Dovetailed (25 page)

And as she thought it, the building began to erect right in front of them. Rubble shook and reformed. Pieces flew through the air, and stacked one on top of the other.

Amberlee let out a very non-Queenly yelp. “Holy cret!”

“I know, right?” Venus agreed, but kept her focus on the building. She wanted it to be perfect.

Michael stood next to her, giving her strength and warmth. He was her rock. When the castle was finished, Amberlee clasped her hands together. “Thank you, Venus.” She paused, as though worried about what she was going to say next. “But…” Amberlee began.

“What?” Venus asked.

“My people,” she said. “Will you… can you do this for them as well?”

Venus hugged her and this time Amberlee returned the embrace. “Of course.” As they stood together, Venus closed her eyes and pictured Alayeah, the way it’d been before. She redesigned all of the homes, the waterways and bridges. She filled the streams with fish, crustaceans, and all manner of water creatures. Then she filled the fields with cows, sheep, and… irrihunters.

“Cret,” Amberlee swore again when an irrihunter flew close to them.

Venus released Amberlee and checked out her work. It was better than she imagined. The crowds cheered. She felt their hearts lighten and the tiniest bit of hope returned to them.

“Everything’s going to be fine, Amberlee.”

“Thank you so much.” Amberlee kissed Venus’s cheek. “I love you… Your Majesty.”

“I love you, too.”

After Amberlee and Seth went inside, Venus grabbed Michael’s hand. “I need to go to the cave of Ith and Aetha; do you want to come with me?”

“Do you even need to ask?” Michael grasped her chin and pressed a kiss to her lips. “I go where you go. Always.” His voice was leathery soft and caressed her like a warm breeze.

“Always,” she whispered against his lips.

A roar sounded behind them.

Michael smiled. “There’s someone here to see you.”

Venus turned and felt a big smile fill up her face. “Sadraden.”

Mind if I give you both a ride?
Her question filled Venus’s mind. When Michael nodded, she knew he’d heard as well.

Venus ran toward her. “I’d love it.” She wrapped her hands around Sadraden’s black furry neck, then climbed on her back. “Let’s do this,” she yelled.

Michael hopped on behind her. “I have to admit I love flying with Sadraden.” He wrapped his arms around Venus’s waist and kissed her neck.

Sadraden took off. She beat her wings three times and then leapt into the air. “Does that cave have a bed, candles, and rose petals?” Michael asked. He smiled and his lips brushed against her neck again.

“That can be arranged.” Her body heated and she shivered at the thought of being with Michael. “Can you fly faster?”

Sadraden chuffed.
I suppose
. She went faster.

Venus leaned against Michael, enjoying the wind against her face. She knew her life was just beginning and that eternity with Michael would be fabu. 

It was twilight on Earth when Dervinias landed his Transport. His secret base remained and he quickly entered. A thick coat of dust hung in the air that smelled like chemicals, making it obvious no one had been inside for a while.

The scientist in him sighed. He’d had such high hopes when he built this place. Even the American government had supported his trials, as did other many other governments. It was time for him to end it. This planet didn’t need him or his technology. In fact, he knew they’d be better off without both.

He was here for three reasons:

Destroy any trace of his laboratory.

Retrieve the Ostwallow sword.

Check in on Chev.

He’d even debated going to high school, just so he could see her again.

Dervinias flipped open the panel and pressed a red button. “The self-destruct command has been activated. Complete body scan to verify,” a computerized female voice said. He stepped into the scanning chamber. “Scanning. Scanning. Scanning. Activation complete. This facility will self-destruct in sixty seconds.”

Dervinias got out of the scanner and looked around the room. He had decades of notes within the building. He thought of trying to retrieve them, saving them for a later date. Forever was a long time. He might need them.

“This building will self-destruct in thirty seconds.”

He initiated the computer sitting at his desk.

“Twenty-nine.”

Pulled up the files.

“Twenty-eight.”

And quickly scanned through them. The first set of notes was on Chev. He’d been so excited when he learned she was pregnant with his child. If only he could find a way to… He froze, remembering all that’d happened to Chev. Had he really been willing to kill female humans in order to create a super race? He shook his head.

“Fifteen.”

He ran across the room, opened the door, and exited. The door closed.

From the outside, the facility was invisible. Using Britorent, he ran for the trees a half-mile away and then turned. The explosion was a charge of blue and green flames. Two seconds after it appeared, the fire was gone. Nothing remained.

Sadness welled up inside him, but he pushed it away.

He needed to get the Ostwallow sword. That would be tricky, especially if A.L.T still had the poison his father had given them.

The A.L.T. headquarters was in New Mexico, so he decided to go see Chev first. He ran to her ranch and peeked in the windows. She was there, having dinner with her family. They were laughing about something.

“So this is what you’ve become? A peeping tom?”

Dervinias turned and saw Venus and Michael walking toward him. They were holding hands, looking disgustingly in love. He envied them.

“What are you two doing here?” He stepped from the window and met them near the corral out front.

“We figured we’d help you get the Ostwallow sword,” Venus said, smiling.

“Helker knows you could use it,” Michael said sarcastically.

Dervinias smiled. It was weird having the two of them on his side. He liked the feeling, embraced it even. Though he knew he’d never be able to make up for all the death he’d inflicted on humans, he wanted to try.

Earth was his home now too. Someday it would be his daughter’s, and hopefully at some point he’d be able to have Chev in his life again.

The Transport room was quiet, except for Zaren. He turned on the machine.

“Greetings, Zaren. Where would you like to go?”

The Transport surprised him. He’d forgotten that the latest models could enter the coordinates instead of the need to do it manually.

Zaren sat back and thought about it. He ached. For Palamina. He’d found her and lost her again all in a few short weeks. The pain in his soul was substantial. Kelari held too many painful memories. Venus no longer needed him. She had Michael. More than that, she could protect herself better than he ever could now. Amberlee’s first order of business had been to hold a world conference and discuss the Kelvieri’s boots and whether they still wanted Venus to rule as god of this world. The overwhelming consensus was that they did want their goddess and the boots.

During the process, Amberlee had taken a liking to the Formytian, Seth. After Zaren, Seth and a couple of other Formytians hunted down all those who’d been part of The Order of Eternal Fire, Amberlee had dismissed Zaren and made Seth her personal guardian.

The traitors were imprisoned in Helker. They weren’t dead, just in special cells that would hold them for eternity. Venus had said they needed to suffer for all the death and destruction they’d been part of. Once that was done, there was nothing more for him to do. He was free.

Zaren wanted a change. More than anything, he wanted to get off this planet. Sometimes eternity felt like a curse instead of a blessing. He’d never grow old. He’d never change… unless… there was always the Leviathan planet. One touch of their poison would end him and then he could be with Palamina.

Zaren sighed. No matter how difficult living had become, killing himself wasn’t an option. At a young age, he’d had an interest in the world of Dyotha. It was filled with dinosaurs. He’d start there.