Portia Read Online Free PDF Page B

credenza. Mom fiddles with monitors. Dad types into a keyboard. Walker crawls around under the table, connecting up a nest of wires. He’s a ghoul, family friend, and all-around genius when it comes to anything engineering-related. Right now, he’s getting us tapped into information feeds from across the after-realms.
    “Anything new from Antrum?” I ask. No one says anything. This is the third time that’s happened. I realize they’re worried and in crisis mode, but it’s getting on my nerves.
    Mom steps to Dad’s side. “Is Antrum coming online?”
    I huff out a shocked breath. Was I dreaming when I asked that question just now?
    One of Dad’s monitors flickers to life, casting odd shadows onto his face. “Information’s feeding in now. Minor quakes shook up two of the outlying houses. We’re sending in casters from Striga to fix things.”
    Walker reconnects more wires. “Does that do it, Linc?”
    My father stares at a dark monitor. “Nope.”
    Walker sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose. “Purgatory information feed… Purgatory information feed… Where else can I tap in?” Like all ghouls, Walker is crazy-tall with colorless skin and a pronounced bone structure. He’s also part angel and a total sweetie.
    I jam my hands in my pockets and pace the room. So far, Earth, Antrum, Heaven, and Hell have all checked in. Every realm has reported damage. Nothing too terrible, though. We’re still waiting on news from the outlying sectors of Purgatory and the Elementals. Normally, Purgatory would be first to give us an update. We saw some emergency vehicles on our way over, but nothing serious. And the com grid is down, so there’s no knowing what’s really happening. A sinking feeling seeps into my bones. All the magic of the Firmament connects into Purgatory. By my calculations, it could get hit the worst.
    Footsteps thump along the roof. There’s only one person who does that. Pops just landed, which means there was at least some damage in Purgatory. Pops doesn’t fly around angel-style if he can avoid it. The public goes nuts, not to mention the paparazzi.
    I stare at the winding corkscrew-style steps that lead from the roof to the first floor, anxious to see Pops. He’s been around since the dawn of time. Nothing rattles him, and I need that strength right now. However, the first person to appear on the staircase isn’t Pops. It’s Gram in her classic purple suit. They must have flown over together. She scans the room carefully.
    “Everyone all right?” asks Gram. “We heard the reports of an earthquake on demon patrol.”
    “Oh, we’re fine,” says Mom. “Portia stood her ground against a Class A demon.” Mom shoots me a thumbs-up, and I fairly burst with pride. “What’s happening in the rest of Purgatory? Why can’t we get any read out?”
    “I’d call it an earthquake,” says Gram. “But it wasn’t. Six blocks simply collapsed into the ground. Worst sinkhole we’ve ever seen.”
    A weight of worry slips off my shoulders. Losing six blocks is tough. Not as bad as it could have been, though.
    Pops steps down the stairs, catches my eye, and winks. “How’s my angel girl?”
    “I’m fine, Pops.” Relief trickles through me. It’s good to see Pops looking so calm in his gray suit. Like always, he has cocoa skin, black hair and a white-toothed smile. He saves his wings for special occasions. Even so, there’s no questioning the aura of angelic power that follows him wherever he goes.
    Dad nods toward Pops. “You don’t seem worried.”
    “Let’s see,” says Pops. “The quasi population will be without television for a few hours while we reroute the power grid. No one got seriously hurt. All in all, I’ve seen much worse.”
    Confidence warms my heart. Pops is unflappable.
    Walker fiddles with some more wires from his spot under the credenza. “Are we getting anything now?” he asks.
    Dad claps his hands. “That’s it. Purgatory info feed is up and