MATE AND HIS LOVER 2

#22 Mine

I hold the back of Leon's head and help him sit on the curb. "Keep your head down. It'll pass," I tell him.

I sit beside him, watching him taking deep breaths to stop the vertigo.

We're at the entrance to the Rumen's market. I teleported here with him.

Teleportation is taxing on first-timers. But I knew Leon can handle it.

"I fainted the first time I teleported," I say.

"What?" he says.

"Not just the first time. More like first twenty times. Usually, I got all the spells working right from the start, and I got the teleportation working, too: always ended up at the spot where I needed to be, but the toll it took on my body was too much, so I kept fainting every time."

He laughs.

"Nara and Jenny still don't let me forget that."

He raises his head. "Alright. I'm fine now. Let's go."

I take his hand and lead him into the market. Even though, everyone here can recognise me, no one will tell anyone about me and Leon being here. I've like an unofficial loyalty of everyone at this market.

Leon seems thrilled to be here. It was the same for me on my first time. Even if you're a witch, the magic you see in Rumens market always leaves you spellbound. And it's not just the magic, it's also the people and the lively vibe of a busy market.

We stop at few shops to eat snacks, and also at the shops Leon wanted to take a closer look at. He particularly liked the singing plants.

After showing him around as much of the market as possible, I take him to an underground egg shop. From dragons to hippocampus, you can buy eggs of any kind in here.

But I'm not here for the eggs. I take Leon to the very back of the shop.

A young girl, sitting on a stool in front of a doorway that's covered with black curtains, notices me. She gets up, bows and moves the curtains away. "Master said, it's ready," she says.

I thank her before me and Leon get in.

Inside is a stone passage called Quizan Tongdao. It's a chinese invention. The passage can take you to any dimension you want without hurting your body. It's a better alternative to teleportation.

I take Leon's hand and we walk through the gateway.

We come out to a forest.

"Where's this?" Leon asks.

"Home."

"Home?"

I nod as I lead him to a nearby path that goes to my house. "Technically, my birthplace. My mom stayed in this dimension during her pregnancy. She was helping a nearby village build a hospital. When the due date arrived, she decided to give birth here instead of risking my health by teleporting back to the coven."

The pathway comes to an end, near a large mansion.

"My family and coven members visit this dimension often, and used to stay in this house. But, few years ago, we built a bigger housing area few miles to the east and that's where they go now. So, I took this house. It's mine."

As soon as we reach the front door it swings open.

"Mistress, you're home!" exclaims Porter while beating his wings excitedly and giving me a hug.

Porter is a Thesmanis, small creatures that look like chubby lion cubs with wings and a flat tail. They often work as house helpers.

After he got to hug me to his heart's content, he lets go of me and turns his attention to Leon. "Is he..." whispers Porter to me.