Fly: A PORTAL Chronicles Novel (The PORTAL Chronicles) (32 page)

“What if it is?” Mia replied through clenched teeth.

“Mia!”

“I can’t help if two of my best friends show up at the same place at the same time,” she shrugged, perfectly innocent.

He leaned back to look her in the eyes. “This isn’t the time for one of your games. You know the rules. I can’t be caught with her.”

I should have known Mia was up to something, but Everett didn’t want to see me. I felt my heart drop and face flush. I longed to escape.

“But her
circumstances
have changed.” Mia flashed him a meaningful look.

“What?” Everett glanced at me and I quickly looked away, pretending not to eavesdrop.

“You’re welcome,” Mia sang.

He smirked. “You’re too bad.”

“Or too good.” She smugly giggled, leaving us to greet others.

Everett stared after her for a moment. I braced myself, totally understanding his reluctance to be around me, but every anxiety vanished as he turned to me with a brilliant smile.

“It’s so good to see you, Sophie.” He kissed my cheek before wrapping his arms around me. My stomach took flight with the wings of a thousand butterflies. “You look gorgeous as always,” he said, his breath tickling my neck.

I closed my eyes, breathing him in. I didn’t know what to say. I needed a moment to regroup, to wrap my mind around the fact that Everett wasn’t repelled by me — was hugging me! “You don’t look too bad yourself,” I muttered, feeling stupid and nervous.

“I missed you,” he said, releasing me.

I took a deep breath, letting the goodness of his words wash over me. “I missed you, too. This past month has been—”
Awful. Nightmarish. Pure torture.

His face fell and he nodded, seeming to understand. “Let’s sit.” Taking my hand, he led me to a couch.

I’d thought about him so much that being near him now was unnerving. I caught wind of Everett’s voice and looked over to find him talking to me. “What?” I asked, shaking my head. “Sorry. The music’s loud.”

He leaned in, grazing my cheek with his, the scent of his cologne intoxicating. “I bet it was quite a feat for Mia to get you out tonight.”

I shrugged. “It was time I escaped.”

Reading me like he always did, he frowned. “What happened? Is everything alright?”

“Not tonight. Can we just have fun? Forget about serious things for a while?”

“Sure.” His smile was forced. “Care to dance?”

I nodded. “You read my mind.”

We both rose when Mia called after us. “Wait up, you two.” She elbowed her way to us with two bright pink drinks in her hands. “Two girly drinks for what was supposed to be a girl’s night out.” She winked exaggeratedly.

Everett and I laughed and shared a look.

“Sure, sure,” I said before sipping my drink. It was exquisite. “What is this?”

“Frozen Virgin Bahama Mama,” Mia said. “Sorry I didn’t get you one, Everett, but I didn’t think you’d appreciate carrying around a blended pink drink.”

“Thanks for thinking of me,” Everett laughed. Suddenly frowning, he fished his phone out of his pocket and read something on it. His countenance darkened. “You two go ahead. I need to take care of something. I’ll meet you in a bit.”

“Is everything okay?” I asked.

“Couldn’t be more perfect.” He kissed my cheek and flashed a smile before walking away.

“Okay, let’s go, Love Bird,” Mia shouted, prying my drink away and pushing me onto the dance floor.

“Love Bird?” I laughed, not resisting her.

“I saw the look he gave you.”

I giggled and Mia hugged me before bursting into dance in the middle of the dance floor. I followed her lead and let go, moving my hips to the beat.

Like a siren, the music had been calling me. It felt good to give in to its spell, the beat washing over me, filling my body, and reverberating in my chest. Fully immersed, all my inhibitions were drowned out. Everyone was lost in this fairytale world where worries and problems magically melted away. I felt free, able to breathe again. A laugh escaped from my lips.

“Yay! You’re having fun. See, I told you,” Mia said.

We laughed and giddily danced together for a time as the music intensified.

“Ugh! It’s so hot in here.” Mia fanned herself with one hand, holding her curls off her damp neck with the other. “Let’s take a break.”

“You go. I’m good,” I answered, determined to hold out for Everett.

“Will you be okay by yourself?”

“Yes. I’m fantastic,” I said, twirling in circles to prove my point. The muscles in my legs were starting to burn, but I pressed on, continuing to swivel and sway and shake.

“Good,” Mia said, laughing. “I’ll come find you in a bit.”

I let go, dancing with abandon as the music phased into something more glorious. I felt someone’s touch on my hips. My heart fluttered. Everett had found me. I threw my arms in the air and danced, completely euphoric.

Then catching sight of the VIP section, I stopped. Everett was there, leaning against a wall near where Mia and others sat! Some girls vied for his attention, but he was oblivious, his piercing eyes staring directly at me.

If Everett is there, then who…

Panic spread through me as I quickly turned.

I gasped in shock.

Chapter 38

Entranced

“Don’t look so surprised!” Hagen chuckled, relishing the moment. “And don’t stop dancing with me,” he purred, draping my arms around his neck.

“What are you doing here?” I asked, pulling away. “What do you want?”

I shuddered as Jenny’s terrified face flashed through my mind, her blood-covered hands clutching tightly to her throat. The same cold fear I imagined she must have felt raced through my veins, freezing any trace of sunshine existing there. I turned to run for Everett, but Hagen caught hold of my arm and jerked me back, spinning me hard into his chest.

We were face to face. My heart dropped as I realized what he was going to do, knowing my fight would be over once he did it.

“Don’t be like this,” he soothingly said, looking deep into my eyes. “I know I hurt you, but I’m sorry. I regret everything. Please. Just dance with me.”

Hagen had entranced me before, but this was different — deeper, all-consuming, mind-numbing, stupefying. I couldn’t control myself or the strange thoughts running through my head.

From the moment I set eyes on Hagen, I knew I had to have him. I’ll do anything to make him mine. I want him. I need him. I love him.

“Okay,” I whispered, and we began to sway. “But there are so many other girls here,” I said in a far away voice. “Don’t you want them? I’m not good enough.”

“You’re the most beautiful girl here tonight. I want you, Sophie. Only you.”

“I want you, too,” I heard myself say.

With a sultry look, he leaned down and kissed my neck. It felt good to be wanted, to be loved. “Let’s get out of here. Go somewhere we’re alone.”

Don’t give in. Run!
The warmth of Dio’s voice bubbled up through the ice of Hagen’s cold spell, evaporating the lies.

But then Hagen spoke again, blowing away all vapors of truth. “I can’t resist you. I’ve tried, but it’s no use. I’ve been watching you since I got here. Everyone has. You’re absolutely stunning.”

Nobody wants me but him. Hagen is my only hope for salvation, for a future, for happiness.
I let his words — and the words in my head — fill me up, nourishing me like the withering, dying plant that I was.

“This past month has been absolute torture for me,” Hagen continued. “I hate being away from you. There’s a void in me that only you can satisfy. I tried to fill the void with so many different people and things, but I realized what I’ve been looking for.”

I looked into his eyes, feeling the electric anticipation of what he was about to say. “What? What have you been looking for?” I needed to hear it, desperate to know that somebody loved me, wanted me, desired me.

“You.” His voice oozed like honey, soothing and warm, taking me deeper into the trance-like state. I didn’t fight it. It felt too good. “Sophie, I need you. I want you. I love you.”

I closed my eyes, waiting for his words to make me whole and satisfy my soul, but completion never came.

He continued, “I’m so sorry to be the one to tell you, but PORTAL killed your mother.”

I gasped.

“PORTAL took her out so she couldn’t tell you the truth: that you were destined to be with me, to work for Lord Divaldo. They made up that stupid prophecy and forced your mother to lie, to tell everyone it was the Creator’s will. But your mother loved you and longed to tell you the truth, knowing that one day finding me and serving Lord Divaldo were the only things that would ever truly fulfill you.”

“No,” I whispered, confused by Hagen’s words.

“The day your mother died, it was PORTAL agents who were after you two, not Lord Divaldo. They mercilessly beat her and left her to die so she couldn’t tell you the truth. They took her away from you, Sophie.
They
did. And the Creator allowed it, knowing it would help his cause.”

He put his hand on my head and I immediately saw my mom: bloodied and alone, loss and grief on her tearstained face as she bled out in the middle of a dirty back alley.

“Sophie,” Mom called through anguished tears. “Dio did this to me. It’s Dio’s fault.”

“Mom!” I cried.

Removing his hand, Hagen looked on me with pity. “The agents thought they’d covered their tracks, but your father discovered the truth: that he and your mom had been betrayed, that the Creator would do anything to manipulate you for more power.”

“No.” I trembled.

“Don’t cry, my sweet Sophie. Your time of sadness is over,” Hagen said, wiping my tears. “Because it’s time for our revenge. Come with me. We’ll conquer the world, just you and I. We’ll serve Lord Divaldo together. He’ll open your eyes to how the world really is, giving you whatever you desire. We’ll raze anyone who gets in our way, reveling in our great wealth and power. The world can be ours. We can have it all, including each other.” He buried his face in my neck. “Say you’ll come with me, Sophie. Say you’ll be mine.”

Being asked to join in world domination seemed strange, but my craving for love and companionship overruled any misgivings. If agreeing to serve Divaldo was means to attain these things, then there was only one choice.

I opened my mouth to say yes, but stopped short. Something vague and blunt drove at the back of my mind, like a forgotten thought trying to break into awareness. Not really knowing why, I turned my head, again meeting Everett’s gaze.

Everett!
The thought shuddered through me, like a tremor.
I want Everett. I want to help PORTAL. I want to serve The Creator.
I returned to my senses, remembering my earlier experience and that Dio would save me if I asked him to.
Help me, Dio!

Digging his fingers into my cheeks, Hagen forcefully turned my head to face him. “What do you think you’re doing?” he seethed, sensing the shift within me. His eyes pierced mine, injecting more of his numbing venom. “Sleep with me tonight, Sophie. I want you. You said you want me, too.”

I was inexplicably tolerant to his black magic. I had to try not to laugh at how ridiculous he looked, squinting and giving me eyes as he desperately attempted to transfix me with his spell. I was unaffected and knew the truth: Hagen didn’t love me or probably even like me. It was all one big conquest to him. I didn’t want him, his lies, or to serve Divaldo.

“No!” I shouted, breaking his grip.

“What?” It was his turn to look shocked and confused.

“I don’t want you, I don’t need you, and I’ll never serve Divaldo.”

Hagen’s arrogant expression turned to one of desperation. “I know you want this, too. You have to. Come with me. Seal the deal. Please! They’ll kill me if you don’t.”

Though I felt compassion for him, I stood my ground, knowing I couldn’t trust him. “No, Hagen.”

Anger flashed in his face. “Fine. Have it your way,” he sneered. Taking off for the stairs, he dragged me behind him with incredible strength.

“No! Stop!” I yelled, struggling.

Panic and fear overtook me as I thought of what he’d do to me if he had the chance. My mind raced. Dio had already saved me from an attack orchestrated by Divaldo once tonight. Why was this happening again?

Dio protects his followers! I haven’t officially made my declaration.
I knew what to do, yelling, “You don’t have authority to harm me. I choose to serve Dio.” I fell to the ground, free of Hagen’s hold.

Hagen doubled over, his face contorted. “Don’t say that name,” he groaned, his eyes bulging in pain.

I froze, stunned by his reaction. By the time I remembered to run, he’d nearly regained his composure. I took off through the crowd of dancers and he followed, quickly gaining on me. Then Everett appeared, spinning me behind him. Hagen skidded to a halt, nearly nose to nose with Everett.

“Game over, Hagen,” Everett said. “Sophie has chosen Dio, meaning you can’t touch her now.”

Hagen cringed at the mention of Dio’s name before smiling sinisterly. “I don’t serve Divaldo anymore, meaning I’m a free agent and can do whatever I want.”

“We both know it doesn’t work like that.”

“Let’s see,” Hagen said, lunging for me.

Everett shoved me. Before I knew what was happening, I was on the floor sliding away from Hagen and Everett. Scrambling to my feet, I looked around to find the two sparring a distance away — elegantly kicking, blocking, and punching too fast for me to follow. Spotting me, Hagen broke away, catching me by the arm.

“Ahhh!” he screamed in agony, holding his hand.

I couldn’t believe it, but smoke rose from the flesh of Hagen’s hand. I looked at my arm, finding it completely fine. With determination in his eyes, Hagen reached for me again, but Everett slid in front of me, backing us towards one of the bars as he deflected a series of kicks. People ran in all directions.

I heard Everett yell something over the music. “What?” I called back.

“Get behind the bar!” Everett hollered, turning to run behind me.

He must have seen Hagen draw out his knives, for silver glinted all around us, landing with staccato pings as we launched ourselves behind the abandoned bar. Everett huddled over me as Hagen reduced all visible alcohol bottles to shards, glass and liquid raining down around us. Once the shower stopped, Everett began rummaging through nearby cabinets.