her investments were kaput.
She sighed, zipped up the pants, and headed back to the living room. “Better?”
Haven looked her over. “Yep. I can save those if you don’t screw them up too badly. Just bring me the pieces.” She straightened and cocked her head. “So I’m guessing this means you’re refusing my offer to keep you drowning in potions?”
“Haven, if I knew what I was facing, you’d be the first person I’d want with me. You know that. But I have no idea where I’m heading or what might be there waiting. I can’t be my best if I’m worried about you.”
“Okay.”
Okay? Just like that? Kyana didn’t trust the innocent look on Haven’s face. “I mean it, Haven.”
“I know. Go. Be safe. I’m going to go shower.”
She disappeared down the hall, humming, and left Kyana to watch suspiciously as her blond head bounced away.
There was no time to pursue Haven, however. She had to meet Artemis and Ryker. She wasn’t sure she’d find anything useful on the island, but the thought of walking around such a legendary place and seeing for herself where a bastard like Cronos had died amped her up.
As she opened the front door and headed out into dusk, Kyana picked up speed. She wasn’t willing to sap any of her energy by using her Vampyric sprint. It would only last a minute and she’d be worn out for an hour. She was already in dire need of a nap and couldn’t risk outright exhaustion. And no way in hell was she shifting already. She’d lose her bag and her clothes, and she sure as shit wasn’t strutting naked around the island—even if she was the only one who knew she wasn’t clothed. But she kept her strides long as she wound her way down the back roads separating her little restored bed-and-breakfast home and the Castillo de San Marcos.
Once she entered Below, Kyana stopped long enough to grab some warm supper to go from the butcher near Spirits before making her way to the gods’ temple on a large hill overlooking this part of the realm. Ryker and Artemis stood waiting already, and though Kyana wasn’t late, she wished she’d been the one to arrive first.
So much for hoping that after his rancid swim he’d plead for reassignment.
“You’re really going to make him go with me?”
Ryker smirked. “You expected me not to show up?”
“I was hopeful.” She doubted it would do any good, but she had to try one last time to get Artemis to change her mind about the two of them working together. “You said his job was to find the persons responsible for using the key. This trip is a scouting expedition for clues. I doubt we’ll find people there. There’s no need for you to make him go with me to help search the island.”
“That’s not why I’m going.”
“Then why bother?”
“Have you ever used a port before?” Artemis asked.
Now where had that question come from? “Uh, I’m here, aren’t I?”
“Not a portal. A port. You’ll be taking one today.”
She frowned at the goddess. “What’s the difference?”
“A port isn’t like stepping through the gate between Above and Below. It’s not an easy passage. It’s bright, loud, and very dangerous, especially when more than one person is being ported.”
“Then why do I have to use one of these port things?”
“Because it’s not only the quickest way to reach Cronos’s island, it’s the only way.”
Just lovely. Kyana wanted to ask exactly what to expect, but a part of her really didn’t want to know.
“It’s not all about the skill of the porter, but directly involves the willingness of the portee—you—to do what’s required to make the jump complete.”
“Have you ever— Wait, port er ? As in, thing that ports?”
Dread settled in Kyana’s gut as her suspicions raised the hairs on her arms. She swung her gaze to Ryker, whose smug smile confirmed her fears.
Shit.
“A porter isn’t a thing, Ky. It’s a person.” Ryker gripped her shoulders as though he thought she might bolt.
She sighed, zipped up the pants, and headed back to the living room. “Better?”
Haven looked her over. “Yep. I can save those if you don’t screw them up too badly. Just bring me the pieces.” She straightened and cocked her head. “So I’m guessing this means you’re refusing my offer to keep you drowning in potions?”
“Haven, if I knew what I was facing, you’d be the first person I’d want with me. You know that. But I have no idea where I’m heading or what might be there waiting. I can’t be my best if I’m worried about you.”
“Okay.”
Okay? Just like that? Kyana didn’t trust the innocent look on Haven’s face. “I mean it, Haven.”
“I know. Go. Be safe. I’m going to go shower.”
She disappeared down the hall, humming, and left Kyana to watch suspiciously as her blond head bounced away.
There was no time to pursue Haven, however. She had to meet Artemis and Ryker. She wasn’t sure she’d find anything useful on the island, but the thought of walking around such a legendary place and seeing for herself where a bastard like Cronos had died amped her up.
As she opened the front door and headed out into dusk, Kyana picked up speed. She wasn’t willing to sap any of her energy by using her Vampyric sprint. It would only last a minute and she’d be worn out for an hour. She was already in dire need of a nap and couldn’t risk outright exhaustion. And no way in hell was she shifting already. She’d lose her bag and her clothes, and she sure as shit wasn’t strutting naked around the island—even if she was the only one who knew she wasn’t clothed. But she kept her strides long as she wound her way down the back roads separating her little restored bed-and-breakfast home and the Castillo de San Marcos.
Once she entered Below, Kyana stopped long enough to grab some warm supper to go from the butcher near Spirits before making her way to the gods’ temple on a large hill overlooking this part of the realm. Ryker and Artemis stood waiting already, and though Kyana wasn’t late, she wished she’d been the one to arrive first.
So much for hoping that after his rancid swim he’d plead for reassignment.
“You’re really going to make him go with me?”
Ryker smirked. “You expected me not to show up?”
“I was hopeful.” She doubted it would do any good, but she had to try one last time to get Artemis to change her mind about the two of them working together. “You said his job was to find the persons responsible for using the key. This trip is a scouting expedition for clues. I doubt we’ll find people there. There’s no need for you to make him go with me to help search the island.”
“That’s not why I’m going.”
“Then why bother?”
“Have you ever used a port before?” Artemis asked.
Now where had that question come from? “Uh, I’m here, aren’t I?”
“Not a portal. A port. You’ll be taking one today.”
She frowned at the goddess. “What’s the difference?”
“A port isn’t like stepping through the gate between Above and Below. It’s not an easy passage. It’s bright, loud, and very dangerous, especially when more than one person is being ported.”
“Then why do I have to use one of these port things?”
“Because it’s not only the quickest way to reach Cronos’s island, it’s the only way.”
Just lovely. Kyana wanted to ask exactly what to expect, but a part of her really didn’t want to know.
“It’s not all about the skill of the porter, but directly involves the willingness of the portee—you—to do what’s required to make the jump complete.”
“Have you ever— Wait, port er ? As in, thing that ports?”
Dread settled in Kyana’s gut as her suspicions raised the hairs on her arms. She swung her gaze to Ryker, whose smug smile confirmed her fears.
Shit.
“A porter isn’t a thing, Ky. It’s a person.” Ryker gripped her shoulders as though he thought she might bolt.
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