Page 66 of Kiss of Light

“From my recollection, day and night are reversed over there. Night here, day there.”

“Exactly. We need to enter the Gate just before dawn on this side. That makes it dusk in Nush’aldaam.” She gave him a half smile. “You’re going to have wicked jet-lag.”

“Why does no-one use this Gate? I’ve never even heard of it.”

“It’s got a couple of problems. This side of it’s in the middle of a major tourist area. Too many humans milling around. Makes it hard to come and go without being seen.”

“And the second thing?”

“Hm?”

“You said it had a couple of problems. What’s the other one?”

“Oh. Well.” She gave a short laugh. “It, um, it comes out somewhere difficult.”

“Difficult?”

“Yeah. But don’t worry. I have a plan.”

“You’re being very vague.”

“You still have your Gateway mark, right?”

“Are you changing the subject?”

“It’s an important question, Lemar. You didn’t do something stupid like erase it, did you?”

The mark was an invisible tattoo which allowed inhabitants of Nush’aldaam to go through the Gate. It was the equivalent of a VIP invitation to the member’s lounge of an exclusive club. No mark, no entry.

“I thought about it. But no. I still have the mark.”

Tala was relieved. She should have asked the question earlier, but somehow with all the things she’d had to arrange, that had fallen off her list.

She dug her phone out to reassure herself that Denny had reached the right people. His text was the same as the first three times she’d read it.

Time and date confirmed. Good luck, boss.

She hoped he was right. Otherwise this would be the shortest trip home ever.

The terrain grew rockier.

“It gets pretty mountainous from here,” Tala warned. “Hope you’re good with heights.”

“What about Ravij? He’s out there, somewhere.”

“Two of us, one of him. I like those odds.”

“I hope you’re right.”

“He’s not a fighter. If it comes to a straight throwdown, I can take him.” She drew a blade and flipped it casually, catching it by the hilt. “He might be older than me, but he’s never been a weapons guy. He relies on his gift of possession far too much.”

“What if he tries to control me again?”

Lemar kept his tone light but Tala heard the undercurrent of doubt.

“No chance. He has to be pretty much standing next to you to do it, and I’m not about to let that happen. Plus, you’re a bloody vampire. You’ll smell him a mile off.”

He didn’t answer and she caught his hand.

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