Chapter 34

"Someone call a Wild Power with a Soulmate on the side?" Jez quipped grimly, coming into the room. Her shoulders were straight and nervous but her gleaming silver-blue eyes were excited and intrigued.

"I can't believe this is happening," Iliana enthused, entering the room daintily. She smiled at Susie, the lonely witch, a beautiful, sweet, friendly smile. "You must be one of my distant cousins, the one that everyone talks about."

Susie blushed, flattered. "Susie. Nice to meet you, Iliana Harman."

"So where's the arrogant little hothead?" Delos queried harshly, looking around as he came in. Now he was an image of aloof royalty, his golden eyes sharp and expectant. Maggie laughed softly and looked at him impishly. "You don't have to hate Kierlan so much, Delos."

It was strange to see how his eyes softened as soon as she laid her hand on his arm, still smiling at him.

Jez was already walking towards Blade, expecting answers from him. Morgead walked beside her, his green eyes intent. "We didn't get a very clear message from you, Blade. Mind telling us what's happened?"

Blade was still looking at the cabinet, watching it intently. "Kierlan and Sarah went into the portal in a small fit of insanity."

"But it is…pretty," Jez murmured, entranced by the night-sky appearance of the portal. Morgead rolled his eyes. "I've never heard her say the word 'pretty' before. It must be doing a spell on her."

"But she's right," Iliana said softly, coming closer. "It's amazing."

"Has the same air as the Soulmate Realm," Delos said with a nod, looking at Maggie for certainty. She was frowning slightly.

"Just like it was for Sarah and Kierlan," Susie murmured sharply. "The Wild Power Soulmate is most fascinated by the portal, whereas the other half is a little more…level-headed."

Delos burst out laughing, a harsh laugh. "You sounded like a scientist. We're not lab rats, witch!"

Susie hissed between her teeth, hurt. Blade protectively laid a hand on her shoulder. "Why exactly were all of you sent here? We thought it would be agents."

"So did we," Morgead said coolly, looking around. "But someone sent a message from Aradia. She told us to look at our clocks and calendars and find Kierlan. Then your call came in, and these three made the decision to come here. The rest of us just tagged along."

"Look at your clocks and calendars?" Susie asked, intrigued. "Why?"

Jez laughed. "Don't you know?"

"We haven't had time to look at calendars, and we don't wear watches," Blade replied sharply. "So please just tell us."

"It's December 30th," Iliana explained simply.

"And…" Maggie consulted her watch. "11.52. Eight minutes before the end of the world."

Susie hiccupped, amazed. "What!"

Iliana laughed and looked around. "I don't think this is our battleground, though. Blue fire isn't exactly…house friendly."

"The Soulmate Realm!" Susie said excitedly, stared at the portal. "That's where, isn't it?"

"Bingo," Maggie grinned, holding Delos's hand. "And now, we'd better go."

"Wait!" Susie stared at Iliana. "But you don't have a Soulmate! You'll go mad!"

The smile dropped from Iliana's lips. "I know I might. But I don't have time to search for a Soulmate. And I can't rent one."

"So instead, she's got two best friends," a girl said grimly, finally coming in the room. "Daybreak's confirmed that there's four dragons in this building, guys. Roseclear's locked herself in a room with one. So let's be quick."

Kelly stared at the girl, eyes gleaming with gladness and attraction. "Raksha Keller, betrothed to the shape-shifter Prince Galen, and ultimate fighter among shape-shifters."

"And Kelly Santero," Keller replied, one eyebrow raised, "flirt among shape-shifters."

Galen laughed softly, came forward to Iliana. "As me and Keller are Soulmates, we'll try and keep Iliana safe, joined to us."

"That might work!" Brooke said excitedly. "I mean, I didn't have a Soulmate when I hacked into Sarah's connection: I was shielded by Kierlan and Sarah! So it might work!"

"Here's to hoping," Iliana said quietly and stepped forward. Keller and Galen held her hands.

"We'll go first," Jez said. Morgead didn't say that he hadn't planned on volunteering. Instead he just shrugged and came forward with her. She reached a hand out to the portal: sparks lanced out and grabbed her forward, Morgead disappeared with her.

Then Delos and Maggie went after them.

A second later, Delos came back, clinging to Maggie's hand. "I don't think we can risk Iliana," he said worriedly.

"We don't have a choice!" Iliana snapped. it was the first time he'd heard her snap. It didn't amaze him: he just felt more sorry for her.

"Four less one and darkness triumphs," Maggie said coolly. "We have to be absolutely certain that you can get through safely."

"Wait a second..." Delos was biting his lip, eyes deep in thought. "What if the Soulmate realm had something to recognise, like a token of Soulmates?"

"There isn't such a thing," Iliana replied. "There's only tokens of the Nightworld."

"A token of each creature," Susie said urgently. "Black dahlia for witches, black rose for vampires..."

"Black nightshade for shapeshifters," Kelly said abruptly.

"But we're not really the only things in the Nightworld any more," Blade said meaningfully. He was thinking too. His eyes were grim as he went to Delos and Maggie, murmured something into Maggie's eyes. She listened, then nodded, grabbed Delos's hand and ran back into the Soulmate Portal.

"Hurry guys," Blade murmured, feeling the time draw closer. The time of reckoning, for the existence of the world.