there—were coming again like they had so long ago. With her child coming soon, uncertainty about his place in the world—about hers—filled her with growing anxiety. She needed to know her kind still existed in order to feel at peace. If they ever came to Earth and Charlie finally knew his heritage—could he accept it?
She slid from the bed and retrieved a box from her closet, hidden far behind clothes and under books. She sat in the wingback chair near the window and lifted out a wide, long belt of burnished steel. She peeked at Ben to make sure he remained asleep. His slow breaths comforted her as she ran her fingers over the belt's smooth texture. Its silver sheen glinted in the soft moonlight, rippling with iridescence. It changed color from dark gray to light then a deep purple and back to gray as it flexed between her hands with a life of its own.
She put it on and had to loop it on the last hole, her expansive stomach taking up most of the length. She took a deep breath and pressed a series of buttons on the buckle's panel that was the combination she had discovered years ago upon taking the belt from Felix. He'd helped her and Ben survive her twin's attack. Felix had been the only other person, beside her brother, who had been half-Elyon, half-human—like herself. He had died that awful night protecting her when her brother tried to kill her. But he left her one thing behind—his belt. Felix had told her it was a belt to their world. Elyon.
Take me to Elyon . She closed her eyes and in a whoosh was pulled through time and space. The tick of the wall clock and Ben's breathing left her. An almost unbearable silence filled her every crevice. She opened her eyes. Mist blew across gray rock. Stars twinkled above through racing clouds.
The vapor swirled away to reveal a black building, not square but angled and rounded. A figure stepped from an opening in it and moved toward her. Laura clutched her belly to protect her child, even though her body still sat in the chair back home. Her hands shimmered through her, like an apparition. If she pressed the large green button on the belt her spirit would return to her bedroom.
A tall, white haired man in a gray robe grew closer, his head down. He held a large bag and shuffled one hand about in it. The mist flowed around him as if it were part of him. He looked up and stopped, his hand frozen in the bag. He pulled it out and held it toward her. Laura inhaled sharply. She hadn't seen people here since Charlie was a young child and she had stopped using the belt. She had no need to then.
The man walked closer, his face puzzled.
You're Laura. His words came to her, clear in her mind.
Stunned, she didn't know how to respond and then the words came to her and she answered back with her own thoughts. How do you know this?
I saw you the day my brother spoke to you years ago. You were ready to bear a child then, like you are now.
You're my uncle, too?
Yes. My name is Brahm Madroc.
Your brother said your people were coming. I've waited and waited but heard nothing.
I believe he did come. The man's forehead wrinkled and he looked away.
What do you mean? The mist blew across the man, obscuring his sad expression.
He, along with Destroyer renegades, stole our people's ship. They could have only gone to one place, Earth, on their own mission. We crushed their Destroyer Uprising years ago, but we couldn't put their cause out completely. They rose again—and we believe are now on Earth. We can't know for sure. The thieves took our only communication belt.
Fear prickled through Laura. When was this?
Seven years ago. Right after my wife died in a lab accident. We were readying for our mission when it happened.
I'm so sorry.
The man nodded . We had to start over with limited resources. Our new ship is almost ready.
And you think your brother is here?
He always wanted to go to Earth, like our brother, Feo, his twin, who died in a crash there years ago. I assume he made it
She slid from the bed and retrieved a box from her closet, hidden far behind clothes and under books. She sat in the wingback chair near the window and lifted out a wide, long belt of burnished steel. She peeked at Ben to make sure he remained asleep. His slow breaths comforted her as she ran her fingers over the belt's smooth texture. Its silver sheen glinted in the soft moonlight, rippling with iridescence. It changed color from dark gray to light then a deep purple and back to gray as it flexed between her hands with a life of its own.
She put it on and had to loop it on the last hole, her expansive stomach taking up most of the length. She took a deep breath and pressed a series of buttons on the buckle's panel that was the combination she had discovered years ago upon taking the belt from Felix. He'd helped her and Ben survive her twin's attack. Felix had been the only other person, beside her brother, who had been half-Elyon, half-human—like herself. He had died that awful night protecting her when her brother tried to kill her. But he left her one thing behind—his belt. Felix had told her it was a belt to their world. Elyon.
Take me to Elyon . She closed her eyes and in a whoosh was pulled through time and space. The tick of the wall clock and Ben's breathing left her. An almost unbearable silence filled her every crevice. She opened her eyes. Mist blew across gray rock. Stars twinkled above through racing clouds.
The vapor swirled away to reveal a black building, not square but angled and rounded. A figure stepped from an opening in it and moved toward her. Laura clutched her belly to protect her child, even though her body still sat in the chair back home. Her hands shimmered through her, like an apparition. If she pressed the large green button on the belt her spirit would return to her bedroom.
A tall, white haired man in a gray robe grew closer, his head down. He held a large bag and shuffled one hand about in it. The mist flowed around him as if it were part of him. He looked up and stopped, his hand frozen in the bag. He pulled it out and held it toward her. Laura inhaled sharply. She hadn't seen people here since Charlie was a young child and she had stopped using the belt. She had no need to then.
The man walked closer, his face puzzled.
You're Laura. His words came to her, clear in her mind.
Stunned, she didn't know how to respond and then the words came to her and she answered back with her own thoughts. How do you know this?
I saw you the day my brother spoke to you years ago. You were ready to bear a child then, like you are now.
You're my uncle, too?
Yes. My name is Brahm Madroc.
Your brother said your people were coming. I've waited and waited but heard nothing.
I believe he did come. The man's forehead wrinkled and he looked away.
What do you mean? The mist blew across the man, obscuring his sad expression.
He, along with Destroyer renegades, stole our people's ship. They could have only gone to one place, Earth, on their own mission. We crushed their Destroyer Uprising years ago, but we couldn't put their cause out completely. They rose again—and we believe are now on Earth. We can't know for sure. The thieves took our only communication belt.
Fear prickled through Laura. When was this?
Seven years ago. Right after my wife died in a lab accident. We were readying for our mission when it happened.
I'm so sorry.
The man nodded . We had to start over with limited resources. Our new ship is almost ready.
And you think your brother is here?
He always wanted to go to Earth, like our brother, Feo, his twin, who died in a crash there years ago. I assume he made it
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