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“Be content with knowing that my dying breath belongs to you.”
She gives a light laugh that I cherish.
“Please don’t be so dramatic. I’ve lived with a bunch of women for too many moons.”
“Men have their own—”
“Whoa!” Nori’s voice calls from up ahead. I hadn’t realized we’d fallen so far behind.
Elena rushes forward, joining the rest of our party.
Her head tilts upward in astonishment. “What the fuck is that?”
* * *
ELENA
A huge shiny wall covered with moss and other foliage towers before us. It’s unlike anything I’ve ever seen, though the patterns carved into it remind me of the tools Grixis left us.
This must be a dream, or perhaps I did not survive the crash that left us stranded. There’s simply no way this could be real.
“I’ve never seen anything like this,” Nori says in awe. “Even the tinkerers who craft paper-thin metal could not fathom what is before us.”
Grixis places a hand on a smooth expanse off to the side, and the wall opens in a way I do not expect, splitting down its center.
I back away, straight into Ramsey.
“Is the brave Elena scared of a doorway?” he muses.
I give up pretenses and go with honesty.
“Yes. Yes, I am.”
He chuckles, though not in the mean way he would have back on the shore.
We enter a large room and I see Jacek off to the side, inspecting something long and shiny. When his eyes scan up and find mine, a look of relief floods his face.
Asha walks around the room, boldly touching the walls. I’m impressed, as she so often cowers, but perhaps curiosity lures her from her shell.
“An essential element of ours needs repairs, but the mechanism designed to repair it also needs repairs,” Jacek says.
“Mechanism?” I ask, confused.
Jacek’s face gives way to frustration. “Ummm…I don’t know how to describe what one is.”
“I think I understand,” Nori says.
“This is of the utmost importance to my people,” Grixis says, “and if you can fix it, as I’ve said, we will assist your people in any way necessary.”
I scoff. “I don’t know how you expect us to fix it. We’ve never seen anything like this.”
“Because it’s an issue with the wires, it should be easy. In fact, there is no fixing, just plugging,” Ramsey says. “Asha’s size makes her ideal for the task.”
He taps a wall, and suddenly bright lights appear. I take a step back, afraid, but when I see that none of the men are concerned, I relax.
Nori walks straight up to it, folding her arms as she watches moving things appear. It’s then that I realize there’s a voice coming from…everywhere.
The movement and images stop, and Nori says, “Can you do that again? I got some of it, but I’m still a little confused.”
