I gazed out the window of the taxi as it entered Hartsfield-Jackson airport, a place that had once seen two million people pass through its terminals every year. Now those giant buildings were silent and dark, locked up along with all the hangars, offices, and other buildings until the day the darkness lifted and air travel safely resumed.
The darkness above had no effect on inter-dimensional travel, however, so the off-world terminals continued operating as usual. Atlanta was the city where genius scientist Titus Mott discovered the other dimensions of Elysia and Charbydon. The first official portal into those worlds had been built here at Hartsfield-Jackson. Other terminals eventually followed: New York, L.A., London, Paris . . . But ours remained the busiest and our city housed one of the largest off-world populations around.
As the taxi swept along the curve of the road, the terminal came into view. Made of glass and steel, it shone brightly like a beacon rising from a world of darkness.
Instead of entering through the security wing, I had the taxi driver drop me off at Arrivals and entered through the main doors. My backpack was filled with a couple changes of clothes, a shower bag, and essentials. The small black duffel I carried over one shoulder held backup clips for my Hefties, additional rounds for my firearm, and capsules for my Nitro-gun just in case I ran into any Charbydons—which wasn’t likely since only two Charbydons had ever set foot in Elysia since the discovery of worlds. And those two were delegates of the Federation. But, it never hurt to be prepared . . .
My actual weapons were secured on my person. 9mm on my hip. The Nitro-gun snug against my right rib cage. The Hefty tucked against my left. I was right-handed, and depending on what perp I was going after, I liked to keep the most effective weapon on my left, so I could grab it easily with my right hand. The Hefty was extremely effective at subduing Elysians. The High Frequency Tag emitted a sound wave capable of dropping most any from that world. The Adonai, however, proved a little harder to detain, but still we managed.
Game face on, armed to the maximum allowance by law for an officer engaged in inter-dimensional travel, I strode through the automatic doors and into the terminal.
The center of the long rectangular terminal where I entered was the hub of activity. There was seating, a few kiosks selling books and maps, a café, coffee shop, and bakery . . . The center area was pretty much neutral, designed to be comfortable to beings of all three worlds. But walk left or right and things began to change. To the right was the Charbydon ticket counter and checkpoint for those traveling to the city of Telmath, the capital city of Charbydon. There was seating and a few more kiosks run by goblins and then the final security checkpoint before the giant blue sphere glowing at the end of the terminal.
Been there, done that. I swung a left and headed toward the glowing sphere that occupied the other end of the terminal—a two-story sphere lit with swirling pinks and oranges.
Every world, every planet, had its own unique frequency, a natural emission of electromagnetic sound waves. Its own “music.” Titus Mott’s harmonic resonance generator had accidentally dialed into the unique frequency of Elysia, creating a portal into a world that had inspired our myths and ideas of heavenly paradise, a world where the beings within could no longer hide, no longer deny they’d been visiting us for eons, meddling, and inspiring myths of gods, angels, faeries, and other paranormal creatures. The discovery of “hell” or Charbydon as it was called, wasn’t far behind and we were to learn the same—the nobles, jinn, ghouls, darkling fae; they were the beings behind the legends and fears of demons, monsters, and dark gods.
And though it wasn’t the biblical Revelation, the term had stuck. Fourteen years ago, the world changed. Laws and policies were put into place, and the Federation of Worlds was created along with the Integration Task Force, ITF, which policed and monitored the influx of new beings into our society.
Now there were terminals in several major world cities. But unlike air travel where you could leave from one place and arrive in most any chosen location, the spheres were only connected to one location apiece. Atlanta’s Charbydon gate only took you to Telmath. The Elysian gate only opened to the Adonai’s capital city of Ithonia. Yet another reason Atlanta was the hub for off-world travel and immigrants—we had the only two spheres that lead to both off-world capital cities.
Unfortunately, this meant I wouldn’t be arriving directly into Fiallan. I had to go to Ithonia first and then contact a Magnus-level mage to whisk me to my final destination. And they didn’t come cheap, either.
Since I already had my government travel arrangements, I bypassed the ticket counter and headed straight for the main gate guarded by a gate agent, a highly trained security expert with loaded weapons beneath his desk and a license to take down any threat.
The terminal in Ithonia had been created with much reluctance on the Adonai’s part. They considered their city and land pristine. They thought any influx of off-worlders would pollute the beauty and sanctity of their world. Never mind that they’d been coming to our world since the dawn of civilization, using Earth as a battleground in their war with the nobles.
Travel to Ithonia was limited by visa and stays longer than a week required special permission. Ridiculous given that terms were different should any Adonai want to come to Earth.
The Adonai took entrance into their city very seriously, so I wasn’t surprised to find the agent was an Adonai, a tall, blond-haired, undeniably beautiful male. Easy to see why they’d been called gods and angels by early mankind. And it probably killed him every time he had to allow a human to pass through the gate.
“ID and papers,” he said, holding out an expectant hand.
I gave him my travel papers and then set my ID on his desk. His brow rose at what he read, and then he took a moment to compare the face on the photo to mine, the hair color having thrown him off. He set the paper and ID down and pierced me with an unimpressed, arrogant look that instantly got under my skin. I returned his lovely welcome with a smile that dripped smart-ass.
He slid my information back to me. “Bags on the counter.”
I rolled my eyes. “Really?” My credentials and permits were in order. He didn’t have to search my stuff, but in the end it was the prerogative of the gate agent, and not something I could or would argue about. Even so, it annoyed me because I knew he wasn’t holding me up due to any threat or suspicion I posed, but because he apparently got off on being a jerk.
With a martyred sigh, I lugged my duffel onto his desk followed by my backpack. “Enjoy yourself. The underwear is near the bottom.” I turned, intending to plop myself dramatically onto one of the seats against the opposite wall.
I froze midstride.
It took several seconds to wrap my brain around the sight of the veiled person sitting there, radiating power without even trying. Her hands moved with speed and grace, bright red nails flashing.
I stepped closer to the oracle. “Alessandra. Are you . . . knitting?”
Her hands stilled and her chin lifted a notch. The veil dropped back slightly, revealing more of her features than I’d ever seen in the smoky haze and dark lighting of her theater where she held court like the Queen of Underground, dispensing riddles and prophecies at a hefty price.
Alessandra and I weren’t friends. In fact, she seemed to take great pleasure in making things as difficult as possible whenever I procured her services—which I always thought a huge waste of time since she made the department pay dearly and then never gave us much but cryptic answers and sarcasm. The one time I’d used her prophetic services for personal reasons, to find out if my sister Bryn was possessed, she’d been little help.
The oracle was actually quite pretty, her coloring—otherworldly mossy green eyes, deep red lips, and curly raven hair—vivid against pale skin. Of course, this was Sandra, so her expression was the usual sly amusement and the monumental smugness that came from two thousand years of being a world-renowned know-it-all.
“Yes, I’m knitting, blondie. It calms my mind,” she said, setting the blob of fuzzy pink and white yarn into an open bag next to her. “Sit down, Charlie.”
I glanced over my shoulder. The agent was setting all my clips on the counter. If he decided to count every one, we’d be here forever.
“Going on a little excursion?” I asked, taking a seat. “Family visit?”
Her smile hiked at the corners as she angled in her seat to face me, her veil dropping in a slow fall of fabric to her shoulders. “Trying to discover my background, are we?”
I shrugged, glaring at the gate agent. “Thought I’d give it a try.” He began to dig through my shower bag. “So what’s with all the secrecy, anyway?”
“Not secrecy. There are those who have been around since my emergence. My past is not hidden. But it is mine. Mine to share if I choose.”
The Adonai jerkwad held up my bra with two fingers like it was radioactive. I crossed my arms over my chest as my cheeks grew warm. “Is that really necessary?” I griped loudly, but he simply ignored me. “There’s a blue one, too.”
I wanted to sink my fist into the superior expression he gave me. My teeth clenched.
Sandra tsked. “You always rise to the bait, Charlie. You’re so predictable.”
I snorted. “Everything is predictable to you.” Others would say I was the opposite—they never knew what I’d do next.
“Not everything.”
It was something in her voice, a resignation, a worry, that got my attention. Her eyes swam with something I’d never seen from her before. Fear, I realized. And then it was gone. Before I could digest that, her next words completely bowled me over. “I’m not visiting anyone in Ithonia, Charlie. I am here to escort you into Fiallan to find your siren.”
I blinked, frowned, then frowned some more . . . And then I scanned the terminal for a hidden camera because the Oracle of All Oracles showing up here, to help me—me of all people, who made it a point to give Alessandra as good as she gave—was just a little too bizarre to comprehend.
She stared with one eyebrow cocked as I grappled. Finally I found my voice, but she cut me off. “I know what you’re going to say, of course. And I don’t need to be an oracle to know that much. I’m going with you. I don’t like it. But I’m going. So you might as well get over it.” She glanced at the gate agent and gathered her things. “He’s done. You ready?”
Then a thought occurred to me and I hurried after her. “Wait. Are you saying Hank is alive?”
“Oracle,” the agent greeted her, making a respectful bow. She nodded serenely and took the small disposable earplugs he offered her. “Please proceed through the sphere without stopping. May your journey be safe and prosperous.”
Alessandra was honored; I would never be, even though I was law enforcement, even though I put my ass on the line for the beings of all three worlds.
Prosperous, my ass.
The gate agent tossed a pair of earplugs onto the counter. I grabbed the small plastic bag and returned his glare before catching up to Sandra. “Damn it, Sandra, wait.”
She finally stopped at the steps, her head tilting up as she stared at the sphere hovering less than an inch above the copper alloy platform. It dwarfed her, making her look so small, like a child. The giant ball of pink and orange energy swirled and changed like a shifting sea of colors, and the drone coming from it pulsed through my entire body. As awe-inspiring as it was, it didn’t hold my attention long.
“Did you see him? Did you see Hank in one of your visions? Sandra.” I grabbed her arm, tugging it so she’d look at me. “Do you know where he is? Just tell me; I can move quicker by myself and—”
“No, Charlie, I must go. And as for your siren . . . I don’t know.”
“You know everything. What do you mean, you don’t know?”
There was that look again, the flash of fear, and it made me cold. “I can’t see the future. Yours. Hank’s.” Tears pricked her eyes. “I can’t see any of it.” Alessandra fled up the steps and disappeared into the sphere.
I picked my jaw off the floor, inserted the earplugs, grabbed my stuff, and hurried after her.