My Last Breath (Book one of The Portal Series)

Family Mysteries Not Solved. CHAPTER FOURTEEN

My green irises blink around the room, trying to take in all of the people here and not get anxious about it. This is the first time I have ever been around this many people at once, or honestly in all in general. It is more than jarring to just sit here, even though everybody has most of their attention on Gram.

The only one getting distracted happens to be Luke, who sits on the other side of Koda who's to my right. I watch him with my head low and eyes slightly away just in case he looks me into my pupils. He blinks back and forth from Koda and I, then to the new girls who sit on the carpet a few feet from us.

Gram continues, "We are unable to have a real investigation about what happened the other night..." I look over at her just as she brushes her greying blonde hair out of her face. "...The law states that the Elyrian Guard do not go to foreign lands; Earth, for any types of legal matter. With Leanda working for the Guard," She gestures towards the dark haired woman who I assume is my aunt, "...she was able to have some men agree to come to Earth anyway. They will only stay to watch our home, nothing more."

The stranger who stands next to my uncle who's sitting in his office chair adds, "The Guard believe that these men who had Ellie and the others cause a threat to Elyria, and so gathering information they can determine more about the men's intentions. The only negative is how we can not pose any actions unless the men are on Elyrian land."

"What is the Guard?" I blurt to Koda beside me.

"They are sort of like a military," He replies. "Most of them work and protect the royals and their estates, while some along side of that are there for royal jobs, defenses, and some legal issues. The lower ranking Guard are sent out to handle more specific kingdom issues. There are different types of Guard depending on what kingdom they work for."

Without any other warning I'm immediately distracted by my name being called from across the room, "Why don't you explain to everyone your story?" Gram questions.

Instantly my body becomes tense as the thought of the Hunters enter my mind. Memories flash through me of the sadness and pain from past isolation and mental torture. When I take a look up a pit begins to form in my stomach. Once I find everyone gazing at me I'm utterly speechless. Again I'm feeling almost pressured to speak, even though they don't mean to make me feel that way. My eyes blink down to my hands that are instantly fiddling with the rim of my shirt.

Koda clears his throat, "I think it's too invasive to ask Ellie to explain right now. She hardly knows anything about us, we should at least tell her more about ourselves."

At his words a weight is lifted off my shoulders and I nod my head in agreement. I keep my stare low in case someone looks straight into my eyes. For me the shock of being here makes it all so surreal, still, that I can't understand many of my own emotions.

I just don't want to keep talking about where I came from, it was all I knew only a few days ago. Now I'm in a room with people staring right at me as if I told them the most bizarre secret in the world. I have never seen such a large group of people so dumbfounded in my life.

Luke starts, "I'll go first..." He takes a glance over at Lynn, "...I'm Luke."

It is just me or does he seem to be directly talking to Lynn who's across the room?

Lynn and Estelle exchange looks before he continues, "My real name is Lucius and I was born on Elyria just like the rest of us. I'd like to show you guys around Provence if you'd let me," He keeps his eyes on Lynn and her face get red almost instantly. "If there's anything fun you'd like to do, I'll do it! I like exciting things like travelling across the kingdoms and visiting the beaches..." He smiles not once moving his eyes from Lynn, "Oh and I like girls by the way-"