‘Dawn, what happens when you move from planet to planet? Do you get on ships? Does the sun godark?’
Dawn’s face suddenly clouded over.‘Breeders control our reality.’ I’d gathered that the females were in control after that power display down on the surface.‘Hard to explain in human words. Tall ones get on ships, but the rest of us stay here and they take us with them. Time speeds up, warm light goes dark, and then we are at new planet, new warm light, and sky home is alwayshere.’
Interesting. So the sentries drove the ships and then the females… I couldn’t even begin to guess. It sounded like they collapsed the alternate reality and transported the other ghouls and Galadrias to the next planet and then… tied it to theirs? I had no idea. I didn’t think I would ever understand how they’d gotten there and taken control soeasily.
‘When do they leave?’ I asked her. I could venture to guess it was when the food ran out, but I wanted to hearit.
Dawn looked uncomfortable talking about it, like it made her ill.‘They have already sent scouts to find new planet. When humans are gone, they will leave to find more food. We will go with them. We have nocontrol.’
The knowledge that they’d already sent scouts to look for another planet made my whole body freeze up. I knew then why Dawn was so uncomfortable talking about it. She had no control over this either. We were both at the mercy of the females, thebreeders.
‘Kit is wearing a funny head device,’Dawncommented.
Oh yeah. Her comment made me think about Jeremy and Damien, and my heartpinched.
‘My human friend is studying my gift,’Iexplained.
Dawn seemed to nod in understanding.‘Because Kit is likebreeders.’
I wasn’t sure anything else could shock me that day, but I was wrong. That flooredme.
‘What? Why do you say that?’ I stepped closer toher.
Dawn looked off to the side, avoiding my gaze. ‘Dawn knew when Kit was youngling that she had gifts. Gifts likebreeders.’
What the hell?I didn’t know what to do or say, so I just backed up and sat down, right there on theground.
‘Why didn’t you tell me?’I asked her, looking out onto the golden light that filtered through the space. I didn’t want to be anything like those psycho females. She had to bewrong.
She met my gaze then, and in her endless eyes, I saw something… like hope.‘Kit was youngling. Didn’t want to scare young Kit. Then Kit got big but still didn’t seem good time to tell. Now is important to tell Kit. Kit can do what breeders cando.’
I was going to faint. That was the only reasonable reaction to have to a statement likethat.
‘Is Kit sick?’Dawn asked, smellingme.
I just shook my head. ‘Kit is in disbelief.I can’t do what the breeders do. I mean, I can maybe do a little, but I can’t do everything they can do,’ I clarified, thinking of how I forced the breeder female to feel pain.‘Can I?’ Iadded.
Dawn said she saw things. Maybe she knew things Ididn’t.
Dawn rubbed her nose against my leg, and I petted her head.‘Has Kit ever tried? Or is Kit still scared of hergifts?’
Damn, she knew me too well. I used to tell her about my mental speak and my other gifts, like being able to make someone do something against their will, and that it scared me so I didn’t developit.
‘Kit might still be scared,’Iadmitted.
Dawn pulled back and met my gaze.‘Dawn sees. Dawn sees Kit can now do what breeders do. When breeders landed on Earth and laid out the land, scanned Earthlings, they did something to Kit by accident. Kit isspecial.’
Kit didn’t want to be special. Kit wanted to wake the hell up and gohome.
I didn’t want to be anything like those bitches in the Dream Wars. But if Dawn was right, maybe I could learn to fight back. I meanreallyfightback.
‘Thank you for sharing this with me.’I was still processing the shock, and to be honest, I didn’t fully believe her. I needed more proof before I could fully come to terms with this newinformation.
She nodded and then stood.‘Come, I will show Kit to her den. The elders have prepared a home for Kithere.’
Dawn walked around the females who were drinking from the feeding pond and led me to a secluded little cave with a bunch of pretty pink flowers around the entrance. Inside, there was a human sleeping bag. It looked a bit dirty, something they must have scavenged from thesurface.
‘It’s perfect. Thank you.’I was really touched that with such little space, they had given me my ownden.
