Summoned (Black Sorcery Trilogy Book 2)

by Lisa E Parry

  Chapter 2

  A quick glance outside and I saw Cheri striding purposefully towards the house. Already at the door, Dorian had promptly opened it by the time she’d reached the threshold. I heard them greet one another, followed by the sound of her heels clicking on the floorboards. With new pride I had for our house, I hoped with a little annoyance that they weren’t stilettos.

  “Hello Melissa. It’s nice to see you again,” she said very formally. Old habits die hard I see. She was dressed in a white suit with a brown jumper, accompanied by a brown bag and matching shoes. Her black hair was severely clipped back making it easy to discern her look of concern. I inwardly groaned. She actually looked like she had the weight of the world sitting nicely on her shoulders. I grew a little anxious, knowing that whatever the reason for her inner conflict was the reason for my summoning. Damn it.

  Suppressing a sigh I answered: “You too, Cheri.”

  Her brown eyes quickly assessed my appearance. “You look much better.”

  “Thank you. Tea, no sugar right…?”

  “Yes, thank you.” She actually smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes. That fear of impending doom became stronger every minute. The air felt tense…

  Searching the now filled cupboards, I managed to rustle up a plate of bourbons to go with our drinks. I needed a hit of sugar to take the sour taste out of my mouth. We settled in the living room and in taking Dorian’s hand I felt him tense ever so slightly. He was going to have to get used to public displays of affection. It hadn’t escaped Cheri’s notice.

  “You have domesticated Dorian I see. Quite a feat...”

  My mouth dropped open. She had cracked a joke. I went with it. “I haven’t quite got him onto the ironing yet, but we have time.” I patted his hand and turned to see he was bestowing a stormy glare on both of us.

  Joking aside, Cheri placed her cup on the table. I could see she was searching for the right words. Finally, she spoke. “We are having trouble with the civilisation in the Otherworld - or rather they are having problems with a particularly troublesome sorceress.”

  “Yeah…?” I said, hinting for her to continue.

  “They have requested our aid.”

  “What was your answer?” I cringed, knowing it was a dumb question.

  “We have agreed, given the certainty that should these people succeed in overrunning their own world, they will then spill into ours and try to take it as well.” A ball of ice sat in my stomach: a threat from a parallel world… How do I deal with shit like this?

  “They have threatened us specifically?” Dorian asked. Cheri nodded and turned to me. “The necromancer Anarch informed us of the situation through you, Melissa, two months ago.”

  My stomach cramped with nerves in understanding. “When I blacked out in the Council room?” I held my breath. I had unfinished business with Anarch and I hadn’t told a soul of my bargain with him. He had taught me how to kill the demon inside Dorian and in return I had agreed for him to call on me for aid when he needed it. A web I have entangled myself into. I bit my lip in anticipation.

  “Yes, we thought we could handle the situation, but it’s a trifle more dire than we had first anticipated. The King himself approached us later requesting our urgent aid, and has, of course, asked for our most powerful people.”

  “Hold on, are you intending to take Melissa to that dreaded place?”

  “Yes.” My heart skipped a beat at her words.

  “No,” Dorian replied abruptly. My heart sank. “What exactly do you want from her?” he demanded. “If you want her to go to battle then the answer is a resounding NO. She doesn’t work for you and therefore she is not bound by oath to help the Coven.” I was quite taken aback by the severity of Dorian’s response, although I was glad he was fighting my corner.

  A heavy silence descended after Dorian’s declaration. After a few moments, I broke it. “What’s going on here? Is there something I’m missing?” I felt unsettled and looked from one to the other for an answer.

  Dorian and Cheri glared at each other for a second more, and then Cheri turned back to me. “You are under no obligation to accompany us, Melissa. I wanted you to have an understanding of the situation and make an informed decision. Yes, we need your help, but not for battle. We are planning on operating from the inside rather than a full frontal assault. We want to get into their compound and bring them down swiftly and clinically by surprise. That way, we’ll avoid the unnecessary loss of innocent life.”

  “Okay, what’s the catch?” I asked with an arched eyebrow.

  “They are a little behind the times shall we say? As in horse and carts, dirt roads, taverns and no electricity,” she finished, watching me closely.

  I couldn’t hide the shock I knew was written all over my face. It hadn’t even occurred to me that they weren’t as advanced in technology as we were. I had assumed that this Otherworld was a mirror image of ours. Apparently not... “But they have sorcerers, witches and warlocks, necromancers…”

  “As well as an abundance of ‘mythical’ creatures long since extinct in our world.” Dorian added.

  “Such as…?” My interest piqued immediately.

  “Dragons, for one thing,” Cheri said in that infuriatingly offhand manner of hers.

  “Are you shitting me?” It came out before I could stop it.

  “I have seen one,” Dorian said carefully. “And there are more deadly creatures to be wary of.” Dragons! Oh my god! Excitement shot through me like a bolt of lightning. I shuffled to the edge of my seat. Cheri, watching me closely, saw the spark. I realised now that she was playing dirty by appealing to my curiosity. I was sure she was well aware that the mention of dragons would entice me. It was common knowledge that I was a huge swords-and-sorcery book fan.

  I have my camera upstairs. My fingers flexed...

  “Melissa, no; it’s too dangerous,” Dorian warned, but I didn’t answer as my mind flew away with possibilities. Mythical creatures - an opportunity of a lifetime...

  Dorian tried another tactic, which he had me on. “No hair straighteners, pain killers, jeans…” He paused for dramatic effect. “No chocolate...”

  “Okay, okay, jeez! Granted, it sounds like it’s lacking in certain…amenities.”

  Cheri rolled her eyes. “We are leaving tomorrow at ten in the morning. Our party is meeting at the Council and then we will be leaving for the portal. It is highly probable we shall be there for a couple of months to carry out our mission.”

  “You’re going?” I asked.

  “Yes, Neil and I are going.” After sipping down the rest of her tea, Cheri stood and smoothed down her jumper.

  “I shall leave you to think about it,” she said by way of ending the conversation and Dorian accompanied her to the door. I remained inside and watched from the window as the wind billowed around the two of them. Neil was waiting at the end of the jetty and I caught his attention by waving at him. He smiled and returned my wave before helping Cheri back into the speedboat. I watched them disappear as the boat sliced through the water - a stream of white behind them - and wrapped my arms around myself. I wanted to go, but the lack of technology concerned and excited me at the same time. Twirling a strand of hair around my finger, I frowned at the setting sun, torn with the decision before me.

  There will be no fighting, but Cheri hadn’t been clear in what my role would entail. Did they just need my abilities to get in undetected? How would I do that? I wracked my brains for a spell or necromantic incant. Before I realised it, I was already thinking of how I could help. Subconsciously, I had made my decision.

  Dorian’s arms wrapped around me from behind then pulled my finger out of my tangled hair. Leaning back into him I looked out over the blushing sky staining the water pink. Lights began to flicker on here and there on the islands.

  “You want to go,” Dorian stated and sighed. “You have no idea how dangerous it will be. People die of the flu over there and what would you do if you needed antibiotics or someth
ing?”

  “I’m sure healers will be going,” I countered. Dorian would’ve known this, having been there before, but it was another lame attempt at changing my mind. He released me and I sat back down whilst he stood in front of the fire leaning with a hand on the mantle. I watched him as I dunked a bourbon biscuit into my tea. Sometimes it was best to let him think and get things straight in his mind.

  “I’ll be going with you of course. I’ve been trained for that world.”

  “Trained?”

  “You’ll see.” He smiled at me, but it was forced. “Actually, I think you’ll rather like it.” He ran a hand through his hair. “I’d best practise,” he mumbled and walked to the door leading to the gym. Practise..? He paused before pushing the door open. “Oh, the ironing comment? You’re going to have to make up for that one,” he said with a raised eyebrow, and I gave him a look that I hoped was more innocent than devious.

  A soft glow in the room told me night had yielded to dawn. Sleep evaded me: excitement had kept me awake. As I lay there - aimlessly curling my hair with a finger - my mind turned over the endless possibilities of the Otherworld. Jeez, when is he going to wake up? A hefty elbow in the ribs finally did the trick. The sunrise had been beautiful at the house on our island, so it was well worth the early rise.

  I had put my best clothes on with the intention of making a good first impression. The King had already heard about me, as the Council had previously spoken to him in order to find a place for me in their world. That was before they had wisely decided to let me stay, thanks to Cheri’s threat.

  Dorian told me I would have to leave my watch, mobile phone, money… - basically my bag - behind. After angrily protesting and a certain amount of pouting, I concurred, feeling naked, like a part of my body was missing. It felt so wrong not to carry a handbag. I had slipped my dagger into my boot though. At least I had that if I were attacked.

  Dorian had placed a large bag in the boot of the Range Rover and I wondered what it could possibly contain. It was heavy, as the car had noticeably dipped when he’d loaded it on. It was a surprise.

  I crossed my arms defiantly. “I still don’t understand why I can’t take it.”

  “A camera is far too advanced. You can’t take anything that is beyond their technology. I’ve told you that over and over.”

  “You’re wearing jeans, Dorian. Isn’t the zip beyond their technology? Why are you being so secretive?” I asked exasperated. He had told me a lot about the Otherworld, having stayed up most of the night. Dorian had wanted to be close and enjoy our alone time together. That made me feel a little uneasy. I had asked him what he meant by it but he had remained silent. “What’s in the bag?”

  “You’ll see soon enough,” he countered. I huffed and looked out of the window. It was a promising day. The sun was low, but there were no clouds, and the biting wind from yesterday had died down. Buildings rushed by us and I watched as people wandered their way to work. I felt excited, but wary at the same time. After all, I will be visiting the world I was almost exiled to. Obviously, it was going to be dangerous, but I could defend myself now. A surprising niggle of confidence warmed my feelings towards this expedition. I had taken down Henrik.

  “Stop it.” Dorian jolted me out of my thoughts.

  “Stop what?”

  “Thinking about Henrik,” he said with a pained expression.

  “How did you know?”

  “I don’t know…” He looked as disturbed as I felt.

  “We are going to have to look into this at some point you know,” I told him as I watched a nervous hand run through his hair.

  “We’re here.” He stated by way of ending the conversation.

  The Council building slid into view. Oliver was leaning against the cream wall looking like he hadn’t a care in the world.

  “I think that ghost has made it his job to irritate me personally,” Dorian said whilst snapping crossly out of his seatbelt. I just smiled at my friend, who waved back.

  I followed Dorian to the back of the car. “How come you get to pack stuff, but I can’t?”

  “Hey guys!” Oliver greeted us.

  Dorian just grunted so I replied, “Hey Oliver.”

  “I’m coming too,” he said with a mischievous glint in his eye.

  “What?!” Dorian snapped.

  “I’m coming too,” Oliver repeated and shoved his hands in his jeans pockets. “Something wrong with that, buddy, ole pal?” Dorian just growled under his breath then hefted his bag out of the boot. I tried to hide my smile. I felt better knowing he was coming along.

  “I might have done something bad,” Oliver whispered and eyed Dorian warily as he slammed the boot shut. He’s got himself in trouble already? I watched a storm brew on Dorian’s face and hoped it had nothing to do with us. “I told Warwick what you were doing. He seemed adamant about coming along.”

  There was a heavy pause. Dorian began to exclaim: “You little…”

  “Is he here?” I cut him off.

  “Not yet,” Oliver replied, then he turned to me. “He promised you that he would protect you for saving his life. You owe it to him to give him the chance to repay his debt. I can’t protect you physically, but I can send someone in who can.”

  I let out a jagged breath; I understood why he had done it and it saddened me. Yes, it would be nice to see Warwick again, but I didn’t want him attached to me the whole time. “Oliver, Dorian will be protecting me. It’s a nice thought, but…” I didn’t know what to say to his forlorn face. Oliver was sending someone in his place to do the job he couldn’t. How could I be mad at him?

  “He’s on his way anyway. I told him a few days ago because I knew you would go.”

  “Cheri won’t allow it.” Dorian grabbed my hand and power-walked us into the building. Memories flooded back to me and I felt Dorian grasp my hand a little tighter in acknowledgement of my thoughts.

  “Melissa?” It was Dayna. I’d recognise that Irish accent anywhere.

  “Dayna..!” Dorian let go of me, so I could embrace the auburn haired witch. “Hey Owen,” I added to her bodyguard. “Oh my god, are you going?”

  “Yes!” she declared, and we squealed a little. Both Owen and Dorian rolled their eyes.

  “Are you looking forward to it?” she asked. “This will be my first time there as well.”

  “Oh, thank God!” Suddenly I didn’t feel so alone in my lack of experience of the Otherworld.

  “Hey Dorian, Oliver,” she said a bit more formally, then she turned to me. “Have you seen what we’re wearing? The dresses are awesome!”

  “Dresses?”

  “Dorian,” Owen said in greeting and both men clasped hands. “It’s not the same without you around.”

  “I imagine that I’ll never be too far away.” He gave me a meaningful, grey-eyed stare. I shrugged. “The bodyguards go this way for briefing.” He indicated a corridor with his head. “We should go.”

  Nodding to the sandy haired bodyguard, Dorian turned to me. He took my hand and kissed the back of it. “I’ll see you shortly.” He gave me such an intense look that I felt my knees wobble a bit.

  “Okay,” was all I could say in puny reply, like a dumbass. I liked that he could still chase all coherent thought from my mind. Dayna brought my attention away from his perfectly shaped arse as he walked away.

  “They won’t be long. You’ll like what you see when they return.”

  “Okay, I’ve had it with the cryptic talk. What are they up to?”

  Dayna told me the surprise would be better and guided me to a large room. I bit my lip. Dresses aren’t my thing: they’re cumbersome and impractical. I sighed with the prospect of disappointment.

  A black-haired woman approached with a silver circlet around her head. Her dress was green velvet with long cuffs reaching to the floor and trimmed with silver looping designs on the hem. It flowed around her like shallow water over a riverbed as she walked with underskirts giving it volume.

  “Melissa! I
’m so glad you decided to come! This is a good omen; we stand a greater chance of nipping this problem in the bud and will be back before we know it.” My mouth hung open as Cheri’s voice came from this woman looking as regal as a queen. I had no words. Dayna said them for me.

  “My god Cheri, you look fantastic! Where are the dresses?” she eagerly enquired. Cheri pointed to racks of dresses at the far side of the room where I saw a familiar white-haired girl and my heart lightened instantly.

  “You each take five. If we need any more, we’ll go to a dressmaker’s and purchase some while we are there. We can’t carry too much. Put a formal one on for now, as we are to meet the King. Take a hard-wearing woollen one and you may choose any other three that you desire.”

  Words still escaped me. So maybe I could get on board with wearing a dress or two. Sense finally kicked in and I hurried to follow in Dayna’s wake. My fingertips tingled with excitement and then a familiar crackling followed. Shit! I calmed myself down so I didn’t set any of these majestic dresses alight. Instead I turned to my unusual friend. “Tell me you haven’t already taken the best ones.”

  Viola spun where she stood and gave me a fierce hug. “Thank goodness you’re coming!” she said, her huge purple eyes opening wide. We exchanged updates on our lives whilst we searched through the garments. It turned out she had been recruited by the Coven for her healing abilities. It worried me a little that they were taking the best healer they had ever come across. They obviously thought we would need her.

  After about an hour I came away with my five dresses. The one I had already adorned myself with was navy blue velvet with a sweetheart neckline trimmed with silver designs and slightly off the shoulders. The long sleeves hung halfway down to my knees and the dress split at the front to reveal a lighter blue material underneath. A decorative belt rested on my hips of the same light blue and in a V-shape to match the neckline.

  Dayna had gone for a green dress with slightly less volume in the skirts and a square neckline. It set off her auburn hair perfectly. It was Viola who took our breath away, looking like an elven princess in a red silk dress trimmed with gold bands on the hems and cuffs.