Page 55 of Kingdom of Chaos
Following Violet and Noah, we ascend the front steps to the porch, the wood groaning beneath our feet with every step. The house may be large, but up close it’s clear it’s in need ofupkeep. The teal siding is cracked and peeling. The wood on the stair handrail is rotted in places. Many of the white shutters sit askew on the side of the house, and the screen that encases the wraparound porch has multiple holes.
Violet reaches for the front door just as it swings open in front of her. Standing in the entranceway is a brown-haired middle-aged male wearing a short-sleeved button-up shirt and cargo shorts. His gaze darts past Violet and Noah and skims over our group. I don’t miss the hint of calculation in his eyes before the hard lines of his face smooth over and he smiles.
“Come on in,” he says in a friendly tone, and then steps back to grant us entrance.
His smile slips a little and he gives Violet and Noah a meaningful look as they pass, but then it ratchets back up as our small group filters single-file through the doorway into an open living space.
The inside of the stilt house is rustic and a bit rundown, like the exterior. The walls are mostly white-washed shiplap. There’s a smattering of furniture in the large room to the left of the entrance: a couple of couches that have seen better days, an overstuffed armchair, two end tables and a coffee table. The kitchen is open concept at the back of the room, with a round eat-in table that would fit at least eight places, maybe more. But the house’s interior isn’t of as much interest to me as the human who greeted us.
When I glance back at the male, he’s studying our group again, and the intensity of his gaze puts me on edge. Instinctively, I tense and shift my stance, ready to run or fight if I have to.
“Tobias,” Violet says almost tentatively. “This is the group I messaged you about. The ones we found near the gate.”
Tobias shakes his head. “Right, right,” he says, and then motions that we should all move into the room off the foyer and take a seat.
Ensley sits next to me on the long couch, Titus next to her. Imogen and Talon stubbornly refuse to sit, and I notice that Talon hasn’t turned his back on Tobias since we entered. His gaze is shrewd as he takes everything in, and I can’t decide if he’s being overly cautious, or just smart. I also don’t miss the small nod he gives Imogen, directing her to stand on the other side of the room. The way they’ve positioned themselves, no one could sneak up on our group. Between the two of them, they’re covering every window and door.
Violet plops down in the overstuffed chair with Noah on a small couch across from Ensley, Titus, and me. Tobias remains standing, just like Imogen and Talon.
“I’m sorry, I don’t mean to stare,” Tobias says. “It’s just I don’t think I ever actually thought I’d see the day.” He lets out a self-deprecating laugh. “You can be trained your whole life for a moment, but I suppose until it arrives, you’ll never really know how you’re going to react. I’m Tobias, the head of the Southern United States branch of the Silent Order.”
United States? Never heard of it. Just like I hadn’t heard of Florida either. In the creature world, our country is called the Unified Colonies of Eldora. UC for short. A couple hundred years back it used to be split into smaller provinces and kingdoms that came together to form one nation. We don’t recognize the old boundaries anymore, but the swamplands are part of what used to be Suska.
“Welcome to our home and unit headquarters,” Tobias says with a tight smile. “What can we do to help you?”
I glance at Talon, but he keeps his lips shut, seemingly content to let someone else be the mouthpiece for the group.
“We’re looking for our friend,” I say, and then explain about Becks like we did to Violet and Noah.
Tobias’ brow pinches as he listens. “New York is a ways away. And there’s no guarantee he’s still there,” he says when I finish.
“We know,” I say. “But it’s a place to start.”
He nods. “I agree. And your plan is to return to your world after you’ve found your friend?”
“Yes. The only reason we’re here in the first place is to find him. After that, we just want to go home.”
But that isn’t truly where you belong, is it?a voice whispers in my head, but I shove it down. I may not be a creature, but that world is still my home and I plan to return to it when this is all said and done.
I might be imagining it, but he seems to relax a little at that. I can’t really blame him. Creatures have powers, humans don’t. I know that better than anyone. It’s only natural he’d see us as a threat.
Tobias rubs at his mouth as he digests everything. “Okay. So you need to get up to New York,” he says, almost as if talking to himself.
“Can you help us?” I ask.
Our eyes lock, and despite having no real reason to doubt him, unease prickles at the back of my mind. Still, what other option do we have?
“Of course,” he says easily. “It’s getting late. Let’s get everyone fed. We have enough room that you all can stay here if you don’t mind sleeping on couches and blow-up mattresses.”
When I glance over at Talon, he’s looking back at me, his expression unreadable. I don’t know what he’s thinking, but mine says,What other choice do we have?After a beat, he lets out a small sigh and gives a nod. That’s all the confirmation I need, and I accept on behalf of all of us.
“You must be hungry. Let’s see what we can cook up for you,” Tobias says with a smile. He then gestures for Noah to follow him into the kitchen.
I get to my feet, far too antsy to stay seated. To keep my mind occupied, I wander around the room, letting my gaze trail over various objects until it lands on a globe in the corner. Curious, I walk over to inspect it, surprised to see that the land masses look identical to our own, even though the names of the countries and some of the boundaries are a little different.
I sense someone come up behind me and glance over my shoulder to find Violet standing behind me looking uncertain.
“Our world is the same,” I say, running my fingers over the curved surface.
