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Mom turns to me, tears shining in her eyes. “He’s really stressed. We need to back him up. He needs us.”
The image of him with yellow eyes and electricity in his fists pops into my mind. “He has a funny way of showing it.”
“Like I said, this is stressful. He has to go from his life here on land to being king. King. Can you imagine that?”
“And I’m a princess.” The word itself makes me shudder. Makes me think of a sparkling cartoon character with big eyes and a pet that follows her around.
She puts her arm around me and sniffles.
I step back and study her. “Why are you more upset about Uncle Tiberias’s death than Dad is?”
Mom clears her throat. “You know how complicated their relationship was. Those two didn’t get along at all. Why do you think we were banished?”
“I don’t remember. I was really young when we left.”
She wipes her eyes. “Why don’t you take a minute to call Ivy?”
My chest tightens. “I can’t have that conversation over the phone!”
“You’re going to have to. I had to give notice on my job. Actually, it wasn’t notice. It was quitting on the spot. It’s not easy, but we all have to sacrifice.”
“Dad doesn’t.”
Mom sighs. “He’s hurting inside. We just can’t see it.”
I turn the conversation back to the move. “Can’t we ever come back?”
Mom shakes her head. “I’m sorry. But instead of mourning what you’re losing, try looking forward to what you’re getting. Cousins. Old friends. Halen will be thrilled to see you.”
The mention of my childhood best friend brings back a vortex of memories. Almost all of my earliest memories involve her. We both grew up in the castle and were the same age, but that wasn’t what drew us together. We got each other. Neither of us were thrilled about the stuffy rules forced on us by the authorities. We just wanted to have fun, and we did just that every chance we got. Between the two of us, we thought up every kind of trouble possible.
But none of that matters. I have a track meet. College applications. A pool party. And Roman Lewis wants me to be there.
I glare at my mom. “Why did you guys tell me we’d never go back to Valora?”
“Because Dad was banished. Tiberias told us we’d never see our beloved city again.”
Theirbeloved city. Not mine. I grit my teeth. Hold back comments that would only get me in trouble. “What’s going to happen to our things? This house?”
She takes a deep breath. “We have a full bank account and the bills are all paid automatically, so I imagine it will just sit here until the funds run out.”
“And then what?”
“Everything will be seized. The bank will sell the house, auction off our things.”
My stomach lurches at the thought of people bidding on my belongings. “How long?”
“Does it matter?”
“Yes.”
Mom shrugs. “Two years? Three? I’m not sure. We won’t be here to see it. Call Ivy. We’re leaving in a matter of minutes.” She gives me a kiss before walking out of the room, looking lost in thought.
I glance at the door. If I run away, nobody could stop me. However, it would be a challenge to get to the school without my car. How long will it take for it to be towed? When will people figure out that I’m gone? That my whole family is missing?
“Marra,” Mom calls.
I groan.
