Concealed, p.9
Concealed, page 9
The woman turned and spoke to the one next to her. It was the same one that had given her the necklace. “Her phone is on my desk, Crystal.”
Crystal nodded and got up.
“You’re safe here.” One of the others said.
Nova turned to look at her, she’d never seen her before. She had long blond hair and eyes that were bright green. She was sure she’d never seen another with eyes that color before.
“I saw you coming.” She smiled, “it’s good that you did. I’m Espy.”
The younger woman with short black hair sitting next to her smiled and then picked up her plate and quickly left the room.
“You’ll have to excuse Sym, she can’t be around others for long.” The woman at the head of the table said. Nova looked at her for a moment. The way she sat, and the others paused to listen, she was sure she was the leader of this group.
“I understand.”
She smiled at her, “Yes, I guess you would. I’m Capri.”
A black cat with half an ear missing jumped up on the cabinet beside Nova and hissed at her.
“Moxy, enough.” A tall woman with messy auburn hair got up. “I’m sorry.” She came over and looked at the cat. “Play nice.” Her tone was soft, almost soothing. The cat immediately sat down and started purring.
Nova wasn’t used to animals at all. The only pets she’d ever had were the fish that kept her company.
“Fauna, I don’t think Nova is a cat person.” Ava’s tone was cold.
“No,” Nova looked at Fauna and shook her head, “it’s not that, I’ve never been around animals before.”
Picking up the cat, Fauna held it and rubbed its head. “That’s too bad.” With a smile, she went over and picked up her plate, and walked out of the room.
“If you ever need a place to lay low, you’re always welcome here,” Capri said, without so much as looking at the others for their thoughts. A few surprised glances from the other women told Nova the invitation was rare, if it had ever happened before.
“Thank you.” She couldn’t very well say she lived underground and was perfectly safe.
Crystal came back into the room with a small box in her hand. “We charged it and added a few numbers of ours.” She held it out to me. “The instructions are inside too.”
Taking it, Nova smiled, “thank you.”
The woman with the long red hair stood up, “I’m Jeri, my number is in there. If you ever need to talk,” she smiled, “about how taxing it is to always remember, call me.”
Nova offered a polite smile in return. “Thank you.” She didn’t miss the fact that Jeri had a necklace with a stone the same as her own.
“I can feel the tense vibes coming off you in waves.” The woman with curly black hair smiled, “you have nothing to fear here.”
“Em,” Capri looked at her, “this is very new for her.”
“I get that,” Em shrugged, “just trying to reassure her.”
“Thanks,” Nova said quietly. She cleared her throat, “I’ll-I’ll let you get back to your meal.”
Capri smiled and nodded.
“Autumn said you were in danger,” Ava set her cup down, “if you ever need help, you call me.” She looked at the phone box, “my number is in the phone.”
“Okay.” Nova smiled, feeling a little uncomfortable.
“There’s also an app on it to remotely link you to all the cameras you have in the neighborhood.” One of the women smirked at her.
Nova’s breath caught in her throat.
“Sparx.” Jeri hissed.
“What? No one else knows they’re there.” Sparx shrugged.
Capri stood up, “I’ll see you out.”
Nova smiled awkwardly and turned to go back the way she’d come.
Capri followed and didn’t say anything until they were in the garage. “I could tell you didn’t expect so many of us. There are fourteen of us now. Two, you’ll never see, it’s just safer for all if they stay in their rooms.” She stopped on the top step and didn’t follow her down, “be careful with Bastian, Nova. He doesn’t have ill intentions toward you but being as he’s a soul watcher and yours is so special,” she gave her a compassionate look, “just have care.”
Nova nodded again, for what, the twentieth time in the last five minutes. She didn’t even know she was going to ask it until it came out of her mouth. “What is Solrelm?”
Capri’s eyes held amusement, “it’s not a what, dear, it’s a where.”
Nova frowned. “How is that possible?” She hadn’t found it anywhere. “I did a search for it.”
Capri looked at her for a moment, “it’s nowhere an internet search would find it. The internet only does this world, not others.” She turned and opened the door, “call if you need us,” she glanced over her shoulder at her, “you’re not Gemini in this life, but you have been a few times before.”
Nova stood there staring at the door she’d just closed. Jolting, she rushed from the garage and jogged in the direction of her home. How did she know that? She’d been a Gemini in other lives? Soul watcher. She’d read that in a journal, or something close to that. Bastian was a soul watcher, what exactly that mean, she wasn’t sure, but it was a starting point.
She was already going down the ladder to her home when what Capri had told her sunk in fully. Solrelm was a place, not in this world. What world was it in then? There were other worlds? Like an alien from outer space worlds? Locking the hatch, she stood there. She’d watched a lot of movies in her life and Bastian and his friends did not look like any alien she’d seen on the screen.
Had the journal said, watcher or soul watcher? There were many excerpts in them that said that, was that the same? She was going to have to read the journals again, and then she was going to call Crissy and see if she could fill in the blanks. Someone needed to fill some blanks in, because things just kept getting crazier and stranger the more she found out. The thought that she may finally have answers to at least some of her questions energized her. She’d read those journals one hundred more times if it meant pieces were finally going to fit together.
Chapter Sixteen
“Tell me again why I’m the one going to get him? Maybe you missed it, but I don’t do royal ordering very well.” Bastian looked at the phone.
“A few reasons,” Trendan’s tone was filled with amusement. “First, it’s safer for all of us if you’re not the one dealing with the FaTerra princess.”
Bastian glared at it again, “I’m not an idiot. I do know how to refrain from upsetting magical people.”
His brother snorted, “history says otherwise.”
Bastian smirked, “it was one time, and I had no idea they could do that.”
“I’m not taking chances and explaining to mother why you have no voice again, even though it would be much quieter that way.”
Rolling his eyes, Bastian glanced over at Tor in the driver’s seat. He was smirking. “And the other reason?”
“No one can talk around questions with your flare, brother.”
Grinning, Bastian looked into the darkness. “This is true.” He was sure the real reasons had nothing to do with what Trendan was saying. He, as well as their two guards, had spent the last few days sending him on one errand or another to keep tabs on him—and he knew all of it was to keep him from going to the human’s realm and looking for Nova again.
He knew she’d picked the phone up a few days ago. He knew this because he’d gone over to the human realm and right up to the door of where the Geminis lived and asked. In hindsight, he was very thankful that Capri had not answered the door. A person’s hair should not be alive the way hers was and he would have stared at it and likely angered her. Jeri had answered the door and told him before he could ask, that Nova had the phone and he’d be hearing from her soon.
Soon? What did that actually mean? A couple of days meant two, a week was seven, so what did soon mean? It could be anywhere from five minutes to five years, depending on the content. He should have asked for specifics.
“When you’re done with this, you should go check on Liri.” Bastian forgot he was still on the phone with Trendan. “She has to come back, Bast, she can’t miss the banquets, or everyone will be asking questions.”
Lifting his brows, he looked at Tor and then back to the phone, “and you think she’ll listen to me?”
“Yes.”
“We’ll be there in a minute,” Tor informed them.
Liri did need to get back, for obvious reasons, but also because he didn’t want to play twenty questions with Auntie Bella. It was going to be bad enough when the king and queen didn’t show up to the days long parade of banquets. Popping over to Alterealm wouldn’t be all bad, he could find out if the little seer and Liri had found more of the children left in the human realm with Solrelm DNA. More children meant mothers and possibly fathers with memories that could help them. At the very least the mothers could tell them the dad’s name, so they could start connecting the dots. Right now, those dots were invisible. What exactly they planned to do when they were found, he had no idea. How would Crissy even go about looking for them? That was something he’d never thought to ask. He also wanted to follow up on the two lawless prisoners they’d sent over, to see if more information had been shared or discovered.
“Are we getting out?”
Bastian looked around; they were parked in front of the main building in the compound.
“Yes. Let’s go get dad.” He grinned and opened the door.
“Call me when you’re en route, the faster we get him out of sight, the better.”
“Will do.”
Tor grabbed the phone from the holder and held it out to Bastian. He gave him a brief look and then opened the door. “Mayhem or by royal order?”
Bastian grinned, if it were possible to love a man, he definitely did love Tor. “Mayhem of course. Huge urgency, panic, and chaos with no time for questions.” He got out and looked across as Tor took a deep breath, blew it back out, and then nodded.
“Of course.”
He was smiling when he got out. The door closed before Bastian could say anything else.
Bastian had to turn away so he wouldn’t grin and ruin the panicked look on the guard’s face. “Hurry. We can’t have an empty table in the pearl room.” He didn’t turn back until he heard the echo of fast footsteps down the hall.
“Only you could make it sound like life or death for needing a chef.”
Bastian smirked, “I wasn’t sure I could pull it off.”
“He’s making enough noise that someone in charge is going to hear?”
They both turned when the echo in the hall told them the guard was coming back. The guard tripped around the corner into the corridor. “Clothes?” He said quickly, “will he need to pack?”
Keeping his expression as serious as possible, Bastian gave him a blank look, “I don’t think a naked chef would go over well, do you?”
He nodded and spun back around without comment.
Before he disappeared around the corner, another door opened and a rotund man with thick glasses and messy black hair came out and stood there watching the guard leave. Looking back, he spotted them standing at the desk and started toward them.
“Research.,” Tor whispered before he stiffened his spine and looked more the part of a guard.
“What is the meaning of this?” The man shoved his glasses up the bridge of his nose.
Tor cleared his throat. “My Prince is borrowing one of your chefs for the banquets.”
Bastian realized a long time ago if it weren’t for Tor being his accomplice in many schemes he likely would have landed in some sort of irreversible punishment.
“Prince,” the man bowed his head. “I’m sorry. I didn’t recognize you right away.”
“It’s of no consequence.” Bastian opted to use his eldest brother’s stiff demeanor instead of balking at the fact that he was very recognizable in this and a few other realms. “How is the research progress? The barren area, have you found the cause?” Mister he-didn’t-care-what-his-name-was sobered.
“We have been unable to…”
“Magic.” Bastian sighed like he was bored.
“I’m sorry?”
Bastian walked around to the other side of the desk and lifted up a piece of paper and held it like he was reading it. “Check for magic.” He glanced at the man over the paper to see a confused look on his face. Huffing out a breath, he set the paper down.
“I don’t—we don’t—”
“Then find someone that does.” Bastian used a clipped tone with him. “I can’t explain why, but you need to check for traces of magic.”
“Yes. Yes of course.” He bowed his head.
Bastian knew the thought of magic to any scientist grated on their nerves, but with Arwan, he knew anything was possible. “Go hurry your guard. I have other things to be doing right now.” The man started nodding his head in such a jerking motion that Bastian expected the glasses to fly off his face. “I’ll be in the car, Tor.” He walked back around the desk.
“May your soul find its other.” The man bowed his head and then spun around and hurried down the hall in a half-walk half-jogging way.
Bastian looked at Tor and grinned.
“You could actually pull off being royal if you wanted to,” Tor told him in a hushed tone.
“And do what then? Sit on a gilded chair and die of boredom?” He walked past him.
“May your soul find its other.” Tor bowed his head, a smirk on his face.
“Other what, is the question.” Bastian went outside.
“This is all very exciting,” Glen said. “I’ve always wanted to prepare a meal for the banquets.”
Bastian turned in his seat and tried to see the man in the darkness. It was going to be hard to move this man anywhere discreetly, he had flaming red hair and was as large as the Alterealm men. He looked like he should have been a fighter, not a cook. “It’s good to have goals. What about traveling, have you ever traveled?”
“Traveling?” Glen looked confused, “no, Prince Bastian, I-I’ve never felt the need.”
“Really? So, you’ve never popped over to another realm for a vacation?” If he could just get something out of this man, he’d feel a lot better about chasing his tail around for the last few months.
“Another realm?” He shook his head, “no, I’ve never had the desire to leave Solrelm. None at all.”
“That’s interesting.” Bastian glanced at Tor to see he had noted how thoroughly the man’s mind had been wiped. “I’m curious. Why use your skills all the way out here? Don’t you miss your family?”
“I—” Glen sat back and looked out the window. “I don’t have any family left, prince. I’m the last of my line.” He shrugged, “scientists are important and need to be properly nourished to ensure the realm’s survival.”
“Of course.” Bastian turned back to look out the windshield. It sounded like a rehearsed answer to him. Was it possible they abducted the father’s memories and then replaced them with false ones? No family. He wondered if that was true. He’d have to speak to Trendan and see if that were true with all the men that had been hidden away. “Before we get to the citadel, we have a stop to make. A very important visitor from FaTerra,” Bastian glanced over his shoulder to see the surprised look on the man’s face. “Maybe you could prepare a meal for the meeting.”
“FaTerra. I’d be honored. Are they really as beautiful as everyone says?”
“Yes.” Bastian offered up a fake smile, “most of the rumors about those from other realms are true. Aridon’s are always too hot, Alterealm males are huge men…”
“Humans are hideously ugly,” Glen added.
Bastian opened his mouth, then closed it quickly. “Mmm.” Was all he thought best to respond. Humans were amazing in his opinion. The dads had been erased and completely reprogrammed by someone who clearly hated the human realm. Picking up his phone from the holder, he quickly texted Trendan. The chef may need to be contained in some manner until Princess Aireese can do her thing. He’s been completely brainwashed. He stared at it waiting for a reply.
King Troy has requested the Warden and his mate to come over.
Bastian grinned. Princess Paisley could literally stop Glen in his tracks should he panic. Have FaTerra’s lovely princess cloak the building or something, shit is about to be stirred.
Already have that covered.
Nodding, he tucked his phone into his pocket and caught the questioning look from Tor. “They are awaiting our arrival.” He would have smiled, but he wasn’t feeling it. Some serious cover-ups had been happening for a long time and they were about to crack the plan wide open and reveal it to all.
To top it all off, he was now plagued with guilt. Until Princess Kara had mentioned the children who were out there, he hadn’t considered them. He’d been too busy trying to prove there had been a heinous misjustice. Some of those children now would be adults, and beyond, if Raegan was an example.
He scowled out the window, they needed to step up, like the Alterealm royals had, and find them, help those that need it, and— It hadn’t even occurred to him until right now that some of them could have traits of his kind. Seeing souls, the ability to be invisible, and like with Raegan, not aging. Bastian was going to have to talk to Chase and see how to go about finding and helping them somehow.
Chapter Seventeen
He stood inside the door at the Alterealm Royal’s practice room. Bastian wasn’t sure what they practiced, but it was very violent if the wall of weapons were an indication. He’d have to bring Trendan here, and let him see that these weren’t peaceful people at all.
He looked at King Troy, who stood beside him with his arms crossed over his huge chest. “Thanks for the help today.”
Troy barely acknowledged him as he watched Liri and Daxx on the mats. “It seems any answers we find lately benefit both our worlds.”
“Speaking of answers,” he paused and watched Liri flip around and then nod to Daxx. He grinned, “my aunt, her mother, would faint at our feet if she saw her right now.”
