“Great.”Was there anyone who hadn’t seen?“So you saw my statement?”
“No.I saw vids on my lunch break.A friend who’s also a streamer sent them to me.”
“He did this because I wouldn’t give him a cut.He made friends with some streamers and has been trying to keep up with their lifestyle.”I caught myself before I went off on a rant.This wasn’t about my brother.“I have bigger problems.He’s here.”
“Who…the human?”Crispin lowered his voice.
“Yeah, he was picked up today for using magic.”
“You’ve been fucking a sorcerer.”He laughed and slapped me on the arm.“He turned you into a walking, talking dildo.”
I pressed my lips together before my tongue said things that couldn’t be taken back.Crispin wasn’t completely wrong.“There are worse things to be.”
“Yeah, there is.So what now?”
“I don’t know.”I never wanted to be a streamer, but it had become an important part of my life because Timothy had become important to me.And now his fate and my fate were out of my hands.
“Let’s grab a drink and something to eat, and I’ll tell my friends that your brother is someone to avoid.Every streamer has vids they don’t want released, and if he did it to you, he might target one of his friends next.They have money, and he might decide extortion is more lucrative than streaming.”
“I don’t want people knowing it was me.”My face wasn’t in any of the vids, and I never wanted to be famous or recognizable—those on theScreamside were more famous because they were often in their vids.
Crispin stared at me.“All they’ll hear from me is that you were targeted because you’re new and popular.But you need to start thinking about the future?—”
“There may not be one.”I didn’t care about the channel.
I cared about Timothy…the channel was an excuse to see him and nothing more.
Chapter29
Timothy
I expectedto be thrown into a cell or dropped into a pit and forgotten about.Even though I’d seen his phone, I expected something else, which only showed how little I knew about him and his world.I was placed in a room and told to change into the clothes provided while my phone was checked.Of course, the tracker in my pocket disappeared along with everything else.
With nothing to do, I peered out the window at the trees.They were further away than I thought, and after a few seconds, I noticed there were structures in the trees.Tree houses.Loads and loads of them.Was I in a treehouse?
The room I was in had cream walls that seemed to be made of metal, but it might have been wood.The room with the bridge in it had seemed modern, like a military base, and Farrow carried a phone, not dissimilar to mine.The monsters had tech…and treehouses.
I don’t know how long I stared out of the window, my arms resting on the windowsill because everything was made for taller people.
The door opened, and a monster stepped in.“Timothy?”
They spoke perfectly, despite the bright orange beak that took up most of their face.
“Yes.”Who else was I going to be?How many sorcerers had they arrested today?Cold swelled in my gut.Is this where my mother had died?
“Have a seat.”They indicated to the chairs.
I obeyed, as there was no point in pissing them off.My toes didn’t touch the floor.Another reminder that I didn’t belong there.
“The contacts on your phone had been duplicated.”They pulled a device out of their pocket.“Your life in the human world is being folded up; however, you expressed concern about the cats?”
“I was house sitting…um living there and feeding them.”
They nodded.“That is very kind when you should be worried about yourself.”
“They haven’t done anything.”I stopped short of saying wrong.I didn’t want to make myself sound guilty.“They don’t deserve to starve to death.”
They pushed the device toward me.“Your contacts.Select the appropriate person.”
