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.
5
I’d passed through a sphere before. I knew to keep walking. I knew not to stop. But Sandra’s bombshell left me completely off-kilter and I forgot to prepare myself. The portal’s intense energy field hit me like a sledgehammer. I stumbled to a stop.
You’re not supposed to stop .
The ends of my hair lifted and the fine hairs on my skin stood straight. The earplugs prevented my eardrums from bursting, but it did nothing to ease the heartbeatlike drone of thick energy pulsating through every molecule of my being, so strong and overwhelming that my teeth clinked together in time.
Keep walking.
Disorientation crept in. I tried to move, to put one foot in front of the other, but I felt so sluggish. Thedrone encompassed all until it seemed as though I’d become a part of it, part of the energy, part of—
Warm fingers wrapped tightly around my wrist and yanked me forward so hard that my neck snapped back.
The next thing I knew I was tumbling down the steps, coming to a stop flat on my back, blinking up at a high marble ceiling where fuzzy marble sea creatures stretched out and then snapped into sharp focus.
I had arrived. And in style no less.
Deep muttering curses filtered into the ear where the plug had come partway out. I groaned and pulled them both from my ears as my gut rolled sickly.
“Of all the stupid . . . Human. I should’ve known.”
A face moved into my line of sight. A highly annoyed Adonai glared down at me. “I should let you wallow in IDT sickness.” But he placed his palm over my forehead and muttered some disgruntled words. Heat spread over my skin. The fuzz began to clear from my mind and the intense nausea in my gut eased.
Most humans experienced a minor level of Inter-Dimensional Travel Sickness, but prolonged exposure in the spheres or taking an illegal form of travel was like having a hangover while still drunk.
A small crowd had formed. Alessandra peered over the agent’s shoulder with an expression of relief, amusement, and contrition. The gate agent ran his fingers through his hair and let out a heavy sigh, then looked up at the crowd. “And that is why we tell younot to stop in the portal. Never stop in the portal. Ever.”
With that lesson delivered, he stood, reached inside of my jacket to get my ID and papers, and then went back to his desk.
Alessandra offered me a slim hand. “Really, Charlie, I thought you knew better.”
“I did. Next time save the bombshells for after we jump worlds.” I slid my hand into hers and got to my feet, my bags sliding off my shoulders to remain on the floor. “Ugh. Dizzy.”
“Nasty things, those gates.” Sandra patted me awkwardly on the shoulder. “I remember the old way of travel,” she said wistfully.
“The old way?”
“Preparation, ritual, communing with primal gods, becoming one with nature . . .”
“Stop, you’re making me want to hug a tree.”
“Ha ha. The
“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.
5
I’d passed through a sphere before. I knew to keep walking. I knew not to stop. But Sandra’s bombshell left me completely off-kilter and I forgot to prepare myself. The portal’s intense energy field hit me like a sledgehammer. I stumbled to a stop.
You’re not supposed to stop .
The ends of my hair lifted and the fine hairs on my skin stood straight. The earplugs prevented my eardrums from bursting, but it did nothing to ease the heartbeatlike drone of thick energy pulsating through every molecule of my being, so strong and overwhelming that my teeth clinked together in time.
Keep walking.
Disorientation crept in. I tried to move, to put one foot in front of the other, but I felt so sluggish. Thedrone encompassed all until it seemed as though I’d become a part of it, part of the energy, part of—
Warm fingers wrapped tightly around my wrist and yanked me forward so hard that my neck snapped back.
The next thing I knew I was tumbling down the steps, coming to a stop flat on my back, blinking up at a high marble ceiling where fuzzy marble sea creatures stretched out and then snapped into sharp focus.
I had arrived. And in style no less.
Deep muttering curses filtered into the ear where the plug had come partway out. I groaned and pulled them both from my ears as my gut rolled sickly.
“Of all the stupid . . . Human. I should’ve known.”
A face moved into my line of sight. A highly annoyed Adonai glared down at me. “I should let you wallow in IDT sickness.” But he placed his palm over my forehead and muttered some disgruntled words. Heat spread over my skin. The fuzz began to clear from my mind and the intense nausea in my gut eased.
Most humans experienced a minor level of Inter-Dimensional Travel Sickness, but prolonged exposure in the spheres or taking an illegal form of travel was like having a hangover while still drunk.
A small crowd had formed. Alessandra peered over the agent’s shoulder with an expression of relief, amusement, and contrition. The gate agent ran his fingers through his hair and let out a heavy sigh, then looked up at the crowd. “And that is why we tell younot to stop in the portal. Never stop in the portal. Ever.”
With that lesson delivered, he stood, reached inside of my jacket to get my ID and papers, and then went back to his desk.
Alessandra offered me a slim hand. “Really, Charlie, I thought you knew better.”
“I did. Next time save the bombshells for after we jump worlds.” I slid my hand into hers and got to my feet, my bags sliding off my shoulders to remain on the floor. “Ugh. Dizzy.”
“Nasty things, those gates.” Sandra patted me awkwardly on the shoulder. “I remember the old way of travel,” she said wistfully.
“The old way?”
“Preparation, ritual, communing with primal gods, becoming one with nature . . .”
“Stop, you’re making me want to hug a tree.”
“Ha ha. The
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