by Jasmine Walt
“So we have our earth witch.”
I nodded. “And we can claim the spell from the high witch.”
“So all we need now are the bones.” He glared down at the journal as if it had uttered something offensive.
“That bad, huh?”
He pressed his knuckles to his eyes. “I’m starting to think that certain paragraphs are written in cipher.”
“I know how you feel about spending too much time with Penelope, but if she can help…”
He sighed and sat back in his seat. “Yeah. I know. I already made the call.”
“Good man.”
“The boys were asking after you.”
My heart jumped before sinking. “They were?”
“Yeah. Ajitah took them out for ice cream to distract them.”
He was giving me that judgmental look again, the one that made me shift in my seat and reassess my life choices.
“Just because you and Ajitah aren’t dating doesn’t mean you need to avoid the boys. You didn’t even tell them you guys were a thing. Nothing’s changed for them, except the fact that one of their favorite people keeps dodging them.”
When he put it that way, it sounded so simple. Had I been overthinking things? “So, I get to be the fun aunt or whatever?”
“Right.”
The weight on my chest lifted a little. “I’m gonna take Toto for a walk to clear my head. The conversation with Loki was pretty heavy.”
“I can imagine.” The bell tinkled, and Drake jerked in his seat. “She’s here already? Crap.” He touched his hair and held a hand in front of his mouth to check his breath.
“I thought you didn’t want to get into a thing with her?”
“True. But there’s no call for poor hygiene.” He sniffed and strode out to get the door.
Chuckling to myself, I went in search of my tiny bundle of joy and walked smack into Ajitah as he entered the foyer.
The boys skidded to a halt halfway to the lounge. “Malina!” They ran back for hugs, their tiny faces upturned with delight at seeing me.
My heart squeezed painfully in my chest. I’d been a ghost the last couple of weeks, yet there was no resentment on their part, just joy at seeing me now. Drake gave me a pointed look before heading back to the study.
“Run along and play, boys,” Ajitah said.
Adam hopped up and down. “Malina, you want to play with us?”
Ajitah answered for me. “I’m sure Malina has more important things to do.”
I met his gaze, but addressed the boys. “Not really. I can play. I just have to take Toto for a walk first, and then I’ll join you.”
“Yay!” With a final squeeze, the boys ran off toward the garden.
Ajitah blinked at me. “You didn’t have to do that.”
“I wanted to. Look, I don’t want what happened between us to affect my relationship with the boys.”
He tucked in his chin. “I agree. Thanks.” He took a step around me. On impulse, I grabbed his arm.
“I hate this.”
His shoulders rose and fell, but he didn’t turn to look at me. “Yeah. Me too. Just give me some time.”
I released him and watched him climb the stairs.
The bell rang again. This time, it was Penelope. I let her in, taking in the form-fitting wool midi dress under her duffel jacket. Her hair was loose, falling past her shoulders and tucked behind one ear. And was that a hint of makeup? The perfume was unmistakable—classic Chanel No 5. This girl was not taking no for an answer.
She cleared her throat. “Drake called me.”
“Yeah.” I glanced toward the library to see Drake appear in the doorway. “Penelope’s here.”
He nodded. “Thanks for coming, Pen. Follow me.”
She clipped across the foyer and disappeared into the library.
Maybe two heads would be better than one when it came to this journal. They better be, because if we didn’t find a world containing hinn, the only two options would be either to go back to Nagalok or find a way back in time to Loki’s dead world. Neither option was appealing
Right now, we could do with a win, because my gut screamed that time was not in my favor.
6
Three days of walking Toto, playng with the boys, and eating buckets of ice cream, and I was ready to punch a hole through a wall. Ajitah, although happy to leave the boys in my care, avoided me as much as possible. It left a hollow feeling in the pit of my stomach and a bitter taste at the back of my mouth. Was this how I’d made him feel? No, he’d probably felt worse because he’d been in love with me…probably still was. I’d broken his heart. If only I’d been honest with myself from the start. Hindsight was a cow.
I lay on my bed, contemplating a quick trip to The Circle. A good old-fashioned fight would blow off some of the tension. But it was raining hard outside, and I hated driving in a storm. The air rippled and I sat up, suddenly aware I wasn’t alone. A quick scan showed the room to be empty, but my spidey sense said otherwise. Swinging my legs off the bed, I reached for the drawer where Vindra was kept before common sense asserted itself. Nothing got in without Aria’s consent, so if something was here, then…
I sighed. “Garuda, show yourself.”
The air at the foot of the bed shimmered, and Garuda appeared. Arms crossed over his broad chest, his face beaded with moisture, he looked positively lickable. Droplets of rain clung to his lashes, skated down the hard planes of his face, and soaked into the wet fabric of his white T-shirt—a shirt that was clinging to him like a second skin. My mouth was suddenly dry, and I had to swallow a couple of times to get my tongue to work.
“What are you doing here?”
“Checking in.”
“You could use the front door.”
“Yeah, I could.”
He was dripping all over my carpet, and was that steam coming off his shoulders? “Are you…smoking?”
He shrugged. “I run a little hot. I’ll be dry in a moment.”
Shame. “So, yeah. I’m fine. We’re close to cracking the cipher in the journal…I think.”
“Cipher?”
I walked past him toward the en suite bathroom. Being this close to the bed with the object of my fantasies wasn’t the best idea.
“Certain paragraphs in the journal are written in code. Penelope and Drake have been working to crack it for the past three days.”
“And you didn’t think to call me?”
I grabbed a towel from the bathroom and threw it at him. He caught it easily and wiped his face.
“Why would I call you?”
He patted his chest with the towel. “I’m an ancient almost-god with a vast amount of knowledge. I may be able to help.”
“We called Indra. He said he didn’t have a clue when it came to ciphers, so…”
“You just assumed I wouldn’t either.”
“Well, yeah.”
He blew out an exasperated breath. “I have to admit, I’d hoped for another quick make-out session, but”—he headed for the door—“you best show me the journal.”
I trotted into the corridor after him, feeling slightly deflated. Making out sounded much more fun than deciphering code.
Garuda stood outside my room like a wall, blocking my exit. “Hello, Ajitah.”
Oh, shitting hell. I peered around Garuda’s bicep to see Ajitah carrying a mug of coffee and a plate of sandwiches.
His gaze flicked to me and then back up to Garuda before he addressed me. “I was just bringing you a snack. Aria said you hadn’t eaten in a while.”
“Um, thanks.” I stepped around Garuda’s huge frame and took the plate and mug from Ajitah. “Garuda just…flew in. We were headed to the study. He thinks he may be able to help with the cipher.”
Ajitah nodded curtly. “That’s good news. Let me know if you need anything.” His voice was tight, his expression neutral, but his white-knuckled fists told me all I needed to know.
“I’m sure we’ll be fine,” Garuda said.
<
br /> Ajitah’s jaw ticked. He inclined his head, turned, and strode off down the corridor. I sagged against Garuda, almost spilling the hot coffee.
“He’s right. You need to keep your strength up,” Garuda said.
I stared at the sandwich, a double-decker ploughman’s. My stomach growled, but my mind rebelled. It felt wrong to eat it.
“Just eat the damn thing,” Garuda said roughly. “You can kiss and make up with him later. Explain that nothing happened between us.”
He strode off down the corridor. What the heck was he so pissed about? Oh yeah. He didn’t know that Ajitah and I had broken up.
It had been almost two hours. Garuda was locked in the study with the journal, and Drake, Pen, and I were lounging in the living room eating nachos and drinking cola. The wait was killing me, but Garuda was confident he could crack this.
“I should go check on him,” Drake said.
“Leave him; you’ll just break his concentration,” Pen replied.
Drake shoved a handful of nachos into his mouth and crunched. “Who would have guessed Garuda was more than just a killing machine?”
I chuckled.
“I think I have it,” Garuda said from the doorway of the lounge.
Drake sat up straighter. “Shut up. Seriously?”
Garuda grinned, flashing his pearly whites and the slight dimples in his cheeks. “Follow me.” He headed back into the foyer. After a split second, we all followed.
Drake got there first, and he and Garuda pored over the journal and the notes Garuda had made on the pad next to it.
Drake shook his head. “Look at this, Pen.”
Penelope flipped pages, nodding. “Yes, yes. It works.”
I felt like an interloper on this studious moment. I wasn’t a brain like these three. I was smart, but not in an academic, cipher-cracking kind of way. Leaning against the doorjamb, I watched them work.
After a moment, Garuda slipped away from the desk. “I’ll leave you guys to it.”
“Hey, stick around. We may need you,” Drake said.
Garuda blinked in surprise before he nodded. “Sure.”
“You guys okay to translate it now?” I asked.
Drake nodded. “Just give us a few hours. And maybe a pizza.”
I rolled my eyes. “The usual?”
“Always.”
Leaving them to it, Garuda and I retreated to the lounge. I ordered the pizza and made myself comfy on the sofa with the bowl of nachos.
“Did you smooth things over with your boyfriend?” Garuda asked.
I paused mid-crunch. “No.”
He arched a brow.
“He’s not my boyfriend any longer.”
Garuda’s eyes narrowed. “When did this happen?”
“A few days ago.”
“And you didn’t think to tell me?”
“It had nothing to do with you.”
His expression shuttered. “I’m not into playing games. You either want to be with me or you don’t.”
I swallowed the ball of masticated nachos and took a gulp of cola. “What I want doesn’t matter at this time. Right now, Ajitah is hurting because of me, and I refuse to make it worse.”
Garuda dropped his gaze. “When you’ve been alive as long as I have, you begin to see things in black and white. The things you want and the things you don’t want.”
“It’s not so easy for the rest of us.”
“I never said it was. I’m just trying to explain…when you live so many lifetimes, the subtle beauty is lost. Life becomes about endurance. But for me, even the wanting died. I was coasting…needing to feel. Then I met you, and for the first time in forever, I wanted again. I want you no matter who it hurts. I know that’s wrong, but I don’t care.” He raised his head to meet my gaze. “I don’t care, but I’ll pretend to, for you.”
His honesty was like a blow to the chest. I needed to get away before I crawled into his lap.
My voice was a breathless whisper. “It’s late. I’m gonna get some rest.” I cleared my throat. “Would you like me to show you to the guest room?”
He smiled, his eyes lighting up. “I’ll just hang out here, in case Drake needs my help.”
I wanted to stay, too, just to be close to him, to breathe him in and study the harsh planes of his face, but that was dangerous ground. When it came to him, my resolve tended to melt like butter.
I stood and smoothed down my slacks. “Wake me if anything interesting happens.”
“Would you like me to tuck you in?”
Gah! What was he doing to me? I pressed my lips together. “See you in a couple of hours.”
My exit was accompanied by his soft chuckle.
Cheeks still hot, I headed up the stairs and right into Ajitah’s path. He was freshly showered, hair still damp and tucked behind his ears. His familiar scent made my stomach flutter with nostalgia.
“Are the boys in bed?”
He nodded. “Did Garuda crack the code?”
“Yes. Drake and Pen are translating the text now.”
“And Garuda?”
“Chilling in the lounge. I’m knackered, so I’m gonna grab some sleep.”
Ajitah looked past me down into the foyer. His lips curled slightly. “In that case, I’ll keep our guest company.”
Ice trickled through my veins. “You don’t have to do that.”
He turned his head and met my gaze. “I know. But I want to.” He stepped around me and headed down the stairs. “Sleep tight, Malina.”
Crap.
In between wondering what the heck was happening in the lounge without me and dwelling on what would happen when the journal was translated, sleep seemed like an elusive beast. Toto lay by my side. His body was pressed up against me, his breathing slow and even. Eventually, the tension drained from my limbs and I dropped off.
Can you hear me? Gatekeeper, please hear me…
I was surrounded by darkness. It pressed against me, thick and invasive.
“I can’t see you.”
No time, no power. The void is…the darkness, the seal…power…weak…time…
“What? I don’t understand. What are you trying to tell me?”
She is the void…
A sharp rap on my door pulled me awake. What? I’d been dreaming…what had I dreamt?
I rolled onto my back, a sense of urgency shooting through me. I needed to remember. If I just focused… Another sharp knock at the door shattered my concentration.
Fuck. “Come in.”
The door opened, and Garuda stood in the corridor. His gaze raked over me. Every sleepy cell in my body fizzed to life, the dream forgotten.
“Drake found something. Loki is on his way. It’s time.”
I parked my butt in Dad’s favorite seat in the lounge while everyone else got comfortable.
“So what have we got?”
Drake glanced at Penelope, who nodded.
He opened the journal at a bookmarked page. “These accounts are amazing. Some of the worlds this Jeremiah visited…it seems impossible.”
“But there’s one that mentions hinn?”
“Yeah. But it’s a little vague. He mentions a world of great beauty, lush greenery, waterfalls, and rainbow skies. The people are friendly, hospitable, and here, he mentions a race called the hinn. But then he goes on to say there is danger, too, and…” He looked up. “Let me just read you the translation.”
Penelope passed him a sheaf of paper, and he handed her the journal.
“Okay, this is the entry we need. A world of miraculous wonders, great beauty, and hospitality. I was welcomed and cared for. The people are a gentle race called hinn. Nomadic in nature and respectful of the fauna and flora that surrounds them. They adapted to my language, picking it up quickly. My stay was pleasant, but not very informative aside from an end-of-life ceremony I was permitted to attend. A solemn and silent affair where the hinn who wished to pass on was set ablaze in white flame, his bones given to the earth as an offering an
d the site marked by a tower of rocks. I was honored to have been a witness to such a wondrous custom. However, whenever I broached the subject of exploring east, they would shake their heads and lapse back into their mother tongue. A strangled, lilting language reminiscent of eastern dialects from our world. I gather there is danger to the east, but am unsure what that danger is. I believe there is a town or city, some kind of temple. A whole new world. They are an isolated race and view the city as dangerous. I must return to see this city for myself.” Drake looked up from his notes. “And then we have the sigils to open a doorway to that world.”
“Sigils? How do they open the doorway?” Ajitah asked.
“They act like a key to a lock we can’t see. Kinda like making a small tear in the fabric of our reality to step into another.”
“Okay, but how do we know we’ll end up at the same spot as Jeremiah did?”
“We don’t,” Penelope said. “Think of the sigils as a key to a door that’s forever moving. Although it opens into that particular reality, we can’t control where or when it will open.”
“‘As in we could go into the future?”
“Or the past.”
Ajitah’s jaw tensed. “It’s too unpredictable.”
“We don’t have a choice,” Garuda said. “We need those bones to find our hinn.”
We had the sigils. We had everything we needed. And from Jeremiah’s account, we just needed to find a burial ground—a tower of rocks. If the hinn were nomadic, these burial grounds could be scattered all over the place. And then there was this mysterious city. Landing there could pose all kinds of problems, but Garuda was right. We had no choice.
The bell chimed. Loki was here.
It was time to open a doorway.
7
Loki studied the sigils that Drake had replicated on a fresh piece of paper. “These are amazing. Who would have thought…” He shook his head. “No wonder the covens banned such a practice. Too many tears connected to the skein could result in the fabric of our worlds collapsing altogether, especially when Jeremiah was drawing power from the skein to make them.”
“But you’ll be drawing from the earth, right?” Drake asked.