My heart leapt in my chest and I tried not to smile too much. He wanted to see me! That had to be a good sign. “Thank you so much,” I said, and I meant every word.
I stepped closer, shoving my shaking fingers in the pockets of my jeans. “Where do I go?” I asked.
The blonde nodded her head to the right. “Just through that door. There’s a gateman next to the portal.”
“Thank you so much.” I meant it, too.
I turned to Mallory, who was frowning like she’d never expected me to get my way and see the magical warlock.
I focused on her. “I’ll be back as soon as I can.” I reached out and touched her forearm. “Thank you again for all your help.”
Mallory nodded but her energy buzzed with anger and jealousy. I released her as though she had burned me. I hoped it wasn’t obvious.
Damn, I hadn’t meant to make an enemy of her.
I turned away, not wanting to show her how nervous and excited I was. I pressed my lips together but the smile still slid onto mt face regardless.
“Thank you for your help,” I told Mallory over my shoulder.
I walked past the perfect-looking receptionist and through the door that would lead me to my father, a man I’d never met, and a being that most of this universe called its king.
Chapter 7.
The room in which I stepped into, was as beautiful as the first. Pristine marble, clean lines and shiny floors.
The moment I stepped through the portal, my eyes rested on the doorman. And by rested, I meant I couldn’t take my eyes off of him. He was big, like a bodyguard at a swanky club, with a thick neck, muscular arms, and shades that weren’t needed since the sun wasn’t shining in the room. He had a strong jawline and just a hint of scruff that made him seem mysterious and rough without being intimidating.
“Ava Melfi?” he asked in a low voice.
I stepped closer, heat creeping up my face. “Ah... yeah,” I said, nodding once. “That’s me.”
He didn’t crack a smile, but instead moved l
ike a tin man as he stepped aside and hit a button. I have expected him to squeak. He looked like he needed a greasing. The doorway next to him suddenly whirled with silver magic.
When he spoke, his tone was deep and formal. “When you step through the portal, you will arrive at a Council high house, an exact replica of this room,” he said. “There will be someone there to instruct you further.”
“Thank you so much.”
He didn’t seem moved by my gratitude. He reminded me of one of those Greek statues, chiselled perfectly from the smoothest stone. I wanted to reach out and touch him, to see if he was as cold as he made himself out to be.
I swallowed hard, the lump in my throat making it hard to stay calm. I’d dreamt of this moment my entire life. I was about to meet my father.
Suddenly, I was nervous. What if he didn’t believe who I was? What if he wanted nothing to do with me? What if he wanted me as dead as the Council seemed to?
Oh God, I hope he likes me.
At this point, there was nothing I could do. I wasn’t going to turn around, not when I was so close. Whatever he would do, I couldn’t stop him. All I could do was move forward and hope for the best.
I took a deep breath, checked my clothes quickly for stains and crumbs, and, finding none, walked forward. I discreetly rubbed my clammy hands on my hips, trying to smooth out the wrinkles that didn’t exist, trying to dry them as best as I could.
The portal sucked me up and pushed me forward. Then there was nothing, for a single moment in time. No sound, no light, nothing. I was suspended in time and space, in absolutely nothingness, with nothing holding onto me, with no one around to save me should something happen. My stomach tumbled. My eyes widened. I opened my mouth, ready to let out a scream, but just before I could, I was coughed out into an identical room on the other side of the portal. The light and sound opened up with a boom.
“Welcome to the Council rooms,” said a woman on the other side of the portal. Her voice made me jump, after the soundlessness of the void, and I whirled back, taking it all in.
My face turned red. I didn’t like to think I was this vulnerable, this ignorant, but I was. I had no idea what to expect. I was surprised I hadn’t puked my guts all over the floor. Luckily, I managed to regain my balance before I fell on the floor.
There was a body guard again protecting the portal from this side. This one had blond spikey hair and a beard, but the same dimensions and personality of the other guard. Were they created by magic? Could I create something like that with my own magic?