The Fall of Mangiatorvi

23: Crossing Over

"You can take her to the garden guest house until she wakes," Luca offered,

"That sounds like a good plan. Tamara utilizes plant-based toxins. Haruhi will be able to metabolize and remove it from her system. I'm going to look for Tamara, one of you should go get Haruhi" Beka said, heading off.

Jared easily scooped Gemma up like a rag doll and looked to Luca to lead the way. The guesthouse was right around the corner of the hedges, small but lavish, mirroring the decor of the main mansion. Luca held the door open for Jared, with Madison right on his heels. Luca put his hand up to stop Daniel as he reached the doorway. He closed the door behind them.

"This was not about her, it was about you," Luca said. His voice low. "I am probably the last person you want to hear this from, but striking Ian back head-on will do nothing for anyone."

"I understand."

"Good. I will go find Haruhi."

Daniel nodded. "We appreciate this."

Luca shrugged, shoving his hands into his pockets. "I am her mentor too"

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Gemma forced a low groan through her dry throat, blinking as the world came back to focus. The blurry colors manifested into people, Haruhi sitting closest to her on the couch.

"Welcome back," she said.

"What?" Gemma muttered, slowly flexing her numb toes and fingers. She gasped as Madison rushed to envelope her in a tight hug.

"We were so so worried!"

Gemma looked past Madison's shoulders to see Daniel and Luca on opposite sides of the room with grim expressions. Jared gave her an enthusiastic thumbs up. She pulled away, giving Madison a perplexed look. Then, the fragments of memory flooded her consciousness. Ian, the girl, the garden. She swallowed roughly, looking back to Madison and choking down tears. Gemma attempted to push herself up, but a sharp pain shot up her back and she realized her legs were dead weight.

"Take it easy," Haruhi said. "You're going to be fine, but it'll take a few minutes for the last of the poison to metabolize."

"I want to go home."

"We'll go home soon," Madison promised, taking Gemma's hand into her own.

"No," Gemma shook her head. "I want to go home to New York."

Madison dropped her hand. "What?"

"I wanted to spend the weekend with Nana. James said I had to wait but I want to go home right now."

Relief washed over Madison. "Oh, for the weekend, of course."

"The borders are tightening, all the interrealm gifted are under direct orders," Jacob said.

"I can get her there."

All eyes turned to Luca.

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"Excuse me?" Olivia Fox frowned. "I am sorry, either I am too wasted to be coherent or you have all gone insane."

Daniel watched the socialite with wary eyes. Gemma had regained control of her upper extremities, but Madison had to rotate her legs in order to sit her up. The pair sat in the corner of the small garden house, as the rest of the group huddled to the side with their conversation.

"I summoned you here to open a portal to the Mortal Realm," Luca repeated. "Gemma needs to go home for a few days. She's a transfer, originally from the Mortal Realm."