Witchy Sour(21)

“Don’t be silly.” Hettie grabbed my hand. “We only have a few seconds before it closes.”

“Is the entrance always here?” I asked as my grandmother pulled me toward the space where a thin stream of lightning had danced just seconds ago. “How do you get in without Poppy’s help?”

“You don’t,” Hettie said. “The entrance can be between any two trees. It’s completely random, and is rarely the same two trees. The gateway is impossible to find without an invitation.”

“What if someone wants a meeting with a Ranger?” I asked. “How do they find one?”

“People don’t set up meetings with Rangers,” Zin said. “Rangers come to them.”

Hettie nodded. “She’s right.”

“But what if someone needs help?”

“It’s the Rangers’ job to know about it before the situation gets to that point,” Hettie said. “Now, will you stop talking a moment so I can concentrate?”

I shut up quickly, letting Hettie grab my elbow in her bony fingers. Zin stood close by her other side, and the three of us strode toward the trees.

A tugging sensation began deep behind my navel, and I was taken back to the moment when I’d first arrived on The Isle—transported from the mainland by a boat the size of a dingy that had carried us into massive wave. Some sort of portal like this one, except now, I knew what to expect.

However, knowing what to expect did not prepare me for the process. My rib cage constricted and my breath vanished as I hurtled headfirst through blackness. When I came to, my feet hit firm ground, and I collapsed in a heap on the cold, tile floor.

“Sorry about that,” Hettie was saying when I managed to open my eyes and blink away the stars. “First timer, here.”

I blinked furiously, trying to clear away the stars as Hettie and Zin each hooked an arm through mine and hauled me to my feet.

“C’mon now, use your legs,” Hettie said. “You look drunk. People are gonna assume we’re bringing you here to detox.”

“What happened?” I asked, a bit dazed. “You have to warn me next time we go hurtling through a black hole.”

“Black hole,” Hettie scoffed. “That was a tiny portal. You’ll get used to it. Until then, at least try to land on your feet. People are staring.”

“Welcome to Ranger Headquarters!” A familiar, peppy voice sounded, and I turned my attention to Poppy, who was waving us in. “How ya doin’, Lily? Sorry about that. The entrance can be rather abrupt.”

I climbed to my feet and gave her a begrudging hug. “You don’t say.”

“I’ve been meaning to show you around the place, but Gus keeps you so dang busy counting herbs, or whatever you do locked up in your bungalow, that I haven’t gotten a chance to steal you away.”

Zin and Hettie also greeted Poppy, and I took the opportunity to glance around the space. “Wow,” I breathed. “This is...something else.”

“It’s comfortable.” Poppy shrugged, clearly unimpressed by the space. “You want a tour?”

“I’d love one!”

“Follow me, you’ll need a badge.”

I followed Poppy to a counter that looked like the reception desk for the Ritz. Stepping through the portal between the trees had landed us in a hallway with ceilings so high I could barely see the top.

The walls were black and shiny, the furniture a combination of dazzling metals and spotless white. Black leather couches and coffee tables formed a square in the middle of the space, giving off the feel of a modern, uber-sleek lounge. Soft music played in the background as one or two men dressed in sharp suits crisscrossed through the room, disappearing into a dark hallway.

A woman stood behind the front desk. When she smiled, the motion was so striking I did a double take. She laughed and extended a hand. “Hello, you’re a friend of Poppy’s?”

I nodded, trying not to stare at her features. I quickly shook her hand which felt as delicate as paper-mache.

With hair as white as a star and eyes as blue as sea glass, I doubted she was human. The creature wore a tight black dress that fell midway to her thigh, covered by a gauzy shawl over thin arms. At least three inches taller than me, she had the height of a supermodel and the fashion wardrobe of a CEO. Stunning was not a strong enough word to describe her beauty. Ethereal, maybe.

“No problem,” she said with a wink, her laugh sounding light and airy. “Let me print up a pass for you.”

“Do you need my name? Information?” I tried to peek over the counter, but there were no computers anywhere in sight. No machinery, gadgets, or technology of any sorts. “I’m—”