The Guardian (The Gifted Book 1) by C. L. McCourt

volunteering more but providing enough information to calm Rhea down. But lying by omission was still lying. Grennal's guilt swirled in her stomach and pressed against her heart. She loved Rhea. Rhea was like a daughter to her. She hated the secrets.
    Rhea could barely breathe. "People from your world can come to mine? Really? I've asked you this before. Why haven't you told me?"
    Truth. Answer her questions but don't elaborate. "I wasn't supposed to tell you." Grennal stood and started to pace, scanning the area around her.
    "What? What weren't you supposed to tell me ? That you can come to my world?"
    Big question; there were so many things she wasn't supposed to tell her. And so many things she couldn't tell her because she simply didn't know.
    "Grennal?"
    Rhea knew too much now. She was old enough to start putting things together. For her own good, she needed to know. "I suppose now is as good a time as any. I hope I don't do more damage than good, but here goes." Grennal swallowed hard. "Rhea, or I should say Terrwyn, there's a reason you can see me and this world; a reason you can hear me and speak Aduraun so easily." She stopped, waiting for Rhea to see the answer before she said it. She didn't want to say it out loud.
    Rhea didn't understand , or maybe she didn't want to understand. "What are you trying to tell me?"
    Grennal glanced around her and whispered, "You're Luxatran."
    Her final scenario: her parents were Luxatran. Although the possibility was something she'd considered, she hadn't given it much weight. The odds were against it. The enormity of what Grennal had just conveyed made the room spin. Rhea closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Grennal. Why haven't you told me this before now?"
    "I wasn't supposed to tell you. My job was to watch you, make sure you were safe. When the time came for you to know, assuming that time ever came ... I thought I would have time to break it to you gently , but ..."
    Rhea interrupted, "So you know my biological parents. Where are they? How can I find them?"
    "Rhea, I don't know who your parents are."
    "I don't understand."
    "There's a story I need to tell you." Her facial expressions were hard to read, given she was a dog-like creature, but her voice spoke volumes. She was serious.
    Rhea's heart started to race faster than it already was. "You sound like you have bad news that I don't want to hear."
    "I wouldn't say it's bad news. Let me tell you and we can talk about it."
    "Okay." Rhea tried to calm herself. She leaned back against her bed and waited for Grennal to start.
    "Do you remember me telling you about King Argeon, the ruler of Taulomi?"
    "Sure. Taulomi, that's where you live."
    "Right. And that's where you were born."
     
     
     

 
    15
Origins
     
    Grennal didn't want to continue until that very important bit of information had sunk in. Learning you were born from Luxatran parents was hard enough to process, but to learn you were born in Luxatra, another world that had often seemed a dream, well, that could take some getting used to.
    Rhea wasn't sure she'd heard her correctly. "Where I was born?"
    Grennal nodded. "You heard correctly."
    "I was born there ... but I'm here. I'm here without my parents. How c ould this happen? How did I get here?"
    Grennal didn't want to answer. She feared she would lose Rhea if she knew who had put her there. Truth. It was a time for truth. Grennal swallowed hard and whispered, "I put you there."
    Rhea began to experience the same feelings she had felt the day she learned she was adopted. Hurt. Betrayal.
    "Rhea?" Grennal was becoming concerned. The look on Rhea's face showed she was running through all the news she had received and she wasn't looking happy.
    Rhea's focus returned to Grennal and it wasn't with a smile. "You did this to me? How? Why?"
    Grennal cringed inwardly. She needed to finish the story. "To save you."
    Rhea interrupted. "To save me? From what? What was so bad that I had to be sent here to be raised by ..."