Not so Imaginary // On Hold // GxB Paranormal Romance

Part Six | Under the Starless Sky

S I X

His personality wasn't the only thing that had changed. Or maybe it was the only thing that had stayed the same. After all, the times he'd visited me in my world had been against his father's wishes. Even as a child, Ren had never played by the rules. I couldn't say it was any different now that he was making them. Well, maybe he wasn't exactly making the rules, but--

"My father, there's a lot of things he controlled," said Ren, "And now I have his power."

Ren and I had traveled through the Divide--not an experience I'd like to repeat any time soon. I hit the ground at an angle and slammed against it before I realized I needed to tuck and roll. Ren landed on his feet as easily stepping off a curb. If we were competing gymnasts, I would have scored in the negatives.

When the world finally felt like it had stopped spinning, I pushed myself up and realized that I was sprawled across a street cobbled in dark and ancient stone. On either side, buildings of the same materials rose up into the twilight sky. Paper and wood lanterns lit the edges of the road from where they hung beneath eves and windows.

"Master Arlen," called an older man who came hurrying down the street on sandals that slapped against the pavestones as he ran, "The High Magistrate is waiting for you inside the manor. You must hurry! To disappear at a time like this--" The man stopped abruptly and looked to see where Ren's gaze was focused. He turned to see me sitting on the ground where I was still trying to get my stomach to stop churning.

"Master," the retainer began again but stopped himself. When he looked at me once more it was with the kind of gaze that feels like it can stick you to the wall. I shrank back under the eyes that scanned across my ripped clothes and mud-stained skin. The clothes that were too modern for this world of cloaks and cobblestone. And the mud. I'd tried to brush it off, but it was no use. My hands and arms and torso and probably my face were smeared in it. And my shoes still squelched with the soggy damp of creek water. My wet socks were so uncomfortable that I almost wished I wasn't wearing them at all. Almost. You don't want to go into a foreign, magical realm barefoot. Not if you can help it, anyway.

When the man spoke again, his tone had hardened. There was a bitter bite to his words, a sharp clip that made it sound like he'd just tasted something foul. "Is this where you've been disappearing to? This... girl? She's--" He glanced at Ren and his words lost some of their strength. "Well, it's--"

"Yes?" said Ren, leaning back with his arms folded across his chest. One hand conveniently spanned the rip in his cloak that revealed hints of blood even in the low light. He seemed to be enjoying this, and I couldn't understand why. "Yes," he said again, and this time it wasn't a question. "She's human. I know."

"But Master," said the man, this time looking from Ren to me and back again. There was a fear in his eyes and a pleading quiver at the edge of his voice when he said, "You know the rules. Death to anyone who breaks the Vow of Silence."

Ren shrugged off his words, but it was hard to tell what he might really be feeling beneath the shadow of his hood.

It seemed to me that the retainer would have the authority of age, but it grew quickly apparent that social hierarchy was something of greater consequence in this world. Ren's social position, to be specific.

Okay, so maybe Ren wasn't really making the rules. But since he'd inherited his late father's powers after burning the diary, he'd also inherited his political title. That's how it worked among Morrir, apparently. And his father had been King.

I started to get up but was overcome by another wave of nausea. Ever let your friends push you on a tire swing as a kid? Round and round until you feel like you're going to throw up? Going through the Divide was worse than that.