“I thought you’d say that,” the man replies before looking at us. “I will leave these three in your hands then. Are you up to it?”
“Yes,” Flora and I both say in unison. I have no doubts that we are. Tiger is my friend; she would never harm me, and she went out of her way to warn us that Felix was in danger. As did Titan.
“Well, then it’s set. I can’t fully make the gate disappear,” he says to Flora. “But I will try to keep it shut for as long as I can.”
“Thank you.” Flora gazes around. “Now I know about this place, it‘ll make it easier for me to keep an eye on it. There are no other gates?”
“No. There is nothing to worry about.”
“You know who I am,” Flora says. “But you haven’t told us your name.”
“Neither did you,” he says. “I just know the obvious.”
“You must be of high rank or a leader,” she muses.
“I will leave that to your imagination,” he says before his frame becomes more and more blurred. “Maybe our kind will meet again, one day.”
“Before you leave,“ Flora says. “Tell her who she is.”
The demon stares at me. “She barely has any demon blood in her.”
“She still wants to know,” Flora says, before turning towards me. “Don’t you?”
“I do!”
“One of your parents must have been a descendant of our kind,” he explains. “But your demon blood is mostly washed out.”
I can still sense it,Titan tells me.
I let his words sink in, my heart rate picking up speed. “My mom. Do I have family left?”
“Not in my realm,” the demon explains. “Your mother’s family must have lived with the humans for a few generations. I am sorry.”
“Finally, I know something about her,” I mutter. It’s better than nothing. “Thank you.”
With that, he disappears fully, and I can’t help but drop down onto my knees. “Please tell me I am not losing my mind.”
Flora hurries to my side. “Don’t worry, Sweetie,” she says. “I know it’s a lot, but what you just saw actually happened. I will need to ask you, though, to keep it to yourself. Only share it with Felix if you must, like I will share it with Elden, but no one else should know about it.” She sighs. “It’s safer that way.”
I get her. Certain secrets need to remain as such.
“But really,” Flora turns to look at Titan. “What were you thinking, taking Gwen to this place? If I hadn’t felt something was off, she would have been here alone.”
Titan tilts his head.If it were me, I would have taken the beautiful princess along.
“Aurelia?” I ask.
But I don’t want to endanger her.
“Endangering Gwen and me is better,” Flora concludes.
No offense.
She sighs. “Don’t pull Gwen into something like this again, please. Next time, wake me, and I will help you however I can.”
Then we have a deal.
With that, Titan turns around and disappears in the direction of the pack. Flora helps me up again and puts an arm around mymiddle. I feel warm and calm immediately, a bit like with Felix. Maybe it’s something he inherited from her.
