AIR Series Box Set

by Amanda Booloodian

  With its power, could I open the portal?

  Could I even use the power?

  I didn't think so, and I didn't want to experiment with it unless forced. There were too many risk factors; too many things could go wrong. No, I needed the creature to open the portal.

  First, it had to know our world was nearby.

  "That world," I said, motioning to the air where the portal should stand. "You aren't allowed in."

  Its gaze never left mine. It followed my movements as I circled.

  "Your friend went there." I pointed to the closed portal again and hoped like crazy it would take the hint even if it didn't understand the words. "He couldn't hack it."

  Where's an English-to-gremlin dictionary when you need one?

  "Promises were made there and broken."

  "Promisessss," the demon hissed. For the first time, it took notice of the empty air where the portal had stood.

  It was also distracted, which, thankfully, Boone noticed and used to his advantage.

  There was no way for me to know if Boone had been able to put the poison into the demon's mouth earlier. Now, as Boone jumped on the demon's back, it further distracted the demon and I used the opportunity to run forward. Once again, I used my power to wrench the creature's jaw open. In one movement, I uncorked the glass bottle and threw it down the demon's gullet.

  It tore itself away from me before I could get out of range. A wing slammed into me and I crumpled onto the ground.

  Fighting for breath, I rolled away, groaning involuntarily when I put pressure on my chest.

  I saw the demon shove all the power it had been collecting into the portal. At the same time, it reached around with its beak and snapped at Boone.

  The creature's beak struck the shield I had thrown up using the tiny amount of energy I could gather in time.

  Gremlins poured out of the woods. Boone used his plastic-bladed knife and plunged it into the creature’s neck.

  Light from the portal lit up the dark night.

  I had hoped the entrance of our world was coming, but it still took me by surprise. Boone and I were both distracted. The demon slammed its body back into a tree.

  Stunned, Boone fell to the ground and the gremlins rushed at the creature.

  The demon’s power continued to pour into the portal, but it slowed. The portal was almost open, and I could feel the pressure in the air compressing me from all sides. The little beads of power spun.

  The demon cried out, and the power stopped.

  "No, no, no!" I yelled.

  The gremlins were taking a beating, but the demon moved sluggishly. Could they handle the demon alone?

  They could if I subdued the demon more than the knockout liquid had. Taking its strength away would help. Looking from the creature to the portal, I made the decision.

  The demon’s power lashed out at the gremlins—I grabbed everything I could and drew it in. Oily residue instantly stuck to me. It clung to my skin and found its way into my mouth as I breathed heavily with the effort.

  "Damnit," Boone yelled. He stared at the portal, keeping one eye on the fight. At least he was back on his feet, which was a relief.

  The portal's stunning glow faded.

  Closing my eyes and trying to ignore the thick film which worked its way down my throat, I slammed the power into the portal.

  Boone turned back to the fight, ready to reenter the fray, a grim expression displayed across his face. He didn't get far before a gremlin jumped in front of him, screeching and blocking his way.

  I couldn't take a distraction, so I tuned it out. Sitting on the ground, staring intently at the bright light, I put more and more energy into spinning balls of light. From the beast, from the ground, from myself.

  I could feel sweat and tears roll down my face and neck. My head began to swim, but still the power surged.

  Our way home opened.

  Screeches sounded out around me, but I didn't look. I couldn't look away, couldn't risk slowing the energy I poured into the portal.

  "Come on!" Boone yelled.

  "Go, you idiot," I tried to yell at him, but it came out as a whisper, lost in the noise the gremlins made.

  Boone cursed and ran over to me. "Hold it. Don't you dare let go."

  Was he yelling at me? Being lightheaded, I couldn't tell, but I had no intentions of letting go. I felt myself rise from the ground and bright light filled my world. My lungs froze, causing my chest to hurt worse than before, but still I concentrated.

  The pressure released, but the bright light remained. Yells erupted all around us, but in my intense concentration, I couldn't make them out.

  "Let it go," Boone said.

  The words didn't quite sink in.

  "Let it go!" Boone barked out the order like a drill sergeant. It broke through, and the power from the portal snapped back. The bright light winked out.

  "Did you just yell at me?" My voice came out as a croak.

  He didn't look at me. "I'm surprised you could even hear me."

  The bright light of the portal died away, but the noise didn't. It took me a few moments to figure out there were more lights. Flashlights pointed at my face. It wasn't lost on me that the shadows around the lights were guns, carefully trained on us.

  Luckily, the Path was still at hand, though no more than a dying cinder remained. I'm not sure I would come back from what I had used. If I did anything else with the Path, I'm fairly certain there would be no coming back.

  Still, there was no way I traveled across dimensions just to make it home, just for me be killed.

  Words started coming into sharper focus. "... down. Hands..."

  The voice was Logan. I closed my eyes and let out a sigh of relief.

  "No time to sleep just yet," Boone said. "You want to say something here?"

  He shifted, trying to keep me up. I had forgotten he held me.

  "If you all shoot either of us, I'm going to be pissed." It only came out as a whisper, but the yells stopped.

  Only one steely voice remained. "Put Agent Heidrich down and step away."

  Vincent.

  I smiled. We were definitely home.

  "Hold off!" Logan yelled.

  My partners. My friends. We were home.

  "I'm not sure what's going on." The words were barely audible to myself, but I knew Logan would hear. If Rider was around, he would as well.

  I didn't get the rest out. Boone wavered, and we both fell to the ground. I sucked in a sharp breath when pain spasmed through me.

  When I opened my eyes again, Rider's face swam into focus. "You should let go of the Path. You are home."

  My mind floated. Blinking slowly, I tried to smile, but I don't think it worked. "I'm not sure what happens when I let go." If this was a dream, it was a good one, and I didn't want to let it leave.

  "But you know what will happen if you keep reading."

  I sighed. "This is going to suck. Make sure Boone's okay."

  There was almost nothing left to push away, but when I managed it, darkness took me again.

  ***

  Inky black waters surrounded me. I'd been swimming for a while. Was I swimming away from the shore or toward it? For that matter, was there a shore?

  Setting off in the direction that felt right, I began to hear sounds and the darkness grew lighter. Then noise faded. Time and again, a current dragged me back out into the darker water.

  So I stayed there for a while. My mind wandered to Gran and Mom, to Logan, Rider, and Vincent. Thoughts of Ethan drifted past, and even Boone came into focus for a short time before floating away.

  Had I really gone into another world?

  While drifting, I stared up. It took me a while to distinguish the sky from the water, but I relaxed and watched until stars popped out. My thoughts fanned out further and I thought about my life, pondering the future.

  It was Vincent's voice I had heard, right? As soon as his voice, cold as it was, rang out, I had clung to it as a fact. He was there.
Somewhere. But when Vincent came to the forefront of my mind the rest went foggy.

  Maybe I should find out if it was real, any of it, all of it? Serenely I drifted, saved my strength, and when I felt light creeping back in, I surged forward breaking the surface.

  The room was lit, but dim artificial light shone from somewhere behind me. It left a soft glow on the ceiling. Little black dots on the tiles jostled each other and I blinked. Before they came into focus, the beeping did. The soft noise pinged from beside me. Looking around, I saw the IV bag.

  Hospital? Clinic, maybe? I took my time looking around the room. When I moved too fast, my stomach felt like revolting.

  No. It was the clinic at work. I'd been there enough times to know.

  On the other side of my bed, I saw a chair pulled up next to me, but it was empty. Frowning, I looked closer around the room and tensed. Was I in the right place?

  A noise broke through the beeps. Shoes on the floor. Someone was there, but pacing. I wasn't alone. A sigh of relief escaped me and I relaxed.

  "Cass?"

  Vincent appeared at the side of my bed as though from nowhere. I blinked in surprise, and then tried to talk. I sounded like I had been chewing gravel, so I stopped and tried to clear my throat.

  "Here." Vincent snatched up a cup.

  I watched him while I drank, afraid he might disappear if I looked away. I'd never admit it, but the fear I had lost him would have been overwhelming if I had thought about it too deeply.

  He watched me with the same intensity, but I wondered if he had the same concern.

  Sadly, my eyes were heavy and I felt... detached.

  "I'll get the doctor," Vincent said when I passed the cup back.

  I wanted to say, ‘don't go.’ I'm pretty sure I tried to say it, but when Vincent turned away, I blinked one time too many and fell back asleep.

  Opening my eyes the next time was a million times easier. Unfortunately, it was a million times brighter. I scrunched up face and used my arm to shield as much glow as possible. I had forgotten about the IV, which distracted me enough that I adjusted to the light before I tried to move again.

  "You are awake." From the chair next to me, Rider jumped up.

  "Am I?" I asked. My thoughts felt like they were still catching up.

  Rider's face crinkled up in confusion. "You appear to be." He looked me over more closely. "Yes, I will get the doctor."

  "Wait," I said.

  Rider waited, but my mind went blank. I wasn't sure what I wanted to say, but I knew I didn't want to deal with people hovering over me until I could think more clearly.

  "I need a minute," I said.

  Rider looked at the clock and watched it tick down the seconds.

  "Is there water?" I asked.

  He found the cup. While I drank, he went back to watching the clock.

  I smiled. "I didn't mean an exact minute. How long have I been here?"

  Rider took an uncertain glance at the door. "I should get the doctor while you are awake. He was very specific."

  "Fine." My smile faded fast. "Whatever."

  "That never means what I think it should mean," Rider said.

  "No." I stared at the ceiling. "It probably doesn't."

  "It has been over thirty hours since we brought you here."

  "Almost two days? That can't be right."

  Rider glanced at the clock again. "It is correct."

  I rubbed my head and tried to remember coming back. "How's Boone?"

  "Agent Boone is injured, but recovering."

  Closing my eyes, I nodded.

  "You must stay awake to see the doctor," Rider said.

  "Okay. Go get him," I said, resigned.

  While I lay there, I realized my reappearance was not what I had expected. I hadn’t let myself dwell on it while I had been stuck in another world but I had expected to be on my feet with my friends and family. Where was everyone? I felt empty. Cheated, even. Was everyone used to me being back? How could I miss my own homecoming?

  "Good afternoon, Agent Heidrich." Dr. Yelton walked into the room holding a tablet in his hands which he then unceremoniously dumped onto the bedside table. "It's good to see you awake. Tell me how you feel."

  He pulled a penlight out of his pocket and I waited until he finished waving it around.

  "Tired," I said, "but it sounds like I've slept more than enough."

  "Take the rest you need." He took out the stethoscope and listened to my heart. He asked me to breathe deep.

  Dull pain greeted the deep breaths.

  "You came back to us severely dehydrated and with cracked ribs as well as a few cuts and bruises, but from Agent Boone's description, it sounds like you ended up lucky."

  "How is Boone?" I asked. "Can I see him?"

  "He's on the mend. As to seeing him, it's not my decision. Now, I'll need a little more detail about how you're feeling."

  "Tired, sore, hungry. Oh, and I'd kill for a shower."

  He asked more pointed questions about the pain and had me describe the tiredness, but all in all, I didn't feel bad.

  "You've had a rough first week back to the office," Dr. Yelton said. "I'm going to draw some blood, and there's also a few people who want to see you."

  Pixies started dancing a rumba in my stomach. It was bad enough being in the hospital. I hated the idea of people standing around the bed watching me.

  "Unless you'd rather me ask them to wait?" Dr. Yelton said.

  I'm not sure if he saw the anxiety in my face or saw it in the machines attached to me. "No, it's fine. That's it though? Dehydration and sore ribs?"

  "Well, things were a bit unsteady when you came in. Your blood pressure was low, dangerously low, for the first day, but you rallied back. You ran a low-grade fever for a while. You've lost some weight in a hurry, but we've put a stop to that. You were deficient in a few nutrients, but everything is coming back in line. As for the rest, it's a little harder to determine some of the issues."

  "How so?" I asked.

  "Well, for starters, you've slept longer than we expected, but we're chalking it up to use of your gifts. Or overuse, if you will."

  That part made sense at least. I'd never been that tired.

  "You've had some interesting blood work, but everything is settling back to normal. We don't know if it's diet related, atmospheric issues, or dimensional problems that caused it, so we'll keep an eye on it. You had several blood vessels rupture. Again, we're putting it down to dimensional issues. Boone said the same thing happened when you first left here. So, if we believe his story, it could have been caused by crossing dimensions."

  How could I not have known so many dimensional difficulties were possible? "Is that normal?"

  Dr. Yelton laughed. "I'm not sure anything can sound quite normal when you’re talking about interdimensional travel, but different people have different reactions."

  I nodded, but not enthusiastically.

  "Now, are you ready to see some people?" Dr. Yelton asked.

  "Yeah," I forced a smile on my face, "I can't wait to see everyone."

  Chapter 17

  Logan entered wearing a big grin. As tired as I was, I couldn't help but smile back. For some reason, seeing the elf made me feel lighter. Somehow, I had forgotten the cowboy hat. He now held it instead of wearing it.

  "Howdy, partner," Logan said.

  Rider and Vincent weren't far behind him, although neither smiled. It didn't take long for Logan's good mood to infect Rider.

  "We hear you've been on quite the pony ride," Logan said, pulling the chair over to the bed.

  I raised an eyebrow. "You know, that's the best comparison to riding a horse I've heard. You should keep that one."

  Logan laughed—the music filled the room and my tension melted away.

  "Well, we're glad to have you back," Logan said.

  Rider stood next to Logan and he looked around the room. He had to have the place memorized by now, so I wasn’t sure what he was looking for. Vincent stood
on the other side of the bed. He picked up the doctor's dropped tablet and avoided looking at me.

  "How's Gran?" I asked. "She knows I'm back, right? I'm surprised she's not here."

  Rider winced, but answered. "Margaret knows you are back."

  "That's good—where is she?" I asked.

  "Well, we have a problem there," Logan said. "The Farm is closed to all visitors at the moment."

  Vincent dropped the tablet back on the bedside table where it clattered and walked over to the window. He cracked the blinds and looked out.

  I looked worriedly at Vincent, but didn't get the chance to say anything.

  "There are still no leads about Clancy," Logan said quickly. "And after your incident, no one comes or goes without clearance."

  "I'll bet Gran's not happy." My voice trailed off into a yawn.

  "Margaret is very unhappy," Rider said.

  The way he said it made me worry. "But she's alright, isn't she?"

  Vincent finally wandered over to the bed.

  "She sent us to get you," Logan said. "At the portal, I mean."

  I beamed. "She knew I was coming back? Leave it to Gran."

  Logan shook his head. "She only knew we needed to be there. Once you were gone, you were gone. She couldn’t see you."

  There was nothing I could say to that. Poor Gran—not knowing must have drove her crazy. She seemed to feel it was her responsibility to see things ahead of time.

  "She asked us to bring you home after we found you at the portal," Rider said. "We called her immediately."

  "Ordered," Vincent said. "She ordered us to bring you home."

  I bit my lip, but couldn't hide my grin. That sounded like Gran. Vincent saw the look, and I received a weak smile in response. It was the first time I had seen it since I returned.

  "Yeah, she's steaming since we brought you here," Logan said. He looked unsettled about the idea, but nothing compared to the anxiety Rider displayed.

  "I'm surprised you didn't take me home," I said, trying to inject humor into my voice.

  No one said anything for a while. Logan twirled his hat on his finger, apparently all his concentration fixed on that, Rider wrung his hands and Vincent’s blank mask dropped onto his face.