Chapter 6: Erin

A knock stirred me awake. Groggy-eyed, I scanned the sunlit room for the source of the noise, finding my door had returned. I spent most of the night searching for another way out of the room, banging on walls, trying to open the windows, and attempting to smash them open without success, as if they were constructed from a more durable material than glass.

The engraved symbol on the silver slate didn’t grant me another door or a way to leave, surely due to some ‘restriction’ Saya had mentioned. More like Dez didn’t want me freely roaming his mansion. I didn’t want to either, but what else did he expect me to do when Megan could be in danger and time was slipping away in my world?

“One second,” I called out. I slept in my jeans and T-shirt versus the silk pajamas the silver slate had provided. I wanted to be prepared for anything, and I wouldn’t put it past Dez to suddenly drop me into a meeting with the Council wearing nothing but a pair of silk pajamas. Which was odd, because I’d never slept in silk pajamas, nor did I have any desire to change out of my clothes when I touched the silver slate, which led me to believe that Dez had certainly tampered with it somehow.

I opened the door to find the man who had been standing next to Saya when I first arrived. He wore a purple collared shirt tucked into a pair of fitted slacks, his brown hair combed perfectly into place. While he was certainly handsome, he didn’t possess the same eerie beauty as Dez and the strange dark-haired being from yesterday, which meant he was human if my gut was right. Saya had said she was human, so it would make sense this man and the blonde-haired woman were also, but were they truly Dez’s playthings, as the dark-haired being had said? Or were they as trapped as I was?

“Good morning.” He smiled as he walked inside and closed the door. “I hope I didn’t wake you.”

I shook my head, taking a few steps back. Even if he was human, I wouldn’t let my guard down.

“Forgive me, I didn’t quite catch your name the other day, but you may call me Rowan.”

More like Dez had tried to sweep me under the rug as if I was some problem he could ignore. “Lynn,” I lied. The less he knew, the better.

“Lynn,” he repeated, hopefully not catching the false note in my voice. “Pleasure to meet you. I’d welcome you to our family, but Master has briefly informed us of your circumstances.”

I refrained from asking him how much he knew and instead said, “I hope he sent word on a date of when I could leave?”

Rowan’s smile dimmed. “Yes, he sent me to tell you that your date with the Council will be held in four realm cycles.”

I stared at him. “Can you put that in human terms?”

“Of course. As I’m sure you know, time works a bit differently here. It’s hard to translate exact times and dates in a way Lower Realms’ beings—us humans—understand, but the closest I can explain would be when the moon in this dimension goes through a full moon cycle four times.”

My heart sank to my stomach. “Are you meaning to tell me my trial date is four months away?”

He adjusted the collar of his shirt. “Actually, night and day cycles are different here, and they can change depending on Master’s moods or the surrounding environments that affect this dimension. A realm cycle is like a moon cycle, but they’re not the same.” He blew out a breath. “I’m sorry I’m not explaining this well. I don’t fully understand it either, but your meeting date will probably be closer to six months to a year in your terms.”

“A year!” I yelled, and he flinched. “You’re kidding. Please tell me you’re kidding.”

He fidgeted with his collar once more. “It’s not so bad. You’re lucky to be contracted to our Master. He’s by far the most lenient—and handsome, might I add.” His cheeks darkened. “Time will go by quickly. Saya and I have been with Master for a while, but Lucille is new like you. I’m sure we’ll all get along well.”