Page 5 of On A Rift's Edge
But a human Kaveh was by his side in a moment, as surprised as anyone. The ranch veterinarian strode off toward the plumes of vapor rising into the air, and Kat and Remi hurried to keep up.
The cadejo reappeared in human form, coughing and brushing ash off his clothes, which were forming around his body. It was a type of Riftworld tech Lyall had called living leathers, even though José’s version consisted of jeans, a tee shirt, and designer sneakers.
“A hellmouth opened up in the middle of the soccer field.” The cadejo opened his arms to embrace his wife, who had dashed over to hug him and ask if he was okay.
“Let me check it out.” Kaveh pointed to the crowd of townies drawing closer to the disturbance. “If the two of you could keep people at a safe distance for me, I’d appreciate it.”
The couple nodded and walked over to calm the crowd that had gathered. Kaveh motioned for Remi and Kat to stay behind him.
“Is this like the hellmouth portals Lyall can make?” Kat asked, staring as the thick white fog began to thin. Dark rocks appeared, revealing a flat liquid surface.
“It looks like an earth rift, except for the water.” Remi frowned as the vapor dissipated, exposing the strange transformation of the ground in front of them.
Kat was familiar with the nearby Saguaro Rift, a portal that lit up the sky like the aurora borealis and led to a portion of the Riftworld where Kaveh’s people, the drakones, lived. Remi had told Kat stories about the water portal offshore of Massachusetts known as the Witch City Rift, which was as much a part of local tourism in Salem as Halloween tours. Most earth rifts, though, had dominant species that weren’t friendly toward humans, and less was known about them.
Lyall’s hellhound clan controlled the hellmouth that had opened twenty-five years ago on Mt. Hood in Oregon, and he had told Kat that human visitors were not welcome. Even for those who studied exobiology, like Kat and Kaveh, the hellhounds and their portals were an enigma.
The temperature where they were standing was even hotter than it had been in the late morning sun, but instead of arid desert air, Kat now took in humid breaths that smelled like sulfur. The last of the fog twisted away in the wind, and he could now see a steaming body of water the size of a small pond, ringed by black stones that appeared too orderly to be from an explosion.
“It’s a hot spring.” Kat took a cautious step forward. “Lyall told me his earth rift in Portland resembled a volcanic crater. Can a rift be more than one element?”
“An excellent question.” Kaveh stood with his arms folded, frowning at the spot that had been a playing field a few minutes ago. “I’ll have to discuss this with the guardians.”
“Your gargoyle friends will take an eternity to get here.” Remi leaned forward and held out his hand. “Bug, come on. I want to get better footage of it.”
Bug launched himself off Kat’s shoulder, translucent black wings extending as his metal carapace lifted. He rose in the air like a press drone.
“Until we know what’s going on, I’d rather you didn’t get any closer.” Kaveh put a hand on his boyfriend’s shoulder. He was awfully protective of Remi and would be even if they hadn’t been set up by the Matchmaker. The mysterious Riftworld alien dating service made Riftworld people fall into obsessive love with whomever was selected for them. The thought of it made Kat shiver, even though Remi and Kaveh were a great couple.
Bug flew past Remi and soared low over the water, which worried Kat. The cyberbug had quite the independent streak and often ignored commands. Fortunately, bribery worked. Kat reached into the front pocket of his jeans and took a few steps toward the water. Bug loved to eat plastic, and Kat had brought the shredded remains of a vintage water bottle as treats.
“Here, Bug.” Kat showed the cyberbug the plastic fragment and stretched out his arm. He had only taken a few steps away from Kaveh and toward the water.
Not far at all.
But too close.
A wet, heavy weight encircled Kat’s waist, and he was jerked up into the air. He had a moment to scream before he was yanked into the water.
Kat was thrashing under the surface a second later. His reflexes from years of swimming kicked in, and he held his breath and stopped moving. The pressure around his body eased, and he shot up to the surface. Catching a glimpse of giant purple tentacles surrounding him, he lashed out with his feet. The appendages retreated from his kicks, and a quick breaststroke brought Kat to the side of the pool. He was climbing out as a green fireball roared over his head.
Kaveh was cursing—which was unlike him—and his hands glowed with the unearthly green fire known as summ. Before Kat had known Kaveh was an alien dragon with poisonous flames, he would have said that wasn’t like him either.
A bearded man naked from the waist up rose out of the water, arms held high in surrender as he stared at Kaveh in alarm. “Hey, stop trying to fry me. I come in peace. I swear.”
“Hold your fire, Kaveh.” Remi came over to help Kat get out of the water. “It’s only my asshole cousin Zale.”
Kat grasped Remi’s extended hand and scrambled to his feet. He was soaked through, and his cowboy hat floated in the pool. Otherwise, he was fine. Bug buzzed around him, looking for his treat.
Kaveh hadn’t taken his eyes off the tentacled man in the water. He sounded angrier than Kat had ever heard him, and his hands still glowed with his deadly fire. “Come out of the pool in your human alterform now, or I’ll kill you.”
Zale nodded, but before he could follow Kaveh’s instructions, a roiling cloud of fog rose around him.
Water exploded upward, and a massive fanged head broke the surface. Kat caught a glimpse of a huge shape rising out of the water seconds before he was knocked to the ground.
All Kat could see was wet fur. The monster that had come through the portal covered him with his body, and warmth seeped into Kat despite his damp clothes. He sucked in a breath, and a rich scent of peppery smoke and spice filled his nostrils. The Riftworld creature gave an ear-splitting growl that sent vibrations through Kat’s body.
He was too stunned to do anything but lie there.
