version of his father—already growing tall and lanky with amber eyes too big for his face and a thick mop of dark hair that resisted whatever attempts Xandi made to tame it. He had Stef’s boundless good humor and his mother’s zest for life.
He was smart and funny, and idolized Lily—a little too much, in Anton’s estimation. Even he knew his daughter was far from perfect. No, she had a bit too much of her father in her, and way too much influence on Alex.
Liana had accompanied them into the caverns. She’d heard about the cave drawings and tagged along in case the language was still familiar to her. As their Goddess, she had known every language the Chanku had ever used, but much of that information had been given to Eve, deleted forever from Liana’s memories.
Munching on a breakfast bar, Alex stood in front of the cavern wall with Stefan on one side and Anton on the other, and pointed out the various characters in “Lily’s storybook.” Liana stood off to one side, quietly watching.
“Lily told me this part is about the mountains where they lived when they first came here, in a place they called the frozen wilderness. The ones who wrote the story left their home when it got really cold there. They came here to find their brothers, who were called spirit guides. See this?”
He pointed to marks that looked like smoke. “This is how they got here. They traveled on the magic.”
Stefan flashed a questioning glance at Anton. “On the magic?”
Anton shrugged. “Another name for the astral plane? Maybe the word ‘magic’ is merely Lily’s interpretation.”
“I think that might be it.” Liana stepped forward, shaking her head. “I used to know this. I’ve got bits of memories, but they’re faint.” She pointed to the circular shape. “This is the ship they arrived in. I’d forgotten all about these early stories, but the drawings are jogging some old memories loose, I guess.”
She glanced at Anton. “Our ancient ancestors left a dying world and immigrated here, long before there were any modern humans. They settled in what is now the Tibetan steppe before the plateau was as high and the climate as cold as it is now.” She shrugged. “Many millions of years ago. I don’t know for sure. Time passes. . . .”
As her voice faded, Anton merely nodded. Time passed differently on the astral plane. Even now, Liana often had trouble keeping track of time, as if her internal clock had never been locked into a particular set of seconds, minutes, or hours.
“Anyway . . .” Alex interrupted, obviously reaching for the spotlight again. “This is the story of how we got here, and Lily said she thought it might be a door that went to the place where the Goddess lives.” He crossed his arms on his chest, obviously more than a little perturbed. “We were going to look for it today. Together.” He pouted and glared at Anton. “She didn’t wait. She went all by herself and didn’t take me. Lily just thinks she’s so special because she’s older.”
Anton folded his arms and stared very seriously at Alex. “Lily is going to be in a lot of trouble for going away without telling us. Be thankful you didn’t go with her.”
Stefan ruffled Alex’s hair. “Anton’s right, sport. If you’d gone with Lily, you’d be in big trouble, too. C’mon. Let’s go talk Mom into some real breakfast.”
“Pancakes?” Alex’s eyes lit up.
“Works for me.” Anton, I’m going to get him out of here before you cross over. The last thing this kid needs is to see how to get to the astral. Liana? Can you stay and help Anton?
Liana nodded and Stef herded his six-year-old out of the cave. When they were gone, Anton placed his hands in the carved prints on the wall. “I can feel magic here. I don’t understand why I never noticed it before. It’s thrumming just beneath the surface, as if the barrier between worlds is quite thin.”
“Lily may have enabled an ancient power. It’s been lying dormant
He was smart and funny, and idolized Lily—a little too much, in Anton’s estimation. Even he knew his daughter was far from perfect. No, she had a bit too much of her father in her, and way too much influence on Alex.
Liana had accompanied them into the caverns. She’d heard about the cave drawings and tagged along in case the language was still familiar to her. As their Goddess, she had known every language the Chanku had ever used, but much of that information had been given to Eve, deleted forever from Liana’s memories.
Munching on a breakfast bar, Alex stood in front of the cavern wall with Stefan on one side and Anton on the other, and pointed out the various characters in “Lily’s storybook.” Liana stood off to one side, quietly watching.
“Lily told me this part is about the mountains where they lived when they first came here, in a place they called the frozen wilderness. The ones who wrote the story left their home when it got really cold there. They came here to find their brothers, who were called spirit guides. See this?”
He pointed to marks that looked like smoke. “This is how they got here. They traveled on the magic.”
Stefan flashed a questioning glance at Anton. “On the magic?”
Anton shrugged. “Another name for the astral plane? Maybe the word ‘magic’ is merely Lily’s interpretation.”
“I think that might be it.” Liana stepped forward, shaking her head. “I used to know this. I’ve got bits of memories, but they’re faint.” She pointed to the circular shape. “This is the ship they arrived in. I’d forgotten all about these early stories, but the drawings are jogging some old memories loose, I guess.”
She glanced at Anton. “Our ancient ancestors left a dying world and immigrated here, long before there were any modern humans. They settled in what is now the Tibetan steppe before the plateau was as high and the climate as cold as it is now.” She shrugged. “Many millions of years ago. I don’t know for sure. Time passes. . . .”
As her voice faded, Anton merely nodded. Time passed differently on the astral plane. Even now, Liana often had trouble keeping track of time, as if her internal clock had never been locked into a particular set of seconds, minutes, or hours.
“Anyway . . .” Alex interrupted, obviously reaching for the spotlight again. “This is the story of how we got here, and Lily said she thought it might be a door that went to the place where the Goddess lives.” He crossed his arms on his chest, obviously more than a little perturbed. “We were going to look for it today. Together.” He pouted and glared at Anton. “She didn’t wait. She went all by herself and didn’t take me. Lily just thinks she’s so special because she’s older.”
Anton folded his arms and stared very seriously at Alex. “Lily is going to be in a lot of trouble for going away without telling us. Be thankful you didn’t go with her.”
Stefan ruffled Alex’s hair. “Anton’s right, sport. If you’d gone with Lily, you’d be in big trouble, too. C’mon. Let’s go talk Mom into some real breakfast.”
“Pancakes?” Alex’s eyes lit up.
“Works for me.” Anton, I’m going to get him out of here before you cross over. The last thing this kid needs is to see how to get to the astral. Liana? Can you stay and help Anton?
Liana nodded and Stef herded his six-year-old out of the cave. When they were gone, Anton placed his hands in the carved prints on the wall. “I can feel magic here. I don’t understand why I never noticed it before. It’s thrumming just beneath the surface, as if the barrier between worlds is quite thin.”
“Lily may have enabled an ancient power. It’s been lying dormant
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