The Final Link

by Erin Thornton

  *****

  After fretting the day away, it was just before eight and Aggie stood outside the room of knobs. A part of her believed nothing was going to happen and it was all still a dream and the invitation was a fluke. The other part of her knew she was about to experience something she couldn’t fathom. Opening the door, the room was empty. Entering anyway, Aggie made her way to the center of the room. Taking a moment to examine the doorknob that Liel left from the night before, in what she thought was a dream.

  It was delicate and golden with a strong vine that ran over it as though it were veined. Reaching out her hand, she touched it lightly with just the tips of her fingers. Quickly she snatched her hand back, as energy ran through her hand causing it to feel a bit numb. Looking down at her hand, the feeling lingered, so she rubbed her hand on her pant leg.

  Taking in a few other knobs surrounding this one, they all had minor details she hadn’t taken in before. One had what looked to be daggers etched into the metal that seemed to be cast in bronze. The one below that looked like molten lava, “Mental note, don’t touch that one, ever.” Aggie was always one to talk to herself since she was usually alone when in the house unless she was sitting in the kitchen with her grandmother.

  Before she could take in another intricate piece of metal hanging on the wall, the room began to hum. Quickly she made her way back to the center of the room, running smack into a table and a full set of nine chairs. Rubbing the spot on her hip that took the greatest impact, “Where did this come from?” Aggie wondered. Not for long though because the room wasn’t finished. Glowing light poured from several points of contact around the room. Looking around Aggie realized that multiple doorways were breaking through the wall over several doorknobs. Before she could make it around to all the glowing lights, eight men filed into the space. All of them towering over her and dressed in a variety of attire. One was dressed in a full suit and looked like he was attending a business meeting, another wore slacks and a dark shirt without a tie. Then she glanced at the faces of the next two that appeared to have come from the same doorway. They were a mirror image of each other, but their faces were where the similarities stopped. One with dark hair and one with light, a smile and a scowl, they seemed to be more opposites of each other than typical twins. Dressed in jeans and t-shirts, these two were the most casual of anyone.

  The next man her eyes landed on, she couldn’t tell you what he was wearing because the moment she looked at his face, the rest of the room disappeared. His smile was breathtaking and he was the most perfect specimen of a man she had ever encountered. The way his blonde hair looked as though it flowed and moved in non-existent wind. It laid with a fullness as his curls were a bit unruly and resting long across his broad shoulders. She could imagine hanging onto them in the throes of passion. His eyes were almost silver as the firelight reflected off of them and they captivated her entirely. As quickly as she was enraptured, it all cleared away as she noticed Mathius had walked up and smacked this gorgeous man on the back of the head. “That is enough Ky. Let her at least meet everyone before you start working your wiles on her.”

  Not sure what had just happened, Aggie moved on to the last unknown man in the room. He was tall and willowy but looked as though he could scale any height with his bare hands. He wore a green button-up shirt paired with a light, airy pair of pants, they reminded Aggie of beachwear. Liel was the last man of the group and they all were now encircling her and gathered to the table.

  “Good evening, Agatha.” Liel was the first to speak and he insisted on using her full name.

  “I believe I asked you to call me, Aggie. Care to introduce me to your friends?”

  “Of course, it would be my pleasure.” Liel turned toward Mathius first. “You know Mathius from last night.” Continuing on he came to the twins, “I’d like you to meet Mitchell and Ren. Then we have Xavier,” Liel indicated the man dressed all in black without a tie. “Next is Gryson.” This was the man dressed to the nines. Next was the man who wore the green shirt, “This is Eldon and last but not least is, Kyrel.” Liel finished with a flourish of his hand at each of them. Kyrel was the man who had entranced her from the beginning. So, she didn’t let her gaze linger on him very long, for fear of being unable to tear it away. “Just for formalities, I would like to introduce you all to Agatha. She is Blythe’s granddaughter and newest Gatekeeper.”

  Most of their heads bobbed in acknowledgement, Aggie noticed that not all of the new faces bothered. She didn’t know if she should take offense or ignore their potentially rude behavior. “I don’t even know where to start. I’m sure we will have time to get to know each other better later, for now let’s just get to the problem at hand.” Taking charge had never been a problem for Aggie and now was no different. In a room full of drop dead sexy men, it could be easy to get distracted by the way their shirts stretched over their bulk and left little to the imagination. Each of them was built in a way that gave her a better understanding of why they were chosen to be a part of the Brotherhood to begin with.

  “Thank you for being considerate of our time and the reason we are all here. I know everyone will want to have a chance to speak with you and we can save that for the end.” Liel seemed to be the spokesperson of the group. Then Mathius took over and explained to the new portion of the group what he had told Liel and Aggie the previous night.

  *****

  “So, we have roughly two weeks to get to the bottom of this?” Kyrel with his silken voice, spoke up first. He was holding his chin in his hand as he took in all the information, his finger pressed against his mouth in deep concentration.

  “Yes, that is how it appears.” Liel confirmed to the group, answering Kyrel’s question.

  “Have you found any witnesses or evidence that we can trail?” One of the twins spoke up, but Aggie couldn’t tell them apart, yet.

  “Which one are you again?” Aggie decided to ask rather than wait until after they finished their meeting. If she could get it straight now then it would make the conversation easier to follow.

  “Mitchell,” the dark-haired twin answered gruffly without another word. His twin, Ren, smirked at her and winked flirtatiously. Aggie just smiled in return, he was obviously going to be trouble - of the sexy variety.

  “There have been no witnesses and minimal evidence, but perhaps you could sniff something out on site, as the prince’s room has been kept in isolation since the incident occurred.” Mathius was nothing but a man of power and when in the moment never to falter. He had information and that was all he was going to give. Very little emotion sounded in his voice as he spoke and Aggie wondered if that was his personality for when he had a job to do or if he was emotionally detaching himself from this case.

  “You do realize we’re good for more than just sniffing out your evidence, right?” Mitchell scoffed at Mathius’s choice of words leaving Aggie to theorize their meaning. In true Aggie form, she just asked.

  “I suppose that there is a personal jab he has touched on there. So, I’m just going to ask, at the risk of sounding rude, what are you?”

  Mitchell sneered at her question and didn’t answer. Ren on the other hand had no qualms about being the source of information. “While there are proper ways to ask, we can let you off, just this once, while you are still feeling out the ins and outs of all of this. Mitchell and I are the head of the shifters. He is the Alpha, while I am his Beta. I have nearly the same level of authority as he does, so we share the Guardian responsibilities.”

  “Shifters? Like you are werewolves or something?” Aggie asked with a little hesitation. If these guys were werewolves, that meant the men in this room were far more dangerous than she let herself consider.

  “We are not werewolves.” Mitchell growled his words, slamming his hands firmly on the table as he rose from his seat. His reaction confirmed his possible heritage. “Shifters are a controlled species that aren’t at the mercy of the cycle of the moon. Humans have ruined our honorable reputation.” Clearl
y, she had stepped on his toes, unintentionally.

  “I’m sorry, I meant no offense. I’m less than twenty-four hours into learning about your worlds and I’m still trying to wrap my head around it all.” Aggie hoped she could smooth things over with them all and not cause any more problems.

  “Pay no attention to him, he’s just grumpy by nature. You’re welcome to ask any questions of us that you would like. If he is too grumpy to answer, just come find me and I’ll help you.” Ren was obviously the nicer of the twins and at least she could tell them apart. Ren’s lighter hair fell in front of his face and he flipped it back, giving Aggie the impression that he would make a very dreamy surfer guy.

  “Can we continue now?” Mathius cleared his throat to redirect the attention back to him and the reason they were all there. Aggie nodded and the guys continued.

  “I think we need to get onsite and start investigating so we can try and dig up some leads. This close to the festival and there is a good chance they will strike again.” Eldon spoke up for the first time that night. His voice sounded like a melody and Aggie knew right then that he would be one who could talk her out of or into anything.

  “Do you have the rooms ready for us? I think it would be best to go ahead and leave, tonight.” Gryson’s voice was smooth and commanding. Aggie assumed he was used to being in charge and wonder what the actual dynamic of their little group was and who was considered the leader. Since they all were leaders in their own right, it was difficult to decide.

  “The Brotherhood rooms were made ready when I came last night, so whenever you’re all ready we can start.” Mathius was quick to answer as though he expected the question.

  The excitement Aggie felt overshadowed the remaining emotions storming through her. “We all get to go?”

  With an eyeroll, Mathius nodded. “If you must tag along, a room will be prepared for you as well.”

  Chapter 4

  Aggie’s palms were sweating as she approached the door to Mathius’s world. She still didn’t know what he was, and realized she had no clue what she was getting herself into.

  “Mathius, before we go in - or out, or whatever – I think you should tell me what you are. I have no idea where we are going or what I should expect.”

  A smile broke out across his face, and she wished he would wear it more often. A glint of mischief shown in his eye, that should have worried her. Instead, it was like looking deeper into Mathius’s soul. That one simple thing transformed him from the grumpy, unapproachable man to the tempting, handsome one standing before her. “I am a demon, Aggie.” Her eyes widened at his words, mostly because his eyes flashed silver as he spoke. He continued before she could find the words to speak. “You are headed into the capital city of Ahael. You will see many of my kind, in more shapes and sizes than you could ever imagine.” His tone was one of pride. He naturally expected her to react, so out of sheer stubbornness, Aggie chose to just nod in understanding and remain silent. Mathius’s smile dropped instantly at her lack of reaction, scowl firmly back in place.

  He reached for a doorknob that she would never have touched, it was red with an orange glow in places and looked to have heat coursing through it like flames just below the surface. It reminded her of the lava one she saw earlier. “Do similar knobs lead to the same realms?” Aggie blurted out her thoughts, only half expecting it to be answered, since they were preparing to walk through Mathius’s door.

  “Just like on Earth, there are many magical portals, in different areas and different countries. They act as a system to expedite travel. They all lead here, but one could travel from the United States to Ireland in a matter of minutes using the Gateway.” Liel was always good for sharing information and doing it without a hint of annoyance in his voice. He seemed to be the only one who was able to keep his emotions hidden from the outside world.

  “Can anyone use the Gateway? Could Joe Blow off the street stumble upon a door and end up in my house?” Aggie was panicking a little bit and she wasn’t as good at concealing her emotions.

  “Let’s get through this door, and we will show you.” Gryson chimed in and placed a hand on her shoulder. He wasn’t the one she thought would strive to comfort her first. Nodding, they all turned to Mathius who had paused in his intentions to open the door. Reaching for the handle, Aggie watched his face to see if there was a reaction to what she expected to be excruciating heat or pain from a burn. When he didn’t react, she filed that information away for later questions, knowing if she didn’t let them continue nothing would get done.

  Mathius was the first to enter the door headed to Ahael. She assumed if anyone was on the other side guarding in his stead, he would need to be there to approve their entry. Xavier was the next one through and his body was so rigid, he almost looked like a piece of stone that floated over the threshold.

  Eldon followed closely behind as though he was afraid he might miss something if he waited too long. The twins walked up to the door side-by-side, for a moment Aggie thought they wouldn’t separate and brotherly fight through the doorway. At the last possible second, Ren let Mitchell take a step forward and enter the space only a moment before he joined him. They really were locked at the hip, Aggie observed silently.

  “I’ll meet you on the other side.” Liel spoke right before he slid through the doorway, leaving Aggie with Gryson who still kept his hand resting on her shoulder. She didn’t know why she hadn’t shrug him off. She was just too captivated by watching the rest of the guys disappear through this door to a land of mystery.

  “Are you ready?” Gryson asked her and let his hand slide down her arm clasping her hand gently. He never flinched or asked for forgiveness. She did always like a man who could take charge and not feel guilty for his every thought or movement.

  Gripping his fingers tighter, Aggie nodded, unable to think past her intrigue and excitement, she faintly felt a sensation that she assumed was from the door reacting with her senses. She wasn’t a daredevil, but she loved a challenge. This was definitely a challenge that she wasn’t going to back down from. Reaching down to grasp her overnight bag, Aggie let Gryson pull her through the doorway.

  The light from that could be seen from the Gateway side of the door was nothing compared to the images flashing past her inside the door. Colors, known and unknown, flashed before her. She couldn’t make out any specific shapes, not even the form of Gryson who she still felt clutching her hand. A gust of wind whooshed past her, as she was pulled through this colorful world. If one could interpret the forms in this space, it would be a beautiful place to live. She listened past the wind now blowing the loose strands of her hair around her face. In the distance, she could hear what sounded like voices. She wondered if the group had already made their way through and were calling for her. Allowing the force to tug her through, when she opened her eyes next, she was surprised by what she saw.

  Ice was everywhere. Not just on the ground or on the trees, but the houses looked to be made out of ice or glass, as they gleamed in the light of day. The trees weren’t green or even winter worn. They seemed to be made out of ice itself. The air was bitter cold, and none of this is what Aggie had expected from a demon realm. Glancing back, it looked as though the door was transparent and seen only when the light reflected just right. You would have to know what you were looking for in order to find it.

  “Is this how it always looks?” Her voice was one of awe and wonder. As beautiful as this was, she had just come from a blistering summer at home to a winter wonderland, who knows how far away.

  “No, this happened while I was away. When I left it was summer and everything was alive and well. Lush and vibrant, but it seems the weather has taken another turn for the worse. It’s a good thing we are getting started. I fear this will just get progressively more complicated as we go along.”

  Their feet crunched on the ice-covered ground. Unlike snow it was still very stiff beneath them as they walked. It was as though no one had even traipsed through the area for days. Agg
ie realized they were closer to town than she initially thought. The trees were just intermingled into the townscape. Rather than cutting the trees to accommodate the homes, the trees remained and the houses were structured around them. It made for some rather unique dwellings. This didn’t inhibit the size of the homes, as Aggie looked around she noted one house in particular. This house was shaped in a way that actually wrapped around four different trees while still maintaining the structural integrity of the house.

  “I can’t imagine what this place looks like not covered in ice, but this is the most magnificent thing I’ve ever seen.” Aggie breathed her words just barely audible. Gryson who hadn’t released her hand upon crossing the threshold gave her hand a squeeze.

  “This has nothing on my home, parum praesetes.” His words spoken so close to her ear, she could feel his lips brush lightly on her lobe.

  “What does that mean?” His words were spoken eloquently as though the language could have been his first and more used than English.

  “That is what you are, in Latin, little Keeper.” Gryson didn’t elaborate but his words sounded like a term of endearment and not just a flippant phrase off the tongue.

  “It was beautiful. Have you spoken Latin long?” A smile tipped sideways on the corner of Gryson’s mouth at her question.

  “I suppose we haven’t divulged everyone’s lineage to you, have we?” Gryson’s question was rhetorical, as he continued to speak instead of waiting for an answer. She glanced around at all the men now standing around, waiting on them. This didn’t stop Gryson from speaking. “I am a Mage. That means, I was taught Latin before any other language, as all of our casting is done in our primary tongue.” Aggie’s eyes widened, as they had done before. It was as though she had stepped into this dream world. She never before imagined that such places and people – or perhaps she should say races – could actually exist. Aggie couldn’t formulate words to express all the ideas that had just entered her mind. Gryson reached forward and placed his flat hand under her chin, lifting slightly to close her gaping mouth. A shock hit her, like one would get as a child from running your feet across the carpet. The electric charge wasn’t painful, but startling. Without another word, they both turned back to the group still waiting on them.