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Curious, I headed out to investigate The stones stood on a small rock island that had been built in the middle of the lily-filled pond Water spurted from the top of each, then ran down their cuneifor back into the pond

As I approached the stones, they began to pulse with energy This ti I hesitated, then ed I’d coain the energy encaged htness, but utter darkness A darkness that was cold, devoid of sensation, and as frightening as hell Then the energy surged, and I found arden One that was lush and exotic, filled with plants and the happy calls of birds

Where the hell was I? The air was hot anduncomfortably to my particles So accoh all the greenery, and I soon realized why--the calls were being piped in froreenhouse of some sort

I --living or otherwise--was close, but that didn’t mean caution wasn’t required

After a few seconds I found a second glass wall, but this one looked out onto a backyard that ran down to sand and then sea A sea that was blue and bright and vast and was nothing like Melbourne’s own bay even on the best of days

And I still had absolutely no idea where I was

I followed the wall until I found a set of double doors that opened out into the yard and slipped underneath them The outside air was cooler, but it was still far warmer here than in Melbourne I slipped across the reetmy particles with salt water

I studied the beach that stretched endlessly before s that crowded the shore

I was in Queensland--the Gold Coast, to be exact

To have coic Most transport spells--or at least the ones created by human witches and white sorcerers--were restricted when it cah power capable of producing a spell that could take you from one state to another Which meant that even if whoever the hell had made these stones wasn’t involved with Lucian or the key quest, they were soh the greenhouse and into the house As you’d expect of a property on such a priht, and expensive looking The decor was minimal and modern, and this lower floor consistedrooms and a bar The entire first floor was devoted to a lass doors opening onto a balcony that overlooked the beach The second floor held all the bedroo stones that I could find, so reenhouse worked both as an entry and an exit point The one we’d found underground certainly had

The house was e it Nor could I actually see any form of security systeular shape I called to the Aedh oncey to flesh in the blink of an eye before depositing ainly heap on the polished floorboards Which here I stayed, gulping down air, the pain indownup ed around me; then arms that arm and familiar and oh so welcome wrapped around ainst Azriel’s chest, I closedmy own to an to slow, and the pain lessened

He shifted his grip and held ht?"

I took a deep breath and released it slowly "Surprisingly, yes"

His gaze sweptthat No surprise, given he was connected to my chi and knew the truth "Do you knohere we are?"

I half smiled "To paraphrase Dorothy: Toto, we’re not in Kansas anymore"

"I’m bound to say that statement makes no sense"

"Do any of my statements everits way down er changing to and fro-time

He rose and held out his hand "On rare occasions, yes, they do"

I snorted softly and placed ently, but the world did a brief three-sixty around ht

"Da to have to eat so I told you so"

"That’sof you" I turned and studied the rooiven it ice the size of the other four It was pin-neat, aln that anyone lived here But someone surely had to--why else would the stones transport us here?

"I cannot say whether soic in this place"

I raised my eyebrows "Really? I didn’t sense any when I was in Aedh foric has some form of sensory boundary around it It is very subtle" He motioned toward the closet "And comes from there"