AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I took a deep breath and stepped back. An argument started in my head between my anxiety and my confidence.
This is a terrible idea. I can’t do this. What if I get caught? He’ll kill me, and that will kill everyone connected to me. Don’t step through that portal.
Stop. I can do this. Nisha wouldn’t send me if I was going to die. Charlie is facing his past alone, and I can face mine. This will help protect everyone. Be brave. Step through the portal. Prove to yourself that you do something to help.
Before my anxiety could reply, I launched myself through the portal. Landing on my backside, I tried not to make a noise as I assessed my surroundings. I was in a warehouse. Boxes were stacked on huge metallic shelves, and strange vehicles were parked in the aisles.
Crawling close to the shelves, I peeked through the boxes to see the aisle in front. And saw the face of a man who terrified me, quite literally, to death.
CHAPTER23
CHARLIE
Imaterialized in a living room like I’d just been beamed up to Scotty. Childhood fantasies were being ticked off like a shopping list, and I really hoped that “Fight with a T-Rex and win” was up next.
“Meet my birth family” was probably number one on that list, but I knew it wasn’t going to be as fun as I had imagined as a child. I wasn’t going to find out that I was a prince who needed to be hidden from rebels killing the royal family. I wasn’t going to find out that I was stolen from my parents because of my glowing magical hair. I wasn’t going to find out that I was swapped at birth.
I was going to find out the adult explanation. The real reason they gave me up and blocked me from finding them.I hope it’s a good one.
I sighed, running a hand through my hair, and looked around the room. It had a cottage feel to it, low ceiling, floral wallpaper and carpet, sofas that had seen better days, and dark wooden tables, shelves, and an old cabinet with glass windows.
I walked over to a side table and picked up an empty mug. It was a bit small for my liking and looked like a generic gift mug, but on it were the words “World’s Best Mum.”
Do I have siblings?
That was also in the childhood fantasy playbook because Young Charlie wanted someone to play with. But I didn’t want anyone to play with now. I didn’t want the resentment and jealousy that came from knowing that my birth mother chose them and not me.
I was so distracted that I didn’t hear anyone come into the room behind me. A feminine gasp had me turning my head, but before I could glance at the person—my mother?—I was blasted with magic.
“Jesus Christ!” The mug fell from my hands and bounced off the carpet. Magic twisted around my hands and legs, capturing me and keeping me powerless. I hit the ground hard face first. “What the fuck?” I cursed and squirmed in my bonds, knocking a glass from the cabinet, which shattered as it hit the knob on the bottom drawer.
“Who are you, and how did you get here?” a female voice growled.
I felt a knee in my back, and my temper flared. “Who are you, and why are you attacking people minding their own business in a dream?”
“I’m attacking someone in my dream. A private dream. How did you get here?”
I hesitated, unsure if I should answer.
“Tell me, or I'll kill you and save myself the bother of finding you in real time.” A knife was placed at my throat, and I swallowed as a trickle of fear seeped under my skin.
Holy shit, I’m about to be killed.
This was not on the list of scenarios.
“Tell me!” she yelled again, and I felt the magic ties twist around my neck and the knife press harder against my skin.
“Blood,” I choked out.
The bonds loosened, and the knife moved away from my neck an inch.
“You came to this dream through blood?” she asked.
“Yes.” I coughed, thankful I could breathe again.
“Who are you?”
Despite being irrationally angry that my mother didn't recognize me instantly, I managed to grit out, “I think you’re my birth mother.”
