She left, and I rose to hug Dad and Luis. Dad held me longer than was necessary. There was an urgency to his embrace that I’d never experienced from my father before. I looked over his shoulder at Luis, who was staring off at the opposite wall like he was embarrassed to be intruding on such an intimate moment.
Dad gave me two heavy pats on the back and released me. “Be careful, Nico.”
I forced myself to smile. “I’ve been fine the last few times, haven’t I?”
Dad grinned back at me, but it was hollow and forced like my own smile. “There’s only so many times you can dance with the devil before he wins.”
My smile faded, and I put a hand on his shoulder. “I promise we’re coming back.”
“I know, I know. I’m gonna go spread the word about the meeting.” Dad turned and left without another word.
Luis raised an eyebrow. “The old man’s getting soft?”
I shook my head. “He’s worried. We need this finished because he’s right. Our luck is running out. We’re not always going to come out on top.”
Luis slapped me on the shoulder. “Keep your head up, bro. Can’t beat their asses if you’re worried about failing.”
We exchanged a look, then moved forward to hug each other. Regardless of his bravado, I could feel the tension in his body. My friend was worried about me, but he disguised it well. He pulled away and backed toward the door. “You stay safe, bro. I don’t want to be the one to tell Sebastian that you kicked the fucking bucket. You know that guy. Tears, snot, the whole nine yards.”
“Ha, yeah. I’ll see you in a few days.”
Alone once again, I went up to Sinthy’s room. I could hear the muffled sounds of crying coming from Maddy’s parents’ room. I opened my own bedroom door and grabbed our two bags before going into the guest room. Inside, I found Sinthy alone, sitting on her bed. She looked up and smiled. “Ready for the ride of your life?”
“Uh, I suppose so, yeah.”
Maddy stepped in a moment later, her eyes rimmed with red. It looked like her family wasn’t ready for another dangerous trip either. Maddy sniffled. “I guess I’m ready.”
We each grabbed our bags and looked at the young witch expectantly. She stood and took a step toward us, forming abasic triangle. She lifted her hands, one toward each of us. “Take my hands and hold each other’s as well.”
I took her hand in mine; her skin was cool and soft. No sweat at all. It was a good sign. I don’t think I could have gone through with it if her hands were clammy with nerves. Maddy took the other hand, then slipped her free hand into mine.
Sinthy tilted her head to the right. “This is going to feel a little disorienting. I want you to be ready for it.”
My anxiety spiked. The girl’s hand wasn’t sweaty, but mine was. I was sure she noticed but thankfully didn’t say anything. Maddy glanced at Sinthy, a nervous look on her face. “Does… um… will it hurt?”
The young witch chewed at her lip for a moment before answering. “Honestly, it’s probably better if we do this like taking off a Band-Aid.”
Without another word, she teleported us. The sensation was like being sucked through the tube of a vacuum. My stomach flipped, and for a few seconds, I had the sensation of falling through the air, almost like skydiving, except without falling down to earth. It was like I was somehow falling sideways. The whole thing took less than three seconds. When it was over, I stumbled backward, releasing Sinthy’s and Maddy’s hands. I went down on one knee. The world was still spinning, and my stomach rolled. Maddy was beside me, bent over, hands on knees, trying to catch her breath. That was when I realized I was gasping for air. It was like I’d been holding my breath for three or four minutes, and my body was desperate for oxygen. Holy shit, that was not fun.
The witch walked up behind us and rubbed a hand on each of our backs. “Sorry about that. It’s a bit hard to explain. I thought it would be easier to go for it and see what happened.”
Maddy spit on the ground, probably trying to get the taste of bile out of her mouth like I was. She looked at Sinthy. “Yeah, it’s not fun. I’ll be happy never to do that again.”
“Same here.” I groaned and stood, finally finding my footing.
The world had stopped spinning, and I could make out where we were. I’d honestly been expecting a little cabin out in the woods—the stereotypical witch’s hut. Instead, we were in an alleyway between two large buildings. I could see a busy city street at the end of the alley. It looked almost like I was in New York again. A few snatches of conversation echoed down from the street. The accents were Australian. The same as Sinthy’s. We really had traveled almost ten thousand miles in a matter of seconds. No wonder Maddy and I felt like shit.
“Follow me,” Sinthy said as she walked toward the end of the alley.
Out on the street, she pointed toward a loft-style building. Maddy and I followed. My curiosity finally got the best of me. “This is where you guys live?”
Sinthy sighed. “Yes, Nico. We don’t live in a gingerbread house, and we don’t eat children. I’m sorry to dash your hopes and dreams.”
I felt my face flaming, and I kept my mouth shut, not wanting to embarrass myself any more than I already had. The closer we got to the building, the heavier the feeling of magic was. It was almost palpable. I’d sensed something in the tunnels below the royals’ castle and in the underwater cave, but this was a whole different level. The magic surrounding this place was so powerful it was like I was putting a wet finger near a light socket. An inch away from being fried by the power.
Sinthy opened the door and gestured for us to come inside. “My mother awaits.”
I glanced around one final time and stepped through the door. My breath caught in my throat as I crossed the threshold.From the outside, the interior looked like the lobby of a simple office building. Once I stepped through, it was like a light had been switched on, and it all changed. It was a simple family home. A living room, kitchen, and hallway. Nothing more than a typical home you’d see in the suburbs. It most definitely did not look like the five-story office building I’d seen from the outside.
