Page 123 of A Fae in Finance
“Lead us,” she said. “We must complete our quest with honor.”
At this point, we all seemed to realize that we didn’t know where the portal was. Sahir raised an eyebrow at Gaheris, who only blinked back at him.
Sensing that none of us would be useful, Sahir sighed again.
“Well, then,” he said, and scanned the clearing with slow eyes. “She will keep the portal close under her gaze, I think.” He walked a few steps toward one tree, then backed up again, probably trying to sense magic but appearing for all intents and purposes uproariously drunk.
I hefted Lene upright and we followed Sahir toward one end of the clearing, my arm around Lene’s waist.
We approached two tall, thin trees that leaned into each other, meeting overhead in a keystone arch. Their trunks were branchless, but where they tangled overhead they sprouted dozens of tiny branches covered in silver petals and gold leaves. Sahir put his left hand on the nearer trunk, and the tree shivered, dropping silvery petals onto the sandy dirt. As each petal fell, it trailed light, until the entire archway was filled with a shimmering glow.
This portal felt showier than the Princeling’s, which hadn’t glowedat alland didn’t involve denuding a tree. I tried not to judge, but to be honest, I didn’t try very hard.
When I looked at Lene’s face, it became evident that she wanted me to go through with her. What part ofbone shards and blood misthad she not processed? I motioned for her to go first, but she shook her head and held her hand out to me.
“You sure?” I croaked.
Her lips tight, she nodded. I slid my hand into hers. Sahir took Gaheris’s hand, and Gaheris took my other hand.
I cleared my throat. “If I die,” I started, and then stopped, staring at the shivering silver petals dancing between the two trees.
“If you die, I will comfort Doctor Kitten,” Lene assured me. She was going to comfort Doctor Kitten either way, so I wasn’t impressed by this declaration.
I looked past Lene at Sahir. “If I die, it will not be your fault. You have served me with honor.”
He stared back at me, his jaw set and still sporting a few small branches.
“I’ll ask only that you tell my parents what happened,” I said.
Sahir jerked his head in a single, short nod, his black hair curtaining his face.
“Then let’s go,” I said, closing my eyes and inhaling deeply.
I exhaled at once, remembering that when you’re scuba diving if you hold your breath while you ascend you will explode.
Lungs empty and daisy-linked to the others like children, I let Sahir lead me back into the mortal realm.
My first breath of mortal air in eleven weeks was gray and smoky. I gasped and opened my eyes.
The four of us stood in a long glass corridor highly reminiscent of a New Jersey Transit train station. I looked out to the right and saw tracks. I wondered if I’d died and was now experiencing my own version of a train station denouement with some beloved and criminally negligent professor.
I looked out to the left and saw a squat and unhappy-looking city filled with smog and cursing passersby.
“Are we in the Trenton, New Jersey, train station?” I asked, too shocked to process that I hadn’t died.
As with all of my traumatic experiences, I assumed the terror would hit me in approximately twelve hours, and I would become insensate with distress at that time.
“Train stations are highly convenient,” Sahir said defensively, apparently displeased with my tone. “And often sited upon ley lines.”
Lene’s breath came in quick panting gasps.
I looked up, hoping to see the sun through the glass ceiling, but the day was cloudy and dull. I glanced around for something to calm her.
“This is ugly,” Gaheris said. “Why would anyone choose to live here?”
I squeezed Lene’s hand, hard. She stared at me, her slitted pupils dilated in terror. “It’s okay,” I said. “We can always go back.” I turned her toward the portal, still shimmering behind us.
“Sahir, is that always visible?” I asked, pointing.
