Storm of Arranon Fire and Ice (12 page)

She reached section ten. The alcove leading
to the stairs was empty, and the chamber below was quiet. She
sighed, smiling. “I was wrong.”

Melodious laughter bubbled up out of the dark
from the open space beyond the foot of the short stairs. She crept
toward the top step and listened. Muffled voices, a man’s and a
woman’s, drifted up to her. She shifted to the left, peering down.
Dim light cast a pale outline below in the blackness. A woman and a
tall, lean man stood in the wan radiance.

No, not a man, but male. The sense of it
was male
.

The creature’s true form was indistinct, a
vague shadow. Erynn knew he was no
human
man. His movements
blurred under the disguise he wore.

With a bold manner, Erynn walked down into
the chamber. “What’s going on?” Her muscles contracted, ready. She
stiffened, holding in the tremors threatening to break over
her.

The man-thing hissed and struck out at the
woman, knocking her to the ground. He smiled at Erynn. “You came.
My master said you would.” The voice was guttural, the words
halting.

Erynn quickly stepped to stand between the
woman’s cowering form and the creature before her. She sucked in a
breath. “Okay. I’m here.” Blood pounded in her ears and cold air
abraded her lungs. Her mouth was dry, her throat constricted.
Pupils dilated, allowing her eyes to take in any available
luminosity. Heart rate and respirations increased. Her body
prepared for fight or flight. Erynn groaned inwardly with the
realization of her situation. She was alone. She had no staser,
having left the holstered weapon behind in her haste to get
here.

Stupid mistake
.

She hadn’t been thinking clearly since she’d
found out about Jaer and
her
, his sworn half. Now Erynn and
this innocent woman may pay for her reckless actions. A Shifter,
whose intentions toward her were not good, stood less than a meter
in front of her.

Why didn’t I wake Zach, bring him with
me
?

She understood the reason before the thought
finished.

Because the Shifter wouldn’t have been
here, had I not come alone. This is a trap
.

Icy sweat encased her. Breath refused to pass
in or out. Light shifted. Shadows danced across murky walls. Water
dripped from overhead in an irregular patter.

The dark, oily head ducked and retreated.
Wide, black, pupil-less eyes reflected her face. He took in a
hissing breath. “Yes. Powerful. I feel your energy. Master will
reward me for luring you.” A rattling from deep inside the creature
rumbled out his open mouth.

A strong odor of rotting flesh swirled
through the air. Erynn grimaced, and her stomach rolled with nausea
and fear.

The Shifter sneered, sharp teeth shining in
the gloom. “This was the only way to lure you. I do not
become
another for you. You see us as we truly are. Your
mixed heritage gives you this ability. Did you know that?”

“You’re here to kill me?” She couldn’t hide
the tremble or the rise in her voice.

“No. Not kill. Obey my master.”

“Your master. Dhoran?” Erynn asked in a dry,
resigned tone.

The woman scrambled back, crying.

“Go. Get help. Hurry,” Erynn croaked. The
woman’s footsteps echoed up the stone stairs and away. The creature
smiled wider, and Erynn saw his dark thin lips stretch over razor
teeth.

The face wavered. Once again, the vague mask
of a human, a man, churned over the actual features. He reached
out.

Erynn stepped back, but not enough. A hand
whipped through the space between them. Long clawed fingers grasped
her arm and jerked. He hit her hard across the face with a
blinding-fast fist. Her head snapped back. Her vision blurred.

His breath rasped and hissed, fading into the
dark nothing crowding in around Erynn. “Yes. I have you. The mixed
blood. My master will know your secrets.”

Everything went black. Her eyes closed
without her willing them to. Maybe this was best, to just slip
away. She felt no pain, no fear.

Zander’s face materialized before her,
swirling into view from a bright white fog. His brown eyes were
dark with concern. “It’s not over, Erynn. Arranon is not safe.” His
soft voice reverberated around her as if they were in a great open
chamber.

Erynn frowned, shaking her head. “The alien
enemy is gone, their ship destroyed. I did what you wanted.”

“This danger is not from outside,” Zander
insisted, “but inside. Dhoran has awakened and intends to rule. I
was a fool to think I could destroy him. He will never truly die.”
His gaze dropped from her, and he sighed. Long dark hair swept
across his shoulder.

“You did what you thought was right. I know
you tried, for Arranon, for her people.” She felt a profound loss
at never having known this man. He was her father after all.

What would his hugs have been like
?
Had he even wanted me
?

Zander’s attention returned to her. “I’m
sorry I wasn’t there for you, Erynn.” A glistening tear slid down
his shimmering cheek. “I did love you, and your mother. Very
much.”

Erynn stared into his dark eyes. He could
hear her thoughts. She understood that now. Her mind warmed and her
heart opened to him. “What do you want me to do?” Erynn asked.

Sadness etched the deepening lines around his
mouth. “Dhoran will murder or enslave every man, woman, and child
that does not vow to obey him or acknowledge him as ruler of both
realms. Arranon will not survive his intentions. The instability
will tear Arranon apart. Dhoran never understood this. I tried to
warn him, but he refused to believe me. There must be balance, an
equality between the realms.”

“Arranon will be destroyed?” Erynn squinted
against the brightness radiating in silver pulses off of
Zander.

“You must seal the four portals to Dhoran’s
underworld. He must be trapped underground, forever.”

Erynn floated in warm golden light. “Yes, the
Anim Blath told me about the portals. They weren’t sure about
Dhoran, though. Do you know for certain he’s returned? Wait. One is
of air. Is that the lake you and Cale discovered?” Her words
trailed away in a snapping, arcing static of vibrant blue. She
twisted closer to her father. “How can that be? It’s under
water.”

Zander’s face rippled under flashing
pinpoints of red, orange, and yellow lights.

“You’re not going to tell me where the other
portals are, or how to close them? But why?” Firelight bounced
around, through and off Erynn, neither warm nor cold.

“I can’t tell you what I don’t know. I showed
you the only portal I’d discovered. That of water.”

The message in the rebounding, flickering
red-orange glow was frantic. The spicy-sweet scent intensified.
High voices sang through her mind. “
Stop Dhoran
.”

“If you don’t know, will the Anim Blath tell
me where to find the other three portals?” She stared into the
flashing lights.

His voice faded. “The secret of the portals’
whereabouts is closely guarded. Not even the Anim Blath know of
each location. You can do this, Erynn. Keep Jaer close to you.”

“Jaer? No, wait. You don’t understand.”

“Keep Jaer close,” Zander demanded. He stared
at her, blurring, growing smaller, blinking out.

Silence. Utter dark. Weightless. Calm.

Am I dead
?

“ERYNN, WAKE UP. COME ON, now. Wake up.” Nev
stood over her, gently slapping her cheek.

She pushed at his hand and scowled. “Stop
it.”

He let out a long breath. “She’s okay.”

She heard the smile, and the relief in his
voice.

“How do you feel?”

“Like I’ve been run over by a transport,”
Erynn mumbled. She blinked and tried to sit up. Pain knifed through
her head. She put her hand over her eyes.

“Just stay put.” Nev pushed her back. He
spoke to someone in the outer corridor. “Let Cale know she’s
awake.”

I’m in the Medical Unit
.

“So did you catch it?” Erynn muttered.

“It? You mean him?” Nev spoke quietly.

“Okay, fine—him. Did you catch it?”

“No. By the time help got into the tunnel, he
was gone. But you, miraculously, were still alive.” There was a
tremble in his breath as he inhaled. He squeezed her shoulders, his
voice severe. “What were you doing down there, alone?”

“I saw what was about to happen. No. What was
happening. I think. I went to stop it from hurting that woman…or
me…us. I’m confused.”

“Yes, you probably are. But getting yourself
hurt in the process?” Nev reprimanded.

“That’s what I just said, isn’t it?” The
light was bright, painful on her eyes, even with them closed.

“Why didn’t you call for help? Zach was right
there.” Nev’s voice was high, his words clipped, expressing his
anger.

She couldn’t bear to look at him. Not just
because the light was painful. She didn’t want to see his smooth
face lined with worry, or worse, his disappointment in her. “I
didn’t have time. I had to move.” The excuse sounded as weak to her
as it would to Cale. She groaned and covered her face with her arm.
Once again, she’d acted irresponsibly, endangering herself and
others. Jaer would lock her in her quarters and throw away the
access code. Her stomach turned and clenched.

Jaer
.

Nev turned out the light. “Is that better?”
The glaring brightness vanished, along with Nev’s angry tone.
Darkness smoothed the rough edges, softening his words.

“Better.” She smiled, dropped her arm, and
attempted to focus on him.

“Did you see his face? Can you give a
description?”

“I already told Cale.” She raised her head,
grimaced, and dropped back to the pillow. “Didn’t she tell you? The
woman. She was there.”

“She doesn’t remember. Said his face was
always in shadow. What do you mean, you already told Cale?”

“Why was she down there?” Erynn rolled to her
side and wrapped her arms around her chest, pulling her knees up
until they bumped Nev. He sat next to her on the bed. Close.

Nev rubbed her back. The pain in her head
eased. “She was coming off a shift in the kitchens when a man
approached her. He told her she was needed in food storage to help
unload a new shipment. She went with him. She believed him and felt
safe.”

Hurried footsteps sounded in the
corridor.

Nev stood up. “Cale’s going to want to talk
to you.”

Erynn flopped onto her back and groaned.

Cale pushed the curtain aside. He stepped to
Erynn’s side and leaned in, one hand on each side of her.

“Don’t yell at me, my head hurts.” Erynn
winced.

“I’m not going to yell at you. But I should.
Why didn’t you call Jaer? Or Zach? Or me? What’s happened here. The
attacks. One woman dead. One severely injured. Do they mean nothing
to you? You promised you would contact me if you had another
vision. How many times do I need to tell you? You can always call
me, Erynn, no matter what, no matter when. You know that, don’t
you? If anything had happened to you…” He didn’t finish. He brushed
at her curls. “You’re like my daughter.”

Erynn gave him a weak smile. “I’m sorry,
Cale.” Her smile dropped. She stared down at her arms folded over
her chest.

Cale turned and spoke to someone behind him
in the corridor. “Whoever he is has returned to his quarters.”

Erynn tried to sit.

Jaer
?

Her face twisted and she lay back down. “No.
He’s what I told you. He was a Shifter. He’s not a man, not a human
man. I saw him. I talked to him.” Her eyes widened. “Dhoran is
back. He’s controlling the Shifters.”

Cale ran his fingers across her forehead, the
touch soft, comforting. “Erynn, you’re confused. You took a nasty
hit to the head. Rest. We’ll talk tomorrow.” He patted her hand,
stood up, and nodded to Nev.

Maire entered holding a small shiny cylinder,
which she handed to Nev.

Cale leaned over and brushed a kiss on her
cheek. “Sleep. You need to sleep.”

Nev tapped the cylinder against Erynn’s bare
arm.

“What?” She glared at Nev. She forced her
gaze to Cale. Her vision swam, and his features blurred. “Cale,
wait.” Her eyes slipped shut. “There’s…more. I…talked…to…”

Consciousness returned in small increments.
Erynn remembered everything in a distant vid-like quality, even
knowing where she was. She had slept soundly with no dreams. She
cracked her eyes open with effort. Her lids felt stuck together.
Pale light crept in from the corridor, stopping short at the foot
of the bed as if a barrier held back the annoying glare. She rested
on her right side in the cool, dark exam room.

Through the fog of drugged sleep, Erynn
recalled Zander’s words. Find the portals, close them, and imprison
Dhoran, forever. Somehow, in her subconscious, she understood which
one needed to be sealed last.

Water
.

She blinked heavy eyelids.

So where are the other portals
?
How
do I find and imprison Dhoran
?

Through a blurry haze, she saw Nev. He sat in
a chair next to her bed, holding what Erynn assumed to be patient
records. She sighed.

He glanced up. “How do you feel? The truth.”
His soft voice drifted over her ears.

“Hmmm, not sure. Groggy.” Her words were
slurred.

“That will pass. Go back to sleep if you
can.”

“No, I have things…to…do…”

The next time she woke, the corridor was
dark. Nev slept in the chair, his head propped against his fist.
Her mouth was dry, tongue thick, but her head didn’t hurt, yet. A
pitcher of water and a cup sat on the table next to her. She stared
at the sweat-beaded container with a longing she didn’t think
possible.