How could he be so stupid! He should have sacrificed himself and stayed in the Nonex, knowing those two monsters would be prisoners for the rest of their existence. He’d broken them free—or, at least helped it get started—just so he could come back, live his life, see his family again. The guilt ate away at his insides and made his stomach feel full of acid. And, of course, his mom could tell. She was a mom, after all.
“Atticus Higginbottom,” she said, breaking the silence that had grown like a living entity, filling the room with something even darker than the air. “I know what you’re thinking over there, and I want you to stop immediately. Do you understand me?”
Tick looked at her and tried to hide the despair that crawled inside of him. “What? I’m fine.”
“You’re fine, huh? And I’ve got bananas growing out of my ears. Nonsense, son. I know it’s hitting you that Jane and Chu are freed from the Nonex. But it’s not your fault. Who knows? Maybe they would’ve figured out a way to escape on their own eventually. It’s what they do, how they got to where they are. They are masterminds, deceivers, manipulators, schemers. And they would’ve left you behind. The choices they make in life are not yours to bear. You did the right thing saving them. Maybe . . . maybe they’ll change. Realize their mistakes and make them right.”
Tick laughed, shocking himself just as much as the others. “Mom, now I know you’re just trying to make me feel better. You heard for yourself what Chu said before they winked his power-hungry behind out of here. And Jane had her chance to become good. I ruined that when I melded her body to several pounds of metal. For somebody who was recruited to help the Realitants, I’ve sure done a great job of messing it all up.”
His mom’s eyes had welled up with tears, and she came over to sit next to him. She tried to pull him into her arms, and at first he resisted, but then he figured he could use some good old-fashioned mom-love and hugged her back. Fiercely.
“Listen to me,” she whispered to him. “I’m your mom. I love you more than any human has ever loved a child before. Do you understand that?”
Tick nodded but didn’t say anything. He was trying to hold back the tears.
Lisa was a few feet away, looking down as if she didn’t feel like she had a right to hear this conversation.
“You did the right thing, Atticus,” his mom continued. “Can you imagine—keeping a boy away from his mom? From his dad? From his sweet sisters? You did what you had to do to come back here, because you felt our love pulling you. You felt it across the universe and all the Realities and the barriers of the Nonex, because it’s that powerful. You had no choice, son. Love is more powerful than Chi’karda, and you had to obey its call. We need you. Your family needs you. Nothing could keep us apart. Nothing will.”
“Okay, Mom.” Tick didn’t really know what to say, but he squeezed his mom even tighter, not caring if he seemed like a two-year-old kid. “Thanks.”
“And one more thing,” she said. “You didn’t just bring back two bad guys. You brought back you. Someone who has more power over Chi’karda than anyone in history. Even Mistress Jane. The Realities need you, Atticus. They need you more than they don’t need them. Clear?”
“Clear.”
Her words really affected him. Lying around feeling sorry for himself wasn’t going to be the answer. He needed to be ready to take action. He swore to himself that he’d be prepared. He’d study and learn and practice. And if the day came that either one of his enemies tried to hurt the worlds again, he would stop them. He swore it.
“I love you,” he whispered to his mom.
The shuffle of feet drew their attention to the entrance of the chamber. Mordell, the long and lanky Lady of Blood and Sorrow, stood with her hands folded in front of her.
“I supposed you’ve had your time to rest and eat,” the woman said. “But it’s over now. At least for Atticus. Mistress Jane would like to see you, boy. She says it’s high time you two spoke about the Fourth Dimension.”
Chapter 22
A Ribbon of Shiny Silver
Sato stood atop the rock that jutted from the hilltop, allowing himself to finally enjoy a moment to himself. The land fell away in all directions, flowing with green grasses and thorny shrubs and leafless trees. Autumn had come to this area of the Thirteenth Reality, and there was a bite to the air that made Sato shiver. Far below him was a river that cut through the valley like a shiny silver ribbon, disappearing into a forest and the mountains beyond.
Somewhere along that river was the castle of Mistress Jane.
It had taken only a couple of days for his army to clean up the few scattered creatures left behind at the evil lady’s Factory, otherwise known as the house of horrors. It was where Jane had used her frightening mix of science and magic to create mixed breeds of animals. Humans had been next on the list for her experiments, until the ones she was holding prisoner had been rescued by Sato and the Fifth Army.