21 That afternoon Alberich found me relaxing at home alone, preparing the dinner I had planned for that evening. He explained that opening portals to the Twilight Realm might be more difficult on Earth than it had been from the Shadow Lands because of the lower levels of naturally occurring magic. There was a park not far from the club where he wanted to take me to practice. I had concerns about someone seeing me perform magic but he assured me that it wouldn’t be an issue. I was more than happy to test my skills in the new environment so I wasn’t going to argue. When we entered the lobby on our way out a short time later, Lochlan was leaning against a wall waiting for us. His eyes never strayed in my direction and neither of us said a word to the other. Before Alberich eased himself into

