Page 75 of Catastrophe

“I am.” I plucked a leaf from a bush, rolling it between my fingers. “I don’t intend to hurt my soul mate.”

I could feel his stare like a brand against my neck, but I didn’t look at him. Daithi might have freed Zaide, might have been his close friend, but I didn’t want to be lectured on how to treat my soul mate. I’m an honorable male. I care for him and I will protect him.

Daithi hummed thoughtfully. “No one intends pain for those they care about. Sometimes the choice is out of our hands.”

“I don’t know what troubles have passed between you all, but I’m not blind to the tensions even while everything is going on. I’m sure when this is over and we are safe and settled, you will fix the bonds that are broken. But in the meantime, please continue to care for him.”

We neared the top of the hill. The cave should have been just around the corner, tucked into the hillside under the shade of the huge trees, but an angry female voice stopped us in our tracks. “Don’t take another step or I’ll kill you.”

“Murder? So soon?” I mocked as she appeared from behind a large tree trunk holding a human weapon. Interesting choice for a witch. “You are so eager to kill you won’t ask questions first?”

“I don’t need to ask questions. This is private land and you need to leave,” she sneered. But at least she no longer wanted to kill us. It was progress.

“Your mother said to check your phone.” I told her, “she’s texted you to inform you of our arrival.”

“My mother?” Her weapon shook as shock widened her eyes. “What do you know about my mother?”

I tried to restrain my eye roll. “Your mother, Elizabeth, is working with our friend, Charlie, your brother, to defeat Fafnir, your defected family and the hunters. We need access to the shadow portal I healed only a few days ago.”

She paused, and I tapped my foot impatiently, waiting for her to finish her assessment. She shook her head and glared. “You could have captured them and are using the information to trick me into letting you cross.

I sighed. “Check the text.”

“No.”

No? No? I looked at the other two, incredulous.

Daithi frowned. “You are as stubborn as your brother.”

“She resembles him too, don’t you think, Daithi?” Savida added cheerfully. “Maybe something about the hair and eyes. Also, the glare. The glare is familiar.”

“Stop talking. I’ll check, but if you make one move, I’ll shoot.” We nodded our agreement and without taking her eyes off us, she pulled her phone from the pocket in her trousers. Her eyes flickered from the screen to us as she read, then typed a message back finally, she put the phone away again, and said, “She says to let you go, but I’m not sure if you can be trusted. How can I believe you? You could have typed this on her phone and sent it after you captured her.”

Her imagination was certainly like her brothers. But her heart wasn’t in the accusation.

“Do I look like someone who knows how to use one of those tiny devices?” I rolled my eyes. “You don’t seem to be convinced of your own fear of us. You know your mother, her words, and the situation we are in. I don’t have time to debate with you. I don’t want to harm you, but I will if you delay me.”

Her phone dinged again, and she checked it, with a little less paranoia, and sighed, lowering her weapon. “She’s used her codeword. I doubt even torture would have gotten that out of her. I won’t apologize. Hunters have been stalking this area for days, so I’ve had to be careful. But if she says you’re good, I trust her. Go. Quickly.”

“We won’t be returning through the portal, so don’t wait for us.” I informed her as I headed inside the cave.

Stepping out of the portal, yet more guards greeted us, and surrounding them was a realm which was completely unlike the one Kaatu had shown me in the dreamscape. The ground no longer looked like rubble, and although the landscape was still colored in muted grays, life was springing from the ashes in tiny spouts that danced in a gentle breeze, the elements no longer harsh and deadly.

It’s a completely different place.

Awe made my anger at the shadow king dim ever so slightly.

“When the king placed us here to guard the portal, I was certain we were in for a boring shift, but not even a week later, and we have our first visitors.” A male guard said, as he danced in front of us in his smoke form. “And an odd bunch, they are. Are you envoys from three realms?”

His companion, who was in solid form, scoffed and crossed his arms. “They aren’t envoys. Look at them. They are dressed like refugees.”

“We’re here to speak to your king,” I drawled, bored of being their entertainment.

“The king is busy,” the solid one retorted.

“He’ll want to greet the first visitors to our lands since the Fall.” The smokey one said. I had to wonder why he wasn’t solid like his friend. Was one form more comfortable than the other? Was it protocol?

“Follow me,” he demanded, and he dissolved to the ground to blend in with the rockery and, like a shadow, began moving across the land in stretches of smokey black.

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