Savage King: New Worlds - Milly Taiden Page 0,2

her brows. She would have a cow if she knew how many wrinkles she was creating. It would age her faster than she wanted.

“Do one at a time.”

Great. Her cousin was clueless. But now, Wren really wanted to wash her hair and watch the Bachelor. Tonight was the first rose ceremony.

Daphne placed her stone against Lilah’s, then Wren touched hers to Lilah’s. Next thing she knew, she was on her back staring at the cornflower blue sky, her ears ringing so loudly, she couldn’t hear anything else. She rolled her head to the side to see her cousins in the same prone position. “What happened? Did we do something wrong?”

Lilah sat up, rubbing her head. “Maybe we should touch the stones together at the same time.”

“You think?” Daphne hollered. “I’m flat on my ass—”

Lilah whipped her head around to Daph. “Hey—”

“Lilah,” Wren warned, catching her attention. “Let’s just try it again, okay?” What was wrong with her bitchy cousin? Lately, it seemed she was always in a bad mood and never wanted to go out anymore. She just sat at home all weekend. Something was up and she needed to find out what.

After sliding her foot in the slip-on sandal that flew off when the first portal’s energy shoved them back, Wren gathered with the other two girls.

“On the count of three,” Daphne said. “One, two. . .” They pressed their stones to each other creating another explosion, but this one they were ready for and remained standing. There in front of them floated the circle entrance to Earth. It was already night there as Wren could barely make out the trees in the darkness.

“Wait,” Lilah said, “why isn’t it Grandmom’s living room? That’s where we left.”

Wren wanted to say “duh,” but gave her cousin a break. “Because we’re in a different place. If you want to go straight into her house, we have to go back to Avery’s village where we came through. And I, for one, am not up for the hike.”

“Not to mention that’s rude,” Daphne said. “What if Grandmom and Grandpop were getting it on and we just appeared there?”

“They’re eighty years old,” she said. “You can’t do that when you’re eighty.”

Daphne’s brows rose on her head. “They have pills for that kind of thing.”

“But eighty?”

Lilah sighed. “Let’s go. I don’t want to think about my grandmother getting more than I am.”

Wren and Daphne laughed. “I know, right?” Daph said. They broke apart, and the portal disappeared.

“Well, shit,” they said in three-piece harmony, then all laughed. Yeah, they were closer than cousins, tighter than sisters.

“Guess we have to cross keeping the stones together.” Wren held her palm out.

“But we didn’t have to with Grandmom?”

“I know, but Grandmom isn’t here,” Wren replied. “This time we move as a team, okay?”

Mumbled yeahs came from the others. Once again, they stood against the blast of air, the portal appearing. “Okay,” Wren said, “baby steps scoot closer.” They focused on keeping the rocks touching as they moved toward the opening to another dimension.

“I see trees,” Lilah said. “You sure that’s the woods behind Grandmom’s.”

“These are her stones, right?” Wren said, “Wouldn’t it make sense they were tied to her property?”

“I’m not up on the rules of magic,” Lilah replied. “I was out sick that day of school.”

“You were not,” Daphne said. “You had perfect attendance in school. My mom made it a point that I knew you were so much better than I was.”

Lilah gave Wren a look, and they both laughed.

“What?” Daphne said. “What did I say that’s so funny?” The girl’s arm moved, almost taking her rock away.

“Watch it, Daph,” Wren said. They were at the portal, and she felt the vibration it gave off in the air. Was that the magic or something else causing it? The heat and humidity blew through. “Okay, both of you step through together.” Wren leaned forward with her arms out to move with them. When her cousins crossed over, she wasn’t ready for them to pull her forward. Her flip-flop slipped from her foot again.

“Shit. Wait,” she said, “my shoe.”

“What do you mean your shoe—”

She bent down to secure it. “It’s slipping—”

“Wren! You’re moving your stone—”

“I just need to get my—”

“It’ll close on you!”

A hand wrapped around her wrist, yanking her forward. Her shoe dangled off her big toe as she plunged headfirst into the other two with a short shriek. With an oomph, all three landed hard. The portal disappeared. Wren spit out the dirt in her mouth from lying