“But he’s not dead,” Tyson cut in, reassuringly.
I clutched Ivan’s shirt tighter, taking a deep breath to calm my nerves. His peppermint scent did actually soothe me, but only momentarily. “I think then that he’s back home.”
Tyson pushed away from the counter. “You think he went home? Without telling the others?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know. That would be odd. That seems to go against whatever he’s been doing. Why move and get a job if he wasn’t planning to stay?”
“Would the others back home tell you if he was there?”
“I think so, considering the circumstances. I don’t want to take any chances to think he left of his own accord. I need to go home. Now.”
I stood up and grabbed my bag holding the items I packed. I had already intended to leave the next day, so I was ready.
“One of us can go with you,” Billie stated. “I can ask Daniel since I know how your court feels about humans.”
I placed a few items I still hadn’t packed inside my bag. Tossing them without a care. “No, it’s fine. I know exactly where I need to go and who to bring with me.”
“Will you be able to locate him there without a witch?”
I gave a curt nod. “I don’t need a witch. I have my sword.” I turned to give them both a smile that I knew looked more crazed than friendly. “Who needs magic when you can threaten people with death?”
I then took out my portal amulet to head back home. “Tell everyone I’m sorry I couldn’t give a proper goodbye, but I reallyappreciated getting to know you all. Humans can be quite lovely after all.”
Billie quickly walked over to me and gave me a tight hug. “Who are you going to threaten with a sword?”
I wrapped my arms around her in return. “No one special, just my parents.”
She released me, holding me back at arm’s length. “That sounds very problematic.”
I gave a nonchalant humph and placed the teleporting amulet on the ground. I then whispered the word that would open the portal. When the familiar outline of a golden door appeared, I grabbed my bag and stepped through. “See you again one day, friends.”
I heard the pair call back their goodbyes before the portal closed.
Once back in my realm, I wasted no time in asking the portal guard if I could save myself some time and use the portal to send me to Nodoor. I didn’t have the time to travel the hours it would take to get there. I had to pay a hefty price because it was not a scheduled portal usage, but it was worth it.
When I arrived at my parents’ house, I unlocked the door, still having my key, and left my luggage near the front of the large three-story house. Seeing both transporters in the circular driveway, I knew both my parents were home.
I stepped inside the grand foyer. The space was as I remembered. Dark wooden flooring and white walls, gold accessories and trimming, floor-to-ceiling windows, boring scenic artwork, and a massive crystal chandelier hanging above me encasing floating orbs to light the space. My family was quite wealthy, and they wanted you to know it. No matter how gawdy. I thought about Pierce’s tales of my family and got upset all over again.
“Mother, Father! We need to talk!”
Seconds later, both my parents appeared. My mother walked down the winding staircase facing the grand entryway, her hair under a satin turban. She was dressed in a long silk nightgown with patching robe, which made me suddenly realize that it was night here. How long had I been gone fae time? That wasn’t important now, nor did I feel the least bit guilty that I hadn’t said goodbye to them before leaving. I’d left a notice that I was going out of town for a while but said nothing about going to the human realm. My father soon appeared from the back of the house, still dressed for the day in a button-down shirt and dark trousers. Both held surprised looks on their face.
“Honey!” my mother exclaimed. “Where have you been?”
When she finally made it down the stairs, she opened her arms and hugged me. I stiffened in her embrace. “This is not a social call,” I replied, stepping away from her.
My father paused, his shock turning to dismay. “Is that how you respond after being gone for four months! We were worried sick.”
I rolled my eyes. “I was gone much longer than that before.”
My mother patted my back, looking between my father and me. “We know dear, which is why we were concerned. We thought you were hiding from us again.”
“I should have stayed in hiding.”
My father released a breath of annoyance. “What’s going on now? I thought we settled things.”
“Where is he?”
