Page 64 of Their World

I focused on Ezio and narrowed my eyes. “There’s another reason you’re all here. I can smell it.”

Ezio smiled. “You’ve always been a bright girl, which is what my slow-witted son needs.” He winked.

“I’m not slow-witted,” Kayden defended himself before realizing Ezio was teasing him.

“We’ve also joined you to discuss you having guards,” Grandpa Rhys, ever the serious one, said. “You and Trey are royals and the demons have a keen interest in you. With this upcoming war, we’re worried that they might try to kidnap one of you to use as a bargaining tool.”

“A tool to be used to make Mom or Dad do something terrible,” I said with a hard swallow. Almost immediately, Trey and Mason set their hands on me, comforting me with theirtouch. Kayden reached over Mason to rest his hand on my shoulder for a moment as well. It was still odd to feel their emotions through the bonds and know they could feel mine, but it was also really nice not to be alone in my feelings.

Grandpa Deryn’s eyes widened. “A vision? You had a vision?”

Looking down at my hands in my lap, I nodded.

“Why didn’t you tell us?” Mason asked.

“Is that why you were startled when we woke up?” Kayden asked.

“Tell us your vision,” Grandpa Nico said softly.

“Was it Nana who had the vision that brought you to us?” I asked instead of answering.

“Yes, it was,” Nana Jolie said as she entered and flicked Grandpa Nico’s ear. “She would have told you if her mates hadn’t come to meet you secretly, too.” Leaning over, she hugged me and kissed my cheek. “Congratulations on your mating. We’ll throw a party once we finish this demon business. Now, someone –”

Before she could finish her sentence, Grandpa Rhys stood and offered her his chair, then he went to grab another one from a nearby table.

She kissed his cheek as she sat in his vacated chair, folded her hands in her lap, and looked at me, her expression turning serious. “Last night, I had a vision. I saw Mason, Trey, and Kayden defeated by demons. A demon male gave you a choice, a choice between becoming his queen and ruling over the demons or losing your mates and our world.”

My eyes widened. “That … that is not the same vision I had.”

Her eyes widened in response and her mouth dropped open.

A mixture of fear and worry filtered through my three mate bonds.

The waiter chose that moment to walk up and ask for our orders.

Trey and Grandpa Foxfire ordered for us while I stared at Nana, wondering how our visions could be different.

Once he was gone, she nodded at me.

“Hundreds of demons flooded through portals, focused on killing my mates. I faced off against Jol, their king, trying to convince him I wasn’t his enemy, to fight the spell that he was under. The Grand Advisor defeated you and your mates and gave Mom and Dad the choice, give up our world or Jol would kill me and my mates.”

“Has this ever happened before?” Kayden asked. “That two people have had two such different visions?”

We both shook our heads.

“Does that mean both might come to pass?” Grandpa Deryn asked.

“Or that both are versions you will each see from the Advisor’s powers?” Grandpa Foxfire asked.

Nana Jolie and I stared at him. That was a very good possibility and one I hadn’t thought of.

What if he was that powerful? Could he make my parents, Jol, and I do various things based on what version he was showing us?

“I don’t know anyone that powerful,” Nana said and shuddered. “I hope he’s not that powerful.”

“Have you looked into the curse more?” I asked.

She waved her hand. “Let’s stop discussing this. We brought you here to celebrate and to convince you to let us assign some guards to you. We don’t need to discuss other matters right now.”

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