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room made her look ethereal, her colors glowing in the natural light as she turned and walked toward him again.
    “Okay, let me get this straight.”
    He stifled a groan. Did they have to review all this again? Perhaps the third time would be the last. He sure as hell hoped so. They didn’t have time to sit and go over it all day. There was an Erritrol on the loose, it was undoubtedly in a rage, and it was coming after them. It needed to be stopped, but until she was satisfied with his explanations, he didn’t dare leave her alone.
    “So, correct me if I get any of this wrong, but you believe,” Her voice was incredulous. “I’m the lost Queen of Avalore. You believe my mother, who wasn’t really my mother, took me away from there when my real mother was murdered by those beasts on the day I was born?”
    A muscle ticked in his jaw. “Yes, Queen Rhiannon. This is what I believe.”
    “You think by taking me back to Avalore, I’ll somehow be able to save your entire species from extinction.” She stopped pacing in front of him to look at him again. “And I’m the only one who can do this. No one else can save the people of Avalore?” She rolled her eyes as she resumed her pacing.
    “ Our people, and yes, that’s correct.”
    Deep down, she knew the truth. He was sure of it. The way hope shone in her eyes one second, and replaced by fear the next, told him as much. He just had to be patient and let her come to terms with it on her own.
    “This is nuts, Drake, it really is.” She rolled her shoulders several times, stretching her neck from side to side.
    “I know it sounds ludicrous, but I assure you, I tell the truth.”
    If he were to believe the intelligence in her eyes, she should have figured it out by now. Maybe she needed a nudge in the right direction. He sure as hell didn’t want to go through the whole conversation a fourth time.
    “Let me ask you this, Queen Rhiannon. How many humans do you know who can talk to you this way? How do you explain the energy manipulation and the fact I can heal, just as you can?”
    She needed to come to grips with this. He didn’t want to have to force her back to Avalore, but he’d do what needed to be done if she didn’t make the right decision.
    “ I don’t know. Cut me some slack, okay? It’s not every day a girl gets told she’s not human.”
    Her sharp tone had him grinning. “ I suppose you’re right.” He could almost see the gears turning in her mind. She was putting things together and what she found frightened her. He could understand that. She brought her hand up to her slender neck, before dropping it again with a lost look in her eyes.
    “Tell me about the beasts. What are they?”
    She was stalling, but if she needed time to process all the information he’d given her, he’d play along. “The creature you saw last night was an Erritrol, my queen.”
    “Please.” Her eyes grew wide. “Please stop using the Q word. My heart feels like it’s going to explode right out of my chest each time you do.” At long last, she stopped pacing and dropped into the chair facing his.
    If not saying the words would make it easier for her to accept, then so be it.
    “The Erritrol is a creature of the dark lands which separates this human world from ours.” He leaned forward, letting his elbows rest on his knees. “Some breeds can coexist with other species, and only attack when provoked, though we’ve not seen one of those in many, many years. Those we face are not so docile.”
    He didn’t want to frighten her more than she already was, but she needed to know about the dangers they faced. There was no way they would make it across the dark lands and not come face to face with them, and he needed to know she could handle it when they did.
    “I’ve seen them. I know what they’re capable of.” She lifted her chin a degree higher.
    “There are three different generations, the Erritrol, the Ikabrol and the Ekasibe. The one we fought in the