Chapter 57: Stepping into the Belly of a Cult

“One day to do all this. How are we going to ensure that’s what happens?”

“There’s a group there right now that’s recorded routines and potential informants. We’ll walk in with targets selected for us. Arianna will get to pick which person she speaks with. It’s our just to ensure that she stays safe. You are a backup if we need a cover story. Think about it. If there’s any media coverage. You’re investigating and have no comment. Not only will it cover up what we’re doing, but any smart investigative reporter will target the cult. In investigating them, it puts the cult into the public eye and makes it harder for them to continue doing whatever it is they’re trying to do.”

“Not necessarily.”

Yolanda raised an eyebrow at that. “What am I missing?”

“The reporter may look too closely at what’s going on and notice us and our interference.” Ian tried not to look like the cat that got the cream.

“We’ll discuss it with Arianna. Now remember, they are vampires. If gods forbid it from happening. If one of them gets injured, you are to stay far, far away from them. I don’t want the fallout of that.”

“You don’t want to lose me?”

“If I survive losing you. I don’t want them dealing with the emotional baggage. If I don’t survive, I don’t want anyone else dealing with that emotional mess. Smaller things have created inter-faction incidents.

It’s things like that which break treaties and bonds of trust.”

“So the concept of a vampire lacking the ability to empathize is a myth.”

“Well… Most of the time. They consider those vampires their version of the criminally insane, and they deal with them inside their faction.”

“Ah, good to know. So, where is this exactly that we’re meeting, and what is porting?”

“Gods, it’s your first time porting. Its… Uh… I guess the best way to describe it is we’re using magic to move from one place to another by skimming along the doorway between realms, or dimensions. I’ve seen both words used in this definition.”

“That’s oddly specific. I would have accepted we’re taking a magical portal to we need to go.”

“Remind me to get someone to explain the do’s and don’ts of portal transportation.”

“Yeah, I think I want to show up on the other side with all my pieces.”

“Exactly.”

* * *

Time went by and the sunset. Arianna entered the packhouse with an equally intimidating man beside her.

First impression for Ian was he could see the man as a vampire, but Arianna was anything but a vampire. She was loud, happy, and friendly with the military punk style of dress she wore. It didn’t help that Ian looked at her eye-to-eye.

Again, Ian could see her inhuman nature in her smile. It must be some instinct he had and now he’s aware of the nature of these people. He understood what that instinct was telling him.

“Yo-Yo, how are you, dear? I hear you get the horrid job of keeping me in one piece.”

“Like that’s hard. We’ll have fun.”

Dear God, was all Ian could think of watching these two greet each other. They acted like this was an arranged outing to the local shops. One look at Arianna’s partner told him everything he needed to know. They were in trouble. These two would not follow protocol.

“Okay, have you seen where and what we’re up against?”

“Afraid not. We’ve been told there are others there that’s have scouted, pinpointed targets, and set it up for us to spend the least amount of time there. It must be important as they’re risking using portal magic to do this.”

“Yes, which worries me. That means they feel normal travel isn’t safe in that area. Meaning it’s a danger zone. We didn’t receive any information why they believed it wasn’t safe to travel in.”

“I can only assume that this cult is aware of our existence. Why else would they send in raptors and non-predatory shifters to spy on them.”

“Because they know enough that Fae exist, werewolves, sorry, I know better, and vampires.”

“I feel we aren’t as welcome as we usually are.”

“Great, the witch trials again. Lovely, let’s attempt to avoid that. They made a right, proper mess of it.

They honestly didn’t find any witches. Perhaps a few druids, maybe a mage or two. We all know that witches are a modern convention.” Arianna must have noticed Ian’s confused state and rolled her eyes.

“I am a little older that you think. Remember, dead and magically returned to the living. I’ve been through a lot over my existence. I’m enough to have seen the start of the Spanish Inquisition by several decades.”

“Okay, then I’ll take your word for it. They harmed no witches.”

“Of course, they didn’t harm any witches. There’s no species of supernatural creature truly connected to witches. The church made up the whole witch thing and then tried to fit every person into that category that didn’t fit their narrowminded views or got in their way. Others just ran with it for their benefit. The closest creatures that exist are Druids, Mages, and, of course, Shifters. That whole changing into bats and cats is probably from someone witnessing a shifter changing form. Druids are natural healers and close to nature. Mages, they’re educated, they work their magic through study, and a connection to the stars.”

“Got it. I won’t question anything you say from now on.”

Arianna turned to Yolanda and said with a smile, “Okay, he’s a keeper. Now you’re sure you’ll keep him?”

“Yeah, it’d be too much effort otherwise, and he’s a fast learner.” Both women laughed as the men watched them like they’d just drunk one too many beers.

* * *

They gathered at a small cabin-like structure where an open doorway stood under a roof, but without a door. This is where most of the portal magics be form. It’s close to the packhouse but far enough away to give them time to prepare for an attack.

“Before we send you through the portal, I believe we have one that’s new to this type of travel?” The chubby mage in his wrinkled clothes didn’t wait for an answer, and just ran roughshod over everyone with a quick explanation. “Don’t wander and step quickly. Chase, nothing you see. In fact, close your eyes and hold someone’s hand. Let them lead you. Yeah, that will speed this up. We don’t have time to explain all the how’s and why’s.”

“Okay, I guess. I don’t plan on travelling like this often, anyway.”

The mage snorted at these words. “You say this now. But another name for a mage is Portal Jockey.

Yeah, I won’t hold you to those famous last words.”

“Enough! We need to go now. Please start your hocus pocus now please. The faster we get there and get finished. The faster we can return here.”

After a very physical reaction to the ruffling of his preverbal feathers, the mage got down to why they were here and created a swirling blue portal. This time, the portal was large enough for all to enter it.

Yolanda grabbed Ian’s hand roughly and pulled him through before Arianna and her bodyguard, George. Yolanda didn’t know George’s last name. He rarely spoke to anyone beyond his own people.

She’d not truly found the time to talk to him, and names were such a trickly subject for practitioners of magic. A real name could be the foci needed to ensnare you in some curse. Vampire’s were extremely careful with their names. Existing as long as they did, they were hesitant to let their names be known.

Dragons did the same thing, too.