“I’ll give you a full tutorial if you tell yourAngelto get it back.”
I see my mate’s stern gaze and don’t bother convincing him. I’m not motivated anyway. Nine daggers are more than enough. When Angel doesn’t budge because I didn’t ask, Hazel hisses, “You need to work on your seduction. He’s not whipped enough.”
Angel catches her trying to sneak in another dagger and does his breathing technique before his non-existent temper gets the best of him.
For a minute, I falter. Hazel has nine daggers, Angel and Grace have their bows, Seiji has his whips, and Harvey has that shiny new sword Uncle Elijah gifted him for his coronation/wedding. Before doubts can slip in about not having a weapon on me, I snap out of it.
I don’t need a weapon.I am the weapon.
Harvey hoists Grace on his mighty red horse, who neighs when she rubs his stomach gently. It’s no surprise the horse is just as taken with my sister as his rider.
Seiji whispers in his horse’s ear before climbing on. Apparently, the Prince of Famine chose a horse that demands his rider to ask permission before every ride.Just as dramatic as his rider.
A warrior circles the horse Hazel is taking with her today to make sure he is saddled properly. The distracted man almost bumps into Hazel but thankfully she avoids it by stumbling back at the last second.
Then the strange thing happens. When Hazel takes that step back she should’ve come in contact with Diamonds’ fire but nothing happens. I watch her tell off the warrior for not being more attentive before mounting her horse. Her jacket is scratchless. No burn marks.
Diamond whines in a way that demands attention but I’m not the one he wants it from. The horse stays distracted until Angel announces that it’s time.
With a kick, the horse starts to steadily climb air. The cool air nips at me, and forces me to think over this strange incident at a later time.
A hollow feeling creeps in. My first flight feels incomplete without Papa cheering me on and warning Diamond about the consequences of dropping me. He never learned to trust anyone else in the world to look after me.
It took a long time for Papa to stop hovering over me whenever I went out to play with Harvey or walked around the kingdom.
Eventually, he eased out but immediately regretted it when his precious stuff started to go missing, and I was terrorizing the folks like he did at my age.
I reminisce about the time when every step I took, he wasn’t too far behind me. I didn’t realize how much coming back to a world without him would hurt. It’s not a home without the people who make ithome.
Like Diamond can sense my inner turmoil, he neighs loudly, running zig-zag patterns among the clouds to distract me. Patting his head, I hug him for everything he has done for me. For Papa.
After crossing the portal, the journey is supposed to be an hour from the kingdom. Right on the edge of the human realm and Heaven is an abandoned cliff-side—also known as the only way intoThe Forgotten Realm.
The worst part is that one must dive off the cliff and into the ocean to transport there. If I don’t make it out, I want everyone to know I absolutely hate this idea, and my death is on Angel. He brought me here so I could have my revenge like a good mate, so it’s his fault.
Every ancient lore we studied lacked any vital information on the realm except one saying ‘Even with it being a whisper away, not everyone with darkness within can handle the light’.
What is it with ancient people and encrypted messages?
The realm has a magnetic pull that erases your will to leave the longer you stay, and without a known exit, it’s no surprise there aren’t many who get out.
That place literally eats away all the light one might bring in and manipulates them into becoming a part of its never-ending darkness.
Good thing we have one person who knows everything.
Grace whips out her trusty journal to see if everything is on track. I remember her telling me that Papa gifted her this enchanted journal when he noticed that she was having a hard time organizing the abundance of information in her head.
The book’s enchantment helps her visualize her thoughts in writing and illustrations. Her only warning before jumping is that we can’t stay longer than six hours, no matter what.
“Okay, we get in, find the sick moron, send his soul to purgatory, and get out. Understood?”
After Angel repeats the same thing for the fifth time, everyone collectively takes a deep breath, standing on the edge, ready to jump. Only before they can I startle everyone at the last moment.
“Wait a minute,” turning to Hazel, my eyes trail to her legs.
“No, I’m not going to growa fucking tail!”
“How am I supposed to know that when you never tell me anything?!”
