“What is it?” Drew asked.
He couldn’t see Zach’s expression since he’d backed up so his back was pressed to Drew’s front, but his voice was tense. “I think you may have opened a portal.”
“What?A portal towhere?”
The vortex spun faster and faster, sending ripples of darkness across the kitchen.
“I think it’s a portal to Hell,” Zach said.
“Oh, fuck.”
Then the portal broke free from its moorings above the counter and swept directly towards them. “Oh, fuck indeed,” Zach managed, and then he spun around and shielded Drew and Leila protectively with his body.
Chapter 2
Not in Kansas anymore
The rushing wind of the vortex died away, and Zach slowly unfurled from his protective stance over Drew. With a sinking feeling, he took in the familiar landscape around him. Unending plains of dark red dirt, scraggly trees, and in the distance, the red glow of a lava lake. Above them glittered a purple sky so dark it was almost black. Yep, they were in Hell.
Fuck.
Drew was staring around with wide eyes, his chicken now clutched against his chest. “I don’t think we’re in Kansas anymore, Bilina,” he said to her.
Zach snorted. For a Gen Z, he watched a hell of a lot of older movies. Drew had explained when Zach had teased him one day that he’d only ever been able to afford to buy DVDs from thrift stores and their collection wasn’t exactly up-to-date. Zach didn’t mind, since he’d watched pretty much every movie ever made, and if he were honest, movies likeReturn To Ozwere much better than some of the crap they’d made more recently.
“You’d be right,” Zach told Drew.
Drew sighed. “We’re in Hell, aren’t we?”
“Yeah, sweetness. We are.”
“So I’m guessing there are much worse things here than Wheelers?”
“Yeah, there are,” Zach confirmed. “I’m sure you remember Beelzebub and Asmodeus.”
Drew shuddered as he remembered the two demons he’d accidentally summoned last year, and hugged Leila even tighter to himself. “Fuck. We need to get home.” He threw a worried look over at Zach. “Um,howdo we get home?”
Wasn’t that the million-dollar question? Neither of them were technically demons, so they wouldn’t need to be summoned, but would the magic that prevented demons from escaping Hell also stop them from simply reopening another portal to take them home? He supposed there was only one way to find out. “Okay, so maybe just try to open a vortex home,” he suggested.
Drew looked at him with wide-eyed horror. “How?”he demanded.
“I don’t know exactly. Try just willing one into existence.”
Drew glared, but it lost a little of its impact when his floppy brown hair fell into his eyes and he had to brush it away. “That’s not exactly helpful. Are there any other instructions, or is that it?”
Zach shrugged, his eyes darting around to ensure they were still alone. There was no doubt in his mind they’d have disturbed the atmosphere enough to garner attention, and they’d likely be joined by several demons before long.
Sighing, Drew closed his eyes and took a deep breath, finding his centre no doubt. Zach’s ears popped as Drew gathered his power, and he looked on in awed amazement as he usually did when his boyfriend performed magic.
With just over a year’s experience and training under his belt, Drew was still quite insecure about his mastery of his magic. Yes, it would take years of study to fully control the vast power he possessed, but in truth, he alreadyperformed feats that advanced magic users would struggle with. Neither Zach nor Kensington ever mentioned that to Drew, as they knew he would get self-conscious and it wouldn’t be at all helpful. They sometimes spoke together regarding it when Drew wasn’t around. Kensington was determined to recruit Drew to the Nightingale Collective so he could use his powers for the betterment of mankind, and while Zach wasn’t opposed to this, he didn’t want Drew forced into it. He wanted him to decide on his own, towantto join the Collective. He’d been so determined to complete his MBA and to stand on his own two feet that Zach never wanted him to resent whatever decision he made about his future.
As Drew gathered more and more power to himself, the hairs on the back of Zach’s arms rose. He cast another worried glance around, sure that this display would be like a beacon to those who resided in this realm. Hell, heknewit would be, because he’d spent over a millennia trapped here.
The familiar didn’t seem too concerned about their predicament. She sat calmly in Drew’s arms, clasped against his chest, her black eyes locked on his face. A bead of sweat slid down Drew’s temple, skirting his freckles as it made its way to his chin. Zach didn’t dare wipe it away, not wanting to distract Drew from his task.
Finally, Drew opened his eyes and intoned loudly and clearly the words,“nusquam par domui.1”
Zach held his breath, waiting for something to happen.
