In All the Other Worlds

The Council's on the Floor.

***

"So, what's the game plan here, geniuses?" Annora and I walk side by side, arm in arm, through the woods to the treehouse. Allegedly, the twins have some master plan for spying on any potential human activity near the farm. Whatever it is, we aren't allowed to know yet.

"Get up here, and we will tell you." Ezra sounds more and more like Mr. Bruno every day. He grabs the bag Santi throws up at him and slides into the darkness of the wooded room. Santi slides in last behind me.

"So, what's your plan?" It's my turn to wonder about the process as our eyes adjust to the dark. Another perk of being different is seeing a little better at night, though not by much. The adults made us night-vision goggles long ago, which are within our backpacks and stay loaded on the ship.

"We are going to lay down here and shut up and listen for these sounds Santi says he hears, and then we're going to send Mr. Drone up here and see what he can spot with his cool little cameras."

"Could we not have stayed on the roof closer to the house for this, E?"

"No, Princess, we could not, so lay down and shut up, please; I don't want to make more noise than we have to."

We lay in a line, our shoulders connected and eyes closed, as we listen for mechanical noises that Santi is so positive keep him up at night. My perception of time skews as I stare at the wooden roof of the treehouse we built as kids. Four grown-ups like us were not meant to fit lying down in here.

"So, what's the plan if we hear these noises and the drone catches them closer than expected?" I can't help but ask about war tactics.

"We didn't get that far. We should probably run back home and move everyone downstairs. Pack up as quick as we can." King Ezra without a plan is rare; his twin without one is just as likely to happen as the sun is to rise. The former's lack of one worries me. We are sitting ducks if an army is closer to us than we suspect.

"Shut up and listen." Santi's elbow goes into my side, and I return to silence.

One. Two. Three. One. Two. Three. One. Two. Three. One. Two. Three. Systematic mechanical noises catch my ears. It's a system; gears turning is my best guess. I squeeze Annora and Santi's hands to signal a noise. They're at least on the state road by the forest, which we often take to get to Donny's.

"Santi, let's send the drone up."

"Is that not going to make noise?" Had they not considered that? Had only Annora?

"Hopefully not, thanks to the Resha's," Ezra speaks quietly as he rushes upright and into the bag his twin threw up here. He pulls a six-armed drone out of the bag and sends it from the nearest window. If we can hear their machines, I wonder if they can hear ours.

"Wait, Ezra. Bring it down. I don't think this is a good idea."

"What? No, Blair. This is how we find out how close they are."

"I just have a bad feeling that that gives us away. Let's get underground and see if we can find them through the cameras. We're safer there."

"Is Blair, master of the war arts, scared?" Now it's Santi's turn to torment me.

"Guys, please just listen to me."