"Because I have read half a story in a book."
"What book?" asks Joss sharply.
"The Collector isn't the only person Syv collects things for," says Ripley with a chuckle. "He likes to collect trinkets, I like books. I've spent the last couple of years tracking down anything that remotely resembles prophecies, and Breanna has helped me translate them."
"And the Collector may have a book we need," puts in Breanna. "One with ancient magic and information about this whole situation. Seth needs to find this book too, so we need to get to it first. We placed one of the runes into Alasdair's foundation's logo. Have you seen a book containing a matching rune at the Collector’s?"
I glance at Heath and he nods. "Yes."
"Then it's even more important I read that book. Does he have something to decode it?"
"No, we have a friend helping find something that will."
"Syv, I presume?" Ripley says with a chuckle. "Quite a special girl."
"Then let’s hope she find what we need before Seth finds her," replies Breanna.
I blink. Shit, I hadn’t thought about him pursuing her too.
Logan interrupts. "One thing we need to consider while we find this item to translate the text is how to protect the portals, because I’m certain Seth will attack them now. You four—five—cannot do that alone. Myself and Ripley need permission to approach them and have our forces guard without you killing them."
I fight the knee-jerk reaction to tell them to fuck off, because we've spent the last ten bloody years keeping Ripley and others away. So far, we’ve succeeded, as the portals are warded by someone, or something, that came before us.
In between dealing with the demon issue, we spend time checking they're intact or responding to any indications they're under attack. In recent years, few attempts have been made to open them; the Order have other plans inside the human world, and I suspect they're waiting until their foothold is established before launching an all-out attack on the portal leading to their realm.
With the portals spread across continents, we can’t be around all at once, but we're hardwired into them, visions assaulting us with a matching panic if any are touched. So far, no magic exists powerful enough to breach any quickly, giving us time to reach them. Even the ones on other continents. Ripley was close once, the last time we met, and we were close to killing him, but he failed.
Six portals. Six realms. We're aware what lies behind four because the evacuees from the worlds have told us. One, a demon realm linked to the Order, and of course the devastated fae realm. Vampire elders told us one portal leads to a parallel world where vampires rule and are at war with shifters, and the humans are subjugated. The last we know about is an elemental plane, but we’ve only read about that in Joss’s books. I'm not a hundred percent sure exactly what an elemental plane contains, or if anything has crossed through in the past. If they did, they're well-hidden and have zero effect on the human society they now inhabit or avoid.
We have no clue what lies behind the other two.
We’re all aware how opening the portal to the demon realm he came from is one of Ripley’s goals. How can we trust he won’t do that?
This pisses me off the most about the whole thing—having to put my trust into these people. What if this is an elaborate trick and they're in league with Chaos?
Heath answers for me. "If we agree, you can't guard the one you're interested in opening."
"Naturally," says Ripley, and I stare in surprise at his agreement. "I’m happy to deploy people to protect any other portals. I have some military connections, of course."
"Like an army will have a chance against a god!" says Ewan derisively.
He ignores me. "What are the chances of getting Portia onside?" Ripley looks between me and Logan. "You could try between you to persuade her. Together."
My shoulders tense. Together.
"Sure, Logan has plenty to explain to Portia," says Heath, and flicks him a tight smile.
"Yeah, Logan, why don't you tell me about the magic you've been buying?" I ask. "What's that all about?"
I wait for a shocked reaction, pissed off when his usually sneering attitude remains. "Isn't that obvious? I was sure Portia and her court wouldn't help, and I need more powerful fae from elsewhere."
"Who?" asks Heath.
"Those who'll listen. Younger, mostly."
"And you think they can contain the powerful magic Mac gives them?" asks Ewan in a low voice. "What if the magic corrupts them? We could end up with even more shit to deal with."
Logan shrugs. "Ripley can help if the fae troops get out of hand. He's already dealt with some just to put the message across."
"Oh great, so no change to the general murder and mayhem then?" I ask Ripley.
He shoots me a tight-lipped smile. "As of now, I'm not interested in petty politics. But a few lives lost is worth saving more, human or fae."
Again, I wait for Logan's protest, but he's nonplussed. Logan indicates he's siding with Ripley to protect the world, but what about afterwards? What happens to the status quo when we fix this crap and everything returns to normal?
Will everything return to normal, because I'm damn sure that's not happening, whatever the outcome with Seth.
"Do we enlist the other races too?" asks Logan. "Vampires? Shifters?"
Ripley wrinkles his nose. "I'm inclined to say not. The more people involved, the more complicated this becomes. They have little to do with us anyway, so they can remain ignorant."
Ewan makes a derisive noise and adds sarcastically, "Yeah, sure. The vamps and shifters won't find out. Not like Seth will miss an opportunity to stir things up."
"I think the time to rally others has gone, Ewan. Didn't Seth say he's bringing forward his plans? We could have days left. That's why we sort out a strategy today."
"We'll think about it," I growl.
Ripley stands and looks out of the window, fists clenched by his side, and the room descends into a thick, tense silence.
"You realise you don't have the option, Xander," puts in Breanna.
The door behind me clicks open and I sense Joss and Vee enter the room.
"What the fuck?" Logan jumps to his feet and backs away, face transforming into a mask of fear.
I whip my head around, in case Vee's changed her mind and prepared herself to take the room out with powers or weapons.
But she's calm, face curious as her eyes dart from person to person, mouth tightening as her gaze lands on Logan. Joss holds her hand, but he looks more exhausted than when he went to bed last night. Is keeping Vee soothed taking more out of him than we expected?
"What's wrong, Logan?" asks Ripley sharply, turning too. "Do they have weapons; I can't sense any magic."
"Only a huge nuclear one." Logan wraps his arms around himself and shakes his head, closing his eyes before opening them again. They remain filled with fear.
Everybody else's expressions match: mutual confusion.
"Is this Ripley?" asks Vee in a soft voice, pointing at him.
"Okay. Get her out of here." Logan gestures at Vee and looks in desperation at Ripley. "I don't know what the hell she is because I have never seen anything like her before, but if she stays in here, we’re fucked."
Ewan moves closer to Vee, so he and Joss flank her. Vee looks up at Joss, who squeezes her hand tighter.
"I want to help." Vee's voice is soft, and as confused as she looks.
"What can you see, Logan?" asks Ripley, tone sharp.
"Energy. Pure energy. Normally I need to concentrate to see a person's true form, but her... she's nothing. I knew I saw darkness, but this... Her human appearance is just a front for others to see."
I swallow hard and ignore my rising panic. If he's lying, Logan's pulling a fucking great acting job.
"She feels human to me," replies Joss in response to Vee's darkening gaze.
I clench my teeth. This could be my excuse to smack the guy at last. "If you want our help, I suggest you calm d
own."
Breanna studies each of us in turn. "He's right. If I focus hard I can see yours and the others, Xander, but it's constrained and doesn't burn as brightly as Vee's. I can't see it as readily as Logan, but there's a heat and power from her. Perhaps not quite nuclear though." I scowl as she laughs. This isn't fucking funny.
"Was this in your book?" I snap.
"Super Vee?" Breanna rakes a gaze over her again, then points between us with a slender finger. "No. You are. There's talk of your power, which it seems burns out over time. But Vee’s is different."
The room spins sideways. This was supposed to be a conversation about saving the world, not a headfuck about who we are.
"What do you mean?" asks Heath and stands too.
"I mean, Vee's energy is reversed. Darker." Breanna chews her lips and studies Vee. "The Four Horsemen are here to keep portals closed, so does this mean she’s here to open them?"
Logan straightens. "I fucking knew it! She is here to side with Seth. To destroy you."
"No. That's bullshit. Vee is part of us." Ewan jabs a finger at Breanna. "This demon is only saying these things to keep us worried enough to help you, Ripley."
"Oh, I see and know more than you realise. That's why Ripley has enlisted me. I thought Truth would be a way to defend the portals from Chaos, perhaps even kill him, or maybe she's more."
"Stop this," snaps Ewan. "This is the wrong way to get our help."
Vee speaks up softly and points at the trio wanting to ally with us. "I sense you'd rather I was dead? Funnily enough, I'd like to kill you too."
"Vee!" hisses Joss and pulls her closer.
"What? If they're putting their cards on the table, I am too." She pauses. "I'm telling you all the truth."
"Yes, but what are you, Truth?" asks Logan. "Are you going to bring the apocalypse your lovers were sent to stop?"
Vee stares back, unblinking, and I will her to deny his suggestion.
"I don't know."
As she says the words, her eyes widen and she places her free hand on her chest before gasping.
"Vee?" Ewan reaches out to take hold of her other arm and I push my chair back, as does Heath, ready to prevent or help whatever the fuck is about to happen.
4
VEE
Breanna’s words raise the dark anger inside, the one she said I contained, and I ready myself to deny the bullshit she and Logan spew. I am not here to destroy anything apart from inhuman threats to my world. My world.
But I don’t have a chance to speak. I sense something is wrong, but not in enough time to realise what’s happening.
The room draws away from me, growing smaller and smaller, and I grasp onto Joss and Ewan as I lose sight, the world around sucked away. Suddenly, I feel weightless, dragged into a void that fills my head with pressure. Air rushes past my face as the darkness engulfs me and suddenly I'm on the floor, grass beneath my hands and feet. I fight the nausea caused by my insides being jostled around and stare at the damp grass.
No snow.
Warm.
My vision returns and I look to my left. Joss lies on his back staring upwards, thankfully breathing rapidly. Ewan’s to my righthand side, unsteady on his feet. "What the fuck just happened?" he asks.
Around me, pine trees, thick and protective, stretch tall above our heads into a bright sky. The hard ground hurts my knees and I stagger upright.
"Where are we?" I ask.
Ewan pats at his clothes and pulls his phone from his pocket.
"More importantly, how are we here?" asks Joss. "Did the fucking demons do this?"
Me. This had to be me. I felt the surge between us, the fact I held on to them both dragged us all to…here. Who knows where?
I say the words even though they sound ridiculous. "I think I teleported."
"Huh?" Joss knocks dirt from his jeans. "That's not one of our powers."
"Thetford Forest." Ewan holds out his phone.
"England? And here? How far from the portal?" Joss strides ahead and points. "This way?"
Ewan shakes his head and points south. "That way."
"Portal?" I ask
"Hang on. Did you say teleported?" asks Ewan.
"We've always wanted to be able to teleport to the portals, nice power." Joss snorts, an edge of sarcasm to his voice. "I presume it is a power."
"I don't know." I explain to them what happened, how I felt, and they watch with stony faces.
"You brought us with you somehow?"
"I don't know if I chose this or was pulled here," I protest.
"This is freaking crazy," mutters Ewan. "Come on."
Our weird expedition continues through the forest. Ewan and Joss seem unsteady on their feet, but minutes later I feel no after effects.
"Have you ever teleported?" I ask.
Joss frowns. "How would we do that? We can't."
"No, I mean are there like magical amulets or something?"
Ewan snorts. "Maybe. Ask Syv. She seems to move around the world bloody quickly sometimes."
"Oh sure, next time we meet and have a friendly chat."
We tramp further. Despite the winter cold, I don't feel as cool as I would've before. Joss and Ewan's cheeks turn pink in the freezing wind.
I've no idea what to expect, or what a portal looks like. Joss and Ewan reach a clearing and examine the trees around, counting and touching them.
"Is one here?" I ask.
Ewan rubs his mouth and nods. "The portal will be visible in the centre of this space soon. The wards have been disturbed."
"No guesses who by," mutters Joss.
I'm pulled to a spot close to the centre Ewan points at and I kneel on the ground. Since I stepped into the space, the energy I feel buzzing around my body has grown. Am I being drawn to the portal, or is it drawn to me?
Blue light flickers on the ground, as if fire kindled by sticks, and I watch as it spreads outwards and upwards into a circular pattern. The middle swirls with a rainbow of colours, images distorted behind as I stare into the centre. I tip my head up to see the top as it grows to over seven feet in height and almost as wide.
"Move away, Vee!" Joss grabs my arm and tugs me backwards, pulling me from my wonderment.
"Where does the portal connect to?" I ask.
Joss is about to answer when Ewan's phone sounds a message alert. He scowls down at the screen and thrusts it at Joss. "Fucking Seth! What does this mean?"
I crane my head to look over Joss's shoulder. The words ‘The centre cannot hold’ are on his screen and underneath are the words ‘guess who?’
"I fucking knew it!" Ewan jabs a finger at the phone. "Seth was the killer outside our house. And is that more literary shit?"
Joss nods. "The same poem as the line he wrote on the wall when Casey died."
I tense. When he killed Casey. When I denied there was something wrong.
Joss picks up on my thoughts. "How did Seth hide from you, Vee? That's what I don't understand."
"He's a freaking god, Joss. It's not like detecting a demon!" snaps Ewan.
I smile at Ewan, grateful for him reinforcing what I'd hoped.
"Do you think he's here? If we can't detect him, he might be?" I turn 360 degrees, looking around us, but there's no sound, not even cyclists and walkers we passed on our trek here. The portal shimmers in front of us, and I fight the desire to step further forward and touch.
"I'm here," says a familiar voice.
I look upwards, at the guy speaking as if he's arrived for a catch-up with friends.
Seth.
Chaos.
Sitting on a tree branch and looking down on us.
Bizarrely, he still looks the same; I’d convinced myself he was going to disguise himself as somebody different. Seth gives a little wave. I don't miss Ewan step backwards, closer to Joss.
"Hey, Pony Boys. How are you feeling, Ewan?" The guy's grin spreads across his face as we stare at the Cheshire cat several metres high in the tree.
"Fuck you," he
mutters in response.
"I wasn't sure if you'd come too." He gestures between us. "Did you teleport because you were next to her? Or touching? Just so I know for next time."
I stare back, fury shaking into my limbs as something deep inside yells at me to attack him.
"Hey, Verity. Keep it calm, right?" asks Seth. "Not like you could reach me."
"Get down from the fucking tree," growls Joss.
He chuckles. "You gonna try and take me on?" His voice lowers. "Ask Ewan what happens if you piss me off."
"You're hiding up a tree," laughs Joss. "Are you scared of Vee?"
"You should be," I call up to him.
"Maybe. Maybe not. I'm hedging my bets."
Ewan gestures at him. "You can't touch us from up there."
Seth sighs and gestures towards the sky. "Don't you hate a sudden storm?"
A black bolt jolts from his fingers, and a dark cloud blots out daylight above us. Seth chuckles as a huge crash of thunder is joined by a lightning bolt hitting centimetres away from Ewan's feet.
"Arsehole," mutters Ewan as he dodges.
"Besides, I prefer the vantage point up here. Should be fun to watch what happens next."
I glare at Seth, weighing up how far my powers go. I doubt I could climb the smooth, tall trunk to the tree branch he sits in, and if I can teleport I have no clue how to.
Seth links his fingers together and outstretches his hands, cracking his knuckles as he does. "I’d hoped all four of you would arrive, so we could have a little meeting of our own, but sadly no. I guess you can always relay the information back to the other two."
"This is the first meeting I’ve had with an idiot sitting in a tree!" calls Ewan.
Seth snorts a laugh and waves a dismissive hand, "Seems you morons finally figured out who I am."
"Yeah, someone who pisses me off," replies Ewan.
"I piss you off? You know what pisses me off? Apart from you, of course. All these stupid other so-called gods who come along and pretend my creations are theirs and think they can police my world with their creatures. Demons. Angels. Whatever. I never said they could make these disgusting human things to crawl all over what belongs to me."
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