Page 231 of Infernal Secrets

Quinfina said Ash removed the seal that had been there since I was a baby. I knew what the guys taught me about Shyrlivi, but nothing beyond that. And magic? Even less.

Still, I didn’t belong in Elyrdin.

Cornaith sneered. “And let us not forget her manipulation of lesser infernals. You all witnessed it with your own eyes!”

“Can she survive?” Ezra asked, ignoring his father’s rant.

“She survived Cholian,” Quinfina said as if that meant something. She looked at me. “The environment is harsher than in Elyrdin.”

I shook my head slowly. “But I have a home… a life…”

“You can’t live in the human world as you once did,” Quinfina said. “Lesser infernals will flock to you with your powers unlocked.”

They already flocked to me. I couldn’t imagine facing more of them.

I shuddered at the memory of the parking garage incident.

I couldn’t live with that happening all the time.

“Then it’s decided,” Cornaith said, turning to the triplets. “See to it she gets to Elyrdin. Ranthus, you’re with me.”

Did no one care what I wanted?

Rinlora and Roandra stepped forward in sync as Cornaith turned with Ranthus toward the dead trees. The other council members followed—all but Lymsrana.

Two guards remained with Rinlora and Roandra as they approached Quinfina.

I looked at Ash, panic tightening my chest.

He pulled me onto his lap, holding me tight. “It’ll be fine,” he whispered into my hair.

“You don’t understand. I have a job. Friends. If I disappear, what will happen to my house? My things? If I can’t live in the human world anymore, then what do I do? I don’t have a home in Elyrdin… I don’t even know how to live like a Shyrlivi.”

Ash put his large hand over the side of my head, cradling me close as I spiraled.

“It isn’t as bad as you think,” Lymsrana said, approaching and speaking in the gentle voice she had before, sounding so much like a caring mother it made my chest ache. “I understand changing everything can be daunting, but we will help you as best we can.”

Quinfina smiled at me, turning away with Rinlora and Roandra, disappearing where the council went.

Lymsrana extended her hand to Ezra, holding a large crystal. “Take her back to Earth to collect the things she wants to bring here and handle her remaining affairs.” She looked at me. “While I would like to give you longer, you can only be gone for a week, or their absence will upset the balance between Elyrdin and Earth.”

“But we were gone for more than a week before,” Zeke said, frowning.

“Yes, and even though things have returned to normal, we experienced more attacks from Feranzis on Elyrdin’s walls than ever before.”

Ezra took the crystal and looked at me. “We can stay on Earth for extended periods only when lesser infernals create chaos in your world.”

“It’s not her world anymore,” Zeke said.

I groaned.

How did I explain this to Maya?

57

UNEXPECTED KINDNESS

RAE