Gatewright by J. M. Blaisus Read Free Book Online Page A

cared deeply about the fey to have overcome
that. 
    Joining
us at 9:00am on the dot was television personality Peter Schroder.  He was
shorter than I’d imagined him, with carefully styled brown hair and sharp blue
eyes.  His sharp sports coat and khakis fit him precisely, and I suspected
he’d rather enjoyed the attention of the media on his way here.  Peter
hosted his own nationally syndicated daytime fey talk show, and this was free
advertising.  I’d only caught the show a few times, and from what I heard
from my classmates, half the time he addressed good questions about fey society
and magic.  The other half was devoted to Exiles setting the record
straight on our legends and fairytales.  Apparently, the Brothers Grimm
and Hans Christian Anderson had both been Exiles, but I wasn’t sure how his
guests knew that.  Peter’s natural energy and boisterous manner dominated
the waiting room and held our attention like a magnet.
    The
last to join us, at 9:55am, panting and slightly sweaty in blue jeans and a Hawaiian
shirt, was Dr. Neville Sweeney.  The doc specialized in fey medical care
in the Outer Circle, and had saved plenty of lives without ever having the
opportunity to learn their biology.  Officially, at least.  I
suspected that, like me, he had an Exiled friend who was giving him the 411.
Neville apologized breathlessly for the delay, and explained that the media
attention had delayed him every 15 steps.  I thanked my lucky stars again
for Corey.
    The
security check was thorough.  I tried not to sweat bullets as the fey
who’d guided us here and her male counterpart poked, prodded, and scanned my
luggage.  They eyeballed us and asked us to turn out our pockets and
remove our shoes, but didn’t touch us.  The knife sat heavy against my
back, and I prayed they didn’t notice it.  But, Jack was right.  No
pat down, no metal detector.  I tried not to breathe a sigh of relief as
they gave me the go-ahead to proceed.  Although, I would have bet, if
they’d gotten DIDA more involved, that would have been the end of the line for
Jack’s knife and possibly my hopes.
    Isabel
sadly forfeited her snack of sunflower seeds (they claimed it would create an
invasive species) and Peter was forced to give up a large box of cigarettes.
“Azry is a non-smoking world,” our fey guard scolded him.  Really?  I knew for a fact they smoked far less noxious but far more potent plants,
and thought it was rather unfair.
     
    The
fey led us through several doors while we hauled our luggage behind us. 
Erikah hadn’t been able to make her suitcase close fully again and t-shirts
hung out of the top.  The echoing linoleum floors and florescent
lightbulbs killed our enthusiasm and fed the butterflies in my stomach.
    The
briefing room was set up for a much larger group, so we settled in relatively
comfortably into the plastic chairs, their metal legs squeaking on the
floor.  I thought I’d escaped the college life…
    “Hello
everyone!”  A short fey female with fluffy, white-blonde hair burst into
the room.  “Are you EXCITED?”  She wore traditional fey attire, a
linen tunic with a woven leather belt, paired with flowing pants.  
The belt’s tails were colorfully beaded and swung when she walked.  Around
her neck was a heavy necklace of bright blue stones, almost gaudy in comparison
to her short stature.
    After
the hours of waiting and the security check, her energy blindsided us. 
“Yeah,” we all murmured to one extent or another.
    “My
name is Hazel Grace, and I’m going to be your guide for the next 15 days. 
We’re all so pleased to have you visiting our world and giving us the
opportunity to start building a better relationship across the gate. 
Before we get started, I’d like to introduce my co-host, Riven Mist.” 
Entering from the far door was an athletic fey, with long, bold red hair tied
back with a pair of thin braids.  His clothes were loose and casual, but
his gait was all