“It only looks three-dimensional.” Zoe looked to the entryway and found Eva looking at her, an enormous pile of clothing gathered in her arms. “Let’s get started.”
The lights inside the common room were on by the time Evan returned, and he figured his sister was back from whatever errand the Queen had sent her on. He was in no mood to talk to anyone though, and headed straight into his private room.
The quiet Santa Barbara landscape brightened in his presence and a breeze blew through the palm tree leaves with gentle care. Without hesitation he collapsed on the bed, his arm reaching up to cover his eyes.
The gates were deprogrammed and there was no way to get back to Earth. The thought was like a hard lump in his gut, wrenching his insides to the point of near physical illness. Without any explanation or warning the Queen had summarily ordered to have them deprogrammed. Now any chance to see Zoe again was gone.
Even if she did have them reprogrammed, there would no telling if or when he would be able to go back. His trips to other worlds had clearly not gone unnoticed by the Queen and she seemed intent on keeping him in Terra.
Did she have the gates deprogrammed because of him? Gaia was the only universe that had been disconnected; he could go anywhere else without a problem. So why Gaia? Something must have happened to warrant such drastic action. Was it something to do with the Elder woman and the residents of the Last City? Thea mentioned nothing of Gaia or Earth, and had only barely hinted at Zoe’s existence. Something else must have happened that he was unaware of.
Eva looked at Zoe and nodded in appreciation. With her hair combed back into a sleek chignon and the Earth clothes replaced with a more formfitting and monochromatic ensemble, Zoe Thanatos looked as though she were a lifelong resident of Terra.
“What do you think?”
Zoe looked down at her new apparel and felt the silky strands of hair pulled back at the nape of her neck. “Do I look like I belong?”
Eva laughed and nodded her head. “Yes, you pass for a resident,” she emphasized the word.
She hoped it was enough to not illicit any unwarranted attention. She knew it was a risk bringing her there to her private residence so close to where the Queen and King lived, but she couldn’t risk putting her in a public residence where she couldn’t keep an eye on her.
From the corner of her eye Eva could see her Communicator glowing softly from its place on the bed. She walked to retrieve it, but recoiled and nearly threw it down again when she saw who the message was from.
“What’s wrong?” Zoe asked from across the room.
Eva looked back at her briefly before holding the device closer, willing her eyes to sharply focus on the message sender’s name. “I have to go out for a few minutes. Will you be okay here on your own?” She cupped the Communicator in her hand and looked to Zoe expectantly.
“Don’t worry. I’m not going to go wandering off. Just wake me you get back so we can discuss whatever the plan is.” Eva‘s bottom lip receded into her mouth between her teeth. “You do have a plan, right?”
She shrugged her shoulders. “Maybe I will by the time I get back.”
Without another word she left the room and closed the door shut behind her. She made her way through the common room, out into the empty Throne Room and across the great hall of the Government Center until she came upon the designated office space specified in the message.
When she entered the room she spotted the King sitting patiently in a chair. She moved to bow her head formally but stopped when she saw his hands motioning at her.
“Forget the formalities. We don’t have much time to talk.”
Evan’s eyes opened at the sound of a small knock on his door. He may have only drifted off for a moment but it had felt much longer. His thoughts had driven him into sleep, words becoming images as he slipped into sleep. The visitor knocked again and he finally got up. The light in the room adjusted fractionally, never brightening to more than an ambient glow.
He opened the door and saw her, her dark almond-shaped eyes staring up at him. It took a moment for him to realize it was only his mind playing a trick. Without a word he opened the door wider, keeping his eyes down as she walked past him into the room, her hand grazing against his chest as she passed. The door closed silently behind him as he turned to look at her. His head bowed crookedly. “My Queen.”
Chapter 15: A Secret Meeting
The empty office was on the small side but comfortable enough to accommodate both Eva and the King. Although why he requested a private audience with her in the first place was lost on her.
“Your Highness, I’m pleased to see you have returned safely and unharmed.”