by T. G. Ayer
I cleared my throat. “Okay, if you can assure me that you will be fine, we can go ahead as planned.”
“I’ll be fine, Mel. I promise. I’ll be waiting for your call.” She rang off leaving me to my thoughts.
I stared at nothing for a long moment wondering how wise it was to bring Darcy on board given her history with Ward. Was the friction between them something we could maintain control of during the mission? And that friction…was it big enough that it could compromise either Darcy or Saleem at any point? It certainly was big enough that Darcy had attempted to kill the man, so I was pretty much storing that problem in the about-to-blow-things-out-of-the-water basket.
I thought about the numerous possibilities until my head began to simmer with pain, and then I stopped and took a breath. There was really no point in borrowing the trouble, not when we already had enough to go around a few times.
I pushed off the edge of the counter and sent a message to Nerina. Now that I knew I couldn’t transition through the Veil without setting off alarms, I knew I needed a portal key—this was the only way to enter the djinn realm other than using the Veil accesses.
Chapter 28
I’d barely entered my office when Nerina shimmered into solidity on the sofa. I shook my head and chuckled as she pulled up her feet and crossed her legs.
She wore a gray cloak but from beneath peeked a pair of hot pink sneakers and washed out ragged blue jeans. Her hair was darker too, and had a distinct springy curl to it. And did her lips now look a tad fuller than yesterday?
I blinked.
“What?” Nerina asked, her eyes on my face.
“Your skin tone….”
“Yeah, I have one. Amazing right?”
I snorted. “That’s not what I mean, and you know it.”
Nerina smirked. “One of the requirements of the DeathTalker Sisterhood is also to be stripped of one’s racial indicators.”
I nodded. “I figured as much; if they took away your skin color, I’m not surprised they would require the rest of your features to be neutralized. But that’s not what I meant.”
Nerina smiled and waited.
I rolled my eyes and pointed at her forearm. “I wasn’t aware that purple-ink tattoo art was part of the DeathTalker dress-code.”
Nerina snickered. “Oh that…I’m good as long as I keep it under wraps…” She gave a bawdy wink and then said, “So what do you need me for? We doing the pre-mission plan already?”
I shook my head. “I need you to help me with something. And if you can’t then please point me to someone who can,” I said, mentally crossing my fingers.
“Shoot,” Nerina said, relaxing back against the multicolored satin cushions I’d added to the sofa in the hopes of needling Drake.
I pulled the chair from in front of my desk and dragged it to sit across from Nerina. “I need a portal key. But Kira and I are not exactly on the best of terms.”
“You want me to put in a good word for you?”
“If you can? As long as that doesn’t get you into trouble with your boss.”
Nerina made a face, her eyes holding a hard edge to them. “She’s not my boss. And I’m unlikely to get into any more trouble with her than I’m already in. We aren’t exactly on the best of terms.”
“I thought it would be best for you to do it if you were on good terms with the High Priestess. She’s kind of important, I think. And powerful.”
Nerina’s lips twisted, and she shook her head. “It’s a lot to get into right now, but let’s just say that Kira had her own agenda and she’s the kind of person who doesn’t care who gets trampled as she strives to achieve her goals.”
“Oh dear. This isn’t sounding good for my request for a key.”
“She’ll ask for a blood promise, that much I can confirm.”
“Yeah. No thanks. But I don’t think I have much of a choice. We need a portal key.”
“Why can’t we just slip through the Veil as per normal?”
“Not going to be possible. I just had a chat with Darcy and from what she said the djinn realm’s been shut down. No outside access from anyone and likely alarms set to alert anyone if we so much as attempt an entry.”
“What about your recent travels?”
“I had wondered about that, but I’m not sure. You must have a specific skill set to lock out an astral projector. And even then, you’d need to be damn powerful to lock me out. Seems my abilities have gotten a nice little boost recently.”
“Okay then. So we need a portal key,” Nerina nodded, tapping her finger on her chin. “Guess we go speak to her highness?” She uncurled herself and got to her feet. She didn’t look like she was looking forward to the conversation with Kira and I didn’t blame her. The woman scared me, and I was supposed to be the scary type myself.
I rolled my shoulders and got to my feet. “You giving me a lift. I’ve done too many jumps already.” Too late I bit my tongue as the words slipped out.
Nerina glared at me. “Mel? I thought we agreed no jumping until you are stronger?” her eyes narrowed as I pursed my lips. “Where did you go that stressed you out this much? You wouldn’t be asking for a ride if you weren’t tired.” She knew me too well.
I let out a reluctant sigh. “To see Saleem and then to speak to the Djinn Queen. Only projecting though, so I’m fine,” I said firmly, as though the tone of my voice was enough to ensure she quit her interrogation.
Sadly, I may have to consider working on that tone. Nerina shook her head. “Astral travel also affects your body. I’m not sure who you’re trying to kid,” she said, one hand on her hip, her dark eyebrow raised. Her smooth brown cheeks were flushed enough that they were both a dark red and I scolded myself for letting her worry.
And besides. She was right.
I cleared my throat and curled an arm around her shoulders. “Sorry. If it will make you feel better I promise no more jumping or traveling until we are ready to leave,” I said giving her a squeeze.”
She stared up at me, suspicion glowing in her eyes. “Like I’m going to believe such a promise. I’m going to have to keep a close eye on you,” she muttered as we both began to fade.
I smirked. “Yeah, you do that. Now let’s go get us a portal key.”
Chapter 29
I should have known better than to preempt success.
We’d been waiting outside Lady Kira’s library for forty-three minutes now, and the door had only just opened with one of Kira’s new acolytes ushering Nerina and myself inside. We’d approached Kira where she’d been standing with her back to the high floor-to-ceiling paned windows that let in the sunshine. The enormous library was currently filled with light and dust-motes.
A bright ray crossed the carpet before me, and I came to a stop within the warm glow; ignoring the tiny creatures who danced within the light. They didn’t often come out and show themselves, and I had to take that as a good sign. Seeing one of the dust-faeries was a rare thing indeed.
The one closest to me rolled over and giggled lightly, the sound existing not in the Earth-realm at all but rather in a plane that belonged entirely to the fae. My ability to hear them was only courtesy of my astral powers. Some of my talents had a positive side.
The tiny faerie whisked past my arm, entangling herself within the strands of my long hair. She remained there, chuckling as she slowly extricated herself, and while I ignored her, I focused on Lady Kira, High Priestess of the DeathTalkers who commanded the entire sisterhood in the North American continent.
It was plain to see that as far as Kira was concerned, with great power came great arrogance.
Now she studied first me, and then Nerina, who Kira bestowed with a dark glare that could easily have frozen the blood in my veins.
What did Kira have against Nerina? I wanted to shake my head at the conflagration of issues that I was slowly becoming aware of.
First Darcy and the awful Ward-who-was-supposed-to-be-dead. And now Nerina and her battle with the High Priestess of
her Order. I made a note to ask Nerina to spill as soon as we left the DeathTalker estate.
“What is this, Sister Nerina?” Kira’s eyebrow arched dangerously as she flicked a brief gaze at me, before returning her cool attention to Nerina.
Nerina offered her a short bow that was more a courteous nod than anything. “Melisande is in need of a portal key—”
“You are well aware that there is a process to a request for a key,” the older woman snapped, her black eyes shimmering with controlled anger.
I had to wonder if it were the request itself, or the person making the request, who irked her so much. Which would then beg the question of whether it was me or Nerina who pissed her off more?
Nerina replied, her tone unaffected, serene, “There is a great deal of urgency involved which is why we had hoped you would make a special consideration.”
Kira walked around the table and approached me. “Melisande,” Kira said turning her back on Nerina, who appeared totally unaffected by the woman’s rudeness. “What is the reason for breaking the rules?”
I gritted my teeth, questioning the decision the Ancients had made in entrusting the portal keys to the high priestess. I had to remind myself that Kira was only one in a long line of likely much more deserving High Priestesses.
I lifted my chin and met the steel in her gaze with my own unbending will. “A member of my team is in danger, his life is on the line at the moment and if I do not extract him from his current state of captivity, he will end up having his mind and memories altered and his body ruined from constant torture.” I wondered if I should tell her more but figured I’d feel my way forward.
Kira nodded slowly, a sly smile curling her lip. “Where is the portal key intended to take you?”
“Mithras.”
The solid silence in the room would withstand even the blows of an ax. “I see,” Kira said and swiveled on her heel. She returned to her desk, placing the expanse between us, which I read as an attempt to protect herself.
She saw me as a threat? How strange?
Did Kira have something to do with closing access to Mithras in the first place? That could really be the only answer.
“It’s a pity you didn’t let me know before you wasted your time in coming here. I would have told you instantly that I cannot help you,” Kira said, her tone even, unbending.
“We don’t have any reason to refuse her request, my Lady.” Nerina’s voice was calm, but I heard the anger beneath her serenity,
Kira flashed her a furious look. “I do not need you to tell me what we can and cannot do, Sister Nerina. What I know for a fact is that even if I wanted to, I wouldn’t be able to grant Miss Morgan’s request.”
The sun-drenched room had begun to take on a suffocating air. “Is there someone else I could speak to?” I asked, braving more of Kira’s fury. “Perhaps I could speak to the person who gave you the instruction?”
“What are you attempting to imply?”
Should have just stolen the damn key. You did it once. Round two should be a piece of cake.
“Nothing. I’m merely saying that I understand that your hands are tied, which tells me that you have been instructed by a higher authority—perhaps an Ancient—which I can totally understand. So, all I’m asking is for the opportunity to petition whoever laid down the ruling,” I said calmly.
The library was so silent as I spoke that even the little faerie in my hair seemed to be holding her breath. Her fingers curled around my ear as she made her way through my hair, the unintelligible words she whispered filled with fear.
Kira swallowed, the pale column of her neck twisting as she struggled to hold back her anger.
The woman sure was angry, and I had to wonder what was causing this side of Kira to reveal itself so easily. She was more often than not cold and remote, unfeeling. Not easily revealing her anger at the merest provocation.
“You have made your request, and I have supplied you with my answer. Now if you don’t mind, I have work to get through.” She lifted her chin and gave the door a brief but cool glance.
I looked over at Nerina whose eyebrows wiggled as though she was about to challenge Kira again, but I turned and headed for the door without a word. I didn’t care that I left the room without thanking her for her time. I wasn’t in any mood to offer respect to a woman who’d shown us none.
A hand on my arm halted me. “Mel, why did you give up. We could have appealed to her, worn her down.”
“You really believe that?” I stopped and faced Nerina.
She straightened and twisted her lips, then brushed her hair away from her face. “To be honest, no.”
“Then what was the point to continue fighting with Kira? Clearly, there was no way she’d have given it to us.”
“She’s just being her usual self-important—”
“Yes,” I said, cutting her off as I knew exactly what Nerina was about to say and that wasn’t something she’d want to have overheard at the estate, especially not a few doors away from Kira. “It’s fine. We’ll find another way.” I patted her arm and walked off, preferring to have this discussion as far away from the library as I could get.
We exited the mansion and walked out onto the patio, and Nerina paced along the edge. I frowned. “Let’s go back to my place. We can figure out the next step from there. There must be another way to get into Mithras without a portal key,”
“No,” Nerina cut me off. “I’m not going to let that woman stop us from saving Saleem. His life is on the line here, and his brother’s too. An entire realm is under siege, and who even knows why? And Kira is holding the cards, lording it over us.”
“No, Nerina. Did you not see the look on her face when I mentioned the ancients laying down the rules?”
“Yeah, she looked a bit pained.”
I snorted. “That deer-in-the-headlights look tells me that she’s lying, but not entirely. Someone had instructed her not to allow any portal keys to be made for Mithras. We could be dealing with a more widespread conspiracy if an Ancient is involved. Or that guilty look was because there was no Ancient and maybe she’s involved with the people who have taken the djinn realm and are torturing Saleem as we speak. Which means she can create the key.”
“Well, I had considered the possibility that some kind of ward has been created to protect the djinn realm, and I was thinking of a way around that. But if you’re right, then we have an easier way around our problem.” Nerina’s expression was smug.
“We do?” I said curious and amused at how conspiratorial Nerina looked.
She nodded so violently that her hood fell from her hair, the sun catching the deep brown strands. “We do. All we have to do is get inside, grab ourselves a blank key and create a portal key of our own.”
I let out a groan. “This isn’t a good plan at all.” I thought of what Natasha would say.
Nerina grabbed my arm and shook me. “Mel, this is the only plan we got. Now we just have to wait until Kira leaves the estate. Then we get in, nab a key and create our own portal access.”
I let out a defeated sigh. “Fine. I guess this is the best plan we have at the moment if we want to get Saleem free. I guess we have no choice. Are we going to have to hang out here until she leaves?” I gave Nerina a sour look.
She chuckled and grabbed onto my arm. “Of course, not.”
Chapter 30
Nerina jumped me back home, and we both sank onto the sofa in my office—the sofa seemed to be getting a lot of use in the last few days.
“So, how long until you can check her schedule...find out when she’s going to be away?” I asked, eager to get moving.
“I know already.” Nerina smirked. “I checked her schedule while we were in her library. She has a ten o’clock appointment in the city—an odd time for her to be out, but who knows anymore with her.”
I bit my lip, barely listening to her words and I considered if this was about the time when I needed to come clean.
“What is it?” Nerina
asked.
“Mmhh?” I said, pulled away from my internal conflict by her voice; I’d barely registered her question.
“What’s the matter? You look troubled. Like you want to say something, but then at the same time you don’t.” Nerina tilted her head and smiled. “You don’t need to worry about me, I’m fine.”
“No, that’s not it. I mean, I am worried about you of course, but that’s not what’s bugging me.”
“What then?” Nerina asked, her tone stubborn now as she gave me a disappointed look. “I thought we were past the stage of worrying about confiding in each other?”
I shook my head and then pushed to my feet. After pacing a few moments, while Nerina looked on in silence, I stopped and faced her. “I have to make a confession.”
Her eyes narrowed. “And I’m guessing it’s bad enough that you think I’m likely to leave you in the lurch because of it?”
“Something like that,” I said with a sheepish smile. I took a deep breath then went to the desk. I needed something to hold onto, God only knew why. I guess I was nervous. Then I cleared my throat. “So, this isn’t the first time I’ve needed a portal key from Kira.”
Nerina’s slight lift of her eyebrows, accompanied by the tiny shake of her head, said ‘So what?’
I swallowed, twirling a pen between my fingers. “And it isn’t the first time I needed to extract a key in a subversive manner.”
Nerina shifted in her seat then she straightened. “Go on. This sounds like it’s going to get more interesting.”
“Okay. But once you hear what I have to say, I will really understand if you want to remove yourself from the mission.”
Nerina made a rude noise.
I said, “So, a few months ago, Drake ended up captured by a necromancer—through no fault of his own—and the price of his release was a portal key.”
This time the DeathTalker made a choking sound, something between a cough and a sob. I gave her a concerned glance, but she waved at me to keep going. “So I stole a key from the cupboard in Kira’s library,” I said, saying the words as fast I could get them out.
