Chapter 5 Izzy
IZZY
The oil-slick, rainbow-filled darkness gave way to blinding light.
I winced, holding up a hand to block the sun. The movement caused pain to radiate down my arm.
Fucking ow!
We weren’t in my apartment anymore. We weren’t even in my neighborhood.
As I blinked, adapting to the light, what I saw looked more like…
a college campus. Not that I’d been on many.
A few years back I’d helped a girl from the bar move up to Harvard.
This place had a similar feel, with pristine care taken on the landscaping and buildings which gave a sense of age and gravitas.
Only… these buildings were far more beautiful.
I stood on a stone paved concourse between two green-roofed buildings with sweeping archways and graceful curves. The stone walls looked more like they’d been grown than assembled.
“This way,” Svokol barked, heading for the larger of the two structures.
The muscular woman grabbed one of my arms as she passed, dragging me along with her.
“Hey wait, where…?” My aching body could barely move. Every hurried step caused sharp spikes of pain. “Fuck, ahh! Stop it! I can’t go that fast,” I hissed at her.
“Pathetic,” she spat, releasing me.
I swayed, body too rebellious to stand. Then a hot body slid up behind mine, supporting me. Goth-boy’s hand slid into mine. Another jolt of electricity snapped between us and sung through me, less painful this time, more… soothing.
That was odd, right?
Then the pretty Goth lifted me with ease, cradling me in his arms.
“Better?” he asked, voice soft.
“Yes,” I breathed. Much better.
“I’ve got you,” he whispered, his voice hitching as he gazed at me.
The dark sable of his eyes nearly vanished as they dilated, taking me in.
I hadn’t noticed it before, but he had a tattoo on his neck, a small dagger, pointing down with a drop of blood of the end, all in black.
This close I also noticed the fresh scar on his jaw, tracing back to tug on his earlobe.
Somehow both of those things only served to make him even more mouth-wateringly beautiful to me.
His nostrils flared and he gave a heavy sigh.
I couldn’t help it, I sniffed him too. He smelled of strawberries and whipped cream. Wow. Drool much?
“Why do you smell so good?” I asked as he carried me. Also, “Why do I feel so comfortable with you, even though I don’t even know you?” And given the hunger in his eyes, I was also curious, “Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Hush,” he whispered. “Not now.”
I watched his lips move as he spoke. Wouldn’t it be great to kiss those lips, to suck on his bottom lip and savor his strawberries-and-cream flavor? Hmmm, yes please!
No, wait… Kissing him was too much, wasn’t it? Maybe I’d just lick his jawline…?
What the hell was wrong with me? Had someone slipped me some drugs? I felt like I was tripping hard.
He deftly cradled me as he jogged up a few stairs, then we entered the building. Light filtered down from many skylights as we passed through an open area, then wide halls.
I should have been completely freaked out, but for some reason, being close to this man made all this strangeness a little more bearable.
“In here,” Svokol grumbled, entering a room.
I tore my eyes off the beautiful Goth and glanced at the room.
It wasn’t large, painted a calming green, with a small table.
On the table was a silvery ball on a stand and behind it was a man with green eyes and a severe look.
It was his ears that truly caught my attention though, tall and pointed, poking up through his long straight blond hair.
“Set her down,” Svokol demanded.
“Sorry,” the Goth whispered. Then with a barely-there breath added. “My name is Myel.”
Myel.
He set me down gently and stepped back. But as soon as he released me, the comforting haze vanished. Everything was cold and hard and painful once more.
“What the—?” I turned to the one in charge, Svokol. “Where are we? What’s happening?”
He glared at me. “Just put your hands on this.” He pointed to the silver sphere.
Was this the test he’d mentioned?
Would it hurt?
Did it matter?
Did I have a choice?
“Fine,” I grumbled with a sigh and shuffled over to the table.
The pain in my body remained, though the soothing presence of Myel seemed to have helped mitigate it somewhat.
I’d have to ask him what he’d done. As much as I didn’t like the thought of him secretly drugging me, the pain-relieving element was nice.
I reached the table and put both hands on the orb. It was about the size of a bowling ball and had the same smooth feel. As soon as I touched it, the silvery color swirled and mixed with an inky blackness.
Was that supposed to happen?
I looked at the others. They were all focused on the sphere.
I guessed this was normal and kept my hands steady as the silver vanished completely and swirling blackness slowly shifted in shade to a dark purple.
Then it tinged to a dark red, then bright red before the shifting color began to slow.
The color finally settled on a fiery orange, filling the ball once more.
Was that… good?
Did I pass?
Did I want to pass?
I heard a heavy sigh behind me and looked over my shoulder to see Myel with a pained look in his eyes, shaking his head. What did that mean?
He mouthed the word, sorry at me.
At the same time, the man with the extremely tall pointy ears announced, “Orange. Pass.”
Pass meant… I had to remain here, right?
Fuck.
“No. There must be a mistake. I’m not orange, whatever that means. I can’t pass. I can’t stay here! I have a life.” It wasn’t much of a life, but it was mine and it was normal.
Unlike the past few minutes.
“You have no choice,” Svokol said, voice hard.
“Unless you can cast a gate spell to get yourself home?” His eyes shifted from me to the orange globe.
“With that little anima, I highly doubt it.” He laughed.
“Consider it something to work towards.” Then he turned to Pointy-ears.
“She’s all yours. I’ve done what I must.” He turned and left.
Wait!
What?
I turned to Myel, the only one here I remotely trusted, even if I didn’t know why. But as I did, Pointy-ears pronounced, “You two may go, I’ll see to her.”
Myel gave me a pained look, like he wanted to stay, but he filed out after the muscular woman. I got the distinct impression he had as little say in what was going on as I did.
Though he, at least, probably knew what the hell was happening.
“This way,” Pointy-ears said with a resigned sigh as he passed me. “Let’s get you enrolled.” He sounded like that was the last thing he wanted to do.
“Enrolled?” I asked. “Like in a school?” This place had reminded me vaguely of Harvard. It had a similar air to it, even if these buildings seemed a lot fancier.
I’d thought myself done with school. After high school I hadn’t been able to afford college. A part of me had thought I could take some courses in the evenings once I had a job, but given how damned expensive simply living was these days, that had been a pipe-dream.
But now…
“Of course. Don’t you know where you are?” Pointy-ears asked with contempt.
“No! No one’s bothered telling me anything!” I burst out.
“Oh, well, all will be explained in time,” he said, dismissive. Apparently, he felt no need to explain things now.
As we left the small room, I looked for Myel in the hall; he wasn’t moving fast, glancing back. But Pointy-ears headed in the opposite direction.
“This way!” Pointy-ears said, exasperated.
Before I turned to follow, Myel mouthed something that looked like I’ll find you. Either that or elephant shoe. Pretty sure it was the first one.
But as he turned away and I turned to follow Pointy-ears, I suddenly felt so very alone, with no idea where I was or what was going on.