Chapter 21
Ronin cupped his manjunk. “I love you, Tess, but I’ve grown attached to all my attachments.
” He took two cautious steps backward away from the portal and narrowed his eyes at it.
“No offense, portal, but you have a history. I’ve heard the stories.
Random destinations. Unscheduled travel.
Accidental bathroom visits. That’s not a transportation system. That’s a lawsuit waiting to happen.”
Iris smacked him on the arm. “Of course, we’re coming.
” She glared at him. “Both of us.” She adjusted her bag on her shoulder, and I could see the edges of Doris poking through.
Knowing Iris, she probably had enough magical supplies in there to survive an apocalypse, summon a demon, and organize a small library.
“I’m not wearing the right shoes,” said Beverly, “but I want to be there when you give that horrible wereape bitch a smack down.” She looked down at her heels. “If I break an ankle during a rescue mission, I expect someone attractive to carry me.”
“Me too!” Ruth pulled out a pair of green goggles from her skirt pocket that looked like they were either for swimming or air travel.
She slapped them on her head. “I’m ready!
” She ran on the spot and did five jumping jacks for good measure.
“Actually, I’ve been ready for years. I just didn’t know what for.
” She paused. “I also have smoke bombs.” She dug through another pocket.
“Or maybe they’re breath mints. Hard to tell without testing. ”
Dolores stood next to the portal, her fingers extended toward its edge.
Her hair and clothes whipped in the current.
“Remarkable,” she said. “Such power. Neither White nor Dark.” She turned to me and added, “Are you sure this is the lab? This might not be where Addison took him. You said it yourself. You’re not able to control this new portal ability.
This could be some human lab in Florida for all we know.
” She frowned. “And if it is Florida, that introduces a completely different set of problems.”
“It’s the same lab,” I snapped at her. “You can stay if you’re scared.” I watched her, knowing her well enough to wait for her reaction. Poking Dolores was a lot like poking a bear—a very magical, judgmental bear.
My tall aunt glared at me. “Who do you think you’re talking to?” Her chin lifted. There it was. Right on schedule.
Beverly rolled her eyes. “Here we go.” She looked toward Iris. “One hundred dollars says she jumps through first.”
“I’m not afraid,” said Dolores. She pointed a finger at me.
“I’ll have you know that I’ve been proficient in the magical arts since way before you were even born.
” Her eyes narrowed further. “I’ve crossed cursed wastelands, survived Dark covens, dismantled blood rituals, negotiated with dragons, and once attended a six-hour budget meeting at town hall without losing consciousness.
Do you honestly think I’m afraid of a portal?
” She stepped closer to the swirling opening.
“If anything, the portal should be afraid of me.”
“That’s actually the most Dolores thing I’ve ever heard,” muttered Ronin.
“Second most,” corrected Beverly. “The most Dolores thing would be threatening to fine the portal for improper zoning permits.”
To my surprise, Dolores nodded thoughtfully. “That’s not a bad idea.”
“Oh for cauldron’s sake,” said Beverly, pulling out her compact and checking her reflection in the mirror.
“Just tell her you’re going, and let’s get on with it.
” She tilted her head, checking one side and then the other.
“If we’re storming an evil laboratory, I’d at least like to look presentable while doing it. ”
Dolores stared at the portal, a strange little smile on her face. “Of course I’m going.” There was excitement there now. The kind she usually tried to hide behind lectures, regulations, and disapproving looks. Unfortunately for her, I’d known her my entire life.
The portal’s energy pulsed, reminding me that we needed to get going. I turned to the only person who hadn’t said anything yet.
Marcus.
I knew enough to know that wereapes weren’t fond of magic.
Most of them were afraid of magic, hated it even.
My husband had traveled by ley line before, not often, but it had been with the help of some of Ruth’s tonic to ease the traveling for non-witches and keep his body intact.
The first time he’d done it, he’d compared the experience to being shoved through a meat grinder operated by an angry wizard. Not exactly a glowing endorsement.
“We don’t have time for Ruth to make some tonic for you,” I told him. “I’ll understand if you don’t come…” The words felt ridiculous even as they left my mouth. Marcus would sooner wrestle a dragon than sit home while our son was missing.
“I’m coming,” he growled. For a moment, he looked terrifying, the kind of look that made predators question their place in the food chain.
The next moment, Marcus was stripping as he moved, popping his belt loose and dragging his jeans down in one motion. The denim didn’t survive the effort. I was starting to think Marcus’s wardrobe should qualify as an annual business expense.
For a split second, I caught a glimpse of broad shoulders, bronzed skin, and enough muscle to make gym memberships feel inadequate. Somewhere behind me, Beverly let out an appreciative hum.
Then the change began.
His features shifted beneath his skin, as though something massive was moving just below the surface.
His face broadened. His jaw pushed forward.
The bones of his skull reshaped with a series of sickening pops and cracks.
A low growl rumbled from deep in his chest. When he opened his mouth, teeth like ivory daggers flashed in the light.
Every time I watched him shift, part of me was fascinated.
The other part was just grateful I wasn’t the one doing it.
Black fur burst across his body. The room filled with snarls, tearing fabric, and the sharp sound of bones rearranging themselves. The air seemed to vibrate with the sheer force of it. Ruth adjusted her goggles excitedly like she was front row at a concert.
A heartbeat later, the man was gone.
In his place stood a four-hundred-pound silverback gorilla, powerful shoulders nearly filling the room as gray eyes fixed on the portal. The floor creaked beneath his weight. The portal itself seemed less intimidating with Marcus standing beside it.
Ronin whistled. “I’m with King Kong.” He pointed at Marcus. “And if we run into trouble, my entire strategy is hiding behind him.”
The muscles on his chest flexed as he stood on all fours, his hands resting on his knuckles. Even standing still, he looked like a furry, extremely angry force of nature.
I knew Marcus’s gorilla form was physically stronger and more resistant to magic than his human form. It made complete sense that he’d choose to go as his beast rather than his human. If this portal decided to misbehave, it would have to negotiate with four hundred pounds of annoyed silverback.
Marcus looked at me and said, “Rweeadyy.” The word came out mangled through gorilla anatomy but the meaning was perfectly clear.
Okay then.
“Ready when you are, Tessa,” said Iris, looking way too pleased and exactly like when we were about to jump a ley line. Her eyes were practically sparkling. Some people collected stamps. Iris collected dangerous magical experiences.
“One thing before we go,” I said, glancing between them. “This isn’t the same as ley line traveling. It’s more of a pull than a push? If that makes sense. The point is, I’m still fairly new at this, so I can’t guarantee your safety.” There I said it.
The admission sat heavily in my chest because despite all my confidence, despite the portal opening exactly where I wanted it to, the truth was I still had no idea what I was doing.
The portal might take us directly into Addison’s lab, or it might decide we needed an educational detour through a yak farm in Mongolia. My track record remained mixed.
Ronin nodded thoughtfully. “So what you’re saying is there’s a chance I lose an arm.”
“A small chance,” I said.
“A leg?”
“Probably not.”
“One kidney?”
“I don’t know.”
Ronin looked at Iris. “See? This is why normal people take cars.”
“Too late,” said Beverly. “I’ve already committed emotionally to this rescue mission.”
Marcus let out a low gorilla rumble.
“See?” said Ronin. “Even King Kong agrees this is a terrible plan.”
The silverback bared his teeth.
“Actually,” Ronin corrected. “I think he wants me to shut up.”
The Nexari portal shifted. The edges rippled and pulsed like something alive was breathing just beneath the surface. Red light leaked through cracks in reality while shadows twisted lazily around the opening, as though the portal itself was becoming impatient with all our standing around.
“Let’s go,” I said, turning my body so I was facing the portal.
Darian’s face flashed in my mind’s eye. Not the ten-year-old-looking one, but the younger one.
My chest contracted, but I shook my head.
I couldn’t afford to get emotional right now.
I had to focus and get my son back home safely.
Every second mattered. Every minute he spent with Addison felt like another theft.
First she’d stolen years. Now she’d stolen him. I was officially out of patience.
So, I took a deep breath and stepped into the portal.
It hit me like a freight train.
One second I was standing in our living room.
The next, every part of me felt like it had been pulled apart and stretched across three different dimensions.
My stomach lodged itself somewhere near my throat while the rest of my organs apparently reconsidered their living arrangements.
If somebody had handed me a clipboard and asked me where my spleen currently was, I would have guessed somewhere near Morocco.