He wasn’t a great storyteller, but he was direct and he didn’t sugarcoat things. He didn’t seem to think my sisters needed to be sheltered from what was going on around here, which I appreciated.
When he had finished, Courtney and Bella were both collapsed back in their chairs with grimaces stretched over their features. Bella furrowed her brow, as though she was trying to reason her way through everything Tavlor had just revealed, while Courtney’s eyes were on the floor, searching for something though I wasn’t sure what.
There was a long silence.
Then Courtney exploded. “But they can’t do that!” She threw her arms out and jumped from her chair so she could storm up and down the length of the dining room. “It’s not our fault he’s our father! We didn’t choose him. So now I can’t leave this place and go see different realms because of him? Because he won’t stand up to the Council?” She faced us, stomping her foot. “That isn’t fair.”
Bella lay a comforting hand on Courtney’s arm.
“They don’t know about us, Courtney... do they?” she asked, looking at me.
I shook my head. “No. No-one except our father knows about you two.”
“So why can’t I go?” Courtney demanded, hands on her hips, eyes narrowed at me. “If they don’t know who I am, I should be able to travel freely.”
“No,” I said. “Do you really want to put everyone at risk because you want to see the world?”
“So, you’re allowed to do it, but I can’t? How is that fair?” She turned to Bella as though she hoped to get our sister on her side. “Come on, Belle, no one knows about us except for our father.”
“And me... now,” Tavlor said, and then cleared his throat roughly. “I’m sorry, Courtney, but it would be in your best interests, and everyone else’s, if you stayed here.”
“Wait,” Bella said. “Ava didn’t tell you about us?”
“I found out when you called out to her the moment we arrived in your realm,” Tavlor said. “I was... surprised to find Ava had siblings. She never once hinted at it.”
I snorted. “Of course not. Once I knew how much trouble we’d all be in if we were found out, I decided not to tell anyone.”
“You made the right choice,” Tavlor said, and I smiled up at him. I had been a little worried how he would take my subterfuge in this manner.
“Thanks.”
“So, what does all this mean, exactly?” Bella said slowly. “That Ava has to hide in here with us, forever?”
“God, I hope not,” Courtney said, and my gaze swiveled back to her. I could feel her fury in one sharp look from her.
“We’ll have to get back to you sneaking out soon,” I snapped. Couldn’t she, for one second, not make everything about her?
She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest but didn’t dispute the accusation. Hopefully once she knew how dangerous it was to be one of Genevieve Melfi’s daughters, she would stop risking her life for a few cheap thrills.
“But to answer your question, Bella, we don’t really know what this all means. What we do know is that I need somewhere safe to hide for the moment,” I said, my voice getting quieter. “The Council has every bad guy around hunting for me, and this is one of the only places we could think of that they won’t look because they don’t know this place even exists. And it needs to stay that way.”
Tavlor nodded. “Very few Witches have realms based off the human world,” he said. “It’s... uncommon actually. Your mother was smart to choose such a base.”
We all looked at each and shared a common smile despite our recent exchange.
“Yes, our mother was very smart,” I agreed.
Then Courtney grinned. “Yeah, with everything except choosing the father of her kids.”
Chapter 6.
“Courtney!” Bella said, pushing at our sister so she rocked on her chair.
I couldn’t help but laugh. “God, I’ve missed you two.”
It was true. My heart felt whole with my sisters. If I was going to be stuck somewhere because an evil Council had sent bounty hunters after me, I was glad I got to stick it out with them.
Courtney grinned. “Yeah, well it sounds like we have heaps of time to catch up, since you’re not going anywhere anytime soon,” she said. There was a begrudging fondness to her voice, as though she was more pleased by this than she wanted me to know. I bit back a giggle and shook my head to myself. “How long’s the hunky boyfriend staying for?”