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“Who did this to you?” I ask, my voice low and dangerous. I want revenge. How dare they do this to him when he was trying to protect me!
“It doesn’t matter,” he replies.
“It matters to me,” I say firmly. “I want to know who hurt you.”
The professor hesitates for a moment before speaking again. “It was someone from the council,” he says finally. “Someone who has been holding a grudge against me for a long time and relished the opportunity to get even.”
Reef and Cove exchange a worried glance, but I’m too focused on the professor to take too much notice of it.
“What kind of grudge?” I ask.
“It doesn’t matter, this is our way.”
“Whose way?”
“The way of our people.”
“Will you tell me more?”
He sighs deeply. “I think it’s time to tell you everything. Let’s sit.”
“Are you okay? Won’t it hurt too much?”
“I’m fine. The salve that Reef applied is already working. I can barely feel a thing.” I get the impression he’s lying to me, but I let it go. If I start another fight with him, we’ll get sidetracked and I might never get answers.
We all take a seat at the kitchen table, and the professor takes a deep breath before beginning his story.
“You see, our people have a long and complicated history,” he says, his voice serious. “We are not like humans. We have powers, abilities that set us apart from the rest of the world, and we don’t live in this place.”
“What kind of powers?” I ask, intrigued.
“Telekinesis, telepathy, the ability to control the elements, sense magic…” he replies.
“Alter memories?” I ask, thinking of before.
He nods. “Yes. We all have different powers and abilities, strengths and weaknesses. Some of our people don’t have any magic at all, but most do. We’re born with these gifts, but they come with a price. There are those who fear us, who want to eliminate us or steal our magic for themselves.”
“What happened to Tanimola?” I ask, frowning as I realise the real reason that the professor recognised him at the police station.
“He was one of us,” the professor confirms quietly. “He was an elder on the council, but it was a role he never wanted. He always wanted to be part of the Queen’s Guard, the head of it, in fact. He held a grudge against me when I was selected for the role over him.”
“You were the head of the Queen’s Guard?”
“I am. Or I was. It’s complicated.”
“Please try to explain.”
“The four of us were all a part of the Queen’s Guard. Chosen to protect and serve her until we die. Many years ago – because time works differently in Aerwyna – the queen vanished. Disappeared without a trace and threw our people into turmoil.”
“What happened?” I ask, leaning forward on the edge of my seat.
“We were summoned by the council and told that the queen’s disappearance was foretold. That there was a prophecy which could help save our people from eradication, and prevent the human world from being destroyed too.”
My eyes are like saucers as I take in every word the professor is saying. It’s like something out of a movie, and yet, somehow, I know he isn’t lying to me. Not about this.
The professor continues, his voice low and intense. “The prophecy spoke of a chosen one, a person who would have the ability to save both our world and the human world. The star.”
He pauses, dark eyes locking on me, and a chill runs down my spine as I realise what he’s saying.
