“Claire, you’re rambling. But my answers are no, no, and maybe.”
“Maybe!?”
“Kidding. I think we’re all right. Earth and Oriceran are tied together. Family, in a way. We’ll be okay.” Maria paused. “Listen, the reason I’m calling is because I’m wondering how Tabby is doing? Does she hate me?”
“Oh! I’m sitting with her right now!”
“You are? Where? Her house?”
“No, we’re in the hospital. You only left us a few hours ago. They’re just doing a routine check up.”
Guilt washed over Maria. “But she’s okay? You didn’t tell them what happened…did you?”
“Yeah, Maria, we told the nurses and doctors that Tab got attacked by a couple of giant spiders. Yeah, totally.”
Maria laughed. “I’m sorry, I’m just a little high-strung. It’s been an odd few days. Can I talk to Tabby?”
“She’s actually sleeping right now. Doc said she can go, but the hospital beds are just so damn comfy, you know?”
“I don’t, but speaking of beds, I’m going to find mine. I’ll text you after the date and let you know how it went.”
It was then that Claire squeee-ed so loudly that Maria had to hold the phone away from her ear unless she wanted permanent hearing loss. The squee-ing went on for a solid twenty seconds, Maria asked, “Are you done?”
To which Claire replied with more squee-ing.
Finally, the line went quiet. Maria was scared to say anything for some time at the risk of more of Claire’s squee-ing.
“Okay, okay, I’m done. Promise me one thing, Maria.”
“Yeah?”
“Don’t take Sherlock on the date with you. Please.”
Hey, I heard that! Sherlock said from the hallway. Remember I’m a dog. I have supersonic hearing.
Maria waved him away.
You tell Claire her invitation to Dog Prom is officially revoked.
The phone came away from Maria’s ear. She covered the mouthpiece with her hand. “Wait—what? What the hell is Dog Prom? You know what, never mind.” Then back to Claire, “Don’t worry, I’m not going to take him. He’s going to stay home and be a good boy…unless he wants diapers.”
“Diapers? No, just quit feeding him bacon and eggs. It does not smell good coming out the other end.”
The two girls broke out into uncontrollable laughter. When that subsided, they said their goodbyes, Maria asking Claire to make sure Tabby called or texted her as soon as she woke up, and Claire promising she would—but knowing Claire, she probably forgot the moment she pressed the ‘END’ button.
Maria changed into a pair of sweats and a tank top. She took the music box out of the satchel, and hung the sword belt up on one of her bedposts.
When she settled in to her soft mattress, and the covers were pulled snugly up to her chin, she opened the box. That sweet music played, a chorus of angels singing her to sleep. Her eyelids grew heavier, her heart rate slowed. She was only dimly aware of Sherlock jumping up on her bed and snuggling up next to her, but she wouldn’t have made him get down even he had a dead squirrel clamped between his jaws.
Ah, home sweet home.
“MARIA!” the voice shouted at her.
She knew that voice. It was a friend, a friend in pain.
Where was she? She looked around. The forest was dark and brooding, closing in on the clearing she stood in. Across the way, a dark figure moved toward her.
Fear choked her throat. She wanted to call out and ask who it was, but she could not.
“MARIA!”
The figure stopped about twenty feet away. It was too dark out. She couldn't read his features.
Then he reached a hand out toward her.
“Maria, you have to go! He can’t slay it alone!”
Finally she found her voice, but it came out in a croak. “Duke?”
“Yes, Maria, it’s me.”
“Duke, where are we? I thought you passed on. I thought you went to Heaven.”
“I did, Maria, but I’ve come back to warn you.”
The strength seemed to go out of her legs, causing her to wobble. She caught a nearby branch. It was ice cold to the touch.
Was that branch this close before?
No, she thought, it wasn’t.
The forest was the fear, that much she knew; or at least a representation of the fear that was closing in around her. Closer. Closer. Closer.
“What are you warning me about?”
“The Dragon Tongue… They have risen to the call of Rhazdon once more. What is dead may never truly die. They are there, Maria! They are there!”
“Where?” she shouted back. “Duke! Where?”
But it was too late. The dark, misty figure he had become began to wither away. Grains of sand caught in the wind.
“Duke!”
“Go, Maria! Go—”
The worst screech Maria had ever heard—Can I even hear in a dream? Because that’s what this is, she thought, a dream—sliced through her eardrums.
The forest, now so close to her she could feel the leaves brushing against her skin, swayed violently back and forth, as if caught in a great thunderstorm. But there was no rain, no thunder, no lighting.
A large creature rose into the air—the source of the terrible screeching, which now bled into an earth-rumbling roar. As it extended its wings and hovered, they stretched long enough to block out the light from the two moons.
Maria reached for her sword and found it was not there.
Then all she saw as the creature swooped down on her were two blazing orange eyes the size of twin suns hanging in the sky…and fire.
Chapter Eight
She woke up screaming, soaked in her own sweat, her t-shirt and sweatpants plastered to her skin. Sherlock was at the end of the bed, on his back, his legs in the air, his paws twitching. Probably dreaming of chasing Raffins or peeing on Gnomes, she thought.
Outside, the sun was on its way down. Fear struck her almost as hard as it had in her dream—Just a dream, that’s all it was. Thank God.
But she shot up out of bed, causing Sherlock to jump and scream, What is it? Is it the Gnomes!?
