The Family - Volume 2

Chapter 7

The teleportation was more than brutal; I'd never felt such a sensation. My body seemed to be traveling at phenomenal speed, so much so that it was going to fall apart if this didn't end.

Suddenly, images of people being reduced to nothing appeared in my head, which must surely have been the thoughts of one of my cousins.

- We're going to be disintegrated!" bellowed Matt in my head.

- Don't talk nonsense and stop thinking weird things," Ken replied. We've got to stay calm and we'll get through this.

- That's what you say," he said, half reassured.

- You're really thinking of silly things," I informed them. Ken's thinking about food (for a change), Jon's thinking about his next invention, Matt's imagining we're going to die torn to pieces and Lia's looking for ways to increase her salary. In a situation like this, that's all you care about!

- You're in no position to say that. Have you seen what you're thinking about?" asked Ken hilariously. Your lover, that charming Rick.

I felt myself blushing, even though it was a bit strange to say without feeling.

- Anyway, I've got to...

I didn't have time to finish my sentence before the teleport ended without warning.

There was always a problem with landing, every time we had to crash somewhere. This time we appeared a metre off the ground and all fell into a small room.

Ken was the first to get up.

- It smells like food," he declared.

- You're incorrigible," mumbled a confused Lia, lying on the floor.

I sat up straight, massaging my head.

- Teleportation seems to have removed you from my body. Gods be praised, I couldn't take any more of your stupid thoughts.

- And we from yours, said Jon.

- Where are we?" asked Matt.

- I don't know.

Jon pulled out his cell phone.

- There's no network bar, anyway.

I held my head in my hands.

- Let me remind you that we've gone back to the beginning of the existence of magic, you don't think the Internet existed back then.

- The kid's got a point," said Ken, helping himself to a chicken leg that was lying on the table with a bunch of other food.

- Put that back!" choked Lia. We mustn't touch anything!

- We must have gone back several centuries," I mumbled out loud what I'd been thinking while ignoring them, "maybe we've reached the time of empires or castles, the Middle Ages.

- And why have we ended up in a kitchen? asked Matt septically. Because we're lugging around the biggest eater of all time?

- Certainly not. Already last time on our trip into the past, I didn't quite understand how the place had been chosen. However, I think I've got the hang of it, I've got the impression that the choice of location depends on the amount of magic it possesses. On our first trip into the past, our anchor point was Anne, who had accumulated far too much magic. We were drawn to her, but with the powers of Nekrós, we were a little off course. As for our current position, I guess we've landed in the place where the very first members of La Famille are. Well, if we've gone that far back in time, they can probably be counted on the fingers of one hand.

- If your guess is right, we're standing right next to our ancestors.

I suddenly had an epiphany.

- That's great!" I rejoiced.

- What do you mean?" asked Matt in return. Do you think it's good? We mustn't cross paths with them, otherwise it could have disproportionate proportions in our present.

- Exactly," I contradicted him, "I don't think we have any other choice. If they understand us, they'll be able to recite the formula to annihilate the magic for us just after we've returned to our present. In any case, no matter what we do, if we finally do away with the magic, our present will be considerably impacted.

- And you think that's going to work?" blurted Jon. Do you think they'll believe crazy people like us who come out of nowhere?

- I certainly hope so.

A long silence surrounded us and I took the opportunity to observe where we were. The floor and walls were made of gleaming white stone, a large table - where Ken had already helped himself - supported the weight of several still-warm dishes, and a large fireplace sat in one corner of the room, along with a window that let in the light.

I paused in my contemplation. Hot food? That could only mean one thing. If we were indeed in a castle and the food was hot, surely the nobles of the land would be arriving soon. We had to leave immediately!

- Now that I think about it," said Lia thoughtfully. Did you remember to get Silvine to translate the part about suppressing magic?

- That's precisely the detail I've been thinking about as I've hatched my new plan.

Ken looked me straight in the eye.

- Can you imagine what would happen if we couldn't recite the formula?

- Yes, I know, I made a few mistakes, but it'll work. Anyway, we have to leave right away. If the food's only just been prepared, it means the royal family who live here won't be long before they come to eat. Besides, with Ken quietly helping himself, we're in trouble.

- We'll end up in the dungeon!" exclaimed Matt.

- Don't talk nonsense," sighed Jon.

I didn't have time to reply when the door behind me opened. Paralyzed, we didn't even have time to react.

- Dinner is ready, my King and Queen.

The servant didn't really know how to react when he saw us, and stood in the doorway without moving.

- What's going on, Vistus?" thundered an imposing voice.

The King pushed his servant aside to see what was going on, the Queen hot on his heels.

There was a moment of silence where no one dared utter a word, the scene was inexplicable. But I noticed very well, they were wearing splinters.