Free The Three Furies (Erec Rex) by Kaza Kingsley

couldn't face? What if his vision showed Bethany dead?
    Every ounce of him wanted to walk away, to avoid seeing what lay ahead. But he couldn't do that. Instead Erec leaned over the well so the Fates would sense when he looked into the future. Only then would they come talk to him. He closed his eyes and concentrated on using the eyes of Aoquesth the dragon.
    Please , he asked himself, just this once, show me something good. I can't handle seeing terrible things happen now. Nothing bad about Bethany, especially. Just show me a happy time ahead.
    As he had been trained, he pictured himself walking into a small, dark room in his mind. After he adjusted to the feeling, a
    68
    calmness came over him. He visualized another room, blacker and smaller, within this first one, and he entered it, relaxing even more. Deep inside his own mind, he saw a small box set on a table. He was partly imagining it and partly feeling it as a real thing next to him. He could sense its presence more than see it. This box held all the knowledge of the universe that was inside him. Soon it would show him a piece of his future. It felt like a movie projector playing a random, surprise film. And he asked it to show him a happy ending.
    His fingers touched the box. It was humming, vibrant. Two windows hung on a wall before him, their shades pulled shut. They would be his eyes once he was ready to see what the box would show him. He felt for the small, soft cord that hung between them, took a breath, and pulled it.
    W ild applause and cheers shook the walls, and the floors vibrated from the dancing and celebration. O n two tall thrones before him, his brother and sister, D anny and Sammy, sat glowing. T hey wore tall, pointed crowns of gold, with diamonds and emeralds capping each tip. Sammy giggled, waving at the masses celebrating behind E rec.
    J une stood next to him and could not wipe the grin off of her face. " I sn't this wonderful? I thought this would never happen. N ow everybody knows!"
    E rec crossed his arms and nodded. " N ow we all know." A nd he knew everything would be better now.
    Overwhelmed, Erec backed out from the dark rooms in his mind. He could feel his eyes swivel in their sockets, sliding his dragon eyes
    69
    back into the darkness and bringing his normal blue eyes out. When he opened them, everything seemed so bright. He was looking down into the well, yet still processing what he had just seen.
    So, there was no doubt, then. Danny and Sammy were definitely the missing triplets, the other two slated to be king and queen. They would live, unharmed. They would be crowned king and queen. Maybe not at the same time that he was, but soon enough. When he thought about it, they didn't look much older than they were now. Sammy was wearing more makeup, he remembered, and her nose looked bigger, so maybe it was a few years from now. But they still were young.
    They had looked so happy. In Erec's vision, he had been filled with the feeling of everything being right. Maybe soon he would have companions on his quests. What a relief that would be.
    If Bethany was okay, that is. He wouldn't do any quests if she wasn't.
    Could that have been why only Danny and Sammy were sitting on the thrones? Did Erec drop out and stop doing quests, because something bad had happened to Bethany?
    No, he couldn't think about that. The thought flew out of his mind anyway, for the waters below him began to swirl. A rainbow of colors raced around the whirlpool. Hues Erec had never even seen before flashed through the water. Then, all at once, the water rose toward him, bubbling like a boiling stew. A moment later it was quiet again--dark like glass looking through into night.
    Erec gazed into the well. Would he have to call for the Fates? Did they know he was there? Feeling a little awkward, he spoke into the still waters. "Fates? Are you there? This is me . . . uh, Erec Rex." He glanced nervously at Jam and made a face.
    Wild shrieks issued from the well, turning