Page 48 of Their World

The shower felt amazing and as I leaned my forehead against the cold tile, I thought over everything that had happened the past two weeks. So much had happened. So much had changed in such a short time.

Cleaned and refreshed, I dressed and grabbed the communication stone. Holding it tightly in my hand, I pictured Jol’s face and asked, “Can you hear me?”

“Little Queen,” Jol responded.

Sighing in relief, I flopped backwards onto my bed, still holding the stone. “At least this works.”

“You made it safe?”

“Yes. I saw the Grand Advisor heading to you.”

“Yes, he was trying to convince me to kill your queen, but I convinced him we need her for the battle.”

“Please make sure you contact me if anything happens or you need me, okay?” Knowing they were there, and it was difficult for me to get there on my own worried me. If the Grand Advisor figured out that Jol had learned his secret, he could try to brainwash him again.

“I will do my best to be safe,” he promised. “I have to go speak to my council.”

“Bye, Jol.”

“Bye, Little Queen.”

I let the stone fall out of my hand, but then realized I could use it to communicate with Mom and Dad.

Picking it back up, I pictured Mom. “Mom, it’s Lily. I just want you to know I’m back home and safe.”

“Lily? How are you talking to me telepathically?”

“A communication stone Jol gave me.”

“I’m sorry we locked you up. It wasn’t my idea. I was very much against it.”

“Time doesn’t move consistently,” I said, ignoring the statement. “I’m going to reach out to you guys every now and then to check in.”

“Check in with your father. He and the pup are running around.”

“Okay.”

“I love you, Lily.”

“Love you, too, Mama.”

Picturing Caleb next, I whispered, “Dad? Can you hear me?”

“Lily?”

“I’m using a communication stone. I escaped and went to Jol, but he filled me in on your plan and I’m back home now.”

“Of course you escaped and came here,” he said.

“Have you found anything?”

“Yes, there is an entire section of their world that isn’t destroyed. It’s a beautiful oasis with thriving plant and animal life. The Grand Advisor put wards around it, so I didn’t go in, and that’s likely why their people don’t know about it, but it exists.”

“I knew there had to be something,” I whispered.

“Tell my mom and Aunt Leona that we need them to defeat this guy. He’s one hundred percent a hybrid of siren and mage. The scale with which he can use spells is astronomical. I don’t think your mother and I can defeat him alone. I think he’s using mana stones with stored magical energy to help boost his powers and spread the hallucination across the world.”

I gasped. “That makes sense! There are mana stones all over the city and in the castle. “What’s the plan?”

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