The UnFolding Collection Two

by S. K. Randolph

  “Are you sure you want to work with Esán while they’re here?” Nomed raised an eyebrow.

  “What better time, Seyes, to show the power we wield. Tomorrow.”

  TheLise kissed the handsome cheek and swept out of the room. Nomed shared a momentary smile with his mentor and followed.

  Slowing her pace as he joined her, the Dreelas slipped a hand into his. “So you think he made his point with Granier?”

  “I think he couldn’t have been clearer.” They stopped by her door. “Sleep well, TheLise. May I walk you to breakfast?”

  A sultry smile played around her mouth. “And tonight?”

  Nomed calmed his momentary desire and kissed her hand. “Tonight we sleep, my dear. Goodnight.”

  Her seductive laugh followed him down the hall.

  12

  ConDra’s Fire

  Myrrh

  F ollowing Almiralyn’s urgent command, Brie pushed Torgin deeper into the barn. She hurried past several stalls. At the door to the tack room, she motioned the boys in ahead of her. A rack of bridles lined the opposite wall. Almiralyn had assured her that the lever to open the Intersect was hidden behind it.

  Torgin peeked out a small, dirty window. “O-o-o-o-o! F-f-father! Soldiers are sneaking around in the Terces Wood!”

  Ira grabbed his arm. “Get down, Torg. Hurry, Brie, someone’s headed this way.”

  Anxiety made her fingers clumsy. Where is it? Come on … Relief eased her agitation, as she found the lever, pulled it, and watched a door open onto a steep stairway. “Go!” she ordered in an undertone. Ira shot past her. A muffled command from somewhere outside sent Torgin down the stairs two at a time.

  “I’ll search the barn,” a deep voice called from the direction of the garden.

  Brie ducked through. The door closed with a soft click. Grabbing the handrails, she sprinted down the steps. At the bottom, she allowed herself a moment to scan the Intersect skyscape, where a multitude of bright, jewel-colored stars sparkled in an endless expanse of sky and the creamy moon hung, full and radiant, in the distance. The root system of Myrrh’s Terces Wood, silhouetted against this breathtaking backdrop, intertwined in intricately woven patterns. Where root crossed over root, iridescent turquoise light formed discs of color. I’ll never get used to the Intersect . She let out a soft sigh and stepped onto the platform between the boys.

  Torgin shook his head. “It’s hard to believe all those swirls of color are Intersect platforms.”

  “It is spectacular, isn’t it?” Ira looked down at Brie and grinned. A momentary flash of confusion lit his eyes.

  She started to speak but couldn’t remember what she had wanted to say. What am I forgetting? Rubbing her temples, she returned her attention to the beautiful panorama. “We need to keep moving. Ready?” She slipped her hands into theirs.

  “ZeeAck od Thrice,” they chorused and flashed out through space. When they arrived on their destination platform, they huddled together, absorbing the vastness and the beauty, not knowing when or if they would see it again.

  “Are you sure we should have left?” Torgin asked. “What if Almiralyn needs help.”

  “What she needs is for us to get safely away.” Ira’s deep voice sounded tight. He headed up the steps. “I’d be willing to bet those were Lorsedi’s soldiers you saw in the woods, Torgin. Could you tell how many there were?”

  “You grabbed me, remember. I didn’t have time to count,” panted Torgin. “These steps are sure steep.”

  At the top, Brie found a small lever. “Shhhh! We don’t know if anyone is out there.”

  A soft swoosh and early morning light told them something had opened above them. Straining to hear, Brie hoisted herself into the hollow of a large tree and peered into the woods. Birds chirped a wake-up song. A squirrel scurried through dried leaves. Somewhere above them, a crow cawed. Nothing else moved. Ira and Torgin crawled up beside her. The panel slid back into place.

  “Let me go first, Brie,” Ira took off his backpack and handed it to her. “If anyone is out there, I’m just a boy from Myrrh.” He crept out of the hollow tree and stood up. Nemttachenn Tower’s rough, granite walls loomed above him as he slipped through the forest toward the clearing.

  Images of the turning Esán had disappeared flooded Brie’s mind. She would never forget Nomed’s burning anger or the fierceness in Esán’s expression as CheeTrann’s swirling vortex swallowed them. Nemttachenn had flown apart around them and later, at Almiralyn’s bidding, reassembled itself to protect the Evolsefil Crystal. She remembered One Man’s despair when his son vanished in the clutches of the DiMensioner and the children of many singing to bring the crystal heart of Myrrh back to life and finally the reappearance of Almiralyn and Karrew at Evolsefil’s center. The cost of the battle had been high.

  Ira stepped into view and waved. “Come on.”

  She crept out of the hollowed trunk into the sunlight. Torgin followed, stretching his long body. “Sure glad to be out of there.”

  Hurrying through the woods, they joined Ira by the tower entrance.

  “Here’s your backpack.” Brie handed it over and stepped into the dimness, where Evolsefil could barely be seen through the blue curtain-like haze that enveloped it.

  She paused, her face illuminated by the eerie light. Tiptoeing through the mist, she placed a hand on the crystal’s smooth surface. “We’ll hurry, Evolsefil,” she whispered. Quartz, threaded with gold, thrummed against her palm. She pressed her hand to her heart and walked to the center of the tower. Her voice rang out as clear as a song. “CheeTrann, CheeTrann, come to our aid!”

  Beneath their feet, the ground pitched and settled.

  “Daughter of KcernFensia, how may I serve,” boomed the deep voice of the Sentinel of Nemttachenn.

  “Almiralyn sent us to you for help. We must go to DerTah.”

  “Who stands beside you?”

  “Ira Raast and Torgin Whalend. Please send us to the planet of Seyes Nomed’s mentor.”

  The deep voice rumbled a questioned. “Soldiers of another land march through the Terces Wood. Are they in search of Evolsefil?”

  “They search for my mother, my grandmother, and me,” responded Brie.

  “You, daughter of KcernFensia! Stand together at Nemttachenn’s center. Be Quick!”

  Ira grasped Brie’s hand and squeezed. He shot Torgin a reassuring smile.

  “We’re ready, CheeTrann,” Brie announced.

  A roar thundered through the tower as a whirling vortex opened at its center. Torgin’s yelp followed him into the gaping mouth. With a gasp Brie plummeted after him, hauling Ira behind her. They plunged into nothingness so empty she fought to draw a breath. Ira hovered. She floated. Nothing else seemed to move. His hand jerked free. He and Torgin drifted below her, like falling feathers in an endless tunnel of swirling night. She searched the darkness with eyes widened in astonishment. Blurs of mesmerizing color shot toward her. A terrified shriek from Torgin accompanied their sudden and accelerated decent into white-hot light. Red sand spewed in all directions as they hit the ground and tumbled down the side of a steep incline.

  “Lie perfectly still,” she called out softly, her eyes darting over the dunes.

  Beside her, Ira and Torgin froze.

  At the cottage, Almiralyn woke Allynae with a whispered warning next to his ear. “Don’t make a sound. Wake up Sparrow and take her to The Borderlands. There are soldiers in the Terces Wood.”

  She hastened down the hall. Grateful that she had insisted everyone sleep in the house, she knocked softly on Jordett’s door. When he answered, he was already dressed.

  “Trouble?”

  “Soldiers in the woods and closing in on the house.”

  He stepped into the hallway. “I’ll wake the others.”

  Hurrying to the kitchen, she put on a kettle, set out bread, cheese, and fruit, and then stopped to breathe. “Steady,” she murmured and shifted to Mira’s more benign persona. Her reflection in the window made her pause for a
moment to examine her short, round body and flyaway hair. “We must look ignorant, normal, and non-threatening.” Tucking a runaway strand of gray into a messy bun at the nape of her neck, she scanned the kitchen one last time.

  Jordett, the first to join her, watched her intently from the doorway. “Twins?”

  The quiet question sounded like an alarm in her head. “Gone, I hope. I’ll explain later.”

  Before Allynae could shake the sleep from his brain, Sparrow sat up, her brown eyes full of questions. “What about the twins?”

  “Almiralyn will take care of the twins,” Allynae whispered. “Put your shoes on.”

  Grabbing clothes, he stuffed them in the backpack he’d planned to take to DerTah and flung it over his shoulder. He slid his feet into shoes, tying them with fingers that felt suddenly clumsy. “I’m too old for this,” he muttered.

  Sparrow came around the bed and pressed her body next to his. “I’m afraid.”

  “We’ll be fine.” He held her at arm’s length. “Do exactly what I say and no noise.”

  She nodded, clipped her sleep-tangled hair back from her face, and prepared to follow.

  Together they crept down the staircase, avoiding the squeaky fourth step. At the bottom they paused only long enough to note that Jordett had joined Almiralyn in the kitchen. Allynae pulled Sparrow after him down the hall to the front door. A quick look out the window revealed two uniformed men prowling the perimeter of the cottage. Feeling like a rat in a trap, he pressed back in the shadows.

  From his position near the kitchen door, Jordett watched Merrilea enter the room, followed by One Man. Paisley trailed behind, yawning.

  “What’s the plan?” One Man looked from Mira to Jordett.

  “Everything must look normal.” Mira straightened her rainbow-striped apron. “You are all neighbors visiting for Jordy’s Sun Cycle Celebration.”

  A pounding knock on the back porch door sent apprehension reverberating through the kitchen.

  Jordett kept his eyes focused on Mira as she poured steaming water into her flowered teapot. Another pounding knock heightened the throbbing tension in the room. One Man moved closer to Merrilea. A hoarse shout and more pounding brought Paisley around the table to Mira’s side, his eyes wary. The Guardian’s gaze met Jordett’s. She nodded.

  Donning a curious but neutral expression, he crossed the back porch and opened the door. “Good morning. May I help you?”

  A young, arrogant face glared at him. “We are here to see the Guardian of Myrrh.”

  The arrogance made Jordett wish he didn’t have to be so careful.

  “Who is it?” Mira walked up behind him. “Oh my, who on Myrrh are you?”

  “Are you the Guardian?” the officer barked.

  “I am.” Mira’s voice remained unassuming.

  Jordett suppressed a grin.

  The officious young man placed his hand on his weapon. “I’d like to speak with you alone.”

  Mira smiled a sweet smile, put her hand on Jordett’s arm, and looked past the officer into the garden. “My, my, how many of you are there? I didn’t make enough tea for an army.”

  “We’re not here for tea,” he growled.

  “Why are you here?” She looked puzzled. “I don’t remember anyone asking permission to bring armed men to my land.”

  “We don’t need permission.” He took a menacing step toward her.

  Jordett tensed. He waited for Mira to take the lead.

  She lifted her hand. The man stopped. “Tell your men to join you.”

  Looking somewhat dazed, the officer called out. “Front and center!”

  Six men ran into the yard from various directions and formed a straight line, weapons at the ready.

  “Tell them to relax, and you will join them shortly.”

  He gave the orders. His men secured their weapons but remained at attention.

  “Come in and have a cup of tea.” Mira indicated the kitchen door.

  The officer walked past her. Jordett prepared to follow, then paused.

  For a moment, Mira remained standing in the open porch doorway. Another small wave of her hand, and the soldiers in the garden began talking amongst themselves. When she turned to face him, she smiled. “That should do. Now let’s see what we can learn.” She preceded him into the kitchen, where Merrilea was arranging the teapot and cups on the table, her eyes darting from the dishes to the officer who stood looking ill at ease in the middle of the room. Mira took charge. “Please, everyone, sit down.”

  Chairs scraped against the floor as the occupants of the kitchen settled around the table. The man remained standing, his stubborn expression making him look young and petulant. A benevolent and understanding smile lit Mira’s face. She patted the place beside her. With a blank look, he sank stiffly onto the edge of the wooden seat.

  “What’s your name?” Mira poured a cup of steaming, fragrant tea and put it the down in front of him.

  “Tranwar Nagry, at your service, ma’am.”

  Jordett stifled a grin and wondered what exactly Mira had done to the man opposite him. He had seen his eyes glaze over when she raised her hand. Much more potent , he thought, than an empty threat. He looked around the table at Mira’s little army.

  By the front door, Allynae watched the two soldiers dash around the corner of the house. “The portal is just beyond the front gate,” he whispered. “Squint, and you can see it in the midst of the sunflowers. The Key is Eero Tye Como. Are you ready?”

  A murmur of voices in the kitchen chased them out of the cottage and down the walk before she could answer. They ran hand in hand, eyes glued to the portal, repeated the Key, and jumped. Their feet hit the ground in a dingy basement room filled with piles of dusty furnishings.

  Allynae glanced over his shoulder as a large keyhole faded away on the surface of an oval mirror in an antique frame. A single crack ran diagonally from the upper left to merge with a series of spider-web breaks near the bottom. “Sure wish Almiralyn would do something about that crack,” he muttered, rubbing his arm.

  Sparrow smiled up at him. “At least we’re not in Myrrh anymore. Did you bring clothes for me in that pack?”

  He chuckled. “We’d look pretty odd walking down the street in night clothes. Here, see what you can find.”

  After they dressed, he led the way up the rickety staircase to the first floor of Antiques by Q . “We need to find Dom. After that, we’ll find you a place to hide, preferably not here.”

  “Isn’t Dom the man that told Nomed you’re the twins’ father?”

  “Yep. He owes me one.” Something rubbed against his leg. “Hello, Majeska. Just the cat we were looking for. Where’s Dom?”

  The smoky gray cat, her tail waving them forward, led them to a paper-cluttered office, where an old man snored in an overstuffed chair.

  Allynae picked up a thick book, held it at eye level, and dropped it. The loud thump brought Dom upright, his gaze darting over his glasses. “What the…by the Fathers, Alli, did ya have to scare me to death? I gotta weak heart, ya know.” He pushed his spectacles up on his nose and peered at Sparrow. “You must be the twins’ mother.”

  “I’m SparrowLyn.” She didn’t smile.

  “What brings you out of Myrrh? I’m hearing there are strange soldiers in Idronatti. I hope you’re not headed there.”

  “I need to find Sparrow a place to lay low for a few sun turnings. Any suggestions?”

  The old man picked up a crystal paperweight and peered at it. When he looked up, his magnified eyes were serious. “I’d go to The Borderlands Market and find Fadin. He can hide her. What’s going on?”

  Allynae gave him a stern look.

  “I know,” the old man muttered. “Gotta earn your trust again.” He replaced the paperweight on the desk. “Sure wish Elcaro’s Eye wasn’t down.”

  “It does make communicating tough, doesn’t it?” Allynae urged Sparrow into the hall. “Send Majeska to find me if anyone comes through the mirror or if soldiers sh
ow up in The Borderlands.”

  “Will do. You two take care.”

  “You stay alert, Dom. Mira may need you.”

  After a careful inspection of the narrow lane in front of Antiques by Q , Allynae guided Sparrow into the shadow of a deserted building.

  “Who’s Fadin?” she asked.

  Her voice, low and tight, made him hug her. “There’s a group of Borderlanders who make it their business to outwit Idronatti’s patrollers. Fadin helped me escape from the PPP when I was headed back to Myrrh after I found you. Come on. I want to get you to safety.”

  It didn’t take long to make their way through the winding roads of The Borderland’s outer reaches. When they walked casually into the town square, the Outdoor Market was in full swing. People milling about created good cover, so they plunged into the crowd. They found Fadin setting up shop in a booth near the market’s center.

  Allynae leaned on the counter. “Got a minute.”

  Fadin looked up and grinned. “Well, how ya be? Who’s the pretty lady?”

  “This is Sparrow, the twins’ mother. We need your help.”

  A disturbance across the square froze Fadin’s smile. A quick backward glance showed the crowd part to let a group of soldiers pass through. Allynae piloted Sparrow around behind the tent. “Lorsedi sure works fast.”

  Fadin joined them. “This place is hoppin’ today. First the PPP showed up on their own. Now, they’re back with soldiers from off-planet.” He jerked his head toward Sparrow. “Better hide ’er. Then we can decide what’s next.” A calloused finger pointed at a red and white tent. “That be Saaul’s. Remember him?”

  Allynae nodded.

  “Take your lady over there. I’ll meet ya just as quick as I can.”

  With his arm around her waist, Allynae ambled with Sparrow toward the red-striped tent.