Page 8

Monster Island

On the other side of the portal, my jaw dropped. It might have been the middle of the night, but the vision before me could have been on an advertisement for a tropical paradise. A fat, silver moon and a million stars lit miles of soft sand beach stretched out to my left as waves lapped at the edges in a rush of soothing sound. Warm air scented of exotic flowers felt like a hug as I turned my attention to the rainbow of colors that ebbed and flowed and curved in and upward from about fifty feet out in the ocean. It was a forcefield, I realized, magically concealing, and probably protecting, the Island. My gaze slid toward the center of the Island, which seemed to be covered in forest, and over some rolling hills in the distance, tiny lights dotted the night with the promise of warmth and home. It was a village, and all my senses called me toward it. I turned to my right to find Julian standing silently beside me, still as the night. His gaze was soft, however, almost…thoughtful as he watched me take it all in.

We’d stepped out onto a sort of tarmac that spread out around an enormous glass building that stretched higher than the tallest hills on the island. Despite the clear material, I couldn’t make out a single thing within, and I wondered if it was the time and lack of internal lighting or magic.

“That’s the base,” I said, nodding toward it.

“It is.”

All around us, archways glowed in the night—gateways to other locations all over the world. Could I remember which one led home to Seattle? Would it still be home if Zoe and Mom were here?

“Monster Island,” I murmured to myself, smiling at the name. We were the monsters, the supes that inhabited it. “Does everyone here work at the base?”

“No,” Julian said, starting forward at a casual pace. “Some supes choose to live here to escape certain unpleasant situations in the human world.”

“Where is this?” I asked, stopping before the tree line at the edge of the tarmac.

Julian tilted his head, and the warm breeze played with the dark curls framing his face. “We are on an uncharted island in what the humans call the Bermuda Triangle.”

Clever. “Is this the reason so many ships and planes have disappeared?”

“Sometimes. Only if they pose a threat. Ah. Here is our ride.”

A golf cart zoomed toward us from the direction of the base. In the driver’s seat was a young woman with a pointed nose, petite stature, and a black uniform darker than the pavement below our feet. She whirred to a halt in front of us and saluted Julian.

“At ease, Private.” Julian gave a devastatingly charming smile that, even in the dim light of the moon, I could see brought a blush to her face.

Why that angered me I had no idea.

The private tightened her ponytail and smiled back. “Glad to be of help, Lieutenant. It’s usually pretty boring here on night duty. Climb aboard.”

“Hi,” I interjected, feeling like I was a third wheel. “I’m Char.”

“Dr. Devaux will be working on base,” Julian said, gesturing for me to climb in the back of the cart.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Private Jensen,” the girl said, jerking the cart forward the minute Julian was beside me.

His arm settled behind me on the seat, not touching but there, as though he was ready to grab me and steady me again. I was both appreciative and salty, so I ignored the move.

“Where are we going?” I asked the cart in general.

“Your home has been prepared for your arrival. Your mother and sister should be here in the morning, and I will be back to escort you to your new lab at noon. That should give you enough time to get settled and refreshed.”

“I’d feel better if they could be here now,” I said, allowing the vulnerability of my feelings to seep into my voice. It would be hard to sleep without knowing they were safe.

“Your sister was not in the apartment when the guard checked on her,” Julian said in answer. “Agents scrambled only to find the guard at your mother’s ranch reported she was there.”

I bit the inside of my cheek. She’d transported. Oh, Zoe. “So you lost track of her?” I challenged. I wouldn’t give her away.

Julian’s eyes narrowed slightly, letting me know he didn’t buy it. “She’d been identified entering her apartment but never leaving. And Lexington is over a day’s drive east.”

I shrugged. “Maybe they saw me, not her. She’s been with Mama while I stayed at her place.”

Julian dropped the subject as we crested a hill and the lights of the village that called to me greeted us. There were several streets packed with businesses that gave an old-fashioned, downtown feel. The side streets curved off in all directions like ribbons filled with adorable small houses along them.

We turned down one that backed up to the forest and pulled up to a cottage with a thatched roof and wraparound porch on the cul-de-sac. Smoke puffed from the chimney, and cobblestones wound their way toward the front door. A porch swing sat beside it, padded with fluffy pillows and a chunky knit throw.

“Welcome home,” Julian said, following me out.