A shimmering bright-blue light glowed through the cracks of the mossy stones from inside the house. She was right. There was no way she could just walk away without answers. Besides, what exactly did she have to go back to? Honna followed inside. Meechi had her hands held in front of her, flexing some fingers and straightening others into some kind of odd hand sign. A ring of blue encircled a bright white light. It didn’t give off heat, but something about it felt warm and inviting. She felt a strange pull, like it was calling her home.

“Wanna go first?”

Honna peered into the circle. People walked through a crowded brick road, either not knowing or not caring that they were being watched. “Will we hit them?”

“You’re about to willingly jump through a portal, into god knows where, for the first time in your life, and you are worried about the people you don’t even know?” Meechi laughed and shook her head.

Wow. She must’ve met a lot of selfish people in her life. Honna thought, feeling a bit sorry for her.

“No, blondie. This portal has been set for a very long time. If they are dumb enough to be standing under it, then they deserve to be fallen on.”

“Is there a more comfortable way to land?”

Meechi’s smile pulled into a smug grin. “Are you saying you didn’t like landing with me on top of you?” She let her hands fall away from the signing position. “It’s best to just try to stay standing, but much more comfortable if you can manage to land on a soft blonde.”

Honna couldn’t tell if Meechi was trying to make her blush or if she simply talked to everyone that way. Maybe it’s just how all the Fae act?

She leaned in to look inside the portal again. “Well, I don’t see any blondes, so standing it is.”

Meechi’s jaw dropped for a second before throwing her head back with a barking laughter. “You really are something else. I don’t think I’ve laughed this much in years.” She walked over and hooked their arms together. “Together then?”

The goblin felt Honna’s heart quicken and he clearly didn’t like it. “You think you hooked another one? She’s only holding your arm to make sure you actually jump. She’s just too nice to push you in head-first.”

He’s probably right. There’s no reason to think she’s doing any of this out of anything but necessity. She will probably ditch me as soon as we get to her boss’s place. Besides, she’s a girl… and I’m a girl. Why is my heart even reacting to her at all?

“Together!” She held her breath and closed her eyes. There was no reason for it. It wasn’t like jumping into water, but it just seemed like the right thing to do.

Meechi counted down, “One, two, three.” They both jumped, making sure to keep their feet firmly planted in a standing position. The dizziness from before came back full force. Honna’s body and mind felt tingly and out of focus, falling to the world below them.

She felt the sudden hardness of the brick beneath her shoes but waited for her swirling mind to settle before opening her eyes.

“Whoa! You’re good at that.” Meechi released her arm but kept a hand on her shoulder to help hold her steady. “Most Fae have to jump a few times before they are able to stay upright.”

Honna released her breath slowly and peeled her eyes open. “But, I’m not Fae,” she said simply. Her mother was human. Her friends were human. Just because some crazy woman randomly pops up out of nowhere and says she’s something else, doesn’t make it true.

Meechi raised an eyebrow at her but thankfully didn’t press it.

Honna watched the people pass by. Some gave her the occasional odd glance as they went about their day, but they didn’t seem too fazed that two people just appeared out of thin air. Most of the women wore plain dresses or cloaks, the men wore vests and slacks, like they were playing out a scene from the olden days. There was no technology in sight, no flashing lights or billboards, no hum from all the electrical currents. The grass and dirt smell was gone, replaced by a cool breeze, wafting the smell of freshly baked bread in their direction.

The lack of technology around reminded her of her cell. Honna pulled it from her pocket and when the glowing screen didn’t immediately wake and welcome her, she tried to click it on. Nothing.

“Oh, right,” Meechi said, as she watched her smack the phone on the back, trying to get it to work. “Electronics don’t work after going through portals.”

Honna reached for her taser and tested it as well. It also didn’t react. No way to call for help and no way to defend myself? She shrugged mentally and shoved them in her pocket to dispose of later. It doesn’t matter. It’s not like anyone is going to call looking for me. And I never liked the taser much anyways.

She could feel Meechi watching her as she took in the sights around what she could only call a castle village.

“I know this is a lot to take in. If all turns out well, you’ll have plenty of time to see all of this later.” She touched the satchel at her side, like she was reminding herself of its existence. “I have some business to take care of and I have to get you to the big boss man.”

She took one last look around and took a step toward Meechi, who immediately backed away. Honna inclined her head, confused.

Meechi looked around them, checking to see if anyone was watching. “This is going to be hard to explain,” she said, keeping her voice low. “But for your own safety and mine, you need to not get close to me right now.”

Honna nodded her understanding. “Ok! No touching in public. That’s pretty normal.” Though, she didn’t expect this kind of reaction, especially since she’d just had her pinned to a wall.

Meechi pulled her cowl up to cover her face. “But it’s more than that. Humans aren’t treated badly here but they are seen as lesser beings. More importantly, I have to be different here.” She paused and carefully watched Honna’s expression. “Do you understand?”

“Not at all, but go on.”

Meechi’s smile was hidden from the public’s prying eyes, only allowing Honna to see. “You will have to try and keep those witty retorts to a minimum.” She gestured for Honna to walk ahead of her.

“You will have a choice to make,” Meechi continued behind her as they climbed the tall but gradual hill of the brick road. Honna was glad she hadn’t skimped on her leg exercises lately. “Lord Stevano doesn’t usually turn a willing human away. If you agree to his terms, he will have you sign a book. It will seem very straightforward, but just know that things are not always as they seem around here. Got it?”

“Again, not even a little bit.”

At the top of the hill, a real olden-times castle sat in all its glory, like it was just waiting for her to see it its whole existence. Honna gasped and paused as she took in the sight. Sunlight gleamed off stained-glass windows and flags, donning the same sun symbol as on Meechi’s arm, waved about wildly in the wind. The castle sat at the very center of the town. Houses and shops gave it a wide berth, then spiraled out to the very edge of the land where it turned to the sandy shores of the ocean. The land in all other directions, surrounding the town, held crop fields and farms.

“I know. It’s a little piece of heaven.” Meechi’s soft words startled her out of the entrancing view. “No time to waste, though. You can sit and stare all you want later, I promise.”

She had no reason to trust this mysterious girl. Meechi was just short of kidnapping her and taking her to a just as mysterious, magic world. She’d slammed her against a wall, broken all possible forms of defense, and basically told her she was nothing more than a lesser being. But, deep down, Honna was convinced that Meechi meant to keep her promise just then.

At the end of a long, happily downhill, winding road, she was led to two heavy-looking doors at the front of the castle. Each door held half a sun symbol, combining them whole as they came together. From far away they had just looked like regular wooden doors, but as they got closer she could see a yellow aura pulsing around the doors.

Meechi whispered beneath her cowl and held her hands up in a different sign than she had back at the portal. The doors creaked and groaned as they opened inwardly all on their own, revealing a simple, yet beautiful, marble staircase leading up to another important looking door. Two long hallways, made entirely of light-grey stone, split off to either side of the staircase. Everything was well lit by stained-glass windows placed at the top of every outward facing wall. Honna wondered if that was a weak point in their defenses and if they were actually just so powerful they didn’t need to worry about that sort of thing.

People, in different styles of plain black clothing, all stopped what they had been doing and whispered amongst each other. Meechi ignored them, as though she were used to this kind of response, and walked up the stairs.

Honna noticed some of them cringe away as they went past, but Meechi didn’t so much as look at them. What could they be afraid she’d do to them right now? Even if she’d hurt them in the past, how cowardly do these people have to be to cringe in her presence like that?

Meechi took Honna by the arm, forcefully dragging her up the last few steps, and positioned her in front of the door.

“There’s three things you need to know before this door opens,” Meechi whispered, glaring until she nodded her understanding. There was no humor in her eyes. “One: do not under any circumstances tell anyone here that I said you were anything other than a normal human.”

Meechi pulled at her cowl, making sure it concealed her face again, even though it seemed no one there was brave enough to be watching her.

Honna nodded again. It wasn’t something she wanted to say out loud herself, let alone talk to anyone there about it.

“Two: don’t touch anyone or they will know.”

Meechi turned her around, so that she was facing the door. The door began to slide open, making Honna jump a little. “What’s number three?” she asked in a whisper, still staring directly in front of her, trying to peer inside the room. Meechi took a step back and stood behind her, like she was leading a prisoner.

“I’m sorry,” Meechi whispered back.

Honna turned a half step, to ask what she was sorry for, when Meechi shoved a hand into her back, hard enough to give her neck whiplash.

“Keep moving, ya stupid girl. It’s yer own fault yer here in the first place. Being in my way like that.” Meechi snapped at her loud enough for everyone to hear.

A large, black man stood off to the side, holding the door open. The thin cotton shirt he wore barely contained his bulging chest and arms. The charms that hung from strands of cornrows, hanging just over his ears, matched the ones hanging from his ears.

He bowed, with an arm stretched out, gesturing for the girls to go inside. His height had him towering over them both by at least two feet, as he looked down his oversized nose at them. “You haven’t brought a human back with you in a long time, Meechi.” His bulky chest bounced with laughter. “You must be losing your touch.”

“Shut it, Scero. She didn't see me,” Meechi scoffed. “She was just in the way when I jumped portals. Not that I owe you any explanations, door-man.”

Honna stayed quiet during the exchange, trying to keep her hands folded neatly in front of her, and her eyes fixed to the ground.

“Taking her to good ol’ Stev. Maybe he will be nice enough to take on another worker.” Meechi pushed her shoulder forward. “If she’s lucky.”

Scero grimaced and shifted his feet uncomfortably. “If he ever hears you calling him that, you know he will probably kill you.”

“And I wish him the best of luck in trying.”

A man sat on a throne made of marble at the back of the room. The throne itself was beautifully crafted, with a dark blue cushion draped over the back and seat. It was positioned in front of two enormous, stained-glass windows, depicting what looked to be scenes from an ancient war. They made up the entire back wall, lighting every inch of the long room. No possibility of someone hiding in the shadows of this room. She wondered if it had been designed specifically for that. Honna chanced a quick peek up at the ceiling. Wrought-iron chandeliers hung every few feet in a straight line down the middle of the long room, probably to keep the shadows away at night.

With the light behind him, she could only make out bits and pieces of his features. It was like he was hiding in the only place the light couldn’t touch. His long, silver hair pulled back into a loose ponytail and draped over his left shoulder. He didn’t wear a crown. Just sleek, black slacks with a dark blue button-up shirt, matching the blue of the throne. Not something she’d expect a king to wear. But his posture and air of arrogance told her not to underestimate his authority there. He cleared his throat, drawing Meechi’s attention to him and flexed his fingers, gesturing for them to come forward. Meechi pushed into her back again, urging her to do as he instructed.