Chapter 4
Madeline assumed that Australia had changed a lot in ten years. She had. She was a new person, and she had a new life. Now she was going back to Australia to start another life—a life in Eudaiz. Who would have thought?
New York certainly had drifted into a far distant past.
They were greeted by a wave of skin-blistering heat as soon as they hit the tarmac at Melbourne’s Tullamarine airport. They had departed England's bitter winter and were now hit by Australia’s sweltering heat. These were the two extremes of weather on Earth, and Madeline wondered what it would be like in Eudaiz, another universe.
Thanks to the organization of Ciaran's staff, they were scooped into a luxurious air-conditioned car. She did not care which car they used, but she definitely needed a buffer for her sensitive skin to adjust to the temperature difference.
After much discussion, Ciaran had agreed that Tadgh and Jo could come along, with a list of terms and conditions that would take a lifetime to enumerate. In a nutshell, if Tadgh so much as sneezed wrong, Ciaran would send him back to England in a heartbeat.
As much as Madeline thought Tadgh was immature and impatient, she knew he would go to any lengths when it came to Ciaran’s welfare. The LeBlanc brothers were genuinely a pack.
It didn’t shock her at all when Ciaran told her about what his mind could do. That it could kill. That Ciaran could cause a massacre with a blade he kept locked in his mind.
There had to be a very good reason he was the chosen one for the most important Sciphil position in Eudaiz.
She knew this was just the beginning. She only hoped he was ready to take on the responsibilities.
Late in the afternoon, after several phone calls back and forth between Jo and Zach, they drove out to meet him at Tropical Tunes, the hub of Zach's band. As a frequent traveler, Tadgh knew his way around Melbourne, so he took the wheel.
Madeline glanced at the trendy modern restaurant bar when they arrived.
“You thought it would be different?" Jo asked Madeline.
"It sounded like a Hawaiian pizza place." Madeline chuckled.
A voice came from the corner of the empty restaurant. "You almost got it right. The tropical part is the cuisine, and Hawaiian pizza is on the menu. We handle the music part, and there’s nothing tropical at all about our music."
A young man approached. "You must be Zach's friends. He told me to wait for you. He'll be here soon. We're not open yet, so the restaurant is yours."
He looked at Jo. "This must be Jo. I'm Peter." Peter bent his lanky body down to kiss Jo's cheek. "Your picture didn't do you any justice."
Jo narrowed her eyes. "What picture?"
"Ah, your avatar. I'm a beginner. Learning the games, you know. Zach taught me a lot. But I'm in no way near a level where I could play with you."
Jo nodded. "Hologame fan. Don't worry. You'll get there. You've got a good mentor. This is Madeline, Tadgh, and Ciaran. We just came from—”
"England right? Zach told me. I want to visit there some day."
"I'll be happy to host you when you visit,” Ciaran said.
Peter looked at him. "What kind of music do you play?"
"I'm not a musician." Ciaran smiled. Madeline understood where Peter’s assumption had come from. Ciaran looked the type.
"Can I get you something to drink?" Peter asked. His eyes didn’t leave Jo. Tadgh stepped forward, blocking Peter's view of her.
"A beer would be good. It's a hot day," Tadgh said.
"Sure," Peter said and scurried away.
Ciaran raised an eyebrow at his brother. "Since when do you drink beer?"
"I'm not as predictable as you might think."
A motorbike zoomed in and parked right in front of the restaurant.
And in walked Zach Flynn. He took his helmet off, revealing his easy style of brown hair, an unshaven face, and killer eyes. He wore a leather jacket and jeans that sheathed long, well-toned legs and a backside that constantly made his groupies wild. Zach had aged a bit in ten years, but time had definitely worked in his favor, Madeline observed.
Jo leaped out of the chair next to Tadgh and gave Zach a bear hug. Zach picked her up and spun her around. "It's so good to see you," Zach said.
He put Jo down and walked toward Madeline. "Madeline, I don't have the words to describe how beautiful you look." He kissed her cheek, and Madeline smiled.
"I can help in that regard." Ciaran reached his hand out for a handshake.
"You must be Ciaran." Zach gave Ciaran’s hand an earnest shake. "White Knight. It's an honor to meet you."
Ciaran glanced at Jo.
"I figured it out myself." Zach smiled. “Any real hologame player would know about you, Ciaran.”
Ciaran nodded.
Zach and Tadgh gave each other measured looks while they exchanged handshakes.
Peter entered the room with a tray of beers.
Zach glanced at the beer and raised an eyebrow at Peter. "You’re going to make the ladies drink out of a bottle? And that's Victorian Bitter that you’re serving!"
"I don't mind." Jo grabbed a bottle. Everyone did the same while Peter scratched his head.
Zach excused himself. He gave Peter some instructions and sent him away. He then returned to the table and picked up his beer.
"Sorry. There’s an audition for a guitarist tonight. The band has to move on while I'm away."
"What did you tell people about your trip?" Tadgh asked.
Zach shook his head. Madeline caught a flash of reluctance and exhaustion from him. "Told them I'd be traveling." Zach leaned back in his chair. His eyes were distant and cold.
“Zach, does that mean your friends and family know nothing about this trip?” Madeline asked.
Zach shrugged. “I don’t know what to tell them.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me!” Tadgh exclaimed. “You know this is important. People could get killed even before entering the gate. If you don’t care about your own life, that’s fine. But Ciaran and Madeline have to go through with this—
“I might not go . . .”
“What the fuck!” Tadgh exclaimed.
“I used to have that option,” Zach snarled.
“Keep your voices down!” Ciaran warned. “Is there somewhere we can talk without an audience?”
Zach stood up and nodded toward the stairs. Then he strode away.