Dearest Mother of Mine (Overworld Chronicles) by John Corwin Read Free Book Online

threw in my own two cents. "Let's just send it to the room over yonder." I indicated the chamber beyond the arch. "Then we can worry about complicated stuff later."
    "Uh, that's actually a good idea," Shelton said, pulling off his wide-brimmed hat to run a hand through his hair.
    "Baby steps," I said. "Baby steps."
    Adam returned with a handful of the marble-sized ASEs. He took one, flicked it between forefinger and thumb, and released it. The sphere dropped an inch before spinning and hovering in mid-air. He looked at me. "See if you can get the arch connected, and I'll set the ASE to record mode."
    "Why record anything if you're just gonna send it one room over?" Shelton asked.
    "In case it goes on an intergalactic joy ride," I said as I stepped inside the silver circle around the arch.
    "Wait!" Elyssa said, appearing with a coil of normal rope. She wrapped one end around me, tying a loop around my waist, and secured the other end to a metal ring embedded in the stone wall.
    "What's this for?" I asked.
    "In case you open a Gloom fracture," she said, securing another length of rope to her waist and an iron ring next to the first. "If you do, I'll save you." She grinned.
    I didn't dare tell her to let me do this alone. She'd probably punch me in the throat if I tried.
    Adam set the ASE to record mode, and sent it drifting inside the circle with me and Elyssa. I knelt, pressed a finger to the ring, and willed it closed. The ensuing rush of aether as it filled the enclosed magical container made my ears pop. This place was right over a major ley line. I wondered what would happen if a circle was too full of energy. Would it explode? Or would it just fill up and not allow any more inside?
    Elyssa made a little gasp, her eyes flaring as the magic closed all around us. "That felt…weird," she said, rubbing her arms. "I have goose bumps."
    "Me too," I said, though it was more from hearing her gasp of surprise than anything else. That sound reminded me of something else entirely.
    Pushing such thoughts from my filthy mind, I turned to the destination room, and imprinted an image of it in my brain. Even with it in my sight, it was difficult to maintain a crystal clear image especially with the butterflies in my stomach. What if I opened the arch into a void and it sucked me in? What if I triggered a fracture into the Gloom?
    Elyssa will save you.
    She seemed to sense my unease, and touched my arm.
    Everything will be okay.
    The myriad thoughts pinging around in my mind vanished. I found focus, and willed the arch to open a portal in the room beyond. Go there , I thought. Now! My vision flickered, and the world vanished in a puff of shadow only to appear a second later. I heard cries of surprise from my friends sounding much further behind me than they should have been. I felt disoriented. Dizzy. My legs wobbled, and I went down on my knees.
    I looked around, blinking dark spots from my eyes, trying to figure out what the hell I'd done. Where was Elyssa? Where was the arch? I looked at my waist and saw the rope was gone, too. It was then I recognized the room I was in—the destination I'd envisioned the arch opening to. Had I somehow used the arch and not realized it?
    "Justin?" Elyssa said, touching my shoulder. "Are you okay?"
    I opened my mouth to say I was fine, when my last meal made an unexpected return trip up my esophagus. Only Elyssa's supernatural reflexes allowed her to dodge the spew. When I finished emptying my stomach, I looked up to see the others around me, looks of awe on their faces. Even Nightliss looked impressed.
    "How in the hell did you do that?" Shelton asked, looking back and forth between the arch and me.
    "What happened?" I asked.
    He stared at me, mouth open. "I don't believe it. Holy butt-cakes in a meat grinder, man! You teleported."
     

Chapter 5
     
    "I what?" I asked, shock jolting my heart.
    "You freaking teleported yourself," he said. "One minute you were over there, and the next, a puff of black