Sparkly

Held

A girl held a phone up, gawking at Torian and his family.

For the third time this week, he transformed into Jade, teleported them away, and turned back.

"We can't keep doing this." Mom said, pulling her feet out of a mud puddle in the deserted park they'd landed in.

Prina and Len were sullen, having had to give up their phones.

Torian was glad he could make food out of pure energy for them, even heal their minds so they didn't need to sleep in some unpleasant place, but entertainment or comfort weren't something he could give them.

He hadn't been able to keep a visual disguise on them for long either, and he was too scared to let his powers actually mess with their bodies.

Why did this gem choose him? It'd made his life so hard...

But they'd be dead if he didn't have it, he reminded himself. That leviathan would have eaten them all. He had to be glad that at least they were still alive.

"Well, what else can we do?" Torian asked after a moment of silence.

He genuinely wanted an answer, but he didn't think any of them could provide it.

"We could ask someone rich and powerful to protect us." Brian suggested.

Torian wondered if someone like that would experiment on him- maybe they'd try to pry the gem out of his chest like that demon had.

He shuddered, but tried not to show it. His family deserved a break. He wished he could take that break with them, but even if he couldn't, he wanted them to have it.

Torian nodded.

"Who?" he asked grimly.

There was a minute of silence as Brian thought of an answer, Mom and the twins watching him anxiously but not objecting or interjecting.

The dim sunlight peeked through clouds left behind by the rain that had apparently fallen recently. The area was completely unfamiliar. Torian longed to just wake up in the same place two nights in a row again, whatever that place was.

"Someone nice." Brian said finally. "How about the philanthropist billionaire Bill Bucks?"

Torian looked at Mom for confirmation.

"I don't know much about that guy. I've heard he donated to some big charities, but that doesn't mean it's safe to go to him." Mom said.

She stared into the grey sky, brow furrowed.

"Torian could take us to another world, where nobody would know us. But... I know this is selfish of me, but I don't want to leave the people I know in this world behind." she said.

"As long as we live in this world, we're going to be in danger. Even with Torian's magic, creatures stronger than him will always be curious about us." she said heavily. "Brian, are you sure this Bill Bucks man is a good person?"

"I mean... he donated to all those charities." Brian said uncertainly.

"I dunno about this..." Len said.

"Well, it's that, teleporting around every day, or running to another dimension." Torian said.

He was just tired of being a burden to his family- he'd leave them if he thought it would help, but he was aware that they could be taken hostage just to get at him, even if he were far away.

"I mean I wouldn't mind another dimension." Len muttered, but Mom nodded.

"We'll try this Bill Bucks guy. But if he looks suspicious we're getting out of there."