Chapter 6

• Trendan glanced at his forearm as they walked into the Alterealm Royal’s summit room.
• “It burns,” Ulric said quietly.
• “I don’t feel sick, so I’ll take it.” When they’d landed in the acclimation chamber, a strange woman named Elder Arian had met them and jabbed them in the arm to implant a stabilizer. Of course, she’d only told them after doing it that they were the guinea pigs.
• “If I grow a third arm, I’m not going to be happy.”
• Trendan looked around the room. “She said the worst-case scenario is we’ll feel sick.”
• “Right. Because science experiments always do exactly what they’re meant.”
• Tor came over to them. “Did you guys get the implant too?” He held up his arm where the red area was visible.
• “How long have you had it in?” Ulric rubbed his arm again.
• “About an hour.” He shrugged. “It was better than sitting in that chamber.
• Trendan didn’t see his brother anywhere. “Where is Bastian?”
• “He’s with Glen right now, Nova is with Sonia and Cambree, they’re doing a video call.”
• Sonia and Cambree were the family Glen had been spelled to forget. Trendan nodded. “When is Glen going to see them?”
• “I don’t know. I was just told to wait here—” He grabbed Ulric’s arm, “Oh. There she is. This lady is amazing and always brings food. Her name is Mitz.” He started toward the table, pulling his long hair back with a tie as he went.
• Trendan looked over to see a redheaded woman setting a tray on the table at the other end of the room. “Go ahead.” He knew Ulric would want to follow Tor. They’d spent nearly every day of their lives together, and some days, he thought they could have been brothers. He grinned at the thought. That wasn’t true. They didn’t argue enough to be related.
• “Trendan.” Leone came toward him. “We couldn’t get all the realms here today, but we have more clues to follow for yours, so Michael wants to get started with Solrelm first.”
• The part the polite prince wasn’t saying was that because they’d caught his brother, they had more information to go through.
• “Tre,” Liri came in the door, “look at the timeline I’ve been working on.” She stopped and pointed. “So far, we’re back almost a thousand years.”
• He looked at the wall she pointed to and saw many note cards on it. “Is it working?” He started in the direction of it. “Are you able to piece anything together?”
• “More than we had a week ago.” She gave him a quick look, guilt on her face. “Bas should be here soon. Then we can go through the records Elyas gave us.”
• He wondered for a moment if the reason most of the other realm’s representatives weren’t here was because of there was a traitor in his own family. Had the Alterealm royals saved him the shame and embarrassment on purpose?
• Princess Aireese got up and went over and spoke to King Troy. She had an urgent look on her face, which surprised him. He didn’t think she showed emotion. When she finished speaking with the King, she turned and came toward him. He held his breath for a second, wondering if she knew about Elyas.
• “Prince Trendan.” She gave him a polite smile. “I can’t stay as long as I’d hoped. My guard, Firo, has made some progress with the Nula flowers and possibly Florin’s location.
• He blinked, trying to remember the relevance of that information. “One of those involved with the first woman that held Nova’s soul?” He paused, trying to think how old they would have to be.
• “It may not be her, but she is very old, so we might get lucky.” She grinned, and it wasn’t in a pleasant way. “I will let Bastian know as soon as I do.” She looked at him for a moment and then lifted her hand and disappeared from his sight.
• “They make it look so much better than we do.” He turned to see Prince Emil standing behind him. “We port, but she has that flair that makes it look better.” He shrugged.
• “I often wish we could do something like as well.” Trendan shrugged.
• “You have to go through your headquarters, correct? To get from one location to another?”
• “More or less. As watchers, our links can do a great deal, but yes, if we’re going from one location to another of great distance, it has to come from the control center.”
• Emil nodded slowly. “So how are these lawless ones doing it? I don’t see your brother transporting them to and from locations.”
• That had been one of the first questions he’d asked Elyas once the shock had worn off. “He didn’t. The only transporter we’ve found was at the research facility…”
• “So they all went through there?” He had a very serious look on his face. “I’m just trying to adjust to the fact that my family are now basically detectives for all the realms.” He grinned. “At least until everyone is caught and this insanity is over.”
• “And then what are you going to do?” Abraham came over and smiled at his father.
• “Take a long nap,” Emil answered and then toasted them with a coffee mug and walked away.
• “He’s not himself the last few days.” Trendan watched him watch his cousin, now Abraham’s soul mate, walk over to her timeline wall. “He’s worried about my sister. Since the birth, she’s stayed in her room.”
• Trendan didn’t know all the details surrounding that, but he did understand the birthing process. “It takes time to recover.” He knew in Solrelm, the women were pampered and not usually seen for at least a week after giving birth.
• “I suppose. I just wished she’d talk to me.”
• “Siblings are complicated.” As if he’d been waiting for his cue, Bastian came through the double doors and announced his arrival. Did he ever just walk into a room without making a grand entrance? Trendan didn’t think so.