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I spend the next few minutes bringing Kyan up to speed about the arrival of the dark fae and Oberon’s demand that we marry. By the time I’m finished, Kyan has set up the small round table in the room with tea and cookies for us. Not wanting to seem ungrateful, I sit down with him and take a sip of my drink.
“What kind of tea is this?” I ask. “It’s sweet, but it has a bitter aftertaste I don’t recognize.”
“Ahh, it’s strawberry surprise. The bitter part is the surprise.”
I take another sip of the tea. “It’s good. I don’t like things that are too sweet.”
“Me either.” Kyan holds out his hand to me. “Now, let me see the sphere so I can figure out what to do with it.”
I hand the box to him and keep a watchful eye on what he does next.
“Have you ever witnessed one of these worlds begin the trials?” he asks, carefully removing the sphere from the box to examine it more closely.
“My father doesn’t allow anyone to watch. Not even my mother. It makes me wonder if the worlds actually fail or if my father unilaterally decides their fate.”
Kyan grins. “Smart girl. Though, I wouldn’t expect anything less. Your father is a fool, but your mother, well, she’s another breed of brilliant.”
I’m not sure if I should thank him on my mother’s behalf or not. The creepy, possessive way Kyan is staring at the sphere warns a part of me that I should snatch it out of his hands and leave. Yet, my mother said I could trust him. I can’t leave until he repairs the sphere, but he doesn’t seem to be in any hurry to do that. It’s time to try another tactic.
“Is the sphere repairable?” I ask.
“Oh, yes, but not by me.”
“What?” My heart begins to pound inside my chest as the worry I’ve been keeping at bay manifests into a full fledge panic attack. “But you said you could help.”
Kyan pulls his eyes away from the sphere to look at me.
“Oh, I will, my dear.” He stands from his chair at the table with the sphere gripped tightly in his hands.
I try to stand to my feet but find the simple task impossible. In fact, I can’t move at all. My body betrays me and remains as still as stone.
Kyan chuckles. “I did tell you not to trust anyone, Emily. You should have heeded my advice. Never drink something a stranger gives you, and most certainly don’t give that stranger something as precious as this.”
As if to gloat, he holds the sphere in front of my eyes.
“The crack you’re so worried about is simply a part of the trials,” he says. “I feel a bit insulted you would believe I would make the spheres so weak. They could survive the explosion of a supernova, if they had to. The humans inside have a finite time to successfully complete their tasks. If they don’t do it before the crack completes its circle, the world will automatically disintegrate. But,” he says gleefully, pulling his hand and the sphere back, “I have faith in humanity. Plus, I think you’re right. I think Elrod has been manipulating the results and destroying worlds that should have passed the trials. Since he isn’t in possession of this world, it will have a real chance to survive.”
Kyan places his face in front of mine. “Don’t worry, Emily. The world is safe with me, but I’m afraid it isn’t safe while it’s still in your possession. Eventually, your father would discover your subterfuge and take it back. Neither of us can let that happen.”
Kyan winks at me and starts to walk out of the room.
“The potion I gave you will wear off in an hour or ten,” he shouts over his shoulder before he’s out of view. “So sorry I had to be such a terrible host.”
As I sit at the table, several emotions churn inside me with the force of a hurricane. If I could move, I would chase Kyan down and beat him to a pulp. He says to trust him after he steals the most precious thing in the world from me. Did my mother know he would do this? Are they in cahoots with each other?
I’m not sure what my mother thought would happen, but I can’t believe she would knowingly lead me into a trap like this.
A few minutes later, I hear the front door open and slam shut. Kyan is gone, and he’s taken my family with him.
An hour stretches into two, and I’m no closer to being able to move a muscle in my body. All I can do is stare out the glass wall in front of me and let my mind race with all kinds of horrible scenarios. I should have let Oberon keep the sphere, but I thought it was in danger of cracking open. Otherwise, I never would have sought Kyan out. For someone so smart, how could I have been so dumb?
By the third hour, I’m finally able to move the fingers of my right hand. It’s not much, but at least it’s proof that the potion Kyan spiked my tea with is starting to wear off. By the fourth hour, my whole right arm has regained free motion, but it’s little help. I try to push myself into a standing position, but it’s not enough. The rest of my body is still frozen into place. I have to bide my time. Eventually, I will be free to start my search for Kyan and get back what he’s stolen from me.
A little before sunset, I’m finally able to get to my feet and make my way out of the house. Since I don’t want any record of my visit to Kyan’s house to exist, I don’t call for help to get home. Instead, I slowly walk there, doing my best not to draw attention to myself as I pass others on the streets. By the time I make it home, I’m exhausted and fall on the couch, almost instantly falling asleep.
When I wake up the next day, it’s to the sound of someone banging on my front door.
“Emily!” Oberon shouts. “Are you in there? Are you all right?”
