Page 31 of Shadow Dreaming

“Now, you take the carriers and step though. I’ll hold the portal open from this side.”

“What will I find on the other side?”

“Acandaria, the realm of Fae. You’ll be in a forest. Don’t go anywhere. Set the carriers down, open them up, and come right back through. The coxigans will be able to go free, once they’ve sobered up, and they won’t be able to return here unless they get someone to open up the portal on the other side.”

I took a deep breath. “All right,” I said. “Give me the carriers, and stand back.”

“Can you hold them, given your wrist?” Dante asked.

I nodded. “I’ll be fine.” I picked up the carriers, wincing. By now, the coxigans were starting to wake up and I wanted to get rid of them before they tried to ambush us when we opened the doors.

Ami nodded. “It’s ready. Go ahead.”

As the energy swirled, I walked up to the vortex. Taking a deep breath, I turned to the portal and stepped through.

CHAPTER NINE

As I stepped through the portal, every cell in my body seemed to vibrate, but it didn’t hurt. I transitioned from one woodland to another. As I stepped to the side, the trill of some bird echoed through the air. I shivered, looking down to see that I was standing in snow. I set down the carriers and looked around. This might be my one chance to ever see Acandaria, and I wasn’t leaving without at least getting a decent look.

The surrounding area was a meadow, covered with snow, with trees in the distance. The sky had a silver-lavender look to it, reflecting off the clouds. I shivered as I stepped away from the portal—which was an obelisk, as well.

I took a deep breath and the air was cold, but so clear and pure that it made me dizzy. The ground was level, and to one side, I was facing the forest, but behind me—against the distant horizon—there were massive mountains, rising jaggedly into the sky.

I looked for any signs of life, but mostly heard birds fluttering in the trees. There was a path through the middle of the meadow, which was about the size of two football fields, and it led both toward the mountains and toward the forest. I had a sudden urge to follow it, to see where it took me, but I shook off the impulse.

Another moment and I found myself drifting in my thoughts. Everything felt so incredibly peaceful, probably since there seemed to be no cities or people near me.

Finally, with a bit of reluctance, I knelt down and opened the cat carriers. The coxigans were still drunk but I could tell the juice was wearing off. I turned the carriers door down and shook them out. They shook their fists at me, but I ignored them. They couldn’t fly straight yet, but I figured they’d be fine in an hour or so, and Ami assured me they’d handle the cold without a problem. They had over on our side of the portal.

I locked the doors on the carriers, then slowly walked back to the obelisk, where the vortex was still shimmering. With one last, wistful look over my shoulder, I sighed and stepped back through.

“I was getting worried,” Ami said, as I appeared in her backyard again.

“I had to look around, just a little. I stayed by the portal, but I needed to see what I could in case it’s the only opportunity I ever get.” I worried my lip. “It feels so calm and quiet there.”

“It is, where you were at. The great Fae Courts are far from peaceful and far from calm. But like this world, there are vast spaces of uninhabited land. If a person wanted to, they could vanish into the forests or mountains and never again see another soul.” Ami took the cat carriers from me and handed them to Orik.

“Thank you, for your help,” I said. “Now we can focus on Penn.” I suddenly felt weary, tired beyond the day, and my hand ached. “All right, we should get going.”

“I’m glad I could help,” Ami said. “The coxigans will head for the nearest forest and make their home there. Unless some creature eats them. Acandaria has some fearsome beasts, and dangerous Fae.”

I noticed the vast array of plants in her yard. While nothing was blooming yet, I could tell from the variety of bushes and trees that she took pride in her yard.

“Do you like gardening?” I asked.

She nodded. “Selkies prefer the water element, but I do love growing things.”

I decided right then that I would buy her a gift certificate to a local plant nursery as a thank you. That way she could get what she wanted.

Ami began to walk toward the water. “I’m going for a swim.”

“Isn’t it too cold?” Dante asked.

“Not for a selkie,” she said, smiling. “Lock the side gate when you leave, please.” As she walked along the pier, she began to shimmer, and the next moment, a seal was lying on the pier. She rolled into the water, and vanished into the lake.

“I’ll bet you anything that bathing suit is her seal skin,” I said. “All selkies have a skin they can remove, and it helps them return to their natural form when they wear it. That must be an incredible feeling,” I said, keeping my voice soft. “I can’t imagine what it must be like to be able to shift form.” I turned to Dante. “You experience the same thing. It must be magical.”

“Not really,” he said. “At least not for those of us who are shifters. It’s as natural as breathing.”

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