Clash of the Otherworlds: Book 3, Portal Guardians (39 page)

"Oh.
 
Yeah," I said, turning around.
 
"Wish me luck," I said over my shoulder.

"Jayne?" Samantha called out.

"Yeah?" I asked, turning partway and stopping.

"Just be yourself."

I laughed.
 
"I can count on one hand the times anyone has ever said that to me, in almost eighteen years of life.
 
Not good odds.
 
Are you sure you don't want to change your advice?"

"Hell no.
 
Don't take any shit from that dragon."

I smiled and turned back.
 
Yeah.
 
She's a Blackthorne.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

BIAD WAS WAITING FOR ME, blinking her eye once as I approached.

"Hello, Biad the badass," I said.

"Hello, Jayne of Blackthorne."

"I've come to make you an offer you can't refuse."

"I wish to hear your offer.
 
Please proceed."

"The fae want you to come and guard the portal to the Underworld.
 
They know The Dark can't do it because they ... you know ... killed him and all.
 
So they want you to do it instead."

"I cannot serve alone.
 
It is not in my nature to be without a companion."

"Yeah. I've heard that about you guys.
 
So what are your terms? Everything's negotiable.
 
You can have a companion, and I'll even throw in this handy dandy dragon tooth if you agree."
 
I pulled the Dark of Blackthorn from it sheath and held it out at her.

A puff of smoke and a lick of flame came out of her mouth.
 
"My mate will be pleased."

"The question is, will
you
be pleased?
 
The fae need you.
 
The humans need you.
 
And hey, you could come out of the Underworld, that's a bonus, right?"

"It could be appealing ..."

"If ...?"
 
I sensed the boom about to be lowered.

"If the companion was to my liking."

"Well, there's this guy Ben who wants to be your companion and the companion of Heryon too."

"He cannot.
 
This has already been decided.
 
He is where he belongs.
 
The bargain was struck."

"Well, I guess his rule-the-world plan didn't work out.
 
That's good.
 
Well, who do you want?
 
We have green elves, silver elves - there's a great one named Céline who I think you'd like, and we could keep her out of that nasty soul-stealing business if you took her on - plus we have some sprites, sirens, succubi, ..."

"I wish for an elemental.
 
No other fae will do."

I felt sick to my stomach.
 
"Oh, that sucks, because you know, that Ben guy ... he's an elemental.
 
The best one there is.
 
Fire, Wind ... the works.
 
I can get in touch with him if you want, see if he's available?"

"That is enough.
 
You know what you must do.
 
Make your decision and leave me."

"Don't you mean make my decision
or
leave you?"

"No."

I was totally confused now.
 
"I assume it's me you're offering this wonderful opportunity to - and I don't mean to be rude by turning you down because it's a huge honor, I know - but I have a life back in the Here and Now and a new boyfriend who I've got big plans for and, well, I just don't have time to live in the Underworld.
 
Plus, all the demons and orcs down here are always trying to kill me.
 
I'm not sure how long I'd survive as your companion."

"You do not understand the life of the companion.
 
If the bargain is struck, neither of us will be in this realm any longer.
 
We will move to the portal to stand guard."

"All day.
 
All night.
 
Stand in a doorway?
 
I'm pretty sure that's just another form of hell."

"If it were, I would never agree to it.
 
The portals exist in the place where the human world and fae worlds coexist, not very far from where you live with the fae in the Green Forest.
 
You would not be expected to stand guard - merely to visit with me from time to time and discuss things with me as they cross our minds.
 
There might also be occasions where you would seek things that I require and bring them to me."

"Are you talking about food?
 
Because I refuse to deliver fae or demons for you to eat."

"Do not be foolish."

My face turned a little red at that, but I refused to feel stupid when there was a room full of food just down the hall for this dragon's meals.
 
How was I supposed to know I wasn't the food procurer or whatever?
 
"So how often would we meet?"

"Often enough that I do not become bored or disillusioned.
 
At the equinox."

 
"That's like ... twice a year, right?"

"Yes.
 
You may come more often as you wish.
 
You will have full access to our realm."

The whole 'our realm' thing was a little creepy, but the rest of it sounded do-able.
 
I could take a trip to wherever this place was twice a year to have a little chit-chat with a dragon.
 
That might actually be cool.
 
"Do I get to ride on your back?"

"If you wish."

A shiver of anticipation ran up my spine.
 
"If I agree to this bargain, can I do it now?"

"Yes."

I thought about what Tony would say and Spike smiling at me.
 
Then I pictured Becky jumping up and down and clapping her hands.
 
I knew Finn and Robin and all the green elves would be over the moon about it.
 
The only ones I could imagine not being happy with this arrangement were Maléna and Leck.

"Okay.
 
Let's do this."

"The bargain has been struck.
 
Come forward, elemental, and accept your duty."

Now a shiver of fear went through my body.
 
It sounded so formal.
 
So final.
 
So ... intense.

I put one foot in front of the other, and eventually I was standing in front of her face, just a couple feet away from her eyeball.
 
It was as big as half my body.

"Take one of my scales from my neck."

I looked at her neck, a thousand bright, shining red scales reflecting the light of the cave back at me.
 
"Any one in particular?"

"No."

"Okay.
 
But don't bite me if it hurts."
 
I walked over and picked a scale that looked kind of small, hoping it wouldn't hurt her too much.
 
I slid my finger up underneath its edge, a puff of heat escaping to warm up my hand.
 
I grasped it with both hands and pulled as hard as I could.
 
At first nothing happened but then suddenly it came free with a horrible ripping sound, and I went flying back with the unexpected momentum.

My back slammed into something hard that stopped me from falling onto my butt.
 
I turned around and jumped in fright at the huge nostril I saw there behind me.
 
A plume of smoke rose up from it and wrapped around my face.

"Kah!
 
Hack!
 
Gack!
 
Huh!"
 
I choked on the acrid smell of boiled eggs and earthy-scented minerals.
 
"Thanks," I said, waving it away, appreciating being kept from busting my ass, even though the rescue had involved toxic fumeage.

"Put the scale in your fist, curved side away into your palm, and hold your fist in the air."

I looked at the scale, marveling at how it was just as shiny and brilliantly-hued on the inside as the outside.
 
I settled it into my palm, smiling at how perfectly it fit there.
 
I closed my fingers over it and tightened them down.
 
All this ceremonial stuff was fun.
 
I wondered if she was going to let me keep the scale.
 
Maybe one of Netter's friends could put it on a necklace for me.

"Okay.
 
I have it in my fist.
 
Now what?"

"Hold it out in front of you."

I lifted my fist up in the air and shifted my weight to my other leg.
 
I felt like the Statue of Liberty or something, and giggled a little at the image I must be creating standing like this.

That was the last thought I had before a huge set of monster dragon jaws clamped down over my arm and started breathing out orange, red, and white fire that engulfed my body completely.

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

"TELL US AGAIN HOW YOU peed your pants in the dragon's lair," said Tim from the pillow beside me, his hands laced behind his head, and his legs crossed at the ankles.

"Yeah, dat's my favorite," said Willy, jumping from pillow to bed to pillow again, using just enough wing action to propel him, but not enough to get busted for violating the momma-imposed probation he was on for sneaking out of the realm without permission.
 
"Lellamental pees her panties ... just ... like ... meeeee!" he said, leaping from the pillow high into the air to splat into a face-plant on the bed below.
 
He landed with his arms and legs spread out in a star-formation.
 
His wings buzzed once and then a second time to let us know he was still alive.

"That little guy sure has a lot of energy," said Spike, my foot in his lap so he could give me the massage I so loved for him to do.

I looked over at him, sighing inside at how handsome he was, shirtless in his black flannel pajama pants at the bottom of my bed, his hair a massive bed-head accident.
 
His tattoos with their myriad of colors stood out in stark contrast to his nearly white complexion, completing the sexy picture that now filled almost every moment of my day.
 
I couldn't stand to be away from him for more than a few minutes at a time, it seemed.
 
We'd wasted so much time and risked so much by not being open with each other or honest with ourselves.

"Tell me about it," I said, reaching over to nudge the baby pixie.
 
"You suck the energy right out of us, don't ya?
 
Don't ya?"
 
He giggled in response but didn't move.

"Don't be modest, roomie," said Tim.
 
"Regale us with your story again so that I might memorize it to tell my great-great-great grandchildren."

"Fine.
 
One more time and that's it."
 
I held up my hand, the palm facing my friends.
 
The bright red dragon scale fused to my hand glistened in the bright morning light that came through the tree wall and into my bedroom.
 
"I yanked off a scale from her neck, put it in my fist, and shoved my fist into her mouth.
 
She lit us both on fire and fused the scale into my body.
 
I had to change my pants because she scared the piss out of me, then I had a little ride on her back, and then I came home with a free pass that allowed me to go through the Underworld with all my friends and not be touched by any of those nasty demons.
 
End of story.
 
Now don't ask me again."
 
I dropped my hand to the bed again, letting my fingertips curl in and rub the smooth surface of my dragonrider's mark.
 
It was always warm and kept me connected to Biad, that sneaky awesome bitch of a dragon.
 
I could feel her now if I concentrated - strong, steady, guarding the entrance to our realm, the Underworld.

Tim sighed.
 
"A dragonrider.
 
Who would have thought I'd see another one of them in my lifetime?
 
And of course she's my roommate ... that's only to be expected."
 

"It was cool, I have to admit," I said, grinning with the memory.
 
I looked over at Spike.
 
"I'm taking you with me next time."

"Let's do it," he said without hesitation.
 
"I'm down with dragon-riding.
 
I'll go right now if you want."

I smiled at his never-say-no attitude.
 
Even when I'd told him I'd have to leave at least twice a year to go visit with Biad, he was totally cool with it. We looked up the spot where we were supposed to meet with her, a place called Uamh An Ard-Achaidh, otherwise known as the High Pasture Cave in Torrin on the Isle of Skye, just off the coast of Scotland.

Tim turned to look at me.
 
"I always knew you were jealous of my wings, Jayne.
 
It's okay to admit that.
 
Everyone is."

I smiled slyly at him.
 
"My wings are bigger than yours."

He launched himself into the space above me, doing three side rolls and a suicide dive before righting himself again just above my nose.
 
"It's not the size of the wings that matters, Jayne.
 
It's how you use 'em."
 
He flew out of the room leaving a raspberry and a pixie toot in his wake.

"Daddy gots gas," said Willy.

"Your daddy always gots gas," I said, leaning over and poking him again.
 
He was fun to poke.
 
"Why don't you go play spider nakies or something?"