Bride of the Emperor (The Prophecy of Sisters Book 4) by Hayley Faiman (the gingerbread man read aloud txt) 📗

Then there’s the matter of my magic. It’s gone. I cry myself to sleep every night and my tears are clear. They aren’t purple anymore. I stare out of the window when I’m feeling sad and overwhelmed, depressed and yet, the sky is blue and the sun shines.

Even if I had a hope that whatever magic I possessed could spirit me back there, it was dashed when I realized that I only had magic back there, not here.

My cell phone rings and I let out a sigh as I reach for it. Glancing down at the screen, I expect to see Chad’s name flash. This is about the time he calls me every day, on his way home to his wife from work, the creep.

It’s not Chad.

In fact, I don’t recognize the number. I hesitate. I almost don’t answer it, because hello, you never know who could be calling you randomly, and usually it’s just a solicitor call of some kind. Something almost demands that I answer this one, though, so as I slide my thumb across the screen, I wonder what the fuck I’m doing answering.

“Hello?”

“Dru?” a voice asks.

It sounds so faint, so far away, and although the line crackles and I have to strain to hear, I know exactly who it is.

“Birdie?” I shout.

“Oh my god, you can hear me. I didn’t know if this would work, but it did, and you can hear me, and it’s really working, I can’t believe this. I just can’t believe it, Dru can hear me,” she rambles and cries, I actually hear her hiccough at the end.

“Birdie, what the hell?” I demand.

There is a moment of silence and then she speaks again. “You need to come here, Dru. Things are getting weird.”

“I can’t. I was sent home. I can’t get back, if I could I would,” I whimper.

There is another long silence, then I can only understand every three words. “We… you… please.” Then the line goes completely dead.

Going to my contacts, I find the icon for recent calls and touch the screen of the number that just called me, my hands shaking uncontrollably. Holding my phone to my ear, I wait. It rings once, then the voice on the other end of the line informs me that the call cannot be made as dialed.

“Shit,” I shout before I toss the phone onto the floor in front of me.

Pinching my eyes closed, I wonder how the hell I am going to get back there, to Tiberius and Birdie. Then I realize this is the confirmation I needed.

My sisters are there.

My lips begin to tremble and tears stream down my cheeks. My sisters are there and I’m here. They’re gone in another freaking world, and I’m here.

Reaching out for my phone, I find my mom’s name on the contacts and touch it. I haven’t called her at all since I appeared back here. I meant to, but then I did that convulsing thing and ended up in the hospital and to be honest I’ve been in a daze for two freaking weeks.

“Dru, why are you calling me? Why are you here? You haven’t made it back to him yet?” my mom asks, no, demands.

Pressing my lips together, I roll them around a few times before I let out a sigh. “It was beautiful, Mom.”

“What was?” she asks.

I have told her most of my story, but I didn’t tell her the name of Tiberius’ country, I don’t know why I kept it from her the first time we spoke, maybe because it felt far too personal and I was far too raw at the time.

“Savona, it’s where I was transported to. You were right. My sisters were there, somewhere. I didn’t see them, but I know they’re there. But there’s a prophecy and I’m supposed to be there to fulfill it or something bad will happen to their people, to their entire world.”

My mother doesn’t speak, she doesn’t say a single word. I told her so many details the first time we talked, but in true Dru form, I held back so many as well. I’m afraid that she’s passed out or something, when she finally does speak.

“Let me call my friend. She’ll know what to do. I’ll call you right back.”

The line goes silent and I pull my phone away from my ear and stare at it. My mom hung up on me. Shaking my head, I let out a heavy sigh and stand from the sofa. Walking over to the window, I open it and stick my head out slightly.

Tilting my head up, I look at the clear blue sky. Not for the first time, not even the dozenth time, I wish to be back in Savona. I wish to be back with Tiberius. I wish to be with my sisters. I wish and wish and wish so hard just to be where I am supposed to be—where I’m meant to be.

Chapter Nineteen

DRUCILLA

That pain. That radiating pain slices through me again and thankfully I haven’t left for work yet because it brings me to my knees instantly. Slapping my hand out in front of me, I grit my teeth and let out a moan, trying to be quiet enough that I won’t upset my neighbors.

Breathing through the pain, I stay on the ground until it subsides. It’s taking longer with each bout of whatever this is. I don’t understand it and even my regular doctor looked at all of the labs that the hospital ran and can’t see any reason why I would be feeling this way.

It doesn’t matter what the doctors say, I know exactly why I am getting sicker and weaker with each passing day. I’m away from Tiberius. I’m away from his land, the land where I’m meant to be. I’m away from my people and my sisters.

My phone rings from my purse and I reach out, fumbling until I can slide it in front of me. After sliding my finger across