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She looked impressed. “I see you have done your research as well.”
I smiled at Leo. “We have.”
“Shall we go inside? Yulia and Vivien will stay out front to stand guard.” All three of us nodded and stepped forward to follow her lead. “Watch your heads. The ground is uneven and the passage clearance is low.”
I motioned for Leo and Vance to go first. The amber light continued to follow Michaela so we could easily see where we were going. Incredibly narrow walls forced both guys to pull their shoulders in to pass through. A blend of vertical boulders and various sized rocks formed the walls, and large slabs roofed the passage. Our feet kicked up small clouds of dirt as we walked, and I tried my best to not focus on how unsteady the ground felt with each step. To avoid hitting my head, I had to duck at an awkward angle, but I imagined I looked downright comfy compared to the guys, who were practically bent in half. Thankfully, the ceiling gradually rose in height as we continued down the path.
After a short while, we arrived at the chamber. The main part was circular, with three small recessed areas; one on each side and one directly in front of us.
I pointed towards a slight disturbance in the air at the front of the chamber. I would’ve never even noticed it, had I not already known to look for something. “Is that it?”
“It is,” Michaela confirmed. “This was the first portal ever created, which is why it can never be closed. Once they established the initial connection to this realm, it could not be undone.”
I nodded at the big plate-like thing on the ground. There was one in each recessed chamber. “What’s that dish thingy?”
Michaela smirked. “That ‘dish thingy’ is a basin stone. It’s where the Fae placed the cremated remains of their dead.”
“Why?”
“So their souls could be laid to rest on the mother land. For thousands of years, all Fae living on this planet were here in Ireland. That ended about two thousand years ago, when vampires were created. The fallen god, Khonsu, kidnapped the fairy maiden only a few miles from here. Word spread fast of what became of her—of them. After that, everyone fled to Faerie. A millennium passed before they created other portals throughout the world. They didn’t return to this country and begin using the temple again until many years after that.”
“So why can anyone step through the portal on the solstice? It has something to do with the sun, right?”
“Did you see that rectangular window on top of the doorway?” she questioned.
“Yes,” I replied.
“That roof box was designed with the position of the sun in mind. One day per year, for seventeen minutes, the sun is perfectly aligned with that window. It shines a
path of light through the otherwise black chamber until it reaches the rear tomb. Once that happens, the portal is opened and their souls are called home. The earth’s sun is the only thing on this planet that holds enough energy to activate it.”
“But why risk exposure like that?”
“When the temple was designed, the Fae had no enemies. They had no way of knowing that an entire race would be created that would threaten their existence.”
I considered that for a moment. “Okay, but why not plug the roof box somehow? Especially now that it’s no longer being used for burials?”
“We’ve tried,” Michaela said. “But we haven’t found any way to reverse the spell.”
“What spell?” I was so confused.
“When the temple was built, the original architects used ancient magic to protect it from destruction. It’s no coincidence that every stone is as beautifully polished as the day it was built. No man, erosion, or natural disaster could make this temple fall. Every attempt we’ve made over the years to block the sun’s access, whether by physical or magical means, has been denied. Within seconds, it always reverts back to how you see it now. It’s some sort of ancient stasis spell. While we could not alter the temple itself, we discovered that it wasn’t opposed to illusion-based spells. We decided concealing the entire area was our only option.”
I looked up at the domed ceiling. Thousands of flat stones were balanced above our heads, layered on top of large vertical boulders. Magical superglue or not, I was suddenly feeling very claustrophobic.
“So, we have the portal,” Leo piped in. “What’s next?”
“This portal leads to a forest located off the main village,” Michaela answered. “There will be an advisor waiting for you on the other side. He will lead you to the elders and you’ll be given instruction then.”
I looked at Vance. “What does it feel like? Stepping through?”
He cleared his throat. “It’s hard to describe. The best word I can think of would be…sex.”
“Um, what?”
He laughed. “Well, maybe not for you. I can only speak from a guy’s perspective. It’s similar to the feeling a guy would get when he...uh, puts himself inside a woman.”
Leo smirked. “Sounds fascinating. What are we waiting for?”
