“I can’t do that, Erynn. I have my orders.”
“Fine. I’ll find Roni.” Erynn straightened, glaring down at Zach.
“Roni’s out on patrol, checking the sensors below the base.” Zach stood up, holding his hand up, palm toward her. “Okay, Erynn, I’ll tell you what I know.” He glanced around and lowered his voice. “A friend of Jena’s, Jaer’s sister, showed up. This friend’s family and everyone in her hometown thought she was dead. Her return has caused some problems between her family and Jaer’s. It’s a long story, and I don’t know all of it. Jaer will explain everything when he gets back.”
“He seemed so upset in his message. Are you sure?”
“Jaer takes anything concerning his family quite seriously. Family is very important to him. You’re equally important. Erynn, Jaer is fine. It’s going to be okay.” Zach smiled. “Don’t you have a class early tomorrow on the Interceptor’s advancements? At least we got something from the aliens’ technology. A more powerful engine design and weapon upgrades.”
Erynn frowned. “You’re changing the subject. If there’s nothing wrong, why can’t I talk to Jaer? I need to hear this from him.”
“I’ll contact Jaer tomorrow. If he’s not already back, I’ll arrange for you to speak with him.”
She stared at Zach.
He’s stalling, but what can do?
“I want to talk to Jaer tomorrow. Please.” Something was wrong. She sensed it.
Her communication link vibrated. She pulled the clip from her pocket and slipped it around her ear.
“Erynn,” Cale’s voice transmitted through the device, “I need to talk to you. Come to my office.”
“On my way.” Erynn removed the link, placing it back in her pocket. She glared up at Zach. “Tomorrow. I want to talk to Jaer.”
Zach stood outside the door as before.
“Sit down, Erynn.” Cale gestured to a chair in front of his desk. “I want to tell you what we discovered in our investigation of the murder.”
Erynn sighed with relief. This summons wasn’t about Jaer.
“We believe a man or a woman is responsible for the murder. Not a Shifter.”
“But I saw—”
Cale held up his hand. “What exactly did you see?”
She frowned, gazing at the floor. “Two shadowy figures walked at the back of the transport bay.” She rubbed at her forehead and bit at her lower lip. “From their voices, a man and a woman.”
“Do you know which was the intended victim?”
Erynn glanced up, her frown deepening. “One of the shadows struck out and the other went down. I just assumed it was the woman. Why do you think the attacker is human and not a Shifter?”
“Every section of every tunnel, every wall in every department including the quarters, has been checked and rechecked. There is no breach.” Cale’s fingers tapped out a message on the desk.
“So someone already inside killed that woman.”
Cale stood up and moved around the desk. “It appears that is the case. It may be one or more of the alien invaders that infiltrated our society are attempting further damage. Communications is at a level-four lock down. We can’t have any unauthorized messages going out.” He knelt on one knee in front of her. “With Jaer gone, I want you to call me anytime, day or night, with anything. Promise?”
“Yes. I promise. But do you know where Jaer has gone and why?”
Cale glanced away. He pushed up from the floor and perched on the corner of his desk. “Jaer has a family issue that needs his attention.” His head swiveled slowly to face her. “Just let it go, Erynn. When Jaer comes back, he’ll explain.”
Erynn nodded vaguely and stood to leave. “Thanks for telling me about Jaer.”
He walked with her to the door. “Remember, call me.”
“I will.”
Chapter 7
ZACH KEPT PACE WITH ERYNN through the tunnels after the training session ended. She smiled as she walked along the cold, dim corridors. The improved Interceptors would be more responsive and faster, just the way she liked. The new weaponry increased the speed of firing on the target after acquisition. A lethal combination, added with the new engine design. The quick and agile Interceptors would possess a rapid reaction and a deadly accuracy much greater than before. Her smile faltered.
Dad would have appreciated the enhancements.
Erynn rounded the corner into the bright open space of the dining hall. The aroma of freshly baked breads, seasoned meats sizzling on a hot grill, and the sweet scent of sliced, ripe fruit filled her nostrils. Some of the DVSLs showed the sunny day outside, while others scanned the tunnels.
Tam waited at a table and motioned for Erynn to join her. Zach went to a seat just across from them, his attention on his meal.
“So, how was training?” Tam frowned. “Am I going to like the changes?”
Erynn nodded, glancing around the room.
If Jaer is back, he will come find me.
Erynn returned her gaze to Tam. “The improvements to the Interceptors are going to make a big difference. I can’t wait to fly and test them out.”
Tam’s frown morphed into a smirk. “You mean they may have a fighter you can’t out-fly.”
Tam and Erynn both laughed.
New arrivals filled a table behind Zach.
A tall, shapely brunette talked with a petite blonde woman on her right. The brunette rolled her large dark eyes and smiled. She lifted a fork to her wide mouth and paused. “Can you believe it? Jaer is the Fayn of the Anbas. That’s a powerful position for him, and for me, as his committed half. Add to that, he’s second in command here.” Her eyes narrowed and she glanced around, her gaze on the multiple DVSL views of the base. A slow smile turned her full lips. “Did you see Jaer’s face when I kissed him outside his parent’s home? It was just the surprise I hoped for.” She chuckled, but there was no mirth in her tone.
The blonde shook her head. “Oh, he was surprised. I still think you should have let him know you were coming, to ease him into this happy reunion with a little more discretion.”
“There wasn’t time. Besides, I learned long ago that it’s best to keep ahead of Jaer, if you can.” A pout shaped the brunette’s full lips, and she set down the fork, staring at the blonde. “Not an easy task. Besides, he’s my sworn half. Why should I have to warn him? I’ve known of his affairs. They don’t mean anything. I’m the one he committed to. I’ve always accepted the way he is, and he knows I don’t judge him.” Her large brown eyes hardened. “He’s mine and I’m his. Forever. Nothing will change that.”
With a shaking hand, Erynn pushed her plate away. The once appetizing aromas now turned her stomach. A stabbing ache in her chest made it feel as if her heart had stopped beating.
Zach dropped his fork and turned in his seat to glare at the two women behind him.
Tam spun to Erynn, her eyes wide. “There must be—”
Erynn jumped up and hurried out of the dining hall.
Tam followed, catching up to her in their common room. “Erynn, wait.”
Erynn turned on Tam, glaring at her. “What? It’s nothing. He never said I should expect him to stay forever.”
Kipa. My heart, my life, my soul.
His words hung in her memory, clouding over her feelings, making her stomach roll and her head swim. She bit her lip. Jaer’s words screamed through her mind.
Jaer called me his Kipa. He lied?
Tam threw her arms in the air, her voice an octave higher. “Jaer loves you. It’s obvious.”
Erynn snapped back, “He’s committed. He’s done this sort of thing before. You heard her. Besides, did you see her? Why would he want me, now that she’s here for him?” Erynn turned down the hall, went into her room, and locked the door.
Erynn wanted to run away, to not face anyone. She could go to Korin. Rejoin her old unit. She was needed there and would be useful. General Brayton wanted her back. No one there would know about Jaer, about their relationship. Her
hands fisted at her sides.
Would Cale let me go? More important, would Arranon let me go?
Cale couldn’t stop her if she put her mind to leaving. There were ways.
No. I am not weak. I’m not a quitter. I took this duty here on Arranon. I made a promise to Cale. He’s counting on me. I will survive. I always have.
She squeezed her eyes shut, blocking the tears, and the rip in her heart split open another centimeter.
Erynn had COM duty that night. If she could stay away from Jaer until that time, she would deal with him then. Her shift would be quiet with no one around, at least not as many as in a day shift.
Erynn took over from the evening personnel.
“It’s been quiet, Erynn.” The man pushed his lanky frame out of the chair in front of the console and smiled. “Should stay that way.”
I know his name. What is it? Doesn’t matter.
Erynn stared at the screens lined up over the long curved desk and nodded. “Thanks.”
“You’ll have a crewmember in the hangar doing reports, and a computer tech in here watching the monitors.” He frowned. “You okay?”
She shook off her inattentiveness and gave him a slight smile. “I’m fine.” She hitched in a ragged breath, forced her smile to widen, and plopped down in the vacated seat. “Go. We’re good.”
The tech watched her from the chair next to her, sneaking a quick glance.
He knows. They both know. Everyone knows.
There would be little to do, little to keep her mind off Jaer and…her, the one he’d committed to.
Not good. Too much time to think. Find a way to keep busy.
Erynn didn’t have to sit in this room her whole shift. She only had to be available if something happened. She decided to check her Interceptor from top to bottom. She turned to the tech at the same time she stood up from her seat. “I’ll be in the hangar if you need me.”
He nodded and returned his attention to the monitors.
Her boot steps echoed down the stairs, ringing in the massive cavern of the hangar.
Even with the bay doors closed, the space was cold. Her breath fogged out as she went over the schematics of the fighter’s new weapons system, tracing each wire, making sure they were intact.
The woman on duty for maintenance worked alongside Erynn, tightening fittings and smoothing blemishes in the fighter’s body. The snarl of the sander muffled the scrape of the doors activating on the far side of the large hangar.
Jaer strode up, took her arm, and spun her around. “You will listen to me.”
She jerked out of his grasp. “It’s not necessary. You don’t owe me an explanation. I’m not the one you’re committed to.” Erynn turned away and faced the stairs to the COM. She took two steps and froze. Her vision blurred. The grinding screech of metal against metal faded to silence. She swayed.
Jaer’s form moved to stand in front of her. “Erynn, what?” His voice was distant, slow.
Erynn felt as though she floated, her body no longer heavy enough to stay connected to the stone floor. She drifted above the transport bay, watching Kira move through the half-light, in the shadows far beyond the on-duty crew of two. Deep in a recess behind the backmost transports, a man laughed with quiet seduction. He beckoned to Kira. He was tall and lean, but indistinct past a basic shape.
Erynn sucked in a rasping inhalation. Her vision returned to a sharp clarity. She ran.
“Erynn. Wait. What is it?” Jaer rushed after her.
In her mind, she could hear Kira screaming.
Or is it in my mind?
Jaer raced past her. He must have heard the screaming also. He tapped the side of his head behind his ear. “Code red, transport bay!” he yelled. He turned the corner leading to the massive space, bright lights bursting over the scene. “Where, Erynn?”
She pointed to the back.
Jaer sprinted ahead.
Kira lay curled in a ball. Blood poured from a large gash on her forehead.
Erynn’s stomach lurched, and she gasped.
No! Was I too slow? Is Kira dead?
Jaer knelt next to Kira and checked her pulse. “She is alive.” He tapped the spot behind his ear. “Medical team, transport bay, STAT.”
Erynn stood in front of Cale’s desk in his office. “There was no warning this time,” she said in a shaky voice.
Because I was too wrapped up in my own feelings.
Cale held up his hand. “Erynn, stop. This is not your responsibility. It’s my job, and Jaer’s, to keep the base safe. Just tell me what you saw.”
Jaer stood back by the door like he had that day in Glaskra in Leathan’s office, before she knew of the children in hiding, kept safe in the city there. Children like her, with mixed parentage. That was before she and Jaer had shared that first kiss, revealing their feelings for each other.
Jaer’s pain sliced at her, bombarded her, left her soul torn and bloody.
From his not stopping another attack? Or because—
“Erynn,” Cale called, jerking her from her reverie. “What did you see?”
Erynn started, pulling air into her aching lungs. “A tall man. His build was lean. His face was hidden in shadows.” She blinked, squinted, and rubbed a hand over her forehead. “He laughed, urged Kira to come with him. That’s all I saw before I ran.”
Cale’s eyes narrowed. “How did you know it was happening in real time?”
“I don’t know. It just felt…now. Maybe I didn’t know. I just needed to see if the attack was or wasn’t happening.”
Cale stood up and stepped around his desk. “Kira is alive because of you. We have a killer among us, or like I said, an alien agent trying to do more damage.”
She sensed movement behind her. The door glided open and Jaer left. Her body tensed and her brow furrowed as the door slid shut with an ominous certainty.
“Jaer needs to secure the base and try to find out what is going on. He takes these attacks as a personal affront.” Cale stared at the floor.
Erynn’s voice cracked. “He has his job to do. I’m sure he’ll find the killer. He’s very good at what he does.”
Cale’s gaze rose slowly. He stared at her for a long moment. “Yes, I know. That’s why I sought him out to join us.” He sighed, the weight of his burdens evident in his exhaled breath.
“I’ll go back to the hangar bay. My shift isn’t over yet.”
“Sean took over for you. You need to go to your quarters. Get some rest.”
Erynn opened her mouth to protest but stopped the words from coming. The last thing she needed was to return to her quarters alone. Countless what ifs would only pull her down under waves of rejection. She nodded to Cale. When she left his office, instead of her quarters, she went to the Medical Unit.
Doors slid open into a clean, white, well-lit space. An older man with a kind face glanced up from a computer station. He wore a security uniform and a smile. “May I help you?”
“I’m here about Kira. How is she?”
“They’re working on her now. It looks like she’ll be okay. Are you a friend?”
Erynn grimaced. “No, not really. I met her once is all.”
A door behind the man slid open. Nev gestured her forward. “Erynn, come in. It’s all right, she’s with me,” he said, glancing at the man.
“Yes, sir.”
Erynn stepped past the small desk and joined Nev.
He gave her that charming smile of his. “I would like to think you came in part to see me, but you’re here about Kira, aren’t you.”
“Yes.” Erynn’s tone turned to a whisper in the quiet space. “Is she okay?”
Nev nodded. “She’ll be fine. You should come visit her tomorrow when she wakes up. I’m sure she would like to see you.” He guided Erynn into a cramped office. “She’s sedated now. I hope she’ll be able to give a description of her attacker when she’s awake.” He gestured to an empty chair next to a desk piled high with disks.
“Don’t count on it,” Er
ynn mumbled, staring at the disk-filled shelves behind the desk.
Nev tipped his head. “Why?” He pulled a chair next to Erynn and sat.
Erynn shook her head. “I don’t think she saw her attacker.” She couldn’t help but believe that her initial impression of a Shifter committing these attacks was accurate.
Nev frowned. “He attacked from behind? How do you know this, Erynn?”
“No, it didn’t attack Kira from behind. They were talking and laughing.” Erynn settled into the chair and gazed up at Nev. “It—he—didn’t wear his true face.” She glanced away for a moment, realizing what she told him must sound crazy.
Nev stared at her. “It wore a disguise?” There was skepticism in his voice and his expression.
Erynn bit her lip. “Maybe. You’re right. Kira will be able to identify it—him.”
Nev leaned over, close to Erynn, and took her hand. “You look tired.”
“I’m fine.” She straightened, widening the space between them.
“I can give you something to help you sleep.”
“No.” Erynn pulled her hand free and stood up. “I should go.”
Nev followed her to the door. “You sure you’re okay?”
Erynn gave him a weak smile. “I’m fine,” she repeated.
Erynn knew she wouldn’t see Jaer again tonight. She went to the bar. The space was quiet, the lights low. A few people sat talking in shadowy corners. The bartender nodded to Erynn and she sat at the counter.
He handed her a frosty bottle.
“Thanks.” She sipped at the cold liquid. Bubbles tickled her nose. Spiciness burned her throat. She let the warmth seep into her. She sat there, trying not to think, and gazed into the twinkling lights above the U-shaped counter.
“I told you I could give you something to help you sleep.”
Erynn jerked her attention to Nev who had slid onto the seat next to her. She ran her fingers up and down the bottle, wiping at the drops of condensation and melting ice crystals. “I’m not trying to sleep.” She stared at the water trailing into her palm.
Storm of Arranon Fire and Ice Page 6
