CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

 

The scent of food cooking filled the palace and made Gabriel’s mouth water. They all took baths, and by the time he got out of the tub, the crystal-clear water had turned dark and murky. Gabriel dried his tired and achy bones, and dressed in clothes the prince had given him. He eyed his reflection in the mirror, admiring the new threads. He pushed the white shirt sleeves to his elbows and tucked the shirt’s long tail into the black pants before buttoning up the navy blue vest. Then he cinched the belt and rolled the long pants up. Even though the clothes were too big, he had to admit it was pretty cool to dress up as a prince. With a quick run of his fingers through his wet hair, he was off. Food was calling his name.

The huge dining hall hummed with happy voices and soft music. Princess Evangeline rushed up and grabbed his hand. “This way,” she said, giggling and tugging him through the crowd of people. He laughed with her, happy that she seemed to be herself again. The princess pulled out a seat for him at the giant table that was decked out with a burgundy silk tablecloth and golden candleholders securing ivory-lit candles. The food and all the amazing smells nearly made Gabriel faint with hunger.

“Wow,” he said, eyeing the massive turkey, the stuffing, and every vegetable imaginable that lined the table. It was like Thanksgiving dinner on steroids. Brent held up a turkey leg from the end of the table. “Dude!” he called, waving the meat into the air while his white shirt sleeve dipped into a tub of gravy. “Best food ever!” He gnawed off a giant bite, sending juices dripping down his chin.

Gabriel’s eyes widened when he saw a girl sitting beside Piper. The girl’s long, dark hair hung over her face as she picked at the food on her plate. He knew that posture, that hair. “Tahlita?” he called.

She raised her head, shoving her hair behind her ears. “That’d be me,” she said, grinning. “Glad you made it back safely.”

Gabriel looked around the room. He wondered where Dane was, if all of Tahlita’s memories had come back, if she was happy to be back in Valta, and if she’d completely made up with her dad.

But Dane was nowhere in sight.

Gabriel’s stomach tumbled. Did Tahlita remember something bad about Dane? That concept was easy to imagine. But if she did, was she planning on ditching her dad for good—in Willow Creek? That couldn’t happen.

As if sensing how Gabriel was feeling, or maybe reading the goofy expression that was most likely plastered across his face, Tahlita spoke up. “You looking for my father?” She downed her drink, before wiping her mouth with the back of her hand and adding, “He went in the kitchen looking for something.”

Gabriel took a gulp of his iced tea to wet his sandpaper tongue. He cleared his throat. “Is, um, everything cool with you guys now?”

Just then, Dane sauntered out from the kitchen with a huge peppermill. As if the dude wasn’t spicy enough. “Yes, Gabriel. All is well,” Dane answered for her. “My darling daughter remembers everything, and Valta is at peace. Finally.” He smirked as he took a seat beside Tahlita. With a smile, she rested her head against Dane’s arm a second as he continued talking. Just that motion alone made Gabriel heave an inward sigh of relief. Things were definitely cool between them.

“I figure the powers I gave you and your friends were paramount in achieving what was accomplished,” Dane said, once again taking credit for any success. “Zeverons are a marvelous species—the best in fact, wouldn’t you say?” He twisted the peppermill above his plate, the large device making loud crunching sounds as he did. Oddly, as the pepper sprinkled out, the stuff suspended in mid-air like black dust, twirling in circles.

Dane’s eyes pulled to his left. “Tahlita … ”

Piper giggled, followed by Tahlita and Princess Evangeline. Gabriel realized that Tahlita was messing with the stuff with her magic. He stifled a laugh.

“Zeverons are marvelous, father,” she said, “But so are humans. Right?”

Dane grumbled, but didn’t answer.

“Father?” Tahlita pressed, the pepper swirling in faster circles now.

“Yes, darling,” Dane finally answered. “I suppose you’re right.”

The pepper dropped on top of his food.

Brent and Gabriel joined the girls in laughing. Gabriel was relieved there’d be no pepper fight that day.

“Yo,” Brent said to Gabriel, waving a spoonful of mashed potato in the air. “You gonna eat or what? Seriously, this food is, like, amazing.”

“And the pizza is too,” Flossie said, scurrying out of the kitchen and laying a huge pepperoni pie in front of Gabriel. “Human children always need pizza for backup, right?”

“Yes!” Gabriel grabbed a piece of his favorite food and sank his teeth into the ooey, gooey awesomeness just as Finley hopped up onto the back of his chair with a happy squeal.

“Me happy Gabrul not hurt,” the monkey said.

“Me too, Fin,” Gabriel answered. “Mmm. Thanks so much, Flossie.”

“Mrs. Lethbridge,” the empress called from across the table.

Flossie wiped her hands on her apron. “Oh, call me Dorothy or even Flossie is fine, Empress,” she said.

“Flossie it is.” The empress lifted a golden goblet from the table with a smile. “You represent the human race’s cooking skills very well. Thank you so much for this lovely preparation.”

“Oh, it’s nothing, honestly.” Flossie took a seat beside Gabriel and winked at him.

Gabriel was so busy stuffing his face, he almost missed it when Cadence walked in. Piper nudged his arm. “Is that Cadence?” she asked.

The white witch was now dressed in a red satin dress that brushed against the floor. Her ivory skin was scrubbed clean, and her white hair had been braided down her back. He couldn’t believe it. The witch actually looked pretty like her sister now that she had cleaned up—well, except for her freaky white eyes.

“Thanks for helping us,” Gabriel said to her as she took a seat across from him.

She began scooping food onto her plate. “And thank you for rescuing me from the well. I would have never gotten out without your help.”

Gabriel didn’t tell her that he had been terrified of wells since he was five years old, and just what a miracle it was that he had gone down there to get her. Instead, he inwardly grinned that somehow he’d faced his darkest fear all alone.

Well, he thought. Not completely alone. Andimian had helped him. He searched the room for the big cat and found him lying on the floor close to the empress. Gabriel sliced off a giant mound of turkey and brought it to the tiger. Andimian dug in. “Thanks for saving me back at the fire,” Gabriel said, patting the tiger’s back. “And for not leaving me alone at the well. You’re awesome.”

Gabriel gazed around the dining hall, watching as everyone talked and laughed. Prince Oliver twirled Princess Evangeline by the hand and danced in rhythm with the music. Dane sat eating, while Piper tried to coax Tahlita to dance. She batted Piper’s extended hand away, not looking like she was down with that concept. No surprise there.

Finley poked his head out from beneath the table, lifting the silky tablecloth, and grinning at Gabriel. His monkey friend pointed at something under the table. Gabriel ducked his head and followed Finley’s mischievous gaze. Dane’s brown-scuffed shoes were now covered in gobs of mashed potato. In the center of each pile of goo was one bright-red cherry. Finley covered his mouth, chuckling, before scampering up into the seat at the table. He looked around, plastering the most innocent look ever onto his face. Gabriel laughed as he made his way back to the table and sank into the seat beside the monkey. Gabriel clinked glasses with Finley and thought about everything that had happened:

Tahlita had been returned to her father Dane. The Solarians had been booted out of Valta, their portal destroyed. He’d rescued the white witch, and the souls trapped in the vase were released. Empress Malina and Princess Evangeline had been safely returned home from Solaria, and the immunity-robbing cydras had been removed.

Mission accomplished.

It was time to go home. Gabriel just hoped that their parents hadn’t forgotten them forever.