As we walked, a house came into view. “This must be the prince's residence,” Salem remarked.
Orion knocked on the door, and as it opened, a familiar voice greeted him. "Oh, Orion... come in," said the prince.
"Thank you, Your Highness," Evander replied.
"I'll fetch you something to eat," the prince offered, but Salem quickly interjected, “No need, Your Highness.”
“If that’s the case, I’ll just take a seat then. Would you like something to drink?” Kaelion asked.
“Water, please,” Salem replied.
“Very well, give me a moment,” Kaelion said as he moved toward the kitchen.
"Prince Kaelion, haven't you missed the palace and your young sister ?" Peter asked. The prince froze, his hand halfway to the jug of water.
"I'm sorry, but I can't return. If that’s all you came to say, then you can leave." His tone was sharp, signaling the end of the discussion.
Just then, there was a knock at the door. “I’ll get it,” I offered. When I opened the door, there stood Elias and Alden.
“You made it here before us?” Elias asked.
“Yes, just a short while ago.”
“May we come in?” Elias asked.
“Of course,” Kaelion replied, stepping aside to let them in.
"We apologize for arriving unannounced, Your Highness," Elias said. "But we were sent here on the orders of Professor Alaric Veldor."
"Professor Alaric?" Kaelion asked, his eyes narrowing.
“Yes, Your Highness,” Elias confirmed.
Kaelion sighed. "Alright. I will go with you, but we leave tomorrow. It’s already late, and traveling at night is dangerous."
Some of the group set up their tents outside, and soon enough, everyone was asleep. Everyone but me. Unable to sleep, I stepped out of the tent to get some fresh air.
"Can’t sleep?" Peter’s voice startled me.
I turned to find him standing close, too close for comfort. “You scared me!” I said with a laugh, though my heart was still racing.
“Sorry about that,” he chuckled, sitting down beside me. “The sky looks beautiful tonight, doesn’t it?”
I followed his gaze up to the stars, then glanced at Rowan, who was also looking up, a faint smile on his lips.
“Yes, it’s beautiful,” I murmured.
Peter caught the shift in my focus and grinned. “What is it?”
“Nothing,” I lied. “I was just thinking how nice the sky looks.”
"Salem , wake up," Alden whispered, nudging Salem gently. "Why are you waking me up? It's still the middle of the night," Salem grumbled, half-asleep.
"Come with me outside, hurry," Alden urged, pulling Salem by the arm.
"What is it?" Salem asked, confused as they stepped into the cool night air.
"Just sit here beside me," Alden said, patting the ground next to him.
"Alright, if you insist," Salem replied, taking a seat.
"Look, isn't it beautiful?" Alden pointed to the sky. Salem glanced up, then looked back at Alden.
"Yeah, tonight is particularly lovely," Salem said softly.
YOU ARE READING
the books of hidden worlds
Fantasy# 1 Ethereal Secrets Series Elias, Kian, Rowan, and Alden are ordinary siblings-or so they believe. One night, as they fall into a deep sleep, a forgotten book in their family's library opens a portal to another world. Without knowing it, they are...
