A Voyage of Founders Read online

  As the hours passed, I realized that, indeed, it was impossible to get bored with the view. The interplanetary spell carried us forward at tremendous speed. Then, as it approached the Meahiri Galaxy, it began to slow down.

  “There it is.” Derek’s gaze was fixed on the multicolored swirls of stardust, planets, and stars unraveling ahead.

  “It’s superb,” I breathed, feeling my eyes widen at the sight of such splendor.

  We entered the galaxy, passing by giant, ice-cold planets and red-hot solar systems—the wild fringe of the cluster. The closer we got to the center, the calmer everything seemed. The light orb descended gently, headed for a familiar-looking solar system. I’d seen it before, on the screens back in The Shade.

  The sun was huge, probably thrice the size of the earth’s sun. There were eight planets here.

  “What do we know about this system?” Xavier asked.

  “Not much,” Derek replied. “Draven is looking into the Druid archives for any mention of these coordinates, but I doubt we’ll hear anything soon. Long before Azazel took over, the Druids used to explore the neighboring galaxies with the help of swamp witches. It’s been a long time since someone went out like this.”

  “Yeah, and let’s not forget, not all expeditions ended well,” Corrine said. “Case in point: Neraka.”

  “I know Strava is the only planet with the perfect atmospheric conditions for life,” Ibrahim chimed in, shrugging. “I’ve read the brief in detail, including the details they put in from the Druid Archives. The Druids were quite the travelers back in the day. Anyway, the planet closest to the sun is called Qalada. The second is Kianus, followed by Ieorus. The red one, there,” he added, pointing at it. “Then, there’s our beautiful Strava.”

  “Oh, I see it,” I murmured.

  It was even more beautiful in real life. The images that Jovi had captured didn’t do it justice at all. It looked like a giant turquoise marble, sitting quietly in the middle of space’s vacuum. Wisps of white clouds obscured large swaths of the planet, half of it bathed in sunlight. Thousands of small islands were scattered across the water, like tiny drops of paint on the ocean’s canvas.

  “The planet next to it is Oscippe,” Ibrahim continued, pointing at Strava’s neighbor, which was painted in various shades of dark blue and was rich in dry land, as well. “It’s believed its atmosphere could also sustain life, albeit at lower temperatures. It would probably suit the likes of the Dhaxanians, but no one’s had a chance to study it in detail. At least, I don’t think so. Maybe the Druid archives have some notes about it.”

  “It looks cold,” Corrine observed, then pointed at the next planet. “What’s that?”

  “That’s Roskapus, followed by Sasperon, Brone, and Bradus,” Ibrahim replied. “They’re the smallest and coldest in this solar system.”

  I nodded slowly. “I can see that,” I said.

  Brone and Bradus were essentially white globes, covered in pure ice and snow, with streaks of pale blue where an ocean could be seen beneath the frosted layers.

  Strava grew bigger before us, as the spell brought us closer to it.

  “There it is, the Prekk Archipelago,” Ibrahim exclaimed enthusiastically.

  “Ah, now I remember who The Shade’s nerd was,” Lucas muttered.

  “You need a nerd on this team, my friend,” Ibrahim replied. “Otherwise you’ll be dead by morning.”

  We all chuckled as we glided toward Strava’s atmosphere. The interplanetary spell’s sphere began to hum a little louder. As soon as we pierced the ozone layer, our bodies started to vibrate, as a direct result of intense friction.

  Once we were past the top layer of clouds, however, the spell resumed its regular, soft hum. Beneath us, an endless turquoise ocean sprawled. The Prekk Archipelago majestically stretched over hundreds of square miles. On its southwestern border, a small atoll poked out from the water.

  Noagh. The island of our dreams.

  It was a gorgeous hidden gem of the In-Between—that was obvious from the moment I laid eyes on it. However, the closer we got, the more in awe I was of what I was seeing.

  “I’m telling you, all the photos and videos that the kids brought back from this place do not paint a full picture,” Lucas murmured, staring at the island.

  It was shaped like a horseshoe, hugging a pale blue lagoon. Its beaches were covered in almost-white sand. The resort rose proudly from smack in the middle of the inner arch, overlooking the lagoon. Behind it, in a wider semicircle, was the lush jungle, spreading for at least a couple dozen miles farther back, followed by another thin strip of sand and giant rock clusters.

  Palm trees fanned out, casting shadows over the water. The winds rustled their giant leaves. I could almost hear their whispers.

  The spell landed softly on the beach, right in front of the resort.

  As soon as the light faded away and the swamp witch magic dissipated, our feet sank into the white sand. It was night, and a big, bluish moon watched over us from above. The pink-and-purple streaks of neighboring galaxies shimmered to the west. Billions of stars twinkled overhead.

  We all stood there for a while, in absolute silence.

  We listened to the ocean water lapping at the shore behind us. The breeze rushing through the giant palm trees. The crinkling and chirping of wild animals scuttling through the dark jungle. It was something out of this world—incredibly beautiful, peaceful, and quiet.

  I took my first deep breath, filling my lungs with what felt like pure oxygen. The air was definitely cleaner on Strava. I raised Bowie, the spherical computer, and pressed one of the small buttons to open up a live communication line with The Shade.

  “Mom? Mom, is that you?” I heard Rose’s voice through the sphere.

  “Can you see me?” I asked, looking at a tiny, blinking red light.

  “Yes! Are you okay? Did you have a smooth landing?” Rose replied.

  “Everything’s okay, honey,” I said, looking at the others, then smiling into the hidden camera. Applause and cheers erupted from the other end of the line. The kids were with Ben and Rose. I couldn’t see them, but I could definitely hear them. They’d all been waiting for us to confirm landing. “Oh, darlings, this is beautiful!”

  “Enjoy it, Mom! We’re here if you need us!” Rose replied.

  I nodded, then ended the call and put the sphere inside one of the bags. We’d gathered all our luggage in the middle, and now, the guys were carrying it all to the resort. It was a stunning construction. The ocean’s reflection in the floor-to-ceiling windows was the first thing to catch my eye. Then, the sensors.

  As soon as Derek set foot on the front porch, the entire resort lit up automatically.

  “Hah, motion sensors.” He chuckled. “Smart kids.”

  “Look at this front yard,” Vivienne said, circling the firepit. It had been dug into the white sand and surrounded by beach-style furniture, with massive shades and umbrellas. This was where we were most likely to spend a lot of time, throughout the day. “And all the greenery.”

  Indeed, the outer patio lining the entire resort was decorated with potted flowers and miniature palm trees. Awnings extended from the roof, providing a healthy amount of shade during the day.

  “You look different,” Derek said, looking at me as he came back out. He stopped at the top of the small stairs connecting the resort to the beach, then smiled. “This moon paints you in a different light.”

  Only then did I spot the difference, as I looked at him, then back at my arms. The bluish moon cast a peculiar glow over us. My skin wore a faint shimmer that accentuated my paleness. It wasn’t as though I’d been made of diamonds or anything, but the iridescence was certainly noticeable.

  “You’re even more beautiful, though I didn’t think it was possible,” Derek said lowly, gazing at me, completely bewildered.

  “It has the same effect on you, you know,” I said, smiling at him while pointing at the moon. He came down and stopped in front of me, his gaze darkening and
making my cheeks burn.

  “I’m speechless,” he whispered.

  “Hah! Derek! Check this out!” Lucas called out from one of the rooms, as he stood in the open doorway. We both shifted our focus to him, just as he pressed a control button by the door, turning the glass windows into opaque, nearly black shades, then back to their transparent mode. “And it actually adjusts automatically. You don’t even have to press anything. The kids left instructions in every room. Everything is automated and solar-powered. It’s incredible!”

  Yuri came out, hands resting on his hips. “I’m in awe of our grandchildren. I’m… Is there a better word for ‘impressed?’”

  Derek laughed, as the others came back out, equally mesmerized by their vacation quarters.

  “Flabbergasted,” he said. “Stunned. Titillated. Amazed. I could go on.”

  “No, no. You had me at ‘titillated,’” Cameron replied with a grin.

  I let out a deep sigh, then turned to face the ocean. I could see the neighboring islands, patches of sand and jungle rising over the dark blue waters. The bluish moonlight trembled on the surface, rippling across the water like the brush strokes of an impressionist painting. It was so nice and warm…

  “It’s perfect, my love,” I said.

  Derek wrapped his arms around me, warming my back with his muscular figure. He rested his head on my shoulder, his jaw gently brushing against mine as he nodded slowly.

  “It’s like a little slice of heaven,” he replied.

  “And it’s ours for a while.”

  “Mm-hmm,” he breathed, then left a trail of kisses along the side of my neck.

  I could definitely get used to all this.

  Derek

  After we set our clocks to the local time zone and got comfortable, we met outside on the private beach. Adapting human measurements to the length of a Stravian day gave us a couple of extra hours. Basically, Strava offered twenty-six hours per day, as opposed to Earth’s twenty-four. The midnight breeze was soft and pleasantly warm, and the air was fresh, yet slightly salty. This part of Strava had all the conditions to qualify it as the perfect vacation destination. I’d lost all doubt about it.

  The ocean carried a dark blue hue, but we could see glowing jellyfish underneath the surface, about half a mile from the sandy shore. The bluish moon’s reflection rippled across the water, and all kinds of animals chirped and purred in the blackness of the jungle behind our resort.

  “This is amazing,” Sofia breathed, slowly walking toward the water.

  She’d slipped into a black, one-piece bathing suit, her auburn hair loose and cascading down her back. Her shadow stretched across the sand, quietly reaching out to me. Almost ninety years later, and I was still head over heels with Sofia. Every time she smiled, every look she gave me, and every breath she took made me feel like I was the most fortunate creature in all the universes, for she’d chosen me to spend an eternity with.

  “It would be empty and grim without you in it,” I said.

  She giggled softly, giving me a brief glance over her shoulder. I stepped forward, drawn to her like a sailor to a siren’s song. Only, my siren was the single most precious woman in the world—kind, sweet and fierce, patient and noble… perfect.

  To my right, the others made their way toward the water. Vivienne, Kailyn, Marion, Corrine, and Claudia had changed into one- or two-piece swimsuits in varying shades of blue, green, and orange, while the guys had stripped down to their shorts, like me. I felt like a carefree sixteen-year-old again, and it was a delightful thing to experience after everything I’d been through.

  “Last one in the water is a slimy Sluagh!” Claudia said, then dashed toward the ocean.

  The others laughed, but didn’t stand still, either. They ran, racing to avoid being classified as a “slimy Sluagh,” a derogatory joke we’d been circulating among our group since the discovery of Eritopia. Not that long ago, Sluaghs had wreaked havoc and helped tipped the balance in Azazel’s favor. The Sluaghs were parasitic, worm-like creatures that occupied bodies and had zero morals. The worst of the worst, and, once separated from their meat suits, the stuff of nightmares.

  “It’s official! Ibrahim is a slimy Sluagh!” Lucas announced, as he left Corrine’s warlock husband behind and jumped into the water.

  Ibrahim shook his head slowly as his feet met the first round of sea foam settling on the wet sand. “Obviously, we’re all twelve years old now,” he muttered.

  I shifted my focus back to Sofia. The water reached up to her waist, and she’d turned around to face me. Sheer happiness brightened her up, her smile filling my heart with liquid sunshine. This was probably as close as I would ever get to feeling the sun on my skin.

  “You’ve got the makings of a sea nymph,” I said to her. As soon as I reached her, I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her close. Water slipped between us, lapping at our hips as the ocean trembled back and forth in its tide. “And I am positively hooked.”

  “It’s nice to know I still have that effect on you,” she replied, smiling.

  “I doubt you’ll ever stop having that effect on me.” I sighed, then chuckled softly when I heard Xavier’s yelp, followed by a turbulent splash.

  Sofia and I both looked to my right, only to find Lucas and Xavier wrestling in the water, slipping and splashing around like bottlenose dolphins. Lucas refrained from using his water abilities, so he could tussle his brother-in-law, like the little boys they still were, deep down. They were laughing and challenging one another, while the rest of our crew gathered around them and picked sides to cheer on.

  “Come on, Xavier, show Lucas how you fight in the water!” Vivienne encouraged him.

  Xavier’s head poked out of the water, but Lucas brought him back under.

  “It’s like wrestling a manatee!” Xavier managed once he came back up and put a few feet of distance between him and my brother. “A very… agile manatee.”

  Lucas raised an eyebrow, panting as he wiped some of the water from his face. “Out of all the marine wildlife out there, that’s the animal you chose to compare me to?”

  “You’ve got its strength, so I’m pretty accurate,” Xavier shot back. “Or would you rather be a hammerhead?”

  “I was hoping you’d put me up there with the killer whales, but okay,” Lucas replied, then jumped out of the water and tumbled into Xavier. A second round of aquatic wrestling ensued, while the others went swimming around, relishing the feel of warm water against their skin.

  “They look so happy,” Sofia said. “I barely recognize them.”

  “They were just taken out of their usual environment,” I replied gently, keeping my eyes on Lucas and Xavier.

  “Not that they weren’t happy before, but… this feels like a side of them that I didn’t even know was there,” Sofia murmured, smiling softly.

  “We’ve been adults for too long, baby,” I replied. “It was about time someone unplugged us like this.”

  We spent the next hour swimming and exploring the nearby depths. We found enormous coral reefs underwater, all virgin and untouched, unraveling in bright tones of orange, pink, lime green and citrus yellow. The fish were equally spectacular, most of them triangle-shaped and flat, covered in yellow and blue stripes. There were plenty of other varieties, but the yellow-and-blue ones seemed like the predominant species on that side of the island.

  We spotted silhouettes of larger marine animals farther away, but we kept our distance. It would’ve been bad luck to rile up the locals on our first night.

  After we splashed around for a while, we all came out of the water, dried ourselves off with soft towels, then slipped into light linen clothes and went into the jungle. It was time for a hunt. After all, Harper had already enticed us with the local fauna’s blood quality. It would’ve been a pity not to start our vacation on Strava with a taste.

  “What do you think we’ll come across in there?” Corrine asked, pointing at the jungle in front of us. It was dark and bushy, but my vampire s
ight allowed me to see deeper and clearer than most. I’d already spotted several deer-like creatures, as well as large feline predators lurking in the massive, gnarled trees farther ahead.

  “Hot-blooded animals,” I replied. “I can see some from here already.”

  “Oh, yeah,” Vivienne said, narrowing her eyes as she followed my gaze. “What are those?”

  “Well, we don’t have a name for them, but a working name could be ‘Stravian deer,’ I guess?” I suggested, then shrugged. My sister chuckled, shaking her head slowly.

  “Okay. Stravian deer it is, then,” she said. “I see four of them. Two-hundred-and-fifty yards to the southeast from here. Shall we go for those, first?”

  “Meh,” Yuri chimed in, exhaling sharply. “We might as well go deeper and see what else there is. We can always snatch one or two of those… Stravian deer on our way back, if nothing else pops up.”

  “Aw, my husband’s in his exploratory mood,” Claudia replied, then pushed herself up on her toes so she could kiss him.

  “I just don’t want this to be an in-and-out kind of thing,” Yuri said after the kiss. “We’ve got time. I could eat, but it’s nothing to warrant any rush.”

  The others murmured and nodded in agreement.

  “Time for a stroll through the woods, then, ladies and gentlemen,” I replied.

  I took the lead, with Sofia close by my side. Xavier and Vivienne walked along with us, to our left, while Claudia and Yuri stayed to our right. Corrine, Ibrahim, Lucas, Marion, Cameron, Liana, Aiden, and Kailyn were right behind us.

  We walked through the jungle, going deeper and leaving marks on nearby trees for quick reference on our way back. The moon still managed to peek through the thick foliage crowns overhead, the occasional ray of bluish light cutting through the night.

  “There must be thousands of insects in this place,” Cameron said. “I think I’ve heard at least five different kinds of chirps, all around us.”

  “Look at the flora, too,” Liana replied, then pointed somewhere above us.