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It wasn't like it was every day that four realms combined to become one. At first, things had been complete chaos. Not only was the landscape different, but there were dragons as well.
As though that wasn't enough, the magic went a little haywire, and people started getting abilities they never would have had in their home realm. There were people from El Dorado that weren't just able to control fire, but they could control the wind as well. Some people from Atlantis could now shift completely into various types of fish or sea creatures. It was different for every individual, and some people didn't get anything extra at all.
Our current theory was that the extra powers came from when people had relationships with those from another realm, and the magic had just been carried through the DNA or blood or wherever magic is stored. It was only being activated because it was exposed to that magic.
We could be completely wrong, though, and the couple of times I'd brought it up with other people we met in our travels, they looked at me like I was crazy. Still, meeting so many different people was interesting as we mapped out the new land.
The weirdness had been building for weeks, though, and I wasn't convinced that it was just the travel and the pressure of mapping everything. Every time I asked them about it or if they were okay, they brushed it off, making me more suspicious.
"Ladybird," Dres called out as he walked into the campsite we'd set up.
I scrambled forward and opened the flap of the tent. He beamed when he saw me, and it melted my heart. "You're back!" I called as I ran toward him, and he swept me into a bear hug. Ever since I'd started to get back to my normal weight, I had noticed them being a lot firmer with how they touched me, and I loved it.
He slowly let me down from the hug but didn't let go of my hands. "I came to get you. We have something to show you." His voice was like velvet. Whatever it was, he was excited about it and knowing him, he was sure I'd like it.
I couldn't stop the grin from spreading over my face. "Oh?"
"Close your eyes." I did as he asked. "No peeking. We're going to go through a portal." One of the other things that had changed was that portals had become more common forms of transport. They weren't just for between-realm travel anymore since there was only one realm. Now, they could take you wherever you needed to go. Often though, people would ward areas so that portals could only be opened in a specific place, so people didn't accidentally portal into someone's bedroom.
The urge to crack an eyelid to take a peek once we were on the other side of the portal was strong, and it was only Dres' voice in my head that stopped me.Don't you dare. This is as much for us as it is for you, so don't take this away from us. Please.
His words made me choke up for some reason. Whatever he wanted to show me was important, so I wouldn't screw this up and keep my damn eyes closed.
I stumbled over some lumps in the ground that could have been tree roots or rocks. I honestly had no idea. One thing I did notice was the sound of water, waves lapping at a shore. The scent of berries and possibly wine hung in the air, tantalizing my nostrils and making my mouth water slightly.
Dres guided me carefully to where he wanted me to stand. I couldn't help but hope it was a picnic or something. We hadn't taken a day for ourselves in a while, and the guys always seemed to be working hard on mapping as much as possible.
"Okay, open," Dres whispered next to my ear, his lips brushing against the sensitive skin there. He could have just spoken into my mind, but I knew he preferred talking aloud sometimes.
Slowly I cracked my eyes open, and what I saw left me confused. I was staring out at the ocean, a view I'd seen many times before, but this one was one of my favorites. The way the ocean curved around the shore that sat below at the bottom of the hill, with a few rocky outcroppings seeming to welcome the waves, was stunning. To one side lay Agartha, and to the other lay Atlantis, which meant that the shore that wasn't rocky was kind of beachy, and off to one side was a small grove of trees, thankfully, none of which were poisonous. It was right on the border between the two regions.
They knew I loved this place, and I appreciated seeing it as often as possible. It reminded me a little of my realm. Or my old realm. It was nice to have a picnic here, or whatever they had planned, but we didn't have to come all this way and use a portal spell just for that.
"Now, turn around."
I spun, expecting to see the guys sitting with a full spread of food, but that wasn't what I got. Instead, I saw a house that hadn't been there the last time we were there. It broke my heart a little that someone had settled here, and we wouldn't be able to come back. I refused to let it show, though. After all, they were trying to do something nice.
When Griff, Finn, Niall, and Kai came out of the house, I was surprised. They must have befriended the new resident.
"Well, what do you think, dove?" Griff asked as he jogged over, a big smile on his face.
"I haven't told her yet." The amusement in Dres' voice was plain for all to hear. "It's been too much fun listening to her trying to figure out what's going on."
"Siren," Finn said, drawing my attention to him. "Welcome home."
I frowned. His words confused me. "Home?" I repeated.
Kai proudly stepped forward. "We built this for you. And since I'm your official husband, I get to carry you over the threshold. That's a thing in your realm, right?"
I nodded mutely.
"I think she's in shock," Niall chuckled.
"Come on, princess, let me show you around." Kai reached out and took my hand, gently dragging me forward. When I stumbled, he sighed and said, "I guess I'll just carry you the whole way." Before I could even think about protesting, he was there scooping me up, bridal style, and carrying me into the house.
It wasn't huge, but it was tall. The front door was tall and wide, making it welcoming, and when we stepped inside, there was a living room area, to one side, with a big loft area over the back half of the house and a kitchen on the side opposite the living area. Not that I knew how to use any of the stuff they had in the realms, but Dres was a phenomenal cook, so I was sure he knew a thing or two. There was also enough furniture for us all to relax at the same time, which was impressive.
A bathroom was in the back with a traditional Atlantean bathing pool, which I knew would be heated. It was one of the most luxurious things I'd ever experienced. The flow of water kept everything fresh and clean, which I loved.
