Chapter 7
Blood dripped to the floor from the cut Marlena made across Bridger’s palm. As she’d instructed, he ran his open wound across the top of the iron frame. It looked nothing like the portal he was used to seeing in Vates.
There was no holographic sheen to it, no pull of energy. It was so much worse.
He stepped back after he drenched the frame with his blood.
The smoke-like shadows darkened around the edge where his hand had just been.
It reminded him of the remnants of travelers’ powers after they jumped.
Except this didn’t disappear over time—it stayed put, ebbing and flowing like it had a pulse of its own.
“Are you sure this is going to work?” Bridger asked hesitantly, slipping a dagger into his waistband.
After the Avengers comment, Bridger had changed into a casual outfit.
He hoped a black button-down with sleeves rolled to the crook of his elbows and black slacks made to fit his body perfectly, like everything else in his wardrobe personally made for the commander of Tolevarre, would make him stand out on Earth less.
Marlena stared him down. “You doubt me?”
Bridger didn’t react. “I mean, if you could make another portal this entire time, one that led right to Vega, why wouldn’t you have just sent someone directly to her each time?”
Marlena’s smile expanded to reveal her canines.
“I never had a reason to make another portal until you asked, not when Arlet did the dirty work all by herself. Having her away from Khort and the brewing rebellion, chasing after a best friend who was good as dead? It’s like the curse was doing the torture she deserved for me.
” She watched the portal with hooded eyes riddled with lust.
Did the power inside call to her?
“This curse might technically be on my sister, Bridger, but make no mistake… I designed it to fuck with everyone else’s minds too.
Yours. Arlet’s. Khort’s.” Marlena smiled.
“You all didn’t have to endure Vega’s death only once.
You had to face it over, and over, and over again, slowly realizing she’d never be the person you all loved ever again. ”
Bridger fought off a chill.
“There’s nothing I can’t do,” Marlena cooed.
“Except figure out how to kill your sister.” Bridger clarified.
Marlena’s pause made Bridger crack a smile of his own.
“So help me gods if you don’t shut the fuck up.”
His grin grew the longer he got under Marlena’s skin.
Bridger shrugged, waltzing towards the new portal.
He hid the unease settling in his stomach the closer he got to the unknown.
“I told you I was done doing your dirty work when it came to Vega, and yet here I am, once again, dealing with her for you. Voluntarily. I’m such a great guy.
You should be nicer to me.” His joking tone disappeared.
“Bridger.” She practically growled his name. “I am so nice to you. You of all people know just how mean I can be.” Marlena looked like she might implode at any second.
“Mm-hmm.” He eyed the portal again. “This is going to take me right to Vega?” Bridger got serious, watching the smoke swirl.
Marlena nodded tightly. “You know where she is. This will take you wherever it is you want to go. I just hope you’re sure where that is.”
Gods, Marlena really pissed Bridger off.
He wouldn’t let her get under his skin.
I have a job to do.
Even if that job was still a bit unclear to Bridger. All he knew was he had to find Vega—he could figure the rest out later.
He stuck a hand through the portal, keeping his body turned towards Marlena. The air inside was cold, nipping at his skin like the summer bugs on a humid night.
He pulled his arm out, bringing it back around to inspect with a quick hum, his chest vibrating. Nothing looked out of the ordinary. “I know exactly where I need to be.” Bridger locked eyes with her, returning her cold stare.
“Need I remind you what happens if you cross me, Commander?” There was nothing behind her frigid eyes but malice and turmoil.
Bridger huffed a humorless laugh. “I’m well aware of what you think you can do, Your Majesty.” Before Marlena could scold him for using that title, Bridger took two large steps back and plummeted into the portal.
One last time.
Except, it didn’t feel the same this time. Instead of a warm tingle when his body sank through the abyss, pain and a sense of wrongness wrapped him in a tight hug and didn’t let go.
He couldn’t scream, couldn’t break free of the suffocating anguish gripping at every piece of his being. It felt like traveling—like the in-between wanted to swallow him up.
“You can’t have her. Her death belongs to me.”
The chanting of a familiar voice echoed through his head and ripped the air from his lungs, leaving him starving for oxygen.
He should have trusted his gut, should have heeded the warnings his body was trying to get him to see. But all he’d been thinking about was Vega.
Vega.
Marlena told him this portal would take him where he wanted to go.
Bridger heard his own voice shouting at him down the chasm. Fight!
So he did, going after the voice chanting, “Mine. Mine. Mine. She’s mine.”
He struggled through the grip on his throat, combating the urge to slip under the surface into unconsciousness. Bridger clung to the power he felt tugging him through the portal, gnawing at the chance to reach the other side.
Instead of stepping through like he’d done last time, Bridger was spat out, freefalling until he landed with shards of glass and debris raining down on him.