Women in the small kingdom of Aeriana are disappearing.
Iris Daniels, a budding painter in the East Territory, is trying to keep her head down. In a kingdom filled with abilities, music, and Destined love, Iris is determined to build a career out of...
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"I need a team out to Maple Street immediately. Coordinates sent."
—Kit Garrick, call with Captain Murray, Redlian
Iris put a gloved hand to her forehead. "Okay," she said. "I think that one's going to take a second or two to digest."
Wylan only nodded.
She needed air. Needed a chance to let it all sink in. Because right now, everything felt numb, as if the happenings around her were nothing but a waking dream.
She wanted to talk to her mom. She needed... she needed her mom to talk her through everything. To steady her. She pulled herself up off the floor. "What about my parents?"
"We've got a team watching over them," he told her.
She shook her head. "I need to see them. I need to tell them what's going on. I don't want them to find out before anyone else."
"Iris," Wylan left his post by the corner of the room and put a hand on her arm. "Breathe."
He's right. Time to slow down.
"I'm worried about them," she admitted to him, trying to ignore how warm his hand was on her arm. "If this gets out, I don't want them to be surprised, and I don't want the kingdom dragging them through drama just for the sake of a story."
"And that's a valid concern," he said. His tone was careful as he continued. "But we need to take this one step at a time. Nothing has been released yet. And it won't be until you're ready and back at the Second Palace. Safe."
Could she tell her parents what was going on? She opened her mouth to ask, but then closed it. She didn't need Wylan's or anyone else's permission to talk to her parents. Anyone who stopped her could eat dirt.
"Can I borrow your phone?" She asked him. She needed to tell her parents something before someone else told them first. It had to come from her.
She also needed to tell them about everything else. She wasn't naïve enough to think that, with all of this, they'd be safe in their ignorance. They deserved to know.
Wylan handed a sleek phone over to her. The plastic and metal device was warm from his pocket. "I'll be in the main room. Give a shout if you need anything."
He'd given her his phone without even a second thought. Iris looked down at the device. Surely he hadn't trusted her with his phone if it was his only one. Did he have another one somewhere?
She swept her finger across the glass screen, waiting for a passcode prompt. Instead, the home screen and all its icons popped up. Nothing about the device looked odd. It was simply another normal phone.
No way was it his. He wouldn't give her something with private, sensitive information and walk away if it was.
Doing her own mental shrug, she tapped on the keypad, dialing her mother's number. The only number she knew by heart.
