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He awkwardly averted his gaze, clenching his fists at his sides. “There’s been a breach at one of the portals.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
LEO
News came quickly about the breach at Miranda Portal, the farthest outpost to the west and closest to the sea, thanks to the Cad-Jets hidden at every guard station.
The Earth tended to turn a blind eye to the aircraft, but I knew if they were flown too often, their pollutants would start to harm her. For that reason, the Cad-Jets were only used if a portal-check was needed, or in the case of an emergency, and by the look of the portal entrance before me, this would be just that.
It was still daylight on the west side of the continent, making it easy to see the wet rock behind the waterfall. The nine-Earth marking once etched was no longer. Instead, a large crack ran through the middle of the stone, and soot was spread across it.
Miranda Waterfall was the largest waterfall on Esmerelda, the water’s volume deafening. I was thankful for it now, the rush of the water drowning out the sound of my heartbeat in my ears, my body still shaken from the first look at the tarnished rock.
Swiping my fingers across its surface, I rubbed the filth of the film left behind between the pads of my fingers. Deep purple smudged my skin, the pungent scent so overwhelming there was no need to bring my fingers to my nose to detect it.
If you’ve smelled the scent once, you’ll remember it forever—the sulfurous stench of rotting eggs permanently staining your olfactory receptors.
Decodons.
Bryn scrunched her nose next to me, peering inside the crevice.
Instinct made me want to yank her back against my chest, away from the door to deep space, but the usual call I felt to walk through the stone and beyond was gone.
The portal was somehow broken.
“How is this possible?” Adrian yelled above the noise of the water from my other side.
I shook my head. “I have no idea.”
I was bewildered.
I’d never heard of another being able to use the portal outside of the allotted lunar phase, let alone completely desecrate a portal altogether. I wasn’t even sure I had the power capable of destroying a portal. I’d never even thought to try. I wanted the worlds to be united one day, not lost to each other.
The feeling of dread sat heavy in me, next to where a piece of Bryn’s soul pulsed next to mine.
When Bryn looked at me, I knew she could sense my worry. And I fucking hated it.
“Nothing came out of it,” Sigrid announced, arriving with Cal. They’d been gathering the official report at the guardhouse while Bryn, Adrian, and I had come down to inspect the damage. “The guards said the earth quaked for a few moments, and they prepared for an attack, but nothing ever came out of it.”
Sigrid stepped up to the stone, running her fingers through the soot like I had done. “Adrian, look.” She grabbed his hand, placing it along the jagged split. “Do you feel that?”
His face paled, sensing whatever Sigrid did. “Fire,” he said, so quietly I had to read his lips.
I threw a thin shield over us, muting the noise of the water.
Bryn looked to where Sigrid rested her hand over Adrian’s. “What does it mean?” she asked, confused.
Sigrid let go of Adrian, looking wearily at Bryn. “Whoever did this, or whatever did this, used fire magic.”
Adrian added, “But the energy isn’t the same.” A small orange flame ignited in his palm. “The makeup of our power draws from One’s elements, creating an orange flame.” He looked back at the stone. “These flames were purple, almost black.”
Sigrid looked to me and frowned. “I’ve never seen fire wielded like this before, Leo.”
“Okay, but what does it mean?” Bryn asked again.
I reached for her hand, wanting to throw her in the jet and hide her across the universe. Instead, I ran my fingers along the inside of her palm, trying to calm myself in the process. “It means the Deks can not only navigate the portal system, but they have the power to access them at any time.”
“And the power to destroy them,” Adrian muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose. “We need to get a message to the council.”
