Good Night Page 21

  “You shrank! I’m not the shortest anymore!” Wynnfrith beamed as she hugged me.

  “And your hair! Wait until Clovis gets a look at you!” Beval declared, referring to my youngest brother who arranged his hair in the most unorthodox of designs. It figured that as the artist among us, she would say something about it.

  “I love it!” Ailith agreed, stroking my hair. She, too, had a creative streak, though it wasn’t with paints, like Beval.

  At length, I pulled myself away from them and looked to Mema, who stood at the head of the table, hands clasped, smiling. My sisters quieted and returned to their places. Neither Mema nor I said a word as I strode toward her. Curiosity filled her eyes as she glanced over my shoulder at Kovis, and more butterflies launched in the pit of my stomach.

  Mema looked down at my hand, at the sapphire adorning my finger, and again at Kovis who stood like a statue at the back of the room. Hands at his sides, he hadn’t moved since I’d dragged him through the door. His heart beat wildly, although you wouldn’t know it to look at him.

  “Please approach,” Mema said.

  Kovis’s breathing hitched as he took a step.

  Every eye was on him as he made his way past my sisters. Watching him, it felt like the longest path of my life; I couldn’t imagine what it was like for him.

  When he reached us, he bowed low and held the posture until Mema smiled and said, “I appreciate you honoring me thusly, but you are not my subject, let alone one of Dream, rise.”

  His heart thundered through our bond as he said, “Pasithea. Wife of Hypnos, mother of Ambien. On behalf of all the citizens of Wake, thank you for your part in ensuring our sleep and dreams.”

  I stared at him. He'd figured out who Mema was. He understood the politics of our situation when I'd taken it for granted.

  Mema nodded just once. “I presume it was you who bestowed this... medallion... on my granddaughter’s finger?”

  He never broke eye contact with her. “Yes. It was my mother's, Empress Onora Altairn. I'd always hoped my intended would wear it.” He smiled at me. “And she is.”

  Murmurs broke from my sisters despite Mema's presence.

  “Please do not take it as contempt on my part that I failed to ask permission for her hand in marriage. I would in no way dishonor you. I deemed it unwise to seek her father’s permission.”

  Snickers erupted about the table, and a corner of Mema's mouth turned upward. “Please join us as we break our fast.”

  He'd done it. Kovis had won Mema over. My family faded from view as he reached over and took my hand, then looked into my eyes as he brought it to his lips. I love you so much, Ali.

  And I love you, my Dreambeam.

  Everyone shifted down a seat, taking their plates with them as servants scurried to set two additional places for us to Mema’s right and left. All the while my sisters whispered and giggled amongst themselves at the goings on.

  Let them talk. I had my Dreambeam.

  Wasila leaned over and squeezed my arm as I sat down and drew my wings over the back of my chair—Kovis mimicked a heartbeat later. “I’m so happy for you, little sister.” She beamed.

  I patted her thigh. “Thank you. I missed you all.”

  How good it felt to be back. I scanned the table, thinking of how much my sisters meant to me. But my stomach clenched. Velma and Alfreda were both missing.

  I dared not ask why until the meal ended though, for Mema would consider it in poor taste.

  I hardly know how to act with her, she’s a goddess, Kovis confessed.

  I felt the same with Rasa.

  He caught my eye. Fair enough.

  I smiled.

  A steward placed Mema’s napkin across her lap once more, then did the same for me. She picked up her knife and fork and cut into her bublik then looked to Kovis before bringing it to her mouth. “As it seems we are to be related soon, please call me Thea.”

  Kovis coughed, but managed to reply, “Thank you. And please call me Kovis.”

  “Hyp is up at his cave. He’ll be sorry he missed you. I do hope you’ll be staying for some time.” She almost hid her frown at Grandfather’s absence, but I caught it. Yes, when he went to his cave up on the coast, he invariably fell asleep and she never knew when he might return. He was the god of sleep, and despite having quite a gift for it, it was just a good thing he no longer shepherded human sleep, or he’d be the only one getting any.

  “We came for a reason beyond announcing our nuptials,” Kovis replied as he cut a piece of bublik.

  Mema nodded, her indication to continue.

  “As you are aware, your son has plans for Wake.”

  Everyone stopped chewing and looked at Kovis. Would Mema halt the conversation?

  “It is why I lost my granddaughter.” Her tone was sad, and she reached over and patted my arm. She wasn’t shutting this discussion down—it was so unlike her, but it told me just how deeply events had affected her.

  Kovis continued. “Your loss was my gain as Ali goes, but it seems he has done something to Alfreda for he is controlling my brother through her.”

  Mema put her utensils down. “Both Alfreda and Velma have been missing for three moons. Alfreda disappeared first. We’ve searched and searched without result. Our efforts continue, but we’ve exhausted everything we know to try.”

  “No…” My whimper slipped out, and I threw a hand over my mouth. It was worse than I’d feared. Not only was Alfreda being coerced, but Father must have figured out Velma had sent me to Wake. Gods, what was he doing to her? The sergeant’s comment about their mood made so much sense. I only wished it didn’t. Several of my sisters sniffed, others wiped their eyes.

  My conscience burned. I couldn’t take it. “It’s all my fault!”

  Mema stiffened. “Now is not the time for fault finding, Alissandra. Velma knew the risks. And without you available to manipulate Kovis, I am surprised”—she shook her head—“but unsurprised that your father went after your sister.” She sighed.

  Kovis met her eyes. “Please do not take offense or consider me inappropriate—”

  “This is not the time for proper decorum either. If what you have to say might contribute to bringing my granddaughters back, please speak your mind. It seems we share vested interests.”

  I furrowed my brow. Several of my sisters had too. Not time for proper decorum. Such words had never crossed her lips.

  Mema continued, “You are commander of the armies of Wake if memory serves.”

  I glanced over quickly. She’d paid attention as I’d rambled on and on to my sisters about Kovis.

  “I am.” Kovis ruffled his wings and glanced my way.

  “We have done everything we know, but with a different perspective, perhaps you will bring to light additional ideas,” Mema suggested.

  “Alfreda’s disappearance makes this a greater challenge than I had hoped. So if I may ask, what has been done thus far?” Kovis asked.

  Mema took a deep breath. “Virtually all of the guards have been dispatched as well as my grandsons, to search for them in Ambien’s usual haunts. They gained access to his palace while he was out and did an exhaustive search but turned up nothing. All of his siblings have been questioned but none knew what he was up to. We’re also following him.”

  My sisters looked down at their plates. I could see the strain on their faces. It had taken a toll on them too.

  Kovis continued, “Then we have three objectives, it seems. One, to locate Alfreda and Velma. But judging by the number of humans involved in rebel activities in Wake, he is controlling far more sand people than just them. And so our second objective is to free all of Dream’s citizens. With any luck, he’s keeping them together.”

  My mouth dropped open. I’d been so focused on my sister that I’d never given any thought to the others. Kovis was right. Father had to be coercing more sand people. What had he done to and with them?

  Mema looked to be bracing as she asked, “When you say ‘the number of hum
ans,’ how many are you referring to?”

  She didn’t know what Father had been up to in Wake. I sucked in a breath.

  “Dozens at least, hundreds perhaps, maybe even thousands.” Kovis sighed.

  Yips sounded from my sisters, but Kovis plunged on. “Thirdly, and equally important, we need to find a way to stop Ambien from ever having designs on Wake or any other territory again. Ali’s told me of his previous schemes, and while he is king of Dream, he needs to be stopped. I fear to think what chaos he might create for both our realms if he isn’t.”

  Mema nodded. She’d never supported Father’s campaigns but didn’t have power to stop him, none of us did.

  “Have there been any reports of other missing citizens?” Kovis asked.

  “Not to my knowledge, but I will certainly check,” Mema promised.

  “Has anyone asked Selova if she might know where Velma and Alfreda are?” The words were out before I realized I’d spoken what had breezed through my mind.

  Selova was the dream stitcher in our region of Dream—each province had one. She was a happy soul and the consummate sand-grandmother. But as a dream stitcher, she stitched dreams together, ensuring our charges slept through the entirety of the night. Might she know where the various connections she made were geographically?

  Kovis smiled.

  Mema tilted her head, considering. “No, Alissandra. I didn’t even think of her, but it’s definitely worth a try.”

  Heads bobbed around the table.

  “If it’s all the same to you, I’d like to go. I know her best,” I said. I did. In addition to stitching dreams together, she also formed, or stitched baby sand beings, or sandlings, as the need arose. As I was the only one who seemed to need a regular sandling fix, I’d taken to calling on her every moon or so. She was easy to talk to, and we’d chat about anything as I walked between the cradles, cooing at the babes or picking one up and playing with him or her.

  Wasila, Velma’s roommate, raised her hand. “I’d like to go too. I’ll at least feel like I’m doing something rather than sitting on my hands.”

  Deor, Alfreda’s roommate, Ailith, Beval, and Amelia waved their hands at that.

  Mema held up hers. “You can’t all go. Poor Selova will feel overwhelmed. Wasila, you may go, if it’s all right with Prince Kovis.”

  The other four sighed as Kovis nodded, then continued, “So we have two possibilities for finding them. What can we be doing to stop Ambien?”

  “Has anyone told Dyeus?” I asked.

  Kovis raised a brow. Had he been considering it too?

  Mema frowned. “Your mother delivered a letter to him, but his ministry indicated that until we can find Alfreda and Velma, or I suppose any of these citizens as well, he won't do anything since we have no proof of what we allege.” She cleared her throat. “I speculate his unwillingness also stems from bad blood between he and Hyp. And he certainly won’t listen to me.”

  I huffed out a breath. Family politics could be so frustrating although I’d have been surprised if Dyeus easily agreed to help. On grandfather’s account, the god still hadn’t forgiven him for putting him to sleep at his wife’s behest. She’d wanted to punish one of Dyeus’s illegitimate sons for sacking a city she loved. When Dyeus woke, he was furious with Grandfather to the point that Grandfather fled and hid.

  What’s she mean Dyeus won’t listen to her? Kovis asked.

  His wife had an extramarital fling, and Mema was the result.

  Kovis covered his surprise, but I could tell from his determined look that he wasn’t done exploring this angle.

  Bega, Eolande, and Eadu looked to be suffering, and I understood. Adventure and risk were the last things any of them sought, but it was time for action, not safety.

  “We need someone to persuade Dyeus to get involved,” Kovis said. “Who is close to him and has a good relationship?”

  Deor, always sharp and quick to speak her mind, held up a hand then said, “Great Aunt Dite, from everything you’ve said, she’s got her father wrapped around her little finger.” She grinned. “Mema, I know you don’t like to get the goddess involved in your personal affairs, but I think Prince Kovis is right. We need Dyeus’s help to stop Father for good.”

  Kovis sent me a questioning look.

  Mema is one of Dite’s Graces.

  Kovis bobbed his head. That’s right. I’d forgotten. She attends Dite with the other Graces—Splendor, Good Cheer, and Abundance. She manages human’s relaxation for the goddess. Kovis smirked. From everything you’ve told me about her, your grandmother seems a bit uptight though. How can she be responsible for relaxation… never mind. It doesn’t matter.

  Mema leaned back stiffly and folded her hands in her lap.

  Kovis looked to her, hope rising in his eyes. “Might it be possible?”

  “It is, but as you know, as the goddess of love, she has many—” She raised her chin and sniffed. “—unusual proclivities. I worry what her price might be.”

  “Mema, we have no other options,” I reasoned. “We need to at least ask her.”

  Mema looked me up and down. It seemed as if she weighed my being here, regaining a granddaughter she feared she’d never see again, against the future and considered what it might hold if Ambien wasn’t stopped. At length, she reached over and ran her hand across my jaw. “Very well, I will ask. I love my son, but I will not lose another loved one.”

  The tan spires of the sprawling Palace of Sand rose from the horizon as we neared. Unlike most of our homes, this castle was constructed entirely of sand. I’d always assumed that was because it was the nursery of crafted sand people, or sandlings. It made sense, at least to me. It was just across the bay and was situated at the shore like the palace of sand maidens. But unlike the busy harbor in front of our residence, Selova’s was surrounded by lush vegetation growing up on three sides. Only the bay side was clear and stretched down to the beach.

  Wasila flew to my left, Kovis to my right, and four guards surrounded us on all sides.

  We’d retired shortly after breakfast to long looks from my sisters when I pulled Kovis into my old bedroom. Wynnfrith had offered to move into Wasila’s room to give us privacy—she’d said it with a wink and my face had warmed. Yes, I might be younger, but I certainly knew more in that domain than any of my sisters. Kovis had just laughed. Yes, the difference between humans and sand beings could not have been more pronounced.

  And he’d laughed again when I introduced him to Bliss, the stuffed unicorn with a bent horn that I’d made—my stuffed friend had comforted me through so much.

  But it had been a long night of tossing and turning beside Kovis. It wasn’t him, or the bed. My mind had dredged up horrific scenarios of what Father might be doing to my sisters—degrees worse than what my dreams had been—and I couldn’t make it stop.

  Of course, Kovis and I had been the only ones attempting sleep. Everyone, other than Mema, had been hard at work weaving dreams. It was odd to be back where night and sun activities were reversed.

  Wasila lent me some of her smaller-sized clothes, and a servant had procured a limited wardrobe of Kovis-size clothes overnight. So we’d risen to a soft knock on the door just before the sun and eaten a light dinner of Sea Monk soup and meat pie with Wasila before leaving. We hoped to catch Selova before she retired.

  My sister was not her usual joking, playful self. I couldn’t decide if she didn’t feel comfortable around Kovis, she was just tired, or if this “not knowing” was the culprit. Her sullen mood lifted for a time as Kovis attempted to launch—she actually had to cover her snickers.

  Kovis had called me vertically challenged. Well, he was too, but in a different way. It took him five tries, and he looked ridiculous squatting just before jumping. He overcompensated as he beat his wings and nearly did a nosedive but corrected just in time. He was a good sport about it though and finally lifted off.

  And I knew the heartbeat Wasila got a look at his fully extended wings. She raised her brows and gave
me a wink. I grinned.

  Wasila noticed your wingspan, I told him. He beamed. Such a male.

  And now, as the sun began its trek into the sky, we’d arrived at Selova’s home.

  “Let’s land on the beach,” I yelled over the wind. I figured Kovis would have an easier time with sand than the hard surface out front of the castle.

  Wasila, our guards, and I touched down and moved aside. Kovis spread his wings wide, tilted them up to catch the wind, brought his feet forward, and stepped. It would have been a perfect landing if he hadn’t been several handbreadths off the ground yet. As it was, he beat his wings and peddled until his feet caught the sand at odd angles. Despite throwing his arms out to steady himself, he fell forward onto his hands and knees.

  While our guards tried to hide their amusement, I caught one lift the corner of his mouth for a heartbeat. Another pretended to look elsewhere and cough.

  “That was only my second attempt at landing. I’ll get it.” He furled his wings, stood, and brushed himself off.

  Wasila whispered, “He’s too cute.”

  “What are you two whispering?”

  “Wasila thinks you’re doing well if that was just your second try,” I lied.

  “Well, thank you.” Kovis bobbed his head and gazed up at the castle looming over us. “Shall we?”

  We marched up the beach, our guardians again surrounding us after assuring themselves that there was no threat. We mounted the steps that curved up to the grand entrance and were met by Selova’s guards.

  Entrance proved significantly easier with Wasila and our guards with us. Selova’s males recognized them and showed us to the door, which Sandrin answered. He’d been a steward for Selova for as long as I could remember and always looked handsome in his taupe livery with black accents. It coordinated well with his close-cropped hair, impeccably groomed wings, and gloves.

  He welcomed us in but cocked his head when he saw me. I could tell I looked familiar to him, but he couldn’t place me, for he looked back to Wasila and said, “Welcome to Selova’s palace. I must say, it has been a long while since Princess Alissandra paid us a visit. I do hope she fares well.”