Portals (12 page)

Thulu nodded. “That’s exactly correct, Carter. And Detective Lassiter is now a part of our family.”

“Yep, Carter, and you can call me Uncle Jeremy, if you want to.”

“Uncle Germy?” asked Carter.

We laughed, as Lassiter said, “Hey, I’ve been called a lot worse.”

Dinner conversation was light in deference to Carter. Probably a lot of adults would have set him up with his own meal in the kitchen. I didn’t believe he’d be learning good manners that way. Besides, Thulu and I wanted to establish a social time that would last the rest of our lives. Dinner was the logical choice.

After dinner, I got Carter ready for bed, letting him play in a bubble bath for longer than usual. Once he was all pink and wrinkly and dressed in his pajamas, we curled up, and I read him two nightly stories. I wanted to cram in as much Carter time as I could before we left.

Thulu came in during the second story, probably alerted by Jenna, and I handed the book to him to finish, while I went down to entertain our guest.

Everything was cleared, cleaned and put away in the kitchen, and I found Lassiter in the family room, sitting comfortably in an easy chair, with a glass of scotch. A bottle of wine sat in a bucket of ice, and I helped myself, pouring some into the glass Thulu had left for me.

I was becoming more comfortable around Lassiter. A fact that was made abundantly clear when Parker popped in a few minutes later and I didn’t think twice about saying hello to him. I didn’t even realize what I’d done until I saw the look on Lassiter’s face. He looked around to see who I was talking to and saw no one was there. Well, at least no one was there for him.

I briefly explained who Parker was, before turning to Parker and asking him how his patrol went. He looked sideways at Lassiter asking me why I was talking in front of him. So, I quickly brought him up to speed on what was going on.

He said his patrol went fine. No one had been able to breach the wards Jones had put around our office and everything looked good in the neighborhood around our house.

Lassiter listened to what was, for him, a one-sided conversation, with aplomb. Although I tried to give little explanations, so he wouldn’t feel left out.

Parker left in search of Jenna and Sophie and Thulu appeared in the family room not long after.

We sat companionably and finished our last glass of wine. Lassiter thanked us both once again for dinner and made his farewells.

Thulu and I curled up on the sofa, soaking up the atmosphere in our old refurbished Victorian. Knowing our son was asleep upstairs. Knowing Earth was finally accepting the reality of magical beings. And knowing that no matter what happened, we always had each other. We’d clear the air about Thulu’s police work soon, too. I had no doubt about that. But not that night. I had sense enough to know to take the special moments and treasure them. As I curled against my husband’s chest, I smiled contentedly, knowing I was loved in return.

The next day was spent packing some more, mostly little things. I tried to think of everything we needed to cover before we left. I was beginning to get excited about the trip. The idea of actually going to another world started to become real.

That might have had something to do with the fact that several of the magical folk who were also going popped in to compare notes and visit. Apparently, visits to the daemon home world were unusual and visits to the Light One world were almost nonexistent.

Word had traveled throughout the portal worlds of the impending trip, and there was quite a bit of interest in the expedition.

Aela said that the fairies were very curious about it. Since they controlled one of the few substances that could kill Light Ones, they were usually unwelcome on the Light One world. I could totally understand why the Light Ones felt that way.

Romeo and Juliet, a goblin couple who we had gotten close to the month before, also stopped in. They reported that Avalon, their home world, was captivated by the trip. Both elves and goblins were talking about nothing else. In fact, most of the magical worlds were intrigued. I guessed it was the supernatural version of going viral.

As the day wore on, the excitement in the Thulukan household was palpable. Even Carter seemed more excited about it than I thought he would. He insisted on helping with every task I did and giving reports to Thulu about my progress. Which was fine with me. It gave Carter the chance to feel important and helped the day go quickly as he split his time between us.

Thulu was doing research on something on the internet, while I double checked both our backpacks, comparing them against the lists I’d made. It wasn’t like we could run to the corner store if we discovered we’d forgotten something while we were gone. So, I tried to anticipate whatever contingency could happen. Having no clue what I was up against, of course, I recognized how silly it was. But lists and planning were part of me. And even if there was no way to predict what would happen, I felt better knowing I’d at least tried to be prepared.

Thulu basically left me alone during my packing. He’d contributed to his list, but knew I wouldn’t be happy unless I checked it all myself. He called helpful suggestions from the study now and then, but most of the time he spent on the computer.

Jones called after lunch to tell us that most of the Light Ones had been found and that the elves had them all together on Avalon. They’d be transferred over to Earth’s portal to the daemon world the next morning.

“So, Jones, did you at least let your people know we were coming through?” I asked. “I mean, it’s not like I want them to start shooting or whatever the equivalent is on your world the moment we go through.” His comments about how guarded the portal to the Light Ones’ world was had made an impression. I assumed there would be guards on the one to Earth, as well.

“Yes, La Fi,” Jones replied dryly, “I sent a message through explaining the situation. Both situations, to be precise.”

“Okay, I was just checking.” I responded cheerfully.

Jones said he’d be by to open a portal for us to drop Carter off at Thulu’s dad’s. We would then go through another portal that would take us to the one in the Himalayas. He named a time in the morning that told me he was well aware that I didn’t function well in the morning.  At least, not until I’d been awake for a while and had my morning infusion of caffeine. Yeah, nine in the morning was totally doable.

Ceil, a little pink pixie about a foot and a half tall, made her appearance midafternoon. She said that the centaurs on her world were as interested as the pixies about the trip, and we must fill her in when we got back. The banshees, on the other hand, greeted the news with disdain. Like the others, she didn’t stay very long.

I was beginning to see a pattern here and realized that my magical friends were doing what they could to make our day go smoothly and quickly. It made me appreciate them even more.

Our family, mostly the living ones, called to wish us well. Nana Fae, Mama Deb and Evan popped in to tell us they’d be keeping an eye on things here. Since they would be able to cross the portals, they planned on staying in close contact with us. Along with Parker, they would relay messages to the family, through Carter.

The last one to put in an appearance was Mihren, shortly after dinner. He popped in and informed us that his people had been gathered. He thanked us once again for our part in rescuing his child and said that he had been chosen to be the liaison with us.

I wondered about his teleporting ability and asked him why he didn’t use that to go home.

“I am only able to teleport from place to place on a world, but not from world to world.”

I nodded my understanding.

He went on to say that the Light Ones were very excited about the chance to return to the health they’d enjoyed thousands of years before. With a formal nod of his head, he stepped back and blinked out.

Carter’s bedtime came sooner than expected. Thulu and I both took special care to let him know how much we loved him.

I had a sudden thought and went downstairs to our study. I opened a drawer in my desk and removed a dagger in a leather sheath. The sheath was courtesy of Jones and was embossed with a dragon. The dagger had been held to my throat by Michael. He had inexplicably handed it to me just before he went through the portal to his own world. I added it to my backpack and returned upstairs.

I wasn’t sure how much sleep I’d be getting that night. My brain whirled in a thousand directions. Thulu and I took our glasses of wine upstairs to the window seat in our room. We sat snuggled together, looking out over the city. He rubbed the tension out of my neck, his fingers working their own brand of magic. That, of course, led to even more magical activities. I have to admit, of all the kinds of magic, Thulu’s was far and away my favorite. Most definitely.

I woke before the alarm the next morning. Thulu was still asleep. Something that occurred so rarely, it should have been on the morning news.

Slipping quietly out of bed, I made my way into the bathroom and took a long, hot shower. I had no idea when I’d be getting that luxury again. I doubted showers were a matter of course on other worlds.  I had all of the numerous nozzles, plus the waterfall going. I let the spray of water do its part to wake me up.

When I came out of the bathroom, Thulu was just starting to get up. I turned off the alarm before it could go off. I didn’t want to listen to its annoying buzz.

I finished getting dressed, while Thulu took his turn in the shower.

Going to each of the bedroom windows, I double checked to make sure they were locked. Even with wards on the house, I wasn’t going to take any chances. I repeated the process in each room, skipping Carter’s until he woke up.

I made my way upstairs, continuing my lock-down check. Satisfied the top two stories were as secure as they could be, I went downstairs to the kitchen. I grabbed my morning Coke and finished checking everything on the first floor. The basement had fairly small windows, but I rattled the locks and made sure they were shut tight.

Our house was secure and our family, living and dead, would keep an eye on things.

Carter was up when I went back upstairs and the minutes were flying by. Breakfast was cereal for Carter and breakfast bars for me and Thulu.

Just before nine, Thulu went into the study and removed our handguns from the gun safe. He made sure there was enough ammunition for both and slipped them into our backpacks. I held Carter’s hand to ensure he didn’t investigate.

A portal opened in the family room, where it had opened before. Jones stepped through and it snapped shut behind him.

We said our good mornings, and I called Erik to let him know we would be there in a few moments.

Jones opened another portal, and Thulu picked up Carter’s backpack and stepped through. I followed, carrying Carter.

Erik was waiting for us and looked better than he had the last time. Each little improvement was a victory. With lots of hugs and kisses for Carter and a few hugs from Erik, we left, secure in the knowledge that our family had our backs, in spirit if not literally. We stepped back through the portal into our own family room, and it closed behind us.

Jones opened another portal. I picked up my backpack, groaning a bit at the weight, but knowing I’d packed only what I needed. Jones motioned me through, and I stepped into the butterscotch swirling light once more. That was the fastest transition yet.

I stepped out into temperatures that were far cooler than what we had left at home. My ears popped, and it took a few moments of deep breaths to adjust to what was a much higher elevation. The late afternoon sun slanted through trees, a bit disorienting from the morning we had just left, but creating a gorgeous, breathtaking view of the Himalayas.

Thulu and Jones appeared behind me. I was mesmerized by the vista and didn’t even notice the others at first.

Finally turning around, I realized that a large clearing was dominated by a beautiful temple that looked as if it had graced several films. I knew it hadn’t, though. While physically modeled similar to Buddhist temples I’d seen in pictures, this temple was completely different. I’m not even sure “temple” is the correct word to use, except that’s what it looked like.

Jones clarified when I asked about it.

“This particular temple is run by a secret sect, made up of daemons and humans alike. They called themselves Phaetons,”

 He explained that was because the daemon home world was called Phaete. He spelled it for me before continuing.

“The name is related to the English word ‘fate,’ which is close in meaning to the real name. However, the name has so many more connotations in our language. I spell it differently so as not to cause confusion,” Jones said.

I just looked at him. It sounded the same to me, so I didn’t know why it made a difference, but if he was happy, I guess that was the important thing. I nodded politely. It was the least I could do.

The Phaetons guarded the portal. They had little interaction with the outside world. At least the outside world on Earth.

The monks wore long, flowing, sky blue robes. They didn’t shave their heads, but both men and women wore their hair short. And since there were women, I wondered what they were called. Were they monkettes?

The temple’s broad porches were inviting, and the higher ones promised views to die for. Pillows, mats, low chairs and tables were scattered about the porches.

While we weren’t the first to arrive, we were close. No angel wings yet, at least not that I saw.

I asked a smiling attendant about the order and was told they were called acolytes. Too bad, I kind of liked “monkettes.” When I asked about their security and privacy, especially with satellites, she assured me the area was warded with powerful spells.

“From the sky, all they see are trees and a few run-down outbuildings. Nothing anyone would want to bother themselves about.”

“That comes in handy,” I said. I nodded my thanks and moved off to chat with Reo, Sloane and Stuart. Thulu had already joined them. It was only when I got closer that I saw the small contingent of fairy warriors, hovering near Sloane.

Aela had brought about a dozen warriors. They each carried little bows slung over their shoulders and quivers filled with needle-like arrows. Most were dressed in earth tones, but a couple were dressed in brighter colors and two were in dark brown or black.

Aela’s pale blue skin and amethyst hair were set off by a deep red tunic over dark blue leggings. I was pretty sure her nails would probably match her tunic. Sure enough, her tiny fingernails did, but her feet were covered in sturdy black boots.

She flew close when I joined the group, her iridescent wings fluttering her light floral scent towards my face. I eased my backpack to the ground.

“My friend,” she said in her high-pitched voice, “are you ready to set off on our adventure?”

I smiled and nodded yes. “You did a wonderful job matching your tunic.” She loved getting compliments on her nails and held out tiny fingers so I could get a better look.

My own nails were short and without polish. I didn’t want to be bothered with chipping on the trip. I wondered if she used some spell to keep hers looking perfect. I bet she did.

The goblins, Romeo and Juliet, arrived via another portal. Dressed in brown supple leathers, they would easily fade into a forest setting, with their green skin. Their large eyes sparkled with excitement, and I swore I could see the tips of their long, pointed ears twitching.

Jones opened a new portal, and this time the Light Ones began to appear. Mihren was the first to step through with his child. He nodded to me and Thulu when he found us and moved to join our group.

Someone must have opened another portal from the other side, as a second portal formed near the first. More Light Ones began coming through that portal. The rest of us moved back towards the perimeter of the clearing to give them room.

There were quite a few children in the group, ranging in size from as small as a human two-year-old to almost the height of adults. Only their slenderness and youthful faces gave them away.

“There are fifty-three of us,” said Mihren. “That is more than I expected.”

“Will you be able to survive with so few of us to keep happy?” I asked, trying to frame the question delicately.

A voice answered from behind me and I turned to see Barterian. “Yes, we have made sure we are all as full as possible. We should have no problem during the trip.”

As I looked around the clearing. I realized that I saw no female Light Ones.

“I don’t see any of your women here,” I said.

The two looked momentarily baffled, before they realized what I was asking.

“That would be because we have no women,” said Barterian, a smile lighting his face. “Nor do we have males. We are neither male nor female. This may be confusing due to our physical appearance resembling that of your human males. When dealing with humans we simply refer to ourselves as males to appear less confusing.”

“Oh, I see,” I said. Of course, I didn’t see, and I was curious as hell as to how they procreated, but I didn’t figure that was the best time to ask.

Barterian must’ve guessed what was going through my mind because he smiled enigmatically and moved away.

The clearing was filling up. Belus and Aurelia had also joined the group and were organizing the Light Ones.

Jones seemed everywhere at once. He swung by our group and stopped long enough to tell us that we’d be moving indoors to the portal sanctum shortly.

“Once we have the entire group in the sanctum, I will open a portal and retrieve Satorah and her minions. We shall immediately go through the portal to Phaete. Your group will follow and then the Light Ones. Aurelia and Belus will make sure everyone gets through on this end.”

We all nodded in understanding. He probably wanted to hustle Sarah Grant through as quickly as possible. Having seen her strength, I didn’t blame him.

Several acolytes approached and invited us to follow them inside. I picked up my backpack. Thulu took my free hand and we followed Reo and Sloane.

The inside of the temple had a simple design, with high ceilings and wide hallways to accommodate the daemons in their natural form. Thick wooden beams gleamed from the ceiling, and the walls and floors reflected light from being polished for countless years. The building had a solid, but ancient feel to it. Gold and brass shone from tables in some of the rooms we passed. I saw ornately carved panels, but didn’t have time to examine them.

We were led to a set of tall, very wide doors, guarded by acolytes on either side. They opened both doors to show a broad, black marble staircase winding down to an antechamber far below. We went down several levels, deep into the mountain. The light fixtures on the wall appeared to be made of gold, and the lights glowed softly. The style led me to think they had held torches in the past.

Across from the staircase was another set of oversized doors. They were made of beaten gold, depicting daemons with outstretched wings. Four acolytes guarded the doors.

A touch by one of the acolytes leading us caused both doors to open.

The portal sanctum was designed as simply as the outer areas, with a bit more gold.  Okay, a lot more gold. The floor and walls of the huge room were black marble, with gold fixtures throughout. The high ceiling was at least two stories above us.

There were two acolytes in attendance on either side of the portal, which hovered close to the floor above a circular platform. The platform was about twenty feet in diameter and was reached by two steps that ran around the entire circumference.

The portal was one of the largest I’d seen in person. This one was about twelve feet in diameter. Compared to the ones I’d seen, the swirling pastel colors were more vibrant in the portal to Phaete. And very hypnotic. It also appeared to have more substance than other portals, as if the light itself had more substance.

In spite of its size, the room was getting crowded, and the scents coming off the different races created a bizarre mixture.

Looking at the portal, I became very nervous. It's one thing to play games online and dream of far off lands and dragons and adventures.  Faced with the reality of leaving Earth, I realized I wasn’t quite as blasé as I thought I would be.

I snuck a glance at Thulu, who must have felt my trembling. He put an arm around me and kissed me on top of my head. On the other side of me, Reo stood, eyes sparkling. When he caught my glance, he winked and gave me a nod. I was sure his empathic talents had picked up on my nerves as well.

My heart was beginning to hammer so loud, I was afraid the others could hear it. Thulu appeared very calm, his karate training kicked in most likely. However, I felt a small, almost unnoticeable, but definite tremor in his arm around me.

Jones moved through the quickly filling space to stand at the bottom of the steps to the portal. Only, he was no longer Tyler Jones. He’d already transformed into his true daemon form. Gleaming mahogany skin, midnight blue hair and wings, chiseled features and very human looking, bright green eyes contributed to a magnificent looking being. He was dressed in black leathers, a sword sheathed at his side.

This was the second time I’d seen Dhavenbahtek in his natural form. It was just as impressive the second time around.