Page 18 of The Void

Mia reached out and took his hand, shushing him. Then she motioned to the guards stationed on each floor that they passed by.

When they had climbed a dozen or so flights of stairs, she made her way down the hallway to the double doors that opened up into her rooms, the same rooms she’d been in those first nights and had returned to last night after her official crowning ceremony. Or whatever they called it when she was given full power of this realm.

Once she shut the door behind them, she sighed and leaned back against the closed doors, tossing her crown onto a table that sat just inside the doors.

“Why didn’t you return home?” Lucas asked first.

“I can’t.” She threw up her hands. “I’ve tried.” She closed her eyes and willed herself back home. She opened them again with a groan. “See.”

“Okay,” he said slowly with a frown. “Did you just try going without me?”

She shrugged again. “You don’t have your powers either.” She motioned to him.

“No, I don’t. But you still have your powers.” He waved his hand towards the door. “That grand finale was new.”

“Yes, I’ve been working on that trick ever since I saw Selene do it.” She smiled and slipped off her heeled shoes, then reached up and untied her hair, letting it fall over her shoulders. “I’ve also got a few new tricks up my sleeves since arriving.”

Lucas remained quiet, standing just inside the door as she made herself more comfortable.

“What?” She frowned at him when he didn’t say anything.

“Are you sure you’re real?” he surprised her by asking.

She frowned and moved closer to him. “Just what did happen to you in the Kri?” she asked.

He took a deep breath and closed his eyes for a moment.

“Kri’s visions may cause thee, Hinder not thy path, resolutely, embrace the journey, ardently,” he said in a strange voice. At first, she’d believed he was in a trance, but then he opened his eyes and smiled at her. “I saw… things.”

“Okay,” she said slowly, her eyes running over him. “You look tired, and in need of a shower.”

He glanced down at his dirty clothes and groaned. “I don’t suppose they have indoor plumbing?”

She smiled. “They do, the bathroom is in there.” She stopped him from leaving by holding up her hand. “Here, I’ll conjure you some clean clothes.”

“You can do that?” he asked.

She shrugged. “Since I’ve been here, I’ve discovered that I can do a lot of new things.” She held up her hand and smiled when a large chocolate ice cream cone with sprinkles appeared in her hands. Taking a bite, she waved towards the bed, and a pair of jeans and a black T-shirt in his size appeared. They were folded nicely on the edge of the bed. She’d seen him wear the same outfit a few times before and liked the way he looked in it.

“Impressive,” he said as he bent and picked up the items before disappearing into the bathroom.

While he showered, she thought of how nice it was not to have to hide her abilities from him or, at this point, anyone else.

Never in her life had she been able to do that with anyone outside of her family. It had been so hard to keep who she was, what she was, from everyone she met. If someone was in trouble, she’d have to weigh the cost of being caught if she helped them. Her entire life, she’d been raised to help the less fortunate. But being caught was not an option.

Glancing at herself in the mirror, she thought quickly about changing out of the dress. Even though it was comfortable, it was a little formal for sitting around and having a chat with Lucas.

But what should she wear?

She stared at her reflection while she finished off the ice cream treat.

She’d always believed herself to be dull looking. Sure, her long hair was shiny and rich black color. There were a few honey-colored highlights that she’d added a while back. Plus, when she did try to curl it, thankfully, the curls stayed in place with the help of some product. The way the women had braided it and pulled it up was kind of new and far more exciting than the ponytail she always wore.

She was slender and only five-three, the tallest in her family. Yet most everyone here was shorter than her, even the men.

Lucas was well over six foot and practically towered over everyone here.

What she wanted to change into were some soft yoga pants and a large comfortable T-shirt. Instead, she conjured up something a little more… Atlantean.