My enthusiasm for Otherland spelunking fades a bit as we continue. The next world is a never-ending desert with a strangely starless night sky. The one after that is a gray tundra.
“What are we expecting on Necronia?” I ask, the tension in my shoulders easing when nothing attacks us for another two worlds.
“It’s run by necromancers,” Dylan says, taking on a professorial tone. “They have a religion that revolves around souls, and they use reanimated corpses to run their economy. That keeps humans grateful by letting them live in luxury. According to—”
“That reminds me.” Valerian looks at Kit. “They have some sexual taboos I wanted to warn everyone about.”
Everyone who knows Kit well follows Valerian’s gaze with curiosity, while the woman herself minces forward as if “everyone” didn’t mean “her.”
“They are deeply homophobic,” Valerian says, and Kit slows her pace. “Also, there’s a strict anti-adultery law.”
“Which is why Wrakar was exiled,” Dylan chimes in. “He had an extra-marital affair.”
Kit stops and morphs into an androgynous person of unspeakable beauty. “What if they’re single?” she asks in a voice that’s as masculine as it is feminine.
The corners of Chester’s eyes crinkle. “How about you just keep it in your pants?”
Pouting, Kit looks at Dylan. “Fine. But maybe someone can help me scratch the itch on the way?”
Dylan’s ears turn a deep red, and she gracelessly sprints into a blue gate in front of us.
Fabian growls something in German, and Itzel replies in kind.
“Well, I just figured sex is something else she might have a doctorate in,” Kit says defensively and steps into the gate after Dylan. The rest of us follow, and I can’t help but notice how Ariel is doing her best never to be near Edith.
Speaking of Edith… Isn’t she going to be a problem on a world of necromancers? In our morgue encounter with Wrakar, a group of Enforcers was a major hindrance.
I mull this over for a couple of worlds before sharing my concern with the team, Edith included.
She huffs. “I’m too powerful for any necromancer to control.”
“I’m sure,” I say. “But won’t they know what you are and get upset? Didn’t your kind drive them off most worlds?”
“They won’t even sense that I’m a vampire,” Edith says. “The plan is to say that I’m an uber. My lack of youthful looks should help with the deception.”
Chester smirks. “True. Vamps aren’t known for their need of Botox injections.”
“Still,” I say. “It’s a little worrying.”
Falling into step beside me, Valerian places a hand on my shoulder and squeezes lightly. My treacherous stomach feels wobbly all of a sudden. “Edith’s ability to glamour necromancers overrides the risk of discovery,” he murmurs in my ear. “You don’t need to worry.”
Ignoring the warmth spreading through me, I remove his hand from my shoulder and turn to Edith. “Is that true?”
“It’s how we got so much information out of our necro captive,” she says proudly.
Hearing this, Ariel backs away from the vampire and changes the topic by asking about the team that Valerian mentioned will be waiting for us.
Oh, yeah. I almost forgot about that.
“Since Icelus is operating on multiple worlds, we’re trying to organize a cross-Otherland defense,” Valerian replies. “The people you’re asking about are from the worlds that have decided to participate thus far.”
“Wow,” Ariel says.
“That’s cool,” Felix says.
Itzel bobs her head. “A historical achievement, indeed.”
If I weren’t mad at Valerian, I’d join their praises. Cognizant worlds usually stay out of each other’s business.
Falling into step beside me again, Valerian touches my arm. “There’s actually someone waiting for us who you might be interested in.”
I not-so-subtly step out of his reach and lift an eyebrow.
Annoyingly, Valerian doesn’t look put off. “Since Icelus uses a dreamwalker to coordinate across worlds, we decided to do the same and located a willing one on a world called Raira.”
My second eyebrow joins its twin, and they both shoot up my forehead. “You know another dreamwalker, and you’re just telling me now?”
His lips press together. “We just recruited him a few days ago.”
“You might want to give Valerian a break,” Kit says just as I’m about to say something snide. “The Council of Councils wanted to use you to coordinate across worlds, but he said it was out of the question.”
I blink up at Valerian’s ocean-blue eyes. “You did?”
“I wasn’t going to throw you under the bus for a second time,” he says, his face unreadable.
“Hmm,” is my genius reply. I look at my friends, but they all avoid my gaze.
Fine. I jump through the next gate and end up on an icy plain under a toxic-looking green sky.
No one bugs me for the next two gates. Felix and Stanislav speak Russian, Itzel, Edith, and Fabian banter in German, while Felix and Dylan discuss computer science in what might as well be a foreign tongue.
And surprise, surprise—Dylan has a doctorate in that too.