by Grey, T. A.
A sharp knock sounded, followed a voice. “Sir, it's time.”
The kiss ended like that. Telal sat back in his seat, his eyes smoldering and thoughtful, almost as if he was seeing her for the first time. He stood, then leaned down to her again. The edge of his fingertips trailed down from her cheek to jaw in a touch that made her tremble.
He looked like he might say something but then his eyes narrowed and he went around the desk to Kearnyn.
Lily's mind slowly came back to reality. She awkwardly climbed off his desk but had to stand there and hold on to it for support because her body hadn't gained its strength back from that touch.
“Wait, are you leaving now? Let me go with you!”
He turned to give her one last, fleeting look, then clasped Kearnyn's shoulder and disappeared.
“Damn you,” she said, but without much heat.
Stepping like she walked on hot coals, she collapsed into his chair, her fingers rubbing where his teeth had been. Even though all she wanted to do was go back to his bed and relive those unique moments between them, she knew she had to get moving. Taking off the ridiculous heels, she raced down the hallway to the elevator. She got off it and threw open her door and started pulling on her sandals, grabbing her enchanted dagger out of her bag, then went downstairs and ordered a taxi to Rosa's. She'd be needing the witch's help now.
CHAPTER 15
Telal dissolved with Kearnyn and reappeared in upstate New York. The area of the rifts scattered across the world like broken cracks in the earth’s crust. Some lasted for only a few miles while others spanned a thousand miles or longer. The rift he’d use traveled from Rochester, New York up into the desolate snows of Northern Canada.
The humans couldn't see it, though many had labeled the areas where the rifts were as 'haunted' places; the parts of the woods or countryside where mother's warned their kids not to go. For the best, really. Two Atal Warriors stationed over this particular section of the rift gave them a nod and walked away to give them some distance. He'd already cleared this with Tyrian; hell, he was the reason he had to go down there in the first place.
Telal chose this location to port into because, if his calculations were correct, it'd take him into the field outside the castle. Any number of things could be changed now. He just hoped to get in and out of there alive.
“Nervous?” Kearnyn said.
Telal took note of the bunched nerves in his stomach but shook his head. “No, just ready to get this over with.”
“Sure you don't want me to come with you?”
Telal checked each of his weapons and tried not to think about that kiss. She'd kissed him, actually kissed him. And then he'd let his guard down and done something he shouldn't have. If he wasn't careful...no, no, he wouldn't even let himself think like that. He'd be even more careful from now on. Lily's taste lingered on his lips and he licked it to get a better taste. Fuck, he couldn't hide it. If she was anyone else, someone he hadn't met under the circumstances he had, then maybe...
“I'm sure. Stay here and wait for me to come back.”
“How long?”
Telal stared down at the rift that only unique people like him and Kearnyn could see. The rift was a long jagged black path about a half a mile wide. It had a charred look to it like volcanic rock. Once he laid a foot on that special ground, he could port himself into the rift using a power born inside him and his people.
“Four hours. Any longer than that and I probably won't be coming back.”
“Telal...”
He shrugged. “If I don't have her seen after. Her new moon will be coming up soon.” His jaw cocked hard until a slash of pain slammed up into his temple. If she acted like this now, how would she be during her new moon?
“Yes, Sir.”
Telal hopped down from the small cliff, kicking up black ash that to a human's eye would look like dirt. The smell of the rift sent memories rolling through him, memories of home that he brutally slammed the door on.
“Four hours,” Telal said.
And then he closed his eyes and transported himself to a different world. The black charcoal line of the rift disappeared from beneath his feet, replaced by soft lush grass. He opened his eyes slowly, almost afraid to see his homeland for the first time in a thousand years.
He let out a shuddering breath at what he saw.
Bright pink and white flowering trees, grass as high as his calves and greener than the ripest earth plant. A thick emotion filled his chest and a hot liquid pooled in his eyes. He swallowed hard and knelt down in the grass of greens and dark yellows and inhaled the unique sweet scent of earth, his open hand trailing across the pointed leaves. The sky hovered like a dark ominous cloud up above; thick like fog, the dark sky held a glow to it somewhere between an orange and pink that lit up the land and shadowed it at the same time. That glow was the sun of this world, the closest thing to pure light they had.
Telal stood and looked around at his old home. With a frown, he realized nearly everything looked the same. The trees were the same, though there were more of them now, and in the distance he saw the castle where he'd been raised. Behind him, down several sloping hills was just one of the villages where the commoners lived. That pain in his chest pulled tighter as if someone twisted his heart in their hands like a rag to wring all the blood from it.
He made his way through the field in long, heavy steps. One of the first things he noticed was the lack of commoners, or prolitare, wandering outside the castle like they used to. Hope sprung in him; maybe his brother had taken over the throne and changed the class policies of his people. Though as soon as the thought came, he nixed it. This place just didn't feel right. Not the same at all. Maybe it was because he saw it through the eyes of a man and not a child, but something didn't sit right.
Down the sloping pasture of the grassy field, two heads popped up, headed for him. With a silent curse, he quickly dropped to the ground at the sight of guards. Not just any guards, but these wore a suit of battle armor with curved swords, ones his people specialized in making, strapped to their backs forming an ex. The deep lilt of demonic floated over his ears with the sound of swishing grass beneath their feet as they climbed closer to him. Telal planned to sneak into the castle, not get busted before he even made it there.
Focusing on the soft leafy petals on the ground below him, he called upon his power to cloak himself. Not all demons had that kind of power, but he did, his family did. The voices came closer until he could make out words. He clenched his jaw as he listened in on a language he hadn't heard spoken in so long.
“Do you feel that?”
“Hm, yeah, energy change over here.”
“We better check the fault line. If another demon escaped it'll be our heads.”
“I wish that weren't the truth...”
The guards made their way to where Telal had transported into, and he waited until they were far enough away before he stood, still cloaked in invisibility, and ran down the hill leading to the castle. Built from dark brown and grey stones, the castle stood tall with looming parapets resting at the left, right, and back side of the castle. There were several entrances into the castle, though they had specific purposes; doors for servants, for the commoners, and the big double door at the front for royalty.
Telal pressed himself against the chilly wall by the prolitare’s door. He waited to hear any voices, but none sounded, as quietly as possible he grabbed the door handle and turned it. A sharp metal screech echoed. Fuck. So much for not announcing his visit.
Not for the first time, he wondered if he was doing this right. He always planned everything to perfection. But simply coming home after betraying his people and waltzing in the front door didn't sound like a good idea to him. Right now, he planned to just get inside, check things out, and then, as discreetly as possible, announce himself to his family.
Turning sideways, he slid through the door and closed it behind him. He found himself in a hallway with a rounded stone roof only a few
inches taller than he was, which made him want to hunch over anyway. Torches, one on either side of the hallway lit the long path, though not very well. More shadows than light flickered.
Telal kept his steps silent as he slid down the hall. Voices sounded at the far end, a conversation about getting more wine, and he fell into the shadows where the light from the torches didn't touch as two servants shuffled by wearing golden robes that trailed behind them; at least that hadn't changed.
He waited until the voices faded before he left the safety of the tunnel and made his way towards the throne room—the room where his family used to sit as they presided over the other royalty. And of course, that's where his father punished prolitare again and again. He'd heard his father had died, but that had been through rumors some hundred years ago. Though, he hoped it was true.
He passed under stone archways, down long and short hallways, turning left, then right until he neared the throne room. He wanted to become invisible, but using magic like that drained him. He needed to save all of his powers for what might happen.
Only one open archway remained to take him into the throne room. The room where the royalty dined, partied, and generally did 'blue blood' things. Feminine laughter, high and false mixed with the clinking of wine glasses, the metal tap of a fork on a plate, and the voices of the men. He actually rolled his eyes at the sounds; they threatened to take him back in time. The royal males commonly raised the pitch of their voices, which for the most part were naturally deep, in order to not sound like the prolitare. Telal didn't understand it when he was a kid, and he still didn't.
He crept closer to the opening and stopped, preparing himself for his entrance. He picked up on random pieces of conversation. From discussing the delicious food, to buying a new dress, and getting a new slave. His gut clenched. A slave?
Suddenly a booming voice rang out, echoing out from the room and down the hall. “Krishnoe!”
At the command, immediate silence stuttered over the room, words stopping in mid-pronunciation and echoing off the walls like a bell. Silence, the deep voice had said. Telal recognized the voice, but it had changed, grown deeper with age, harder. It was not his father's voice.
“We have a visitor. Come forth and show yourself...brother.”
Resolution came over him. Back straight, Telal stepped into the throne room, ready to face his brother for the first time in a thousand years. At least a hundred eyes stared back at him, but only one pair was dark as a moonless night.
“Hello, brother.”
CHAPTER 16
He left without me.
Lily slammed the taxi door behind her, marched up to Rosa's shop, and banged on it with a fist until she heard movement inside. Rosa peered through the small square window in the door then threw it open.
“What are you doing here? It's late, Lily.”
Lily brushed past her. “I need some of your magic skills. Telal went into the rift without me.”
“So?”
Lilly turned on her friend. “So? He might need help. He hasn't been back there since he left, and I'm pretty sure everyone down there thinks he betrayed them. He'll need help.”
Rosa pushed her frizzy dark hair out of her face with a sigh. The right side of her face had a red mark from where she'd been sleeping on it. “What do you expect me to do? I'm not a demon that can go transporting you around, you know.”
“I know that. But you can make a spell and send me there.”
Rosa made a choking sound, half laughing, and half snorting. “No way. I don't even know if I could do something like that, but if I did then it'd completely wear me down for God knows how long. No way, Lily. Just wait for him to get back. I'm going back to bed.” She crossed her arms like she was cold and ambled towards the back of the shop.
“Rosa, I know you can do this.”
“Blah, blah, blah. I'm not doing anything,” she said with a yawn.
Lily followed her. “Are you saying you're too weak to do a spell like this?”
That stopped her in her tracks. She slowly turned around, her eyes narrowed, lips pulled taut. “Don't you dare antagonize me, Lily Bellum.”
Lily gave her an innocent look. “Hey, if you can't do it then that's not my problem. You're the weakling.”
Her lips twisted as she ground her jaw side to side. “You are such a bitch,” she said finally. Lily only shrugged. Rosa's shoulders sagged. “Fine, I'll do it.”
Lily clapped her hands. “Now that's the spirit. Let's get started. I don't know how long he's been gone.”
Rosa turned on the lights and grabbed her spell book off the shelf. “Hypothetically, let's say I can get you to a rift. The nearest one crosses from Tennessee up to Wyoming.”
“No, not that one. I need the one in upstate New York.”
Rosa glared at her. “And why is that?”
“That's the one Telal used. Must be for a good reason or he wouldn't choose that one, right?”
Rosa fished through the pages of her book until she found the right one then started gathering ingredients and mashing them with a pestle. After a few minutes, Rosa shook her head. “And how do you plan to get by the Atal Warriors?”
Shit. She hadn't thought about that. Those bastards were stationed at intervals along every rift in the world. No getting past them. At least, for most people.
Rosa saw the look on her face and laughed. “You hadn't even thought that far ahead, have you? What about weapons? You have no idea what the shahoulin demons are like under the rift. They all might not be as nice as Telal.”
“I'd hardly call him nice,” she said. Though his touch had been a whole lot more than nice.
“Whatever. You know what I mean.”
“I'll borrow two of your daggers.”
“You do know I don't enchant my own weapons, right? I can't do harm—”
“Yeah, yeah, I know. Give me the good old fashioned ones.”
Rosa told her where she kept them and Lily went to fetch them. Her heart beat like a big drum in her chest, not quite a frantic rhythm but one that proved just how nervous she really was. She wasn't stupid. She understood the risk she took by going into the rift alone, without any guidance. But for him, she'd take it.
She came back and Rosa started working on another set of herbs.
“How long is this going to take?”
Rosa sent her a scathing look that had Lily throwing up her hands in the universal sign for 'don't hurt me'.
“The spell won't take you to New York. If I'm lucky this will take you to the closest point of the rift in Tennessee. That's if this even works. I've never tried to port someone over long distances. Hell, even a short distance.”
Lily clapped her on the back. “See Rosa, I'm just helping you to broaden your spell crafting abilities.”
Rosa sent her another glare that had her pulling her hand off her back like it burned.
“Here's the first one,” she said dropping a potion and a piece of paper with text written on it. “Drink it then read the spell. The quicker the better.” Lily eyeballed the drink which was nothing more than a shot glass full of dark red liquid.
“That isn't blood, right?” Her taste buds curled at the thought.
Rosa sighed. “No, it's not. Here's the second one. This should, maybe, take you into the rift. I made enough for you to get back out, too. So don't lose it or this spell.” She slid over another piece of paper, no bigger than a Post-It note with her cursive scrawl on it.
Lily read both spells out loud to make sure she said it right. The last thing she needed was to summon another demon by accident.
“That's correct. So, how do you plan to get around the Atal Warriors?” asked Rosa, one brow cocked in question.
Lily nibbled her lip. “I'm just going to be really fast.”
Rosa laugh, the sound filled with sarcasm. “That's your great plan? ‘Be really fast.' Well bambina, I wish you all the best. You have your protection anklet on?”
Lily nodded.
�
�Good, get out of here and if you actually manage to do all this, then give me a call. I'd like to hear about it.”
Lily grabbed her stuff and put it in her brown shoulder satchel. At the last second, before she turned to leave she said, “Hey Rosa, when do I die?” Rosa's vision of her death had been something she wanted to ask her about and avoid forever. But if this happened tonight, with the choice she was about to make, then she wanted to know.
Rosa sucked in a sharp breath, her eyes falling to the floor. When she spoke, her voice was soft as a feather. “Sweetie, I don't know. I saw only blackness, oily blackness breaking into your chest and you fell. You do not get up from that. You know it's not up to me to help or stop this from happening. That's all on you. So be careful.”
Lily's heart stopped beating in her chest. All the dreams she'd had of the man in black surfaced. She was going to die. A dark thought curled in her gut. It might even be tonight.
A voice broke into her shattered thoughts. “Hey, hey, are you all right?” Rosa's face pulled into a mask of concern.
“I'm fine.” She smiled as if to prove it. “I better go. Thanks a lot for all the help.” She turned and left before Rosa could say anything else.
* * *
Outside, she walked down the street and into the alley behind the row of shops. It smelled awful back there like rotten garbage and week-old stale coffee. She pinched her nose up and pulled the spell and potion out of the bag.
She started to take a drink then stopped and cursed. Pulling one of the daggers out of the satchel, she gripped it in one hand. She'd need it for where she was going. Closing her eyes hard, she tossed back the contents of the drink with a grimace. The vile taste coated her tongue like sludge and she gagged, her cheeks poofing up with the urge to vomit it all up. She swallowed hard though and forced the nasty contents down. Suddenly, the alley didn't smell nearly as bad, not with that awful rotten taste on her tongue. Gagging, her stomach convulsed with the need to vomit the shit back up, she pulled the spell out of her pocket and read the words.