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Tal looked toward the young man in question.
“You recall Michael, Ben. He is an apprentice of mine. You’ve seen him every weekend for the past two years.”
He had?
“Michael,” Tal said, addressing the human. “What do you think about what you just witnessed? Perhaps you are dreaming.”
Tal said this with a small quirk of his lips, clearly in jest.
Michael shrugged.
“I know about you immortals,” he said nonchalantly, surprising Ben.
“Lots of them around these parts. I’ve been to the mountain base where the Tiger King lives. I’ve seen the animals train.”
Ben narrowed his eyes at this.
A stranger knew of their world, seemed completely blasé about it. He didn’t trust this “Michael.”
“Well, I guess that’s my cue to head out,” the young man said, seeing everyone stare at him in silence and picking up on the “this is a family matter, we need some privacy” vibes.
“See you next Sunday,” Tal bid.
Michael waved in parting even though Tal was blind.
They seemed comfortable with one another, Ben noticed. Though Tal was usually very private and preferred his own company or only his closest loved ones.
“Don’t worry so, Benjamin,” Tal said. “Michael is not a threat.”
“Did you know he knows about immortals?” Ben asked.
“Not as such. But I am also not surprised he knows,” Tal replied cryptically.
“Now, tell me why Sorin is carrying that sleeping woman. Tell me why you have suddenly returned from your trip. And tell me how I can help.”
As Ben explained everything as clearly and as logically as he could to Tal, his parents and Tal’s mate, Ishtar, returned. They all gathered together, reintroduced each other, and Ben explained all over again as succinctly as possible.
“Leave her with us,” Inanna said. “We will take good care of her, you needn’t worry.”
“I know, Mom,” Ben said.
“Does she need anything?” Ishtar asked. “How could she not need to drink or eat in so many thousands of years? It’s like one of those human fairytales.Sleeping Beauty, if I am not mistaken.”
“She appears not only to be asleep, but to be frozen in time,” Gabriel said. “If indeed her gods granted her the wish of being kept in limbo between life and death.”
“How will you search for her dragon mate, Ben?” Inanna asked, focusing on the quest at hand.
“You told me that the Celestial Realm has no boundaries. How will you be able to find this Shai?”
“We found Arthur and Lancelot the last time we broke in,” Ere chimed in. “We’ll just have to follow our nose, I guess.”
“Perhaps something in the box Heba is holding can help guide us,” Sai said.
“Perhaps there is something in there that belongs to Shai, or to both of them. The resonance of the shared object could help us locate him.”
“Stop being so sage,” Ere griped without any real heat. “I’m supposed to be the smart brother, you’re just the pretty one.”
Sai smiled that close-lipped indulgent smile at Ere when he was amused.
