“So how does portal magic work?”
He leaned back on his hands, stretching his legs in the grass. “Well, you’ll have to study the book regularly and memorize the different symbols needed for each type of portal.”
“That, I can do.” Ava had been an excellent student in herold life. She loved studying and the rigor of graduate school when she was earning her Master’s degree. Memorize symbols? Piece of cake.
“We’ll start with the easiest ones and work our way up.” Jorrar opened the book between them and pointed at a page. “This portal allows you to move between spaces, but the location you want to go must be visible to the naked eye. For instance, you could move across this field.”
“What do I do?”
“Draw these three symbols on the ground.” He handed her a stick.
Ava studied the shapes in the book, tracing them with her finger. Using it as a guide, she carefully carved each one into the soft dirt.
“Now what?”
“Cut your palm, place it on the symbols, and visualize the location you want the other portal to be.” He gestured to the other side of the field beneath a large tree. “Why don’t you put it over there? Memorize what it looks like, then close your eyes and will the portal to appear when you place your hand.”
Ava unsheathed her dagger and cut her hand with a wince. With a final glance at the location, she closed her eyes and laid her palm atop the symbols.
A sting worked its way up her arm, followed by immense pressure and a brief wave of nausea—then nothing. She opened her eyes, breathing heavily. There they were. Two portals. One before her and one on the other side of the field,swirling abysses of darkness with a hint of blue light at the edges.
“Why do they look different from the one at my grandfather’s farm? It had an archway of stone around it.”
“Portal magic is…peculiar. According to the book, you can manipulate the magic to leave an archway when moving between realms, making it easier to return if necessary. In that case, all you have to do is use just enough power to activate it, making it less draining. My assumption is that your grandfather had intended to bring you and your mother back at some point.”
“Does that mean when I make one to Deidamia’s realm, there will be an archway?”
“Not necessarily. But you will still need to immediately place your hand back on the symbols to close it. That will ensure it is sealed permanently and no other beings can sneak through. It’s best not to risk leaving it open longer than absolutely necessary.”
“The portal Andras forced me to open back at the camp…it didn’t have an archway…”
“You were able to escape in time,” Jorrar said. “Didn’t feed enough magic into it.”
“Good. That’s good.” Ava’s mind reeled, trying to understand the nuances.
“How do you feel?” Jorrar asked.
“A little tired.”
“Portal magic is quite draining. Feed your magic into the symbols slowly, like Raine taught you with the light and your earth magic.”
“Is it possible to completely drain myself?”
“Yes. With the more complicated portals, you must use the utmost caution. Your abilities with portals come from your blood—different from how we access most other magic. If you use it up, there could be dire consequences.”
She remained on the ground, numb, staring at the portal before her.
“It’s why your grandfather was unable to banish Deidamia back to her realm. He didn’t have enough magic and would have likely died trying.”
“But he had enough to open a portal to the human realm?”
“Apparently. Each realm takes a different amount of power it seems. The realm of Taurtarius must have required more than he had.”
“But I have enough?”
“According to the prophecy you do,” he answered.
“Is there a way to share power between fae?”
