All Chapters of Esmerelda Sleuth: Beyond the Portal (Book 3): Chapter 11 - Chapter 20
36 Chapters
Chapter 11
“I do not understand what it is that you are trying to tell me,” Cecil pouted after Nora did her best to relay to him our findings.  “Are you saying that  you believe that there is a timed lock on our attic door and that time travelers are coming and going?”Nora nodded.  “I know that it sounds a bit farfetched, but you did hire us for our paranormal investigating skills.  So, you must believe just a bit that it could be possible.”I’d sat back and allowed my friend to converse about our findings with our client while I observed his body language as he listened.  I’d been trained to read body language when I was studying to be an investigator.  There was a lot to learn about a person from it.  His behavior indicated to me that, although he was trying to appear interested and reasonable, he didn’t like a word of what Nora was telling him.  I also got the impression that he knew
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Chapter 12
A rush of adrenaline surged through me at the sound of the gruff, eerie snarls that came from somewhere behind us.  I whirled to see what was happening.  Faint moans mixed with the snarls.  From what I could tell, they were coming from the enormous, grotesque painting in the middle of the room.  The moans sounded far more distant than the snarling.Nora stopped in her tracks, but she didn’t look at the painting along with me.  She was too paralyzed with fear. I don’t know why I wasn’t.  I was afraid, but not paralyzed.  By some miracle, I managed to push through my fear and kept focused and mobile.  I quickly made my way to the front of the painting to see if I could understand what was taking place.I had to rub my eyes a few times to be sure that I was seeing correctly as I watched the two dimensional painting become three dimensional.“This didn’t show up on the screen last nig
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Chapter 13
My worries for Nora slowly subsided as I focused on my own wellbeing.  I had no idea where I was and  what I was walking into.  My captor moved through the darkness with a steady ease.  Perhaps he was able to see after all?  My fear of being left alone in such acute darkness was intense so,  I made sure to closely follow him.When a plain looking red door appeared in front of us, he slowly waved his hand from left to right in a way that reminded me of a magician performing a magic trick.  The door groaned loud and long as it opened with reluctance.  I had to squint my eyes in order to tolerate the bright light that assaulted them while the door created an opening that was wide enough for us to walk through.My head pounded from the intensity of the light. I was forced to give in and completely close my eyes in order to find some relief.  Even with them closed, I could see the brightness that was in stark contrast to the blac
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Chapter 14
The first thing that came to me when I opened my eyes was the fact that I was snuggled beneath a down comforter while lying in a soft bed and warm from head to toe.“Where am I?” I heard a slightly familiar voice say.After a moment of silence and a few seconds of concentration, I realized that the voice was mine.  It was strained and hoarse from almost freezing to death.  Or, perhaps it was the result of being forced to breathe the putrid air of the hell dimension that I was whisked off to by Marduke.“You’re home, my sweet Esmerelda,” Killian said with a soft and gentle voice.  “We found you wandering Tillman’s property.”“Where is Nora?” Roger asked from across the room.  “We went looking, but she’s nowhere to be found.  What happened to her?”“What happened to both of you?” Killian asked.  “We were worried sick.  Di
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Chapter 15
Doctor Jeffrey Goodman was a comely man in his late thirties.  His smile consisted of slender lips beneath a platinum mustache that matched his well-groomed platinum hair and slightly imperfect, pearly white teeth.  It was so warm and friendly that I found it infectious.Grey, twinkling eyes that sat in just the right position on either side of a nose that could only be described as the perfect size and shape for his strong jaw and ruddy, high cheekbones assessed me from a few feet away. “So, Miss Sleuth, I understand that you’ve had quite an adventure.”“Esmerelda,” I said, softly.  “Call me Esmerelda.”He nodded.  “Alright.  Esmerelda, can you tell me a bit about what happened?”I hesitated going into detail with someone in the medical profession.  It was such a crazy story.  What if he thought me just that?  What if he thought me crazy?  Sure, he was a me
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Chapter 16
I was sound asleep when Killian eased his body next to me on my bed.  I was on the alert the moment I felt his weight shift the mattress. Adrenaline flooded my system as I bellowed, “Get out, Jason! How did you get free?”“It’s me,” he whispered as he gently laid his hand on my shoulder.  “It’s Killian.”I instantly relaxed and rolled to face him.  There was just enough moonlight coming through the window to show me the outline of his beautiful face.“What are you doing?” I whispered back.“I need to hold  you,” he admitted.I snuggled into him.  He smelled fresh and clean.“You showered,” I hummed into his chest.“Only for you, baby,” he teased.“You should have waited for me,” I teased back.“Oh, if that was the case, my love, I would gladly get back in,” he said
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Chapter 17
I felt even worse the following day.  So  bad, in fact, that Jeffrey was called back to check on me.“From what I can see,” he said to Killian as they stood on the opposite side of the room and in a voice that I doubted he’d expected me to hear, “you syphoned every drop of magic from her shine.  She’s completely depleted.”“How can that be?” Killian asked with concern.  “I projected it toward her.  She should have gotten a goodly supply from me.”Jeffrey looked at me with creased brow.  “Something’s not right.”“Do you think they did something to her when she was beyond the portal?” Killian asked.“That’s a pretty nasty place,” Jeffrey replied. “I’ve only met one other person who went there and survived.”I sucked in air at his comment, but stayed silent.  I wasn’t ready for th
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Chapter 18
It took two days for my shine to replenish and my strength to come back.  Jeffrey said that it was remarkably fast.  He’d expected me to be in bed for a few weeks, not a few days.  He wasn’t sure if it was my magical genetics or the remedy that he’d finally had the opportunity to use that did the trick.  Perhaps it was both.Killian was called on a case, but he made sure that someone was with me in the house at all times.  More often than not, it was a woman named Gail Simone.A trusted member of the society, Gail had a way about her that made her conscientious of my wellbeing and good company during times when I really needed it.  She was about a decade older than me, but managed to hold off the ravages of time so that she looked to be around my age.  Her shiny  raven hair framed her pale, oval face as it hung sleekly over her slender shoulders. Her nose was long, narrow, and in perfect proportion to her pixie-
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Chapter 19
We said nothing after we’d finished making love.  Whether it was because we were both breathless or whether he was just as much in awe over the intensity of our sex as I was, I didn’t know. He sat in silence while I dressed and put on my makeup.  I occasionally glanced at him through the mirror to find his look intense and studying.“What are you watching me so closely for?” I finally asked.“We didn’t use protection,” he mumbled.“Should I be worried?” I asked with concern. “About disease or pregnancy?” he asked.“I’m on the pill,” I offered.“I was recently tested,” he said with surety.  “I can show you the results if you want.”“I trust you,” I said with a hint of relief.  “I liked it without the condom.  I vote we keep it that way.”  Then, after a brief
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Chapter 20
I spent the following week learning what I could about magic from both Gail and Killian.  Jeffrey visited a few times and offered some tidbits to enhance the tricks and spells that I’d already learned, but, for the most part, he simply annoyed me with his nagging suggestion that we should utilize Jason’s skills to get Nora back.I, on the other hand, stubbornly held out for news from Anton while I focused on honing my newfound skills to optimum.I was getting good at creating fireballs.  My ability to throw them with accuracy was still wanting, but I felt confident none-the-less. I was also becoming adept at teleportation on a local level.  It wasn’t astral projecting.  That’s when the physical body stayed behind.  My physical body actually went with me.  Both Killian and Gail felt it was the wiser move, since someone could tamper with my body if I left it behind.  I could return to a body that was severely dam
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