Author's Note: Just realized I haven't written Dominic/Idia in a while so here's a little bit for the opener.

Slight spoiler warning regarding Malleus' mother…kind of. It's more or less stated in his birthday vignette that was released back in January but you guys know I prefer to be safe than sorry.

"Okay, so explain to me more about this project you've been working on," Idia requested as he sat at the desk in his room back home on the Isle of Woe. There was a slew of parts spread out over the workspace as he put the finishing touches on the modified adapter he was planning to give to Devon once he returned to campus. "You said you'd been working on it since before this past summer, right?"

"Yeah," Dominic replied from Idia's monitor, busily coding something on his own computer screen. "It's a birthday gift for Devon and DJ, so I wanted to give myself enough time to have it done by March. I hit a bit of a snag after Dev disappeared, but I still wanna finish it. I'm not sure how, but we'll figure out a way to get it to her."

"And you said it was going to be a rhythm game?" Idia recalled.

"It is," Dominic confirmed. "DJ and Dev aren't the biggest gamers. They usually only play socially-"

Idia grimaced. "Eww."

"I know, right," Dominic agreed without missing a beat. "But rhythm games are the one type of game all three of us enjoy, so I figured I'd make my own. That way we can play it together."

"Dominic," Idia began, waiting until the youngest Lopez triplet looked up at him before he continued. "Who gave you the right to be so precious?"

"I actually have a permit, believe it or not," Dominic replied with a smile. He turned around to pull a piece of paper out of his printer and scribbled something on it. He held it up to Idia once it was done: the paper just said 'I do what I want'.

Idia barely suppressed a snort before nodding authoritatively. "Hmm. Yep, checks out to me." He smiled fondly as Dominic laughed. 'Sevens only know I'd let you get away with just about anything.'

"So, we finally heard back from Mala," Dominic told Idia after another brief stretch of comfortable silence while they each worked on their own things. "Turns out that letter Mama sent a few months ago didn't even get delivered until the other day. She felt awful about leaving us hanging like that, so she's coming by tomorrow to explain some things. And…I'm guessing she's gonna tell us who she really is."

"I'm assuming that means she's from Twisted Wonderland, after all?" Idia asked.

Dominic nodded. "Yeah. But she insisted she wasn't the reason Dev was brought to the school. I believe her; I don't really think she has a reason to lie to us about that."

"Well I think we talked about this before, but those Sending Stones she gave you can only be mined in Briar Valley," Idia replied. "It's a pretty insular kingdom and doesn't appear to be too big on modern technology, so there isn't much accessible information about the people that live there but evidently the majority are fae. If Mala is powerful enough to move between worlds more or less at will and grant the three of you those SSR-rank blessings, that pretty much confirms that she's fae too-a mega powerful one, at that."

"It's kind of hard to believe, ya know?" Dominic mused. "To us, she's always been this elusive mysterious family friend. A little eccentric, sure, but all the best found family members are. To think we've had a literal fairy godmother this entire time…"

"And none of you are upset that she lied about who she was?" Idia asked.

Dominic shook his head. "Why would we be? She must've had a reason for not telling us. She's done nothing but look after us in her own way, so I think we can forgive a little secrecy."

"Well, make sure to let me know how everything goes because I'm dying to hear what the logic was behind those blessings," Idia said.

"You know, I hope this doesn't come across as patronizing but I really must commend you all," Lilia commented as he and Maleficia sat in the living room of the Lopez home. He smiled as the husky puppy Maverick padded over to sniff him curiously, her tail wagging as she happily accepted his pets. "I was fairly certain that at least one of you would have passed out when you saw the queen's true appearance." He let out an amused chuckle. "I can definitely see where Devon gets it from."

The first thing his queen had done after pulling the family into a hug and apologizing for the delay in reaching out to them, especially since it concerned one of the triplets, was to drop the illusion spell that hid her horns and gave her pupils a more rounded, human-like appearance as opposed to the cat-like ones characteristic of dragon fae. Her ears also reverted to their usual pointed shape. She also explained that she'd brought Lilia with her because she thought they'd feel more at ease being able to speak to someone who actually attended Night Raven College and crossed paths with Devon fairly frequently. Given the circumstances, Lilia had been expecting at least a little wariness, but Devon's parents and brothers had been nothing but welcoming and accommodating to both of them. They'd even offered to bring them to a different room out of the direct sunlight upon learning that he and Maleficia were nocturnal fae and that Lilia especially tended to find himself drained when exposed to prolonged sunlight.

Angelo smiled back. "Well we've kind of learned to expect the unexpected ever since we learned about Devon's situation."

"Even so, I can't help but regret not telling you all the truth about my identity sooner," Maleficia admitted. "I wouldn't blame you if you were upset with me."

Elena reached out to place her hand on Maleficia's shoulder. "Hey, we understand why you didn't. I know I personally would've found all this much harder to believe had I not seen that picture Dominic had taken of Devon inside the mirror the day she was able to make contact with our world."

"Besides, our world doesn't really have the best track record when it comes to how people react to anything that isn't considered "normal"," Dominic agreed. "If I were in your shoes, I would've erred on the side of caution too."

DJ nodded. "It seems like this whole situation threw everyone for a loop, but the Sending Stones and the blessings you gave us when we were born have been absolute game changers. If it weren't for you, we'd probably still have no idea what happened to Devon or if she was even alive. I mean, obviously we wish she was still here with us but I think this is the best possible outcome, all things considered."

Maleficia's eyes began to grow misty. "I… Thank you. All of you." She took a few steadying breaths as Elena pulled her into a comforting hug, grateful and entirely unsurprised that revealing herself as a fae queen didn't put any distance between herself and the Lopez family. After a moment, she took another deep breath and pulled back from the hug. "Now, I'm sure you all have questions so ask away. Lilia and I will answer to the best of our ability."

The family exchanged glances, unsure where to begin, before Angelo spoke up to start things off. "Well…we know you weren't behind Devon being brought to Twisted Wonderland, but do you have any idea who might be or why?"

Maleficia shook her head. "I've been trying to figure that out myself since the moment I read your letter. You mentioned that she clearly remembers a carriage coming for her, correct?"

Dominic nodded. "Yeah. I'm not surprised it left an impression on her, given her fear of horses. She told us that she tried to run from it at first, but it caught up to her pretty quick. She thinks it did something to her that caused her to black out and then put her into a coffin because the next thing she remembers is that little cat monster that's always with her blasting the lid off of it."

"Those black carriages are always sent to deliver new students to Night Raven College," Lilia confirmed. "They travel to all ends of Twisted Wonderland to meet them, even to the undersea kingdoms, but this is the first I've heard of a carriage crossing into an entirely different world to retrieve a student. One can only enroll as a student if they've accepted an invitation to attend the school, but Devon doesn't recall receiving any such thing. Do you remember any unusual pieces of mail arriving for her within the past year or so?"

"None that we know of," Elena replied. "It's not like we monitor our kids' mail, but I would think something from a place called Night Raven College would've stood out."

"I also think Devon would have said something about it, even if she thought it was a prank," Angelo added. "At the very least, I think she would have mentioned it to DJ and Dom to see if they got one too."

"It's also rather concerning that despite the Dark Mirror allegedly calling Devon to the school, it wasn't able to send her back," Lilia pointed out. "One would think that if it sent the carriage across worlds to get her, it would be able to do it again to bring her home."

"Well… If the mirror isn't an option, couldn't you send her back the same way you move between worlds, Mala?" Dominic asked, only for his eyes to widen as he remembered who he was speaking to. "Er, sorry. I mean Your Majesty."

Maleficia smiled and shook her head. "You've nothing to apologize for, Dominic. There's no need for any of you to stand on ceremony now. You're free to continue calling me Mala if you'd like." Her smile dropped slightly. "To answer your question, though, as much as I would love to return Devon to you, I'm afraid it would be far too dangerous to bring her back using my method of transportation. As you've no doubt realized by now, there are a near infinite number of worlds and dimensions existing simultaneously. I began studying them after I ended up here the first time and I discovered that rifts open up between worlds from time to time."

"And you travel through those rifts to get here?" Elena asked.

"That's right," Maleficia confirmed. "However, doing so poses a very significant risk. Naturally occurring rifts are rare and they can close quickly, trapping anyone or anything moving through them in the limbo between worlds. After doing a little research, though," She waved her hand and a small snow globe-like container appeared in her palm, a swirling black void inside of it twinkling with what looked like small stars, "I learned how to make them myself. This rifts tend to be more stable compared to the ones that occur naturally, but they're still considered a borderline forbidden art due to the danger they pose to any organic being that travels through them."

DJ quirked a brow. "Organic beings? Like humans, for example?"

Lilia nodded. "Exactly. Every species of fae is made of magic to some degree. How much varies across the different species, but the more magic in your biological makeup, the stronger the degree of protection you have should you choose to travel via interdimensional rift."

"So while I can traverse a rift without any real adverse effects, a human-even one with a powerful blessing-would most likely be torn apart as soon as they stepped through it," Maleficia concluded as she waved her hand again to stow the rift away. "Subjecting Devon to that kind of danger is out of the question."

The family deflated slightly at the news, but they weren't about to argue. As long as Devon remained safe in Twisted Wonderland, there was no need to rush to find a way to bring her back-especially not if moving between dimensions could put her in danger.

After mulling over Maleficia's words for a moment, Dominic spoke up. "You said before that you "ended up" in this world the first time you arrived. Does that mean your first trip here was an accident, Mala?"

Maleficia nodded with an amused smile as she thought back to that day. "It was. A happy accident, but an accident all the same." Her smile shifted from amused to forlorn. "It's not something I've ever talked about at length, but I mentioned to your mother and father that I lost my daughter some time before I met the two of them."

The brothers glanced over at Lilia to see that the tiny grin he'd been wearing since he and Maleficia had arrived was gone, a more somber and serious look taking its place. Their parents' expressions also shifted to become more sympathetic.

"I was consumed with grief for a very long time, as one might expect," Maleficia continued, "but my duties as queen and obligations to my subjects meant that I couldn't show it outwardly. Not in public, at least. I ended up resorting to a coping method that was, in hindsight, not the healthiest or the most productive but it worked to dull the pain for a little while. I would use magic to travel back in time to watch my daughter through various stages of her life. I was never able to make myself known-too many potential risks-but getting to see her again was enough for me. It was when I was casting my spell for one of those trips back in time that I accidentally ended up in this world. I'm still not entirely sure what went wrong; I'd cast the spell countless times by that point, but instead of opening a rift back in time, I opened a rift to your world. I was so shocked when I realized what happened, I couldn't even stick the landing like I usually do. Barely had enough time to throw up an illusion spell to hide my horns before Elena found me."

Elena couldn't help but smile at the memory. "I remember that like it was yesterday. I was helping out at my brother's restaurant that day and I was heading back inside from taking the trash out. I heard this loud crackling sound followed by crash and I guess my curiosity got the better of me because before I realized what I was doing, I rushed back out to see what had happened."

"Keh heh. I suppose now we know where Devon got those killer survival instincts of hers," Lilia snarked.

"Yeah, seriously Mama. I know it led to you meeting our literal fairy godmother, but what if you'd gotten yourself shanked when you went back out there?" DJ agreed.

"Oh, don't worry-your tio lectured me at length about it later," Elena assured her son.

"As well he should have. I'll always be grateful for the kindness you showed me that day, but I couldn't help worrying after the fact about what could have happened had you encountered a less even-tempered fae than myself," Maleficia commented.

Lilia had to fight the urge to scoff playfully. He leaned closer to the boys, lowering his voice to whisper, "Even-tempered, she says. A hair-trigger temper is basically the genetic marker for the entire Draconia line. Still…something tells me that Elena wouldn't have been afraid even if the queen was spewing flames."

"I also remember being rather surprised that nobody commented on the royal robes I was wearing that day since I didn't have time to cast an illusion over those as well," Maleficia continued. "Obviously no one was wearing anything like them when you brought me into your brother's restaurant but the other patrons barely looked up."

Angelo chuckled. "Trust me, they'd all seen stranger things. Takes a lot more than that to rattle a New Yorker."

"Personally, I thought they looked great on you," Elena commented. "I wanted to ask you wear you got them after we got you something to eat and made sure you weren't hurt, but you seemed like you were in a rush to leave."

"Indeed I was," Maleficia replied. "It's rather embarrassing to recall, but that entire encounter left me quite frazzled. As soon as you were satisfied that I was uninjured and fed, I opened the rift as soon as I was out of sight and returned to Briar Valley. I hadn't intended to return, but the more I thought back to meeting the two of you, the more I found myself wanting to check up on you. I'd never had anyone express such genuine concern for me that didn't know who I was beforehand. To be a Draconia is to be both feared and revered, so having you both treat me like a regular person was an unfamiliar experience. When I returned to your world, I told myself that I was just going to thank you for your hospitality." She sighed before looking over at Elena. "But as time went on, I found myself getting more and more attached. Especially to you, Elena. The more time I spent with you, the more I learned about you, the more you began to remind me of my daughter."

Elena reached out to squeeze Maleficia's hand, a small fond smile on her face. She was equal parts surprised and touched by the admission. The truth was that she'd come to view the fae queen as a mother figure as well. When they'd met, her relationship with her own mother was virtually nonexistent so she supposed it wasn't all that surprising that she'd latched onto one of the few genuinely supportive older female figures in her life. "I still remember how thrilled you were when Angelo and I told you we were expecting." She chuckled to herself.

Angelo chuckled. "And when you asked us if you could bestow your blessings on the babies when they were born, we didn't think you meant giving them actual powers."

"Believe me, if I'd known things were going to turn out the way they have, I'd have been much clearer about what I was doing," Maleficia replied, looking amused as well. "Those abilities were only intended to help the triplets out in their day-to-day lives, but they also needed to be powerful enough to get the job done."

Dominic blinked. "What do you mean?"

"Take Devon's blessing, for example. She was sweet and trusting even as a baby and your mother had shared with me a concern your uncle had that those qualities would end up getting her hurt when she got older," Maleficia explained. "Her blessing was meant to give her a sort of…sixth sense when it came to determining a person's true character, warning her away from genuinely bad people while granting her the ability and the desire to get through to just about anyone else, no matter how outwardly prickly they are."

'I wonder if that's why she can't quite bring herself to let go of Madison. Maybe Dev can see that there's still some good in her,' DJ mused inwardly. 'I guess it also explains why she was so adamant from the get-go that Dom stay away from Liam.'

"But how did you decide on the blessings for DJ and me?" Dominic asked.

"The first time I came to see you three was a few months after you were born, so those decisions were largely based on what your parents told me about your personalities at that point," Maleficia elaborated. "They told me that you tended to get fussy and anxious when you couldn't see your siblings or your favorite toys, Dominic, so your blessing granted you the ability to instinctively tell where whatever you were looking for could be found. And DJ was fiercely protective of both of his siblings from the moment he was mobile, so his blessing was meant to serve as a way to both sense when a person he cared about was in danger and get him a means to protect them, usually by giving him a temporary boost in strength and speed."

"So it's a little like an adrenaline rush but with magic," DJ reasoned. He thought back to the first time he'd really noticed his blessing manifesting-the day he'd knocked an incoming football away from Mason's face hard enough to leave a trail in the grass. "And way more powerful…"

"I get why Dev's blessing keeps getting stronger the longer she stays in Twisted Wonderland, but why are mine and DJ's powers getting stronger too?" Dominic wondered.

"That's most likely due to the fact I also blessed the bond the three of you share in addition to granting your individual blessings," Maleficia said. "Dragon fae like myself are almost always only children. It's not impossible for us to have siblings, of course, but it's not usually necessary given how long our lifespans tend to be. I'd never thought much about the bond siblings can share until I heard how fondly your parents spoke of their own. And then when I met the three of you as infants, it was clear that a powerful connection already existed between you." She smiled at the memory of the three babies cooing and babbling at each other, already the best of friends. "I thought that kind of bond should be protected and I knew it would only get stronger as you grew up, which is why I gave you those Sending Stones as a means to ensure that no matter how far apart your lives took you, the three of you would be able to find each other again. The connection you three share is what allows both your individual blessings and Sending Stones to work across worlds. As such, I suspect it's also why your powers have grown alongside your sister's."

"Even so," Lilia chimed in, "I've been watching Devon closely ever since I noticed her Sending Stone. Her power goes well beyond what could be considered a standard blessing and judging from what we've heard, I can only assume DJ and Dominic's abilities are of a similar caliber. I was more than a little surprised that you gifted them such powerful blessings, regardless of your closeness with the family."

"A fair point. I did bestow more power on them than I normally would have in order to ensure their blessings would actually work in this world," Maleficia explained. "I'm sure you've already noticed, Lilia, but the magic in this world works differently from the magic in ours."

"Wait, wait, wait," DJ interjected, just as stunned by this revelation as the rest of his family. "What do you mean by "the magic in this world"? There is no magic in our world. I mean, unless you count the magic that is New York-style cheesecake."

Lilia chuckled before ruffling DJ's hair. "It appears Devon is under a similar impression but make no mistake, my boy-magic does indeed exist in this world as well. Magic doesn't saturate this world the way it does in Twisted Wonderland, which seems to dull our abilities somewhat, but I could sense it as soon as we arrived here today."

"I noticed it as well when the rift brought me here the first time," Maleficia agreed. "It seems most of the people in this world can't use or even sense magic, but there are a small number of magic users operating in secret, though it seems they prefer to call themselves witches and sorcerers as opposed to mages. The research I've done is far from complete but from what I could gather, the magic users of this world will typically borrow power from various spirits and combine it with their own power to amplify it when they cast their spells. That's not the way it's done in Twisted Wonderland; when we cast spells, we draw from our own magical reserves with no spirits involved. At the rate your powers have been growing, I imagine it won't be long before you'll be able to sense whether a person you encounter has magical abilities or not."

Maleficia went on to explain that while the mages of Twisted Wonderland were generally more powerful than most of the magic users in the Lopez family's world due to a heavier presence (and acceptance) of magic, there were a couple of outliers who could most likely hold their own against some of Twisted Wonderland's best: a man who had been dubbed 'the witty sorcerer' by his contemporaries and his apprentice. She couldn't tell them much about either one; the witty sorcerer's true name was Solomon but virtually everything else about him was shrouded in mystery while his apprentice, a demigirl from Australia named Circe, apparently came from a long line of very talented witches, was the true identity of the author of a popular series of murder mystery novels…and had almost accidentally caused the destruction of the entire world due to being unable to control the ridiculous amount of power they possessed. Fortunately, she'd been able to get it under control somehow before any serious damage was caused. The worst that had happened had been a string of steadily worsening earthquakes, which the family recalled having taken place a few years prior. The quakes as stopped as suddenly and mysteriously as they'd begun and even now the experts were unable to explain it.

"I thought something was off about you when you came to see us while that was going on. I don't think I'd ever seen you look so unnerved before," Elena recalled.

"Now that you mention it, you did come to see us a lot that year," DJ commented. "Were you able to sense what was happening, Mala?"

Maleficia nodded. "Yes. I realize now that I probably should have said something, but I didn't want to give any of you cause for alarm. If it looked like the destruction of this world was inevitable I was fully prepared to bring all of you back to Briar Valley with me, but I didn't want that to be how I revealed my identity to you. Having you find out about Twisted Wonderland and magic in general that way probably would have been less than idea as well."

"Yeah, that probably would've been a hard sell," Elena agreed. "I mean, it's not like Devon getting spirited away to a new magical dimension was easier to accept, but at least we've had enough time to accept each new revelation before the next one reared its head as opposed to having all of those things hit us at once with the added not-bonus of everything we know and love being dead and gone."

With the heavier topics now out of the way, the conversation became much lighter. Lilia took point filling everyone in on how Devon was doing at Night Raven College and pulled out his phone to show the family some of the pictures he'd taken during Halloween Week.

"Okay, this witch costume is nothing short of gorgeous," Elena commented as she and Angelo looked at a picture of Devon talking with Grim and the Ramshackle ghosts outside the dorm.

"Seriously. I'm sure even Valentina would be impressed," Angelo agreed. "And you're saying the ghosts that live in her dorm made that for her out of old curtains and fabric scraps?"

Lilia nodded with a smile. "They sure did! The ghosts and Wisps absolutely adore Devon and Grim. Ramshackle might not be the prettiest dorm, but the sense of family and hominess you get when you're there gives it a unique sort of appeal."

"Frankly, I don't know why it took the headmaster so long to get that building fixed up," Maleficia commented. "I understand that Devon's arrival was unexpected and he couldn't keep her in a dorm she wasn't placed in, but those repairs should have started as soon as he realized she'd be there long-term."

"I think the better question is why he let it fall into such disrepair in the first place," Dominic added. "I mean, it's not in one of those pocket dimensions that hold the other dorms, right? It's right on the main campus. Dev's told us that Crowley's all about keeping up the school's reputation so I would think he'd want to at least keep up the outside of a building that all visitors would be able to see."

"I can't say I'm wild about the situation either, but at least your sister has a roof over her head," Elena replied. She scrolled to another picture and smiled when she saw it was of Devon in the Ramshackle lounge going over what appeared to be notes while Grim and Silver slept on either side of her, Silver's head resting on Devon's shoulder. "You said this silver-haired boy is your adopted son, Lilia?"

Lilia nodded, beaming proudly. "He sure is! And he's grown into a fine young man, if I do say so myself. Evidently he and Devon met when he fell asleep outside of Ramshackle. It was about to storm, so she brought him inside to keep him from getting rained on." His expression shifted to a mischievous smirk. "He's been growing steadily more fond of her ever since. It appears his feelings aren't strictly platonic anymore, though it doesn't seem he's realized it yet. It goes without saying that I'm very interested in seeing how things play out, especially considering the number of admirers Devon has, but it's hard to get a read on where she stands with all of this."

Elena quirked a brow and smirked, the expression eerily similar to one Lilia had seen on Devon multiple times by now. "Well that's gotta be the most roundabout way of asking how to tell if Devon likes him back I've ever heard."

"Honestly, it's a little difficult to tell with Devon," Angelo explained. "Granted, it's not like she tells us absolutely everything, but I don't think Devon's ever fallen for someone first. She can become attracted to someone quickly enough, but when it comes to actually wanting a relationship…I dunno, I don't think I've ever seen it happen."

"I have," Elena chimed back in. "Angelo's right; Devon almost never falls first. But when she does fall for someone, she tells me it's like she "gets hit by a feels truck". She can go from 'this person is cool and I like hanging out with them, but that's all my heart needs right now' to 'if we don't get married tomorrow, I'm gonna start biting people' at what seems like the drop of a hat. It's impossible to know when or if it'll happen, but it's very obvious once it does."

Lilia hummed in consideration. "Good to know. I'll have to make sure to throw some subtle encouragement to Silver and Malleus if either seems discouraged by a lack of immediate reciprocation. I'm not especially worried about Silver, but I don't want Malleus to lose heart too quickly."

"I've never heard my grandson speak so fondly of another person before," Maleficia commented. "All he's been able to talk about since he arrived home for the holidays is this new human friend he'd made, but he refused to tell me anything about them. I don't think I could've been more surprised when I finally received your letter and realized it was Devon he'd been pining after this whole time."

"Leave it to our sister to catch the eye of a literal fairy prince through sheer obliviousness," Dominic quipped before looking at Lilia.

"Honestly, I think it was the accent that got his attention initially," Lilia replied. "I know for a fact that plenty of the NRC students like listening to it. She could be talking about paint drying and they'd be paying rapt attention."

"Welcome home, Father," Silver greeted when Lilia returned home that evening. "Did you enjoy your tri-what are all those bags for?"

Lilia grinned and held up the array of shopping bags on both of his arms, the names of the stores completely unfamiliar to Silver. "Oh, it was wonderful! I can see why the queen adores the Lopez family so much. Elena and Angelo were such gracious hosts and their sons were delightful too! They asked if I wanted to come along with them while they ran some errands for their mother so I could see more of the town they live in. I didn't get the chance to see New York City, but there was still plenty to enjoy. DJ and Dominic showed me this wonderful store called Target, where you go in for one specific thing and leave with an entire cart's worth of items completely unrelated to what you came for! Look!" He reached into one of the bags and pulled out a pair of bright neon clog-like shoes. "These are called Crocs and DJ says they're quite the controversial fashion piece-apparently people either love them or hate them with almost no in-between. DJ owns several pairs but Devon and Dominic won't go near them, so naturally I had to get a pair for myself to even things out. Luckily I found some in Diasomnia colors."

"I'm glad you had a good time," Silver replied, his stoic expression belying the fondness he felt as he watched Lilia riffle through the bags. "You certainly look like you enjoyed yourself."

"Oh, Target was just the beginning. We visited a bunch of thrift stores too." Lilia pulled a bright yellow sweatshirt out of another bag and held it up so Silver could see the 'Foxy Grandpa' written on it in red letters. "I'm not sure why someone would choose to give up a gem like this, but their loss is my gain! I picked up a few things for you and Sebek too."

Silver quirked a brow. "Nothing for Lord Malleus?"

"Not to worry. The Lopezes and Queen Maleficia picked something out especially for him," Lilia replied. "Actually, that reminds me…" He snapped his fingers and a container of food appeared on the table, still warm thanks to Lilia's magic. "The queen and I ate lunch with Devon's family, but Elena was kind enough to make dinner for us to bring back as well."

Silver walked over to the table and opened the container curiously. Inside was a bed of seasoned rice topped with various kinds of seafood. Silver also caught the scent of several spices that he knew Devon frequently cooked with as well. "Well it certainly smells delicious. What is it?"

"Elena said it was called paella," Lilia explained. "I mentioned that you like risotto, so she decided to make a traditional rice dish from their culture."

"If Devon's mother is as skilled a cook as Devon, I'm sure it will be amazing," Silver said, silently thanking the Seven that he was spared from having to talk his father out of "helping" with dinner that evening.

"Come now, Malleus, there's no need to sulk," Maleficia said as she and her grandson finished up their own paella dinner. If the storm clouds and the rumbling thunder were any indication, he'd been in a foul mood since she'd left.

"I am not sulking," Malleus huffed. "I just cannot believe you didn't tell me that you knew Devon Lopez or her family."

"And whose fault do you think that is, wyrmling?" Maleficia asked rhetorically. "If you had been more forthcoming with information about your new friend, I'd have gladly told you everything." She sighed. "Of all the people to be summoned across worlds… And to your school, no less!"

"How were even able to correspond with them across worlds?" Malleus asked.

"I merely cast a little warp spell on a P.O. box I'd set up in their world so that anything placed in it would be sent to a specific mailbox at the castle," Maleficia explained.

Malleus hummed in response, his sour expression unchanged.

"Would it help if I told you I brought back something else from Devon's world?" Maleficia asked. "Something her parents chose especially for you?"

Malleus' interest was clear as he sat straighter in his chair. "They selected a gift for me?"

"Indeed they did." Maleficia waved her hand and a small container appeared in front of Malleus. "Lilia told them what an important friend you've been to their daughter during her time in Twisted Wonderland and they wanted to show their appreciation. I mentioned your fondness for ice cream so they had some gelato delivered from a local restaurant they frequent."

Malleus blinked. "Gelato?"

"From what I understand, it's a special type of ice cream that has both a bolder taste and a cleaner finish since it doesn't linger on the tongue," Maleficia elaborated. "That salted caramel flavor is Devon's favorite."

Malleus' face lit up at the thought of (indirectly) sharing one of his child of man's favorite treats, but he quickly schooled it into a more neutral look as he nodded to his grandmother politely. "Very well. I suppose it would rude of me not to accept such a thoughtful gift."

Maleficia smirked as she watched her grandson eagerly dig into the gelato. "That's what I thought." Her smirk faded into a soft smile as she thought back to Elena's parting words to her before she and Lilia returned to Briar Valley.

"I know you've got responsibilities, but even powerful dragon fae queens need a break sometimes. Please know that our door is always open whenever you want to stop by. Don't be a stranger, okay?"

'I won't, Elena,' she thought. 'I might not be able to bring Devon back to you yet, but you'd best believe I'll keep looking for a safe way to return her. In the meantime, I hope the Sending Stone I left with you will lessen the pain on all of you. Try not to worry for her too much-Devon is under Briar Valley's protection now.'

Ending Notes: I mean… I can't be the only one who thinks Lilia would absolutely (semi)unironically love Crocs.

Thank you all for being so patient while I got this chapter out! You guys are amazing!

I'm pretty sure I mentioned this before, but Circe is my Obey Me MC. I'd like to write something for OM at some point, but this story is my focus. I've been thinking about having Circe (and maybe some of the OM characters) make guest appearances in this story but if I do, it won't happen until way, waaaaay later. Like Diasomnia arc later. Doesn't hurt to lay the groundwork, though.

Thank you so much for reading! As always, feedback and constructive criticism are welcome. Geekinthepink, out!