“I’ve got to work a shift tonight,” Brent announced, “so if you need to get somewhere today, you should let me know.”
I wasn’t sure where to go or how to get started.
“Has your magic recovered?” Kull asked, still not looking at me.
“No,” I answered. “I haven’t felt it at all since we got here.”
“Then we need to find a portal,” Kull said, his voice low and gruff, as if he hadn’t slept well. I noticed the circles under his eyes, too.
“Find a portal?” I asked. “Why do you say that?”
“It’s the only option we’ve got. You have no magic, so there’s no way for you to open one, but if we find a naturally occurring portal, we’ll be able to finally escape this accursed planet.”
“Do you know where to find one?” I asked.
“I was hoping you would know.”
I crossed my arms. “How do you know about portals anyway? Most people have no clue they exist—here or on Faythander.”
“I’ve read about them.”
“If you’ve read about them, then you’ll know how hard they are to find. You’ll also know that most portals are protected by magic and can’t be accessed. The dragons took great pains to make sure no one accidentally fell through one.”
“Then we’ll find a portal not guarded by magic.”
Was it possible to find one? I wasn’t even sure one existed, but I did know how to find out.
“In that case, we’ve got to get back to my apartment,” I said. “I’ve got an atlas from Faythander that maps out all known portals on Earth.”
Brent sipped his coffee. “I’m not sure that’s a good idea. If someone—elves—or whoever, trashed your apartment, they’ll be waiting for you to return.”
“But we don’t have a choice. I need that book.”
“We’ve no need to worry about elves,” Kull said. “I’ve still got the sword.”
Brent eyed him. “You intend to use that sword in a fight?”
“What else would I use it for?”
Brent huffed. “You’d be breaking several laws, for one thing. Assault with a deadly weapon and—”
“Brent, it’s okay. We probably won’t have to confront anyone anyway. Also, do you have any suitcases and an ID with a photo that looks halfway like Kull?”
“Suitcases and an ID?”
“Yeah. I’m pretty sure wherever we’re going, it won’t be close. Kull and I will most likely have to fly.”
Kull raised an eyebrow. “Fly?”
“Yes, on an airplane. Have you heard of them?”
He frowned. “You know I’ve been to Earth Kingdom before, right? I’ve heard of airplanes.”
“Good, then we need to get going.” I stood before the other two could argue. This was going to be a long day.
Chapter 17
When Kull, Brent, and I finally got everything packed, loaded into the car, and set off for Galveston, it was nearly noon. As we crossed the causeway to the island, storm clouds brewed in the distance, and I couldn’t help but feel as if the weather was some sort of omen.
Raindrops pelted the windshield when we pulled into my apartment’s parking lot. As I stared up at the second-floor balcony and focused on the door to my home, an uneasy feeling came over me.
In my opinion, elves were the most dangerous race on Faythander. Their basita weapons could disintegrate us with a click of the gears. But if Kull and I wanted to get off this planet, then I’d have to find that book.
Kull and Brent walked with me as we crossed the parking lot and neared the staircase. Flexing my fingers, I felt exposed without my powers. When we made it up to my door, I went inside and found the apartment how I’d left it.
My bookshelf was in my bedroom. Most of the books were on the floor, so I sat and rummaged through them. It took a few minutes of searching, but I found what I needed under the pile.
Portals of the Faeire Realm lay facedown on the floor, and I grabbed it up. The green, leather-bound tome was an old Faythander text, with its raised, embellished cover and handwritten pages. It had been a gift from my stepfather after I’d moved to Earth when I was twelve. He’d thought it might come in handy someday, and it looked like he was right.
The paper creaked as I flipped from one chapter to the next. When I arrived at the chapter entitled Portals of Earth Kingdom, I stopped and scanned the paragraphs.
…for some portals were formed naturally, as holes in the fabric between one reality and the next. The portals in Earth Kingdom were discovered to be unstable, as the Earth and Faythander magics warred for supremacy. Most portals collapsed because of the instabilities caused by the magic, while others simply ceased to function. A few, however, remained.
In ages past, the dragons sought out these portals and placed wards and spells upon them to keep the Earthlanders from inadvertently crossing, thus making it difficult for any Earthlander to find their way into our world.
“Find anything useful?” Kull asked as he leaned against my doorframe.
“Not yet. I’m still looking. Give me a moment.” I resumed where I’d left off.
The dragons were never sure if they had found all the portals, as locating any single one was a difficult task. Most portals formed in caves or near water, although a very few were found in places strong in Earth magic.
One such portal was found in the pyramids of Giza in Earth Kingdom’s Egypt. Another the dragons discovered near the volcanoes in Hawaii, and another in Paris, France.
Eventually, the dragons abandoned their search to focus on more acute problems in Faythander. Some portals were merely hidden with masking spells, making it difficult for Earthlanders to discover.
Of the known portals existing in Earth Kingdom, only a few remain accessible. For a complete listing of these portals, see Appendix A.
I flipped to the
