Chapter Nine
They followed Gerri through the busy transport hub, ducking floating luggage carts and whizzing transportation bots until they came to an elevator bank at the opposite of the crowded port.
“Nice, a palace built on top of an outer space Penn Station. Must be convenient for the king and his court to get back and forth from wherever,” Valerie said, her eyes trying to take in as much as she could in the chaos.
Vikter grinned. “Alyx and Bella and the other royal families have a private dock in a separate hub. The palace is connected, but only through a specific lift system.” He spread an arm out to an ornate set of silver doors set into a chrome façade.
The doors slid open immediately, as if waiting for them specifically. “Cool. Elevators on demand. Imagine that,” Valerie joked.
“The lift was programmed to recognize you. Mrs. Wilder has special clearance to use the royal entrance,” he continued. “The king would have been here himself, but the queen is due to deliver their baby any day now. He’s on baby watch, and since this is a matter for the royal houses of Dragos and Clan Gemini, he thought it would be best if I greeted you when you arrived.”
“Are you a king?” Valerie asked.
Gerri looked from Vikter to the Gemini boys and back. “Vikter is the alpha of the Dragos.”
“So you’re related to Ryker, then,” Valerie replied back.
They filed into the elevator, and Vikter nodded. “Yes, but only distantly. Ryker’s situation is usual. If he hadn’t been cursed he would be very, very old.” He gave a chin pop to the Gemini alpha and omega. “Sort of like Arin and Xavier. Their time on Earth put their aging process into a suspended state. To be honest, Ryker is more closely related to Arin.”
Valerie spared a glance for the dark-haired Gemini. “So I’ve heard.”
The awkward silence that followed was practically deafening. The lift doors slid shut and she watched the silent faces in the chrome interior, each trying not to make eye contact.
“Ever notice it’s the same dude signing all the maintenance reports in the elevators in New York? I wonder if his name is here, too, somewhere.” She scanned the four walls for some sort of floor panel. “Hey, no buttons. Is there only one floor?”
“You won’t see a lift panel in any elevator in the palace. Technically this isn’t even an elevator,” Gerri replied. “I just call it that because it’s easier for Earth guests to understand. All you need do is say where you wish to go and whoosh, you’re off. Anywhere in the space hub or in the case of this elevator bank, anywhere in the palace or surrounding grounds.”
“Communicator, the gardens,” Gerri stated.
“Working.”
Valerie looked from Arin to Xavier before tapping Gerri on the shoulder. “We’re not moving. Is the elevator broken like the transport gate?”
“Arrived,” a digitized voice announced.
Valerie’s mouth opened slightly. “How? We didn’t even move.”
Vikter chuckled at her amazed face. “There’s moving, and then there’s moving Nova style.” His smile spread. “If you think that’s pretty cool, wait until you see your suite. You really need to keep an eye on the walls.”
She snorted. “Why? Are they going to compress and crush me like the trash deck in Star Wars?”
Gerri tapped her on the shoulder, shaking her head. “They won’t get your movie reference, dear. They live it.”
The lift opened into an extravagant living area. Sofas and rich furnishings lined the large room. Tapestries hung on the walls that changed scenes and color schemes.
“What the—” Valerie said, walking in. “Are those wall furnishings moving?”
Arin nodded. “Now this I remember. We had mood walls in our quarters in the Ice Mountains. They changed colors depending on what Xavier and I were feeling. Comforting shades when we were sad or angry and light, fun colors when we were content.
“This place is amazing!” Valerie said, walking toward the window. The glass disappeared, giving her total access to the veranda and the view of the city and the haze of mountains in the distance.
Arin and Xavier joined her, each slipping their arms around her waist.
“Look, Arin.” Xavier pointed to the horizon and the shadow scraping the sky. “Home.”
Arin inhaled, tightening his grip on Val’s waist. He lifted a hand. “You can’t see it now because of the cloud cover and haze, but from about half way up the mountain straight to the summit is covered in ice and thick snow. It’s permanent and only certain beasts can survive the climate and thin air. Dragons don’t do well in icy conditions, but when the Gemini split from the Dragos, too many millenniums ago to count, we found a way to make the Ice Mountains our home. We adapted.”
“Are they still there?” she asked.
Xavier shrugged. “We can only hope. We don’t know what happened after we left for Earth. We rely on the news Mrs. Wilder brings us from her trips back and forth. Last we heard they had retreated to the caves at the mountain’s interior.”
“I’m guessing that’s not a good thing,” she replied.
Arin shook his head. “No, love. That’s not a good thing. Not with the crystal cave and the warm and luminescence it provides locked to them.”
“The same crystal cave you told me about? The sacred one?”
He nodded. “Yes. Once Xavier and I unlock the power of the crystals, the Gemini can exist anywhere in comfort, even on the icy peaks.”
Clouds cleared slightly and the vista brightened. “Holy Twice the Sunscreen Batman! You have two suns!” Valerie marveled at the identical suns high above the palace turrets.
“So, who’s ready to unpack?” Gerri asked. “This is a four-bedroom suite. One for each of you, plus a fourth with a bed big enough for all three of you to play peekaboo under the sheets, plus a few extras I asked for just for fun.”
Valerie rolled her eyes. “Dirty old broad strikes again.”
“You’re just figuring that out?” Vikter laughed as the three headed back inside. “You should get together with my mate, Becca, and the queen. They’re both human, like you, and they’ve stories about this one that will curl your hair.”
She chuckled. “Maybe some other time. Right now I want a quick bath and then to see Camille.”
“We’ll go with you.” Xavier nodded. “Might as well get all the introductions out of the way at once. After all, you said the ball was in ours, right.”
Arin conceded. “Yup, and we have home court advantage.”
Gerri spread her hands out. “Okay, then. Go get cleaned up and let’s go. Ryker’s got Camille on some cockamamie hike, and he won’t be able to keep it up much longer.”
Arin snorted. “Yeah, what she said.”
“Dude!” Valerie laughed. “What are you, fifteen?”
He growled, throwing her over his shoulder. “Horny teenager, at your service!” At her shriek of laughter, the wall color changed to a soft pink flush, the same color as Val’s cheeks.
“Make that two!” Xavier added. “Quick, which way is that fourth playroom?”
Valerie squirmed, pummeling Arin’s back, but her laughter deepened the walls to a deep raspberry. “Put me down! Why do the walls keep changing? If they’re trying to drive me insane, they’re too late!”
Gerri gave them a wide smile. “The palace is mood sensitive. The walls in each room try to help set the mood for whatever you’re feeling. Just go with the flow, honey. Just wait until you’re hot and bothered. You’ve never seen such a gorgeous shade of crimson.”
A soft chime sounded and Gerri glanced at the clock above the fireplace mantle. “It’s getting late. Bella and Alyx have a dinner planned in your honor, so let’s do this, okay?” She looked at Arin with Valerie still on his shoulder. “Play later. I need you three on the beach in twenty minutes. Got it?”
Valerie slid down Arin’s chest, every hard inch of him registering in her mind for later. She straightened her clothes, zipping her jacket higher. “No problem, Mrs. W. Just point me to my room.”
Gerri held out her hand toward the stairs. “Straight up on the left. You’re between Arin and Xavier.”
Arin’s eyes followed her as she headed up the step. “Just as she should be.”
Valerie turned, and the look on Arin’s face made her catch her breath. “Uhm, maybe you guys should check out your rooms as well. Compare notes, you know?”
With a low whoop, Arin took the steps two at a time, Xavier close on his heels. He scooped Valerie onto his shoulder again and laughed. “Just leave the directions to the beach on the couch,” he called down the stairs. “You and the Dragos can let yourselves out.”
Vikter smirked. “Wow, being cooped up on Earth all this time really has them making up for lost time.”
Gerri slipped her hand through the dragon’s elbow and walked with him to the door. “You have no idea. My guess is we’ll have to send in a search party for Valerie pretty soon.”