Portal Jumpers

Chapter 15

     “What were you doing here so early?” I asked.
     “I was keeping you warm, when I came in you were shivering.”
     “Do you know what a blanket is? And do you know how to use it?” I asked.
     “Of course, and why wouldn’t I?”
     I sighed. “Nevermind, just next time use a blanket.”
     “I didn’t need one.”
     I slapped my face with my hand.
     “You know, if you don't like it you can tell me to leave.”
     I thought about it.
     “I knew the heart racing was because you liked it and not because I scare you.” His smile grew to a grin at being correct.
     “I never said I was scared of you.”
     “So you like me this close then.”
     “I…” I tried to find something to say. “Um…”
     He laughed. “You're so cute when you're flustered.”
     “Um… are you going to let me go?”
     He looked like he’d totally forgotten that he was still holding me from my almost fall.
     “Sorry.” He placed me fully on the bed.
     “I, uh, was wondering if you could teach me how to defend myself?”
     “Sure, just say the word princess.”
     “Don’t call me that.”
     “Why? It's the truth, I mean, your ancestors were kings and queens of sorts. So therefore you would be the princess, until you were ready to take the throne.” He smiled.
     “Well, that was a long time ago, besides, where's my castle?” I joked.
     “I can show you that too.” He said honestly.
     I was taken aback at his answer. “You're not serious.” I said in disbelief.
     “I am quite serious, it's definitely a bit run down since everyone stopped taking care of it a couple hundred years ago and no one's lived there, but most of it is there still.”
     “Is it in our world?” I asked, finally believing him.
     “Umm, sort of.”
     “What do you mean 'sort of'?”
     “Well, there are hundreds of worlds connected through portals around the world, they all have a so-called door to earth. Liams was of course destroyed so he couldn’t escape. And most you have to go through the portal before you can just teleport in and out, like the place we’re from.”
     “That’s crazy, can we go see them?”
     “All of them?” He asked in disbelief.
     “Well, we don’t have to go all at once, but I’d love to see them.”
     “Most of them.” He agreed. “We’ll probably stay away from the dead ones and some filled with insane prisoners.”
     “There's more than just Liams prison?”
     “Oh, yeah, but we’ll do all that later, when do you want to see Kala-Isil?”
     “Yes, let's go.” I jumped off the bed. “Which way?”
     “You should probably change beforehand, you shouldn't be walking around in pj's there.”
     “Oh! I completely forgot!” I exclaimed, blushing in embarrassment.
     “I'll leave.” He said walking swiftly to the door.
     His wings slightly flowy, in his fast pace, looked so soft.
     “Wait,” I whispered.
     He stopped, hand hovering over the door knob. He turned around and flew over to me in one quick motion.
     It made me back up, startled.
     “What is it?” He whispered back.
     “I-I... You should just teleport in case my dad is out there. I don't want you getting caught.” I stammered.
     He was very close again. “You're right, bye, Princess.” He smiled then vanished.
     I stood there for a second to make my breathing normal again, then I changed. “Old castle... Should I bring anything?” I asked myself. “A flashlight? Yeah that could be useful.” I answered my own question. “I don't think I need anything else…”
     “Are you done yet? It's been hours.” Agathon yawned dramatically from boredom, hands over his eyes.
     I laughed. “What are you doing?”
     “Well I wanted to check on you, but I don't know how long it takes you to change.” He shrugged, hands still over his face. “Are you done yet? It's been forever.”
     “You're so dramatic. Yes I've been done.”
     “Oh good.” He said happily. He took one look at the flashlight in my pocket and laughed.
     I looked at him in confusion.
     “Nothing, you'll know in a bit.” He answered shifting his weight in impatience. “Are you ready to go?”
     I nodded excitedly.
     He opened the glass door to my balcony, the sheer curtains blowing everywhere because of the wind.
     “What are you doing?” I said running after him.
     He was on the railing crouched down. “Come on.”
     “I'm not jumping.” I didn't take his hand when he offered it.
     “Did you forget about your wings?” He laughed.
     “No.” I lied. “I just don't have full control of them yet.”
     “Then use mine.” He stretched his hand out again. “I won't let you fall.” He said reassuringly, looking me right in the eyes.
     I put my hand in his and he instantly stood up and pulled me up on the railing in one smooth motion. I swayed a bit and clung to him.
     “It's ok.” He said calmly and quietly.
     I nodded, unable to speak, I did not like being up on the railing.
     He pulled me close and tight then jumped, spreading his wings.
     I buried my head in his chest as he let us fall halfway to the ground.
     Then the wind took us high.
     “You can trust me, princess. I've used these wings for years. They've never failed me, I won't let you fall either.” He yelled over the rushing wind.
     I looked down at the trees whizzing past.
     “Stretch your wings out” He said over the noise of the wind.
     “What?”
     “You have to get used to them. What if I'm not here and you need to get away from something?” He asked. “Flying is faster.” He ended.
     “Well you can't expect me to be able to do it in mid air. There's not enough room while you're holding me.” I looked up and around, at him, my hair all in my face.
     “But it's so boring starting from the ground.” He teased looking at me for a second.
     “You promise you won't let me fall?”
     “Have I lied to you before?” He asked.
     I frowned at him when he looked at me and he grimaced.
     “Oh, right. Well then, have I ever let you fall before?”
     I pondered this for a minute. “No, you haven't.”
     “Trust me then, Princess.”
     “Ok, but if I die I'm haunting you for the rest of your life.” I teased.
     “Deal,” He laughed. “Turn around.” He said. “I mean all of you.” He said when I only turned my head.
     I raised my brow in question.
     “I told you to trust me.” He tilted his head to the side.
     “I'm going to fall if I turn around.”
     “Well that's the only way your wings will have enough space to not push you away to fall.”
     “Ok, I'll try.” I said wiggling around to put an arm around his neck.
     “You're more safe with your arms there, but you look more scared.” He noted out loud.
     I glared at him.
     “You're too cute when you're angry.” He smiled.
     “Don't call me cute.” I muttered.
     “Sorry.” He slowed his flying pace so that he was just hovering over the air. “Open your wings now.” He said holding me out a little.
     I had to adjust my arms. I grabbed the neck of his shirt and willed my wings out.
     We dropped a little because of the weight of my wings.
     “You gotta use them if you're going to fly.” He laughed.
     “Right, duh.”
     Once I started flying on my own he didn't have to hold me so tight.
     “You can let me go now.” I said letting his shirt go.
     “Yeah, you're right.” He said, taking his hands back from around my waist. “Let's go.” He said darting forward. “I bet you can't keep up.”
     I copied his wing movements and I flew up right beside him and startled him.
     “So fast already.” He admired me.
     “Oh hush, I only copied you. Weren't we going to race there?” I asked flying in front of him.
     “Yes! We're pretty much just heading straight.”
     “How far?”
     “You'll know when you see it.” He said darting forward.
     “Oh no you don't.” I said following him silently. I flew right behind him and matched his wing movements so that he couldn't hear me.
     “Are you coming or not?” He yelled thinking I was far behind him. He stopped suddenly to turn around and I flew into him and we tumbled in the air, until I was flying over him and he was upside down.
     “You should have seen your face.” I giggled.
     “You were as surprised as me, little Fey.” He laughed and tapped my nose then took my hands. “How did you even do that? I should have heard you.”
     “I matched your wing movements so that you couldn't hear me.” I said proudly.
     “That's so smart.” He smiled warmly.
     I didn't notice till now that he was flying us down slowly because I was still matching him as he slowed his wings down. We were over a small grassy hill.
     “How are you flying backwards?” I asked.
     “Well, it's the same as forwards, but instead of pulling yourself through the wind you push yourself through it.” He said as his back touched the grass. His wings stopped and without knowing, mine stopped too and I dropped on top of him. It wasn't far at all, so he didn't get hurt.
     “Sorry!” I exclaimed quickly getting off of him.
     “You don't need to apologize.” He said sitting up and smiling.
     I caught myself smiling back. My phone rang and startled me. I had five missed calls all from James and Becca. I answered the call.
     Agathon stood up and mouthed. “I'll be back.”
     I nodded. “Hello?”
     “Chloe! Where have you been!” James exclaimed. “We've been calling. We went to your house and you weren't there. Takoda and Becca said there was a Teleporter in your room. Did Liam take you again? Or did Agathon take you?” The voice went from slightly relieved to scared and then to anger at the last part.
     “Can't I get a word in?” I asked.
     There was talking on his end. “CJ, I'm so glad you're ok!” I heard Becca yell.
     “James, give the phone to Becca.” I said.
     There was some more talking.
     I rolled my eyes.
     Agathon came back and held his hand out to pull me up.
     “Guys, stop talking without me. What's going on?” I asked. “If you don’t give the phone to Becca, I’ll hang up and call her.”
     “Fine, fine, you can talk to her.” James said reluctantly.
     “CJ, where are you?” Becca said when she got the phone.
     “Um, I don't actually know.” I said looking at Agathon.
     He took my hand and we started walking into the forest.
     “What do you mean you don't know?” Becca asked.
     “Well, we kinda went flying and-”
     She cut me off. “Who's we?”
     “Well I'm kinda with Agathon.” I said as he led me around a fallen tree.
     There was muffled talking. “CJ, you don't have to say anything other than yes or no. Do you need rescuing?” She said quietly.
     “No Becca, I'm fine.” I laughed.
     Agathon looked at me in question. “There's no phone service in the other world.” He said.
     “Hey, I gotta go.” I told her. “Tell them I'm fine.” I hung up before any of them could argue. I shoved my phone back into my pocket.
     “Do you want to go back?” He asked.
     “No, let's keep going.” I said. I noticed that for once his wings weren't there. “Why are your wings gone?” I asked.
     “Just in case anything still lives there. They don't really like Fey. You should hide yours too. Don't want them to figure out who you are and kill you.” He said, looking at me.
     I quickly willed them away.
     “We're almost there.”
     “How do we know where the door is?”
     “I'll show you how to find it.” He said. “Stop, look there.” He pointed to two trees. They were growing together but had a gap close to the ground enough for a person to walk through. It was slightly darker in between them and it gave me the feeling we shouldn't go in-between them.
     “I don't think we should do this.” I said.
     “It's just the enchantment placed on them, it happens for a few of them, that’s why we had to fly here instead of teleporting. Also your human side tells you not to, that's how no one stumbles upon it. Bring your wings out for a second and you'll see.” He encouraged me.
     I looked at him for a bit.
     “Trust me, Princess.” He said.
     I took a deep breath. And as soon as my wings were out the tree brightened and I could see through it to the other side and the feeling went away.
     “Quickly hide them. I don't want to take too many chances.”
     I did as he told me. Nothing changed this time. It looked the same as it did when my wings were out. “Why isn't it changing again?”
     “Because you've seen it without it's protection. Now it recognizes you as Fey.”
     “A tree recognizes me?” I scoffed.
     “I don't make the rules.” He answered walking up to the tree. “Are you coming?” He asked, turning around.
     “Of course I'm coming.” I walked over.
     “Let me go first. I'll come right back when it's safe.” He promised.
     I watch him vanish, swallowed up like he'd walked into water. I stared through the trees, but I couldn't see him. I wanted to know what it looked like on the other side. I also wanted to make sure he was alright. I was three inches away from it, about to stick my head through, holding onto the trees on either side.
     And then his face popped through.
     I jumped backwards.
     “Were you going to follow me? Are you worried about me?”
     “I was definitely not following you. And only because I don't know the way home.” I lied.
     “I think you care about me.”
     “Is it safe to go in?” I sided.
     “Oh, yeah.” He moved to the side still half in this world and half in the other. “Ladies first.”
     I held my breath as I walked through. Not knowing what this substance is. I'm not taking any chances.
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