Luca crashed through the side door to the royal gardens. His eyes darted from side to side to each of the garden paths before choosing the hedge maze Ian regularly brought his companions. The twinkling outdoor lights lit up the aisles, but not the murky fear that clouded Luca's mind. His quick steps halted as he rounded the corner. Gemma laid across the ground, unconscious, with the straps of her dress ripped and Ian kneeling beside her. In a few short strides, Luca had his cousin by the neck of his collar, throwing him off to the side.
"What the fuck, Ian?" Luca demanded. He turned to see a bystander with spikey green hair flee the scene.
Ian picked himself up, brushing the dirt off his trousers. A sizzling fire danced along his fingertips. "This is none of your concern."
"Your mother assigned her to me."
"I didn't know this was your castaway," Ian scoffed.
"Zia would have you castrated if she knew what you were about to do."
"Take a sit," Ian scoffed again. " I was just playing a prank on Greyson."
"You did all of this just because he mentors her?"
Luca gaped, baffled at the man he thought he knew. Arrogant, self-centered, and selfish, yes, but Luca would never have before described his cousin as heinous. Luca spent the majority of his childhood brooding, but often took breaks to follow his fun-loving, older cousin around, often wishing he was more like Ian.
"I thought you were her mentor. Christ, how many mentors does one transfer need?"
"As many as you want when you are a Tier 1."
Luca deflected Ian's fireball assault, catching the second one and extinguishing it in his hand.
"Your father pulled strings to get you to Tier 1," Ian spat. "People just pity you because your sister's dead."
Luca charged Ian. His shoulder made direct impact into his chest, sending both men tumbling to the ground. Luca landed two solid punches before Ian kicked Luca to the side and rolled out from underneath. Ian jumped to his feet, wiping the blood from his mouth with the back of his hand. "Ah, il bambino finally grows up."
The clear skies crackled with thunder as the electricity raced through Luca's body, waiting to strike.
"Do it. Hit me," Ian dared, bracing for impact.
Gemma's friends emerged from the party, capturing Luca's attention. Ian seized his opportunity to escape and fired off into the sky like a cannon.
Luca cursed, looking back to Beka who acted as a barrier between him and Daniel. He appreciated the gesture, despite knowing she was as defenseless to mental attacks as he was. Madison rushed past them to Gemma's side, shaking her. She remained unconscious.
"What happened?" Daniel demanded. "Where did your fanger cousin fly off to?"
"Nothing happened," Luca replied honestly. "I saw Ian and that weird girl leave with Gemma. I didn't like the way she was staggering so I followed."
"What girl?"
"I don't know, she had green hair and lots of piercings."
"Tamara," Beka nodded, "I know her."
"What are we going to do? We can't carry her out," Madison frowned, bringing the attention back to Gemma.
"I can carry her out," Jared grinned, flexing his biceps.
"Take a sit," Beka said. "I know you can but Madison's right. It would cause a scene. There is no doubt paparazzi outside these gates just waiting for a scandal."
"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"
✄┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈
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.
✄┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈
"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."
Olivia shook her head. "You know the laws have changed. No one enters or exits without a visa, not even natives."
"I know," Luca said. "Consider it a personal favor I am asking you."
Olivia paused, taking a moment to mull over her thoughts before returning her piercing blue gaze to Luca. "It's your father's direct decree."
"It's a bullshit decree. There's no threat coming from the Mortal Realm, we need intrarealm border protection, not interrealm," Haruhi muttered.
"That will not change the fact that I will be in immense trouble if caught," Olivia said, rolling her eyes.
"You're a Fox, at most you'll get a slap on the wrist," Daniel said.
Her eyes turned to him, the corner of her lips quirked into a smile. "You care about this girl, Daniel?"
"I'm her mentor."
Olivia looked back to Luca, "I will do it on three conditions."
"Name them."
"One, you take full responsibility if we are caught."
"Done," Luca said.
"Two, you owe me a favor of my choosing when the time comes."
"Done."
"Three," Olivia smiled, "Daniel takes me out to dinner tomorrow night."
"What?" Daniel frowned as all eyes turned to him.
"You heard me."
His eyes narrowed, but it did not deter the future duchess. He glanced at Gemma, eyes sunken in, shoulders drooping with exhaustion, leaning into Madison. The feisty spirit he had grown to adore was nowhere to be seen. She had not looked up once since Olivia arrived. Seeing her, it felt like someone had punched him the stomach.
He squared up to make a deal with the devil. "Top Tier, tomorrow at 7."
"The Establishment at 7," Olivia countered.
"Fine."
"Good."
"Deal, now hurry up so we can all go to bed," Luca said.
Olivia walked to Gemma, "Can you show me on a map where to drop you off, give me instructions, describe your building, and show me pictures of your home?"
Gemma nodded, pulling out her holophone. Daniel grinded his teeth, holding his tongue despite wanting to stop her. She was lying, he could feel it. She was not planning to return. He spent the entire week praying for simpler times before she plagued his every thought. Now his wish was granted, and she would be gone from his life. Instead of relief, he felt bereft.
The thought of his old schedule of waking up, early morning training, followed by breakfast, classes, lunch, afternoon training, studying, dinner, evening training and going to bed to start it all over again was desperately hollow all of a sudden. He realized now, all too late, that she had become the highlight of his days this week. He woke up more eager to start each of his mornings and came home each evening in a far better mood- even Jared had noticed.
Madison held Gemma in a tight hug as Olivia began to search the realms for the exit portal.
"Beka and I will see you on Monday for lunch, okay?" Haruhi smiled.
Gemma nodded, but Daniel could tell that Haruhi shared his suspicions of this goodbye being far more final than they wanted. A familiar sound of tearing filled the room as the portal opened. He swallowed the lump in his throat and forced a smile as her gaze lingered on him for a brief moment before she stepped through the portal.
Daniel reached out in alarm as he heard her scream just as the portal closed. He looked to the group, none of whom was showing any concern. "You guys didn't hear that?"
"Hear what?" Haruhi frowned.
"Gemma, she was just screaming!" Daniel said, his voice rising with his anxiety. He turned to Olivia, who was giving him the strangest look. "Open the portal, I'm going after her."
"You can not cross."
"Open the portal," Daniel demanded, firmer this time
Olivia took a tentative step back, adamantly shaking her head. "You are not clear to cross, you will be detained."
Daniel could feel his blood pressure rising, the static in his head growing louder with the second. He turned as Haruhi reached out, gently placing her hand on his wrist. "Are you sure?"
He nodded. "I heard her. I can always hear her."
Guilt flooded his chest. He should have heard her earlier, he should have stayed by her side. If he had not been so distracted, he could have intercepted Ian. He should have kept his distance and shielded her from the public eye. He should have been more responsible. His incompetence was what ultimately led to her return to home, and what put her in danger. Her scream was so agonizing it made the hairs on his neck stand even now.
"Can you hear her now?" Madison asked.
He shook his head. "Not since the portal closed."
"I'm clear to cross," Haruhi volunteered, turning to Olivia. "Open the portal."
Luca frowned, shaking his head. "You would be going blind. We do not know if there is a threat."
"Exactly," Haruhi said. "That's why one of us needs to get there now if something's wrong. She's basically defenseless and we're wasting time."
Olivia shrugged, making a skeptical face. "I think you guys are overreacting. I mean... it is the Mortal Realm. There are only so many things it could be." Olivia quickly put her hands up in defeat as she was faced with four pairs of glaring eyes, and Jared's confused ones.
"Let me through," Haruhi repeated again.
Luca shook his head. "I will go."
"Why?" Haruhi narrowed her eyes.
"Your father's Knight Marshall of Asia, not North America."
"I feel better about Luca crossing," Olivia nodded.
"That is because if I cross you can more easily pass the responsibility of misconduct to me."
"Exactly," Olivia said, giving him her best smile. She opened the portal and sarcastically motioned like a model on a game show. "Safe travels, your majesty."
Luca scoffed at her. "You are going to make a great adviser."
"Update us when you can on the situation," Daniel said, fighting to retain his composure despite the fact he could no longer hear Gemma on the opposite side of the portal.
"I will."