Chapter 13

“He believes that?” Michael leaned back against the counter. “He believes he was in that building all this time?”

“I find it hard to believe that the building was a mental institution all these years.” Leone scanned the windows as he spoke. “We need to know how he just suddenly landed there.”

“Once he has recovered further, we will have to get more details,” Victor spoke with authority as he walked to stand where Troy sat on a stool.

I looked around to see the rest of the family scattered around the diner, waiting.

“This is a good location.” Rafael nodded to Quinton. “Derian says he used it for meetings with ours living over here.” 

Quinton continued to stand with his arms crossed over his chest. “Helps that the owner is one of ours.” 

“I feel bad we’re costing them business by closing the place for our meeting.” Alona looked at Chase.

He smiled at her. “They’ll be compensated.”

“At least we don’t have to watch our backs,” Daxx said as she sipped her coffee. 

“She should be here soon.” Kara looked at her phone.

“You keep your distance.” Rafael gave Kara a steady look. “Listen, but stay at arm’s length, please.”

“You still think this might be a setup?” Paisley looked from Rafael to Arius.

Arius lifted one eyebrow. “We’re not taking chances.” He looked at the kitchen. “We have guards out back and down the street.” 

I hadn’t known that. The entire royal family was here, minus Crissy. I looked in the corner booths. I didn’t think she was here, but with her knack for blending and being unseen...

“Reagan, will you be able to see,” Emil waved his hand around, “traces when she comes in?”

I nodded. “If she comes in with ill intent, I’ll know.” 

Emil motioned to a table across from the door. “Have a seat there.”

I got up and went to where he pointed. Before I was sitting, Quinton and Emil moved, so they were between the door and me.

“Any trouble, you use your porter,” Quinton told me in a quiet but stern tone.

I pulled the cuff of my jacket up, so my porter was visible and nodded at him. I knew nothing about clandestine meetings and spies.

Derian walked in and nodded to Victor. All of the males in the room straightened up as he moved out of the way as a woman with short curly hair entered. Her look of surprise grew as she looked around.

She bowed her head. “Your Majesties.”

Kara glanced at Rafael and nodded. 

“Please,” Troy motioned to a table in the center of the diner, “take a seat.”

She bowed her head again and quickly moved to sit down. “I didn’t expect the whole royal family,” she said quietly. 

Daxx leaned on the table and looked across the room at her. “We’re a tight-knit group.”

The woman looked at her for a moment. “Yes, my Queen.” 

“What’s your name?” Autumn glared at Michael as he sat at the table with her. 

“Oh, I’m sorry.” She respectfully inclined her head. “Lucina, but on this side, I am currently known as Sophia.” 

“You’re from Alterealm?” Bethany asked as she moved closer.

“Yes.” She clasped her hands together on the table. “I haven’t been home in some time.” She glanced at Michael. “My pass expired, but I couldn’t leave.”

“Why are you working at that place?” Paisley stood up and sat on one of the stools closer to her. “You have to know how those from the realm have been treated.”

“Yes, Princess, I do. It’s why I’m there.” She turned back to Autumn. “A cousin of mine ended up there,” she glanced at Troy, “he was a guard.” Turning back to Autumn, she blew out a breath. “He managed to get a message out to my uncle.” She turned and looked at Quinton. “But no one was willing to do anything about it—to go look for him.”

Quinton went over to the counter and picked up a waitress’s pad and pen. He took it to her. “Write your cousin’s name, your uncle’s, and anyone that you know he spoke to.”

She nodded but continued to look up at him. “Did you really just take them all out?”

Quinton nodded.

“Thank the gods.” She closed her eyes for a second. “I couldn’t figure out how to free them all, so I did nothing but monitor what was happening.” She shook her head. “I helped some feed from time to time, but I have to retire and come back with a new identity every few years.” She patted her head. “A new hair color, style, contacts…”

“How long have you been working there?” Quinton crossed his arms over his chest and studied her. 

“Thirty years, which is nothing considering how long it has been happening.” She lifted her purse, then paused before opening it. “May I?”

Quinton motioned to it.

She pulled out a thick handful of folded papers and held them up to him. “Something is going on in the basement. A few of ours talked about it. I can’t find a way down there. I did some research and tracked the address and renovations for the last two centuries.” She looked at Victor. “I can’t trace it back any further...”

Quinton flipped through the papers, his expression grim. With a grunt, he held them out to Michael. 

“Did you find your cousin?” Bethany asked.

She shook her head. “No. I don’t know what happened to him, but I couldn’t, in good conscience, leave the others from our realm there and just walk away.”

Rafael looked at Emil. “Ask Derian to come in.”

Emil stepped out the door.

I watched Michael hand the papers to Troy, walk to the other side of the room, and stare out the window.

Troy glanced through them, looked at Chase, and shook his head before handing them to Victor.

Victor’s expressions gave away nothing. He folded the papers and held them while Derian came in with Emil.

Alona got up and went over to Chase and said something quietly.

Chase gave her a look and nodded. “Lucina, would you like to go home and see your family?”

She stopped writing and looked up at him. “I…”

“A visit. We can bring you back if you wish,” Chase added.

“Is it wise to…”

Chase held his hand up to cut off Victor’s query. “She’s been on the inside this long; we need her there for a short while more.”

Victor’s expression changed, and he nodded. “I will see if we can secure schematics of the building.”

Chase nodded and looked at Derian. “I need you to set up a fast method of contact for Lucina on this side.”

Derian nodded. “We have many safe houses set up.”

Crissy popped up behind the counter. She reached over and took the papers from Victor’s hands and opened them. “We need Reagan to see in this basement,” she nodded and looked at me, “I don’t know why yet, but I know we do.”

Everyone turned to look at me. I shook my head, not having a clue why.

“Kara isn’t going back in there,” Rafael said in a tone that didn’t allow for argument.

Sophia paused and looked at Kara. “I thought you looked familiar.” She smiled. “I don’t know how you did it, but I’m thankful you did.” Her expression became serious. “The voices were actually others’ thoughts?”

Kara nodded.

Sophia sat back and then turned to Chase. “I have been checking files, and there may be other patients that have our blood in their veins.”

Chase looked at his twin. “We need someone else in there.”

Troy nodded and looked at Arius. “You can make the introductions when we find someone suitable.”

Arius crossed his arms over his chest and gave them both a glance before looking at Sophia. “We’ll need you to list the routines, protocol, and every exit you know of.”

She nodded. “I have a notebook hidden away; I make a record of everything.” Then, heaving out a deep sigh, she put her hand over her heart. “I’m so relieved this is almost over.” She nodded. “I would like to see my family. I called each week from a different location, but to see them…” A single tear slid down her cheek. “Thank you,” she said, without looking at anyone in particular.

“We’re sorry it has gone unnoticed as long as it has,” Troy said quietly.

“I will set up a secure location on our side for her to see her family,” Victor said abruptly. “We’ll need guards to watch over her kin until this is over.” He looked at Rafael.

Rafael nodded. “I’ll get Ira to select a few to rotate.”

Sophia stood up. “My family will be in danger?”

“We can’t take chances. There is much you don’t know about,” Troy told her.

Taking a deep breath, she nodded. “Then I don’t wish to see them until it is over.” She shook her head. “I won’t put them in danger.”

“As you wish,” Victor said, a look of admiration was on his face.

“Derian, I want you to stay with Lucina until you have things set up over here,” Rafael informed him.

“I can get the notebook for you.” Sophia held out the notepad to Quinton.

Quinton took it and looked down at it for a moment, then put it in his pocket. He turned to Michael. “Get her a porter as well,” he glanced at Troy, who inclined his head, “just in case.”

Michael pulled out his phone. “We should get going. The whole family in one location too long over here is asking for trouble.”

Arius held out his hand to Paisley. “I agree with that.”

“Should we ask Bastian to take a wander through that place?” Daxx got up and walked over to Troy. “Check the staff and see if any are his?”

Troy rubbed the bridge of his nose. “It can’t hurt.”

“The climax is so close,” Crissy said loudly. “I feel it.” She turned to Victor with an excited look. “My visions paused for a minute.”

Victor raised one eyebrow, looked at me, then held his hand out to Crissy. “We’ll discuss it further at home.”