Page 53 of Kingdom of Chaos
Ensley and I exchange a look. She shrugs, and so I nod. They already know our world exists, so why hide it?
Violet squeals, startling me. “I knew it! They always said the gates were sealed, but there had to be a reason we kept patrolling them. I can’t believe this is actually happening. What kind of creature are you?” she asks me directly.
“Well, actually?—”
“Violet,” Noah snaps, a scowl pulling down his features. “We don’t even know if this is true. They could be messing with us. What if?—?”
“Didn’t you feel the temperature drop? Have you looked at his ears?” she says, pointing to Titus, and Noah smashes his lips together. “We both saw the flash of light, that’s what brought us over here,” Violet goes on. “What more proof do you want?”
“Oh, I’m happy to give you some proof,” Imogen says, stepping forward with a wicked smile. It’s the first thing she’s said, and honestly, I’m shocked she’s stayed quiet this long.
“Imogen,” Talon warns, shooting his cousin a look that says “behave.”
“What?” she says, smirking impishly. “With a little push of my magic I can make him cluck like a chicken while jumping on one foot. It’s been a long day. I could use the laugh.”
“Don’t,” is all he says.
Imogen rolls her eyes and mumbles that he’s no fun.
Light flares next to me, and when I look over a buttery soft ball of faelight hovers over Ensley’s palms. She holds her hands in front of her for Violet and Noah to see.
“How’s this for proof?” she asks.
Noah’s mouth drops open, but then he snaps it shut again. His gaze moves from the ball of faelight up to Ensley’s face. His eyes go wide with awe, or fear. I can’t exactly tell which.
“How is this possible?” he asks.
Ensley extinguishes her faelight and shrugs.
Talon crosses his arms. “We’ll answer your questions if you tell us how you know about the gates and our world.”
Violet straightens, her voice steady. “We’re part of a group called the Silent Order. We’re not a huge group, but we are widespread. Most of us were born into it. We have units all over the world, keeping an eye on the gates. We’re the only humans on Earth who know the truth, that there’s another world out there and that the supernatural exists, and we’ve done what we can to keep it that way.”
“A secret society,” I say thoughtfully, looking up at Talon, who glances back at me with an arched brow.
I’m sure he’s thinking the same thing I am. A secret group who protects the gates and the world from knowing aboutcreatures and our world. Sounds an awful lot like the Arcane Society to me.
“For two thousand years, members of the Order have been watching and waiting for this day,” Violet says, her voice filled with awe.
“You mean dreading it,” Noah cuts in with a frown.
“Dreading?” I ask, my gaze bouncing between the two of them as I try to pick up any silent communication passing between them.
“Just a prophecy warning the worlds will be destroyed if they ever mix,” Noah says, shooting us a pointed look.
Another prophecy. Maybe it ties into the one Talon mentioned, but I don’t bring it up. Talon and Imogen stay silent, faces unreadable. I file it away to ask later.
“The prophecy is vague, at best,” Violet says. “But the general warning is clear, that our worlds should remain separate.”
“Agreed,” Talon says with a nod.
“If you agree, then what are you doing here?” Noah asks with a frown.
“We had to come,” Ensley says. “My brother is trapped here. We need to find him and then we can all go home. Can you help?”
“Your brother is here?” Violet asks with a scrunched brow. “How? We have surveillance on all eight gates. None of the units have reported any activity.”
“He didn’t come through a gate,” I say, and I feel Talon stiffen next to me.
