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Vance actually smiled in return. Wow, could these two possibly be sharing a male bonding moment?
I faced Michaela. “Anything else we need to know?”
She looked at Leo. “Don’t forget about the tonic. As soon as you step through that portal, you are bound to your agreement. I would advise you to anchor yourself to the other two. The portal will recognize the permission that was granted, but it still may try to force you out.”
“Anchor himself?” I asked. “Like holding onto us?”
She nodded. “Exactly.”
I stood between Leo and Vance and clasped their hands with mine. “C’mon boys. Let’s make this portal our bitch.”
We stepped through the portal and were instantly cocooned in a warm, humid space tinted in various shades of pink. I had expected an immediate transition from one world to the next but instead, we were surrounded by vast nothingness with air that seemed to have its own pulse. My skin was stretched tight, my brow dripped with sweat, and my muscles felt like they were being squeezed in a vise. Omigod, I thought. Vance was totally right. This is like one big vagina. Eeew.
Each new step was more difficult than the last. I wondered if passing through a portal normally felt like walking through quicksand, or was it because Leo was with us?
I lifted my chin towards Vance as I spotted an opening up ahead. “Are you sure we’re going to be okay?”
“I’m positive.” The closer we got, the more excited he became. After a few more feet, I could see moonlight slicing through moss-covered tree trunks. Vance tugged on my hand as we were about to take our final step. “You ready?”
I nodded. “Ready as I’ll ever be.”
We each pressed forward and got stuck halfway between the portal and Faerie. As we pushed onward, the resistance became stronger; it felt like the walls were trying to suck us back in. We each put a little extra effort into it and then were violently expelled from its womb. I rolled across the hard ground and landed in a crouch. I was pretty sure I had some nasty bruises forming from the impact. Oh well, I thought. At least we are on the right side.
Vance brushed himself off and offered to help me stand. “Wow, that was a bit rougher than I remember.”
Upon taking my first breath, I immediately felt at ease. The scent of jasmine and gardenias perfumed the warm air, causing my olfactory system to do a happy dance. Despite the late hour, birds sang beautiful melodies in the distance and giant fireflies danced through the night as if they had no other purpose in life than to amaze us. This entire place held a promise of absolute love, acceptance, and tranquility. I’d had this feeling two other times in my life: the first was from a vision that Vance had shared with me from his time spent on Faerie. The second was from a dream that I once had...or maybe it was a vision. I wasn’t too clear on the difference anymore.
Leo looked around. “Where’s this advisor that was supposed to meet us?”
“I am here,” a disembodied voice said.
I circled around and saw a man leaning against a tree no more than five feet away. I could swear he hadn’t been there a second ago. Where did he come from?
He peeled himself away from the trunk and walked towards me with impossible grace. The first thought in my head was how absolutely beautiful he was. He stood about six foot two with messy blonde hair, a chiseled jaw laced with stubble, and a completely flawless body. I could say that last part with confidence because all he wore was a pair of thin cotton workout pants that didn’t leave much to the imagination. His emerald eyes twinkled as they appraised me in return. My body flushed from his perusal and my nipples peaked as his eyes lingered on my breasts. Cripes, wonderful timing for an attack of the hormones!
He flashed his megawatt smile, took my hand, and bowed dramatically. “My beautiful lady, it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance. I am Thylus, trusted advisor of the elders. You may call me, Ty.”
My cheeks warmed. “I’m Karli.”
Leo was projecting his irritation at me, obviously picking up on my attraction towards Ty. “Have they not invented shirts around here?” he murmured.
Ty stood up straight as Vance injected himself into our little bubble. “I’m Vance.” He nodded towards Leo. “That’s Leo. Now that introductions are out of the way, care to lead us to the elders?”
Well, that was rude. Ty looked annoyed but he composed himself pretty quickly. “Of course.” He offered his elbow to me. “Shall we?”
I took his proffered arm to make up for Vance’s rudeness. It had nothing to do with wanting to touch his bulging muscles. Really.
Ty guided us through the forest along narrow paths worn into the ground. Vance and Leo grumbled behind us as Ty pointed out different things that he’d like to show me during the day. As we approached the village, I could see the most adorable stone cottages with thatched roofs. Cast iron streetlamps lit the way for small groups of people milling about. Occasionally, someone would cast curious glances our way, whispering as they looked at Leo warily. Did they know he was a vampire? Could they sense it somehow?
We crossed an arched bridge made of stone into what appeared to be the town square. A picturesque log cabin took up the majority of the space.
“You’re taking us to the council?” Vance asked. “Will Ornessa be there?”
Ty looked shocked. “How do you know of our council? Of our elder?”
Vance smiled. “How old are you, Ty? Twenty-five? Twenty-six maybe?” His tone was condescending. Big time. Vance had once told me that he could usually tell how long someone had been around based on the way they carried themselves.
Ty looked offended. “I am twenty and eight. What does it matter?”
