Realms Gate

by Juliet Anderson

  Angus glanced at his sister. “Is she always this hard to please?”

  “Erin is just choosy.” Sasha looked hard at her brother.

  Angus snorted and headed off to his next challenge. “Sorry, am I bad to tease your brother?” Erin looked a little remorseful.

  “No, he deserves bringing down a level or two. Being laird sometimes goes to his head.”

  Erin swatted a mosquito on her neck. “The blood bank is closed,” she muttered.

  “We’re blessed with some of the most beautiful scenery in the land, yet cursed with an array blood sucking insects,” Sasha sighed dramatically.

  “Tell me about it,” Erin responded drily. “Looks like the next macho event is about to start.”

  You really should try and look a little more interested, Goldilocks. Magnus’ voice was inside her head.

  Are you close?

  Right behind you.

  Erin turned, he was standing a foot away from her. “Magnus,” she beamed.

  He wrapped his arms about her and spun her around. “I missed you, too.” He planted a kiss on her forehead.

  “You’ve been gone an age.”

  “Sorry, errands.”

  “Likely story. You’re supposed to be watching my back.”

  “I might be male, but I can multi-task.”

  “Debatable. How was Lokranor?”

  “Cold,” he smiled, giving nothing away. “Aren’t you supposed to be watching your man,” he murmured softly.

  “He’s not my man, and well you know that,” she hissed.

  “Then why is he giving me evil looks?”

  Erin turned back to see Angus glaring angrily at Magnus. Seems he liked to be the centre of attention.

  “Male pride is so easily dented,” Erin groaned.

  Magnus chuckled and wandered off to get a coke. Erin had the distinct feeling he had deliberately wound Angus up.

  “So you go for the older guy?” Sasha asked when Erin re-joined her.

  “Magnus? No, he’s just a friend. And he’s not that old.”

  “He’s very handsome.”

  “Yeah, but he’s definitely not reliable boyfriend material. Look, Tobias is up again, give him some encouragement.”

  Sasha turned a little pink and smiled shyly at the blond-haired boy. All of a sudden he was running up and down the field carrying large sacks as though they were no more than bags of feathers.

  “See what you did to the poor guy?”

  “I’ve never had that effect on someone,” Sasha looked stunned.

  “Guess you haven’t been looking in the right places.”

  When that event was over, Erin pushed Sasha in Tobias’ direction. “Go talk to him.”

  Angus wandered over to her looking decidedly unhappy. “What’s Selvig doing here?”

  Erin had to think who he meant for a moment, it was only the second time she’d heard Magnus’ surname. “If you mean Magnus, I imagine he’s enjoying the fair. It’s a public event.”

  “You shouldn’t let him close, Erin. He can’t be trusted.”

  “Magnus is a good friend and I’ll not let you talk badly about him,” Erin responded coldly.

  “He’s a traitor, can’t you see that.”

  “I’m not sure where you get your information from, Angus, but he is no such thing.”

  “Haven’t they told you, have they?” Angus sneered. “His father works for Heinrekh.”

  Erin felt like Angus had just kicked her in the stomach. Magnus could not possibly betray her. “Magnus is not his father.” She turned on him icily. “I trust him with my life.”

  “Then you’re a fool,” Angus seethed. “He’ll betray you and hand you over to Heinrekh.”

  “If he was so untrustworthy, why do you think he was appointed my guardian?” Erin retaliated hotly.

  “Christ knows. Lokranor is run by morons.”

  “Sorry, but I stand by Magnus. He has already saved my life.”

  “No doubt he set that up to gain your trust,” Angus snorted.

  Yeah, like he could set up her getting lost in the woods or getting thrown from a horse. Angus was really starting to irritate her.

  “Look, Erin, you’re new up here. I’m just trying to get you to see things clearly.” Angus rested his hand on her arm.

  She shook it off angrily. “I already see things clearly. And you’re nothing more than the dick I originally took you for.”

  She stormed off towards her bike, she was steaming. She was furious with Angus and even more upset with Magnus. How could he not tell her about his father? He had lied to her saying his parents were dead. What else had he not told her about? She pulled her helmet on and kick-started the bike. She jumped when a hand clamped down on her shoulder. It was Magnus.

  “Where do you think you’re going?” he growled.

  “Away from lying bastards like you,” she shouted and left Magnus in a cloud of dust.

  She headed at great speed back home, at least as fast as the bike would go. She didn’t stop at the house, she kept going up into the hills. She needed open space, she needed to be alone. Every rut and bump she hit seemed to fuel her anger. She glanced up at the sky, the dark clouds were multiplying by the second. A storm was definitely brewing but she carried on.

  A large flash of lightning lit up the sky just as Erin reached the top of the hill. She stopped the bike and dismounted, tossing her helmet to the ground angrily and letting out a loud, frustrated howl. She was now more upset than cross. Actually she was devastated. How could Magnus not tell her about his father, she had to hear it from Angus. She felt betrayed. Betrayed and confused.

  The heavens opened and torrential rain spread across the hillside. Erin was drenched in seconds but she didn’t care, she was too mad. She turned to see Magnus’ bike draw level with hers. He jumped off and advanced on her looking really rather scary.

  “What the hell is wrong with you?” he thundered. “You could have killed yourself riding at that speed.”

  “I don’t give a damn,” she flung back at him. “And stop following me. I want to be alone.”

  “What’s happened, Erin? What did McBride say to make you take off?” Magnus ignored her request.

  “I don’t want to talk about it. Now get lost,” she shouted. She did not want to talk to him about how badly she had been hurt by his betrayal. She was soaked to the skin, her clothes dripped. She pushed her sopping wet hair off her face.

  “I’m your guardian. I’m not leaving you alone out here.”

  “Are you bloody deaf?” she hollered. “I don’t want you here.” Another flash of lightning was followed by a deafening crack of thunder. It had got very dark.

  “Have you not noticed the damn storm?” Magnus barked.

  “Sorry, have I ruined your hair?” she flung back.

  “Will you stop with the bloody tantrum and start acting like an adult?”

  “No. Now for the last time, get lost.” She could feel hot tears stinging their way down her cold face. She headed away from him so he couldn’t see.

  “No,” he shouted back and started towards her.

  Erin was experiencing a mix of anger and fear as Magnus came towards her. It was the look on his face that worried her, it was nothing short of menacing. “I said stay away from me,” she shrieked, holding up her hand. As she did a bolt of something blue burst from her palm and hit Magnus right in the chest. He flew backwards through the air for several metres before hitting the ground. He jumped back to his feet and stayed slightly crouched, like a tiger ready to pounce, a slightly feral look on his face.

  Erin stared at him in shock. She had just zapped Magnus with what appeared to be a few hundred volts of electricity. At the next clap of thunder Erin was running for her bike, she was genuinely terrified. Terrified of both herself and Magnus. She leapt on the bike and started it as it was already rolling down the hill, her helmet was left on the hillside.

  She could barely see her way, the rain was torrential and the bike sk
idded about continually on the now sodden grass. All she could focus on was the house, she wasn’t even aware she was barely breathing. She was truly scared. She slid to a halt by the back door, abandoning the bike on the ground and ran inside.

  Birdie emerged from the kitchen as she flew through the door. “Good heavens, Erin, what happened?”

  “Nothing I want to talk about.” She burst into tears as she tore upstairs to her room. She slammed the door and locked it before sliding to the ground. The tears came in torrents to match the rain outside. She wanted her normal, non-descript life back. She wanted nothing to do with ancient rites and lost realms. She wanted to be in Italy with her friends enjoying a normal teenage life.

  She was shivering badly, she needed to get her wet gear off. She crawled to the bathroom and pulled off her boots. Her top was more water than fabric. Her jeans were decidedly unpleasant to peel off. She grabbed her snuggly dressing gown and slipped it on, aware that her skin was bright pink from the cold. Pulling the hood up on the robe, she curled up on the tiled floor. She knew her underwear was drenched too, but she really couldn’t be bothered to move. Her limbs were so heavy, she wanted to stay where she was.

  She cried some more, a heck of a lot more. She cried for her father, for getting himself killed and leaving her alone in this world, for the legacy he had supposedly left her. She cried about the weird-assed things that were happening to her. But most of all, she cried for the fact she had almost killed Magnus. The man who had saved her life twice and who she counted as a close friend. He had actually feared her out there on the hillside. Had he really betrayed her and lied about his father?

  The storm raged on for several hours, both outside and in her head. She lay on that cold bathroom floor for hours. She must have eventually cried herself to sleep as she woke up shivering and damp. Her legs would barely move, but she managed to drag herself out of the bathroom to her bed. Her thick duvet did nothing to warm her up, her teeth still chattered.

  She heard a soft knock at her door. “Erin, are you alright?” It was Birdie.

  She pulled the duvet over her head, she wasn’t ready to speak to Birdie. In fact she might lose her temper and kill her by accident. She was a danger to everyone she cared for.

  Erin awoke some time later dripping in sweat. Had the temperature suddenly shot up twenty degrees? She threw the duvet back and opened the window wide. The cold morning air did little to alleviate her sweats. She woke again shivering, and pulled the duvet back over her body. What the hell was up with her? Hot one minute, cold the next. Perhaps she was changing into some horrible creature like a Holskund? Had she not given off a burst of blue energy, similar to the colour that eradiated from them?

  She seemed to drift in and out of sleep for a long time. She was no longer sure what was imaginary and what was real, her mind had become quite confused. One thing she couldn’t mistake was the loud crack as her bedroom door was kicked in. She felt cool hands on her forehead and muffled voices. She drifted off again.

  CHAPTER 13

  Birdie rushed to Erin’s bed. One touch of her forehead confirmed her suspicions. Erin had a fever and was extremely delirious. Probably from spending too long in wet clothes.

  “Ask Mrs McDowell to call the doctor, Magnus. She’s sick,” Birdie instructed. She grabbed more bedding and piled it onto Erin, who tried to take it off. “Leave it where it is, child,” Birdie barked. Now was not the right time to show kindness.

  “But I’m hot,” she grumbled.

  “That’s the fever, your body is freezing.”

  Magnus sat on the other side of the bed and took her frozen hand in his, trying to rub some warmth back in to it. “I’m sorry, Erin,” he murmured. “I should have handled it better.”

  Birdie shot him a look. “Don’t beat yourself up. Erin also inherited the McLomard stubbornness.” She brushed the hair out of Erin’s face. “Do you know what upset her?”

  “I have a feeling it was something McBride said. But I have never seen her so hurt or confused.”

  “And she really has the power?” Birdie could still not quite believe it.

  “Yes, she has the same blue energy as Heinrekh.” Magnus looked anything but happy.

  Birdie glanced at the scorch mark on his jacket. “What I can’t understand is why her gifts are appearing so early. She should not start to get them until her eighteenth.”

  “It might sound ridiculous, but James did not hide her true birthday did he as some sort of protection?”

  “An interesting thought, but no, I was there at her birth.” Birdie stroked Erin’s forehead. “Poor kid must have been terrified when the energy burst from her. I imagine she has not seen anything like it before.”

  “At least I know what the trigger was. We were arguing. Well, screaming at each other more like.” Magnus looked rather shame-faced. “As I said, I should have handled the situation better.”

  “Now we know she has the energy force, you can train her not to vaporise anyone when she gets cross.”

  Mrs McDowell showed the doctor up to Erin’s room. “I understand we have an emergency?” Dr Stewart glanced at the bed.

  “Yes, my niece got caught out in the storm yesterday and appears to have a fever,” Birdie explained.

  Dr Stewart examined her for a moment. “You called me just in time. Any longer and we would be treating her at Inverness for acute pneumonia.” He took a syringe out of his briefcase. “I’ll give her a couple of shots, one to bring down the fever, the other to treat her delirium.”

  He asked Birdie to roll Erin onto her side so he could administer the injections into her butt. She let out a sleepy squeal as the needle went in.

  “Her temperature should be down within the next half hour. If it goes back up or she gets worse, call the ambulance right away.”

  Magnus watched over Erin whilst Birdie showed Dr Stewart out. When she reappeared, she was touched by the way Magnus was stroking Erin’s head. He really did care for her deeply. He had been quite distraught by Erin’s sudden animosity towards him.

  Birdie rested her hand on his shoulder. “I’ll watch over her tonight, you could do with some sleep. Take the room down the corridor.”

  “Aren’t you tired?”

  “Yes, but so are you. And you’re more useful to her fully alert, so go get some sleep.” She smiled fondly. “We’ll sort everything out in the morning.”

  Erin felt like had been on the mother of all rollercoaster rides. She had been dizzy, nauseous, battered and bruised. That wonderful, soft, fluffy cloud she had been floating on suddenly came back down to earth with a bump. She opened her eyes slowly, the lids felt so very heavy. She was met with Birdie’s smiling face.

  “Welcome back, Erin.”

  Erin sat at the kitchen table with a large cappuccino and a pile of American pancakes smothered in maple syrup. Mrs McDowell just kept the food coming. Eventually she admitted defeat.

  “Can’t you manage one more, lass?” Mrs McDowell asked.

  “Really no, I’m about to burst,” she groaned.

  “There’s a fire going in the morning room. Birdie is in there.”

  That was her summons, Erin thought. She knew Birdie would want answers and she was not sure what she would say. The truth was always the best. She pulled the arms of her fleece over her hands and headed into the lion’s den.

  The room was lovely and toasty warm. Sadly the look on Magnus’ face wasn’t. She saw him too late to be able to retreat.

  Birdie wrapped her in one of her legendary hugs. “You had us all scared , Erin. We thought we might lose you to the fever.” She tone was ever so slightly sharp.

  “Sorry, I thought it was just a touch of flu,” Erin mumbled.

  “First, you and Magnus have a few issues to sort out. After that, we’ll talk about your new powers.” Birdie kissed her forehead and sat her down on the sofa before fixing Magnus with her severest of looks. She left them alone.

  Erin shifted uncomfortably on the sofa, she was not happy at b
eing ambushed like this. An awkward silence echoed in the small room. Eventually Magnus spoke.

  “I’ve figured out that it’s me you’re pissed at. I’d like to know why?” His voice was hard, totally devoid of any warmth.

  “You lied to me,” Erin responded bluntly.

  “Would you care to elaborate?” He came closer to her.