“Thayen and his crew are handling that issue, hopefully,” Kailani interjected, trying to steer the conversation away from a pit of despair. More frequently than ever, the grief and the anger provoked by this entire situation had a way of hammering down on our resolve, making it harder for many of us to get through the day. The more we waited out here, unable to go after our people, the more it hurt. “Let’s focus on what we can do here, just until another shimmering portal opens.”
I looked to Phoenix for ideas. His wife and daughter were in the realm beyond, and he was hanging on by a fine thread. We needed him busy and focused on this new discovery—for his sake and ours. “Does it look like anything you might have seen before, darling?” I asked.
“Not really,” Phoenix replied, frowning as he approached the silvery box. He carefully lifted one of the small cubes. It fit in the palm of his hand, its edges glimmering lime green, much like the button on the box. He turned it over several times, then held it up to his ear. “I’m hearing something…”
We all moved closer, curious. Maybe we’d hear it, too.
“It’s faint, but I can hear it,” Phoenix continued. “Voices, I think. Different tones, but familiar. I need to figure out what’s inside.”
“It’s not magic,” Kailani said. “Not any magic I know of, anyway. The Word hums inside me whenever I’m close to these things, but that’s all I’ve got.”
“What if it’s a combination of magic and technology?” I suggested. “We can’t be the only ones in this vast universe who mixed the two. Well, technically speaking, Ta’Zan was first…”
Derek nodded slowly. “I’m inclined to agree. Is there any way for us to ascertain if the magical part of these devices is the same as what opened the shimmering portals? We need to establish some areas of commonality, otherwise we’re stuck with foreign elements, tangled and impossible to decipher.”
Kailani and Phoenix exchanged glances. “I’m more than happy to work with you on this,” the witch said. My great-grandson gave her a warm smile.
“It would be much appreciated.”
“We’ll do an external study first,” Kailani told us, while Phoenix nodded in agreement.
“Then we’ll scan each cube. Hopefully, we will be able to see inside. It’s our best shot at studying whatever circuitry makes these things work,” he added. “Once we’ve got an idea, we’ll start looking into ways of cracking one of them open.”
Derek sighed, settling in one of the chairs nearby. “In the meantime, maybe a shimmering portal will open, and we’ll be able to go after our kids.”
“I was going to ask…” Phoenix began, leaving his cube with Kailani. “Can I join your team when that happens? Assuming a shimmering portal opens nearby, and you’re the first responders, of course.”
“Yeah. I’m sure both Viola and Astra would be happy to see you,” Derek said, a dark expression in his eyes. We hadn’t had a moment alone in the past few hours, but I knew he was troubled over Thayen, too. The uncertainty was the worst, but we had to move past it. The Shade still needed us. The parents of those who had gone missing needed us.
Phoenix and Kailani took one silvery cube each, gently touching each side as they tried to feel for anything out of the ordinary. A particular groove, perhaps, or a hidden latch. Anything that might help them open the damn things and figure out what purpose they served.
I sat down next to my husband, while Serena and Draven went out for some air. I couldn’t blame them. These were hard times, and their situation was by far the most concerning, given how long it had been since Isabelle’s abduction. The idea that a clone had expertly filled in for her was particularly disturbing. We were marked now—and hopefully easy to detect thanks to the Reapers—but I couldn’t help but wonder how many times I’d unwittingly crossed paths with clones in The Shade.
How many times had I hugged or kissed them, thinking they were my children or grandchildren or beloved nephews or nieces? I shuddered as Derek put his arm around me and pulled me close. Ben and Rose were watching the screens with renewed interest, as new messages came pouring in from different parts of the GASP federation.
“The Daughters are still working on a way to reverse-engineer a shimmering portal,” Rose said. “I think we’re better off staying here for now. There isn’t much else we can do.”
“I agree,” Ben replied. “River will come by with fresh blood and food at some point. Caleb is currently supervising all the dispatch teams.”
“We’re in limbo,” I sighed, resting my head on Derek’s shoulder.
Ben turned to face me. “We’ll get him back, Mom. Thayen is one hell of a fighter.”
“I know. I have all the faith in the world that we’ll get Thayen back,” I said. “Truth be told, I’m dying to figure out what this whole thing is about. Ugh, I don’t know, it feels like we should know more at this point, at least about the enemy. They serve a purpose we don’t understand. We don’t know what we have to do or how to do it.”
“We’ve responded well so far,” Derek replied in a bid to comfort me. “Especially considering all the unknowns we’re dealing with. Besides, from what I remember, every new enemy we’ve encountered baffled us in the beginning. Hopefully, this time, Kale and Phoenix here will be able to get something out of those cube thingies and get us some new information.”
Rose frowned. “I’m curious. Phoenix, you said you heard voices inside.” He nodded once. “What if they’re recordings? I’m just spit-balling here, but if this is some
