IMMORTAL SECRETS: THE SACRIFICIAL LAMB

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN - ACCALIA

We're spinning in a black hole, and then we're inside an unfamiliar house. It's large and open. The walls are cream. The carpet is a shaggy brown. A dark-brown couch faces a fireplace. Pictures of people are on the mantel above. A man with yellow undertones in his skin, pointy features, and slanted diamond-blue eyes embracing young Chandresh, both smiling. The man standing behind Chandresh with his arms protectively around us is the man from the pictures. Is this his adoptive father, Avanish? Their house on Earth? Yes, Earth. The colors here might as well be white compared to the bold colors of Nepha. Chandresh has told me many times of Earth's dullness.

"Son," says the man to Chandresh, releasing us from his hold. "Are you alright?"

"Yes, father," replies Chandresh. So this man is Avanish. From Chandresh's stories, Avanish works alongside them.

I should fear him, he's killed many mix-breeds and has aided in banishing their parents. I should feel awkward, because this is mine and Chandresh's first meeting in person, in waking life. But the trauma of losing Lucky and Lyn resurfaces, being ripped from Nicholas aches, betraying Chandresh stings, and the heartache Solom has left inside me is weighing me down. My knees buckle. I collapse under Chandresh and Bali's embrace, but Chandresh goes to the soft carpet with me. I curl into myself, hiding my face in my arms, and he cradles me.

I begin crying, crying and shaking. So many thoughts. Too many questions. All dropping on me like a ton of bricks.

Bali says my name; he kneels next to Chandresh. I ignore him. Chandresh says my name and strokes my crisp silvery-white hair while rocking us. Avanish is asking Chandresh why I'm dressed in white drenched in blood; why has Solom really kept me alive all these years. Chandresh ignores him and says to me, everything will be okay. His father asks again a bit louder. Chandresh says he thought he lost me forever. He says he loves me. I wonder how he'd feel ... if he knew about Nicholas.

Nicholas ...

Is his betrayal to Solom great enough to merit death?

Bali speaks to Avanish about my dress. Avanish yells at Bali, something about a rhetorical question and to know his place. Avanish narrows in on me then Chandresh, asking why Solom wants to claim my mix-breed magic, what's special about Dragonnian, Spirit, and Nisse.

When Avanish realizes his question had fallen on deaf ears, he asks about the one who helped me escape Solom, "Why was he helping you, Accalia?" he snaps insensitively. "What is his name?"

"Leave her alone," Bali retorts, voice slightly elevated.

I peek from under my arm, surprised at Bali. When his daughters weren't around, sure he was nice to me at Solom's castle, even teaching me how to read, about the dimensions and worlds, and to define my life, but he never stood up for me. Nobody ever has. I'm calm enough to listen through my wallows.

"You do not speak, Klaar," Avanish barks at Bali, his slanted eyes narrowing. "Answer me, Accalia."

The sorrow is too great to speak of Nicholas. Even if I could, I don't know if I'd tell Avanish anything. He's Chandresh's adoptive father, but the way he's full-on glaring at me then sidelong glaring at Bali has me concerned. A voice in my head is saying to be wary of Avanish.

"I knew she couldn't be trusted." Avanish glances displeasingly at Chandresh and then begins pacing before us, saying to himself, "We're in the throes of Orion's war to preserve this reality, and I will not allow the war between the mix-breeds and Solom to sidetrack us." He stops pacing to spew, "I must learn his name, I command you Accalia to speak the name of the boy who was helping you."

Sensing his fathers' frustration and anger rising, Chandresh's arms tighten around me; the thuds of his heartbeat against his chest thunders through my bones.