Chapter 17

I stumbled when I came out on the other side. I looked down at my feet. Pavement. Inhaling as I looked around, there was no mistaking that stench. We were in the city on the other side. We stood beside a building that looked like it was abandoned. It was an odd place to bring people out.

“Where’d they go?” Autumn was looking in all directions.

“There.” Bethany pointed as her other hand clutched her stomach.

A car pulled up to where the four men stood. Three more men got out and stood beside it. One of them pointed to the car beside them.

Autumn quickly moved to hide behind an old beat-up dumpster. “Seven,” Autumn said quietly, then shrugged. “Seems even to me.”

The rest of us followed her.

“They’re not heavily armed,” Daxx mused, looking around the end of the bin.

One of the men went over to the other car and opened the door.

“Now or never, ladies,” Daxx said and started walking toward them.

The rest of us followed. I reached to my side and then remembered I wasn’t carrying my surujin.

“Here.”

I turned to Bethany, and she held out a knife.

“I don’t need it.”

“Hey, guys. Jump through any portals lately?” Daxx called out the men.

In a blur, they all scrambled into the one car and took off.

Autumn ran toward them. “Damn.” She stopped beside the car with one door still open.

The rest of us caught up.

“Anyone know how to drive?” Autumn leaned in. “The keys are in it.”

No one spoke up.

“I saw someone being taught in a movie,” Bethany said.

Paisley looked at Autumn and then got in the drivers’ seat. Autumn ran around and climbed in the other front door. “Get in,” she said to Bethany.

Daxx nodded and opened the back door. “They couldn’t use a van?”

Not knowing what else to do, I climbed in behind her and closed the door. It was crowded with the three of us in the back.

“Okay, turn the key and put your foot on the brake,” Bethany instructed Paisley.

“Should I put my seatbelt on?” Kara asked.

“Someone keep an eye on them, in case they turn off,” Autumn said.

“I am.” Daxx was hanging over in the front seat.

“Now move the shifter until that little thing on the dash is on D,” Bethany said. “Yeah. Now push the gas and go.”

The car lurched forward, then jerked to the left. I bounced off Daxx. We jerked forward again, then abruptly stopped.

“I got this,” Paisley said in a tense tone.

“They’re still on this street,” Daxx said, leaning farther over the back of the front seat.

The car suddenly filled with all of our phones playing music. Sandwiched between the door and Daxx, I couldn’t have gotten my phone out of my pocket if I’d tried.

“Trying to concentrate here,” Paisley shouted.

“I’ll answer,” Bethany said. “Hey.”

She must have put it on speaker because Leone’s voice filled the small space.

“Where are you?”

“The portal came out in the city,” Bethany explained.

“The portal is gone on this side.” That was Troy.

“We had to bring Reagan, so she could see if there were more,” Bethany said, then bounced off the door as the car jerked again.

“Don’t drive too fast,” Autumn said. “In case they turn off.”

Paisley nodded.

“Too fast?” That was Michael. “You’re driving?”

Autumn snorted. “No.”

“Thank the gods.” Michael sounded relieved.

“Paisley is,” Daxx called out.

“What?” There was no mistaking Arius’ voice.

“Get out of my head, babe. I’m trying to focus here,” Paisley said in a choppy voice.

The car jerked as she hit the brakes. I bounced my head off the back of the driver’s seat. Bethany’s phone landed on the dash.

“They didn’t even look,” Paisley growled, “just ran out on the street.”

“They’re turning.” Autumn pointed.

The car lurched forward again. I was thrown back against the seat.

“Can you shoot the tires if we get close enough, Kara?” Daxx turned to her.

Kara shook her head. “Not unless I hang out the window.”

“You are not hanging out a window,” Rafael thundered through the phone.

“I guess you can’t drive and stop their car at the same time, Paize,” Daxx said with a sigh.

“Not if you want us to live,” she answered.

The car slid as we went around the corner, all of us slumping over as it did.

“The gods hate us,” Troy stated.

“Daxx.” Alona was on the phone now. “Give us a landmark.”

“Yeah.” Daxx started looking around.

“Guys, they’re turning again.” Autumn braced her hand on the dash. “Slow down. It’s fenced in.”

The car jerked a few times as Paisley hit the brakes.

“Crissy.” Daxx shuffled to the edge of the seat again.

“I’m here,” Crissy answered.

“Pull over here.” Autumn pointed for Paisley.

Paisley nodded, and the car jerked in that direction.

“The old wrecking yard that closed down.” Daxx looked around. “Near the torn-up old train station.”

“I know it,” Crissy told her.

“Bring the guys to the street here. And someone grab our gear.” Daxx flew forward and hit the seat again as the car stopped.

“That wasn’t too hard,” Paisley said as she turned the car off.

“None of you move until we get there,” Michael commanded.

“Just in stay in the car,” Arius added.

The line went quiet.

Bethany turned in her seat and looked at Kara. “What do you think? Confined to the palace for ten years?”

Kara laughed. “Much longer.”

Paisley ran her hand through her hair. “That was pretty intense.”

“We lived through it.” Daxx grinned at her and then turned to Kara. “Out. I’m not sitting in the car waiting for them.”

Autumn nodded. “I want to see inside the fence and get a heads up on what to expect.”

“You’re sure?” Autumn whispered as she looked through the boards again.

Checking again, I nodded. “There’s no haze at all.”

“That’s good for us, right? No mages,” Daxx asked.

“We won’t even discuss what’s good for you,” Troy’s voice came from behind us.

We all froze and turned around in slow motion to see the men looming over us.

“This does not look like the car you’re supposed to be in.” Arius looked down at Paisley as she straightened up from the fence.

Paisley pointed. “It’s ten feet away,” she shrugged, “it was very cramped.”

Arius blew out a breath. “You scared the hell out of us.”

Autumn grinned at Michael. “We were fine.” She jerked her head toward Paisley. “She drives better than some of the bus drivers around here.”

“I had it until that jerk that ran out in front of us,” Paisley hissed.

“Perhaps we can discuss your driving skills at a later date?” Victor suggested and went over to the fence, bent down, and looked through the hole we were peering through.

“We haven’t seen anyone,” Autumn reported. “Rea says there’s no green haze.”

“No mages.” Quinton nodded, not taking his eyes off me. “What about white from witches?”

I shook my head. “There’s no haze of any color.”

He nodded his head slowly, then turned to Rafael. “Arwan and Hubert aren’t here.”

Rafael shrugged. “But there are others that need our immediate attention.”

Alona and Chase appeared with Crissy.

“We followed four through the portal, and they met up with three others,” Kara told him.

“Seven?” Chase looked at the fence. “Doesn’t seem fair.”

“Since when do you care about fair?” Troy asked him.

“I don’t.” Chase grinned.

“There’s a reason they came here. I suggest we go find out what that is,” Victor stated.

Daxx nodded as she pulled out two katanas from a bag that Leone held open. Putting them in one hand, she pulled out a box like the one Michael had brought to the kitchen and secured it to her belt.

I looked around. “We’re going to fight them?”

Quinton glanced in the bag and nodded. “We’d try asking them to give up, but that never works out.” He turned and held a small leather pouch out to me.

Hesitantly, I took it and opened it. It was a real surujin. My jaw dropped as I pulled it out.

“Be careful.” Quinton came over and pulled the rest out. “Clip it to your side.” He pulled the other end out and held it up. “The handle is also a blade,” he said as he put it in the slot of the case. “In case anyone gets too close.” He gave me a steady look. “Don’t be afraid to use it.”

I nodded and put the pouch through the belt loop of my jeans. “I’ve survived a few wars. I know when to fight and when to run.” I felt giddy as I tucked the bladed handle into the case. “Is it wrong if I say I love it?” I looked up at him.

He grinned. “No, in this family, loving a weapon is normal.”

Autumn chuckled and tapped the baton-type weapon she held; a curved blade popped out the end. Alona held up nun-chucks.

Bethany wiggled her fingers. “Built-in weapons.” She turned and looked at the fence. “How are we getting in?”

Kara opened the bag and pulled out a bow. In a few seconds, she had it assembled and the case full of arrows on her back. She nodded at Rafael.

Quinton walked over and looked at the boards. He glanced over his shoulder at Arius. Arius shrugged and went over. They grabbed the one board and pulled it together, and it snapped in half.

Beth shrugged. “That works.” She glanced at Paisley and motioned to it. “Tag team?”

Paisley nodded. “Tag team.”

I watched the others go through the hole in the fence and hurried to follow, not even knowing what I was going to do. Quinton was waiting for me on the other side.

“Don’t get separated.” He motioned to the women. “They’re scarier together than a whole army.”

I nodded, trying to shake off the nerves.

“Aw, so sweet,” Daxx said. She wiped an imaginary tear from her face. “There’s a reason you’re my favorite brother.” She held up her phone and added, “Connect to the group call.”

Pulling the earpiece out of my pocket, I put it in and then connected.

“Divide and conquer?” Chase said in the earpiece.

“The ladies can go down the middle. We’ll circle around from either side,” Emil’s voice came through it.

I was startled and turned to see him coming through the hole in the fence with a man with long white hair.

“Works for me,” Daxx said and started walking.

“One of these days, we need to work on your timing, my lovely mate,” Troy said.

“You can talk all you like, my king. I like action,” Daxx said.

“TMI,” I said.

There were a few chuckles as the group split in three. Four of the men went to the left and four to the right. The women walked down the center like it was a normal stroll in the park. Autumn and Daxx were up front. I was at the back with Alona.

Crissy stopped abruptly. “Going high,” she said through the call.

I turned to look at the large crane off to the right. It was covered in rust and had most likely been sitting there for a few decades.

“Be careful,” Victor’s voice said in my ear.

“Give us a lay of the land, little sister.” That was Rafael.

“Okay,” Crissy answered without pausing.

I held my breath as she scaled the crane like it was a child’s climbing gym. Turning to Alona, I expressed my concern with a look; she smirked and rolled her eyes. I took that to mean it was a normal thing with Crissy. We caught up to the other women.

“I see people,” Crissy reported. “There’s ten, I think. They’re loading a van with wood boxes.”

“Where are they, heart?” Victor said with a patient tone.

Kara paused and stood there looking around.

“Vic, you guys need to get to the middle fast,” Crissy said. “I can’t see the labels on the boxes, but it’s taking two men to lift them.”

“Straight ahead, Criss?” Daxx asked and glanced up at her.

“Yes.”

Kara looked left then started jogging left. “I’m finding a perch.”

“Keep watch behind us, Crissy,” Rafael said. “Kara, honey, save some for us.”

Someone chuckled softly. “Better move faster then, Captain,” Kara said.

Daxx and Autumn ducked down behind a long-abandoned car.

Alona moved to stand below the crane. I followed her. My heart was pounding in my chest. Then, deciding I was the only one that seemed unprepared for this, I pulled the surujin out and held the weighted end in my left hand and the handle of the bladed end in my right. Alona nodded to me, and we began going forward.

“Almost there,” Troy reported. “Wait for…”

Daxx and Autumn bolted in that direction.

“Need a hand, boys?” Daxx’s mocking tone came through the earbud.

There was a sound of an annoyed growl through the call; I could only assume it was Troy.

When Alona and I caught up to the others, it was mayhem. The unarmed men we had followed weren’t without weapons now. Large swords and even a sort of spear were in play.

“Spearman is mine,” Autumn called out.

“Poor sap wielding it,” one of the men said, but I couldn’t tell who.

Alona seemed to be sticking to the outskirts of the action, but after watching her in action with the nun-chucks, I realized she wasn’t someone I would want to go against.

Daxx slid along the ground and used the vanishing box on a man that Bethany and Paisley had disarmed and knocked to the ground. I didn’t quite understand how they did it, but it was amazing.

I nodded and decided what my task would be in this skirmish. I lunged to the left when Autumn and the man with the spear were going head-to-head. I didn’t pause to admire her abilities, but with a glance, I saw she had the man on the defensive as he was backing away from her onslaught.

I approached the man that Daxx was fighting with her twin blades. Releasing the weight, I gave the chain a flick in his direction. It landed perfectly around one of his ankles. Then, with a quick jerk, he hit the ground. Daxx had a huge grin on her face as she bent down with the box and disappeared.

“You and me, Rea, let’s clean house.” She sounded so happy.

I nodded and picked up the weighted end again.

“I’ll engage; you do your thing.” She sounded out of breath as she bolted toward two men fighting with Quinton. “I’m borrowing the left one, Quint.”

“All yours,” Quinton grunted as he ducked from the swing from the man on the left and turned his attention to the other one.

My heart was in my throat as I watched him advance on the man using a sword larger than the two the bad guy was wielding. The clash of metal beside me brought me back to the task at hand. I turned and dropped the weight and did a wide sweep with my arm, sending it to unroot the man Daxx was fighting.

“Sisters with skills.” Rafael’s voice sang through the earpiece.

“Pay attention.” That was Kara.

I turned to see a man lying at Rafael’s feet, an arrow beside him.

“Giving you something to do, honey.” Rafael grinned in the direction of the crane.

“Need back up.” That was Bethany.

“This guy is a tank,” Paisley said in a strained voice.

Daxx nodded when I sent her a questioning look.

I turned and went toward the very bulky man they were trying to knock down. “Call out when you’re going hit him,” I said as I ran toward them, spinning the surujin as I went. I would have more than enough momentum by the time I reached them.

“On three,” Bethany growled.

“One,” Paisley hissed.

I was almost there.

“Two,” Bethany whispered.

I sent it flying and jerked it around his ankle. “Three.” The man tumbled to the ground. My surujin was still wrapped around his ankle. I jerked it again when he went to get up.

“Port box,” Bethany said with an urgent tone.

The man was on his side again, starting to get up. I rushed over and kicked him in the face. Later, when my sanity returned, I’d question such a move.

Leone was over him, grinning at me. He let me pull the chain free, then the man vanished. “Damn.” He laughed and then spun, swords in hand again.

“One of them is getting in the van,” Crissy reported.

“Not now, he isn’t,” Kara said calmly.

The man with the white hair came rushing toward me, Emil beside him. Instinct told me to duck, so I did quickly. A man tumbled over the top of me. My heart was no longer beating fast; it was now stuck in my throat.

The white-haired man put his foot on the back of his neck and held him down.

Emil stopped and held his hand down to me. “Head on a swivel,” he said softly.

I nodded and got up. “Or no head at all,” I whispered. He winked and released me. Turning, he surveyed the area.

“Is that all of them?” Emil asked.

“I can’t see any more,” Crissy said.

“Keep watch of the gate,” Victor said. “We’re going to check in the building.”

I followed Emil toward the van they’d been loading. Quinton paused and looked back at me. The expression on his face said he wasn’t thrilled I had almost been decapitated. I blew out a breath and pulled the chain to put the surujin back in its case.

Daxx patted my shoulder as she went by and rolled her eyes.

Troy stood over one of the cases they’d been loading, shaking his head.

“Fuck me,” Rafael whispered.

“Holy shit,” Leone hissed. He turned to Bethany. “If you girls hadn’t…”

“What is it?” Crissy asked over the call.

“A whole lot of bad,” Autumn told her.

“If they’d gotten this wherever they were going…”

“Yeah,” Rafael replied before Arius could finish.

“We need to know where they were taking it,” Chase said in a harsh tone. “Arius, get a hold of your cell guards, and make sure they all are processed quickly.”

Arius nodded and backed out of the group as he took his phone out of the zipped-up pocket of his leather coat.

Curious, I weaved through the large bodies to take a peek. I jolted when I saw what was in it. “Is that explosives?”

Emil nodded.

I looked in the van, then back to him. “All of it?”

Leone climbed out of the van. “All of it.”

“How could they get their hands on that much?” Quinton asked.

“We’ll have to find out,” Troy said as he rubbed a hand across his brow. “They most likely used magic to dupe someone.”

“They weren’t going to try to blow up the barrier, were they?” Daxx glanced around.

“I don’t believe that is a possibility,” Victor stated.

Quinton squatted down and leaned against the van. “We need to know what it was for.”

I watched him for a moment. He looked up and saw me looking at him, and his look hardened.

“What do we do with it?” Rafael asked. “I’m not porting explosives to Alterealm.”

Troy turned to look at Chase for a moment. “We’ll contact someone on this side to come and get it.”

Rafael looked at the white-haired man. “Welsley, you go with Quinton and bring ten guards over here until it’s picked up.”

The white-haired man nodded and turned to Quinton.

Taking a deep breath, Quinton got up. “Be back shortly.” He stepped away from the others and put his hand on the other man’s shoulder. They both vanished.

I couldn’t help but think that whatever was wrong with him, he was almost to the point of being drained just now. I took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. It was time he and I had an honest chat.

“Ready to go back?” Bethany stood in front of me.

I was startled. “Yes.”

“Thanks for the assist.” Paisley inclined her head to me. “That guy was like trying to take down the Hulk.”

“Sisters with skills.” Arius winked at me, then leaned down and kissed Paisley. “Go. Before I remember how my heart stopped when I learned you were in the middle of a high-speed car chase.”

She gave him a timid look, then vanished.