious attempt to bolster her fortitude. She looked around at the flat, sandy landscape, buying time to cultivate the amount of confidence necessary to participate in the conversation. It was not simply the conclusions that she had drawn in the car that made her nervous; it was the gist of the conversation — the supernaturalism, the concept of an alien race. It was like having to talk about her latent racial prejudices or her inclination towards lesbianism. She was aware of all these actualities, but she still felt horribly uncomfortable discussing them.

“Do you mind starting, and I’ll just listen to you for a while?” Audrianna asked, knowing that she could not stall much longer, but trying to make it as easy for herself as possible.

“Of course not, honey,” Kendis replied. She wrapped her arm around Audrianna’s shoulders, squeezed her once, and then let her go. “Devon is not his father in another body. He is a completely different person.” She held out one of her hands. “I mean, in a manner of speakin’. He is carryin’ memories from his other identities forward in his biverse energy, of course — but it’s such an insubstantial amount that he can’t even really remember who he is, and that makes him far more handicapped than any of my children. In fact, it’s an obstacle for survival.”

“Why?” Audrianna whispered.

“Because he is almost entirely human now, but he dudn’ have a soul to support those,” Kendis hesitated, “tendencies.”

“You mean weaknesses,” Audrianna said flatly.

“No.” Kendis shook her head. “I mean tendencies. They’re not weaknesses, or at least they don’t hafta be.” She stopped walking and snagged Audrianna’s arm so she would stop as well. “Of course emotion can be a weakness if it’s used incorrectly, or if it spins out of control. It can also be creative, awe inspiring, and magical! Even for us, it can be that way as long as we don’t go overboard with it.”

“What are you telling me?” Audrianna asked.

Kendis started walking again and so did Audrianna. “I’m tellin’ ya that there are a number of outlets out here,” Kendis said as she gestured around with her hands, “that we can get energy from in order to experience a small amount of emotion without it bein’ harmful. Nature, for instance: trees, flowers, rivers, mountains, and,” she pointed out to the water, “the ocean. These are things that your God has put on the earth to help ya with your journey — strength when you’re weak, encouragement when you’re down. Nature is a physical medium of God’s essence, an added boost to the soul he’s given ya.”

“I don’t see how that benefits you, or Devon,” Audrianna said.

Kendis laughed and said, “Humans aren’t the only beneficiaries of nature, Audri. Otherwise, we’d all be livin’ in the dark. We can use the energy embedded in it, too, and a lotta us do so all the time.”

“Can Devon?” Audrianna asked hopefully.

“No,” Kendis replied in a forthright manner. “He hasn’t been properly taught, and I have a feelin’ his father wasn’t taught, either, which leads us back to our earlier discussion in the car, about gettin’ the energy we need without hurtin’ anyone. I’ll continue with that, if you’re ready now.”

Audrianna nodded and said, “Yes, I’m ready.”

Kendis looked at Audrianna and said, “Your prior dealins’ with the Children of Gavrilek have been very traumatic for ya, I can see that, and I’m sorry.” Kendis paused. “I’m not sure if this will make ya feel any better about any of this, but the lies you believe you’ve been told were in all likelihood not lies but rather mis-teachings. It is the responsibility of masters to teach the generationals in their charge. If a master teaches his or her people to live by siphoning the life-force directly from a human host, then that’s all they’ll know how to do. It’s all they’ll wanna do. After that they’ve had a taste of somethin’ so satiating, it would be very difficult to settle for anything else.”

“Why would a master choose to do that if it is unnecessary?” Audrianna asked.

“For control,” Kendis answered. “Knowledge is power, and some masters believe the dissemination of it is a threat to their dictates and to their position in the game.”

“And you? Do you feel that way?” Audrianna asked.

Kendis smirked and said, “Well, now, if I did, we wouldn’t be havin’ this conversation.” She walked up the stairs of a weathered plank church with an A-framed roof. A wooden cross was mounted on the door. “Don’t be alarmed if ya don’t see everyone when we go inside. I scatter them throughout the congregation so that everyone gets a fair share of the prayers. Gary is generally the only one who sits with me, but Martha has him today so that I can help Devon, if that’s all right with you.”

Audrianna nodded, but then she grabbed Kendis just as she started to open the door and asked, “I’m sorry, Kendis, I still don’t quite understand. What is it that you’re going to help him do?”

Kendis let out a laugh and said, “I apologize. I didn’t really explain that, did I?”

Audrianna shook her head.

“The people inside — the humans, that is,” Kendis said with a smile, “are participating in a practice called remittance of self-generated energy. Your soul is constantly churnin’ out new energy for you to use.” She made clockwise flourishes with both of her hands to help illustrate the point. “And dependin’ upon what’s goin’ on in your day-to-day life, you may, or may not, use all of that energy. Sometimes ya need more — like in times of crisis — but most of the time, ya need less. An over-productive soul, I assume, was God’s safety net for ya, so that you’ll always have more life-force than ya actually need. The problem is, the soul has a limited storage area for all of it, and since you’re usually usin’ it at a slower rate than it’s bein’ generated, it starts spillin’ out and accumulating in your physical body. If it’s not gotten rid of properly, it tends to make ya a little crazy.”

“Crazy?” Audrianna asked.

“Yeah,” Kendis said. She cleared her throat. “Your thoughts become unmanageable. You don’t sleep. You make reactive decisions that are overly… emotive.” She narrowed her eyes and added, “Get my drift?”

Kendis had just described Audrianna’s general state of being, and the sudden change in her expression was, no doubt, an anticipation of the backlash she presumed would arise from doing so. Audrianna did not flare up at her. She took the elucidation in stride and even made an attempt to learn more. “Going to church is one of the ways to get rid of it properly?” she asked.

“Prayer is one of the ways to get rid of it properly,” Kendis replied, “and so is song.” She shrugged. “There’s also meditation, exercise, and creative endeavors like writing and art, but those things are generally single-person activities, and not helpful to us at all. It is only when a bunch of people are massed together in a small space, and practicin’ the remittance of self-generated energy, that we profit.”

“How so?” Audrianna asked.

“We harness the energy that they give off and use it as our substitute for biverse energy,” Kendis said as she put her hand back on the door handle. “Are ya ready to go in now?” she asked.

Audrianna felt her heart jump. “I guess so,” she lied.

“You don’t hafta come in, Audri. You can wait in the car if ya like,” Kendis told her.

“No, I want to,” Audrianna said. “I have to. I have to understand this if I am to be of any help to Devon in the future.”

Kendis pulled her against her shoulder. “All right, honey,” she said softly, “this way.” She then opened the door.

“Leh we all stan’ n’ give praise tuh Jesus!” an older black man with mostly silver hair shouted across the congregation of about thirty people, all seated on ten benches lined up in two rows of five each. When he did, everyone stood up and broke into a fast-paced hymn that was entirely in Gullah, an English-based language with strong African influences. Halfway up the aisle, Kendis tapped Mathani on the shoulder, and he slipped off to another row. She took his place on the bench beside Devon and then she gestured for Audrianna to join her. Audrianna did not come; she could not come. She was too stunned to move.

“Audrianna,” Kendis said. She put her hands around her mouth to emulate a megaphone. “What — are — you — doin’?”

Audrianna looked around repeatedly. “Why is everyone waving their hands around in the air?” she gasped.

Kendis slid out into the aisle and took her by the arm, guiding her into the church row and patting her on the back. “This is a Black Southern Baptist Church, honey,” she said. “The entire service is conducted with hands raised.”

“What!” Audrianna cried.

“No, no,” Kendis laughed. “I’m teasin’! I’m teasin’… well, kinda.”

“Why are they doing it?” Audrianna pursued. She looked over at Devon, who was gaping just as badly as she was. She reached around Kendis, latched onto him, and then pulled him over next to her.

Kendis let her laughter trail off, but she continued to smile. “Like I said, they’re remitting their excess life-force to the universe. They’re just more excited about doin’ it than most others.”

The preacher started clapping his hands, and the rest of the congregation did the same, including Kendis. Audrianna folded her arms across her chest and gawked at her. “Why are you doing it then?” she asked.

Kendis glanced at her and started laughing again. She twisted her upper torso side to side in a modified dance and clapped her hands together more enthusiastically. “I’m doin’ it because it’s fun, Audri,” she said with a laugh. She then reached up and tugged playfully on Audrianna’s arms. “Loosen up!”

The song came to an end. The preacher signaled for everyone to be seated, and everyone sat down — except for Kendis. She scooted around Devon and Audrianna and started walking straight up to the pulpit.

“Kendis!” Audrianna hissed. “Kendis!”

Kendis stopped, turned around, and returned to Audrianna. She cocked her head sideways and said, “Yeah, honey? What is it?” Audrianna glanced around with wide eyes in an effort to indicate her discomfort at having attention drawn their way. “Oh,” Kendis said when she realized Audrianna’s uneasiness. She rotated her head to the right and to the left, and then she swooshed her hand down in front of her. “Don’t worry about them. They can’t see us.”

“I beg your pardon?” Audrianna whispered, looking around again and checking people’s faces to see if they were watching what was going on between her and Kendis. Sure enough, nobody was.

Kendis laughed. “You don’t hafta whisper,” she said. “They can’t hear us, either. They don’t even know we’re here — you, me, and Devon, that is.”

Audrianna responded to the revelation with a succession of incredulous blinks. She placed her hand on her forehead and let it slip down to the bridge of her nose. She closed her eyes in an outward attempt to appear calm. “Please tell me how that’s even possible,” she said, her voice cracking.

“I’m interfering with the electrical signals bein’ sent to their brains from their eyes and ears,” Kendis replied.

Audrianna put her hand down. “Why?” she asked quietly.

“Because I wanna work with Devon without being disruptive to anyone else. Also,” Kendis said laughing, “havin’ y’all here, in all probability, would cause such a distraction that everyone would be more interested in checkin’ y’all out than prayin’ — and I can’t have that. Tru,” she summoned Devon’s attention. “Watch me, honey. Keep your eyes open when the preacher tells you to close’um, and then watch what I’m doin’, okay?” Kendis walked up to the front of the church and called to Devon in a voice louder than what the preacher was using. “The most important part of this whole process is harnessing. Do you know what a magnet is?”

Devon nodded his head.

Kendis said, “Did ya know that you have a very special kind of magnet inside of you, called a monopole? You brought it here from Gavrilek, and it makes you capable of harnessing and funneling life-force from the air.”

Devon shook his head. He leaned forward with rapt attention and eagerly absorbed her lesson on the mystical properties of Gavrilek. A slow smile appeared on Audrianna’s lips as she breathed a satisfied sigh on his behalf. At last he had some answers to his questions.

After church was finished, they all journeyed back to the compound to spend a casual afternoon together. Kendis and Martha immediately commenced to cook the afternoon meal, which they referred to as dinner rather than lunch, and which consisted of fried catfish, black-eyed peas, and a mess of skillet cornbread. Audrianna sat out on the front porch in a rocking chair, watching Mathani and the children play a game of Half Rubber on the beach, a diversion reputed to have originated in Savannah. The game required half a sponge ball and a broomstick. It seemed similar to baseball, but it had quite different rules.

“Who’s winnin’?” Kendis asked as she came out of the house and wiped her hands on a dishrag. She sat down next to Audrianna and flicked the rag in the air.

Audrianna chuckled and asked, “What’s the matter, Kendis? Did Martha banish you from the kitchen?”

“Yeah, pretty much,” Kendis replied smirking. She propped herself up on one elbow and eyed the game over the flattened dune grass.

“Does Gary always feel left out?” Audrianna asked her.

“Goodness no. Why do ya say?” Kendis asked.

“Well,” Audrianna said as she pointed at him out on the beach, “he’s just sitting there watching. I would imagine that he feels quite….”

“Handicapped?” Kendis asked.

Audrianna nodded. “Yes,” she said quietly.

“Tell me somethin’, Audri. Can you play a musical instrument?” Kendis asked.

“No,” Adrianna replied.

“Do ya find not bein’ able to do so detracts from the enjoyment of listenin’ to others play?”

“No,” Audrianna replied again.

Kendis pursed her lips to hide a smile, and Audrianna quickly got the point. Kendis said thoughtfully, “I see how their circumstances could be viewed from a perspective of what they can’t do or what they can’t have. I don’t look at it that way, and neither do they.”

Audrianna softened her eyes. Having one handicapped child within a family was considered by most people to be an inconvenience. Having more than one signaled an institution. Audrianna could tell that Kendis did not see her circumstances that way. She was delighted with her situation; all anyone had to do was to watch the way Kendis talked about and interacted with the children to know that it was true. There was a fondness between them that Audrianna did not understand largely because all she had witnessed from the Children of Gavrilek up to that point was anger, blame, criticism, and abuse. That thought reminded her of a question she meant to pose earlier in the day but had forgotten. She turned to Kendis and said, “Kendis, when you took us out of the water last night, you told me that you couldn’t help Devon unless I claimed sanctuary here. What did you mean by that?”

Kendis began to rock back and forth. She kept her eyes on the ocean even though Audrianna was looking at her. Kendis stalled to respond and spoke gingerly when she did. “Devon has a master’s mark on his biverse energy,” she said. “That means he has an active, binding contract to play for that master that cannot be broken. To let ya stay here without a claim of sanctuary would be the same thing as takin’ him as a hostage. It is an act of war.”

“He has a binding contract,” Audrianna repeated, stunned. “Do you mean when I leave here, I may still expect his master to come and collect him at some point?”

“Yes,” Kendis answered, and then she looked over at her.

“Hi, Audri,” Kendis said, drawing up next to Audrianna as she stood upon the beach, watching a chattering pod of dolphins playing in the surf. Stripes of crimson rouge painted the perfect blue sky, and oyster-colored waves stirred the mouth of the Savannah River into seawater goulash. There was a crispness to the air that turned cold each time the wind blew, and when it blew, Audrianna could taste salt on her lips. This was the third sunset that she had witnessed from the shores of Tybee Island, and it was every bit as dazzling as the first one.

“Hi,” Audrianna replied. She glanced at Kendis briefly, a gratuitous gesture, and then returned to her view of the seascape.

“Are ya homesick?” Kendis asked her.

“Sort of,” Audrianna replied without elaborating. Because Kendis could hear her thoughts, Audrianna knew she did not have to explain herself. She had no doubt whatsoever that Kendis understood that she felt nostalgic. She longed for sunsets and vacations spent in Cape Cod — not in Austria. This conversation mirrored the pattern they had established over the past few days: Kendis asked questions, and Audrianna replied with her thoughts.

“It is beautiful,” Kendis said, nodding. She looked around and fidgeted with her hands for a moment. “Would ya like to take a walk up towards the lighthouse with me before dinner? We could talk some more.” Kendis’ reference to their “talks” made Audrianna smile. She bent her head forward to try and hide her amusement at Kendis’ implication. Kendis fastened both of her hands around Audrianna’s upper arm and shook her gently. “Well, if ya spoke more often, then I wouldn’t hafta do all the talkin’!” Kendis said with a laugh.

Audrianna lifted her head, looked Kendis directly in the eyes, and said, “I’d love to take a walk. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” Kendis replied. She let go of Audrianna’s arm but not her eyes — she held her gaze for another second. When she became aware that Audrianna noticed the lingering eye contact, Kendis turned away and started walking — an edgy, uneven transition that was not her usual manner at all. The impression persisted through the first few minutes of their trek until Kendis finally broke the silence. “Wha’do’ya wanna talk about today?” she asked with her face pointed down, another atypical mannerism that Audrianna noticed and decided to point out.

Audrianna replied, “I’m guessing by your body language that there may be something that you want to talk to me about.”

Kendis glanced sideways at Audrianna and smirked. “Yeah,” she admitted, looking up into the sky and then running one of her hands around her throat. “Well, ya got me there. Interpreting body language is not one of my stronger suits, as you see. It requires a certain amount of emotional intuition — that direct-indirect thing again — so, although I may try, I’ll never be very good at it, I’m afraid.”

“Does that bother you?” Audrianna asked.

“Bother me?” Kendis repeated the question.

“Are you angry that you’ve encountered something that you’re not very good at? Besides cooking?” Audrianna said with a smile.

Kendis laughed out loud in one dramatic exhalation. “What! What are ya talkin’ about? I live in a constant state of befuddlement!” she said, and then she quickened her stride. “Am I angry? No. That’s an ego-driven emotion that humans use to ease the pain of failed expectations. No!” she restated adamantly. “I’m fascinated. I learn new things that I don’t know or understand nearly every day, and I wanna learn’um. I welcome that change. It is humans that have a fear of change!”

“Kendis,” Audrianna said as she reached out and grabbed her arm. Kendis had been walking so quickly that she was nearly jogging. When she did, Kendis stopped and looked at her.

“I’m sorry,” Audrianna said, dropping her hand. “I didn’t mean to touch you like that.”

“Why?” Kendis countered. Audrianna did not respond, not even in her mind. The quick frankness of the comeback had percussed her to such an extent that she was not able to think, blink, or speak. She stared at Kendis like she had just been struck.

Kendis surrendered with her hands, and then she ran them over her face. “Never mind,” she said. “I forget sometimes that touch is not an acceptable form of communication.” She turned to continue walking, but Audrianna broke from her frozen state and latched onto her arm again, this time without letting it go, and this time without apologizing.

“That’s not true, Kendis,” Audrianna told her. “Touch is fine. You just have to make sure that it’s okay with the other person too. It’s generally reserved for those who know each other well. People are very peculiar about having their personal space breeched.”

“Do you think that’s because people tend to associate touch with sexual intimacy?” Kendis asked. The directness of her question hit Audrianna squarely in the stomach.

“I guess so,” Audrianna replied. She dropped Kendis’ arm and rushed her hands to her cheeks, answering with as much composure as she could muster before spinning away from Kendis, out towards the ocean.

“Audrianna?” Kendis flanked her. “Have I said something wrong?”

Audrianna started laughing. She tried to make and maintain eye contact with Kendis, a task made easier by Kendis’ genuinely inquisitive expression. Finally, she said, “The reference to sexual intimacy. It’s just not something that people generally discuss in the first three days of their acquaintance.”

“I see,” Kendis replied quietly. “I’m sorry if I embarrassed you. I’m still learnin’ about what’s acceptable to talk about. It’s been a long time since —”

“Yes, you’ve told me,” Audrianna said, cutting into Kendis’ explanation. “It’s fine, Kendis. Please, please don’t misunderstand me. I think your spontaneity is charming.” She put one of her hands on her forehead and then lowered it. “I just need a minute sometimes to recover from your candor. That’s all.” Audrianna paused, but she then spoke again before Kendis had an opportunity to respond. “So, to answer your question, yes, I think maybe people do draw a parallel between touch and sex, and that’s perhaps why they shy away from it. However, I also believe that there is an emotional vulnerability that arises from physical contact. I’m not sure why, but touch seems to make people feel more connected to each other… and that can be scary.”

Kendis gave Audrianna a sweet, appreciative smile. “Thank you for speakin’ with me,” she said. “I feel less intrusive when we do it this way.”

“You’re welcome,” Audrianna replied. She pivoted on the balls of her feet and started walking again. “It’s not that I’ve been trying to be coy,” she explained. “I’m just not accustomed to talking about these things openly like this. I rather thought I’d be seeing you a little more in my dreams.”

“Why would ya think that?” Kendis asked.

Audrianna thought quickly of what to say without giving away too much information. Naturally, that plan backfired. The brakes on her runaway mind gave way, and her thoughts filled with the memories she had been attempting to hide from Kendis the entire time she and Devon had been there: Lorna kissing her, Lorna undressing her, Lorna doing other things to her that she wished she could forget.

“I see,” Kendis said. She caught every bit of that and now Audrianna had no idea how to recover from the humiliation. She closed her eyes in horror. “Whoa, whoa!” Kendis said as she grabbed hold of Audrianna, embraced her quickly, and then let her go. “It’s okay, honey. Those are your thoughts. Don’t you ever feel like ya hafta justify’um to me or anyone.” Audrianna looked down, and Kendis tugged on her arm. “Do you hear me?” she persisted gently. “I’m the one who should be sorry for trespassin’ upon your thoughts. You can be assured that I’ll never go trespassin’ in other places where I have no business bein’, though — your safe place, for instance. The reason we haven’t had any of these discussions in your dreams, nor will we ever, is because I won’t go in there. It is sacred and it is yours. The worst thing I could do to you, or to myself, for that matter, is to invade it.”

“I don’t understand,” Audrianna said, lifting her head.

Kendis turned to continue their stroll. She placed her hand on Audrianna’s back to rally her, and Audrianna came along, even though she had not quite regained her wits. “It’s like this,” Kendis continued. “If I go trudgin’ into your soul’s inner sanctum, for any reason, no matter how careful I am, there’s no way I wouldn’t leave behind some of my energy in there for you to absorb. Conversely, I wouldn’t be able to come outta there without carryin’ some of your energy with me.” She laughed. “I’d get all over you. You’d get all over me — and yeah, of course it feels wonderful. It’s also a sure-fire way of formin’ attachments between us. There are no barriers if we interact inside your safe place. And that goes for anyone else you allow in there too. Have ya ever had a dream about someone, and then found yourself unable to look at’um the same way the next day?”

Audrianna nodded, but she did not say anything. She was not sure whether or not Kendis was making a general statement about dreams or citing a specific type of dream interlude — sexual dreams, like the ones Audrianna had just been reenacting in her mind.

“I was speakin’ in general, yeah,” Kendis clarified. “Of course, you’re right. The more intimate the encounter, the more impregnating the memory will be. If you make love to someone in a dream, it dudn’ matter whether there was actual physical contact or not. Your mind will remember it just as if there had been, sensations and all.” She held out her hand. “Actually, the sensations are even more potent because ya don’t have inhibition meddlin’ with your desires when you’re in your safe place. You’re far more likely to participate in sexual situations that you would otherwise avoid.”

Audrianna started to sweat. She ground her fists into her eye sockets and prayed that this approach would keep all other graphic images at bay. It was impossible not to acknowledge Kendis’ point. Lorna had been her lover long before they actually touched each other, all because of what happened between them in her dreams. Some of the things that they had done together in her dreams were nothing she would ever consider doing while awake — not that she had been given the chance. “You’re implying that this is dangerous?” Audrianna guessed.

“It is dangerous, Audri. It sets up attachment, like I said. Attachment’s not good for anybody, but particularly not good for us, the Children of Gavrilek, I mean. It is lethal. You’re wonderin’ why your lovers chose to disregard the danger, and I’ll tell ya that it’s likely because they didn’t understand the consequences of doing so, like everything else I’ve seen or heard about them. They weren’t properly taught.”

Audrianna winced at the word “lovers.” She felt that word made her sound like a whore. How had Kendis known there was more than one of them, anyway?

Kendis chuckled. “I know it’s been awhile since my last incarnation, honey,” she said as she swung her arms by her side, “but I think babies were made the same way back then as they are now. Also, you thought about him in the car on the way to church the other day while you were constructin’ one of your conspiracy theories, remember?”

Audrianna dropped her head into her hands. She peeked at Kendis through her fingers and said, “You must find me quite trying at times.”

“No,” Kendis replied, “I don’t.” She stopped laughing, but her smile was visible in her eyes. “I find you confident; I find you strong. I find you pretty well adapted for havin’ gone through somethin’ that ya don’t even fully believe in.” She skipped a couple of times and then threw her arms out in front of her. “I find your thought progressions so very entertaining… and challenging! Sometimes, I don’t even know how to handle’um! Did your lovers find you challenging?”

“Yes. I think so,” said Audrianna, snorting under her breath.

“I bet they did!” Kendis hooted. “Tryin’ to get ya figured out and keep their human emotions in check at the same time.”

“I’m sorry. Was that an insult?” Audrianna asked.

Kendis stopped so suddenly that she slipped a little on the sand. She turned a sharp ninety degrees, put her hand on Audrianna’s shoulder, her eyes widened like she was about to make a grievous apology.

Audrianna stopped her before she could. “Kendis, I’m teasing,” she said. “I’ve been made aware on a number of occasions that I’m not a very easy person to deal with. Believe me, you put it nicely.”

“May I explain?” Kendis offered.

“You don’t have to,” Audrianna replied. “I think I understand — about emotion, I mean. I know that it is toxic for you all.” She turned back to the ocean just in time to see the stern-side of the sun sink beneath the water. “I know that part all too well.”

“Yeah,” Kendis said, drawing the word out on a cloud of breath. “I bet ya do. Have you had a difficult time with Devon?”

“No. Not really,” Audrianna replied. She crossed her arms over her chest and clamped her hands around her biceps, rubbing them up and down to generate heat. “Then again, I don’t give him many opportunities to experience emotion.” She bit down on her lip; ashamed of herself for reasons she did not understand. “I sequester him as much as I possibly can, from everyone, including his father — my husband, I mean.”

Kendis stepped up beside Audrianna and blocked her from the wind. “You’re cold,” she said. “Let’s turn back.” She slid her arm underneath Audrianna’s arm and pulled her close so that they could share body heat. “Is this okay?” she asked.

Audrianna waited for the discomfort of being held by someone unfamiliar to come, but it never did. She reached over with her opposite hand and twisted her fingers into Kendis’ shirtsleeve, authenticating the nod she made with her head.

“You need to get Devon a dog,” Kendis said as she turned around and began to guide them back the way they had come. The moon was out, illuminating their sandy path. “That will keep ya from havin’ to isolate him from others so much.”

“Why is that?” Audrianna asked.

“Oh, because companion animals share their souls with their owners, and with each other,” Kendis said. She paused for a moment and then added, “Actually, they share with anything that dudn’ try to hurt’um, and they have a shut-off valve that automatically locks if they’re hurt or scared. Another one of God’s safety nets, I suppose.” She exhaled. “He certainly has a curious sense of humor.”

“Who?” Audrianna asked.

“God,” Kendis replied brightly.

Audrianna laughed at Kendis’ remark and then said, “I think that statement qualifies as blasphemous, Kendis.”

“No,” Kendis said, raising the pitch of her voice as she always did when she felt she had miscommunicated her meaning. “I didn’t mean that, I just meant his embellishments,” she said as she gestured around in the air with her unoccupied hand. “They’re fascinating. Take emotion, for instance: indiscriminate land mines buried all along the path of your life. Their existence, at first glance, might seem cruel, especially when you step on one, and it blows your legs out from underneath ya. It isn’t cruel. It’s God’s way of teachin’ ya a lesson.”

“One I’d rather do without,” Audrianna said.

Kendis cried, “Of course you would, because it hurts! You bleed, you suffer, you think you’re gonna die, but the truth is, most people don’t die of a broken heart. Most people recover, heal, adapt. Most people learn from the experience.” Kendis squeezed Audrianna’s arm. “You learn, Audri. Don’t ya see? And it isn’t as if your God hasn’t provided ya with a number of pleasurable emotions to offset the pain of the harder ones: happiness, serenity, ecstasy. Or did ya wanna forgo those too?”

Audrianna bent her head forward and smiled. “No,” she replied, “not really.”

“Besides, you’re not required to participate,” Kendis said. She chuckled through her next set of words. “You could’ve stayed home in Heaven, ya know?”

Audrianna nodded her head, also remembering having had that discussion with Dirk, only Dirk had not been able to explain how or why that was.

“I don’t know the answer to that either, Audri,” Kendis told her. “I’ve never had the opportunity speak with your God, so I have no idea why spiritual beings would choose to leave the eternal safety of Heaven; seems a little reckless to me. What did Devon’s father say on the subject?”

“Adventure,” Audrianna replied.

“Adventure. Huh!” Kendis puffed. “That’s interesting. I wouldn’t have thought that, but maybe so. I don’t know. It’s one of those things that —”

“Kendis,” Audrianna interrupted her quickly, without waiting, without thinking, and without worrying if the question she meant to ask was disrespectful or if it would destroy the sense of trust they were developing. Still, she had to know the answer.

“Uh-huh?” Kendis replied.

“Do you have… a line?” Audrianna asked.

“Nooooo,” Kendis said, elongating her response. “I do not.” She stopped walking, slipped her arm out of Audrianna’s, and then stepped in front of her. “Havin’ a store of human bodies to pop in and out of is a complete atrocity. I’m scared to ask how you even know about such a thing.”

A blast of sea mist blew in from the ocean, dusting Audrianna’s face with a covering of crystallized salt. She crossed her arms, closed her eyes, and tilted her chin all the way to her chest in an attempt to minimize her exposure to the spray. She chattered, cold and nervous. “Devon’s master trapped us, that last day, and told me that he was going to add me to his line once Devon was born.”

“Oh, honey. Com’ere,” Kendis whispered, pulling Audrianna forward and wrapping her arms around her. “What a horribly tortuous thing to hafta think about. No wonder you’ve been so jumpy with me this whole time.” She rubbed one of her hands slowly up and down Audrianna’s back, generating comforting physical warmth. The safety of the sensation overrode any inclination Audrianna had to pull out of the embrace. It was quite some time since she had experienced such a tender attempt at consolation, and she refused to suspend the feeling prematurely just for the sake of appearances.

“I’m guessin’ this was the same master that ya set on fire,” Kendis said, pushing Audrianna back to arm’s length so that she could look her in the eyes.

Audrianna quickly tried to defend her actions, exclaiming, “He was evil, Kendis! He hunted us, trapped us! He tortured Lorna nearly to death, and if I hadn’t killed him… I know what my fate would have been.”

“Wait, wait,” Kendis said as she pulled Audrianna back into her arms and rocked her side to side. “I’m not judgin’ you, Audrianna. I have no doubt that individual got exactly what was comin’ to him. No, I’m thinkin’ of your safety now, and Devon’s safety too.”

“I don’t understand,” Audrianna murmured.

Kendis again took Audrianna’s arm, this time without asking permission. Her demeanor turned thoughtful and serious. “I’m not sure I do either,” she said, resuming their walk. “The master keeps his mark upon Devon, which is essentially a warning for other masters to keep away. Devon is entirely too weak to be effective on anyone’s team, regardless of the objective. He must have something his master dudn’ wanna lose. It’s probably embedded in his biverse energy, and he may not even know about it.”

“What could it be?” Audrianna asked.

Kendis shrugged and said, “Battle plans, maybe. I’m not sure. There’s no tellin’ with a master like that.”

“What do you mean ‘a master like that’?” Audrianna asked.

“An Arbalest Master,” Kendis replied. “There are a dozen or so tyrannical groups of Gavrilekians who control the banks, the militaries, and the majority of the political offices on this planet, and they are the ones who wield most of the power in the game. The rest of us have nicknamed’um the Arbalest Groups, after the steel crossbow of the Middle Ages: the weapon that the Pope banned from the battlefield because of its brutality and the unfair advantage it offered.” She smiled, but it was not her usual effortless smile. “It appears that your son is a part of one of those groups, by proxy, of course.”

Audrianna scrubbed her fingers across her forehead. “How do you know that?” she asked Kendis.

Kendis pulled her closer and said, “The Arbalest Masters are the only ones vile enough to use the physical bodies of the humans they drain as their clothes.” She cleared her throat. “Your ideas about the Children of Gavrilek seem to have been influenced by someone with the Arbalest mentality, with fear and savagery bein’ two of their favorite intimidation methods.” She held out her free hand and laughed a little. “There’s the fact that you truly believed I wanted to kill ya when we first met, and then there’s Devon himself; he keeps comin’ up to me and askin’ why I’m bein’ so nice to him.”

“Kendis, I….” Audrianna felt bad and wanted to explain both her and Devon’s odd behaviors.

“Oh, I know, honey,” said Kendis. She turned towards Audrianna slightly and gave her arm a squeeze. “I understand, really. That’s how I knew Devon belonged to one of the Arbalest groups, though.”

Audrianna tilted her head backwards and said, “I was wondering why you and Devon have been exchanging those long stares the past few days.”

“Yeah,” Kendis replied softly. “I’ve been tryin’ to figure out what his biggest needs are, and what I can help him with the most while y’all are here.” She pulled up all of a sudden and stopped talking.

Audrianna noted Kendis’ hesitation and prompted her to speak by saying, “You wanted to talk to me about something earlier, and we got off topic. It’s okay, Kendis. Go ahead and tell me what you wanted to say now.”

“I wanted to talk to ya about Devon, Audri,” Kendis said. Her voice was so heavy it weighed her eyes down too. “In terms of his biverse energy and his ability to survive with that minuscule amount, he has the skill set of an infant. With time, and proper guidance, he could possibly aspire to that of a small child.” She looked up and forced a thin smile. “He’ll never be more than that. He has been irreversibly disabled by his number of human cross-breedings.”

Audrianna looked down and skimmed the bottom of her shoe over the top layer of sand. “Why are you telling me this?” she asked. “Am I doing something to make his situation even worse than it already is? I haven’t known what to do, so I’ve just done the best I can.”

“I know,” Kendis replied, and then she waited for Audrianna to look at her before speaking again. “I’m tellin’ ya because I wanna help.”

“How?” Audrianna sniffed.

“I can work with him individually while y’all are here. I can teach him the things he needs to know to be able to live beyond his incubation — like the use of ambient energy from nature, or sharing energy with animals. I can help him learn to control his emotional responses. Those things, coupled with your diligence to encourage’um, should be enough to keep him from goin’ blind or worse, at least until after he comes of age.”

Audrianna clamped her hand over her mouth to hide her quivering lips. “What do you mean incubation? Come of age?” she whispered.

“Our biverse energy becomes distressed when we experience physical death in a human body. We all hafta endure an incubation period of fifteen years before we’re fully functional again,” Kendis replied. “Unless, of course, you’re an Arbalest Master. Before their human bodies die, they just jump into the next one in their closet — that is, unless they die unexpectedly. I’m sure Devon’s master is still in incubation from when you killed him a few years ago, and that’s likely why he hasn’t come to collect Devon yet.”

Audrianna shuddered.

“I’m sorry, honey,” Kendis said. “I shouldn’t’ve told ya all of that. The point I was tryin’ to make was that, at fifteen years old, Devon will no longer be able to use you, his mother, as a source of nourishment. The umbilical cord from your soul will be cut, and he’ll be on his own. That’s why it’s crucial he be taught another way and be proficient at it before that time comes.” She raised her eyebrows and shook her head. “Same for Kiah, and the rest of my children, too. They’re all in the same boat — incubation, I mean. I’m workin’ hard to teach’um how to survive without me, particularly the ones who’ve had the misfortune of incarnating into human beings that society would rather lock away than help.”

Audrianna refused the onslaught of tears that tightened in her throat. It was true. Society did have an irrational disdain for physical imperfection. People with disabilities had very little chance of escaping a life sentence in a sanitarium, even if they were children and even if they had reasonable mental capabilities. Audrianna had never encountered anyone before who was so intent on defying that paradigm. It was touching, just as selflessness generally is.

“Let’s go eat supper!” Kendis said, changing the subject. She sprung up on one of the sand dunes marking the trailhead back to the compound and clapped her hands together. “I’m hungry. Are you?” Audrianna hesitated to reply, and when she did, Kendis trotted back down the sand dune and ringed Audrianna’s arm with her own. She spun her around and started walking with her up the path, laughing. “No silly! I didn’t cook it. I was out here with you — Oh!” She popped her hand over her mouth. “I forgot to tell ya. The Tybee Road is open to Savannah. We can go tomorrow and send a telegram to your husband.”

Audrianna, surprised by the sudden revelation, said, “Please don’t make a special trip for me. I can go whenever it is convenient for you.”

“It’s convenient for me to go tomorrow,” Kendis told her. “I hafta take Gary to the doctor. He’s started havin’ these breathin’ fits that set him back for days. He’s always had some breathin’ problems — coughing and that sorta’ thing. This just seems different.”

“It could be asthma,” Audrianna offered.

“Gosh, I hope not. Why do ya say?” Kendis asked.

“Most practitioners agree that asthma has strong neurotic elements too,” Audrianna replied without considering the company she was in, a misstep she tried to correct when Kendis stayed quiet. “I’m sorry, Kendis.” She ran her hand over her forehead and kept it there. “What I was trying to say was that, like cerebral palsy, asthma is believed to be a nervous system disorder, a hallmark characteristic of which is muscle spasms.” She puckered her face and rubbed her forehead a couple more times. “With cerebral palsy, the muscle group is nonspecific. With asthma, it’s the bronchial muscles.” Kendis stared at her sideways with more unusual silence, and Audrianna became tickled. “I’m sorry,” she said with a laugh. “There’s a crossover between the two. That’s the point I was trying to make.”

“How do ya know these things?” Kendis asked her.

“I’m a doctor,” Audrianna replied, and then she quickly followed with, “was a doctor.” She nodded her head, ratifying the amended statement and then repeating it. “I was a doctor. I graduated from the Women’s Medical College of Pennsylvania in 1912, but I never got the chance to finish my residency program.”

“Why is that?” Kendis asked.

“Let’s save that story for the next walk, shall we? I am hungry,” Audrianna replied. She took hold of the distillery doorknob, twisted it, and went inside with Kendis. “I’ll take a look at Gary after dinner. It might save you a trip to Savannah.”

“What about your telegram?” Kendis asked.

“Well,” Audrianna said as she looked up at the baluster. “I was thinking that it might wait for a few more days. That is, if it’s all right with you. Niklas already thinks we went down with that ship. A few more days of not knowing we’re alive won’t lessen his happiness of finding out that we didn’t.”

“Yeah, but it might lessen his grief,” Kendis replied. She climbed the stairs side by side with Audrianna but stopped halfway up, placing a light hand on her wrist. “Audrianna, he should know.” Audrianna nodded, but she remained silent. “If ya wanna take a few more days to enjoy Tybee, I wouldn’t have any objections about ya stayin’ here,” Kendis added. She presented Audrianna with a handshake. “How ‘bout you let me know when you’re ready to send your telegram and then we’ll go send it. Deal?”

Audrianna took Kendis’ hand, shook it once, and then held on to it long after she should have let it go. “Okay,” she replied, “I’ll let you know.”

“What are you doin’, Audri?” Kendis said as she came in the back door, wet from the outside sprinkles, and sat down at the kitchen table next to Audrianna. She had tucked all the other children in their beds inside the distillery, and Devon and Kiah were upstairs in Kiah’s room playing cards. After spending three full weeks on Tybee, Devon expressed a desire to move across the hall with Kiah. Audrianna had allowed him to do so even though it left her heartsick and lonelier than she already was.

“I’m trying my hand as an apothecary,” Audrianna replied. She smiled at Kendis and then returned her attention to the makeshift mortar and pestle she had contrived from a seashell and a stick.

Kendis picked up one of the green-stalked plants on the table and thumbed the yellow flower clusters. “What is this?” she asked.

“It’s mullein. I walked up to the road this morning and picked it. It’s growing everywhere up there,” Audrianna said.

“What’s it for?” Kendis asked.

Audrianna stopped pulverizing the leaves and dipped her finger into the mush to determine the consistency. She then replied, “It’s for Gary. I’m going to try to treat his breathing problems with it.” She rubbed her thumb and index finger together and analyzed the outcome of her concoction with dissatisfaction.

“Wha’do’ya do with it? Rub it on his chest or somethin’?” Kendis asked.

“No,” said Audrianna with a laugh, “not this. This is for cuts and scrapes.” She held up her fingers for Kendis to inspect, and then she pointed at the other plants she had laid out above the sink. “That’s for Gary. Over there.”

Kendis looked over at the wilted stalks lying in the windowsill and then started to get up. “I think they’re dyin’, honey,” she said. “Do you want me to put’um in some water for ya?”

“No, no,” Audrianna stopped her. “I want them to dry out. After that, they can be steeped into tea and used to treat all sorts of conditions: kidney infections, bronchitis, chest colds, and… asthma.”

“You think he has asthma, then?” Kendis asked.

“I’m not sure,” Audrianna replied without looking at her, still working on her poultice. “I haven’t heard any wheezing, but without a stethoscope, I can’t be certain. Do you have any cooking oil?”

“Ah… yeah,” Kendis said, looking around. She got up and pulled a vat of cooking oil down from the cupboard. “How much do you need?”

“Maybe just a teaspoon, thanks,” Audrianna replied. She glanced over her shoulder when she heard Kendis rattling through the dishes, and then she turned around all together to comment on what she saw her doing. “Kendis, I don’t know that I’ve ever seen that much oil in my entire life.”

Kendis laughed and said, “That comes from livin’ in the South.” She removed the cheesecloth and then tipped the mammoth container of cooking oil slowly over to dribble a little puddle in a saucer. “That, and havin’ so many mouths to feed, of course.” She brought Audrianna the saucer, replaced the cheesecloth and the container, and then sat back down.

“Kendis, may I ask you a question?” Audrianna said. She scraped the leaves out of the seashell and onto the saucer, and then she stirred them into the oil. “I’ll tell you in advance that it is absolutely none of my business.”

“Sure, I don’t mind,” Kendis answered.

“Where do you get the money to maintain this place, feed everyone, and such?” Audrianna asked.

Kendis propped her elbows on the table and rested her face in her hands. “I’m usin’ what’s left of the proceeds from the distillery,” she replied.

“The distillery? That shut down more than five years ago. Did you have that much saved?”

“Uh-huh.” Kendis yawned and then added, “We’ve nearly run through it, now, though. I’ve been scrapin’ the bottom of the barrel for several months.”

Audrianna stopped stirring. She felt a sudden sick feeling at the thought of them all going hungry and swallowed hard to overcome it. “So, what are you going to do?” she asked Kendis quietly.

Kendis leaned back in her chair and said, “I’ve petitioned the state government for funds to open a school for disabled children. Mathani and I are goin’ to Savannah in the mornin’ to file the final paperwork. If that dudn’ come through, I’m gonna hafta step up my bootleggin’ efforts, I guess. Maybe I’ll open a gin mill or somethin’.”

“I’ve never heard of a state-funded school for the disabled, Kendis,” Audrianna told her. “Is that something that’s regularly done in Georgia?”

Kendis started laughing and said, “Oh no, honey, not at all. Georgia is just as intolerant of disabled people as any other state.” She pushed back from the table, crossed her legs, and placed her hands in her lap. “There’s only two state-funded sanitariums in the entire state: one in Milledgeville that’s been there since the early 1800s, and a new one that just opened last year in Augusta. Both of’um receive appropriations from the Lunatic, Idiot, and Epileptic Asylum Fund.”

“Is that the fund you’re trying to utilize?” Audrianna asked. She plucked another couple of leaves from the mullein stalk and added them to her mix.

“Nah,” Kendis replied. “I wrote a grant proposal based on certain standards of education and rehabilitation — not institutionalization. It’s a unique concept, I know, but I’m hopin’ that public pressure to resolve mistreatment allegations in their two sanitariums will be a catalyst for a change in the way things are done.”

Audrianna bit her lip. She tried to keep her thoughts from filling her head, but it did not work. There were very limited opportunities available to Negros for even basic education, much less advanced schooling. How was it that Kendis, a young black woman, had become so well educated?

“Somethin’ else you wanna ask me, Audri?” Kendis said, and Audrianna did not have to look at her to know that she was smirking.

“Not really,” Audrianna tittered. She unconsciously slowed her pestling until she stopped altogether, and then she put the stick and seashell down. “There’s something I want to know, and that’s entirely different from something I want to ask.”

“I see,” Kendis said. “How would you ever find out what you wanted to know if you didn’t ask?” Audrianna scoffed, but she did not answer. For reasons she did not understand, she was embarrassed. “Well,” Kendis said, “durin’ the last few hundred years that I’ve been out’uh human form, I’ve spent a lotta time travelin’, attendin’ lectures, plays, concerts, even university. I’ve been all over the world, and I’ve learned quite a few things from varying perspectives.”

Audrianna looked at her, and this time she felt obligated to stay connected. She said, “I’m sorry, Kendis. I didn’t realize that you could do that.” She swallowed the discomfort of saying her next words. “I was under the impression that you had to incarnate into newborn babies. You told me that you didn’t have a line of bodies to use, so I just didn’t know.”

Kendis smirked and said, “That is true for generational Gavrilekians. Newborn transfers are their only option because they’ve lost their original bodies, and they have no other way to incubate their energy. I still have my original body.” She paused and then added, “On the rare occasion that I am in human form when I die, I go back to my original body for my incubation period rather than into a newborn. While I am in that state, I can travel around invisibly with just my astral body. It takes very little energy to do that.”

“Why are you so infrequently in human form?” Audrianna asked.

Kendis laughed once. She rubbed her hands over her face and then sat back; it was not a relaxed pose. “When I’m human, I hafta play the game, and I’m not very good at it,” she said quietly. She diverted her eyes and fiddled with her shirtsleeves. “To be perfectly honest, Audri, I’m quite bad.”

“You mean you haven’t won?”

“Haven’t won, ha!” Kendis flicked her eyes up and then back down. “Nobody’s ever won. The blueprint for winnin’ is incredibly difficult, and the cost of losin’ is much too great. Few groups ever play to win.”

Audrianna stared at her and then said, “I’m sorry, Kendis. I don’t comprehend your meaning. Why are you all playing this stupid game if nobody is trying to win? What does it mean to win, while we’re at it? Kill all the humans and take over the planet?”

Kendis rolled her eyes. “No, Audri. Winning the game means making it back to the Biverse, rebuilding our planet, and resuming our lives. Everyone is tryin’ to win. That’s not what I said. I said that few groups have ever played to win.”

“Oh, boy,” Audrianna said as she ran her hands through hair and then exhaled. “You’ve lost me again.”

Kendis stood up and rested her hands on the back of her chair, looking inward and speaking off hand. “I think we’ve locked ourselves into one way of thinkin’ with it, though. There hasta be some way for all of us to make it back to the Biverse besides the method prescribed.”

“Kendis, please,” Audrianna said, her tone somewhat frustrated. “I’m sorry, but I don’t have any idea what you’re talking about. What method?”

Kendis shook the glaze out of her eyes. She walked over to the kitchen hutch, pulled out a bottle of whiskey, and poured two small glasses while she attempted to explain.

“As it stands right now, there are three major objectives required to win the game: finding the truth, building the bridge, and chasing the mirror. When a group has completed all of these objectives, or if they believe they can complete these objectives by the end of a series, they may then choose to register a final objective, which is called playin’ to win. Playin’ to win is like shootin’ the eight ball in billiards. You’ve only got one shot at it, and if ya don’t make it, you lose the game. If a group loses the game, the cumulative biverse energy of their team is instantly seized and divided amongst the rest of teams who are playin’ at the time.”

“So, what? You die?” Audrianna asked.

Kendis chuckled. She brought the two glasses back to the table, resumed her seat, and said, “We use the term ‘destroy’ rather than ‘die’ because death isn’t permanent, but yes, in a matter of speaking. That’s why very few groups ever play to win. It’s the ultimate gamble.”

Audrianna looked down at the glass of whiskey and said, “Kendis, I don’t drink that much, really. It makes me act in ways I wouldn’t ordinarily act.”

Kendis picked up her glass and clinked it against the one she brought for Audrianna, saying, “It’s just a little bit, honey. It’ll be all right.”

“Okay,” Audrianna said, taking a sip.

“Do ya wanna keep talkin’ about this?” Kendis asked.

“Yes, yes. Please,” Audrianna said, rushing her words. “I’m listening. Please continue.”

Kendis swallowed half of her whiskey and then sat her glass on the table. “Okay,” she said, narrowing her eyes. “The Cosmos is laid out in triplicate mirrors, right? The Universe, the Biverse, and the Antiverse.” She made an etcetera gesticulation with her hand. “Earth, Gavrilek, and Tawn… you, your Biverse mirror, and your Antiverse mirror.”

“What?” Audrianna asked. She had no idea what Kendis meant.

“Oh, I’m sorry, honey,” Kendis cupped her mouth and then released it. “I thought you understood about your mirrors. Everything in triplicate, remember, even human beings.”

“But I —” Audrianna began.

“Hang on,” Kendis said, interrupting Audrianna. She pointed to Audrianna’s glass and adjusted her seat. “Drink your drink, honey. I’m gonna explain it to ya the best that I can. Okay?”

“Okay,” Audrianna said, and then she gulped her whiskey.

Kendis then continued, “There are two deities in the cosmos: God, who rules over the Universe, and Antigod, who rules over the Antiverse. The Biverse is their trashcan. They jointly created it so they could throw their rejected creations into it, so everything in there, includin’ me, includin’ Devon, includin’ Gavrilek, and everyone from Gavrilek, is a compilation of unwanted things.”

Audrianna winced and said, “Kendis, please don’t say things like that.” She took another drink and then looked down. “Devon is not unwanted and neither are you.”

“That’s very nice of you, honey. But to God and to Antigod, that’s exactly what we are. They created you all — their children — with the characteristics they wanted ya to have, and then they threw the characteristics they didn’t want ya to have into the Biverse. That’s how we were formed. Your Biverse mirror is a duplicate of your consciousness, just with a different set of personality traits. Do you understand?”

“Oh God,” Audrianna said as she pressed her fingers against her temples. “Yes, I guess so. I’m just not sure how I feel about it.” Kendis pulled her fist up to her lips to hide a smile, but the upturned corners of her mouth gave it away. “Is this funny to you, Kendis?” Audrianna asked sharply.

Kendis laughed, shot the rest of her whiskey, and said, “Yeah, Audri. I think you’re funny. I’m sure someone with more human experience than I have would respond to you in a more stoic manner, so forgive me.” She shrugged with one shoulder. “I enjoy your personality, and I just don’t have skill enough to hide it very well.”

Audrianna rolled her eyes. There was no way she could be angry with that response, so she just finished the remainder of her drink and then twiddled her thumbs until Kendis looked at her. They shared an elfish grin.

Kendis went on. “The combination of trash matter from the Universe and trash antimatter from the Antiverse, yields an outcome of pure energy. One of your human scientists, Albert Einstein, introduced this as a hypothetical concept a few years back, but those of us from Gavrilek have always been aware of its existence. It is what we know as biverse energy, and it is also the reason our ability to manipulate energy greatly exceeds human beings’ ability.” Kendis got up and refilled her glass. “Would ya like some more, honey?”

Audrianna hesitated, knowing in her mind that she should refuse the offer, but she decided to accept it anyway. “Yes. Thank you. It’s very good, Kendis. Did you make it?” she asked.

“Uh-huh,” Kendis replied. She brought the bottle over to the table, poured some more into Audrianna’s glass, and then sat back down. “There is venting all along the Cosmic Web of the Biverse for the gods to dispose of their trash, and usually it works out just fine.” She took a deep breath and then exhaled. “The dumps hafta be made simultaneously and in equal amounts. If they are not, the atmosphere will become destabilized and produce an explosion of unimaginable proportions, which, in turn, would create a cosmic vortex. Those vortexes are so powerful that they can suck entire planets into either of the other two dimensions. And that is exactly what happened to us.” She clapped her hands together. “A gigantic solar storm came by and blocked one of the vents close to Gavrilek — right as the two gods were makin’ their trash deposits — and blew a hole right through the web, which created a vortex that dropped us down here to Earth. I’m pretty sure ya know what happened to us from there.”

Audrianna nodded and said, “You all hid yourselves inside of….” Her voice trailed off.

“Soulless entities,” Kendis finished.

“Yes,” Audrianna said quietly.

They both took a drink, and Kendis wiped her mouth on the back of her hand. “Finding the truth,” Kendis said, “is the objective a group registers when they are searchin’ for and tryin’ to acquire the creature that is carrying the Consciousness of Gavrilek. The Consciousness of Gavrilek will be necessary to regenerate the planet if we ever get back to the Biverse.”

“I’m sorry?” Audrianna said. She squished her eyebrows together and took another big gulp of whiskey.

Kendis laughed at her. “Well, this might be a little hard for you to grasp, but cosmic bodies have a consciousness, too. And just like the rest of us, Gavrilek’s consciousness had to incarnate into a soulless entity when we fell.”

“Are you saying that the planet itself could be… like you? Like a water nymph or something?”

“Or something, yeah,” Kendis said, smiling, “probably not a water nymph, though. We all know each other pretty well.” She paused. “One of the steps to winnin’ the game is to have the Consciousness of Gavrilek in your possession, if it even still exists. So many of us have been destroyed by emotion or completely bred out. It’s possible that the Consciousness of Gavrilek is extinct.”

“I’m sorry,” Audrianna said. She began to stroke Kendis’ forearm, but she stopped just as soon as she realized she was doing it. “Do you think that’s the case?”

“I dunno,” Kendis said, shrugging. “In the meantime, the game goes on. Building the bridge is the objective a group registers when they’re workin’ on a way to transport themselves physically back to the Biverse. It also accounts for most of the large-scale violence seen on this planet.”

“Why is that?” Audrianna asked. Warmth arose in her chest as the whiskey settled in. She finished the remainder of it.

Kendis slumped down in her seat and stretched her legs out underneath the table, arching her head backwards and exhaling a long, deep sigh before answering. “It’s generally assumed that because such a violent explosion brought us here, an equally significant force will be required to get us back. Wars are the easiest way for groups to test out their bridges without alarmin’ humanity. Death and destruction are expected in wartime,” Kendis said. She topped her glass off one more time and then offered the bottle to Audrianna.

“No, I had better not,” Audrianna said as she held up her hand, but then she changed her mind. “Okay, just a little.” She scratched the side of her face and asked, “Who decides on these objectives, anyway?”

Kendis poured Audrianna another couple of ounces of whiskey and then corked the bottle. “Do ya understand the rank structure of the game?” Kendis asked. Audrianna shook her head. “All right, well, a Master Gavrilekian is in command.” She tilted her head to the side and back. “I guess it’s possible to have a generational in command, but it generally means that their masters are either extinct or they are few and far between. Oh!” She snapped her fingers. “Like Florida Skunk Apes. There’s only a couple of them lef —”

“What?” Audrianna cut off the end of her sentence with laughter.

Kendis exclaimed, “Yeah, skunk apes! They only have two masters runnin’ that whole smelly show down there, and I have no idea how those two have survived as long as they have. If you walk around Savannah, you can see their generationals lyin’ around everywhere — in the cemeteries, on the benches, in the parks. They’re actually kinda sad creatures if ya think about it — hairy, smelly, soiled things.”

“Why are there so few of them?” Audrianna asked.

Kendis laughed and said, “Because their brains are the size of lemons, and their penises are the size of bullhorns. It only makes sense that they’ve been practically bred out.”

Audrianna looked down quickly, and then she hid her eyes under her hands. “I don’t know where you’re getting these analogies from, Kendis, but that one, in particular, should probably fall out of your repertoire,” she said as she stifled a laugh.

“I just mean —” Kendis began.

Audrianna interrupted her and said, “Yes, I know what you mean… dumb, hairy, excitable. Thank you.” She looked back up.

“Anyway,” Kendis said, waving her off, “once the master makes a bid to enter the game — a bid is made when human form is assumed — he or she then hasta recruit a team to play with, and whomever they attract is directly related to how powerful the master is and how significant the objective is. For instance, a play to win objective has the highest stakes and will appeal to the best players, blockers, searchers, and hawks on the planet.”

Audrianna laughed through her nose. “I’m guessing that’s not your objective,” she said, and then she felt ashamed of the comment. Still, if everything Kendis had said was true, why would a master recruit a team full of handicapped people?

“Just because they’re handicapped dudn’ mean they’re incapable, Audrianna,” Kendis replied. Her voice was controlled, but she was clearly affected by Audrianna’s insensitivity.

“Of course not,” Audrianna said, erasing her smile. “I didn’t mean to imply that.”

Kendis nodded and said, “It’s okay, honey. I do understand why ya might think that. They all have very special talents, and that’s why I recruited them.”

“I’m sure,” Audrianna said. She looked down and then cleared her throat. “So, this third objective,” she pinched her eyebrows together. “I’m sorry, what did you call it again?”

“Chasing the mirror,” Kendis supplied.

“Chasing the mirror, yes,” Audrianna said, nodding. She felt her lips begin to tingle. She began to nibble on them to try and keep them alive. “What’s that all about?”

“Chasing the mirror is the most commonly chosen objective out of all three, particularly for those of us who deplore violence,” Kendis answered.

“Really?” Audrianna said. She put her elbows on the table and bowed her head into her hands. Her hearing became muffled, and the room began to broil.

“Yeah,” Kendis replied. Her tone turned wistful and that gave Audrianna cause to peek at her from underneath her hands. “Chasing the mirror is the objective a group registers when they’re tryin’ to find their human mirrors.” She laughed a little when it became clear to her that Audrianna did not understand what she was saying. “If I had the Consciousness of Gavrilek with me now, and if I had constructed a bridge able to span the dimensions, I still would not be able to return to the Biverse and pick up where I left off. Not without my human mirror.”

Audrianna licked her lips. “Why is that?” she whispered.

Kendis laughed and said, “If a piece of trash falls out of the trashcan, it can’t just return under its own steam. It needs help. Someone hasta pick it up and put it back in. For us, that someone is either one of the gods or one of their children. And the gods certainly aren’t gonna bother with it.”

Audrianna wiped the sweat off of her brow with her sleeve. She sat backward in her chair, then forward, and then backward. Anytime the room began to spin, she changed position. “I’m sorry, Kendis. I’m not following you very well,” she said finally.

“You, Audri,” Kendis said, “are our human mirrors. If we can find you, and if you agree to it, you can carry us to the Biverse and throw us back in.”

“How?” Audrianna asked. She felt her blood rushing into her skin, and she started to focus more on controlling her physical responses than to listening to what Kendis was telling her.

Kendis replied, “Since we are exact replicas of our human’s consciousness, it is possible to bond our biverse energy to their souls — tag along inside of them, if you will. I’ve seen it done before. It’s a breathtaking ritual to watch, so I can only imagine how it must feel.” She curled her fingers into Audrianna’s hand. “Are you okay, honey?”

“I’m fine, Kendis,” Audrianna said as she withdrew from her. She put her elbows on the table again and plowed her fingers into her moist hair, closing her eyes and hating herself for drinking that last little bit.

“I’m gonna stop for a second and let ya calm down,” Kendis said. “I don’t think you’ll get this otherwise.”

“I am calm, Kendis. I’m just embarrassed, and I’m mad that I’m embarrassed,” Audrianna said. She waved her hand in the air. “Keep going. Please. I’ve heard everything you said,” she added despite the fact that she had not heard half of it.

Kendis clasped her hands together on the table and ducked her face underneath Audrianna’s to try and draw her eyes up. “We don’t hafta talk about it if it makes you this uncomfortable,” she said.

“Kendis!” Audrianna cried. She could not look at her. She put her hand over her eyes and slowly shook her head, trying hard to suppress the effects of the alcohol. “Thank you for your concern, but I’m not uncomfortable with what you’re saying. I’m uncomfortable because I am intoxicated. Don’t you see?”

“How ‘bout I make ya some coffee?” Kendis proposed.

“Sure, if that’s what you’re doing instead of explaining this to me,” Audrianna grumbled. She sat still while Kendis put a kettle of coffee on to boil. Kendis then cleaned up Audrianna’s plants and her poultice, all without saying a word. To Audrianna, Kendis’ silence was an indication of hurt feelings, so Audrianna swallowed her pride and apologized. “I’m sorry, Kendis. I didn’t mean to be irritable with you.”

Kendis glanced at her and smiled. “I think this is warm enough now,” she said, touching her fingertips to the kettle a couple of times and then picking it up off of the stove. “You prefer to guzzle it anyway, don’t cha? It’s easier to guzzle when it’s not scalding hot.”

Audrianna poked her tongue lightly into her cheek. “Kendis, why are you angry with me?” she asked.

Kendis turned around and stared at her without blinking. “Angry? I’m not. Why?” she asked in a confused tone.

“Well, you’re not talking to me,” Audrianna snapped. The words made her feel childish, but she still felt the need to explain herself. “I just told you I was sorry, but you didn’t say anything.”

“Oh my goodness,” Kendis said as she set the kettle down on the unlit part of the stove and moved closer to Audrianna. “I heard you say that, honey, but I didn’t realize you wanted a response.”

“You didn’t realize?” Audrianna forced a laugh.

“No, I’m sorry,” Kendis said.

Suddenly Audrianna felt furious enough to yell, “Are you telling me that between listening to what I’m actually saying, and listening to my thoughts, you can’t figure out what to do?” Kendis stared at Audrianna with bulging, surprised eyes, but she said nothing. “Forget it! I’m going to bed,” Audrianna said as she slapped her hands on the table and stormed out of the kitchen. By the time she made it to the staircase, though, she felt inclined to make another couple of snarky remarks. She pivoted on the balls of her feet and ran smack into Kendis, who had been following close behind. Kendis threw up her hands and took a couple of quick steps back. “What, Kendis? What? Do you really think I would hit you?” Audrianna screamed.

Kendis quietly replied, “Audri. What is this tantrum all about? Please tell me. I don’t understand what I’ve done wrong.” Rather than answer, Audrianna simply rolled her eyes. She put both of her hands over face and stood like that for a few seconds, pouting like a child, until Kendis tried to engage her again. “You’re gonna hafta tell me, honey,” Kendis said, touching her on the arm. “I’m sorry if I made ya mad, but I can’t change the way I communicate with you if ya don’t help me understand what I’m doin’ wrong.”

“It’s not about you, Kendis!” Audrianna said quickly. She shook her head and fought back tears; shame and remorse coursed through her. “I’m sorry, Kendis. It’s not you.” She turned her eyes to the ceiling and bit down on her lower lip. “I’m not sleeping well, I think. I’m lonely and disconnected, and I’ve had way too much alcohol to drink tonight. It’s just not a good time to be around me at this second. I’m sorry.”

“Lonely? Disconnected?” Kendis repeated. She latched onto Audrianna’s wrist and sat her down on the couch. “I’m sorry, honey. I’ve heard ya callin’ for your old lover, but I didn’t know her absence was this distressin’ for ya. Do ya want me to make love to you?”

“Oh God, Kendis,” Audrianna said as she nearly choked on her own saliva. She turned her face as far away as it would possibly go and plucked at her blouse to dry the drops of sweat pouring from her body. She should be used to this direct mode of conversation by now, but she still was not. What was she supposed to say to that? Without thinking, Audrianna stammered, “How would that work — No!” She shook her head at herself and quickly added, “I mean… I didn’t think that was possible.”

“What makes you think that?” Kendis replied. She had a true air of inquiry in her voice, one that was soft and reserved, but curious nonetheless. Audrianna felt compelled to acknowledge her question with a quick glance, although one could hardly call it eye contact. “I thought that lovemaking was impossible if both individuals wanted to survive.”

“Oh, I see,” Kendis replied. She sat quietly in thought. Her poise made Audrianna nervous.

Audrianna bounced her leg up and down and said, “Kendis, say something, please. I can’t take the silence right now.”

“What you’re talkin’ about is attachment, Audri. Not love,” Kendis replied.

Audrianna shook her head and said, “What do you mean ‘attachment’?”

Kendis knelt down in front of her and sat back on her haunches, waiting until Audrianna was able to maintain eye contact with her for more than a couple of seconds at a time before she said, “The problems you encountered with your previous lovers were caused by attachment; not love. Love is a universal energy that can’t be plied like that. It can’t be possessed. It can’t be manipulated. It can’t be changed into anything other than what God intended it to be.”

“And what was that?” Audrianna whispered.

Kendis replied, “The same thing as Nature — an invisible medium of his essence. It is nourishment, if you will, for your soul to take pleasure in while you are incarnated into physical form. Life isn’t easy, as you’ve seen. Love is God’s way of helping you endure.” Kendis reached out and stroked Audrianna’s knee, just once. “It feels good to be loved. See?”

Audrianna laughed at her situation, and then she bit down on her lip. She shot her eyes down to where Kendis had touched her and said, “Are you saying that you all are capable of love, after all?”

“Of course, Audrianna,” Kendis replied. “The only things in the cosmos that are off limits to us are Heaven and Hell. That’s all, nothin’ more.”

Audrianna pulled one of her hands up to her face and began to cry for Lorna. Why could it not have been this way with her? Why had everything been doom and damnation? Dread and peril? Why could she not just have loved her when she very clearly could have?

“It isn’t that easy, Audrianna,” Kendis replied to her thoughts. She rose up from her haunches so that her torso brushed up against Audrianna’s knees, and their eyes were closer to the same level. “I have all of my biverse energy and therefore have a complete understandin’ of how everything works. Also, I don’t suffer under the same constraints of human emotion that your lover did. I mean, I feel’um, sure.” She motioned around the room. “I feel’um out there all the time, and sometimes even… in here.” She clasped her hands together over her heart. “They don’t consume me. I have that privilege because I have no human hindrances other than this body I’m in. Do you understand what I’m tellin’ ya?”

“Yes,” Audrianna sniveled. “You’re telling me that she did the best she could, right?”

“Right,” Kendis said. She reached out and caressed Audrianna’s face with one of her hands, leaving the other one in place on top of her knee. “You hafta let go, Audri, if not for your own sake, then for hers.”

“What do you mean?” Audrianna asked.

“I mean that every time you invoke her memory, like now, like earlier,” Kendis said as she lifted her eyebrows and made a waggish motion with her head, “like earlier today, and yesterday, and every day you’ve been in my house, and probably every day since the two of you parted ways — every time you call her name, your soul acts like a beacon sendin’ out distress signals to her. How long before she can’t keep up with the amount of energy required to deal with that kind of torture? Attachment, Audrianna. It is attachment, not love, that has the potential to kill her, and apparently it has nearly done so in the past.”

Audrianna got up quickly and stood in the middle of the room, shaken by the suggestion that she could be doing something that might be hurting Lorna, wherever she was. She placed one hand on her head and the other on her hip. She turned away from Kendis and said, “So what are you telling me to do? Forget her?”

“Certainly not,” Kendis replied. “That is an impossible feat, in any case. What I am sayin’ is that if you wish to honor the memory of the relationship, do it through love, not attachment.”

Audrianna laughed bitterly and asked, “How do I do that?”

Kendis rose from the floor and flanked Audrianna. “You do it by offerin’ love to others, helpin’ people, for instance. That should be very easy for ya,” she said. She ran her fingers down Audrianna’s arm and took hold of her hand. “And ya do it by acceptin’ love from others when it is offered to you.”

Audrianna turned her face away again, embarrassed for a second time by Kendis’ frank invitation of sex. She felt like she had been chased right up to the edge of a cliff by the demons of her past and now her only course of escape was to jump. She did not want to jump. She was not ready to jump, and she was not sure that she could jump into the arms of a woman of a different race.

Kendis ran her thumb back and forth over the top of Audrianna’s hand until Audrianna finally forced herself to look at her. “If my appearance bothers ya that much, Audrianna,” Kendis said, “just close your eyes. You’ll feel the pleasure all the same.”

Audrianna pulled away from her and ran both of her hands through her hair, mortified that Kendis had heard her prejudiced introspections. What a bigot she must seem to Kendis.

“I don’t feel that way at all,” Kendis said, soothing her. “It isn’t easy to overcome the influence of social canons, especially if they’ve been drilled into ya since infancy.”

Audrianna scoffed. Why did skin color have to matter so much? Why should it matter so much? It should not. She needed to get over this mentality. She suddenly realized that the only way to get over it might be to dive headfirst over that proverbial cliff. She spun around, pulled Kendis forward, and kissed her on the lips.

Kendis quickly pushed back from her. “No, Audri,” she told her. “Not like this. Teasin’ out the musings of a guilty conscience is not exactly what I had in mind — and it would not be at all helpful to either of us.”

“But —” Audrianna began.

Kendis smiled at her and said, “When ya wanna make love just for the sake of enjoyin’ it, we’ll try it. Okay?” She skimmed the tips of her fingers across Audrianna’s cheek. “I’m really tired, honey, so I’m gonna head to bed. Don’t cha wanna go into Savannah with me tomorrow and send a telegram to your husband? It’s been nearly a month now.” Audrianna shook her head without saying anything else, and Kendis touched her on the shoulder. “All right,” Kendis whispered, “goodnight, then. I’ll see ya tomorrow evening when I get home.” With that, she walked into her bedroom and closed the door.

Audrianna remained in the parlor after Kendis had gone, watching her door with alternating desires. She was glad that it was shut, and she hoped that it would open again. The weather outside picked up and began to batter the roof with a fusillade of rain splatters that acted as a muffler to her thoughts. She welcomed the parole. Audrianna decided to sit down on the floor in the dark and listen for a while. Eventually she went to bed, but again she did not sleep.

“What are you boys doing out there?” Audrianna called to Devon and Kiah from the front porch. She could see exactly what they were doing from where she stood. It was long past suppertime. At present, neither of them had bothered to come in and eat. The rest of the children had already finished and were now practicing their singing lessons inside the distillery, all except Elmer, who was beating his drum. The two boys stopped shoveling sand and looked up at Audrianna as she drew closer to them on the beach.

“We’re digging a hole,” Devon said. Kiah nodded his concurrence.

“Oh, okay,” Audrianna replied as if it were a perfectly logical thing for them to do. She squatted down on the perimeter of the sizable pit they had dug and grinned at them. “That’s great guys! What’s it for?”

Kiah pointed at Allegro and said, “Allegro told us there’d be buried treasure here.” Audrianna nodded. She looked over at Allegro where he lay lounging in the waning sun. His legs and paws were encrusted with the discoloration of wet sand. His nose was now tan instead of its usual black. While he had obviously been helping to dig the hole at some point during the day, he now seemed too tired to assist.

“Well, thanks, Allegro!” Audrianna praised him, and when she did, his floppy ears perked up. “I guess Kendis won’t have to worry about where she’s going to get the money to fund her school, anymore, will she? Why didn’t you tell her about this before she went all the way into Savannah this morning?”

Devon and Kiah turned their sweaty heads in Allegro’s direction, paused, and then turned back to Audrianna. “Oh,” Kiah said, “Allegro says he didn’t know about the treasure until after she’d already gone.”

“That’s right, Mutti,” Devon agreed in earnest. “He didn’t know.”

Audrianna stifled a chuckle at their defense of Allegro. The children’s ability to talk to animals was one of the things that she was not sure that she believed. However, she wanted to believe it. It was fun to think that they had the ability to do so, and actually, she would like to have that ability herself. There were always dozens of dolphins loitering in the ocean in front of the house, and she would like to know why. “Well, is he sure this is the right spot? I mean, you’ve been out here all day, and you’ve dug down pretty far already,” Audrianna said.

Again, Devon and Kiah looked at Allegro, and this time Allegro picked his head up and looked back. “Oh yes, he’s sure,” Devon replied. “He said that treasure has to be buried way down deep so that the waves don’t wash it away.”

“Well, that makes sense,” Audrianna said. She got up, patted Allegro on the head, and then scratched him under his chin. “I guess you’re a pretty smart dog, Allegro,” she told him, and then she clapped her hands together like a chime. “Dinner. Five minutes. Treasure or not.” She started back into the house and then called behind her, “That means five minutes with hands washed and hair combed.” Audrianna heard the aftermath of disgruntled utterances from behind her, but she did not stop to address them. She simply smiled, opened the front door, and went back inside to where Martha was working on the food preparations for the next day.

“What dey doin’?” Martha asked Audrianna when she reappeared in the kitchen. Audrianna laughed. She went over to the sink, washed her hands, and then set the table for a small serving of dinner. Martha had prepared a supper of ham hocks and biscuits for the rest of the family, but she had been kind enough to fix Audrianna something a little less ethnic: she-crab soup. Since there were no ham hocks and biscuits left, Devon and Kiah would just have to have the she-crab soup.

“They’re digging for buried treasure,” Audrianna replied.

“Why dey doin’ dat?” Martha asked.

Audrianna shrugged and said, “Apparently the dog told them to do it, or so they say. I hope Allegro’s right. That would certainly solve a lot of Kendis’ problems.”

Martha scoffed, “Der ain’t no tredjuh out der. Dat dang dog a messin’ wid dem boys. He gotta bone down der o’ sompin.”

Audrianna snickered. She reached into the pantry and removed the salt and pepper. Afterwards, she replied, “Well, I didn’t really see any point in dashing their dreams, but I guess I’ll have them fill the hole back in after they eat so nobody falls in and hurts themselves.”

“Dat right,” Martha replied. “Kendis don’ needa quawl wid de law.

“Of course not,” Audrianna said. “I hadn’t thought of it that way. I forgot that the beach is considered public property.”

Kiah and Devon dragged into the kitchen looking solemn. They sat down at the table without saying a word. Martha brought them each a bowl of soup. “Where de tredjuh at?” she teased gently.

Audrianna set a cut loaf of fresh-baked bread in the middle of the table, and then she placed her hands on both of their heads. “When you’re finished eating, I need you boys to go back out there and fill in that pit, please — before it gets too dark,” she said.

“Mutti,” Devon said as he tossed his head back and forth, displacing her hand. “Allegro said —”

“Yes, I know what Allegro said,” Audrianna cut into his whining. She tousled Kiah’s curls and then took a seat at the head of the table with her own bowl of soup. “However, I don’t think Allegro understands the liability of having dug a huge hole like that in the middle of the beach. What if one of the soldiers from Fort Screven stumbled into your treasure pit and broke his neck?”

Neither one of them answered her. They hung their heads over their bowls and ladled soup in their mouths, sneaking surreptitious glances at each other throughout the entire meal. They laughed with their eyes. Audrianna grinned. Half the fun of being a kid was thinking that you knew better than the adults — she understood that. She also knew that neither one of them would actually disobey her.

“May we be excused?” Kiah asked when he and Devon were both finished.

“Yes, you may,” Audrianna replied. “Don’t take too long with that hole, okay, Kiah? Kendis will be home soon, and I know she’ll want to spend some time with you boys before the prayer meeting tonight.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Kiah mumbled without looking at her. The two of them pushed back from the table and left the room as glum as they had come in.

After having finished her tasks, Martha joined Audrianna at the table with a cup of coffee. She turned to Audrianna and said, “Lease dey fr’ens. Ain’t eb’ry day ya sees a white n’ a cullud playin’ togeda.”

Audrianna nodded her head. She put one of her elbows on the table and rested her cheek in her hand. “I don’t know what’s going to happen when we have to leave. I’m afraid it might be very painful for Devon,” she said quietly. She thought back to last night’s conversation with Kendis about the lethal nature of attachment. It was a safe guess that Devon was too young or too human to be able to understand that principle, especially as it related to his survival.

“Wen y’all gwine go?” Martha asked.

“I’m not sure,” Audrianna replied. “I haven’t even written to my husband yet to let him know that we’re alive.”

Martha looked at her with a raised eyebrow and asked, “Huccome dat?”

Audrianna snorted and said, “I don’t know. I think I just keep putting it off because the longer I wait, the more I start to believe that we really are dead. I mean that Baroness and Devon von Traugott are dead. In a way, I want Niklas to believe we both went down with that ship. He is still young. He can remarry and have more children with a woman who actually wants to be his wife.” She shook her head and got up from the table. “I know. I know. It’s all just a crazy fantasy. He’s my husband. Devon is his heir. I need to write to him and start making plans to go back. I know.”

“Martha!” Kiah said as he burst through the front door, crying hysterically. He ran to Martha, who stood up from the table and wrapped her arms around him. “Wuh wrong, Kiah?” she asked him.

“It’s Allegro. He… he’s dead. He climbed down in the hole and just… died,” Kiah blubbered.

“Kiah!” Audrianna yelled, her voice frantic. “Where is Devon?” Devon dragged in the door behind Kiah, and Audrianna bent down and grabbed him by the upper arms. His face was splotchy white and wet with perspiration. His eyes were sunken and brownish-black. “Martha! Look at Devon!” Audrianna cried.

“Lawda mussy,” Martha whispered. She staggered up from her knees and reached for Devon, passing Kiah off to Audrianna. “Come’yuh, Tru. Stop dat cryin’ b’fo’ ya goes bline.” She shook him, and Devon stopped crying, looking at her as if he understood the seriousness of what she had just said. Martha picked him up, walked into the sitting room, and sat down with him on the couch. “Ya gwine haffuh share wid me ‘til de Mass get’yuh,” she told him. “Kiah! Boy!” she yelled back into the kitchen. “Stop dat’ cryin’. I ain’t able tuh keep boffa y’all alive.”

Audrianna did not understand what was happening, but she picked Kiah up anyway and went into the parlor with him, just like Martha had done with Devon. “It’s okay, Kiah,” she said, petting his head. She then sat down with him in her lap, watching Martha as she blew a series of wispy green breaths onto Devon’s forehead and cuddled him in her arms. Audrianna rested her cheek on Kiah’s hair and held his hands together between hers. She knew she could not provide him with the same kind of sustenance that Devon was getting from Martha, but at least she could try and give him some comfort. This was exactly the type of situation that she had always feared. It was why she had limited Devon’s exposure to just about everything. She had always known that he was one profound emotional trauma away from death. Now he had just proven it. The only reason Kiah was not having an equally difficult time with this crisis was that he was second generation, like Lorna had been. Lorna had been stronger than Dirk, just as Kiah was stronger than Devon.

Twenty more minutes passed before Kendis and Mathani finally came charging into the house. Kendis went straight away to Kiah and lifted his chin with her thumb and forefinger. “Lemme see,” she said, looking into his eyes, and then she moved over to Devon to examine him as well. “All right, Martha. I’ll take him now,” Kendis told her, lifting a very sleepy looking Devon out of Martha’s arms and placing him next to Audrianna and Kiah. He curled himself up into a ball under Audrianna’s arm, and Audrianna kissed him on the head. Martha stood up, and Kendis gave her a hug. “I’m so sorry,” Kendis said. “I got here as quickly as I could.” She reached out and touched Martha’s face with obvious concern, checking her eyes the same way she had checked the boys’ eyes. Kendis then told Martha, “I want ya to go over to the distillery and lie down until it’s time to go to the prayer meetin’, okay? I’m tellin’ Elmer to stop that drummin’, right now.” Martha nodded, and then she left. “Mathani,” Kendis said as she turned to him and placed her hand on his shoulder. They had a telepathic conversation.

Mathani responded, “Yes, Mass,” and then he, too, headed out the door.

“Tru,” Kendis said as she bent over at the waist and rubbed his arm. “Kiah,” she touched Kiah’s head. “What has prompted this pandemonium? Please tell me, so we can talk about an alternate copin’ mechanism for next time — one that dudn’ include using quite so much of your energy reserve.”

“Allegro died,” Devon told her flatly.

“No, he didn’t,” Kendis responded with a soft, matter-of-fact voice. “His poor ole body stopped workin’, and he had to get out of it. That’s all.”

“He lied to us, Kendis!” Kiah cried, suddenly upset again.

“Okay, Kiah. Calm down,” Kendis said. She flipped a set of questioning eyes to Audrianna, but Audrianna did not understand the comment either, so she just shrugged.

“This is what I’m talkin’ about, honey,” Kendis said, lifting the pitch of her voice. “You cannot react to everything that hurts you with an emotional outburst. This is not a new concept for you, Kiah. You may be able to indulge a small amount of emotion without any significant depletion, but Devon cannot. He dudn’ have your strength. You hafta set a good example for him.” Kiah nodded, and Kendis reached forward and pulled Devon to the edge of the couch. She plucked Kiah off of Audrianna’s lap to sit next to him, and then she squatted down in front of them both so that she could look directly in their eyes. “Identify the source of the pain, qualify the feelin’, and then, if necessary, respond. But do so thoughtfully. So, Allegro is no longer with ya in physical form and that has given rise to some bad feelings. One is sadness,” she looked at Devon, “and the other — betrayal.” She looked at Kiah. “Have I got that right?” The boys nodded. “The sadness is understandable, but, Kiah, what is it that you think Allegro has lied to ya about?”

“He told us there would be buried treasure in that hole,” Kiah said. “And there wasn’t. It was meant to be his grave the entire time. He shoulda told us the truth.”

“I see,” Kendis replied. “Well, I think Allegro deserves the opportunity to defend himself against your accusation. Don’t you?”

“Wha’do’ya mean?” Kiah asked her.

Kendis grinned. She stood up and grabbed him and Devon by their hands. “You’ll see,” she said. “Come with me, both of ya, and this will take care of the sadness too.”

The three of them walked out the front door. Audrianna got up and followed behind them, trying unsuccessfully to brush off her feelings of distress. She did not want to feel helpless and unnecessary, but that was exactly how she felt. Devon did not need her. He needed someone like Kendis — someone capable of helping him understand and adapt to the shackles that he wore.

“Thank you, Mathani,” Kendis said as he tossed the last shovelful of sand into the treasure hole. He patted the earth with the backside of the trowel, and then he plunged the blade into the ground so that the handle stood up on its own. Kendis reached down into the freshly interred grave and scooped up a handful of sand. She inhaled deeply and then blew out into her palm with one long, steady green breath, scattering a puff of dust up into the air around her. The ensuing cloud began to spin like a miniature cyclone, vacuuming a million more granules into its center. Eventually it stood more than ten feet high. The wind was well-contained, which made the formation of it easy to watch. Within a matter of moments, a tail-wagging, sand-figure of an animal appeared inside the fantastic little storm. It was Allegro.

Devon buckled to the ground and stared up at the image, his expression artless and open. A twinge of happiness played across his face, tempered interchangeably by wide, incredulous eyes. Audrianna found this combination of countenances so moving that she could not resist being a part of it. She dropped down behind him and pulled him backwards to sit on top of her knees and wrapped her arms around him so that she could hold him close.

Kendis took a seat next to Audrianna on the ground and held her hand out to Kiah to join her. When he did, she continued her lesson, saying, “Ya see? Allegro isn’t dead at all. He’s very much alive, and you can be with him just like this anytime ya want to.”

“How do I do it?” Devon asked her.

Kendis crawled around in front of him on her knees so that they were looking at each other face to face. “I’ll help ya,” she told him, skimming one of her hands down his brow line and closing his eyelids with her fingers. “Forget your eyes. They’ll never show you what you’re supposed to see.” She placed both of her thumbs together in the middle of his forehead and then drew them slowly apart, like she was pulling back tiny, invisible curtains. “If ya step outside of yourself,” she whispered, “you’ll find that death is not the end of anything.” She closed her eyes and blew a very gentle green breath onto Devon’s forehead. “And it never, ever has to be goodbye.”

Devon inhaled sharply. The space immediately surrounding him, his aura, began to glow. It pulsed with the rhythm of his heartbeat, which Audrianna could somehow detect through her touch and discern from her own. It was a bit startling, but she did not turn him loose. She simply held her breath and watched — watched as a luminous green figure separated from Devon’s body and ran up to where Allegro was bouncing up and down inside the cyclone.

“Well, go on,” Kendis said to Kiah with a laugh. “I believe there’s an issue you and Allegro have to discuss, right?”

“Yes,” Kiah answered, and then he smiled. He levitated out of his body without Kendis’ assistance and followed Devon up to an invisible wall that separated them from the dog. They pressed their hands against it, and when they did, a sizzling outline of green electricity formed around their fingers.

“What’s stopping them?” Audrianna asked Kendis.

“Heaven,” Kendis replied. “They can’t pass through the boundary. They can only look inside.” A sharp, searing pain shot through Audrianna’s heart. She closed her eyes and buried her face in Devon’s hair, wishing she had not asked. “Audrianna, please don’t introduce more sadness here,” Kendis told her. “It’s sadness that I’m tryin’ to get rid of. Try to refocus that energy into hope.”

“Hope?” Audrianna asked quietly. What was there to be hopeful about? Her son was a cast off from Heaven, a transplant in a completely different world. In all probability, he was incapable of surviving the severity of his alien handicaps for any length of time. Hope was something of a farce.

“How interesting,” Kendis said, her tone teetering on annoyed. “Humans and their tantrums — their self-involved ponderings — the inability to appreciate emotion on its own accord without marryin’ it to expectation. Hope is also a general state of optimism, ya know. You really should try it, for Devon’s sake.” Audrianna picked her head up and stared at Kendis, uncertain if her remarks were meant to be taken at face value or if they were meant to insult. Kendis continued, “What ya do, how ya think, and how ya act is just as important to Devon’s survival as what I am doin’ right now. You are a very, very necessary part of his growth. If Devon dudn’ start to develop a much clearer understandin’ of his situation, about who he is, and about what can and cannot destroy him, you’re absolutely right: he won’t survive very long in this world. In order to gain the understandin’ he needs, he hasta be able learn from these brushes with death. If he is worried about you, or how you’re feelin’, chances are he’ll miss out on some part of the learnin’ process. The only thing that little boy truly believes in right now is the safety of you. If he ever figures out that you don’t believe in yourself, it might very well kill him.” Kendis stood up and brushed the sand from her hands and her dress without giving Audrianna a chance to respond. “All right, boys,” she called to their little green figures. “It’s time to go.”

Devon and Kiah turned around and ran back over to their respective bodies. Kiah simply leaped back into himself, but Devon paused when he drew close to his body. He looked up at Kendis, and Kendis chuckled at him. “It dudn’ hurt, silly,” she said. She held one hand up in the air and pointed down with her forefinger, making a circular motion indicating for him to turn around. “Now just sit. It’s that easy.” Devon did just as she instructed him.

Audrianna felt a breeze when Devon entered his body. After moving his arms and legs, he threw his arms around her. “Mutti! Did you see me?” Devon asked excitedly.

“Yes, sweetheart! I did!” Audrianna replied. “Did you talk to Allegro?”

“We sure did!” Kiah said. He came over to stand next to Kendis, taking her by the hand.

“And? What did Allegro have to say?” Kendis asked him.

“He said he didn’t lie about anything,” Kiah replied. “He told us that there would be buried treasure and now there is. He said that he’s the buried treasure.”

Kendis grinned. She put her hand on top of Kiah’s head and then looked at Audrianna and winked. “Right,” she said with a smile.

From that moment on, Audrianna viewed Kendis differently. She was attractive in a way that transcended physicality. She was enchanting.

“Is everything okay, Kendis?” Audrianna asked.

“Uh-huh,” Kendis replied without looking up from the book she was reading. She came down from the boys’ room seven and a half minutes ago and then sat sideways in the chair without saying a word. Her beautifully muscled legs dangled over the arm of the chair with an easy swing. She was already in her nightgown; they both were. Audrianna’s nightgown was modest, but Kendis’ revealed far more than Audrianna would have liked.

Kendis flashed her brilliant eyes at Audrianna, and then she chuckled and said, “Devon’s okay, Audri. He’s like a sponge. Sometimes I hafta hold him back so that everyone else can have a fair share, too.”

Audrianna nodded. She looked away, realizing first that she had noticed Kendis’ legs, and second that she had already spent too much time looking at them. She had also already known that Devon was fine. She knew that because she had tucked him into bed a little while ago and had seen that his eyes and skin color had returned to normal. The only reason she had brought it up was because she did not know how else to initiate a conversation with Kendis. Kendis was normally the one who began talking. Audrianna cleared her throat and said, “And Martha?”

Kendis turned the page and said absently, “Everyone is fine, Audri. Just fine. What’s eatin’ ya?”

Audrianna bowed her head into her hands. “You,” she replied, deciding that since no one else there believed in practicing the art of subtlety, neither should she.

“How so?” Kendis asked. She snapped her book closed and sat up, making no attempt whatsoever to hide her deep, devilish smirk.

“I think you know why, Kendis,” Audrianna replied.

“What if I didn’t?” Kendis asked. She put the book down on the table and leaned forward on her elbows, a gesture that had the effect of displaying her cleavage. “What if I couldn’t hear what you were thinkin’, and what if ya never told me what it was that ya wanted to say? Your dilemmas would always go unresolved. Would that be all right with you?”

“You do hear what I’m thinking,” Audrianna snapped. “You say you find humans interesting. Our — what was it you said — our tantrums, our self-involved ponderings, and such? Well, let me tell you what I find interesting about the Children of Gavrilek.” She got up and paced first to the right and then to the left. “I find you rather disingenuous at times. All of you! You all act so enlightened, and so profound, yet you hide your intentions inside of mental quarries that we humans can only access when you want us to. One minute you’re answering my thoughts without restriction, and the next you’re egging me on to vocalize my feelings out loud. Does that make you feel powerful?”

“Not at all,” Kendis replied calmly.

“Then what?” Audrianna asked, agitated. “Why do it? Why treat me like a fool? If you already know what’s going on in my head, why be coy? What purpose does it serve?”

Kendis ran her hand behind her neck and kept it there. After a moment, she said, “I don’t consider you a fool at all, Audrianna. If my actions have made ya feel that way, please forgive me.” She shrugged and then she held her palms out in front of her. “I’ve found that learning is best accomplished through critical thinkin’ — findin’ the answers to your problems usin’ your own devices. It’s to your credit that I don’t feel like I hafta spell out my reasons to ya.”

“Reasons,” Audrianna scoffed. “What reasons do you speak of?”

Kendis joined Audrianna where she stood, but she seemed to choose her footing carefully so as not to get too close. “I’m talkin’ about the reasons why I sometimes respond to your thoughts, and why sometimes I don’t. It certainly isn’t because I’m not aware of what you’re thinkin’ at all times,” Kendis said, a little irritated.

“Then why?” Audrianna retorted.

Kendis continued, “Because, even though your thoughts themselves have power, it isn’t until you put the force of your tongue behind’um that they actually become grounded, they actually become real, and in many cases, that they actually prompt you to act on whatever issue it is you’ve been mullin’ over in your head. I keep quiet sometimes because a lotta your inner turmoil is simply choices that you, and you alone, hafta make. Not only is my insight unnecessary, it would hinder your problem-solving process.”

Audrianna put her damp palms over her flushed cheeks. It was not fair. It did not matter how good her argument was, Kendis always had an elegant and airtight reply. Audrianna felt that she was constantly wrong, especially when she was trying to determine the motivations of these people.

Kendis relaxed her strict posture. When she did, one of the straps of her white nightgown slipped down off her shoulder. “In the future, Audrianna,” she said, “if you’d just out and tell me what ya wanna say instead of engaging me in a conversation that you yourself find triflin’, you might discover that the answer ya seek is right on the tip of your tongue.”

Audrianna glanced at the soft, brown skin of Kendis’ bare shoulder, and then she stared at the ceiling, embarrassed. She shook her head, then dropped her head and looked at Kendis for help; Kendis said nothing, presumably to emphasize the point she had previously made. The only clue to her mindset was her dilated pupils. It was this that encouraged Audrianna to take a chance. Finally, she said, “I’ve been thinking about making love with you all night — ever since you left, and ever since you’ve come back.”

The potency of her words resonated inside the suddenly sweltering room. Kendis was right. Vocalization alone had given the thought its own life, an extraordinary impulse that was not there before Audrianna had expressed it openly. She felt a surge of passion rise up inside her, right up into the center of her body.

Kendis donned a roguish half-smile. “Really? And what have ya decided?” she asked her.

Audrianna lifted her gaze again, and then she swallowed. She wrung her hands around her neck with fingers that were so sticky-wet that they were doing nothing but making her even sweatier than she already was. “I’ve decided that if the offer still stands, I’d like to.” She dropped her hands to her sides and looked at Kendis, resolving not to break eye contact again.

Kendis stepped up and cupped Audrianna’s cheek. She buried her fingers in the partially braided strands of Audrianna’s hair, tickling her scalp with her fingernails. “Of course, it still stands,” she whispered, drawing Audrianna forward and caressing their faces together. “I’ve been thinkin’ of you, too.”

Her feathery breath tickled Audrianna’s ear, and Audrianna shuddered from the chill. They kept their faces pressed together while Kendis ran her hands down the outsides of Audrianna’s arms, snagging her wrists in a loose, sensual snare. She lowered her mouth to Audrianna’s shoulder and then began to move her lips up the nape of her neck, one velvety kiss at a time. Her movements were dreamy and gradual.

Unable to suppress the awakening from that feeling, Audrianna tore loose of Kendis’ grip and wrapped her arms around her, groping her backside, and kissing her deeply. Kendis responded, but slowly. She intentionally resumed the previous pace of the foreplay with soft, easy kisses. When Audrianna again tried to accelerate the pace, Kendis grabbed her hands and held them securely in front of her, laughing and asking, “Audri, what kinda creatures were your other lovers?” She snickered at herself, and then she shook her head. “I mean the one’s from Gavrilek, of course, not your human husband.”

Audrianna considered feeling embarrassed by what was clearly a call to halt, but she did not. Having misinterpreted the nature of Kendis’ character and motivations once already that evening, she was now inclined to give her the benefit of the doubt. “Cambions?” she gulped. Her answer sounded like a question, but it was not. She was so uncomfortable saying the word that the intonation had gotten garbled in her mouth.

“Well, now, that certainly makes sense,” Kendis said, nodding, “I was wondering why you were in such a hurry.”

“I don’t know what you mean,” Audrianna countered.

“I’m gonna tell ya,” Kendis said chuckling. She pulled Audrianna’s hands up to her lips and nuzzled them, then turned around and led her into the master bedroom. “First…” She pushed the door shut. “You hafta slow down.” Kendis pulled Audrianna forward until their breasts touched through the material of their nightgowns. They kissed again, slowly this time, and when they separated, Kendis continued. “I can do this with ya, but I can’t charge full-force into it justa’ satisfy the sexual urges of my body.” She pulled her gown off over her head and dropped it on the floor. “Makin’ love, for me, and for anyone without a soul, is a very delicate process. We can do it. We just hafta be careful.”

“Careful of what?” Audrianna breathed. She lifted her hands to Kendis’ breasts, unable to resist touching her any longer, but keeping her movements steady and unhurried, just as Kendis had asked.

“The rate at which the energy of love vibrates is fixed, so it can only be burned through at one speed,” Kendis laughed, “and that is slowly, very, very slowly.” She reached down and drew Audrianna’s gown up to her middle, pausing to touch the lower parts of their bodies together before removing the nightgown completely. “I can only move as quickly as love will let me.”

Audrianna quivered. She brought her arms up and placed her elbows on Kendis’ shoulders, drawing her close so that their bare nipples grazed. Kendis exhaled a libidinous laugh. She closed her eyes and lowered her face. She seemed at a loss for words, but then she found them again. “If I start movin’ faster than what love allows, I hafta pull from my own energy reserve to keep goin’, or I hafta stop altogether,” Kendis said.

Audrianna thought about Lorna and their only real night together. Even though the thought lasted just for a second, Kendis picked up on it right away. “Right,” Kendis said, acknowledging the thought. “The fact that she was able to stop at all is really remarkable. Cambions are predisposed to lust, an emotion that burns so hot and so fast that it’s virtually impossible to put it out on a whim. No wonder the experience has been so difficult for ya to come to terms with.”

Audrianna shook her head. “It doesn’t really matter, Kendis,” she said, and she meant it too. “Right now, the only experience I’m concerned with is you. You told me last night that I should honor the memory of my relationship with her through love. I want you to show me how.”

“I’d like that too,” Kendis replied. She took Audrianna fully into her arms and kissed her. She then nudged Audrianna back to the bed with tiny half steps and eased her down onto the mattress. “Are you cold?” she asked when Audrianna began to shiver.

Audrianna nodded, but that was not the only reason she was shaking. This evening was only the second time she had been involved with a woman. The first time, all of her actions were hurried, driven by intense desire. The thought of having to move so slowly and so deliberately created anxiety. She knew that Kendis wanted this to be a mutually enjoyable encounter, but Audrianna suddenly realized that she had no idea how to please Kendis.

Kendis climbed into the bed and pulled the covers over them both. She turned over on her side and reached for Audrianna, who had curled herself into a fetal position, trembling, with her arms crossed over her chest and legs partially drawn up in front of her. “Are ya scared, honey?” she asked. In response to her question, Audrianna shook even harder. Kendis pulled her close and whispered in her ear, “Don’t be scared, honey. It’s okay.” She pushed her back a little and looked in her eyes. “Do ya wanna stop?”

“No,” Audrianna said, and then she held her breath to try to keep her teeth from chattering.

“Shh, honey,” Kendis said as she rubbed her face in Audrianna’s hair, holding her and kissing her head. “You’re okay. Just relax. We’re not gonna do anything you don’t wanna do. Okay? Just relax.” Beneath the darkness of the blankets, Kendis gently ran her fingers across Audrianna’s naked skin, alternating short fingernail tickles with long, sensual strokes and caresses. After some time had passed, Audrianna’s trembling subsided. She began to breathe harder and faster than normal. When she did, Kendis stopped petting her and drew her into a prolonged kissing session that eventually assuaged her anxiety.

Audrianna uncurled herself and turned over onto her back, stretching out her legs so that the space between her thighs was easily accessible. Her new position did not yield the type of fondling for which she had hoped. Instead, Kendis straddled her. She took one of Audrianna’s hands from underneath the blankets and began sucking on her fingers. It felt a little odd, having her fingers in someone else’s mouth. It also felt very personal in a way that was dissimilar from sex, although she could not exactly say why.

Kendis laughed. She pulled Audrianna’s fingers out of her mouth and placed her entire palm against her face, holding it there with her own palm. “Do ya always think this much when you’re makin’ love?” Kendis asked. She sat back on her haunches so that she was not hovering so far above Audrianna.

Audrianna blushed and said, “I’m not sure I’ve ever made love before, if this is what it was supposed to have been like. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry,” Kendis said quickly. She shook off the brief trace of regret that swept across her face. “You haven’t done anything wrong. I just thought… maybe your husband.”

“Ha!” Audrianna let out a genuinely amused laugh. She reached up with her free hand and ran her fingers down Kendis’ sternum, following the path with her eyes. “My husband is my husband in name alone,” she told her. “I do sleep with him — when I have to.” She shifted her hand and her eyes to one of Kendis’ breasts and began to trace the curvature. “I always make sure that I’m nice and drunk, and it’s always over pretty quickly.”

“Does he love you?” Kendis asked.

“I think he used to,” Audrianna replied without looking at her, “but not anymore. I’ve made it pretty clear over the years that I’m not interested.”

“Why is that? Is he cruel to ya?” Kendis said, her tone inquisitive.

Audrianna scoffed and said, “Not at all. He’s a perfect gentleman.” Her eyes tracked upwards, and then she reached up to Kendis’ face with the hand she’d been using to touch her. “I think he just wasn’t the one to help me let go.”

Kendis planted a soft peck on Audrianna’s knuckles, and then she lowered herself on top of Audrianna, pressing their bodies together so that the pressure alone was enough to generate a throbbing warmth below. They kissed for an eternity, and when they finally came up for air, Audrianna started to tell Kendis something she had realized, but Kendis answered her thought before she could. “She didn’t kiss ya like this, Audri, because she didn’t understand the difference between love and attachment. It wasn’t because she didn’t want to. I’m sure of it,” Kendis said gently.

“What does kissing have to do with anything?” Audrianna asked.

“It establishes intimacy in humans,” Kendis replied.

“Does that mean it doesn’t in you?”

“Oh, it most certainly does with me,” Kendis smiled, “but since I’m not vulnerable to formin’ attachments, like humans or half-humans, I am not afraid of the intimacy. I’m rather fond of it, in fact.” She kissed Audrianna’s nose once, and then her lips once, and then her chin once. Afterwards, she went down and nestled herself between Audrianna’s legs, taking her time at tasting her. Her mouth and lips were so soft; the motion of her tongue was so tactile and so slow that Audrianna likened it to someone licking an ice cream cone.

Audrianna threw the blankets off to the side so she could watch Kendis performing oral sex on her, and in doing so, she found that she enjoyed watching it. It was an added visual element to the physical stimulation she was already receiving, and the sensuality of seeing it made the act itself seem a hundred times more erotic even than it was.

Kendis teased her with her eyes. She reached for Audrianna’s arms and drew them down, entwining their fingers so that they could hold hands while she worked on her with her mouth. Seeing Kendis pleasure her, feeling the touch of her mouth, and hearing the pulse of her heartbeat was a wonderfully exhilarating combination of experiences. The combination was all it took to set Audrianna to the point of climax, and she gripped Kendis’ fingers tightly in preparation for it. Before she could, though, Kendis stopped what she was doing. “Oh!” Audrianna cried out. She slapped her hands over her face and whined, “Why did you stop?”

Kendis pulled herself up from between Audrianna’s legs and propped her upper body on her well-toned arms, leaving the lower part of her body pressed against Audrianna’s, and laughed. “You didn’t really want it to be over that quickly, did ya, honey?” Kendis said with a smile.

Audrianna could not reply. Kendis had begun to grind against Audrianna with her pelvic bone, and now Audrianna could not remember what she was going to say, what it had related to, or anything other than how incredible this sensation was. She felt the residual wetness from Kendis’ saliva creep down her leg, accompanied by the evidence of her own state of excitement. Suddenly the slow, methodical course that she had charted in her head became offset by a raging storm of arousal. “Oh God,” she murmured through parted lips. “Please touch me, Kendis.”

Kendis did not. Instead, she dropped down on her forearms and balanced herself on one side, taking one of Audrianna’s hands away from her face and placing two of her fingers in her mouth to lubricate them. “Me first,” Kendis whispered, and then she moved Audrianna’s hand down to touch her. At that moment, Audrianna froze. “What’s the matter?” Kendis asked.

Audrianna bit her lip and whispered, “Nothing.” She shook her head. “Honestly, it’s nothing. It’s just that I’ve never actually done this to someone, and I don’t want to disappoint you.”

Kendis shook her head and said, “You’re not gonna disappoint me, honey. Have ya ever done this to yourself?”

Audrianna blushed. She thought about not responding, but she knew that Kendis already knew the answer. “Yes,” she replied.

“Just like that, then,” Kendis said. “Chances are, if it feels good to you, it’ll feel good to me too.”

“Okay,” Audrianna whispered. She grazed her fingers up, down, and around Kendis’ clitoris, watching her face to gauge her responses. The tacky lubrication of saliva began to ripen into silk, and Kendis’ expression bolstered Audrianna’s confidence. She pressed just the tips of her fingers inside of her, teetering from outside to in, as this was the way she liked to tease herself when she was masturbating. “Is this all right?” Audrianna asked, knowing that it must be. A visible pulse pounded the side of Kendis’ neck, and drops of perspiration budded on her forehead. Her pink tongue jutted through her pearly white teeth, and her lips were so swollen she could not keep them shut.

“Yeah, it feels wonderful,” Kendis whispered. She closed her eyes and dangled her head forward, validating her statement with an assortment of satisfied moans. Audrianna became more purposeful. She began to fondle Kendis with fully immersed fingers, pressing her thumb against her clitoris while she felt her from the inside. There was a gradual transition of control. Kendis set her own tempo of motion by rocking herself against Audrianna’s hand, and Audrianna just let her lead, aiding Kendis’ movement with a score of finger flourishes. “Ha,” Kendis said laughingly, “I wouldn’t worry anymore about not knowin’ what to do, Audri.”

Audrianna laughed too. She felt relieved. When Kendis opened her malachite eyes to look at her, Audrianna reached up and touched Kendis’ cheek and said, “Tell me what else I can do to help you feel good.”

Kendis lowered her entire body down and then rolled over together with her so that Audrianna was on top. “Kiss me,” she said, and Audrianna did. They explored each other’s mouths with their tongues and sucked on each other’s lips, smiling, talking, and laughing together the entire time. “Do you like penetration?” Kendis whispered, suckling Audrianna’s chin.

“What do you mean?” Audrianna asked pulling up and looking down at Kendis.

“I mean did ya like it when your husband penetrated you with his penis?” Kendis asked.

Audrianna suddenly felt embarrassed. She pulled up as a reflex, but then she lowered herself back down. After a moment, she said, “God, Kendis. Must you pose your questions like that?”

“Like what, honey?” Kendis murmured, still kissing and nuzzling Audrianna’s neck.

“Well… dirty,” Audrianna said.

Kendis stopped. She looked up at Audrianna and wrinkled her forehead. “Wha’do’ya mean ‘dirty’?” she asked.

“I mean, you don’t have to be so precise with the anatomical placement of things. I’d rather you just ask me if it felt good when he made love to me,” Audrianna replied, her tone embarrassed.

Kendis licked her lips, widened her eyes, and replied, “You already told me you didn’t enjoy him makin’ love to ya. I wanted to know specifically about the penetration.”

Audrianna ran her hand through her hair and shook her head. It was futile trying to explain, so she might as well just answer the question. “I’m not sure,” she said slowly. “Maybe I would’ve liked it if I had been attracted to him.”

Kendis arched her head back and pulled her entire lower lip into her mouth with her teeth. Her nipples went hard, and her body became clammy. Audrianna did not understand the physical change until after Kendis asked, “Do you wanna try it again?”

Audrianna simpered with her eyes closed. She knuckled her forehead and cleared her throat. “What? You’re going to grow a penis?” she asked with trepidation.

Kendis laughed loudly. “No, Audri. I’m not gonna grow a penis.” She tilted her head up and chomped down playfully on Audrianna’s earlobe. “I have a dildo,” she whispered.

Audrianna shuddered. “A what?” she asked. She knew what dildos were, but this was the first time she had ever heard them mentioned in conversation. Kendis’ silence made Audrianna open her eyes.

“Should I get it, then?” Kendis asked when they made eye contact.

Audrianna dropped her hand to Kendis’ breast and began to roll her nipple between her thumb and forefinger. “Is that one of the varying perspectives you’ve picked up on your journeys?” she asked.

“If ya like,” Kendis replied with twinkling eyes.

Audrianna grinned at her with a lop-sided smile. For once, she was amused rather than embarrassed. Before any embarrassment could creep up, Audrianna said, “Sure. Why not?” Kendis shimmied out from underneath her and trotted over to her closet. From a wicker basket she retrieved a glass implement in the shape of a capital letter L. Upon seeing it, Audrianna fell backwards on the bed and covered her face with her hands, grinding her fists into her eyes and groaning. “If you’re proposing to put that thing up into me, Kendis Lewis, I have a couple of questions I need to ask you first,” Audrianna stammered.

“What, Audri?” Kendis said as she brought the dildo back to the bed. “Don’t cha like it? I made it myself from a whiskey bottle.”

“What?” Audrianna cried. She shook her head and laughed. “Why are you using glass to make these things, and was that bottle that you used made before or after Prohibition, as that would speak to the quality of the glass.”

They both laughed.

“Watch,” Kendis said. She hopped back up onto the mattress and knelt over the top of Audrianna with the dildo. “This is why I use glass.” She rubbed the handles of the L, focusing her attention hard upon the center until it started to bend in her hands. “Here, feel,” she said, and then she pulled Audrianna’s fingers forward to touch it. “Feels okay, yeah?” Kendis asked. Audrianna nodded. It felt fine: warm, pliable, and smooth. Kendis placed the shorter of the two ends into her mouth to get it wet, and then she guided it into herself slowly. She closed her eyes. Goosebumps popped to the surface of her skin, and her brown nipples grew erect.

“Are you going to keep that part inside of you?” Audrianna asked her.

“Uh-huh,” Kendis whispered. She opened her eyes and grinned at Audrianna. “I wanna feel this, too, right?” She stroked Audrianna’s cheek once, and then she rested her hand on Audrianna’s sternum. “Ready?” Kendis asked. Audrianna nodded again. Kendis pulled a pillow over and positioned it under Audrianna’s head, and then she pushed her thighs apart with her hands, licking her with copious amounts of saliva. She then brought her hips forward between Audrianna’s legs. Audrianna drew her breath in as the glass pressed into her; her mouth remained slightly open. “Okay?” Kendis said as she checked her face.

“Yes,” Audrianna said quietly as she nibbled the side of her mouth. She pulled the back of her hand to her face and looked to the side, fearing the vulnerability of direct eye contact.

“Stay with me, please, Audri,” Kendis whispered, turning Audrianna’s face back to hers with her fingers. “I’m not gonna hurt ya. I promise.” She pressed their foreheads gently together.

When Kendis touched her, Audrianna felt a single titillating ripple explode from the point of contact all the way down to her toes. “Oh my God,” Audrianna gasped, flailing her arms out to the sides and clenching the sheets in her fists. “What just happened?”

“I interchanged a bit of my biverse energy with your soul’s energy,” Kendis said softly. “Did ya like it?”

Audrianna took a deep breath and pulled her arms up around Kendis’ neck. “That was incredible. It felt like an orgasm that started in my head,” Audrianna giggled, but then she stopped. “Was that dangerous, Kendis?”

“Not even a little bit,” Kendis replied. She touched Audrianna’s face. “It was an equal exchange, honey. No loss from either of us. I meant it as a gesture of trust. I should’ve asked ya first.”

Audrianna shook her head and said, “No, it’s okay. It felt — like I said — incredible, and I’m glad you did it.” She paused for a second. “I do… trust you. I do.”

Kendis smiled at Audrianna with just her eyes. She propped herself up on her knuckles so that she could leverage the weight of her body on her arms, and then she began to move between Audrianna’s legs. It did not take more than a few minutes of slow, tender intercourse to push Audrianna once again to the brink of orgasm. The thought of being handled this way by a woman was the final spark to the fuse. “That’s right, honey,” Kendis said as she climaxed. “Talk to me. I wanna hear you come.”

Audrianna shrieked. She closed her eyes and folded her hands over her face, the sweet aroma of Kendis’ body still lingering on her fingers. She breathed hard and flexed while uttering a series of grunts and groans until her orgasm faded completely.

“Feel nice?” Kendis said as she pulled Audrianna’s hands away from her face. Audrianna looked up with faraway eyes, laughing a little, and nodding, shyly. “Are ya havin’ a good time?” Kendis asked with a smile.

Audrianna reached up and caressed Kendis’ face with her thumb. After a moment, she said, “Yes, are you?”

Kendis chuckled. “Yeah. I’m havin’ fun.” She kissed Audrianna once on the lips, and then she nuzzled their noses together. “Do ya wanna try a different position?”

Audrianna stalled, not sure if she wanted to or not. The only other position she was aware of placed her partner behind her. She certainly preferred it that way when she and Niklas had sex, as it allowed her not to look at him and him not to see her disinterest. That position did not appeal to her now because she did not want to be that disconnected from Kendis.

“Let’s try this, then,” Kendis replied to her thoughts. She pulled out of her and sat up, leaning back on her haunches and touching Audrianna with her fingers. “Gosh, you’re so swollen,” she said, stroking Audrianna’s clitoris with her thumb. “You’re gonna hafta help me get ya there this time.”

Audrianna flinched and said, “How do you mean?”

“With your mind,” Kendis replied, stretching Audrianna’s legs up over her shoulders and then pulling her forward by her thighs. She sucked on her own fingers and rubbed her saliva first on the tip of the dildo and then on Audrianna. “I like this position because we can watch what we’re doin’.” She guided the dildo back inside of Audrianna with her hand and advanced with short, cadenced pulses, until Audrianna’s engorged state became too difficult to push past without more aggression. “I know ya like to watch. Don’t cha, Audri?” Kendis whispered.

Audrianna felt a lightning bolt shoot through her heart and electrocute a pathway of nerves from the middle of her chest, up her neck, and out her arms. She gulped for air, and when she did that, Kendis slipped the remaining length of the dildo inside of her. “Oh!” she cried in response.

“That’s it, Audri,” Kendis said as she caught Audrianna’s legs and held her in place by her thighs. “Look down, look down. Watch what we’re doin’ together.”

Audrianna whimpered. She lifted her sweaty head and watched as their two bodies ground together. It was too much for Audrianna. “I can’t do this!” she cried.

“Yes, you can, honey,” Kendis said. She folded Audrianna’s knees down and then positioned herself in the space between them. She was gasping and perspiring just as much as Audrianna was. Their skin-to-skin contact quickened the pooling of sweat, creating a slippery barrier between them that Kendis used to slide up and down on Audrianna. She held Audrianna’s hands over her head and trapped them on the bed. “Open your eyes and look at me, Audri,” she breathed. “I wanna see your soul when ya come.”

Climax squeezed Audrianna’s insides and held on tight. “God!” she wailed, unfamiliar with the torture associated with such a prolonged contraction. “Let go!” She tried to wriggle away, but Kendis held her in place, panting, “Stay with me, Audri, please. Look at me. Show me your soul.”

Audrianna could not keep her eyes open. She clenched her jaw and arched her head backwards, enduring a few more agonizing seconds in that painful state of bliss until an orgasm finally rocked her body. It lasted for a couple of minutes, and then Audrianna took a couple more before opening her eyes. “Kendis!” she cried as she grabbed hold of her and flipped her on her back in a panic. “Your eyes. Why didn’t you stop?”

“It’s okay, honey,” Kendis replied, “really.” She pulled the dildo out of her body and dropped it on the floor. “I had such a nice time — well worth the little bit of energy I’ve lost. Please don’t worry.”

“I am worried, Kendis. I —” Audrianna began.

“Jigaboo!” The shout interrupted Audrianna’s sentence. A flaming torch broke through the glass window and set the curtains on fire.

Kendis leapt from the bed and tore the material down from the rod, stomping it with her bare foot until the fire went out. Behind the wall of smoke, Audrianna spied a number of white-hooded horsemen galloping up and down the beach. Most of them had lit torches. “Oh, terrific,” Kendis said, peeping out at them. “Clowns.”

Audrianna stumbled out of the bed and joined her at the window. “What do you mean clowns? Kendis, are you crazy? That’s the goddamn Ku Klux Klan!” she screamed.

“Trust me, Audrianna. Those are clowns,” Kendis told her with noticeably less enthusiasm. “They’re always aligning themselves with flashy fraternal groups — pirates or the hellfire clubs — the Ku Klux Klan now, apparently.”

“What?” Audrianna hissed through her teeth. “Are you trying to tell me that clowns are from Gavrilek?”

Kendis paused to observe the scene outside. “Clowns are from Earth. The beings inside of’um are from Gavrilek,” she said as she turned her head and looked at Audrianna. “Do ya like clowns, Audri?”

Audrianna threw her hands up in the air and cried, “I shouldn’t have to be thinking about whether or not I like clowns right now. This is so bizarre!”

“Jigaboo!” one of the hooded men cried as he rolled Mathani off the back of his horse and waved his torch above his head. “If you’re not out here in ten seconds, your hawk is going up in flames!”

“Mathani!” Audrianna choked. She grabbed Kendis by the arm. “We have to do something!”

“Wait a second, Audrianna,” Kendis said. She dropped back from the window, retrieved her nightgown from the floor, and pulled it over her head. “If they find out you and Devon are here, it’ll just create a whole new slew of problems for me. Please, just stay in the house and lemme handle this, okay?” She donned a bathrobe that was hanging on the backside of the door and then left without waiting for Audrianna to answer. Audrianna fished around in the darkness for her own nightgown. After putting it on, she returned to the broken window just in time to see Kendis tromping out to confront the band of Klansmen.

Kendis knelt down next to Mathani on the ground and extinguished the flame with a simple clap of her hands. “Why have you hurt this man?” she shouted at the sheeted figure on horseback.

“Why have I hurt’um?” the man laughed. He chucked the snuffed-out torch at Mathani, and Kendis blocked it with her arm. “Why were you two jigaboos up in Savannah today tryin’ to take money away from white kids?”

Kendis stood up and said, “You’ve been misinformed. I was in Savannah to render support for children with disabilities, not to take money away from anyone.”

The man sneered and said, “You can use all the fancy teacher language you wanna, but this time ya done it! My master is real mad at ya for tryin’ to push them black deviants off onto God-fearin’ white folks.”

“Is he?” Kendis replied. “I wasn’t aware that clowns fell into that category.”

“Now you listen here,” the man replied with a laugh. “We are the white knights of Christ, sworn to protect and uphold our pure white heritage, and we won’t stand for a bunch of idiots pollutin’ our community with their feeble-mindedness. The state a’ Georgia’s already got an institution for imbeciles, in Milledgeville. Why don’t ya send them kids up there?”

Kendis scoffed and said, “Mostly because they don’t need to be institutionalized. They need to be educated and rehabilitated. Not that I expect ya to understand those two concepts — what with your typical choice of alliance. Tell me, what was it that y’all found so appealin’ about the Ku Klux Klan? Was it their prank-playin’ upstart or their colorful, clown-like costumes?”

The man grinned at Kendis. He threw a wooden spindled scroll on the ground in front of her, and it stuck in the sand. “There,” he said, laughing. “My master wants to play with ya.”

Kendis shook her head and said, “You can tell your master that I have no interest in his clown tricks, not now, not ever.” The man reared back on his horse, coming dangerously close to Kendis’ head, but she did not budge.

He then said, “You might wanna confer with your players before ya make such a hasty decision.” He waved his arm in the air, and the rest of the Klansmen took off riding towards Fort Screven. “I’m sure once ya realize what kinda prize is at stake, you’ll be itchin’ to get back into the game.” He mocked her with a bow of his head and said, “Master,” and then he turned his horse to follow the hooping and hollering troop off down the beach.

When Audrianna felt that the horsemen were too far away to see her, she ran out of the house to Mathani, who sat on the ground holding his right arm against his body. Kendis stood above him, staring after the floating bits of fire as they disappeared into the night. “Mathani, let me look,” Audrianna said. She unbuttoned his shirt and pulled it down to his waist, finding a noticeable gap between his shoulder joint and the upper part of his arm. The deltoid muscle on that side was flat, indicating separation. “Kendis, his arm is dislocated,” Audrianna said, but Kendis did not respond. “Kendis!” she called more loudly. Kendis looked down at the two of them, and then she gradually lowered herself to the ground, still keeping her attention fixed on the distance.

“Mass,” Mathani panted. “Dey got de chilluns.”

“What?” Kendis flipped her head around.

“Dey bruk’up in de big house an’ took um’. Dey was too scrong fo’ us,” Mathani said. Pain rippled through his voice.

“Mathani, why didn’t ya call me?” Kendis cried.

Mathani shook his head and said, “Cause y’all was… busy, Mass.”

Kendis grabbed her hair in clumps and looked up at the sky. “Oh, Mathani,” she said as she took a deep breath. Audrianna did the same thing, although Audrianna’s breath was to stave off the embarrassment of Mathani knowing that she and Kendis had been having sex. “Okay,” Kendis said. She exhaled and then opened her eyes. “Let’s get ya inside, and I’ll try to figure out what they’ve done with’um. Audrianna, can you fix this?” she asked, pointing at Mathani’s shoulder.

Audrianna did not know what to say. She had not practiced medicine in eight years, and she had never done anything like this. She had seen a shoulder reduction performed once in medical school, but that was it. Mathani would be much better off in the hands of a surgeon.

“There’s no time for that,” Kendis told her. “You’ll hafta manage on your own.” She crawled forth on all fours and retrieved the scroll that was sticking out of the sand. “Damn clowns,” she said as she unrolled it. Her eyes darted over the scroll. “This is all in hieroglyphs.”

“Hieroglyphs!” Audrianna jerked her head back. “Why?”

“Oh, this group of clowns must be originally from Egypt,” Kendis said as she scrambled back to Mathani and Audrianna, dragging the scroll along the ground. “There’re only a few places they could be from: Egypt, Greece, and Crete, I think. Their theatre of incarnation was relatively small compared to ours.” She shook her head. “I wish they’d stayed over there. I’m gonna hafta get Kiah to help me with this. Mathani, can you walk?”

“Yaas’um,” Mathani grunted. He rocked back and forth until he propelled himself forward onto his knees and then stood up. Audrianna steadied his change of position with two well-placed hands: one around his waist and the other around his good arm.

“Mathani!” Martha came scurrying around the side of the house, calling for him and looking quite frantic.

“Over here, Martha,” Kendis shouted.

Martha spotted Kendis’ waving hand. She ran up to them and wrapped her arms around Mathani, saying “T’engk’gawd! Wuh wrong?”

“He’s all right, Martha,” Audrianna told her. “He’s dislocated his shoulder, but I’m going to try and put it back into place.”

“How’yuh gwine do dat?” Martha asked

“Audrianna is a doctor, Martha. She knows what to do,” Kendis said, stepping in to keep Audrianna from discrediting herself.

“A doctuh!” Martha said. “How ‘bout dat!”

“All right,” Kendis said, cutting her off. “Let’s all go inside now. We’ve gotta long night ahead of us, and we’ve gotta lotta work to do.” She led the group back into the house and disappeared up the stairs. Audrianna sat Mathani down in a chair.

“Martha, is there any whiskey left besides that little bit in the hutch?” Audrianna asked her.

“Yaas’um, plenty,” Martha replied.

“Plenty?” Audrianna narrowed her eyes. “I thought the government had all the liquor from the distilleries locked up in their warehouses.”

Martha pressed her lips together in a thin smile and said, “Dat wuh dey t’ink, but Kendis got a hundud barrel hid away.”

“A hundred barrels? Hidden? They’ll seize this whole place if they ever find out she’s done that,” Audrianna said in dismay.

“Yaas’um, buh dey ain’t gwine find out. De mass too smaa’t fo’um,” Martha replied with a smile.

Audrianna put one hand on her hip and ran the other one through her hair. “Yes, I can well believe that,” she said. “Would you go get some of it for Mathani? He’s going to need something for the pain.”

“Yaas’um,” Martha said with a nod.

Kendis came clomping down the stairs with Kiah in tow. “Have you ever played with clowns before?” she asked him. Audrianna turned to watch the inquiry, intrigued by Kendis’ bid to a child for help in this matter. Devon followed behind them, grinding the sleep from his eyes.

“A little bit,” Kiah yawned. “What’s happened?”

Kendis handed him the scroll and said, “A pack of clowns broke into the distillery and kidnapped our entire team. That’s the only thing they left me to find’um with.”

Kiah immediately began to examine the scroll. He squinted at it and said, “I think this is from the Old Kingdom, Master.”

Kendis shrugged. “That makes sense. That’s when clowns began to mingle openly with humans. Why do ya think they’re usin’ hieroglyphs instead of script?”

“I dunno,” Kiah said, “I’ve never seen clowns write like this before.”

“Drink dis, Mathani,” Martha said as she came back from the kitchen with an unlabeled bottle of whisky. She uncorked the bottle and then tipped it up to his lips.

Audrianna turned back around. She was terribly interested in Kendis and Kiah’s discussion, but she knew that she needed to focus on Mathani before his shoulder muscles became too inflamed to reduce the joint. “Let’s give that whiskey a few minutes to sink in and then we’ll start,” Audrianna said. She then took two guzzles from the bottle for herself. If Kendis understood that Mathani could lose his arm from an incorrect manipulation, Audrianna felt sure that Kendis would not have such confidence in her ability to perform this procedure. She tried to recreate the technique in her mind, sinking so deeply into thought that she could visualize her doppelgänger executing theoretical sequences of movements on Mathani’s shoulder: in, out, and up — or was it up, out, and in?

“May I help you, Mutti?” Devon said as he drifted away from Kendis and Kiah and came over to where Audrianna was.

“I don’t think so, son,” Audrianna replied. She glanced at him with an abbreviated smile, and then she patted the top of his head. “Not unless you can remind me how to do this.”

“I can, if you like,” Devon said, “but I think without general anesthesia, you’ll find Kocher’s method nearly impossible. The spasm of the shoulder muscle is too great. May I show you another way?”

Audrianna did a double take, exclaiming, “What did you just say?” She had heard exactly what he had said. She just could not believe it.

Devon scratched his head and answered, “I asked you if I could show you another way. Should I not have done that?”

“No, sweetheart. It’s not that it at all,” Audrianna said, trying to cloak the astonishment in her voice. Kendis told her that Devon was carrying memories of past lifetimes in his biverse energy, and apparently Dirk’s surgical experience was among them. She bent down and kissed his head. “Show me, please.”

“Okay,” Devon beamed. He directed Mathani to lie on the floor, and then he knelt down next to him. “Come over here on this side of me, Mutti.” Devon gestured to his left side, and then he took one of Audrianna’s hands. “Grab right here, and… right here,” he said as he positioned her hands.

Audrianna looked down at Mathani. “Are you ready?” she asked him.

“Yaas’um,” Mathani said, and when he did, Devon laid his hand on Mathani’s injured shoulder, fixing the humeral head in place by bracing his thumb against it.

“All right, Mutti, lift and rotate outwards,” Devon instructed. Audrianna did as she was told, and Devon gently pushed on the protruding arm bone. It clicked back into place, and Mathani yelped. “There it is!” Devon palpated the entire area of the shoulder. “Yes, it’s in.”

Audrianna checked in with Mathani, asking, “How do you feel?” Mathani nodded. He tried to get up, but he still needed Audrianna and Devon’s assistance to stand. “Hold on, Mathani,” Audrianna told him. She went into the linen closet by the stairs, which allowed her to hear a snippet of Kendis and Kiah’s conversation.

“That’s your call, Master,” Kiah said. “Maybe we should think about what types of things at that time were bein’ written in hieroglyphs rather than script.” Audrianna took a clean bed sheet off one of the shelves as she strained to hear Kiah’s words.

“Well, Kiah…” Kendis put her hand on her forehead. “Both styles of writing were used in religious dictation, of course. I think hieratic script was also used in administrative documents because of the ease of transcription.”

“Wha’do’ya mean?” Kiah asked.

Kendis replied, “I mean that script was less intricate, and the reason it was developed in the first place was so that things could be written down quickly on papyrus with reed brushes rather than carved into stone as hieroglyphs were.”

Audrianna scooted back by them with the sheet. She tucked it under Mathani’s arm like a sling and wrapped it around his body like a swathe. Devon tied it off into a knot. “There,” he said, placing his hand on Mathani’s back. “Two weeks like this, and you’ll be as good as new.”

Kiah blew out his cheeks and said, “Carved into stone, huh?” He rolled the scroll out on the table and took a closer look at it. “Isn’t the Old Kingdom referred to as the ‘Age of the Pyramid’? Pyramids are made of stone. What kinds of things did the ancient Egyptians carve inside of their pyramids?”

“Spells,” Kendis replied “and funerary texts.”

“Funerary texts?” Kiah lifted his voice, and then lowered it. “For dead people?”

“Oh no, Kiah,” Kendis said as she shook her head. “Surely not.”

“I dunno, Master,” Kiah stuttered. “This is so strange. When I’ve played with clowns before, their tricks have been entirely self-contained; everything we need to solve this should be right here.” He tapped the scroll with five fingers down. “We just hafta figure out their angle.”

“What has it been in the past?” Kendis asked him.

“Various things,” Kiah shrugged. “Fun. Mischief. That’s the thing about clowns, their plays are more a nuisance than anything else. They’re not a strong enough group to pose any real threat in the game, and I’ve never known their tactics to be lethal.”

Kendis scrubbed her hands over her face. Her breathing was uneven. Her tone was calm but stressful as she asked, “What are you sayin’, Kiah? That they’ve kidnapped our team because they think it’s funny? That they’ve done it for a good laugh?”

“Laugh, yes,” Kiah grumbled. “Clowns love to…” His voice trailed off. Suddenly he looked up from the scroll, his eyes lit with insight. “Laugh,” he finished. Kiah snapped his fingers. “That’s it! Laughter. Everyone gather around. I know this sounds strange, but let’s just see if it works.”

“If what works, Kiah?” Audrianna questioned him.

“Laughter,” he said as he looked at Kendis for approval. “I’m thinkin’ they might’ve hidden an English translation of this scroll underneath the hieroglyphs, one that hasta be unlocked through laughter. You wanna try it, Master?” Kendis offered him her palm, and then everyone, including Mathani, came to the table to give it a shot. They erupted into stiff, forced laughter, watching the scroll over Kiah’s shoulder to see if anything happened. The hieroglyphs began to shift across the page into crude block lettering — English letters that were easily deciphered. The complete conversion took less than a minute. When it was complete, Kiah began to read it out loud.

UNAS COMES OUT ON THIS DAY AND BRINGS MAAT WHICH IS WITH HIM.

HE COMES DOWN TO MEET HIS ADVERSARIES AND STANDS UP. YOUR DEED BE AGAINST YOU, WHAT YOU WILL DO WILL BE AGAINST YOU.

FEAR. TREMBLE. YOU GO UP AND OPEN THE WAY THROUGH THE BONES. THE GOD HEMEN HAS OPENED THE EARTH. HE HAS SWALLOWED THE GREEN ONE. HE IS PLEASED WHEN THE MAGIC IS IN HIS BELLY. WHO IS HE WHO WILL BE SPARED?

“This is unbelievable,” Kendis said. Although emotion was not overly present in her voice, Audrianna could tell that Kendis was overwhelmed with worry. “You’re right, Kiah. That is a funerary text: a fragmented one, pieced together to suit their purposes, no doubt.” She divided the group gently with her hands, and then she stepped up to the table next to Kiah, pulling the scroll directly into her view. Kendis continued, “Unas was an Egyptian King in Fifth Dynasty Egypt. He was also the only Clown Master that I know of who was able to capture such a high office. I think it is safe to assume the clown that wrote this is claiming Unas as a previous identity. Maat is the ancient Egyptian concept of justice or morality — funny that he considers kidnappin’ to be an embodiment of that.” She traced her finger under the next passage. “We must be his adversaries. I’m not sure if he’s talkin’ about naiads in general or just me.”

“I don’t think clowns would pick a fight with the entire Naiad family, Master. They’re rascally, not crazy,” Kiah replied.

Kendis nodded. “I’m sure you’re right, Kiah. It’s me, then. He certainly seems to be suggestin’ that I’m the one who’s brought this quandary about.” She picked up the scroll and reread the final few lines out loud. “You go up and open your way through the bones. The God Hemen has opened the earth. He has swallowed the green one. He is pleased when the magic is in his belly. Who is he who will be spared?’”

“Wha dat mean, Mass?” Martha asked her, and everyone else but Kiah echoed the question with their stares. Kendis scoffed. She cut her dull eyes at Audrianna for a second, and Audrianna responded by moving closer to her, interpreting the glance as an appeal for help, whether it was meant that way or not.

“I believe they’re tellin’ us where we can find the children,” Kendis said.

“Where?” Audrianna asked, touching her on the shoulder.

Kendis let her gaze go blank. “Hemen was an ancient Egyptian falcon-god,” she said. “The old colonial cemetery in Savannah has a huge iron falcon protectin’ its gates. It’s possible he may’ve entombed them alive there.”

Audrianna gasped, “Kiah, I thought you said their tactics weren’t lethal!”

Kiah turned around from the table. His voice was quiet as he said, “They never have been… before.”

“No, Audri. It’s not safe,” Kendis said. She then started toward her bedroom to change her clothes, but Audrianna had no intention of following her dictate without a protest. She followed Kendis through the door and then shut it behind them.

“I want to help, Kendis,” Audrianna said.

“Well, ya can’t, honey. I appreciate it, but ya can’t,” Kendis replied, her tone final. She walked over to the closet and continued to speak with her back turned. “I can’t afford to have my focus compromised.”

“What’s that supposed to mean, Kendis?” Audrianna asked.

Kendis pulled her bathrobe off and slipped out of her nightgown. She stood sideways against the refracted moonlight of the broken window. “I mean that I can’t concentrate on finding my children and keep you safe at the same time,” she said wearily.

Audrianna snuck a peek at Kendis’ bare buttocks, and a brief memory of their intimacy flashed in her mind. She turned away, understanding that her thoughts were public domain, not only for Kendis but also for the rest of the group in the living room — including Devon. This knowledge infuriated her; she exploded. “What makes you think that I want or need you to keep me safe? I am a weak human being. Is that it? You people amaze me!” She turned back around to see Kendis removing a skirt and blouse from a wooden hanger in the closet. She was still naked, but that did not deter Audrianna from looking at her this time.

“You accepted my protection when you asked for sanctuary here, Audrianna,” Kendis said. Her cool, collected voice was the antithesis of Audrianna’s. Kendis put on her skirt and then pulled a pair of panties on underneath.

“I asked for sanctuary for my son, Kendis. My son!” Audrianna cried as she threw out her hands at her. “I’m not the one who needs sanctuary!”

Kendis replied in an exasperated tone, “You and he are one, right now, as far as I’m concerned, until he can exist independently. If you are injured, he is injured. He can’t survive without ya yet. I believe we’ve had this discussion, right?”

Audrianna felt enraged. She immediately countered by saying, “Well, I would much rather lead my son to death for those we care about than hide here in your house like cowards! And while we’re at it, another thing I hate about the Children of Gavrilek is that you all seem to think we need protection from something — and maybe you’re right — but you’re completely wrong about what it is. We need protection from you! The way we come to feel about you, Kendis! That’s what we need protection from.”

“Audrianna, have you been drinkin’ alcohol?” Kendis suddenly asked.

“I had one — two sips, Kendis!” Audrianna shouted. “I needed it for my nerves. I’ve never done a shoulder reduction before. I could’ve killed him!” That was untrue, but she wanted to make a point.

Kendis pulled on her blouse, buttoned it, and then put her shoes on, one at a time. Over her shoulder she said, “Really, honey, I understand your point perfectly well without the melodrama. And of course, you can go if that’s the way you feel, but no more tantrums, please. I need every bit of my focus to find these children.” She turned around, strode over to Audrianna, and placed her hand on the side of Audrianna’s face, stroking her cheek once with her thumb and saying, “Go get dressed. We need to leave as soon as possible.” Audrianna was immediately sorry for her behavior. She started to say so, but Kendis stiffened her hand. “Nope,” she said, shaking her head, “just go and get dressed. I’ll wait for ya. Okay?”

“Okay,” Audrianna whispered. She turned and headed out the bedroom door and up the stairs to get dressed. When Audrianna reappeared downstairs, Kendis was alone. They walked to the car together but in silence. Everyone else was already sitting in the back; Kendis and Audrianna hoisted themselves into the front seat. Tonight, Kendis was driving.

The air was heavy with impending rain. The humidity was always present, and Audrianna had not yet discovered a venue that was comfortable. The wind blew with an island current, sending Kendis into an occasional swerve along a road plagued with tree limbs and ruts. After an hour of battling those obstacles and another hour spent waiting for one of the four bridges to open and close, they eventually made it to Savannah.

The city was laid out in squares, with redbrick streets and antebellum architecture. Spirits rose from the sidewalks. Spanish Moss overhung the roads. It was like driving through a spooky swamp with old houses rather than alligators basking along the paths. The entire city seemed frozen in another time.

“It seems almost unreal,” Audrianna whispered.

“It is,” Kendis replied. “Do you know that there is a larger accumulation of Gavrilekians here than there is anywhere else in the country?”

“Why is that?” Audrianna asked.

Kendis chuckled and said, “Because it’s easy here. It’s enjoyable. Life is leisurely and full of pleasure, much as life in Gavrilek was.” She glanced over at Audrianna. “It can’t be that difficult to imagine livin’ in a situation not of your makin’ and wantin’ to be as content as possible in that set of circumstances.”

Audrianna shook her head. “It isn’t,” she said, “I guess I just didn’t realize that you all had such liberties. I mean… to go places other than where you were….”

“Incarnated?” Kendis finished.

“Right,” Audrianna cleared her throat, “incarnated.”

Kendis smiled and said, “Well, like I say, there’s a number of different ways of playin’ the game, Audri. A lotta us play because we have other projects in mind.”

“What do you mean?” Audrianna asked as Kendis began to park the car along Oglethorpe Avenue.

Before Kendis could reply, Martha hissed, “Mass, dem’s skunk apes.”

Three slovenly people with dark eyes approached the vehicle. “Master, help us,” said one of the men as he knocked repeatedly on Kendis’ window. Kendis pulled the brake on the car and got out. The door slammed, and Audrianna could not hear any more of what he was saying. She scuttled out of the car to listen, as did everyone else. “He’s dyin’,” the man continued. He pointed to another man lying unconscious on a bench. “Please help’um. We’ve all shared as much of our energy as we can.”

Kendis walked over to the bench and sat down next to the man despite the fact that he was dirty and wet. “Is he attached to someone?” she asked as she turned her head back.

“Master, he’s attached to drink,” the spokesman answered.

Kendis winced and said, “I’ll give him what I can, but I’m in the middle of somethin’ that I cannot be delayed from. Okay?” She bent her head and blew a long green breath onto the man’s forehead. The man sat up, and the group around him celebrated by clapping hands. Kendis looked in his eyes. “Are ya blind?” she asked.

“Yaas’um,” he coughed, “been blind o’ a thousand years. Don’t do good with emotion.”

“As I see,” Kendis said. She patted him on the back and then stood up. “Good luck, friend.” She then motioned to Kiah and said, “Let’s go.” She began to walk toward the cemetery.

“Master,” one of the other skunk apes called after her. “Can we help ya?”

“Yes, maybe you can,” Kendis said, eyes brightening. “A pack of clowns broke into my house and kidnapped my folks. I think they may’ve buried’um alive in this cemetery somewhere.” She looked around. “In one of the tombs, perhaps.”

“Prawley not, Master. It’s more likely they took’um down to their playground,” the man answered.

“Their playground?” Kendis lifted her eyebrows.

He replied, “Yeah, their playground… they got a whole clown carnival down there.” He pointed down to the ground. “In the pirate tunnels under the city.”

Kendis huffed and said, “Terrific. How do we get in?”

The man answered, “There’s an entrance to the tunnel underneath the Duelists’ Grave, ya know? Them two clowns what shot each other up on the Carolina side a’ the river.”

“No, I don’t know,” Kendis said, shaking her head.

“Aww, it don’t matter,” the man said and swooshed his hand for emphasis. “I’ll show ya. Come on.” He led Kendis and the rest of them through an arched concrete entranceway capped by a falcon protecting the motto “Daughters of the American Revolution.” Inside the gates stood erect gravestones, each etched with an inscription now too weathered to read with the naked eye. The above-ground vaults were brick and concrete. Indiscriminate grave markers rested on upper and lower ledges along the edge of the back wall. A pathway of sidewalks meandered through the lawn.

“Have ya been to their clown carnival before, friend?” Kendis asked the skunk ape. “Can ya give me any advice on how to find it?”

“Aww, you won’t have no trouble, Master,” the man said as he looked back at the rest of the group. “You gotta searcher with ya, right?”

“No, all my people are still in incubation,” Kendis replied.

“Oh, really,” he said as he examined everyone in the line, one-by-one. Finally, he pointed at Devon. “Not sure I’d take that’un with ya. He’s got a Tawn mark on him.”

Kendis stopped walking. She turned and looked at Devon, then she stared at the skunk ape without blinking. “How do ya know that?” she asked quietly.

“Aww, I’m hopped up,” the man said with a sheepish smile.

Kendis grabbed at the sides of her head and then crossed her hands over her heart, laughing. “Oh my gosh. I thought you were serious,” she said, relief seeping through her voice.

The man stopped and said, “I am serious.” After a pause, he added, “I can see through screens when I smoke marijuana. For instance, you and that‘un over there,” he pointed at Audrianna and clicked his palate, “a good time, eh?”

Audrianna gasped, “Listen here, Mr. Skunk Man.” She wagged her finger at him.

Devon pulled on her sleeve. “Skunk Ape, Mutti,” he corrected her.

“Mr. Sssskunk Ape,” Audrianna stammered. “Listen here —”

“Stop, stop.” Kendis criss-crossed her arms in front of her.

“Right.” Audrianna nodded at the man as she narrowed her eyes. “Stop, stop. Mr. Skunk Ape, just stop.” She gave him one last satisfied head nod.

The man tugged on his earlobe with an unfocused gaze, and then he turned to Kendis and said, “Wow, that’s some project.” Kendis shot her eyes to Audrianna and laughed nervously. “Well, anyway,” the Skunk Ape said as he swatted his hand down. “I’ll go with ya, if ya like. Show ya the way.”

“Oh,” Kendis said, snapping her attention back to him, “thank you so much. I’m sorry. What’s your name?”

“Homer,” he replied.

“Homer,” Kendis repeated as she offered her hand to the group. “Homer, my name is Kendis Lewis.” Kiah came up to where Kendis stood; she put her hand on Kiah’s back. “This is my lead, Kiah Lewis, and on the end, my two hawks, Mathani and Martha.” She scratched her forehead. “You know about my, ahem, special friend, Audrianna, and that is her son Devon. He is my ward.”

“I am Tru,” Devon said.

“Tru,” Kendis corrected herself with a final head scratch. She smiled at Homer. “He likes to be called Tru. Shall we continue?”

“Your ward, huh?” Homer said as he raised one eyebrow. He waved them onward. “I don’t think anyone else can see his mark. I don’t think he even knows about it. So it’ll be our secret. Okay? A payback for what ya done for us earlier.”

Audrianna pulled her back by the arm while they were walking. “Kendis, what is all that about?” she whispered. “And what do you mean ‘special’? You know calling me that only validates his claim.”

“So?” Kendis shrugged.

Audrianna hissed, “My son is right here, and so is Kiah —”

“They understand sex, honey,” Kendis talked over the back of her words. “Trust me. They’ve been your age before.”

Audrianna rolled her eyes and said, “That’s not the point, and even if it were, they likely understand sex between a man and a woman, not between the two of us!”

Kendis ground the heels of her hands into her eyes and said, “Lord, help me, please.” She held her tongue until the rest of the group passed them. “Look, Audri, we had a deal, remember? No tantrums,” she continued. “I promise we’ll talk about it just as soon as everyone is home safe in their beds. Okay? Please, for now, just let it go. Please, just let it go.” Audrianna looked down and nodded. “Thank you,” Kendis said. She gave her eyes a little roll and then patted Audrianna on the back. “Let’s catch up, okay?”

They made it to the Duelists’ Grave, appropriately dubbed, whereupon Homer told Kendis, “You’ll wanna put’um in a strong-out line, Master.”

“Why?” She asked.

Homer looked at her solemnly and said, “There’s ghosts all down there from the Yellow Fever Epidemic.”

“Why in the world would ghosts be hangin’ out down there?” Kendis asked, confusion in her voice.

Homer snapped his fingers at the tomb a couple of times, but nothing happened. He glanced at Kendis, and then he snapped his fingers again and said, “That’s where Savannah buried a lotta their victims — to hide the numbers so the city wouldn’t panic. How long ya been outta form, Master?”

“A long time,” Kendis told him.

Homer nodded and said, “You’ll wanna stack your line strong out and tuck that human inside. She’s likely to take off runnin’ if ya don’t.”

Audrianna’s mouth dropped open. “Uh! I will no —”

“I’m sorry, Master,” Homer said, interrupting Audrianna. He had stopped snapping his fingers. “I don’t think I have enough punch to get this open. You’ll hafta do it.”

Kendis snapped twice with force, and the mortar in between the bricks began to dissolve before their eyes. Uneasy about watching the desecration of a grave, Audrianna walked around and fanned herself. Her skin felt glued together. Savannah was beautiful, but it was just too damn humid. She swatted at a mosquito as it flew by.

“All right. That’s got it,” Homer told Kendis. He kicked the bricks in, and they fell down. A syrupy-sweet draft escaped the hole, followed by the smell of grease and the smell of popcorn. “Welp!” Homer said as he sniffed the air. “Smells like they’re expecting company. Are ya ready? Ladder goin’ down.”

“All right. Listen up,” Kendis said, turning around. “Audrianna, will you come over here, please? This is the order of march: me, Martha, Devon, Audrianna, Mathani, and Kiah. That’s right. Right?” She counted their heads in that order, starting with Martha. “Third, fourth, human, third, second. Kiah, let me know immediately if ya see anyone in crisis over the ghosts.”

Audrianna tapped her foot and said, “What kind of crisis, Kendis?”

Kendis replied, “Listen, honey, if they scare ya, just close your eyes and hold onto the person in front of ya. Please don’t take off runnin’ whatever ya do. Okay?”

Audrianna poked her tongue in her cheek and took a deep breath through her nostrils. She pulled Devon forward and whispered in his ear, “All right, Tru? If they frighten you, just close your eyes. Did you hear that?”

“Uh-huh. I got it, Mutti,” Devon answered.

Homer climbed down into the hole via rungs on the front wall. Kendis descended next. She popped her head back up immediately after she disappeared and said, “It’s pitch black down from here. Everyone switch to night vision and adjust as necessary. Audrianna, just go slowly and hold on tight.” Audrianna rolled her eyes at Kendis’ advice. They all crawled down the ladder. Once they were on the ground, Kendis checked in with them again, asking, “Everybody here? Everybody okay? Kiah?”

“Everyone’s here, Master. Everyone’s okay,” Kiah replied

“Fine. Let’s push on,” Kendis said. They did not get that chance.

A music box began to play. The echo of a little girl whispered in the dark, “Jigaboooooo.” The walls began to close in. The voice counted backwards, “Ten… nine….”

“Oh!” Audrianna cried. She shook out her hands and then touched her crotch. She was so afraid that she had wet herself.

The voice continued counting, “Eight… seven….” The music box began to die, and the floor began to vibrate.

“Hold on!” Homer screamed.

The voice continued counting, “Four… three….”

“Oh God, Tru!” Audrianna cried as she held him tightly. “I think Mutti made a big, big mistake.”

Finally the voice said, “Two… one.”

The opening bars of Entrance of the Gladiators began to play in a diabolical key. Red lights turned off and on. Smoke filled the room, as did laughter and the pitter-patter of little feet. A tunnel of kaleidoscopic mirrors stretched as far as the eye could see, spiraling around an ancient iron bridge. A stagnant moat was clearly visible underneath.

“Y’all okay back there?” Homer called over his shoulder. “They’re just messin’ with y’all. Don’t let it bother ya none.”

Audrianna glowered at him. Seriously, Mr. Skunk Man?

Devon patted her hand and replied to her thoughts, “Skunk Ape, Mutti. Skunk Ape.”

“Right,” Audrianna whispered.

“We’re okay, Homer,” Kendis spoke loudly over the music. “Let’s just keep goin’, please.” The group all crept out onto the dizzying bridge, but just as soon as they did, it began to sway. Audrianna lost her balance and went tumbling to the platform, bringing Devon down on top of her and splashing his hand in the water.

“Whoa! Whoa! Come’yuh, Tru,” Martha said as she grabbed him up before he rocked off the side of the bridge.

“Bruahahahaha…” sounded a macabre laugh.

Audrianna immediately shot to her feet and pounded her fist in the air, crying, “Go ahead and laugh you son of a bitch! We’ll just see about that!” She wiped her forehead with rough fingers. “Dumb clown bastard,” she whispered, and then she checked herself for a long ten seconds. “Mutti’s sorry about that, sweetheart.” She hugged Devon from behind, kissing the top of his head. “Are you okay?” Devon nodded.

The music changed to an emotional Arabic chant. It was desperate, painful, and deeply haunting. Its dark reverence was meant only for the underside of the soul, not for a clown hole in the sewers of Savannah.

“Mutti,” Devon said as he stopped walking. “It hurts.”

Chalky hands reached out from under the bridge and reached for their feet. “Oh, God!” Audrianna cried as she kicked at them. “What hurts, sweetheart?” She pulled Devon back and dropped her ear on the side of his face. “What hurts, Tru?”

“They do,” Devon replied, pointing. Ghosts with bloody noses stooped underneath the handrails and crawled onto the bridge. They scratched sores on their arms and smiled at Devon with defeated eyes. All around them, mosquitos began to buzz and swarm.

“Tru! Close your eyes!” Audrianna cried. She shook him until Kiah rushed forward from the back of the line and took him out of her hands.

“Master,” Kiah called, and Kendis immediately came back.

The ghosts swarmed around Devon and began to pet him with their filmy hands as they cried, “Doctor, help us. We suffer!”

“Tru —” Audrianna said as she tried to get to him.

Kiah pushed her back with one arm and said, “Let Kendis do it, please.”

“It’s okay, Tru.” Kendis picked Devon up and held him while Kiah and Martha steadied her weight on the moving bridge. “Look at me.” She cupped his chin and met his eyes with a reassuring smile. “They don’t wanna hurt ya, you know? They’re just sad, and they think that you can help’um.” Kendis touched her forehead to Devon’s, and a green charge ignited in his eyes. He gasped for air.

“I don’t know how to help them, Master,” Devon sniveled. “They’re already… dead.”

Kendis flipped her head and said, “In my experience, ghosts that stay on the physical side of things hang around because they have questions they want answered. You can talk to’um, ya know? Find out what they want.” She sat him down on the platform and turned him around. She held out her hands, indicating to one of the ghosts that it could kneel in front of him. “He just wants to talk to ya, honey. That’s all. Don’t be afraid.”

Devon stared at the ghost. “Doctor,” it said. “I done everything ya told me to do. What offense have I made against God that he punishes me so?”

Devon relaxed, and for the second time in the course of four hours, Audrianna heard Dirk’s voice come from Devon’s lips as he said, “Mosquitos carried the plague, and no doctor knew it at the time.” Devon then looked at Kendis for help.

“Death isn’t a sign that you’ve offended God,” Kendis told the ghost. “It’s an indication that he loves you, and he dudn’ want ya to suffer the ills of your physical body any longer. Free yourself from guilt now and go on to Heaven.” She smiled at him, and then she motioned on both sides for all of her group to come closer. “You, too, Homer,” she said, and then she wrapped her arms around everyone and began to sing in the most beautiful gospel voice imaginable. Kiah joined her, and then Martha, and then Mathani. The all sang in a happy key that dispelled the misery of the music in the tunnel. In a matter of just a few moments, something very, very odd happened. They suddenly appeared in a gigantic cavern filled with soft orange light and a backwards spinning carousel. Its horses were legless.

“What in the world!” Homer wheeled around to look at Kendis. “We just navigated two hours of tunnels in one second. How’d y’all do that?”

Kendis opened her mouth. She darted her eyes to the group, and then she rested them on Kiah. “I’m not exactly sure,” she said. “The last thing I can remember was trying to sing on top of that horribly dissonant key.”

Suddenly they heard clapping and a distinct voice saying, “Bravo.” A tall man with more fat than muscle stepped down from a candy-studded gingerbread chair, applauding. He was wearing a purple robe in the style of the KKK, with all of the ornamentation to match. “Scram, Skunk,” the man said as he jammed a finger in Homer’s face. “You’re stinkin’ up my carnival. Get back to your trashcan. Next time I see ya down here, I’m gonna set your tail on fire.”

“Homer, it’s okay,” Kendis said as she pulled him back and gently shoved him towards the nearest exit. “Thank you.”

After Homer had gone, the strange man said, “Miss Lewis, I don’t believe we’ve been properly introduced.” He made an inward gesture. “My name is Hiram Wesley Evans. Forgive me for the informality, but my lead isn’t here at present to be introduced. You met him earlier tonight when he delivered my summons to ya.”

“Excuse me, your summons?” Kendis said, her eyes widening.

Hiram chuckled and said, “I’ll hafta say that was some impressive maneuvering on your part, Miss Lewis. I underestimated you. Guess ya don’t wanna tell me how ya got here so quickly, huh?” Kendis simply stared at him. “Yeah, I figured,” he continued. “Good trick, though. Y’all hungry?” Hiram clapped his hands together once, and cotton candy began to fall from the ceiling. Little people scurried in and out of the shadows with balloons, and the sounds of off-key carnival music filled the air. “Go ahead and take some, son,” Hiram said as he pointed at Devon, and then he extended his gesture to include everyone. “All y’all.” He grabbed a piece of blue fluff out of the air and stuffed it in his mouth. He began speaking to Kendis again, saying “Ya brung’um all this way, so might as well let’um eat somethin’. What about this?” He snapped his fingers, and popcorn started to fall. “What about this?” He snapped his fingers again, and hard candy appeared. “What about this?” He snapped his fingers one last time, and ketchup-covered hotdogs rained down.

Bits of candy, popcorn, and hotdogs splattered on the floor, filling the air with a mixture of aromas. Audrianna gagged. She swallowed her spit and buried her nose in Devon’s hair, all the while wondering how any of this could really be happening.

The man clapped twice, and the hotdogs stopped pouring. “All right,” he said, “I hope ya don’t mind, but that’s what I fed them.” He turned around and pointed his finger toward a team of fully costumed clowns parading in front of an enormous glass-enclosed wagon. The wagon was filled to the brim with all of the carnival treats they had just seen… and all of Kendis’ children, save Kiah.

“Hey!” Hiram cried as he bounced up and down. He gave Kendis a corny smile. “Well, halloo, little Cambion,” he said as he shifted his gaze to Devon. “What are you doin’ here with this buncha’ jigaboos? Who are you anyway?”

“I am Tru,” Devon said.

“Tru, huh?” Hiram replied, arching one eyebrow. “Ya don’t say.”

“I strongly suggest you back away from my son,” Audrianna said as she stepped in front of Devon.

Kendis walked between them. “Why have ya kidnapped my team, Mr. Evans?” she asked him. “More importantly — what are your terms for getting them back?”

“My terms, right,” Hiram glanced again at Devon, and then he smiled. “Miss Lewis, I’ve recently been appointed the Imperial Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan. Unlike my predecessor, Mr. Simmons, I intend to make it a successful institution — perhaps even competitive. You have something I need in order to make that happen.” He put his hand on her back. “Let’s you and me go and have a quiet talk over here. We’ll leave the kids to play with the clowns, eh?” He turned back and looked at the rest of the group. “Y’all like clowns, don’t cha?”

“I have an idea, Mutti,” Devon whispered.

“So do I,” Audrianna replied. She pulled the blankets up over a freshly bathed Devon and Kiah, and then sat down on the side of the bed. “My idea is for two little boys to close their eyes and go to sleep. What’s your idea?” Audrianna asked.

“I think you should be Kiah’s mother too,” Devon replied.

Audrianna looked down at Kiah, as he was closest to her, and then she looked back over at Devon. She smiled and said, “Kiah already has a mother, sweetheart. Kendis is Kiah’s mother.”

“Kendis isn’t my mother,” Kiah replied quickly. His eyes were wide with wonder as if he had no idea where she had gotten such a notion.

“I think she’d be sad to hear you say that, Kiah,” Audrianna said as she took hold of his hand.

“No, she wouldn’t.” Kiah shook his head. “Kendis is my leader, my teacher. She dudn’ pretend to be anything else.”

“She loves you, Kiah. I know she does,” Audrianna replied. She felt a little heartsick at his impersonal appraisal of his and Kendis’ relationship, especially after what they had all just been through together.

“Oh yeah. I know,” he laughed, “but it’s not the same way that a human mother would love me.” He then paused and said softly, “I told Tru you wouldn’t wanna do it.”

Audrianna slid closer to the head of the bed so that she could lean over and look in Kiah’s eyes. “Well, you were wrong!” she said as she pinched his nose. He and Devon both giggled. “I’d love to be your mother for as long as we’re here, but we do have to go home eventually.”

“Why?” Kiah asked her.

Devon restated the question, adding, “I don’t want to go. Can’t we just stay here?”

Audrianna winced. She rubbed her hands over her face and then blew out her breath. “Sweetheart, surely you must know that it isn’t that simple”

“Why can’t it be that simple?” Devon persisted.

Audrianna chuckled and said, “For one thing, you are the son of a baron. There are certain things that you are expected to learn before you inherit that title. I’m afraid that the art of building sandcastles isn’t one of them.”

“I don’t want to be a baron,” Devon pouted, crossing his arms over his chest. “I want to be a doctor.” He looked over at her with embittered eyes. “And I want to be free. If you take me back there, I’ll never be either of those things.”

Audrianna swallowed hard. She felt her heart sink, and she tried to stop it by placing her hand on her stomach. He was right. In her mind, he would never be truly free, but he would not be free in any sense if she took him back to Austria. It was only a matter of time before his own master came looking for him and placed him back into the game — just as Kendis had said he would. If they stayed there, on Tybee, at least he would be safe from that threat. It had already been well proven that this environment was a more nurturing one than what Audrianna had provided previously. Still, Audrianna had no idea if Kendis would even agree to let them stay.

“I think she wants you to stay,” Kiah said.

“How do you know that, Kiah?” Audrianna asked, but then she shook her head at her own stupidity. She knew how he knew. If what he said was true, why had Kendis not told her as much? Kendis had never shied away from difficult conversations before.

“I guess she wants you to make up your mind for yourself,” Kiah said, replying to her thoughts. “She does that with me too.”

Audrianna snorted. Even though she had not known Kendis for very long, she already recognized that such behavior was characteristic of her. She reached up and rumpled Kiah’s curly hair and then touched Devon’s arm with the same hand. Devon did not look at her. “Hey,” she said, gently shaking him to draw his attention. He shot his eyes over to her without turning his head. “We’re going to get this figured out, Tru, but I need you to be patient with me, okay? Adapting to this life that you, and Kiah, and Kendis, and all of you live hasn’t been easy for me either. Please don’t get angry with me when I’m not exactly sure what to do.”

Devon’s eyes softened and he whispered, “Okay, Mutti.” He smiled a little, and afterwards he nodded at her.

Audrianna got up, leaned over, and kissed him on the forehead, and then she kissed Kiah too, saying, “Go to sleep, both of you. It will be daylight soon.”

“You should go to sleep too, Mutti,” Kiah replied, and Audrianna grinned when he called her that. “You’re tired. I can tell.”

Audrianna laughed out loud and said, “That’s very astute of you, Kiah, but mothers are supposed to be tired. It’s an indication that we’re doing a good job.” She turned off the lamp, backed out of the room, and then walked down the stairs in search of Kendis. When she did not find her in any of the common areas, she went to her bedroom door and rapped, waiting for a few seconds before peeking inside.

Tangerine rays of sunlight ignited the horizon, shooting across the water and into the room through the shattered window. They cast a shadow of Kendis as she sat on the end of the bed. A gust of wind caught the door and pushed it shut against Audrianna’s timid fingertips, and Audrianna had to wonder if Kendis had purposely closed the door on her. She started to knock more assertively, but then she stopped, deciding instead to err on the side of caution and to respect Kendis’ privacy. Audrianna flattened out her palm against the thick oak door in a passive attempt at connection, a gesture that comforted her for the pain she felt at the perceived exclusion. As usual, her perceptions were wrong.

The door opened halfway, and Kendis appeared in the gap, her eyes a troubling shade of gray. “Hi,” she said sweetly.

“Hi,” Audrianna replied. “Have I disturbed you?”

“Not at all,” Kendis said as she reached forward and took one of Audrianna’s hands. “I was just feelin’ sorry for myself. Come in, please.” She led her inside and then closed the door behind them.

“Is everyone asleep now?” Audrianna asked her.

“Uh-huh,” Kendis said. “I had to sit with Maggie a little longer than the rest because she’s so….” Kendis looked down.

“Sensitive?” Audrianna whispered, her head bowed.

“Yeah,” Kendis said. She looked at Audrianna with tears in her eyes. “I had to sit with Maggie a little longer because she’s so sens —”

Audrianna did not wait for her to finish the sentence. She pulled her into her arms and rocked her back and forth, saying, “I’m so sorry, darling. How much of your whiskey did you have to give that revolting man to get them back?”

“All of it,” she sniffed.

“All of it,” Audrianna repeated. She kissed Kendis’ cheek. “What is he going to do with all of it? Open a candy corn speakeasy down there?”

Kendis sniffed again, and then she pulled away from Audrianna to get a handkerchief out of the dresser. She wiped her nose and said, “I don’t really know. He just said he needed it for recruitment purposes… whatever that means. I had no choice but to supply him with a hundred barrels of whiskey to breed more cruelty and discrimination against African Americans. See what I mean about not being very good at playing the game?”

Audrianna pulled her back and hugged her as tightly as she possibly could. “Oh, Kendis,” she whispered. “I wish I knew what to say or how to help you with this.”

“It’s okay, honey. It’s gonna be all right,” Kendis said.

“Is it? I don’t know,” Audrianna said as she pushed away from Kendis and looked at her. “This is sorrow, Kendis.”

“Yeah,” Kendis said as tears ran down her face.

“Why is this emotion dangerous for everyone else, but it’s not for you?” Audrianna probed.

Kendis replied quietly, “Because the sadness I’m experiencing is exogenous. It’s not coming from inside of me. I can tolerate a great deal of exogenous emotion before it starts to hurt me.”

Audrianna shook her head and said, “I’m sorry, but I don’t understand what you’re telling me.”

Kendis laughed. She pulled out of Audrianna’s hands and wiped her eyes, chuckling at Audrianna’s unending confusion regarding the Children of Gavrilek. For once, Audrianna did not mind that Kendis found her ignorance amusing. “Lemme see, how can I explain it to ya?” Kendis said in an exaggerated accent. Audrianna could not help but laugh. “What’d I say?” Kendis said, her eyes widening.

“Nothing, it’s your accent. Sometimes it surprises me, that’s all,” Audrianna replied.

“Oh, that. Ha,” Kendis pronounced her laugh. “Is it offensive?”

Audrianna stared at her and quickly said, “Oh no, Kendis.” She stopped herself before she said what she really wanted to say — that Kendis’ voice was so endearing that she never wanted to be without it. Audrianna decided that the possible implications of such a statement were too much for the present. Kendis had just lost her only source of income. She hardly needed any extra mouths to feed.

Kendis petted her shoulder and whispered, “Why are you havin’ such a hard time tellin’ me what’cha ya wanna say, honey?”

Audrianna scoffed. She should have known that was the response she was going to get. She did not know why she could not just say what she wanted to say. Part of it, no doubt, was because she feared the possibility of rejection. The other part was that she simply wanted Kendis to be the one to ask first.

“I’d like it if you and Devon would stay here with me,” Kendis said, but her voice was not enthusiastic. She sounded stiff and conflicted.

“You don’t really sound like it,” Audrianna croaked. Her heart began to grow heavy inside of her chest, punching holes in her self-confidence and pummeling her spirit with dejection. She bit down on her lip, hoping that the focus brought by the sharp pain would keep the springing fountain of tears from leaking around the corners of her eyelids. It did not.

“It isn’t that at all, honey,” Kendis said, reaching forward to comfort her. Audrianna moved back and put her hands over her face to hide the fact that she had started to cry.

“Then what, Kendis?” Audrianna uttered. “It doesn’t take a mind-reader to see that you have qualms about us staying here.”

“I do have qualms, Audrianna, but not for the reasons you think,” Kendis said as she pulled Audrianna back to her and wrenched her hands away from her face. “Look at me, please,” she said, but Audrianna could not. Kendis caught hold of her chin and forced Audrianna to make eye contact with her. “I want you here very badly, but if you choose to stay, there’s a sacrifice that you’ll hafta make, and it’s one that I’m not sure you’re prepared to make just yet.”

“What are you talking about?” Audrianna asked as she took the handkerchief from Kendis’ hand, found a clean area on it, and then pressed it under her nose.

“Oh, honey,” Kendis said. She released Audrianna’s chin and reached down for her hands. She pressed their foreheads together with a slow, affectionate grind. “I do know how difficult all of this has been for ya. I wish with all my being that my protection alone would be enough to keep you and Devon completely safe, but it isn’t. When Devon turns fifteen, his master will escalate the hunt for him, and as you saw tonight, when one group of Gavrilekians wants somethin’ from another group, malice ensues. Those were just clowns, Audrianna. Incubuses are known to be absolutely brutal when it comes to protectin’ their interests. Have ya picked up on what their interest is yet?”

“No,” Audrianna whispered. She shook her head and lowered her eyes. An image of Lorna bound to pillars, beset by the incubus master, filled her mind. She relived it.

“Audri!” Kendis said, yanking on her arms to draw her attention. “Their interest is in finding the truth! Do you know what that skunk ape told me last night? He told me that Devon has a Tawn mark on him. That means he’s been to Tawn.” She drew a breath. “The only Gavrilekians who’ve ever been to Tawn are the three who won the Tawn Games and… the Consciousness of Gavrilek. Can you imagine which one he is?”

“No,” Audrianna again said, her voice strained. She blinked rapidly.

Kendis grabbed a chunk of her own hair and said, “Audri, why do you think he wants to be called Tru — and notice he never says, ‘My name is Tru.’” She wagged her finger. “He always says, ‘I am Tru,’ because that’s what he is, and that’s all he can remember about it. There is a reason why his master has made marks like ‘touch at your own peril’ and ‘contract to death’ all over Devon’s biverse energy.”

“What!” Audrianna exclaimed.

“Yes, Audri,” Kendis said. She pirouetted around. “Yes. The first night y’all drug up on the beach out there — that’s what I was met with. So, when ya clued into the fact that I was a little nervous about havin’ y’all here… that was why.”

“Kendis!” Audrianna cried. She grabbed her and shook her by the elbows. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

Kendis rolled her eyes and said, “Because I figured out pretty quickly that this is how you’d react, Audrianna.” She wriggled out of Audrianna’s grip and then held up her hands to stop her from coming any closer. “I thought it would only be for a few days,” Kendis said, shrugging. “A few days turned into a few weeks, and now it is a month later, and you’re still here.”

Audrianna felt her face turn red. “I’m sorry, Kendis,” she stammered.

Kendis shook her head. “Of course, they won’t be able to take y’all outta here while ya still want sanctuary, but if they find out where you are, they can stir up a whole buncha’ trouble for all of us. I have no doubt whatsoever that Devon’s master would launch an attack on me to save face. He might attack just for the hell of it. I haven’t exactly got the strongest group to fight a master like that, ya know?” She walked over to the window and looked out. “Includin’ myself. I can’t even outplay a clown.”

Audrianna whispered, “Kendis, you were great. I mean, keeping us all calm like that, and saving Devon from those ghosts… and that time warp you conjured up in the tunnel.”

“I’m sorry. What words did ya use?” Kendis asked

Audrianna scratched her face absently. “Time warp?” she said.

“Time warp, huh. Interesting,” Kendis reflected.

An emergence of empathy for Kendis’ predicament eclipsed Audrianna’s own hurt feelings. “I don’t want to cause you any trouble, Kendis,” she said as she drew up behind her and wrapped her arms around Kendis’ waist. It was clear that Kendis felt conflicted. For personal reasons, she wanted Audrianna and Devon to stay, but duty to her group, their contentment, and their safety were her priorities. “I’ll start making the necessary arrangements to go home right away.”

“You don’t hafta go, Audri!” Kendis said as she slapped her hands on the windowsill. Her voice was a two-toned jumble of tenderness and frustration, neither of which had a stronger intonation than the other. “You just hafta let your other lover go. It’s only through your continued communication with her, your thoughts, your longings, that she and her master, Devon’s master, will find y’all here. Do ya understand what I’m tellin’ you?”

Audrianna turned Kendis loose and stepped back. She ran her hand through her hair and asked, “Is that the sacrifice you were referring to?”

“Yes,” Kendis said.

“Kendis, she hasn’t even contacted me. I don’t even know if she’s alive,” Audrianna replied.

“She’s alive, Audrianna,” Kendis whispered hoarsely. “She’s in incubation right now, and dudn’ have enough strength to enter your dreams. Be sure that you will be the first thing on her agenda when she gets out. If you start separatin’ from her now… she may just move on. The truth of the matter is, her continued interest in you may blind or kill her, and I’m sure she knows it.”

“She’s already blind, Kendis” Audrianna said quietly, her face blank. “She went blind in my arms.” For the next minute, the only sound in the room was the quiet ticking of the clock’s second hand. Distracted for a moment, Audrianna wondered why she found silence innately uncomfortable.

“Silence is awkward because humans exist in a constant effort to connect with one another,” Kendis said. She turned to face Audrianna. “When you were born, your parents spoke to you in gibberish. They made googly faces at you, they touched you —”

“Okay, Kendis,” Audrianna cut in. “Can’t I just ponder something without really asking a question or wanting an answer? You don’t always have to be teaching me something, you know?” Kendis folded her arms over her chest, and Audrianna noticed the silence again. “‘I’m sorry,” Audrianna said. “I didn’t mean that.” She did mean it, but she did not want to hurt Kendis.

Kendis walked past her. Her eyes were on the floor, but she was smiling. She swept her hand down Audrianna’s arm as she went by. “I know, honey. It’s fine,” she said as she turned around at the door. “I’m gonna go get a sip of whiskey. Do ya want some?”

Audrianna drew her brows together and said, “It’s seven o’clock in the morning, Kendis.”

“I’m sorry; does that mean you don’t want any?” Kendis asked

Audrianna knew that she should say no, but after the night she had, whiskey seemed like a good idea. “Yes, I’d love some,” she said. Kendis left and returned in a couple of minutes with one lowball glass and one glass the shape and size of an egg. It had a built-in glass straw. She handed it to Audrianna. “Kendis, are you serious?” Audrianna said as she bobbed her hand at the egg.

Kendis laughed and said, “Wha’do’ya mean, am I serious? That’s how we give it to the children when they’re sick so that we can control the amount they get. Cheers.” She clinked the glasses together. Kendis swallowed her entire shot in one gulp; Audrianna stared at Kendis with her mouth hanging open. Her head was spinning, and every time she tried to say something, her voice got caught in her throat.

“Are you okay, honey?” Kendis asked as she slapped her twice on the back.

“K… Kendis, I can’t believe you just said that to me!” Audrianna cried.

Kendis grabbed her in her arms and danced around. “Believe it!” she said, and then she sat Audrianna on the bed. “See it dudn’ spill, either.” Audrianna slit her eyes and laughed despite herself. “You’ll get used to it,” Kendis said as she put her lips on the glass straw without breaking eye contact. She slurped Audrianna’s whiskey down in one breath. “See.” She winked. “There’s always another point of view.

“Yes, and you’re about to see one right now!” Audrianna cried as she grabbed Kendis by the straps of her nightgown and twisted her down on the bed, straddling her in the middle. “How dare you drink my medicine? I don’t know when my witch doctor will give me more!” She playfully wrung Kendis’ neck, and Kendis pretended to be choked. They fell to the bed laughing together, and then Audrianna said, “Kendis, did you hear me? I just had an idea.”

“No, honey,” Kendis said. She nibbled Audrianna’s neck. “I didn’t hear it.”

“I thought you heard everything,” Audrianna said.

“No,” Kendis replied. She looked up at Audrianna. “I hear only the things I choose to hear.” She laughed. “I can’t imagine my havin’ to listen to every random thought of yours throughout the day.”

“I’ll ignore that,” Audrianna said. She pressed her lips together, but she was not angry. “Anyway, about my idea, I want you to hear it.” She pried Kendis’ lips off her neck. “You have more whiskey locked up in the federal warehouses, right? You weren’t stockpiling it all here, were you?”

“Uh-huh,” Kendis said, nodding her head. “I have another three hundred barrels or so in federal custody, but I can’t get to it, Audri. You hafta have special permits to make withdrawals.”

Audrianna smiled and said, “Of those permits, I bet we’ll find one for medicinal withdrawals. We’ll create a medical distillery, Kendis. You already have a license to own a distillery. All we have to do is submit another business plan and change the mission. In the meantime, I can apply for a Georgia State Medical License, and I’ll see patients for money. That’s how we’re going to make it.” Audrianna sat up and punched her fist in the air. “Hey, Mr. Clown, pick on someone your own size!” Kendis petted her on the back, and then she stared out the window. “What is it?” Audrianna asked her, glancing back. “You think it’s a horrible idea?”

“No, I think it’s a brilliant idea, honey,” Kendis said as she gently pulled Audrianna back down to the bed by her elbow and rolled over on top of her. Kendis propped herself up on her arms so that they could look at each other face to face. “I am not threatened by your feelings for that woman, do you hear me?”

Audrianna covered her face and moaned, “Oh God. You weren’t supposed to hear that.”

Kendis pulled her hands down and said, “What I give to you, I give of its own merit and without expectation. I do not aspire to any position that would require you to quantify your feelins’ for me — nor will I ever. That sort of mentality yields attachment. Okay?”

Audrianna gave her head a slight nod. Could Kendis be any more different from Lorna? Could she be any kinder, more patient, or more tolerant? Kendis did not have Lorna’s passion, her distinct commanding presence, or her crippling aesthetic allure. Still, Kendis had something that Lorna did not have — peace. Audrianna had rarely seen peace in others, and she had never felt at peace herself. Kendis’ peace captivated her. Audrianna reached up and touched Kendis’ hair for the very first time, reciprocating Kendis’ words with a gesture, a physical one meant to conquer the last of Audrianna’s preconceived notions. Kendis grinned at her; she understood Audrianna’s intention. “What are you smiling at?” Audrianna said, narrowing her eyes.

“You,” Kendis replied. She took in a breath and then spoke as she let it go, “So wha’do’ya think? Does my hair feel as different as you thought it would?”

“It’s different,” Audrianna said. She dredged her fingers through the thick of Kendis’ hair, molding it over to one side. “That’s nice, it kind of just goes where you put it, huh?”

“Pretty much,” Kendis chuckled. She closed her eyes and rocked her head underneath Audrianna’s hand as a cat might.

Audrianna twisted and parted various sections of Kendis’ hair another few times it, and then she examined the results again. “Actually, I’m a little jealous,” Audrianna said with a laugh. She disentangled her hand, grazing the topsides of her fingers across Kendis’ skin on the way down. “You are very beautiful, Kendis Lewis.”

“Thank you,” Kendis said. She ogled at her, and then she guided Audrianna’s hand to the buttons on her night gown.

“Should we be doing this right now?” Audrianna whispered as she pushed the buttons through the loops.

“Sure, why not?” Kendis replied. “Everyone’s asleep. If you like, I could stop time for a little while, just so we don’t get interrupted.”

“You can do that?” Audrianna asked.

Kendis smiled and said, “Maybe one day. We’ll see. I have an idea, too.” A wicked grin spread over her features and she snarled, “But first, I’m gonna figure out how to grow a penis!”

“Oh, Kendis, stop it!” Audrianna cried. She swatted her on the behind. “I didn’t know! You people are all so weird. I wouldn’t put anything past you.”

“Weird is it?” Kendis asked. She sat up and pulled her gown over her head, flinging it off the side of the bed. “Well now, I wouldn’t want to disappoint you, Audri.” She reached down and plucked the material of Audrianna’s nightgown. “Why don’t you take this thing off, and I’ll see what I can figure out. Okay?”

“Hi!” Kendis cried as she rushed from the kitchen to the front door. “You’re awfully late, honey. You must be starvin’.” She took Audrianna out of her coat and escorted her by the arm to the table, physically seating her and then stroking her hair. “Sit here, I’m gonna get your supper, okay?”

“Kendis, I’m not —” Audrianna began.

“Oh, stop it!” Kendis half-scolded, half-laughed. “I didn’t cook it. Martha did.”

“Oh, okay,” Audrianna said, relieved that she would not have to eat horrible food or offer false compliments. She untangled the knife and fork from the napkin roll and then placed the napkin in her lap. Kendis pulled a ceramic plate out of the oven with a dishrag and set it in front of her, the smell of steamy collards triggering a hunger that did not appear until the plate did. “Are the boys asleep?” Audrianna asked as she picked up her fork and dug into the heap of greens.

“Uh-huh,” Kendis replied. “Do ya want some water?”

Audrianna shook her head. She had been drinking water the entire time she was waiting in the county municipal building. She found that having something to hold and something to drink was the most effective way to calm her jitters. The federal licensing committee had scheduled the medical distillery application hearings at the end of the day. By the time Audrianna had actually sat down with the officials to discuss the particulars, she had drunk at least half a dozen glasses of water.

“Aren’t ya gonna to tell me?” Kendis said animatedly as she sat down next to Audrianna and touched her arm.

Audrianna swallowed the food that was in her mouth and then broke off a chunk of cornbread. She smiled and said, “Yes, thank you. It’s very good. Martha is a wonderful cook.”

Kendis shook her arm and cried, “Stop teasin’ me! I wanna to know what happened! I could’ve cheated, ya know?”

Audrianna laughed at her and said, “Who are you trying to fool, Kendis Lewis? You wouldn’t renege after you promised me that you wouldn’t listen to my thoughts today.” She sopped up some broth with her piece of cornbread, took a bite, and then settled back into her chair, chewing with a smile and exchanging stares with an anxious-looking Kendis.

“Audrianna,” Kendis said as she shook her arm again.

“Okay, Okay,” Audrianna replied. She pulled her napkin up from her lap, wiped her mouth, and then put the napkin on the table. “I thought you wanted me to eat.” She smirked, turning sideways in her seat.

“Oh, honey, I do, I do. I’m sor —” Kendis began.

Audrianna laughed and said, “Yes, we got it, Kendis, but there was a catch.” She took hold of Kendis’ hands to keep her from celebrating. “They denied the joint partnership. The company has to be registered in my name, and the only way you can be involved is if I rent the land, the equipment, and the building from you.”

Kendis’ eyes widened as Audrianna spoke; they did not normalize even after Audrianna finished speaking. “So?” she said. “So what? Why shouldn’t we be happy with that, honey?”

“Because it’s discrimination, Kendis! That’s why!” Audrianna cried. She ran her hand through her hair. “It’s because you’re black that our application wasn’t approved without contingencies, and even then, I had to pay off the comptroller to get what we got.”

“You did what?” Kendis asked. She tilted her head forward, emphasizing her astonishment, her disappointment, her horror — who knew what notion lurked behind that look? Audrianna only knew that it made her feel worse than she already felt for having lied to her that morning. She had every intention of taking a large amount of cash into that meeting with her, and the reason she had asked Kendis to keep out of her thoughts was not because she wanted to surprise her with the outcome. It was because she did not want Kendis to know what she was up to. “How much, Audrianna? Where did ya get it from?” Kendis asked breathlessly.

Audrianna held out her left hand, topside up, and wiggled her fingers. “I sold my wedding ring for five thousand dollars,” she said, and then she put her hand down. “I’m sorry, Kendis. I shouldn’t have lied to you, but I was afraid you might try to stop me from doing it.”

Kendis stood up from her chair. When she did, Audrianna figured that she simply meant to walk away from her. However, Kendis did not.

“I have somethin’ I wanna show ya outside,” Kendis said, reaching down with her hands and pulling Audrianna up to stand face to face with her. “I’ve been savin’ it for just the right time, and I think this is it.” Audrianna frowned, confused by why ten o’clock at night was the “right time” to unveil an outdoor surprise. She was concerned that it might have something to do with her recent admission of dishonesty. “You don’t hafta come,” Kendis told her.

“Yes,” Audrianna stuttered. “I want to come. You want to show me something that’s obviously important to you, and I want to see it.” She nodded her head once, demonstrating a shaky resolve that became even shakier when Kendis took her by the hand and led her out the back door without giving her a chance to change her mind. The sky was patchy with a fray of fighting clouds, strangling the breath of the moonlight so badly that the two of them might as well have been walking in complete darkness — a fact that seemed to be lost on Kendis. Kendis walked smoothly, but Audrianna stumbled over the hundred yards of rocks and roots. By the time they made it to Kendis’ hiding place, deep in the woods, Audrianna was sore, sweaty, and in a very disagreeable mood. “Kendis, I can’t see a thing,” Audrianna huffed. She bent over, brushed herself off, and then stood back up.

Kendis hushed her gently. “Patience,” she whispered before executing a random sequence of snaps and soft handclaps. Suddenly an entryway materialized. It had a waterlogged frame, with three posts so massive that they must have been salvaged from a wrecked ship. The posts were nailed together with rusty iron stakes and reinforced with weathered bands of rope. There were no other structural components holding the entryway in place. The entryway’s size and stature alone were captivating, but its most distinctive feature was the sounds coming from within it.

“Oh!” Audrianna cried. She ducked behind Kendis and wrapped her arms around Kendis’ waist, still easily unsettled by the strange vestiges of Gavrilek.

“Everything’s all right, honey,” Kendis said over her shoulder. She squeezed Audrianna’s hands with her own hands and then left them resting on top of hers. “If it frightens ya that much, we don’t hafta go in.”

Audrianna scoffed so softly that it seemed more like a fibrous puff of air than a scoff. She ground her forehead into Kendis’ back, wanting to smell her scent, needing her presence to engender the confidence required to enter the strange doorway. When she was certain that her courage had reached its maximum allowable output for non-threatening situations, she forced her head up. “No, Kendis. I want to go,” she lied. “I’m not frightened. I’m just a little nervous.” Audrianna was a lot nervous.

“Okay,” Kendis chuckled. She took both of Audrianna’s hands in hers and walked backwards through the hollow. An inward rush of wind caught the pair in a vacuum, causing their clothes to flutter and snap as they slowly crept inside. The tunnel was intensely humid and filled with the fragrance of abundant plant life. Kendis let go of one of Audrianna’s hands and shifted her arm smoothly to the side. She ran her fingertips along what sounded to be a grainy piece of wood. When Kendis did that, a wooden-paneled passageway illuminated by hanging lamps materialized.

“What is this place, Kendis? An old mine shaft?” Audrianna asked. She looked up, down, and around. Her wonder at the site eclipsed her anxiety.

“Nope. Try again,” Kendis said with a smile.

“A cave?” Audrianna guessed as she noticed the shallow bedrock opening at the end of the passageway. It was so narrow that they would have to crawl through it to discover what was beyond it. “What is that, Kendis?” Audrianna pointed at the opening with a shaky finger.

“It’s my spring,” Kendis replied. They reached the end of the tunnel and Kendis squatted down, motioning for Audrianna to follow suit. “Another one of the reasons that water nymphs aren’t overly active in the game,” Kendis continued, “is that we are tethered to the water dwelling we live in. This is mine. I can’t leave unless I’m in human form, and I’ve already told you how often that is.”

Audrianna smiled warmly, touched by Kendis’ gesture of disclosure. She snuck a peek at the shadow of standing water in the hole, cringing at the thought of Kendis being stuck in that murky mess, unable to leave but once every several hundred years. “That’s incredible, Kendis,” she said, “and such an important part of who you are.”

“Yeah,” Kendis replied quietly. “In many ways, it is who I am… and who I’ll always be.”

Audrianna touched her on the arm. “Thank you for showing me. I am so honored that you trust me enough to have brought me here.” She paused. “Why tonight?”

“Why don’t you trust me?” Kendis answered Audrianna’s question with one of her own. “Is it because I haven’t done enough to earn your trust?”

Audrianna hesitated, caught off guard. “Kendis, I do trust you,” she replied. She pulled one of her hands up to the side of her head and buried her fingers in her sweaty hair, troubled now over what had prompted such questions.

“Do ya?” Kendis said. “Let’s see.” She pulled Audrianna up from the ground and began unbuttoning her blouse with just one hand. Audrianna allowed her to do it, determined to persevere in what was apparently a test of faith. She tilted her head backwards, closed her eyes, and exhaled through her nose, accepting her increased rate of breathing as a natural byproduct of the loss of control. “I prefer to think of it as an exercise,” Kendis said, “not a test.”

Audrianna wiped her forehead with the topside of her hand as Kendis continued to undress her. “How do you figure?” she said, aggravation brewing in her tone.

“Audrianna, look at me,” Kendis said. Audrianna opened her eyes — difficult though it was in her perturbed state — and tilted her head down to look at Kendis. After she did so, Kendis continued, “I have no cause or reason to test you. That would mean I harbor some sort of disappointment in ya that needs to be appeased.” Kendis finished unbuttoning Audrianna’s shirt and eased the material off her shoulders. It fell past her waist and caught up in the band of her skirt. Kendis softly kissed Audrianna’s chest. She began working her way up from there, murmuring, “I’m not disappointed in ya, honey.”

Audrianna gasped as Kendis slowly ascended her neck in a succession of painfully slow nuzzles. As usual, Audrianna found it challenging to maintain close control over her libido. They had been lovers for over six months, but it still was not easy for Audrianna to keep passion from dictating the pace of their sex — if that was what this was.

Kendis whispered, “You want me to believe that ya trust me, and I wanna believe that ya do. We’re not so very far apart, are we?” She laughed quietly into Audrianna’s ear, evidence of the playful personality that she never put away. Kendis was clever and crafty, with a spritz of impulse. Her sense of adventure was contagious, and her whimsy could be so intoxicating that it tinted everything around her with a rose-colored glaze. “It isn’t fair to ask ya for honesty if I don’t first have your trust,” Kendis continued, unlatching the hooks holding Audrianna’s skirt in place. It fell to the ground, followed shortly by her shirt and then her slip. “Maybe by the time we’re done here tonight, I’ll have earned it.”

Audrianna kept quiet, standing naked but not cold. She reached up and cradled Kendis’ face in her hands, refusing to disrespect the beauty of her sentiments by offering meritless justifications for her earlier deception. Instead, Audrianna helped Kendis out of her clothes, equally committed to improving their foundation of trust — scary as it was, the idea of climbing into that pitch-black crater of water, which is what Audrianna assumed they were about to do.

Kendis snapped her fingers. “There,” she said, and then the pool became flooded with white light. The water was bog-green, with a yellow base. It was so clear that Audrianna could see the layered walls of shell-rock climbing from the sandy floor. Kendis kicked off her shoes, hunched down, and then stepped backwards down the natural shelves that were in the spring.

“Is it cold?” Audrianna asked, watching Kendis’ face for her reaction to the temperature.

“Nah,” Kendis replied, laughing. “This is a hot spring.”

“A hot spring?” Audrianna asked.

“Uh-huh. Com’ere,” Kendis said as she held her hands out to Audrianna, and with her help, Audrianna descended into the warm water. Once there, she walked toward Kendis’ arms, and Kendis pulled her in and held her.

“This feels wonderful, Kendis,” Audrianna said, and she truly was pleased not only with the temperature, but also with the way Kendis’ surprise had turned out. She had really been expecting a terrifying assault on her senses, not nice, warm water. Audrianna was curious as to why Kendis wanted to keep this place hidden. It seemed a bit selfish, in that many, many people would enjoy soaking there too.

“It’s not the spring I’m tryin’ to keep hidden,” Kendis said. She pointed over the floor’s edge, which led to another deeper cavern. “I’m hidin’ somethin’ else way down there.”

“Are you serious, Kendis?” Audrianna asked as she pulled her head back quickly.

Kendis heckled her a little, saying, “Yes, Audrianna, I am serious. What about what we’ve done together up to this point — has deepened our level of trust?”

“Oh, I don’t believe this.” Audrianna turned her head to the side as she spoke.

“Do ya wanna leave?” Kendis asked.

“No, Kendis,” Audrianna said, snapping her head back. “I don’t want to leave. I wish you’d quit giving me a pass out of everything.”

Kendis bit down on her lip, presumably to keep from smirking, but that effort was hardly effective. Her eyes were cackling from behind her soft, blinking lashes. “I guess I’m justa’ softie when it comes to your tantrums,” she crooned, slurring her words with a slow southern drawl and tickling her fingernails down Audrianna’s back.

“Well, Kendis…” Audrianna shuddered so hard that she had to shut her eyes. “I already put away my panic button, and pouting is the only other way I know how to handle anxiety.” She blew out her breath, but kept her eyes closed. “What are we working on here, anyway? Trust, or tantrums?”

Kendis chuckled. She reached up with dripping hands and cupped Audrianna’s face, rubbing warm water back and forth across Audrianna’s skin with her thumbs. “We’re working on trust,” she whispered, “whenever you’re ready.”

“I’m ready,” Audrianna said. She opened her eyes and nodded without giving it another thought. Her voice was a forced calm, and she hoped that was all it would take to actually keep her calm.

Kendis whispered, “I’m gonna hafta swim down and get it. It might be less startling for you if I turned the light off.”

“Sure! Go ahead. Why not?” Audrianna laughed, but then she backpedaled just as soon as it became clear that Kendis was about to snap the light out. “No, Kendis!” she exclaimed, grabbing her wrist. “I was being sarcastic. I don’t know what it’s like on Gavrilek, but here on Earth, it’s much worse to be startled in the dark.”

Kendis rolled her eyes and said, “Fine, Audri. Suit yourself.” She took Audrianna’s hands and then released them as she slowly waded to the fall of the next chamber. “I’ll keep the light on, but you hafta promise me you’ll stay put, regardless of what ya see.”

“Oh God, Kendis,” Audrianna said as she clutched her throat. “Really?”

“Really,” Kendis said, and then she waited for Audrianna to nod her head before dropping down under the water and out of sight.

“I don’t believe this,” Audrianna muttered to herself. She pulled her hands up to her face and covered her eyes. Why was she standing shoulder deep in an invisible, underground spring, completely nude, waiting for her alien lover to bring forth something from the center of the earth? Audrianna understood that Kendis felt that a lesson in honesty was in order, and she was probably right. Still, why did it have to be like this? Why could they not have a discussion over the dinner table?

Rising air bubbles flitted against Audrianna’s legs; the sensation unnerved her. She slapped her hands down on the water instinctively and squinted over the ledge. A moving flash of black caught her attention, but she could not tell what it was. It was wispy and flowing, and it was coming to the surface at a speed that surpassed her mental preparation for it. She balled her hands up into fists, ready to fight. When she did that, the head of a strange woman with long black hair and the emerald eyes of the Biverse popped out of the water. Audrianna screamed. She fell backwards and then began to scamper out of the hole, but she was not quick enough. The woman grabbed her around the waist and dragged her back down into the water.

“Oh no ya don’t,” Kendis’ voice said. The creature held Audrianna’s flailing arms in place. “We made a deal, Audrianna. You’re the one who wanted the light left on. We could’ve eased into this if you’d just trusted that I had your best interests at heart.”

“Kendis?” Audrianna said, her voice quivering. It was Kendis’ voice. The woman was Kendis, only she was not. Audrianna started to cry. She was so disturbed by what was going on that she could not help but break down.

“Stop,” Kendis said gently, her tone so sweet that the order seemed more like a request. Audrianna took a deep breath and tried to calm down. She rested the back of her head against Kendis’ lips, attempting to comply, but she was still unable to stop her tears. “I’m not gonna hurt ya, honey, please,” Kendis whispered. She wrapped her arms around Audrianna, fitting Audrianna’s entire frame into her embrace. “Please try to understand that the only reason I showed ya this was because it’s the very last bit of me there is to give ya,” she said as she tilted her face forward and kissed Audrianna on the nape of her neck.

“What do you mean?” Audrianna cried. “What is this? Who are you?”

“It’s me, Audrianna,” Kendis replied, her lips grazing Audrianna’s skin. “I’m in my original naiad body, but it’s still me.” She pulled Audrianna’s hand back and pressed it into her outer thigh, continuing to speak into her neck. “Touch me, it’s okay. Please don’t be afraid of me. I’m not gonna hurt ya.”

The calm Kendis exuded was infectious. She stripped Audrianna of her panic by singing a soft, operatic melody between kisses, tranquilizing her with the potency of her charm. Eventually, Audrianna swept her free hand up from the water and placed it around the back of Kendis’ head, exploring her thick, straw-like hair with her fingers. “That’s a lovely tune,” Audrianna sniffed. “What’s it from?”

Kendis spun Audrianna around in a gesture of dance. She swayed back and forth with her. “It’s from an opera-ballet I saw once when I was traveling. It was called Les Indes Galantes.”

“What’s it about?” Audrianna asked as she pulled her opposite hand up to join the other one, completely exposing her breasts, and purposely so. She invited Kendis’ touch with her thoughts, and Kendis began to fondle her, first with one hand, then with both.

“It’s about a man searching the world for his lost love, Emile,” Kendis said, nibbling on Audrianna’s earlobe. “She’s being held captive by another man who wants to be her lover.”

“What happens?” Audrianna asked before gulping a breath of air. Her nipples turned hard as tacks, and her heartbeat began thumping down below.

“I don’t know,” Kendis said.

“Why don’t you know?” Audrianna asked.

“Because I wasn’t watching the opera,” Kendis purred. She reached between Audrianna’s legs and stroked her from the outside. “I was watching the woman, Emile. I’m afraid I got lost in her.”

Audrianna’s breath quickened, and her other senses became completely inflamed as well. “Are you trying to seduce me?” she said as she half-laughed, half-gasped, thinking of being touched so intimately by someone she had not even seen properly.

“If ya like,” Kendis said as she slid two fingers inside of Audrianna. “Or maybe I’m just tryin’ to get ya to trust me.”

“Oh!” Audrianna cried. She released her grip from around Kendis’ head and braced herself on the lip of the spring. She breathed in and out a couple of times while Kendis pulled the hairpins out of her hair and unwound it down her back.

“How’my doin’?” Kendis asked. “Do ya trust me yet?” Her accent was getting thicker, and Audrianna realized this change as an obvious indication of her level of comfort.

“Uh-huh,” Audrianna replied in a throaty whisper, nodding. She reinforced Kendis’ hand between her legs and helped with the depth of her movements, working as hard as Kendis was at tipping the scale of sensuality to open the floodgates of abandon.

“Do ya trust me enough to let me have ya in a way you’ve never been had before?” Kendis asked.

“Yes,” Audrianna panted.

Kendis asked quietly, “Do ya trust me enough to let yourself fall in love with me?”

“Yes,” Audrianna whispered, knowing good and well that such an admission to a Gavrilekian might very well bring a death sentence with it. Still, she trusted Kendis. Even though Audrianna had not been respectful of their relationship earlier that day, she knew Kendis had been and would always be.

“Will ya tell me with your eyes?” Kendis asked her, and when she did, Audrianna turned around. It was not the Kendis she had come to know. This woman had broad straight teeth, prominent cheekbones, and almond-shaped eyelids that stood out like pennants against her eyes. Still, it was Kendis. Her presence and her patience shone brighter than her physical appearance ever could. She had a limitless display of surrender, and it hooked Audrianna’s spirit somewhere around the middle of her breastbone and yanked her until she had no choice but to open up, body and soul.

“Put your arms around my neck and hang on,” Kendis told her. She pulled Audrianna’s legs up from the floor and wrapped them around her waist. “I’m gonna have a rush through your soul, okay?” Audrianna nodded. She did not know what that meant, but if it was as erotic as it sounded, she was all for it. “You’re funny,” Kendis said, panting now just as Audrianna was. “Don’t cha have any questions about what I’m plannin’ on doin’ to ya?”

“No,” Audrianna replied. “Should I?”

Kendis whispered, “What if I told you that this could be irreparably harmful to both of us if you’re not completely open to doin’ it?”

Audrianna shrugged under a set of flittering eyelashes. “I’d still say I am completely open to doing it.” She kissed Kendis’ lips using the same slow paradigm they always worked with, and then she whispered into her ear. “Don’t you trust me, Kendis?”

“Ah,” Kendis giggled. “You’re catchin’ on.” She swung Audrianna a little in her arms. “Now isn’t this better than havin’ a discussion over the dinner table?”

Audrianna blushed. “You weren’t supposed to hear that,” she said, poking her playfully in the chest. “I was mad at the time and just needed to work things out in my head.”

“You should be able to work things out privately, Audri,” Kendis replied with a single, thoughtful nod of the head. She cupped a shallow bit of water in one of her hands and then blew successive streams of green air into it, speaking to Audrianna between breaths. “You know today — when I wasn’t listening to you — I realized how badly I wanted to know everything that you were thinking. That’s not a good thing.”

“What are you doing?” Audrianna whispered, watching the rippling water as it fluoresced in Kendis’ hand.

“I’m makin’ somethin’ for ya,” Kendis said. She stopped blowing and then glanced at Audrianna. “I need to let go of you for a second, okay, honey? Just keep holdin’ onto me with your arms and legs.”

“What are you making?” Audrianna asked as she curled more tightly around Kendis. She felt her eyes begin to twinkle because her mind was clear. For once, she was completely relaxed in the face of Kendis’ magic.

“Justa minute. Watch,” Kendis replied without making eye contact. She pulled one hand out of the water and began snapping her fingers over the palm of her other hand. When she did that, the center point of the little puddle began to twist and relax on a circular axis, like a wheel that could not manage enough momentum to start spinning. “Dangit,” Kendis said as she snapped more quickly. “Come on, come on. Wha’do’ya need? More of this?” She blew another long stream of green breath. Finally, the water turned the same shade of green as her breath; it started to rotate clockwise. “Ha, ha!” she said excitedly. She looked at Audrianna and smiled.

“What is it?” Audrianna asked, returning the look and then reaching out to touch the spinning thing.

“Ooh, Ooh!” Kendis backed Audrianna off with her voice. “It’s hot, honey. Hang on.” She tossed the spinning water wheel up and down in her palm a couple of times, and then she dropped it into the spring, catching it with her other hand and concealing it from Audrianna. “Okay. Are you ready?” she asked.

“Yes!” Audrianna cried. She tugged back and forth on Kendis’ neck. “I’m ready!”

“Okay, all right,” Kendis replied with a laugh. “Close your eyes and hold out your hand.”

Audrianna presented her hand to Kendis, palm side up. She flitted her eyes closed, and then she opened them slightly to take a peek. Audrianna remembered that the evening was about trust, so she closed them again. She laughed and asked, “This isn’t going to bite me, is it?”

“Gosh, I hope not,” Kendis replied. “Have you been bitten by gifts in the past?”

Audrianna dropped her hand in the water, opened her eyes, and said, “No, Kendis. I haven’t.” She gave her a fierce look, but then she softened it with a grin.

“That’s good,” Kendis said, trying unsuccessfully not to laugh. She held Audrianna’s hand under the water and rubbed her thumb back and forth over the top of it. She whispered, “Close your eyes now, okay? I wanna put somethin’ special on your finger.” Audrianna nodded, chomping down on her lip and shutting her eyes. “Here is the padlock to your thoughts.” Kendis slid a smooth, polished surface up the length of Audrianna’s fourth finger, until it rested between the webs. “While you’re wearin’ this ring, no one, includin’ me, will be able to hear what you’re thinkin’. I trust that if I need to know somethin’, you’ll tell me.”

Audrianna opened her eyes, but she did not look at the ring. She looked at Kendis. “Why?” she whispered in disbelief. “I lied to you today. Why do you trust that I’ll be completely honest with you in the future?”

Kendis replied gently, “Because I adore you, and I never wanna believe that you’re unworthy of my trust.”

“Oh God, Kendis,” Audrianna said. She began to tremble with emotion, and then she covered her face with her hands. After a second she dropped her hands and began to examine the ring. The simple band was wide and flat. It was the color of faded jade, with sparkling chips of malachite inlayed throughout. Audrianna instinctively knew that the chips were fragments of Kendis’ biverse energy. “This is dangerous for you, isn’t it, Kendis? To give me something like this?” Audrianna asked. “What if I lose it? What if someone steals it?”

“Don’t worry, honey,” Kendis said. She put her arms back around Audrianna and pulled her close. “I put a latch on it that only you can undo.”

Audrianna countered, “I am worried. What do you mean, ‘only I can undo’?”

“I mean that you would hafta voluntarily surrender it to someone in order for them to be able to use it against me,” Kendis replied.

Audrianna rested her forehead against Kendis’ neck and gulped. “What could they do with it?” she asked.

Kendis laughed and held Audrianna a little tighter. After a moment, she said, “They could raid my energy store and use it all up; they could choke this spring, making it dry up. Did ya want me to go through all the ways I could be destroyed in that sorta’ situation?” Audrianna shook her head, and Kendis pushed her back a little, looking as concerned as it was possible for Kendis to look. “You’re not still in contact with another Gavrilekian, are ya, Audri?”

“No, Kendis,” Audrianna said, wincing. She braided her hands into Kendis’ still-wet hair and pressed their faces together, closing her eyes. “There’s only you… and there will only ever be you. I promise.” The words just came out of her mouth, and Audrianna did not even try to stop them. She wanted Kendis to know that she had finally committed to the idea of never seeing Lorna again. Even if Lorna suddenly appeared, she would not go with her. Kendis was her life now.

The silence was broken by Kendis’ laughter. “Wow, I’d really like to know what you’re thinkin’ about. I guess you’re not gonna tell me, huh?” she said.

Audrianna gave her a sly smile, and then she began dredging her fingernails up and down through Kendis’ hair. “I’m thinking about it what it might feel like to have you rush through my soul,” Audrianna said seductively.

“Are you?” Kendis replied softly. She closed her eyes and tilted her head back to enjoy Audrianna’s petting. “I don’t know if you’d like it, honey. Some people would rather not experience a thirty-minute orgasm.”

Audrianna started coughing. “Are you serious?” she sputtered.

“Uh-huh. Still wanna do it?” Kendis cooed.

“Yes, but what are you going to do if my heart stops, Kendis?” Audrianna teased. “That sounds like it could kill me!”

“It won’t,” Kendis said. She tilted her head forward in slow motion, and then she opened her eyes. “Just as long as you follow one very important rule.”

“What rule?” Audrianna whispered.

Kendis snapped the lights out as she said, “Keep breathing.”

Ten years later

“Doc Fosta’, der some man’yuh dat wanna tell ya sompin,” Martha called.

Audrianna kept on writing as she said, “I’m sorry, Martha. Does that mean one man, or two? Did you tell them I couldn’t write for any more liquor this month? I’ve already used my allotment of prescriptions.”

“Yaas’um. I telled’um. Dey agents from de Alcohol n’ Bevrage Unit,” Martha replied.

Audrianna looked up and asked, “Seriously?” She put her hands on top of her head and scooted backwards in her chair. “I don’t believe this,” she said, forcing a laugh. “Nothing out of them all these years and now three visits in three months. What is it they think I’m doing wrong?”

“Dunno, Doc,” Martha said as she shifted her substantial weight. “Wha ya wanna tell’um?”

“Tell them to come in, I guess,” Audrianna said, shrugging. She hunched forward and flipped through some papers on her desk. “Martha, go ahead and pull the original stubs from my old prescription pads, please. I’m sure they’ll want to count them.”

“Yaas’um,” Martha said before she waddled out of the office and then returned with two white men in crisp black suits and Homburg hats.

“Agent Thompson,” Audrianna said. She rose and greeted the man she recognized. “What a pleasure to see you again so soon.” They shook hands.

Mr. Thompson replied, “Good evening, Dr. Foster. We were hoping to catch you before you left for the day.”

“And so you have,” Audrianna said simply. She held her hand out to the second man.

Mr. Thompson introduced them, saying, “Doctor Foster, this is Federal Agent B. J. Donner. He’s from the Bureau of Internal Revenue, and he’ll be joining us today.” Agent Donner shook Audrianna’s hand with a mushy, overly effeminate grip. “I hope you don’t mind,” Mr. Thompson added.

“Not at all,” Audrianna replied. She felt her lip trying to curl. “Please,” she said as she offered the two men chairs in front of her desk. She sat down and waited for them to do likewise. The men took their hats off and sat down. Audrianna rubbed her hands over her face and sat back in her chair. “Mr. Donner,” she nodded at him. “It’s a rare privilege to be visited by agents from two different federal agencies at the same time. To what do I owe this pleasure?” She crossed her legs and then uncrossed them.

“Doctor Foster,” Mr. Thompson set his briefcase up on Audrianna’s desk. “What do you know about a man named Harrison Steede?” He flipped the latches, and Audrianna jumped. She put her hand over her heart, and then she quickly rested it on the arm of her chair.

“Harrison Steede?” Audrianna asked with hesitation. “I’m not sure. Why do you ask?”

“Harrison Steede is the owner of a number of successful speakeasies around the island. We thought you might’ve heard of him before,” Mr. Thompson replied. Audrianna swallowed. “We’ve found that he’s been quite successful in his proprietorship, despite the fact that he does not observe segregation laws.” Mr. Thompson raised an eyebrow. “Can you guess why he’s been so successful, Dr. Foster?” Audrianna remained silent. A single bead of sweat ran down her face. She blinked. Mr. Thompson pulled an eight-by-ten photograph out of his briefcase. He slid it over to Audrianna. “Because he’s developed a name, not just a product — Adagio.” He tapped his fingers on the desk, and Audrianna stared at the picture of a pint-sized whiskey bottle labeled Adagio. “Do you have any idea what that term means, Dr. Foster?”

After staring at the bottle for a moment, Audrianna forgot the question and had to ask, “I’m sorry, what?”

“‘Adagio,’ Dr. Foster,” Mr. Thompson repeated. “Do you know what it means?”

“Well, yes, somewhat,” Audrianna answered. She shrugged. “It’s something… musical I believe.” She nodded her head to express her earnestness.

“To be more precise, Dr. Foster, ‘adagio’ is a reference to the feel of how music is played: it means ‘slow moving tempo.’ Harrison Steede markets his illegal booze to musicians who suffer from stage fright. He also sells it as an aphrodisiac for after the performance. He claims that everything will improve after a few swigs of Adagio. Clever, huh?”

“Oh, yes,” Audrianna said quietly. She put her elbows on the desk and dropped her head in her hands. She could barely look at the picture; she was too panicked to move her eyes.

Mr. Thompson continued, “When the Bureau of Investigation subpoenaed Mr. Steede’s bank records, we made a shocking discovery. Do you know what it was, Dr. Foster?” Mr. Thompson got up and sat with one leg on the side of her desk. He pulled another photograph out of his briefcase and put it under Audrianna’s face, tapping it and saying, “You.” Audrianna looked over at the window. She needed air.

“Oh, I’ll get it,” Mr. Donner glanced over and said. “It is warm in here.” He adjusted his tie.

Mr. Thompson then said, “You are the trustee on one of Harrison Steede’s bank accounts, a trust fund opened in Boston, right around the time of your,” he gasped, “death.” He pulled out a newspaper clipping with the headline “Austrian Baroness lost at sea.” He pulled out another one that read “Austrian Baroness and son presumed dead.” The last headline was “Austrian Baroness and son declared dead.”

“Which is why I’m here, Ma’am,” Mr. Donner said through his nose. “You can’t just fake your death like that and get out of paying your taxes. Of course, if you are not really Audrianna Foster, and then you’d only be looking at,” he glanced at Mr. Thompson, “like what, Bill? A little jail time for impersonating a physician?”

Mr. Thompson rolled his eyes and whistled. “I’d say a lot of jail time. One count of prescription fraud for every prescription written over the past ten years.” He counted on his fingers: one, two, three, four. “Well, anyway, that’s quite a bit of illegality.”

They were playing with Audrianna, and she was not sure why. If they had wanted to pursue charges of tax fraud or impersonation, they would just have arrested her. She sat up straight and asked, “What do you want, Mr. Thompson?”

Mr. Thompson smiled and said, “I’m disappointed that you don’t know any more about Harrison Steede, Dr. Foster. I think he prefers to be called Tru, right?”

“You can just slap me in handcuffs and take me out of here,” Audrianna said in a low voice, “because I’m not giving you anything on my son. Let’s make that clear right off the bat.”

“We’re not asking you to do that,” Mr. Thompson said as he sat back down. “Your son, Tru, has made a fair amount of money during prohibition, but Mr. Donner and I are after a much bigger fish, and we’re willing to forget everything discussed here today if you’ll agree to help us catch him: Mr. Hiram Evans, the Imperial Wizard of the KKK. Do you know who that is, Dr. Foster?”

“Yes,” Audrianna said, tipping her head back and looking up.

“I’m glad to see that we’re communicating a little more honestly with one another,” Mr. Thompson said. “We made a raid on one of his safe houses a few years back and found quite a number of barrels of whiskey from the Tybee Island Whiskey Company. That’s how we honed in on this area to start. Do you know how he came about those barrels?”

“Yes,” Audrianna said. She sat back in her chair. She now understood that if she could not meet their demands, Kendis could lose her distillery, and she and Devon would be to blame. She wondered whatever possessed Tru to get involved in such a dangerous enterprise.

“Will you tell me?” Mr. Thompson asked.

Audrianna shrugged and said, “There’s very little point into getting into particulars, Mr. Thompson, but he swindled the whiskey out of me during a game. He said he needed it for recruiting purposes.”

“That matches our theory precisely, Dr. Foster,” Mr. Donner piped in. “Mr. Evans has made upwards of thirty million in recruitment dollars for the KKK, using your whiskey and other whiskey that he’s stolen… all of it untaxed, of course.” Audrianna smoothed her hair back and contemplated the fact that thirty million dollars had been spent for the propagation of hate.

“During Klan initiation, members are charged a fee for their taste of ceremonial water,” Mr. Thompson continued. “He says that it’s holy water from the Chattahoochee River, and therefore cannot be taxed, but it isn’t holy water, Dr. Foster. It’s the real McCoy whiskey, much of it from the Tybee Island Whiskey Company. That’s how he’s managed to recruit so many people. You can get moonshine or coffin varnish at the drop of a dime around here, but the type of quality liquor your distillery has produced is far more rare and expensive. The easiest way to get it is by joining the KKK.”

“What do you want me to do?” Audrianna asked. She bounced her hands off her lap. “I’ll help. What do you want me to do?”

Mr. Thompson smiled and said, “When the time comes, we’ll need your testimony that Mr. Evans made it known to you that he intended to use your whiskey for recruitment purposes.”

“Okay. What else?” Audrianna replied. “I know it can’t be as easy as all that.” Of course, she would be grateful if it were.

“Yes, now that you mention it, Dr. Foster, we do have another matter we were hoping you’d help us out with,” Mr. Thompson answered. “The little lady we were going to use fell ill at the last minute.”

Audrianna cleared her throat and said quietly, “I’m listening.”

Mr. Thompson paused for a moment before he said, “There’s an initiation ceremony being held tonight in the basement of Mr. Evans’ house for the women of the Ku Klux Klan. We’d like you to join.”

“Ms. Appleseed,” the executor of the meeting, Mrs. Lillian Davies, said in a sophisticated southern accent. Her words interrupted Audrianna’s scribbling. She glanced down at a card she was holding. “Ms. Appleseed. Is that right?” she asked. “We’re ready to start. Are you almost finished?”

Audrianna joined the group outside of an imposing antebellum home two blocks from the Old Colonial Cemetery. The house sat off of an unmarked road. Mr. Thompson and Mr. Donner had driven her up and dropped her off. They provided her with the robe and the ten-dollar initiation fee. They promised that if she could provide them with eyewitness testimony of the whiskey substitution, they would turn a blind eye to Devon’s bootlegging business. They made it clear that she would still be liable for ten years’ worth of income taxes, but Audrianna knew that Kendis would help her work out a way to pay them back.

“Oh, yes, ma’am,” Audrianna said as she looked up. “I’m on number fifteen now.” She tapped the end of the pen on the Ku Klux Klan Questionnaire. “Please just give me a couple more minutes.”

“I’m so sorry your application got lost, Ms. Appleseed, but these are just standard questions. You really shouldn’t have to think about the answers too much,” Mrs. Davies said as she waved at Audrianna with just her fingers. She shimmied backwards into the line of thirty women. “Take your time, Ms. Appleseed. We’ll be waiting right over here for you, okay?”

“Ms. Appleseed! We’re waiting on you. We must all be in line when the Grand Dragon descends into our presence. He’s coming now!” Mrs. Davies barked.

“I’m done. I’m done,” Audrianna said as she handed the application to Mrs. Davies and stepped into the line.

“Your hood, Ms. Appleseed! The Grand Dragon cannot look upon your face during the administration of the ceremonial water. You must be one with the river and the river alone!” Mrs. Davies cried. Audrianna flipped her hood over and tied it.

A man cloaked and hooded in green stepped down from a set of stairs. He held a Bible in one hand and brown jug in the other. His costume looked outlandish. In a booming voice, he said, “Welcome novitiates of the Women’s Order of the Ku Klux Klan. Give yourselves a round of applause.” He took a swig out of the jug as the women clapped. “Hallelujah. I give thanks for all of my beautiful white sisters. Bless y’all. Bless y’all.” The Grand Dragon began to sing, “Home, home, country and home. Klansmen, we’ll live and die. Come on.” He put the jug on the stairs and began to clap his hands. “Come on, sisters. Y’all all know this one. Sing it with me now.” He swayed back and forth, and the group did too. He raised his arms over his head; they followed suit. He opened his mouth and unleashed another tuneless verse; they followed. Audrianna winced at the wailing.

“Ms. Appleseed,” Mrs. Davies cried over the song. “Why aren’t you singing? You are required to know the anthem prior to your initiation. Don’t you know the words?’”

“Oh,” Audrianna said, stalling. She pulled her sleeve to the corner of her eye and pretended to cry, hoping that the gesture would dissuade Mrs. Davies from asking any more questions. Instead, her plan backfired.

“Ms. Appleseed,” Mrs. Davies said solemnly. She stared at Audrianna with disgusted eyes. “You will provide me with an explanation of why you are not singing this song, or you will be put out of this meeting.”

Audrianna sniveled, unsure of what to do. She had no idea of the words. She took a deep breath and released it. As she did, a divinely inspired hiccup sprang from her mouth. She pressed her hand into her chest, and then quickly fanned herself, saying, “Excuse me, Mrs. Davies… I have the hiccups.”

“Oh yes,” Mrs. Davies said. She wrinkled her nose and then turned away.

“Bless y’all beautiful people,” the Grand Dragon said as he raised his hand. “Bless you.” The clapping tapered off. “Thank you. Thank you. Now everyone raise their right hand and repeat after me. I, say your name.”

Audrianna raised her hand and said, “I Jamilla Appleseed… hiccup!”

The Grand Dragon turned his head her way.

“Ms. Appleseed, you’re disruptin’ the pledge,” Mrs. Davies angrily whispered.

Audrianna held her breath. She closed her eyes and clamped her jaws shut while her shoulders jounced with more subdued hiccups.

The Grand Dragon turned his head slowly back and continued, “Before God, and in the presence of these mysterious women, on my sacred honor, do solemnly and sincerely pledge, promise, and swear that I will diligently guard and faithfully foster every interest of the Ku Klux Klan and will maintain its social cast and dignity.” The Grand Dragon started clapping. “Give yourselves another round of applause, ladies, because you are one step closer to being women of the Ku Klux Klan.” Everyone else broke into applause, and Audrianna did too. She gulped air to compensate for holding her breath so long. “Come now, sisters, and receiveth a blessing of water from me. Come forth, come forth on your knees, and open your mouth,” the Grand Dragon said.

Audrianna dropped to her knees like the rest of them and scooted forward with her mouth open. The Grand Dragon walked by and splashed the jug’s contents into her mouth at the exact time another hiccup escaped; Audrianna gagged and then belched. She dropped her chin to her chest and choked the “water” back, pinching her nostrils to temper the burn.

“Ms. Appleseed!” Mrs. Davies cried, astounded.

“Hallelujah, sister. Yes!” the Grand Dragon shouted. “Do ya hear that folks? She’s speakin’ the language of the river.” He then continued down the line.

“Ms. Appleseed!” Mrs. Davies hissed. “That was tasteless! I am beginning to have serious doubts about your suitability for our community of ladies!”

Thank God, Audrianna thought. But Mrs. Davies was wrong; it wasn’t tasteless — it was whiskey. Mr. Thompson and Mr. Donner were waiting for her down by the cemetery. She had the testimony they wanted, and now she needed to get out.

After the Grand Dragon reached the end of the line, he immediately came around with a second dose of whiskey.

“Oh, I… hiccup,” Audrianna said when he reached her. She held her finger up. “I have a… hiccup… I need to go… hiccup.”

Mrs. Davies looked at Audrianna, snarled and said, “Grand Dragon, this is Ms. Appleseed. May she be excused to the powder room?”

The Grand Dragon laughed and said, “’Course. Go upstairs to the master’s bathroom. He ain’t home.” He patted the face of the woman in line next to Audrianna, said, “Save ya, Princess,” and then he doused her with whiskey.

“Ms. Appleseed,” Mrs. Davies said as she made a backwards swat towards the staircase the Grand Dragon had walked down. “Go up there and try not to be noticed when you come back down.”

Knowing she would not be coming back down, Audrianna just nodded. She hoisted herself up, still hiccupping, and went over to the staircase. Once she climbed up to the landing, she proceeded through a door leading to the interior of the house. Audrianna tiptoed through a number of unlit rooms until finally, she spied a porch light through the skylight of the front door. She started towards it, but stopped when she saw four dark shadows appear in the adjoining window. Audrianna realized she was trapped from both sides; her hiccups disappeared.

“Welcome to Savannah, ladies,” a man’s voice said. A key turned in the door, and Audrianna darted into a small, empty closet. It was lined with velvet curtains hung from slim iron rods. The house smelled old. Its ceiling beams were exposed. Mortar was splatted and smudged on walls made of varied sized bricks. The switch for a Victorian chandelier clicked, and Audrianna peeked through the divide.

“Can I get y’all a drink?” Hiram Evans offered three majestic looking women a chair around the double pedestal dining table.

“Champagne,” the youngest of the three women said. She had mahogany hair and brown eyes. Audrianna guessed that she was somewhere in her early twenties. Her build was slight but not dainty. Like the other two woman, she was very fashionably attired.

Hiram chuckled and said, “Sorry, ma’am. ‘Fraid all I have to offer is whiskey. Prohibition an’ all.” He leaned with his arms on the back of one of the chairs and smiled at the three women. “Would y’all like some whiskey?”

“That would be fine,” the oldest woman replied; she was no more than forty. She opened her handbag and extracted an ornately decorated silver cigarette case. “I thought prohibition had been repealed,” she said as she pulled out a cigarette for herself and then offered them to the group. The youngest woman accepted; the other woman declined.

“No, ma’am. Not yet,” Hiram told her, his back turned. There was an upright piano at the end of the room. He walked toward it and began fiddling with it. The front part of the cabinet was unlatched. When he pulled it down, Audrianna saw that the piano had been gutted and refitted as a bar. “We’re hopin’ for repeal by the end of the year.”

“Preposterous, piddlings,” the young woman said to herself.

Hiram poured a total of four lowball glasses of whiskey and remarked, “Yes, ma’am. Can’t say that I disagree with ya, but that’s all us little folks have to play at, unless one a’ y’all takes us on for the big conflicts.” He distributed the glasses and then settled into a chair on the opposite side of the ladies.

“Lucky us,” the middle woman said with a smirk. She placed both of her elbows on the table and made a tent with her hands. She was probably in her early thirties, with a slender body and skin as white as paper. All three women were attractive, but this woman in particular was striking. Her blonde hair was pulled back into a simple bun, and her eyes were the greenest Gavrilekian eyes Audrianna had ever seen. She wore black-framed glasses that somehow accentuated every angle of her face.

“Yes, indeed,” the older woman concurred without luster, “how lucky for us.” She took a drag from her cigarette and began looking around for an ashtray.

“Oh, excuse me,” Hiram said. He went to the piano-bar and took two ashtrays from a stack of three and brought them back to the table. He set them in front of the smokers. When he reseated himself, the older woman spoke again.

“We’ve come to hear your terms, Mr. Evans. If you would be so kind?” she said, and then she took a sip of her drink.

“By the way, that’s her whiskey you’re drinkin’ there — Kendis Lewis.” Hiram pointed at her glass. “Single malt whiskey, aged twenty-five years in oak casks somewhere on her land. She hid it from the inspectors when they came lookin’ for it at the beginnin’ of prohibition, but I had a little scrimmage with her once and took it away from her. Turned it into millions of dollars. That’s when I first saw your boy, and that’s when I first started my surveillance.” He lifted the glass to his mouth.

“Mr. Evans,” the older woman redirected, “your terms?”

“All right. Let’s just get right down to it, then,” Hiram said with a drawl. He put his glass down and leaned back in his chair with his hands interlocked. “I have thirty million dollars, and I know where you can find the Truth. In exchange for those two things, I want a full collaborative partnership with y’all, and I want a team of my own — a team that I get to choose.”

“You will have a full partnership only as far as the ultimate outcome of the game is concerned,” the younger woman countered. “Your team will be chosen for you, and there will be no collaboration. We will tell you what to do, and you will do it. You are a weak, weak master, Mr. Evans, and you are unfit to participate in such a significant conflict as this. If you had any skill at all, you would’ve secured your terms of play prior to giving us any information about Kendis Lewis, or about the Truth. Now that we have that intelligence, do you imagine that it will be all that difficult to carry on without your help?”

“I guess not,” Hiram sullenly replied.

“You cannot afford to guess, Mr. Evans,” the blonde woman spoke up. “You must make decisions based upon what you know will work, or at the very least, what you believe will work.” She laughed. “It is for that reason alone that your team will be chosen for you, and they will be accountable to us — not to you.”

“I have the exact same ability to lead as you do,” Hiram bit.

“Mr. Evans, having one hundred percent of your biverse energy does not make you a capable strategic commander,” the youngest woman said. “We know all about your unremarkable combat history, Sir, and the only reason we’re giving you this chance to play is because you’ve brought this pivotal matter to us instead of trying to do something with it yourself. That shows a knowledge of your own limits that must continue to guide you the entire time this partnership is in place. If you default on any of these conditions, your biverse energy will be remitted to us and you will cease to exist. Do you understand?” Although Hiram did not seem pleased with the terms, he nodded his assent. “We are not at all accustomed to allying with clowns, Mr. Evans. Do not forget your place amongst the strongest in the world,” the young woman added as she calmly flicked her cigarette into the ashtray.

One of these women was Devon’s master; Audrianna knew it. His incubation period was over and he kept a line. He could be any of the three women. Kendis could no longer hear Audrianna’s thoughts; she had no way to warn her.

“You may stay in that body for now, Mr. Evans,” the older woman told him, stamping her cigarette out in the ashtray. “Do you have a line?”

“No, ma’am,” Hiram replied.

“You will need one,” the older woman countered. “Your team will arrange that for you as soon as they are in place. We change in and out of costume fairly often, Mr. Evans; get used to it. You may bring precisely,” she held her forefinger up, “one of your clowns to act as your hawk. Shall we dispense with the introductions and then proceed to the parlay?” Hiram nodded again. “Very well,” the older woman continued. “I am the group administrator. My primary character,” she motioned inward to herself with both hands, “is Magda Goebbels.” She then gestured to the blonde woman sitting next to her and then to the youngest woman. “This is Maria Orsic. She is responsible for the construction of the aircraft that will serve as our bridge, Die Glocke. That is Eva Braun, commander of military operations.”

“Nice to meet y’all,” Hiram replied with a distinctly sarcastic tone that Audrianna recognized only because she had spent years in the South.

“Let’s begin,” Magda said. “Tell me about this master, Kendis Lewis. What is her angle?”

Hiram pushed back from the table and retrieved a brown leather satchel from a desk on the opposite end of the room. “Hey,” he said as he turned around and pointed back and forth between Eva and Magda. “Are y’all really that low on energy, or did y’all do somethin’ to your eyes?”

Eva flicked the last of her ashes into the air before she said, “One of our players has been experimenting with human eye color, Mr. Evans.” She paused. “Dr. Josef Mengele. This is what he’s come up with so far.”

“Oh, yeah. That’s great,” Hiram said as he put the satchel down on the table and resumed his seat. He removed four stacks of papers from his satchel and handed each woman a stack. “So, this master, Kendis Lewis,” he cleared his throat and continued, “is a freshwater nymph who inhabits the body of a forty-year-old African-American woman. She lives out on Tybee Island in a sorta’ compound with her entire team, including the Truth. Devon Foster is what he’s been named, but I think he likes to go by Tru. Also living with Miss Lewis is Tru’s human mother, Audrianna Foster. She’s a doctor of some sort… tends to the jigaboo population.”

“Oh yes, your nemesis, Eva,” Magda said to Eva without looking at her. “I’d all but forgotten about her.”

“I’m relieved, Magda, that you’ve found peace with the idea of your military commander being torched and shot to death by a human. I have not,” Eva said coldly. She drank from her glass. “That’s something that Baroness von Traugott and I will work out when we meet again.”

“Who’s Baroness von Traugott?” Hiram asked.

“Baroness von Traugott is Tru’s mother, Audrianna Foster,” Maria said. “She must have abandoned her married name when she abandoned her husband.”

Audrianna focused her eyes on the group.

“Let’s move forward, please,” Magda said. “Mr. Evans, who are Miss Lewis’ other characters?”

Hiram shrugged and said, “As far as we can tell that’s her only one.”

Maria reached to her left and touched Magda lightly on the arm, saying, “That’s not unusual, Magda. Naiads don’t, as a general rule, believe in maintaining human lines, remember?”

Magda shook her head. “No, I didn’t remember that,” she said. “It’s been so long since we’ve played against any of them. Why is that exactly?”

“Ya know,” Hiram said as he slapped his hands on his knees and sat back in his chair. “I think they all believe in that whole ‘take as little as you can’ bullshit.” He popped his hand to his mouth. “Oh, excuse me ladies.”

“What does that mean, Mr. Evans?” Magda said. She ignored his obscenity and lit another cigarette. She took a drag and then exhaled. “Are you saying that naiads don’t believe in soul siphoning?”

“Yes, ma’am. That’s what I’m sayin’,” Hiram replied with a grin. Magda and Eva started to laugh, and Audrianna began to fume. She hated them for mocking both Kendis and her beliefs.

“All right,” Magda said. She took another puff to neutralize her laughter, and then she raised her eyebrows and shook her head at her stack of papers. “So then, she’s using only ambient energy to survive?”

“That and her dogs,” Hiram chuckled. “I think she’s got about a hundred of’um out there.”

“Beautiful,” Eva huffed. “She probably smells like a dog too.”

“Well,” Hiram smirked. “She is a jigaboo. That’s to be expected.”

Hot, stinging rage bled into Audrianna’s face. She clinched her jaw and dug her fingernails into the palms of her hands. She was dripping with sweat and aching for a way to release her rage.

Magda broke up the group’s laughter by asking, “What kind of history does she have?”

Hiram snorted and said, “Yep. Y’all’ll like this, I think. It’s real interestin’.” He flipped to the second page, and the ladies did the same. “She’s had only three human incarnations, includin’ this one, which I’ve already told ya about. In the 1700s, she assumed the nobody identity of David Rittenhouse, an American clockmaker, and prior to that she was Vincenzo Galilei, father of Galileo Galilei, the great scientist.” Audrianna suddenly felt confused. Why did Kendis not tell her that?

“Vincenzo Galilei, the musician,” Maria said, nodding. “That is interesting. Who is she playing with?”

Hiram tapped his fingertips on his pile of papers, hesitating. He continued, “She has just one partner that she picked up shortly after she found the Truth, a saltwater nymph going by the name of Alan Turing. Alan Turing is an Englishman, 22 years old, and an upstart scientist. He also has only two prior incarnations. The first was a German abbess in the 1100s named Hildegard von Bingen, a musician and a scholar on women’s sexuality. She was particularly famous for her depiction of the female orgasm.”

“Naturally,” Eva Braun laughed. “What else is there to discover in a convent?”

Maria smiled and said, “Clocks, music, and sex. What an intriguing platform to launch a campaign from.”

“Just a minute,” Magda said. She waved them down with her hand. “We must be missing something. What was his second incarnation?”

Hiram nodded and said, “His second incarnation was a mechanical engineer in ancient China, Yan Shi. He once made a life-size human robot to please his king. That’s about all that identity was worth.” Hiram rotated the paper he had been reading to the bottom of the pile, and then he glanced around at his partners. All three ladies sat silently. They shook their heads at each other, but they did not say anything else that would help Audrianna understand the basis of their attitudes. She sensed mockery, but she was not sure.

Magda reread the first few pages of the information she had been given, and then she looked up at Hiram with disbelieving eyes. “Are you certain that you haven’t overlooked a lifetime or two, Mr. Evans?” she asked him. “It is feasible, in certain situations, for one commander to have very limited combat experience, but both are never untried. They would not survive ten seconds like that on the board against groups like us.”

Hiram looked at Magda and said, “No, ma’am. I haven’t overlooked anything. Miss Lewis and Mr. Turing have never been involved in any kind of war. I’m sure of it.”

“May I please have another cigarette?” Eva said. She reached her hand across Maria, and Magda slid the case over to her. She struck a match, lit her second cigarette, and inhaled deeply. “That makes absolutely no sense.” She blew out the smoke. “They have to be compensating with their teams. What do their players look like?”

Hiram bobbed his head up and down before he said, “Yes, ma’am. They have two leads. One is with him and the other with her. They’re both just a few years out of incubation, so they haven’t seen any action to speak of yet.”

“What are their histories?” Eva asked.

Hiram picked up the next piece of paper and scanned it. After a moment, he said, “That’s another somethin’ funny about this group. First player’s name is Kiah Lewis, second generation oceanid, prior experiences have all been in the arts. His highlights are the lives of the Polish composer Frederic Chopin and the Russian composer Alexander Scriabin.”

“What do you make of this music theme, Maria?” Magda turned and asked her.

Maria shook her head. She took a sip of her whiskey and then set the glass back down. “I haven’t made anything of it just yet. What do we know about the other player?” she asked.

Hiram looked back at his papers and said, “Other player’s name is Aiden Bryant — that’s the one with Mr. Turing.” He made a sweeping gesture with his head. “He’s also a second generation oceanid, but with a completely different set of experiences. His resume reads like all thirteen chapters from the Art of War, and from what I’ve been able to gather, he is always the most heavily recruited water nymph across the board. There is no rhyme or reason as to why he has chosen to play for this group.”

“Finally, a soldier,” Eva said. “What are his conquests?”

“You name it, and he’s either led it or participated in it,” Hiram replied. “This kid has seen combat every lifetime from the time we hit the ground until now. Most notably, he was the Korean naval commander Yi Sun-sin, famous for many naval victories, but particularly the Battle of Myeongnyang. He defeated a Japanese fleet of 333 ships with just 13 of his own. He also had another extraordinary lifetime.” Hiram took a deep breath and said, “Admiral Horatio Nelson. I’m sure I don’t need to recap Lord Nelson to you ladies.”

Audrianna slapped her hand over her entire lower jaw, an effort meant to keep words inside of her head and sounds inside her mouth. She was desperate to get out of there, but she also wanted to stay and learn more. Why had Kendis never told her any of this? This information was so important; she should have shared it. With a sinking feeling, Audrianna realized that Kendis must not have trusted her enough to give her this information. She could think of no other reason that accounted for Kendis’ silence.

At that moment, Audrianna looked down at her hand and realized that her ring had started to ooze droplets of green liquid. They were now spilling down her fingers and splattering onto the floor. In an attempt to stop the flow, she pulled her hand up and pressed it into her white cloak. The effort failed, and the ring continued to weep.

“No, Mr. Evans. We need no summary of Lord Nelson’s military genius,” Magda said. She lit her second cigarette and said, “We were heavily engaged in the Napoleonic Wars. We know Horatio Nelson quite well.”

“It’s not just nonsensical, Magda,” Eva piped in. “It’s troubling.” She slid the top paper off her stack and began to read the next one, and then the next one, and then the next one. While she was doing that, Maria began to look around the room, casually, but with what seemed to be deliberate thought. “So, that’s it?” Eva asked when she reached the end of her papers. “The rest of their two teams are just more time-chiefs, scientists, and musicians? Aiden Bryant is the only one who’s been on a battlefield?”

“Yes, and he’s the best there is,” Hiram replied. “When they recruited him, they weren’t playin’ around. No pun intended.”

“Are they talking to or seeing anyone else?” Magda asked.

Hiram thought for a moment and then said, “Not really. The only person we can tell that Miss Lewis is in contact with is another human musician named….” He flipped back to the first page and pulled the paper up to his face. “Ruth Crawford Seeger,” he finished.

Audrianna rolled her eyes. There were dozens of sheets of Ruth Seeger’s handwritten music lying everywhere in the house. When she had asked Kendis who was sending it, Kendis had replied, “a friend.” Although Audrianna knew that Kendis had, in part, told her the truth, she was angry that Kendis had not told her about this other facet of their relationship. More importantly, Kendis had not been completely truthful about her level of involvement in this game. Audrianna shook a stream of glowing, green water off her hand in frustration. Why was this ring melting? As soon as she thought it, her breath got caught in her throat. The ring was the only reason she had been able to observe them undetected. If the ring melted, they would be able to sense her presence and hear her thoughts. Audrianna shook her hand in panic, spraying the walls with fluorescence.

“Does Miss Lewis have her mirror?” Maria asked after downing the rest of her whiskey. “What about this human she’s in contact with? Is there any evidence that they’re bonding?”

“Which one?” Hiram asked as he scanned his papers. “The musician — no. The mother, yes.”

Maria widened her eyes and asked, “Are you suggesting that Miss Lewis and Baroness von Traugott are bonding?”

Hiram hesitated and then said, “Perhaps. I haven’t seen it with my own eyes, but my searchers routinely make me aware of how much they practice — sometimes several times a day.”

Audrianna again began to shake. She pulled the hood off her head to let her scalp breathe. Hiram had been spying on them this entire time: watching them get dressed, watching them bathe, watching them in the bedroom. He probably considered them his own private show.

Eva smiled with thin lips and said, “Mr. Evans, most of us practice a lot.” She glanced at Maria and smirked.

“Yes, but,” Hiram raised his eyebrows and cocked his head, “not with the same person ten years strong — not unless it’s our mirror.”

“There’s something to it, Mr. Evans,” Magda told him. “I agree. It’s possible Miss Lewis was chasing the mirror with Baroness von Traugott, and inadvertently ended up finding the Truth, too.”

Maria laughed and said, “Or she made a bid for a project, and it ended up being Baroness von Traugott. Although, I don’t know why she would be indulging in such an intimate relationship with her.” She traced her finger against the glass, pensive. “That part doesn’t make sense.” Audrianna began to broil. Kendis had mentioned special “projects”, separate from the game, but she had not given her any indication that the projects were humans.

Magda threw up her hands, looked around at the group, and asked, “Are they playing to win?”

“How could they be playing to win with a group like that?” Eva scoffed. “When they appear on the battlefield, they’ll be ripped to shreds — even with a player like Aiden Bryant. If they are playing to win, they are crazy.”

“Or, they could be brilliant,” Maria offered. She folded her arms into her lap and locked her eyes on the closet where Audrianna was hiding. Audrianna held her breath and twisted the ring around finger, silently begging it to stop leaking.

“Please explain that statement,” Magda said as she turned toward Maria.

“Perhaps they have no intention of fighting,” Maria replied, her eyes still on the closet. “We should consider that they may be working on a bridge right under our noses, while the rest of us rattle our sabers at one another. They’ve been lying low, living unremarkable lives up to this point, and if Mr. Evans didn’t discover the Truth hidden amongst their artsy fold, we wouldn’t be examining them so deeply. The only impressive collaborator they have is Aiden Bryant, and his role is likely minimal in achieving their objective. It was a mistake for them to have recruited him. It undermines their charade.”

“Why do ya say so?” Hiram asked.

“Because Mr. Evans,” Maria flicked her eyes to him, “a player like that brings swagger to a team, and if he was just one of many combat specialists, led by strong masters, his presence would seem fitting.” She chuckled a little. “In this case, he stands out like a sore thumb. Based on their other choices, Miss Lewis and Mr. Turing have clearly demonstrated that they will be playing behind the chaos of the battlefield, not in the thick of the fight. Having one of the best warriors in the world on their team invites scrutiny of their group.”

“The reason they didn’t recruit people with combat experience is because they don’t want to fight,” Eva said, her statement a tacit acceptance of Maria’s theory. “Aiden Bryant is a measure of insurance they’ve taken just in case they are forced into battle.”

“Exactly,” Maria agreed.

“If they are forced into battle,” Magda picked up on their train of thought, “they have a top naval commander playing for them.” She snuffed out her cigarette and then immediately lit another one. “I agree with you, Maria. It sounds like they may be building a bridge on the quiet. That sets them up to play to win, but what are we to do about it? We can’t even scrimmage with them if we’re not willing to put up even money. Are we in a position to play to win right now?”

Eva Braun swigged the remainder of her whiskey. “Militarily, it’s a bit of a gamble,” she said. “We’ve just placed Adolf Hitler into power, so there are many, many of my players not yet in place. How does your operation fare, Maria?”

“We fare well,” Maria replied. “I have qualified the power of the Vril, and we have flown Die Glocke on several test runs.” She tapped her fingers on the table.

“What is the Vril?” Hiram asked.

Maria looked at him. “The Vril is an energy source we cultivated from the grape vines on Tawn, Mr. Evans. We three are the winners of the Tawn games.”

Hiram appeared shocked, and Maria continued speaking towards Magda. “As you know, I am still chasing my mirror. We, of course, must have the Truth with us, as well as a minimum of three million human souls to power the aircraft.”

“Yes, I know,” Magda said. She swallowed the rest of her drink. “How close are we to starting the harvest, Eva?”

“We opened many concentration camps the day the chancellor was elected,” Eva replied. “That part of the plan is coming along nicely. It’s the harvest itself that will take a little longer. We haven’t perfected the technique as of yet.”

“Why is that?” Maria asked. She got up and slithered around the end of the table and walked to the bar. She poured herself another glass of whiskey and then swirled it under her nose before tasting it. “Don’t you have enough test subjects?”

“Yes, but I don’t think that’s the issue,” Eva replied.

“How do you mean?” Magda asked.

“It’s not the number of subjects that’s slowing us. It’s the type,” Eva said. She walked up to the bar, poured herself another glass, and returned to her seat. Maria remained standing. “Right now, our experiments are limited to imbeciles and disabled children. There’s a lot of discrepancy between harvests, and sometimes we can’t extract the soul at all. We don’t know why. Until we can experiment on normal human beings en mass, we won’t know what we’re capable of. We really could use more funding to get those euthanasia centers up and running.”

Audrianna gasped, and this time, she did it out loud. She forced her hands over her mouth when she saw that Maria turned her head in the direction of the sound. Audrianna dared not examine the state of her ring.

“Funding, yes,” Magda said with a nod. “Perhaps I’ll pay Mr. Henry Ford another visit while I’m in the United States.” She smiled at Eva. “Let’s see if we can’t arrange a service medal for him in return for his charitable donations. Mr. Evans’ purse will be an enormous contribution as well.”

“What kind of funding is Miss Lewis using?” Maria asked; her head still turned Audrianna’s way.

“Their funding is comin’ almost entirely from liquor sales,” Hiram laughed. “Actually, she’s purty foxy. She’s crafted a designer label for her whiskey, and she markets it to musicians here in the States, and the upper-crust abroad. It’s reported to be an aphrodisiac. Popular with the aristocrats, includin’ the king. She’s usin’ your boy, Tru, as the front man for her operation.”

Audrianna wiped her eyes. Her trembling returned, but this time she shook so violently that she had to brace herself against the back wall. Why had Kendis put Devon in such a dangerous situation? Audrianna realized that her ring was continuing to drip.

“What are they calling it?” Maria said as she looked down at her whiskey and smiled at some idea she had captured inside the glass. “Maybe I’ll get some.”

“Adageo,” Hiram replied, and then spelled the word out for her, “A-D-A-G-I-O.”

“Adagio,” Maria said, correcting his pronunciation. She laughed and said, “Another musical reference, I think.” She put her drink down on the table and walked over to stand in front of the closet, an omnipotent smirk spreading across her lips. Audrianna held her dripping green ring tightly. She closed her eyes and held her breath, ears piqued and waiting for the sound of the curtains to open.

“What do you think, Maria?” asked Magda.

Audrianna silently thanked Magda for drawing Maria’s attention away from the closet. “I’m disinclined to declare a play to win objective at this point,” Magda continued. “It’s such a risk. Is it at all possible that Miss Lewis doesn’t even realize she has the Truth with her?” She stamped out her third cigarette and exhaled her last drag.

“It’s possible, but it’s not likely,” Maria said. As she spoke, she turned toward the conversation, but she did not walk away from the closet. Instead, Maria backed up into the doorframe of the closet, her body blocking the middle seam of the drawn curtains. Audrianna could no longer peak through the crack anymore. She realized that Maria was playing a game of cat and mouse with her, and that fact made Audrianna furious.

“I completely agree with you, Maria,” Eva replied. “She has to know what she’s got. What is less certain is whether she knows what to do with it.” Eva continued to speak, but Audrianna could not hear one word she was saying. In fact, Audrianna could hear nothing but the drumming of her own heartbeat and the very soft thud that came when she dropped to her knees on the floor. A green apparition of Maria slipped between the curtains and stood next to her in the closet.

“Calm down unless you want everyone else to know that you’re here,” Maria said quietly. She then lowered herself to her knees so that she could meet Audrianna’s gaze. “I’ll reinforce the screen around your thoughts while we talk. Who are you? Tell me with your mind.”

“Don’t you know?” Audrianna’s mind silently screamed. She felt equally angry and terrified. More than anything else, she was simply fed up with the Children of Gavrilek — every last one of them.

“No, I don’t,” Maria replied. “I only know that you’re hiding in here under a master’s protection. Which master is it?”

“You’re a fool if you think I’ll tell you,” Audrianna thought with an upward nod of the head.

Maria chuckled at the response, rolling her eyes so subtly that it almost seemed like a blink. She pointed at Audrianna’s hand, still clasped over her mouth. “That ring wasn’t designed to hide your thoughts from the ears of four Master Gavrilekians in the same space at the same time. You’re killing whoever gave it to you — draining their biverse energy. That’s why it’s coming apart. When that ring has been completely dissolved, whomever you are protecting will be completely dissolved too.” Audrianna snatched her hands down and stared at her ring with wide eyes, her anger instantly defeated by her worry for Kendis. “Kendis Lewis,” Maria whispered.

Audrianna felt panic spreading through her. She just revealed Kendis’ name, but Audrianna knew that hardly mattered now. Kendis was swiftly dying, and she was the cause. She looked at Maria, pleadingly, and then articulated in her mind, “Please help me.”

“I will help you if you tell me who you are and what your relationship is to Miss Lewis,” Maria replied.

“My name is Audrianna Foster. Kendis and I are… good friends,” Audrianna communicated. She bounced her palms up and down in the air to try and speed Maria along.

“Otherwise known as Baroness von Traugott, I think,” Maria said with a smile. Her eyes did not corroborate the expression. She nodded her head once, and then she kept her chin pointed downward. “Good friends, how nice. Lovers might be a more accurate depiction of your relationship, though.”

Audrianna shrugged, and then she mentally replied, “Yes.” Her embarrassment meant nothing now; all she cared about was saving Kendis.

Maria looked calmly at her and said, “Well, Baroness, in order for me to neutralize the loss of her biverse energy, I will have to have that ring in my possession. That means you’ll have to take it off and give it to me.”

“No,” Audrianna replied with her mind.

“Yes, I know,” Maria placated. “That’s a difficult decision — to give me the ring when Miss Lewis has most likely explained the consequences of voluntarily surrendering it to anyone, but that’s the only way it can be done. I’d say you have about ten seconds left to make the decision before your lover is no more. Nine, eight, seven….”

Audrianna whimpered. “Yes, take it.” She twisted what was left of the ring off her finger and placed it in the palm of one of Maria’s transparent hands.

“Good girl,” Maria said. She blew green breath on the ring until it transformed into the same ghost-like consistency that she was. She put it on her finger. “Trust. That’s precious.” She examined the ring at eye level. “You shouldn’t feel bad, Baroness von Traugott. That’s a difficult concept for any human to excel in.”

Audrianna shook her head, confused.

“You don’t understand?” Maria asked. She held her spectral hand out for Audrianna to see. “She forged this ring from trust. The second you started doubting her, it began to thaw. Now I have it.”

Audrianna absorbed what she just said, and then she wordlessly asked, “Kendis, how is Kendis?”

“Yes, I’m sure she’s all right, dearest,” Maria replied. “What I told you was a lie. She was never in any danger. The ring would’ve simply disappeared at a rate commensurate with your waning level of trust. You should have left it on your finger. Eventually you would’ve been found out, but at least Miss Lewis would be safe. Now you are both in danger.”

“How could you?” Audrianna silently screamed. She started rocking back and forth on her knees.

“You shouldn’t be so angry with me, Baroness,” Maria told her. She looked quite serious. “Had the ring fallen to any of the other masters in the room, things could go much worse for all parties involved. I’m the most amiable one.” She held up her forefinger to cut off Audrianna’s answering thoughts. “Stop and listen to me carefully.”

Audrianna did stop. She opened her eyes, her ears, and her mind. Audrianna knew that this woman’s words could mean the difference between whether she and Kendis survived or not.

Maria nodded and said, “Very good. Now, I cannot let you go. You know far too much about our plans at this point. If the other masters figure out that you’ve been hiding in here, spying on them, you will certainly die, and so will your lover. So, I’ll leave it up to you. I will maintain a screen on your thoughts, and if you decide that you would rather take a chance with the three of them, all you have to do is make more noise in here. They’ll hear it eventually. Do you understand?”

“Yes,” Audrianna replied with her mind. What choice did she have? It was clear that she could not go home. Her option was now merely a lesser of two evils.

“Excellent,” Maria replied. “By the way, what set of circumstances brought you to this closet? Did Miss Lewis send you?”

Audrianna shook her head and replied, “I was collecting evidence against Mr. Evans for Prohibition agents and for the Bureau of Internal Revenue.”

“Thank you for telling me,” Maria said. She slid out through the gap in the curtains and back into her physical body. She resumed her place in the conversation right on cue. “We should employ a musical expert to advise us in this matter, yes. I think so too, Eva.” She walked away from the closet, freshened her drink, and resumed her seat. “But I don’t think we should just abandon play without first trying to get the Truth back. There may be a way to do it without fighting with them.”

“Please share your strategy,” Magda said.

“Where is Lorna these days, Eva?” Maria asked. She forced a laugh, and then she sat all the way back in her chair with outstretched arms, interlocking her fingers thoughtfully. She was wearing Audrianna’s whittled band of jade on her finger, but no one else seemed to notice. At the sound of Lorna’s name, Audrianna ceased to think about the ring.

Eva scoffed, “She’s tending to my line. Where else would she be after that nonsense she pulled in the last conflict? May I have another cigarette, please?” Magda slid the case over to her, and Eva took the last cigarette and lit it. “I see where you’re going with this, Maria, and I disapprove of the idea altogether.” She flipped the cigarette around between her fingers to show her annoyance. “Lorna is a loose cannon. She does not need to be involved in this.”

“Perhaps she’s a loose cannon because of the way you handle her,” Maria offered with a smirk.

“I beg your pardon?” Eva replied contemptuously. She had both heard and understood the question.

Maria smiled and said, “I simply mean that some of our people perform better to standard when they are led through inspiration rather than intimidation. Why don’t you give her to me this round, and I’ll see if I can’t make her behave a little better.”

“Magda, this request is ridiculous,” Eva snapped. “She is my player, and she has not been punished severely enough for that last bit of treachery. You know perfectly well that her stunt set us up for elimination. We wouldn’t even be here right now if not for her.”

Magda cleared her throat and said, “Is that what’s really bothering you about bringing Lorna back into play? That she hasn’t been punished enough?”

“Damn right,” Eva answered with deadly calm. “Need I remind you how tortuous my incubation was? It’s been a thousand years since I’ve had to endure such confinement.”

“No. We’re all aware of how you suffered — except for Mr. Evans, of course,” Magda said as she looked across the table at Hiram. “Lorna is our top player, Mr. Evans. She and Baroness von Traugott were lovers in Lorna’s last lifetime, and Lorna was overcome by emotion for her. When Baroness von Traugott became pregnant with the Truth, Lorna tried to steal her away from us. As a consequence, Eva unexpectedly lost her human body while she was still in it.”

Maria laughed, but then she apologized, “I’m sorry, Eva. I realize that you are unhappy with Lorna, but in this case, it is altogether appropriate to have her in play. I will take full responsibility for her, Magda. Please.” Magda nodded her head.

Maria smiled and said, “Mr. Evans, Lorna, and I will all three pay a visit together to Miss Lewis to see if she will voluntarily surrender the Truth, thus eliminating the need for a hastily declared objective. If she refuses and we are forced into play, I will incorporate the Vril, and we will take the Truth by force.”

“If you do that,” Magda cautioned, “you are throwing the gauntlet down, and we cannot turn back from it.”

“Yes, I know,” Maria replied, “but if we risk nothing, we gain nothing. We are the Incubus. Let’s act like it.”

Eva laughed at her and asked, “You would bet the balance of our biverse energy to prove me wrong in this matter?”

“Not in a million years,” Maria said, shaking her head. “The only time I ever bet on anything is when I know there is no way I can lose,” she said. Maria then focused her eyes on Hiram and said, “Mr. Evans, I believe you are under investigation by the federal authorities, Sir. Please dispose of that business as promptly as you can. You are a representative of this group now and will conduct your affairs accordingly. We do not desire entanglement with the United States Government, at least not at this early point in game.”

“Why are you doing this?” Audrianna asked. Her tone was completely flat, which was exactly how she felt. So much anger and panic had coursed through her that she now felt completely spent.

“Please be more specific,” Maria replied.

“Why are you keeping me from the others?” Audrianna asked.

“Oh, that,” Maria said. She looked over at Audrianna in the backseat of the taxi and laughed. “I have several reasons. Why does it matter?”

“I was curious. That’s all,” Audrianna said. She met Maria’s eyes briefly, and then she looked back out the window. The streets were empty. The restaurants were closed. The city squares were lonely and populated only by the shadows cast from the car’s headlights.

“I am curious too, Baroness von Traugott. Let’s trade questions,” Maria proposed. Audrianna realized that she was witty like Lorna and playful like Kendis. She had the prettiest, softest voice that Audrianna had ever heard. Under different circumstances, Audrianna would have found her quite alluring.

“I don’t think so,” Audrianna scoffed, but then she quickly changed her mind when she realized that her reply was foolish. Maria could hear everything she was thinking. Trading questions might at least give Audrianna some counterintelligence. “Okay,” she said, twisting in her seat to demonstrate to Maria that she was up to play her game. “You answer first.”

“I’ll be happy to answer your question, Madame,” Maria said. Audrianna could not tell if her formality was meant to be derisive. “I am keeping your whereabouts a secret for now because if I had turned you over to the others, they most certainly would’ve made an example of you using their typical propensity for violence. I prefer a game of intellect, if at all possible. Secondly,” she said, “I’m very fond of Lorna. She knows the Truth better than any of us and she’s been the best player in our group for many, many years. She made a grievous error in falling for you, no doubt, but that doesn’t mean that she deserves the punishment she’s receiving, nor does it mean that I’m ready to give up on her just yet. I’m hoping that your company might be enough to resurrect her former glory.”

“Lorna?” Audrianna whispered, astonished by the response.

“Yes, Lorna,” Maria replied. She laughed, but she was not amused. “Or have you forgotten her? Perhaps you’ve just discounted her misguided efforts to defend you in her last lifetime, or maybe you aren’t aware of the price she’s paying for that mistake. Poor Lorna. Perhaps when you see her again, you’ll understand the full extent of her sacrifice.”

“What have you done to her?” Audrianna hissed.

“Oh no, Baroness,” Maria said with a smile. “That isn’t how the game works. I’ve answered your question, and now you’ll answer mine.” Audrianna sat still. Her chest rose and fell with labored respirations. After all of these years, after so many attempts to forget her, she was about to see Lorna. Maria asked her question: “What did she do to keep you here? Kendis Lewis? Why did you stay?”

“She loved me,” Audrianna whispered.

“Did she?” Maria sneered. “How is that, exactly? None of the rest of us is capable of that kind of emotion. How did she mange it?”

Audrianna felt bruised by the remark, but she was determined to play the game for as long as Maria was willing to surrender information. “It’s my turn to ask another question,” Audrianna pointed out, proud of herself.

Maria traced her dainty fingertips down the seam of the seat between them, laughing. “Ask me your question,” she finally said.

“What have you done to Lorna?” Audrianna asked.

“I haven’t done anything to Lorna, if you must know,” Maria replied. “She isn’t mine to do anything with. She’s been Eva’s player, not mine. I have no say in how my partners treat their people.”

Audrianna gave her head a little irritated shake. “Fine, whatever. What has Eva done to her?”

“That’s two questions,” Maria smirked. “Here’s my next one: has Miss Lewis ever told you that she loved you?”

“Not in so many words,” Audrianna replied. “She doesn’t have to tell me anything. I just kno —”

“You apparently know very little,” Maria said, cutting her off. She rolled down her window a tad. The air in the car was stagnant. “We cannot love anyone, Baroness von Traugott — not me, not Lorna, and not Miss Lewis. Plainly put, she has treated you in a manner that you’ve found to be pleasing, and instead of simply enjoying the endearment, you’ve mislabeled it to suit your humanistic need for validation. There now, tell me, does my clarification of your domestic situation make you feel better about taking that ring off your hand and giving it to me? It wasn’t love, after all, so there is no reason to feel bad for betraying her trust.”

Audrianna stared at her. She had never heard anyone from Gavrilek mince words, but Maria’s candor was beyond anything she had ever heard. “That isn’t fair,” Audrianna stuttered. “You tricked me. You told me that Kendis would die if I didn’t give you the ring.”

“Oh, that’s right. I told you,” Maria acknowledged with a placating grin. “Why did you find my word more dependable than that of your lover? I’m guessing it won’t be all that upsetting to you if I’m forced to destroy her,” she scoffed. “You gave up on Lorna after she’d sacrificed nearly everything for you, and Miss Lewis hasn’t fared much better.”

“Go to hell!” Audrianna shouted, and Maria laughed. She carried on for several seconds while Audrianna tried not to become completely unglued.

“Unstable,” Maria eventually said, nodding. “That’s how I’ve heard your character described before — also, unpredictable. I like both of those for you.”

“Why are you torturing me like this?” Audrianna cried.

Maria looked directly at Audrianna and said, “Because I don’t like you at all, Baroness von Traugott. You are a defeatist, and you are disloyal. Luckily for you, I still think it’s worthwhile to inspire Lorna’s loyalty. Otherwise, I would enjoy handing you over to Eva Braun right now. I think she owes you a good torching after what you did to her last lifetime.” Maria paused as they pulled up to the hotel. She spoke to Audrianna again as the car rolled to a stop. “Follow me. Feel free to scream, if you like. No one will hear you. You are invisible and inaudible to everyone but me.”

A valet opened the car door for Maria, and she stepped out and leaned against it, feigning flirtation until Audrianna could crawl out behind her. After Audrianna had emerged from the car, Maria took her hand to ensure that she could not escape. They walked together into the hotel.

“Good evening, Ms. Orsic,” the doorman greeted her. Maria returned his greeting with a slight downward turn of the head, nothing more. She waltzed up the center staircase with an invisible Audrianna in tow. They walked to the second floor, and then they turned left onto a hallway. It had been years since Audrianna had been exposed to such opulence. The ostentatiousness of it now made her uncomfortable.

“Whew!” Maria sighed in relief. She opened a door labeled “Gwinnett Button Suite” and stepped inside, pulling Audrianna behind her. “I’m glad that’s over. Shall we relax a little?”

The massive apartment was painted buff and gray, colors that accentuated the hotel’s intricate cornices and coffers. There were copper balustrades and antique bronze light fixtures. Dark wooden paneling covered the walls. Every inch of the suite dripped with art deco decoration. Audrianna hated art deco.

“I have champagne that I brought with me from Europe,” Maria said as she went into the bedroom and came back with a bottle of 1928 Dom Perignon. “Shall I have it iced, or will you consent to drink it as it is?”

Audrianna hesitated, pressing her fingertips into her temples and closing her eyes. Finally she said, “Why are you offering me champagne? You hate me.”

“I don’t hate you, Baroness,” Maria said. She tore the foil off the bottle’s neck, unwound the wire coil, and then popped the cork, spilling a few drops of champagne on the marble floor. “Hatred is also something I’m not capable of.” In a strange contradiction to her elegance, she sipped the suds from the top of the bottle. Afterwards, she set down two champagne flutes and filled them. “I consider you a bit of a disappointment, as humans go — nothing more than that.”

Audrianna snorted. In light of Maria’s other comments, that insult bordered on a compliment. “You’ve had your fair share of those, have you?” Audrianna asked.

“What? Humans, or disappointments?” Maria replied in a confused tone.

“Human disappointments,” Audrianna replied.

Maria handed Audrianna a glass of champagne, and then she sat down on the couch. “Come join me,” she said as she motioned to Audrianna, and Audrianna came to where she was. She realized that there would be no gain in defying Maria’s request. “None of the humans I regularly deal with disappoint me, Baroness von Traugott.” Maria slipped off her shoes, bent her knees, and then pulled her feet onto the couch.

“I wish you wouldn’t keep calling me that,” Audrianna told her. She took a sip of her warm champagne. Audrianna was past the point of worrying about drunkenness.

“How would you prefer to be addressed?” Maria asked.

Audrianna shook her head. The formality of Maria’s language bothered her. It forced her to assume the elevated tone of concentration that she had so despised in Austria. She loved the fact that Southerners spoke without artifice. Audrianna reflected that Southerners were not inarticulate; they were simply unpretentious. This fact was one of the many things that Audrianna had come to love about the South. “Please, just call me Audrianna,” she said.

“Okay, Audrianna,” Maria said, annunciating each syllable precisely. “None of the humans with which I regularly deal disappoint me.”

Audrianna took another sip of her champagne and said, “I’m sure you don’t give them a chance to.”

Maria laughed at her. “Is it always the habit of humans to be so presumptuous?” she asked.

“No,” Audrianna replied. “I just know a little more about you people than most humans do, and that’s why I make assumptions.”

“Do you?” Maria asked pertly. “Why is it that you think you know more, Audrianna? Because you’ve spent the last ten years with a Gavrilekian who has told you nothing more than what she’s wanted you to know?”

Audrianna sat her glass on the coffee table and said quietly, “Why do you care about what she’s told me and what she hasn’t told me?” She got up and put her hands on her hips. “If you want to kill me, I wish you’d just do it.”

“Kill you?” Maria laughed a little harder. “Where did that come from? Or would you just rather be dead than discover your lover’s real motivations? Are you that frightened of the truth?”

“Truth!” Audrianna exclaimed. “Do any of the Children of Gavrilek know what that word means?”

“Of course we know,” Maria answered, flicking her hand lazily. “God and Antigod chose mystery to be the consciousness of their two planets, Earth and Tawn. They discarded truth into the Biverse. Truth is the consciousness of Gavrilek. If we didn’t know what it meant, we wouldn’t be able to manipulate it like we do.”

Audrianna sat back down, and then she almost started laughing. She did not think that anything Maria had said was funny, but at that very moment, she thought Maria was funny. Despite her beautiful appearance and elegant manners, she was just like every other Gavrilekian — forthright to a fault. “Why do you all want to hurt each other, anyway?” Audrianna asked offhand. “All of you’ve suffered the same fate. It seems like that disaster would’ve pulled you all together, not driven you apart.”

Maria took a drink before responding. “What an interesting point of view,” she said as she set her glass down. She paused for a moment, and then she stood up and held her hand out to Audrianna. “Come with me.”

Audrianna rose, but she did not give Maria her hand. She did not dare. She just told Maria to kill her if she intended to do so, but she had not meant it.

“Audrianna?” Maria said quietly. Her voice seemed genuine and gentle, but Audrianna still did not move. Maria took a step forward and offered her hand once more. When Audrianna refused it for a third time, Maria reached out and took her by the fingertips. She led Audrianna around the couch and toward the bedroom. Maria stopped just inside the doorway. She reached up to unfasten the top button on Audrianna’s cloak. When she did that, Audrianna grabbed her hands to keep her from proceeding. Maria stepped back and regarded Audrianna with a cockeyed expression. “Oh, I see,” Maria said after she had made sense of Audrianna’s thoughts. “No, that’s not what’s happening,” she said, laughing. “I’m sure you’re a lot of fun, but you’re a little too explosive for my taste.” She cleared her throat. “I was going to offer you something else to wear. Or do you enjoy wearing that clown suit?”

Audrianna felt her face flush. “No, thank you. I’m sorry,” she apologized, although she was not sure why she should feel ashamed. In her dealings with Gavrilekians, she noticed that they all shared two traits: they spoke their minds without discretion, and they felt no qualms about pursuing and relishing sex. In Audrianna’s mind, her assumption about Maria’s intention was perfectly logical.

“I’ll let you take that off,” Maria chuckled as she pointed to Audrianna’s frock. She walked over to the large closet and began sorting through various hanging garments. Her back was turned.

“May I ask you another question?” Audrianna said, her voice cracking.

“I don’t know. Where are we in our game?” Maria replied. She twisted the top part of her body to look at Audrianna, and then she turned back around. “I assume we’re still trying to outsmart one another, so I have to keep up with these things.”

Audrianna sat down in one of the chairs that was in the room. She bowed her head into her hands. “I’m not trying to outsmart you,” she said, frustrated. “How could I? You’ve pinpointed my weaknesses and exploited them with such accuracy that there is no way I can do anything but accept defeat. How could I outsmart you?”

“Really, dearest,” Maria replied without looking back. “The damsel in distress plea became null and void the day you set fire to Eva Braun. In fact, I should probably search you for matches, lest a similar fate befall me.” She brought over a charcoal-colored silk slip-dress with a plunging neckline. “This color washes me out a bit, but I bet it will look lovely with your blue eyes.” She spread the dress out on the bed and stood in front of Audrianna until Audrianna looked up at her. “I do understand, though,” she said.

“Understand what?” Audrianna whispered, hoping against hope that her pitiful presentation had somehow managed to move Maria to mercy.

“Mercy? You have great confidence in your skill. We haven’t even begun to negotiate that yet,” Maria replied.

“No, that’s not what I meant!” Audrianna cried. She objected to Maria’s translation of what she had just thought. “I just hoped!” She threw down her hands. “Hope is a general state of optimism too!”

“How very….” Maria paused and looked up into the air as if she were searching for the perfect word. She snapped her fingers and then snapped her head back down. “Gavrilekian of you to say. You are your lover’s project.”

“I am no one’s project!” Audrianna countered.

“No, of course not,” Maria laughed. “What I was going to say was that I do understand why they all want you.”

“What?” Audrianna grimaced, shaking her head slowly back and forth. She put one hand on her forehead, dazed by the whiplash of Maria’s banter.

Maria added, “You are different. The way your mind works is different. You’re all or nothing, and that’s completely contradictory to who we are.” Maria moved the tops of her fingers over Audrianna’s cheek. Her eyes softened. “It’s always fun to explore something you don’t understand,” she purred.

Audrianna tilted her head back at the remark. She began to laugh. After a moment she said, “Terrific! It’s been a delight to accommodate all of you! Explore away!”

“See what I mean? All or nothing?” Maria said. She smiled.

“Fuck you,” Audrianna said thoughtlessly. The alcohol she had consumed that night made her cease to care whether or not she said those words out loud.

“Right,” Maria said and nodded once. “Game over. Audrianna, we’re really going to have to work on your strategy if you’re going to be a member of my team.”

“What?” Audrianna said.

“Oh yes. I’ve just decided on the price of my mercy. Care to hear the terms?” Maria asked.

Audrianna closed her eyes. “What choice do I have?” she asked quietly.

“Very well,” Maria said. She began to pace slowly back and forth. Audrianna could hear her fluid movements. “In exchange for my attempt to spare your lover Kendis’ life, I will expect you, Lorna, and your son to play for my team. You all may live out your years together, under my protection, and unmolested. You have damaged Lorna considerably, so she is useless to me in this lifetime. Only after your natural death will she have any chance of recovery. When I told you that I wanted to inspire Lorna’s loyalty, this is what I meant. As for your son,” she paused, “he is the Truth, and I would give everything I have to keep him alive. Loyalty. How am I doing with this lesson? I haven’t had a human project in a thousand years. Let me know if I’m not teaching these things well enough.”

Audrianna was overcome with rage. “Goddammit!” she screamed as she started up out of her chair. She had always disliked Kendis’ lessons; she despised Maria’s.

“Now look, Audrianna,” Maria said as she put her hand on Audrianna’s shoulder. Audrianna felt her body become numb. “You walked right into that. You made it clear to me a moment ago that you didn’t appreciate being referred to as a project, so all I had to do to win this round was to hit that button again. These are the things you’re going to have to start paying attention to.” She withdrew her hand.

Audrianna slowly began to gain control of herself. When she did, she looked at Maria and asked, “Why?”

“Audrianna, get dressed,” Maria said simply. She folded her arms across her chest. “I don’t particularly want to inflict any more cruelty on you than necessary, but please know this: you are sparring with a master. Do you really want to keep jabbing at me?” Audrianna shook her head in defeat. “Good girl.” Maria pulled her into a very believable hug, rocked her back and forth, and then turned her loose. “Oh, Audrianna, I wish you didn’t look so upset.” She winced a little as she looked at Audrianna’s face. “My proposal is clearly a difficult one for you, and one I know you’ll want some time to consider, so please.” She motioned to her left. “Go ahead and take your time getting dressed in here, and then I’ll see you in the parlor for your decision. Let me know if you need help fastening the dress.” Maria closed the door, leaving Audrianna alone.

Audrianna felt as if her emotions and her energy had been depleted. She could not help but wonder how much of this situation could have been avoided if Kendis had just told her the truth about everything. If she had known the implications, Audrianna would never have allowed Kendis to place Devon into a position where he would break the law. Had that not happened, Audrianna would never have been coerced into spying on the Ku Klux Klan. Had she been spared that assignment, she would not be in this position right now. She unfastened the buttons on the Klan robe. It dropped on the floor, and she kicked it off.

Audrianna knew that she had no choice but to agree to Maria’s terms. If she said no, Maria would kill Kendis and take her and Devon regardless. If she willingly agreed to serve Maria, Kendis would be saved and Lorna would be helped. Audrianna slipped on the dress. Just as Maria anticipated, she could not fasten the snaps. She felt a weak pulse of anger at that small frustration, but the anger quickly dissipated. Audrianna had been so thoroughly trampled upon that admitting she needed help getting dressed was an insignificant addition to her troubles.

After pausing for a moment to collect her thoughts, Audrianna went into Maria’s closet and selected a more appropriate type of shoe for her outfit. The high heels were a little larger than her feet, but Audrianna put them on anyway. She held them in place with her toes while she walked back and forth in front of the mirror. Audrianna pinched her cheeks and then took several deep, calming breaths. She was determined to remain calm and surrender in a dignified manner.

“Yes, I know they were musicians, darling.” Audrianna heard Maria’s voice through the door. “What I want to know is if there is any link between the lot of them? Is there any pattern to their musical compositions?” Pause. “Fine. Who do we have that’s musical?” Another long pause. “Really, Alexander, performing in the cabaret doesn’t necessarily qualify one as a musician. Find someone else, a human, if you must. This cannot appear to be a sham.”

Just then the door opened, and Maria appeared with the phone pressed between her ear and her shoulder. She motioned for Audrianna to come out and turn around, and Audrianna obeyed her. “Yes. That’s fine, too,” she said as she latched Audrianna into her dress. Maria held her hand over the microphone and whispered, “That’s beautiful on you.”

Audrianna pointed to her shoes, feeling the need to let Maria know that she had borrowed them. Maria responded by nodding and smiling. She gestured for Audrianna to be seated on the couch, and then she handed her a flute filled with champagne. “No, I don’t want anyone but our team involved in this right now. We’ll include them if and when this requires their attention. Magda is in the middle of fundraising, and Eva told me tonight that her team hasn’t had any legitimate success with the harvest yet. Neither of them needs another distraction, especially as it relates to this matter. Do you understand?”

Audrianna guzzled the entire glass of champagne, wondering who was on the other end of the line. She wondered what tactical advantages Maria believed she would receive from keeping Audrianna’s presence a secret. Maria cut her eyes at Audrianna and then finished up her conversation. “No, we should be in just as soon as we finish up our business here. I plan to have guests with me, so please have the entire house prepared for my arrival. Thank you.” Pause. “Goodbye.” She hung up the phone.

“I have an answer for you,” Audrianna announced without wasting any time. She refilled her glass with more warm champagne and then drank it all at once. “I’ll do whatever you want me to do, just promise me that you won’t hurt my son, and leave Kendis alone. She is not a threat to you or to this game that you all play. She isn’t a part of it in the way that you are. I know for a fact that she didn’t want to pick a fight with you. She wanted us to leave, but I convinced her to let us stay.”

“My, my,” Maria said. She smiled, but Audrianna was unable to sense the meaning of her expression. “How chivalrous of you.”

“I’m not trying to be chivalrous. I’m trying to be realistic,” Audrianna replied. Her response puzzled Maria. Audrianna did not care enough to embellish or explain her answer.

“Fine,” Maria replied. “Neither Lorna nor Miss Lewis are to know that we have struck this agreement. You have made this decision on your own. Both of them have already given up too much for your sake. I’m sure you’d rather not have either of them martyr themselves for you. Do you understand what I’m telling you?”

Audrianna nodded, but then she added, “They know me, though. They’ll be able to tell that I’m lying. What about my thoughts? You can’t expect me to do this without thinking about it.”

Maria waved her hand in a gesture of dismissal and said, “I will put a block around your thoughts with a channel that’s open only to me. I’ll make it a mutually telepathic line, so I can speak to you as well. Regarding the other problem, you’re very theatrical. I suggest you use some of that talent to convince your bewitched lovers that you want what you say you want. Lorna is blind now — thanks to you — so at least she won’t be able to see your facial expressions.”

“Blind,” Audrianna whispered.

The doorbell sounded, and Maria started for it. “Audrianna,” she said as she stopped and turned around, “if you fail in any way to comply with this condition, I will have no choice but to relieve Miss Lewis of her biverse energy. Are we clear?”

Audrianna dropped her eyes in an implicit acknowledgement of Maria’s words. After a moment, she whispered, “Yes.”

“Excellent,” Maria replied. She grinned at her. “Lights, camera,” she put her hand on the doorknob and twisted it, “action.”

The door opened, and Audrianna looked up. A lean man of about twenty stood outside. He wore a white shirt rolled up to his elbows and brown herringbone pants. His skin was as white as paper, and his straight blond hair fell to his shoulders. His jaw was sharply sloped, and a two-inch keloid scar bisected his left cheek. His empty brown eyes revealed nothing about his character. Audrianna was both frightened and captivated by his appearance. Before she had time to wonder about his identity, Maria said, “Lorna, welcome back.”

Audrianna drew her breath in quickly. Lorna, her Lorna, was now a man. Panic seized her. Maria shot her a look and then spoke to her with her mind, “That’s not what I meant when I suggested theatrics.” Audrianna jumped, momentarily distracted by the strangeness of hearing another voice inside her head.

“Audrianna, settle down,” Maria said as she turned slightly and made a calming gesture with her hand. She then continued with her mental dialogue. “This is the exact same person you fell in love with. It’s not her fault that she was born into a man’s body.”

Maria waited for Audrianna to nod before she returned her attention to Lorna, who appeared oblivious to their conversation. “Lorna, let me have a look at you,” Maria said, grasping his chin and turning his face side to side to examine his scars and bruises. “You’ve been mistreated. I’m sorry.” Her voice was tender, and Audrianna took note of it. “You’re weak. When was the last time Eva shared her energy with you?”

“She doesn’t share with me, Master,” Lorna replied hoarsely. “I am forced to scavenge while I’m out exercising her bodies.”

Maria frowned. “I see,” she laughed gently. “Amazing. You’re the only one I know with enough sex appeal to be able to do that.” She reached up and traced the scar on his cheek with her finger. “Well, there will be no more of that.” She dropped her hand and walked over to the sideboard where the champagne and the glasses were. She picked up the bottle and poured the remainder of it into a new glass. “I know you’re used to having the lead, but Hannah is filling that position for me, and I will not unseat her just to satisfy your ego. I can offer you a secondary role. If you perform well, I will consider making you my lead in the next conflict.” She brought the champagne to him and put it his hand. “How would that be?”

“Thank you, Master,” Lorna replied. He was humble but not happy. There was a storm inside of him that shone through his empty eyes. He was raw and fitful, filled with what Audrianna interpreted as unexpressed anger.

Maria stroked his shoulder a couple of times, and then she looked into his face. “You’re fascinating,” she told him. “You are like a caged circus animal trained to perform, but you remain inwardly defiant and capable of retaliation if pushed too far. I knew Eva would get her hand bitten eventually.” She smiled. “I’m very glad you’re here. I’ve always wanted you to play for me, but it took this mess for you to agree to it. Certainly, playing on my team will be less exciting for you, but I hope you’ll find it easier to abide.”

The doorbell sounded again, and Maria reached over to answer it. Lorna intercepted her hand in mid-air. He pulled it up to his lips and kissed it. “I am grateful, Master,” he whispered, bowing his head. “Forgive me if I don’t seem so.”

“You’re fine, Lorna,” Maria said. She petted him again. “Weakness just isn’t your style; I understand that. I know that you’ve been wounded, and I am kind. Eva would demand perfection from you, but I require only your loyalty. In turn, you shall have mine — as I hope you’ll soon find out.” The doorbell rang again, and this time Maria opened the door.

“I’m sorry, Master,” said a young woman about Lorna’s age, dressed head to toe in aviator gear complete with cap and goggles. She rushed in and kissed Maria’s hand. She took her leather gloves off and slapped them in her hands. “I need your help! I had trouble with where to set down, and now I’ve nearly burnt through to the Vril.”

“Calm down, Hannah,” Maria said, keeping the door open. “All we have to do is reinforce the biverse bands. That’s easily fixed. Why didn’t you land in the water like we discussed?”

“I didn’t want to risk landing in the water, Master,” Hannah grumbled. “There are a number of water nymphs out in the ocean and the waterways tonight. They’re searching for something. Can you believe it? Masters acting like searchers!”

Maria laughed, but she did not share her thoughts. She glanced at Audrianna, presumably to see if she understood the exchange, but Audrianna diverted her eyes. She wished that she did not understand.

“Well, I don’t think it’s funny, Master,” Hannah said. “Wait and see where I had to land.”

“All right, Hannah,” Maria said. She tried to stifle her laughter by clearing her throat. “Let’s go. Show me.” She put her hand on Hannah’s back, and they both started out the door. When Lorna turned to follow, Maria stopped him. “Lorna, you stay here.” She peeked around him and smirked at Audrianna. “Make yourself comfortable, and when I come back, we can talk some more, okay?”

Lorna nodded. Maria closed the door, and Audrianna held her breath. “I can hear you breathing,” Lorna said as he pulled a German Luger from the back of his trousers. He pivoted and pointed it at Audrianna. “You’ve been here the whole time, and I want to know why.” His eyes did not follow the line of the gun, but he aimed it with deadly accuracy all the same. Audrianna gasped. She held up both of her hands, but she put them down slowly when she realized that he could not see her gesture of surrender. “The funny thing about being blind,” Lorna said as he took two confident steps forward, “is that it sharpens all of your other senses. If I tried hard enough, I could smell you from here!” Six feet now separated them.

“Perhaps you should try,” Audrianna whispered. At the sound of her voice, all of Lorna’s features softened. He slowly lowered the gun, and when he did, Audrianna tentatively advanced.

“Why can’t I hear what you’re thinking?” Lorna asked. “Why did she hide you from me?” he asked, agitation filling his voice. His sightless eyes searched for Audrianna.

“I was startled by your appearance,” Audrianna replied honestly. She stretched her hand toward him, the champagne having removed all of her inhibitions. She reached him in three steps, placed one hand on his shoulder, and pried the gun away from him with the other. She quietly set it on the sideboard. “Maria didn’t want you to know that I was frightened.”

The weight of the gun in Audrianna’s hand triggered the memory of the last time she had held one: the night she had killed Lorna. The memory overwhelmed her. She ached to throw herself into his arms, to assuage the pain and the trauma of what they had each lost that night. Still, Audrianna stood her ground. She forced herself to wait for his next move.

“Why are you here?” Lorna asked in an unreadable voice. “Are you hurt? Did they hurt you?”

Audrianna forced herself to think through each word of her answer before she spoke. It would not do to stutter. She had to make him believe whatever she said. “I’m here to be with you,” she said quietly.

Lorna said bitterly, “Why? Did your other lover turn you out?”

Audrianna felt as if a knife had cut down the seam of her soul. “How did you know?” she croaked.

“Because of Tru, Audrianna,” Lorna replied. “When I couldn’t make contact with you after I finished incubation, I contacted him. He told me everything. He told me all about our new life and how you didn’t want to be with me any longer.”

Audrianna closed her eyes. She pressed a palm into her chest to try and deaden the ache, unsure if the pain was from realizing how much she had hurt him by staying with Kendis, or the fact that she had to deceive him. After a moment, she said, “I always wanted to be with you, Lorna. I needed Kendis’ help with Devon, and she helped me. She taught him how to survive and that’s why I stayed.” When Audrianna opened her eyes, a clinched jawed, teary-eyed Lorna stood before her.

“I bet she helped you,” Lorna said fiercely. He shook his head. “Helped you, and then helped herself to you. I’ve been beaten, starved, and tortured in every imaginable way while you’ve spent the past ten years playing footsie with the teacher! I had it all worked out, Audrianna, if you would’ve just believed in me.” When Lorna finished speaking, he turned his back on her. His words struck Audrianna with a force greater than any imaginable blow. She felt the room begin to spin around her.

“Lorna, you forced me to kill you, and then you left me by myself to wallow in that guilt. You left me wondering if I’d committed an act of mercy or an act of murder,” Audrianna cried. “Your master nearly killed both of us! I was pregnant, and I had no idea where the hell you were, or even if you were. What was I supposed to have believed that you had all worked out, Lorna?”

“I told you I would never let anyone hurt you. My master was angry, but all I had to do was beg for mercy,” Lorna said. He turned back to face Audrianna. “This,” he said, pointing at his marred face, “and this,” he said as he pulled off his shirt to show Audrianna the interlacing scars of a thousand whiplashes, “was the price I negotiated for your safety. For every day I refused to tell him where you were, you and Tru got a day of peace — ever since the time I was old enough to stand. That’s what I worked out, Audrianna!”

“Why?” Audrianna choked. “Why did you continue to let him beat you like that after you thought I had chosen someone else over you?”

Lorna bit his lower lip and shook his head. “The fact that you didn’t want me anymore didn’t mean I wasn’t every bit as committed to keeping you safe,” he said quietly.

Audrianna began to weep uncontrollably. She could not bear to deceive him. He deserved to know the truth. She had to tell him the truth.

“I would rethink that, Audrianna,” Maria’s voice sounded in her head. “This is the gentlest offering I will make you. If you think it too difficult to bear, imagine how you’ll feel when I withdraw my beneficence.” Audrianna covered her ears with her hands. “Or do you like it to hurt as much as it possibly can?” Maria whispered seductively. “Pain reduces accountability. Is that it? Well, I like it. Let’s make a game of it. What do you say?”

“I hate you!” Audrianna screamed in her mind. She threw her hands down and tilted her head back. She made an effort to stifle her sobs.

Maria’s voice whispered, “Now, Audrianna, you really shouldn’t be such a poor sport. There’s always a chance you’ll win this round. If you do, I’ll give you your lover’s ring back. How does that sound?”

A flicker of hope, bright enough to recapture Audrianna’s logical mind, flared. She reached over to the coffee table for a handkerchief and pressed it to her nose, coaching herself to pay attention to the rules of Maria’s game.

Lorna took a step towards her and whispered, “Audrianna, do you still want me?”

Audrianna’s emotions welled up in her throat. “I never wanted to be without you, Lorna. I wish this could all have been very different, too.”

Maria’s voice filled her head once again. “Pay attention. I’m only going to tell you this once. “Have sex with Lorna tonight. I think he’s earned that, don’t you. I’m sure Miss Lewis has taught you a thing or two about how to accomplish that task, so let’s see what you’ve learned. If both of you are still alive when it’s over, I’ll give you the ring back. Oh yes, and one more thing… I’d like to watch.”

Audrianna grabbed the empty champagne bottle and smashed it against the wall, screaming out in frustration. Lorna defended himself loosely with his hands.

“There’s my little fireball,” he laughed. He took one step forward with his hands extended. “May I see you with my hands?” he asked.

Audrianna walked over and placed his palms on her face. She ran her hands up and down his mangled back. “What do you see?” she asked, curious if he could feel the age on her skin, if he sensed the occasional gray hair, or if he could tell that her body had changed.

Lorna replied, “I see your spirit pulsating with your heartbeat. There’s a streak of fire inside you that sears my skin, but it’s not enough to keep me from wanting you in my arms.” He pulled her closer to him. Audrianna closed her eyes. She wondered how she could ever have forgotten how erotic Lorna’s passion could be — and how she could ever have wanted anyone but Lorna.

“Be careful,” Audrianna whispered to him. “You’re already so weak. I —”

“Don’t treat me like a child,” he snapped. “I’m aware of my state of being, and I don’t care. Touching you, hearing your voice, knowing that you’re no longer just a figment of my imagination — those are the only things that I wish to consider.” He paused. There were tears in his eyes again, and he blinked rapidly to clear them. “Every day that we were apart, I dreamt of the day I would hold you in my arms again. Here it is and I don’t give a damn what it costs me to take full advantage of it.”

“Well, that ups the ante for you, doesn’t it?” Maria’s voice broke into Audrianna’s thoughts. “What a night he must be planning!” she laughed. “At least you’ll be prepared this time for how that will turn out. Fancy another child?”

“Shut up!” Audrianna thought. She found it amazing that Maria could find amusement in a situation that would decide the fate of so many lives. “If you want to play,” Audrianna silently replied to Maria, “play fairly. Give me a chance to make my move without interference from you!”

Maria’s laughter trailed off as Lorna forced Audrianna against the wall. He made no attempt to stifle or pace his movements. If Maria had really wondered how Lorna had been able to forage for energy, she need never again. No woman could resist Lorna’s passion, but somehow Audrianna was going to have to do just that. She took hold of the draping on her dress and ripped it all the way down. She quickly wrapped the fabric around his wrists, binding them. When he resisted, Audrianna reached for the gun on the sideboard and pressed it underneath his chin. “Don’t squirm,” she told him. “If you don’t want to be treated like a child, don’t act like one.”

Lorna smirked, but Audrianna refused to let it divert her. In light of their history of kinky sex, she knew that he interpreted her actions as a choreographed sexual game. He did not realize that Audrianna was fighting for something that she felt was worth the risk of both of their lives. “Why didn’t you ever kiss me?” she said as she yanked him into the bedroom and kicked the door shut with her foot. She pushed him up against the door and kissed him deeply.

“Kissing is the easiest way to siphon the soul,” Lorna took a breath and replied. “Master Gavrilekians use it for that purpose all the time without their human hosts ever knowing.”

Audrianna snarled at his backhanded stab at Kendis, but then she realized that he might be right. Perhaps Kendis had been siphoning her soul all along and she simply had not realized it. Lorna had denied herself that opportunity — had Kendis taken it? Audrianna pulled Lorna off the door and dragged him over to an armless chair. “Sit,” she commanded, and he did.

“What are you going to do to me?” Lorna asked with a smirk. “Tie me to the chair?”

“Ha!” Audrianna cried as she sat down on his lap. She struggled to hold the silk tie closed; he had begun to test her with his strength. “I was going to tie you to yourself, but I think your idea is much better.” She put the Luger on the vanity and looped the ends of the long, thin tie around his wrists twice more to ensure that they were bound securely together. She knotted what was left of the material to the spindles of the chair’s back. Lorna tried to say something, but Audrianna shushed him with her forefinger. “I’m in control, not you.” She reached down with her other hand and felt his crotch. “Now, we are going to make love, but we’re going to do it the way I want to do it, and that is going to be very, very slowly. If I see any evidence that it’s draining you, then you will siphon off some of my soul to help get you through. Do you understand? We are both going to survive this.”

Lorna bent his head back. He laughed and said, “Is this how all women act when they reach midlife?”

His snarky comment stoked Audrianna’s anger, and she responded in kind. “That’s right. I wish I could be just as enthusiastic about your current level of maturity,” she snapped.

“I guess I had that coming to me, didn’t I?” Lorna replied with a smile.

Audrianna scoffed. “The only thing I know that’s coming to you is a long, slow screw. Oh, and Lorna,” she whispered in his ear as she grabbed a handful of his hair, “you will kiss me, and you will kiss me often, because I like it.” Within seconds, Audrianna had to draw back from his kiss. “That’s too fast,” she chastised.

“Put your hand inside my pants,” Lorna whispered. He closed his eyes, a gesture that worried Audrianna. If kissing her drained him this much, he would never survive sex.

“Open your eyes,” Audrianna said. She moved her hand to his face.

“That’s not my pants,” Lorna replied with a slight laugh. He opened his eyes to show her that their color had not changed.

Audrianna exhaled a sigh of relief. She gritted her teeth, annoyed that he had made her worry, whether it was intentional or not. In a stern voice, she said, “I told you. You are not in control. When you prove to me that you can kiss me slowly, we’ll proceed to the next step. Let’s try again.”

Before they could try again, Audrianna saw the door open in the mirror. Maria stepped inside carrying a bottle of Dom Perignon and a full glass of champagne. “I was an executioner once,” she said. She took a sip, put the bottle down on the nightstand, and then stretched out her arm like she was reaching for something. “How are you enjoying the experience, Audrianna?” Zip. The gun flew past Audrianna’s ear, and straight into Maria’s hand. “I believe you’ve used this trick once, too. Audrianna, we are going to have to discuss your take on the element of surprise. You don’t seem to understand the concept very well.”

“What’s wrong?” Lorna asked, sensing Audrianna’s distraction.

Audrianna buried her hands in his hair, closed her eyes, and pressed her forehead into his. “Nothing,” she whispered, and then she kissed him softly. “It’s nothing.”

Maria laughed at her, but Audrianna ignored her laughter. The unchanged taste of Lorna’s mouth was too wonderful to be spoiled even by Maria’s venom. Frankly, Audrianna did not care that she was watching. After five straight minutes of languid kissing, she pulled back from him and ran her thumb across the scar on his cheek. “Does this still hurt you?” she asked.

“Not as bad as my dick hurts right now,” Lorna said as he cracked a genuine smile. Audrianna did the same, recognizing the response as so typical of Lorna. His bound fingers caught hold of the middle portion of Audrianna’s dress, and he used it to pull her forward until his mouth found the front of her neck. “I wish you’d untie me and let me fuck you until you ask for mercy.”

Audrianna felt her nipples grow hard. She took a deep breath and laughed, talking to him as he nuzzled her. “We both know that’s not how it would go, Lorna,” she said breathlessly. “We’ve tried that before, and you didn’t even have this second brain to contend with.” She scooped up the front of his pants and tucked her hand inside. After gently squeezing his penis, she pulled it up so that she could fondle it more easily.

Lorna groaned. He sat back and closed his eyes, licking his lips while Audrianna started to stroke him. She did not know how to increase the tempo slowly, so she just advanced her speed in small increments until she found the upper limit of what he could take. When he cried out, she stopped.

“Okay, okay. Let me see,” Audrianna said as she held his chin and looked into his eyes. They had dropped an entire shade of brown. She felt guilty for hurting him, but it had to be done. There would be no room for second guessing the pace when he was inside of her. She glanced in the mirror to see what Maria was doing, and immediately she wished she had not. “Oh God,” Audrianna whispered, dropping her face and covering her eyes with her free hand.

“I’m alright, darling. Just keep going,” Lorna said gently, misinterpreting Audrianna’s whimper as concern for his condition.

“I agree with Lorna,” Maria crooned. “You should keep going.”

“Are you really going to lie over there and masturbate while I do this?” Audrianna shouted in thought. She twisted her torso around to stare at Maria. If Maria was not too ashamed to do that in front of her, then Audrianna would be damned if she was going to be ashamed to watch her.

“Audrianna, is something wrong?” Lorna asked her. He started to sit up, but Audrianna pushed him back into the chair without looking at him. She slowly stroked his penis, all the while maintaining eye contact with Maria.

“Yes, Audrianna?” Maria said as she raised one eyebrow, dropped it, and then pinched one of her nipples. “Is something wrong?” She licked the rim of her champagne flute, and Audrianna began to sweat.

“You’re getting excited,” Lorna said. “I can tell by the way you’re breathing.” He began to move his hips a little. “What are you thinking about?”

Audrianna flared her nostrils and narrowed her gaze. She watched as Maria touched herself. Audrianna wiped the sweat off her brow with the back of her hand and then wiped it on her dress. In her thoughts she said, “That’s fine. Have your fun at my expense. I don’t care as long as I get Kendis’ ring back.”

“Audrianna?” Lorna vied for her attention. “Audrianna, talk to me. I can’t see you; I can’t hear you; and I can’t touch you. Please don’t leave me out of your experience.”

Audrianna looked back at him and her heart melted. She considered helplessness a difficult plight to ignore in anyone, much less someone who had spent the last fifteen years protecting her. “I’m right here, sweetheart,” she told him as she cradled his face in her hands. “I’m not leaving you out of anything. I’m here.”

His unseeing eyes tracked the sound of her voice. For the first time that day, Audrianna was able to look inside of his eyes and find the Lorna she once loved. It prompted her to vocalize a decision she had already made. “I want you to take some of my soul now. You need it.”

“No,” Lorna said as he tried unsuccessfully to shake her hands off his face.

Audrianna held tight, grabbing hold of his hair to demonstrate her authority. “Yes,” she said, “or we stop. If there are more sacrifices to be made in order for us to be together like this, then they will be made by both of us this time, not just you.” She lowered her lips down to his, grazing his nose and breathing his breath. She felt a surge of adrenalin in her chest that sent shivers throughout her body.

“How do you know that I’ll be able to stop?” Lorna murmured.

“I don’t,” Audrianna replied, “but I find your safety even more arousing than your danger.” She brought her lips as close to his as she could without touching them. “It gives me the freedom of invincibility. That’s exactly how I want to feel when I give myself to you like this.”

“Are you sure?” Lorna asked her.

“Yes,” Audrianna replied.

“Then yes,” he said as he began to kiss her. As soon as he did, Audrianna felt herself being pulled from the inside, down into him, like a piece of metal to a magnet. Her heartbeat quickened. The vessels in her body dilated, circulating scalding blood through every organ. She began to see strange faces in her head. Suddenly Audrianna became frightened. When she tried to break the kiss, she found that she could not.

“Audrianna, don’t struggle,” Maria warned. “That makes what he is doing to you even more exciting for him, and much more difficult to stop. The actual extraction causes a thermal reaction in your body. That’s why you feel hot. The faces you are seeing are some of your previous identities. He’s lifting them out of you.”

“Oh God,” Audrianna thought. “Am I dying?”

“Calm down,” Maria commanded. “I need you to throw up a mental roadblock, anything you can think of that might startle him enough for him to realize how deep he is going into you.” Maria paused. “Think of your most intimate moment with Kendis Lewis.”

Audrianna did just as Maria asked. She recalled every detail of the moment when Kendis gave her the trust ring, and when she did, Lorna paused.

“Pull back,” Maria told her, and she broke away. She immediately started gasping for air.

“Oh!” Lorna cried as he shook his head, his eyes now green and glowing with energy. “Audrianna, I’m sorry,” he whispered in disbelief. He started jerking on his restraints, but Audrianna threw her hands over his wrists to stop him. If he got away from her, she would never win this game.

“It’s okay, it’s okay,” Audrianna assured him. “I’m all right.”

At that moment, Lorna freed himself from his binding. “Don’t you ever let me do that to you again!” he yelled as he grabbed Audrianna and shook her. “Do you see now? It isn’t safe. I could’ve killed you!”

Audrianna started trembling. She had no idea how to regain control of the situation. She glanced in the mirror to see Maria’s expression. Maria looked concerned, but it was clear that she had no immediate plans to intervene.

“Audrianna, did you hear what I said?” Lorna shook her again. When she failed to respond, he softened his grip and pulled her into his arms. “I’m sorry,” he said gently. “It isn’t your fault. It’s my fault. I shouldn’t —”

“It’s nobody’s fault, Lorna,” Audrianna cried. “It’s just the way things are. I wanted you to do it, and I want you to do it again if you have to.”

“Why?” Lorna raised his voice. “Why would you trust me again after what just happened?”

Audrianna buried her face in his neck and then recited Kendis’ words to him, “Because I adore you, and I never want to believe that you’re unworthy of my trust.” She cried as she said them.

Lorna stroked her back for several long moments, consoling her. His touch eventually drifted to her buttocks and then to her legs. He slid his hands up her thighs and inside her silk panties.

Audrianna stifled her sobs. She placed one of her hands on the side of his neck and rubbed her thumb back and forth over his Adam’s apple, urging him forward with her own simple effort to touch him. “When was the last time you were a man?” she asked him, suddenly curious.

“It’s been awhile,” Lorna chuckled. He pulled her closer so that he could grind his penis between her legs. “When was the last time you enjoyed being with a man?”

“I’ve never enjoyed being with a man,” Audrianna answered truthfully.

“Oh,” Lorna replied. He had a smile in his voice that Audrianna felt no need to confirm with her eyes. “Tall order,” he said as he laughed and took his hands out of her panties. He pulled her dress up over her head and tossed it on the floor. He brought his lips to her sternum and breathed deeply. “I can conjure your smell from thin air anytime I want to. But it only cripples me when you’re wearing it.”

There it was again: Lorna’s very distinct, sensual use of language, always delivered at just the right time and in just the right amount. Audrianna placed her hands on his shoulders and tilted her head back. Having rarely experienced this kind of eroticism with Kendis, she had forgotten how intoxicating it was and how much she had missed it. She pulled her panties aside so that he would know how much she wanted him. Of course, there was a possibility that this gesture might incite him to try to take control, but that possibility did not stop Audrianna from doing it.

Audrianna stood up, slipped off her panties, and then unzipped Lorna’s pants. She pulled them down and then off of him. She pushed his thighs apart and knelt between them, catching his hands in hers before licking him from the base of his penis to the tip. It was the first time she had ever performed oral sex on a man as a prelude and augmentation to intercourse. With Niklas, she had only consented to do so as a way to avoid sleeping with him. This experience was altogether different from that one. Audrianna wanted to do it to Lorna. She wanted the intimacy and the vulnerability of it.

Lorna squeezed her hands. “Will you take your hair down?” he asked her, and Audrianna did. Rather than catching hold of his hands again, she let him run his hands through her hair and guide her to where he wanted her to be. She put his penis in her mouth, cognizant of maintaining a slow speed. She savored the discomfort of resisting him pulling her hair in an attempt to make her move faster. In a way, she wanted him to make her pay for every beating he had ever taken on her behalf.

Despite her slow pace, only a few moments lapsed before Lorna cried out again, and then Audrianna stopped. She laid her face on his thigh and let him play with her hair for a few minutes. She stood up and looked in his eyes again. “Are you okay?” she asked, although she could tell by the color of his eyes that he had not lost that much energy.

“Yes, I’m fine,” Lorna said as he licked his parched lips. “Thirsty.”

Audrianna turned around and walked over to where Maria was lying on the bed. She took the glass of champagne out of her hand without asking, drank the remainder of it, and then handed the glass back to her. “Thank you,” she told her mentally, intending that one sentiment alone to convey gratitude for both the champagne and the fact that Maria had saved her life a few moments ago.

“You’re welcome,” Maria replied, tickling the tips of her fingers down her perky breasts.

Audrianna shook her head. She considered being embarrassed for both of them — Maria lying there naked, and Audrianna standing in front of her the same way. In truth, she was not embarrassed. In her current state of intoxication, Audrianna could have easily crawled right into the bed with her and shown her exactly how explosive she was capable of being. Of course, it did not help that Maria was incredibly attractive, or that she persisted in flaunting the perverted elements of her character. Her smile was so wicked and her exhibitionism so brazen that it was hard for Audrianna not to imagine working out their psychological struggle in a furious night of sex.

Audrianna picked the bottle of champagne up off the nightstand and headed back over to Lorna. She placed her hand on his forehead and gently tilted it backward. “Open up,” she told him. When he did, she splashed champagne in his mouth. The bubbly drink fizzed down his chin. Audrianna caught it with a kiss that she worked up to his lips.

Lorna slipped one finger inside of her while they kissed, and Audrianna responded by taking a couple of gulps of air. She pulled away from his lips and began stroking his face while he worked with his hand to enhance her already significant level of arousal. When he started touching himself, Audrianna helped him. When he pulled her over and tried to force her to sit down backwards on him, Audrianna resisted. “No,” she said. “My way, my time. Remember?”

Lorna exhaled in frustration, groaning, “If you were blind, you’d understand how cruel it is to play this game with me.”

Audrianna scoffed, amused that he thought he was the one being forced to play games. “I thought you liked games, Lorna,” she goaded him as she stared at Maria in the mirror. It was unwise to taunt either one of them. Audrianna knew this fact, but her recent glass of champagne made her reckless. “Why is it that you have refused to play for Maria until now?” she asked slyly.

“Because being with her is like being with you,” Lorna said. “It’s not easy.”

“What do you mean?” Audrianna said as she looked down at him.

“I fight off love tooth and nail whenever I’m with her, just like I do when I’m with you — although you are easier not to love, at least sometimes.”

Audrianna was taken aback by his answer. It was not the answer Audrianna had either hoped for or expected. She wanted him to insult Maria, to say ugly things about her. She sunk her face into her hands and shook her head. She could feel Maria’s eyes boring through her skull. “You think I’m like her?” she choked.

“Yes,” Lorna replied. He snuck Audrianna down into his lap while she was brooding. He began rubbing his penis against her buttocks. “Why do you think I’ve wanted you so badly, Audrianna?” Audrianna was too overwhelmed to reply.

Maria laughed and said, “Audrianna, you just got caught in your own trap. I almost feel sorry for you, dearest. You’re really not very good at this, are you?”

Audrianna threw her hands in front of her face, mentally screaming, “If you don’t get out of my head, I swear to God —”

The silk tie flew up from the floor and wrapped itself around Audrianna’s wrists, pulling her arms over her head and forcing her to stand all the way up. She cried out in a startle, and then began to struggle in the empty space within the room, not sure if it was Maria, who had tied her up, or if it was Lorna.

“Shush,” Lorna said as he walked around to stand in front of Audrianna. “Darling, you’ve had more than your share of fun. It’s my turn to play now.” He picked Audrianna’s panties up off of the floor and held them in his hand. He ripped them down the side seam and then ran them under his nose. After he tied them around her eyes, he asked, “I wonder, does this scent torture you like it tortures me?”

“Lorna, please. Slow down,” Audrianna said, trying to keep her voice calm. “You have to go slowly with this. You’ll kill one of us if you don’t, and you know it.”

“So what?” Lorna growled. “You turn me out while you let some other bitch rush through your soul. It doesn’t sound like you’re that concerned with death to me!” He yanked her bound wrists down around his neck and picked her up by the buttocks so that she was straddling his pelvis. He backed her into a wall and pressed the shaft of his penis into her clitoris. They both moaned.

“Lorna, please!” Audrianna cried. She breathed hard as he ground himself into her. “Take the blindfold off of me, please!”

“What’s the matter darling?” he asked and then laughed menacingly. “Don’t like being blind? I’ll tell you what. I’ll take yours off if you take mine off. That’s fair.”

“Goddammit!” Audrianna shouted. She pushed at Lorna desperately with her elbows. “I won’t be able to see you when you get weak! Please!” She felt him reach down and take hold of his penis, navigating it between her legs until it was in the correct place to put inside her.

“That’s right,” he said, shifting his hands to her thighs and forcing her to widen her straddle. He took an excruciatingly long time to slip inside of her, saying, “I’ve waited too long for this to worry about what it’s going to do to me.”

Audrianna threw her arms up and banged them on the wall. She alternated short gasps with long grunts. She had just lost control of him, and she was very close to not even caring. A continuous supply of lubrication slicked her down as he pushed forward gradually. She knew that she had to try to regain control one last time before it was too late. “Lorna, please,” Audrianna whispered in his ear. She dropped her arms around his head and pushed against his shoulders with her forearms, but he did not stop.

“Relax,” Lorna exhaled a whisper, his tone like ice. “I don’t have the biverse energy to rush you like your other lover did. The only thing I can do is fuck you. So that’s what I’m going to do. I’m going to fuck you.” He was all the way inside of her now, and Audrianna could not tell if the throbbing she felt was coming from him or from her. She knew that she should be frightened, but she was not. She was angry at his recklessness and bitter at his jealousy. Her mood turned caustic, and she was suddenly as willing to wound him as he was her.

He started to move in and out of her, and there was nothing at all slow or tender about his movement. It was rough and animalistic, and it provoked Audrianna to reciprocate with a searing fury of her own. “Poor Lorna!” she shouted at him, thrashing her legs with his thrusts and trying to wriggle out of her restraints. “You’re pissed off that I let someone else have me in a way you can’t, and now you want something she didn’t take?”

Lorna shrieked out in either rage or pain. Audrianna was so filled with emotion that she no longer cared whether she lived or died. She tore one of her hands free and slapped Lorna across the face. “Then take it!” She slapped him again. “Take it! All of it!”

Lorna bit down on Audrianna’s lower lip, drawing blood. Audrianna felt him again pulling at her soul. Warmth spread through her, and faces filled her mind. She could not stop him now, and she no longer wished to stop him. Her body began to go numb, and she started sweating profusely. She felt nauseated and faint, but not so faint that she failed to hear Maria’s voice echoing from somewhere far away.

“Lorna, you’re killing her,” Maria said in a calm but stern tone. “If you don’t stop now, she won’t live through this. Lorna, stop.”

Audrianna felt the pulling stop; she felt nothing else. She was not sure where she was, but she knew that she was no longer in her body. Slowly a thought dawned on Audrianna: perhaps this was what death felt like.

“Audrianna?” a voice said. The blindfold came off. Audrianna’s vision was cloudy; she felt as if dark curtains had been draped around her peripheral field of view. She tried to blink to clear the haze, but she was not able to close her eyes. She tried to move the rest of her body, but she could not do that either. She was paralyzed. “Wait,” the voice said. Maria’s head appeared in front of her, inches from her face. “Audrianna, listen to me. You mustn’t panic. You don’t have enough life-force to sustain it.” Her enormous emerald eyes were serious, and her voice was laden with concern. If Audrianna had not already known better, she would have assumed that Maria was an angel. “I understand that you’re disinclined to trust me, but if you want to live, you’re going to have to,” Maria told her. “Answer me with your mind, because I’m not going to drain myself for you if you don’t want my help.”

“Yes,” Audrianna thought, and she had no qualms about it, either. She felt a tear slip out of the corner of her eye and stray down past her earlobe. She knew that her mother must have suffered through this same chilling predicament, but she did not have the opportunity to save her own life.

Maria caressed her cheek, and Audrianna wanted to believe that she actually cared. Audrianna knew that her impulse was naïve. All of their prior interactions had been volatile, and their relationship was strained and uncomfortable at best. However, if Maria was going to be the last person she saw before she died, Audrianna needed her to be kind. The thought generated more tears, and Maria smiled gently at her. “Don’t be afraid,” she said, smoothing Audrianna’s hair back. Maria rested her hand on Audrianna’s forehead. “Everything is going to be all right.” Audrianna thought of Lorna’s condition, and her heart began to accelerate. “No,” Maria said, soothing her. “Lorna is here. Look.” She disappeared from Audrianna’s sight for a moment and then returned with Lorna. His long, black eyelashes were still wet from crying; his still-green eyes were bloodshot and brimming with grief.

Lorna dropped down to Audrianna and pressed his face into hers, making no attempt to disguise his anguish. “I’m so sorry, Audrianna. Please forgive me. I didn’t mean to hurt you like this,” he whispered. Audrianna felt heartsick. She knew that the events that had led to this moment were not entirely his fault. She had provoked him intentionally with her words, mocking him and slapping him. She knew that he had endured beatings his entire life — endured them for her — and that her blows might spark a craze of retaliation in him. Audrianna knew that she was just as responsible for her state as he was.

“That’s enough, Lorna,” Maria said as she pulled him back by the shoulder. She lifted Audrianna’s torso into her arms, supporting her head and neck with her hand as one would a newborn. “She’s freezing. Get behind her and hold her. Try to keep her warm while I do this.”

Audrianna felt Lorna’s perspiring body slide in behind her. She heard the rustle of sheets, and she realized that she must be in the bed. She was not sure how or when she got there. Maria gently shifted Audrianna backwards onto Lorna’s chest, and Lorna wrapped himself around her. Maria covered Audrianna with a satin quilt, and then she positioned herself squarely in front of her.

“Audrianna,” she said softly. “Lorna does not have enough biverse energy to bring you back from this, and I don’t have the open channel to your soul that he has. In order for me to help you, you have to grant me access. I know that you can’t see very well, but I need you to look at my eyes because I’m showing you something very important there — honesty. I am not going to hurt you. You have to believe it, or this will not work.”

Audrianna stared at her through clouded lenses, considering what she had just said. Audrianna did not feel any panic. In fact, she felt oddly peaceful. Perhaps, she reasoned, it was easy to be powerless when there was nothing left to lose.

Lorna laid his head next to hers and whispered in her ear. “You have to let her help you, darling, please. I’ve hurt you so badly.” He squeezed her tightly and began to cry again. Audrianna had never before seen such an outpouring of emotion from Lorna, and it nearly broke her heart.

“Lorna,” Maria said. “I need you to help, not hinder. I cannot take care of both of you. You decide who needs my help more.” Lorna instantly stopped crying. Audrianna felt him take a deep breath. He pulled his face away and rested his cheek on the top of her head. “Thank you,” Maria told him. Her voice was obliging, not harsh. “Audrianna,” she said, returning to her. “Where are we? Ready to go?” She lowered her face and blinked. Audrianna was silent. “Maybe not,” Maria said slowly.

“No, no. I didn’t say that,” Audrianna thought in a rush.

“Audrianna,” Maria said, gently taking hold of her chin. “It’s all right. We’ll do this when you’re ready.” She shifted her hand up and extended it, palm side down, so that Audrianna could see it. Lorna pulled one of his hands out from under the wrap and rested it on top of Maria’s hand. Both of them together pushed into the center of Audrianna’s chest. Suddenly Audrianna was filled with warmth, freedom from worry, and comfort. She knew that the comfort sprang from Lorna; she could tell by the way it felt that it was coming from him. Maria closed her eyes, and Audrianna felt a spear of heat impale every inch of her body. She gasped. It was the first sign of life that Audrianna had manifested. Maria opened her eyes and looked at Audrianna, whispering, “Watch me. Tell me when you’re ready.”

Audrianna did that. She licked her lips, consciously panting for air, and watched Maria’s pupils dilate to the point that Audrianna might have crawled inside had she been able to move. There was sincerity and honor there. She was open, unrestricted, and patiently waiting for Audrianna to let her know when to proceed. It was clear that Maria would do nothing without her consent. Her guilelessness, along with Lorna’s undeniable support, banished the remainder of Audrianna’s doubt. She relaxed her breathing and her mind. She parted her lips and mouthed the words, “I’m ready.”

Maria pressed her lips to hers in a very gentle kiss. She lifted her mouth to the center of Audrianna’s forehead and blew out one long, warm breath. Audrianna had seen Kendis do that to Devon a thousand times. Audrianna felt herself shudder. She caught her breath and then gasped a couple of more times.

“That’s it. Breathe, my sweet darling,” Lorna whispered, rubbing his cheek against her hair. “You have to breathe her in.”

Audrianna wiggled her fingers and her toes, and then she let a little elated chirp spring from her mouth. Maria looked down at her. “Do you understand what he’s telling you?” she asked. “You have to consume what I’m giving you. We can continue to do it this way if it’s more comfortable to you, but it would go a lot more quickly if we kiss.” Audrianna moistened her lips, and Maria swept a couple of fallen curls away from her eyes. “I don’t understand that response,” Maria said gently. “Please say yes or no.”

“Yes,” Audrianna mouthed. Maria began to kiss her, pausing between each kiss so that Audrianna could take a breath. “Why are you doing this?” Audrianna asked her in thoughts. Their eyes were locked, and Maria had shifted both of her hands to Audrianna’s face. Lorna’s hand was still on her chest, his face still in her hair.

The corners of Maria’s mouth twitched, and then she replied in Audrianna’s mind, “You would question me like that instead of just reverencing what I am giving you?”

“Forgive me, I wasn’t aware that’s what you wanted,” Audrianna replied in thought. “Should I have reverence for you because you’re in control? Or because I will not survive without your help?”

Maria laughed. “Obstinate in the face of death,” she said with her mind, and then she made a statement out loud. “She certainly is entertaining, Lorna. I’ll give you that.” Lorna picked his head up at the comment, and Maria reached up and stroked his cheek.

“Yes, Master,” Lorna whispered. “Thank you.” Audrianna did not have a chance to wonder about the exchange because Maria leaned down to give her one last deep kiss. When Maria was finished, she rose and stepped away from the bed, watching with yellow eyes as Audrianna sat all the way up and coughed. Lorna patted Audrianna on the back and then covered her with the blanket. Audrianna appreciated the gesture, but she considered the effort at modesty something of an absurdity at that point.

“Courtesy is never absurd, Audrianna,” Maria’s voice echoed in her mind. “Perhaps in the future you’d take care to use some with Lorna. I’m not always going to be around to intervene.” Maria turned to leave, but she stopped before she closed the door and called out, “Good night, lovebirds. Enjoy the rest of your evening.” The door was shut, and she was gone.

The silence in the room was heavy and profound. It unnerved Audrianna so much that she could not stand another second of it. “Talk to me, Lorna,” she said. “You’ve always been strong, and I need to hear that from you now. We’ve just played Russian roulette, and I’m not sure if we won or lost.”

Lorna squeezed her. “We’re still playing,” he uttered.

“What do you mean?” Audrianna asked.

“Audrianna, I’m not a fool,” he said as he slipped out of the bed and walked over to where his pants were lying on the floor. He scooped them up and started putting them on. “I know when I’m being manipulated.”

“What are you doing?” Audrianna asked him, sitting up on her knees in the bed.

“I’m going elsewhere to sleep for the night,” Lorna replied quietly.

“Why, Lorna?” Audrianna asked. She felt her heart jump.

“Look, Audrianna, I’m blind, not stupid,” Lorna said, zipping up his pants and turning around. “I don’t know why you’re here, but it’s not to be with me.”

Audrianna threw back the covers and bolted out of bed. She cried, “That isn’t true. Why are you so convinced?” She wrapped her arms around him, but he froze under her touch.

Lorna replied, “You told me so yourself, in your very poignant memory of being rushed by your other lover.”

“I didn’t intend to hurt you with that, Lorna. Please believe me,” Audrianna whispered.

Lorna placed his hands on his hips. He laughed bitterly and said, “The same way you didn’t intend it with Dirk, right? Well, apparently that’s your style. When things don’t go your way with us, you run off and fuck someone else.”

Audrianna sprang forward and butted herself up against Lorna’s chest, forcing her hands to her sides so that she could not strike him again. Lorna responded by seizing her by the upper arms and shaking her so hard that she felt dizzy. “What’s the matter, Audrianna?” he screamed. “Does the truth hurt?”

“Yes, it hurts!” Audrianna yelled back. She grabbed Lorna with matched ferocity, her anger rekindled by his insensitivity. “For eight years after I lost you, it hurt! Every time Niklas touched me. Every time I spread my legs and let him have me, but that doesn’t count, does it, Lorna? That lover was acceptable because you chose him for me!”

Lorna stopped shaking her. He relaxed his grip, and when he did, Audrianna relaxed hers. They breathed hard into one another’s faces, folding their foreheads inward and rubbing them together with such a tangible affection that it brought them both back to their senses. “Why?” Lorna begged. “Tell me what she said to make you forget what we had. You are not hers. I won’t let you go without a fight.”

“Lorna, I thought I could never be yours!” Audrianna cried. “Isn’t that what you told me? You told me time and time again you couldn’t ever love me. What did you expect me to do? Wait another ten or fifteen years for more of the same heartache we’d already been through, the same frustrations? Did you want me to go back to a man I didn’t love, be unhappy, and risk losing Devon because I couldn’t teach him what he needed to know in order to survive?”

“Is that why you really stayed with her?” Lorna asked. “For love? Does she allow you the safety of that statement? Does she encourage you to love her? Does she make you think that she loves you?” Audrianna did not answer. “It’s a lie, Audrianna. We cannot love anyone. It is too draining,” Lorna said.

Audrianna shook her head. She lowered her voice without losing any of the emotional effectuation and said, “What you’re talking about is attachment, Lorna, not love.”

Lorna smiled, but there was pain behind his eyes. He shook his head and said, “That sounds exactly like someone concocting fictitious concepts to justify their lack of commitment to you. Love hurts! Coward!” He slammed his fist into his palm, and Audrianna took a step back. “Would she have won you with honesty, I might be content to let you go!”

Audrianna grabbed him by the arm and said, “You don’t have to let me go, Lorna. I don’t want to go. You want the truth? Let’s exchange truths. What did Maria say to you, and I’ll tell you whatever you want to know.”

Lorna disentangled himself from her. He sat down in the chair to put his shoes on. “When?” he asked.

“Just now. She told you something. What was it?” Audrianna said. Lorna remained silent as he put his shoes on his feet. “Let me guess. You’re not going to tell me. Some things never change,” she bit.

“And some things change very much,” Lorna said as he stood up.

Audrianna grabbed hold of his wrists. “I love you, Lorna,” she told him. “That hasn’t changed.”

“Hasn’t it?” he asked. He pulled away from her, deliberately, and started toward the door. Audrianna followed him, her arms outstretched.

“No, Lorna. It hasn’t,” Audrianna cried, emotion filling her voice. “I’ve changed, you’ve changed. Our situation has changed, but my love for you hasn’t changed. Why must you always debase my feelings?”

Lorna tilted his head back and chuckled a little. After a moment, he said, “What I’ve done, I’ve done for you. Be careful with my gift. That’s what Maria said, if you’d like to know that badly.”

“She meant just now, Lorna,” Audrianna said. “Giving her energy to me like that. She did it for you, not for me.”

“I’m sure,” he scoffed, “but I know her well enough to know that there was another implication as well. She was talking about stealing you away from your other lover and giving you back to me — a gift, in her eyes.”

“No,” Audrianna replied, shaking her head even though he could not see it. “I wasn’t stolen away from anyone. I chose you. Please believe me.”

“And for my question,” Lorna said, sighing. “Why did you play along? What is Maria leveraging against you to make you keep up this charade?” Audrianna did not answer. “So much for telling me what I wanted to know.” He started out the door again, but then he stopped when Audrianna spoke.

“Why don’t you ask Maria that question?” Audrianna cried. “That is where you’re headed, right? Or don’t you think that’s suitable bedroom conversation?”

“Whether it’s suitable bedroom conversation or not, I won’t ask her,” Lorna replied.

“Why?” Audrianna shouted, angry that he had not denied that he was going to Maria. Audrianna felt overwhelmed with jealousy. “Why am I answerable, but she’s not?” she screamed.

“Because it’s disrespectful to question a Master,” Lorna said, “and right now, she’s not the one I have doubts about.” His tone was as cold as ice.

Audrianna’s fury boiled over, and she could not stop herself from crying out, “You bastard! I just surrendered my entire soul to you, and you very nearly took it all! What gives you the right to doubt me?”

“I don’t doubt everything about you, Audrianna,” Lorna said quietly. “Whatever it is that Maria is holding over you means more to you than your life. I don’t doubt that.”

“Lorna,” Audrianna exhaled softly, retracing her steps. She reached for him again, but he drew away from her. “You see,” he said. “You can’t even deny it, can you?”

“Lorna, I deny it! I don’t have the first clue what you’re talking about!” Audrianna yelled. She knew that she was a poor liar, and she felt frustrated with herself.

“Indeed?” he asked. He reached forward and took both of her flushed cheeks in his hands. “Then maybe you are right. Some things never do change — your naiveté, for instance.” He kissed her forehead, but Audrianna jerked away from him and turned around.

“Fine, leave,” Audrianna spat. “You’re good at that.” The door shut. Audrianna whipped around and slapped her hand on the door. She pressed her back against it, closed her eyes, and slid down to the carpet. She had felt defeated before, but she had never felt so completely vanquished. Although she had told Lorna to leave, she had not meant it. After all that had happened between them, the thought of Lorna spending the night with Maria sickened her. Audrianna knew that she had manipulated Lorna, but she now realized that Maria was also manipulating him. Perhaps Maria had always planned for the evening to end exactly as it did, with Audrianna cast as a deceitful manipulator while she appeared to be a loyal, sacrificial saint.

“Maria?” Audrianna said aloud, hoping to draw her into another foray. “Nothing to say to that? Too busy right now to bother with congratulating me on figuring out your angle? I hate you,” Audrianna said in a whisper. She lay down on the floor in front of the door, alone and dejected. Eventually exhaustion, alcohol, and a drained soul forced her to close her eyes.

“Yes, I’m here. That’s interference you’re detecting on the line. What information do you have for me?” Audrianna heard Maria’s muffled conversation, and she realized that Maria must be on the telephone again. Audrianna tried to sit up, but instead she collapsed backwards on the floor, holding her throbbing skull and pushing her tongue to the roof of her mouth to suppress the urge to vomit. The air inside the room was stagnant. It reeked of sex and stale champagne. A patch of sunshine streaming through the window indicated to Audrianna that it was now daytime.

Maria continued, “No, I don’t quite understand that. Are you telling me the only likeness you’ve been able to find between these composers is that all of their music is horrible to listen to? Yes, darling, I heard you say atonal, but I’m simplifying.”

A refreshing draft flowed underneath the door. In an effort to quiet her nausea, Audrianna turned her face in that direction. She took a second to steady herself before she risked trying to get up again.

“Cover my ears? What a shrewd piece of advice, Alexander. Better yet, why don’t we all just wear earmuffs? That way we’ll have our hands free to throw tomatoes at them, too,” Maria said, her voice filling with frustration.

Audrianna rocked back and forth and then catapulted herself into a standing position. She overshot her ascent, smacked her head on the door, and fell right back down. Blood splattered everywhere.

“Alexander, I have to deal with something right now. Please do a little more brainstorming with the others and see what else you can come up with before tonight. Goodbye,” Maria finished.

Audrianna heard a dainty tap-tap on the door. It opened slowly, and Maria stuck her head inside. “Oh, Audrianna,” she gasped as she squeezed through the gap in her house robe. Maria rushed past Audrianna and into the bathroom. She came back with a wet washcloth and attempted to stop Audrianna’s bleeding with it. “What happened?” she asked.

Audrianna swatted at her hands, but Maria persisted. “Stop it, Audrianna. You’re injured. I’m just trying to help you,” Maria said sternly. She pressed the rag into the gash in Audrianna’s forehead, pulling it away periodically to see if the bleeding had slowed. “I think you may need a doctor, dearest. I can’t get it to stop.”

“I don’t need a doctor. I am a doctor,” Audrianna said hoarsely. “I just need a bag of ice and a needle and thread… if you want to help me that much.” She took the washcloth from Maria’s hand and applied it with firm pressure to her wound, her hand trembling because she truly felt ill. “Where is Lorna?” she asked.

Maria got up and took a blanket and pillow off the bed. She covered Audrianna with the blanket and put the pillow under her head. “There,” she said. “Of course I want to help you. Lorna is on an errand.” She slipped out the door without closing it behind her. Audrianna could hear her calling down for ice. “Also, a carafe of orange juice, please. Thank you.” Maria came back into the room and began opening the windows to let fresh air in from the outside. Audrianna continued to lie on the floor. Street noise swelled from below the hotel, complete with rattling car mufflers, slamming doors, and street venders hawking their wares. Audrianna tried to get up again, and Maria dashed to help her. “Easy,” Maria said, wrapping her arm around her and holding the blanket in place as Audrianna wobbled forward into the chair by the vanity. The doorbell rang, and Maria left to answer it. She came back in a few moments with a bucket of ice and a glass of orange juice.

“I don’t understand you,” Audrianna croaked. She felt tears welling, and she did not even try to hide them.

Maria sat the bucket down on the vanity. She handed Audrianna the juice. “Drink,” she said, taking the rag away from her and constructing an ice-filled compress to put on her cut. When she was done, she removed the half-empty glass from Audrianna’s hand, tilted her head back by her chin, and then set the icepack on her forehead. “I’m not sure what you don’t understand. Please explain that statement,” Maria said. They locked stares, and Maria’s honey-colored eyes immediately reminded Audrianna of the life-giving miracle she had performed on her last night. Had the memory been connected to anyone but Maria, it would have stopped Audrianna from having this conversation.

“I think you know what I’m saying,” Audrianna said, closing her eyes as the searing pain of the ice seeped into her skin.

“Perhaps,” Maria replied. “Audrianna.” She gripped Audrianna’s chin lightly so that Audrianna would open her eyes and look at her. “I would prefer, when we’re alone, if we speak directly to one another. I have a number of people in my charge, and they are rarely in the same place as I am. I need to keep my telepathic line of communication open just in case one of them needs me. Human emotion is quite complex and difficult at times for me to decipher. I cannot afford to have my mind bogged down by whatever it is you simply refuse to tell me.”

Audrianna tried to turn her head to the side, but Maria would not permit it. With every attempt that Audrianna made to look away, Maria tightened her grip on Audrianna’s chin. “Audrianna, look at me,” Maria said softly. “You’re going to have to tell me what’s going on because you’re not even formulating complete thoughts right now. I don’t understand the message you’re trying to convey.”

“Ha,” Audrianna half-laughed, half-sobbed. Tears flowed down her cheeks. They mixed with the blood that was on her face, rendering a crimson flash in her peripheral vision. “That is sort of the problem, then, isn’t it?” she sniveled. “I can’t tell you what I’m feeling because I don’t even know how to describe it myself. I’m miserable.”

“Yes, I feel that,” Maria said. “Tell me why.”

Audrianna sniffed and then reached up and wiped her nose. “I’m miserable for so many reasons; I can’t even begin to tell you why,” she said.

“Try,” Maria countered.

Audrianna blinked to clear her vision. “Well,” she forced a laugh, “right now, I’m very confused by the way you’re treating me. I really wish you’d be consistently unpleasant so that I can feel comfortable with disliking you so much.”

Maria chuckled and said, “I’ll bear that in mind for all of our future interactions. What else?”

“Lorna doesn’t want me anymore, and I don’t blame her… him,” Audrianna added. She shook her head and squeezed her eyes together once. “I’m sorry I played that stupid game with you last night. I’m sorry I agreed to spy on the KKK. I’m sorry I never told Niklas that I was alive. I’m sorry I got drunk and had sex with Dirk. All of these things make me miserable, I guess.”

Maria grinned at her ramblings. “Yes,” she said. “I can see being troubled by all of those things.” She released Audrianna’s chin, held her forefinger up, and then placed her hand on Audrianna’s face, stroking her cheek with her thumb. “However, you’re wrong about Lorna. He does want you. What makes you think he doesn’t?”

Audrianna cast her eyes downward and said, “How else should I interpret him spending the night with you last night and not me?”

“He didn’t,” Maria answered.

“But I —” Audrianna began.

“Audrianna,” Maria said, her tone serious. “We’re still getting to know each other, so I’ll indulge your inquest of my character for now. Please take note of what I’m telling you so that we don’t have to discuss it again.” She paused. “I do not sleep with members of my group, and I certainly do not sleep with members of my own team. Doing so would undermine my authority and weaken my ability to lead effectively.”

“I’m sorry,” Audrianna said. “I didn’t know. I just assumed.”

“Yes, assumptions. They are one of my least favorite human qualities to deal with. Actually,” Maria said, tilting her head back and laughing, “it isn’t just humans. It’s also our cambions. The more human they are, the more assumptions they make. Other groups put third and fourth generationals into their player positions, and that’s why they get eliminated at the beginning of every conflict. I mean, of course, we use thirds and fourths, too. We have to, but only as searchers and blockers. All of our players have to be second generation because we cannot afford to make too many assumptions.” Maria pressed one hand on Audrianna’s compress and gesticulated with the other. “Well, Master, I assumed this; well, Master, I assumed that,” she mimicked. “I know you assumed, darling. Please don’t,” she added.

Audrianna closed her eyes and puckered her lips to hide her smile. She had not thought that Maria could be bothered by anything, but obviously people making assumptions aggravated her very much.

“Well, there,” Maria said. She put her hand back on Audrianna’s face, and Audrianna opened her eyes to see Maria’s smile. “Now you see that I have a few issues too. Having one hundred percent of my biverse energy doesn’t make me infallible. Remember, I got the discarded personality traits from my Human and my Tawn.”

“Does that bother you?” Audrianna asked, suddenly curious.

Maria blinked and said, “Audrianna, I am speaking with thirteen different people right now. Please pose your question in a manner that won’t require me to infer its meaning.”

Audrianna rolled her eyes. She considered dropping the question, but then she decided not to. “Does it bother you that you got the personality scraps from some human? Is that why you’re so mean to me?” Audrianna asked, a tad cunningly.

“Hold this, please,” Maria said as she picked up Audrianna’s hand, pressed it on top of the compress, and walked around the corner into the bathroom. She came back with a clean cloth and a threaded needle. “Do you want me to sew?” she asked Audrianna.

“I don’t know,” Audrianna said slowly. “Do you know how?”

“I don’t need to know how,” Maria answered. She grabbed a hand-held mirror off the vanity and put it into Audrianna’s free hand. “If you’re comfortable with the idea, you can direct my movements with your mind. I’m not shaking like you are.”

“I’m shaking because I drank too much alcohol last night,” Audrianna said defensively.

Maria smiled and replied, “That was an observation, Audrianna — not a judgment. Should I use heat to sterilize this needle?”

Audrianna exhaled. “Yes, thank you.” She reached out and touched the top of Maria’s hand, but then quickly retracted her hand, embarrassed that she touched Maria so causally. “I’m sorry,” she added quickly.

Maria smirked at Audrianna’s awkwardness, and then she returned to the subject by repeating, “Two questions: am I bothered that I got the personality scraps from a human and is that why I’m mean to you?” She held the needle up to her lips and blew on it. The tip turned red, and then she shook it down to cool it off. “No, I am not bothered. I feel nothing less than complete adoration for my Earth mirror whoever she may be. And, I wasn’t aware that I was being mean to you. Have I been overtly cruel?”

“Well, I don’t know,” Audrianna answered. She shook her head and considered the question. No, Maria was not overtly cruel. Maria had not been particularly nice, either. Perhaps she just did not realize how she was coming across. Kendis’ social skills were hardly flawless, but she had never put Audrianna through a night like last night. Audrianna took a moment to phrase her next question just right. She sat the mirror and the icepack on the vanity. “Why did you force me into that very uncomfortable sexual situation last night?” she finally asked.

Maria blew on the needle again. She shook it a few more times, and then she turned her eyes to Audrianna. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I didn’t realize that you felt forced, or that you felt uncomfortable. You should have told me.”

“Told you?” Audrianna bounced her elbows off her lap. “Do you think I routinely pull guns on my lovers and tie them to chairs, whilst someone else watches and masturbates?”

“I wasn’t judging you, Audrianna,” Maria said. She stepped all the way up to her so that their knees were touching. “I thoroughly enjoyed your show. Ready?” She held the needle up in the air.

“I don’t do things like that! Why did you even want to participate in something so depraved?” Audrianna spat. She picked up the mirror and was immediately distracted by her horrendous cut. She approximated the width of the cut with her fingers, and then she waved Maria forward with the needle and thread. “I can’t believe I did this. Start a little further to the left, please.”

Maria chuckled at her and said, “You don’t have to tell me, Audrianna. Just imagine that my hand is yours and sew. It might help if you pantomime with your own hand.”

“Oh, okay,” Audrianna said. She sat up a little straighter and pulled her right hand up in front of her to act out the procedure. She squinted for a moment and then she began to use Maria’s hand to close her laceration with a simple running stitch.

“We’re employing quite a few physicians in this conflict,” Maria talked while Audrianna sewed. “Maybe when you and Lorna get settled, you’d like to help out with some of their projects.”

Audrianna rolled her eyes and replied, “Human experimentation isn’t my field of practice.”

Maria smirked again. “Is medicine not experimental by nature? Haven’t advancements in healthcare arisen largely as a result of trial and error?” she asked.

Audrianna grabbed the clean rag out of Maria’s hand and blotted the drops of blood falling from the suture line. “I’m not negating the necessity of research, or even sanctioned testing, but I doubt very seriously that your experiments are meant to advance healthcare.” She handed the cloth back to Maria and resumed sewing, annoyed enough to press Maria for an answer to her last question. “Why did you want to participate in that very uncomfortable situation last night?”

“I did it for Lorna’s sake,” Maria replied flatly. “I anticipated him wanting to have sex with you, despite the consequences, and I knew the probability that he would lose control was quite high. I needed to be able to watch him for those signs so that I could step in quickly when your attempts to keep him focused failed, or when your attempts to remain focused yourself failed.”

“Why? Who is Lorna to you?” Audrianna snapped. She continued sewing, but she began to wince as the anesthesia from the ice wore off.

“We were from the same colony on Gavrilek,” Maria replied. “Lorna was my lover.”

Audrianna stopped sewing. She relaxed her hand, and Maria did likewise. They looked at each other. “It’s no wonder you dislike me so,” Audrianna whispered. “Why even involve me in this? Why would the two of you not just be together?”

“I told you why,” Maria quipped. “I do not sleep with members of my own group.” Audrianna held her hands out and shook her head. She was about to speak, but Maria stopped her. “Lorna has only half of his original memories from when we lived on Gavrilek. What we were to each other is not among them. He will never be told. Do you understand?”

“Yes, I understand you don’t want me to tell him,” Audrianna responded, “but I don’t understand why you don’t want him to know.”

“He blinded himself for you, Audrianna,” Maria said. She narrowed her eyes. “He would’ve died for you had things not worked out like they did. How quickly do you think he would be overwhelmed if he knew who I was?”

Audrianna looked down for a moment. She considered taking Maria’s comment as an insult, but she decided against it, knowing somehow that it was not meant as one. “I see,” she said quietly, and then she resumed sewing.

Maria answered her question without Audrianna having to vocalize it. “Just because I don’t have sex with him doesn’t mean that I don’t enjoy watching him have that pleasure with others. Did your discomfort arise from the fact that I was watching you, or that I was enjoying myself while I was watching you?” she asked.

Audrianna drew her breath in through her nostrils. She tilted her head sharply to one side and held it there until the cold chill dissipated. “I don’t know, Maria,” she answered. She tilted her head back. “It’s just not how I would’ve ever wanted that to go. That’s all.” She tied off the last stitch and severed the thread with the sharp edge of the needle. “I’m absolutely appalled by my own behavior too. At some point, you’d think I would learn not to drink so much.”

The doorbell rang again, and Maria glanced over her shoulder. She looked at her bloody hands and her bloody robe, and then she chuckled, “I’m not sure which one of us is less terrifying to look at right now.”

“Definitely you,” Audrianna said with a laugh. “I’d scare someone to death with this face.”

Maria put the needle and the cloth on the vanity. She went into the bathroom and washed her hands. “I had some new clothes sent out from the town for you. This is probably them,” she called as she left to answer the door.

Audrianna got up and went to the bathroom to wash her face. She looked into the mirror and patted her bruised, swollen lip. Lorna had bitten her. The memory saddened her, and Audrianna felt her eyes and nose begin to water again. She turned around and leaned against the sink with her head in her hands.

“The fashion selection here isn’t exactly couture,” Maria announced as she walked back into the bedroom. Audrianna heard her hanging clothes on hangers. Maria added, “If you’d like to, we can stop off in Paris on the way to my home and go shopping. Your son will need new things, and I know Lorna is always up for wearing the latest style. We have a French fashion designer in our group. I could have her meet us there.” When Audrianna did not answer her, Maria walked into the bathroom and found Audrianna sobbing. “What’s the matter, Audrianna?” she asked with surprise. “Don’t you like shopping?”

Audrianna tilted her head back, somehow fearful that her memories might slip out of her head. She thought Maria might step away from her at that point, but she did not. “It’s nothing,” Audrianna said, closing her eyes and forcing more tears out the corners. “It’s just a shift in mentality. That’s all.”

Maria did not move. “Please explain that statement to me,” she said. Audrianna hesitated. “Audrianna,” Maria said as she took hold of Audrianna’s chin, pulled it out of the air, and shook it gently again. “It’s even more difficult for me to comprehend your emotional responses when you avoid my eyes. Please look at me when we’re speaking to one another.” Her voice was kind but explicit.

Audrianna fought off another chill. She opened her eyes and did the best she could not to look away again. She gestured to her lip, crying, “Look at this. Lorna did this. I just can’t believe that it got this far!”

Maria pulled her into her arms and rocked her. The blanket fell to the floor, but Audrianna did not care. She latched onto Maria, comforted — perhaps falsely — by their mutual connection with Lorna. “Is this what I can expect from him for the rest of my life?” she cried.

“You weren’t an angel, either,” Maria replied, rubbing her back. “You both need to be more careful with one another, especially you, Audrianna. It shows very poor judgment on your part to ridicule Lorna like you did, and you showed a complete disregard for both of your safeties when you attacked him physically.”

“I know.” Audrianna replied. “Something happens to me when I drink alcohol, you see. I —” Maria pulled away from her, started the shower, and then started to undress. As usual, Audrianna began waffling. “I… I… get really nervous — No!” She shook her head and squinched her eyebrows together, “not nervous. I mean I get —”

“Audrianna, really?” Maria said as she pulled back the shower curtain, climbed over the rim of the tub, and held out her hand for Audrianna to join her. “Must you make a drama out of everything? Come here. I’m behind schedule.”

Audrianna shrugged with one shoulder and spoke sarcastically, “I guess not. Not if you don’t think it’s at all unusual for two unfamiliar women to be bathing together. I won’t make a drama out of it.” She rolled her eyes and then stepped into the shower.

“There,” Maria said, closing the curtain. “Now we can continue our talk,” she said as she lathered a bar of soap in a washcloth and began to wash the blood off of Audrianna’s face. “Dearest, having spent the entirety of this lifetime in the degrading position of Eva Braun’s line-slave, Lorna is going to tolerate very little needling from anyone, especially you. He’s already extremely ego-driven and predisposed to passionate responses, so if you think there’s a chance that future consumption of alcohol may lead to your flaunting the sexual exploits of your other lover, I would suggest you abstain from drinking altogether.”

Maria turned around to rinse out the washcloth. When she did that, Audrianna noticed a circular design, about the size of a silver dollar, branded into her skin between her shoulder blades. It was so strange to see a branding on a woman that Audrianna could not help but reach out and touch it. “What is this?” Audrianna asked as she grazed the tips of two fingers across Maria’s skin. “This symbol?”

Maria glanced back and said, “The symbol is a Gavrilekian rune which means ‘The wind is my Master.’” She lathered the washcloth again and began to scrub herself. “Here, switch places with me so you can rinse your face and wash your hair.”

Audrianna scooted by her, stepped under the faucet, and turned her face to the falling water. “The wind is my Master,” she repeated. She blew drops of water out of her mouth and then turned around to soak her hair. “I don’t understand the meaning.”

Maria handed her the washcloth. “It’s a proverb meant to indicate the belief that we are all ruled by change. Would you mind getting my back?” she asked as she turned around.

Audrianna was unsure of how to respond. “Okay, sure,” she finally said, and then she reached out to hold Maria in place by the shoulder while she washed her back. “Sorry,” Audrianna apologized for touching her, but Maria made no reply.

To Audrianna, Maria’s lack of response imparted the need for further conversation, which she then attempted, but failed. “I…” She took a deep breath in, inhaling the scent of Maria’s hair, and then recognizing she had done so. “I um…” Her hand motion slowed on Maria’s back until it stopped entirely and that’s when she realized she had absolutely no idea what she was just going to say.

Maria snorted quietly. She turned around and took the washcloth out of Audrianna’s hand. Their eyes met. “You’re quite easily distracted by your own sensual inclinations,” Maria smirked.

The allegation caused Audrianna to shudder. “Don’t flatter yourself. Just because I forgot what I was going to say doesn’t mean that I’m directed by some kind of,” Audrianna flipped her fingers and finished, “latent attraction to you.”

Maria laughed and said, “No?” She began to rub Audrianna’s neck and sternum with the washcloth, and Audrianna looked down to watch her hand as she did so. “You’ve been speaking to me with your mind the entire time we’ve been in the shower together. Did you know that?” She brought Audrianna’s eyes up with her voice. “Look up here, please. Thank you. You see? I’m not moving my lips. Did you realize it before now?”

Audrianna felt her entire body become flush with humiliation. “No, I’m sorry,” she stammered. She waved her hand up and down in front of her face to cool herself, but the steam from the hot water dominated the space.

Maria cocked her head sideways and asked, “Are you too hot?” Without waiting for Audrianna to reply, she reached around to adjust the water temperature.

“Yes, please just turn it all the way over on cold,” Audrianna wiped the steamy sweat from her forehead.

“Okay,” Maria chuckled. Audrianna took half a step backwards into the cascade and gasped involuntarily at the shock of the icy water. “Oh! That’s better.”

“You can enjoy that temperature on your own,” Maria told her with one last laugh. She pulled back the shower curtain, stepped out on the rug, and then pulled the curtain closed. Audrianna turned the faucet handle back to warm and rinsed herself.

“Shall I select you something to wear?” Maria called. Audrianna heard the sound of opening and closing drawers. She could smell perfume wafting through the air. A prolonged hush followed in what Audrianna assumed was Maria’s exit of the bathroom. The clicking sound of high heels signaled her return. “Audrianna, are you all right?” she asked upon entering.

“Yes,” Audrianna quickly said when she saw the silhouette of Maria’s hand behind the shower curtain. “I’m fine. Thank you.” The silhouette disappeared, and Audrianna breathed a sigh of relief. She was not sure why the thought of Maria seeing her naked one more time filled her with such anxiety, but it did.

“I’ve laid out a set of clothes for you,” Maria said over the noise of the showerhead. “Feel free to wear anything of mine if it isn’t to your taste. I’ll see you for breakfast in the parlor. Okay?”

“Okay,” Audrianna replied. She tried to make her voice sound chipper, but she could not. She cleared her throat. “Yes, thank you.” After she had washed her hair and the rest of her body, Audrianna turned the shower off and climbed out of the tub. She grabbed a towel from the towel rack and wrapped up in it. She dropped the toilet seat and sat down on it while she brushed her hair. It generally took several hours for her hair to dry, so Audrianna just decided to leave it loose for the time being. She helped herself to Maria’s designer toiletries, and then she went out into the bedroom to see the crimson dress with dolman sleeves that Maria had left for her. A slip, a pair of stockings, and conservative black pumps accompanied the dress.

After Audrianna dressed, she attempted to cover her injuries with a light coating of the cosmetics Maria had left out of the vanity. When she was finished, she walked into the parlor. Maria sat at a kidney-shaped mahogany writing desk, a fountain pen in hand. She wore a brown cashmere jacket with short sleeves, peaked lapels, and an hourglass silhouette. Ornate Bakelite buttons joined the material. Her matching skirt was straight and to the knee. She looked perfectly beautiful. When Audrianna approached her, Maria looked up at her, smiled, and said, “That color is also very attractive on you, Audrianna. Would you like some coffee? I hope you don’t mind, but I sent the servants away until breakfast comes up.”

“No,” Audrianna laughed. “I don’t mind if they don’t come back at all. Kendis is the only person who’s waited on me in a dozen years, and that’s only when I also agree to eat whatever disaster she’s cooked.”

Curiosity filled Maria’s eyes, and she said, “I don’t understand how the two are related. Would you explain it to me please?”

Audrianna picked up a cup and saucer off the serving tray and poured herself a cup of black coffee. “Yes, I’ll explain,” she said as she sat down in a chair to the side of the writing desk and faced Maria head on. “Kendis is a horrible cook — not that she doesn’t try very hard — but her food generally turns out completely inedible. When we first got together, the children — her team — had no choice but to suffer through whatever she prepared.” Audrianna took a gulp of her coffee and swallowed it quickly. “I mean when Martha wasn’t there to cook for everyone, of course.”

“Who is Martha?” Maria asked.

Audrianna scratched her head. She felt uncomfortable using Gavrilekian titles. After a moment she said, “She’s one of Kendis’ hawks.” Audrianna’s words were barely audible. Maria nodded. “At any rate,” Audrianna continued, “now that they’re grown, if Martha’s not around, they all just pile into the car and head down to Adams Inn for dinner.” She laughed. “I usually only find out about it after I get home from the clinic, and after Kendis has prepared a private meal for the two of us.” Audrianna ran her hand through her wet hair and scoffed. “I usually know what’s going on before I actually know what’s going on, though, if you get my drift. There’s always a bubble bath drawn for me, complete with candlelight, wine, and a note telling me where to come when I’m finished. I’m sure she does those things because she knows the food will be the lowlight of the evening.”

Maria stared at Audrianna, her eyes boring into her. Audrianna reached up with her fingers, pinched her eyelids closed over the tops of her burning eyeballs, and then continued speaking. “It’s one of the only times I ever hear her play the piano — when we’re alone like that, after dinner. She’ll stumble through some opera by Handel or Gluck, laughing at herself the entire time, and making up her own words when she forgets the lines. If it’s warm enough, she’ll take me out into the ocean to play with the dolphins. Sometimes, she’ll take me to her spring to make love,” Audrianna said. She then opened her eyes and looked at Maria. “I don’t know why I just told you all of that. I’m sure you don’t care about any of those things.”

Maria continued to stare at her. At Audrianna’s last statement, the warmth in her eyes disappeared. She put her fountain pen down, leaned back in her chair, and folded her hands in her lap. “That’s an assumption, Audrianna. It borders on an accusation. I would appreciate it if you made an effort to determine the truth of things prior to drawing your conclusions, especially as those conclusions relate to me.”

“How do you suggest I do that?” Audrianna sneered. She drained her coffee cup and then started to get up. Maria snapped her fingers, and Audrianna found herself unable to rise. “Please don’t leave in the middle of our conversation. I suggest you determine the truth by asking me questions directly instead of speculating on my motives. I know it is easier to label me evil and call it the end of the day, but if you can pull yourself out of the center of your own world for a few seconds, you may find yourself looking at a picture that’s quite different from the one you’ve painted in your mind. If you have the courage to ask me for the truth, I will not insult you with lies.”

Maria got out of her chair and walked past Audrianna. Audrianna caught her by the hand and held it. “I’m sorry,” she whispered, purposefully demonstrating submission and sincerity through her continued touch, unsettling as that was.

Maria softened her stance. She put her free hand on the top of Audrianna’s head and said, “I forgive you. As I’ve said before, I don’t expect perfection from any of my people, only loyalty.” She pulled away from her, retrieved the silver-plated coffee pot, and then poured Audrianna another cup. “There.” Maria stroked Audrianna’s hair again. “Now you’ve been waited on by someone else.” Audrianna blushed. “And I do care,” Maria said as she returned the coffee pot to the serving tray. She resumed her seat and said, “If I didn’t care, you’d be dead now — so would your lover and her entire team.”

“Yes. I believe you,” Audrianna replied, and she spoke the truth. “Thank you.”

“Audrianna,” Maria said, “I’m fairly certain now that Miss Lewis believes you to be her human mirror. There is no other explanation for a Master Gavrilekian carrying on with a human like she is with you, and the story you just told me only reinforces that supposition. In that Miss Lewis has the Truth in her possession, she now has completed two of the three steps required to win the game. It is likely that Mr. Turing has also secured his human mirror.”

Audrianna balked. “What? No,” she said, shaking her head. “Kendis doesn’t care about the game. I don’t know who Mr. Turing is. Please believe me. I am not her mirror. She would’ve told me that because I would’ve had to consent to the bonding and the,” she flipped her hand in the air, “the… trashcan thing.”

“She’s been brainwashing you, Audrianna,” Maria said softly. “Has she ever asked you to look at her when you climax?”

“Of course we look at each other when we’re making love. What a question,” Audrianna snapped. She looked down and plucked the material of her dress to cool herself.

Maria shook her head and said, “Chances are you’ve bonded on a number of occasions, and you didn’t even realize it. It sounds like she’s secretly been priming you to be ready for the journey. She probably intended to ask you to help her at the last second the decision could be made.” Maria drew her eyebrows inward. “Having known you for less than twenty-four hours now, I’m not sure I would’ve done it any differently.”

“Why do you say that?” Audrianna asked.

Maria’s eyes sharpened as she said, “You spook easily. You are impulsive. Most importantly, you are disloyal.”

Audrianna ground her forehead into her palms. “I am not disloyal!” she countered.

“Well then,” Maria said, “tonight you’ll have an opportunity to prove it to me.” Audrianna looked up, her hands still on her face. “I can see that your feelings for Miss Lewis are authentic,” Maria said as she sat back in her chair and fiddled with her fountain pen. “I cannot feel good about causing you more pain than necessary for the destruction of that union. Through your silence last night, you proved to me that you are committed to fulfilling the terms of our agreement. Provided that you continue to remain silent about the terms between us, I will demonstrate my commitment to honor the agreement as well. I’m quite sure that Miss Lewis is playing to win. Therefore she must have in her possession or be working on a bridge of some sort that is meant to defeat my group and me. Even so, I promise you that I’ll make every attempt to settle this predicament peacefully.” She laughed to herself. “Whatever she and her virtuosos are cooking up will be useless after she loses you and the Truth, anyway. I do admire her gutsiness, though. It would be a shame to terminate such an artful group in one fell swoop.”

Audrianna fell to her knees in front of Maria, taking Maria’s hands in hers and pressing them to her face. “Thank you. Thank you for not hurting her,” she said as she put her head in Maria’s lap, trembling.

Maria sifted her fingers through Audrianna’s still-damp hair as she replied, “I’m sorry, dearest, but that wasn’t a guarantee of an armistice. If I am right, she will choose to fight me for you and the Truth. If she’s playing to win, then she has to fight to keep the two of you with her. If she does that, I will have no choice but to levy everything that I have at her. Certainly, it’s reasonable to assume that any weaponry she has will cause only scratches to a group like us, but I cannot afford the assumption. If she chooses to fight me, there will be no lenience.”

“She doesn’t have weaponry. She’s not playing to win. She won’t fight you for us,” Audrianna said, shaking her head to demonstrate her earnestness. “She won’t. I promise.”

Maria pulled her hands away from Audrianna’s hair and cradled her chin. “I hope that’s true,” she said. “I’d like to be wrong about this. I’d like you to be able to leave knowing that she had no ulterior motive for you or for your son. That would be a much more agreeable start to our new lives together, no?” Audrianna nodded, and Maria lifted her face up so that she could plant a soft kiss on her freshly sutured cut. “Good,” Maria said. She got up from her chair and pulled Audrianna with her. “Hannah tells me that she and Lorna are headed this way. Do you need a private moment to collect your thoughts before we all have breakfast together?”

“No,” Audrianna said, and she meant it. The knowledge that Kendis, Kiah, and the rest of the children would be saved made her feel at peace; it was clear that Maria meant Devon no harm. She accepted Maria’s plan for the next phase of her life, in part because she considered her agreement with Maria a debt due for the suffering she had caused Lorna and for the suffering she had almost caused Kendis. Only one issue was left to be resolved. The doorbell rang, and Audrianna caught Maria on the arm when she went to answer it. “How would you like me to respect your relationship with Lorna?” she asked.

“I’d like you to respect it by loving him as much as you possibly can,” Maria replied. “Love him for me.”

“Good morning, my darlings. Come in,” Maria said as she opened the door. Hannah came in wearing a silk chiffon dress with a chic shawl attached. A fabric belt with a delicate buckle encircled her waist. She had a taffeta and velvet cloche on her head and a shiny pair of open-toed pumps on her feet. Her make-up was as dramatic as it was immaculate. “Where did you get that dress from, you vile girl, and why must you always be more beautiful than me?” Maria snatched the hem of Hannah’s skirt and ruffled, playing with her like they were schoolgirls.

Hannah answered, “I got it from your creature in Paris, Master.” She kissed Maria’s hand. “You may have it if you like.” She laughed and then spun around so that Maria could better admire her.

“That creature!” Maria cried as she grabbed Hannah and kissed her on the cheek. “I think we’ll have to stop and talk to that creature on our way back through. She needs to know firsthand how I feel about being upstaged.”

Audrianna smiled. The dress was fetching, and Hannah was quite handsome in it. Yet if Hannah was beautiful, then Maria was a goddess. Audrianna understood that Maria was deliberately but guilelessly flattering Hannah. That simple action revealed much to Audrianna about Maria’s management style.

Maria shifted her attention to Lorna for an altogether different kind of greeting, a greeting that was sensitive and absent of speech. She swept her hand up to his lips. He gripped Maria’s fingers, and then he kissed her hand. Audrianna could feel the power of their silent exchange. The intensity of it pained her slightly. Maria guided Lorna past Hannah and over to Audrianna. She placed his hand inside Audrianna’s and then said to the group, “I’m sorry. We had a medical emergency to deal with this morning, and I’m afraid I’ve gotten off track. Breakfast isn’t quite ready.”

“Medical emergency?” Lorna asked, his voice filled with concern. He pulled Audrianna closer and touched first her hair and then her face. “Are you hurt?” he asked.

“No,” Audrianna stammered. “It wasn’t an emergency. I hit my head.” She touched her fingers to her forehead and turned to Hannah because she knew that Lorna could not see her face. “I’m okay. It was an accident. I’m sorry if my appearance is disturbing.”

Hannah turned toward Audrianna and took her hand from Lorna’s. “It’s not at all disturbing,” Hannah said. She ran her thumb across Audrianna’s laceration and then examined her lower lip. “I can cover this up so easily. Do you mind if I help you?”

“No, not at all,” Audrianna answered, easily persuaded by Hannah’s offer.

“Come with me, then,” Hannah said as she turned to Maria. “Master, do you mind? We’ll only be a second.”

Maria reached out and stroked Hannah’s back. “Of course not. Do as you wish. Breakfast should be here in half an hour. I need to talk to you, so please come back when you are finished,” she added.

Hannah took Audrianna’s hand and pulled her out the door and across the hallway, saying, “This is my room. You’re not frightened to be with me, are you?”

“Well, no,” Audrianna said slowly.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to put you on the spot like that,” Hannah said gently. She turned the key and opened the door. “I’ve heard you’re a bit jumpy. That’s why I said it.”

“Have you?” Audrianna replied. She was not upset with Hannah, but she was interested to know that such a reputation preceded her. They both stepped inside.

“I’ve been so excited to make your acquaintance,” Hannah said as she shut the door. She took Audrianna’s other hand and turned toward her. “Ever since Maria told me that you were here.”

“Why?” Audrianna replied. She was surprised to realize that she did not find Hannah’s touch uncomfortable. Audrianna was now used to being indiscreetly handled by Gavrilekians, but her acceptance of Hannah’s touch exceeded that acquired tolerance. Hannah was the sweetest thing Audrianna had encountered during this whole grueling experience.

“Don’t you know?” Hannah asked on tenterhooks.

“Know what?” Audrianna returned.

“You’re a celebrity, Madame,” Hannah said with a laugh.

Audrianna scoffed. “You jest,” she stammered. She tried to turn away, but Hannah kept hold of her hands, shaking them a little.

Hannah countered, “Madame, I do not jest. Dirk chose you to carry the Consciousness of Gavrilek, and that means he thought your blood could strengthen his human personality and keep him alive longer. Lorna took leave of her senses over you, and you set one of the most powerful masters in the world to flames! How could you not believe yourself to be famous?”

Audrianna blushed. “Forgive me, but I don’t even know your name,” she said as she held out her hand.

“Hannah,” she replied.

Audrianna nodded once and said, “Hannah, what you’re describing might be regarded as infamous rather than famous.”

“I know!” Hannah cried as she shook Audrianna’s hands again, and then she pulled her towards the bedroom. “It’s such a scandal. We’ve all been so excited to see how the masters would play it out. Sit here. I’ll fix your makeup.” She put Audrianna in the chair before the vanity and touched her head. “Do you normally wear your hair down like this, or shall I fix that for you as well?”

“Yes,” Audrianna stammered. “I mean, no. No, I don’t normally wear it down. It was wet from the shower, and I didn’t really know what else to do with it until it dried.”

Hannah picked up Audrianna’s hair in chunks and looked at it. “Yes, I think we won’t have time for it to dry completely. I could braid it and put it up,” she suggested while gazing at Audrianna in the mirror. “It would be very pretty that way.”

Audrianna wrinkled her forehead. “Why are you being so nice to me?” she asked quietly.

Hannah raised her eyebrows and offered her palm to Audrianna. “I prefer to be nice?” she said. Hannah’s reply sounded like a question. “I mean,” she giggled, “I’m terribly sorry, Baroness von Traugott. I probably don’t understand what you’re asking me. I just prefer being nice to not being nice. I don’t know what else to say.”

Audrianna grinned. Hannah’s answer was pure and effortless. Audrianna appreciated both of those qualities. “Thank you for that,” she said, and then she chuckled a little. “May I ask you for a favor, Hannah?”

“Of course,” Hannah replied.

“Would you please call me Audrianna? It’s been a long time since I lived as a baroness, and I didn’t particularly enjoy the accolade when I did,” Audrianna said.

Hannah began to braid Audrianna’s hair. She looked at Audrianna in the mirror and replied, “Yes, Madame, I’ll call you whatever you’d like.”

“And the ‘Madame,’” Audrianna said, shaking her head, “I know I’m old enough to be your mother, but that address seems particularly unsuitable.”

Hannah beamed. She twisted Audrianna’s hair up and pinned it with a couple of rhinestone-studded hairpins. As she worked, she said, “I was told you were something of a maverick. I like it very much! I wish more women were like you. It certainly would make the game more challenging. Turn this way, please.” Audrianna twisted sideways and looked up at Hannah, who laid her fingers across Audrianna’s lower jaw. “May I have liberty?” Hannah asked.

“Please,” Audrianna replied.

“I think your eyes need to reflect the depth of your character. We can accomplish that through a chocolate brown pallet, or perhaps a black one if you’re feeling racy.”

“Ha!” Audrianna let out a laugh. “Racy? Well, I don’t know,” she laughed. “Is a bruised lip and a poorly sewn-up gash in one’s forehead considered racy these days?”

“What?” Hannah whooped. She grabbed hold of Audrianna’s chin, playfully, and then turned it left and right and up and down. “When did that happen?” she laughed, and Audrianna did too. They looked at each other, and Audrianna truly felt at ease in her company. After some silence, Hannah said, “I’m sorry, Audrianna. I can’t hear what you’re thinking. You’ll have to tell me directly.”

Audrianna cleared her throat and sat up straight in her chair. “Oh, I was just thinking racy. Let’s be racy,” she said with a smile.

“You got it!” Hannah replied cheerfully. She went to her impressive makeup box and began to collect items.

When Hannah turned back around, Audrianna asked her, “What did you mean that it would make the game more challenging if there were more women like me?”

Hannah paused and tested the eyeliner on her forearm. She lifted it to Audrianna’s eye and said, “Close, please… I meant that, if there were more women like you, the political board wouldn’t be so lopsided. It’s very easy to manipulate men, you know?” She chuckled a couple of times. “Money, sex, and ego — as long as you give men those things, you can have anything you want, including war and genocide. Women aren’t so easily manipulated. In fact, I’d say the only way it can be done entirely is through love. Love is something the Masters know very little about.”

“Is that to say you know more?” Audrianna asked.

“Certainly, I do,” Hannah replied. “I wish I didn’t, but I am half human, after all. It’s not as if love hasn’t come knocking on my door a time or two throughout the centuries.”

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Audrianna apologized. She tried to remain still while Hannah worked on her eyelids, one at a time. “How did you get through it?”

“One day at a time, one hour at a time, one moment at a time. It wasn’t easy for me, but it’s nothing compared to what Lorna is attempting to do with you,” Hannah said.

Audrianna licked her lips. “What do you mean?” she asked.

Hannah exhaled a sweet, smiling breath on Audrianna’s face and then said, “Lorna isn’t destroying the object of his love, and he isn’t isolating himself from you the way the rest of us would. He’s reconciling the way he feels about you with counter-emotions that are easier for him to manage, like indifference and anger. The moment he feels himself falling in love, he turns abrasive. It’s the only way he can survive. Open.” Audrianna opened her eyes. Hannah then observed her handiwork and said, “Yes, that’s quite a stunning backdrop for your blue eyes. I think you might be Betty Davis in disguise.” She stepped back to look at Audrianna.

Audrianna felt flushed at her compliment. “Betty Davis?” she asked as she turned her eyes down. “Twenty years older, and twenty pounds heavier, and I’m still not sure how you came upon that likeness.”

Hannah reached for a tube of bright red lipstick and dabbed it on Audrianna’s lips. “You’re perfectly right. Her eyes are nowhere as pretty as yours,” she said with a satisfied smile. She took a tissue and blotted the excess color away. “I think that’s got it covered. Have a look and tell me what you think.”

Audrianna smiled, first at Hannah and then at her own reflection in the mirror. “Yes, I am definitely more presentable,” she said. “Thank you, Hannah. You’ve been very kind.”

“I would like for us to be friends,” Hannah said. She slid her hand between Audrianna’s palms as she spoke. “Maria told me that she intends to provide a situation for you and Lorna, so I expect we’ll be seeing a lot of each other. The power struggle within the group won’t be easy for you to suffer, so I’m sure you’ll need a shoulder now and again.”

“I don’t understand,” Audrianna said. She hastily added, “If you wish to say anything else, I must tell you that Maria is likely listening to every word being said.”

“No, she isn’t,” Hannah said, shaking her head. “My conversations are private unless I invite her to participate. It’s a freedom she allows me, and because of that, it wouldn’t matter if she were listening. I would never betray her through words or otherwise. If you’d like her to be aware of what we’re discussing, all you have to do is call to her with your mind. She’s very prompt about attending to calls.”

“Oh,” Audrianna paused, “no. That’s okay. I’m sorry if I offended you.”

Hannah widened her eyes and shook her head again. “You didn’t,” she said. “Please don’t apologize. I’m happy to explain anything that I can to you. Our world is a bit of a conundrum to me too, and I’m only partly human. I can only imagine how you must feel.” She tugged Audrianna up to stand on her feet. “Shall we return? I’m so hungry.”

“May I ask you one more question before we go?” Audrianna said. She pulled back a little against Hannah, and Hannah stopped and looked at her. “What were you talking about just a moment ago? What power struggle?”

“Maria and Eva,” Hannah replied. She started walking again, and this time Audrianna came along with her. “They’re at odds with each other. That’s why Magda is always the group administrator — for balance.” She opened the door, and Audrianna stepped out into the hallway.

“Why are they at odds?” Audrianna asked.

“I’m not exactly sure,” Hannah replied. “I know their leadership styles and methodologies are quite contrary. Given that, I’d say that Maria probably thinks Eva is heartless, and Eva almost certainly thinks Maria is spineless.” They walked across the hall, and Hannah rested her hand on the doorknob without opening the door. “Of course, those are just conjectures. Neither one of them would ever confess any such belief to any of us.”

“Why not?” Audrianna asked.

“Because it would weaken their philosophy of loyalty. Complaints go up the chain of command, not down,” Hannah said decidedly. She opened the door to Maria’s suite, and the two of them stepped inside. Their entrance interrupted an intense conversation between Maria and Lorna.

“I’m not questioning your instructions, Master,” Lorna said. Maria was seated behind the desk, writing again, and Lorna was standing above her.

“Really?” Maria asked without looking up. She glanced at Hannah when she shut the door and then resumed her scribing. “I’m sorry if I’ve misinterpreted your meaning, Lorna. Please explain it to me another way.”

Lorna replied, “I’m simply saying that it would be more sensible to make Die Glocke your command post. It’s strategically superior, and it is safer for you than being on the ground with me.” The doorbell rang, ending the conversation.

“At last,” Maria said, setting down her pen. She pushed backward from her chair, stood up, and stretched. Hannah opened the door. Three women and two men carrying silver-plated serving trays came inside. They walked into the dining room and set the trays down on the table. Maria and Hannah followed them in, but Audrianna and Lorna remained behind.

“Are you all right, Audrianna?” he asked, inching forward until he found her. Audrianna put her arms around him and looked up at his sightless, asymmetrical eyes. She could tell by his manner that he still wanted her. Maybe Hannah was correct — maybe Lorna had to treat her badly at times in order to maintain a relationship with her at all. Audrianna did not know how long she could endure such a paradigm, but her understanding of it helped to ease the pain of last night.

“Yes, I’m fine, Lorna,” Audrianna replied. She turned her head and rested her temple on his chin, feeling his breath tickle the unsecured ringlets of her hair each time he exhaled through his nose.

They remained in a silent embrace for another moment, and then Lorna pushed her back. “I thought you might like to wear this,” he said as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a simple gold wedding band. He took her hand and slid it onto her finger. “Hannah told me that it wasn’t grand enough, but I thought it felt like you.” Audrianna pulled the ring up to her face and examined it, trying not to let the loss of its predecessor diminish the sentiment of Lorna’s gift. After a time, Lorna added, “If you don’t like it, I’ll get you whatever you want just as soon as we get home.”

“No. I don’t want another one,” Audrianna whispered, and then she squeezed him. “This one is beautiful, and you’re right, it matches me. Thank you.”

Lorna eased his face underneath hers and planted a single, soft kiss on her lips. “I’m very sorry,” he said.

“It’s okay,” Audrianna replied quietly. She petted his clean-shaven face and remembered Maria’s words. “I wasn’t an angel either.”

“Lorna,” Maria called to him from the table. She began speaking to him in German so as to exclude the servants from the conversation. “We need to discuss a few things. There will be plenty of time for rekindling your romance later. Right now, I need you in the game.”

Lorna acknowledged her bidding. He kissed Audrianna once more on the forehead and then escorted her by the hand to the breakfast table, his opposite arm outstretched like a dowsing rod for solid objects. He pulled out a chair for her, and then he seated himself. When the wait staff began serving a full southern breakfast, Hannah and Maria exchanged quizzical looks across the table.

“Didn’t you know what you were ordering, Maria?” Audrianna asked. She spoke in German so as not to offend the servants. Maria was clearly shocked by the quantity and quality of food set before her. Audrianna dropped her napkin in her lap and picked up her knife, pointing at the various platters as they came around the table. “Grits, country ham, scrambled eggs, and buttermilk biscuits.”

“Anything wrong, ma’am?” asked one of the maids.

“Nothing at all,” Audrianna replied. “I was just explaining the selections to our European visitors. Thank you.”

The young lady curtsied. “Very good, ma’am,” she said before she began to spoon eggs onto Audrianna’s plate.

“Indeed,” Maria said. She took up her silverware from her place setting, and Hannah and Lorna followed suit. They all began to eat, but Audrianna was the only one that seemed to be appreciating it. The others just picked at their food.

“Hannah, Lorna,” Maria said as she tried a sip of orange juice. She then diluted it with water from her water glass. “I’m afraid I have some news about our group that might seem a bit out of order to you both. It will affect our upcoming play, and that’s why I have no choice but to tell you now.” Lorna turned his head toward Maria, and Hannah stopped eating. “Your other masters and I have taken on a new partner for this conflict: Mr. Hiram Evans. He’s a clown.” Maria had switched back to German, presumably to keep the servants from understanding.

Hannah dropped her fork. “A clown, Master?” she asked in disbelief.

“Yes, darling, a clown,” Maria said. She held her hand up to head off further commentary. “I understand. I’m not thrilled with the idea either, but the deal has already been struck, so we’ll all have to make the best of it.”

“Why, Master?” Hannah whined. “What can a clown possibly have to offer us?”

Maria carved into her slice of ham. She put a piece of it in her mouth and then took a drink of water to offset its saltiness. She glanced over at Audrianna, and Audrianna smirked at her. She wondered how Maria would manage to explain Evans’ involvement without revealing too much of their agreement.

“Most likely he has nothing to offer us, darling. At least, not from this point forward,” Maria said as she looked back at Hannah. “What he has offered us already is the Truth’s whereabouts. To have refused his suit after the delivery of that intelligence would have been dishonorable.”

“Dishonorable?” Lorna laughed. “Forgive me, Master, but he’s a clown. Couldn’t we just have paid him off? Bought him a circus or something?”

Maria put her silverware down slowly. She leaned forward on her forearms and tented her fingers over her plate. She turned her perturbed eyes toward Lorna and spoke to him in a cautionary tone of voice, “No, Lorna. We couldn’t have bought him a circus. He wanted a partnership.” She smiled thinly. “I wonder if you would tell me something since it makes no difference now.” She took a breath but did not wait for him to answer. “If we had offered you a circus for your divulgence of the Truth’s hiding place, would you have accepted it? Heaven knows we offered you everything else for that piece of information.”

Lorna clinched his jaw, but that was his only reaction. Hannah started to squirm. She reached over and grabbed Audrianna’s hand, which made Audrianna feel nervous too.

“If you’re angry about having a clown as one of your masters,” Maria continued to scold him with poise, “perhaps you should look to yourself for blame. Eva believes that you’re the reason we’re in this predicament in the first place, and for once, I’m inclined to agree. Do you have any more out-of-turn questions?” Lorna started to get up. “Setz Dich hin!” Maria’s eyes flared, and Lorna sat back down.

They had a wordless exchange that ended with Lorna bowing his head and uttering, “I’m sorry. Thank you, Master.”

Maria stared at him for another couple of seconds before she broke her gaze. She motioned for one of the servants to clear her plate, and then she turned her attention to Hannah and asked, “Do you have anything else you want to ask me, Hannah?”

Hannah glanced sideways at Lorna and then back at Maria. She looked a little fearful, but she summoned enough strength to ask, “What is Mr. Evan’s role in this play? What authority does he have to command us?”

Maria thumbed her fingers on the table and then said, “I’m going to put him in charge of cover and concealment. That should be easy enough. There’s an army fort near to where we’ll be playing, and that’s the last kind of attention we need to attract to ourselves.” Maria rolled her eyes. “Should it ever fall to him — which it shouldn’t — he has the same command authority as your other masters. He is your superior, darling, and I expect you to treat him accordingly. Still,” she held up her forefinger, “if you are ever in doubt of his orders, I give you leave to verify them with me first before acting, all right?” Hannah nodded. “Lorna?” Maria asked him. Lorna nodded. “Very good,” Maria said. “Now, let’s discuss Die Glocke. I discovered some troubling issues with the containment system of the Vril while we were reinforcing the biverse bands last night.”

Maria continued to speak, but because Audrianna did not understand the technical elements of the conversation, she just disassociated herself from it. A hanging black and white photograph of sunbathers enjoying a concert at Tybrisa Pavilion on Tybee Island caught her attention and pulled her into a series of pleasant recollections. Segregation laws barred people of color from attending the beach festivities at Tybrisa, but they were still allowed to work there. Occasionally Kiah would get hired to play a gig at Tybrisa, and when he did, the family could always count on having a party at home. Starting around twilight on the night of his performance, everyone but Kiah would trek inland with flashlights and glass jars to collect fireflies in a nearby field. Because of their cumulative disabilities, it took three hours or more to complete the roundtrip, but by the time they got home, Kiah had turned up with boxes of carnival food for them to devour. He would sit down and play an encore of the modern music he had performed at the beach that night, and everyone else would dance around the piano with their blinking jars of fireflies. It made for a household of sick stomachs the next day, but Audrianna always had enough ginger root to set them right.

“Audrianna?” Maria called.

Audrianna shook the vision from her head. “Yes?” she said, embarrassed when she realized that the little maid was asking to remove her plate. The rest of the table was already cleared. “Yes, I’m sorry. I wasn’t paying any attention. I’m finished. Thank you.” She wiped her mouth with her napkin and then deposited it on her plate.

When the remaining wait staff left the room, Maria again spoke to Lorna and Hannah again in English. “Let’s get to our equipment check and detailing. If there are any problems with the adjustments we’ve just made, I want to know about it immediately. Mr. Evans will be joining us here for our briefing at,” she paused to look at her wristwatch, “1700. Are there any more concerns?”

“No, Master,” Hannah said, and Lorna shook his head. They both stood up. As Lorna rose, Audrianna caressed his fingers, affectionately — their unspoken goodbye.

“Have a productive day, darlings,” Maria said as she got up and walked over to Audrianna. “Come back around four, and we’ll eat an early dinner.” She put her hand on Audrianna’s shoulder, and Audrianna turned her head in Maria’s direction. “Audrianna, perhaps you’d be so kind as to advise me on the menu for tonight. I didn’t realize that the food here would be so disagreeable to our palates.” Audrianna smiled. She patted Maria’s hand once and then propped her elbows on the table, placing her head in her hands. Maria rubbed her back. “Are you still feeling unwell?” she asked. “I have some aspirin, if you’d like, and also some oxycodone.”

“Oxycodone?” Audrianna said as she sat back in her chair and laughed. Why not use one mind-altering drug to offset the side effects of another? “I’m sure I don’t need that, but yes, I’ll take it. Thank you,” Audrianna said, laughing. Maria left momentarily and then returned with a glass of water and one white pill. Audrianna swallowed it immediately. She tried to drink the rest of the water, but her hand was shaking so badly that she felt like she might drop the glass before she finished it.

“Let me help you,” Maria offered. She reinforced Audrianna’s grip with her own hand, which she kept there until Audrianna had drunk the entire glass. They put the glass down together, and then Maria took her by the elbow and helped her to stand. “Let’s go talk in the parlor. You’ll be more comfortable in there.”

“Okay,” Audrianna whispered. She was slightly worried about what might follow, but she was reasonably confident that Maria’s recent truce was heartfelt. Audrianna followed her to the couch and sat down.

Maria said in an agitated tone, “Audrianna, it goes without saying that Lorna has been very high-handed in keeping your son hidden from us, but it is clear to me from his conversation with you last night that he did it to keep you out of harm’s way. What isn’t clear, however, is why the Truth wanted to keep his location a secret. Your son has just as great a role in this as Lorna has. He chose not to contact us. He chose not to respond to our calls. That fact, while lost on the other leaders of this group, is much more troubling to me than Lorna’s defiance. Do you have any idea why your son didn’t want to tell us where he was?” Audrianna remained silent. “Of course,” Maria continued, “you’re under no obligation to tell me, but it might help me correct whatever it is that has caused him to distrust us. I’d like to do whatever I can to keep this from happening again.” She stopped and waited for Audrianna to respond.

Audrianna ground the heels of her palms into her eye sockets. She put her hands down and then quickly bounced them off her lap again. Finally she said, “Yes. If you really want to know, yes. He never said it in so many words, but I think it’s probably because you all were so mean to him.” Maria blinked and was silent. Audrianna instantly regretted her wording. “I’m sorry,” she said.

“Don’t be sorry, Audrianna,” Maria told her, reinforcing her words with a light touch on the wrist. “Please never feel like you have to soften the truth for me. That’s more of a humanistic precaution.” She took a deep breath and continued, “You say we were mean to him. Would you give me an example?”

Audrianna ran her hand over her face and shook her head. “Well,” she laughed, “I was present when several of your hawks tried to murder Dirk at his refugee hospital. They would have killed both of us had Lorna not stepped in. Maybe that’s also why Lorna did what she… he did — kidnapping us, keeping us hidden — to keep you from killing either one of us.”

Maria took another deep breath and said, “Darling, Lorna knows very well that the times Eva has had the Truth’s human body killed, was to keep him from running through the lot of his biverse energy.”

“What!” Audrianna cried in a panic. “You promised me Devon wouldn’t be harmed if I agreed to go with you!”

Maria quickly replied, “He won’t be, dearest. That was Eva’s way of dealing with things, not mine. I’m simply trying to explain the reasons behind past actions.” She paused. “You knew Dirk! He was so reckless with his energy. How many times did you ever see him with green eyes?”

“Once,” Audrianna said quietly.

“Once,” Maria repeated, nodding. “And how long was that before he put himself into you?”

Audrianna closed her eyes and replied with a raspy voice, “A few days.”

“Right, a few days,” Maria said. She nodded her head again. “He wanted to have enough energy to be able to enjoy his suicide,” Maria held out her hand, “for however long it was that he enjoyed it.”

“Not long,” Audrianna said, blushing. She felt the pleasant buzz of oxycodone sneaking into her body. Her headache disappeared, and so did her shaking. In short, she felt better than she had in the past two days.

Maria smiled and said, “I’m sure. Consider this idea: love is an incendiary, and sex is fire.” She winked at Audrianna. “Now do you understand why it didn’t last long?” Audrianna turned bashful at the question and looked away. “Which,” Maria chuckled, “is exactly why your interlude with Lorna last night was so dangerous, and why the injuries sustained from it were disproportionate to the time you actually spent together.” She pulled Audrianna’s chin back and shook it gently. “Which is exactly why your strategy last night didn’t work either. Certainly, there is something to be said for moving slowly when the sex is for siphoning purposes, or for physical pleasure alone, but love burns just as hot at any speed. It doesn’t matter how slow you go.”

“Why did you challenge me to do it, then? If you already knew how it would turn out?” Audrianna asked. She felt angry at Maria, but she decided to heed Maria’s request that she ask questions before jumping to conclusions.

“Yes, I knew the likely outcome,” Maria conceded, “but you were so convinced of Miss Lewis’ love for you that I began to wonder, myself, if it could be true — if she’d somehow discovered a way to survive that emotion, and if so, how. When I saw that you were using a trick that most Gavrilekians use with their human lovers, it was too late to pull you out of it without also making Lorna aware of what was going on.”

Audrianna’s eyes began to water as she tried to keep up with the conversation. Maria had once again illustrated that Kendis did not and had never loved her. Kendis was no different from any of the rest of them, right down to the “tricks” they used with their human lovers. Audrianna now understood that these lovers were never people they were actually in love with. To the Gavrilekians, they were just their projects, their hosts, or their mirrors. Audrianna laughed at what a perfect fool she had been.

“Audrianna,” Maria said. She waited for Audrianna to look at her, but when she did, Maria just shook her head and said, “Nevermind.”

Audrianna was intrigued by Maria’s moment of uncertainty. “Why don’t you want to tell me, Maria?” she asked, flexing her neck backwards to keep the tears in her eyes.

Maria rubbed her leg and said quietly, “Because I’m not sure if advising you on this matter would help you or hurt you.” She got up from her seat and made a motion with her hand to indicate that Audrianna should do the same. “I think you should sleep a little longer — in the bed, not on the floor.”

Audrianna laughed a bit at the idea of a forty-something-year-old woman being put back to bed because she had drunk too much the night before, but she did not object. She followed Maria into the bedroom, kicked off her shoes, and took off all of her clothes except for her slip. Maria helped Audrianna into bed and then pulled the sheet over her. When Maria started to leave, Audrianna stopped her by calling out her name. Maria turned around, and Audrianna asked her, “What were you going to say out there? I would really like to know.” Maria did not answer. Audrianna decided to approach the question in a different way. “You told me this morning that if I asked you for the truth, you wouldn’t insult me with a lie.”

Maria walked back over and sat down on the edge of the bed, facing Audrianna and grinning at her with large, sympathetic eyes. “Withholding the truth isn’t quite the same thing as lying,” she said as she placed her hand against Audrianna’s side and leaned on her arm. “You might apply that assertion to your own situation, no?”

“I guess so,” Audrianna said. She pulled her hands out from underneath the sheet and wiped her eyes. “Is that what you were going to tell me?”

“No,” Maria replied. She put her hand on Audrianna’s chest. For once, her touch did not make Audrianna squirm. “I was going to suggest that you try and appreciate the worth of your own feelings for Miss Lewis, absent from reciprocal expectations. I’m sure that it’s wonderful to be loved in return, but if it shouldn’t happen that way, why must it make what you’ve felt any less potent? Or is what you felt based in part on your belief that you were being loved in return? If so, you really shouldn’t be so disappointed with Miss Lewis, Audrianna. After all, she was a victim of miscommunicated feelings too.” Audrianna started to sob. “Now see there,” Maria said as she got up and repositioned herself behind Audrianna, pulling her up and wrapping her arms around her. “That’s why I hesitated to say it, dearest. Be careful not to insist upon me telling you if you don’t want to hear the answer.” She kissed Audrianna on the top of her head.

Audrianna reached up and clung to Maria’s arms, but then she felt foolish when she realized that her manner must seem pathetic to a woman like Maria. “I’m sorry,” Audrianna said as she tried to sit up, but Maria held her in place.

“I don’t consider needing the occasional support of another person pathetic,” Maria said gently. “It’s unassuming, and I like that. No one can make it alone — not even us.”

Audrianna cried for a few more moments and then eventually said, “You’re right. I have no right to be disappointed even if she didn’t love me.”

“Couldn’t love you,” Maria corrected her.

Audrianna sobbed, “Even if she couldn’t love me, she was gentle, and kind, and smart, and funny, and I’m going to miss her very much. I’m going to miss all of them very much.” She pressed her wet face into Maria’s sleeve. “Please don’t make me go there with you. Let me stay behind. I promise I won’t run off.”

Maria sat silent for a moment, and then she replied, “I believe you, dearest, but without your presence, the chance of recovering the Truth peacefully is nil. He hasn’t come to me when I’ve called before now, and I have no cause to believe that he’ll change his mind tonight, especially if he believes that I have abducted his mother against her will.” Maria slid out from behind Audrianna. She gently positioned Audrianna in the bed, pulled the sheet up to her neck, and placed her hand softly on Audrianna’s forehead. “You’re going to have to go along to help convince everyone that you are where and with whom you want to be. If you can’t, one or both of our teams will be destroyed.”

“Good evening, Mr. Evans. Do come in. We were just discussing the history of music in battle. We haven’t been able to uncover anything substantial about the past lives of these musicians, so for now, we can only surmise that they’re using their music linguistically, perhaps as a communication tool for calling their plays,” Maria said as she led Hiram into the parlor where the rest of the group was gathered. Lorna and Hannah stood up when he reached them; Audrianna remained seated. Audrianna remembered that he had once subjected her to a kaleidoscopic tunnel, a backwards-spinning carousel, and a hail of hotdogs. He was, in her estimation, an odd and unsettling person. “Audrianna, please don’t distract me with that foolishness,” Maria said telepathically. “I would rather not hear the details of his lunacy right now.”

Audrianna rolled her eyes, and Maria proceeded with the introductions, making an open-palmed presentation first to Hannah and then to Lorna. “Mr. Evans,” she said, “this is my lead player, Hannah Reitsch, and another one of my players, Lorna Mehlinger.” She turned to Audrianna. “I believe you have already had the pleasure of meeting Baroness von Traugott.” Hannah reached for Hiram’s hand, kissed it, and then passed it to Lorna, who did the same thing. Both of their actions seemed to be obligatory. When Audrianna made no effort to be cordial, Maria sat down next to her on the couch and spoke to her with her mind. “Please acknowledge the man, Audrianna.”

“Why?” Audrianna asked inwardly.

“Because I’m asking you to,” Maria silently replied.

Audrianna looked up and exchanged nods with Hiram, and then Hiram tried to exchange pleasantries with her. “Been a long time, Baroness,” he said.

“Not long enough if you ask me,” Audrianna replied.

Lorna started to laugh. He caught himself by clearing his throat, and then he apologized to Maria, saying, “I’m sorry, Master. I have a tickle in my throat.” He pointed at his neck, took a sip of cognac, and then cleared his throat again. “Forgive me.”

“Mr. Evans,” Maria said as she turned her eyes to Hiram. “Would you care for some cognac?”

“Oh yeah, sure,” Hiram replied. He fidgeted in an excited manner, and then he pointed to the seat next to Hannah and said, “May I?”

“Yes, Master. Of course,” Hannah said, snapping out of her obvious examination of him. She offered him a chair, poured a tiny glass of cognac, and then handed it to him.

“Very good. Let’s begin with our field orders,” Maria said. She produced a piece of paper she had been holding in her hand, adjusted her glasses, and then started to read from it. “Situation: our enemy is —”

“Excuse me, Miss Orsic,” Hiram interrupted her, leaning forward and grabbing his chin with his fingers. “Do we,” he motioned to himself and Maria, “write these orders, or do the players do it?” Maria stared at him over the rims of her glasses. Hannah shifted her eyes laterally — a nervous gesture. Lorna hid his mouth behind his hands. Audrianna sensed from their collective tone that Hiram had absolutely no idea what his role was.

“Yes, Mr. Evans. We write the orders,” Maria finally said. “We are the leaders, after all.” She immediately resumed reading the battle plans. “Situation: our enemy is one team of less than ten naiads, garrisoned twenty miles due east of here, on Tybee Island. The terrain is sand and sparse foliage. There is water to the north and marshland to the south. Since these are water nymphs, they will certainly have the advantage on that measure. Let us be mindful of that. The only weather impediment I have to mention is the wind. Our searchers report intermittent gusts of up to seventeen knots moving inland from the sea along the northern shore of Tybee. We have no attachments or detachments other than those you see here, as well as a select group of blockers from Mr. Evan’s clowns. There are no support personnel. Questions?”

Maria paused and looked around. When there were no questions, she went right back to reading. “Our mission is to recover the Truth, nothing more. The execution will be as follows: Mr. Evans, Lorna, Baroness von Traugott, and I will travel by car to the site of play, and Hannah will follow us in the air with Die Glocke.” She spoke directly to Hiram. “Mr. Evans, I’m not sure if the American Army is using radio detection technology just yet, but just in case, we should take extra care to conceal the aircraft. What cover technique are you planning to use?”

“Regular tessellation,” Hiram replied.

Maria bit her lip and wrinkled her forehead. After a moment, she said, “I don’t know about that. I think a two-dimensional plane is quite a meager covering for something as important as Die Glocke, especially since there will be no overlap in the blocks. Hannah, what do you think?”

“I agree. I think that any good pattern theorist can crack regular tessellation with little effort,” Hannah said. She turned to Hiram and said in an apologetic voice, “Not to say that your idea is a bad one, Master, but if you want to use tessellation, a three-dimensional Voronoi tessellation would provide better coverage for the ship.”

“Mr. Evans, are your people capable of constructing that kind of screen?” Maria asked him. Hiram rolled his eyes up to the ceiling and shrugged.

“No,” Maria declared on his behalf. “Other suggestions? Lorna?”

Lorna raised his eyebrows and said, “If we are limited to only two dimensions, I would suggest using an edge-to-edge tessellation instead, preferably with a two-to-one decoy burst to draw them off sides.”

“That’s a reasonable alternative,” Maria said, nodding. “Mr. Evans?”

“Sure, sure,” Hiram said, shrugging. “Whatever y’all think.”

Maria quickly closed her eyes, shook her head, and then moved on. “Once we’ve arrived at the site of play, I will attempt to broker with their master to gain a peaceful surrendering of the Truth. Let me stop and elucidate this move because I can already sense the unpopularity of it.” She rose from the couch and stood in the middle of the group. She was tall, elegant, and completely confident. “I will have restraint in our dealings with this matter. The worst of all possible outcomes here is to be forced into battle with this group.”

“This is an insignificant adversary, Master,” Lorna interrupted her, fussing. “Why are we shying away from battle? We risk our reputation by not making an example of them.”

“Use caution with your tone, Lorna,” Maria said as she turned her icy eyes on him. Her voice was sharp. “I understand that your knowledge in this area is unquestionable, but you are proposing battle maneuvers without yet having heard all of the contributing facts and, if I dare say so, your hasty conclusion is based as much on emotion as it is on knowledge. You are accustomed to the violence of Eva Braun’s camp, no doubt, but you should know that violence will never be my first choice of actions. If you find that you’re unable to reconcile your propensity for aggression with my way of doing things, I suggest you crawl back to your other master. I’m sure she’ll be pleased to see my mission to save you has failed.”

“Master, I —” Lorna began.

“Enough Lorna!” Maria cried as she swatted her paper. “Stop talking! You will respect my decisions, or you will find yourself without the situation that I have graciously provided for you. Do you understand?” Lorna lowered his face. Maria pressed her hand to her cheek for a second, much the same way a mother might calm herself when dealing with a wayward child. She took a couple of breaths and then resumed her explanation. “Now listen to me. I will have restraint in dealing with this matter because if we cannot come to some sort of agreement with them, and we are forced into battle with this group, then we will be locked into the same objective they’re playing for, and right now we have every reason to believe that they are playing to win.”

Hannah drew in a sharp breath, and Lorna looked equally disturbed. Audrianna took their reactions as confirmation of what Kendis had told her once many, many years ago: playing to win involved tremendous stakes.

“If and when it becomes clear that they aren’t interested in a peaceful resolution, certainly we won’t,” Maria turned her head towards Lorna and sarcastically said, “shy away from battle, but let me make this as clear as I possibly can. We are not in a position to win the game right now. We may not even be in a position to win the game during this conflict. I don’t know yet. If we exchange so much as one blow with this group, it won’t matter if we are in a position to win or not. We will have to win,” she said as she turned around in a semi-circle and then sat down on the couch, “or we will be destroyed. I will have restraint in dealing with this matter until the time comes when we can no longer afford to be restrained. I will let you know when that is. Hannah and Lorna, are either of you unsure of my instructions?” They both shook their heads. “Good. Mr. Evans, are we in agreement regarding this plan?”

“Yeah, sure,” Hiram said with a nodded. He looked as anxious as Hannah and Lorna did.

“Good, let’s move forward,” Maria said. She visibly relaxed. “Regarding arms and ammunition, I dislike carrying side arms, but Lorna, if you’re more comfortable having one, I’ll leave that to your discretion. Mr. Evans, would you like a side arm to carry?”

“Sure. What’cha got?” he asked.

Maria took a deep breath and lowered her eyes. She lifted her hand to her forehead and pinched her eyebrows inward — a clear sign of her exasperation — and then she looked back up and said, “Hannah, when we’re done here, please open the small arms locker and allow Mr. Evans his choice of weapon.”

“Yes, Mas —” Hannah began.

Maria cut her off. “Let’s get through the rest of this,” she said quickly. “Command and signal: our conventional method of communication is Old High German. Mr. Evans, do you speak Old High German?” Hiram shook his head. “What other languages do you speak?” Maria asked him.

Hiram rubbed his chin and said, “Spanish, Greek, and Egyptian.”

“Spanish and Greek are too common,” Maria snapped. “Which Egyptian period?”

“Old, Middle, Late. All of’um, really — ‘cept Archaic,” Hiram replied.

“Coptic?” Maria asked without looking up.

“Yes ma’am,” Hiram said with a smile, “Coptic, too.”

“Fine,” Maria pronounced. “We will communicate in Coptic. Which dialect are you more proficient in, Hannah? Lorna?”

“Master. May I speak?” Lorna cut in.

“Yes, Lorna. What is it now?” Maria asked. She struck through a line on the paper she had been writing on, and then she made an annotation above it.

“I’m not sure that altering our usual method of communication would serve us well in this play,” Lorna said quietly.

Maria looked up said, “Yesss?” She dragged out the word. Maria seemed mildly annoyed at both Lorna’s continued interruptions and at the ambiguity of his statement.

“We, Tru and I, have rarely spoken to each other in anything but our native language, German. We’ve certainly not spoken in something so foreign as Coptic. I’m afraid Tru may perceive our doing so as an attempt to trick him.” Lorna turned his head in Hiram’s direction and muttered, “Forgive me, Master.”

“No, I agree with you,” Hiram said. “There is no need to add more complications.”

“I agree too, Master,” Hannah said softly.

Maria nodded and said, “Very well. Thank you all for your insight. Mr. Evans, we will speak to you in — English, I suppose. Better yet — why don’t we all just speak in English? That makes it very easy, and that way Tru will see we have absolutely nothing to hide from anyone, his makeshift family included.” Maria rocked forward and propelled herself up to stand. She handed the piece of paper she had been reading from to Hannah. “Please file this in the ship’s log,” she said, and then she refilled everyone’s glass with another splash of cognac. “If I become incapacitated, the chain of command falls to Mr. Evans, then to Hannah, then to Lorna. Hannah, I’m not sure what, if any, weapons this group will be employing, but if you at any time sense that Die Glocke is in danger, you will fall back to a position that you know can be easily defended and make a stand from there. We can always make another attempt to recover the Truth, but we cannot afford to lose the ship. If we lose the ship, we lose the game. Understood?” Hannah nodded. “Sehr gut. To success, then.” Maria held up her glass.

Before Maria could complete the toast, a knock sounded at the door. “Now what?” she grumbled, opening the door from where she stood with a flip of her fingers. At the door stood a man at least thirty years old, with slouchy posture, an unshaven face, and a mess of curly hair. He limped into the parlor and scanned the room as if watching for prey. His eyes were bloodshot and clear green. “Tyler, I’m sure there’s a good reason that you’re off the ship,” Maria said, draining her glass. “What is it?” She pointed at the hip he was guarding. “And what’s wrong with your leg?” she added.

“Some homeless man hit me in the ass with a stick,” Tyler replied in a monotone voice. Audrianna could not help but giggle at his tactless innocence.

“What?” Maria exclaimed, rushing forward to him in disbelief. She placed her hand on his shoulder, and he handed her a folded note. “I’ve been calling you with this for an hour, Master. I finally just decided to bring it to you.”

“I haven’t heard any calls, Tyler,” Maria said as she unfolded the note and read it.

“Ja, obviously, but they were made,” Tyler said as he flared his already large nostrils and fiddled with his nose. He performed a couple of standing stretches. Audrianna wondered if he was drunk or perhaps schizophrenic. Either way, his behavior was both odd and slightly amusing.

“Skunk apes?” Maria said, shaking her head. “Tyler, what is this? What are skunk apes?”

Tyler piddled around the bar. He sniffed the bottle of cognac and asked, “Can I have some of this?”

“Tyler,” Maria said. She took the bottle out of his hands and poured a shot of it into her own glass. “I realize that you only operate in one speed, but I would really appreciate it if you would please explain this message as precisely and as quickly as you can manage.” She handed him the glass. He sniffed at it. “Tyler!” Maria yelled, her patience obviously waning.

“Skunk apes,” he said in the same monotonous tone, “are bipedal creatures that live in the Florida Everglades — along the lines of Big Foot or the Sasquatch. I think they smell bad.”

“Smell bad?” Hiram laughed. “They smell like a standing toilet. Disgustin’ creatures is what they are. Why? What’s goin’ on?”

Maria walked over to the window and peeked through the blinds. “I have a message from one of my searchers who says they’re congregating outside the hotel, making quite a scene, it seems. I wonder what they want,” she mused.

Hiram joined Maria at the window and cried, “Huh! Would ya look at that!” He scratched his head.

Hannah walked over to the window to take a look. “They don’t look like big-footed creatures, Master,” she said. “They look like really dirty humans wearing multiple layers of clothes.”

Hiram let out a hearty laugh and slapped her on the back, which threw her a bit off balance. When she recovered, he said, “You’re a funny girl, Hannah. No, those are the generationals, not the masters.” He contemplated for a moment. “Come to think of it, I don’t think there are any masters left.”

“There are two left,” Audrianna said quietly. “The only reason the people are filthy is because they have only two masters to depend upon, and the reason they have only two masters to depend upon, is because the rest of them were hunted and destroyed — not because they were too beautiful to resist, like you all — but because they were strange, and ugly, and malodorous.”

Lorna sat forward in his chair and touched her on the leg. “How do you know all of that, darling?” he asked her. The rest of the group turned to face Audrianna, curious to hear her answer.

“I know a lot of things about them. I hold a charity clinic for the poor on Saturdays. They’re some of my patients,” Audrianna said simply.

Hiram shivered and asked, “How can ya stand to be in the same room with’um?”

Before she could stop herself, Audrianna said, “Much more easily than I can stand to be in the same room as you, you son of a —”

Maria dropped to her knees in front of Audrianna. “Stop,” she commanded. “Look at me, not him. He is not worthy of your time, much less your dignity. Do not provoke him.” Audrianna glanced at Maria and accepted her words with a slight nod. “How do they know you’re here?” Maria silently asked Audrianna.

“I’m not sure,” Audrianna replied in the same way. “I’d say they probably became alarmed when I didn’t show up for clinic this morning.”

“Yes, but how do they know that you’re here at this hotel? We have you very well hidden,” Maria communicated.

“Do you?” Audrianna asked silently. She wanted to laugh aloud. Instead, she satisfied herself with a smirk aimed at Maria. “Hidden like your aircraft is hidden, I suppose?”

Maria closed her eyes and gritted her teeth. “Mr. Evans,” she said, standing up and turning around. “What kind of cover are you using for the group right now?”

“Regular tessellation,” Hiram replied.

“I beg your pardon if this question offends you, but did you lay down a suppressive screen first before you added the tessellation?”

“No. Why would I do that?” Hiram asked, puzzled.

Hannah and Lorna both groaned. Maria simply looked down. “I’ll explain it to you at a later time, Mr. Evans. Please, just fix it right now,” she said.

“He can’t fix it, Master,” Tyler interjected, stuffing a cracker in his mouth and talking with it open. “That’s what I was trying to tell you.”

“Can’t fix it?” Maria said. She turned around, her eyes blazing.

“What?” Tyler shrugged. “They’ve thrown up a thought-filter around the entire place — nothing’s getting in or out. That’s why you didn’t hear my calls.”

Hiram got up and started for the telephone. “I’ll call some of my boys down at the station and get’um out here to round these stinkers up. What a nuisance. I’m sorry, y’all. I didn’t know I had to lay down a suppressive screen first, but you know what they say,” he said with a laugh, “ya live and ya learn.”

“No!” Audrianna pleaded to Maria. “Please don’t have them arrested. Some of them are too sick to be in jail, even for a day.”

“Did whoever they are also advise you on how to proceed if you don’t live long enough to learn the lesson, Mr. Evans?” Maria asked Hiram. She walked over and pressed her hand on top of the telephone receiver as he tried to lift it up. “That won’t be necessary, thank you. I believe Baroness von Traugott will speak to them on our way out. Once they see she is unharmed, I’m sure they’ll disperse. Hannah, Lorna, let’s go.”

“Is that what you’re wearing, Master?” Tyler asked as he swallowed another cracker and then followed Maria into and out of the bedroom. Lorna helped Audrianna up from the couch. “Absent of some additional accessories, like a coat and a bag, yes, this is what I’m wearing, Tyler. Why do you ask?” Maria answered. She handed Audrianna one of two traveling cloaks, and then she opened her purse and counted out twenty one-hundred-dollar bills and put them in Audrianna’s hand. “Consider this my donation to charity,” she whispered.

“I was just thinking, Master,” Tyler let his eyes drift off into space, “that you might appear more Neanderthal in one of the male bodies.”

“Ty-Ty, I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear that,” Maria said as she opened the door and ushered everyone out with a swoosh of her hand. “Do you and Alex enjoy tormenting me with your abstract absurdities? Or are you really just that discombobulated?” She caught him by the arm as he walked out of the door and stroked his beard with the topsides of her fingers. “Didn’t you get a chance to eat dinner, darling?”

“Ja, I had dinner,” Tyler replied, and then he laughed. “I just wanted some crackers. I’m sorry, Master.”

“Don’t be sorry,” she said. She shook her head, closed the door, locked it, and then patted him on the back. “It’s fine. I don’t want you to go hungr —”

“Oh!” There was a scream and a thud, and Audrianna tore her hand away from Lorna’s to help Hannah. She had just bounced off the wall and fallen on the floor. “No, I’m okay,” said Hannah, resisting Audrianna’s help. “I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to do that. I have really poor depth perception, and sometimes I run into things.”

“But you’re a pilot,” Audrianna said and helped her up anyway.

“Yes, I know. It’s quite challenging at times,” Hannah replied, smiling.

“Hannah, darling,” Maria said as she rushed up from the end of the pack to examine her. “Didn’t you take your medicine today?”

“What medicine?” Audrianna asked as she grabbed Hannah’s hand.

“Cocaine,” Hannah replied.

“Cocaine!” Audrianna shouted. She quickly popped her hand over her mouth to stifle any further outburst. “Cocaine?” she whispered again. Audrianna responded to Hannah’s stricken facial expression by giving her a quick hug and a rub on the back. “No, no. I’m not scolding you. I just wonder why someone would give you a drug like cocaine to treat an eye condition, that’s all.”

“The doctor said that the problem wasn’t with my eyes, but rather with my lack of concentration,” Hannah said.

“Yes, but…” Audrianna waited for Hannah to realize why this approach had obviously failed. When she did not, Audrianna added gently, “you’re still running into things.”

“I know,” Hannah said. She clearly did not realize the import of this fact.

Audrianna glanced at Maria, who had very obviously understood the point. “Maybe you should get a second opinion then,” Audrianna said. She absently rubbed her fingers across her forehead, and the cut began bleeding again. She looked down at her fingers in surprise.

“Here, Audrianna,” Maria said. She pulled a handkerchief out of her bag and pressed it against Audrianna’s forehead until Audrianna took hold of it. “She’ll see someone else when we get home. Who did you see, Hannah? One of Eva’s quack doctors?”

Hannah nodded, but then quickly followed with, “I don’t know if he was a quack or not, Master. Eva told me —”

Maria cut in and said, “All of Eva’s doctors are quacks, darling. Why would you believe what she told you? Look at what they’ve done to her eyes.”

“Is this the same group of physicians you were suggesting that I work with?” Audrianna asked in a derisive tone.

“I was thinking you might bring some clarity to their troop” Maria replied.

“Master, please,” Lorna groaned. “If you send her to work with them, they’ll find a way to kill her. Eva will make sure of it.”

“Kill me!” Audrianna cried.

“Gottverdammt,” Maria cursed quietly in German. She was calm but very discernibly frustrated. She crisscrossed her arms over her chest and clamped onto her shoulders with her hands, tilting her head back and shrugging. “Why are you all being so contrary?” she asked. The question was clearly rhetorical, and no one answered it. At that moment, Tyler stepped up behind Maria, his jaws at work chomping on another cracker. A portion of it crumbled off the end, rolled down the front of Maria’s jacket, and stuck in the material.

Rather than apologizing for this indiscretion, Tyler simply asked, “Do you want me to get the car, Master?” The sounds of chewing could be heard between every syllable.

Maria took her hands down from her shoulders. She plucked the crumb off of her chest with her fingers and put it in the palm of her hand. She turned around and delicately handed the crumb to Tyler. Audrianna presumed that Maria preformed this ritual in an attempt to draw his attention to his actions and to elicit an apology from him. If that was Maria’s intention, it failed miserably. Tyler simply picked the crumb up out of her hand and shot it into his mouth like a piece of popcorn. When the crumb landed directly on his tongue, he did a little jig.

Audrianna could not stop herself from laughing at him. But the idea of finding pleasure in anything at that moment, even something as simple as watching Tyler dance with delight, made her feel guilty. She stopped laughing, and Maria closed her eyes. When she opened them, Audrianna was the first person she looked at. Next, she turned to Tyler and said in an exasperated tone, “How foolish of me to think you would’ve had the foresight to drive the car over here, as you’ve just now come.”

“Ja,” Tyler agreed, looking up and twisting his head with his hands until his neck cracked. “I could’ve done that, but I didn’t have the foresight, just as you’ve said.”

Despite Maria’s earlier chastisement, Audrianna began to laugh again. Maria waited three seconds for Audrianna to stop laughing before saying, “Tyler, please go and get the car.” She turned to Hannah. “Hannah, please take Mr. Evans to Die Glocke so that he can choose his weapon. We will meet you at the rendezvous point for a final equipment check in thirty minutes. Do I need to explain myself any better than that?” She pressed her temples between her palms and looked back and forth between Hannah and Tyler. “Good. Go.”

Hiram acknowledged Maria, Lorna, and Audrianna with a nod before turning to follow Hannah and Tyler down the stairs and out the door. Rather than proceeding with their separate errands, the entire group became trapped behind a mass of people at the hotel exit. Maria made her way to the front of the group and met the doorman with a heated eye. “What seems to be the problem?” she asked him.

“Oh, Ms. Orsic,” the doorman replied. He looked at her nervously. “I’m not supposed to let anyone leave. It’s for your own safety.”

“How quixotic,” Maria said.

“What?” asked the doorman, undoubtedly confused by the unusual term.

“Quixotic,” she repeated as she pulled a one-hundred-dollar bill out of her purse and waved it between two fingers. “Quixotic. It means exceedingly romantic and unrealistic. What is your name?”

“John,” he replied.

“John,” Maria said flirtatiously. She smiled and pulled out another one-hundred-dollar bill from her purse. “Don’t worry, John. You’re not the first person I’ve encountered with that problem today. I do hope you’ll be my last, though.” She slipped the money into his front pocket and then pulled the door open, stepping in front of him and letting the rest of the group escape the hotel.

When they emerged, they were immediately rushed by a number of homeless people, including several women and children. “Stop,” Maria told them, and then she clapped her hands together once, sending out a glowing charge of color that warned the homeless people to stay back. She waved Hannah and Tyler off, and the two of them broke from the group to proceed with their orders, Hiram in tow. They drew little interest from the crowd. The people’s attention was clearly focused on Maria. “Why are you all here?” Maria asked them.

Homer, the skunk ape from the clown carnival so many years ago, pointed to Audrianna. Since opening her charity clinic in Savannah, she and Homer had become friends. She had tended his two skunk ape wards, both still in incubation. “Master,” he said, taking off his hat and fidgeting with it. “That’s our doctor. She don’t belong to you.”

Maria motioned for Audrianna and Lorna to come up and stand beside her. “She’s not hurt,” Maria told the Homer. Her voice was patient and tolerant. “Come here and see. Bring the children so that they’ll know too.” The man took both of the children by the hand and heedlessly started forward. He dragged up the cobblestone entryway to meet Audrianna. She wondered why he no longer seemed at all frightened of Maria. “Because I invited him to approach,” Maria replied in her thoughts. “I know we’re not human, Audrianna, but that doesn’t necessarily mean we’re all brutes. I get no pleasure in harming anyone, least of all a group of defenseless creatures who apparently understand loyalty and have the courage to act on it.”

“Dr. Foster, we been real worried about ya,” Homer said. He eyed the laceration on her forehead. “Did ya get beat up or somethin’?”

“Oh, no, Homer,” Audrianna said. She began to concoct a story, stalling and sputtering through the entire narration. She had never been very good at making up stories, and her effort to do so now was undermined by her desire to pay attention to what Maria and Lorna were doing. They squatted on the ground and communicated with the children. Maria was speaking openly with a little girl holding a tattered doll, and Lorna was speaking telepathically with a young boy.

“Are you an angel?” the little girl asked Maria.

“No,” Maria laughed. “I’m from Gavrilek, just like you. What’s your name?”

“Rose. What’s yours?” the girl asked.

“Maria,” she answered.

“Where’s your doll, Maria?” the child wondered.

“My doll?” Maria asked. She took a deep, exaggerated breath. “If I tell you a secret, Rose, will you promise we can remain friends?” Rose nodded, and Maria lowered her voice and said, “I’ve never had a doll before. I’ve always wanted one, though, especially one as beautiful as yours.” She reached out and stroked the doll’s grimy hair.

Rose handed Maria the doll and said, “Here, you can have her.”

“That’s your doll,” Maria countered.

“That’s okay. She’s tired of living outside, anyway,” Rose replied.

Maria accepted the gift, saying, “That’s a very kind gesture, Rose. I think I may have something for you, too.” She wrapped the doll over the crook of her arm and then took off her earrings, one at a time, and handed them to her. Lorna gave the little boy his watch.

“Anyway, Homer,” Audrianna said, shaking her head at what she was seeing. “That’s what happened, so I’m sorry I have to leave you, but I hope you understand.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Homer replied.

Audrianna could tell that he did not believe her. She handed him the two thousand dollars that Maria had given her as a donation. “Please help everyone with this,” she said. She touched him on the face, trying unsuccessfully to keep her eyes from becoming teary. “Be well, Homer.” She waved at the rest of them. “All of you be well.”

Tyler pulled up with the car, and Audrianna started for it quickly. She yanked repeatedly on the door handle, but the door would not open. “Easy, Audrianna,” Maria whispered, rubbing her back. “Let me help you.” She opened the door with little effort, and Audrianna crawled inside first, followed by Maria. Lorna joined them on the opposite side of Audrianna. When they were all seated, Tyler zoomed out of the roundabout and down the road.

Lorna pulled Audrianna close to him so that she could cry into his chest. He said nothing, but his touch consoled her. Audrianna appreciated his silence. Words were of little value these days, especially as they pertained to the Children of Gavrilek. Nothing about what they said was ever self-evident, and nothing they said was absolute. Their words were like smoke — seemingly tangible but ultimately weightless.

“That boy was fifth generation, Master,” Lorna eventually said to Maria.

“Fifth generation, is that right?” Maria asked. She seemed mildly impressed. “I wonder how he survives,” she added.

“He told me he survived on love,” Lorna said quietly.

Maria laughed and said, “He’s got that quite backwards.”

“Yes, quite. And yet, he survives,” Lorna replied, but he was not laughing. He was thinking.

“Mr. Evans, please send a runner with a white flag down the beach to Miss Lewis,” Maria told Hiram the second he got to the rendezvous point.

“White flag?” Hiram asked. “We ain’t surrenderin’, are we?”

For a long moment, Maria stared straight ahead. Eventually, Lorna said, “A white flag is first and foremost considered a protective sign of truce in order to parley, Master.”

“Oh, yeah, parley,” Hiram said. He paused. “What exactly does that mean again?”

Audrianna felt Lorna’s fingers squeeze hers more tightly. His palms were sweaty, and so was his face. “Parley is a peaceful conference between enemies, Master,” Lorna said. Audrianna could detect a slight note of derision in his voice, but Hiram seemed unaware of it. Maria did not check the insult. Her face was emotionless, and her eyes were empty. Lorna switched Audrianna’s hand into his opposite hand and then reached across her lap to touch Maria’s arm. The voiceless discussion Lorna engaged Maria in appeared to be driven by concern. After smiling at him and patting his hand, Maria resumed her introspective state. For the remainder of the drive to the distillery, she simply stared out of the window.

“Gentlemen, I’d like a moment alone with Baroness von Traugott,” Maria said when they arrived. She followed this announcement with a round of instructions. “Lorna, please go down and make sure the site is secure. Let them know we’ve arrived. Mr. Evans, I suggest you take this time to verify that your screen is effective.”

“Sure,” Hiram replied. “How do I do that?”

Maria opened her purse, took out a tube of lipstick, and reapplied it. Afterwards, she said, “Have your people start with their decoy bursts and see if you get any movement from the other side. Remember to send some verifiable information too, so we don’t lose their interest too quickly.”

“Sure, I’m on it,” Hiram replied. He got out of the car to see to his task. Lorna followed him, his arm outstretched so that he could feel for markers to guide him around the house and down to the beach.

“I asked you to excuse us,” Maria said to Tyler, who remained behind the steering wheel. She put her lipstick back in her purse and snapped it shut.

“Ja, Master. Go ahead,” Tyler replied. Audrianna could not help but smile at his comment, but she quickly banished her amusement with a flickering set of sad eyelashes.

Maria rephrased her command and said, “Tyler, I want you to get out of the car.” Her voice and her expression were imperturbable. Audrianna reflected that Maria was a confusing mix of softness and strength. Although she wished that she did not, Audrianna found her beguiling. Tyler climbed out of the driver’s seat and shut the door, leaving them alone.

“I won’t insult your intelligence with false empathy,” Maria said to Audrianna without making eye contact. “I can’t imagine what you’re feeling right now, and I’m not going to pretend that I can.”

Audrianna swallowed. She was not sure of how to respond to such a direct statement. Against her better judgment, she replied, “Maybe if you looked at me, you could figure it out.” Maria turned her head and met Audrianna’s eyes. In doing so, she opened herself to the punishment of seeing the reproach in Audrianna’s face. They held their stare until Audrianna shook it off with her head. Audrianna wanted to tell her that it was not too late, but in her heart, she knew that it was. Maria was going to see these plans through, and Audrianna knew that there was nothing she could do or say to convince Maria otherwise.

“We’re in no hurry,” Maria said. For once, it seemed, she was content to break the eye contact between them. “I’ll allow as much latitude as I can to negotiate with Miss Lewis, but if the time comes when it is certain no more progress can be made, I’ll ask you to abide by my decision.” She forced a laugh. “I’m sure you won’t do that, but, Audrianna, if we go into battle, your interference will only make things tremendously more complicated, and quite possibly get you killed. That’s of lesser importance to you than saving Miss Lewis, I know, but consider this: if you get caught up in the middle of our fight, you could lose everything — not just your own life, and not just Miss Lewis’ life, but also your son, Lorna, all of Miss Lewis’ team, and all of mine. Do you understand?” Audrianna nodded. “The wind is my Master,” Maria suddenly said. “Everything is ruled by change.” She then took Audrianna’ s hand in her own. “If you move with the will of change, the outcome will be less impacting. Try to think of it that way,” Maria added.

Audrianna nodded again, but she did not believe that Maria’s advice was correct. Maria obviously believed it and sincerely meant for it to help her. In light of that fact, Audrianna acknowledged it by saying, “Thank you, Maria.”

“You’re welcome,” Maria replied. She gave Audrianna a knowing smile. They both got out of the car and fought the gusting sea wind as they made their way to the water.

After stopping for cover behind the house, Maria picked Audrianna’s fallen chin up to eye level and spoke to her encouragingly. “Keep your head up and your eyes attached. We like that. And take your time. Think about what you’re going to say before you say it. Respond — don’t react. Do you understand?” Audrianna started to tremble. “Here, dearest, let me help you.” Maria started to button her coat for her, but Audrianna stopped her with her hands.

“I can do it,” Audrianna replied, tired of being coddled and wanting control of anything, even something as small as the buttons of her coat. When she was well-bundled, she walked with Maria down the winding path leading from the house to the beach. When they arrived, they joined Lorna and Hiram. Ten feet away from them stood Kendis and her entire troop, all facing in the direction of the sea.

“Master,” Lorna whispered into Maria’s ear. “To Miss Lewis’ immediate right is her lead, Kiah Lewis. To her left —”

“Tru,” Maria finished. She smiled warmly at Devon. She stepped forward towards him, but she halted when the look on his face changed. “I don’t understand that, darling,” she said to Devon. “Please tell me what you’re trying to convey with that expression so that I don’t have to guess.”

“Shock,” Devon said simply. Had Audrianna been forced to choose one word to describe his expression, she would have chosen “mortification,” the offspring of shock and fear. Devon held his palms out in front of him and said, “Please don’t hurt my mother, Master. It’s me you want — not her. Lorna, please help.” Audrianna glanced at Lorna. The look on his face left no doubt that he was affected by Devon’s plea.

“Tru, nobody wants to hurt your mother,” Maria said. When she took another step forward to talk to him, Kendis grabbed him by the arm and pulled him behind her. Kendis stepped into the gap he had left, closing the line. To the casual observer, Kendis’ expression would have appeared only mildly annoyed, but Audrianna knew her well enough to know that fierceness simmered under her quiet countenance.

“Miss Lewis,” Maria said, now turning her remarks to Kendis. “I am Maria Orsic. How do you do?”

Kendis ignored Maria’s question. She looked at Audrianna, held out her hand, and said, “Audri, com’ere, honey.”

Audrianna did not move, at least not outwardly. Inwardly, she warred with herself, her resolve to obey Maria and abandon Kendis slipping. She looked down despite the fact that she had been instructed to maintain eye contact. Audrianna believed that it was better to break eye contact than to allow Kendis to see the true state of her mind through her eyes.

“What did ya do to her?” Kendis said, turning her attention to Maria. “Beat her into submission?”

Maria indignantly replied, “I did no such thi —”

“Yes. I hear you,” Kendis said, cutting her off. She made a quick, slight pivot to face Lorna. “Why don’t ya speak openly, so that Audrianna can listen to what ya have to say? Perhaps you’d like to clear your plan with her first.”

A slow, pernicious smirk spread across Lorna’s face. “She didn’t have any problems hearing me when we weren’t talking last night,” he said.

Kiah stepped forward and whistled with a trill, knocking Lorna’s legs out from underneath him. Lorna fell to his knees. “Since you’re blind, I’ll let it go at that. From now on, you will be respectful of my mother and my master,” Kiah said, his voice confident.

Lorna chuckled. “She may be a master,” he said as he stumbled to his feet and pulled his pistol from the back of his pants. He cocked the slide, introduced a bullet into the chamber, and added, “But she isn’t much of a player.” He aimed the gun at Kiah and pressed his finger to the trigger. “And neither are you.”

Audrianna started to jump for the gun, but Maria beat her to it. She grabbed Lorna’s arm and took the gun out of his hand before he could fire it. “Control your passion, Lorna,” she hissed. Maria then returned her attention to Kendis. “My apologies, Miss Lewis. He is a little upset over your domestic situation. I’m sure you can understand why. Lorna, please be more respectful of Miss Lewis.”

“I’m sorry, Master,” Lorna said, the tone of his voice making it abundantly clear that he was not sorry at all. “She’s availed herself of something that is mine, and now I’m unable to see her as anything but my enemy.”

Kendis looked at Hiram and said, “What do you want? I thought we had an agreement.”

“Hello, Kendis, Kiah, Tru,” Hiram said, tipping his hat. “Beautiful night out.”

“You’re not welcome here, Mr. Evans, and neither are your friends,” Kendis replied.

Hiram laughed and said, “Well now, Kendis! Where is your sense of Southern hospitality? These two have traveled halfway cross the world justa’ see you. We’re all just here to talk, and besides, the beach is public property.”

“I repeat my question — what do you want, Mr. Evans?” Kendis said, her voice simmering with impatience.

Hiram gestured to Maria and Lorna and said, “They want their boy back, o’course, and his mother. That’s why I’m here — to act as an intermediary. I mean, come on, Kendis! European nobility don’t belong here with you jigaboos.”

“If you’re speakin’ of Audrianna and Devon Foster,” Kendis said, ignoring his slur, “they are both here under the protection of my biverse energy, and they have been for some time.” She wagged her finger once to the side. “None of y’all can breach the boundary of my sanctuary.”

“We can breach it if we’re warring,” Maria warned her.

Lorna flipped his head sideways in a bit of a grandstand, his mind still geared towards peacocking. “Von Traugott,” he said to Kendis. “Baroness von Traugott. Do you really think that your position is such that it would permit you to call her by her first name?”

“Yeah, I should hope so,” Kendis countered. “Havin’ spent more than a decade in her intimate company, I think I have earned that right.”

“You’ve earned nothing,” Lorna shouted. “Your kinsmen rescued her from a storm that was most likely of your design, and then you tricked her into staying here with you in this wretched place.” He clapped his hands and said, “Bravo, Master, bravo. Great play.”

“Lorna, quiet!” Maria snapped. “Miss Lewis.” She clasped her hands together at her waist and looked directly at Kendis. “Baroness von Traugott has already decided to forgo your sanctuary, as is her right, and now we are here for Tru. If you surrender him to me, I promise, no harm will come to any of you.”

“I’ll gladly withdraw my protection, Miss Orsic,” Kendis laughed seditiously, “just as soon as I know that it’s their wish to go with you, and not just yours.”

Audrianna stepped in. “Kendis, please,” she said quietly.

“Audri,” Kendis called. She clenched one hand in front of her and tightened her jaw. “Let me handle this, please.” Audrianna froze. She was inarticulate. She had never seen Kendis charged with such intensity before, and it startled her to silence. “I will talk to Audrianna and Devon alone,” Kendis told Maria.

“No, you won’t,” Maria replied. “I fully comprehend your displeasure, Miss Lewis, but don’t test my patience. You must know who I am, and therefore, you must also know that you are dealing with the most powerful group of Gavrilekians on this planet. I am offering you peace. I advise you to take it.”

Kendis sneered and said, “Your definition of peace differs an awful lot from mine, Miss Orsic, but then, I’d expect that from an Arbalest Master.”

Maria thrust her jaw forward and gritted her teeth. She crossed her arms over her chest and raised one eyebrow. “That term is offensive, Miss Lewis. I’ll ask you not to use it again.”

“Sure,” Kendis scoffed. “I get it. If you prefer to be called just a plain ole’ bully, I’ll be happy to oblige ya.”

Maria dropped one of her hands. She opened her mouth until she figured out how she wanted to respond, and when she did, her voice matched her confused expression. “Why are you being so indignant? I’ve been nothing but courteous to you,” she cried.

“Courteous! Humph!” Kendis snorted. “Lady, I’m not sure where you learned English, but my understandin’ of the word leans away from kidnappin’ and blackmailin’, or did ya really believe you could fool me into thinkin’ that my very satisfied lover of ten years would just walk away from me the second y’all came waltzin’ back into her life? Did ya not think that I would be able to recognize even the slightest variance in her bearin’?”

Maria waved away Kendis’ words and said, “Your lover? Come now, Miss Lewis. Let us have some honesty between us on this score. Baroness von Traugott is either your project or your mirror. Either way, the cat is quite out of the bag.”

Kendis glared at her and replied, “What we are to one another is none of your business. Watch yourself. I have the power of the water with me, and this is an island. You will not make it outta here in one piece. I can promise ya that. Do not underestimate my ability to defend my family.”

“Kendis, please!” Audrianna cried as she started to cross the distance between them. In an instant, Maria hooked her under the arm and pulled her back into line. Audrianna bent over at the waist and screamed, “Kendis, don’t do this! Just let it go. I haven’t been forced. I am not being forced now. They haven’t hurt me. I’m fine! You have to leave it.”

“Audri, stop,” Kendis said. She emphasized her words by slicing her hand through the air with a tomahawk chop. She locked eyes with Audrianna and said, “I need ya to trust me right now. Okay, honey? Trust me.”

“Yes, about that,” Maria interjected. She held out her hand, opened her palm, and produced the remains of Audrianna’s ring for Kendis to see. “That was quite a risky move on your part, Miss Lewis, and a bad one, too. Check.”

For a moment, the beach was perfectly silent. As Kendis stared at the remains of the ring, she slowly began to shatter. “Audrianna,” she whispered. She placed her hands over her face and then tugged them through her hair. After a moment, Kendis ceased to move and simply stared into the distance.

“Kendis, I’m so sorry,” Audrianna said. There were tears in her voice, but she did not cry. Her encounter with the skunk apes had exhausted her supply of tears. The only thing she had left to symbolize her grief was a plaintive look from her bloodshot eyes.

In a sympathetic tone, Maria said, “Look, Miss Lewis, I don’t want to hurt you. Let’s make a deal. You give me Tru, and I’ll give you this ring back. Losing him may put a damper on your objective, but at least you’ll have your life. You’ll still be in the game. It is illogical to think you can tangle with a group like ours and come out a winner. Please accept my terms. No one has to be destroyed tonight.”

“No deal,” Kendis replied hoarsely. “I think you’re not in a position to win, and that’s why ya don’t wanna play. You don’t care if you hurt me or mine.”

In answer to Kendis’ statement, Lorna yelled, “How dare you spit in her face like that after such an offering of mercy? Don’t you know she could take you down with one flick of her finger?” He took a confrontational step forward, but Hiram jumped in front of him.

“Come on now, Kendis,” Hiram called out. “You’re way outta your league here, and ya know it. You couldn’t even out play me, and I’m nobody special. How ya figure you’re gonna be able to handle this? Be sensible, would ya?”

“Ten years ago, I couldn’t’ve handled it, Mr. Evans. You’re right,” Kendis replied, “but now’s a different story. None of y’all are takin’ anyone I love outta here against their will ever again.”

Maria ran her hand up to her neck and tilted her head back. Her body language broadcasted the oncoming doom. “Is that what this is all about? Love?” she said as she snapped her head back down and made one final attempt to reason with Kendis. “Hasn’t love claimed enough victims in our world? She knows, Miss Lewis. She knows! She knows you’re incapable of love. Don’t force me to destroy you over this!”

“You have no idea what I’m capable of,” Kendis replied, “but you’re about to.” She motioned for her team to fall into line, and then she placed her hand on Kiah’s shoulder, giving him some last minute instructions that Audrianna could not hear. When she was finished, she looked at Maria and then nodded her head. “Whenever you’re ready, Miss Orsic.”

“Drummer!” Kiah called down the line to Elmer. Kiah pulled a stopwatch out of his pocket and reset it while Elmer moved from the end of the line to the position next to Kendis.

“Beat the preparative,” Kendis told Elmer. Elmer began to strike his drum in a varied cadence of flams, paradiddles, and double-stroke rolls. The rest of the group began their vocal exercises, just like they always did before singing.

“I do believe she’s serious,” Maria said quietly.

Audrianna grabbed Maria’s arm and pleaded, “Please, let me talk to her alone. Look at them! They’re mentally disabled — they don’t understand what is going on! Please, let me talk to her, I beg you.”

Maria calmly ignored Audrianna’s pleas. She turned to Lorna and said, “Lorna, they’re apparently going to call their plays through their music, as we suspected.” She signaled to something in the sky and then added, “Be on your guard when the beat changes. It will most likely reflect a change in maneuvering. I want the sharp-searchers pulled off the group effort and focused directly on that drummer with real-time reporting of his thoughts me. Please update me on the temperature and molecular agitation of the Vril. Let me know when it is hot enough to arm our weapons.”

A mammoth, ironclad airship flew toward them. It hovered over their heads in such close proximity that Hannah could be seen wielding the controls. The bottom part of the craft was a spinning blur of green, and the middle part was made of clear, seamless glass. A blood-red Nazi flag flew from the top, flapping and popping against the backdrop of the setting sun.

“Maria, please,” Audrianna implored her, “just give it a little more time.”

“Be still,” Maria said. She snapped her fingers, and Audrianna became unable to move. The wind accelerated to well over twenty knots, knocking Audrianna off-balance. Maria shoved Audrianna to her knees and said, “Stay down,” as she quickly packed her into the sand. Maria stood back up and turned her head first to Lorna and then to Hiram. “We’re locked on the drummer’s thoughts. I want all communications made openly to me now. Do not clog my telepathic line.”

“What’s the drummer thinkin’?” Hiram asked.

“He isn’t really,” Maria said. “He’s repeating Miss Lewis’ commands over and over again, with an occasional ‘oops’ added when he misses a beat.”

“What are the commands, Master?” Lorna said, licking his lips.

Maria glanced at Lorna and said, “She’s giving them musical instructions of some kind — three-part counterpoint in the key of F sharp — and she wants them to listen carefully for changes to the cantus firmus, both to the voice, and to the species, she says. She’s reminding them to keep their vocal lines clear and uncrossed, even if the call for dissonant counterpoint is made.”

“What the hell does all of that mean?” Lorna asked.

“I have no idea,” Maria said, shaking her head. She pressed the hand holding Audrianna’s ring to her forehead and dangled the gun at her side. “I guess we’re about to find out what this is all about. Are you ready, Mr. Evans?”

“Yes, indeed,” Hiram said. He stood rigidly on the opposite side of Lorna. From the expression on his face, it was clear that he had no idea what he was supposed to do.

Maria put the ring into Lorna’s palm and held her hand in place on top of it. She then whispered, “Eliminate Miss Lewis. If we do, the rest of them should fall back on their own.” Although Maria had lowered her voice to keep Audrianna from hearing the order, the wind carried it to her ears.

“Lorna, no!” Audrianna screamed. At the sound of her voice, Lorna turned his head in her direction.

“Lorna,” Maria said quickly, “I am the one calling the plays here. Do not think to act independently of me to martyr yourself any further, or to satisfy your pride. Is that clear?”

“Yes, Master,” Lorna replied.

“Good,” Maria said decidedly. She pulled her hand away from his and stood erect, unflappable and clothed with certainty. “Let’s get on with it,” she said, and then she muttered to herself, “checkmate, Miss Lewis.”

Lorna flipped the ring off of his fingers. It remained suspended in the air — an overhead pulley through which Kendis’ biverse energy could be extracted. Lorna began siphoning her biverse energy in a wispy green line from her forehead. It threaded through his hands and over his shoulder. Maria came behind him and stood in the energy cascade, her eyes slowly turning bright green. Kendis dropped to her knees and then fell forward on her hands.

“Kendis!” Audrianna screamed.

Devon rushed to Kendis’ side, but his approach was halted by Kiah, who yelled, “Stay out of the way, Tru!” and pushed him back behind the line. Kiah then hit the button on his stopwatch, and Elmer immediately changed his cadence to four consecutive quarter notes: tap-tap-tap-tap, a preparatory sequence meant to establish a tempo prior to the beginning of a song. After one full measure of introductory beats, he began a different drum riff. The entire group began to sing. They had a swift melodic movement in the soprano line that ran across the scale in sixteenth note patterns, two times faster than the altos, and four times faster than the basses. The musical undertone was allegro. It was lively and fast.

When Lorna began to struggle with pulling the line, Maria asked him, “Why are you slowing down?”

“I doonn’tt knnooww,” Lorna said, his voice distorted and unnatural. It somehow matched the movement of his hands, blurry and unusually slow.

“Mr. Evans, if you please,” Maria said as she motioned for him to get behind Lorna and help pull. He did that, but his assistance yielded nothing more than two sweaty, red-faced men, twisting and straining to pull against something that required more effort than it should. The strangeness of their actions was mirrored in the sky. Nighttime passed, and then it was daytime, and then it was dark again, and then it was light. The sun chased the moon across the sky over and over. The leaves began to fall from the trees at twice their normal rate.

“Bring the dynamics of the bass line up to the cantus firmus!” Kiah yelled to his left, still tracking time on his watch. “Close the gap! One backwards, one forwards, and one in real time. All voices clear and equal!”

Maria squeezed her lips together. She looked back and forth between the men pulling Kendis’ biverse energy and the skyline. Finally, she understood their play. “They’re creating time variances with their music,” she said, her tone suffused with awe.

“I caan’t heeaar you,” Lorna slurred.

“Time variances, Lorna,” Maria yelled. “They’re slowing that down.” She pointed to the energy stream. “They’re speeding that up.” She pointed at the trees. “Why are they speeding that up?” At that moment, a blur of color came whizzing up the beach from the left, and Kiah bent over on his mark to stop it. He held his stopwatch in front of him and pressed the button the moment the color appeared in his immediate field of view. Suddenly, there were two more men at his side, one white and the other Indian, both in their early twenties.

“Huh!” Maria said, a look of fascination on her face. Audrianna was so astounded that she lost her balance and fell over on one hip. In all the years she had spent among the Children of Gavrilek, she had seen many wonders, but she had never seen anything to equal this feat.

“Whaat’s happenninng, Maasstter?” Lorna asked Maria, his voice distorted and his breath ragged from the continued exertion of pulling.

“They’ve brought in two more people on their time flux,” she replied, “a special delivery from England, I’m sure.”

The Indian man knelt down on one knee with a sextant in his hand, taking measurements between the ever-changing sky and invisible objects in the water. He made markings in the sand, and then he began to snap his fingers at the sea. The white man hurried to Kendis. He laced his hands into hers and pulled her to her knees. He held her head up by placing his forehead against hers, their eyes level.

“He’s sharing his energy with her — trying to keep her alive,” Maria said under her breath. “Mr. Turing, no doubt.” She turned to Lorna and said, “There are too many variables here to be complacent any longer. How close are we to arming our weapons?”

“Thiirrtty Secconndds!” he cried, his voice filled with exhaustion.

The distant firing of cannons drew all of their attention out to the ocean. A small fleet of aged vessels was emerging from the depths of the sea. Water dripped from their rotting decks as phantom sailors fired their antiquated cannons. Iron sounded against iron as one of the round-shots struck Die Glocke, causing the aircraft to teeter for a moment. Hannah responded by extending five hinged, octopus-like arms from around the aircraft, each emanating a green, flaming tip. After she adjusted a few long levers inside the cabin, each of the tentacles ignited into vaporous green disks with large patches of red in the middle — shields. Another cannonball flew close to the ship and hit one of the shields. It passed easily through the green gas, but it exploded into a million bits just as soon as it touched the red patch. The explosion shook the ground, making everyone unsteady on his or her feet.

“Mr. Evans!” Maria shouted as she regained her footing. She pointed to the water. “Extend your screen over the ocean. The Vril is ready to be tested. We cannot afford the noise.”

A .50 caliber machine gun descended from the bottom of Die Glocke and aimed at the largest boat in the water: an eighteenth-century French warship, doubtlessly a casualty of the British occupation of Savannah during the Revolutionary War. The warship fired an impressive rally of twenty successive cannonballs, all ending with the same result: explosive incinerations prior to contact with the body of Die Glocke. “Fire!” Maria ordered. The machine gun unloaded a single red flare gloved in green. It connected precisely with the warship and blew it apart with a force that far exceeded any weaponry Audrianna had ever seen. The impact of cannonball on shield had knocked everyone off kilter, but this blast knocked everyone down to the ground.

“Up! Up!” Kiah yelled at his team. Audrianna turned away from the mayhem at sea to watch what Kiah was doing. “Sing the fugue in the key of D major!” He reached down and pulled Gary up from the ground and stood him up. The rest of the group, including Kendis and the Englishmen, bumbled up on their feet and began to sing again. “Everyone on the cantus firmus and prepare for dissonant counterpoint,” Kiah screamed to the left and the right over Elmer’s continuous drum roll. “Make your intervals a seventh and a ninth. Give me everything you’ve got, now! On the Master’s command!”

“Enough of this,” Maria moaned. “Turn the gun on the group.” She got up and brushed the sand from her legs, and then she raised her arm up in the air.

“No! Maria, please!” Audrianna screamed at her, but Maria appeared unaffected by her words.

As the machine gun rotated on its turret, Kendis stepped back into ranks with the others, eyes brown and hair wild. She had a fearless air of determination about her. Audrianna had never seen her appear so powerful or so triumphant.

“Fire!” Maria yelled, dropping her hand and directing Hannah to release another round of munitions at Kendis and her players.

At the exact same moment, Kendis threw her palm open to the sea and sang at the top of her lungs, “Bring the music from the ocean!” A hundred or more dolphins stood up on their tailfins in the water, chattering away in painful discordance to the music of the song. Die Glocke discharged another red missile, but it slowed halfway to its target, and then it stopped altogether, inverting its course the second Kendis stepped forward off her line. Kendis stretched one of her hands over the other, directly in front of her face, right into the green stream of biverse energy that still connected the ring to her forehead. She took one step forward, and then another, and then another, and then another, pushing the stream backwards in its trajectory. At the same time, the explosive made its way back to the muzzle of the gun.

Audrianna looked at Maria, and then at Lorna, and then at Hiram — all of them were reversing their movements in a steady, slow rhythm. Kendis was slowly turning back time. When she reached Audrianna’s ring, she snatched it out of the air and threw it to the ground, breaking its hold on her. At that moment, everyone and everything was immobilized except for Kendis and Audrianna. All around them, time had stopped.

Kendis leaned over and rested her hands on her thighs. Breathing heavily, she looked at Audrianna and said, “Audri, are ya tryin’ to kill me, honey?” She forced a laugh between gasps. Eventually, she picked Audrianna’s ring out of the sand and painfully examined it, shaking her head. Audrianna was so deeply affected by the hurt in Kendis’ expression that she was unable to speak. Sadness, anxiety, and fear coursed through her. She had no idea what Kendis would do next.

“Audrianna,” Kendis said as she knelt in front of her. She took Audrianna’s hand, and she immediately noticed the gold band Lorna had put on her finger earlier that day. Kendis looked up with tears in her eyes, and then she offered Audrianna the ring she had made for her more than ten years ago. “I trust there is a good reason you took this off of your finger,” she whispered. “If you still wanna wear it, I still want you to have it.”