“It’s quite simple, really.” Lupin traced a design on the windowsill with his finger. “You’ve been sent to another world.”
It took me a moment to respond. The whole thing was absurd. “Another world?”
He nodded. “One with magic and creatures of all types. You’ll find demi-humans, demons, mages, and other beings you’ve only read about in books. You’ve traveled through the very veil of the mortal realm, passing through time and space and into a realm of fantasy.”
If I hadn’t seen some of that with my own eyes, I wouldn’t have believed him. But I remembered Briar with his glowing hand and Kuya with his ears and tail and knew in my gut Lupin was telling the truth.
“How long will I be here? It may not be much, but I dohave a life, you know. I have a job and friends.” Well,friend.Jonah. Who was more like a friendly coworker as opposed to a close friend. But still. “Take me home.”
“Once you made your wish on that stone, powerful magic came into play,” he said. “Much greater than any I possess. And the magic used to bring you here has been exhausted. So you see, it’s not as simple as me snapping my fingers and taking you back.”
“Are you saying I’m stuck here? Forever?”
Lupin’s expression softened. “You were guided to the Emporium so you could be here right now, in this kingdom. There are so many lives here your presence will touch for the better. Friends and lovers alike.”
“Lovers? Plural?” I plopped back down on the bed. “Now I really know I’m losing my mind. There’s no way that’s true.”
He chuckled. “Being in a fantasy world of magic and non-human beings you can believe but not that more than one person would desire you?”
“You wouldn’t believe it either if you were me.” I glanced at my hands, my heart sinking a little. “Not many guys give book nerds like me a second glance, especially once they learn I’m not down for randomly hooking up.” It was one reason why I’d stopped trying. I was tired of being disappointed. “Now, my friend Jonah? He’s a total player and gets all the guys and girls. You should’ve brought him here instead. He’d probably form his own harem like a cliché, self-insert male protagonist in an anime.”
“Your friend Jonah doesn’t belong here.”
I scoffed. “And I do?”
“Yes. You wished for a place you could call home and feel like you belonged.” His voice was softer than before. “That’s why you’re here. I know everything is confusing right now and you can’t see the bigger picture, but the strings of fate connect you to this land. Where your presence here will touch many lives, they will also touch yours.”
“You sound like you’ve glimpsed into my future or something.”
“The future cannot be predicted, only estimated. Every decision, no matter how small, can change the course of our lives. It can lead us to people… or take us farther away.”
“So cryptic.” I scrubbed my hands over my face. An ache started to form behind my eyes. “What do you gain from granting people’s wishes or whatever?”
“I don’t grant them,” Lupin said. “I merely provide the tools. Magic exists in all of us. Each of us has the power to change our lives. One must simply believe.”
“Know what I believe? That this is bullshit.” Something else occurred to me. “Speaking of bullshit, I’m calling you out on yours. You say the magic used to bring me here is gone, so how are you here? Huh?”
“I’m able to travel between realms at will,” he answered. Just as I opened my mouth, he held up a finger. “And before you say anything, I’ll have you know that whileIcan travel back and forth, I don’t possess the power to bring others along with me. So, I still can’t snap my fingers and send you home.”
“Well, that’s dumb.”
Lupin thought for a moment. “You asked why I do this. It’s because I know what it’s like to be beaten down and close to giving up. On dreams. On life. If the Emporium can help someone, even a little, I find comfort in that.”
“What about Saint? What role does he play in all of this?”
His eyes softened. “He is where the strings of fate led me. He’s my happily ever after.”
Okay, that was sort of sweet. But I wouldn’t admit it out loud.
“All right, let’s pretend for a moment I’m not hallucinating and all of this is real. What am I supposed to tell everyone? The knight captain thinks I’m a spy. He’ll probably tie me up and roast me over the fire if I don’t give him answers soon.”
“Tell everyone you’re a traveler from a distant land who happened upon the field to rest for the night.”
“They’ll believe that?”
He shrugged. “Only if you say it convincingly enough.”
“Gee. That makes me feel all warm and toasty. Toasty… like I’ll be when Captain Maddox roasts me and turns me into the centerpiece of their next medieval feast. Apple in my mouth and everything.”
