Save Aether (The Trinity Key Trilogy Book 3) (12 page)

“Seven days? Ugh.” Valera threw her head onto the pillow.

Victoria paused her unpacking. “I wouldn’t be so ungrateful, if I were you. The
Manta Ray
is the finest submarine in all of Aether. I would have thought your time in the Elder’s dungeons would have made you more appreciative.”

“Airships are faster,” Valera whined.

Her mother huffed, “And after all the chaos you’ve caused? You still don’t understand. Do you have any idea how many people your stunts have affected? Those horrid True Followers exiled all of us from Pacifica City. Poor Nessie and Joe are still in trouble from the
rightful
Elders for their part in this mess.”

“Nessie and Joe?”

“You didn’t think they would have immunity from your crimes, did you? Adora and Benji went back to Harmony. Apparently, she has some sway with the remaining Elders. Nessie and Joe didn’t have that luxury. Your aunt almost lost
the Cornelius
, and Joe was nearly exiled to the human world. You’re just lucky that Parmelia is Julia’s grandmother and sympathetic to the three of you.”

Valera swallowed a hard knot. “But that’s not fair. They didn’t do anything. We’re the ones who caused this.”

Victoria threw her hands in the air. “You think any of this is fair to anyone? Did you consider for one second the implications that your actions would have on your family? The embarrassment you’ve caused the Stein name? I can’t even look at you.”

Her mother’s accusations stung. Valera flopped around on the bed and faced the wall. Wiping her hand across her face, she closed her eyes. The events of the past weeks drifted through her mind. Leaving Aetherland, reuniting the key, being imprisoned by the True Followers – it all happened because of lies, deceptions, and secrets. Had Theo, Valera, and Julia known the truth about themselves, maybe none of it would have taken place. Yet, they were being blamed for everything.

Valera resisted the temptation to toy around with aether – sensing it all around her, but not touching it. Her mother would have felt it, and she had no desire to deal with Victoria. Still, knowing aether was there comforted her. Like a wave of molten steel, a peace and resolve washed over Valera. She didn’t regret bonding herself with Theo and Julia. Had they not united the Trinity Key, she would never have known the truth. She also didn’t regret meeting Gideon, nor did she regret having been free.

Victoria answered a knock at the door. Valera heard Parmelia speaking in the hall.

“I see you’ve settled in. May I speak with your daughter? If you like, you can go explore the ship.”

Valera smiled to herself. Parmelia wasn’t asking her mother to leave, she was telling her. She wished that she could brush her mother off so easily. Victoria huffed, but left. Sitting up in bed, Valera faced the old lady. Parmelia fascinated her.

“Ah, Valera, descendent of Aeda. You know, she was considered the weakest of the sisters, but I always thought she had a quiet courage about her. Ealga was the leader, proud and strong. Maera was the spiritual of the three, a healer. And Aeda, the mindful navigator, thoughtful and true. You’re very lucky.” Parmelia pointed to the spot beside Valera. “May I?”

“Of course.”

Valera scooted over, so the woman could sit. Parmelia slowly lowered herself to the mattress.

“Much better. My old legs tire quickly. So, I haven’t had the opportunity to speak with you as I have the other two.”

Valera reached out to Theo and Julia, but she couldn’t get through. She was cut off. Parmelia chuckled and waved her hand.

“The blue algae disrupt telepathy. It’s what Professor Scrod used in the cells to block aether, although a different recipe I presume. Strange, I know. It’s quite disconcerting at times to be cut off from what is natural to us.”

Valera bit her lip. “So you’re telepathic too? Theo said you were.”

“Yes, dear. I know all your tricks.” The woman smiled and tapped her forehead. “My generation studied the three sisters and practiced their ways. We never reunited the key of course, but we learned to use what we could. That all ended after the death of my daughter. We thought the Trinity was lost forever. We had no idea.”

“I didn’t know about your daughter. I’m sorry.”

“No, you didn’t know. We failed the three of you. It was up to us to teach you and guide you. Instead, we let you down. Faced with the danger of the Order, we cowardly stayed away, leaving you girls to defend yourselves.” Parmelia sighed. “What’s done is done. We must go forward, and do our best with the situation.” Parmelia stood and walked to the door. “Some legends come out of necessity rather than truth. I’m sorry we weren’t there for you.”

Chapter Ten

Theo

“The pressure outside this ship would crush you like tin foil,” Captain Stoddlemeyer said, making squishing gestures with his hands.

In the six days she’d been aboard, Theo hadn’t made it through a single meal without feeling queasy. She dropped her forkful of mashed potatoes and pushed her plate away. The Captain’s constant explanation of the marvels of the
Manta Ray
’s engineering made her nauseous.

“Faulty hulls have been the death of many a sailor. Of course, my
Manta Ray
can withstand twice the oceanic pressure than the average vessel, so have no fear girls. The
Manta Ray
is one fine ship.”

Theo hated submarines. Fancy décor didn’t change the fact that the
Manta Ray
was a metal tube at the bottom of the ocean. The Captain sat with them at every meal, otherwise, she would have avoided him all together. Unfortunately, meals were the only time she was allowed out of her room, and, although, she and her mom’s relationship improved daily, she wanted to interact with other people. She couldn’t even speak with Valera and Julia in her head because of the damned blue algae – another favorite topic of Captain Stoddlemeyer. At least, Valera, Julia, and Nessie were at the meals, although Eli was strangely absent.

Theo had been disappointed when she’d learned that Benji and Adora were gone. She hadn’t seen them since the Order in Pacifica City and worried about how they fared in the fighting. Her mother said that they were back with Harmony and doing well, but Theo missed them nonetheless.

“Sit up,” Victoria barked at Valera.

Valera shifted in her chair, but minutes later was slouching again. Lately, Victoria had resorted to pinching her daughter into submission. Valera seemed tired. Theo wanted to zap Victoria into oblivion for treating Valera so badly. Instead, Theo crossed her eyes at Valera and made her giggle.

“Is there a problem, Theo? Perhaps it would be best if you kept your eyes on your plate,” Victoria hissed.

Her venom seemed to be aimed at everyone but Dr. Lawless. Marjorie stopped chewing. With squinted eyes, she glared at Victoria.

“If you have a problem with my daughter, I would appreciate it if you would address me,” Marjorie said.

Theo kept score.

Marjorie 1 – Victoria 0

“If you’d taught your child manners in the first place then maybe I wouldn’t have a problem with her.”

Victoria 1 – Marjorie 1

Marjorie gripped her fork tight enough to turn her knuckles white. Theo worried that there would be a brawl… although it would be intriguing to watch. Marjorie could totally take on the stuffy Victoria. However, Theo doubted that Victoria would fight fair. Julia smiled at the exchange. Valera kept her eyes glued to the table.

“Ahem,” Parmelia interrupted. “I believe Captain Stoddlemeyer has something to say.”

And the winner is: Parmelia
by a landslide.

The Captain stood at the head of the table and raised his glass of wine. “Our voyage is almost at an end, so I’d like to take this time to thank you all for entrusting me with your safe passage.” He cleared his throat, covering his mouth with his hand. Theo thought she saw a hint of a smile. He seemed happy to see them go. “Of course… ah…” He eyed the room as if determining what he wanted to say next. “Yes, well… You are all welcome on the
Manta Ray
any time.”

The passengers gave him a round of applause, which he received with gracious bows and no-no-it-was-nothing-but-keep-clapping head shakes. After a significant amount of time, he popped back into his seat and ordered another round of drinks. The repartee between adults continued, minus the bickering under Parmelia’s watchful eye. Then, at the usual time, the adults condemned the girls to an evening of staring at stateroom walls.

Inside the boring blue box, Theo sank onto the bed with an exaggerated sigh. One more night and she was free – of the submarine at least. She couldn’t wait to get off the ship. Much of Aetherland Isle remained an unknown. Victoria still seemed to believe she had control over them, which she didn’t. They could play-pretend for a little while, but once it was time to go, they’d go with or without Victoria’s permission.

“You want to play checkers?” Theo’s mom asked.

“No thanks. I think I’m just going to go to bed.”

Her mom sat beside her. “I’m sorry about dinner. I don’t know what’s gotten into Victoria. She’s been so… awful lately.”

“When has she ever been nice?”

Theo’s mom frowned. “Now that’s not fair. She’s done a lot for us. Your father would be dead without her help. She’s just under a lot of pressure.” Marjorie kissed Theo’s forehead and stood up.

“I guess.”

Theo flopped backward on her bunk. Her mom sat at the small desk in their room and opened a book. Theo watched as her mom read and scribbled notes in the margins. The simple ritual of watching her mom intently devour a book was soothing and nostalgic.

“Why do you do that?” She asked.

“Do what, honey?”

Her mom didn’t even lift her head from the pages. Theo smiled. All she needed was the smell of peppermint tea and stacks of worn books, and they’d be back in her mother’s office in their old Victorian home in Boulder.

“Write all over the books that you’re read. I still have your copy of Frankenstein back in Aetherland. It’s almost unreadable.”

Her mom laughed. “Old habit, I suppose. I don’t just read the books. I study them. There is a lot of truth behind fiction.” Her mom nibbled on the back of her pen. “By the way, I’d like that book back if you don’t mind.”

“I love you, Mom.”

Her mom’s head popped up. Her eyes were moist, and her smile was soft.

“I love you, too.”

Theo grinned, rolled over, and gave into her sleepiness.

*

Theo woke up the next morning to people lumbering down the hallway with luggage banging against the walls. The
Manta Ray
had reached the Atlantic Island Aerodrome and was surfacing. Her ears popped, making her head ache. She covered her head with a blanket and moaned.

“Get up, Lazy Bones. We’re here. I swear you could sleep through the end of the world,” her mother chirped.

Theo rubbed her eyes and groaned, “I’m up… I’m up.”

They packed and joined the fray in the hall. On the balcony of the grand lobby, Theo watched chaos erupting below. Most of the passengers waited patiently for the doors to open, but one grumbled and complained. Victoria pushed her way through the crowd to the gangway doors. Two uniformed stewards were holding the crowd at bay, until the crew completed the proper docking procedures. The poor men tried to tell Victoria to wait, but her new companion, Dr. Lawless, rudely knocked them aside.

Ever since the hospital, Dr. Lawless had weaseled his way into Victoria’s esteem, and, over course of the voyage, he had become her faithful lap dog, sucking up to her at every occasion. The whole relationship made Theo uneasy. His games were growing tiresome. Any trust she had in him was gone by the time they docked.

“Open this door immediately,” Victoria shouted.

“Ma’am we can’t. The—

“Out of the way,” Dr. Lawless demanded. He took the handle and cranked it. The gears churned. With each bolt loosening, a strange gurgle and hiss filled the room.

The two stewards shrunk back away from the door, and Victoria’s eyes grew wide. She tried to step back, but the lobby was crowded with passengers. With a loud slurp, the door flew inward, knocking Dr. Lawless onto the floor. A film bubbled into the room and popped like a giant blue pimple. Blue sludge exploded into the lobby. Passengers screamed. Victoria got the worst of the blast and looked like a shimmering smurf. She shrieked and spat the blue algae onto the floor.

“What’s the meaning of this?” She wiped slime from her face.

“Ma’am, we warned you not to open the door before the bio film extraction,” one uniformed man yelled back.

A long bellow erupted at the back of the room. Captain Stoddlemeyer rushed to the door, picked up handfuls of the algae, and held them as if they were babies. “Do you realize what you’ve done? It takes months to cultivate a proper layer of aether-grown blue algae over the hull. You’ve created a gap in it. It’s dying!”

Victoria pulled a stringy chunk of goo from her head. “How dare you! I’ve never! This is unacceptable.”

Victoria huffed and puffed, and left the ship with Dr. Lawless in tow. Julia and Valera were on the lower level, safely tucked away behind a mass of people, laughing. Theo waved to them and started laughing too. Her mother nudged her in the back and frowned.

“Now’s not the time,” she whispered, but smiled.

Passengers filed off the ship in a single line, stepping over blobs of algae. Theo and Marjorie were two of the last people to leave. On the way out, Theo passed Captain Stoddlemeyer examining the damage done to the
Manta Ray
. His face was red from grief. Theo couldn’t understand how a person could love something so much. Still, she felt bad for him. Dried up algae covered the inside walls and floor of the lobby. The algae around gaping hole in the side of the ship shriveled and dried. Theo picked up a piece of it and held it in her hand.

“Captain, how exactly is this grown using aether? And how does it stick to the ship?”

“Huh? Oh, Theo…” He sighed. “The plant is submerged in salt water tanks and aether gas is pumped through the saline. The aether gives it the iridescent quality, which helps camouflage and stabilize the hull of the ship. It’s applied to a thin layer of breathable film over the ship. That’s why the extraction process is so important. It moves the film layer from the doors without killing the algae and allows for pressure differentiation.” He held out a piece of clear plastic. “The pressure ruptured the membrane and killed the algae.”

Theo stared at the blue flecks in her hand and had an idea. “Can you fix it?”

“We can fix the film, but growing the algae takes time and can’t be done without the proper equipment.”

“I think I can help with that. Have someone fix the door. I just need you to trust me.”

The Captain’s eyebrows shot up. “I suppose you can’t cause any more damage. I’ll have them work on the door right away.”

Theo turned to her mother. “Mom, can you get me some ocean water in a vase or something.”

“Sure, honey.”

Theo gathered an armload of the algae from the lobby and took it outside. Captain Stoddlemeyer watched her work, wringing his hands. Some of the passengers, who waited for the transport ship, turned to see what she was doing. Her mom brought a jug full of briny water.

I need your help
, Theo sent out to Julia and Valera. It felt good to be able to talk to them again.

Julia whispered in Parmelia’s ear. The old woman nodded, and Julia joined Theo on the dock. Valera pulled away from her mother. Before Victoria could throw a fit, Parmelia stepped in.

“Let them work.”

Theo put the dried algae in the jug. Together they each put a hand in the water.

Let aether pass through the water. Imagine the algae growing in your mind,
Theo said.

The other two nodded. The crowd stood by, barely breathing. Theo called on aether and the smell of rain filled her nose. Closing her eyes, she let it flow through her into the jug and algae. She sensed Julia and Valera doing the same, and after a few minutes, the crowd gasped. Theo opened her eyes and watched slimy blue algae creeping over the sides of the bucket.

“Oh, by Danu’s light! It’s a miracle,” Captain Stoddlemeyer shouted.

“We need more water,” Julia said, pulling her hand out of the algae and shaking it off. “I hope this stuff doesn’t stain.”

Captain Stoddlemeyer ushered his men to get every bucket, jug, and vase in the ship. The ship’s engineer took the overflowing bucket and gingerly plastered the algae on the new film. Captain Stoddlemeyer gathered the dried algae from inside the ship. The girls regrew algae over and over again until the door was covered and their hands were dark blue. By the time they were done, the transport was waiting. None of the passengers had boarded it. They all chattered about the girls, clapping and cheering. Captain Stoddlemeyer grabbed Theo, Valera, and Julia in his arms and squeezed them.