Part 25 (1/2)
Lysander shoved between the two, stomping over to where Alexandra had stopped to watch the argument.
”Why are you telling these lies, Spirit Leech?”
”Lies? I speak of what I saw with my own eyes!”
Lysander took a step back in shock. Alexandra moved with him, craning her neck to stare directly in his face.
”Why do you look so stunned? If am a Spirit Leech, would it not make sense that I lived here with the lacarna? After all, I betrayed the other Immortals for them, did I not? There certainly wasn't any other place safe for me. So, I was here the day a human told us the Protectors had paid bandits to chase the lacarna out. I was here when they came too, crouched in the shadows where the chief had hidden me. If it is lies you are worried about, look to your precious Lord Avram. As for me, I will give you the truth. It is my only hope of setting things right.”
Alexandra whipped around, striking off farther into the forest, her pace quickened by her anger. Eve stuck her tongue out at Lysander and followed after her. Max and Melody gave him a wide birth and followed Eve. After several seconds, Max tapped Melody on her arm. He kept his voice to a whisper so Alexandra wouldn't hear him.
”Exactly how long ago did the Spirit Leeches betray the other Immortals?”
”Four hundred years.”
”Wow, I can't imagine living that long.”
”She's older than that, Max. The Immortals age slower than we do. She's nine by their definition of time, not ours.” Melody stopped. ”I have really met an Immortal. Do you know how many in my order would give everything they have for a chance like this? She's a living piece of history.”
Lysander caught back up, brus.h.i.+ng by Melody. ”She's a criminal who is unlikely to tell you the truth. Keep moving.”
Max matched Lysander's stride. ”That's something I don't understand. You said that the Spirit Leeches were cursed because they turned against the other Immortals in the war, right?”
”Yes, and it's why, when we are done here, we must arrest her.”
”But, Alexandra is a little girl. How could she have willing betrayed anyone?”
”Who knows what part she played, but she admits she's a Spirit Leech. She must have been involved somehow.”
”I don't know. Something's not right. Maybe the Immortals made a mistake.”
”At the moment it doesn't matter, Max. We need to pay attention to our current situation. If she has lived for as long as she says, she's bound to have learned a few tricks.”
”You mean like disappearing?”
Max and Lysander came to an abrupt stop, with Melody running into the back of Lysander.
”Why did you two stop so suddenly?”
Max suppressed a laugh. ”Alexandra disappeared.”
”What!”
Melody shoved herself between the two. Ahead of them stood Eve in front of a wall of tangled vines. Moving close, they saw that it stretched upward into the branches and to the left and right beyond sight.
Max looked around. ”Eve, where did Alexandra go?”
Eve blushed. ”I don't know. I was trying to listen to you guys, then next thing I know, she's gone, and I'm in front of this.”
Eve spread her arms at the wall. Max pushed his hand against the vines forming the wall, they barely budged.
”She didn't go that way.”
Eve sniffed at the air then examined the ground. ”But her tracks lead right to it.”
Lysander examined the wall himself. ”I thought lacarnians were excellent trackers?”
”We are, but there's no scent left. Everything stops at this wall.” Eve pushed against the vines with one hand. ”And like Max said, it's solid.” Eve looked back the way they had come. ”Maybe I missed something.”
To Max's horror a hand slipped through the wall, latching on to Eve's wrist. ”Eve!”
Eve jumped at the touch and tried to pull away. The hand tightened its' grip. A small voice came from the other side of the wall as the hand tugged at Eve.
”Come on already.”
Everyone froze. ”Alexandra?”
Eve stopped resisting, letting the hand pull her towards the vines. Melody shook off the shock and grabbed Eve's tail just as the vine wall closed around the rest of her body.
”Quick, grab hold!”
Max took hold of Melody's free arm and stretched his other hand out for Lysander. He quickly took hold of it, and in one long chain, Alexandra pulled them through. Once on the other side, they let go of one another.
”Sorry about grabbing your tail, Eve.”
Eve held her tail in her hands, rubbing the spot Melody had taken hold of. ”It's okay.”
Max doubled over laughing. ”I don't think I've ever seen you jump like that, Eve.”
Eve shot a look at Max; a look he'd only see a few times. Remembering what happened afterwards, he immediately stopped laughing. Lysander shoved past him and stood before Alexandra.
”Where are we?”
A beautiful smiled formed on her pale face. ”My and Eve's home.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE.
In the recesses of his mind, Max registered Alexandra's statement, but he would ask about that later. For now, he stood speechless as he took in his surroundings, starting with the vine wall Alexandra had pulled them through. On this side, he could see that it actually formed a large dome, the top reaching the height of the trees where it allowed in a moderate amount of light.
Here, the trees grew nearly twenty feet apart. Between them grew a myriad of plants and flowers whose colors had turned a sickly brown. Above, in the sagging branches of the trees, the vines and leaves formed numerous alcoves, many large enough to hold five or six people. A heavy sadness draped over all of it, marring what should have been a beautiful scene.
Max's gaze eventually fell on Alexandra who had waited patiently for them to absorb their surroundings. She managed a tired curtsy.
”Welcome to Urania.” She smiled at Eve. ”Welcome home, Evangeline.”
Eve took a tentative step forward. A joy-filled smile appeared on her face. She spun, laughing in pure merriment.