Portal Mage

By Payne Haynes

Few know about portals, the gateways to other reals. Specialists protect them from the world, specialists like the Remey family. Years ago the family was decimated and portal vanished. Now young Cassandra Remey has returned home to find the portal still active. This was the start of her adventures as people want her dead. She has to find a way to learn and survive before they succeed.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Payne Haynes
• Release date: Sep 15, 2018
• ISBN: 9780463314654

Payne Haynes

Born in 1979, I grew up a world traveller. With a father in the military I lived in Europe and Canada. With these inspirations I began to write from an early age. For me it was a coping mechnisim for the things life threw at me. As an adult I worked my way across Canada and down into the USA. I continue my travel persuits with a wide vareity of interests from sciences to the arts. Conventions focusing on fiction and literature are my favorite events of the year, and a reason I settled on the west coast. With years of writing it is time to make the move of sharing it to the world. I sincerely hope it is enjoyed.

Book preview

Portal Mage

Parandus Series

Novels

Sleepy Wolf Inn

Portal Mage

Short Stories

The Curse of Mad Mab

Portal Mage

by Payne Haynes

© 2018 Sarah Haynes. All rights reserved. License Notes

Thank you for downloading this smashword eBook. This book remains the copyrighted property of

the author, and may not be redistributed to others for commercial or non-commercial

purposes. If you enjoyed this book, please encourage your friends to download their own

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Table of Contents

Part 1: Cassie

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Part 2: Cassandra

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Part 3: Kes

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Chapter 32

Chapter 33

Part 1: Cassie

Chapter 1

The old cul du sac had long ago seen and lost its prime.  The tall Victorian houses were no longer kept up and their yards were mistreated.  The few people who remained were disillusioned and no longer cared about the world around them.  So the quiet transformation of 210 Ontario lane went unnoticed. Its exterior did not change. However one night lights were in the windows and there was industrious activity.  

Cassandra Remmey was thirteen and determined to make the best of it as she could.  She had slipped away from the last in a long line of foster homes to this refuge. No one would notice she was gone for a while.  The latest foster parents didn’t care as long as the money continued to flow in. She was better off on her own anyway. Alone she had managed to make her way 200 miles to Tacoma and found her parents home just as she remembered it.  Now it was long in disrepair and felt lonely.

She had been careful to avoid being seen as she picked her way down the alley, and into the back yard.  The overgrown drive and lawn made good cover as she found her way through it and up to the back of the house.  The door on the sundeck had a rusted padlock. With some effort she managed to break it and the door swung open a crack.  Inside was a screened sun-room that overlooked the gardens and the back driveway. It seemed lonely now in dim light. The door to the kitchen was tougher than the sun-room  The wood was rotten around the frame and she was able to force it after a few tries.

Surprisingly the inside did not smell of rotten odors.  It was dusty with an air of musk to it. She turned on a flashlight as she stepped into the darkening room.  The kitchen looked abandoned but surprisingly unremarkable. It was odd, she thought, that it had been easily ten years since anyone had been here and yet it looked like it had been only ten days.  A thin layer of dust covered everything, but otherwise it looked fine. She ran her fingers over the counter as she walked carefully through the room. Tears touched the corners of her eyes.

The only thing that seemed out of place was several drawers looked as if they had been rifled through. She had no idea who might have been here.  It made her nervous with the open curtains. Who knew what could be seen through them.  She went up the stairs. They creaked under her weight as she stepped upon each carpeted level. She looked at all the doors with a sad remembrance. A child’s gate stood discarded on the floor.  The first door was her parents she remembered easily, and the second hers. There were five other doors that she didn’t know. It was easier to look into them than face the empty room that was once her parent’s. The office made her linger. The walls were lined with photos and certificates.  They all bore her father’s name. David Linger. Why did she not have his name? She wondered as she looked at them.  He was her father? Right? The photos confirmed that as she looked at a pile of men all gathered with smiles. There was another with her parents and an infant she knew to be herself.  And another with what looked like two families. She stood smiling next to another dark haired girl. Who was that? With a frown she moved on.

The desk was neat and tidy.  It wasn't entirely clean though.  She saw rifling marks on the desk and the files seemed a little unkempt.  Someone had been through the house searching for something.  But they seemed to have only touched paperwork. She looked at the papers curiously and noted some files on some stone like artifacts.  Was he an archaeologist ? She realized she had no idea what her father had been. Or her mother. Hopefully in this house she’d find out.

She moved into the massive bedroom.  The big bed was against the far wall with a side table on either side.  To its left was a walk in closet and private bath, while the right had dressers and a stool with an easel.  The easel was set up next to the window that overlooked the yard and a bit of the street. The thick comforter was one thing that came to her mind as comforting.  This was her parents room. She had jumped on this bed and climbed up onto it proudly so many times as a child. Tears ran down her cheeks as she sank down onto the edge of the bed.  

There was no memory of what happened.  Only a blinding light. After that she was moved into a home, and another home, and another.  No one ever told her anything, and by the time she was old enough to ask, no one knew. She hugged herself and looked around.  It was as if she could hear their laughter and feel their love. It swamped her in loneliness as she looked around helplessly. If she was found she would be torn away from this place.  

After a hard cry Cassie curled up in the bed and slept.  For the first time in a long time she was able to sleep without being afraid of those around her.  She slept hard and long. There was no one there to wake her, or hurt her. When she did wake the sun was high in the sky.  It was real, she realized as she laid in the warm blankets. She was really in her old home again. She had no idea what to do now.  Her parents were dead and she was in their old house. Why hadn’t the house been sold? Or rented? Instead it sat empty.

That day, and the ones following she set about cleaning up the aging building. She didn’t dare stray too close to the windows or go outside. After a week she began to calm a bit. A new problem was coming about. Her funds were very low and she wasn’t sure how to get more. She did manage to learn more of her family though. Her father was some sort of authenticator. He had many correspondence about medieval artifacts and verifying their authenticity. She wasn’t sure what the profession was called. Her mother didn’t seem to work that she could find. She did find some art supplies, but no artwork. There was also some exercise equipment that seemed to belong to her mother. She did find a gold coin collection that belonged to her father. She knew it was probably worth something. The idea of parting with something he had loved so much was not even in her mind. Her dad had collected these. Many of his notes were all about them. He hadn’t only collected some coins, he had researched them and wrote about them.

On the fifth night, with no possible solution she ate the last of her crackers and curled up to sleep. There were a few homeless shelters nearby. If need be she could always steal it somewhere or panhandle. With this in mind she tried to get some rest.

Sleep did not want to come to her.  She tossed and turned. A bright light filled her mind as she finally began to sleep.  It was a circle at first that seemed alive with colors. The glowing circle stretched out as if it was part of everything and yet part of nothing.  At first it vanished. Suddenly it was all around her. Panic flared in her as it felt as if it was consuming everything. But it didn’t. It was part of her but she was part of it too.  

She sat up and looked around the darkened room.  What a strange dream. The sensation of being apart of her had not left.  She felt a tugging as if she knew it was near. That strange glowing was near, but where?  It propelled her to get up and go looking for it. Down the darkened stairs she paused. A car was coming into the cul du sac.  She paused with her heart in her throat to listen. It drove slowly and then seemed to drive off. She stood on the stairs in the dark and listened.  After what seemed to be an eternity it drove away. Why was a car up here? No one seemed to drive on this street. Her heart raced as she dared not move.  

Finally she pushed herself to finish descending the steps. There were no windows around the door and it was a solid oak door. She stepped away from it, barely able to keep yer eyes off it. What if someone came through? But the car hadn’t seemed to stop. With a deep breath she walked down the hall towards the kitchen. Openings on her left lead to the other rooms. At the end of the hall she paused. There was a small table standing there with a vase. Once there might have been flowers. She pushed it aside. Strangely a door appeared. She had to look several times to believe her eyes. Where had the door come from? It hadn’t been there a moment ago.

Her heart raced. Cassie wasn’t sure what to think. Had this door really just appeared? She opened it and looked into the darkness beyond. There wasn’t enough ambient light for her to see. After a few moments she decided she was brave enough to turn on the flashlight. The brilliant light blinded her briefly as she shone it into the dark depths of the basement doorway. A set of an old wooden steps lead down into the darkness with seemingly no end. For a moment she struggled between fear and the strange urge to find the glowing. Were there any basement windows? Would they see the light down there? Was there even a they?

With a deep breath she stepped tentatively onto the steps. It let out a soft creak. The quiet sound jarred her senses in the secret atmosphere. She instinctively look at the front door again. Her ears strained to hear anything, but after what seemed to be an eternity, there was nothing. Finally she pushed herself to take the next step, and the next. The stairs lead down into a tiny room with several doors. There were no windows, so only her flashlight gave any vision.

The first door opened into a closet with a boiler in it. That was hot water at least. The second lead to a storage room. Each wall to her sides were lined with shelves and neatly placed boxes. At the end of the dark room was a foot locker. Curiosity was too strong to resist. She stepped into the room. Her sock feet made no noise on the cement floor as she looked around. It was cold through the thin socks. There were no windows so no one knew she was down here. The lock was open so she could easily lift the dust covered lid. What was inside made her breathe catch. Why was there a locker full of rifles in the basement. One or two she could understand, but there were at least fifteen in this open locker. Why would her parents have such arms?

The mystery scared her on a deep level.  The memory of the flashing of blinding light came to her.  Did it have something to do with what killed her parents? Why would they need so many guns?  The surprise left her reeling as she backtracked out of the room. She tried to put it out of her head as she tried the last door.  

Inside was a large square room.  One wall had more metal shelving with boxes neatly piled on it.  There was a podium in the center of the room. A single column with what was like a giant marble in the center of it.  The glass or crystal ball was the size of her head and seemed to be flawless. Past it was a round oak door. Its heavy wood was framed by a thin stone archway.  Each stone had some intricate symbol drawn upon it. She could only stare wide eyed as she knew deep down she just found what she was looking for.

Chapter 2

Cassandra stepped into the room mesmerized.  The crystal ball seemed to come alive. It drew her attention as she stepped closer.  The dull glow remained dull but seemed reactive to her. With a light finger she touched it.  Outside of its glowing the only difference was a reflection of herself and her finger. There was no strange sensation or major reaction other than the dull glowing.  She looked up at the door. It called to her.. Her heart raced as she saw the symbols glow slightly. It was the same dull pink as the crystal ball. It was reacting to her.  It was welcoming her. Strangely it felt right.

It felt natural to step past the podium and its crystal ball and up to the door.  the heavy oak door stood like a guardian against what was behind it. She felt powerful and yet reserved.  The door deserved respect for what it protected, and protected against. Where were these thoughts and emotions coming from? they felt much more advanced than her age.  With a deep breath she took the knob in her hand and turned it. the golden orb turned easily in her hand and as light as a piece of plywood the door swung open for her.

Lights of every color swirled in the doorway. It illuminated the room and made her heart sing.  She knew this thing, she knew it and loved it. However she had no idea what it was, it was just light and colors glowing in a doorway.  Instinctive knowledge came to her. it was a portal, it was her portal. She breathed deep feeling the power coming from it and filling all of her senses. It was something special.  

How was this possible? Her mind kept asking that question. Was that possible? She studied the lights critically.  The heavy oak doorway and lights behind it. Was it some sort of trick? Her instincts said no, but her mind wanted to know if the wall was behind them. So she reached her hand in, and it kept going in. there was no pulling, pain or surprise. She was able to pull her hand back. There wasn’t even a real sensation difference.  What was clear was it went further back than the wall behind it would allow. With a deep breath she took a plunge and stepped into the light.

It was so bright she had to stop and blink, to allow her eyes to adjust.  There was no light where she now stood. It was just like she had walked through the door and now saw what was on the other side.  Behind her the lights continued to swirl and flashed in their brilliant colors. Only now there was no arch way, or any sign of the door.  The swirling circle stood proudly on a raised dais of its own. The room was brightly lit by the circle and by light shining in through cracks in the ruined stone above. The whole room was a crumbling heap of marble and white granite. The space had small piles of pebbles and stones all over the floor. Stone steps lead the way up to an archway out, but they were too cracked and crumbled. The archway up was blocked by more fallen stone. It looked as if this room also once has a podium on it, but the spot where the podium once stood now only had a stump of rock left.

The air was much more fresh.  she took several deep crisp breathes in as she stepped away from the light.  What was this place? the room was big enough to fill her whole downstairs of the house.  She climbed her way up the steps and found the exit blocked by stone. the stone was not uniform and looked like it was a column that had fallen over.  there was enough room for her to squirrel her way through to the other side.

Bright light made her stop. Her blurred vision at first saw nothing but gold. Once she was able to see properly she saw fields of golden wheat. The wall of the building had fallen to show the landscape beyond. The roof still stood above and some tall white columns remained but most of them were toppled. Grass grew around them, so the destruction was not new. She looked behind her and saw that the walls of the main building seemed to remain in tact. Up and down the crumbling corridor