“One more gateway, then another ten to fifteen minute run, and we will be at our destination.”
I blanched. “I don’t know if I can do another run, Kait. I’m not used to this, and I’m reaching the end of my endurance.”
He nodded. “Okay. I’ll carry you then. We need to move fast, and if you can’t run, that’s the only way.”
“I know you can pick me up, Kait, but that’s a long way to run carrying someone. I’m not light.”
He kissed me quickly on the lips. “You’re not heavy. It will be fine, Princess.” Without another word, he turned and opened a gateway. He swept me into his arms before he stepped through with me. I passed out.
When I woke up, the Shadoewynne forest was whizzing by me. I was slung over a shoulder, my feet in his grip and my head facing toward a fabulous backside. Kait chuckled and smacked me lightly on the butt. Luckily, the view had distracted me, because as soon as I began to look around, my stomach revolted. A second or two later, my feet were set on the ground, and I leaned against the tree that Kait had so helpfully made sure was near. I fought my stomach for a minute, attempting to keep the contents where they belonged. I darted around the tree as it became apparent that I was going to lose the battle. I looked up as I was wiping my mouth. David held out a bottle of water.
“That many gateways in less than an hour is hard, even if you have experience. Both Travis and I are feeling nauseous too. Water helps.”
I nodded as I took a sip.
Kait peered around the tree at me. “Are you ready to go into the safe house?”
Confused, I looked around the empty forest. “Yeah, but where is it?”
He grinned as he gestured away from himself like he was opening a door. A doorway shimmered into existence, and I could see a dimly lit hallway through the door. Travis was standing on the other side of the door, where the house should have been. He walked around, and through the door. Then, he stepped off to the side, disappearing as he did. I went over to Kait, who was still just watching me. I put a hand on the doorway to support myself as I leaned around it. There was no resistance and no indication of anything solid. I arched an eyebrow at Kait, who just smirked back.
“Come on, Princess, we need to get inside.” I put my hands on my hips as I stared at him. He sighed. “I’ll explain it once you get your ass inside.” I nodded and strode through the door.
Chapter 12
The hallway was warm and cozy, despite the low lighting. There was a faint smell, similar to cinnamon and evergreen, which reminded me of Kait. He closed the door behind himself, then smiled at me again.
“Is this where you live normally, Kait?”
He scoffed. “No, I live at the castle. This is my get-away cabin.”
The living room we walked into was tastefully decorated with light-colored wood and masculine decorations. It was definitely a man’s house, but it wasn’t a typical bachelor pad. Kait’s personality shone through in the artfully chosen artwork and furnishings.
He gestured to the leather couch. “Sit, and I will explain this house, and the enchantment on it.” I sat down next to David. Travis sat down on my other side. Once we were settled, Kait perched on the edge of the coffee table in front of us. He took a deep breath, then started talking. “I built this house about six months after the royals disappeared. This was my base as I searched for Nissa, and it was my intention to bring her back here once I found her. I had help from several friends to build it, and the enchantment is complicated. Essentially, it is built into a fold in the Shadoewynne dimension. This means that while it is touching this dimension in several places, it’s not really in it, but it’s not in another dimension either. It’s very hard to explain. The important thing to remember about the enchantment is the weak spots. There are three - the front door, the back door, and the escape tunnel in the basement. These are the only places the house is connected to any ‘real’ world. Yes, Evalia, all three connect to different dimensions. The front door connects to Shadoewynne, the back door to earth, and the escape tunnel in the basement connects to a place I can only describe as Hell. That is only for use in emergencies.”
He ran his hand through his hair. “As you all know, by the time I found Nissa, she had another life on earth with a human man. I decided to use this as my home away from home. I come here when I need a break or need to recharge. I haven’t had other beings in this house for a long time.” For some reason, he looked lost. I was beginning to believe he wasn’t completely honest with me earlier about his feelings for Nissa. His head came up, and his eyes bored into mine. I decided I wasn’t going to pursue that thought, though. She had been gone a long time, and his past was none of my business. He nodded as his eyes sunk to the floor. He stood up. “Alright, let’s get some rations in us, then I can show you guys to your rooms, and we can get some sleep.”
We followed him to a galley kitchen, where he pulled out vacuum sealed foil packs. I laughed.
