Page 44 of Warrior Unraveled

“Mmm.” Wesley ran a hand through his hair. “You said they have to be anchored to something like rock?”

She nodded. “Yes, or some other material that’s been around a long time.”

“Interesting. You think a portal could be moved?”

“Moved?” That thought had never occurred to her. “Like how?”

“Let’s say some company excavated a bunch of rock from a plot of land to clear it, and somewhere in all that rock was the entrance to a portal, and then somebody used it to build”—He pointed to the church—“a church or something. Would that stone still be the access point to the portal?”

She stopped walking. “Oh my God.” Wesley’s idea made sense. How could a witch who knew very little about their race have come to that conclusion? But it was logical, and it would explain the existence of the lost portals. It would explain so much.

“What?” he asked.

“How did you figure that out?”

He chuckled. “I’m good for more than just sex, you know.”

She smiled and shook her head. “Let’s go inside and find the portal.”

Inside the church it was musty. Nobody had let any fresh air inside in a long time. The windows were dirty, most of the pews had been ripped out. There was no artwork left, just one large wooden cross hanging behind a stone altar. To one side was an old confessional, but the doors had been removed, and the seats had been stripped of their upholstery, leaving small metal tacks sticking out from the wood.

Virginia headed straight for the altar, Wesley followed her. She examined the heavy stone, ran her palms over the rough surface to find the sign that indicated that this was the portal. Every inch of its surface she touched, but there was nothing. She looked up, meeting Wesley’s gaze.

“I don’t understand it. It must be here,” she said.

“Let’s check the rest of the place,” Wesley suggested, his voice calm as if he wanted to soothe her.

She nodded and traced every square foot of the church’s walls, every stone under her feet, while Wesley started at the other end of the building. With every minute that passed, she grew more nervous. Had she made an error in her calculation? One mathematical error, and her coordinates could be hundreds of miles off.

“Found it!”

Wesley’s triumphant voice made her spin around and practically sprint to where he stood: at the confessional. When she reached him, he pointed inside the area where the priest would sit. She followed his finger and saw it, too. The ancient dagger their race used to identify a portal was carved into the wall.

Quickly she pressed her palm against it and felt heat build beneath it. Moments later the portal opened behind the priest’s pew.

She looked over her shoulder, and Wesley nodded at her, indicating that she go first. Virginia stepped over the seat and jumped into the darkness, then turned and reached her hand out to Wesley.

As soon as Wesley was inside the portal, he put his arm around her waist.

“Drive carefully, will you? I get a little motion sick,” he said with a wink.

“It’ll be over before you know it,” she promised and concentrated on their destination.

Within seconds, they arrived. Virginia eased out of Wesley’s arms and adjusted her clothing. Now that they were back in the compound, where in a few moments they’d be around other Stealth Guardians, it was paramount that nobody found out what had happened between her and Wesley. If they did, it would undermine her position. Fraternizing with a prisoner—because technically Wesley was still her captive and his fate hadn’t been determined yet—was equivalent to treason.

Virginia stepped out of the portal and looked over her shoulder, watching as Wesley did the same. She met his eyes and took a breath, about to explain to him that any physical contact or familiarity between them had to cease. But she didn’t get a chance to speak.

A loud beeping suddenly sounded. She froze.

“What is that?” Wes asked, panic in his voice and eyes.

A high-pitched scream came from somewhere in the building, then a loud thud echoed through the corridor.

“Shit!” Virginia cursed.

“Demons?” Wes was already heading toward the stairs. “We have to help them.”

She gripped his forearm, jerking him back. “We need weapons.” She pivoted, away from the stairs and toward another corridor. “The arsenal is this way. Hurry!”

She charged ahead, her heart beating into her throat.

Had the demons managed to attack not just the council compound, but also the other compounds around the world? If they had, then she wasn’t sure all the weapons in the arsenal would be enough to defeat them.