Coming back to myself, I gave a yelp and jerked my head back. Mother was practically nose to nose with me, staring into my eyes.

  "Well, at least the staring off into space thing hasn't changed," Mother said with a small smile.

  Letting out a breath and tapping my chest, I reply. "Don't do that. Oh, since you're here can you take Sammy she is a kind of amalgamation of Sally's soul and my — Amy's memories." Reaching carefully into my robe pocket, I pull out the sleeping Farie and passing her over to Mother.

  "So that was true, Aunt Listandra told me you are both Nalle and Amy somehow?" Mother asked tieing a handkerchief around the wakening Sammy.

  "Yeah, something like that I'll explain it later for now I need to contact Mom and see if she has a gizmo for translating foreign language quickly." Stopping my self at Mother's strained look. "Sorry I meant my Mom from a previous life sort of. Again ill explain everything later."

  "Actually, come closer." When Mother walks up beside me confused, I place my hand on her stomach and pour power into her womb. "Hmm, well that's interesting I think the reason you couldn't have kids is actually Father's fault, you should get someone to check that. If you can get him to put a bit of pride aside, have him come to me, I can fix it."

  Suddenly a tiny head popped up between us. "Um, why am I tiny and with wings?"

  Mother and I jerked our heads apart from where we had been whispering together when Sammy interrupted. "Well, what do you remember?"

  Scratching her head Sammy looked between the two of us, then shrugged "nothing everything in here is all muddled she said tapping her noggin with her fist." After that she fluttered down to Mother's shoulder exhausted and tried to pull off the handkerchief dress until Mother picked her up, stuffing her in a pocket.

  "Are you sure it's Amy and not you Sally merged with?" she asked, looking at her pocket in disapproval.

  "Huh?" I asked while turning Michail's gizmo in my hand, trying to figure it out.

  Mother rolled her eyes at me, then walked away a few feet to wait for Father, who was walking over from the direction of the gate. When he arrived Mother pulled him aside and they began whispering amongst themselves.

  Pushing the button marked as on a swirling pool of magic appeared in front of me. Shrugging, I press the #1 button next. The swirl cleared, and I looked into a massive cathedral like room with a table with a dozen archangels sitting around it. "Oops," I say and click the off button, but too late one stands pointing this way. "Excuse me a moment everyone I need to ask Michail something."

  Focusing on his prison again, I arrive. "Hey, I got a question."

  "That was fast I figured it would take longer to figure out the remote." He said, eyes still on the little cat-boy who is now yanking a nasty spike from his hand.

  "Heh heh. Hey, what's the deal with the circle of scary archangels in the fancy cathedral?"

  "That's the High council why did you. — Oh well, that's not good don't push #1 that's Where I send reports when im out on missions for the council."

  “Well, thanks for the heads-up I already did and one of them saw me before I turned off the portal.”

  Finally, looking away from the cat, he said, "don't worry, anybody in that room would never lower themselves to do something themselves. The most they will do is send a lower ranked angel to investigate and they are no threat to your champions, much less you. Well, so long as they did not get a good look at your wings or eyes. Being marked as a fallen is not something we need right now if you plan to free the others in this universe."

  "Can they track the portal or whatever it is?"

  "We call it a screen or a call, something we got from watching a version of earth that was tech based." Michail said, "but that depends on if they had time to send a tracker through and believe me, they don't need long. A second can last an hour in the right circumstances, especially in their home plane."

  "Uh fine, whatever which button calls Mom?"

  "Mom is quick dial #2" he said turning back to the cat who is now talking to a human through a portal. "Hey let me know how the kid's life goes this seems interesting," I say then vanish.

  "Hey Aunt Melania," I call out seeing her nearby talking to Uncle Marcus "do you know where Therlion or one of the other champions are?"

  Melania turned and pointed at Thorgan, who was now lovingly caressing the boulder, slowly molding it into something.

  "Err, I don't want to interrupt Thorgan he seems,-- busy."

  "You called my precious descendent?" Therlion asked from behind, making me jump, just a little.

  "Why do people keep sneaking up on me today? And just so you know, I am way older than you."

  "In years perhaps, but experience is what counts," he says, waggling his eyebrows at me.

  "Fine, whatever old man we may have angelic company soon, can you keep watch please?" I say holding my hands together giving my best doe eyes.

  Clutching his chest, he pretends to swoon, "stop my old heart can't take such sweetness." Then he gives a comical salute and marched into the air like he is walking upstairs.

  Watching him go I snort then turn around only to jump back again this time Father is standing right next to me. "Why!"

  "Why what? you should pay closer attention to your surroundings. Anyway, I heard you mention company, should I send the army out to monitor the surroundings?"

  "Hmm, no better not well maybe everyone fifth rank and above send the rest to the city just in case." Then he pulls a flat crystal from his pocket and sent orders into it.

  "What's that I never seen you using one before," I say trying to grab it, but he pulled it back out of my reach.

  "This is a national secret. I will hand it back in later and no, you can't touch it," Father said.

  "Teh, fine, I have something cooler anyway," I say, waving the remote I took from Michail.

  Father Stared at me for a full minute, making me feel slightly uncomfortable before he smiled, "it really is both of you in there."

  "Nu uh, it's all me in here," then in a whisper. "what does quick dial #2 mean?" Father just eyed me for a second then walked off talking into his crystal..

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

  Sticking my tongue at him, I am about to press the #2 when Father without even turning around says. "push nothing till your Aunt and Uncle get back."

  I quickly clasp my hand together and say, "I wasn't gonna push anything." Causing everyone to laugh, even the cat-man was chuckling, I suppose reprimanding children in public is universal.

  Waiting for whoever is coming I sat down on my fancy throne inadvertently twisting a wing. "Well, that just won't do," and I focus until I could feel them slowly retracting into my back. "Ah, that's better. Now the eyes, does anyone have a mirror?"

  "Nobody is going to carry a mirror on a battlefield use your sword," Father says. Sounding like he is explaining how to count one plus one to a really dumb child.

  "Um, I think I lost it at some point," I say sheepishly I could hear Father taking dep breaths, but I didn't look toward him. Uncle Marcus came to my rescue holding out a shiny broad sword for me to use. It wasn't as good as a mirror, but it would do. Staring into it at my black eyes, I shuddered "creepy" focusing on them. Soon they were the usual bright blue.

  As if they had timed their arrival Uncle Tristan and Aunt Arlean dropped from the sky right in front of me causing me to once again jump in shock.

  Staring at them both with watery eyes, they just laugh and in unison say, "you should pay more attention to your surroundings."

  Turning to my Father, I glare, "you told them to do that, didn't you?" However, he continued as if he couldn't hear talking into his stupid crystal. But I could see him trying not to laugh.

  Chuckling, Uncle Triston patted my shoulder, "jus' a bit of payback for the scare ye gave us today, lass." Then they both walked to the chairs, nodding to the gaping cat-man.

  "Okay, now I can make the call, right?" Father nodded and before he could change his mind, I poked the #2 button, — nothing.

   Then in my Mother whispers in my ear, "push the on button dear." cheeks turning bright red, I do as she says.

  When the swirling stops we all stop breathing at the view. Before us is a room full of strange shiny machinery with flashing numbers, words and pictures. On the big screen is a purple world I could see mountains and clouds and what I assume are oceans.

  Then the man sitting in the center seat overlooking everything. Says "Henry, how are the readings?"

  Another man, this one shorter and thin, turns his head slightly to answer. Only to see us and his mouth falling open before pointing our way.

  "That's how you catch flies, my friend," the center man says before turning his own head. Raising an eyebrow at us, he asks, "so what can I do for such a pretty young lady today?"

  I admit my face flushed a bit at his compliment, unfortunately I was having trouble talking at the moment. Then I recognized him, "your the guy who was talking to the tiny cat-boy."

  "Ah, you mean Arthur, good kid comes from a terrible family, however. Again, what can we do for you?"

  "Um, well, ah sir, I was trying to reach my Mom who is supposed to be there."

  The man looked beyond the screen "Zentha you didn't tell me you had such a lovely daughter."

  A tall beautiful well tanned elf walked in front of the screen looking skeptically at me. "I assure you I don't have children besides do you see any planets in the sky above them. Obviously they are not from our system."

  I could hear a long drawn-out sigh from somewhere "ah fine sorry Captain, she is my child from a previous life."

   A translucent girl in a red dress walked into view "Nalle didn't I say not to visit?"

  Shaking my head. "No, you specifically told me not to get your friends involved in my future war."

  "Sue, aren't you being kind of rude? your kid seems like a good girl," the Captain said reproachfully.

  "First, I should introduce myself to your Captain since I am intruding." Getting incredulous stares from my parents behind me. I even heard Mother muttering, wondering when I cared about manners. Ignoring them I turn to the captain "my name is Nalle Eversong nice to meet you Captain." then I grabbed all those around me introducing them one by one.

  "Very good to meet you all. My name is Slate Collins, current captain of The Confiance." Then he went around introducing his crew. "Now once again what can we do for you, Miss Eversong?"

  "Call me Nalle and I called because I was hoping Mom could help us with a language problem she always enjoyed inventing stuff."

  "Well Miss Nalle, you can call me Slate and I believe we can help you are you wanting individual translator's or a big ugly machine to carry around."

  Confused, I turned to Mom, giving a pleading look.

  "We should just give them some machines," Sue said to Slate "A.I.'s are way too advanced for them I don't even know if they have electricity there."

  "I can make lightning," I say while making some dance between my fingers.

  Slate laughed, "if you try powering anything with that, you will fry all the circuits and melt the wiring."

  Suddenly there was an explosion in the distance, followed by the sound of fighting.

  Slate looked up from talking with the short man and Sue. "Something wrong?"

  Looking into the distance, "not yet they only sent one angel were fine."

  Sue turned an accusatory glare my way. "You already started the war; I thought you were smarter than that, Nalle?"

  "It's not my fault I was trying to call you and accidently dialed the High council."

  Sue slapped her forehead and slowly drug it down her face. "Do I need to send your Dad back to keep an eye on you?"

  "No, I think im covered on chaperones." A minor explosion nearby distracted me turning around I see Therlion crawling from a crater.

  "Hey you said angels are coming can you keep watch. Not hey Archangels are on the way hold them off for me." Therlion said, stumbling toward me. "Oh hey Darnath, Tuathe want to tag team this guy?"

  Turning back to the portal, "Um, we have a problem I guess Ill call back later about those translators."

  Slate winked at me making me blush again "no need" then he tossed a metal cube to me "consider it a gift."

  I was about to end the call when Sue stepped forward "be careful and don't kill the archangel. Fight him to a standstill and he will leave as long as you don't show your wings near him."

  Nodding, I ended the call, stuffed the cube into my pocket and faced the battle.