Warrior's Touch (Immortal Warriors #2)

Chapter Eight: The Archway

Fifty-six minutes earlier…

 

“Before we step through, there’s a few things you should know,” Des said, tugging on Kat's hand to stop her just as she was about to cross under the archway.

Kat was nervous enough, and now as her brain took control of the situation once again, she couldn’t help but start feeling rather dumb. What did she really think was going to happen when she stepped under the cardboard archway Arisia and Raven had put up for the book event? It wasn’t some kind of magical teleporter, only cleverly marketed publisher swag.

“Don’t even start with that logical mumbo jumbo,” Des said, grabbing her by the shoulders and giving her a gentle squeeze. “You’re right, it’s just a piece of cardboard. However, you’re forgetting one vital fact,” he pointed out.

“And what is that?” she asked suspiciously. 

“I’m the magical one around here. I can make anything what I want or need it to be, and that includes turning a piece of cardboard into a teleporter.” His eyes flared a bright golden hue before receding back to their normal grey.

Kat couldn’t argue with that. “Okay,” she said, feeling the nervous excitement all over her skin again.

“Great.” Des nodded, happy to have one thing out of the way. There were just a few more minor details to get sorted out before their trip. “There are  some quick rules we need to go over before we go through.”

Kat glanced anxiously at the archway and back to Des. “Rules?” she repeated.

“Details of our little bargain,” he explained. “First, you have one month to fall in love…”

Her eyebrows shot up to her forehead. “A month?” she asked shocked.

“Which is more than enough time for you to fall in love with your soul mate,” he continued. “Second, after the thirty days you make your final decision. Stay with your love and live happily ever after, or walk away. Now pay attention to this part, because this is the important bit. If you decide to walk away, you will never find love as long as you live. No Match.com, no eHarmony, none of it. Understood?”

Kat exhaled slowly, not realizing she’d been holding her breath. “That seems unreasonably harsh.”

Not to him. Harsh was living under a curse that kept him at the mercy of difficult women, something not many people except his good friend Daniel knew personally about. At least he'd been able to help a bro out when he'd found his soulmate wandering in the swamplands of Louisiana. 

He focused on his latest case. “Nature is giving and cruel, as am I. If you blow this golden opportunity, then you’re resigning yourself to a fate with no love, no children, nothing but you and the books on your shelf. Got it?”

She swallowed, her mouth suddenly dry. “Got it,” Kat croaked out.  

Des nodded appeased. “Good. We’re also going to a different time – 2031 to be exact, but don’t let the number fool you – think more Highlander less Blade Runner.”

“Parallel world, then?” she asked, already understanding the situation. 

He smiled. That was the nice thing about writers – they got time travel so much better than regular folks. 

“You know it, cupcake. But don’t go thinking such travel is the norm over there, because it isn’t. Which leads me to rule number three: You are not to talk about where you come from with anyone. Not even the stud of your dreams. We do not want to freak out the locals. Capiche? ”