At the corner of the basement, which also happened to be nearest where we came in, Lochlan froze. He kept feeling the same spot on the wall over and over again.
“There’s something here. Go get our shadow expert and the bear,” he said.
I returned with Zander and Sterling.
Lochlan pushed on the wall and it stretched like a piece of plastic. He pulled back and repeated the action.
“What is it?” I asked.
“I’m not certain, but it shouldn’t be here. I think it’s hiding a portal or is a portal.”
“Who has a portal hidden in this place?” I asked.
“Evidently, the Crimson Fiend,” said Zander. “Can I go back to what I was doing? You don’t need me to push a wall.”
“Sure, by all means, go back to what you were doing.”
The wall snapped back, throwing Lochlan back. Before he could rise, shadows oozed out of the wall. With them, came the feeling of ants crawling against my skin. The temperature in the basement plunged and I saw the smokey plumes of our breathing. The shadows never left the wall, but they moved back and forth to an unseen breeze.
“The legend lives,” said Zander.
Sterling moved closer, pushing his nose close to the shadows. At a sniff, he reared back and scooted away from the shadows. I didn’t need to check them out myself to know they weren’t something to mess with.
“Now what?” I asked.
“We need to know more about these things. We found no other exits, so your father must have gone through this,” said Lochlan.
“So, we could get into that – whatever that is? Can they get out since my father did?” I asked. “Why aren’t they attacking us then?”
Lochlan approached the shadows again, bringing a flaming orb close, they moved away from it. They were sentient. Just what we needed. Leave it to my father to find living, killer shadows.
“If these might be what Zander told us about, then we need help,” said Lochlan.
“Can we leave now?” I asked.
“Wait, I need to get something,” said Zander. He rushed back to the potion room and came back with his arms full of the bottles.
“Really?”
“Yes, these are something special. I need more time with these,” said Zander.
“Interesting hobbies for a kid,” said Lochlan.
If he only knew. Zander was full of all sort of interests.
“Don’t go blowing up my house. It’s reached its damage quota for the year,” said Lochlan.
“I’m not Sterling,” said Zander.
I smacked him upside the head.
“Are you two done?” asked a naked Sterling.
“Couldn’t you have brought some clothes?” Zander asked, who was covering his eyes. “No one wants to see all that.”
“Let’s get back. We still need to figure out what to do with those things and my dad,” I said.
“We’ll figure things out,” said Lochlan.
5
“So, there really are shadow creatures?” asked Jennica.
I was still near the doorway since Muffin’s enthusiastic greeting was keeping me from getting further into the house. I pushed away from the tongue bath that Muffin was doing his best to torture me with.
“Yes, there sure are. Can anyone help me with this thing?”
“Actually, it’s rather amusing seeing you fend off your pet,” said Lochlan.
“Thanks for nothing,” I said. “Come on guys, his breath smells like a sewer.”
“You’re such a baby,” said Zander, who pulled Muffin off me enough that I could get clear.
“Now, that Marty’s finished entertaining us, can we get on to what we’re doing about the Crimson Fiend and these shadow creatures?” asked Sterling.
“I did some thinking on the walk back. I think what we saw back there was a ripple. It’s where the seams that connect realms together is weakened.”
“So, he’s in another realm with these shadow things? Sounds like he made some friends since I left home,” I said.
“It allows people or things to come out of it from another realm. And this is the first time I’ve seen one.” He took a deep breath before continuing, “It’s something I didn’t think was possible.
The impossible is more and more possible these days. First the ability to steal magic, the Crimson Fiend back from death, and now a ripple. That’s not including our cases or dealing with my manic magic.”
“It’s a lot, but we’ve had overflowing plates before and can handle it again,” said Sterling.
“When I saw him outside, he was surrounded in shadows. They swam around him. He also has those moving runes.”
“Maybe the Sisters know about them since they had their own shadow-like creatures,” said Zander.
“It’s as good a place as any to start. I’ve never heard of a shadow realm or sentient shadows. Except for those at the Sisterhood as Zander mentioned,” I said.
“We need to have a chat with the Sisters,” said Lochlan.
“Add that to the never ending to do list,” I said.
The Sisterhood was actually the Sisterhood of the Seers, and the headquarters for the seers. You couldn’t find a crazier bunch of women.
“There isn’t a choice and that ripple has the potential to effect more people than just us. We need to divide up these tasks, or we won’t get anything done,” said Lochlan.
“Marty, I’m calling in Roc,” said Sterling.
“Why do we need to bring Roc in?” asked Lochlan.
“He’s extra security for Marty,” said Sterling.
“I don’t need —”
“Don’t bother finishing. I don’t think there’s a person here that would argue about the danger you’re in. Unless you want to be confined to the house like Zander, you’ll partner with Roc.”
“I can’t and won’t argue with you on this one, but I’d rather be her partner. Unfortunately, I have cases to work,” said Lochlan.
He sounded truly sorry that he couldn’t partner with me. A part of me was also disappointed. In a short time, the fae was growing on me.
“If I have Roc with me, I’ll never make progress on any cases. He’ll scare all of the witnesses,” I complained.
“I’d prefer having him here. I’ll indulge you just this once. If at any point there are any more threats, then
