I took a whiff. It smelled sweet, with hints of spice. I held the cup to my lips and sipped, the thick liquid coating my mouth. It was the best thing I’d ever tasted, like drinking a freshly baked sugar cookie. The warmth spread down my chest and through my limbs, all the way down to my fingers and toes, giving me back my feeling. My next sip was a gulp.
“Careful,” warned Thad. “It’s hot. You’ll burn off your tongue.”
“Daria doesn’t feel the way most of us do.” Alex took a seat near me. For a moment I held his hard gaze, and then sat back down on the floor beside Egan.
My anger began to dissolve but I didn’t know if it was from exhaustion or the tonic. I wouldn’t put it past them to give me a mild sedative. But at least my dad was safe. My rider-extraordinaire dad.
“My dad is not an international businessman.”
Cicero chuckled lightly as Sonya answered. “No, darling. He’s technically an ambassador. From this world.”
Ambassador and businessman didn’t seem like they were so different. Unless, of course, you threw in the concept of other worlds. Then Dad’s line of work took on an entirely new meaning. All these years, he’d been monitoring the entrance to Gaia, or the entrance to Earth, depending on how you looked at it. No wonder he never wanted to talk to me about college. It was a minute detail in the grand scheme of things, whatever that grand scheme was.
“If,” I continued, “my dad is an ambassador from this world, then why did we live so far from the entrance?”
“Your real home is where we live,” Cicero said. “The guesthouse is where we should be living. Alaric asked us to live at the main house so he could move you somewhere safer and less obvious, but still relatively close. He was concerned something like this—” he waved his hand towards the window “—might happen.”
So their beautiful house had actually been mine. Maybe that was why I’d always felt at home there.
I wasn’t sure that I’d ever recover from all of this, but for now I would wait. I would wait and follow them to my dad. After that…I didn’t know, but it wouldn’t involve them.
My body was weary, my emotions drained of fuel. What I needed was to lie down and close my eyes. Lose myself to slumber’s purging.
Cicero continued. “Daria, your father is much more powerful than you think. If anyone can handle himself, it’s him. Alaric was always one to seek justice on his own.” He smiled as if remembering something.
Cicero was right about one thing. If my dad saw a problem, he always took it on himself to fix it. I’d always admired that trait about him, but right now I found it incredibly irritating and highly inconvenient.
Sonya walked over to me and laid a hand on my shoulder. “Lake Amadis is protected by ancient powers. We’ll be safe there. Our journey will be through the Arborenne, a forest filled with of all kinds of magic that will shield our path. Your father knows this, which is why he chose that location. I promise we will get you to him safely, and then he can explain everything and hopefully give us some answers as well.”
Waiting was going to be the hardest part. Waiting for things that were beyond my control. I hated when things were beyond my control.
“Why didn’t any of you tell me about this sooner?”
The silence in the room was thick. I could see Sonya’s mind working, trying to figure out the best answer.
“I would be breaking my oath to your father if I told you. But I will say this: he knew your character, your strength and independence. He knew that if he told you about this world, he’d never be able to keep you from it. He needed to ensure your safety before bringing you here. It was hard for him…after losing your mother. He trusted no one after that day. Something inside him snapped. He couldn’t bear it if he lost you, so he tucked you safely away with others he kept employed to monitor you while you were there.”
Cadence. “Our neighbors?” I asked.
Sonya nodded. “And his strategy worked, until now.”
“But why is this world so dangerous for me?”
“That,” Sonya said, “your father must explain. Once it’s safe.”
I always thought it was paranoia that drove Dad to extreme protection, but it wasn’t paranoia at all. It was power from another world. And in his aim to protect me from that evil, he was forced to protect me from the truth.
My gaze flitted to Alex. “How long have you known?”
His eyes didn’t leave mine. “I’ve always known.”
My heart sank. All that time we spent together—he’d always known. I felt like such a fool.
My dad keeping this world from me, I could understand. He was my dad, and was obsessive with my protection. Cicero and Sonya, I might be able to excuse some day, for the same reasons. But Alex? I couldn’t excuse him. We were peers. We were equals. We had been the closest, and his lies hurt the most.
“Daria,” Cicero said, sensing the direction of my thoughts. “Alex was forbidden to tell you—by your own father. He’s been living here—at the Aegis Quarters—for the past three years.”
“Studying abroad.” I muttered to myself, but I knew Alex heard me.
He had been a thirty-minute drive and a one-hour walk from his home in Yosemite. And he never bothered contacting me.
There had to be a limit on the questions that could form in a person’s head. The more I learned, the more questions I had. And I knew it was only the beginning. Maybe I should be writing it all down, in case I needed it when on my own.
But then one small question tugged at the back of my mind.
“Who’s…Stefan?”
“Your father’s assistant,” Sonya answered. “You’ll meet him eventually.”
“I know it is a lot to comprehend,” Cicero said, “and I’m sorry things have happened this way. It was never our intention to keep this from you at the expense of your love and trust. You are handling everything remarkably well, and I—we—are grateful you’ve come with us this far. The rest you’ll learn from Alaric. In exhaustive detail, I’m afraid. Until then—” he stood “—we have a journey to prepare for. Alex? The shed?”
Alex stood, grabbed his cloak, and the two men disappeared. And I hoped against all hope that I’d made the right decision.
Chapter 8
Preparations
As much as I wanted solitude, I wasn’t going to get it. The Del Contes had gone to make travel preparations, but Egan continued pouting at my feet. His desperate eyes stared at that little black bone, longing for someone with an arm—namely me—to throw it, and Thad was still lying across the lounge with his legs dangling over an armrest.
I had the distinct impression he was watching me, even though my attention was fixed on Egan the faithful, rightful guardian of this home, protector of his owner, master of fetch. When I raised my hand to pet him, he crouched lower, tail whipping in the air, eyes fixed on that bone.
“No,” I whispered. “I’m not going to throw it. You’ll break something.”
Egan whimpered and curled around so that I was facing his rear. Typical.
“You’re nicer to the dog,” Thad said.
I glanced up. There was a definite smirk on his face.
“And?” I asked.
Thad shrugged. “Maybe you need another drink.”
“Maybe you should mind your own business.”
He stopped swinging his legs and grinned. “Considering you’re in my house, it is my business.”
“This is your house?” I raised a brow.
“Well…” He folded his arms behind his head and leaned back. “It’s Alex’s, but I live here. He needs me for protection.”
“Alex doesn’t need anyone,” I mumbled.
Thad studied my face with that smirk. “Sore spot, eh?”
I glared at him but he just chuckled. There was a recklessness to those youthful features of his, and I wondered if Thad and Alex actually got along. Alex might have been my fellow conspirator at one time, but he’d never been reckless. That’s also why my dad had always tru
sted him so much.
“How did you two meet?” I asked.
Thad dropped his legs to the floor and sat, taking a swig from his mug. “The Academia.”
“The what?”
He choked on his tonic and his hazel eyes opened so wide I thought they were going to fall out of his head. “You’re joking, right?”
My irritation surged. “I just found out about this world yesterday, remember?”
He didn’t miss the bitterness in my voice. “Right.” He rested his chin in his palm as he studied my face. “It must be difficult.”
“You have no idea,” I snorted.
He studied me a moment. “Makes you wonder what else the secret service isn’t telling you.” He nodded towards the direction the Del Contes had gone.
Uncomfortable, I looked away. It was hard sticking to my plan when I thought about all their secrets, and his words weren’t helping.
Egan sulked over a few feet, and plopped to the ground again with his rear still to me.
“So what is it?” I asked. “This…Academia.”
Thad came out of his trance and ginned. “I don’t think the secret service will care if I tell you about that.” He craned his neck to check down the hall then leaned forward. “It’s a school. But it’s the Gaian version.”
“Gaian version?”
That mischievous grin spread wider. “It’s more like a training ground.”
“For?”
“Fighting.”
I stared at Thad, impatient for him to continue. It sounded too good to be true.
“All Aegis-in-training—like me and Alex—study with Masters in the art of fighting and magic. We train to fight against evils of this world—including abominations like those Pykans.”
That sounded incredible, and insane. I wondered how my ju-jitsu training would hold up in a place like that.
“Which reminds me. I wanted to warn you,” Thad continued. “Watch out for the Black Bard on your journey.”
“Black Bard?”
Thad’s voice turned low as he leaned closer to me. “He’s a powerful sorcerer that lives deep in the mountains. He was banished long ago for doing terrible things—things that would make your blood curdle. No one has ever seen him because no one has lived to tell. Rumor is he travels as a shadow. Keep watch so that he doesn’t sneak up on you.” His gaze was penetrating, his features tight. And then one corner of his mouth turned up. “I’d hate to lose my newest acquaintance.”
“Considering you’re the self-proclaimed master protector, I’m surprised you’re not coming with us.”
He chuckled, leaning back in the lounge. “If it was a journey to worry about, I’d be going.”
I rolled my eyes. “This Academia. Is that where you met Alex?”
“Fine. Ignore my warning at your own risk.” He smiled. “But to answer your question, yes. The Academia isn’t far from here. That’s why Alex let me live with him.”
“Does your family live far away?”
Thad glanced down and studied his hands. “They move a lot.”
The rest of the day was filled with raindrops and dark clouds. The Del Contes made various preparations for our journey, while I stayed in the sitting room with a chessboard and Thad. I’d tried to help prepare. I thought it would be good to see what the Del Contes thought necessary for travel in this world. But after multiple instances of being shooed away from Sonya, I gave up and accepted my fate of losing incessantly to Thad.
I admit, he was a master chess player. But despite my losses, the game kept my mind preoccupied, and Thad’s exuberance and confidence in his strategies kept the mood light. Egan remained our faithful audience; his tail beat at the air every time I moved a piece. He probably thought I was going to throw it.
“Check mate!” Thad leaned back in his chair with a grin.
As many times as he’d won today, I thought he’d be used to it by now. Apparently not.
“I don’t see why you act so surprised,” I said. “You’ve only criticized every move I’ve made since we started.”
Thad smiled at me, and then went back to setting up the pieces. Again. “You learn a lot about a person by their strategy.”
“What about when that person has none?”
Thad grinned. “Having no strategy is still a reflection of character.”
“Oh? So what does that tell you about mine?”
Thad held a pawn over its square. “You’re impetuous and you don’t understand the consequences of your actions. And you don’t have the patience to learn, which prevents you from making good decisions.”
I scowled. “That’s ridiculous. You’re judging me on a game I don’t even like.”
Thad flashed me a knowing smile as he returned to his task of arranging the pieces. “That reveals something else, actually.”
“What, that I don’t like chess?”
His eyes held something sinister in them. “The fact that you’ve spent all afternoon playing a game you don’t like with someone your don’t know tells me you are trying to keep yourself distracted from something else you don’t know how to deal with. Or should I say…someone?”
My jaw dropped as I glared at him. He smiled, shaking his head.
“You little—“
“We should probably get to bed.” Cicero walked into the room. “It’s getting late and we’ve got extensive traveling ahead.”
With all the curtains closed and no sign of a clock anywhere, I hadn’t noticed the day pass. But sure enough, the Del Contes had filled large packs with food and supplies for our journey and the bags were tilted, resting against the wall beside the front door.
Alex walked into the room, his face blank as he eyed Thad and me.
“Hey, Del Can’t.” Thad grinned. “Didn’t you ever teach your old friend here how to play chess?”
Alex walked over and glanced down at the pieces before his eyes lifted to mine. “You hate chess.”
I wanted to punch the satisfied smirk off Thad’s face. “Actually, I had fun.”
Alex raised a doubtful brow.
Thad looked at Alex and place a hand on his shoulder. “I know, I know, it’s not every day a woman chooses me over you. But don’t be too jealous, Del Can’t. I’m pretty sure the only reason she hung around me is because she’s too nervous to be around you.”
Horrified, I glared at Thad. On second thought, maybe I would punch him. “That’s not—“
“Alex.” Sonya poked her head in. “Show Daria to her room, please. And Thaddeus, thank you for allowing us to intrude under such late notice.”
“It is a pleasure, Mrs. Del Conte.” Thad smiled with all innocence.
“See you in the morning.” Sonya smiled, and she and Cicero disappeared, leaving me all alone with the pair of conspirators. I was too humiliated to look at Alex and much too infuriated to look at Thad, so I crouched on the floor and petted Egan.
“I think she’s angry with us.” Thad pretended to whisper.
“I’m not angry.” I scratched Egan’s soft fur between his ears. “I just refuse to talk to someone who makes ridiculous accusations.”
“Hmm, I don’t know about—“
“Thad,” Alex interrupted with a tone so firm I glanced up.
His gaze was fixed on Thad. Something passed between them and the humor in Thad’s features transformed into something more like respect.
Thad looked back at me; only the shadow of a grin remained. “Del Can’t to the rescue. Well, then, thanks for keeping me entertained all afternoon, Rook. Even though you’re a terrible chess player.”
Thad started to walk away. “Egan, come.”
Egan dropped his head and followed Thad out of the room. When I glanced back, Alex was studying me without expression. “Rook?”
“Yeah, well.” I looked away, still embarrassed from Thad’s comment earlier. “According to your friend, it’s the one piece I misunderstood and misused all afternoon.”
I felt a wave of Alex’s amusement. “Thad compar
ed you to your chess strategy.”
“Oh, so he’s done it to you, too?”
“Once.” He stared at Thad’s empty chair and a corner of his mouth turned upwards. “He never asked me to play again after that.”
“I can see why. You’re such a good liar I bet you were a formidable opponent.”
I wasn’t sure why I’d said it. Sure, I was thinking it but I hadn’t exactly planned for it to come out. Which seemed to happen every time I was with Alex.
Alex’s smile disappeared and when he looked back at me, the green in his eyes had turned cold and lifeless. “I’ll take you to your room.”
He led me down a darkened hallway and up a narrow flight of stairs. The floorboards creaked beneath each step and shadows danced on the walls as light from the sconces flickered. I could only see Alex’s silhouette but I knew he was upset. One hand was latched on his front jean pocket and the other raked through his hair—something he always did when he was very, very agitated.
Alex stopped before a door at the end of the hall. He pushed it in and held it open, gesturing for me to go inside. I glanced at him as I walked by but he didn’t meet my gaze.
An enormous bed occupied half of the room. Next to it was a small wooden table with a glowing lantern, the window behind it hidden behind brown curtains. The other wall housed a small dresser and a pair of sturdy wooden bookshelves stuffed with books. The room was simple, uncluttered and tidy, and I was suddenly suspicious.
I glanced back at the door. Alex hadn’t moved. He was leaning against the doorframe with his arms folded over his chest, watching me.
“Is this your room?”
His jaw clenched. “Yes.”
A small feeling of guilt began to creep inside. “That’s really nice of you, but I’m fine sleeping on the couch.”
“You can’t. That’s where I’m sleeping.”
We stared at one another in silence, the muffled rain splattering against the window. I couldn’t sleep here. In his bed. And considering how little he thought of me—and how I kept speaking to him—I was certain he hated the arrangement as much as I did. This was ridiculous. “Really, Alex, I’m just fine—”
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