by Bryan Davis
“Right. I talked to Jade in my dream. Maybe I could talk to someone else.”
“A fascinating idea. Run with it. Don’t stop. Just let your thoughts roll.”
Lauren gestured with her hands. “I can talk to people while I’m dreaming, people who happen to be in the dream realm, but I won’t know who’ll be there at any given time. I could … um … I could go to sleep … maybe at the same time the person who has Excalibur goes to sleep. And then I could tell him how to get here.”
“But coordinating sleep time with that person would be nearly impossible. And how do you know that a sleeping person would also enter that realm, especially the person who is carrying the great sword?”
“If I can enter that realm, maybe someone else with my power can do the same. My mother is a dream oracle. Maybe I can contact her or another oracle like Sapphira. One of them is bound to know something about where Excalibur is. And even if they don’t, we have to warn someone that Tamiel is in Second Eden and let them know that we’re trapped here.”
“There is still the sleep timing issue. You cannot know when either one of them is sleeping.”
Sir Barlow cleared his throat. “If I may interject, we will soon know exactly when someone is sleeping.”
Lauren lifted her brow. “What do you mean?”
“Look.” He brought the ovulum close. “Evening is coming upon Second Eden. I suspect that Matt and Listener will have to sleep soon. When they do, Lauren can enter the dream world and see if one of them is there.”
CHAPTER 18
A STALKER
Valiant halted a few steps away. His muscular biceps rippled in his tunic sleeves as he carried a leather duffle bag under an arm. He gave Matt and Listener a solemn head bow. “The garden resurrected me. The white-haired lad and the giantess told me about the recent events here and that you two went this way. I noticed that you left a number of tracks, so I followed.”
Listener sprang to him and wrapped her arms around his waist, her head against his chest. “I’m so glad you’re here! Second Eden needs you. I’ve been trying to keep everything in order, but Mardon’s ice storm has wreaked havoc. It put out the fire at the emergency portal, and worst of all, it’s freezing the companions, covering them with soot that won’t wash off.” She stepped back and scanned the area around his head. “Where is your companion?”
“I resurrected without it.” Valiant’s eyes darted as he searched around Listener’s head. “Where is yours?”
“It disappeared when Abaddon’s Lair flooded, but that’s a long story.” She bounced on her toes like an excited little girl. “Now I feel so alive. Free. Filled to the brim.”
“And I the same way. It is a miraculous filling, indeed.” Valiant bowed his head toward Matt. “It is good to see you again, young man. I am grateful for the courage you displayed when I was shot.”
As Matt bowed his head in return, the danger sensation soared. “It was my pleasure, sir.” He looked again at the sky, then at the surrounding field of ice, but nothing dangerous appeared.
Valiant glanced from side to side. “Where is Eagle? Has he been affected by the plague on the companions?”
Listener gave Matt a mournful look. “Well …”
Valiant’s brow arched up. “Is something wrong?”
“It’s like this,” Matt said as he took a step forward. “Eagle sacrificed himself to save the original anthrozils. He died a hero, just like you did.”
“Eagle is dead?” Valiant’s eyes sparkled with tears.
Listener folded her hands tightly. “But we’re praying that he will rise from the birthing garden.”
Matt concealed a cringe. There was only one statue left in Abaddon’s Lair. It must have held Valiant’s soul, but reminding her of that would just bring her down. “We can hope for a miracle, but right now we’re heading to the portal to see what we can do to help Elam and the others come through. We’re thinking maybe Ashley can figure out a way to rescue the companions.”
Valiant crouched with his head low and stared at the ground. A sob sent a spasm through his body. He inhaled deeply and spoke with a higher pitch. “I apologize for my expression of grief. Kindly give me a moment.”
“Of course.” Matt looked at Listener. She returned the look with a wrinkled brow. Something was bothering her, but this was not the time to ask.
After a few seconds, Valiant straightened and scanned the southern horizon, his eyes red. “A fire is burning.”
“Karrick relit the portal fire.” Matt laid a hand on his stomach. “We should get going. I’m sensing danger, something close and deadly.”
“By all means.” Valiant drew his sword. “Lead the way, and I will guard your backs.”
Listener looked at the hilt. “Where did you get that sword? It is not your usual one.”
“I found it.” Valiant reached into the leather bag, withdrew a white garment, and shook it out. “I heard someone walking behind one of the huts. When I investigated, the person was gone but left this sword and cloak.”
Matt ran a finger along the cloak’s sleeve. “It feels like the same material in the one I had, like it has a flame-retardant coating. Maybe it’ll come in handy for portal passages.”
“Perhaps.” Valiant pushed the cloak back into the bag. “If danger is lurking, we should make haste.”
Matt reached for Listener’s hand, but she drew back and began a brisk march. He caught up and kept pace. “Is something wrong?” he whispered.
She glanced back and whispered in return, her words nearly swallowed by the sound of boots crunching ice. “Not while Valiant is watching.”
“Is holding hands against the rules here?”
“Only for widows. But I can’t explain. Not yet. Just trust me.”
“If you say so.” They walked on in silence except for the continued crunching at their feet. Matt searched for what might be causing the danger alert. Nothing appeared in the expanse of grayness except Valiant who continued at their pace twenty or so steps behind. Valiant’s eyes scanned this way, then that, obviously wary of a lurking presence.
When they reached the top of a rise, Listener halted and breathed in short gasps.
Matt stopped with her. “Do you need to rest?”
She looked back at Valiant. He still marched with his sword drawn. “We should hurry.” She broke into a trot down the other side.
Matt caught up and kept pace. To the rear, Valiant jogged evenly, apparently unconcerned that Listener had taken off without warning. “Is something wrong?” Matt asked. “Did you hear something?”
“I’m not sure.” Her face aimed straight ahead.
“Is that background hum still in the way?”
She narrowed her eyes. “No. It’s gone.” Soon, she stopped and set her hands on her knees. “Give me a moment.”
Matt looked back yet again. Valiant was now about fifty paces behind but steadily catching up. “Are you feeling sick? You usually don’t get tired so easily.”
“Shhh. Let me listen.” She cast a furtive glance at Valiant. When he came within twenty paces, she nodded. “Let’s go.”
As they marched, Listener focused straight ahead once more, her brow tight, her lips firm. “Do you still sense danger?” she asked.
“Yeah. Behind us. I’m not sure how far.”
“When we stop, I hear footsteps well beyond Valiant. Someone or something is following us.”
“I didn’t see anything, but with the ridges and valleys, I could have missed something. Valiant’s watching, too, so whatever it is, it must be good at hiding.”
“This is true.” Without slowing, Listener swiveled her head and squinted at Valiant. “I’m concerned about him. He is not one to stay so far behind.”
“He just resurrected. Maybe he needs time to adjust, you know, get his legs going again.”
“Maybe.” Listener picked up the pace, seemingly no longer fatigued. When they approached Peace Village, Tamara was
walking between two of the ice-encrusted huts, a bundle of firewood in her arms.
“Mother!” Listener called, waving. “Wait!”
Tamara stopped, her expression somber. When they arrived, Matt took the firewood from her. “Where is Dr. Conner?” he asked.
Tamara pointed at a nearby hut, a larger one than the others. “I take … wood to him.” As her gaze drifted toward Valiant, her eyes widened. “He is … alive?”
“Resurrected in the birthing garden,” Matt said.
Valiant joined them and slid his sword away. “Greetings, Tamara.” Compassion flavored his tone. “Have you made any progress with thawing the companions?”
Tamara shook her head. “One woman … died. … Two more … soon.”
“The danger’s spiking,” Matt said as he looked past Valiant toward the path they had traversed. “I still don’t see anything.”
Listener touched a thin log in Matt’s bundle. “While you’re taking the wood, Valiant and I will go to the weapons cache and bring a couple of rifles back for Dr. Conner. It’s not far.”
“That’s fine, but at least leave the sword with me. Whatever’s stalking us might show up.”
“Your concern is valid.” Valiant drew the sword and slid the blade behind Matt’s belt. “We will return soon.”
Listener tapped twice on Matt’s jaw and whispered, “Be listening.” She and Valiant jogged in the direction of the portal, Listener leading the way.
Matt ran his tongue along his molars. A slight buzz tingled. As he listened, a vague whisper came through, Valiant’s voice, too distant to decipher. Then Listener responded. “Perhaps we should be silent for a while. I am trying to listen for signs of the person who is stalking us.” Only the crunching of boots on ice followed.
Matt scanned the area again. The danger sensation had faded somewhat, but it still remained elevated. He nodded at Tamara. “You’d better stick close to me.”
“Come this way.” Tamara lifted her skirt and trudged toward the hut.
Matt followed her to the far side of the hut where a trench had been dug down to the door, making entry easier.
Once inside, Tamara walked straight to a little boy lying near the opposite wall. From door to wall, the span was about thirty feet in this spacious community hut.
Dr. Conner sat near a hearth at an adjacent wall. He used a wooden spoon to stir the contents of a small black pot propped by a stack of rocks over a pile of orange embers. “Welcome back.” He nodded toward the side of the hearth. “Set the pile there. I’ll rebuild the fire when this elixir is ready.”
Matt lowered the bundle to the hearth’s brick surface. A dozen or more Second Edeners lay on the floor, mostly women and children. After brushing his hands together and moving the sword to a comfortable position, he crouched close to Dr. Conner and whispered, “How are they doing?
“Not good.” Dr. Conner kept his voice low as well. “For the most part, the children are faring better than the adults, but that’s like saying bronchitis is better than pneumonia. They are all spiraling downward at an alarming rate.”
Matt peered into the pot. Flecks of green swirled at the top of the dark liquid. “What are you cooking?”
“A brew of herbs that helped the anthrozils. I have no hope that it will cure a companionless Second Edener, but it might boost their resilience for a while. What we really need is a solvent that will clean the companions and revive them, but I don’t have the necessary chemicals available.”
“How much time do you think they have?”
“Hard to say, but my guess is that we have hours instead of days, maybe even minutes for some.” Dr. Conner removed the pot and transferred new wood to the fireplace. Tiny firelets crept over the edges of the kindling and swelled into flames. “The anthrozils were closer to death than the Second Edeners are, and they survived in spite of the odds against them. I’m not giving up.”
“We have some good news. Valiant is here. The birthing garden resurrected him, and he’s as healthy as a horse. He doesn’t have a companion, so he’s not vulnerable.”
Dr. Conner sniffed the brew. “No companion? How strange.”
“Right, but Listener doesn’t have one, either. You see—”
“Wait.” Dr. Conner’s voice grew animated. “I need a blood sample from one of them. I don’t care which one.”
“What are you looking for? Antibodies of some kind?”
“Maybe. Something is allowing them to thrive without a companion. I just hope I can spot the reason in time. I compared my own blood to the Second Edeners’, but the genetic markers are too different. Listener and Valiant are bound to line up much better.”
“I’m sure they’ll both be willing.” Matt rose and walked toward the door. “I’ll tell them. Then we’re going to the portal to see if we can get Ashley here quicker. If anyone can come up with a cleaning solvent, she can.”
“I have no doubt about that.”
“I’ve been sensing danger ever since we left the garden, so Valiant and Listener are bringing weapons.” Matt grasped the hilt of the sword. “Can you handle a rifle? I think they’ll have AK-forty-sevens.”
“I can. Listener trained all the men. She made sure we were decent marksmen. Tamara can handle one, too.” Dr. Conner winked at her. “Can’t you?”
As Tamara mopped the boy’s forehead with a cloth, she smiled, her cheeks red. “Good enough to … not shoot myself.”
Matt looked around the room and counted—two men, six women, and six children lying on floor mats in various poses, all with closed eyes and pale faces. Of course, he could stay and try to use his healing gifts, but his hands were still quite cold. He might make the situation worse. “I’ll see if Listener and Valiant are back.”
Dr. Conner lowered a ladle into the pot. “I’ll be here or close by.”
Matt strode out the door and walked back to the point he had last seen Listener and Valiant. The sun, now near its setting horizon, shone on the expanse of dirty ice. The light allowed a good view of three sets of footprints from the birthing garden as well as two leading to the higher elevations. He focused on the danger sensation. It had diminished by about half, though it still hovered high enough to keep the alarm ringing.
Matt set a finger on his jaw. “Listener? Are you and Valiant on your way back?”
No one responded. Even the crunching of ice had ceased. Yet, the tingle in his teeth continued, proving that his transmitter still functioned.
After a few seconds, the crunching sound returned, along with Listener’s voice. “Valiant, do you remember when I was little and in surgery? My life hung by a thread. Billy told me that you led our people in prayer. When I heard that story, it filled my heart with joy, the idea that you and our people cared so much for me.”
Valiant’s voice came through, but again the words were too indistinct to understand.
“Since I wasn’t there,” Listener continued, “I never heard what you said in prayer, so I was wondering if you remember your words. Such a prayer of faith should be memorialized.”
Again Valiant answered in an unintelligible way.
“I understand. It was more than fifteen years ago. But if the words do come back to you, please write them down.”
Matt pondered Listener’s probing questions. Had she turned off her transmitter and then turned it back on so he could listen in? Was she testing Valiant for some reason?
Listener and Valiant appeared in the distance. Each carried two rifles strapped to their shoulders as they retraced their path from the cache. As they approached with a quick march, Matt’s danger meter rose. He drew the sword and searched a line of trees in the distance. Several evergreens had shaken off their icy coats, exposing their needled boughs. Any one of them would be a good place for a predator to hide.
Matt tapped his jaw to turn off the transmitter and focused on Valiant. Why did it seem that the danger elevated whenever he was near? Was it real, or had Listener’s earl
ier concerns about him affected the danger meter? Either way, it seemed clear from her questions that her wariness had not yet eased.
When they arrived, Listener pushed a rifle into Matt’s free hand. “Someone followed us all the way to the cache and back. I caught fleeting glimpses of a man rushing from tree to tree, but we were in too much of a hurry to flush him out. He stayed well away.”
“Well, he’s close by again. I sense the danger.” Matt concealed a sigh of relief. That explained the reason the danger spiked whenever Valiant was near. The stalker was real and tracking him step-by-step.
Matt handed the sword to Valiant and looked the rifle over—a vintage AK47. “How many of these do you have?”
“Just one more in the cache,” Listener said, “but we have handguns, grenades, and many swords and shields there.”
“Aren’t you worried that whoever’s following us can get the weapons? He must have seen where you got them.”
Listener shook her head. “The door is strong, and it has a coded lock that only a few of us know. Ashley devised a sophisticated system that tracks and records all entries.”
“That should work.” Matt gestured with the rifle toward the community hut. “Dr. Conner wants blood samples from you. He’s going to compare your genetic markers to the sick Second Edeners’.”
“From both of us?” Valiant asked as he slid the sword back to its sheath.
“He said one of you, but it can’t hurt to get two samples.”
Listener started toward the hut. “Let’s go.”
“Wait!” Valiant’s eyes narrowed as he scanned the distant trees. “I saw someone.”
“Where?” Listener joined him and looked in the same direction. “I hear only falling ice.”
“The movement has ceased.” Valiant gave Listener his spare rifle and lowered his voice to a whisper. “You provide the blood sample. I think I see where the stalker is hiding.” He marched off, his gaze fixed on a spot in the forest.
Listener prodded Matt’s shoulder. “Go with him. I’ll give blood and a rifle to Dr. Conner, then join you.”
