Page 120 of Soul Sucker

“That’s not what I meant.” Liz shivered and Ella glanced at her.

“What’s wrong?”

“I don’t know. Something just set off all my warning instincts.” Liz looked around. “Did you feel it?”

“Nope.” Ella pressed the brick wall and the entrance to the portal appeared. “Let’s go.” She focused her attention on the green light on the ground and then closed her eyes. Sometimes she wished the portals didn’t resemble elevators, but she had no other option. “Merton records office, please.”

The light blinked and threw them forward to wherever Otherworld was or wasn’t. Liz screamed and then everything stopped moving and she frantically pushed against the side of the portal, falling into the street outside the records office.

“Liz?” Ella looked around but there was no sign of her friend. “Where are you?”

The first stirring of unease settled in her gut. She’d promised Liz she wouldn’t go to Otherworld alone, and yet she’d done it anyway. She hoped Liz was okay, and not trapped somewhere between the two worlds as a portal relocated itself. It happened occasionally, and didn’t result in many deaths… Ella looked around the deserted street and then set off at a run for the college. Miss Vera might not like her, but she was incredibly efficient, and would know how to alert the authorities that one of the portals had malfunctioned.

By the time she arrived at the college, she was panting and her hair was coming out of its already untidy braids. Miss Vera glanced up from her typewriter, her mouth settling into a thin line.

“What have you done now, Miss Walsh?”

Ella immediately felt like a guilty teen. “The portal I arrived in didn’t release my colleague, Liz Smith. Is there someone we could call to check that she is okay?”

“Miss Smith is the lady who came with you before?”

“Yes.” Ella nodded. “She seemed nice.”

“She is.”

“She isn’t an empath, though.”

“No, she’s a Fae-Web specialist.”

“Part Fae, then?” Miss Vera picked up the phone. “Yes.” Ella let her gaze scan the office and tried to see if she recognized anyone. She was reluctant to drop her guard and use her psychic abilities when there were so many empaths around.

Miss Vera put her finger to her lips and focused her attention on the phone. “Maintenance? This is Miss Vera from the Empath College. Yes, how are you, Claude? I’m very well.” She nodded. “The portal outside the college? Has it moved?”

Thanks to Vadim’s superior genes, Ella’s breathing evened out far more quickly than usual. She eyed Miss Vera’s desk. If she sat on the corner edge, would she be breaking some kind of unwritten rule? Did she even care anymore? Reluctantly she decided to keep standing. She needed Miss V on her side at the moment.

Miss Vera covered the mouthpiece and looked up at Ella. “The one at your end moved. Your friend is alive and has ended up in Netherfield.”

“Will she be able to get back here?” Ella asked. Miss Vera consulted Claude. “Eventually.”

“Thank you.” Ella smiled. “I really appreciate it.”

Miss Vera put the phone down and studied Ella who wore a short black stretchy skirt, blue leggings and a purple top with silver bling on it. She shook her head. “You should smile more. It suits you.”

“Thanks.”

“Although you really should do something about your appearance. You can’t look like an eighteen-year-old college student forever.”

Ella nodded. “You have a point, Miss Vera. Now, could you help me with something else? Is Anna Wheeler in today?”

“I think so.” Miss Vera turned to survey the office. “She’s over there in the corner.”

Ella managed another smile. “I need to touch base with her about something. Is it okay if I just go and speak to her?”

Miss Vera nodded graciously and Ella was allowed into the inner sanctum of the office. It was strange to be in a place that had no computers sitting on the desks, only typewriters. The internet didn’t work well with Otherworld and humans who visited or lived there just had to deal with it.

Ella approached the young dark-haired woman who was reading something at her desk. “Anna?”

Anna looked up and smiled. “Ella Walsh? You haven’t changed a bit.”

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