116 Abduction (2/2)

I shrugged. \”Aura thinks Ty can do magic…\”

That big reveal followed me all throughout my trip back to Mudgard.

My head reeled at the possibility of ancient humans actually possessing the gift to use the arcane arts and that Ty was some kind of chosen one who was blessed with this possibility. It was an insane thought to have because, well, because it was Ty. He was so ordinary, so normal, and it was insane to think such a huge thing was happening to him.

I opened my eyes to another weekday morning. The sun filtered in through the gaps in my window curtains, unusually bright compared to Idunn's golden light.

My mattress creaked as I got off it.

I rubbed my eyes clear and then put on the eyeglasses I still wasn't used to. Then I spared a second to glance around my room.

It wasn't as bare as when I'd first found myself in the Fayne. Sure, there was barely enough stuff for someone to figure out who Dean Dapper was, but slowly, things were beginning to reappear.

The bookshelf wasn't empty anymore. Although it was filled with the old manila folders and reference books my dad used for his research on the Fayne. Now it was my research. I'd taken up the calling that was once his, and for a really oddball reason, I felt like we connected somehow.

The one chair in my room that once housed my lone photo had been replaced by a small beside table whose surface was crammed with a few more memories. My family trip to England, Luca winning his rookie of the year award, a photo of my first triumphant quiz bowl, and a recent shot of me, Arah and Ty after we'd finally seen Endgame together.

I picked up the photo of me and my friends and prayed to the spirits that they weren't about to get caught up in the mess Luca and I was in.

The door to my room flew open and aunt Lena stood there in her favorite blue apron.

\”Breakfast's ready,\” she said.

She normally never came in to announce such a normal part of our day. Not unless she wanted to have a chat first, and breakfast was her way of preempting me.

\”I can't… I promised to meet Ty and Arah before school,\” I lied.

Technically, it wasn't a lie. Meeting Ty and Arah before school was part of my daily routine.

Aunt Lena didn't look like she was backing off though.

\”We need to talk, Dean,\” she said the words most teenagers dreaded. It was just so open-ended. Then she followed up with, \”It's about your mom… come down to the kitchen when you've finished cleaning up, yeah?\”

After dropping that bomb on me, aunt Lena vanished into the hallway.

It took me fifteen minutes to get ready, but once I had sufficiently mentally prepared myself, I scampered down the steps two at a time feeling eager to get this over with so I could look in on Ty.

The smell of cooked sausage wafted out of the kitchen, and an involuntary grumble came out of my stomach.

I sighed. \”Guess it won't hurt to have breakfast, Dean…\”

Aunt Lena was waiting for me by the tabletop counter. She directed me to sit on the opposite side of her so we would be faced to face with whatever she wanted to say.

Food was already on my plate. Scrambled eggs, toast, and a helping of sausages, all combining to create a smell that made my mouth water in anticipation of that first bite.

But instead of digging in, I picked up the glass of apple juice beside my plate and downed it in one gulp. Nerves had crept up on me, and the taste of apple juice often served to calm them a bit.

\”So… what about mom did you want to talk about?\” I asked.

\”Well,\” Aunt Lena hesitated. \”Well, she's not getting any better, Dean…\”

I knew that. Aura and I had visited enough times during the last few weeks to check mom's condition, and she'd hinted that mom seemed to be getting worse.

\”The doctors think she might not get better…\” aunt Lena said.

\”They don't know everything… she might,\” I reasoned.

Aura had promised that she'd tasked the clan's best healers to help find a way to cure mom. She promised we'd figure out what was wrong with her.

\”She might,\” aunt Lena conceded. \”But the hospital doesn't think she will. They don't know what's happening to her and they don't think they can help her anymore.\”

Aunt Lena's hand reached out for mine but I pulled away. I stood up abruptly. I suddenly didn't want this conversation to continue.

She sighed. \”I know a place that might be able to help her… or at the very least, keep her comfortable…\”

\”Keep her comfortable while she slowly dies inside, you mean…\” I said hotly.

\”It's not like that, Dean—\”

—But I'd heard enough. I stormed out of the kitchen and made my way to the front door. Only, as soon as I opened it, I found Arah already in the motion of knocking on it.

My eyes searched her face and registered the distress on it.

\”Arah, what's—\”

\”—Ty's missing…\” she said quickly. \”His mom called and said he didn't come home last night…\”

I think I would have turned red at that moment as I remembered exactly where he was last night. Luckily, Arah seemed too distracted to notice my discomfort.

\”I found his car idling on my street, Dean…\” she revealed, her eyes bloodshot and frightened. \”The driver's door had been left open...\”

\”No,\” I whispered.

It seemed I was too late to save someone again.