Chapter 1. Attack of the Indians!
Jacob rolled out of bed. It was well past midnight, and he was thirsty. He slowly pulled his door open, hoping the squeak wouldn’t wake anyone, then crept downstairs to the kitchen. He filled a glass with water and leaned against the bay window near the table, looking outside as he drank.
The moon was bright enough to see nearly anything, and Jacob studied the trees, thinking over the past two days since he’d returned from getting Aloren out of Maivoryl City. It was so awesome to have her back. She was smiling a lot more now, and even laughed at Matt’s jokes.
Speaking of Matt—he’d been careful not to tread on Jacob’s toes where Aloren was concerned, assuring Jacob that Sammy, his girlfriend, was the only girl for him. Jacob really appreciated that. He frowned—he still hadn’t had the opportunity to ask his parents how Matt had come to be in the family.
He brought the cup to his lips one last time, staring out the window, then nearly dropped it when several shadows passed near the brush about twenty feet away.
He slid the glass across the counter and peered out the window. Was it Kevin and his friends? Probably not—they hadn’t played pranks on the Clarks for a while now.
Was it the wolves, then? Or maybe even the Lorkon? Jacob felt his pulse quicken.
Only one way to find out.
He got on his knees and crawled past the window to the mud room. Grabbing his darkest hoodie, he put it on as he scrambled to the back door, then slipped outside.
Jacob squinted through the darkness, trying to see where the shadows had gone. There! Men—not boys. It wasn’t Kevin after all. The last of them looked back in his direction, then entered the forest. Jacob crept forward, following. He had to know who they were, and if they were from Eklaron.
He straightened behind a tree when he entered the woods, looking around. He’d lost the group. Where did they go?
Jacob shaded his eyes from the bright moon, trying to see through the branches. A ping sounded in the air, and wind brushed his cheek. He put his hand there and looked to the side to see what had passed him. He saw nothing.
Another ping, and this time he instinctively dropped to the ground. There was a loud thwack right next to his head and he shied away, then stared.
An arrow was embedded in the tree right where his head had just been.
A third ping, then the loudest human howl Jacob had ever heard sounded through the air—made even louder by the cool of the night.
Jacob’s heart nearly leaped from his chest, and he scrambled away from the arrow and the source of the scream, burrowing deep into a large bush.
Everything went still.
Then the forest erupted into a frenzy—several pings from either side of Jacob—and arrows flew everywhere. A set of legs appeared near him, and he looked up in shock at a man dressed like a Native American. Dark-colored war paint was smeared across his face, and he held a dagger in one hand and a bow in the other. Bright red colors swirled in the air around him—anger. He put the dagger into a strap on his leather leggings, then pulled an arrow from his quiver, peering through the night.
What was going on? As far as Jacob knew, there weren’t any Indians on Eklaron, and this definitely was still Earth. He held his breath, trying to be as quiet as he could.
The man got on one knee near the bush, but somehow didn’t see Jacob. He raised his bow, the arrow already nocked in place. He glared through the trees, ignoring the arrows flying around him.
He let his arrow go, and raised his chin when someone nearby screamed, then fell to the ground with a thud. Jacob gasped—that person hadn’t been far away at all. Had Jacob somehow jumped into the middle of a war reenactment? And what would the Indian do if he saw Jacob? What was going on? And if it was a reenactment, why did he see anger earlier?
Another Native American strode up to the one near Jacob and spoke a language that seemed to be only garbled words, helping the first to his feet. They laughed like the funniest thing ever had just happened, then the first turned and called in the strange language, and there were hoots and hollers. Suddenly the forest around Jacob was swarming with more Natives.
Jacob had to get away. But how? They’d most definitely see him. He leaned forward, keeping his eyes on the Native American who’d been closest to him. The man strode to a crumpled form, grabbed the figure by the hair, pulled his knife out, and before Jacob could look away, scalped him.
Jacob nearly wretched into the bush, fighting to keep the bile down. He’d seen a lot of things, but none of them were as sickening as what he just witnessed. Barbaric!
Soon, the group of men, still hollering and shouting happily, moved far enough away to give Jacob an opening through which to escape.
He scrambled to his knees and slipped out of his bush, then, without looking backward, crawled as fast as he could through the forest toward his house. He held his breath, waiting for the Native Americans to see him.
They didn’t.
Jacob blew out a small breath in relief that no one seemed to be paying any attention to him. But he couldn’t figure out what was going on. They’d spoken a different language—were there enough people nearby to put together a reenactment that thorough? Or was there an Indian reservation close to Mendon that Jacob didn’t know about?
His pulse sped when he heard feet rushing toward him. He was being chased—they must’ve seen him after all. Would they kill him? Kidnap him? What about his family?
He curled up in a ball, protecting his head, when the runners reached him.
And passed by.
Peeking through his arms, he watched as several pairs of brown legs zoomed through the trees on either side of him. They were racing toward his house—his family was in danger!
Jacob lurched to his feet, tuning out the tingling sensation in his legs as blood rushed back into them. He stumbled forward and pushed himself into a fast jog, then a run. He rounded the last tree in the forest, then stumbled again, falling to the ground.
His home was gone. Completely. Nothing was there except . . . except for an Indian camp. Devastation and panic flowed through him—he was too late. The Native Americans had already destroyed his home!
But . . . logically, they couldn’t have done so in such a short amount of time. And he would’ve heard it. This had to be a nightmare. There was no way any of this could be happening. He squeezed his eyes shut as tight as possible and pinched himself. The house was going to be there when he opened his eyes. This was all just a dream! It wasn’t real.
Except, he couldn’t shake the feeling that said it was real.
Jacob jumped when feet rushed toward him, then jerked away when a strong hand grabbed his arm, trying to pull him to his feet.
“Son!”
Jacob squinted, opening his eyes. Dad! How did he get here?
“Did you see the Indians?”
“Jacob. Jacob!” Dad said, fear in his voice. “Come on, you’ve got to shake yourself out of this.”
Jacob tried to get out of his dad’s grip. “No, Dad, no! We’re not safe. Indians are attacking—they scalped a man, Dad. We’ve got to go!”
Matt stepped into view, rubbing his eyes. “What are you talking about?”
Mom joined them and Jacob’s body tensed up. Then he looked at the house behind her. It was there! But where did the Indian camp go?
“Jacob honey, what’s wrong?”
“He’s hallucinating again,” Dad said.
“Not a hallucination. There’s no way—they were real, Mom!” What he’d witnessed couldn’t possibly be fake. Not at all.
She put her arms around him. “Who was real?”
He didn’t realize tears were streaming down his face until just then, and he quickly wiped them away. “The Indians—attacking. Their camp is right here—was—where the house is now!”
“That’s not possible, son,” Dad said. “Let’s get back inside. We’ll figure this out together.”
Jacob ignored the expressions of concern his parents
shared. He couldn’t shake the fear from his system—the sense of danger and urgency. What had happened? If none of it was real, was it a sign? A warning that something was coming? Or was he going completely crazy?
His legs shook really badly, and his mom helped him sit on the couch when they got in the living room. “Start at the top. What did you see?”
Jacob swallowed a few times, trying to collect his thoughts. “I couldn’t sleep. Got a drink. A bunch of people were outside, and I went out to see who—in case they were the Lorkon or something.”
“You should’ve woken me up,” Matt said. “I’d have gone with you.”
Dad motioned for Matt to be silent.
“I followed them into the forest. They were crouching—trying to be quiet. Then arrows started flying through the air, and I saw Indians! All over the place—and—and they scalped someone! Then they raced toward the house and I thought they were going to attack all of you.”
Jacob’s parents exchanged a glance. Mom looked panicked.
“It couldn’t have been real, Janna,” Dad said. He turned to Jacob. “You’re sure it wasn’t a dream?”
“I’m positive it wasn’t.” Then he hesitated. “But . . . something weird—they didn’t see or hear me or anything.”
Dad frowned. “It had to have been a night terror.”
“Isn’t fourteen a bit old for night terrors?” Mom asked.
Dad paced the carpet in front of Jacob. “Don’t know.”
“But it felt so real,” Jacob said. “Not like a dream at all. And I actually felt wind from one of the arrows passing by.”
“Night terrors can be like that.”
Matt grunted, leaning up against the doorway to the kitchen. “I still think you should’ve come and got me.”
Mom glanced at him, tucking a strand of loose hair behind her ear. “Get in bed, Matt. You have school in the morning.”
“So does he.”
“He’s not going.”
Matt grumbled, practically dragging his feet on the way out of the room.
Jacob accepted a blanket from his mom, putting it around his shoulders. He sank back into the couch, still trying to calm down.
Dad sat on the couch opposite him and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “What can we do to help you?”
Jacob shook his head. “I don’t know, Dad. I don’t understand most of what’s going on around me anymore.” He looked up. “I wish you did, though. I wish you could figure all this out.”
Dad nodded. “I know. We could take you to a doctor again, but I really don’t think that’ll help.”
Mom sat next to Dad, a blanket for the two of them to share in her hands. “No, it didn’t last time. These must be night terrors. But why? He’s never had this problem before.”
No one responded. Jacob snuggled further into his blanket, feeling the panic finally leave him. His parents were smart—they were royalty, after all. They’d figure things out. And the Makalos might even know something. And Gallus and the Fat Lady. Things would work out—they always did, right?
His mom left to make three cups of hot chocolate. He and Dad didn’t speak, and he was fine with that. He wanted to relax and stop thinking about his hallucination. Or night terror. Whatever it was.
A few minutes later, Mom returned, handing out mugs. Jacob sipped his hot chocolate, enjoying the warmth as it flowed down his throat and into his stomach. After a moment, he put the cup down, ready to ask something he’d wanted to know for a while.
“Where did Matt come from?”
Mom looked up, surprised. “You don’t know already?” She turned to Dad. “You didn’t tell him?”
“No—haven’t had the chance.” Dad’s eyes glowed and he rubbed his hands together. “You already know from my journal that when I came to Arien’s kingdom, I brought my best friend, Kelson, with me.”
Jacob nodded. “And he helped you get Mom when the Lorkon kidnapped her.”
“Yes. He fought alongside me—faithful as always. He wanted to rescue his queen, even though he didn’t have to. You’ll remember that his wife had been badly abused and left to die. We found her and had her stay with a friend of Kenji’s—I gave Kelson the choice to remain with her or to continue with me, and he chose to continue.”
“And died when he tried to get into the fortress where the Shiengols were stuck.” Jacob thought he could see where this was going. “He left a son behind, didn’t he?”
Mom nodded, rubbing her eyes. “Yes. There was no way we were going to leave a three-year-old boy in Maivoryl City with the Lorkon coming to power—especially the child of parents who were so important to us, and loyal.” She looked at Jacob. “His mom had been my biggest help in the castle—my best friend. She and I were inseparable. And when your father and Kelson came from Troosinal, Midian fell in love with Kelson while I fell even more in love with your father.”
His parents beamed at each other, Mom’s cheeks glowing. Green swirled in the air around them and Jacob looked away, embarrassed by their obvious affection. They’d always been so . . . so painfully mushy.
“When we found out Midian had passed away, we brought the boy with us, intending to raise him as our own son.”
“Does he know he’d been adopted?”
“Of course. But we’ve never treated him like he wasn’t one of our own.”
Jacob thought over this new information. Matt wasn’t from Earth either! Did he remember living in Eklaron? How would he have forgotten it? “How’d you explain to him the whole being-from-another-world thing?”
“Didn’t have to. He’d been very traumatized when the Lorkon attacked the castle, and his memories of that time have always been vague. He didn’t know the difference between the two worlds.”
“But now he knows the truth, right?”
Mom folded up the blanket she and Dad had been using. “Yes. We told him the night you found out you weren’t from Earth. He wasn’t as shocked as we’d expected.”
Dad laughed. “Quite the opposite. He thought it was great.” He leaned forward, a serious expression on his face. “Kenji told me Gallus wants to get a group together to find the Shiengols.”
“Yeah. And they’ll need my help.” Jacob hesitated. “That’s okay, right?”
“Of course. And I’ve been thinking a lot . . . I’ve decided I’m coming too.”
Jacob sat up. “Really? Awesome!”
A half smile crossed Dad’s face. “And it’s about time we taught you how to fight with a sword.”
“Cool!”
Dad nodded. “The Makalos want to go during Thanksgiving break.”
“That’s this month. Yes!”
“All right,” Mom said. “I’m tired. It’s time to get back in bed.” She brushed Jacob’s hair off his forehead, feeling his temperature, then took his mug. “Will you be okay now?”
“Yeah, I think so.”
Jacob climbed the stairs to his room, excited at the thought of learning how to fight from his dad.
He pulled the blankets up to his chin and sighed contentedly. This would be the best month ever. As long as he didn’t hallucinate—or have a night terror—again.
Jacob didn’t wake up until nearly noon—he was surprised Mom let him sleep that long. After showering, he went downstairs to the kitchen, where Mom was eating a tomato sandwich.
“The Makalos have been asking about you all morning—everyone over there is worried, especially Aloren.”
Aloren? Jacob’s mouth went dry and he felt breathless. “What did you tell them?”
“That I’d send you as soon as you got up.”
Jacob swallowed a shout of glee and smoothed his hair instead. “I can go visit them?”
Mom laughed. “Of course—you’re not a prisoner, and you’re not sick. Just overly exhausted. I excused you from classes all day.”
“You’re the best mom ever!” Jacob hugged her.
She patted his arm, then pulled away, looking him over. “You’ve been really st
ressed. I don’t want it to ruin your feelings toward Eklaron.”
Jacob rolled his eyes. It didn’t surprise him that she’d want him to fall in love with her—their—world. “It won’t, Mom. I promise.”
“Okay. Get going—they’re anxious to see you.”
Jacob grabbed an apple and dashed upstairs to get the Key and his shoes. After he’d swallowed the last bite of apple, nearly choking on it in his hurry, he Keyed himself to Taga Village. He was about to see Aloren!
The dark interior of Kenji’s place let him know no one was home. Rather than Key over to the tree, he decided to walk there.
Jacob started down the path that wound between the Makalo dwellings. He put his hands in his jacket pockets and smiled at people as he passed, picking up speed. It was cold.
When he got to the ledge, he saw that Kenji and Ebony were down by the tree, talking to Aloren.
“Hey,” he called, waving, then quickly descending the wall, using the holes etched into the stone.
He turned as Aloren threw her arms around him. “You’re here. And you’re alive!”
He laughed. “‘Course I am.”
She flushed and stepped away, tucking her hair behind her ear. Jacob’s heart thudded in his chest—she liked him! Right?
Ebony and Kenji caught up. “Your mom told us what happened last night,” Ebony said, “and we’ve been very worried about your hallucination. Especially after what took place when you were in the tunnel with the Ember Gods.”
Jacob nodded. “Yeah, it’s pretty frustrating, not knowing what’s going on.”
“We’ll figure it out soon,” Kenji said, clapping his hand on Jacob’s shoulder. “Or, you will. We really won’t be much help here.”
Jacob chuckled. “Good to know.”
Ebony grabbed Kenji’s arm, pulling him away. “We were on our way to visit some friends when we saw Aloren. Dear, let’s keep going. We can leave these two to catch up.”
Aloren’s face split in a grin as she turned to Jacob. “You’ve got to see what I’ve done with the tree!”
Jacob followed her, wondering if she’d added a secret room or something. The idea of being alone with her was definitely appealing.
She opened the door and waved for Jacob to go in first.
He stepped into the slightly darker interior and raised an eyebrow. She’d hung pink and blue curtains, used a matching tablecloth and a huge, brightly-colored rug, and put random things on the bookshelves. Dolls or statues or something—Jacob didn’t go close enough to see what they were.
“Isn’t it cute?” She twirled, looking around. “I love it. And what’s even better—there aren’t holes in the ground like at the tower!”
“It’s, uh . . . it’s great.” Jacob grinned, putting his hands in his pockets. They’d started sweating the moment he and Aloren had walked into the tree. They were alone. Alone. He crossed his fingers that things would go well—that he wouldn’t embarrass himself by saying something stupid.
How would she feel if he tried to hold her hand again? Would it be better to wait? Or should he just reach out and grab it? He bit his lip. No, he’d wait—he needed to figure out how not to be nervous around her first. The last time he’d tried, it had taken him several minutes to get up the courage, and just as he had, she pulled away.
“Do you want something to drink?” she asked, walking to the refrigerator. “This thing keeps food cold. It’s wonderful!”
“Yeah, I love them too.”
Jacob shook his head at himself. He loved fridges? He hadn’t ever even thought about them before—aside from being something that was in the kitchen. “And yes—I’d like a drink. What’ve you got?”
“Water. And soda. Do you like soda?”
“Definitely.”
She pulled out a two-liter bottle of root beer and poured him a glass. After putting the soda away, she sat across from him at the table, tracing patterns on the tablecloth. The colors in the air around her changed from bright green to a light orange—nervousness.
She took a deep breath. “I’ve been thinking . . .”
He put his cup down. “‘Bout what?”
“And I’ve talked to the Makalos and they think it’s okay if . . . I . . . I’d like to attend your school with you, so I can meet humans my age and learn more about your world.”
She’d told Jacob a couple days before that there weren’t a lot of teenagers in Macaria. He was constantly amazed at how many were killed by the Lorkon. After Jacob and his parents had escaped, the Lorkon went around killing infants and children, trying to find him. Guilt flooded over him. He’d caused so much destruction to Eklaron, simply by existing.
Then what she’d said hit him. “Wait. You—school—with—with me? That’s a great idea!” He’d get to see her on Earth, too! He paused. “We’d have to ask my parents, though. Make sure it would be okay.”
She nodded. “Can we do that right now?”
“Why not? Mom’s home, and she’ll call my dad at work.”
“Great. Let’s go!” Aloren jumped up from the table, dashed to the door, and turned, smiling at Jacob.
His heart skipped around inside his chest—her smile was so pretty—and he felt his ears redden. He looked down, fumbling with the Key in his hands. Finally, he got it in the lock the right way and took them to his house.
“Mom?” he called out, aware that this was the first time Aloren had ever been to his place. Suddenly, he was self-conscious about how small it was. “You here?”
“In the office, honey.”
Jacob started across the living room, heading to the doorway of his parents’ study, but paused when he noticed that Aloren wasn’t following. She stood at the front door, staring at everything. He looked around, seeing things through her eyes. The piano, fireplace, couches, pictures on tables and walls would all be foreign to her. He couldn’t wait to show her the TV and sound system in the family room!
“Wow,” she said, running a hand across the worn couch, fingering an old blanket, then crossing to the fireplace. “I love it—it’s so . . .” She turned to him, and he was surprised to see tears in her eyes. “So much like a real home. Where people who care for each other live together.”
He raised an eyebrow, then quickly hid his surprise. That wasn’t what he’d expected—she didn’t even comment on the things that wouldn’t be in her own world. He cleared his throat, determined to ignore her emotions. “Yup.” He motioned her to follow him to the study.
“Um . . . Mom, this is Aloren. Aloren, this is my mom.”
“Your Majesty,” Aloren said, sinking to one knee.
Jacob’s mouth popped open, and his mom blushed.
“Oh, my dear,” Mom said, walking around the desk. “Thank you—very much.” She pulled Aloren up.
“It’s such an honor to finally meet you—Gallus spoke of you and King Dmitri all the time.”
Mom’s cheeks flushed even redder. “It’s been many years since I was in Gevkan.”
Aloren nodded. Then she looked at Jacob, her expression reminding him why they were there.
“Oh,” Jacob said. She wanted him to ask. He quickly explained Aloren’s idea to Mom.
“Well, I think it’ll work—it’s an excellent opportunity for you to increase your experience.” She walked around the desk. “But I need to talk it over with Dmitri first. Step out for a moment, please, and shut the door. I’ll call him.”
They left the room and Jacob sat next to Aloren on the couch—his mom had just called Dad Dmitri! Weird.
Neither said anything. Jacob folded his arms and looked at the wall in front of him, careful not to inadvertently touch Aloren. She leaned back and gazed at the ceiling, staring at the light fixture with curiosity, twirling a strand of hair in her fingers. Mom’s muffled voice came through the door, but Jacob couldn’t understand what she was saying. Finally, she put the phone down and came out.
“King Dmitri and I would like to talk it over with both of you before giving our go-ahead
. Come on in.” She held the door for Jacob and Aloren.
Aloren’s arms visibly trembled as she lowered herself into the chair. “Did you send a Minya? Is he coming?”
“Aloren?” Dad’s voice came out of the speakerphone.
Aloren jumped, then leaned forward, looking at the device on the desk. “King . . . King Dmitri?”
“Yes, I’m here. We’re speaking through a telephone.”
Aloren raised her eyebrows. “Telephone?” she said, stumbling over the word.
“Think of it as an object similar to a Minya, except you’re actually talking to me, not through a creature.”
“Okay.” She swallowed. “Wow.”
“Yes. Well, anyway, we want to make sure you’re absolutely clear on something before we allow you to attend school here.”
Aloren nodded. “Whatever you think is necessary.”
“No one—not one person—knows anything about another world and the link to it near our house. You must be extremely careful in your communications with others—both students and teachers.”
“I will. I promise.”
“And we’d rather you not get involved in any after-school activities. Once the final class lets out, you’ll return to Eklaron right away.”
Aloren folded her hands in her lap. “That won’t be a problem.”
“Last, have you spoken with Gallus about this? He’s the one who needs to give permission.”
Aloren blushed, ducking her head. “I haven’t—it didn’t occur to me.”
“Do you have your Minya with you?”
Aloren lifted the knapsack she always carried. “Yes—Hazel is here. I’m getting her out now.”
“Good.”
No one said anything while Aloren opened Hazel’s container. Hazel’s eyes sparkled as she looked up at Aloren, then she waved to Jacob, who grinned back at the little creature.
“Okay, she’s ready.”
“Hazel, can you hear me?”
Hazel nodded. “Yes.”
Dad asked the Minya to deliver a message to Gallus, telling the man about Aloren’s desire to attend school on Earth with Jacob.
Jacob leaned forward in his chair, paying close attention to the conversation between Gallus, his parents, and Aloren as Hazel flitted back and forth, delivering messages. He crossed his fingers, hoping everyone would agree that having Aloren attend school would be a good idea.
Hazel flashed back with Gallus’s final message, giving his permission just so long as Aloren made sure to follow the king and queen’s instructions closely.
“All right, Aloren,” Dad said from the phone. “It looks like you’re going to be Mountain Crest High School’s newest student.”
Aloren grinned broadly, getting to her feet. “Wonderful!”
Mom smiled. “I’ll take you to the school in a minute to meet with a counselor and set up classes—we’ll say you’re an exchange student.” She looked over Aloren’s clothes. “Those should work for now—the leather pants aren’t too different, and people here occasionally wear cotton tops like that. You won’t stand out too much, and I’ll take you shopping later.” She paused, thinking. “But we want to make sure your first day isn’t awkward. Jacob, how about you take her over to Tani’s after school lets out?”
Jacob knit his eyebrows. “Why?”
“It would be nice if she already knew someone outside of our family.”
“Oh, yeah. Tani’s great.”
Mom and Aloren left right away—Mom said it wouldn’t be appropriate for Jacob to go too, since she’d excused him for the day. Jacob shot hoops in the driveway until it started snowing, then he stood looking up at the sky, enjoying the feel of the falling snowflakes. They didn’t stick to the ground, and nothing would for probably another month.
He waited outside for a long time, then finally gave up when it got too cold and went to read in his bedroom.
An hour later, he heard the front door open and went to investigate. Dad was carrying several pizza boxes. He handed them to Jacob. “Matt’ll be home soon, and your mother took Aloren shopping. We’ll eat when they’re all back.” Dad went into his study and sat at the desk, opening up the laptop.
Jacob put the pizza on the counter, then sat in the living room, occasionally looking out the window. He jumped to his feet when a car pulled up, then sank back down with disappointment. It was just Matt.
“What’cha doin’?” Matt asked, plopping on the couch next to Jacob.
“Mom took Aloren to the school and signed her up for classes, and they’ve—”
“Wait, what? Really? That’s freakin’ awesome!”
Jacob crossed his right foot across the other knee and bounced it up and down rapidly. “Yeah, I know. Anyway, they’re out shopping now or something. I’m waiting for them to come back so I can take her over to meet Tani.”
Matt raised his eyebrows. “Why? You think they’ll fight over you and you want to be there to break it up?”
Jacob snorted. “Right. Tani isn’t interested in me—she’s like one of the guys. And I’m definitely not interested in her. She’s cute and all, but—okay, we’re not talking about this. It’s weird.”
Matt snickered, punching Jacob’s shoulder. “Two girls who’ll follow you everywhere.”
“Whatever.” Jacob shoved his brother, and Matt chuckled again.
“So . . . does she like you?”
“Who, Tani?”
“No, doofus. Aloren. Obviously.”
Jacob felt his cheeks flush. “Don’t know—and I’m not going to ask her.”
“I can, if you’d like. Give her a nudge in the right direction.”
Jacob’s jaw dropped. “Don’t, Matt. Please, please don’t.”
Matt rolled his eyes. “Dude, you’ve got to get over this phase you’re in. Be the man—ask her out.”
“Not until he’s sixteen,” Dad said, entering the living room. He sat on the couch opposite the brothers. “What’s this I hear? Jacob, you’re looking for advice on girls? I’ve got plenty of experience—you know, wealthy, handsome prince. I courted a lot.”
“‘Court?’ Geez, Dad! We’re not in Eklaron, and I’m not courting anyone.” Jacob buried his face in his hands, and his dad and brother laughed.
Luckily, the garage door opened, signaling Mom’s return, and Dad jumped up to meet her by the car.
Matt turned to Jacob. “Okay, so I assume you want me to drive you and Aloren to Tani’s house?”
Jacob nodded. “If you could.”
Matt shrugged. “Shouldn’t be a problem. Let me put my stuff away.” He went up the stairs, lugging his backpack and gym bag with him, then returned just as Aloren and Mom came in, followed by Dad.
Aloren ran to Jacob, carrying all sorts of bags. “Look, Jacob, look! I’m going to school in style!” She glanced at Mom, an admiring expression on her face, and whispered, “You’re so lucky. The queen understands fashion. And you’re her son!”
Jacob didn’t know how to answer that. He was still adjusting to the fact that his parents were—he was—royalty. And he’d never noticed his mom’s fashion sense.
“How’d it go? With the school?”
Aloren held up a sheet of paper. “My classes!”
Mom turned, smiling at Aloren’s excitement. “She’ll be with you for most of the day, minus your first and third periods.”
Jacob nodded. “What classes is she taking during those times?”
Aloren read from her schedule. “Art while you’re in math, and math while you’re in the woodworking class.”
“Art, huh? That’s cool.”
Aloren nodded excitedly. “I love drawing and painting.” She sat on the couch, going through her bags.
Mom looked Jacob right in the eye, lowering her voice. “Honey, the counselors wanted to put her in remedial courses. I wouldn’t have any of that—she’s here to experience things as an ordinary teenager. You’re really going to have to help her catch up. Her grades might not matter so much, but I don
’t want her to be completely miserable when she doesn’t do well. Plus, if she decides to attend college here, it would be good if she figured things out in high school.”
Jacob nodded. “Shouldn’t be too difficult. It’s not like my classes are super hard anymore.” And it was true. Math had been his most difficult subject, but Mr. Coolidge no longer required him to attend early, and had stopped giving him a ton of extra work to do.
She laughed. “Don’t get complacent.”
“I won’t,” Jacob said, trying to sound mature and calm while his insides were about to explode from excitement. Helping Aloren catch up meant more time with her. This semester was going to be amazing! They’d be spending nearly every minute together.
“What time is it?” Mom looked at her cell phone. “Let’s eat dinner, then you can head to Tani’s.”
The ride to Tani’s house after dinner went quickly—Jacob was very aware of Aloren sitting next to him, between the brothers. Aloren’s colors were so bright, it was difficult to see past them. She was seriously excited about meeting Tani and going to Mountain Crest High School. He smirked to himself—she’d probably get over her excitement once she saw how much homework she’d need to do to catch up.
“What’s this vehicle called?” she asked.
“It’s a Toyota—a truck,” Matt said. “Isn’t it amazing?”
“Yes! I love these things.” She hesitated. “They’re . . . so fast, though.”
Jacob sighed in disappointment. He’d missed Aloren’s first car ride when she went to the school with Mom—it would’ve been really great to see how she reacted.
Tani opened the door when they rang the bell. “Jake!” she squealed. Her smile grew when she saw Aloren and Matt. “Hey!” She turned, yelling to the back of the house. “Mom, the Clarks are here. Can we hang out for a while?”
Kim, Tani’s mom, stepped into the front room, drying her hands on a towel. “Only for a few minutes—you’ve got too much homework.” Her eyes sparkled when she looked at the brothers. “Jacob and Matt. We haven’t had you around for some time. And who’s your friend?”
Jacob introduced Aloren as their exchange student, and Aloren shook hands with Tani and Kim.
He turned to Tani. “We’re hoping you could help her in school when she’s not with me. Mom thought you two would get along well.”
Tani nodded. “Yeah! It’ll totally be awesomesauce. I’ll introduce her to Sheena and Jen and everyone.”
“So, Aloren, where are you from?” Kim asked. She must have noticed Aloren’s leather pants. Definitely not American.
“Eklaron,” Aloren said. “More specifically, the land of Gevkan.” She gasped, realizing what she’d just said. Her face turned white and she turned to Jacob and Matt.
“Huh?” Tani said. “Where’s that?”
Jacob mentally kicked himself. They hadn’t decided which country she’d be from!
Kim looked just as confused, and Jacob’s mind raced. Aloren wouldn’t know enough about Earth to come up with an appropriate answer. “It’s, uh . . . near Hungary. It’s a really small English-speaking province-region-place.”
Kim looked confused, but Tani accepted the explanation immediately. “That’s why you don’t have an accent. Cool!”
Aloren nodded, clearly still panicked.
“Exactly.” Jacob rushed to change the subject. He already felt bad enough for leading them on. “So, Tani, if you could help her feel welcome in school, that would be cool.”
“Sure.” She grabbed Aloren’s arm. “Just hang with me and Jacob and you’ll be fine!”
Jacob blew out a breath in relief. “Tani, you’re so great.”
“I know.”
Everyone said goodbye, and Jacob, Matt, and Aloren returned to the truck.
“That was close,” Aloren said, doing up her seatbelt. “We’ve got to find a better story than that.”
Jacob nodded. “Yeah, especially since Kim is probably going to Google Eklaron now. Hopefully she’ll get distracted on her way to the computer.”