It took almost two hours to round up all the giants from the battlefield. No one had made it through the Pacifica Portal. That, at least, was a small mercy. Not to mention we finally had my mother and her most loyal lieutenant, Finn, under lock and key. Jontun and the human world were both safer for that.

The halfants suffered minimal casualties. The doctors like Spart and his twin Khan had their hands full, treating injuries and bullet wounds. Moreno had forced me to sit down for an examination, which thankfully didn't take long. I had a few surface wounds, a concussion and a cracked rib. Everything would heal as long as I didn't overexert myself.

Personally, I was more worried about my powers. If an extra voice got in my head in the middle of a battle again, I was in trouble. I needed to figure that out as soon as possible. Maybe Victor could help with that. I just needed to connect with him, preferably not in the strange power connection place where his father could eavesdrop.

Wolfe came and found me after all the giants were properly secured and locked up. The giant raised an eyebrow at the blood on my face and knuckles. Then he chuckled softly.

"Gutsy, not wearing armor," he said.

"Someone decided I needed to strip it for a duel," I said.

He frowned. "The defected golden guards said that you held your own against your mother. That takes impressive training, Miss Oakeley."

"I never wanted this," I said. "Tell Victor we need to have another chat sometime. In this world, if possible."

"I can do you one better," he said. "I've been instructed to extend a royal invitation to Nikone City."

Wolfe reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a golden envelope. He handed it to me and it felt like a cross between gold leaf and silk. The Nikone seal of the massive eye was emblazoned in solid molded gold, holding the envelope shut.

"I thought Victor told me to stay away from the capital," I said, confused.

"This invitation is from your grandmother, the queen," Wolfe said. "And it's an open invitation for now. She'll be expecting you in the coming days. I'd get cleaned up first. Queen Felicia is picky about appearances. It's the only freedom your grandfather gives her."

"Should I even accept?" I asked.

I knew the dangers of going to the capital. Keeping as much distance as I could between myself and the giant, I'd had a vision of trying to kill me, was still pretty high on my priority list. Tytan Nikone hated me even if I was his granddaughter. Nothing could save me from his wrath if directed at me in person.

"Turning down a royal request is dangerous," Wolfe said. "Even if Felicia is a figurehead."

That was a fancy way of saying it was a trap, but I couldn't avoid it. I didn't have a choice. Going to Nikone City was now a royal request.

"I'll have to talk to the halfants," I said. "And you have a lot of prisoners to process."

Wolfe looked over at the dragons and the giants all locked up. "You did good work here. I'll make sure Victor knows that."

I was surprised at the sincerity in his voice. I'd gained a modicum of respect in his eyes. Enough that he actually bowed to me before walking back to the dragons.

"What was that about?" Moreno asked.

"Honestly, I have no idea." I held up the envelope. "But he delivered a field trip for us later."

Moreno cursed. "Tell me that's not a royal summons."

"It's from my grandmother," I said. "As if I want to meet more Nikones."

He set his hand on top of mine. "We'll endure it together. I'm always with you, Terri, no matter what happens. I love you."

I leaned in and kissed him right then and there. His eyes widened in surprise before he opened his mouth and let his tongue explore my lips. I melted against him and ran my fingers into his hair. Here he was, here in this moment, and I knew he'd never leave my side.

It didn't matter who we were—lord, princess, human, or giant—only that we were together. I wouldn't waste another second of my time with Moreno. Not when the world seemed to burn around us further and faster the more we tried to put out the flames.

That night I slept in his arms in a Pacifica guest room without dreams or visions. I woke to his kisses up my neck and around his face. Then we rolled out of bed after Alana banged on the door to let us know we were heading back to Redwood in an hour and left fresh gear and clothes outside our door.

My bruises were worse in the mirror this morning. My face had a purple bruise above my eye and my jaw was green and yellow. Applying a numbing cream provided by Khan, I managed to make the ache of the muddled mess of my rainbow bruise fade. Then I pulled on my clothes and the gear on top of it in case of attack.

I found Moreno dressed when I came out of the bathroom. He smiled at me, but I knew I was a mess. It had taken almost an hour to just get all the blood out of my hair last night. It would be a while before I would feel completely like myself again.

"Any more visions?" He asked.

"No," I said. "Not even a trip to the magic place. I didn't even see Ric."

Moreno frowned. "One of these days we're going to figure out who this boy in your head is Terri and I'm going to have a conversation with him about respecting your privacy."

"No need to be jealous." I reached for his hair and slipped behind him. "I only have eyes for you, Jordan. I don't need anyone else. Besides, if Ric is from the Nikone clan, he's probably a cousin or something. He's just trying to keep his powers away from the king."

"Understandable," Moreno said. "But if I can't put a face to the name, it's hard to trust him, even if his information got me my sister back."

My fingers tightened on his hair as I pulled the strands into a French braid. "I trust Ric. I can feel his mind in that place. He's on my side. I can't explain it, but I know that Ric would never do anything to hurt me. He protected me from Tytan and my mother."

"I still want to meet the boy who can get in my girlfriend's head," Moreno said. "No matter his intentions."

I doubted this was a good time to bring up the new voice I was hearing. That still scared me. It felt different from everything else—like it came from my own mind. I could still see his twisted, spluttering mouth with its spittle and venom any time I closed my eyes. It was something foreign, yet completely fresh.

"I want to talk to Victor soon," I said. "He might be able to help me with my powers again. All this business with my mother makes me realize how much I really need help learning as much as I can about my abilities. I don't want Ellenora to blindside me again."

Moreno nodded. "We can talk to Hellene. She might even be able to help with your invitation to see the queen. My cousin is in good favor with the Nikones and she likes both of us."

I tied the end of the braid off and tossed it over Moreno's shoulder. He cupped my cheek and nuzzled my neck. He smiled at I beamed back at him. I loved these brief moments we had together alone, but we both knew it was time to see everyone else.

We made our way to the Pacifica kitchen. It was full of bustling people pulling together breakfast plates from the heavily stocked buffet line. I spotted Mimi Howard at the front of the line, stacking bacon next to a pile of eggs. Lyssa was scolding her for taking over three strips. Ashton waited behind them, tapping her nails on a plate that only held a muffin.

"Terri," I turned to see Ron standing with the little flip phone in his hand. "Your family needs a word."

I looked at Moreno. "Make me a plate and save me a seat?"

"You got it, princessa," he kissed my forehead.

I took the phone from Ron and walked into the hallway, where it was slightly quieter. Once I was away from the hustle and bustle, I took a deep breath. "Hello?"

"Hey Terri." It was Dylan.

I hadn't expected to hear from my cousin today. I didn't even know he has access to a private line between my father and his cousin Ron. Still, it was nice to talk to someone I considered one of my best friends in any world.

"What's up?" I asked.

"Kira is getting here tomorrow," Dylan said. "I mean, what do I say to her? We're strangers and practically adults."

"She's your sister," I said. "I'm sure you'll think of something, Dylan."

"What if she hates me?" Dylan said. "Especially when she learns the family secret that we're keeping from her."

My eyes widened. "You're going to tell Kira about the giants right away?"

"Or at least before she sees something on the ranch she shouldn't," Dylan said. "It was almost impossible to keep it from you and your siblings. Nath figured it out. We have to tell Kira."

He was right. His sister was an Oakeley too. The giant realm was also her legacy, as much as it was the rest of ours. We were all born into this and so would our children, who came after us. Kira was a part of our family.

"Okay," I said. "I'll come by the ranch tomorrow. I'm leaving Pacifica soon with the others. I can help you talk to Kira."

"If you're not up for it, I can do it," Dylan said. "You've had a couple of long days in a row."

"I wouldn't miss this for the world," I said. "Although I'm going to need a bit of concealer to cover the bruises I got from dueling my mother."

"Yikes," my cousin said. "I hate to ask how bad it was fighting someone trained as a golden guard."

I bit my lip. "Let's just say I need to work on my uppercuts a bit more, and I definitely need more weight training."

"The one time that boyfriend of yours comes in handy," Dylan said. "And I still can't believe you're with Moreno. I mean, I understand the politics, but really, what do you get out of the relationship?"

"No politics," I said. "It's hard to explain. I just understand him. He's got this whole side he tries to hide under his tough persona. Jordan really is a big softy."

"Jordan, huh," Dylan said. "He must really like you if he lets you call him that. I'm just glad he makes you happy even if he is an enormous pain in the—"

"Dylan," I chided.

"What," he said. "I'm not the one in love with him."

"I'll see you when I get back," I said. "Clam down. Maybe ask Emma out if you need something else to think about. I'll be in touch when I get back to Redwood."

I hung up and walked back into the kitchen. Slipping the phone back to Ron, I found Moreno at a table with two plates. I slid into the empty seat beside him and he pushed my breakfast in front of me.

"Your family okay?" He asked.

"More side quests," I smiled. "Looks like tomorrow we'll be seeing the Oakeleys."

"Sounds lovely," he said. "I just got word that they brought my sister back to Snowdon. The doctors think she's fine, and she has a cast on her arm. Doc asked my permission to let her recover at Half Circle with most of the other kids."

I raised an eyebrow because I knew how Moreno felt about being apart from his sister. "What did you tell her?"

"She's going to Half Circle," he said. "Gia is going to look after her there and she'll be safe from any more giants that attack Redwood looking for you."

I set my hand on top of his. "I'm proud of you."

"She'll be home soon," he said. "And so will we."

Hey friends!!! I hope you enjoyed this new chapter. Terri has been invited to the palace. Let me know what you think or if you have any theories. Until next time!!!