by Parker Blue
Austin squeezed my hand. “Didn’t you tell me that Shade can’t go through one of his own portals?” At my nod, he added, “Then I imagine he was trying to find a spell that would allow him to send himself through a portal, so he could retrieve Sharra’s body.”
Of course he was. I closed my eyes momentarily in disbelief. I didn’t need to see Shade’s expression to know that was true.
“Is that what you were doing?” Micah asked, looking annoyed.
“Yes,” Shade said, the word short and biting.
Ivy nodded—he was still telling the truth.
“Why?” Micah asked, looking baffled. “When it’s so dangerous?”
“Because no one would go through for me—I had to find a way to get to the demon dimension myself.”
“And how were you planning to get back?” the Underground leader demanded.
“The same way I got there—by using the spell. The book said it would work on the other side, too. But I must have done something wrong.”
Yeah—thinking he should go unprotected to the demon dimension in the first place. “I don’t think you did, Shade. I think it worked and that you sent Alejandro and Vincent instead.”
He narrowed his eyes at me. “How?”
“I don’t know—maybe this particular spell opens portals at a distance, instead of right next to you. Or opens closest to the nearest other person. Is that possible?”
“I have no idea,” he said.
Annoyed, I stomped out of the room and went to retrieve the encyclopedia. Setting the books on the coffee table, I talked to them. “Show me the spell that you told Shade to use to open a one-way portal.”
One of the books quivered, as if wondering whether to answer me or not. Crap—was this the price I’d have to pay for the books’ waffling about letting me stay as keeper?
MAYBE YOU SHOULD ASK NICELY, Fang suggested.
“Please?” I asked, feeling silly about needing to be polite to a set of books, for heaven’s sake.
The book shook a little more, light coming from its pages. I opened it where the light was coming from. “Is this the spell you used?” I asked Shade as the light faded so we could read it.
He skimmed it quickly. “Yes. But see, it doesn’t say anything about it working at a distance.”
“That doesn’t mean it didn’t work that way. We all know the books are sometimes incomplete.” As if whoever wrote them thought we’d know things we didn’t.
“Does it matter?” Austin asked. “It looks as though this might be where Alejandro disappeared to.”
“Yes, it does matter,” I said. “We need to test it, make sure that’s what happened. You can’t just go haring off into the demon dimension without knowing how it works.”
“I can’t open portals anymore,” Shade reminded us. “You made sure of that with the amulet, Val.”
“No, I said you couldn’t open portals anymore without Micah’s permission,” I reminded him.
“That’s right,” Austin said and glanced at Micah in triumph. “So, if you’ll give him permission to test it, please?”
Micah frowned, thinking. “It sounds dangerous. If you’re right, Shade sent Alejandro and Vincent through by accident. We can’t test it here—you don’t want to send your neighbors off into a demon dimension.”
I DON’T KNOW, Fang drawled. I WOULDN’T MIND GETTING RID OF THE GUY NEXT DOOR. At Ivy’s questioning glance, he added, HE HATES DOGS. THINKS I’LL CRAP ON HIS LAWN OR SOMETHING.
Do you? I asked curiously.
Fang wouldn’t meet my eyes.
I shrugged and told Micah, “That’s why we need to test it.” I thought for a moment, then said, “Let’s go to the high school. They have a big football field, so we can see what’s happening.” I checked the time—a little after four. “No one will be there this time of the morning.”
Micah still looked hesitant, so Austin said, “Please, Micah. We must know if this is what happened. You wouldn’t want to leave the New Blood Movement leaderless, would you?”
“Plus the portal is only one-way,” I added. “So no demons can come through. The book is clear about that.”
Micah nodded reluctantly. “Okay, we’ll test it, but if I say stop, you’ll close the portal immediately, Shade.”
Shade nodded, looking strangely eager.
OF COURSE HE IS. HE PROBABLY SEES THIS AS A WAY OF RETRIEVING SHARRA’S BODY.
Yeah, I knew that.
We headed toward the local high school in two cars, scarfing down pizza on the way, and piled out at the football field. It was strange being at this bastion of normality, especially since I’d been homeschooled and never attended a football game. Not that I wanted to. After the danger and excitement of fighting vamps and mage demons, the thought of watching two teams of humans fight over a piece of pigskin was quite a yawner. I didn’t understand the attraction, especially on television when you couldn’t even see the pigskin in question half the time.
MAYBE IT’S HOW NORMAL PEOPLE SAFELY CHANNEL THEIR AGGRESSIONS AND FIND SOMEONE TO CHEER FOR, TO GIVE THEM A SENSE OF BELONGING TO SOMETHING BIGGER THAN THEMSELVES, Fang suggested. YOU DON’T NEED THAT—IT’S BUILT INTO WHAT YOU DO.
Maybe, but I still didn’t get it.
We set up at the center of the field, to give us plenty of room to see what might be happening in all directions. Shade faced one set of goal posts, and Micah told him, “Go ahead, try it—create a one-way portal.”
I couldn’t see Shade’s expression, but he raised his arms, and I could hear him muttering under his breath. The rest of us stood close and watched the area in front of him and everywhere around us, just in case.
“There, I see it,” Ivy said excitedly.
Sure enough, a purple cloud was forming about fifteen yards in front of Shade. It took less time than I remembered. Apparently, Shade’s ability had been enhanced by the shattering of the crystal as well.
“Keep it small,” Micah said, “so no one can come through.”
“They shouldn’t be able to, anyway, if what the books say is true,” Shade reminded him.
“Just in case,” Micah said warningly.
Squinting, I said, “It doesn’t look the same as his other portals.” It wasn’t as close, obviously, and it was a different color. But there was something else different . . . the shape, maybe?
I’LL CHECK IT OUT, Fang said. He trotted down the sidelines and peered at it from the side. HUH, YOU’RE RIGHT. THEY’RE NORMALLY SHAPED LIKE A BALL, BUT THIS ONE LOOKS LIKE A FUNNEL FROM THE SIDE. LIKE A WEIRD SIDEWAYS PURPLE TORNADO.
I repeated his observations to Austin. “Is the smaller side toward us or on the other side?” he asked.
I repeated Fang’s answer. “The smaller end of the funnel is toward us, right in the center.”
Austin nodded and picked up a green toy football some kid had lost under the bleachers. Then, with nary a wasted motion, he arrowed it straight into the center of the cloud.
AND HE SCORES!
“Did it go through the portal to the demon dimension?” I asked.
IT MUST HAVE, BECAUSE IT SURE DIDN’T COME OUT THE OTHER SIDE HERE.
“Yep, it went through,” I told Austin, though I wondered idly what the demons on the other side would think of a football coming out of nowhere. Would they choose up sides and play a game? The mind boggled.
THEY’LL PROBABLY JUST EAT IT, Fang said.
“Please, shut it down,” Micah told Shade.
Slowly, the purple funnel cloud shrank and disappeared.
“Well, I guess that explains it,” Austin said. “The distance from here looks about the same as it was between the staircase and the altar room. Shade must have sent Alejandro and Vincent through to the demon dimension.” He sounded relieved, yet grim.
YEAH, HE’S PROBABLY GLAD TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO HIS BOSS, BUT JEEZ, THE DEMON DIMENSION? WHO WANTS TO WIND UP THERE? DOESN’T SOUND LIKE MY IDEA OF A PICNIC.
Mine either.
“I didn’t do it on purpose,” Shade said stiffly.
“We know that,” I assured him.
“So, do we go through and get him?” Ivy asked.
“Not here,” Austin replied. “We’ll need to go back through in the same place to have a hope of finding him. He’ll probably stay close to the portal, in hopes we’ll rescue him.”
“Even then, it’s iffy,” Shade said. “Time can run differently in other dimensions. You could arrive a few minutes later or months later.”
I hadn’t realized that. “I see what you mean. If it’s been months for them, they might not be close to the portal anymore.”
Austin’s jaw tightened. “Nevertheless, we have to try.”
“And retrieve Sharra as well?” Shade asked stubbornly.
“Of course,” Austin said. “The sun will rise soon, so I can’t do it now. Can you meet me at the blood house after sundown tonight and open a two-way portal?”
“Yes,” Shade exulted.
Micah frowned. “No.”
“That’s okay,” Shade said. “I know you have to perform at the club. Just give me permission now to open a portal tonight. That should meet the requirement to get your permission first. Right, Val?”
“Yeah, it should.” But I didn’t think that was why Micah was hesitating.
Micah shook his head, his lips firmed. “I mean, no, I won’t let you do that.”
“Why not?” Austin asked, his gaze narrowing.
“Because it’s still dangerous,” Micah said. “Remember, the reason we didn’t let Shade reopen the portal in the first place was because there were too many full demons waiting on the other side to come in and lay waste to this world. You saw how much havoc one full demon wreaked during his time here. How can I risk the lives of my people, your people, and the whole city again?”
He was right, but I kept my mouth shut, not wanting to come between my boyfriend and my boss.
YEAH, THAT’S A NO-WIN SITUATION, Fang said in agreement.
“Demons on the other side?” Ivy said faintly. “And they want into this world?”
“Yes,” Micah said. “Full demons—can you imagine the destruction they’d do?”
“But it’s been days,” Austin protested. “They’re probably not massing at the portal anymore.”
Micah shook his head. “As Shade just told us, time works differently over there. You could be going back only minutes later. We barely kept the demons at bay last time. I’m not confident we could do it again—especially for the length of time it might take to keep the portal open.”
“It does sound dangerous,” Ivy said.
“It’s more than dangerous,” Micah said. “It’s suicidal.”
“Well, it’ll be our lives at risk,” Austin said.
“I’m willing to risk it,” Shade added.
“But it’s not just your lives in danger—it’s the entire world.”
“What if we use the one-way portal to get there so they can’t come through to this side, then open another one-way to come back?” Shade suggested.
“You can’t be sure it’ll work that way,” Micah protested.
“And what if you get killed on the other side, and Austin is stuck over there with no way to get back?” I retorted. “Or demons follow you back through the portal?”
“Whose side are you on?” Shade asked.
Austin looked annoyed, as if he’d wanted to ask the same question.
“I’m on the side of keeping danger to a minimum,” I said firmly.
“What if we can minimize the danger?” Austin asked. “Ensure no demons cross over to this side?”
Micah shook his head. “I don’t see how you can guarantee that.”
“But if we can, you’ll allow it?” Austin persisted.
“Maybe.”
Austin nodded as if Micah had said yes. I knew better.
“I’ll figure something out,” he said decisively.
We headed toward the cars, and I slowed. Austin slowed his pace to match mine. “I’m not sure Micah will agree,” I warned him quietly. “He can be really stubborn.” Not to mention protective of the Demon Underground. He was serious about his position as their leader and keeping the secret of their existence.
Austin’s jaw clenched. “So can I.”
“You’re not thinking of forcing him, are you?” Because I couldn’t allow that.
“No, but if I bring Luis in on this, he might.”
“Then don’t bring Luis in.”
“I might have to, in order to put a plan together that Micah will go for.”
“How about I help you, and we only call in Luis for reinforcements when we actually put the plan into action?”
“And if we can’t come up with something Micah will agree with?” Austin challenged. “What then?”
I soooo didn’t want to answer that question, especially not given the heat with which he’d asked it. “Are you really asking me to go against the wishes of the Demon Underground leader, my boss?”
“I’m asking who you’ll back—me or him?”
I shook my head. “It’s not a matter of—”
“No more evasions, Val. Who will you support?”
I’d never seen him look so angry. I sighed.
YOU’RE GONNA HAVE TO ANSWER HIM SOONER OR LATER, Fang said, looking sympathetic.
Yeah, might as well bite the bullet now. “I’m sorry, but I have to agree with Micah on this one. Letting demons into this world is too dangerous to risk unless we have a foolproof plan to keep them out.”
I couldn’t see Austin’s face because he’d sped up, his back to me.
“Austin?” I asked.
“I need to get back,” he said over his shoulder, his voice clipped. “The sun will rise soon. Get a ride back with Micah.” And, just like that, he took off without me.
UH-OH. LOOKS LIKE THERE’S TROUBLE IN PARADISE.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Val
MICAH DROPPED Shade, Ivy, Fang, and me back at the townhouse. Instead of heading home or back to work, Shade asked if he could come inside for a bit.
“Why?” I asked. I was tired and wanted to go to bed. Plus I wanted to think about what had just happened, about Austin being pissed that I’d agreed with Micah and not him. I couldn’t really blame him for being upset, but was this going to be a repeat of what happened with Shade? I didn’t want to deal with any more pouty men. And I sure didn’t want another relationship to fizzle just when it seemed to be going so well.
But I didn’t want Austin going in to his duel with Luis upset, either. We probably wouldn’t be able to retrieve Alejandro by midnight tonight, so they’d meet on the dueling grounds in about nineteen hours.
“I just want to talk about getting Alejandro back,” Shade said.
Not to mention his twin sister’s body.
“It’s not me you have to convince—it’s Micah.” And I wasn’t up for arguing right now.
“I know,” Shade said eagerly. “But I have some ideas I want to run by you. Go over some options I’ve been thinking about.”
HE’S NOT GONNA GIVE UP AND GO HOME UNTIL HE HAS A CHANCE TO TALK AT YOU, Fang warned me.
Unfortunately, I knew Fang was right. “Okay, come in for a little while.”
We all settled in the living room once more, Shade petting Fang so we could all see him.
“Okay,” I said, “let’s hear it.”
“Well, Micah’s big fear is that we’re going to have demons pouring in from the other side, right?”
/> “Yes, and since that’s what happened the last time you opened a two-way portal, can you blame him?”
Ignoring that and the fact that Ivy looked disturbed by the notion, Shade said, “So what if we check to see if there are demons on the other side first?”
“How? Got a handy-dandy demon detector on ya?” Okay, I was tired, so feeling a bit testy.
“Yes, I do,” Shade said. “And so do you.”
“Huh?”
“The hellhounds—they can detect demons and hear their thoughts. They do it all the time.”
I glanced down at Fang. “Yes, but across dimensions? I don’t know if that’s possible.”
Fang seemed to shrug, but Shade was excited. “Yes, they can. Remember Diesel’s hellhound, Max? He heard demons on the other side during the battle at the blood house.”
I thought back to that night. I did remember Max saying something along those lines. I glanced at Fang. “Is that true?”
THAT’S WHAT HE SAID.
His phrasing was odd. Suspiciously, I asked, “What do you mean, that’s what he said?”
I MEAN, MAX SAID HE COULD HEAR ON THE OTHER SIDE. I DON’T KNOW IF IT’S TRUE.
Since Shade had blocked his ability to talk to Fang directly, I translated. “Fang doesn’t know if Max was telling the truth.”
“Of course he does,” Shade protested. “Max said there were demons massing on the other side.” He paused, his fingers clenching in Fang’s fur. “You said Max was telling the truth, Fang.”
Fang wouldn’t meet my eyes. I ASSUMED HE WAS TELLING THE TRUTH, SO I BACKED HIM.
“You assumed he was telling the truth?” I asked, flabbergasted. We’d left Sharra on the other side on Max’s word alone?
Shade looked as though he was about to blow a gasket. Not that I knew what a gasket was, but blowing one couldn’t be good. Smart Fang—he eased away from the shadow demon’s grip on his fur.
“Who’s Max?” Ivy asked.
Absently, I replied, “Another hellhound. Belongs to the Albuquerque Paladin, Diesel.”
I DID WHAT I HAD TO, Fang said defensively. THERE WERE DEMONS COMING THROUGH THE PORTAL, AND WE HAD TO STOP THEM.
