Page 51 of Beginning at the End
“I knew the moment you fixed on me and decided to contact me today.It was an odd feeling, but I knew what it was.”
He forked up some fries and gravy.“Interesting.”
“Yup.”
“What did you get today?”
“Makeup that matches my preferred colour palette.”
“Why were you wearing pastels?”
“Likon asked for them, so I didn’t stand out.He wanted me to blend in.”
“And for years, you blended.”
“Yup, and I would for years more, but he pulled the trigger, and since all I have is my own dignity, I had to protect it.”
Sern wiped some gravy off her cheek with his thumb.“I have the greatest respect for your dignity.”
“I know.It’s what I like about you.The respect is felt in everything you do.”
He looked at her, and an embarrassed look came to his eyes.“I didn’t realize you were aware of it.”
“Your brother acts similarly.I think Delia is working to make a call to your home.”
Sern blinked.“What?”
“Den said you called home regularly until you were sent here.She is communication.She will be making the call.”
Sern swallowed.“When?”
“Ask Den.I introduced them because I thought Den and Del would be cute.”
Sern looked at her in astonishment and then started texting.The language he spoke in was low and liquid.He paused to check his phone and sighed.“Yes, seven will be fine.”
She smiled and kept eating.
When he finished talking to his brother, he hung up with a shaking hand.“You knew she could connect through the stars.”
“Of course.She called for me when she needed me, so there I was.And then we returned together.”
“You were taken?”
“No.We followed the taken.I did it after dinner, after work.When Likon went out to play with others.We worked with the earth-born djinn and managed to get the children confined back to this world.Then, we locked the Shadow Mage portals.If they open one, it’s going to happen with a bang.”
“There is a mage that does explosions?”
“Chemical reactions, yes.”
“Ah.And you got together on this?”
“They stole siblings, relatives.They tried to lure us in and got so much more than they bargained for.”
Sern blinked.“I see.”
She grinned.“As my sister said, they called the devil, and I showed up.”
Understanding flared through him.“You...they targeted the mages.”
