“Domino’s Pizza,” Spence said when Morgan answered the door. They had eaten a fresh fish and vegetable dinner when they returned from the secret meeting. The Draconians were a stern race, and there hadn’t been any drunken revelry at the meal. Then Qishti showed them to three rooms on the third floor. Spence was tired but too wired for sleep. He hoped Morgan might be awake too.

“Oh, boy! I hope it’s a Pacific Veggie!” Morgan said, smiling.

The rooms had bare wooden floors and walls. A window was set in the wall across from the door, overlooking the waters they had swum in earlier. The room was furnished with a small bed, table and chairs, washbasin, nightstand, and two worn rugs on the floor. Two candles on the table and a lantern on the nightstand provided light. The layer of dust covering everything indicated that the rooms were not used often as sleeping quarters.

Morgan sat on the bed, and Spence pulled a chair out from the table and turned it around, facing her. “What’s up, Spence the Wizard?”

Spence laughed. He had really grown fond of Morgan during their quest. She was the steady one and his sole source of comfort. She was so different from the Goth persona she played on Earth. “Some wizard. I have a staff with three buttons. You are the Archer, though.”

Morgan smiled again. “Hey, you were pretty good with the spider-thingy. And shooting the bow is easy. I get to stand back and let the boys take the beating while I fire away. Now, what can I do for you?”

“Back rub? Foot rub?” Spence grinned. A few weeks ago in high school, he wouldn’t have even dared to speak to Morgan. Now, after risking his life daily, he was a different person. Talking to a girl didn’t compare to fighting horrific monsters that wanted to eat him.

“Umm, I don’t think a swim in swamp water constitutes a bath. And no offense, but I ain’t touchin’ that body if it ain’t squeaky clean.”

“Yeah, there is that.” Would she touch it if it were clean? “No, I was just in the mood for conversation. No talk of monsters and wars and death—only teenage stuff. I’m tired of playing grown-up.”

“A little homesick, huh?”

“A little. I’m sure my parents are panicking by now and blaming themselves for letting me come on the trip. I wonder how freaked out everyone at school and in the town is? I mean, four kids missing for a week. I bet we’ve been all over the news and Internet.”

“Yeah, we have to be doing some trending. Although, we might have been gone long enough to drop out of the headlines. You know how it goes. You’re only news for so long until they push you to the side for something more interesting—probably a Kardashian or politics. All about the ratings,” Morgan said.

“It’s weird thinking about high school after all we’ve been through,” Spence said.

“Yeah, constant fear of death changes your perspective. Somehow, studying, grades, sports, and cliques don’t seem as important.”

“Could you have imagined any scenario a few months ago where a geek like me would be hanging out in a bedroom with a Goth like you?”

“Not unless it involved chloroform and duct tape,” Morgan laughed.

Spence scowled at her, and she stuck her leg out and nudged his knee with her bare foot. “Heck, you would have kicked my butt even if I had chloroform and duct tape.” Spence smacked her foot lightly.

“Oh yeah, I would have. However, you might take me now. You’re not the same dough boy you were back then.”

“Hey, if we survive another couple of weeks, I will be rocking the beach bod.” They both laughed loudly.

“Yeah, we’ll all look good for our burials.”

“No death talk, remember?”

“Oh, yeah. Hey, I just thought of something! I still have some elven wine left. Want to share it?”

Spence’s heart skipped a few beats. “I have some too!” Since Trey’s meltdown, they hadn’t drunk it again. “I’ll be right back.”

Spence returned with his bottle and joined Morgan on the bed. The move was a little forward, but he didn’t care at this point. Morgan had extinguished the candles, so the lantern provided the sole light. “To surviving our quest,” Spence said, holding his bottle out.

Morgan tapped hers against his bottle, and they both drank. “To kicking everything’s ass in Nibiru and getting back to Earth.” They clinked bottles and drank again.

“Should we invite Caleb over?” Spence asked.

Morgan wrinkled her brow. “Nah, let’s let him sleep. I like him and everything, but he’s not exactly a jolly soul.”

They continued drinking and talking. They each had less than half a bottle of wine left, but both soon felt the effects. Spence didn’t know whether their mood was just the release of a lot of pent-up stress or teenagers being teenagers, but they were soon laughing and acting silly—acting like kids and not hardened adults.

“What would be your first meal back on Earth?” Spence asked. His cheeks were warm from the laughter and wine.

“Well, since you mentioned pizza, veggie pizza, followed by chocolate ice cream, of course. You?”

“I like the pizza idea. I need the supreme, though. You need to get over the vegetarian thing.”

Morgan punched him lightly in the arm. “Hey, I’ve eaten rabbit—that’s pretty extreme. But you need to stop trying to eat every animal!” She slurred her words slightly.

At one point, Morgan retrieved her phone from her pants pocket. “Well, it’s on one percent. Let’s take one last selfie, buddy.” She held the phone out, leaned her head against Spence’s, and snapped a picture. “And…it’s dead.”

They continued drinking as they talked, and soon the bottles were empty. Spence’s head was spinning some, and he noticed Morgan’s eyes had that alcohol-induced glassy look. He scooted back on the bed and lay on his back, his head on half the thin, hard pillow. To Spence’s surprise, Morgan lay beside him, her head beside his.

“Get the hell out of my bed,” she said and then burst into laughter.

“I am the ruler of the Draconians, and this is my house and thus my bed,” Spence said, laughing as hard as Morgan.

“Oh, yeah, I forgot. You are a wizard and king now. Well, I’d better get my butt up north to my elves. I will be the elven queen, ruler of Nibiru.”

“Nah, my lizards will kick your monkeys’ butts.”

Morgan elbowed Spence in the ribs. “You wish. I think my monkeys’ arrows reach further than your little tridents and spears. You won’t get near us.”

“Hmmm…. OK. So maybe we can team up and kick Caleb’s and Trey’s butts and rule as king and queen.”

“Deal!”

They lay in silence for several minutes. Spence wanted to stay awake and continue enjoying the special moment, but his eyes were closing. He rolled over on his side, facing Morgan. She turned her head to gaze at him.

“I guess I should go back to my room and go to bed,” he said softly.

“You could. But you’re drunk. And you know the laws against drunk walking.” She cackled.

“Good point.”

“So, you can stay here. Better safe than sorry.” Morgan rolled over, facing the other direction, and leaned over to blow out the lantern. She then lay back down, still facing away.

Spence was drunk and fearless at this point. He moved his body forward slightly so it touched Morgan’s from head to toe. He worked his right arm beneath the pillow and wrapped his left arm around her.

“What are you doing?” Morgan asked, her voice tinged with sleep.

“You know the dangers of drunk people rolling out of bed. Safety first.”

“Oh, yeah. Good point. Then hold on tight.”

Spence’s heart raced, even despite his drunkenness. He felt Morgan’s warm body pressed against him. Despite the swim in the swamp water and lack of good hygiene, he was a teenage boy, and she was a sexy teenage girl. He wished he could stay awake longer and savor the moment, but he was too sleepy and inebriated. But he fell asleep the happiest and most content he had been in…forever.

***

“That makes things more…interesting,” Ra said.

“Ah, yes,” Artemis replied. “Two young lovers forced to lead their armies against each other.”

“What if they form an alliance?” Odin asked.

“Oh, I am sure they will. At least initially,” Enki said. “But no matter. We are finally getting our war. There will only be one victor.”

“What have your dwarves and their new leader decided?” Artemis asked.

“They are marching north, toward your elves, as we speak. They will attack hard and try to force a quick surrender. If not, they will use fire and axes to fell Sabekha. Then they can combine forces with the survivors and march toward Argos. If the girl does not reach the elves soon, she will not have an army to lead,” Odin replied.

***

A knock on the door woke Spence. He sat up and took a few seconds to recall where he slept and what had happened the night before. Light shone through the window. Morgan stirred in the bed beside him and sat up too.

“Morgan?” Caleb’s voice called from outside the door.

“Oh, crap!” Morgan whispered to Spence. “Yes?” she said for Caleb to hear.

“It’s time to eat breakfast and go. I’m going to try to find Spence. Meet you downstairs.”

“Should I feel awkward?” Spence asked.

Morgan gazed at him, her face unreadable. “Do you?”

“No…not really. Other than feeling hungover, I feel surprisingly good.”

“Well then, there’s your answer. Now, get the hell out of my room so I can freshen up. Meet you downstairs.” She flashed a slight grin, so Spence knew she wasn’t angry.

“Yes, my queen.”

They arrived downstairs in the dining room at the same time. Qishti and Caleb sat eating at a table in the center. Only a few Draconians sat around the room; Spence figured they were a little late for breakfast.

“Where have you been?” Caleb asked Spence.

“Huh? Oh. I just woke up a little early and went exploring.” Spence didn’t dare make eye contact with Morgan or Qishti.

They ate a quick meal of smoked fish, coarse bread, and the eggs of some type of animal. They drank a hot, bitter, coffee-like drink.

“What’s the plan?” Caleb asked Qishti.

“Well, my people will follow the instructions of our new leader, Spence. You and Morgan must decide whether to stay with us or depart to lead your peoples.”

“Oh, yeah,” Caleb said.

“But first, I think we should gather some of the swamp rose. We will need as much as we can harvest, and you may take some to your peoples when you leave.”

“What’s the swamp rose?” Spence asked.

“It’s a rare flower found in some of the thickest parts of the Forsaken Swamp. You can make a poultice that will stop bleeding and greatly speed healing. We will take a boat to harvest it. I know of some growing directly to the south.”

“Sounds prudent,” Spence said, glancing at Morgan and Caleb. Their plan would sound convincing to the gods or anyone else watching and listening. “We’ll take our breathing masks too, just in case we need to do any swimming.”