“Hey, he turneddown being in the wedding party ’cause he was hoping to meet agirl,” she protested. “I helped him do that. You can’t blame meif it turned into a… what the hell would you even call it?”
“A fivesome?”Dexter ventured.
“I think,” Lunasaid quietly, looking back over her shoulder, “after four, the‘some’ becomes too unwieldy and you just have to call it anorgy.”
“After whathe’s done to save everyone,” Dexter muttered, “I’d say he’searned whatever it is that you just landed him in… Ow!” Heflinched from the elbow she dug into his ribs. “Right… just...forgot in the face of extraordinary events.”
Save everyone? Adelinahad the feeling Dexter had just slipped up and his girlfriend wasreacting to that, rather than her role in Kace’s current adventure.I wonder…
“Addie?” Luna wasclearly saying her name a second time. “That summer job forGabriella, how about you guys come up to our room tomorrow ateleven?”
“Oh, yeah,” Adelinanodded. “Sure, we’ll be there.”
“Do you think I’dget to work with Maeve?” Gabriella asked, almost hopping up anddown on the elevator floor. “She was here last night, so they mustknow her pretty well.”
“I don’t knowany more than I’ve already told you, Hon.”Adelina shrugged. “It was nice of Maeve to arrive early for theceremony, though. That way there’s not a big stir with her showingup at a packed church.
“I think,though, that you’d probably be working with your aunt and uncle.I’d bet that even theydon’t see much of a busy person like her.”
She smiled at herdaughter. “Let’s not jump to any conclusions. We’ll know soonenough.”
The elevator finallyreached the top floor and they stepped out. Down at the end of thehall, two huge guards stood outside a set of double doors, remindingAdelina of the secret she hadn’t told anyone, not even her owndaughter.
She was trying to workout what to say to the guards but she might as well have savedherself the trouble. As soon as they were a couple of paces fromthem, the guard on the left gave her an odd, tilted half-bow.
“Good morning, LadyAdelina, Lady Gabriella.” He straightened and gestured at the doorhis partner was opening. “Please go right in.”
“Lady?” Gabriellagiggled. “Maybe we got off on the wrong floor?”
They wentthrough, finding themselvesin a large living room. The opposite side was a wall of glass lookingout over the ocean. It would have been a much nicer view if thestumps of the older waterfront buildings weren’t sticking up out ofthe water.
Luna and Gleb weresitting together on a couch, talking with Eth and… Maeve? Adelinacould almost feel the fan-girl energy coming off her daughter.
“They’re alreadynear the halfway point,” Gleb said. “So we need to leave bytomorrow if we’re going to get there first.”
“True enough,” Ethsaid. “I’d like a chance to secure the area before they show up –make sure nothing dangerous is lurking in the system.”
“Is everybodyback aboard?” Luna asked.She smiled at the newcomers and waved them to one of the couches.
“All but fourof our people,” Eth said. “They were… absent from thecelebration last night when we passed the word, so…”
“Ah, yes,”Gleb darted a glance at Gabriella. “They were… they were eager tomeet one of the localheroes. I appreciate your discretion but it’s time to get themmoving. They don’t understand the local customs and I don’t wantus delayed while we arrange…” Hefrowned at his wife and muttered something in a strange language.
“Bail,” Lunasaid. “And it’s a good point. This genius...” Shejabbed a thumb at Gleb. “Almost got us arrested a few days ago.It’s a lot easier than you might think.”
Eth stood. “I’dbetter round them up right now. If there’s nothing else for us todeal with?”
“I think thatcovers everything.”Gleb said. “Thanks, Eth.”
The man nodded and leftthe suite.
“So,” Lunaturned to her sister and niece. “Addie, you met Maeve last nightbut Gabriella missed out.”
“So this is the younglady you’ve been telling me about?” Maeve got up to offer herhand. “A pleasure to meet you, Gabriella!”
Adelina didn’t knowwhat sort of proposal was in store but it was entirely worth cominghere just to hear her daughter gushing. It was, by far, the mostenthusiasm she’d seen from Gabriella since she’d become ateenager.
And it was a hell of alot better than the usual alternative. Instead of freaking out overmeeting some coke-head musician, Gabriella was excited to meet anoted scientist and visionary.
“Will I beworking for you?” shesqueaked.
Maeve gave her afriendly smile. “I can promise you, before the day is out, you’llbe glad you didn’t end up as one of my interns. Seriously, you’regonna freak!”
“Shall we go?” Glebstood.
“Let’s not keepthem waiting any longer than necessary,” Luna said, setting downher coffee and getting up as well.
“Where are we going?”Adelina asked.
“Trust me, BigSis,”Luna said. “The only way to explain this gig is to show you.”
They exited the suite,the two guards falling in with them as Gleb and Luna emerged. Back atthe elevator end of the hall, there was a glazed door.
They went through thedoor and up to the roof where a helicopter waited.
“Oh, this is socool!” Gabriella squealed. “I’ve never ridden in a chopperbefore!”
Neither had Adelina andshe would have been happy to keep it that way but they were kind ofcommitted at this point… at least, committed to seeing what it wasthey wanted to show her.
Maeve climbedinto the pilot’s seat and started flipping switches and pushingbuttons. Of course the visionary space-goddess can fly,Adelina thought.
They lifted offand headed inland. Before Adelina could even work out how theintercom system in the headsets worked, they were descending in whatseemed to be a pretty deserted area in the hillsof the Cuyamaca Rancho State Park.
Except for more ofGleb’s guards.
“I’ve already gotmore questions than I woke up with,” Adelina said, climbing out ofthe chopper. “Is there some secret lab out here?”
“That’s the kind ofquestion you can never get a satisfying answer to, isn’t it?”Maeve asked.
“No one’s gonna say‘yes’ to that, ’cause, if it exists, then they have to keep thesecret,” Gabriella said. “So they say ‘no’ and you can’tfigure out whether it’s a lie or the truth!”
“There’s ananswer you can trust under that shelter.” Luna pointed at a largetemporary structure, colored to
