Page 37 of Their World

Tears sprang to my eyes and dripped down my cheeks before I could stop them.

Nana Jolie and Great Aunt Leona rushed out of their chairs and around the table to take me from Grandpa Nico and hug me.

“It’s alright,” Great Aunt Leona crooned, her powers easing some of my anxiety. “We love you, silly Lily. You could be a hellhound and we’d still love you.”

“That hellhound friend of yours was pretty adorable,” Nana Jolie said as she stroked a hand down my hair.

Once back in their seats, I said, “Now you understand. I am more than a hybrid of our world; I’m part demon and they are my people as well. I can do this. Let me do this. Imustdo this.”

Dad stood so quickly that his chair flew backwards and shattered against the wall behind him. He turned and stomped out of the house.

Great Grandpa Dan stood slowly and said, “I’ll go speak to him.”

“I’ll come, too,” Grandpa Foxfire said and followed.

“You’re … part demon?” Trey asked.

I nodded, afraid to look at them.

“So that darkness, that smoky power wasn’t from the spell that hit you?” Nana Jolie asked.

“No, it seems that spell just unlocked my demonic powers. Powers that come from their third monarch, the one whowrote the prophecy about me, my biological grandmother,” I explained.

After filling them all in on the additional information, it was incredibly quiet.

Mason, Kayden, and Trey left the house together, making my chest ache.

“Let’s get back to our list,” Great Nana Kara said. “We decided on the first few plants to see if they can survive. My concern is water. Did they have a water source?”

“I didn’t see any, but I didn’t get to travel very far. They claim their water sources weren’t ruined, but that they are underground and they have to haul it up.” Turning to Great Aunt Leona I asked, “Is it possible for a siren to cause a mass hallucination that lasts for years and effects those who newly enter the world?”

“A spell of that magnitude seems impossible,” she whispered. “I can’t see how they could do it to brand new people who haven’t met them yet and have it spread all across the entire world. To be that powerful would be unheard of.”

Mason, Trey, and Kayden returned, standing by the wall instead of sitting near me again. Was this their answer? Were they going to stop courting me now?

“What if the world really is burnt,” Mason whispered.

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“Think about the more logical explanation for this,” he said and started pacing across the room. “If he planted a false memory into their minds, of the war and plague, but then he burned everything to line up with that story, he wouldn’t need to alter any newcomer’s minds.”

“Why not make himself king then?” I asked. “Wouldn’t it be more likely that he’d use those powers to become the ruler?”

“Being a ruler isn’t always fun. Being the advisor who tells the king what to do is a far better position,” Nana Jolie said.

Shit, that did seem more logical.

Rubbing my temples, I asked, “So, he implanted false memories, including putting himself as Grand Advisor, destroyed the world, all for what end game?”

Grandpa Nico said, “To take over our world. Once the demons wreak havoc here and take over, he will be one of the most powerful beings with no one to tell him what to do. Even if the demons get wiped out, he’s still safe and can rule in that world or come here and assume a new identity.”

“If he is this powerful, then he could take any form he wanted,” Great Aunt Leona said and stared into my eyes. “He could assume the king’s form to deceive you.”

“How does the necklace play into it?” Mason asked.

“I’ve been thinking about that,” Grandpa Nico said. “If he used the gem as a window of sorts, a looking stone, he could see what you’re seeing, which means when you were looking for a portal, he could have opened that one in front of you when you were fleeing.”

“Portals can only be opened to places you’ve been before,” Mom said and looked at Grandpa Nico for confirmation. He nodded. “That means, the Grand Advisor has to be from our world.”

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