Dakota Lee: The Palace of Satan [NaNoWriMo]

Chapter 5

Jordan slunk through the shadows, his makeshift team behind him.  If he’d had more time, he would’ve called in the rest of the ShadowLords, but his gang was widespread all throughout Miami.  It would have taken days to track them all down.  

“Kestrel.  Simon.  Take flank.  Kira, follow me.  I’ll take point.”  Kira flashed him a scowl- she hated not being in the thick of things, but if she got even a scratch, Razor would kill him.  

They approached from behind, creeping along the edge of the building.  The girl with the flashing green eyes, Dakota, was missing- who knew what they’d done with her.  Jordan was so close to Annie he could’ve reached out and touched one of her curling ringlets.  He held up three fingers.  Then two.  Then one.  And then he clenched his fist above his head, and brought it down, hard.

In an instant, Simon leapt forward and grabbed Rachel, Kestrel grabbed Jayda, and Jordan grabbed Annie, Kira sticking close to him.  He meant to push them against the wall, pin them down, and give them a beating they’d never forget.  What actually happened was much different.

They tumbled through the wall, and extreme vertigo converged.

***

Orion thought it was quite funny when Jordan fell through the wall.  Aurora, on the other hand, was absolutely scandalized.

“You do not have permission!”  She snapped, trying to push them all back through the portal.  I saw Annie, Jayda, and Rachel, along with three others I didn’t recognize.  “Who do you think you are-”

“No, Aurora, let them pass.”  Orion said, choking back laughter.  “This is brilliant.”  Aurora scowled, a green aura flickering around her.

“Don’t you dare presume the spirits will approve of this, Orion Starstryker!”  He flashed his signature smirk,

“Oh, they will.  When I tell them this girl here is the Special One.  And these are her comrades.”  

“They’re not-”  I started, but Jordan pushed me back,

“Yes.  We are.  Now, take me to your leader.”  He flashed a grin back at me,  “I’ve always wanted to say that.”  

“No!”  Annie protested, “He is a ShadowLord- it is against Spirit Law.”  Aurora regarded her coolly, reluctance shining in her eyes,

“That as it is, the spirits will want to see them all.  We will allow them passage.”  I noticed Jordan was the only one who’d actually moved- the rest all held back, sticking close to the wall.  The rest of Jordan’s gang, maybe?  

The twins led us through a gateway, and through a tall, leafy forest, on a winding dirt path.  All the way, I engaged in a furious whispered conversation with Jordan.

“What are you doing?”  I said, and he shrugged.

“I don’t know.  I’ve always wanted to go to the Spirit World.  Plead my case to the high queen of the realm.  See something interesting.”  I raised an eyebrow,

“I meant about saying you were my ‘comrade’.  I barely know you, much less your friends.”

“They’re not my friends.”  He said, a bit too quickly.  “They’re just- acquaintances.  Anyway, doesn’t saving your life make me a comrade?”  He grinned, “And as the Russians would say- ‘my comrades are your comrades.’”  

“Really?  Russians say that?”  

“Nah.  Rule number one- street lords lie.”  I closed my eyes.  Could I trust anything he said?