Laurel

2:30 Laurel

Again I was interrupted, this time from a knock on the chamber door, and the firm voice of Thistle echoed through the wood, letting us know the gate keeper had arrived for us to speak with them. I ensured that all my mates were ok after the outburst from Auris, before we collectively moved to the door down to the main parlor to discuss what I wanted to do with the gatekeeper.

The gatekeeper turned out to be a small gnome. He stood no more than four feet tall, the brown robe he wore reminded me of what a monk would wear. Large beak like nose, long eyebrow hair that framed his pointed face was the only source of hair on his whole head. His small dark eyes scanned each of us as we entered the parlor, judging us, and by the turn of his lips, not overly pleased with our group.

"Madam, how may this humble Gatekeeper serve you?" he said, his voice resonating and much deeper than his size belied.

"I want to go to the mortal realm, ideally somewhere near Seattle. I was transported here by accident and my friends have been worried about me." I said as I sat on the chair next to the table where the gnome had laid over a variety of parchment sheets and scrolls featuring maps of earth, and places and realms I knew nothing about.

"Well that should be easily accomplished, let me see." he riffled through several of the flat parchment maps, before unfurling several of the scrolls, "Huzzah, here!" He finished unrolling the scroll in his hand, laying it out on the table, and putting small weights at the corners. I could recognise the general topgraphy of Seattle, even though the city or major landmarks weren't on the map. "Here, your father had a link set up to be able to connect just outside a wolf pack nearby to the city."

I looked at the map and tried to orientate myself in the terrain. I was almost positive that was the pack lands where Melody lived. Everything was working out too perfectly. But I couldn't help asking, "Did you know my father?" I asked. As he rolled up the unneeded parchments and scrolls, tucking them in his bindle.

"Do I look that old to you girl? Of course not, he was last spotted hundreds of years ago." He grumbled under his breath some things in a language I didn't understand. But no lies anywhere, I would have noticed even a minor one.

"How soon can I travel there? And can I come back?" I asked. Needing to know if this was finally it. If everything was finally coming together for me. Or if there was a catch. Like if I went home, would I lose my mates back in Fae when I couldn't return.

"Ugh give me twenty minutes to calibrate the thing, she hasn't been used in a while. And of course, We have a key you can use to come back, you can even take one extra person back with you. No demons right now though, Titania will have one of those roasted the moment they travel by a gateway." He shuddered slightly, like a bad memory had flashed in his mind.

"We encountered an incubus on the way here, Titania might want to know her defenses aren't as sound as she thinks." Sky said, bringing back memories of Cole and his band of not so merry men and one sadistic vampire witch. The last who controlled my Brydel. I looked at my joyful wolf mate, when he felt my eyes on him, he turned to look at me with a radiant smile on his face. I could feel his joy that I was looking at him. He was good for me, his joy would keep me grounded when things were hard.

"Not possible" the gnome grumbled, already leaving the room. "Twenty minutes! Not a moment sooner." He yelled without looking back.

"I need to get ready!" I nearly squealed with my own joy. I was going to get to go home. I could finally see Damon and Delia and let them know I was ok, but that I had more business in this realm right now. I was running up the stairs to our room and into the closet that held everything I could ever need. I wanted to look nice, I was finally going to see Damon again, and Delia! I could feel my men behind me. Watching as I tried to find the right outfit.

"You need one of us to go with you as a bodyguard." Sky said simply. Auris and Brydel standing a few paces behind. "I want to be the one to go with you, but I can not blend into that world. I recommend Brydel, he has the most experience with that world. But the choice is yours." Brydel nearly went supernova with pride when Sky named him as his choice for my guard.

"I'm not ready to go with her alone, Brydel is the right choice." Auris said. I could feel his sadness, but I was so proud of him for admitting he wasn't right for this task. He was growing. It takes a real man to admit when they aren't right for a task they wish they could do.

"Brydel will come with me." I said, basking in the joy and pride I felt reflected back from Brydel when I named him. I went and kissed Sky and then Auris. "Thank you both for caring and understanding." Brydel went to his space to pack a bag of essentials for defense in case it was needed. But nothing else, we would be so close to Melody we wouldn't need anything else.

I settled on a white, eyelet dress, old fashioned in cut and long, falling to my mid calves. I braided and coiled my hair around my head, it felt longer, it still ended up with a large coiled bun at the back of my head. But I looked almost human with my hair up. My eyes were still very wrong, and anyone with magic or connected to the paranormal would be able to sense that I was off. To humans, I should be mostly passable if no one looked too close.

I went to Brydel to confirm that I looked ok for being around normal humans, "You are too beautiful to be human, but they are dim enough they will just be in awe of you." He said. I had taken too long to get ready and it had already been nearly twenty minutes. I let Sky led me to the gate room. Auris and Brydel trailing behind like honor guards.

The gnome was tapping his foot impatiently when we arrived. "I was ready three minutes ago, where were you?" he said accusingly. It was nice to have someone be rude to me, made me feel more normal. I think I liked the cranky guy. I wondered if he lived somewhere in this place or commuted in.

The gateway was a beautiful twisted jade colored archway. But there was something off about it. I could see three rooted feet, but five twisting vines made up the arch in a shape that didn't quite seem right. Like the rules of physics I was used to didn't apply here.The magic was resonating from the gateway. It felt like the day at the beach so long ago with Damon, but less loud. More controlled. It was still calling to me the same way. I gave Sky a kiss goodbye, and a promise I would be back soon. I did the same with Auris, caressing his cheek with my hand. He really had come so far, I hoped they would be ok together while I was gone. I had a very strong feeling they would be more than fine.

Then I took Brydel's hand and walked towards the Gatekeeper. He handed me a golden pin, carved like a laurel crown of ivy and baby's breath. It was so delicate it barely seemed like I could touch it without breaking it. But in my hand I could feel the power and its strength. Then I knew it would be safe, this really was a key and it would work. I would feel it, the gnome like everyone else I met couldn't lie to trick me. The gatekeeper nodded at us, almost like he knew I would be able to test his honesty. After looking at Brydel, and seeing nothing but a smile, I took a deep breath and stepped through the gateway, trusting that this time, I knew where I would end up.