Cosmo continues to grumble while knocking the dust off his Harry Styles pleat-front pants. “Whatever. It’s time to go.” He frowns at the dusty state of his loafers, then crosses his arms.
Donovan throws me an apologetic look. “He’s a twat, but he’s been like my brother since we were kids, and I guess I still love him. Sorry, Tee-Tee.”
“You can’t help who you love,” I reply, getting to my feet. “But I’d be amazed if Cosmo has love for anyone apart from himself.”
“Fuck you.” Cosmo turns his back and looks into the distance.
“No, fuck you, dickhead,” Donovan responds. “I hate the way you treat Tee.” He takes my hand. “Gods, babe. I can’t imagine the shit you’ve had to hear from his mind over the years.”
“What the fuck are you talking about?” Cosmo snaps.
I’m shaking my head, but Donovan doesn’t understand. I guess in the grand scheme of things, it doesn’t really matter if I’m outed.
“Her telepathy, dingbat,” Donovan answers.
Cosmo swivels in my direction. “Telepathy? You’re telepathic?” I watch his face change from surprise to suspicion. “Hmm,andyou could fight my Elite commands.” He moves closer, pointing a finger at me. “What the fuck are you, dud?”
Alexis and Ludo are instantly flanking either side of me, bristling at his aggression. I put a hand out to each of them.
“Let it go, he’s just worked up because he’s out of the loop.” I cock my head to one side and raise my voice. “Cosmo Drakeward can’t handle having to play catch-up. Nor does he like having his stereotyping shattered.”
I mentally give myself a high-five. It’s so marvelous to be free of Cosmo-induced fear.
Donovan gives a tired smile. “You tell him, baby. Now, shall we head to the shadow patch?” For a second, Donovan’s eyes turn bleak as he looks around his ‘home’ of many years, then he mutters something under his breath.
“What was that?” I ask.
He looks a little bashful and points to the cairns. “I spent a lot of time with my rock friends, I guess I was just saying bye.”
None of us knows what to say, but Cosmo strides over and slaps Donovan on the back. “Fuck that shit, Hart. Get your head in the game.”
Donovan sighs, “Yeah you’re right. Maybe you should shift, Cos? You can circle around and let off some smoke while the rest of us walk. You seem a little stressed.”
I swear, Cosmo’s eyes flash red, and then, in a series of groans and snaps, he morphs into his dragon form. We watch as he launches himself into the sky.
“Elvis has left the building,” Donovan murmurs.
Alexis turns to me and grins, looking a decade younger as his worries fall away for a second. “Or, as we would say in Kormovia, when the cock leaves the coop, the chickens relax.”
—Dragon boy is not the biggest cockerel in this coop—
Ludo’s dry comment has me chuckling as we set off to the shadow-portal.
Our destination is by the distant low hills. I understand what Donovan means about this place being draining. Every step feels heavier than the last. “Is it the same when you’re in centaur-form?” Alexis asks him, his voice sounding weary with fatigue.
“No, when I’m shifted, I feel like I can go for a thousand miles, or a thousand days without stopping. It’s our human forms that don’t really belong here. I would have spent all my time shifted, but the centaur got so strong, I had to keep shifting back to make sure human-me still existed.”
Finally, we get within spitting distance of our target. The dark patch of shadow is an obvious blot of pure night against the white rock. Shadows swirl and dance on a patch of ground that is maybe twelve feet across. I edge closer, trying to make sense of the absolute void.
I feel a strong, primitive impulse to dive in headfirst.
—Be careful, nymph. Let me hold you.—
“Keep back, Theo. Remember what happened last time you got near a portal,” Alexis warns, reaching out a hand.
“Oh, yeah. Fair point.” I step back, closer to Ludo as Donovan calls out, “Incoming.” Behind us, a muffled thud and a faint tremor of the ground lets us know Cosmo has landed.
He joins us as we circle around the blackness. “So, they jumped into this and disappeared?”
