Sylvan

Chapter 19

"Didn't Giselle tell you he's the guy we met at your forest?" Gabriel lied smoothly. "I don't know if he remembers me now. Giselle doesn't let me visit him anymore." He shot me a scowl through the rearview.

I glared back and he immediately looked down. No matter the animosity between us right now, I was still his elder sister.

"Gab, I know you didn't meet him at my land. Your sister told me everything," Noah said, "you met him at the Magic Realm. You don't have to hide anything from me."

Gabriel's eyes widened.

"Don't be afraid." Noah's tone turned gentle. "I'm not going to hurt Gorrie. The reason he didn't want you to tell anyone about him and the realm was to not breach the code. No sentient creature from the other side is allowed to expose themselves to humans. Gorrie just didn't want to get in trouble with kingdom authorities."

My brother looked at him suspiciously from the rearview. "How do you know so much?" He asked.

Noah flashed him a smile. "Because I'm from the same place where your friend is at. I, too, come from the Magic Realm."

"Will you get in trouble for telling us about yourself?" I voiced my concern when Gabriel went silent. If humans were unaware of the existence of goblins and their world then there must be some really good checks to keep it that way.

"I don't think so. You two have already crossed over to the Realm, if anything I'm doing the damage control. Also you're my companion, so that makes our situation more...atypical.  Besides I trust you and Gab to keep this all to yourselves."

"Gabriel's just seven. Are you sure you want to take the risk?" I said and saw my brother pouting from the back seat.

"The kid already knows the gist of it. He might as well know it all for his own safety," replied Noah. "He managed to hide about Gorrie from you for weeks. You'll be surprised how good Kids are at keeping secrets."

"I'm right here," Gabriel sassed, glaring at us, "what are you two going on about?!"

"Don't get mad, little man. We'll tell you everything." Noah gave him a pacifying smile. "You look just like your sister when you get angry."

"Scary?"

"No, adorable."

We both glared at him. That was condescending. But Noah's grin told me he found it very funny. As an elder sibling, I needed to look intimidating when angry. 

"Say that again and I'll show you adorable," I warned, giving him the stink eye.

Noah pressed his lips but the twinkle in his green eyes let me know he was stifling a chuckle, or another remark. Jerk.

"I don't believe you," Gabriel said.

"You don't believe me that you're adorable."

"Not that," he pouts, "I mean the stuff about Magic Realm. Giselle has set you up on this."

"No, she didn't," Noah said before I could refute his accusation, "I'm telling the truth."

My brother didn't look convinced.

"So you're the difficult one of the two." Noah sighed. "What can I do to make you believe me Gabriel?"

"Well, if you say you're from the Realm of Magic then prove it. Do some magic," my brother demanded. It made sense from his point of view. I guess I had believed Noah too easily. I should've asked him to do some magic for me too.

"I saw that coming." Noah chuckled. "We're forbidden to use our powers out of the Realm. But you happen to be in luck because I have some privileges." He slowed down the car. "Okay, brace yourselves kiddos."