bland morning light. The waves smacked against the pilings beneath the pier and a light wind swept past, playing with her matching pale hair. She’d been unusually subdued since we’d left the apartment.
“You okay?” I asked, watching her face.
She peered up at me from under her thick lashes, reminding me so much of how young she was. Sixteen may not be all that young for a Walker, but a life on the streets wasn’t a good place to find a happy, calm existence. I suppressed a laugh. Lily would be the last person to say she needed happy and calm. She liked the hunt too much. Must be something about being a feline Walker. Something in the blood that drives us along in search of the next adventure.
Lily nodded. “Yeah. I’m good. The sooner we get Anjelo and your mom home, the better I’ll feel, though.”
“You nervous?” I asked Lily.
She snorted. “I am a dimension-jumping virgin, you know.”
I laughed softly as I slid my hand into my jacket pocket and withdrew the portal key. It gleamed in the light, the solid weight giving me a strange comfort. A ripple of unease volleyed through me as I recalled the blood promise the high priestess had drawn from me. Sometime soon, that would come back to bite me in the ass. But right now, I refused to think about it.
Now I concentrated on Wrythiin.
I stepped to the edge of the pier and held the key over the water. Lily stopped beside me, silent but sending off waves of nervousness. I understood how she felt, so I let her be.
I threw the key over the water and watched it hover above the heaving black waves. It didn’t take long for the light to begin to shine. It streamed upward from the center of the donut-shaped key, so bright that the average human would have had to shade their eyes or risk being temporarily blinded. Not so for Walkers, whose eyes were far stronger.
The column of light filtered through the hole and down into the murky bay, pulsing intermittently as if it had its own heartbeat.
“Ready?” I asked Lily. I watched her face, her stiff shoulders, taut spine. She was a bundle of nerves and that was good. Fearlessness was dangerous.
“Yes,” said Lily, nodding as she stared at the hovering key. Then she gave a mock shudder as she glanced down at the pulsing black water.
I laughed softly as another gust of wind buffeted me, throwing my loose locks into my face. I slipped a finger into my pants pocket and retrieved an elastic band, then tied my hair into a low ponytail. Not particularly fashionable, but good for dimension hopping and Wraith hunting.
“Right, then, let’s go. On three.” I took two steps back and Lily did too. I held out my open palm, and as soon as the lynx Walker placed her hand on it, I gripped hard. Leaning forward, I ran, feeling Lily keep pace beside me.
We both leaped together, flying through the air toward the bright column of light. For a moment, my chest tightened with fear. What if we didn’t get close enough? But I needn’t have worried. The key itself seemed to have an attractive force around it. It caught us in its path and began to pull on us like a magnet attracting its polar opposite.
We sailed over the water and straight at the seal. I half closed my eyes as we flew, heading into the center of the key. The first time I’d used a key, I’d been terrified that either I’d never enter the thumb-sized hole, or I’d be squashed forever for the effort. Experience told me I’d be fine, that we would both be fine, but logic screamed in my brain and I felt a dart of fear slash through my gut.
The next thing I knew was darkness. When I squinted against the blackness, I found I was blinded by the light emanating from the column. As suddenly as the light blinded me did it disappear again, leaving us in pitch darkness. My body hurtled through black space, gusts of wind slamming against me and throwing me into a slow spin. I wondered how Lily was doing and worried she wouldn’t be able to handle the ride.
And then
“You okay?” I asked, watching her face.
She peered up at me from under her thick lashes, reminding me so much of how young she was. Sixteen may not be all that young for a Walker, but a life on the streets wasn’t a good place to find a happy, calm existence. I suppressed a laugh. Lily would be the last person to say she needed happy and calm. She liked the hunt too much. Must be something about being a feline Walker. Something in the blood that drives us along in search of the next adventure.
Lily nodded. “Yeah. I’m good. The sooner we get Anjelo and your mom home, the better I’ll feel, though.”
“You nervous?” I asked Lily.
She snorted. “I am a dimension-jumping virgin, you know.”
I laughed softly as I slid my hand into my jacket pocket and withdrew the portal key. It gleamed in the light, the solid weight giving me a strange comfort. A ripple of unease volleyed through me as I recalled the blood promise the high priestess had drawn from me. Sometime soon, that would come back to bite me in the ass. But right now, I refused to think about it.
Now I concentrated on Wrythiin.
I stepped to the edge of the pier and held the key over the water. Lily stopped beside me, silent but sending off waves of nervousness. I understood how she felt, so I let her be.
I threw the key over the water and watched it hover above the heaving black waves. It didn’t take long for the light to begin to shine. It streamed upward from the center of the donut-shaped key, so bright that the average human would have had to shade their eyes or risk being temporarily blinded. Not so for Walkers, whose eyes were far stronger.
The column of light filtered through the hole and down into the murky bay, pulsing intermittently as if it had its own heartbeat.
“Ready?” I asked Lily. I watched her face, her stiff shoulders, taut spine. She was a bundle of nerves and that was good. Fearlessness was dangerous.
“Yes,” said Lily, nodding as she stared at the hovering key. Then she gave a mock shudder as she glanced down at the pulsing black water.
I laughed softly as another gust of wind buffeted me, throwing my loose locks into my face. I slipped a finger into my pants pocket and retrieved an elastic band, then tied my hair into a low ponytail. Not particularly fashionable, but good for dimension hopping and Wraith hunting.
“Right, then, let’s go. On three.” I took two steps back and Lily did too. I held out my open palm, and as soon as the lynx Walker placed her hand on it, I gripped hard. Leaning forward, I ran, feeling Lily keep pace beside me.
We both leaped together, flying through the air toward the bright column of light. For a moment, my chest tightened with fear. What if we didn’t get close enough? But I needn’t have worried. The key itself seemed to have an attractive force around it. It caught us in its path and began to pull on us like a magnet attracting its polar opposite.
We sailed over the water and straight at the seal. I half closed my eyes as we flew, heading into the center of the key. The first time I’d used a key, I’d been terrified that either I’d never enter the thumb-sized hole, or I’d be squashed forever for the effort. Experience told me I’d be fine, that we would both be fine, but logic screamed in my brain and I felt a dart of fear slash through my gut.
The next thing I knew was darkness. When I squinted against the blackness, I found I was blinded by the light emanating from the column. As suddenly as the light blinded me did it disappear again, leaving us in pitch darkness. My body hurtled through black space, gusts of wind slamming against me and throwing me into a slow spin. I wondered how Lily was doing and worried she wouldn’t be able to handle the ride.
And then
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