Page 5 of Quest for her Knights
“So tell me what youdoknow, so I can be as prepared as possible.”
“Yes, of course. So, the main difference is that Dyconia is kind of like our realm in medieval times, but with a hint of magic.”
“Magic?”
“Yes. It’s not full of witches or shapeshifters or anything like our paranormal romance books. There are a few rare people who exhibit gifts, like healing or commanding the elements, but they’re very few and far between. There are some creatures there that don’t exist in our world, so be careful, especially in the woods. But that’s not the important part.”
“What is?” I ask eagerly.
“Men outnumber women. By a lot. I believe it’s something like ten or twenty to one.”
I can’t stop the smile that spreads across my face before I cheer, “Hell yes!”
She tries not to laugh at my reaction, but I see her shoulders drop as some of the tension leaves her. “If you like that, you’ll love the next part.”
“Tell me,” I beg, eager to hear what could possibly be better than a plethora of men to choose from.
“Because of the imbalance, women marry groups of men, often a set of brothers.”
“Wait—” I hold up a hand as I process what she just said. “Let me get this straight. You’re sending me to a world where I get my own reverse harem?”
“Pretty much, yes.”
“Holy cow! This is unreal. Can I go now?” I ask eagerly, making her laugh.
“Soon,” she says, grimacing as another flash of pain consumes her. When it passes, she looks at me again. “When you get there, you’ll basically be taking the place of the Elora that’s upstairs.”
“We have the same name?” I ask in surprise.
“Yes, same name, but now that I’ve met her, I can guarantee your personalities are polar opposites. Also, it’s unlikely her family looks anything like yours. I don't understand how all of this works, but in all my experience, there’s only ever been one woman who saw a doppelgänger of someone she knew here in Dyconia.”
“Okay… so will I have to explain to her family who I am?”
“Yes, I think you will.”
“Is this… normal for them? Will they believe me?”
“Honestly, I’m not sure. I think you have brothers there, and parents, but the upstairs Elora is not an easy person to get information from. In fact, I’m not sure I believe anything she’ssaid, and I’m pretty sure she’s running from something. I’m sorry I can’t give you more information.”
“Do I have time to call my parents?”
“What would you tell them?”
“I—” I cut myself off, realizing there’s no way to explain this. “Here.” I open my purse and hand her my phone. “Passcode is six-nine-six-nine.”
She laughs at my choice of numbers. I roll my eyes as she takes the phone.
“You’ll have to pretend to be me from now on, I guess. Text my mom every Sunday. If they ever want to meet, just tell them I’m sick or traveling or studying abroad or something.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll do my best. I can take care of your apartment and your belongings. You can’t really take anything—ah!” She grasps her stomach again as a drop of wine spills from her cup.
“I guess we'd better get me through that portal now, huh?” I ask, eyeing her nervously.
“If you don’t mind?”
I down the rest of my wine and stand, then help Ari to her feet. She takes my glass and sets both of them on a table before grabbing my hand and leading me down a row of bookshelves. Halfway down, she stops and turns to face the shelf, skimming the titles.
“What are you looking for?” I ask, glancing at the section of romance books we’ve stopped in front of.
