A Power of Old(5)

I heard the crackle of a radio. Corrine had stopped spelling the portal and was trying to get into contact with the other team.

“Mona? Mona? Can you hear me?” she asked over the waves.

“I can hear you—everything okay?” Mona’s voice sounded unnaturally high over the radio. “Anything happened yet?”

“No,” Corrine replied, “it’s not budging. I’ve tried everything I can think of.”

There was silence over the line, and I looked worriedly up at Corrine. She shrugged.

“Okay,” she replied. “At least we’ve found it—that’s good news. Now we just have to find a way to get it open.” I could hear the determination in her voice, and smiled. We really needed a bit of perspective—it was good news. “Has it got a cover over it, like a translucent cover?” Mona asked.

“No. It’s like black tar—looks almost like a live organism… seems to be moving of its own accord.”

“I’ve never heard of anything like that,” Mona replied faintly. “Don’t touch it. We’ll come over to you, we might have better luck shifting it if there’s more of us.”

Corrine nodded. “Okay—meet us on the mainland and we’ll regroup.” She cut the radio and turned to me, her expression as disappointed as I was sure mine was. “I just can’t figure out how this has happened,” she said. “Unused portals have been known to get a bit sticky with age, but I’ve never seen anything like this.” She peered back down into the portal, and we both watched the hypnotic movements of the tar. I could see why Mona had advised us not to touch it—it looked like it would swallow us whole, like quicksand. It wasn’t an appealing thought.

“Let’s get back,” Corrine murmured eventually. “Mona and the others will be there soon.”

The plane changed direction, and soon we were hurtling back to the mainland.

“Do you think it could be spelled by witches?” Caleb asked Corrine.

She shook her head. “I doubt it – I’d be able to tell.”

We were silent the rest of the way back, all of us looking out of the sea plane windows, watching the endless ocean—all racking our brains as to what, or who, could have caused a portal to get blocked in that way.

I was glad that we’d found it, but wished it didn’t throw up more questions than it answered. I also had an overwhelmingly ominous feeling… what kind of dimension might our children be locked in?





Tejus





Ash and Julian were bent over the sofa, attending to the small human girl. Hazel remained in the corner, sitting among the debris, still wearing the bedsheet clutched to her tightly.

What had I done?

I still couldn’t comprehend how it had happened. The minister had told me that it was the marriage ceremony that created the change, a specific part of the marriage ceremony. How could he have got it so wrong? He had claimed it was the moment that the body, mind and soul were declared as one. I had assumed he meant theoretically—that the words and ritual of the ceremony would somehow make that true. Obviously I had been wrong, but did that mean that Hazel and I had become literally joined somehow? That she was as much a part of me as I felt I was of her?

There was no denying that I had felt something shift inside me—a moment when she had looked up at me, her eyes clear and honest as they met mine, and I’d felt myself mentally pour into her, holding nothing back. Was the transformation as simple as that?

Does it even matter?

I had ruined her. How would she love me now, when she had become a mind-hungry leech, all because she’d fallen for the wrong man—the wrong species? I felt morally bankrupt. Not only did I feel corrupt, but I felt like I had corrupted another, someone who was inherently good. The only creature I had ever learned to love more than myself.

I can’t bear it to be this way…

I strode toward her, but she scurried up to her feet, desperately warning me back. I knew she wanted me to, but I couldn’t just let her sit there, feeling like she was all alone in dealing with this.

Before I could touch her, she dashed past me, running into my bedroom and slamming the door shut. The others looked up in surprise, but I barely registered their glances. It was only when Ruby, coming down from the tower, tugged on my robe to get my attention and then scowled at me while gesturing to the slammed door, that I felt I should try to explain something.

Ruby shoved a piece of paper and some lead in my direction.

I hastily scribbled down the best I could, ‘You need to speak to her—when you can. I’m sorry.’

Ruby snatched back the paper and rolled her eyes at me. I didn’t know what else to say, and in all honesty I was sick of this farce. I wanted them all to leave.