Sighing, Lupin stepped over to the bed and sat on the edge of it. “I’ve helped many lost souls over the years. You’re the first one who’s complained this much.”
“Look, I don’t mean to seem ungrateful or whatever, but this isa lotto process. You can’t just drop me into an unknown, magical land, say I’m going to be swimming in dick, and then expect me to accept it with no questions or concerns.”
“Swimming in dick. Interesting choice of words.”
“I’m being serious.”
“As am I,” he said. “Well, mostly. The talk of your harem was mainly to tease you, though you can really have one if you so desire.”
“This is ridiculous. I just want a simple life.”
“You had a simple life. And you were unhappy with it.”
“I wasn’t unhappy! I was just…” Bored. Unhappy. Borderline depressed. Never feeling like I belonged. My throat clogged up. “Look, it doesn’t matter. This has been awesome, but I think you chose the wrong person.”
“I didn’t choose you. The Emporium did.”
“You make it sound like your shop has a mind of its own.” I tugged a hand through my hair. What was this, Lupin’s Moving Emporium?
He released a breath. “If you truly want to leave, I can help you.”
“You can? Really?” I perked up. “What about not having enough magical energy?”
Lupin stood from the bed and walked back over to the window, keeping his back to me. “I should be able to perform the spell on the summer equinox. The moon’s energy will boost my mana.”
“The summer equinox. That’s like a month away,” I said, excited by the thought of returning to my own world, away from all this weirdness. Back to my books and games and coffee. Back to electricity and the ability to binge-watch Netflix. “Are you saying I can really go home?”
He glanced back at me, his expression clouded. “If that’s what you wish.”
“It is!”
“What about the people you’ve formed attachments to already? Maddox. Briar. Callum. And the demi-human male, Kuya.”
My excitement deflated.
“Not so simple now, is it?”
“No,” I said, sinking more into the mattress. “I guess it’s not.”
“There’s one more thing you should know.” Lupin stared out into the night. “If I send you back, you can never return to this place.”
“Never?”
That’s when I thought of Maddox. He was brash and icy, but I somehow felt warm when around him. Briar appeared in my head, too, with his gentle smiles and soft kisses. In my time in that world, I’d also made friends. Callum with his silly cinnamon roll grin and shoe-thieving tendencies. Kuya and his habit of referring to himself in the third person—his wiggling ears, snaggletooth, and playfulness. Even Thane, who I didn’t know well but who was hardworking and friendly.
I wanted to learn more about all of them. Wanted more time.
“What if I decide to stay past the summer equinox but want to go home someday in the future? Is that an option?”
Lupin shook his head. “The longer you are in this world, the harder it will be to send you back. You must make a choice: stay and allow this land to become your permanent home or leave and never return. You have until the conclusion of the Festival of Lights to make your decision.”
“The Festival of Lights?” Wait. Didn’t Callum mention something about that?
“It’s a festival held every year to welcome summer,” Lupin explained. “That’s when I’ll return for your answer. I suggest you think carefully.”
He vanished in the blink of an eye, as if being absorbed by the shadows on the floor.
I plopped to my back and tucked my arms behind my head, staring up at the ceiling as I mulled over what I’d learned. Just one month, and I could leave it all behind. I could return to my own world. But did I want to?
