Page 66 of Their Princess

“Maybe it’s something you learned young and forgot because your parents were trying to hide you?” Trey suggested as he sat up and rubbed his eyes. “It definitely felt like you put me under a spell, a good one, but still. It reminded me of the spells Jolie does sometimes with her siren abilities, it at least had that same feeling.”

My brows rose into my hairline and I quickly got to my feet. “Where’s Talrinir?” I demanded from Jol.

His eyes widened at my concerned tone, and he simply pointed at the castle.

Without waiting for words, I ran into the castle and up the stairs to the office that Talrinir had claimed for herself as the King’s Advisor.

We all knew within a few months she would be the queen, but we let it slide without comment.

“Talrinir!” I yelled as I ran up the steps and turned the corner to her office.

She stood outside of it, a smile on her face as I ran up to her. “Done singing already? I quite enjoyed it.”

“How do I know demonic?” I demanded.

She laughed and set her hand on my shoulder. “Come inside, friend. Let’s have some tea while we chat.”

I followed her into the office, taking in the additional bookshelves that I knew Jol had built specifically for her. There were several new books from the other world, some nonfiction about business and other boring topics, and some fiction ones that caught my eye, specifically romance novels.

“When did you start reading these?” I asked as I picked up the first book, showing her the cover with a shirtless man showing off his abs.

She shrugged. “They have good storylines most times. Though, there are a couple I gave up on partway through. I’ll try them at a later date.”

I returned her shrug. “Some books aren’t for everyone. I remember a really popular series that was going around at my high school and I tried to read it, but hated the main character.”

“Sit and I’ll get the tea,” she said and waved at the couch and coffee table on the far side of the room.

The questions that were still unanswered bottled up in my throat, but I knew Talrinir and she would make me wait until she was ready to talk. So, I sat on the couch and waited while she prepared tea for us.

When she set the tea down, she also set down a few cucumber sandwiches and I quickly stuffed two in my mouth. My eyes widened, and she laughed.

“I could hear your stomach grumbling from the door when you ran up here,” she told me. “I’m surprised you didn’t notice it.”

“My surprise at knowing a language I wasn’t taught trumped my hunger, apparently,” I said around the food, hiding my mouth behind my hand.

“About that,” she said and took a sip of her tea before continuing. “Your parents taught you when you were little. I’m surprised you remember it, but I have heard you use some demonic words before. I thought you’d picked them up while you’d been stuck here, but it makes sense that a language you were taught when you were little would stay with you. Especially as a royal. Also, there are strange magical connections that we have as demons and many kids barely have to be taught the language, to later just intuitively knowing it.” She shrugged. “I don’t really have a proper explanation except …” She made wiggling motions with her fingers, smiled wide, and said in a silly, wobbly voice, “… magic.”

“Really? Magic? That’s it?” I gaped at her.

Sipping more tea, she nodded. “Sorry, friend, that’s all I have. We don’t teach the kids in our villages demonic and yet they’ll use it sometimes. I think, perhaps, we were taught it and the Grand Advisor used his spells to teach us your language instead, but …” She shrugged. “That doesn’t always add up completely. Honestly, why worry about it? It’s not like it’s a bad thing for you to know the language.”

“Why did my singing feel like a spell to them? I’m not part siren, Dad would have known if I were.”

She smiled and set her cup down. “Oh, that one is easy! As a royal, you have the ability to change our people’s emotions with your voice. It was an ability only blood royals were able to use. Jol can’t use it, sadly, but you clearly can. I almost fell asleep while you were singing, so I had to close my window.”

“So, it’s like a siren’s ability to alter emotions,” I whispered to myself as I picked up another sandwich.

“I’m not familiar with your sirens, but yes.”

“I feel like I’m always learning new things about myself, finding new abilities.”

“You mean like your ability to summon specific demons and open a portal for them?” she guessed.

“Exactly,” I nodded.

“Well, with some of your abilities gone, it makes sense that you would uncover other abilities. Your unconscious self needs to find ways to protect yourself.”

“Isn’t that what we are for?” Mason asked from the window.

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