Portia (5 page)

Only I sure hope it’s him.

My body freezes with anticipation as heavy footfalls sound from the upper stairs. Bit by bit, our new visitor steps down the spiral stairs. At first, I see his biker boots and worn jeans. After that, I can make out a solid chest, black Henley, and crazy-wide shoulders. Finally, there’s his angular bone structure, five o’clock shadow, and tousled black hair.

Every nerve cell in my body goes on alert. It’s him. My guy. Not sure when I decided ownership, but there it is. Mine.

Maxon wraps my guy in a big hug. “T? What’re you doing here? I haven’t seen you since…”

My guy’s mouth quirks with a grin. “Since your wedding.”

Maxon rubs his neck and winces. “Yeah, well. Lianna and me have been real busy running the Elementals.”

“I understand,” my guy says. “I can visit you too, you know.”

Maxon lets out one of his rumbling chuckles. “Yeah, what’s up with that?”

“I’ve had things on my mind.” My guy’s gaze locks on me from across the room. A hot blush crawls up my neck.

For a few seconds, Maxon only looks between his friend and me. At length, my brother’s eyes narrow with suspicion. I wince. Are my feelings for the Mystery Man that obvious?

“What brings you here, T?” Maxon’s voice drops an octave. “Or should I say, who?”

My blush deepens. I guess my feelings are pretty obvious, after all.

The Mystery Man waves his hand. He’s the picture of smooth, and I can’t help liking him for that. Correction, like him
more
for that.

“There are sinkholes popping up all over Furonium,” says my guy. “Does your family have any news to share, by chance?”

Of course, he came here. If there’s a major crisis in the after-realms, my family is involved. I don’t know how it happens, only that it does. Always.

Maxon chuckles. “Now, what makes you think that
we’re
in the know?”

“Because you always are.” The guy turns to Walker, my parents, and grandparents. “But your knickers aren’t in a twist, so I can only guess that whatever it is, it isn’t too terrible.”

“It’s not bad at all,” says Grandma Cam with a giggle.

Giggle?
I do a double take. Yes, my grandmother actually giggled while in Presidential mode. Unbelievable.

My guy steps up to Gram. “Madame President, great to see you.”

“And to see you, too,” says Gram. She giggles even more loudly this time.

It takes everything I have not to push my own grandmother on her ass and tell her to back off. I pinch the bridge of my nose, not believing the feelings that are coursing though me. What humiliating compulsion is next? Challenging Gram to a duel?

Next, my guy turns to my parents. “Your Highnesses.”

“Always a pleasure,” says Mom.

Fresh jealousy courses through me.
Unbelievable.

With each person that my guy addresses, he gets closer to talking to me. I nervously shift my weight from foot to foot. Nothing he says clues me in to his real identity, although I suspect that my brain isn’t functioning too well right now. In fact, the logical side of my head is pounding on the back of my skull about something. I have a feeling that this man’s identity should be obvious, if I could only focus again. But that’s not happening.

The guy turns to Pops. “General, we keep missing each other.”

Pops’ eyes narrow just like Maxon’s did a minute ago. “You don’t say.”

Now, I know that look on Pops. He’s totally been avoiding my guy. That makes me irrationally angry. My hands clench into the leather of my duster. One nail pops through the super-charged and supposedly unbreakable fabric. I don’t care.

“Nothing to worry about,” replies my guy smoothly. “I’ve become an expert at waiting on your balcony.”

“So I’ve heard.” My grandfather inspects me carefully, and I feel like he can see straight through me, unpeeling every secret I’ve ever had. This is about more than Pops not liking my guy. No, my grandfather’s figured out my obsession with the Mystery Man. Now that he knows the truth, what will happen? Knowing my family, it will be extremely embarrassing. A dozen thoughts fly through my brain at once.

Run for your life.

Stand perfectly still.

Say something flirty.

Pretend you have a migraine.

Pressing my lips together, I pick at the buttons on my duster. It’s not my best plan, but it’s a plan.

My guy steps up to Walker. “We haven’t met.”

Walker offers his hand. “I’m Walker, majordomo to the ghouls who rule the Dark Lands.”

“The way I hear it, you effectively rule the Dark Lands solo.” My guy laughs, and it’s a lovely, rolling sound. “Am I right?”

Walker chuckles. “Shh. Don’t tell. The Oligarchy are easier to manage when they think they’re in charge.”

My guy starts up again. “And I’m…”

For a blissful moment, I think I may discover his identity, but Walker breaks up the conversation.

“I know who you are,” says Walker.

And the blissful moment is over.

My guy then strides across the room, his gaze locked with mine. My pulse races with excitement. He pauses before me. A chill runs across my skin as I become overly aware of my form-fitting and very leather fighting outfit. I should feel exposed. Somehow, I don’t. My guy scans me from head to toe. Twice. The attention feels glorious.

A little bubble forms around me and my Mystery Man. It’s like there’s no one else in the room. My brain buzzes with happiness. It’s all I can do to get out one word. “Hi.”

“Hullo, luv.”

“I don’t usually dress this way. In case you’re wondering.”

Shut up, Portia.

A small smile rounds his full mouth. “You’re a beauty in anything.”

“Thanks.” I twist my fingers together nervously. “I’ve never been called a beauty before.”

“Glad I could change that.”

“Hey there,” says Maxon. With a puff of smoke, he dematerializes from his spot by the fireplace, only to re-poof himself right between me and Mister Mystery. Suddenly, I feel hyper-aware of all the eyes staring at me. Awkwardness presses all around my body, like physical weights against my skin.

While Maxon blocks me from my guy, the rest of my family glares at Mister Mystery like he just mauled me on the carpet.

“T, this is my
sister
Portia.” Maxon shoots me a meaningful look. “You know him?”

It’s hard to speak when you’re suddenly too amped up to breathe. “Kind of.”

“We’ve never been formally introduced,” says my guy.

“Oh.” Maxon exhales with relief. “That explains a lot.”

Here it comes.

“You don’t know who he is, Portia?” asks Gram from across the room.

“It’s me, guys,” I say, and my voice is a little short. “Being Marked for the Void takes up a lot of my time.”

Yow. Did that come out of my mouth? Why yes, yes it did.
I scan the room. Everyone stares at me like I just sprouted an extra head. It’s not a bad kind of feeling, actually.

“Oh,” says Grandma Cam. She presses her lips together firmly. I’m about to give myself some mental high fives for having shut up anyone in my family ever when Maxon gently touches my shoulder.

“Portia,” he says. “This is Emperor Tempest.”

My mouth falls open. Again. I say nothing. Again.

The words echo through my mind in odd ways.
Emperor Tempest? As in, the ruler of all Furor?
This guy is
the
greater demon of lust and wrath. No one beats him in battle, and he’s notorious for taking new lovers like clockwork. No wonder I felt such an overwhelming attraction to him after only one glance. Causing obsessive behavior is his job.

Wow, I’m totally out of my league here.

Maxon fairly drags Tempest back to the rest of my family. “You came here to talk about the sinkholes, yeah?”

Anger heats my blood. I don’t need Maxon protecting me like some child. My family either, for that matter. When I speak, my voice has a sharp edge to it. “Maxon, I thought you had to go home to Lianna.”

“Nah, I’m good.” Maxon doesn’t look at me when he replies. That only happens when he’s really irritated about something. My jaw clenches with frustration.

“It’s like this,” says Maxon to Tempest. “The Firmament is in bad shape. The first thing we have to do is stop the Void.”

“Not the first thing,” I say. No one looks at me.

Except Tempest.

“You’re our foremost expert on the Void,” says Tempest. “Why don’t you come closer? Maybe everyone will hear you better if you stand by the table.”

“She’s fine where she is,” says Maxon quickly.

I grit my teeth so hard, I’m surprised I don’t chip a molar. Did I just get dismissed again?

“What’s important is this,” says Maxon. “We know how to find the Void now. We can take them down.”

“Let me guess,” says Tempest. “You want to raise an army.”

I roll my eyes. Here it comes. My family is very pro-military. They’ve all spent years raising warriors for battle. Too bad that tactic won’t work here. “Guys, you have to listen.”

Maxon looks between Tempest and me. “Portia, I get that you want attention now.”

I inhale a shocked breath.
Did my brother really say that to me?
“No, Maxon. This isn’t about me. It’s about the information you need to make a good decision. Destroying the Void will work over the long haul, but we don’t have time to focus on that now.” I’d say that it feels wrong to kill them, but I know that’d go over like a lead balloon. “First things first. We must rejuvenate the Firmament. Get more power in there.”

“And how do we do that?” asks Tempest.

It takes me a few seconds to process that I actually got a follow-up question.

How do we do that?

A pleasant shiver runs down my spine. This guy is the Emperor of the Furor and he’s looking at me like my opinion counts. No, more than counts. It’s like I’m the most important person in the room. My chest warms with pride.

Maxon’s mouth tightens into a protective line. “Why are you asking her?”

I shoot Maxon a hurt look. Tempest was treating me like an equal, not a piece of the furniture. I don’t need to be protected from that. If anything, I need more of it in my life.

“As I said, Portia’s the expert on the Void.” Tempest’s gaze meets mine again. “You were saying?”

For some reason, it’s easy to speak my mind while Tempest has me locked in his encouraging gaze. “We need to go to the Grove. That’s where the Sacred Trees are, the ones whose roots and branches make up the Firmament. If there’s any way to save the after-realms, that’s where it’ll happen. Rejuvenate those trees and that buys us time to kill the Void.”

“Okay,” says Mom. “Let’s say that’s the plan.” She gestures to me. “Do you know where to find the Grove?”

“No,” I say quietly. “It took me years to find a spell to track the Void. We don’t have that kind of time left now.”

Dad hops to his feet. “Which is why we need to raise an army right away. If we use maximum force, we can destroy at least some of the Void. If nothing else, it’ll slow the damage to the Firmament.”

Tempest rakes his hand through his shaggy, black hair. “I know how to find the Grove.”

My mouth falls open with shock. I can count on one finger the people who are actively researching the Grove right now. That would be me. And here, Tempest knows where it is? Who is this guy?

“You can get to the Grove?” asks Pops. “People have been trying since the beginning of time. I’ve been told that it’s impossible.”

“And I’ve been told that the Grove doesn’t exist,” adds Gram.

“Oh, it exists all right,” says Tempest. “It’s hidden under Purgatory’s Gray Sea. I’ve never been inside, although I know how to get there.”

Everyone starts talking at the same time.

“What?”

“How?”

“Who told you?”

I take another step away from the commotion. All of a sudden, I’m not so sure I want to know the answers to these questions. Tempest just made me feel like my opinion mattered. It’s stupid, but that meant something to me. But if he knew about the Grove and never told anyone? That’s a big miss in my opinion. Something doesn’t add up.

Maxon’s voice rises over the din. “Come on, T. You sure it wasn’t a long night and too much angelflower wine?”

“Positive,” says Tempest. “And I can find it again.” His gaze darkens. “But I must bring Portia with me. Alone.”

At this point, two sides of me break into all-out war. First, there’s logical me. That tells me to run from Tempest and fast. All this weird stuff about the Grove and now he wants me alone? Agreeing to that is dumb with a capital D.

But then, there’s my heart. It’s thumping up a storm at the thought of being alone with Tempest. Suppose the way he’s acting is real? Maybe he does think my opinion matters. He might even be the kind of guy who can see beyond my marks.

At last, my logical side kicks in with a vengeance. Tempest can get me in to the Grove. The after-realms are falling apart. So what if Tempest is a little shady? I have billions of lives on the line here.

If there’s any hope that I can get answers and fix the Firmament, then I’m in.

When I speak, my voice comes out loud and steady. “I’m going with Tempest.”

“No, we’re all going,” says Dad, and the stern look on his face says that’s not up for discussion.

Tempest nods. “Tomorrow at dusk, then. We’ll meet at Pyramid Rock in the Gray Sea.” He stomps up the spiral staircase and leaves without waiting for a reply.

I watch him go and somehow, I’m certain of one thing. Even if we do find a way to save the after-realms, my life will never be the same again.

# # #

My family has been having the time of their lives, running battle plans for over an hour now. I’ve decided to raid the freezer. I’m about to grab a pint of rocky road when Maxon materializes beside me.

“Glad I caught you alone. We need to talk about T.”

My mouth thins to an angry line. “That’s none of your business.”

“Hey, I’m just trying to do the right thing here. You do realize that T’s a greater demon, yeah?”

I keep staring at the contents of the freezer like the meaning of life is hidden in there. Much as I hate Maxon’s barging in, I can’t help being curious about what he has to say. I can’t shake that odd feeling that Tempest is hiding something. “I’m aware of what Tempest is.”