by Helen Scott
As the door swung open, she saw a small room with another door on the opposing side.
Of course it wasn’t that easy.
A slight musty smell lingered in her nose as the three of them crowded in, the large stones that made up the walls and floor seeming to close in on them as they filled the area. The door that was her only way out of there alive was not what she expected. The thick concrete that made up most of the door seemed to sprout from the wood at the base. It was the most out of place thing she’d seen since she’d arrived.
“This is the door that will return you to your time, your own realm.”
That statement raised all kinds of red flags. “Wait, I thought you said you couldn’t open it, not that you couldn’t go through it?”
“I did. There is a different door that will lead me to where I am supposed to go. This”—she gestured to the ugly door before them—“would only lead to my death. I have been down here too long to return to the world of the living. Tír na nÓg is my goal. There I can reunite with my brother and sister druids and pay worship to the gentle gods who reside there, as I was supposed to upon my death.”
Chris whined, his eyes sorrowful as he looked between them. Robin understood how he felt. Tlachtga was kind and gentle—that much was obvious. She didn’t deserve to be forced to stay there with Donn.
“Where is your door?” Robin put her hands on her hips.
“That doesn’t matter. You need to open your door and escape while you have the chance.”
“How many people have you shown this door to? How many people have gone through it and left you behind?”
“Many. I accepted my function as guide a long time ago. It is part of who I am.” She spread her hands in front of herself as though there were no other option.
There were too many similarities between Robin and Tlachtga for her to feel comfortable leaving the woman behind. It was not that long ago that she had been under the control of Randall Fields, the CEO of Eclipse and member of the Order of Talos. He made her life hell, monitoring and directing everything she ate, wore, even said. There was nothing that wasn’t under his purview, except her hacking skills, something she sorely wished were needed to get them out of their current situation. Hacking she could handle. When she realized that Randall and his company were kidnapping, torturing, and experimenting on individuals with supernatural abilities, she had to try to stop it. All she managed to do was save one person, Aster, before digging herself into a deeper hole with Randall. Part of her wondered if Donn knew Tlachtga was helping people, and if he did, was he making her life worse because of it? Either way, she was uncomfortable leaving the other woman behind.
“Let’s go to your door. We’ll get you out and then come back to our door.”
“You won’t have time! It’s almost dawn as it is.”
“I definitely won’t have time if we keep arguing.” Robin crossed her arms over her chest, and Chris came and sat by her with a huff. The move made her nervous, but part of her welcomed what she thought was a show of solidarity.
Tlachtga’s golden eyes searched her own before traveling down to meet the eyes of the wolf. When Robin heard him sniff, she glanced down, only to find him meeting the woman’s stare. It was two against one, and Robin didn’t think the druidess would want their souls on her conscience.
“Come on. We have to be quick.” She turned and swept out of the room, her white dress billowing behind her.
Robin and Chris hurried to follow. She glanced over her shoulder at the door, promising herself that she would make it back to Hal one way or another. She would never stop fighting to be with her love once more.
Chapter 5
Hal’s heart thumped painfully in his chest as the first rays of dawn cleared the horizon. “There has to be something we can do!” The desperation that sounded in his own voice was enough to make him angry as he paced back and forth on the section of field he, Aiden, and Steve had taken up residence in.
“Might I be of assistance, gentlemen?” a smooth voice said. It lacked the lyrical Irish accent and the blunt American, but it did have something else, something that spoke of Europe and the melding of countries.
“And who are you now?” Steve asked, popping up out of his seat by the tree.
Aiden and Hal both watched the man carefully, each of them evaluating their responses.
“Barnaby Finley, Esquire, at your service.” He flourished a bow.
The man was in a three-piece suit, complete with trench coat and walking stick. The dark material hid the mud that Hal was sure ringed the bottom of his trousers. As he straightened, he glanced at Hal. The familiar icy-blue glow of a mage lit his eyes.
“Mage.” Hal nodded. Mages were always wealthy, having been born into families who had leveraged their skills since birth for profit, and their help always came with a hefty price tag. The only exceptions to this rule was when mages mated with humans or other non-mages. Then the magic might or might not show up depending on the child’s genetics. People who weren’t claimed by mage families often found themselves cast to the fringes of society since they didn’t understand what they were, and the people they thought their peers simply felt as though something was off with them. Either way, most mages who survived into adulthood learned to master the art of negotiation and manipulation. Nothing was ever free with a mage.
“You are correct, sir.” He flashed a smile, brushing the hair out of his eyes. It looked like he couldn’t decide whether to grow his hair out or keep it short.
Steve spit to the side, showing exactly what he thought of mages, which was not wise. They were known to brook no disrespect.
“There is nothing you can help us with at this time, but we thank ye for tha offer,” Aiden said, inclining his head.
That was how you spoke to a mage. At least, until you knew them.
“I am willing to offer my services free of charge, so you need not worry about payment. I simply noticed the three of you over here in your corner, bringing the mood down, and thought I might be able to help.” He paused, assessing the group. “However, if you have no interest, then I will leave you to your doom and gloom.”
Hal looked at the two shifters. Neither of them were willing to back down. He really hoped he didn’t regret his next words. “My soulmate is missing, along with another. We suspect both to be taken by Donn. If you can help, please do.” Though the words felt like gravel in his throat, Hal was glad to say them if it brought him closer to reuniting with Robin.
“Ah, Donn is up to his tricks again, hum? Well, they should be returning soon, provided they found their way out.” He glanced over his shoulder, checking the sky at the horizon, which was turning pink from the kiss of sunlight.
“And if they’re not? What can you do?”
“I can tell you if their souls are still intact, provided you can give me something of theirs to work with. I may even be able to tell you which realm they currently reside in, should they still have their souls.”
“Fine.” Hal reached into his pocket and withdrew Robin’s scarf. She hadn’t thought she would need it, but he knew her, and she always seemed to get colder than she was prepared for, so he had tucked it into his pocket, just in case. The scent of her perfume seemed to explode out of it, making his heart clench. “Before I give this to you, tell me something. Why aren’t you charging us for your services?” His hand crushed the scarf’s soft material, and he wouldn’t release it until he had an answer.
“There are a few mages, myself included, who are part of the younger generation. We wish to form alliances with other supernatural creatures. The animosity that plagues our relationships is not something we wish to continue.” He adjusted the cuff link on his shirt as he spoke, making Hal feel like he’d invaded the man’s private life.
“Fair enough.” He nodded and held out the scarf. He was reluctant to part with it, but if it helped him find Rin, then that was fine.
The silky wool slipped from his fingers just as Robin’s hand had sli
pped from his own hours ago. Usually mages kept their work private, so he had expected Barnaby to turn away or go somewhere private, but he didn’t. Robin’s scarf floated up above his hands like water, the ends flicking sharply in the invisible current. Barbaby’s fingers splayed out in front of him and his hands parted, one going up and one down, while his eyes blazed with their unnatural blue. The scarf fluttered between his hands like a woman dancing to music only she could hear.
“Her soul is intact.” His hands twitched, and the scarf fell limply to the ground. “She is on the cusp of traveling between realms. I will check again in a few moments and see if she has moved on.”
Hal watched as the light dulled in the mage’s eyes.
“Would you like me to do the same for your friend?”
“Why are you here, man? This doesn’t exactly look like your kind of gig.” Steve gestured to Barnaby’s clothing with a sneer on his face.
“Do not presume to know me. Mages are raised differently from shifters. I do not disrespect your culture. You should follow my example.”
“Oh, because you’re so high and mighty, aren’t you, Mr. Mage?”
“Steven!” Aiden’s voice cut through the rising tension. “Take a walk.”
The shifter gave the other two men a vicious glare. Hal was glad the younger man was stepping away. He had no idea what his issue with mages was, but clearly he had one.
“I apologize for my packmate’s behavior. He is dealing with a lot of grief right now. It’s part of the reason we came out here on Samhain, and then with Chris being taken by Donn . . . It’s a lot for him to deal with.”
“I understand. If you have something of Chris’s, I would be happy to perform the same service.”
Hal still couldn’t shake his suspicion of this young mage. It was just so unusual to find someone deviating so strongly from their heritage.
“I wish I did.” Aiden shook his head, rubbing his scruffy facial hair. “They are probably together, though. I can’t imagine Chris leavin’ the girl.”
“Would you allow me to leave you both with my card? Should you need assistance in the future, I and my circle members would be happy to assist you.” He held out two cream business cards that contained his contact details in a flowy blue script.
“I may just take you up on that,” Hal said.
“Now, let’s see if your girl has made up her mind yet, shall we?” He picked up the scarf and began the ritual once more.
Chapter 6
The door they stood in front of was so completely different from the one that would have taken Robin and Chris back to their own time that it was almost funny. The rich wood was almost red in color, from what she could see, but most of it was covered in a thick, springy green moss. It grew in a pattern that reminded Robin of a garden maze. At any moment, she expected to see little figures trying to work their way to the center.
“You have no idea how to open it?”
“I’ve tried following the maze, I’ve tried the obvious handle, I looked at the center of the maze to see if there was anything that could help me there, but none of it works.”
Robin looked at Chris. “You know, it would be really helpful if you could brainstorm with us right now.”
“Forgive him. It’s my magic that caused the shift. Sometimes, especially for beings that have only just come into their powers, it overwhelms them.”
The wolf whined before he started sniffing all around the door.
She knew she shouldn’t be irritated, but she was. What they needed right now was all of them working together to get the door open, not someone who already felt defeated, a wolf, and a hacker. A ticking sound started.
“Go back to your door!” Tlachtga urged. The fear in her voice lit a fire under Robin.
“Was the moss always there?”
“It doesn’t matter! You’re about to be stuck here, and I don’t want that on my conscience.”
“Was it always there?” Robin asked again, her brain going a mile a minute.
“No. It grew exponentially as I tried to open the door.”
Chris scratched at the bottom and whined. Fat lot of good that did them. Robin tried to check her temper. Now was not the time to let it loose. The moss was bothering her. If it hadn’t already been there and had responded to Tlachtga’s attempts to get through, then maybe it would respond differently to her or a wolf.
Suddenly, everything clicked into place in her head. “It’s a firewall.” She turned excitedly to Tlachtga. “It won’t open for you because it has been programmed not to. It considers you a threat. If we destroy it and I try to open the door, then I bet it will work.”
“I don’t know what you just said, but I’m willing to try it.” The other woman smiled, but her eyes betrayed her fear as the ticking sound got louder.
“We need to get the moss off the door, but you can’t touch it,” she said as she began to claw at the moss. She pulled deep chunks off the door, starting where she expected a door handle to be.
Tlachtga paced behind her; Robin could almost feel the druidess thinking. As she continued her fight against the moss, Chris joined in clawing and biting at chunks of it. They were each removing thick, heavy sections of moss. It would have made wonderful carpet if it had been on the floor. It was so thick that it felt more like she was pulling bricks away than anything else.
The ticking sounded more like a rhythmic drum beat, which was coming from just outside the room they were standing in. It made Robin’s heart race as her hands scratched and grappled with the heavy moss. Her body was taut as her fingers scraped against the wood, the sound of the drum seeming to invade every particle of her body.
“Would you be willing to try something?” Tlachtga’s voice was almost drowned out by the sound.
Robin turned, nodding. At this point, the drum beat was starting to feel like it would give her a heart attack as the noise bounced around inside her head. She felt like a wild thing, wanting to scratch at her ears to make the sound stop. She could see the druidess doing some movements with her hands and her mouth moving, but it was too quiet, so it was drowned out by the drums.
“Scream!” Tlachtga yelled over the noise.
With that one command, the banshee side of her rose to the surface, taking over completely in a way that she hadn’t since Robin had gained control over her powers and the two sides of herself had learned how to coexist. The release of the noise, of the scream that she had been suppressing ever since she and Hal had left the hotel, was glorious. Cool hands touched her shoulders and angled her toward the door. Her throat already felt raw, but she knew the scream had only just begun. The freedom her banshee felt was almost intoxicating, and she hated that she kept this part of herself under such strict control, but the fact was that a scream completely depleted her. She might not even finish the scream before she passed out. It had happened before, usually for particularly unpleasant deaths.
Something was happening with the door.
Robin tried to focus past the scream, to see the world around her. She had to fight tooth and nail for every inch she gained in control, but what she discovered stunned her. The moss was melting away from the door like an ice cube in hot water. The rich red wood stood before them, and the black curved handle gleamed in the light as though it were brand new, not centuries old.
Less than a second later, before Robin had even fully extended her hand toward the handle, the door cracked and splintered like a bomb had gone off. Wood flew everywhere, and Robin expected pain to follow shortly thereafter since she was the one facing the door. It didn’t come, though. All the splinters and fragments of the door flew around their little group, hitting the stone walls that surrounded them.
Before them was a black hole. A swirling vortex of fear for Robin. When Randall had forced her to travel through portals, it usually felt like someone was trying to boil her alive and peel her skin off at the same time.
“Quickly!” Tlachtga’s voice sounded in her ear as the woman grabbed her hand
and pulled her forward. In that moment, she realized two things—one was that she’d stopped screaming and hadn’t passed out. The other was that not only were the drums closer than ever, the vibrations coming up through the floor and resonating throughout her whole body, but there was also a menacing growl that rode on the sound, sending chills down her spine at the feeling of impending death. Then before she could think, she was in the portal with the druidess and the wolf.
Chapter 7
The last thing Robin remembered was screaming her guts out as she let her banshee side run free. She didn’t remember passing out, nor did she remember where she was, since it definitely wasn’t the House of the Dark One. Instead of the dark walls and stones that made up Donn’s home, she was surrounded by light and nature. She lay in a bed that was as comfortable as floating on air. Light material covered her, and her body felt relaxed and rested. The walls seemed to be made of trees. Everywhere she looked, it was as though nature had taken over.
Small paintings decorated the walls, each depicting a facet of nature such as the ocean or a mountain. They were all exquisite. As she looked around, she realized that her jacket and shoes were off to the side, resting on a chair that reminded her of Hal’s carvings, but more detailed. Everything about it was filigree and curves. The door that was just past the foot of the bed was mostly fabric where she had expected more wood. She couldn’t see beyond it, and yet, she didn’t feel as though she needed to. Gauzy shapes passed by, but then it was quiet again.
Light streamed in through the window, and when it reflected off the wood, it created a golden glow in the room. A thin curtain fluttered in the breeze, offering her glimpses of what lay beyond. It reminded her of Ireland, all lush and green. The air almost had a sweetness to it that she’d never encountered before. When she sat up, the bed creaked slightly from her movements.
The door to the room slid open slightly, and a woman with a bird-like face peered in. Upon seeing Robin awake, she entered the room fully. “You’re awake, good!”