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CHAPTER SIX

I sped all the way to Glider Park, managing to evade the cops.

As I jumped out of the car, Dante and Orik followed me.

I couldn’t talk, I was so afraid for Penn.

I didn’t know what they’d do to her to try to get the information they needed.

I did know that Penn wouldn’t willingly help them, so that left two choices: for them to let her go, which was unlikely, or for them to torture it out of her. And Penn had grit.

I led them up the ravine, following the narrow ledge path that Penn had brought me along, putting on a burst of speed. Dante and Orik managed to keep up with me, and we cut the time it took to reach the portal area in half.

The trees were there, but it looked like any normal spot in the woods. I shifted my focus, squinting. I thought I could make out the hidden shelter. But I wasn’t going to wait for Duran to initiate matters.

“Duran, we need to talk to you! It’s about Penn! It’s an emergency!” I waited for a moment and was about to call out again when the leaves shifted and Duran appeared.

Dante and Orik blinked, but I motioned for him to approach. “We have an emergency.”

“What’s wrong?” Duran gave a sideways glance at the guys, but said nothing.

“Penn was kidnapped today, and we think Brim Fire did it.” At that moment, I unexpectedly burst into tears. The emotion of the situation had finally reached overwhelm.

Duran stiffened. “What the hell? Do you know if she’s safe?”

“I think so for now, but I don’t really know. Even if she is, how long will that safety last?” I knew I sounded frantic, but I was frantic. Penn was my sister—and family of choice bonds went deeper than a lot of blood family bonds. “I want to talk to PortalWatch,” I said.

He hesitated for a moment, then said, “Let me call them. I’ll be back in a few minutes. What’s your full name again?”

“Kyann Sarasan. I own Shadow Blade Investigations.”

He vanished and I wandered over to sit on a fallen log. Thank gods the rain was holding off, and though it was cold, I barely noticed it.

Dante and Orik said nothing, though Orik was examining the madrona trees. “The magic here is intense,” he said.

“Even I can feel it,” Dante said. “And I’m not that attuned to magic.”

A couple minutes later, Duran reappeared. “All right,” he said. “Kyann, you—and you alone—meet me tonight and I’ll take you to PortalWatch.”

I nodded, impatient. I wanted to go now , but I was at the mercy of the Crystal Court. “Where should I meet you?”

“Give me your address. I’ll pick you up.”

I gave him my address. “Remember, Penn’s my best friend, as well as my roommate. I need her back, safely.”

“I’ll see you tonight around eight. Until then, hold onto hope. You have no idea how strong we’re taught to be. Penn will be okay. I’m sure of it,” he said, though he sounded anything but sure.

* * *

I had no clue how to dress, so I dressed in a black pantsuit with a cobalt blue shirt, and a pair of ankle boots, along with my leather jacket.

I brushed my hair back into a ponytail, and touched up my makeup.

PortalWatch was part of the Crystal Court’s military organization, as far as I knew.

Then it occurred to me that, given that, Penn was actually part of the military.

I decided to forego the backpack and opted for a nice leather tote.

By the time I was ready, I had managed to calm my nerves, though I kept seeing Penn in my mind, and my imagination wasn’t being kind to me.

I longed for another glimpse through her eyes, to know she was alive, but Murdoch had just acted like a regular cat the rest of the afternoon.

A few minutes after eight, I jumped as a knock sounded on the door.

I’d been waiting for Duran, but so deep in thought that the noise startled me.

I opened the door and saw him, looking far more formal than he’d been out in the woods.

He was wearing a formal suit, with navy blue trousers and a silver Nehru jacket.

His hair was pulled back in a braid. He looked older, in a way, or maybe more daunting.

“Welcome to my home,” I said, suddenly feeling awkward. “On the way, maybe you can tell me what to avoid in terms of topics? And who will I be meeting?”

“I believe you’ll be meeting the head of PortalWatch. This is serious so they escalated matters.” He was silent for a moment, then said, “Do you think Penelope will be all right?”

It was in that simple sentence that I realized he was as afraid as I was. “I hope so, Duran. She’s an important part of my life. In fact, she’s part of my heart.”

“I sensed that,” he said, starting up the car.

* * *

All the way to PortalWatch, Duran remained silent. He seemed deep in thought. I wasn’t sure where we were going, and after about twenty minutes I decided to ask him where our destination was.

“Where’s the headquarters?” I asked.

“Oh, the actual headquarters is in the Crystal Court. We’re going to the local branch. It’s on the top floor of the Star Tower. We’ll be there in a few minutes.”

The Star Tower?

I blinked. That was one of the newer buildings in town, and I knew the rental space came dear. But then, as far as I knew, the Crystal Court was wealthy beyond counting. The Witch Queen was from an ancient family, the crown had been handed down through Elsabetha’s family throughout the centuries.

“Tell me,” I said, “I never thought to ask Penn, but does the Crystal Court collect taxes from its members?”

“You’re asking how we stay afloat?” Duran asked.

“I suppose. It occurs to me that the Court can’t eat through its savings to supply and fund the military and all the employees.

” It also occurred to me that the Worldwide Shifter Council must have some similar ruling organization, as well as the Vampire Federation.

I knew the Fae Courts were on sovereign land, as well, divided and at odds, but both holding equal power.

“You’re correct. Every member on the rolls is taxed.

It’s not a huge amount, and it’s based on income level, so the less you make, the less you pay.

There’s a flat fee to be kept on the rolls of about twenty-five dollars per year per person, and then a two-point-five percent income tax, flat across the boards.

Individuals making less than thirty-five thousand dollars a year only pay the flat roll fee. ”

It sounded pretty straight forward.

“Do the demons have any groups here, in this dimension?” Duran asked.

I shrugged. “If they do, I don’t know about them.

I’ve always known I was half-demon, but until a month or so ago, I didn’t have a clue what clan my blood came from.

I’m only now discovering what it means to be half-demon.

I’m just coming into my powers and trying to learn how to control them, instead of them taking over,” I added.

He pulled into the underground parking garage and parked near the elevator. “All right, we’re here. There’s not much I can tell you in advance. I’m the one taking responsibility for bringing you here.”

“I’ll try to behave myself,” I said, feeling like a child who had just been chided.

Duran slid out of the car and came around to my side, opening the door before I could even unfasten my seatbelt.

“Thank you,” I said, sliding out. “Who exactly will I be meeting with?”

“I’m not entirely sure.” He led the way into the elevator bay, where he inserted a key to summon the car. Apparently, the Star Tower took security seriously.

He punched the button for the 27 th floor and we headed for the top. I wasn’t sure whether there were residences at the top, as there were in many of the big multi-purpose buildings around Seattle, or if it was all office space. We could be heading for an office, or a penthouse, for all I knew.

The elevator was quick and smooth, and within a couple minutes we were stepping out of the car, into the foyer of what looked like a massive reception room.

Two guards, both in blue and silver, stood by either side of the elevator, and while I couldn’t see any weapons, the sensation of strong magic flooded over me.

The floor was marble, white with black veins, and huge Corinthian columns stretched to touch a cathedral ceiling that must have been twenty feet over head.

The room contained benches against the walls, a few seating arrangements, potted plants and tapestries.

But there were no windows, though for being devoid of natural light, it was spacious and calm, with a comforting ambient light.

The walls were painted pale ivory, and ahead, ten shallow, wide steps led up to double doors.

With the size of the building, the foyer took up about a quarter of the space of the top floor.

The steps and floor in front of the double doors were covered with navy blue carpeting, and everything seemed to have a silver sparkle to it, which I assumed was the magic inherent within the Crystal Court.

I followed Duran over to the velvet ropes cordoning off the staircase.

There, beside the stairs, stood another blue-and-silver clad guard, who inclined his head when we appeared.

He had a large book to one side, on a podium, and I could tell from where we stood that it contained a calendar on the left hand side, and to the right, a paperclipped list of names, dates, and times.

“Duran, along with Kyann Sarasan.”

“Papers, please,” the guard said.

Duran produced what looked like some sort of official document.

The guard checked it and nodded, then handed it back. He turned to me. “Do you have your driver’s license?”

I nodded, handing it to him. The guard glanced at the card, then returned it. He ticked off a check in front of both of our names, then pressed a button on the podium.

“An escort will be here in a moment. Please have a seat.” He motioned to a bench that was at the top of the steps, off to one side.