Hidden Realms Awakening

The Phone Call

"Kill who?" I ask.
"I told that boy to leave the probes alone," she mutters, shaking her head and pulling the lever.
My stomach lurches at the sudden movement. A few seconds pass and we stop at the golden sliding doors once more. This time, Steph doesn't pull the lever again but walks to a door on the side of the tower. Opening it, she pokes only her head out, taking a quick survey of the land. She motions for me to stay and then leaves.
I sigh. How is it fair to tell someone about their long-lost home to only say you can't go there anymore? This is ridiculous. I walk outside, following the direction of Steph's voice.
"Kio, I told you not to mess with the probes anymore! Do you realize that you just notified the entire capital that someone was here?"
Someone new, a teenage boy by the sounds of it, says, "Oh, come on Stephy, lighten up. Nobody listens to those notifications anyway. Besides, they'll just send another one in its place. No big deal."
"It is a big deal, Einstein. Honestly, Kio, I thought I trained you better than this. If you can't learn how to go on missions without blowing something up, then I'm going to have to send someone else with you next time," she warns.
"But Steph, I promise I won't do it again. I even got the information you wanted," Kio replies, slightly desperate.
"Good, but you need to get back to HQ, Now."
"So, missions, secret information, and a headquarters- anything you'd like to tell me, Aunt Steph?" I finally chime in.
She whips around, eyes narrowed and lips drawn thin.
"Only that you shouldn't be out here. Does anyone your age know how to listen?" she retorts.
Kio, however, isn't what I expected. He's tall and fit with olive green skin, ears that point out like Yoda's, and the most mischievous smirk I've ever seen. His dark messy hair swoops right above his large eyes. His observant green eyes have specks of gold. He's more than likely a goblin by the looks of him.
"Pleasure to meet ya, Jamie, isn't it?" he says.
"Jamie Rush, yes. Kio, right?"
"She's a sharp one, your niece," he says to Steph.
"He's an annoyance is what he is," she mutters to me.
"I'm not deaf you know."
"Oh really? Then why didn't you hear me when I told you not to mess with the probes?"
"I have this rare condition. You see, my hearing comes and goes. The doctors still haven't figured it out. Tragic, I know."
Steph sighs and tightens her jaw. She tries to recompose herself. I raise an eyebrow and resist a smirk. If she can deal with him, no wonder she can put up with me.
"Let's go," she says, turning on her heel. Kio flashes a toothy grin and waves at me, backing away from Steph. "That includes you too, Kio."
He shrugs and follows us, but not without whistling three notes. A flapping noise follows. The medium-sized creature that had crashed into the glass perched on his shoulder. Its black beady eyes look like they're staring into my soul. I look away and head to Steph.
"So, what's his story?" I ask softly.
"Oh, Kio? He's a goblin-ogre, even though he was raised by dwarves when he was younger. Now I kind of look after him."
"How do secret missions include looking after him?"
She glances at me, "That's not for you to worry about."
I shrug. What can I expect at this point? What she doesn't want to share, will remain unanswered. If she doesn't want to or can't that's what I'm unsure of.
"So, where are you guys headed back to?" asks Kio as we ride down to the portal entrance.
"To the human realm," replies Steph gruffly.
"Wait, so you're not coming back to HQ with me?" he asks, a little surprised.
Steph shoots a death glare at him and nudges her head at me.
"Ah," he says, understanding dawning on him.
"Where are you going?" I ask him.
"Somewhere you're not," he replies, head cocked back.
I frown. His smart-alike grin makes me want to slap him, or at least force him into coughing up information.
We halt and we're back in the white circular room. Steph picks up the tornado cone from off the floor where we left it, hands it to me, and pulls out the LZ Wand.
"Can I hold it?" he asks, eyeing the cone.
"No," Steph spats.
"Oh, come on, Stephy. Don't you trust me?"
"Do you want my honest opinion?"
"I mean, you have to. I trusted me with getting the thing for you. Why can't I just use the cone for once?"
She gives an irritated sigh, "No, now stop acting like a five-year-old."
He gasps, "I'm offended. I thought we had a better relationship than this but..."
"Y'all are ridiculous," I chime in, slightly chuckling.
"Thanks! Though, I prefer the term charming," he says.
"Can we just go home, please?" Steph pleas.
I nod and we continue on our journey. Once we make it back to the Archways, a longing to go back pulls at me.
"Well, it was nice to meet ya, Princess Jams," Kio bids, leaning against the crystal stand.
"Princess Jams?" I ask, eyebrows raised.
"Oh, don't give me that look. You'll get used to it," he says with a wink.
"Oh no, she won't, because you'll be lucky if you two ever see each other again," Steph adds, walking to a door I didn't notice before.
"I'll be lucky if Mom doesn't kill me first," I mumble.
"Ah, yeah, good luck with Queen Cassie," he exhales, eyes big and lips drawn fine.
"Thanks, I'll need it."
"Jamie, a little faster, please. I'd like to get some rest before work tomorrow."
I sigh, walking towards her. I glance one last time at the wooden Elvin door
"I know, I miss it too," she whispers, sadness creeping into her voice.
"Let's go back to the ranch," I say after a moment of silence.
She nods and opens the new, plain black door. The words "Realm of Humans," is scratched on the top of the door.
"How come the Humans have the least interesting name?" I ask before we go through.
"It used the be called Human Homeland, but after they broke away from the other Realms, everyone just called it the Realm Nobody Names."
"Why did they break off anyway?"
"Power, greed, the usual. They started a war with the others, and when they lost, they were banished from the Ten Realms," she explains briefly, offering a hand. 
I take her hand, "Thanks, Aunt Steph."
"For what kid?"
"For telling me the truth, or part of it at least."
She gives a small smile. Relief floods her eyes, but worry stirs underneath. Was the worry about upsetting Mom and going behind her back? Or was it something bigger?
I squeeze her hand in a small attempt to comfort her. She looks at me, as though seeing me for the first time.
"Dawn Star," she announces.
A yellow light gleams down and hits the crystal, and the light pours into a small dark crystal in the center of the door. Clearing my mind, I concentrate all my energy on holding on. I close my eyes. We walk through. The searing pain bangs at my head, assuring a headache later. My stomach twists and turns into a million knots.
I open my eyes. We're back in the dark room below the barn. Practically dragging ourselves up the stairs, we stumble into the house and bid each other goodnight.
My phone rings on the end table in my new room. I'd left it here after the hospital visit. With five missed calls, Mom must be going crazy right now. Panic rises in my chest. What was I supposed to tell her?
"Aunt Steph!"
Her footsteps quicken. She comes in and I show her my phone.
"Cheese and brisket, Cass it's one in the morning," she sighs.
"Not in London, England," I remind her.
"You answer. Tell her you were helping me in the barn or something. If she asks for me, I'll take it from there."  
"What happened to 'being honest?'"
"Better she be mad at me than you. Just answer the phone."
With a deep breath, I answer. Static. Did I not answer in time?
"Jamie Rush!" Mom yells from the phone. "Did you forget how to answer the phone? I was worried sick!"
Wincing, I reply sheepishly, "Sorry, mom. I was helping Aunt Steph and lost track of time."
"Oh really? You were helping her at one o'clock in the morning? I tried calling her too. Where is she? Did something happen to her?"
I mute the phone for a moment and hand it to Steph.
"I swear she has a special ability that can sense when I do something wrong," she groans.
She unmutes the phone. Closing the door behind her, she steps out of the room. Her footsteps echo down the hall, leading toward her room. A door closes. I bounce my leg. Part of me wants to go after her and listen in on the conversation. The other part is too scared of what might be said.
Curiosity wins. Quietly as possible, I open the door and tip-toe down the hall. I crouch at the door and press my ear to the door.
"She what?!" Mom hisses, referring to my healing act.
"She's special, Cass. You know that. She deserved to know the truth," Steph defends calmly.
"Steph, please tell me you didn't," mom sighs.
No reply.
"You promised, Steph!"
"I know, I know! But nobody saw us, Cass," she speaks up.
Mom groans, "Steph, that isn't the problem! The problem is that you just gave my sixteen-year-old daughter the most classified information in history! She's going to get hurt."
Steph sighs, "I only showed her the castle, Cass. Gave her a very brief history of why we can't go back. She doesn't know about the other stuff."
Tense silence follows. Thirty seconds pass, and Mom's quiet reply makes my stomach drop.
"Erase her memory."