Jaer stared at her and tipped his head. His brow furrowed. He glanced at Tam and nodded.
“Jaer, you’re just in time to help.” The instructor smiled. “There are more interested in learning defense moves than I expected.”
“Yes. Please. Help,” Kira whispered.
Erynn and Tam both looked over at Kira. Her eyes sparkled.
“I would be glad to help, Aven.”
“Aven,” Erynn whispered. “He was at Glaskra. That’s why I recognize him.”
“You know him, the instructor?” Tam grinned. “He’s cute.”
“Not really,” Erynn said, shaking her head.
Jaer tugged off his jacket and pulled his shirt over his head, followed by a thick undershirt, tossing the items against the wall behind him. His bared muscles rippled under his smooth skin.
Erynn heard Kira’s sharp intake of breath.
Jaer stepped across the circle. “You. Come here.” He took Erynn’s hand and pulled her to the center. Glancing at Aven, he said, “This is Erynn. You did not get introduced at Glaskra.” He let go of her and put his hands up, curling his fingers in a “bring it on gesture”. Jaer smiled. “Now is your chance.”
“What do you mean?” Erynn murmured and glanced around at the people watching.
“You are angry with me. Let it out.” Jaer spoke in a breathy whisper only she heard.
“No.” She wasn’t exactly angry—more disappointed and confused—but she didn’t intend to sort out her emotions here, in front of everyone.
“Oh. I’ll volunteer!” Kira said, bouncing on her toes.
Jaer turned to Kira and his smile expanded.
Erynn pivoted her hips, rocked back, and kicked straight out. He caught her foot in his hand and lifted. Tipping her back, she landed hard on the mat.
Aven laughed and stepped out of the battle zone.
Jaer held his hand out to Erynn.
Erynn took his offered assistance, but instead of pulling herself up, she put her feet against his legs and pushed, jerking forward on his arm. The effort was enough to throw Jaer off balance. He somersaulted over her, landing on his back with a resounding thud. Erynn scrambled to stand. Before she could gain her footing, he reached out, grabbed her ankle, and twisted. She went down again. Her face smacked the mat.
“You all right?”
“I’m fine.” She sniffed, squeezing her eyes tight against the sharp pain stabbing into her forehead.
He let go and jumped up, beckoning her to stand.
Erynn pushed to her feet, wiping at her nose. She pivoted.
“There,” Jaer yelled. He walked around the inner edge of the circle, making eye contact with the assembled group.
Erynn stopped mid-kick. Stepping back, she braced her stance.
“Every time Erynn attacks, she leads with her hip.” He leaned in and whispered in her ear. “I know exactly what you are about to do.”
Erynn straightened, considering what he told her. She spun, rounding on him with a punch and a kick. He dodged her fist and again took her foot, putting her down on the mat, hard.
“Never turn your back on your opponent.” Jaer again talked to those observing.
Erynn glanced around. The people using the weights had stopped and stood watching.
She rolled and pushed up from the floor.
“What is with all this spinning? Are we dancing or fighting?”
“You dance?” Erynn asked, panting. Rushing forward, she grasped his waist. Her nose pressed against the hard muscles of his bare chest. The spicy scent of him made her dizzy. He barely swayed under her drive. His long dark hair tickled her face. She pushed away. Sweat streamed down her cheeks. Wispy curls came loose from her braid and stuck to her face. She brushed at the errant strands.
“Getting tired?”
“This… is… impossible.” Erynn said between breaths and frowned.
Kira began to bounce again. “I’ll try.”
Jaer didn’t acknowledge Kira this time. “It is possible. You are using your energy to affect my mass. That will not work. You need to learn how to use my energy against me.”
“How?” Erynn wiped her stinging eyes.
“I will teach you.” Jaer motioned to Aven.
Erynn backed up to stand by Tam.
Aven came forward.
Jaer and Aven worked together, demonstrating the ways to expend an attacker’s power—to turn the assault and use the opponent’s actions against him.
Aven turned to the group when they’d finished. “Let’s pair off and practice what you’ve been shown.”
Kira rushed up to Jaer. “Will you teach me?” She reached out, touched his hand, and traced her finger over his.
Erynn crossed her arms and glared at Kira. She felt Tam’s hand in the small of her back, pushing her forward. “Stop it!” Erynn hissed.
“I am sorry,” Jaer said to Kira. He walked to Erynn and put his arm around her. “I only teach Erynn. Aven will help you.”
“Oh. I see.” Kira’s dimpled smile vanished.
Guiding Erynn to a quiet corner, Jaer asked, “Are you still mad? Do you want to fight with me some more?” He leaned against the stone wall, smiling.
Her irritation, confusion, and worry faded. His eyes drew her, drinking her in, and she surrendered. With all her annoyance gone, Erynn looked up at him. “Why—”
He put a finger over her lips. “Give me time, Erynn. There are things I need to learn about… us. I am still adjusting to the fact that I love you.”
Her head rocked back and she sucked in a breath. “You… love me?”
Jaer smiled. “Yes, I do.” He glanced around. The noise in the room increased as the pairs became comfortable throwing each other around the mat. “Can we continue this in private? My quarters. We should talk.”
“About what?” Erynn asked, frowning. She’d heard this speech. I love you but…
She remembered her first real relationship—not the dates asked from the dares of boys challenging each other to spend some time with the commanding general’s strange daughter. Henra’s was an honest friendship that blossomed into a painful crush.
Henra’s parents learned of his relationship with Erynn and demanded that the friendship stop, citing she was too young. She was the commanding general’s daughter, his mother’s superior. “Besides,” they would say, “there’s something very odd about that girl.”
When Erynn and Henra continued to see each other in secret, his parents found out. Henra’s mother requested a transfer, and they moved. Erynn never saw or heard from Henra again.
Jaer pulled on his shirt. He tugged on her braid and grinned. “I just want to talk to you, Erynn. I would like to get to know you.” He thrust his arms into his jacket, staring at her. “Would you like to know more about me?”
Erynn glanced at Kira. Her mouth had drawn into a pout. “You’re upsetting Kira.”
Jaer frowned at Erynn. “She does not want us to talk?”
“No.” Erynn shook her head, still watching Kira. “She liked it when you took your shirt off.”
Jaer’s gaze darted to Kira, and his frown deepened. “Get your jacket.”
“Where’s Tam?”
“Tam is fine. She is getting a private lesson from Aven.”
Erynn searched the room and found them.
Aven laughed, helping Tam up from the mat. She appeared to be enjoying the one-on-one instruction.
“Do you know him?” Erynn looked from Aven to Jaer, narrowing her eyes.
Jaer chuckled. “Aven is my brother.” He shrugged. “And he is Anbas.”
“Your brother? Do you have other brothers or sisters? Where was Aven? When did he get here?”
He laughed again. “See? We should talk.”
***
Jaer’s quarters were larger than Erynn’s. He handed her a beoir and motioned to a chair opposite the sleeping cubicle. The bed was bigger, too. He sat in the desk chair and took a drink. “I talked to my mother about you.”
&nb
sp; Erynn had the bottle to her lips and nearly choked before she got the mouthful swallowed. “Your mother? Why?”
“Did you ever talk to your mother before she died? About important things?” Jaer asked, frowning.
“My mother died before I was a day old.”
He stared at the floor. “I am sorry.”
“What’s your mother like?” Erynn smiled, thinking about Jaer as a little boy.
“You will like her.” He grinned. “She is eager to meet you.” Jaer told her about his father and two brothers—Aven, the youngest brother, and Rias, the oldest. He also had a younger sister, Jena, the baby of the family. He talked about growing up and always knowing he would be Anbas.
Erynn listened and enjoyed the sound of his voice, sensing his love for his family.
He stopped talking and watched her. “You are tired.” Crouching next to her, he asked, “Stay with me?”
She glanced at the bed. “I don’t—”
“No.” Jaer said, his tone hard. His voice softened. “Like we did in the forest. I just want you close.”
She smiled.
“You take the washroom first. You know how to get something to sleep in.”
When she came out, the room was dark, the bed turned down.
He kissed her on the forehead as he slipped past her and shut the door.
She must have dozed off, jumping when he slid his arms around her. “Jaer?”
“I am here. I have you, Erynn.” He kissed the top of her head, his breath warm.
She shivered and curled in against him. “I’m scared, Jaer. And angry, and happy. Feelings struggle for control inside me. I can’t lose… you.”
“It is all right, Kipa,” he whispered in her ear and stroked her hair. “I am not going anywhere.”
Kipa. The old language. My heart, my life, my soul.
Bright blue static wound around her, swirling and joining, until a soft cobalt cloud enveloped them.
Chapter 44
THE NEXT DAY, BEFORE DAWN, Jaer took Aven and several Anbas outside the base to set up a safe perimeter in addition to the one established by Cale.
Restless energy caused Erynn to again wander the warrens of the base. She found a long set of stairs and climbed up to an area she hadn’t explored. The stairs ended in a small chamber full of bright sunlight from the wide windows that ringed the space. She was high on the mountain, the view incredible. Sunshine reflected off sparkling snow. The deep green of the tree line far below was a vivid contrast to the gray granite mountain crags. For the first time since arriving on Arranon, Erynn felt the warmth of the sun radiated through the thick, clear panels.
There was heat burning inside her also—a happiness she’d never experienced before. She smiled. Jaer would be back soon, and they would have dinner together. She looked forward to talking with him, hearing more about his life, and sharing her past with him. Jaer was home for her.
She sat on a window ledge, tipped her head back, and closed her eyes. The red-orange light she expected under her lids wasn’t there. Instead, blue, purple, and green pinpoints awaited her. She took in a breath. The air was scented with the familiar sweet, spicy aroma of the Anim Blath. The underlying silence held no trace of the high voices or a keening wind. A strong presence filled the room. Erynn opened her eyes and stood up.
Zander materialized in the center of the space. He glanced out one of the windows. “I see you made it to Cale.”
“Yes. Thank you. For your help.”
He smiled. “Erynn. You look so much like your mother. She was an incredible woman. You are very like her.”
Erynn gazed at the pools of sunlight overlapping on the stone floor. Zander was quiet. She returned her attention to the spectral vision of her dead father. His pleasant expression had vanished. “What?” The once-warm space took on an ominous chill.
“I have to ask a difficult task of you.” His hands fisted at his sides.
“Go ahead,” Erynn murmured. Her stomach tumbled, and the floor seemed to drop several centimeters under her feet. “It must be important.”
“It is vital. This could mean the end of the invasion against Arranon and Korin.
“You have a way to overcome the alien force?” Erynn smiled. “But this is good news.”
Zander dipped his head. The anguish in his brown eyes caused them to darken. “Yes, this could work, but the cost…” He shook his head. “I wish there was another way.” He took a step forward and stopped. “I want you to surrender to Faylen.”
“What!” Erynn’s voice echoed in the small circular room. His solution to the invasion was no longer an advantage—not for her. “Why? What good will that do? I can’t fight—”
“Arranon and Korin combined will never win in open combat against this enemy,” he interrupted. “They are too powerful.”
“How, then? How does turning myself over to Faylen defeat our enemy?”
“Faylen is already weakening. He is disgusted by Newell’s decision to destroy Arranon. Turn Faylen’s heart while he is Newell’s chosen champion and in favor. Make Faylen see. Let him feel what he has lost. When he understands, perhaps he will aid us.”
“What he has lost? I don’t understand.” Erynn shook her head and her forehead creased. “Perhaps? And if he doesn’t?” Erynn stiffened at the imagined conclusion.
Zander turned away. His sigh filled the space with a frosty wind. “A battle will destroy Arranon and Korin. The enemy will get what they want.”
“You want me to seduce him?” Erynn whispered. She shivered and crossed her arms. “I’ll fail for sure. You should find someone more… experienced.”
“No, I don’t want you to seduce him, not in the way you’re thinking. Only you can show him the heart of Arranon. There is no one else that can do this, Erynn.” He reached up. Sunshine filtered through his open hand. Light split into a prism of colors against the floor. “Faylen is our only hope.”
“You want me to show him the magic of Arranon?”
Closing his hand, Zander dropped his arm. “You are the magic. Erynn, you are the storm of Arranon.” He turned and faced her again. “Find a way to remain here, on Arranon, for a while before Faylen takes you to his vessel.”
“His ship?” Erynn shuddered.
Zander watched her, silent.
“Okay, I’m going to end up on the ship. What then?” The shudder turned to shaking.
“Stay as close to Faylen as you can. He must help you destroy Newell and his vessel. When the ship’s gone, with Newell dead, the battle here and on Korin can be won.”
Erynn took in a trembling breath. “When?”
“Now.”
“But I—”
“No. Jaer will know something is wrong. He won’t let you do this if you see him before you go.” His hand came forward and moved across her cheek with an icy touch. “I told you this wouldn’t be easy.”
“You’re sure this is the only way?” Erynn stared at the rough floor. The tingling building inside her wasn’t power. The sting biting at her was fear.
“As sure as I can be.”
The bubbling sensation that usually preceded Zander rippled over her. She floated in warmth and let go of her wildly mounting alarm.
“Calm,” he whispered.
“Trust,” the high singing voices of the Anim Blath chimed.
When Erynn’s consciousness returned, desperate fingers of sunlight gripped the mountaintop, resisting the push of night. Gray shadow warriors pried away the day’s hold to claim their time of dark.
She was alone in the dim chamber. Her first impulse was to ignore Zander’s request—or at least not make a decision like this alone. She should talk with Cale. He told her she could come to him, about anything. And this was something. Also, she knew Zander was correct. If Jaer knew what she planned— and he deserved to know—he wouldn’t let her go.
No, not true. Jaer won’t let me go alone. Not good. If I don’t try this, Jaer will die. His family, all the families on Arranon and Korin w
ill die. The maejen, the aleun, the capora—gone. The forests, the seas, towns and cities—all gone. I might survive for a while, but could I live with my decision, my cowardice?
She stared out the clear panels as a single star became visible in the purpling sky. “Zander died to defend Arranon—his pursuit. Damon died protecting Korin—his duty. I will do what I must, my part in this war, to try and save both worlds.” She nodded slowly, her eyes not focusing. She saw only the blurred, merging colors beyond the windows, dark and lonely. “Responsibility,” she whispered.
Erynn hurried down the stairs and through the corridors to her quarters. Inside, she stared at the chair in front of the desk and remembered Jaer, holding her in the dark, kissing her. She blinked back tears.
Why am I here? There’s nothing I have to take with me—only memories.
Turning, she went back out the door. She smiled at people in the dim tunnels, faking normal.
I’m good at acting. Lot’s of practice.
She wiped the back of her sleeve across her eyes. “Don’t lose courage. Keep moving. Go. Where?” She slowed her pace. “Think.” The answer came to her. “The transport bay.”
The least guarded access to the base, due to the solid stone hiding the entrance.
Timing was on her side. She arrived at shift change. She walked in with the next duty crew. Her heart leapt, skipped, and refused to beat for a long, painful moment. Jaer stood just outside the access tunnel.
Erynn darted behind a large cargo transport, pressing her body to the cold metal. She watched Jaer from where she hid. He put his arm around Aven’s shoulder, and they laughed. The other Anbas joined in. She wanted to go to him, ask him about his day, and learn why he laughed. She again considered ignoring what Zander asked of her. She could just go to Jaer. Throw her arms around him. Tell him she loved him too. “If I love him, I’ll go through with this.” She bit her lip, closed her eyes, and listened to Jaer’s voice, his breathing, and his heartbeat as he passed her hiding spot in the dark.
When she could no longer hear them in the transport bay, Erynn moved through the murky pools of shadows, her back against the wall leading to the tunnel. Once inside and concealed in darkness, she glanced back. No one had noticed her. She felt her way down the rough stone surface. There would be no Anim Blath to light her way this time.
Storm of Arranon Page 23
