Laughter spilled out of me, freeing me from the dreaded thoughts.
“You’re all assholes.” I shook my head and reached for my coffee. But inside, my heart glowed.
4
After saying our goodbyes to Mayra, we climbed into one of the FBI assigned cars loaned to us while on Earthside.
Bernard drove. I made Kaleb get in the front so he wouldn’t start necking me on the back seat.
The Fire Arch of Atsila portal that leads through from Seattle to our world sits in a national park. Due to Fey magic, any trespassers who go for a wander only see the illusion of a private airport. If they get any closer than that, Immigration Control deals with them in the realms of human law.
Not for us though. We know of the private road that leads to the hanger where we could leave the car.
After parking up and leaving the keys with the officer on duty, we made our way to the portal entrance. We didn’t need paperwork to get through while assigned to the IET—our badges enough to get us through security. We all made a habit of carrying them should we ever need to escape back to Portiside at pace.
The new airport was like the one the escaped prisoners destroyed when they blasted through the portal. But inside they’d decorated the white, shiny, pristine walls and floors with waves of powder blue and orange swirling against the white. The blue represented the shade of the Immigration Control uniforms. The orange represented the Fire Fey who manage this portal in particular.
There are four portals in total: one in the US, another in England, one in Egypt, and another in the Laccadive Sea, south of India. No one who doesn’t have fins, or a tail uses the latter one though.
An Immigration Control officer I didn’t recognize greeted us. Tall and gangly, he looked barely human as he touched the peak of his cap in greeting.
I glanced at his uniform to see the fire emblem on his blue shirtsleeve.
When we’d traveled over to Earthside after the bomb, the Air Fey temporarily looked after the gateway as the remaining Fire Fey personnel grieved over losing their colleagues. But now the Fire Fey was back. And they must have hired some replacements because a few unfamiliar faces mulled around, controlling the portal.
With carrot orange hair, bright blue eyes, and the glamor of a pimply teenage boy, the Fire Fey Immigration Control officer put his hand out for our documentation.
“Thanks,” he said once we handed him our badges. He scanned them against a white pod with a transparent screen and waited until it flashed green. “Walk through here, please.”
Okay. So this is new.
He directed us to a chamber and scanned his hand on the podium positioned in front of us before gesturing for us to walk into the white box. We walked in together.
After a few seconds, a green band of light came down and scanned our bodies. “Enforcer Field Agent, Terra Vane. Sapphire Citizen,” an automated voice said. An image of me appeared on the chamber wall. “Sanctioned for dual citizenship. IET level access.” Another beep alerted for Bernard. “Bernard Vostreux. Hunter. Ruby Citizen. IET level access.” And then Kaleb. “Enforcer Field Agent, Kaleb Cipher. Amber Citizen. IET level access.”
The final beep sounded, and the voice instructed us to leave. We did so, and the Fire Fey officer met us on the other end. He handed our badges back.
“New tech,” the officer explained at our confused expressions. “It traps threats in the chamber until we can deal with them. It also ensures no one can bring weaponry through to harm anyone outside of the chamber. The Evolver’s built it,” he shrugged as if that’s all that needed saying. Evolvers are Portiside’s equivalent to scientists. Forward-thinking is their forte.
“Cool,” I replied, glad they’d tightened security. “I take it you’re new to Immigration Control?”
“Yeah. I applied when I heard about what happened.” His face fell. “One of my clan died in the attack. We were friends. And he was always on at me to sign up. I felt I owed it to him.”
“I’m sorry for your friend.”
“Yeah, thanks.” He threw me a meek smile. “I hear you’re the guys who are going after the ones who did this?”
“You heard right. Only we like to keep a low profile if you get me?”
“Sure. Yeah, sure. Oh, one minute.” He rushed behind a console, tapped a few buttons, and snatched a piece of paper the machine spurted out. “Here’s the code for the new security measures on the other side of the door. You must repeat the same thing when you return, but because of your clearance, you’ll bypass most of the security checks. There are a lot more in place now though.”
“And so there should be,” Bernard said this time. The Fire Fey stared at him wide-eyed in awe of my friend’s stature and bad-assery points. Bernard can look scary when he wants to. I hid a smile.
“Come on. We need to get going.” I looked at the Immigration Control Officer. “What’s your name?”
“Officer Rosehill. I mean, Flax. Flax Rosehill.”
“Thanks, Flax. We’ll be coming back through soon enough. Thanks for protecting our world.”
He visibly bloomed from my words, standing taller and puffing out his chest. He saluted.
“Thank you, ma’am.”
I saluted back, figuring the kid needed the boost. It wasn’t only his magical glamor that portrayed his naivety. And sometimes all a person needs is for another to believe in them. After what the Fey had lost—what we’d all lost—I was happy to give it to him in droves.
“Oh wait!” he called out to us. “Stay away from the northern forest. That’s where they’re running The Circle. Only Immigration Control and the Consilium should know of it. But as of a few days ago, they told us to notify you, too, should you come over?”
“The Circle?”
“The power bearers who are holding the magical wards together on Earthside.”
I shared a look with the others.
“We get it,” I said, patting his arm. “See you around, Flax.”
Not long after that, we stepped through the gateway, disguised as double doors, and let the world spin around us.
Two minutes later, we were back in Portiside.
5
A newly built moat bubbled up from the ground of the Fey Forest as we reached Portiside.
Looking at the piece of paper Flax had given me, I saw we had to walk across the precarious stepping-stones to get to the other side where the grass-carpeted floor waited.
The rainbow water may look pretty, but we know the Fey too well. Get too close, or take a step in the incorrect sequence, and the water would either lure you into its wet clutches or put some nasty curse on you. After what had happened with the death of their own kind when the prisoners broke through, the Fey were pissed, so that water was staying the hell away from me.
Following the code to the letter, we worked together to get across unscathed. Even Bernard and Kaleb looked relieved when we finally reached the other side, and they both have fast healing abilities.
“Welcome back to The Flamed Forest,” I said, looking up at the bright orange-leaved trees cloaking us from the Portiside sky. Crystalline hues, enriched with fall shades, told us we weren’t on Earthside anymore.
Here, in a world many would deem impossible, nature remained untainted, allowing it to blossom into its fullest at wild abandon. The result created a mystical haven of treasures, and dangers if a person doesn’t watch their step. It wasn’t until now I realized how much I missed it.
“It’s like we never left,” Kaleb said, taking in a deep breath of fresh Portiside air, his shifter nose content with the change in worlds.
“Apart from the evil water of death.” Bernard looked down at the rippling multi-colors. Kaleb—who also knows what the Fey are capable of—took another step back from the water.
Laughing, I linked my arm through his and then the other through Bernard’s. “Come on. Let’s move on to Embers Brook.”
Kaleb gave one last tentative glance at the water. “So what’s all this about Th
e Circle, do you think? They’ve given it a name now?”
“We forget how hard those chosen are working to keep the wards around Seattle,” I replied. “It’s a twenty-four seven job keeping the prisoners contained.”
“But Cole explained they are on allocated shifts.”
“It’s still draining for them. And it’s an important job. Giving it a name, keeping it confidential to the Consilium and Immigration Control, emphasizes that. It would be a nightmare without them.”
“At least we know no one has broken through the wards yet,” Bernard said, “or even tried.”
I nodded in agreement. “If what Lauz said is true, it’s because they’re lying low. They are expecting us to fail. Or to take us out if the Consilium don’t pull us back home soon.”
“And now we’ve taken out five of the prisoners, the rest are getting worried.”
“They’ve also split up, according to Lauz. After this meeting with Faraway, we’ll keep digging, putting the pieces together. Hopefully, we’ll get a hit on the next clue.”
We found the narrow pathway in the density of the trees and pushed our way through to our destination.
Bernard looked across at us both. “Do you trust this Agent Faraway?”
“Yeah,” I admitted, thinking on it. “I trust him. He has some begrudging respect for me in his egocentric soul. Even if it’s because of my affiliation with Kaleb since they’re friends.”
“I like Faraway,” Kaleb said from my other side. “He’s old school in some ways, but he also doesn’t tolerate bullshit. He may not intervene as much as I’d like when the other EFAs target Terra with their crap, but he’ll only tolerate it to a point.”
“He’s also never been the instigator of it,” I explained. “He doesn’t like me, or agree that I should be an EFA, but he tolerates me. I wonder what’s made him go behind Cole’s back in this way?”
“We don’t know whether he has yet,” Kaleb said. Then he saw the dubious look on my face. “Okay, he most likely has. But if he has, then he won’t have done so lightly.”
Trudging through the muddied, winding path, every tree, every branch, birthed colors reminiscent of butterscotch, tangerine, and spice. Hummingbirds hovered, squirrels scurried. The track welcomed us into its cove, the scent of pinewood and recent rain folding a cloak of our home around our shoulders.
We all took a moment to breathe, to appreciate the nature surrounding us. But then Bernard broke the silence by probing further. “Why do the other shifters still give you so much shit? You’ve been an EFA for a few years now.”
“It’s coming up to a few years, yes,” I replied. “But why wouldn’t they? I’m one of the few humans to have passed the academy trials and get an EFA badge. And I’m female. A lot of human applicants into the academy get side-shifted or encouraged into becoming a Tech or Bio Agent instead. But not me. And I made it through when a lot of their shifter kin didn’t. They think Kaleb and Cole are the reason I did so, and they hate me for it. They think I got special treatment.”
“And did you?”
Kaleb sniggered, and I nudged before replying, “Are you kidding me? Hell no. Kaleb may have helped me to pass by training me into hell and back, pushing me beyond my limits, but I passed the tests, hit the books, studied and worked out every damn second during my time there. I was the one who crossed the finish line on the obstacle course of death. Not that they call it that, but trust me when I say they should. I did it. And they can’t handle the fact. Blows for them, I guess.”
“I’ve gotta say,” Kaleb told him, “I pushed her hard. We trained outside of academy study hours well into the darkness of the early morning. She vomited so much that I had to bring a bucket to our sessions. And if looks could kill…”
“And you got off on it,” I snorted.
“No, I didn’t.” He grinned. “Oh, who am I kidding? I did—just a little. But when you reached the end of the course, smashed your results, it filled me with pride. Like a mother hen.”
“Shut it.”
Bernard chuckled. “I wish I’d seen it. But then again, I see it all the time when you throw yourself head-first into danger. My heart’s given up beating like a crazed drum roll whenever you get into trouble.”
“I’m not the only one who does it,” I snapped. “You’re just as bad. Both of you.”
“Hey!” Kaleb whined.
“Maybe so.” Bernard laughed again. “And I suppose it’s our lot in life. Our past hurts have made us vulnerable. So we fight hard to never feel vulnerable again. Although I don’t think Kaleb would know the word vulnerable, even if it hit him square between the eyes. He was probably charming the panties off ladies while still in shifter diapers.”
Kaleb smirked. “You know me too well.”
“Bernard, don’t make his head any bigger. And Kaleb, don’t be a pervert.”
“I’m not a pervert. It’s not my fault the ladies appreciated me from a young age.”
“Now look what you’ve done.”
Our conversation fell silent as we continued on our way. But the closer we drew to the brook, the more unsettled I became.
I know my supernaturals. And I know my predators. Even if Faraway waited for me alone, and Kaleb liked Faraway, there could still be a potential blood bath on my hands when putting two shifters, a vampire, and a human together. It may sound like a bad joke, but the testosterone levels were about to intensify. I needed to tell them both to play nice before we reached Faraway.
“Bernard, you, in particular, need to remember that shifters are temperamental creatures who don’t take well to threats.”
“I know how the shifters operate, sweetheart, and I know how to play the game. But there are limits to my restraint. Facing off with someone who may have hurt you sits ill with me.”
“I fought to swim with the sharks. Or, in this case, the shifters. I know to watch my back or get out of the water. So play it cool and try to keep the testosterone levels down a notch. You, too, Kaleb.”
“I’ll play nice if he does. But Faraway should know me well enough not to insult you in front of me.”
I instantly regretted bringing the two of them along. I should have brought Zax and Libby. The lust demon and I may not get on, but her power of bringing males from many species to their knees would be useful right about now.
We heard the trickling brook before we saw it, breaking through the brambles to see the clear water running against the rock. The moment we reached the brook’s edge, a rustling from the trees had the two predators on either side of me on their guard.
“Vane,” Agent Faraway called, pushing the leaves aside.
“Faraway.” I nodded as he approached.
Kaleb relaxed on my one side. However, Bernard did not. He took a step closer toward me to prove a point.
Faraway glanced at him indifferently before focusing his attention on me.
All shifters are tall, especially those from wolf packs, and Agent Faraway is no different. With short, dark hair, almost clipped to his head, his piercing blue eyes stared back at me from a face of scars and hard living. It aged him, giving him a fierce edge. But there’s also a common sense and wisdom he has that bypasses other hotheaded shifters. And he’s earned some begrudging respect from me because of it.
Kaleb greeted his friend with a shoulder bump. “Hey, Faraway. What’s with the stealth request?”
Faraway accepted the greeting, easing somewhat at the sight of his friend. But he remained wary. He glanced in Bernard’s direction again before replying. “We have a lead. One I need help with.”
I frowned at that, more so from confusion than anything else. Usually, the agents, any agent, would rather chew off their own paw than ask me for help. And even though the IET had jurisdiction on both sides of the portal, I’m sure Faraway would have an issue if we ever had to play that card. The fact he’d called me for help sounded almost laughable. Actually, forget that. It is laughable.
“What’s going on?” I crossed my arms, his gua
rded behavior putting me on the defensive.
Faraway looked in two minds before answering me. “I have a friend in the shifter lands. She’s a member of the Caladonia Moor Pack. She came to me in secret to say something is going on with the wolf shifter packs of Totem Talamh.”
“Like what?” Kaleb asked, stepping forward. Bernard stepped with him, and Faraway snarled. Shifters don’t like vampires almost as much as they detest overachieving humans.
“Something is hunting there,” Faraway replied, focusing on me. “It’s hurt two people, so far. And the packs are protecting their borders and launching their own investigation. The problem is, someone got killed recently. Hence why my friend broke and came to me.”
“Why are they undertaking their own investigation?” I know for them to do such isn’t uncommon, but it’s frowned upon. If the Consilium caught wind of it what with everything else going on…
“They don’t want the IET on their lands poking their noses into things,” Faraway explained. “Or the agency. They want to keep the door closed as they investigate further before calling anyone in. But when my friend’s younger brother was the one to get badly hurt, she grew conflicted. And after the death of a pack member she felt she had no choice. She got a secret message to me.”
“Okay. But what do you expect me to do?”
He fidgeted, rubbing the back of his head, uncomfortable with putting his pride on the line. “My friend said they’re not sure what is out there. And some don’t think it’s a wolf. But it’s a predator and one who doesn’t mind hunting on pack lands and killing my kin. That takes some balls.”
“And you believe Terra can help where you can’t by doing what exactly?” Bernard demanded.
“Look,” Faraway said, ignoring him and appealing to me, “you’re the leader of IET now. That means you have every right to roll upon pack lands without playing the political card. If I go in with agents assigned to me, then we won’t only rile things up from a political point of view, but they’ll use everything against me to shut us down. It puts the people, my pack, and my friend at risk. I can’t do it.”
Death Be Shifted (The Terra Vane Series Book 6) Page 3
