Aether (The Shadowmark Series Book 2)

by T. M. Catron

“Alvarez!” Mina hissed.

  Alvarez stood. “I don’t want to be here.”

  Doyle nodded. “I’ll take you back down at the first opportunity.”

  “And when will that be?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “Why don’t you take me back right now?”

  Lincoln stood too. “Why are you in such a hurry to go back down to that mess?”

  “I saw him, Lincoln. You did too.” Alvarez jabbed her finger at Doyle. “And your sister wants us to trust him?”

  “Leave Mina out of it!”

  Mina stood now, her voice rising. “Let me speak for myself.”

  Carter stirred from his sleep and sat up in his bunk. His gray hair stuck out in odd places. “Seems a guy can’t get any sleep here, either.”

  “Sorry, Carter,” said Mina. “But Alvarez has something to say to me, and she needs to get it out.”

  Alvarez regarded Mina coolly. “No. If you can’t see it, I won’t try to explain it to you. Anyway, my reasons for leaving are my own.”

  Doyle held up his hand for silence. Then he spoke to Alvarez. “I don’t want anyone here who doesn’t want to be here, but I can’t take you back right now. We can’t risk the ship being seen.”

  “Where are we going?” Carter asked.

  “See for yourself,” he said, and turned and walked up the corridor. They all followed, past a tiny bathroom and a kitchen. The next door closed as Doyle passed, so Lincoln didn’t see what was in there. They passed a berth with a single bunk, then into the clear cockpit. Lincoln stared at the scene below him.

  “We’re in space?” Mina asked.

  The Earth took up all the view in front of them, a large blue mass against a backdrop of stars. A thunderstorm formed over South America, lightning striking rapidly over dusky mountains.

  “Have to be,” said Doyle. “The Factory orbits here.”

  Mina turned to him. “Why are we going to the Factory?”

  “What factory?” Nelson asked.

  “Won’t they look here first?” Mina asked.

  “I don’t think so,” answered Doyle. “They think everyone on board is dead.”

  “Why would they think that?”

  “Because I killed them—or at least they think I did. By Condarri logic, I would have no reason to return here.”

  “So you didn’t kill them?”

  Doyle smiled at Mina. A black mass churned in front of the ship. Lincoln had to concentrate hard just to see it. The swirling darkness, and stone doors opened for the ship to enter.

  “It’s very dark,” said Carter.

  “I’m afraid that’s its nature. You humans will have a harder time, but I think we can work it out so you can have light. I’ll arrange it once we land.”

  They glided into the darkness, the ship setting down so softly Lincoln had to look down to the floor to make sure they weren’t still moving. A harsh white light shone out of the ceiling a long way off. Lincoln’s eyes adjusted slowly. They had landed inside a massive hangar. The far walls flashed yellow for a moment, then went dark. “Are the walls covered in . . . ?”

  “Adarria. Yes. And the aether here has been set free,” said Doyle. “So traveling among levels will be tricky for awhile until we can restore it. In the meantime, it looks like they’ve built a lift.”

  “They?” asked Alvarez.

  The floor moved. Lincoln squinted through the darkness. But the stone below them wasn’t moving; people were walking on it. As the group watched, more gathered. Soon the hangar filled to overflowing.

  “Must be thousands of people in there,” said Carter.

  “No,” said Mina with the air of someone who had just realized something important, “not thousands. One million.” She looked at Doyle, her eyes shining with something Lincoln didn’t understand—a mixture of fear and awe, maybe. Lincoln was certainly fearful because he didn’t think all those people down there were actually people.

  Alvarez seemed to have the same thought. She nudged Lincoln. “And you want to stay?” she whispered.

  Lincoln glanced at Doyle and caught his eye. Lincoln whispered back, “If Mina’s staying, I am too.”

  ***

  Mina listened to the whispered conversation behind her, relieved she wouldn’t have to convince Lincoln to stay. She looked at Doyle again, his eyes darker than she remembered. A side effect of the aether, maybe.

  Was he going to hide Halston’s body from the others? She had shivered as she walked by the med bay a little while ago. Blood covered the floor and table, the body mangled beyond belief, like an animal had attacked it. Doyle said Calla had killed Halston. Was that true?

  she asked him again, searching his eyes for any trace of betrayal.

  Doyle looked at her.

  Mina nodded at the hybrids below.

  Doyle turned away from her gaze so as not to raise any suspicion.

 

  Doyle smiled.

  ~End Book 2~

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  T.M. Catron

  About the Author

  T.M. CATRON IS AN AUTHOR and former teacher who lives in Tennessee with her husband, son, and three spoiled dogs. When she isn’t writing or reading, she’s waging war on the flowers she planted in early spring.

  Thankfully, she puts more effort into her writing than she does her gardening. She’s the author of Shadowmark, its sequel, Aether, and The Mine, a prequel to the Shadowmark Series. Currently, Catron is writing Book 3 of the series. Also in the works is a new series for elementary children, co-authored with another teacher.

  She can be found at tmcatron.com. Catron loves to hear from readers, so connect with her on Facebook at authortmcatron, Twitter @tmcatron, or just send an “old-fashioned” email to tmcatron@gmail.com.

  Acknowledgments

  Thanks to my betas:

  Carina, Ted, and Jeannette

  Thanks also to Brandee from Frostbite Publishing for proofreading.

  And the biggest thanks of all to my husband, Eric, and my son, Jeremy, who put up with me when I disappear into the office to write. I love you.

  Other Works by T.M. Catron

  The Mine

  Shadowmark