Portals

by Wilson, Maer

  Nana Fae and Mama Deb also gave us their impressions of travel from the perspective of the dead and how it was both better and worse than traveling when one was alive. The two of them seemed to have become closer than ever and kept me and Thulu entertained.

  On the plus side, there was no luggage, customs or travel time to worry about. However, they said they missed food and being able to touch things. They still had a rudimentary sense of smell, but it was erratic and both said they missed that.

  “Well, I miss the smell of some things, anyway,” laughed Mama Deb. “There’re others we could certainly live without.”

  I raised an eyebrow at her choice of words. She rolled her eyes in response.

  “You know what I mean, young lady. There are some stinky places out there.”

  I grinned at her.

  The two left shortly after that, and Thulu and I cleaned up the breakfast dishes.

  I went outside to play in Carter’s sandbox with the kids, while Thulu went upstairs to do his forms and meditate. The sand was damp from the rain the day before, which made it pack nicely. The kids already had a pretty good start on a spaceport and we spent a pleasant hour finishing it and landing starships in the bays we’d created.

  Before long it was lunch time, and we headed inside to fix sandwiches. Thulu and I had agreed to talk to Carter after lunch. Parker and Jenna floated in one corner of the kitchen. Their usual spots.

  Nana Fae was right, as usual, and Carter listened carefully as we explained the situation in simple terms.

  “Oh, you have to help take the angel kids home?” he asked.

  Thulu and I nodded.

  “But we might be gone for a while. Days and days,” I said. His concept of a week was a bit shaky, so I kept it simple.

  “But you will help them, right?”

  “Yes, we will,” said Thulu. “But we want to make sure you are fine to stay behind.”

  “You’ll come back, right?”

  “Absolutely!” Thulu’s answer was firm. Carter looked at me, and I nodded my head vigorously in agreement.

  “We’ll come back. You’re here and we love you, and we’ll come home as soon as we can. We just want to be sure that you are all right with this, Carter. We won’t go, unless you say it’s okay.”

  “Okay, you can go. Be sure to help the angel kids, though. They were sad.”

  Wise, old soul, indeed. I hugged him close. I’d miss my boy. I missed him already and I hadn’t even left yet. He returned my hug with interest, before yawning widely.

  “Nap time, my sweet.”

  He frowned for a moment before his little face cleared. “Yep,” he finally agreed. I helped him wash up before tucking him into his bed with a light blanket. I felt incredibly lucky as I went back downstairs.

  Parker said he and Jenna were going to meet up with Nana Fae and Mama Deb. They didn’t know when they’d be back, but insisted we weren’t to worry about them.

  Thulu was on the phone while we cleaned up after lunch. I grabbed a Coke, and the two of us sat in the breakfast nook.

  He soon hung up. “Reo says he doesn’t get any sense of danger, but he says he’s not sure how accurate that is. He’s too excited about the prospect of going off-world and thinks that could be coloring his ability. Also, he’s not sure he’d sense anything from beings who are supernatural in nature. He’s not picking up anything nefarious about Jones’s motives, either. He did say he thought that if there was something obvious that he’d sense it.”

  I absorbed that for a bit. “So, do we go?”

  “Oh, hell yeah, we go!” he exclaimed, dimpling at me. That worked for me.

  He picked up his phone. “I’ll call Jones and tell him.”

  “Be sure to ask him about the dead.”

  “Right.”

  Thulu’s chat with Jones didn’t take long. Jones thought there would be no problem with the dead coming and going through the portal, but wasn’t sure if they could port directly there. He also thought it was an excellent idea to have that extra line of communication. He said he’d get back to us when his plans were finalized.

  We needed to let the family know, so Erik was next on our list of calls. He readily agreed to watch Carter, and we told him we were going to talk to Ally and Brent, too. Ally was Thulu’s cousin and one of my closest friends. She had a habit of picking up strays and had brought Lynda-Jean, Carter’s birth mother, into the Thulukan family when we were in high school.

  Lynda-Jean had wanted Ally and her husband, Brent, to take Carter, but they were veterinarians and worked long hours at their new clinic. Carter’s father had died overseas, so her death left the boy with no other known family. When Carter made it clear he wanted to come to Thulu and me, all hell had broken loose with Lynda-Jean. But ultimately she loved Carter more than she disliked me and agreed to the adoption before going into the Light.

  We quickly filled Ally in when we got her on the phone. She said she and Brent would be happy to help out while we were gone.

  That was as much as we could do for the moment. We went into the family room to check the news and see if there were any changes we needed to know about. Although, I’m guessing one of our magical friends would have notified us long before it hit the TV.

  Fortunately, things were still calm. I hoped it would last. The elves were not using the empaths to control human emotions anymore and were letting things run their course. It might have been a rocky few weeks, but it had to happen sooner or later. I was glad they hadn’t waited any longer. Better to get past the insanity as quickly as we could.

  Actually, humanity had adapted much better than Thulu and I expected. Of course, the riots had happened, but then there was that segment of people who would riot at any and every excuse. Hopefully, they got it out of their systems and this lull was permanent.

  Most people seemed pretty happy to learn that we weren’t alone and that there were such wonders as magical beings in the world. Speculation about what the different races were like was rampant on the TV and internet.

  I particularly got a kick out of the reaction to fairies. Tiny, winged and cute - until you got a close look at their teeth, which were sharp as needles. The fairies could be dangerous and were not to be trifled with. Our friend, Aela, had a passion for red nail polish and tapioca pearls. Turns out fairies get drunk on tapioca and Aela was trying to corner the market on exporting it to Avalon.

  But humans thought of them as the fairy tale version. If they ever met up with the real thing I hoped no one was foolish enough to say that. Fairies could be prickly, and since they were deadly warriors it wasn’t safe to underestimate them.

  Of course, the off-worlders had limited access to Earth. It would be a while before tourism was allowed and our magical friends would be allowed free access. It would be even longer before humans were allowed to visit their worlds. There were delegates, but so far it had been only the Elder races who came to Earth. Our own delegates were not yet allowed to go off-world.

  It wasn’t common knowledge, but humans were considered too barbaric to be allowed to visit the other worlds. I hoped that tidbit of information didn’t make its way to the general population. I’m sure there were good excuses being planned to explain why humans would be staying on Earth for now. Preferably something that didn’t sound insulting.

  So far, people were distracted with their presence on our world, but I expected that wouldn’t last forever.

  My own speculations were interrupted when Carter woke from his nap. Thulu and I pulled out the learning games we used to work with his letters, numbers, colors and shapes. He was a bright kid, and we made every effort to make learning fun for him.

  My own parents had done the same with me when I was little, and I still loved reading. Thulu also liked to read, so I thought Carter would, too. He certainly seemed interested in his little kid books.

  The day flew by. Dinner time came sooner than I’d expected, so we simply ordered pizza and watched a bit of kid-friendly TV. Bath time for Ca
rter started off our nightly ritual, and we soon had him tucked into his bed for the night, dressed in his cartoon pajamas. We read him a story, but he drifted off to dreamland before we were halfway through.

  I lingered at the door to his room, watching him sleep. I’d grown to love him fiercely and hoped I was being a good mother. I’d had good examples in my own life and did my best to emulate them and repeat their lessons.

  I turned from the door to see Thulu watching me, as I’d watched our son. The look on his face was one of such peace and contentment that I quickly moved into the warm circle of his arms. I was incredibly lucky. I knew that.

  Being loved unconditionally was like nothing else. That was the kind of magic that couldn’t be conjured by anything supernatural. Yep, I really was lucky. I knew I’d have to forgive him for working with the police. Eventually.

  Jones hadn’t given us too many specifics, but we thought we’d get a jump on our preparations for the trip. We moved to the family room to discuss what we needed to take over a glass of wine.

  Thulu had been to the Light Ones’ world for a few hours the month before. He’d described a desolate desert, with nothing other than a temporary shelter and lots and lots of sand.

  Jones had told us that the Light Ones weren’t much for building or creating. Thulu and I guessed that we should probably think of this as a camping expedition. A quick call to Jones confirmed that, so we ran with it.

  I made lists on my tablet. Clothing, food, safety equipment - everything went onto its own list. I even made a list of questions. There were lists for Carter. Lists for Thulu. Lists for me. Anything I could think of that we would or could possibly need was dutifully noted.

  Finally, Thulu made it clear that I’d examined everything from every possible angle and could turn the tablet off. I waited a few moments. I had a nagging feeling I was forgetting something. He reached over, gently took the tablet out of my hands and switched it off. I stared at it longingly for a moment, before giving him a rueful grin.

  He shook his head in mock despair before showing his dimples at me. There were times when I didn’t mind those dimples one bit. I decided to show him just how much I didn’t mind and we made our way upstairs.

  Chapter 7

  The next morning, my cell phone sang to me. Thulu and I were in the kitchen with Carter, having just finished breakfast. Parker and Jenna floated in one corner, excited about their trip. They regaled us with what the moon had looked like up close, their eyes full of wonder. Even Jenna seemed suitably impressed. Although I suspected a lot of that was because she picked up on Parker’s excitement.

  With the phone call, Carter asked to be excused and go into the family room to watch TV. I nodded and he went off, followed by Parker, Jenna and Sophie.

  On speaker, so we could both hear, Jones filled us in. He wanted us to liaise with the Light Ones as much as we could on the trip. We’d already established a sense of trust and had shown we were willing to help them. While there would be elves going along and they were universally respected, our personally knowing some of the Light Ones was deemed a plus.

  He also informed us that the elves and others were in the process of making sure there were no Light One stragglers left on any of the other known worlds. They were going to collect all of them and send them to Earth for our expedition back to their own world.

  “Will they cooperate with that?” I wasn’t so sure that they’d willingly go home.

  “Belus thinks they will. So do I. They have been suffering for thousands of years, La Fi. The chance to reverse their condition and bring their energy requirements into manageable levels will be too good an opportunity to pass up.”

  I hoped he was right. I had another thought.

  “Is there any more word on Sarah Grant?” I asked.

  “She’s in the same place and same condition she was the other day.”

  I absorbed his careful wording to let me know he hadn’t done anything to her. “Okay, good deal. Thanks.”

  I went over some of the questions on my list.

  “What are the climates like where we’re going?”

  Jones replied, “Both worlds have warm climates right now. You won’t need any heavy clothes.”

  He explained that the portal to the daemons’ world was in the Himalayas, inside an ancient temple. Apparently, there was a group of acolytes that acted as guardians of the portal and kept other humans away. Jones said he would open a portal directly to the temple, so we wouldn’t need to dress for the cold.

  “There will be no food you can eat on the Light Ones’ world. I shall be provisioning everything. If there is anything Thulu, Reo or you want, please let Stuart know; he will make sure we have it for you.”

  “That’s very generous of you, Jones,” said Thulu.

  “My party. My treat. You will be my guests.”

  I laughed at that, imagining this ancient daemon throwing a party, complete with treats.

  “Just bring your clothes and anything else you think you will need. I will provide everything from the logistical end. Food, shelter and equipment.”

  “Thanks, that certainly makes things much easier on our end,” Thulu said, with a significant look at my tablet of lists.

  “I hope so. That is my goal. I hope to leave day after tomorrow. Will that give you enough time to prepare?”

  I looked at Thulu, who nodded. I told Jones we could be ready.

  “Jones, we have another question,” said Thulu. “Why are you doing all this?”

  Jones was silent for a moment. “I would like to speak with Michael to negotiate a peace between our peoples. By returning his people to him, I will give him a show of good faith. I hope that we can come to terms.”

  Thulu and I exchanged a look. I shrugged.

  “I hope it works out for both of you,” said Thulu.

  There wasn’t much else to discuss at that point, so we ended the call.

  I got my tablet, deleted the lists I didn’t need and revised a few others.

  “Have you talked to Reo about the shooting, yet?” I asked Thulu. “I want to know if they found the guy who shot him. And if they’ve taken care of him so he won’t hurt anyone else,” I added darkly.

  Thulu just looked at me.

  “What?” I said.

  He shook his head. “Nothing. I thought you were the one who wanted him cured. It’s just not like you to want vengeance.”

  I opened my mouth, but quickly closed it. Thulu was right. Retaliation wasn’t usually something I opted for. I hated confrontation and preferred reconciliation. I tapped on one of my front teeth with my fingernail as I looked at him.

  “You’re right,” I said. “I don’t want vengeance. But for God’s sake, Thulu, he shot our best friend! And what happens the next time he sees a supe?” I shook my head. “The guy can’t be allowed to run around shooting anyone he wants. He’s dangerous and needs to be taken care of.”

  Thulu raised an eyebrow.

  “That’s not what I meant,” I said, with a sigh. “Why are you picking on me this morning?”

  Thulu pulled me toward him and put his arms around me. “Why are you cranky all of a sudden, love? What’s bothering you?”

  That stopped me again. “I don’t know,” I said, surprised at myself. Thulu was right, again. It wasn’t like me to be out of sorts, but I was definitely irritable. My stomach was full of butterflies, and I had a vague feeling of anxiety.

  I sometimes got feelings that something was going to happen. The problem was that I wasn’t really psychic. They were just vague feelings and were never defined or clear enough to actually be worthwhile. All they did was set me on edge. They weren’t even accurate half the time, but that didn’t stop me from thinking they might be. They were accurate just often enough to make me pay attention when I got one. Thulu had been teasing me about their lack of usefulness since we were kids.

  “All I know is that I’ll feel a lot better when we don’t have to worry about that guy anymore. Something about t
hat whole thing isn’t sitting well with me.”

  Thulu pulled out his phone as he watched me.

  “Hey, Reo, La Fi wants to know if you had any more word on the guy who shot you?”

  He listened for a bit. “Really? Now, that is interesting. Hang on a sec while I tell La Fi.” He looked at me and raised an eyebrow. “They can’t find the guy. Sloane and Reo are both getting absolutely no trace of him.”

  I frowned. It was very odd that Reo was not able to get a fix on the guy. Especially after having been shot by him. That should have created a strong psychic connection.

  Thulu continued, “Yeah, I’ll see what I can find out and let you know.” He paused. “Sure thing.” He listened again. “Hey, do you still have the bullet?” A short pause. “No, not for me. Just an idea that crossed my mind. Can I get it from you?” Pause. “Okay, sounds good. Talk to you later.”

  Thulu put his phone on the table. His brow was creased in concentration. “Now, I find that really weird. I’m going to see what I can find out.” He leaned over and kissed me on top of my head. He sat down in the booth and closed his eyes. Energy had started to gather around him as I quietly got up and went into the family room.

  The kids all sat in a row on the sofa, the dead ones on either side of Carter. I watched them for a moment from the doorway, wishing that the other two were alive. Still, I was thankful that my two ghost kids were in my life. They watched some kid show that they all thought was pretty funny and I thought was pretty stupid.

  When I came into the room, Parker floated over next to Jenna, leaving a spot on the sofa for me.

  “Can I help when you go through the portal?” asked Parker.

  “What did you have in mind?”

  “I think I’d be a really good choice to carry messages back and forth,” he said with a grin.

  “Oh, you do, do you? Well, you just may get your wish on that. I’d imagine that it’ll take several people to help us keep connected. I see no reason why you shouldn’t be one of them. Certainly, I’ll want you to keep me informed on how Carter’s doing.”