Love Lines

3: Have To Go Back

Chapter Three

“I have to go back. Let go.”

I tried to pull my arm out of Andrzej’s hold but he wouldn’t let go. At least not until the glowing doorway behind us flickered and then went out completely. Then he dropped my arm like a hot potato and rewound his whip thing. I ignored the confident look on his face and walked back over to the doorway, fully expecting it to just turn back on. Instead all that stood there was an empty opening that anyone could walk through without going anywhere.

Trying to make it work, I placed both of my hands on the carved wood and tried to think of home. Still nothing happened except me getting more and more frustrated.

“God damn it! Why won’t this thing work?”

“For one,” Andrzej stepped up next to me and secured his whip to his belt, “you don’t have permission to leave yet. And for two, only Janus can open the doorway.”

“You’ve got to be shitting me.”

He folded his arms over his chest and turned to look at me. Clearly he wasn’t joking but that made absolutely no sense. At Agora you could come and go as you please but here, this place was locked down like Fort Knox apparently. Completely ridiculous.

“You can’t keep me here. It’s against the law…”

“Not our laws and those are the ones you need to worry about from now on. Now, come on. I’ll give you a tour and then Janus wants to talk to you.”

“We all want things. Too bad he’s going to be disappointed. I want to go home. Someone is going to notice I’m missing and my father…”

“Won’t wake up until morning. He’ll be fine.”

“You didn’t hear what that…jackass just said to me.”

His smile was condescending. “Plouton can’t take anyone’s life unless it’s on the books. And we would know if it was someone related to you because our death particular would’ve told us. They’ll be safe for now.”

“You have a death particular?”

He nodded. “We have every particular you could think of…well…besides the past.” He glanced at me. “There are only two of you. He’s on the other side and has been causing us grief ever since he turned.”

Where is he, Jesse?

I froze where I was standing and cocked my head to the side. Where had that come from?

He’s in his room. Won’t come out for anyone.

I whirled around since I could’ve sworn Jesse’s voice came from behind me but…that wasn’t possible. Just as I was about to turn back, the bland image of the Assarion’s safe place melted to the Agora. Logos was walking in Jesse’s direction, who was standing over by the stairs.

What happened exactly?

Jesse sighed, a look of sadness in his eyes. She chose the other side. No one knows how or why…

I mean after. Did he talk to her?

Jesse just shrugged. I don’t know. He won’t talk to anyone.

That’s to be expected. Where’s Kells? I want a word with him.

No one knows where he is…

“Natalie! Hey!” I heard someone snap their fingers in front of me but I couldn’t take my eyes off Jesse’s face. It was strange, staring someone you hated in the face and they didn’t even know you were there. I had no idea what was going on right now but somehow I gained an all new respect for the guy. He really cared about Cecil and that was something I didn’t expect. “What are you seeing?”