Suddenly, our surroundings shift. We no longer sit on Jarek's palm. Instead, we stand inside a building, in a long hallway that has flickering oil lamps positioned at intervals along the walls. This place feels like a castle, but I've been inside Sefton Stainthorpe's fortress, and it was nothing like this. His castle seemed vacant and sterile, not at all welcoming. The stronghold we now stand in has warm, flickering light and wooden doors. What lies inside those rooms? Not bare stone, I'm sure. Call it a hunch.
A doorway to our left swings open, and Aldith steps onto the threshold. "Welcome to the stronghold. Please step inside this room, where we can discuss matters in a more comfortable environment."
Sarah slips her hand into mine as we follow Aldith into a spacious bedroom. I consider shaking her hand off, but I can't make myself do that this time. Something about the stronghold makes me uneasy. I guess I need a little comforting too. This room is beautifully decorated, not that I'm an expert on that sort of thing. But even I can appreciate the warm tones and the splashes of brighter colors that make the space feel welcoming.
"It's nice to see you again, Aldith," I say. "But why did you send me away only to bring me back here again?"
She cants her head, seeming curious. "I did not bring you here. I sent you to Sanctuary, that is all."
"But Jarek gave us a ride to get here."
"Jarek is an autonomous being, no longer a slave to anyone since Erin and Grant freed him."
I feel myself about to get grumpy and remember what Sarah told me. I shouldn't get angry at Aldith. She might be as much a pawn in this game as we are. So I take a breath and exhale it slowly to calm myself. "Do you know anything about the lightning on the Earth side of things? It seemed to be going after Sarah. Then it penned us on the beach so a flying creature could grab us and drag us back into the Echo."
"I was aware of the lightning," Aldith says, "but only on this side. The Echo has been enduring strange weather similar to what happened during the alchemy of worlds."
"That wasn't going on when I left here."
"No. It began shortly after your departure." She cants her head again, this time aiming her curiosity at Sarah. "The lightning wished to hurt you?"
Sarah hunches her shoulders. "It kept trying to hit me, that's all I know. Gabriel jumped in front of a bolt to save me. But you just asked if the lightning 'wished' to hurt me. That implies you think it's sentient."
"I regret if I implied that. What I should have asked is whether the lightning might've been directed toward you."
"Of course it was," I say, almost snarling, but not quite. I need to do more work on not getting grumpy. I manage to calm down and unfist my hands. "Sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you. But this is all damn confusing and unnerving."
"Yes, I imagine it is." Aldith clasps her hands in front of her body. "Perhaps we can solve the mystery together."
"Any help you can provide would be appreciated."
When I glance at Sarah, she's smiling at me. It's a small but sweet smile.
I'd rather she didn't look at me that way.
"About the lightning," I say, focusing on the pretty Echo creature so I don't have to see Sarah's expression. "Do you haveany information about that? Any guesses? I'd like to know why those bolts were after Sarah."
"If I knew, I would tell you. But I cannot see what the Echo is doing on Earth, only what happens here."
"Have you ever known the lightning in the Echo to chase a person? Or corral someone?"
"No. And the fact that an Echo creature abducted you is rather disturbing."
Yeah, no shit. The whole situation is disturbing. Especially since I just realized something. "Jarek was working with the Echo creature that brought us here."
Aldith's eyes widen for the briefest moment. Then she rolls her shoulders back and clears her throat. "I don't believe he would have aided anyone in harming you. There must be an explanation."
"Let's ask him."
Aldith marches past us, through the open doorway and across the hall to another door. She glances back. "Are you coming? This was your idea, after all."
I lead Sarah across the hall as Aldith opens the door. We all tromp into another bedroom. This one features big picture windows that overlook…the clouds. We're in the sky? Well, Jarek had lifted us very high, but I'd assumed he pushed us through some kind of portal to the stronghold.
But no, we're actually floating in the clouds.
Aldith waves a hand. One of the picture windows vanishes. She leans out and tips her head down. "Jarek! We need to speak to you, please."
What on earth is that woman doing? Even Jarek can't reach this place. It's high above his head. I think. We just kind of poofed into the stronghold, so I can't say for sure. Can't believe I thought the word poof. At least I didn't say it out loud.