Page 83 of A Dose of Agony
“How?”
“It would be a long way for me to fly you, but…”
My jaw drops. No way does he mean—
“We have a portal-maker ally,” he says, lips spreading into an amused grin.
“Oh,” I mutter stupidly. “Is Manuela the one who made your private portal?”
Jarron nods in answer, taking another bite. It strikes me, just now, that this is his private place. He has a room just for him. He could have anything in there. Anything he wants. A portal to take him anywhere. And he chose this random house.
There’s clearly more to the house than just what I’ve seen, made obvious by the promise not to sneak off anywhere, but it seems so bizarre to me. I recall the portion of Behind Alien Eyes that mentions a demon building a house for their chosen.
Even if that’s what this was, would it have to remain a secret? Would seeing the rest of the house somehow give away who it was built for?
I glance over his shoulder to the window looking down on what appears to be a fairly regular neighborhood street. I can see two houses from here, and they each have a style I recognize. Large with big open windows and light-colored siding, lifted off the ground by a few feet in case of flooding.
Without thinking, I stand and cross the room, looking closer at the view out the window. His chair squeals as he rushes to follow me.
“What?” he asks.
“We’re on Myre Island,” I realize, not bothering to turn back to read his reaction.
“Yes.”
He has a house on Myre Island… accessed through his private room at school. I shake my head; the complete ridiculousness of the magical world will never cease to amaze me. “Why?”
He hesitates.
“This isn’t your parents’ house. It’s not the house my parents rented.”
“No, it’s my own.”
“Your own…”
He’s barely an adult with his own house. I know better than to ask any more questions, but my brain is pulsing.
“Why did you bring me here?” I blurt out. “If I can’t know the details around the history of the house, I can’t see the other rooms, I can’t ask questions.”
It feels almost cruel.
Maybe that’s the point? He wants to guide me into this state where the answers are right there, staring me in the face, so that it pushes me to take the plunge and accept his mark?
He’s taunting me with the truth.
And I want it.
His eyes are soft as he grips my upper arms. “I don’t mean to upset you, I promise. I brought you here because I wanted to share it with you, at least the parts I can. I was hoping… we could take a short trip when dinner is finished. We could walk through the neighborhood, visit the beach. Maybe fly over the ocean?”
I inhale sharply. “Really?”
He nods then leans in, resting his forehead to mine. “I tried to figure out what you’d want for your birthday. I thought about what I’d want to give you.” He pulls a small box out of his pocket. “I decided to cover as many bases as I could.”
I press my lips together tightly as he reveals a necklace with a gorgeous ruby teardrop pendant.
“It’s beautiful,” I whisper, staring at the glistening stone. I’ve certainly never felt as special as I do today. Jarron carefully clasps the necklace around my neck, and I run my fingertips over the gem.
“Am I doing okay at the birthday thing? It’s new for me.” He grins sheepishly.
