Storm of Arranon Fire and Ice (37 page)

Wrapped in heavy coats, Cale and Aven waited
just inside the first door, backlit by the warm glow of interior
lights. The other two large access panels were secured against the
driving snowstorm.

Cale’s gaze followed the four thin scars from
Erynn’s chin to her eyes. He smiled, reminding her of Damon’s
smiles. The sheer force of love that enveloped her stopped her for
a moment. She wiped a gloved hand over her scarred cheek and opened
to Cale’s emotion.

Erynn offered Aven a weak smile and mouthed,
“Sorry.” She went to Cale and hugged him enjoying the crushing
return of his hold. “Cale, I’m sorry. The guardians told me I had
to go alone.” She glanced at Aven and he shook his head. Rushing
on, she said, “They told me others would die if I didn’t. And when
I left the trialath and went back through the transition station
and the portal, I thought I’d be back in Deanaim, but—”

“Slow down. I’m not following half of what
you’re saying.” Cale’s brow furrowed and his lips turned in a
frown. “ I’m just glad you’re here—safe. I want to hear everything.
Soon. Once we find Cace.”

“What happened? Tiar and Sean didn’t tell me
anything.”

Cale nodded and hurried her through the
hangar, with Tiar and Aven following. “Cace requested the use of
the computers in the Science Unit. He wanted to speed up the
process of translating the symbols on the plates you found in
Deanaim.” Cale rubbed his hand across his forehead. “I should have
sensed the danger. I left him there, alone, vulnerable—”

“Cale, we’ll find him. What did he discover
from the plates?”

Cale shook his head. “I only know what he
told me last night. He was sure the plates indicated the locations
of the four portals, and maybe a fifth on Korin. He believed they
also told of a flaw in Dhoran’s nature—his being—and a way to stop
him permanently. He was to report to me and only me after he had
the translations completed. He understood not to discuss this with
anyone.”

They rounded the corner into Cale’s office,
and Aven secured the door.

Tiar stood next to the desk and peeled out of
his first layer of clothing.

Erynn glanced at the DVSL on the wall. The
large screen was split into four segments showing a changing view
of the various units, tunnels, and hangars on the base. “When did
Cace…How long—”

“About six huairs now.” Aven’s black coat was
unfastened. He paced the small room. His expression was fierce,
shoulders squared in defiance. “I’ve had Anbas out searching every
level of the base since we realized Cace wasn’t where he should
have been.”

Erynn squinted at the screen. She shook her
head and turned to Cale. “How did…Why—”

“We believe one of the technicians in the
Science Unit, Grame, must be a follower of Dhoran.” Cale dropped
into the chair behind his desk. “He heard enough of Cace’s
explanation of the plates last night, and we think he is behind
Cace’s disappearance.”

I have to go to the lower level—station
ten—where I had my first encounter with the Shifter. That’s the
only possible entry to the base
.

“Why do you suspect this Grame person?”
Erynn’s tone made it clear she believed differently. “I believe it
is Dhoran,
inside Nev
, using his body as a shield—a
disguise. And Shifters are involved, too. I know this sounds crazy,
but it’s the truth.”

“I do trust you, Erynn. I accept you believe
Dhoran and Nev are somehow combined. After what Cace…” Cale tensed
and rubbed his forehead. “Nev is being watched. But until we’re
sure he’s Dhoran…” Cale frowned. “I’ve had the base checked and
rechecked. There are no breaches.”

Cale still doesn’t fully believe. He
doesn’t want to think anyone but a human is responsible. It’s
difficult for him to comprehend the existence of Shifters able to
move freely about his base. But he hasn’t seen what I have, and
until he does
…

Cale stood up and walked around the desk.
“We’ve made contact with the other two techs present in the Science
Unit last night. Grame is not in his quarters, and he hasn’t been
seen since he left the unit. It has to be him. No one else knows
about the plates or their potential to do Dhoran damage.”

The Shifter will have Cace in Dhoran’s
underworld by now. But Dhoran won’t be there—he needs a portal.
There is still time to rescue Cace before Dhoran gets to a portal.
I must hurry
.

“When will Jaer and Sean be here?” Erynn
rubbed at the gritty sensation in her eyes with her fingertips.
This was going to be another long day in a series of long days.

Cale was silent for a brief moment. “A second
blizzard has moved in and is riding the tail of this current one.
The break between isn’t enough to get them home safely by
transport. I’ve never seen a series of storms like this so early in
the season.”

With an added emphasis to the severity of the
weather, the lights flickered.

Cale watched until the lamp on his desk
resumed full power. “Whill has the emergency generators ready—just
in case.”

Erynn frowned. “I want to go to the Science
Unit.”

Aven opened the door. “I’ll take you,
Erynn.”

Erynn turned to leave and hesitated. She
swiveled back to Cale. “Cale, one more thing. Do you know where Nev
is?” She felt an icy chill at the mention of Nev’s name, fearing
whom and what he really was.

“Yes. He’s in the Medical Unit. Why?

“After Aven takes me to the Science Unit, I’d
like to talk to Nev.”

“Again, Erynn—why?”

“Let me talk with Nev first, and then I’ll
explain.”

Aven grinned, but there was no humor in his
dark eyes. “I know why you want to talk to Nev. Jaer contacted me
during your flight here. You’re sure Nev and Dhoran are the same
person, like you and I talked about on the flight to Deanaim.”

Erynn quickened her pace. Jaer was already
one step ahead of her. Aven was going to stick to her like
gumcoga
on the bottom of her boot. Her integration into the
underworld was complete. Taking anyone unprepared for the illusory
perception of Dhoran’s realm—anyone unable to
see
that world
accurately—would slow her down. She wouldn’t take the risk that she
could protect and guide anyone but herself from the dangers of a
realm so foreign. She would need to lose Aven between the Science
and the Medical Units, now that he and everyone else in Cale’s
office believed she was headed there next. She did at some point
want to talk to Nev. Her stomach fluttered, and a cold chill
shivered up her spine.

Dhoran—he’s Dhoran, not Nev
.

Cale knew Dhoran/Nev’s location. She could
postpone her visit until after Cace’s safe return. “I do have
reason to think that Dhoran has taken over Nev’s body. Please don’t
say anything outside of Cale and Tiar yet. I want to make
sure.”

“I don’t doubt you, Erynn. And I won’t say
anything. You’re just not going
anywhere
by yourself.”

Shift change was in about thirty timnents.
The corridors would fill with personnel. Erynn needed to get to the
Science Unit and have her question answered. She must find a way to
elude Aven and make her way to section ten before the tunnels
emptied again. Vid Cams watched with a detached scrutiny,
monitoring the entire base. Anbas patrolled the warrens, units, and
tunnels. Aven wouldn’t let her just walk away. This wasn’t going to
be easy.

Aven pushed through the sliding doors into
the Science Unit and was met by Kerk, stationed there to keep watch
on the staff and report if Cace showed.

“Been quiet, Aven.”

Erynn pushed forward, asking the techs
sitting at the circular desk, “Where are the tablets? Wooden plates
inscribed with symbols—from Deanaim.”

Kerk frowned and glanced around the brightly
lighted room. “Tablets? I don’t know.”

Aven followed Kerk’s gaze with his own and
pointed to a long white counter on the left side of the room. “They
were there last night.”

A woman with short gray hair and blue-green
eyes stood up and came around the computer station. “The young man
this morning asked the same question. I told him there were no
tablets and that Grame the lead tech on duty last night wasn’t here
when I came on shift. Grame’s due any time. You can ask him.”

Aven crossed his arms. “I’m pretty sure Grame
won’t be coming in tonight.”

The woman tipped her head. “Oh? Is Grame
still not feeling well? I know he went to the Medical Unit last
night. I thought it was nothing serious.”

Erynn spun on the female tech. “Grame was in
the Medical Unit last night? When?”

“I don’t know. As I said, he wasn’t here when
I came on. I was told he left during his shift and didn’t come
back.”

“It had to be after Cace left for the night.
Why didn’t anyone tell us this sooner?” Aven walked to an
unoccupied corner and tapped the spot behind his ear. He spoke
quietly, “Cale, Grame went to the Medical Unit last night after we
all left. I’ll have my man there ask the staff…or should he ask Nev
directly? Okay. You’re sure? Nev is still there? Good.” He
continued to listen to Cale.

Kerk hovered near Aven, awaiting further
instructions.

Erynn knew Aven was getting new orders
regarding her visit to the Medical Unit.

That’s okay. I don’t intend to go there.
Never did. Dhoran has control over the tablets and Cace. Neither is
in the Medical Unit
.

Erynn leaned against an empty chair pushed
under the desk and stared at the open door to the corridor. In a
few moments, shift change would begin and the tunnels would fill
with personnel. She pulled out the chair, sat down, and stretched
her legs. She stared at the three-dimensional screensaver on the
monitor. A red orb morphed as it bounced, followed by a blue one,
then a green, and back to red. Erynn sighed and realized she was
tired and hungry. With her head propped on her hand, she watched
the orbs. She listened to Aven’s quiet, albeit one-sided,
conversation and settled into the chair.

A sweet, spicy scent filled the air. Erynn
closed her eyes and waited for the colors. Blue, green, and deep
purple changed to orange and red. The red faded, and a pure white
light burned under her lids. A musky, moist-soil aroma replaced the
sweet scent. The white light weakened and disappeared, leaving
complete darkness. Erynn understood their message. The Anim Blath
had led her below. Dhoran held Cace in his underworld.

The sole of her boot vibrated. Her eyes
snapped open, and she stiffened in the seat. The subtle sensation
stopped before she could confirm the reality of what she felt or
thought she’d felt.

I must be really tired
.

The delicate pulsation returned. She ran her
hands over the desktop, around the computer, and down the arms of
the chair. Nothing. The sensation came from directly under her
boot.

Erynn pulled her foot back and leaned right
to peek beneath the desk. A small e-pad was tucked into the wiring
at the back of the space. She straightened and glanced around the
room. No one was paying any attention to her. With the toe of her
boot, she worked the device free of the wiring and scooted it
forward. She reached down and scooped up the e-pad, stuffing it in
her pocket. All eyes in the room were still on Aven, trying to
catch at least his half of the conversation.

Good
.

Erynn rolled the chair under the desk and
pulled the small computer from her pocket, keeping it concealed on
her lap. She tapped the power slide. The screen lit up, and a
prompt:

PREVIOUS SCREEN

flashed. Erynn hit

BACK

and a line of text appeared.

data on main processor wrong grame tampered
dhoran nev e-pad clean

She’d found the clue Cace had left—a
confirmation to what she already
knew
. She tapped the files
icon, and

DEANAIM PLATES

came up first on the list. She tapped the
file name with her fingertip. A password prompt filled the tiny
screen. Erynn tucked the e-pad deep into her pocket. Cace was the
only one who could retrieve the accurate data on the symbols. She
just had to go get him.

Now, how do I get away from Aven and down
into the lower level alone
?
I need a diversion, like…like
what if the lights went out
?
I wonder
…

Erynn felt the static build, race down her
arms, and snap around her fingers.

Time to break some glass, or at least
interrupt the power here in the Science Unit
.

She released the charge, visualizing a ball
of purple energy shooting straight up through the ceiling above the
computer station.

The lights flickered. A short buzz, followed
by a high-pitched whine squealed from the bank of computers.

“Shut them down!” The female tech yelled.
“The storm is creating an electromagnetic surge. Shut down, or
we’ll lose the main processor and all the current data.”

Erynn scrambled from the chair.

Techs worked frantically to power down the
big computers.

Aven covered his ears with fisted hands. He
clamped his eyes shut. The same charge threatening the computers
was obviously interfering with communications—and painfully.

“Sorry,” Erynn whispered and sidestepped to
the open door of the unit, glancing from Aven to the outer
corridor.

If the power goes, does the door close
automatically as a safety measure to keep the unit impenetrable
during an attack
?

The power died with a deafening bang. Lights
popped and went out, leaving the room dark and silent.

Erynn ran. In pitch black, she slipped
through the closing doors. The sturdy framed edges slid together.
She yanked the sleeve of her jacket free before the thick fabric
caught in the vice-grip hold of the locked doors. Erynn leaned
against the wall, getting her bearings.