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He’s silent for a while as I watch him contemplate the information. My eyelids begin to weigh heavier the longer I wait and my mind wanders as I give him time.
After what feels like an eternity, I sigh heavily before looking up, only to find he’s staring at me, with uncertainty clear on his face. “Are you going to tell me what’s going on?”
“I can tell you what I know, but I don’t know everything. I also can’t control whether you will believe what I do tell you.”
Stop stalling, asshole.
“Just tell me, Caspian.” My tone is more curt than intended, but I don’t apologize for it.
He pinches the bridge of his nose and sucks in a deep breath, “You are aware of other realms and magic, yes?”
Holy fuck.
I nod in response.
“Wonderful. That saves us plenty of time in this explanation. To make a very long story, short. Twenty five years ago, powers beyond our understanding bound magic on earth and sealed any and all from entering and leaving. Those who were here already like I was, have remained on earth in whatever form they were in when magic was bound. It appears there is a way to break that binding to magic so that we may return to our realm and my brother has discovered that you are at the heart of it.”
I stare at him for a moment and narrow my eyes.
“Your brother?” My voice cracks.
Caspian nods, “You said you met someone with two different colored eyes, yes? Likely one green and one white. That would be my older brother, Darian.”
I blink at him. All of a sudden their physical similarities make sense. Both muscular, easily a foot taller than me, jet black hair, sun kissed skin. But I distinctly remember Darian had tattoos visible, so between that and a few minor characteristics...
Holy shit they’re not human.
This is a lot of revelations, and somehow I feel like this is just the beginning.
As I align physical attributes, it dawns on me that both men look to be in their thirties and something doesn’t add up when I begin to consider that Caspian had been assigned to my case seventeen years ago. “You said that you were stuck on earth when magic was bound twenty five years ago, how old are you?”
His eyes flash and meet mine, “Two hundred and forty-seven.”
My jaw goes slack but Caspian continues, “This all being said, if my brother has hired one person to hunt you down in his efforts to retrieve the keys, there will be more.”
I swallow audibly and nod at his words, though the meaning of them has yet to sink in.
“And my parents?” My voice is quiet and small, and I keep my eyes low to the ground.
“They were being tracked for years, receiving threatening letters and pictures of you,” his voice cuts off and my eyes flicker up to his as his jaw clenches, but he continues. “My brother killed them in his search for the key to restoring his magic.”
Anger and guilt crash over me in a wave as I sit silently for a long moment, but I do what I do best and bottle it down, “Well, I think that’s enough life altering revelations for one day.” Standing and carefully walking over to the linen closet, pulling out a blanket and handing it to him. “You’re not angry or upset?” he asks, assessing my reaction as I consider his question.
Bold of him to assume I’m not angry.
I hold his gaze as I answer, “I spent the majority of my life being scared. When I wasn’t scared, I was angry. Since being on my own, where I no longer fear for my life, my anger is always below the surface. I’ve been angry for so long, for more reasons than I can count.”
I shake my head, “Knowing thereasonmy parents were killed is what makes me angry. It doesn’t make me angry at you but your brother and whatever drives him to restore his magic.”
His expression becomes hard and unreadable, so I leave him with that as my emotions threaten to overwhelm me. I use the walk to the bedroom to clear my mind, grabbing one of my pillows, before I return to the living room, and hold it out to him.
“So, what happens from here?” I ask quietly as he puts it on one end of the couch.
“Well, my brother will be sending more hunters. So for now, the plan is to keep you alive. Secondary to that is to find the other keys before he does.”
I nod lightly, “Right. Don’t die and find the other pain inducing amulets. Great. I’m going to sleep now.” I rub my face and walk away, waving dismissively, “Help yourself to coffee and the fridge in the morning, Mystery Man.” I smirk at his quiet chuckle as I tread gingerly to the bedroom with Dana in tow.
~
