Page 57 of The Tenth Muse

Just a wave of their hand is all it takes for the cabin walls to cave inward, wood bunching and popping, crumbling into smaller and smaller pieces right before our eyes. It isn’t long before the cabin is reduced to a pile of wood, glass, and fabric, but that’s when Donella sets it on fire. Everything is soon turned to dust that travels into the trees on the wind. My heart feels like it’s releasing from a squeeze. I’d had another panic attack and didn’t even realize. I take some slow, deep breaths as the protection wall comes down.

“I’m going to make a portal that’s human safe, but it might be a bumpy ride.” A bright pinkish-orange circle appears before us, snapping and buzzing with magic and light. It’s oval shaped, and the surface mimics ocean waves in a storm. “Ear popping and feeling warmth in your arms and legs is normal, but if anything else feels wrong just tug on my jacket, okay?”

“Uh, yeah,” I hear what they’re saying but, woah, this is really happening.

“You can tell me no right now. And you can tell me no at any time, even if we’re in the courtroom.”

“Thanks Donella, I’m ready,” I step into the side hug they’re offering and wrap my arm around their torso as they do the same to me. And then we step in together.

three

. . .

It’snighttime in the demon realm. Three small, pale blue moons hover in the sky giving off enough light to see without drowning out the stars. I can hear a stream of water near, and small birds sail slowly in the distance. We’re standing in a field of short grass, or at least what looks like grass, and a few miles away, I can see the skyline of the city.

“This is Sorealis,” Donella breaks the silence between us, their arm still wrapped around me. “My home.”

“Wow, it’s beautiful,” and truly it is. It smells like fresh corn out here, like right as you peel the green leaves back. How is that even possible?

“How do you feel Lellies?” Donella asks, bringing their eyes to mine. I actually hadn't noticed until they said something, but my legs do feel a little warm; no ear popping though. I’m trying to process that I traveled to another realm, with a demon, and I don’t even know their pronouns yet. I tell them as much and they nod, looking back at the city.

“You did really well for your first portal walk. The warmth should go away soon but that’s why I brought you out here first so you don’t have to take in the city while trying to adjust. It canbe a sensory overload if you’re not careful. And I use both she and they, what are yours?”

“I appreciate it and okay. I use she/her. Should we start walking that way then?” I say pointing towards Sorealis.

“Oh no, I wouldn’t have you walk that far. I did promise to keep you safe after all,” they say with a smile, “we’ll be riding in this.” Donella pulls what looks like a small, smooth stone out of their leather jacket and, with a flick of their wrist, throws it in the air where it expands to a—scooter? No, it’s more like a chariot but futuristic. A square-shaped platform hovers over the ground with a triangle-shaped panel in the front.

Donella steps up and gives their hand to help me up. As soon as we’re on, it expands on the sides to give us more room and a bench seat rises from the bottom. “With the board, it should only take us about 20 minutes to get to my place. Ready?”

Ready to ride a hovering scooter bench underneath three full moons to a city filled with magic, gods, and monsters?

“Sure.”

Right away, the board purrs to life, moving across the field about the same speed I would on a freeway. I take a moment to really look around and take this in. A few hours ago I was partying with my friends on an average Friday night, and now,this. Being chauffeured by a demon to a city in another realm with a pair of witches in roach form in their pocket.

I can’t think too hard on that right now.

“So what do you normally do when you’re not saving humans from being sacrificed?” Donella laughs, shaking their head and putting their arm on the bench behind us.

“I am a psychologist, and I support a few clients in art therapy on the side, mostly with music.” That’s it! Therapists have a way of putting people at ease, even when they're not on the clock. No wonder why I felt so ready to trust them.

“I’ve heard of art therapy with, like, drawing pictures or painting; how does it work with music?”

“Depending on the music, it can stimulate the brain and activate the reward center. Or people might use it to shake memories loose or process emotions.”

“Wow, I’ve tried talk therapy before and it didn’t really work for me. I may have to look into that when I go …back up? Out? How do you refer to Earth from here?”

“Some folks say ‘here’ and ‘there’ and some say ‘Earth-side,’ ‘Sorealis side’, but truth be told, I never really paid too much attention to what form is used because I’d never left this realm before tonight so, whatever works for you is fine with me.”

“Alright, cool.” A comfortable silence blankets us once again as we continue moving towards the city. The air whips through my curls, but the front panel of the board keeps it from blowing up my dress so I close my eyes and just try to keep my mind blank. I can freak out when I get back home. I don’t want to cry on Donella’s shoulder just because she has the skills to take it.

What can I be grateful for right now?

I’m grateful to be alive. I’m glad I was the DD tonight and not drinking. I’m grateful for Donella coming out of the cauldron so I don’t have to deal with this by myself. I’m grateful my girls are on Earth safe and sound. I’m grateful I followed my gut.

I repeat these statements, and add new ones as I come up with them, until the board slows down. I open my eyes to the city.

Now that we’re closer, I can start to see the skyline break into individual buildings. I’m about to ask Donella about the area when suddenly bright lights shoot up into the sky.

---