Emma’s warm hand on my forearm pulled me away from the dark thoughts of what my Masters would do when they heard of my failing. It had never been so crucial to use my abilities as now when I needed to protect the Propheros.
“We could go back to my place,” she said softly.
Afraid to move an inch so that it might compel her to take her hand off me, I said in an equally low tone. “It won’t be safe. Under no circumstances can we return to your home.”
I have never been touched before like Emma was touching me at that moment. It was gentle and caring. I wished the sleeve of my shirt was pushed up so I could feel her flesh against mine. At the Temple, anointment was the closest thing to a gentle touch I’d known. In watching from a distance, I was always entranced by couples who cuddled, or a child who ran into the arms of a parent. Embrace was something I’d never known and from the outside, it looked… nice. Now I’d had a taste of that touch and found my assumption to be true. It was both gratifying to know as well as dissatisfactory. This was probably the only moment I’d know any such affections and it left me wanting.
Brushing aside my cresting desires, I reminded myself such things could never be for me. Not until I atoned and was deemed worthy. My purpose was the mission.
“Calan,” Emma said, and I liked the way my name sounded coming out of her mouth. “Since we can’t use your portal, we might as well go back to my place to figure things out.”
I shook my head. “Absolutely not.”
Her hand slipped from my arm, and I immediately missed it. “It will take two seconds.”
“Two seconds?” I asked quizzically.
“Not literally,” Travis said when he saw my expression. “Geez, you act like you popped straight out of the dark ages.”
Emma’s eyes widened. “Wait, are you from the past? I mean your clothes are modern, but he is kind of right. You’re kind of old fashioned.”
My lips tightened. “No, I am not a time traveler.” I didn’t offer further explanation as to where I came from. “We cannot go back to either of your abodes,” I insisted, hoping that would be the end of such ideas. “We need a more long-term safe house.”
Emma smiled brightly and gave my arm a squeeze. “Actually, I know just the place.”
CHAPTER SIX
Fifteen minutes later we were hurrying back out in the frozen, dark woods.
Through chattering teeth, Travis said to Emma, “You think you’re really clever, don’t you?”
I didn’t know what he meant.
“Did you have a better idea? You want to take him home to your parents’ house and show off the basement where you live?” she shot back at him. When he didn’t respond, she added, “That’s what I thought.”
“We aren’t far now,” I threw back at the two of them. As they tried to keep pace, I had to remember to slow down. Soon we arrived back at Smoky Badger Liquors. The windows of the shop had been blown out, but no one was around. The soul eater had returned to the Stygian to regather its energy, but would no doubt come back to the physical plane to destroy the Propheros and Emma. I knew I must inform my Masters but I counted on my magic to relay information as well as transport my physical body. I had no such way to do so now that my magic failed to flow to my will.
“Where was the portal supposed to lead to anyway?” Emma asked. Her eyes remained fastened on me as if avoiding looking at the store’s wreckage.
“It is to the Temple where I was trained. It is where my Masters are. They will help us.”
“Maybe we could just grab a plane to this Temple?” Emma asked.
I frowned. I’d never been in an airplane and had no intention of climbing the sky in an oversized metal bird. It was unnatural. “I’ve only ever used portals to return to my home. I wouldn’t know how to use any other transport system to get there.”
“But where is this Temple on a map?” Emma asked.
“I don’t know.” I shrugged, uncomfortable with her continued persistence to find another route. The only one we needed was by way of my magic. I was sure I would be able to generate a portal soon. “My masters told me once we lived in a world between worlds. Where we could protect the old ways. The true ways.”
“So itcouldbe another planet.” Emma’s mouth fell into a small ‘o.’
They were confusing me. “No, it is in the World, on Earth. It is hidden in a jungle, far from humanity’s reach.”
“That explains a lot,” Travis said, his tone dry.
“What does it explain?”
He threw his hands in the air, “Why you don’t get what we are talking about half the time. You’re like some kind of warrior Rain Man.”
