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Phone? Check.
Keys? Check.
Wallet? Check.
Nerves of steel, because I was about to meet a dragon? Check and double check.
“Ready when you are.”
He brought out another can of spells and opened it, aiming at the wall. A huge rush of energy filled the room, making the hairs on my arms stand on end. A swirling black portal opened on his wall, big enough for a person to fit through. Wait. Weren’t you supposed to be able to see through to the other side? There was nothing there but an empty void.
I looked at it dubiously, then back to Mateo. He wasn’t seriously expecting me to step through that, was he?
So much for my nerves of steel. Nuh uh. No. Freaking. Way.
I knew portals existed, of course. I’d seen them used in videos. The wizards from the Wizards’ Elder Council often appeared for interviews by walking through a portal. They liked to make a grand entrance, and the portals usually showed a brief glimpse of the inside of their extravagant homes. But I’d never seen one that was just pitch black.
I didn’t know much about magic. I did, however, know enough about science and physics to know that teleporting anything from one place to another was risky business. Hadn’t some kid died trying to teleport himself to his exam because he was late? What if I came out the other end all jumbled up like a scrambled Mr. Potato Head?
And really now, did I trust a portal that came from a can?
Mateo reached his hand out to me, clearly expecting me to take it.
I didn’t. Instead, I backed away from the gaping black maw of nothingness swirling on his wall. “Couldn’t we go by, you know, car?”
“Don’t tell me you’re afraid of stepping through a portal.”
“Actually, I am. I’m not teleporting.”
“But this isn’t a teleportation device. It’s a portal.”
“What’s the difference?”
“Teleportation is the transfer of matter or energy from one point to another without traversing physical space.” It sounded like he was reciting from a textbook. “As in ‘beam me up, Scotty’. Science doesn’t have that yet, and magic can’t do it.”
“Okay. Then what’s…that?” I waved at the creepy hole.
“I told you. It’s a portal.”
Well, duh. “And if it doesn’t teleport you from one place to another, then what does it do?”
“It, like, folds…space. And you go through. Physically. In physical space.”
I narrowed my eyes at him. “You really have no fucking clue, do you?”
He let out a low growl. “Just—trust me. It’s safe.”
“You want me to trust the same guy who forced his way into my home, kidnapped me, and is now making me help him solve a case? Sure, whatever. I’ve seen portals online before, and you can always see through to the other side. Why is this one completely black?”
“I don’t know. I’m not a wizard. But honestly, the wizard who crafts these spells is strong. This is a quality portal, I swear. Now will you stop wasting time?“ He grabbed my hand and pulled me toward it.
I dug my heels into the rug, frantically looking for an escape route. I didn’t survive this long to get my brain all scrambled. I struggled, swatting at him uselessly with my free hand. “I’m not going through that thing!” I screeched, panic filling me.
Why was I so scared of stepping through the portal? Was it the swirling darkness, or the fact that I couldn’t see beyond it? At any rate, I imagined all sorts of horrible things inside reaching for me, making me disappear into the void forever.
“Hey, hey. It’s okay.” He pulled me close, wrapping his arms around me. “Shit. You’re really scared. You’re shaking.” He rubbed a palm on my lower back. “What if I solemnly promise you’ll come out on the other side perfectly fine? We can step through together. I’ll be with you the whole time.”
I looked up at him and saw only sincerity shining in his golden eyes.
