Chapter 25
Ro and Gabriel sat on Dove’s couch. She sat across from them in a slightly battered recliner that was too big for her. Ro guessed it had been Michael’s.
“You’re really my sister,” Dove said, staring at the letter from him that Ro had given her.
“I really am,” Ro said. She’d explained everything in careful detail, then handed over the letter.
Dove had read it but hadn’t said much. Yet.
After a few more long seconds of her looking at the letter and not saying anything, Ro spoke again. “Your mother said Mason’s abilities were causing some problems. That you’d decided to homeschool him to protect him as much as you could.”
Dove finally looked up. “That’s right. I can’t risk CPS thinking I’m a bad mother or I’m doing something that’s causing him to act out. I cannot lose him, too.”
“I understand,” Ro said. “I have a son myself. JT.” She smiled. “He’s thirty, but I can guarantee you he’d happily keep an eye on his new cousin.”
Gabriel cleared his throat softly and glanced at Ro. She nodded, letting him know it was all right if he wanted to say something. It seemed he did. “If you take up residence in Summerton, the entire Royal Guard will protect your son. And you.”
“Because you think he’s this aetheryn thing?”
Gabriel nodded. “Yes, but also because you’re related to the queen.”
Ro immediately added to that. “I would provide you with a place to live in Castle Clarion. You’d have your own space in a private wing. You, Mason, Michael, and Star. Mason’s education would be the best available. You’d have nothing to worry about as far as bills.”
Dove’s face was unreadable. Almost like nothing she’d heard had sunk in. “You know how incredible this all sounds? Very much like it’s too good to be true. Like it’s all made up.”
“That’s why I brought the letter from Michael,” Ro answered. “Because I get it. I really do. When I first arrived in Summerton, I was sure I was dreaming.”
“Did you die?” Dove asked.
“No. I pulled a sword from a stone and was instantly transported to the fae realm.”
Dove snorted. “Okay, right. I’ve seen that movie.”
“I get it,” Ro said again. “I know how it sounds. But that’s how it happened.”
The television was still playing in the other room. They’d yet to meet Mason.
Dove shook her head. “I just don’t think I can believe this.”
“Not even with Michael’s letter on your lap?” Ro hadn’t lost hope yet. She’d expected resistance. “Isn’t that his handwriting?”
“Yes, but you could have gotten AI to replicate that.” Dove shrugged. “Sorry, that’s the age we live in.”
Ro frowned. “AI? As in artificial intelligence? Is that a thing now?” She shook her head.
“Look, I don’t know anything about artificial intelligence, but I know a whole lot about genuine stupidity, which is what I would be if I was trying to sell you this story without being able to back it up. I can prove everything I’m saying.”
Dove’s eyes narrowed. “How?”
“Come through the portal to Summerton. See it for yourself. Talk to Michael and Star.”
“I don’t know. That feels like a pretty big leap of faith.”
With a deep sigh, Gabriel stood up. “Ma’am, much like I believe your son to be aetheryn, I am endowed with a special kind of fae magic myself. I am—”
“Gabriel, no.” Ro understood what he was about to tell Dove.
“It will give her some proof, my lady.”
Dove was watching them closely. Ro lowered her voice. “But it’s…private.”
“And once she understands, she will keep my secret, just as you have.”
Ro exhaled. She hoped that was true. She looked at Dove. “He’s taking a big risk telling you what he’s about to tell you. Please don’t take it lightly.”
Dove gave Gabriel her attention. “What is it?”
With a clear voice, he said, “I am unsynct. It means I have a particular kind of magic that allows me to become undetectable.”
Then Gabriel did something Ro hadn’t been expecting. He vanished. She gasped. “I didn’t think he was going to—I’ve never seen him do that.”
Dove hadn’t said a word. She just stared at the spot where Gabriel had been. “How did he do that?”
“Magic,” Ro answered. “Literally.”
“I’m still here,” Gabriel said as he reappeared.
Dove’s mouth was open. She closed it. “I can’t just go through this portal and leave Mason—”
“We don’t want you to leave him,” Ro said. “That’s the whole point. We want both of you.”
A little white dog came running into the living room.
“And Bean,” Ro added.
A young boy came running in after the dog. He stopped when he saw Ro and Gabriel, his smile disappearing. He looked at his mother.
“It’s all right,” she said. “They’re not bad people.”
Mason nodded. “I know.” He pointed at Gabriel with a smile on his face. “That one has magic.”
Dove’s mouth was open again. “How do you know that?”
“Because he’s like me,” Mason said.
Dove got up and went to her son, pulling him close. “Okay. We’ll go with you and take a look.”
Ro tried not to overreact because she didn’t want to scare them, but she was happy. “Great.” She stood up. “Why don’t we leave Bean here this first time?”
“Okay,” Dove said.
“Also, we’ll go to the castle directly from here, but coming back we’ll end up a little farther away.”
Gabriel shook his head. “We should leave from the park. Otherwise, the car we hired will still be here and we’ll have to hire another one.”
Ro hadn’t thought of that. “Good point.”
“Or,” Gabriel said, “you can take them through yourself while I drive the car back to the park and come through that portal.”
Mason pointed at Gabriel. “I want to go with him.”
“What park are you talking about?” Dove asked.
“The one by the hardware store,” Gabriel answered.
“Why don’t we all drive there?” Dove said. “Mason and I will follow in my car. Then when we come back, we’ll have our own vehicle.”
Ro understood. Dove was giving herself an out in case Ro and Gabriel turned out to be human traffickers or serial killers or cult members. “Great idea,” Ro said. She looked at Gabriel, bright-eyed and already nodding. “That works, right?”
He gave her a look but nodded along. “Yes.”
They piled into their vehicles and trekked back to the park. Ro kept checking to make sure Dove and Mason were still behind them. They were. All the way there.
They parked and Gabriel led them back to the spot where he and Ro had first appeared. “We’ll have to keep contact with each other, as you two don’t have portal rings.”
Ro held her arm out. “Just hold onto me. Also, you might feel a little queasy sensation in your stomach. Like being on a roller coaster, but not that bad.”
Mason held his hand out to Gabriel. “I can hold onto you.”
A little smile bent Gabriel’s mouth. “Yes, you can.” He crouched down. “Put your hand on my shoulder.”
As soon as Mason had done that, Gabriel glanced up at Ro, who’d put her hand on his other shoulder and made sure that Dove was in contact, too. Then he put his fingers to his ring. “Here we go.”
The wobbles weren’t as bad this time, but even through the slight dizziness, Ro checked on Dove. She was breathing open-mouthed. Mason didn’t seem to suffer any ill effects. In fact, he was smiling up at Gabriel, who’d straightened.
Ro put her hand over Dove’s. “You okay?”
She nodded as she looked around.
Ro didn’t imagine the stone walls of the portal room made much of an impact.
“We are definitely not in California anymore, are we?”
“No,” Ro said. “Welcome to Summerton. If you’re all right to move, I’d be happy to show you around.”
Dove looked at her, then down at Ro’s clothing. “Your outfit changed.” Her eyes widened as she took Gabriel in. “So did his.”
“Portal magic,” Ro said. “You probably didn’t notice our ears were pointed when we were in the mortal world, either.”
Dove’s eyes widened farther as her gaze shifted from Ro to Gabriel. “No. And I’m sure I would have noticed that.”
“Well, I don’t want to freak you out, but your ears are pointed, too. So are Mason’s.”
With a gasp, Dove kneeled beside her son and inspected them herself. “They are.” She looked up at Ro and Gabriel, eyes shining bright. “You really were telling the truth, weren’t you?”
Ro nodded. “Yes.”
Holding tight to Mason’s hand, Dove stood up. “You swear my husband is here?”
“He is.” Ro smiled. “Come on. Let’s go find him and you can see some more of your new realm while we walk.”
They stepped out into the hall and with Dove and Mason momentarily distracted by the view out the windows, Ro leaned in to speak to Gabriel. “Get housekeeping on that wing. I have a feeling we’re going to need it as soon as possible.”
He arched one brow. “I gave permission for that this morning. I’m sure staff are in there now.”
She really wanted to kiss him. “You might get a raise for that.”
He chuckled. “You do spoil me, my lady.”
She poked him in the ribs before joining Dove at the window. “It’s really something, isn’t it?”
Dove shook her head. “I can’t believe this is real.”
“I had that same reaction myself when I first got here.”
Dove turned to her, hesitating a moment as if searching for the words.
“I always wished I had a sister. I never dreamed she’d be the queen of some faraway fairytale land, and she’d swoop in to rescue me and my son.
That she’d offer us a life beyond anything I could have imagined.
Is this real? Tell me I’m not imagining this. ”
Ro smiled. “It is and you’re not.”
“I’m sorry I doubted you.”
Ro shrugged that off. “It’s understandable.”
Dove closed her eyes and took a breath. “Even the air smells better here.”
“It does, I agree.”
Dove glanced down at Mason. “Ready to see some more?”
He was staring out the window, wide-eyed and appearing a little awestruck. “Look,” he whispered. “There are dragons.”
Ro tipped her head to see what had caught his attention. One of the wyvern swooped by on patrol. Ro grinned. “Don’t worry. They’re the good guys and they’re on our side.”