“I was born here; I will die here. The question now is, will you?”
My mouth drops open and a little squeak escapes my throat. Gamalt walks through the doors.
And I have no choice but to follow.
Chapter Five
MyKingwaitsforus in the Room of Greats. Instead of wearing his regal furs, he’s dressed for battle.
My hearts beat harder as I view his attire. This is my doing, though I intended no harm. My wedding was interrupted, my bride disavowed, and the treaty between our tribes is now broken. Worse, I manipulated an unknown portal which delivered a killer to our city and now the King is expecting the worst.
The female kneels beside me on the cold, stone floor.
She was meant to go elsewhere, but my energy pulled her here, to Tala Furi. The portal had resisted, but I refused to give her up. I’ve been weak in the hours since and it’s been a struggle to regain my strength. Realizing now what I’ve done, I expect harsh punishment. Perhaps even banishment.
I am Anaash, a manipulator of the cosmos. Opening and closing portals is as part of me as breathing or the pulse of my hearts. My abilities have always been used for the good of my people, but I employed them for selfish purposes this time, though I’m not sure yet why. I didn’t know she’d be dressed like an ancient Xen-Zye assassin. I was a child the last time an assassin was deployed in attempt to kill our Queen when our city was nearly invaded by a rival raiding tribe. Though many guards were in attendance for my wedding ceremony, I don’t believe anyone was expecting an assassination attempt.
“Anaash,” King Horaxx greets me.
I bow my head.
He looks over me, brow furrowed with concern. “Have you recovered from opening the portal? I am surprised to find you looking so well, considering.”
Keeping my eyes on the floor, I place my palms on my thighs. “I did not open the portal, my lord. I simply directed it to me.”
“Explain yourself, Gamalt, because as of this moment, you are facing treason.”
I’ve not been on the receiving end of my King’s judgement before. My normal place is beside him. I am a member of the tribal court, as a high-ranking official, and warrior. This is my first time on my knees, and I silently vow that it will be my last. Though my King had been whisked away from my wedding to protect him during the assassin’s arrival, he’d witnessed how I’d manipulated the portal. Everyone had.
It happened with no forethought. Something clicked in my brain and suddenly she was there, dumped at my feet in a small, soft ball. And when we touched…
I can’t explain it.
Everything broken inside my body came together. Every chaotic string of energy, soothed. Her energies reinvigorated me, eased the aging from my soul and returned me to a younger, stronger version. One who was still colorful and could fully harness the power of the universes. My powers are nearly gone now, my colors sapped as a byproduct of a lifetime of commanding the cosmos.
“The energy signature called to me, and I was compelled to draw it to Tala Furi.”
The wedding ceremony had only just started when the cosmos signaled something was moving overhead. I felt the energy raze through me and the next thing I realized, my hands were pulling the portal away from its destination and guiding it here. The ground and air trembled as I provided a new path for it to follow and then it yawned and spit this creature out.
“How did you find the strength?”
It is a legitimate question and yet another thing I do not understand. My time as a portal master is over. The cosmos has drained my power from me. I should not have been able to transfer the portal from one place to another, yet, I had.
“I do not know.”
“You are not providing me with satisfactory answers, Gamalt.”
“There is something else, my lord. The portal signature is still active. It has not been completely closed.”
He leans forward in his seat. “Will it close on its own?”
Since I did not create this portal, it is more difficult for me to close it.
“The energy is coming from somewhere we’ve never been, my King. Something appears to be feeding it, keeping it active. I was able to shield the entrance with my energy and will assess if it loses enough power in a few rotations to be closed.”
He thinks on this with concerned lines beside his mouth. I understand his worry. Portals which I create carry my signature and can be manipulated only by me. Those coming from another realm are not malleable and carry a signature I cannot always manage. It will likely take all my remaining life force to close it.
“Can your shield be broken? Can it be opened again?”
