“We must answer, accept, and obey.”
Nadassa’s grim statement made Alaia shiver despite the warm heat of the present dawn.
“But how can this be, Dassa?” Alaia cried, throwing her hands in the air before letting them fall back down. “Us. All of us. Summoned. By Ehyeh no less! And we must leave now? I’m not even halfway through my Repose!”
Nadassa turned from Korion then and looked at Alaia, her sympathy evident.
“I know, Ellie. But we don’t have a choice. It’s a Summons. We must go.”
Nadassa seemed to be saying it as much for herself as for Alaia. Alaia whipped her head to Tadashi.
“And you? You believe Summoner Eli to be telling the truth? His head isn’t half full of spinning marbles on a cloudtop?”
Tadashi chuckled, but it ended as quickly as it began.
“No, Ellie. Summoner Eli isn’t going mad. If he came directly here, it’s an urgent matter. We have to take it seriously.” Tadashi looked somewhere behind her, eyes trailing activity she couldn’t see. “Preparations are underway for us to go already. We have to get moving, now, or we may run out of time. The realmway won’t be open longer than three more dawns.”
Zaire sucked in a sharp breath through his teeth. Alaia saw he fought back whirlpools of emotion that threatened to lure her in and drown them both. Tears pricked at the back of her eyes dangerously close to falling.
“My Zazu.”