FINAL GATE (#3 GHOST PORTAL series)

TEN

Though it ate up a good chunk of her energy, it didn't take long for Ada to transfer her report to the closest portal. She also obtained their vow to continue transmitting the message across the country, then the world.

"I've never used this as a means to communicate with Guides in other countries," she said, pace-floating back and forth in front of Avery, making him dizzy. "In fact, I've rarely communicated with other Guides at all. This is unprecedented. A world-changing event, for certain." She shook out her arms. "And I made sure they were aware of the urgency."

"Oh," Avery snickered, "I imagine they've been feeling the weird shit you have, right? Your message will come as necessary, I bet."

Ada scoffed. "Necessary, right. And terrifying." She didn't slow her pacing, but craned her neck to glance at Avery, who'd opted to stay seated on a log. His legs were still wobbly and jelly-like from digesting the news about dinosaurs. "I hope they're able to locate and convince humans to help them. I got lucky; you weren't hard to convince—you're part of the prophecy that started all this."

Avery growled. "Hey—"

"—I didn't mean that as a slight, Avery," Ada waved her hand at him, "merely as a statement. You were on board faster because you're involved in all this in a deeper way. I had fate on my side; other Guides might not."

"Yeah, because who the hell wants to battle dinosaurs?" Avery shook his head. "Seriously, how the fuck do we get dinosaurs back into their portal? How did they wander out into our world?" He struggled to envision how massive, toothy monsters such as them would be ordered around by little blue beings with a bit of power. Were the dinosaurs immune to powers, or was that the only way they could be persuaded to enter their assigned portals?

"We don't know if it's dinosaurs, plural," said Ada, lifting a finger as she swung left to right, accelerating her paces. "The news reports what it hears, but no one is certain what was spotted was a dinosaur. There's no way to confirm until a Guide gets eyes on one."

"One rumor came from southern California." Avery sneered at her. "Maybe you should travel down there to check it out."

Ada wrinkled her nose at him, almost mockingly, childishly. "Someone is already headed down there, as a matter of fact. You think I'd take a human's word for it? After I transmitted my message, I ordered a Guide to go investigate. Shouldn't be long before we have news of what he saw."

Avery didn't relax at the idea—he'd half hoped no one would go check it out, so he could remain in the dark and learn to pretend he'd had no inkling dinosaurs were living in a realm adjacent to his all this time.

"How was it done... back then?" He rubbed his arms for warmth; a permanently cold breeze had settled in the clearing, and he wondered if it had something to do with Ada's mood.

"I wasn't in charge of that," said Ada, her voice softer. "When I arrived on earth, the portals had already been sealed off, and humans were everywhere. My goals were tethered to those humans, and them alone. I don't know what type of being was responsible for locking scary beasts into cages with solid but transparent doors. To be frank, I don't think those beings are still in existence." She sighed, slowly blowing air out of her thin-lipped mouth. "We, the spirit Guides, are the only ones of my kind left, as far as I'm aware."

Avery's head pounded, thumping with knowledge he'd never, in his entire lifetime, expected to discover. Ghosts, he'd gotten on board with a long time ago. To get confirmation of their existence, to know they were around and he had captured some on video; that was satisfying. But demons? Guides? Monsters? Dinosaurs? He was petrified of wondering what else was out there, what more might escape those portals. He wouldn't dare ask what could be worse and what might come next.