My mouth fell open. “A witch did that?”
“With a fae. Portal magic is complex, and the best way we’ve found to keep them open is to have two magicals work their powers on opposing sides and blend them. Of course, permanent Faerie holes look nothing like this, but we’re working under the radar.”
“Will this disappear later?”
“Absolutely. Once we pass through, I’ll instruct the fae whose magic kept it open to end the enchantment. If we keep it open, one of the queen’s men might find it.”
Something dinged in his pocket, and an alarmed expression came over his face. “Oberon’s ears! Heads will roll! Come, Alice!”
With that, Herald leapt into the hole and disappeared from sight.
I stuck my head in the hole and peered down after him. Only darkness stared back, making me gulp.
The dark didn’t scare me. I’d learned to use it to my advantage, to be one with it.
But the unknown? That scared me.
It would be easier to stay here, go on another job, maybe two if the vamp insisted, and soon enough be free of Xavier. Free to do whateverIwanted, with no obligations to anyone or anything. That way, no one could ever hurt me again.
But another opposing dream stared me in the face. My family. Fae who only put me in Xavier’s hands to protect me.
I had to meet them.
I shoved myself through the hole.
Blackness swirled around me as I plunged. Air whipped through my white-blonde hair, and goosebumps charged over my skin. My hands flailed out, trying to grab onto something, a rock to slow the momentum, a root,anything.
Nothing popped up.
That is, until my right shoulder slammed into something hard, and the sound of an instrument—a piano?—hit my ears.
I released a gasp, and at that very instant, light beamed through the darkness as if someone had turned on a light switch.
A trumpet flew past me, followed by a teapot leaving a trail of teacups swirling through the air in a circular motion. Flags, balloons, and playing cards adorned the walls of the tunnel like photos.
I shook my head as another barrage of objects soared past, this time a hookah with a stuffed dog attached, apparently smoking.
Whoever created this portal must have been on drugs. Or maybe—oh shit!
The floor came in sight, and I realized I was going way too fast if I wanted to land and live. I didn’t see any Herald-splatter below, but that didn’t give me hope. The pooka could’ve easily changed from a rabbit to a bug or something with wings. But I didn’t have that option. As always, my wings were strapped to my back.
I reached for my powers of air and brought a gale of wind up under me, fighting against gravity. It wouldn’t be enough to save me from hitting the ground, but it slowed my fall a little.
As the floor came at me, I braced for impact, closing my eyes and hoping that I’d escape broken bones.
I landed with anoomph,and bounced up and back down softly. My eyes snapped open and I looked down to see what I’d landed on.
“What the hell?”
A massive cushion that hadn’t been there a moment ago sat beneath me. Next to it was a small table; another object I hadn’t spotted. Placed upon the table lay a wee bottle of purple beverage, and a single-bite teacake.
Well, that’s weird.
I glanced around, taking in the room. It was twenty feet in diameter, and circular. Ten feet above my head, small windows peppered the wall to allow in light and fresh air. A single door stood facing me, no larger than a mouse hole.
Herald was nowhere to be seen. He must have transformed and exited through the door, forgetting in his time-obsessed haste that I had no damned idea where I was going.
“Wonderful.” I shoved myself up off the cushion.
