The look hadn’t done anything but the hard tone of his voice had her flinching as if he’d struck her.
“Everyone had to think she was dead. In her short time here there were numerous attempts on her life.” She sucked in a ragged breath. “Don’t look at me like that, Brace. Sending Aribella away was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do. I gave up my baby to save her life. My...”
She paused, her expressive light-green eyes shadowed with pain.
“A soothsayer warned me to not keep my daughter by my side, or she would not reach her fifth birthday. I was desperate; I had no choice. All that is important is Aribella and the survival of our worlds.”
She moved forward to sink into a burnt-orange chair, the vibrant color contrasting with the white of the other couches.
I didn’t interrupt. I wanted to hear this story – plus, if I opened my mouth, every profanity known to man would be spouting from my lips.
“I decided to use my ability and send you to a youngling planet,” she elaborated. “During sleep, I enter a trance state and can dream-span worlds. I was the safekeeper of the blue royal stone, because you’re the chosen empress. I used its power to open a doorway between the worlds. I chose Earth because it’s void of magic. No one could trace your magical essence.”
She smiled sadly. “I assumed your trace would grow to be really strong, considering who your father is, but it hasn’t.”
She shook her head.
“My only aim through all of this was to keep you alive – I even sent Quarn, your guardian, and his wife Hallow – to protect you until it was safe to return.”
Brace interrupted her. “Quarn and Hallow Lockner? I thought it was strange when the girls mentioned Quarn earlier. I figured there must be another.”
Lallielle nodded. “Our plan was simple. They all ‘died’ in a fiery explosion. That way no one would search for them. Quarn was the best person to send. He’s gifted as a protector. He protects his charges until death. The finest there ever was.”
Brace looked surprised. “I never knew he was a protector. They’re pretty rare.”
Lallielle’s voice broke as she attempted to continue. Her devastation was obvious. And I realized something else: I had a brother, an older brother.
I shook my head. I’d deal with that later.
Eventually I just had too many questions to continue ignoring her.
Examining the dirt under my nails, I spoke quietly.
“What happened on Earth? I only met Quarn a week ago. Earth’s at war – not exactly a safe place to raise children.”
She flinched again, only this time at my tone. But I gave her props, she pulled herself together.
“I don’t know. I lost contact with Quarn when the transition took place. I knew that Earth was a magic dead zone, but I thought I could still dream-span and communicate there. I’m a strong Dreamer.”
That probably explained my dreams for the past seventeen years.
She took a deep breath before continuing.
“I chose Earth, thinking it was a young, healthy vibrant planet. Evolving slowly but moving forward in a promising manner. The perfect place to keep you safe and the last thing our enemies expected us to do.”
I snorted quietly. Sometimes people were too smart for their own good.
She smiled. “Of all the youngling planets, Earth is the closest to ours. You shouldn’t have had any transition period. The mistake I made was underestimating the ripple effect.”
I looked up from my now clean nails. Around me flecks of dirt marred the pristine white couch.
“You did manage to communicate with me.”
Lallielle looked at me blankly.
“All of my life I’ve dreamt of this world, and in every dream you were there. And for the last few years, Brace was also in them.”
I avoided his stare, although I could see, out of the corner of my eye, he looked bothered.
Lallielle’s eyes widened perceptively.
“If you were dream-spanning Abby, then why did she see me?” Brace demanded to know.
She shook her head. “I don’t know, Brace. That’s highly unusual.”
My panic for Lucy was just under control while I gathered information, but the moment the search party returned, and the town was not on lock-down, I was out of there. I shifted to face Lallielle.
“I’ve never met any Hallow – Quarn was always alone.” Was Hallow the reason Quarn had refused to leave?
Lallielle shook her head. “We grew up together. Hallow was my best friend. When she married Quarn, we were a close group. They volunteered to watch you. I planned on it being a year at most. Then I would bring you three back and we’d disappear.”
She didn’t explain how she planned to hide my apparent ‘magical essence’ when I returned and I didn’t ask. It at least partly explained why my mother had sent me to Earth, and not gone with me. If we’d all disappeared at the same time people would have been suspicious. I shrugged. I still wasn’t sure if I’d be forgiving her any time soon.