That gave Lady Ulma her cue. “Of course you have,” she said, smiling the smile of one who has known bitter suffering. “Bonnie has told us of the destruction of your town. I am deeply sorry. What you need now is food and rest. I’ll have someone conduct you to your rooms.”
“I should have introduced Stefan at the start, but I was so worried I forgot to,” Elena said. “Stefan, this is Lady Ulma, who was so good to us before. Lady Ulmawell, you know who this is.” She went on tiptoe to kiss Stefan lingeringly. Lingeringly enough that Stefan had to gently detach her and put her down. He was almost frightened at this display of bad manners. Elena was really angry at Damon. And if she didn’t forgive him, the scenes would only continue to escalate — and if he was right, Elena was truly getting closer to being able to cast Wings of Destruction.
He didn’t even consider asking Damon to forgive anyone.
After the girls had whispered raptures over the baby again, they were conducted to opulent bed chambers, each furnished in excellent taste, down to the smallest decoration. As usual, though, they all congregated in one room, which happened to be Stefan’s.
There was more than enough space on the bed for the three of them to sit or flop. Damon wasn’t present but Stefan would bet his undead life that he was listening in.
“All right,” Elena said briskly, and went into storytelling mode. She explained to Bonnie everything that had happened through their taking the Master Keys from Shinichi and Misao, to their flight to Lady Ulma’s bathing chamber.
“To have so much Power suddenly torn away from you in an instant…” Bonnie had her head down, and it wasn’t hard to guess who she was thinking about. She looked up. “Please, Elena. Don’t be so angry at Damon. I know he’s done some bad things — but he’s been so unhappy…”
“That’s no excuse,” Elena began. “And, frankly, I’m—” Don’t, Elena! Don’t tell her that you’re ashamed of her for putting up with it!
She’s already ashamed of herself!
“I’m surprised at him,” Elena said with only the smallest hesitation. “I know for a fact that he cares for you. He even has a pet name for you: his little redbird.”
Bonnie sniffed. “You always say that pet names are stupid.”
“Well, but I meant names like — oh — if he called you ‘Bonbon’ or something.”
Bonnie’s head came up. “Even that would be okay for the baby,” she said, with a sudden smile, like a rainbow after a storm.
“Oh, yes, isn’t she adorable? I never saw such a happy baby. Margaret used to just look at you with big eyes. Adara — if she is Adara — should have such a happy life…”
Stefan settled back against the headboard. Elena had the situation in hand.
Now he could worry about where Damon was going. After a moment he tuned back in, to find Bonnie talking about treasure.
“And they kept asking me and asking me and I couldn’t figure out why since the star ball with the story on it was right there. Only the story is gone now — Damon checked. Shinichi was going to throw me out the window, and that was when Damon rescued me, and the Guardians asked me about the story too.”
“Strange,” Stefan said, sitting up alertly. “Bonnie, tell me how you first felt this story; where you were and all.”
Bonnie said, “Well, first I saw a story about a little girl named Marit going to buy a sugarplum — that was why I tried to do the same thing the next day. And then I went to bed, but I couldn’t sleep. So then I picked up the star ball again and it showed me the story about the kitsune treasures. The stories are shown in order, so it had to be the one right after the sweetshop story. And then suddenly I was out of my body, and I was flying with Elena right over Alaric’s car.”
“Did you do anything in between experiencing the story and going to bed?”
Stefan asked.
Bonnie thought; her rosebud mouth pursed. “I suppose I turned down the gas lamp. Every night I would turn the lamp way down so that it was only a flicker.”
“And did you turn it back up again when you couldn’t sleep and reached for the star ball again?”
“Um…no. But they’re not books! You don’t have to see to experience a story.”
“That wasn’t what I meant. How did you find the star ball in that dim room? Was it the only star ball on the floor near you?”
Bonnie’s brows came together. “Well…no. There were twenty-six. Two others were hideous; I’d kicked those into a corner. Twenty-five were soap operas — so boring. It’s not as if I had shelves or anywhere else to put them—”
“Bonnie, do you want to know what I think happened?”
Bonnie blinked and nodded.
“I think that you read a children’s story and then you went to bed. And you actually fell asleep very quickly, even though you dreamed you were awake. Then you dreamed a premonition—” Bonnie groaned. “Another one of those? But there wasn’t even anyone to tell it to then!”
“Exactly. But you wanted to tell it to someone, and that longing brought you — your spirit — to where Elena was. But Elena was so worried about getting word across to Alaric that she was having an out-of-body experience. She’d been asleep too, I’m sure of it.” Stefan looked at Elena. “What do you think of that?”
Elena was nodding slowly. “It would work with what happened to me. At first I was alone out of my body, but then I saw Bonnie beside me.”
Bonnie bit her lip. “Well…the first thing I saw was Elena and we were both flying. I was a little behind her. But Stefan, why do you think I fell asleep and dreamed a whole story? Why can’t my version just be true?”
“Because I think the first thing you’d have done would be to turn the light on — if you really were lying there awake. Otherwise, you might well have picked up a soap opera — so boring!”
Bonnie’s forehead smoothed at last. “That would explain why nobody believed me even when I told them exactly where the story was! But why didn’t I tell Elena about the treasure?”
“I don’t know. But sometimes when you wake up — and I think you did wake up to have the out-of-body experience — you forget the dream if something interesting is going on. But then you might remember it later if something reminds you of it.”
Bonnie stared into a middle distance, thinking. Stefan was silent, knowing that only she could unravel the riddle for herself.
At last Bonnie nodded. “It could be that way! I woke up and the first thing I thought of was the sweetshop. And after that I never gave another thought to the treasure dream until somebody asked for stories. And it just popped into my head.”
Elena pushed the deep blue-green velvet coverlet one way to make it green, then the other way to smooth it into blueness.
“I was going to forbid Bonnie to go on the expedition,” she said: this slave who didn’t have a gem on her body except Stefan’s pendant which hung from a fine chain around her neck, and was still in the simplest kind of after-bath robe. “But if it’s something we have to do, I’d better talk to Lady Ulma. It sounds as if time is precious.”
“Remember — time runs differently here than back on Earth. But we’re supposed to leave in the morning,” Bonnie said.
“Then I definitely need to talk to her — right now.”
Bonnie jumped up, excited. “I’ll help!”
“Wait.” Stefan put a gentle hand on Bonnie’s arm. “I have to say this. I think you’re a miracle, Bonnie!” Stefan knew his eyes must be shining in a way that showed he could hardly rein in his excitement. In spite of the danger — in spite of the Guardians — in spite of everything…the largest star ball — full of Power!
He gave Bonnie a sudden impetuous hug, sweeping her off the bed and whirling her before putting her down again. “You and your precognitions!”
“Oooh…” Bonnie said dizzily, gazing up at him. “Damon was excited, too, when I told him about the Gateway of the Seven Treasures.”
“You know why, Bonnie? It’s because everybody has heard about those seven treasures — but no one had any idea where they are…until you dreamed it. You do know exactly where they are?”
“Yes, if the precognition was true.” Bonnie was flushed with pleasure. “And you agree that that giant star ball will save Fell’s Church?”
“I’d bet my life on it!”
“Woo-hoo!” cried Bonnie, pumping a fist. “Let’s go!”