Revealed in Fire (Demon Days & Vampire Nights #9)(34)

“Missus Banks, Mister Banks, so nice to see you.” Romulus gave them a pleasant smile. “Do you need a rest before we continue?”

Callie waved him away. “I don’t need any special treatment.”

“Fantastic.” He looked over the group as everyone clustered together, Darius returning to my side. We’d worked out his anger issues the day before, and now he slipped his arm around my waist. I felt nervousness swirling through the bond we shared. He clearly shared Emery’s skepticism about our likely reception. “Charity and I will step through the gate first. After that, those strongest in power will follow. The weakest will go last, followed by Roger, as is the shifter way.” His gaze hit me. “You will walk through with Darius and Halvor, in the middle.” Romulus flicked his hand, indicating the assassin-looking guy he called his assistant. “This is both to—”

I waved him away. “Sounds good. Let’s get to it.”

Given the political situation, the gate will almost certainly be guarded. All of them will be. Try not to use your magic, Darius thought at me as everyone geared up. Let Romulus handle things. Let him do the talking.

“That’ll last until the guards decide he’s a nuisance.”

Yes.

“And then?”

At that point, I doubt you’ll be still long enough for a plan.

Good point. I didn’t plan to stand idly by as elves rushed us.

Fire rolled over me, and the heat felt damn good.

The first few people went through.

“I’ve always wanted to see the Flush,” Dizzy said, pushed up behind me. Apparently they’d be traveling in the middle as well. “I’ve heard it is absolutely beautiful.”

“I feel like a donkey, carrying all of this stuff.” Callie pulled at the backpack straps again.

“Here.” The big dude, Rod, stepped up and put out his hand. “I can take that for you, Missus Banks.”

“Oh.” She smiled at him sheepishly. “Well, thank you, young man.”

Penny and I exchanged a look, our eyebrows hiked up. Young man? It wasn’t like her to play the old biddy. Then again, if it took the load off…

“Did you really come for me, or because you didn’t want to be left behind?” I asked as we stepped forward, like waiting in line at Disneyland. These people were much too cautious.

“I’d be lying if I said I savored the prospect of waiting in the house,” Dizzy said, “doing nothing, listening to the two Seers bicker.”

Callie elbowed him.

“What?” he hollered at her. “She’s not a dummy. She knows we hate taking the safe approach.”

Callie scowled at Dizzy. “We wouldn’t have bothered if it hadn’t been you and Penny in the mix.”

“I’m just coming along because of Reagan,” Penny said. “The Flush”—she reduced to a whisper—“was not very fun.”

“Why is that?” I stepped up again as the rest of the fae ducked through the gate. “You never said. I mean…you didn’t give me a reason I actually believed. Boredom and hunting for weird stones has never been a problem for you.”

“Why didn’t you pester her about it, then?” Callie demanded. “It’s a little late now, with curious ears listening in.”

“We’re the only ones with curious ears, hon,” Dizzy said. “Everyone else has been there.”

“I didn’t badger her about it before ’cause Charity’s story was more interesting, and then I just forgot.”

Penny was still whispering. “I didn’t want to…speak badly. But… Well, you’ll see. They aren’t exactly welcoming to strangers.”

“Oh, that’s okay.” I shrugged. “I’m rarely welcome anywhere. This will be no different.”

“It might be a little different,” Emery said, and started laughing. That was promising.

We finally stepped up to the gate. Darius put out his hand to stop us.

Halvor, a hard-eyed man with impeccable posture and an air of unspeakable violence, stepped up to my side. All of the mages took a step back.

“’ello, guvna,” I said in a terrible English accent.

He didn’t respond. Not real chatty, that fae.

Here we go, Darius thought.

Like prickles lightly sliding across my skin, the magic of the gate washed over me. The dark sky became orange with little gold filaments floating around us. The path turned to cobbles, flanked by sweet-smelling flowerbeds laden with magic and trees with perfectly manicured branches. The whole thing looked like a children’s picture book, down to the little bench under a green light pole off to the side.

Romulus stood near that bench, speaking to two tall and swishy elves, their hair flowing in the lack of breeze, their red and orange tunics draped down their slight bodies just so, and their hands flared to the sides just a little, like they were about to dance forward and frolic in the flowers.

It was all an act.

All of it. After my stint in the Underworld, I knew in my blood this was a magical construction painted over the natural habitat.

To that end, I looked upward, wondering if it was like earth, and the universe waited beyond, or if it was like the Underworld, and we were actually inside an enormous cave or something. And if the former was true, were we in a different universe than the one that existed on the Brink side, or was it somehow the same?