“Yeah,” Sadie chirped, “what’s up with that? Some kind of Elemental royal family?”
Micah nodded. “Apparently, it is a record of the royal family that existed in the Otherworld long before Elemental rule.”
“How is that even relevant today?” I asked. Micah raised an eyebrow, so I continued, “I mean, if this family hasn’t ruled for so long, why does it even matter anymore? Meme Corbeau used to say that we were descended from Merovingians, but I can’t go around calling myself the Queen of France.”
Sadie muttered something about France’s continuing lack of a monarchy being the real reason I wasn’t Queen Sara. Micah politely ignored her, and replied, “It matters because Oriana’s enemies are beginning to outnumber her friends.”
I tore off a hunk of bread and chewed thoughtfully. I wanted to tell Micah that I thought that scroll was right here in the manor, but I wanted to tell him privately, away from the others.. “So, if we use this family tree and track down these royal descendants, would that take the heat off Sadie?”
“Perhaps it would,” Micah murmured.
“Then we should concentrate on finding that scroll,” Dad said. “We will need Sadie in the Mundane realm.”
At that, we all stopped eating, even Max. Mom finally asked, “Beau, what do you mean?”
“The resistance needs her, of course,” Dad replied. “We need a strong Elemental in a leadership role. Who better than the Inheritor of Metal?”
“How can she lead the resistance from the Otherworld?” I asked, leaving off the fact that, once Sadie had her library up and running, she’d probably never leave it again.
“That’s something else I’ve been meaning to discuss,” Dad said. “All of us need to relocate back to the Mundane world, the sooner the better.”
The only sound was of Sadie’s fork clattering against the floor.
“Um…what?” I asked.
“The Otherworld is no place for the Corbeaus,” Dad continued. “We are a family of magic, but we don’t belong here. Once we’re back in the Raven Compound—”
“Which has been seized by the government!” Sadie squeaked.
“—we can truly effect change for the lives of Elementals,” Dad finished. He looked around the table, his gaze coming to rest on Max. “Maximilien. Are you with me, son?”
“You know it,” Max replied. He didn’t even take a second to think about it.
“Dad.” He turned to face me. “First of all, I live here, at the manor, in the Otherworld with Micah.” Dad scowled, but I kept going. “Second, we’re fugitives. Is it really a good idea to hang out near all the people who want us dead?”
“The resistance can protect us!” he insisted.
“Like they did the other day?” I demanded. “Great jailbreak, by the way. Even Max’s plans work out better than that did.”
“Hey,” Max said, while Dad continued, “Sadie needs to be seen often, and—”
“Stop!” Sadie shoved back her chair so fast it fell over. “Just stop! Everyone!” For a moment she just stood there, glaring, while her arms and hands shook.
“Everyone talks about making me a queen, a resistance leader, where I should live…but you know what? No one has bothered to ask me anything! I do get a say in my own life!” She glared at us for what felt like an hour, her hands clenching and unclenching. Then she spun on her heel and left.
“She’ll be all right,” Dad said. “She just needs to realize how much the Mundane world needs her.” Dad paused to sip his water, then continued, “The Mundane world needs all of us.”
“Sara is my wife and your daughter,” Micah said. It was the first time he’d spoken during this little slice of family drama. “And she can choose for herself where she would like to live.” I didn’t think I could love him any more than I already did until that moment.
But, of course, that wasn’t the end of it. “Sara belongs with her family,” Dad growled.
“I am her family,” Micah seethed. “And she doesn’t ‘belong’ to anyone.”
“You hardly know her,” Dad retorted. “I was there when she was born!”
“Hey!” I said, getting to my feet. “Dad, don’t you try to rearrange my life, like you’re trying to rearrange Sadie’s!” I glared at my father—I would live wherever I wanted to live, no matter what anyone at that table had to say about it.
“Beau, you are tearing this family in half,” Mom said. “The man I married would have done anything to keep us together.”