Kissed by Eternity by Shéa MacLeod Read Free Book Online

zing along my skin as I passed through. Inside, I heard the hum of the portal and smelled the ozone burn mixed with lush, green things. The portal definitely led to the Otherworld. Inigo joined us, and the space in front of the portal seemed to shrink.
    "How long do you plan to be gone?" Emory asked.
    I shrugged. "Long as it takes. I have no idea where Alister is, but we have to find him."
    "I can't maintain the circle indefinitely."
    "Aren't you coming with us?" Haakon asked.
    She gave him a look. "I'm a Witch. No way I'm getting caught in the Otherworld."
    I had no idea what terrible things would befall Witches who wandered into Morgana's territory, but clearly Emory did. By the look on her face, it wasn't anything good. "How do we get back?"
    "I'll keep the portal open as long as I can."
    "Can't you just open it again?" Inigo asked.
    "I can," Emory admitted. "But who knows where it will lead. Or when. And every time I use my magic to open a portal, I leave a sign for the Queen to follow. I will not have her follow me here, understand?"
    "We understand," I assured her. "Just keep it open as long as possible." I didn't mention I might be able to open a portal from the Otherworld. I'd never actually done it before, though I had controlled one, and no telling if I could do it or not. The last thing I wanted was to get stuck in Morgana's territory.
    Emory checked her watch, humming slightly to herself. "Make it fast. I can hold this thing open only so long. If you're not back when it closes, you're on your own."

Chapter 7
    I tumbled out of the portal and hit the ground rolling. I lay panting on the grass, ignoring the sword sheath poking into my spine, until Inigo tumbled out after me. I rolled out of the way so he wouldn't crush me and staggered to my feet. The land of the Sidhe looked exactly as it had every other time I'd been here. Green, green everywhere. Even the air smelled green.
    The portal opened onto a small clearing not far from a stream. I heard the sound of rushing water not far away. On every side we were surrounded by the dense forest of the Otherworld, which was filled with semi-sentient trees and flora with a hunger for human flesh. It was no wonder that people who wandered through the Queen's portal by accident rarely returned to our world. And here I was popping in and out like a prodigal daughter.
    Was it me, or were the woods a little more ominous than before? The tree trunks seemed closer together and darker somehow. The underbrush was definitely heavier, and it rustled liked creatures were watching us. Since it was the Otherworld, I was nearly certain it was the bushes themselves doing the watching. I repressed a shudder.
    Inigo hauled himself to his feet and glanced around in awe. This was his first time to fairyland.
    "Holy shit, there's a lot of green." He sniffed. "I don't like the smell of the place."
    I inhaled again. "All I smell is green stuff."
    He shook his head. "Underneath there's something…" He sniffed again. "It smells foul. Like something's dead."
    I couldn't smell it, but the whole half-dragon thing gave him a definite advantage in that department. I'd have to take his word for it. Just then, Haakon tumbled out of the portal. He lay flat on his back in the grass, staring up at the green-tinged sky.
    "What a rush." He sat up, blinking his ice blue eyes. "Although I could have done without the landing." He rubbed the back of his head and staggered to his feet, adjusting his weaponry. "Where to?"
    "The last time I was here, Morgana had a castle somewhere nearby. I imagine Alister will be there."
    "How can you tell it was around here?" Haakon asked. "Everything looks the same."
    "That's what you think," I mumbled. I glanced around, taking in my surroundings. I was fairly certain we weren't far from the clearing where the Queen's portal had spat us out on my last trip, but this place was entirely unfamiliar. The guys were staring at me, waiting for me to make the next move. Crap. What