Élphame

Chapter Eight

          On the other side of the hall, Naomi found herself in the most incredible room she'd ever seen. The walls were white in this room as well. The ceiling was reverse dome-shaped and made completely out of frost-tinted glass that hid fluorescent lights behind, bring light into the room. Hanging from the ceiling on invisible strings were hundreds of crystals and colored glass in shades of all colors and hues. The crystals refracted the light in all directions, making the whole room look like swirling opalescence. There was no furniture except for a few house plants that were more green than seemed natural.

          "What is this place, exactly?" Naomi couldn't help asking as she followed Darcy and Alec down another hall.

          "A long time ago," Darcy said, "my ancestors built this underground hideout for people like us. It was a safe place where they could live for months on end if they ever found themselves in danger. It was a sacred place. My family has watched over this sanctuary for centuries. But, as time went on and people started coming to the New World and taking the Natives' lands, my ancestors knew it was only a matter of time before this land was no longer under their control. The family had made plans to destroy this place so it would never been found and defiled like so many other sacred lands to my people. But there was a young girl in the family who had an idea. She knew the land would only remain untouched if it were the property of a white man. So, she married one. She convinced him that this land was sacred to her people and needed to be protected. So, her husband bought the land and started to build a cabin where he and his wife could live. That man was my great-great-great-great-great-great grandfather."

          "People like us?" Naomi said. She turned to Alec. "So, you... you can... Shift, too?"

          "Shift?" Alec repeated. "I like it. Way better than 'Change.' That's caused way too many awkward misunderstandings. And yes, I can."

          They entered a kitchen that was just as grand as the one upstairs. Alec invited them to sit down at the counter as he served them potato slivers covered in gravy one-handed.

          "You made funeral potatoes?" Naomi asked, blowing on a small bite.

          "Funeral potatoes? I've never heard them called that before," Alec said.

          "That's what my maman always called them."

          "Try them," he urged. "Are they good?"

          Naomi had never really been a fan of this dish, but she didn't want to hurt Alec's feelings, so she took a bit. Her mouth exploded with flavor. The gravy was pleasantly salty and had a dash of garlic. There was a hint of another spice as well. Cajun, maybe?

          "Wow," she said once she'd swallowed. "They're really good."

          "Alec's one of the best chefs I know," Darcy said, taking a bite of her own plate. "But he always makes potatoes."

          "That's because they're magical," Alec said. "You can cook and serve them in any way under the sun but they'll still taste great if you do it right. Plus," he added, "they're the only thing Pip will eat."

          "Who's Pip?" Naomi asked around another bite of potatoes.

          As if in response, the front of Alec's shirt began to wiggle like there was something underneath it. It started right beneath his heart and climbed its way up to his collar until out popped the furry face and bright golden eyes of a small black kitten. He let out a tiny meow and leapt from Alec's shoulder to the counter. He had small, furry paws, a pink nose, invisible whiskers, and a white spot in the center of his chest.