Valeria Torres and the Midas Vault

Chapter 22: The Meeting Under the White Pine

When Valeria returned to their room later that night, she collapsed onto the bed, utterly exhausted. She expected to hit a soft mattress, but hit the ground with a thud.  Thunder crackled overhead, followed by the soft pattering of raindrops as they hit the ground. The night sky offered limited visibility, and her innate night vision hadn't kicked in yet.

"Where am I?" Valeria groaned, pushing off the ground, her hands grasping tufts of moist grass and mud. Had she teleported outside somehow? Was this real? Or just a dream? A flash of lightning lit up the sky, bringing her surroundings into focus.

She sat in a meadow, with fields of grass stretching out as far as the eye could see. Large stone structures loomed over her, their shadows coming alive as lightning continued to pulse overhead. Two men and a woman conversed nearby, and with eyes narrowed, she observed their features.

One of the men was older with a long white beard, while the other was younger, with long brown hair. While the older man was dressed in a flowing dark robe, the younger wore a dense set of metallic armor. "They won't come," the younger said.

"They will," the elder replied. "We can end this war, tonight."

They continued talking, but Valeria had zoned them out. She studied the woman, who looked familiar. The eyes stood out the most - she'd recognize those hazel eyes anywhere.

"Erin?" Valeria asked. There was another flash of lightning, and she covered her eyes. A crack of thunder bellowed overhead, but that's not all she heard. A piercing scream split her ears, overwhelming her senses, and everything faded to black.

"Time to get up, girl," Jada said.

Valeria sat bolt upright in bed, her forehead damp with sweat. The grassy field and its stone structures were gone, replaced by their small hotel room in Coterel. Jada stood over her, eyes narrowed.

"Bad dreams? Well shake them off. Why did you sleep in your Aegis anyway?"

Valeria studied her leather clad arms and cursed her stupidity. She was so exhausted last night and forgot to change. "It was cold in here," she lied.

"Well, change out of it," Jada said. "You and Frank are going back to the house today."

"We are? Really?" she asked with surprise. The odd dream seemed less important - all she wanted to do was go home.

Jada threw clothes onto her bed. "You and Frank are. I have to deal with Sovereign matters. Frank will be here in a minute with breakfast. Don't forget - you will meet with Erin tomorrow. Win her trust - okay?"

Valeria nodded. "Got it. See you later." After Jada left, she dressed in civilian clothes, packed the Aegis in her bookbag, and waited until Frank entered the room.

"Morning, kiddo," Frank said, holding two cartons of food. "I got an omelette and waffles. I'll let you pick. After we eat, we're heading home."

An hour later, Valeria and Frank entered their row-house back in Brooklyn. Entering the house felt surreal; the past two days felt like an eternity. Back in Coterel, Valeria had wondered if they would need to relocate, and her imagination went wild with different outcomes. The most extreme involved Frank and Jada dumping her off at the detention center as an extreme form of retribution.

"See," Frank said, looking around the foyer. "Everything is just like we left it. It's gonna be okay, kiddo."

"Frank," Valeria said, choosing her words carefully. "In case anything shitty happens, I want you to know I'm sorry."

"You don't have to apologize," he said. "I shouldn't have gotten mad at you yesterday, it really wasn't your fault. You couldn't have known."

"Well," Valeria continued, eyes downcast, "If I cause trouble again, I'd understand if you want me to leave."