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“Why are you getting those out?”
“Because you’re taking them with you.”
I huffed a laugh. “Are you seriously suggesting I head back to that portal and cross into another realm holding a bag stocked with liquor?”
She looked up, dead serious. “Yeah. It’s better than being without moonshine.” Then she shrugged, placing them carefully in there with some towels so they didn’t clank around. “And who knows? Maybe you can learn how to make poison in that new book of yours. And if you did, I bet your moonshine would block out the taste.”
Nog shuddered. “Maybe the moonshine is the poison,” he muttered, eliciting a chuckle from me. He was a proven lightweight, and my homemade brew wasn’t meant for the weak. Still, he hadn’t truly learned his lesson despite bowing to the porcelain gods at least once a month.
Sin brought it to me. “C’mon. I’ll walk you there.”
“Thanks.” I tried to smile, but considering where I was going, the sentiment felt forced.
After hugging Jo, my tía, and my dad one final time, I went to Nog and did the same. When I let go, I gave him a harsh look. “Don’t be a dumbass while I’m gone. Help them keep people away from the portal, okay?”
He was upset, and it was written all over his face. He nodded, not making any promises. That was the best I could hope for.
“I’ll keep an eye on the two he left here,” Sin said as we prepared to leave. “They can’t guard that portal every hour of every day. If I see a chance, I’m taking it.”
“That’s what you think,” I muttered. “Something tells me they are more than equipped at keeping that portal guarded, or he wouldn’t have left them in charge of it.”
I’d been saying how much I wanted to travel, but this wasn’t what I’d had in mind. How many times had I wished to be anywhere other than The Crossroads? As the saying went, ask and you shall receive. I needed to be more specific in my wishes from now on. I’d meant visiting my cousin Danni at Mt. Rainier, or going to her husband’s castle in Italy, or crossing into Arcadia to see where my cousin Adora lived with her mate. Instead of traveling the world, I got to be the bride of Frankenstein, heading to Hell with rolling luggage like Tartarus was the coveted destination for a relaxing weekend getaway.
When I swung the front door open, Ben was standing on my porch. My heart almost stopped beating. The mark on my neck tingled. He was holding flowers, and his shame-filled eyes met mine.
“Reagan, I am so sorry. I don’t know what happened?—”
Without thinking, I reared back, my fist connecting with his face.
I’d wondered earlier how things could get any worse.
I got my answer.
Chapter10
Caius
The woman draped over my shoulder kicked her legs forcefully, angling her heel toward my face, though she never made contact. Her fists pounded onto my back. Waves of magic rippled over my skin as she tried to use spells on me, but it was only when a sharp current of electricity passed through me that I felt the effect of her power.
I grunted in response. “That’s really not necessary.”
Guards came rushing toward the portal as we entered, wide-eyed and surprised I had returned.
“Your majesty, we didn’t expect you?—”
“I know. A young woman by the name of Reagan should be following soon. Allow her passage, and no one else,” I said, then dropped the small witch on the ground in the atrium. “Bring Pol and Abyssian.”
She landed on her palms and knees with a harsh thud, then pushed herself to stand quickly. Without hesitation, she brought her hands up into a defensive position to protect herself using magic.
I couldn’t help but smirk at her boldness. “That’s cute, but you know it’s not going to work on me.”
“What are you going to do to me, you asshole, because let me warn you and whatever shitheads you’re bringing to torture me, I willnotgo down without a fight?—”
“Relax,” I said, raising my voice to speak over her. “Stop being so dramatic. I have no intention of harming you.”
“I—you what?” she said, narrowing her eyes at me and not lowering her hands. “Then why am I here?” Her tone didn’t change. She didn’t believe me. All things considered, I understood her position.
“Come.” I waved for her to follow me, but she didn’t move, and I sighed. “Or don’t. Suit yourself.” I took a seat at the large table in my throne room. The humid air felt nice compared to the chill on Earth. “You seem smart enough. Let me ask you a question. How would bringing you here for such a vile purpose benefit me?”
