Michael couldn’t move. His entire body seemed to have stopped functioning as he stared transfixed at the figure in front. As buckets of sweat gushed down his back, he could feel his heart thumping rapidly against his chest and neck. He wanted to run, but his legs (which now felt like they were made of steel) refused to move. It was as though he were looking at something out of a horror film, however, this was very real. “The thing” (for there was no other way to describe a being that had the appearance of a lion and a human mixed together) examined Michael intensely, its fierce eyes jumping from one part of his body to the next. It took a giant step forward.

“Your Royal Highness,” it said in a deep voice, the many rows of fangs making up its mouth visible with each word.

“I’ve been—”

But before it could finish, the paralysis over Michael’s body vanished in an instant. Jolted into action at the sight of the giant “lion man” coming closer, he sprinted as fast as he could in the opposite direction. Adrenaline pumping through his veins, he didn’t dare look back, and it would be a further five minutes, as he was racing down the neighborhood sidewalk before he realized he’d left the piñata and streamers behind—or at least what remained of them. But Michael didn’t care. His mind was too busy scrambling over everything that had just happened.

Hadn’t the lion man said something about his powers finally coming out?

Was that what had occurred during the fight with Jarred?

But surely there was no such thing as powers? Things like that only existed in movies. Perhaps this entire ordeal was just some big trick Mr. Grant was playing on him? But even if that were the case, Michael couldn’t deny how real it had felt when he saw the flash of white light as he threw his punch. Even now as he ran, he could still feel a strange burning sensation at the tips of his fingers.

“AAARGH!”

Something heavy rammed violently into Michael’s stomach causing him to topple forward until his face met the concrete. Blood now streaming from his nose as he writhed in pain, Michael rolled onto his side to see that he’d run into one of the neighbor’s garbage cans. He’d been so focused on getting away from the lion man, he hadn’t even seen it coming. There was now trash (as well as the rest of Aunt Tanesha’s money) scattered all over the sidewalk and the neighbor’s front lawn.

“What the dickens?” said a reedy voice, as an elderly woman dressed in a pink robe and slippers, hobbled out of her house. She was holding a spatula in one hand, and a flashlight in the other as she examined Michael on the ground.

“What do you think you’re doing?!” she demanded, shining the flashlight in his direction. But Michael was already on the run again. He was in such a rush, he didn’t even bother to pick up the dollar bills that had fallen from his pocket. He could hear the old woman’s protests as he took off down the street, the throbbing in his now broken nose getting worse with each step.

“Get back here now and clean up this mess, young man!”

But Michael kept running until he finally reached 1240 Montague Lane Court a few minutes later. He rang the doorbell and knocked furiously, before looking around to make sure the lion man hadn’t followed him.

“I’ll get it!” said a voice on the other side, as the door opened, and Michael was standing face-to-face with Taryn.

“Oh, it’s you,” she said, a bewildered look on her face. “Why were you knocking like that? And what happened to your nose?”

“Lock the door Taryn,” said Michael quickly, nudging past his cousin.

“What’s wrong with you?”

“Just lock the door now!”

She didn’t need telling twice.

He ran into the living room to find Uncle Terrance, Aunt Tanesha, and Timothy eating ice cream and watching a stand-up comedy routine on TV.

“And I said, that’s not a stapler…that’s my wife!” joked the comedian, as the three of them gawked at the new arrival. When Taryn showed up a few seconds later, she too exchanged puzzled looks with her parents at Michael's filthy appearance.

“Boy have you lost your mind?” snapped Aunt Tanesha. “Knocking on my door like that?”

“Why are you bleeding, and covered in dirt?” added Uncle Terrance. “And why aren’t you wearing your gloves?”

But Michael, who was covering his bloody nose with one hand, said nothing as he ran to the backyard door and kitchen windows, and made sure they were locked. When he hurried back into the living room, panting desperately, the Tollivers were all staring at him.

“What on earth is wrong with you?” said Uncle Terrance irritably.

“More importantly,” said Aunt Tanesha, eyeing him malevolently. “Where are the things I told you to buy? And the rest of the money I gave you?”

Glancing at Uncle Terrance, the two of them nodded before rising from their seats and advancing on Michael like a pair of wolves.

“If we find out you’ve gotten into trouble again, I promise you’ll be sleeping on the street tonight!”

“Uh…well…” began Michael, taking a deep breath. It was clear they wanted answers now, and at this point, he didn’t see the use in trying to lie (though it was going to be very hard to retell a story that even he didn’t all the way believe to be true).

“Well…I…uh…got the pinata and streamers, but when I was walking home these older guys tried to fight me and then there was this weird flash of light thing that happened…and then the wind started blowing really hard…and all the stuff I bought got shredded! Then this huge lion-looking guy with a tail and whiskers came out of nowhere and called me a royal hiney or something like that…and said that it was about time my powers came out. Then I ran into a garbage can on my way home and hit my nose on the ground…and that’s when all the money fell out of my pocket!”

Michael said this in one breath, and for a few moments, there was complete silence. Then, Aunt Tanesha, Taryn, and Timothy erupted into raucous laughter.

“Are you kidding me?” bawled Aunt Tanesha, tears pouring down her face as she leaned on Timothy for support. “Now I’ve really heard it all!”

“But it’s the truth!” said Michael, wiping blood on his sleeve.

“YEAH SURE IT IS!” said Timothy and Taryn in unison. On most days, they were terrified of him, but after hearing the story, it appeared any fears of their cousin seemed to have temporarily disappeared.

The only Tolliver who wasn’t laughing was Uncle Terrance. On the contrary, he looked rather worried.

“What’s the matter Dad?” chuckled Timothy.

“What was his name?” said Uncle Terrance slowly, ignoring his son. “The—er—‘lion guy.’

“I don’t know…I ran away.”

“And he said your—er—powers—um—he said they ‘came out’ did he?”

Michael nodded.

“And he didn’t happen to mention anyone by the name of Antonius Dumeka, right?”

“Um…no he didn’t…who’s Antonius Dumeka?”

But Uncle Terrance didn’t say a word, and he began pacing back and forth in the living room, mumbling to himself. Michael looked at the rest of the Tollivers, who seemed to be even more confused than he was by this sudden string of questions. If he didn’t know any better, it almost sounded like Uncle Terrance believed him.

“Terrance!” hollered Aunt Tanesha, in what was a clear attempt to bring her husband back to reality. “Are you really listening to this nonsense? Michael is obviously lying! He spent the money I gave him on himself…in other words, he stole it! Just like he stole money at school, which, I’ll remind you, is part of the reason he was expelled! I told you I was tired of his behavior and I meant it! I want him out of here now!”

Suddenly, there was a thunderous banging on the backyard door.

“WHAT IS THAT?!” shrieked Taryn, hiding behind her father as the banging got increasingly louder.

“WE NEED TO CALL THE POLICE!” bellowed Aunt Tanesha frantically, looking to her husband for support.

“TERRANCE!”

She’d screamed at the top of her lungs because, unlike the rest of the family, Uncle Terrance didn’t look frightened in the least bit by the horrible banging. His expression was blank.

“Daddy what’s wrong?!”

“SEE I TOLD YOU GUYS THE LION MAN WAS REAL!” howled Michael. “HE MUST’VE FOLLOWED ME HERE!”

Then, the banging abruptly stopped. After a few tense moments, Michael slowly crept towards the door and listened at the handle.

“I…I think he left…”

Suddenly the door began to vibrate, and Michael toppled back several feet as he heard the shouts of Aunt Tanesha, Taryn, and Timothy. Uncle Terrance meanwhile bulldozed past his wife and children and ran upstairs as the loud vibration continued. Without warning, the door disintegrated into a pile of sand.

Standing there, to Michael’s utter horror, was the lion man.

Tall, clawed, and fanged.

He was wearing a long brown glove on his right claw and was twitching his fingers as he stepped through the now empty archway in his thick black boots.

“AAAHHHH!” cried Taryn.

“IT’S A MONSTER!” said Timothy, tripping over his feet three times before finally crashing into the wall. Aunt Tanesha, who looked as though she’d seen a ghost, grabbed her two children and cowered at the bottom of the staircase. All by himself now, Michael (every inch of his body shaking uncontrollably) balled his fists and stared at the lion man.

“I’m n-n-not going t-t-to let you eat m-m-me,” he stuttered, hoping he sounded a lot braver than he felt.

The lion man however smiled, his impressive row of fangs gleaming in the lamplight.

“Eat you? Of course not, Your Royal Highness!”

He glanced at Michael’s crooked nose.

“Let me fix that,” he muttered, raising his gloved claw and pointing.

“Wait!” protested Michael. “What’re you doing?”

“Sana,” said the lion man softly, as a thin pink laser shot from the tip of his gloved index finger. When the laser hit Michael, he immediately felt his face become colder, until the feeling slowly evaporated away.

“How’s that?”

Michael carefully touched the tip of his nose and realized the pain was gone and it was no longer broken. He looked up apprehensively.

“How’d you do that?”

But before the lion man could answer, a whirl of colors rushed past Michael’s face.

“GET OUT OF MY HOUSE!” roared Uncle Terrance, a baseball bat raised high over his head as he lunged full speed.

“NO DAD!” wailed Timothy and Taryn. Aunt Tanesha gasped.

The lion man however, who didn’t flinch, effortlessly caught the bat with his gloved claw, just as it was about to hit him.

“WHAT?!” panted Uncle Terrance, still clasping the handle and straining heavily.

“Terrance Tolliver, you had to have known this wouldn’t work,” smirked the lion man. He gripped the bat tighter, and it instantly turned into a greenish slime. Disgusted as the slime oozed through his fingers, Uncle Terrance jumped back several feet, fell onto the floor, and crawled over to join the rest of his family by the stairs.

The lion man then pointed his gloved claw at the pile of sand that used to be the backyard door and said: “Novishaec.”

The pile formed itself back together again, and the door reappeared brand new.

“I tried knocking but no one answered, so I had to get in somehow,” chuckled the lion man earnestly. “But I guess I shouldn’t have used such a powerful spell.”

He spoke in a very distinct accent that Michael had never heard before.

“What do you want with us?!” cried out Aunt Tanesha, as she held the tear-stained faces of Taryn and Timothy close to her chest. “Why’re you here?!”

“Well,” said the lion man, smiling politely and facing Michael. “I’m here to see...you.”

He leaned into a deep bow as his shaggy hair and beard nearly grazed the floor.

“Who are you?” said Michael carefully.

“Your Royal Highness, I thought you’d never ask! Narioleomus Katrick at your service! But you can just call me Nario!”

“Nario?” repeated Michael.

“Yes, Your Royal Highness!” said Nario beaming.

Michael couldn’t believe his eyes. It felt very odd to be talking to something that looked like an imaginary character and then to be told “its” name.

“Um, can I ask you a question...Nario? Why do you keep calling me that? Your Royal whatever?”

“Well,” said Nario, his smile growing wider. “How else would I address a Prince of Avahnair?”

At this, Uncle Terrance scampered to Michael’s side.

“You need to leave!” he thundered, pointing his finger dramatically in Nario’s face.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

“A Prince?” gasped Michael. “You mean me?”

“Yes, the Crown Prince to be exact—heir to the Avahnairian throne.”

Still teary-eyed and locked in her mother’s tight embrace, Taryn let out a noise that was halfway between a laugh and a sniffle.

“But I’m not a Prince!” said Michael quickly, the word sounding more ridiculous each time he uttered it.

“I mean...there’s no way...how could I be a Prince? I don’t even look like one!”

“I assure you that you are,” said Nario, his long tail swaying idly. “Surely you know what those markings on your body mean?”

At these words, Uncle Terrance (his face twisted with fury) shouted: “YOU NEED TO GET OUT NOW! I SAID GET OUT—!”

Without warning, Nario shot a thin blue laser from the tip of his gloved index finger. Unlike the one from earlier that’d fixed Michael’s nose when the light landed on Uncle Terrance’s mouth, it formed a putty-like clamp that gripped it shut.

“Terrance!” shrieked Aunt Tanesha, rushing to her husband’s side. “What did you do to him?”

“Oh, he’ll be fine,” said Nario casually, as Uncle Terrance tugged furiously on the clamp. “But all that shouting was going to give me a headache.”

“Look man,” pleaded Michael, through Uncle Terrance’s grunts of pain. “I don’t know what you’re talking about with all this Prince stuff, but you’ve got the wrong guy!”

“The wrong guy?” said Nario incredulously. “I really thought you were joking at first, but you honestly have no idea, do you?”

“No idea about what?”

Nario shook his head, before casting a venomous glare in Uncle Terrance and Aunt Tanesha’s direction.

“They’ve kept it from you all these years, haven’t they? About who you really are?”

“What are you talking about?” snapped Aunt Tanesha, her hands grabbing every bit of Uncle Terrance’s beard as she pulled on the clamp. “We’ve never kept anything from him!”

“Is anybody going to tell me what’s going on here?” said Michael impatiently.

At this, the entire room went quiet, until Nario, his expression serene, broke the silence.

“A moment ago, you asked me how I healed your nose. Well, Prince Michael, the truth is you can do it too. Because you are a summoner.”

“I’m a what?”

“A summoner,” repeated Nario simply. “It means you have the ability to summon the spirit energy from within your body, focus it into the palm of your hands, and project it outwardly.”

It was clear from Michael’s face he hadn’t understood a word of what Nario said.

“In other words, you have the ability to do summoning spells.”

“Spells? You mean like magic?”

“Er—well, Your Royal Highness, we prefer to use the word summoning spells, but yes it’s a form of magic that we summoners practice.”

Nario then gestured towards the four Tollivers.

“They, on the other hand, are what our kind call edoes—which means they can’t perform summoning spells. You see, all humans are born with spirit energy, but the difference between a summoner and an edoe is that the spirit energy of a summoner continues to grow naturally as we age, and then develops to the point where it can be manifested into our powers. The spirit energy of an edoe doesn’t grow from the day they’re born.”

Though he was listening carefully Michael was still very confused. This all had to be some kind of joke.

“What happened with you earlier in the woods is known as your kindling—it means your powers showed outwardly for the first time,” said Nario, quickly adding the last bit after he noticed Michael’s bewildered face. “The kindling typically occurs when the summoner in question is around nine or ten years old and loses control of their emotions...so you are a bit of a late bloomer. Nevertheless, it has happened, and just in time I might add.”

“You’re—you’re lying!” said Michael, struggling to find his voice.

“Lying? I think not!” replied Nario pleasantly. “Tell me something Prince Michael—”

“Stop calling me that!”

“Have you spent a great deal of your life always wondering why you were so different from those around you? And I’m willing to bet you’ve always been much stronger and faster than other children your age and older, to the point it was unfair?”

“Well yeah…but what’s that got to do with anything?”

“Isn’t it obvious? It’s because of the summoning blood that courses through your veins! How else would you explain what you did in the woods? Or the tingling I know for a fact you’re still feeling in the tips of your fingers at this very moment?”

Stuffing his hands into his pockets, Michael tried to think of something to argue back but could come up with nothing.

“Fine! I’m not saying I believe you, but even if I did…why haven’t I seen any other summoners before?”

Nario’s grin widened so much that his eyes became slits.

“Because our kind does not live here on planet Earth. We live on Esfaira.”

“Es-who?”

“Esfaira. It’s an entire continent that floats above the skies of this planet. Avahnair is one of thirteen kingdoms that make up Esfaira and is my home. Avahnair is also where you, Prince Michael, were born.”

“What?” breathed Michael shakily. “You really want me to believe there are actually countries floating in the sky, and that I was born on one of them? Are you trying to call me an alien or something?”

Nario chuckled.

“Alien? Do you mean those ridiculous green creatures in flying saucers that edoes made up? No, I promise you the place I speak of is not a figment of my imagination, but don’t worry, you’ll be seeing Avahnair for yourself soon enough.”

Michael examined Nario’s face, trying his hardest to look for any signs of trickery, but could find nothing. However crazy the story might’ve sounded, it seemed as though Nario was telling the truth.

“So…are you a summoner too?”

“That I am!”

“But how come you—?”

“The reason I look like this is that I am a Mitadfeli,” said Nario, glancing at his reflection in the mirror on the opposite wall. “It means I am a summoner who is also half feline...in my case half lion,” he added, again spotting Michael’s puzzled expression. “I was born one.”

“Um okay,” said Michael, as his brain tried to process this latest piece of information. “And you’re saying that I’m the Crown Prince of this floating place where you were born? Avahnair or whatever?”

“Yes, Your Royal Highness! You descend from a long line of great kings! The Royal House of Ade ruled Avahnair for one-thousand years, and you are its last surviving member.”

Royal House of Ade. Michael never thought he’d see the day when those words were lumped together. From behind him, he could hear the frustrations of Aunt Tanesha, Taryn, and Timothy, as they struggled hopelessly to pull the clamp from Uncle Terrance’s mouth. Looking as though he were going to explode, Uncle Terrance winced with pain at each of their attempts.

“You should be very proud of your family and royal heritage,” continued Nario, smiling reminiscently. “Your grandparents were the last King and Queen of Avahnair, and during their reign, your father and mother were the Crown Prince and Princess.”

Wrenching his face away, Uncle Terrance began pulling on the clamp more ferociously. His expression was suddenly frantic.

“Your grandparents, King Henry and Queen Maria, were once great rulers over Avahnair, and your father was their only child. So naturally when Crown Prince Jistun and your mother fell in love and married there was much rejoicing—”

“But I thought my dad was a criminal?” blurted out Michael, unable to stop himself. Much like his last name, hearing the word “prince” associated with his father somehow felt wrong.

“A criminal—? No, of course not!” gasped Nario, and for the first time all night, he looked mad. “Crown Prince Jistun was a great summoner, who risked his life for his country! He, along with your mother and grandparents, died thirteen years ago during the war!”

“What war? I thought—”

“They all died as heroes!” Nario insisted, the anger in his voice rising as he stepped forward. “Why would you even ask such a thing?”

“I’m sorry! It’s just...that’s what they always told me...”

“That’s because he was a criminal!”

Michael and Nario turned around to see Uncle Terrance: clamp gone, fists balled, and face full of rage. There were large patches in his beard from where the clamp had been pulled off.

“They were fools!” he bellowed, staring directly at Nario. “There was nothing great about his grandparents or his father...so stop telling him those lies!”

Without warning, Nario pushed past Michael until he was bearing down on Uncle Terrance. Unlike the rest of the Tollivers, who ran away at the sight of the approaching lion man, Uncle Terrance didn’t budge.

“The King and Queen died for Avahnair!” boomed Nario, his fangs bared as he stared down his nose at the much shorter Uncle Terrance. “How dare you speak of Their Majesties like that!”

“I’ll say whatever I want!” spat Uncle Terrance, drawing himself up to his fullest height.

“They killed my sister!”

At these words Nario roared in outrage, his long shawl pulling down a large family portrait on the wall as it flailed uncontrollably. Michael had just enough time to vault over the coffee table and get in between the two of them.

“Calm down!” he yelled, attempting with all his might to keep Nario away from Uncle Terrance.

“Take—it—back!” snarled Nario, trying to push Michael out of the way with his free claw. Remarkably, Uncle Terrance continued to stand his ground.

“Growing up all me and Tamia had was each other after our parents died, then she met him and everything changed! She married that clown Jistun, and cut me out of her life completely!”

“You ungrateful fool! You know nothing about what happened during the war!”

“The war!” screamed Uncle Terrance. “Jistun, his parents, all of them…they got my sister involved in that war and it had nothing to do with her! Your King and Queen should’ve never allowed their son to marry her! They knew she didn’t have powers, and they knew the danger she would be in, but they went ahead with it anyway! It’s their fault she’s dead! They killed her!”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about!” bellowed Nario as he bore down on Michael’s outstretched hands. He was now nose to nose with Uncle Terrance. “Crown Princess Tamia knew the risks, but unlike you Tolliver, she was courageous and brave! She loved her husband’s country, and died fighting for it alongside him!”

“You liar!” said a shrill voice suddenly.

Michael, Nario, and Uncle Terrance all turned to see Aunt Tanesha. She looked as though she were on the verge of tears.

“So you’ve been lying to me all these years, Terrance? You said that Jistun and Tamia were killed in a car accident trying to run from the police because he...he...”

She paused.

“Well, now that I think about it, you never told me what Jistun did exactly! But you said it was his fault—you said everything was his fault! That’s what you told me!”

“A car accident huh?” said Michael, eyebrows raised. “You guys never mentioned that part of the lie whenever I’d ask you about my parents.”

“I did what I had to do!” barked Uncle Terrance to no one in particular.

“You did what?” fired up Aunt Tanesha as both Taryn and Timothy tried to calm her down.

“I’m your wife! How could you keep something like that from me?”

There was silence.

“You should be ashamed of yourself,” murmured Nario, shaking his head and retreating from Uncle Terrance. Aunt Tanesha’s interruption seemed to have brought him back to his senses. He looked at Michael who was massaging his shoulders.

“Sorry about that.”

“Yeah, you should be,” groaned Michael bitterly.

“Ahem, yes well,” said Nario, now straightening his shawl. “Your Royal Highness, I actually have one more thing I need to tell you. As I’ve stated, thirteen years ago there was a long and bloody war in Avahnair which resulted in the death of your parents and grandparents. After they were killed, it was decided you would be sent to live here on Earth until the day of your kindling. You were supposed to have been told about all of this by the edoes...”

He glared at Uncle Terrance who was still arguing fervently with Aunt Tanesha.

“However, none of that matters anymore, because now that you know the truth about who and what you are...it’s time to learn to control your powers.”

“Control my powers? You mean like what you did to the door and my nose?”

“That’s right! But what you saw tonight is only the surface of what a trained summoner can do! This is why I’m here to offer you a spot at Ravenskraft Academy...it’s one of the oldest and most prestigious schools in all of Esfaira! Many of your royal ancestors went there, including your father and grandfather.”

“There are schools for summoners?”

“Well of course! And Ravenskraft is the best there is...especially for you! Not only will you need to start learning to control your powers, but you’ll have to begin preparing for your future role as monarch!”

“Now hold on!” interrupted Uncle Terrance. “I’m not giving my permission for him to go anywhere! He’s still under my guardianship, and I say no!”

“I don’t remember asking your opinion on the matter, Tolliver!” said Nario savagely. “What happens to the Crown Prince of Avahnair is not your decision to make! I’d just be quiet if I were you!”

Looking quite taken aback by this, Uncle Terrance initially appeared to want to retaliate but seemed to think better of it and remained silent.

“This doesn't make any sense,” said Michael quietly. Everyone stared at him.

“What doesn’t?” said Nario, his long tail lifting the portrait that’d fallen earlier, and hanging it back on the wall.

“All of this! First, you show up out of nowhere and say I’m a Prince and I’ve got magical powers, and now you’re saying I should go to some fancy academy? I just got kicked out of school a few days ago!”

Nario simply smiled.

“But the fact is Your Royal Highness, you do have powers, you are a Prince, and on the day of your eighteenth birthday when you finally come of age—you’re going to be King.”

He then took Michael by both of his arms (causing him to jump slightly) and pointed toward the blue stars on his hands and palms.

“Earlier, I asked you if you knew what these meant. These stars, along with the ones on your chest and feet, are called the sovereign’s markings. They’re what designate you to be who you are because only the King of Avahnair—or in your case the future King—can possess them.”

Trembling, Nario let go of Michael. He seemed to be in awe of what was in front of him.

“No one but you can possess the sovereign’s markings on their body. It’s all part of your destiny.”

“My destiny?” grunted Michael, staring at the blue stars that for so long he’d passed off as tattoos to make himself look tougher. Of all the crazy things he’d heard tonight, this one could’ve easily topped the list.

“Still having your doubts?” shrugged Nario. “Well coming to Avahnair, or attending Ravenskraft, is your decision only. No one can force you.”

Michael stared at him. The entire night felt like one big dream he was going to wake up from at any moment. But no matter how much his gut was telling him it was all a lie, no matter how much he wanted to tell Nario to get lost and never come back again—he was way more excited for the chance to learn how to control his “powers” and finally leave this town (and more importantly the Tollivers) forever.

“I’ll do it,” he said a few moments later. Instantly there were sounds of shock from the Tollivers.

“Excellent! I can’t wait to tell everyone, they’re going to be so happy! We’ve been monitoring you for so long…ever since you were a baby!”

Michael started to say: “You’ve been watching me? And who is everyone?” But Nario cut him off.

“Don’t worry, I’ll explain everything in one week when I come back to get you!”

“But I thought we were leaving now?” said Michael. It was hard not to hide the disappointment in his voice.

“Well yes, I’m leaving now, but you’ll need to stay. The atmosphere on Esfaira is much thinner than here, so it will be good for you to spend one more week on Earth to give your body time to adjust to your kindling having just occurred. Anyway, I really should be getting back to Avahnair now, as there is so much to do. There’s even going to be a big banquet to celebrate your return!”

Nario bowed again, before turning to the Tollivers, who all jumped.

“And I’ll be seeing you all in one week as well.”

He pointed his gloved claw at the backyard door, and it swung open.

“And one more thing,” said Nario, addressing the Tollivers again. “The existence of summoners is supposed to be kept secret from edoes, but being that you are immediate family to the Prince, an exception has been made. However, you are not permitted to tell anyone, and I do mean anyone, about what we’ve discussed here tonight, okay?”

None of them spoke, but it was clear from the petrified looks on their faces they understood.

“And the same goes for you as well, Your Royal Highness...you can’t say anything to anybody.”

Michael nodded.

Nario grinned once more.

“Well then, goodbye!” he said, winking at Michael as he stepped through the backyard door. Once outside, Nario quickly looked left and right, before there was a quiet swooshing noise, and in the blink of an eye, he took off flying toward the night sky like a rocket. By the time Michael stuck out his head and looked up, Nario had soared out of sight.

Slowly closing the door, Michael turned to see the Tolliver’s all staring at him. Taryn and Timothy looked frightened beyond reason, Aunt Tanesha was breathing heavily, and Uncle Terrance’s face was livid.

Suddenly there was a knock at the front door that made everyone jump.

“I’ll get it!” growled Uncle Terrance.

“M-Maybe you shouldn’t Dad!” squealed Taryn. She looked as though she’d had enough excitement for one night.

Ignoring her warning, Uncle Terrance yanked open the door and found himself looking down at an old woman—the same one whose garbage can Michael had run into earlier. She was still wearing her pink robe and holding the spatula and waved it dramatically as she spoke.

“You young people have no respect nowadays!”