by Bonnie Lamer
A few minutes later, the kitchen door finally swings open. Aunt Barb and Gabriel both enter bearing trays of drinks. Gabriel’s is laden with coffee mugs, and Aunt Barb’s has three glasses of milk. She glances around in confusion when the only child she spies is the one sleeping on Alita’s shoulder.
“They’re in the living room,” I explain. Relief washes over my aunt’s face. I believe she was concerned for a moment that she had imagined them.
Kallen reaches out and takes the tray from her. “Thank you. I will bring these in while Xandra explains more about why we are here.” Aunt Barb nods and takes a seat in the chair we left open for her.
Gabriel sets his tray in the center of the table and we all grab a mug of coffee. He positions himself behind Aunt Barb’s chair, one hand on her shoulder to bolster her and the other wrapped around his own steaming mug of coffee. I like him. No matter what craziness Aunt Barb’s family throws at him, he seems to just take it in stride.
As quickly as I can, I fill Aunt Barb in on the arrival of the kids. I don’t mention the Council. I just explain that there is a threat and we need to prepare, but Dagda and the others want to be certain we are fighting for the right reasons. I figure knowing about the Council is too much for Aunt Barb and Gabriel’s human minds right now. Who really wants to know that there’s a council of demi-gods and Angels who have the power to wipe out entire realms and races? Hell, I wish I didn’t know that.
“So, we’re hoping that you have a way to get speedy DNA results,” I conclude.
Aunt Barb’s expression isn’t promising. “How speedy?” she asks.
I glance down at my watch before remembering I don’t wear one. “Um, like an hour or two?”
I wonder if nose hairs grow back after you burn them out of your nostrils with hot coffee. Next time I’m back in this realm, I’ll ask Aunt Barb. She’ll have firsthand knowledge on the subject by then.
“You want me to get DNA results in a matter of hours?!” my aunt cries with her scalded vocal cords.
Is that a trick question? “Yes.”
Setting her mug down with a thump and wiping the coffee that sprayed from her nose with a napkin, Aunt Barb shakes her head. “Xandra, I don’t even have the equipment to run a DNA test.”
Frowning, I push, “There isn’t anyone in your lab who does?”
“It’s not that kind of lab,” my aunt replies, mopping up the spilled coffee on the table that sloshed over the edge of her mug.
I was so certain this was the answer. My mind races, trying to come up with a solution to this new snag. By racing, I mean pedaling really fast on a stationary bike. I know nothing about DNA testing and where to get it done. So, my hopes of getting an idea across the finish line anytime soon are sort of moot.
It doesn’t help when my biological father grouses, “I knew this would be a waste of time.”
I glare at him. “Not helpful.”
Fortunately, I married a smart Fairy. “If you had the equipment, you would be able to run the tests in that short of time?” Kallen asks. I don’t know where he’s going with this, but I see the idea bike flying down the road behind his eyes. No stationary wheels in his mind.
“Sure. But getting that type of machinery would not only be incredibly expensive, it would take weeks or months,” Aunt Barb explains patiently.
Kallen gives me a pointed look. “Perhaps a certain government agent would be able to help with that?”
At first, I think he means Eliana. Then it dawns on me who would have the power to get us into a government facility to use expensive lab machines at a moment’s notice. A grin spreads across my face. “I don’t think she’ll be happy to see me.”
Dagda snorts. “I do not believe you have ever let something like that stop you before.”
This earns him another glower. “Maybe you should go sit in the living room with the kids.”
He opens his mouth to snark back, but Kallen interrupts us. “You should call her,” he insists.
“Who?” Aunt Barb asks.
“You know someone that high up in the government?” Gabriel asks. He’s a scientist like Aunt Barb and has joined her in her research since discovering the truth. All their funding comes from private donations. Neither of them deals with the government.
Ignoring everyone except my husband, I shake my head in Kallen’s direction. “I think it would be better to just surprise her. She’s less likely to say no that way.” Glancing at the grandfather clock across the room, I note that it’s 6:30 AM in this realm. Aunt Barb and Gabriel were in the process of starting their day when we barged in. That means Eliana’s boss is probably doing the same. Man, I really hope I don’t catch her in the shower, too.
I borrow Aunt Barb’s cell phone and give Eliana a quick call. She gives me the GPS information I need to track down Liza at home. I give Kallen a quick kiss and tell the kids to stay put before teleporting out of Aunt Barb’s apartment and into Liza’s house. Fortunately, I find myself in her living room, not her bathroom.
The response to my sudden appearance is the same, though. “What the hell!”
Man, I’m hearing that expression a lot today.
Chapter 11
The speed at which Liza drops her coffee mug, unholsters her gun, and has it drawn on me is truly impressive. She doesn’t even seem to notice the shattered ceramic all over her hardwood floor, or the hot coffee that splashes onto her shoes and pants. If I were a human intruder, I’d truly be concerned for my safety about now. Fortunately, I’m not human.
“Not the most effective weapon to use against me,” I drawl. My magic put a defensive wall around me before she even thought about drawing her gun.
As recognition dawns, Liza huffs and lowers her gun. “Jesus, Xandra, you scared the hell out of me.” She holsters her useless weapon. Assessing the situation on the floor, she complains, “That was my favorite cup.”
“Sorry. I’ll buy you a new one,” I promise.
Frowning, Liza asks, “Can’t you just fix that one?”
I consider it a second and then shake my head. “Kallen could, but my magic tends to go wonky when I try to use it for little things like that. You might end up with a house made of ceramic and shaped like a coffee cup.”
Liza grimaces. “Fine. I’ll send you a bill.” Turning toward her kitchen, she says over her shoulder, “Let me grab something to clean that up. Then you can tell me why you’re here. I’m assuming there’s more to it than ruining my morning coffee.”
“So, not a morning person then?” I tease. This earns me a look over her shoulder that tells me exactly what she thinks of mornings. And me. I don’t let it bother me. She never was a fan.
Disappearing into the kitchen, Liza is back in a moment with a roll of paper towels and a trash bag to collect the broken mug pieces. “So, is the universe about to implode again?” she asks as she starts picking up pieces.
Kneeling to help her, I grab some paper towel and start mopping up coffee. “Not the whole universe, just my little piece of it,” I begin. “My kids are in danger.”
Liza’s hand stops mid-air. The piece of ceramic she’s holding drips coffee all over her pant leg. “Your kids?” she asks in surprise. “I didn’t realize you had kids.”
“Well, I don’t. Yet,” I hurry to add. When she stares at me nonplussed, I continue. “I’m pregnant right now. But my twins and their cousin came from the future to warn us about an enemy who wants to wipe them from existence.”
To my surprise, Liza bursts out laughing. Glancing around as if looking for something, she asks, “Is this a joke? Seriously. Am I on camera as some sort of practical joke? Did Eliana and Josh put you up to this?”
“No,” I huff. “This is not a joke. I need your help to save my kids.”
Sobering, Liza studies me for a minute. “Okay. Why are you here instead of Eliana’s?” she asks. Suspicion lines etch their way into her facial features. “How can I help when I don’t have any magic?”
Suddenly embarrassed by
what I must tell her, I try to will the color flooding my cheeks back into the rest of my body. Damn red blood cells just don’t mind though. I wonder if there’s an obedience class I can send them to when this is all over.
My red cheeks do not go unnoticed. Quirking her brows, Liza sits back on her heels. “Interesting. I think you may want to be here less than I wanted an unexpected intruder this morning.”
Deciding not to drag out the explanations, I blurt out, “My father, the King of the Fae, will only help us if we can prove that they are really our biological children.” When Liza’s only reaction is to blink more than normal, I push on. “There are spells that can be used for cloning and disguising oneself. He’s afraid that’s what they’re doing.”
Liza considers me for a long moment before responding. So long, I begin to wonder if she fell asleep with her eyes open. After all, she hasn’t really had her morning coffee yet. Just as I’m about to poke her to make sure she’s awake, she says, “But you are certain they are your biological children who have traveled from the future to warn you of impending doom.” It’s a statement not a question. A statement of disbelief.
Rising to her feet, Liza shakes her head. “I’m afraid I’m with your father on this one.”
I fly to my feet and plant my hands on my hips. “How can you side with anyone – you haven’t even met them,” I growl.
Forced patience oozes from the corners of her mouth as she replies, “Xandra, this is crazy. It’s the plot of a movie, not real life. You must have watched Terminator a few too many times if you’re going to fall for such a wild tale so easily.” After a beat, she adds, “But I wouldn’t mind learning more about those cloning spells.”
I open my mouth to argue. To make demands. To use magical force if necessary. But I clamp my lips together again and send my drawn magic back to the earth. That is not the strategy to use here. Taking a deep breath, even I’m surprised by how calm my voice is when I say, “Prove it. Prove that my father is right and I’m wrong.”
Growing exasperated, Liza says, “Xandra, I have a team waiting for me. We have an important case we’re working on that isn’t based on a movie plot. I don’t have time to prove your crazy theory wrong.”
“What if I promise not to ask Eliana for help in the coming war?” I bargain. I wasn’t planning to ask her because I know that she’s here in the Cowan realm fighting battles that are just as important as the ones I fight elsewhere. But Liza doesn’t know that.
Narrowing her eyes, Liza growls, “I don’t like to be manipulated.”
Shrugging, I respond in a dismissive tone. “No one does.”
We stare at each other for several minutes in a silent battle of wills. Liza knows she doesn’t hold enough cards to win this hand though. So, eventually she caves. With a sigh, she asks, “What do you need?”
A satisfied smile tries to break across my face. I do my best to hold it back but the tight lines around Liza’s eyes tell me I’m failing miserably. “A lab where my aunt can test our DNA.”
Surprised, Liza blurts out, “That’s it?”
My turn to be surprised. “What did you think I wanted?”
Liza waves a dismissive hand in the air. “Never mind. Yes, I can get you access to a lab.” She narrows her eyes. “You’ll owe me, though. When do you need it?”
I’m torn between answering her question, asking her what she thought I wanted, or pressing for more information about what she may want in the future. But, common sense kicks in and my curiosity is going to have to wait. “Now,” I tell her.
She gives me a dirty look but pulls her phone from her blazer pocket. “A little advanced warning would be appreciated in the future,” she grouses as she punches numbers into the screen.
“Yeah, lots of people would like me to schedule the disasters that threaten the universe a little better. I’ll work on that,” I snark.
Liza opens her mouth to snark back, but someone’s voice barks out of her phone. “Hello?”
Pressing the phone to her ear, Liza collects the bag of broken ceramic pieces and paper towels and heads into the kitchen again. All the while she speaks in a hushed tone to the person on the other end of the line. A long five minutes later, she comes back out and puts her phone back into her pocket. “You have the lab for two hours. I told them you’d be there in five minutes.” With a quirked brow, she adds, “I’m assuming that won’t be a problem?”
“Not at all,” I grin. “Thank you.”
Chapter 12
Opening a portal into Aunt Barb’s living room instead of teleporting, I signal to my waiting family. In the few minutes that have passed, Aunt Barb has shifted into scientist mode and is wearing her white lab coat. She’s carrying a briefcase that I assume is packed with items she thinks she’ll need. Gabriel has done the same.
Kallen leads the way with our children following. Kegan and Alita follow with both Keelans. Aunt Barb shows just the slightest bit of hesitance as she approaches the portal, but she puts a confident step forward into Liza’s living room. Reaching a hand back through to Gabriel, she encourages him to follow. His hesitance is not slight.
“Are you sure this is safe?” he asks.
Liza leans down and whispers in my ear, “Who’s the new guy?”
“My aunt’s boyfriend,” I explain. “And fellow scientist,” I add, so Liza doesn’t question why he’s coming along.
Liza gives Gabriel a long, appraising look. So long I suspect it’s only partially professional. But it doesn’t take her long to jump back on the government driven paranoia bus. “Has she done a background check?”
I roll my eyes and open my mouth to tell Liza to stop being so suspicious when Zyla leans over. “A background check wouldn’t do any good. But don’t worry, Gabriel was sent to protect Aunt Barb.”
I stare open mouthed at my daughter. “What?!”
Realizing what she’s done, Zyla clamps a hand over her mouth and takes a step back. Narrowing my eyes at her, I grab her arm and pull her closer again. “Spill,” I hiss.
“I can’t,” she insists. “I already said too much.”
I glance at Gabriel who is finally coming through the portal and then back at my daughter. Why is he supposed to protect my aunt? And who sent him? “Is Aunt Barb in danger?” I demand, keeping my voice low.
A smile so broad spreads across Zyla’s face that it forces her hand away. She shakes her head again. “No.”
My eyes wander to Gabriel again, and I try to look past what I’ve already learned about him. Which, now that I think about it, is very little. Aunt Barb always gushes about what a great guy he is every time I talk to her, but she never talks about where he came from. About his history. Pulling a little bit of magic, I send it in Gabriel’s direction, trying to ‘scent’ him for lack of a better term.
This doesn’t go unnoticed. Several heads turn in my direction. Kallen moves a little closer, concern falling over his features. “Everything okay?” he asks.
Xavion’s response is a little different than his father’s. “Zyla,” he growls. “What did you say?”
Ignoring them, I focus on my magic. It swirls around Gabriel and closes in. Other than the slightest of twitches, he doesn’t seem to notice. I’m about to pull my magic back, convinced that he’s not supernatural, when it dawns on me that my magic hasn’t really touched him. Why would I pull back without actually examining him? So, I push my magic forward again. Which seems completely unnecessary, so I pull it back again. What the hell? This isn’t like me to be so wishy washy when I’m suspicious of something.
Slowly, a thought trickles into my brain. Instead of focusing on Gabriel, I focus on the area around him. There! Just inches from his ebony skin, I can feel it. Oh, he’s good. Not good enough, but good. He has some sort of rebuffing spell surrounding him. When my magic gets close it, the spell reacts by sending out signals that are supposed to reassure me that everything is fine. Nothing to see here.
I could insist that my children explain to me who this gu
y who has been stealing my aunt’s heart really is, but I don’t want to put them in that position. They could inadvertently give away too much. No, I need to figure this out on my own.
Next to me, Liza glances at her watch. “Are we going?” she asks. She glances back at the portal and whatever she was going to say next catches in her throat. Her eyes widen and her cheeks become flushed.
My eyes follow hers to see what the problem is. Then my stomach roils a little. I look back at Liza and I find her fanning her face. “Really?” I say in disgust.
Liza manages to get her wits about her enough to mumble, “What?”
