this body, the more I
understand it and the more I seem to become like the person who once inhabited
it.” He shrugged.
Eddy stared. Even that simple
gesture was something she’d bet he’d never done as a demon.
He flashed a grin at Eddy. “I
think my avatar belonged to a soldier, though I imagine his soul has gone on to
its final rest. Whatever remains is impatient. It wants action. Let’s go.”
He slipped Willow into his
shirt pocket. She poked her head out. Gently he shoved her back down again,
caught Eddy’s hand in his, and stepped through the dark wall of stone.
Eddy wrapped Bumper’s leash a
couple of turns around her hand, and the dog followed as they passed from
Earth’s dimension into an area of shimmering light. She felt a low hum of power
that seemed to come from all around them.
“Wow.” Eddy felt dizzy from
the colors and glimmering light. Dax stood perfectly still, as if studying a
subway map, but she spun around, gawking. “There’s definitely more than three
choices,” she said. “Have you got Plan B figured out?”
Dax shook his head. “Not
really.” Then he pointed to an area of dark red light that pulsed with a
terrifying energy. “Abyss,” he said, and then turned and showed Eddy another
area glowing in shades of gold and silver. “That’s the way to Eden.”
“Where’s that one go?” Eddy
stared at a green and turquoise area of light that throbbed with the tempo of
the sea.
“I’m not sure, but I’d guess
it leads to Atlantis. Can’t you smell the brine in the air?”
Eddy sniffed and caught a
faint whiff of ocean. “Oh.” Atlantis? Good Lord.
Bumper whined and tugged at
the leash.
“Is that it?” Eddy looked in
the direction Bumper seemed intent to lead. A steady golden glow ebbed and
flowed with the same rhythm as the beat of her heart. She felt drawn to it,
just as Bumper seemed drawn.
Dax nodded. “It is. I’m almost
positive. Willow, what do you think? Does that one feel right?”
The sprite poked her head up
out of his shirt pocket. Her light glowed brightly before she settled back
down. Only a slight shimmer escaped.
“Willow agrees. Let’s go.”
He led the way, stepping into
the glowing, rippling shimmer of color. Eddy felt a tug, as if something pulled
her forward, as well as a sense of fear that tried to push her back. The walls
of light seemed to close in about them; the air grew thick and hard to breathe.
Bumper growled. Then she whined and wagged her curly tail. She pulled Eddy and
Dax forward while golden light shimmered all around them.
Eddy was aware of sound
growing louder and louder, a steady roar that pulsed and ebbed with the beat of
her heart and filled her head, her ears, her entire body with noise. Dax kept
moving forward, but his grip on her hand tightened.
They were stopped by a solid,
flowing wave of gold that could have been molten metal. It fell like a
waterfall from somewhere overhead. Dax reached forward. Eddy bit off a scream,
expecting to see the flesh burned from his bones, but he parted the wave. It
separated and flowed over and around his hand like golden quicksilver, without
leaving a mark, though it didn’t part enough to let them see through to the
other side.
Dax turned to look over his
shoulder, gazing steadily at Eddy. “Can you do this?”
She nodded. She’d never felt
so terrified, nor so sure of herself, in her life. They had no idea what lay on
the other side. She glanced down at Bumper. The mutt tugged at her leash,
anxious to race through the golden wall.
Dax leaned over and surprised
Eddy with a kiss. He wrapped one arm around her waist and dragged her body
close against his. His lips moved over hers; his tongue tested the seam between
them.
She hesitated, but for only a
moment. Then she opened for him. His breath was sweet and hot; his tongue
licked at her lips and the soft recesses inside her mouth.
She whimpered, a small sound
deep in her throat that seemed to vibrate against his soft groan of
understand it and the more I seem to become like the person who once inhabited
it.” He shrugged.
Eddy stared. Even that simple
gesture was something she’d bet he’d never done as a demon.
He flashed a grin at Eddy. “I
think my avatar belonged to a soldier, though I imagine his soul has gone on to
its final rest. Whatever remains is impatient. It wants action. Let’s go.”
He slipped Willow into his
shirt pocket. She poked her head out. Gently he shoved her back down again,
caught Eddy’s hand in his, and stepped through the dark wall of stone.
Eddy wrapped Bumper’s leash a
couple of turns around her hand, and the dog followed as they passed from
Earth’s dimension into an area of shimmering light. She felt a low hum of power
that seemed to come from all around them.
“Wow.” Eddy felt dizzy from
the colors and glimmering light. Dax stood perfectly still, as if studying a
subway map, but she spun around, gawking. “There’s definitely more than three
choices,” she said. “Have you got Plan B figured out?”
Dax shook his head. “Not
really.” Then he pointed to an area of dark red light that pulsed with a
terrifying energy. “Abyss,” he said, and then turned and showed Eddy another
area glowing in shades of gold and silver. “That’s the way to Eden.”
“Where’s that one go?” Eddy
stared at a green and turquoise area of light that throbbed with the tempo of
the sea.
“I’m not sure, but I’d guess
it leads to Atlantis. Can’t you smell the brine in the air?”
Eddy sniffed and caught a
faint whiff of ocean. “Oh.” Atlantis? Good Lord.
Bumper whined and tugged at
the leash.
“Is that it?” Eddy looked in
the direction Bumper seemed intent to lead. A steady golden glow ebbed and
flowed with the same rhythm as the beat of her heart. She felt drawn to it,
just as Bumper seemed drawn.
Dax nodded. “It is. I’m almost
positive. Willow, what do you think? Does that one feel right?”
The sprite poked her head up
out of his shirt pocket. Her light glowed brightly before she settled back
down. Only a slight shimmer escaped.
“Willow agrees. Let’s go.”
He led the way, stepping into
the glowing, rippling shimmer of color. Eddy felt a tug, as if something pulled
her forward, as well as a sense of fear that tried to push her back. The walls
of light seemed to close in about them; the air grew thick and hard to breathe.
Bumper growled. Then she whined and wagged her curly tail. She pulled Eddy and
Dax forward while golden light shimmered all around them.
Eddy was aware of sound
growing louder and louder, a steady roar that pulsed and ebbed with the beat of
her heart and filled her head, her ears, her entire body with noise. Dax kept
moving forward, but his grip on her hand tightened.
They were stopped by a solid,
flowing wave of gold that could have been molten metal. It fell like a
waterfall from somewhere overhead. Dax reached forward. Eddy bit off a scream,
expecting to see the flesh burned from his bones, but he parted the wave. It
separated and flowed over and around his hand like golden quicksilver, without
leaving a mark, though it didn’t part enough to let them see through to the
other side.
Dax turned to look over his
shoulder, gazing steadily at Eddy. “Can you do this?”
She nodded. She’d never felt
so terrified, nor so sure of herself, in her life. They had no idea what lay on
the other side. She glanced down at Bumper. The mutt tugged at her leash,
anxious to race through the golden wall.
Dax leaned over and surprised
Eddy with a kiss. He wrapped one arm around her waist and dragged her body
close against his. His lips moved over hers; his tongue tested the seam between
them.
She hesitated, but for only a
moment. Then she opened for him. His breath was sweet and hot; his tongue
licked at her lips and the soft recesses inside her mouth.
She whimpered, a small sound
deep in her throat that seemed to vibrate against his soft groan of
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