The Mantis Continuum - Book Four - 32. Chapter 32 - Lahari, Part Three

The intense radiance from Thech’s eyes faded, and everyone turned to look back at the two unique children in the corner. Jzuna opened her one huge eye, released the grip of her tentacles on her brother, and the two of them separated.

“Ada?” Lahari’s weak voice said from behind the mystic and his husband.

“My little moth?” He spun around and rushed into his bedroom.

Lahari’s yellow eyes were fluttering open.

The mystic knelt beside his daughter. “Are you okay? How do you feel?” he asked gently.

Lahari whispered the name she used for her father again, “Ada,” as her eyes closed, but she shifted her blue scaly hand across the bed and interlaced her fingers with his. Tears streamed down her father’s cheeks, and he kissed her knuckles over and over again. Theolan stepped up and placed his hands on his husband’s shuddering shoulders.

Everyone else was staring at Thech and Jzuna. Dotty Marbles stepped up and placed her hand on the boy’s slimy shoulder. “How did you two do that?” she asked.

“Thech and me had to go into a weird imagination place,” Jzuna replied. “It was not the happy place we were used to, but that’s where we found Lahari.”

“Your powers are astounding,” Dotty Marbles declared in awe. “Thank you for helping her.”

Auntie Peg quietly said to the children, “Kids, let’s head into the kitchen and give them a little space.”

“Peggy, let’s make some tea,” Dotty Marbles recommended.

“I think that’s a lovely idea. Would you four each like a cup as well?”

Fennah and Muunith both nodded and Jzuna said, “Yes, please.”

Bivon stepped into the doorframe of the bedroom and quietly said, “Welcome back, Lahari.” He smiled and added, “I’ll leave you three alone and be outside by my cart.”

Olona joined the queens and the kids a moment later and said, “Lahari is talking. She’s weak but she seems okay.” Olona was suddenly overcome with emotion, and she began to sob again.

“Oh, honey,” Dotty Marbles exclaimed, wrapping her in a tight embrace. Olona cried into the queen’s cardigan, as relief washed over her.

“I never meant for Lahari to get hurt,” Olona managed between her ragged breaths.

“We know,” Auntie Peg replied. She stepped up and gently rubbed Olona’s back. Dotty Marbles added, “Every one of us understands that what happened happened while you were helping someone.”

Auntie Peg kissed the top of the young woman’s head and said, “No one blames you, and Olona, you certainly shouldn’t blame yourself.”

The queens’ compassion only made Olona cry harder, and Dotty Marbles led her into the sitting room to sob in her arms.

Auntie Peg stayed with the children in the kitchen. “Hey kids, what do you know? We’ve got four lovely options for tea, and there are four of you! First up, would you like peppermint? Smell this,” she offered, holding the first tin so they could all put their little noses close for a sniff.

“That’s a strong one,” Auntie Peg added. “It’s one of my favorites.”

“Mine too,” Muunith added.

Auntie Peg winked. “We’ve also got a citrus ginger tea. Mmmm,” she hummed, breathing in the aroma. She put down the peppermint tin and let the kids smell the citrus ginger tea.

“I like that!” Jzuna’s voice declared. “It smells yummy!”

Auntie Peg chuckled at her enthusiasm. “Up next, we’ve got a vanilla tea, and finally a cocoa tea. You can all smell them both.”

“Thech likes the smell of the cocoa,” Jzuna informed Auntie Peg.

“And may I please have vanilla?” Fennah asked.

Auntie Peg smiled at them. “You can all have exactly what you’d like! One cup of each type of tea, coming right up!”

Theolan came out of the bedroom with a beaming smile, just as Olona and Dotty Marbles returned from the lounge.

“Lahari is sitting up,” Theolan informed them. “She drank some water and I think she’s going to try and eat a little food. Jzuna and Thech, I don’t know how you two kids woke her up,” he said, looking over at the two Biological Shift children, “but thank you for whatever you did!”

“I’m sorry,” Olona whispered, trying not to burst into tears again.

“Enough of that,” Theolan said, wrapping her in his own tight hug. “No more I’m sorrys.” He held her as she again broke down and sobbed. After another moment, Olona calmed down, and Theolan offered, “Would you like to go see Lahari?”

“Can I?” she asked nervously.

“Of course!” Theolan replied with a kind smile.

Olona entered the bedroom and slowly approached Lahari.

“Thanks for letting me nap on my flight back,” Lahari mumbled.

Olona did not understand.

Lahari let out a hoarse chuckle. Her voice was weak, but she continued. “Ilya may not have told you, but I did not like flying with her at all. I made her fly really low.” She paused and smirked at Olona. “I got to sleep the whole way back and missed it entirely, so… thanks.”

“Jokes?!” Olona blurted out as a fresh sob wracked her body, this time, a sob of joy. “You’ve been in a coma, and you’re making jokes?” Tears streamed from her eyes.

“It wasn’t much of a joke,” Lahari admitted with a little laugh that turned into a wheezy cough. “I’m feeling pretty out of it.”

Olona pounced onto the bed and wrapped her arms around Lahari. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry!” she repeated over and over. She kissed Lahari’s spiny cheeks and forehead and temples.

Lahari let out another laugh, and she was also brought to tears.

In the kitchen, Dotty Marbles stepped up to Auntie Peg and recommended, “Why don’t we take the kids and head out after they drink their tea?”

“No!” Lahari called from the other room with a little more energy. She added to Olona, “Please, tell Peggy and Dot to stay. I don’t want them to go yet.”

Lahari ate a little food, then her father and Theolan helped her into the sitting room. Her fathers sat on either side of her, sandwiching her between them, and she liked the comfort.

The queens and kids joined them in the lounge, and Lahari focused on Thech and Jzuna. She looked over at Olona and said, “I don’t remember anything after being in the forest with you and Ilya,” and she turned back to her fellow Biological Shifts, “but you’re the ones, aren’t you? You two brought me back. Somehow, I know it was you, wasn’t it?”

Jzuna replied with a shy, “Yes,” and Lahari was amazed at hearing her speak for the first time. Her disembodied voice added, “We didn’t want you to be stuck in the imagination place anymore.”

Lahari furrowed her brow. “Stuck?”

Olona spoke up. “It sounds like your consciousness was trapped in an alternate plane of reality, one that Thech and Jzuna can access.”

“Lahari, are you up for all this information?” Theolan asked.

She smiled, gave him a peck on the cheek, and looked back at the children. “Please, tell me your names; they sounded so lovely when Olona just said them.”

“I’m Jzuna, and this is my brother Thech.” She wiggled her tentacles at the strange-looking boy.

“It’s very nice to meet you both,” Lahari said. “And thank you for what you did.”

The mystic ran his fingers over the black quills that extended from Lahari’s cheek. “I’m so glad you’re okay,” he whispered to her.

She wrapped her arms around him and squeezed him tight.

Fennah stepped up to Lahari, placed her little hand on Lahari’s scaly blue knee, and she squeaked, “Good morning!”

“Hello, bunny rabbit.” Lahari reached down and pulled Fennah into her lap.

Auntie Peg took Dotty Marbles’ hand. They looked at each other and she nodded.

“I think now is a good time for all of us to head out,” Dotty Marbles said to the group.

“No, please stay a while longer,” Lahari implored.

“Sorry, honey, but we need to pick up Ninyani and take care of a few things.” The queen turned to Thech and Jzuna. “Hey, kids, we’ve got a surprise for you, and you too, Fennah. Muunith, if you’re up for it, we’d love for you to join us also.”

“I don’t really feel good,” the child replied.

“Don’t you worry at all, honey,” the mystic said, “you are more than welcome to stay here with us.”

Fennah gave Lahari another squeeze and hopped down from her lap, then the queens and the three children said their goodbyes, and they headed out into the city under the rising sun✪