Page 42 of Their World

“Okay,” I agreed, walked to Mom, and placed my pointer finger on each of her temples. Closing my eyes, I brought up the memory in my mind of the bedroom I had stayed in at Jol’s castle. I pictured everything as vividly as I could recall, including the smells.

She gasped and stepped back, eyes wide. “That’s amazing, Lily.”

“It’s just a memory share,” I said and shrugged nonchalantly. “In most circumstances, this won’t help anyone.”

Mom set her hand on my shoulder, frowned, and said, “Don’t discount your powers, Lily. If this does work, this will be a huge magical improvement.” Stepping back, she held out her finger, and opened a portal on the living room wall beside us. It opened and displayed the room, but the room was trashed, the bedding torn to shreds, and furniture destroyed.

My hands went to my mouth and tears filled my eyes. Had Jol done this because he thought I’d lied and abandoned him?

I approached the portal, but before I could step through, Mom closed it.

Mouth open to protest, I turned to say something, but Dad and Grandpa Nico stepped forward and whispered something beneath their breath. Black chains shot up out of the ground and wrapped around me.

“Dad!” I screamed in shock and struggled against the chains.

“I’m sorry, Lily, but I cannot let you go back. I cannot risk you,” Dad whispered.

“Don’t do this!” I shouted. “Don’t do this to me!” Looking at Mason, Trey, and Kayden, I begged, “Please! Please!”

They stared at us all with wide eyes.

Mason and Kayden took a step forward, but Trey grabbed each of their shoulders. “I’m sorry, Lily, but we cannot defy your king’s order.”

Mom grabbed a bag from beside the table and hefted it over her shoulder. “When you’re a parent, you’ll understand.”

“Mom, please. He doesn’t know you! He’s going to fight you! Let me go with you. He’ll listen to me. I know he will.”

“No, youthinkhe will,” Dad said and shook his head. He rested his hand on my cheek and said, “I know it hurts, but we are doing this to protect you.”

Tears streamed down my face. “You’re doing this to appease your need to protect me, your alpha instincts. If you’d use your humanity, you’d let me go.”

“I almost lost you twice, I’m not going to let it happen a third time,” he said and followed Mom.

“Grandpa, please let me go. Please! Why won’t you listen to reason?” I screamed.

“We’ll let him know you’re being held by us against your will,” Mom said, tears in her eyes.

“What happens when they don’t come back?” I asked.

“Then I’ll go,” Grandpa Nico said. He tilted his head towards the open portal. “I’ve now seen the place so I can teleport.”

They could go without me now. I was once again useless.

“I’m not going to stop,” I said and bared my teeth at him. “I’m going to find my own way there. None of you can stop me.” I looked at each of my family members and the trio, meeting all of their eyes. “All you’ve done is ensure I never trust you again.”

Grandpa Nico sighed. “I figured you’d say something like that.” He pressed his fingers to my head and my eyelids grew heavy. “I’m sorry, my granddaughter, but we protect our family.”

“I’m not your family,” I bit out just before the sleep spell fully took hold.

My entire bodyached as I woke. Sitting up, I pressed a hand to my head. What day was it? How long had I been asleep?

“Lily,” Mason whispered.

Turning, I realized that I was locked in one of the cells in our basement. Not only had they prevented me from going and knocked me out, they’d locked me in a magical prison.

Mason crouched outside of the cell door, his body curled in on itself.

“What do you want?” I hissed and turned back around to face the wall.

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