Beyond: Snillotia Trilogy Book One by Donna Wagner (books you have to read TXT) 📕

clean clothes in her hands. “I thought you might want clean clothes as well, instead of having to keep wearing the dirty ones. They might be a little big. They belong to Retep.”

Tim thanked her and took the clothes. “We’ll be down as soon as we change.”

Arat nodded. She hesitated a moment, but then turned and went back downstairs.

Tim placed the clothes on the bed. Anna laughed. “I don’t think Retep’s clothes will actually fit the real you.”

“Don’t worry. We don’t actually have to wear them.”

He studied the clothes for a moment and then the clothes they were wearing changed. “See. I just changed it so we look like we’re wearing them.”

Anna smiled. “This power of yours is quite handy. I’m regretting not knowing about it in school. You could have made it so I had a new outfit every class!”

Tim shook his head, and smiled, but didn’t say anything about school. “Well, let’s see what we can find out at dinner.”

He opened the door and Anna led the way back downstairs. Ronnoc was standing at the bottom of the steps when they returned downstairs. “You must feel so much better!” he exclaimed.

“Yes, thank you,” Anna replied, politely.

“Come, then, follow me! The others know the way. Our meal is just about ready!”

He led them back down the hallway they had come down with Goldie. Tim had a bad feeling. They reached the room they had entered first, and the table, which Tim had used to block the doorway, was back in the center of the room, set and filled with food. The door was closed.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

“Goldie!”

“Don’t worry, Tim. The gup is quite fine. She went through the door and back to storage. She says she cannot stay away from storage and I do not like to keep that door open. I only called my old room here at my parents’ insistence. They thought you had escaped from the castle by going with her back to the Y. Though the room is here now, so don’t worry. She can always get back to us now!” Ronnoc explained.

“Oh, okay,” Tim responded, trying not to sound too worried.

He slipped his hand into his pants pocket, making sure the walkie-talkie was still there. It was and knowing that made him feel slightly better. Anna had taken a seat at the table and Tim slipped into the spot right next to her. Ronnoc sat down as well. Tim tried to think of something to ask him that might help him know if they could trust him, but not make him angry. Arat wasn’t in the room, but he didn’t quite understand how her powers worked, so he didn’t know what kind of response he could expect. Tim looked at Ronnoc and asked, “So how come I was under the impression that you and my mom didn’t get along?”

Ronnoc frowned. That was a good sign. People usually didn’t frown when they were under a spell to be happy, did they? “I don’t know, Tim. Your mother and I were as close as siblings eight years apart can be. When I reached my thirteenth year and left to live at the Y, your mother was only in her fifth year. Of course, I saw her when I came home to visit. I guess to her, I was just someone she saw from time to time. She probably didn’t have many memories from when I lived at home. When I moved back home, after I finished my time at the Y, she was just beginning her time there. So again, we did not see each other very often. I lived at home for a year, and then moved out on my own. I couldn’t deal with my—well let’s just say, I was better off living on my own than with my parents during my twenty-second year. I do have fond memories, however, of one summer. The summer before your mother went to the Y was the same year I came back home. My parents were busy preparing for her move, so that left me to entertain her. We went on many adventures that summer,” Ronnoc had a faraway look in his eye and a slight smile on his face, but his expression turned somber as he continued, “I truly am sorry she is gone, Tim. I know you must miss her.”

Tim turned away, before his uncle could see the tears forming in his eyes. During Ronnoc’s reminiscing, almost everyone had taken their place at the table. Only Ronnoc’s family was missing. As Ronnoc had talked, he had started to sound different- his way of talking wasn’t as excited and overly exaggerated as it had been before. For the first time since meeting him, Tim felt that what Ronnoc was saying was real. Tim decided to go for it. He thought he had a chance of getting an honest answer while Arat was still elsewhere. I’m going to ask him straight out if he is a Rebel.

Anna’s eyes grew as she heard Tim in her mind. She started to shake her head no. Tim ignored her. “So, Uncle Ron, I have a question and I want an honest answer.”

Ronnoc held up his hand. “Please, I know what you’re going to ask. I have something I want to tell all of you. I have told Arat to stay away as we eat because I know the effect she has on those around her and I want everyone to be themselves as we have this discussion. Please, let us enjoy this meal first. I will tell you what I wish you to know and I will answer your questions. I knew it would be inevitable once Tim and Anna had been located. Life goes on, as they say! So please, eat! We will deal with serious matters after!”

It was silent at first as everyone thought about what Ronnoc could possibly tell them. As they ate, they slowly started chatting about random things. Grandpa Cire