nature of my question. “Well, I didn’t know it would be this , exactly.” Her gaze flicked over to the pyxis box. “But something important. I didn’t want to believe it, but I had . . . dreams.”
I wanted to gape at her, but I controlled myself. That had to be a record for the most sarcasm- and vitriol-free words she’d said to me in years. I waited for her to elaborate, but she turned to my great-aunt. She and Ang settled, side by side, on the bed, and Aunt Dorothy dropped inky black liquid on each of their tongues. They made nearly identical sour-lemon faces, and I tried not to snicker. Aunt Dorothy diluted one drop each of orange, yellow, and green into a glass of water, stirred it, and then divided the solution between two clean glasses.
She directed the girls to let each other drink from their glasses. Ang held her glass up to Sophie’s lips, and then Sophie did the same for Ang. When they finished, I took Ang’s glass and Aunt Dorothy took Sophie’s, and within seconds, both of them fell back on the bed, unconscious. Aunt Dorothy closed the pyxis and left the room.
I lingered a moment, watching their peaceful faces. Ang’s hair lay across the pillow in golden waves. She was a slumbering princess from a fairy tale. Sophie’s face was smooth. Had she felt vulnerable here with all of us? Her breath whispered through her parted lips. Would the pyramidal union give her another reason to punish me? I would almost understand that. At least I’d know why she was angry.
I tiptoed out of the room, trying to push away the anxiety rippling through me.
* * *
While Ang and Sophie slept, I set to work in the kitchen. I couldn’t even remember the last time I’d done any serious baking, and it satisfied my restless hands. I made two loaves of banana bread (Ang’s favorite), three dozen peanut butter cookies (Mason’s favorite), and angel food cake (Aunt Dorothy’s favorite). The warm, sweet aromas filling the house reminded me of peaceful days I’d spent here with my grandmother.
I’d been replaying my conversation with Zane while I baked. We’d been cut off so abruptly, right as he started to tell me something, and the question had been hanging in my mind ever since. I wanted to know why he was looking for me. But it wasn’t just that. Curiosity gnawed at me. It was like finding out I had a long-lost brother, but not being able to learn anything about him. Well, not a brother , exactly. But someone I very much needed to know.
My great-aunt returned from checking on the girls upstairs and took in the mess in the kitchen. “Goodness, we could open our own little bakery.”
I smiled sheepishly at her. “The cake isn’t cool enough to cut yet, but it’ll be ready soon. Are they still asleep?”
“They haven’t stirred a hair,” she said.
“Everything’s okay, right? That’s normal?” Mason and I had been out nearly four hours when we’d linked. Only two and a half hours had passed since Sophie and Ang drank the pyxis solution, but I couldn’t help asking.
“Perfectly normal. They’re just fine, my dear, just fine,” Aunt Dorothy said. She filled the kettle and set it on the stove.
“Why don’t I have to go through the rite with Ang and Sophie?” I asked.
“Having been through it with Mason already, you are now psychically open to linking with the two Guardians.” She pulled a box of gunpowder green tea from the pantry.
“Oh, I guess that’s good.” I folded and refolded a dish towel. “Aunt Dorothy, while we have a few minutes alone, I need to tell you about something that happened.”
She set out two mugs and then joined me at the kitchen table. “Sounds serious. What is it, dear?”
“Last night, I was in the, um, hypercosmic realm,” I said, stumbling a bit over the strange terminology. “A couple of weird things happened.” I told her about Harriet influencing me, and Zane interceding.
When I got to the part about Zane’s pyramidal union, Aunt Dorothy’s lips
I wanted to gape at her, but I controlled myself. That had to be a record for the most sarcasm- and vitriol-free words she’d said to me in years. I waited for her to elaborate, but she turned to my great-aunt. She and Ang settled, side by side, on the bed, and Aunt Dorothy dropped inky black liquid on each of their tongues. They made nearly identical sour-lemon faces, and I tried not to snicker. Aunt Dorothy diluted one drop each of orange, yellow, and green into a glass of water, stirred it, and then divided the solution between two clean glasses.
She directed the girls to let each other drink from their glasses. Ang held her glass up to Sophie’s lips, and then Sophie did the same for Ang. When they finished, I took Ang’s glass and Aunt Dorothy took Sophie’s, and within seconds, both of them fell back on the bed, unconscious. Aunt Dorothy closed the pyxis and left the room.
I lingered a moment, watching their peaceful faces. Ang’s hair lay across the pillow in golden waves. She was a slumbering princess from a fairy tale. Sophie’s face was smooth. Had she felt vulnerable here with all of us? Her breath whispered through her parted lips. Would the pyramidal union give her another reason to punish me? I would almost understand that. At least I’d know why she was angry.
I tiptoed out of the room, trying to push away the anxiety rippling through me.
* * *
While Ang and Sophie slept, I set to work in the kitchen. I couldn’t even remember the last time I’d done any serious baking, and it satisfied my restless hands. I made two loaves of banana bread (Ang’s favorite), three dozen peanut butter cookies (Mason’s favorite), and angel food cake (Aunt Dorothy’s favorite). The warm, sweet aromas filling the house reminded me of peaceful days I’d spent here with my grandmother.
I’d been replaying my conversation with Zane while I baked. We’d been cut off so abruptly, right as he started to tell me something, and the question had been hanging in my mind ever since. I wanted to know why he was looking for me. But it wasn’t just that. Curiosity gnawed at me. It was like finding out I had a long-lost brother, but not being able to learn anything about him. Well, not a brother , exactly. But someone I very much needed to know.
My great-aunt returned from checking on the girls upstairs and took in the mess in the kitchen. “Goodness, we could open our own little bakery.”
I smiled sheepishly at her. “The cake isn’t cool enough to cut yet, but it’ll be ready soon. Are they still asleep?”
“They haven’t stirred a hair,” she said.
“Everything’s okay, right? That’s normal?” Mason and I had been out nearly four hours when we’d linked. Only two and a half hours had passed since Sophie and Ang drank the pyxis solution, but I couldn’t help asking.
“Perfectly normal. They’re just fine, my dear, just fine,” Aunt Dorothy said. She filled the kettle and set it on the stove.
“Why don’t I have to go through the rite with Ang and Sophie?” I asked.
“Having been through it with Mason already, you are now psychically open to linking with the two Guardians.” She pulled a box of gunpowder green tea from the pantry.
“Oh, I guess that’s good.” I folded and refolded a dish towel. “Aunt Dorothy, while we have a few minutes alone, I need to tell you about something that happened.”
She set out two mugs and then joined me at the kitchen table. “Sounds serious. What is it, dear?”
“Last night, I was in the, um, hypercosmic realm,” I said, stumbling a bit over the strange terminology. “A couple of weird things happened.” I told her about Harriet influencing me, and Zane interceding.
When I got to the part about Zane’s pyramidal union, Aunt Dorothy’s lips
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