On Sapphire Wings and Jade Scales

Chapter 27: After the Concert

The Diderot family rested high above the sea; their clothes soaked from the waves' friendly licks. The misty waters below the stage sang a quiet and calm melody, reflecting their queen's serene expression. Eila and Tomas sat on its edge, dangling their legs in the air. Ari rested beside them with her wings tucked to her belly and her head poking out to face the sea below. Her eyelids seemed heavy while her frills moved about, listening to the chatter behind her.

"When's Jo coming back?" asked Eila as she swung her legs back and forth.

Tomas gazed at a small group of people on the boardwalk, recognizing Joanne's bright red jacket among the figures around her. "I think she's gonna be talking with the police for a while."

Eila gave an absent-minded nod. She took a quick glance at her parents behind her, both huddled in the corner by the upstage wall. Her mother napped with her head resting on her father's shoulder. He too seemed just about ready to fall asleep, with his head drooping every few seconds. It brought Eila a sense of relief and calm, as if a heavy stone was lifted off her chest. And yet, she felt as though her parents could vanish again if she took her eyes off them.

"This has got to be one of the craziest mornings ever," Eila said, "at least we got our parents back like Jo promised. Oh! And Mr. Green's gonna get his gem from Suilah, right? They've been talking a lot too."

Tomas kept his gaze on the waves below, still mixed with sand from the cloaked ones' invasion. "I guess so." He frowned and said, "I still don't get it though... how did all those monsters just disappear like that? Like, their boss was right there with us, and then he went poof." He pulled his hands into fists and spread out his fingers to accompany his poof sound.

Eila leaned back and gestured at Suilah, who conversed with Mr. Green and Narciso's flower in the middle of the stage. Their voices were too low for the twins to make much of it, though Narciso's singsong voice occasionally cut in with flowery words that made little sense to the two. Her eyes sparkled as her imagination fired up. "Suilah has water magic, right? Maybe she summoned this huge wave and washed them all out. Or-or maybe she slapped them all away with those water beams she used in the concert."

Tomas tilted his head and said, "We should've heard something though, like, water flushing out like the toilet does. Or a loud woosh or splash."

A gust of wind blew in from their left, leaving them with a feeling of eyes looking down at them.

"Ah, children have such a powerful imagination, even across different species." Said a gentle and deep feminine voice.

The twins and Ari turned their heads in unison to face Suilah; her slender and regal figure towered over them, her crown shining above as if it dared to replace the sun. The sea guardian ran her fingers down a strand of her hair, which curled and slipped through them as if it had a life of its own. Her stare was as calm as it was commanding, certainly enough for the twins to remain quiet in her presence; its resemblance to their mother's stare whenever they made a mess of the house was uncanny.

"Your name is... Eila, yes? And you must be Tomas and Ari. The nobleman and the lily dryad have spoken about you." She kneeled close to them, placed her hands atop their heads and closed her eyes. "I'm terribly sorry for all that transpired here today. I shall make arrangements for an encore performance if time wills it."

Tomas glanced up at her, focusing on her crown. The intense rainbow glow it emitted earlier was absent. "Oh, uh, it's ok. You helped take out those monsters, so everyone's safe because of you, right?"

Eila gave her a grateful smile. "Plus, you helped get our parents back from those monsters."

Suilah stared at the two with a raised eyebrow but relented and grinned back. "It's merely a part of my duties as guardian and queen." She stood up and asked, "Will you accompany me for a moment? I wish to discuss certain matters, and I'd rather not disturb your parents as they rest. Worry not, it won't be too complicated for you to understand."