The group came through the other side without a hitch aside from Chris feeling disturbingly lightheaded. The Gate was now behind them in the form of a circle hovering mid-air. A few short moments after Julia – who was last to come through, with Daniel’s help – had stepped out, the teal light in it blinked several times and then faded out to almost nothing with a fizzle.

Chris’s dizziness receded and he took a look around. Like any of the artificial Gates from outside of Northland, this one opened somewhere on the West Arctic in what looked like an abandoned train platform. To the right, a long corridor stretched out into the distance, and a few meters to the left there was a closed door. There was no one in sight.

In order to actually get to Northland, they were going to have to go through one more Gate – a gap through the Northern Lights of Aurora’s Barrier. Those Gates (or Openings) were positioned in a large white building that Chris could faintly spot through the glass ceiling of the small station they were in. The corridor to their right probably led there.

And on the left…

Winter was already pulling out keys to the door that stood there. She opened it quietly and they stepped out.

The snow stretched out in all directions and Chris coughed when cold air blew into his mouth. Winter locked the door behind them and the keys disappeared under her poncho. Considering the situation, Chris guessed that just like last time, they were going to use the illegal Gates. Those, as opposed to the official Gate Openings that had its own fancy mansion to boost prices, were in wooden cabins scattered about the area and were a place where a person had to pay an extra fee for the comfort of not having any Hunters around. To Chris’s knowledge, the method was used primarily by Booktraders and other outlaws.

Without being given a chance to even catch their breath, the group was urged by Winter in what Chris assumed was the direction to the illegal Gates as she started shedding some light on the recent events:

“We went to the school to get you, Christopher, and found out you had already left. We were hoping to get through the airport unnoticed before we found you, but I suppose we got careless.”

While Winter spoke, Julia was mumbling angrily and trying to fix her hair. Daniel produced a small mirror and tried to help, but she shooed his hand away impatiently.

Meanwhile, Ian mumbled, “That was unexpected delegation.”

“An,” said Winter, and Ian repeated: “An unexpected delegation.”

Chris said, “Why are they even after you?”

“Does that matter?” snapped Ian. “We need to hurry and get to the other side right away.”

Chris sighed. In an attempt to sound more friendly, he asked, “So, no cute boys on the horizon lately, huh?”

Ian grunted and sped up past him.

“Too bad,” mumbled Chris, falling behind in step with Daniel and Julia, mostly to avoid looking at Ian's face too much. They hadn't seen each other in about two or three months, and if you asked Chris, it wasn’t long enough. Judging by Ian’s attitude, he seemed to be of about the same opinion.