Keys Please...

Chapter 28

In the morning, once Lauren was washed and dressed by the sprites in suede jeans, boots, and a red silk button-down shirt, she met with her entourage. The wolves and bears were already on Earth. MaGayla wore expensive high-waist jeans and a crop top outfit. Davis, Sam, Chris, Peter, and Tom wore blue jeans and oxford shirts the color of their horns. Silvia, Tina, and Grace wore black jeans and long shirts with an over-corset. Levi wore gray slacks and a silver shirt. Cartrell wore Dark denim jeans and a black and gold plaid shirt. Lauren looked at all of them. "It is good that we are not heading straight to Cartrell's capital." She thought. "We would definitely draw attention."

"So how do we get to the Earth realm?" Silvia asked.

"Through the gate with the key," Lauren replied. "I know this is the first time most of you have been out of the imagination realm, but I need you to stay sensible and focused. I am relying on you to be a help and not add to the problem we are going to Earth to solve."

"That is so true." Valentine came into the room and backed Lauren's words." Do not be tempted because Earth is a wild and interesting place. I gave the wolf and bears the same speech when Lauren set them free on Earth yesterday." Valentine showed Lauren how to use the door and key in the Warriors' spire to send them to Earth. "This door will disappear if you don't want it here any longer once we use it. Evandalyn always felt that it was good to have a few doors away from the hall of doors in case of emergencies. Of course, we have never had an emergency, but you never know."

"It's good to have an escape plan I guess," Lauren replied.

The next day. the group followed Valentine to a hall of doors in the back of the keeper's spire. This was Lauren's first time in the hall of doors. Valentine chose to go to Earth with the group as their mentor and to guide them with the use of the keys. "Can't have you getting lost on your first mission." She mused. She led Lauren to the right door. "You will know the different doors by the markings on the handle. After today, you will be the only one able to find out which door goes where and to understand the markings."

Lauren studied the markings, touching them with her fingers. Then suddenly, they changed. It felt like the marking became some kind of braille. Lauren knew braille because of her studies as a teacher, but this felt like the braille she created for one of her books. She didn't know real braille at the time but she was writing a book that had a blind hero in it. She created her own braille and would use it to write secret messages. The markings were written in her braille! It was true. No one would ever be able to read it but her. Once she memorized the braille, she burned the papers that had the writing. Only a few letters made it into her book. In later editions of the book, her publisher used traditional braille. It was a very smart choice. "You're right. The markings have changed to something I would only know."

"Once we are through to Earth, the order of the doors will also change. I know where the door to Earth is because Evandalyn was the last person through it." Valentine stated.

Lauren opened the door and looked inside. It was empty. Confused, she looked at Valentine. "You are the Keeper of the keys. What you see is up to you. You must visualize where you want us to go. That's why even if someone takes the keys and makes it to opening a door in here, they will not be able to go anywhere."

Amazing. The guards placed in the making of this setup were superior to all of the things she could have imagined.

Tom spoke up. "Lauren, think of the Harrah's Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. I own it and it won't be weird when we pop in."

Lauren stared at him for a second, then closed her eyes and imagined the hotel. She had been to the casino once when she was a teacher for a conference, so she thought about that big room. The space behind the door swirled and the room came into view. Once things settled, Lauren stepped through the door into a conference room followed by everyone else.

"Good choice. This room is closed off from the rest of the casino and hotel so no one would see us. I will go make sure everything is ready for us." Tom said. He walked away and headed to the lobby with his cell phone to his ear.

"Cell phones!" Lauren yelled. "Computers, cell phones, and televisions are in this realm. I wonder if I really miss them or just knowing that they exist were exciting to me. They would come in handy on this mission."

"Everything is ready." Tom walked up and said. "We are in the penthouses on the very top floor. It will make it easy to use the helipad." Everyone started to move out of the room and to the elevators. Once they got to the penthouse rooms, everyone settled into the variety of seats.

"How have you been able to own this casino for three hundred years if you have lived in the realm of imagination?" MaGayla asked.

"I am, um, not just a unicorn." Everyone looked at him waiting for more of an explanation. "It's the reason why the keeper came for me and Sabastian became my guardian. Okay, you want more details." Everyone still sat waiting. "Most of the unicorns around you are Bright, Ruva, or Ember unicorns. Chris is a unique type of unicorn. That is none of my business. He will have to tell you his story." Chris flinched but said nothing. "I am a magi-corn and demigod of this realm. My father is Resheph, the god of war and strong protection; and my mother was Lurue, queen of the unicorns in the Earth realm. It was not a happy or wanted relationship and as soon as I was born, my father stole me away and I was told he killed my mother. He wanted to steal my horn once I was grown. Thankfully, the keeper found out and freed me from him. Sebastian was my guardian because he was also a magi-corn. We usually roam in twos. He betrayed Evandalyn because he lost his pair and with the loss, his mind. He didn't want to harm Evandalyn, so he left and hid in the mountains in the imagination realm."

He paused and looked at Lauren. She figured to get more information, she would have to question him. "What are your full powers, how do you own the casino, and can you travel between realms without me?"

"I don't know all of my powers. Sebastian was only able to help me learn my unicorn powers. Because I am the son of the unicorn queen, I can give life, heal, and create life. I can use lightning, ice, and other storm forms. I can manipulate all water forms. I can also talk to all intelligent beings."

"Wow." Was all Lauren could bring herself to say.

"You sound like you should be one of the professors and not a student," Valentine remarked.

"I was not allowed to be on Evandalyn's team. I had a hard time learning to control my powers. I own the casino because Sabastian left it to me in his will. I had no idea he owned it. The keeper brought me here right after Sabastian passed and I stayed here for a few years. Once everything was set up for the administration of the casino, I returned to the realm of imagination. The weird thing was that I could dream walk to the casino whenever I needed or wanted to. My staff could see me and I could walk around inside the casino but I could not leave it. So, no I can not go between realms for real."

"Wow." was again how Lauren replied. It was a big shock. Tom was definitely a unique unicorn.

"We do need to talk more privately later. I feel there are some things that should stay personal." Tom said. He looked at the group. "You all know enough."

"That's fine," Lauren said. She then began talking about how to deal with the witch and where things were when it comes to the spying.

Tom handed her a phone. "The bears and wolves are all able to connect to this phone, and so will everyone else. We are ready to talk to them virtually whenever you are. Kento and Damon are acting as leads and receiving all of the information as it comes in. They are waiting for you to give them directions as to what to do next."

"Okay," Lauren said. They all sat in front of the monitor and soon, Kento and Damon came on the screen.

"Hello, my lady. We are glad things went so smoothly for you getting here. We have found out a lot since we have been here." She told them to go ahead and give their report. "The animal kingdom is in a bit of an uproar since you broke the witch's hold over so many beings, the memory losses and lack of knowledge for so many has caused chaos. Many of the leaders are realizing all of the problems their orders have caused and are trying to correct things. They are recalling troops from where they were raging wars, letting prisoners out because of their false imprisonments, and having to check all of their confidants to ensure that they were loyal to the betterment of the world. We have not been able to find the witch as of yet."

"What a mess," Cartrell said. He looked to Lauren asking for her agreement that he could lead in replying to the information. "The keeper and I will be in the capital tonight. We will combine our powers with MaGayla and teleport into my chambers. Levi, Tom, and Davis will be with us. This will allow us to be spread out enough so that if the witch is able to overpower or cause more problems, we can be rescued."

"Good strategy," Valentine spoke up to give her support. "I will stay here. The six not going with you will help coordinate information that the bears and wolves gather with you that way nothing will be missed."

"Now that we have a plan, let's go see how bad things really are," Lauren stated. Cartrell, MaGayla, and Lauren linked hands. Levi, Tom, and Davis touched their shoulders. In a blink, they were in Cartrell's chambers, scaring one of his maids that was cleaning.

"Sorry to frighten you, dear," Cartrell said, trying to calm her down.

"Your majesty. I am sorry I screamed. I mean, this is your chamber. You have the right to enter any way you wish." She stammered out.

"Very well, Please let the counsel know I am here and that I wish to meet with them immediately."

"Yes, your majesty." She then ran quickly down the hall to the chancellor.

It took about thirty minutes for the council to assemble. The chancellor, who sat at the head of the table and when Cartrell entered the room, moved to the seat at the right. He was shaking and his eyes were darting around. "My king. It is wonderful that you are back with us. I see you are not alone. Will you introduce your company?" The chancellor stated.

Cartrell walked confidently to the vacated chair and stood behind it. Lauren, MaGayla, and the three unicorns followed him to the head of the table. Lauren stopped beside Cartrell, the rest took a step back. Cartrell looked at Lauren. He wanted her to take the seat in front of him. It would mean that she would mate with him but she didn't move. He looked away and took the seat himself with a sigh. "I will introduce my guest when I am ready." He said sharply. "Update me on things around the kingdom.

The chancellor looked rebuffed but began to tell his king everything. There was nothing new added to what the bears and wolves told them. Cartrell looked over his shoulder at Lauren. She stood regally behind him to his right, between the chancellor and himself. He motioned for a chair to be brought for her and her group. Once everyone was settled, Cartrell began. "This is Lady Lauren, the Keeper of the Keys, and part of her entourage. As you know, I have gone to her realm to study and to get to know her. She is here to supply aid in this situation."

Hello." Lauren said. Lauren was shocked to learn that Cartrell actually didn't join the keep to be part of her entourage but to get to know her.

"How can she help us? We are not of her realm. Is she another witch? Can she wave a magic wand and solve our chaotic problems?" The chancellor guffawed, prompting a light laugh from the council.

"Well, no. I am not a witch. I am the Keeper. This is my magician, Magayla. They are my guard. As the Keeper, I can, as you say, wave my hand and solve the chaotic problems, with your king's help." Lauren stated.

The council stopped laughing. Cartrell took Lauren's hand. Lauren closed her eyes and the room pulsed with power. The council sat silently. The power flowed from Lauren and throughout the entire kingdom, everyone fell asleep. All the sounds of chaos stopped.

Lauren looked at the council and then at Cartrell. "As I said, a wave of my hand." She continued to hold Cartrell's hand. "Now, would you like to tell your king what you are hiding from him, chancellor?"

"Whatever do you mean?" The chancellor asked, nervously.

He stood up and tried to move away from her. The unicorns didn't let him and boxed him in. He was turned around toward her and she then touched his forehead with two fingers. He was pushed back down in his chair. "Tell me what is going on, Vance. Tell me everything." Cartrell said forcefully.

"I do not have anything else to say." He replied with a strain. "I am just here to support you, my king." A look of pain shot through him. He fought hard to keep whatever it was from them. Magayla walked up and dropped two drops of clear liquid on his forehead. He seemed to relax and stopped resisting. "The witch is my sister. She was given free rein in the kingdom because she was able to manipulate me. I didn't know at first, but it was too late once I figured it out. I was unable to get free from her powers and had done so much that when the hold was broken, she convinced me that I would be blamed. I have betrayed the entire kingdom." He cried and wailed after his pronouncement. He was truly inconsolable.

They let him cry and turned to the council. "And what about the rest of you? Have you all been compromised by the witch?" Cartrell asked. The looks he received from the members of the council told him everything. "Lauren, what should I do? They are my council. They are the wisest animals in the kingdom, the most trustworthy, and yet they were able to be affected."

Lauren turned to him and said, "Come with me." He led her to a private room and shut the door. "I have thought about the bond you want to make with me. What are you expecting from the bond?"

Startled, he replied, "I want a mating with you, not just a bond. I would love to be one of your great loves, but I will not push that on you. I would like to be a source of power for you, so our bond needs to be as close as we can make it and you still be comfortable."

An easy reply that gave Lauren a sense of calm. Again a potential mate that was going to be reasonable with her. "Okay. We will bond and see how things go with the mating part."

"Fair enough." Cartrell agreed.

"So, what's next?"

"Oh. uh, we just have to say the acceptance words and share a kiss. There is no big ceremony or anything." He looked at her and she nodded yes. "Repeat after me. I accept this bond with you. You are now my bonded mate." Lauren repeated the words and then looked up at him for him to give her a kiss. When their lips touched, she felt a tingle and heat. He deepened the kiss, she parted her lips allowing him to explore her mouth. Her mind swirled and her face heated.

He held her tight and continued the kiss as long as she let him. Finally, she broke the kiss. "You are a very good kisser." She moved away from him a bit and took a deep breath. "Let's get back to the meeting."

"Wait, you should know of some changes." Cartrell sat her down in his lap. "Because we are now bonded, you will of course be able to draw power from me. The other benefit will be that you will be able to understand members of my animal kingdom. I have other powers but I don't know if you will receive any of them."

Lauren studied his face. "Thank you for letting me know. We will discuss the other powers later. I am sorry I am not from a world where having more than one mate is the norm. It makes me nervous."

"I understand. I am not going to push you into anything. We are good. I do want to get to know you and I hope you will let me. That's all I want for right now, okay?"

"Okay. Now we do need to go back." Lauren stated.

They entered the room where the council was and moved back to the head of the table. He stood next to the chair and this time she sat down. He stood behind the chair. "We did not come here alone." Cartrell began. "The Keeper brought almost her entire entourage in order to identify the problems and successfully help solve the problems. Our alliance will allow us to bring peace to this world. Some of the Keepers team will be here shortly to interview everyone and record everyone's events. There is a possibility that changes to the council and how things are done will occur, but that is not certain. I will be more sure once the interviews are completed. Now we are off to catch a witch." With that, they left the council room with MaGayla and the unicorns in tow.

"So, you bonded with Cartrell," MaGayla announced once they were in their room with the sprites fluttering around getting her ready for bath and bed. "Good. You needed to. The more support you have the better." She walked away and went to the bathroom, leaving Lauren with just the sprites.

A knock at the door brought Tom to talk to her. "Can we have our private discussion on the balcony?"

"Sure," Lauren replied and she walked toward the balcony.

She sat down on a lounge chair and gave him her full attention. "Lady Lauren, you know that you need to be bonded with others in order to maintain balance in your powers and to develop all the powers you have within you." She nodded and he continued. "I was told by the former Keeper that brought me to the imagination realm that I was to bond with you."

"How? No one knew I would be the keeper?" Lauren asked.

"She was a psychic. She could see the future and could actually bend it to her will. Anyway, I was told that it was my choice and that she would not force the issue, but that it was important for you to be bonded to me."

"Well, we are bonded because I am the keeper and you are in my entourage." Lauren pointed out.

"Yes, but you can't pull power from me. I need a source of release. There are times when my power becomes too much for me to bear. Sebastian used to help by siphoning off some of my power but he is gone. By bonding with you, I will have a partner that will be strong enough to handle the power surges. I am not looking for a romantic liaison, just a power exchange. Please let me be one of your power sources. It would be beneficial to both of us." By the time he was through talking, he was on his knees in front of her.

"No romance, just energy, and friendship, I can handle."

"You will also get my powers and be able to tap into your Earth magic better, especially since you have also bonded with Cartrell. I mean you will have three tethers to Earth."

Actually, she had more than three but she didn't share that with him. "What do we have to do? Lauren asked.

"Well, Speak the bonding words and share our energy. We create a combined energy ball and you will take it into yourself. You will then send it into me and I will send it back into you. That's it. Once it is done the first time, It will happen naturally from then on. Whenever I am spilling over or you become low, Power will flow to you. On the rare occasions, I might need power, you will be able to send me power."

"With that, Lauren nodded and took his hands. They stared into each other's eyes and Tom said, "I create this power bond between the Keeper, Lauren, and I. She will be linked to me and I will be linked to her. May power surge." Lauren repeated the words inserting Tom's name for her own. Then the power hit her hard. It was a good thing she was on a lounge chair already. She hadn't felt such a strong power in so long. Gerald's power was the only other that she could compare it to. But this power was different. It felt like home, a grounding feeling of Earth, sun, wind, and water. It encircled her and flowed through her. All of her pores were tingling. She heard Tom when he told her to send the power back to him and she pushed against it. It wasn't as hard as she thought it would be and she sent it back to Tom. Relief was what she first felt and then a sense of loss. "Now, take the power from me, don't make me give it to you. You must willingly accept it."

This time Lauren drew the power from Tom. Slowly ever slowly she pulled the power. It was a wonderful feeling. She pulled it until all of her nerves tingled and felt full, then she stopped. "That was good. You stopped with just enough. You are so smart and generous. You are going to be a very successful Keeper. Having discernment as a natural power does you so well."

Breathing hard but deep cleansing breaths Lauren replied, "I am nothing without my team. I know that each of you are important." She continued hesitantly, "I had a dream that showed me how important having my team, trusting my team, and sharing this burden, no matter how unpleasant, with my team is. It showed me at the center of the realms trying to do everything to maintain peace on my own, but I was wasting away and not being very successful. I have to rely on my team and make sure they know they are important to me."

"So far so good then because we know you respect us and want us around," Tom said. "With that, I thank you for linking with me and will leave you to rest."

"You are welcome. It's an interesting, um, link." She laughed and waved goodbye. Lauren went to bed and slept like a rock.