Trendan glanced at his forearm as they walked into the Alterealm Royal’s summit room.
“It burns,” Ulric said quietly.
“I don’t feel sick, so I’ll take it.” When they’d landed in the acclimation chamber, a strange woman named Elder Arian had met them and jabbed them in the arm to implant a stabilizer. Of course, she’d only told them after doing it that they were the guinea pigs.
“If I grow a third arm, I’m not going to be happy.”
Trendan looked around the room. “She said the worst-case scenario is we’ll feel sick.”
“Right. Because science experiments always do exactly what they’re meant.”
Tor came over to them. “Did you guys get the implant too?” He held up his arm where the red area was visible.
“How long have you had it in?” Ulric rubbed his arm again.
“About an hour.” He shrugged. “It was better than sitting in that chamber.
Trendan didn’t see his brother anywhere. “Where is Bastian?”
“He’s with Glen right now, Nova is with Sonia and Cambree, they’re doing a video call.”
Sonia and Cambree were the family Glen had been spelled to forget. Trendan nodded. “When is Glen going to see them?”
“I don’t know. I was just told to wait here—” He grabbed Ulric’s arm, “Oh. There she is. This lady is amazing and always brings food. Her name is Mitz.” He started toward the table, pulling his long hair back with a tie as he went.
Trendan looked over to see a redheaded woman setting a tray on the table at the other end of the room. “Go ahead.” He knew Ulric would want to follow Tor. They’d spent nearly every day of their lives together, and some days, he thought they could have been brothers. He grinned at the thought. That wasn’t true. They didn’t argue enough to be related.
“Trendan.” Leone came toward him. “We couldn’t get all the realms here today, but we have more clues to follow for yours, so Michael wants to get started with Solrelm first.”
The part the polite prince wasn’t saying was that because they’d caught his brother, they had more information to go through.
“Tre,” Liri came in the door, “look at the timeline I’ve been working on.” She stopped and pointed. “So far, we’re back almost a thousand years.”
He looked at the wall she pointed to and saw many note cards on it. “Is it working?” He started in the direction of it. “Are you able to piece anything together?”
“More than we had a week ago.” She gave him a quick look, guilt on her face. “Bas should be here soon. Then we can go through the records Elyas gave us.”
He wondered for a moment if the reason most of the other realm’s representatives weren’t here was because of there was a traitor in his own family. Had the Alterealm royals saved him the shame and embarrassment on purpose?
Princess Aireese got up and went over and spoke to King Troy. She had an urgent look on her face, which surprised him. He didn’t think she showed emotion. When she finished speaking with the King, she turned and came toward him. He held his breath for a second, wondering if she knew about Elyas.
“Prince Trendan.” She gave him a polite smile. “I can’t stay as long as I’d hoped. My guard, Firo, has made some progress with the Nula flowers and possibly Florin’s location.
He blinked, trying to remember the relevance of that information. “One of those involved with the first woman that held Nova’s soul?” He paused, trying to think how old they would have to be.
“It may not be her, but she is very old, so we might get lucky.” She grinned, and it wasn’t in a pleasant way. “I will let Bastian know as soon as I do.” She looked at him for a moment and then lifted her hand and disappeared from his sight.
“They make it look so much better than we do.” He turned to see Prince Emil standing behind him. “We port, but she has that flair that makes it look better.” He shrugged.
“I often wish we could do something like as well.” Trendan shrugged.
“You have to go through your headquarters, correct? To get from one location to another?”
“More or less. As watchers, our links can do a great deal, but yes, if we’re going from one location to another of great distance, it has to come from the control center.”
Emil nodded slowly. “So how are these lawless ones doing it? I don’t see your brother transporting them to and from locations.”
That had been one of the first questions he’d asked Elyas once the shock had worn off. “He didn’t. The only transporter we’ve found was at the research facility…”
“So they all went through there?” He had a very serious look on his face. “I’m just trying to adjust to the fact that my family are now basically detectives for all the realms.” He grinned. “At least until everyone is caught and this insanity is over.”
“And then what are you going to do?” Abraham came over and smiled at his father.
“Take a long nap,” Emil answered and then toasted them with a coffee mug and walked away.
“He’s not himself the last few days.” Trendan watched him watch his cousin, now Abraham’s soul mate, walk over to her timeline wall. “He’s worried about my sister. Since the birth, she’s stayed in her room.”
Trendan didn’t know all the details surrounding that, but he did understand the birthing process. “It takes time to recover.” He knew in Solrelm, the women were pampered and not usually seen for at least a week after giving birth.
“I suppose. I just wished she’d talk to me.”
“Siblings are complicated.” As if he’d been waiting for his cue, Bastian came through the double doors and announced his arrival. Did he ever just walk into a room without making a grand entrance? Trendan didn’t think so.
“What have I missed?” Bastian smiled at Liri. “Nothing exciting, I hope.”
It bothered Trendan all the way to his very soul that Bas didn’t seem to be upset by the fact that their own brother was a traitor and was in part responsible for all those women and children whose others had been taken from them.
“We’re still waiting on a few to get here.” Prince Rafael went over to the door opened it, and looked. He stood there looking out for a moment and then held one of them open.
Before Trendan could wonder why, Prince Michael came through the door. He had a pink bag over his shoulder, a grey one in his hand, and what looked like an infant seat in the other. He came in, moved aside, and then looked back out the door.
No one in the room spoke until Princess Autumn appeared at the door, and then the women whispered things like ‘There she is’, ‘Here comes momma’. He watched the fierce warrior, dressed in her battle garb, walk across the floor so slowly while cradling the infant in her arms. A few times he wondered if she moved at all with her steps. He had to smile when he saw what looked like a holster on her hip with a baby bottle sticking out of it. One thing was for sure: this child would not have a boring life.
Queen Alona went over to her and walked in slow motion with her while looking at the child in her arms. “She is so beautiful.” It looked like she wanted to cry. “Did you sleep at all?”
“No,” Autumn whispered. “How could I? Look how small she is? How do any of them survive to be a kid even?”
“She sat on the floor beside the cradle and leaned against the wall, taking brief naps the last few days.” Michael went over and dumped the two bags and seat on the table.
When Autumn finally reached it, Michael pulled out a chair for her and then held his hands out like he’d have to catch someone as she sat down.
Trendan put his hand over his mouth to hide his smile. In moments like these, he understood his brother’s adoration of this royal family.
“Iceman, we forgot the warmer,” Autumn whispered. The infant stirred in her arms and made a few baby noises, and Autumn froze and sat there like a stone statue. The wakeful cute sounds then turned into a screech. The child hit notes that sent shivers down Trendan’s spine.
“I have barely seen her.” Emil came over and held out his hands. Autumn gave him a skeptical look, and Emil sighed. “She’s my–niece, and I think out of everyone here, I have the most experience with babies.”
Autumn scowled at him and then moved with careful motion to hand off the child to him.
“Look at you. Little Miss Cranky.” Emil grinned. “First, we need to fix this swaddle. It looks like you fought a battle in it.” He went over to the table and gently put the child on it. “Does she need a new diaper?” He glanced at Autumn. “I’m happy to use one of these modern ones with no pins and such.”
“No.” Autumn got up and came over. “Well…”
“The child has been changed every half hour of her two-day life,” Michael said and then yawned.
Autumn turned around and gave him a hard look. “They told me to keep an eye on that.” She motioned in front of her own body. “—stuff for the first week.” She nodded and looked at Alona. “To make sure she’s getting enough and everything works right down there.” Alona smiled in an ethereal way, like they weren’t discussing body waste. “She just had a bottle…”
“We’ll get her snuggled in and see if she needs to burp,” Emil said in a soft, playful voice.
Trendan looked around and expected to see amusement on his many sibling’s faces, but all of the Alterealm giant men looked horrified.
“Wait-how-I can’t do it that way.” Autumn leaned over and watched Emil wrap the blanket around the child in a tight swaddle. Trendan realized he may know more about infants than most in the room. It was drilled into them their entire life, so when that much-awaited daughter arrived, she was properly cared for.
“Look at that.” Autumn gave Emil a big smile as he held the child against his chest and started patting her back. The screeching stopped.
“You didn’t have to come today, Autumn,” Troy said quietly. “We could have managed another few days…” He stopped talking when Michael gave him a look that said, ‘I will stab you if you finish that sentence.’
“No.” Autumn walked alongside Emil as he swayed across the floor with the baby. “We needed to look at something other than the walls in the nursery.”
Michael nodded. “I don’t think we’ve left the room since Viola arrived.”
“It’s fine, Troy.” Queen Daxx went over and started following Emil on the other side. “I can’t believe any of you—” She glanced around at a few of her brothers-in-law. “—started out that tiny.”
“A few of them were much bigger.” Mitz appeared in the door off to the side of the room. she held something up. “I’ll leave a warmer in here?” She looked at Autumn, who sighed and then nodded. “Let me know if you need anything else.” She set it on the table beside the coffee brewer. “And I’ve brought Malia to the kitchen to keep me company if you need her.”
“We’ve got this,” Autumn said abruptly.
“Of course, you do, love.” Mitz smiled at her and left the room.
“Malia?” Princess Kara asked.
“The nanny that I don’t think has touched Viola yet.” Michael supplied.
“She just lurks all the time. It’s annoying.” Autumn hissed out a breath. “I don’t need help with my daughter when I’m in my room.”
“I’m sure she’ll be useful when we start hitting some places.” Chase had been quiet up to this point, and Trendan knew that was unusual.
“Yeah?” Autumn bit her lip. “I-I guess you’ll need help with that.” She looked at the infant.
“Whenever you’re ready to help is fine.” Alona gave Chase a look that Trendan couldn’t interpret. Then again, he didn’t understand half the looks mates gave each other.
“She’s asleep,” Emil announced.
“Oh good.” Autumn went over to the chair and turned it on the table. “The book said babies sleep a lot, but I don’t think she knows she’s supposed to.” She watched Emil put her child in the chair and then tucked a blanket around her.
“The first few weeks are a little rough,” Emil said quietly and then turned and went over to the table with the food sitting out on it.
“Sorry, I’m late.” The large man from the Interealm headquarters came through the door. Trendan thought for sure, with his size, he had some Alterealm DNA in him, but it turned out that Bohdi was just a very large human.
“Let’s sit and start going through this, shall we?” Troy motioned to the tables that were arranged in a large square.
Bohdi paused and looked at the other end of the room. “I’m in the Alterealm throne room.” He said with a smile. “Never thought I’d live to see those.”
Trendan glanced at the large old thrones and realized he hadn’t noticed them. As he turned to go sit down, Princess Cristy stepped in front of him and looked up at him with a strange look on her face.
“I don’t know why I see a silver hammer for you.” She tilted her head to the side. “The water is for you.” She smiled. “It moves fast, so be careful.” She nodded and then turned around and went over and squatted on one of the chairs beside Prince Victor.
“Did she say water?” Daxx inquired.
“Count me out. I’m not doing that again.” Princess Bethany said.
“Nope,” Autumn whispered. “No more caves, floating rocks, or bad water.”
Trendan glanced over at Ulric, who looked just as confused but not overly bothered by any of it as he stuffed something off the plate in front of him in his mouth. Going over, he sat down and looked around the table. He didn’t understand half of what this family said or did—none of it.