“So, this is it? The portal?” Brimstone asked, peering at the large capstone, which had to be at least twelve feet long and supported by two sets of slender upright, parallel stones. The whole thing stood around six feet high.
“This is it. It’s an ancient portal tomb,” Sami said as they walked around it. Another large slab of stone lay on the ground on the other side. Sami began to search the rocky ground all around them.
“What are you looking for?” Hellfire asked him.
“I need something sharp,” he said. “Ah, for the spell to open the portal,” he added, not wanting her to think he had the urge to cut himself again.
Hellfire narrowed her eyes on him. “You need to cut yourself?” she asked with a raised eyebrow like Sami was going to take the time to do that here when they were in such a hurry.
Sami took a deep breath. “I need my blood—for the spell to open the portal,” he explained. He hated going anywhere without his weapons, and although he could cloak them so no one would see them, the airport security scans would still pick them up.
Hellfire smirked, and a second later, flames engulfed her hand. After they dissipated, Hellfire held up five long, sharp talons instead of fingers. “Will these work?”
Sami nodded and though impressed, he kept it to himself. After a last glance around to make sure no one was watching, he held his palm out. “Cut me.”
One quick swipe and she had blood flowing. Brimstone waited and watched as Sami walked around the Old Stone, trailing a stream of blood. Hellfire walked beside him, cutting him each time he began to heal. After he had created a ring of blood around the Old Stone, he closed his eyes and muttered the words Zander had told him. A second later, the air began to thicken. Breathing became harder. When he opened his eyes, he could see a faint shimmer of the air in front of him then it started to get really cold.
“Whoa,” Brimstone muttered as a white light appeared in the gap or opening of the Old Stone. At first, it was the size of a fist and swirled in a circular motion, but it quickly grew until it was about seven feet tall. “What do we do?” Brimstone asked.
Sami held up his hand. “Nothing yet,” he said and waited.
A few seconds later, the swirling stopped and an inky-black void appeared. Tentacles of smoke drifted from the darkness. Sami looked at Hellfire and Brimstone. “Yeah, this is it.”
“So, you want us to step through that?” Brimstone asked as Hellfire stuck her hand, which was back to normal, into the void. It disappeared.
Chapter Eleven
Poulnabrone Portal
SAMI’S HEART WAS POUNDING in anticipation. “We step through,” he said and watched as Hellfire, without hesitation, and with only a quick glance back at her brother and Sami, turned, and disappeared into the blackness. Brimstone hesitantly stepped through after her and Sami followed him.
Though they walked into darkness, it was actually blindingly bright on the other side. They waited while their eyes adjusted. When they did, they found it was not bright after all, just super sparkly. Sami noted that the portal looked just as he remembered from when he was seven. It was also just as hard to breath in it as the first time too. He’d forgotten about that.
Hellfire stood waiting for them, eyes wide as she gaped at the shiny rainbow-colored jewels and long razor-sharp stalagmites surrounding them inside the large cave.
“Holy crap,” Brimstone said as he took it all in.
“Don’t touch anything,” Sami warned as he glanced around.
It was pretty in a deadly kind of way. He shivered and it wasn’t from cold. At first, it seemed eerily quiet but as they adjusted to the environment, faint whispers of long ago voices came to them.
“Yeah, that’s not creepy,” Brimstone muttered sarcastically, peering around nervously.
“It’s hard to breathe in here,” Hellfire said.
Sami nodded. Although the light reflected off everything creating an illusion of brightness, there were however, dark crevasses and holes just large enough for a person to fit through along both sides of the path. Sami wanted nothing to do with them.
“Let’s get going.” He indicated the faint white glow in the distance and together they began to walk through the cave, weaving around large glassy boulder sized jewels as the cave narrowed into more of a large tunnel.
“You sure this is the way?” Hellfire asked skeptically.
“Yes,” Sami said, trying to push through the thick air.
“Why is it so hard to walk in here?” Brimstone asked. Sami didn’t say anything, but just kept walking. “It’s like trying to walk through half-set Jell-O,” Brimstone complained and Sami suddenly wished he’d shut up.
They’d only made it about fifteen feet before Sami caught the scent of blood. He warily glanced around.
“What’s wrong?” Hellfire asked with a frown.
“Someone bled in here recently—”
Brimstone finished Sami’s observation. “I smell blood.”
They took a couple more steps and saw a small spattering of dried blood covering the jagged and protruding bits of jewel on the ground. A thin trail led towards the white glow.
Hellfire bent down, licked a finger, and rubbed it in the blood then brought it to her nose. “It’s Nix’s,” she whispered, glancing up at them with worry shining bright in her eyes.
Brimstone bent down beside her and touched a large, thin protruding shard covered in blood. It was loose and he started to pick it up.
“No, don’t touch it,” Sami shouted but it was too late. The muffled voices became an angry shrieking that echoed in the cave-tunnel. “C’mon, we need to go—now,” he snapped and started to help Hellfire to her feet when one of the stalagmites from above them cracked and began to fall.
Sami yanked Hellfire against him as a deadly three-foot-long white icicle narrowly missed her. Instead, it ricocheted off a larger blueish-pink boulder-jewel and shattered across the ground. Brimstone jumped away, dropping the jewel shard as another stalagmite cracked above them.
“We need to move. Let’s go,” Sami hissed. The boulder-jewel had just turned from a smooth glassy surface into a cluster of sharp spiked jewels. The color had also changed to a furious red.
Not good!
Sami nudged Hellfire forward and Brimstone was hot on his heels as a loud crash sounded behind them. More stalagmites were beginning to fall. They tried to run but it felt like a dream where you are running and not going anywhere. Brimstone was swearing behind him and when Sami glanced back, he saw that more boulders had turned into spiked clusters of jaggedly sharp jewels, and now they had begun to shake as if coming alive.
What the hell?
When they finally made it to the light at the end, the portal began to swirl in a mirage of colors, and then as soon as it developed into a thick white glow, they burst through.
“Did you see that?” Brimstone asked glancing behind them. When no one answered him, he turned back and fell silent. His silence didn’t last long though. “Holy shit,” Brimstone whispered then he took a step forward and slipped, falling against Sami. He quickly pulled away and righted himself.
They all stared, stunned at the sight in front of them. The snow-covered ground was swathed bright red with blood.
“What happened here?” Brimstone asked.
Hellfire swallowed as she looked around the small semi-circle clearing.
“Looks like a vicious battle was fought here,” Sami finally said.
The portal hissed and snapped closed, drawing their attention to the rock wall behind them. It towered a few thousand feet into the air. Above them, the portion of the sky they could see glowed a pale pink streaked with orange. They turned back towards the clearing.
“What the fuck happened here?” Hellfire breathed.
“Do you think this is Nix’s blood?” Brimstone asked, horror clear in his voice.
Sami started to say he didn’t know when he suddenly sensed someone coming. “Shh,” he warned, his breath misting in front of
him as he glanced around at the tall blue and green trees surrounding them.
The only opening through the forest was a well-worn trail into the trees thirty feet in front of them. A moment later, a massive-shimmery silver wolf stepped into the clearing from the trail.
“Hinah?” Sami asked as the wolf stopped and regarded them curiously. A moment later, amid a sparkly shimmer, the wolf changed shape.
“Huh,” Brimstone murmured then grinned at the beautiful, tall, and muscular woman now standing in front of them.
Sami shivered at the sight of the pale-skinned woman wearing a filmy, white sleeveless dress and nothing else. He would have thought her freezing, but apparently not. Long silver hair hung to her waist and pale, but gorgeous yellow eyes regarded the three of them.
“I am Hinah, who are you?” the woman asked in a soft, lilting voice that seemed ageless.
“I’m Sami, Samarias. I used to be Zander J’arzan’s ward. Drakayeh led us to this portal when I was a small boy,” Sami told her in introduction.
The woman nodded and moved closer, sniffing the air. “I remember you.”
She was almost as tall as he was and he was at six foot-five. Sami remembered that Hinah had stayed in her wolf form and hadn’t come too close to any of them the last time. He also seemed to remember Drakayeh telling them she was very old and cursed into wolf form, only able to change into human form once a week for six hours. Now, as she turned her attention to Hellfire and Brimstone, Sami wondered how long she had before she changed back. Then he wondered how she managed to find Nix on Earth with those limitations.
“Ah, more Phoenix in Tartaria,” Hinah said and they all frowned at her strange comment. “I suppose you are Kharhon’s family.”
“Kharhon—?” Brimstone started to question and Hellfire glared at him.
“Yes, we are Nix’s family. Where is she?” Hellfire asked, and Sami noticed her eyes narrow in suspicion of the wolf woman.
Hinah sighed. “More trouble.” Then she nodded and turned away. “Come.”
Sami, Hellfire, and Brimstone all frowned at each other but when Hellfire started to object, Sami shook his head.
“Where is Drakayeh?” he asked before Hellfire could say anything else.
Hinah glanced back. “Drakayeh has been injured.” She looked around the clearing, her eyes lingering on the blood, and Sami noted her worry before her gaze settled on Hellfire. “Your sister has been taken.”
“Taken? By who, the Ilyium?” Hellfire asked.
Hinah nodded. “Come,” she said again with fear in her gaze then she turned, and started back down the trail.
“These trees, they’re … blue, like really blue,” Brimstone said as they followed Hinah.
Sami inhaled a deep breath and felt a little smile curling his lips. Even though he had some horrible memories of the weeks before they fled Tartaria, it still felt … well, good to be back.
They emerged from the dark forest into a much bigger clearing overlooking more mountains with snowcaps, and a valley far below. Then Sami spotted a familiar old barn and what looked like a small cabin set near the tree line. It was the same cabin that he, Tierney, Jax, and Zander had spent a night in on their way to the portal fourteen years ago. It was Drakayeh’s cabin and very deceiving as it actually had three small bedrooms off the main room, which contained a kitchen, dining, and living area.
Sami glanced up at the colorful sky to see three balls of burning red—Tartaria’s three suns. The smaller orbs were slowly moving their way into position in front of the largest one. Not far from them were two smaller glowing moons. Usually bright white and nowhere near the suns, they now shone pink due to their proximity to the fiery orbs. The moons were bravely inching their way closer to the suns, awaiting their moment to align, and eclipse them.
“Wow, that is so cool,” Brimstone said.
“I forgot how beautiful the sunsets were here,” Sami said.
Hinah shook her head. “They are more so now, as the super eclipse nears.”
Hellfire glanced up as well. “Wow, it’s really something,” Then she turned and followed Hinah to the cabin. “Where is our sister?” she asked again.
Again, Hinah ignored her.
HELLFIRE FOLLOWED HINAH INSIDE the sparsely furnished cabin, eyes widening in surprise to see that it was bigger than she had expected.
““We had only just made it out of the portal,” Hinah said as Sami and Brimstone entered behind Hellfire. “There was something wrong with the portal. It tried to keep us there, to kill us,” Hinah said and shook her head.
Hellfire nodded. “There was a spell put on it,” she said, remembering what Samuels had said. “But you still haven’t told me about our sister.”
“How do you know there was a spell on it?” Sami asked as he glanced around.
“Drakayeh is in the bedroom,” Hinah said, indicating one of the three rooms before turning to Hellfire. “Yes, a spell, that makes sense. I knew something was wrong, just couldn’t quite put it together.”
Should’ve kept my damn mouth shut.
Hellfire could feel Sami’s stare on her. She glanced at him and shrugged. “I could smell it,” she lied and turned back to Hinah. “Now, please, tell me where Nix is.”
Hinah’s shoulders sagged. “I honestly don’t know. Your sister dragged me out of the portal. She saved my life but when we got out, they were waiting. They had just about killed Drakayeh.”
“You said the Ilyium took her, but where? Where is she?” Hellfire asked, beginning to panic as she thought about her conversation with Samuels about the Ilyium and the Master.
“Yes, the bastard druids—the Ilyium took her,” a masculine voice said from the doorway of another room. Hinah smiled at the speaker.
SAMI LOOKED UP AT the speaker with copper hair. Strange, where Sami remembered Drakayeh as having a beard and mustache, this man had neither. He also looked to be about thirty and Sami knew Drakayeh was a whole lot older, though he had only looked about forty-five when Sami last saw him.
“Orion, how is he?” Hinah asked.
“Dad’s resting,” the man said, stepping further into the room.
Hinah sighed and an air of resignation seemed to weigh her down as she turned to Sami, Hellfire, and Brimstone. “This is mine and Drakayeh’s son, Orion.”
They each greeted him.
“Is there anything we can do for Drakayeh?” Sami asked.
Hinah shook her head. “He will be fine, he’s healing. They hurt him pretty badly. I had to carry him home.”
Sami’s eyes grew big. “You carried him here from the portal?”
Hinah gave a little smile and nodded.
“Wow, that’s no mean feat. From what I remember, Drakayeh is a giant,” Sami said.
Hinah chuckled. “Yes, that he is.” Then she looked at all of them. “I’m sorry that I can’t tell you more right now. I will get you some food then you should rest. I have someone we can talk to regarding Kharhon, er … Nix, tomorrow. You should know though, you are the only three Phoenixes on this planet. They won’t let her go easily and—” She paused a moment while Hellfire cursed and Brimstone sighed.
“And what?” Hellfire asked in impatience.
Hinah shook her head. “You should not let anyone here know what you are, it could be very dangerous for you.”
Orion nodded, agreeing with his mother and a shiver of dread rushed down Sami’s spine.
After they all ate a large bowl of Marlow-venison stew, they carried their dishes to the sink for washing. “That was very good, thank you,” Hellfire said as she helped clean up.
Orion checked on his father then disappeared into one of the little bedrooms. Brimstone thanked Hinah, and claimed a seat on the couch while Sami helped dry dishes.
“You’re very welcome,” Hinah said as she prepared a bowl for Drakayeh. Before she took it to him, she waved at the other little bedroom. “Two of you can sleep in there and one of you on the couch.”
Hellfire followed Sami�
�s horrified gaze to Brimstone snoring on the couch, and then to the room Hinah indicated.
“Don’t worry,” she said bitterly. “I won’t jump you. I have no intention of repeating the mistake of the day we met.” She turned away to put the dishes on the shelf.
Sami could tell his actions had hurt her, but he couldn’t worry about it right now. He had much bigger worries. First, and foremost, was how he was going to survive in the same bed with Hellfire. Sami remembered when he, Tierney, and Jax all shared that same little bed. Back then, they used to all sleep cuddled up together and it wasn’t weird, but now …
While Hellfire dashed out to use the outhouse, Sami set the candle and holder on the tiny wooden nightstand, and glanced around the tiny bedroom. It hadn’t seemed quite so small the last time he was here. Of course, he’d been a child then.
The gnarly log bed seemed to take up most of the tiny space with barely enough room to get around the other side. In addition, the mattress hardly looked large enough to accommodate the both of them—and the space they needed to keep between them. Sami held back a groan. Trying to sleep beside Hellfire while keeping his distance was going to be brutal and even if the stone floor hadn’t been icy cold, there wasn’t enough room to sleep on it.
He glanced back into the other room. Brimstone, who was a good bit shorter than Sami was, continued to snore on the only couch, his feet sticking over the end. Other than the couch, there was only the table, four chairs, and more cold stone floor. There was a nice fire going in the fireplace, but very little of the heat reached the little bedroom.
Sami glanced back at the bed, set his pack down, and pulled back the covers. At least there were a lot of blankets. Still, he’d sleep in his clothes he decided, as Hellfire stepped into the room and stopped dead. After a quick glance around, she turned and looked back out into the main room. When she turned back, her eyes met Sami’s gaze.
“Well, isn’t this just cozy,” she said, looking peeved as she inched her way around to the other side. Sami didn’t say anything, just slipped under the covers and sighed at the soft mattress. He hadn’t slept much in the last few days so as Hellfire climbed in on her side, his eyelids slid closed.
Dracones Boxset Books 1-5 Page 68
