The Portal to Sidhe: Book 1

by Kelsey Schaeffer

  “Ben…I know. It must have been the wine, it was so powerful.” I turned red and said, “I think I kissed one of the vampires…Scott.”

  “There is no way that was wine! I am a vampire and alcohol does almost nothing to me. When I was a human, I drank before. I have never been that drunk. The Queen gave us something much more powerful than wine!”

  “Where’s our clothes?” I cried feeling embarrassed by my exposure. The two of us looked around. There was nothing around; it was just the two of us naked.

  “I don’t think this is even our hall,” he said.

  “Maybe there is an open room?” I said.

  The two of us stood up and walked to the nearest door, and I turned the knob. The door opened to a guest room similar to ours. As we stepped into the room, it seemed as if it did not belong to anyone. I sat on the bed, while Ben went to the bathroom to grab a towel. While Ben was in the restroom, I lay down in the bed and curled up under the plush covers. I felt dizzy and tired and needed more rest. I shut my eyes as I felt Ben’s naked body snuggle next to mine. The two of us were disgusting, but I was so tired, I didn’t care. I shut my eyes and drifted to sleep.

  When I woke once more, I was alone in bed, but feeling a bit better. It felt as if several hours had gone by, and I could feel my stomach was beginning to growl in hunger. I sat up and looked around the room. Ben was sitting in an armchair across the room, wearing only a towel. He was reading a book and looked as if he had recently showered. He smiled when he saw I was awake. I went to him and kissed him on the cheek before heading to the bathroom to shower. This bathroom was just as exhilarating as the one I had been assigned. The bathroom had a giant clawfoot tub and I decided to soak instead.

  I turned the water on very hot and let it fill the tub. When it was full, I stepped inside and relaxed as the hot water engulfed my skin. Only seconds after soaking in the tub, the water turned pink from the dried blood covering me. I watched as sediments floated to the top of the pink water, but I was too tired to care. I shut my eyes and began to think about the night before.

  Although it was a blur, disturbing thoughts of my family and friends flushed through my mind. I couldn’t stop thinking about the Queen’s naked body being slammed into the wall, or Melody’s intimacy with Ben. The thought of Scott fondling my breasts replayed over and over again in my mind as my stomach continued to sour.

  As the thoughts flourished through my mind, I was glad I left dinner with Ben and not someone else. Although Ben and I both had intimate moments with others, I don’t know if I could have forgiven myself if I would have slept with Scott—or someone else.

  I continued to soak, draining some of the foul water and replacing it with hot water to ease my tired body. I was very worn out and felt as if a train had hit me. Even though sex was typically a healing process for superhumans, Ben and I may have overdone it the night before. Our delusional state of mind may have disrupted the typical healing powers of sex.

  As the tub refilled with clean hot water, I tried to shake the dinner party from my mind. I thought about our situation and our location. There was no way out of Sidhe. Even if we did escape the castle, where would we go? From every window, snow covered mountains were all the eye could see. Even if we left and journeyed through the vast frozen land, what was beyond the mountains? There was no physical way back home; magic was the only transportation back to our world.

  Our friends and family back home would never be able to figure out where our group went. My father was now completely alone. He lost my mother, and now he lost me. He didn’t even have my aunt by his side. I knew he would spend the rest of his life searching for me, while I was enjoying the fine luxuries the castle had to offer. I only wished there was a way I could send a message to let him know I was safe. I hated the thought of my father in despair.

  The Queen seemed crazy and narcissistic, but she was my family. If I spoke with her, maybe she would let me send a message to my father to ease his sorrow. If the Queen wouldn’t help, maybe Roger would. It was obvious Roger had lied to us, but he didn’t seem all bad. I had to do something. I felt tremendous guilt as I thought of my worried father back home.

  I rested in the tub for quite some time, trying to think of a way out, or at least a way to let our town know we were okay. After quite some time, I heard a knock on the bedroom door. Then I heard Ben speaking with someone. Soon after, Ben knocked on the bathroom door.

  “Come in,” I said. Ben came in the bathroom and stood by the tub.

  “That was Emerlee. They have been looking for us. They finally did location magic to find us, and she brought us some clothing. Emerlee is waiting for us and when we are ready, she will give the two of us a personal tour.”

  “Okay,” I said.

  Ben grabbed a towel for me, and I stood up to dry off. Once I was dry, Ben brought me clothing from Emerlee. They were much more conservative and casual than the clothing from the evening before, but they were still brightly colored.

  Once I was dressed, Ben and I left the room. Emerlee was waiting patiently outside.

  “Hello,” she said with a smile, “Did you enjoy yourselves last night?”

  “What did the Queen do to us?” I demanded.

  She laughed and said, “The Queen threw a bit of desire dust over you. It’s harmless! It may cause a bit of confusion, dizziness and a headache, but generally, you just have a great time!”

  “She isn’t going to do that again, is she?” I asked.

  “Unlikely, unless you ask. She just wanted everyone to have a good time last night. A warm-welcome!”

  I shook my head. It seemed more like chaos than a warm welcome, but I followed Emerlee as she walked down the hall. I didn’t want to anger anyone and ruin my chances of communication with Pine Lake.

  As she walked, she began to speak, “The two of you somehow ended up in hall 2, where we are now. I assigned your group to hall 4. There are a total seven guest halls in the castle. Hall 1 is dedicated to the Queen’s suite and the rest of the hall’s have eight rooms each. The guards all sleep in hall 3, the fairies in hall 5, the vampires in hall 6 and the servants in hall 7. Hall 2 is currently empty, so the two of you were lucky to end up here.”

  She continued, “There is a portal at the end of every hall and in each main room. You will find buttons to each hall and room inside the portal. The castle has three floors, but you may have realized, the portal moves vertically and horizontally. Of course there are access doors and stairs throughout the castle, but if you don’t want to find yourself lost, I recommend using the portal.”

  The three of us stepped in the portal, and it dinged as the doors shut. Just as Emerlee had described, there were buttons to each hall. There were also several other buttons with labels including dining room, kitchen, main lounge, main hall, swimming pool, game room and many more. The three of us held tight as Emerlee selected, main hall. The portal sped off. It zoomed right, and then slowed down before going down. It sped up once more, then zipped right again. The portal slowed down once more before faltering to a stop. The doors opened, and we stepped out just a bit shaken up.

  The three of us were once more standing in the grand main hall in which we had landed upon arrival. Emerelee spoke once more, “This is the main hall. The main hall leads to the grand entrance and the courtyard. The courtyard is a wonderful place to get fresh air without worry of wild animals and snow beasts. When we perform large magic spells, the main hall is typically where they are held.”

  Emerlee walked us around the hall, pointing out the grand entrance and the courtyard. She told us that several of the main rooms and the Queen’s hall were accessible from the main hall. She quickly pointed out the Queen’s hall, and then walked us to the lounge. The lounge was the only room that didn’t look ancient and odd. It had regular cream-colored carpet, ivory walls and a large brick fireplace. There was a large television above the fireplace and several couches and lounge chairs. A man was sitting one of the sofas watching television. Emerlee waved
at him and he nodded.

  “This is the only television in the castle,” Emerelee informed us. “The Queen is very old and does not enjoy many modern comforts. We have no phones or computers...or any type of modern communications on Sidhe.”

  There was a portal inside of the lounge and we entered it once more. Emerlee sent us to the pool room. The pool was not what I was expecting; it was extremely luxurious. The pool was large and made from exquisite white marble with what looked like mosaics at the bottom. Like most of the castle, the mosaics were an angelic and demon design. The pool deck was made from stone.

  Smaller tubs, I assumed to be hot tubs, surrounded the pool and created a tranquil patter as the water cascaded into the pool. The pool extended all the way to the back wall, where a large stone waterfall stood, dumping more water into the exquisite pool. There were several marble statues posing around the room. Each statue was an angelic winged creature, except the single demonic statue lurking in the corner. I was not surprised of the exquisite detail to the statues nude, human-like body parts, as the Queen seemed to lack standard modesty. Regardless of the eccentric nature of the décor, the artwork throughout the castle was truly exquisite.

  The ceiling above the pool was made of impressive glass mosaics, and matched the angelic design at the bottom of the pool. Ben and I were in awe of marvelous pool. There were a few doors in the poolroom leading to shower rooms, saunas and even a massage room. Each room was just as exquisite as the main poolroom.

  After touring the poolroom, Emerlee took us to the dining room once more. The dining room was shockingly spotless from the night before. Emerlee showed us to the kitchen, where we could find snacks and blood.

  “Your welcome to prepare your own meals or request a meal from our chef on staff,” she waved to man who was stirring a pot, sitting over flames. The man waved back with a smile upon his face. I couldn’t help but notice how happy and friendly everyone at the castle seemed, even the servants.

  Emerlee took us back to the portal and showed us several more rooms. Each was more elaborate than the next, and I was overwhelmed with the size and beauty of the castle. Although I missed home and my father, it was difficult to not like the castle. It seemed perfect in every way. It seemed that everyone who lived in the castle was happy, with not a care in the world.

  Emerlee led us back to our hall and guided us to our room. She looked at us and said, “You are dismissed for the evening. Feel free to enjoy the amenities. If you need anything, I am in hall 5, room 503.” Then she turned to me, “The Queen has requested your presence. Do you remember how to locate her hall?”

  “Yes”, I replied.

  “Please find room 100, if you knock on the door, someone will help you.”

  “Thank you,” I said softly.

  Emerlee nodded and headed to the portal.

  Ben reached out and took my hands and placed them in his. “Good luck. I will stay in my room until you come back.” He kissed me on the forehead, then moved his lips to mine. He gave me a soft, yet passionate kiss. I wanted to follow Ben back to his room, but I had to follow the Queen’s orders. I headed to the portal and pressed the button. I wondered what the Queen would have to say?

  Chapter 12

  I took the portal to hall 1 and stepped out. The hall looked similar to all the others, but it only had one door. I walked to the door; the door had a 100 on it. This was it.

  I knocked once and only seconds later the door was opened. The tall blond man, who had taken us from our cell at Pine Lake, answered the door. He flashed a creepy smile and said, “The Queen has been waiting for you.”

  The door opened to what looked like a fancy foyer, except this foyer was very unusual. The walls were painted hot pink with a black lace design on top. The farthest wall ahead from me was lime green and the ceiling was solid gold. The room had some decor, all very odd. There were two doors on each wall and an archway on the green wall straight ahead.

  The man led me down the hall and through the archway. As we walked, he introduced himself as Vic, the Queen’s head guard. He explained that he was a very old vampire, and one of the Queen’s most trusted companions.

  The archway led to a very dark sitting room. The walls were burgundy and the lightning was very dim; it had a creepy gothic essence. There were scones on the wall with flickering flames, and a glowing fireplace against the back wall. The back wall was lined with bookshelves, and chairs and sofas surrounded the fireplace.

  There were two women who looked to be fairies, sitting in chairs. They were completely naked with only a sheer cloth draped over them. I quickly looked away as their most private areas were generously exposed through the fabric. The Queen was sprawled out on the couch in very promiscuous black lingerie. Brian was sitting next to her, completely naked, rubbing her back and giving her an occasional kiss on the neck. The whole sight was disturbing, and thoughts of the evening before polluted my brain. The sour feeling in my stomach emerged, and I had trouble looking at Brian or the Queen. As heat rose to my cheeks, I tried to focus my attention on the fireplace to avoid feeling further embarrassment.

  When the Queen saw me, she smiled and announced to the others, “Please leave us!”

  I tried staring at the fireplace as everyone left, but through the corner of my eye, I could see the outline of Brian’s bare body and felt my face began to flush. Finally everyone was gone, and I looked once more at the Queen.

  “Have a seat,” she said.

  The Queen was dressed provocative, but at least she was covered. As I sat down in one of the armchairs, I tried to focus on the gothic décor to avoid a visual replay of the Queen’s sexual show. Every time her nude body traced my mind, I felt sick to my stomach.

  Once I was seated, she began speaking once more, “I never knew I had a great-granddaughter. I feel so old!” She giggled. I didn’t know what to say so I continued listening. “I wanted to spend some time alone—get to know you. Tell me about yourself.”

  I wasn’t sure what she wanted to hear so I began, “Well...I’m eighteen and I just graduated high school. My father raised me after my mother died. I was just crowned the Queen of the town…the night I was taken. My mother was Queen when she died—”

  “It just runs in our blood!” she interrupted, looking amused.

  “—Yeah.” I said, trying to avoid eye contact, “Ben and I are together…I don’t know what else to say. My life isn’t very exciting. It was just starting when you brought me here.”

  “How sweet!” she cried as she slapped her hands against her legs. “I just adore vampires as well. I have been seeing Brian for a while, but I don’t tend to stay with anyone for too long. I guess…I get bored!”

  I could feel heat traveling to my cheeks when she mentioned her relationship with Brian, but she quickly changed the subject, “Have you learned your dominant power yet?”

  “Yes, I am the fairy of fire.”

  “Interesting,” she said as she pursed her lips. “We will have to explore that soon.” She continued, “I am the fairy of chaos. Sounds strange don’t it.”

  I nodded my head.

  “Indeed, chaos is so important, more than most realize. Think for a moment my dear, if everything was perfect, what would be the point...of anything. Order cannot exist without chaos. Think for a moment about hair color, even eye color. If there were no chaos, we would all be exactly the same. Does that make sense?”

  “I...think,” was all I could say.

  “Is there anything else you would like to know?”

  Now was my moment to plea with her, “Is there any way at all we can just send a message to my father—”

  “I already said no!” she screamed as her pale face turned red. I jumped at her reaction. “No!”

  “Queen, please! My father is everything to me, and I am all he has. I will stay here forever, I promise. I just want my father to know I’m safe and alive.”

  “I’m not going to say it again! NO!” she screamed as her eyes caught fire.

&
nbsp; I felt a tear softy drop from my eye, and I quickly wiped it away. I began trembling softly by her response. When she saw my anguish, she softened some and said, “Maybe there is something I can do for you.”

  “Please, anything!” I cried.

  “There is no way back to the human world, but what if I give you your mother. I always wanted my family all together.”

  My eyes lit up, but I felt confused. She had power to bring back my mother, but not to contact the human world. So I asked, “How do you have power for that, but not enough power to open a portal?”

  She responded, “It’s not my power, my dear. It’s your grandfather’s power.”

  “Do you think he would?”

  “Of course he would…especially if I tell him to.”

  “When?”

  “I’ll have to talk to Roger. I must make sure it’s safe. Magic always has a consequence. We must make sure that the consequence is not too much to bare.”

  “I would be happy to help!” I cried.

  “We will practice your magic in time.” She wiped her hand across her forehead and suddenly changed her tone, “I’m feeling quite fatigued. I’ve had enough for today. Let Emerlee or any of the others know if you need anything.” Then she yelled, “Vic! Vic! Come fetch Miranda!”

  Vic came running in the room and smiled at the Queen. He nodded at me. I stood up and followed him out of the room and out of the suite.

  “Goodbye,” he said calmly as he shut the door behind me. I walked to the portal and headed to hall 4.

  As I stepped out of the portal, I went straight to Ben’s room. As soon as I entered the room, I began to tell him everything about my conversation with the Queen. When I told him she offered to bring back my mother, his eyes grew wide and he seemed apprehensive.

  “Miranda, I need to tell you some things. Come sit down.”

  The two of us sat down on the couch and he began to speak, “Miranda, I don’t know how much your dad told you about your…biological father...or Virgo’s brother.”