One Man contemplated the door. “The question to consider—what are the ramifications of sending him back where he belongs?”
Almiralyn answered, “We have to send him back. We know we can’t destroy him via the Eye, and we need the fountain clear so we can use it.”
Sparrow looked unsure. “How do we know he’ll go?”
“Because,” One Man explained, “our strength combined with the wards around the Eye will be difficult for him to resist. I suggest we enter Veersuni and see what we can do to free the fountain of its guest. Once inside, form a circle around it and hold hands.” Again, he looked from one woman to the other. “Don’t let go until I give you the word. Almiralyn, take the lead.”
Almiralyn braced herself and opened the door. Smoke billowed around her. One Man’s firm grasp kept her steady. She glanced back. Sparrow’s dark eyes were huge, her face devoid of color, her mouth set in a resolute line.
Acid smoke brought burning tears to Almiralyn’s eyes. She blinked them away and traversed a floor covered with burned bits of velvet. Black smudges on the window’s surface obscured its rich colors and created odd patterns on the sanctuary walls. At the center of the disorder, Elcaro’s Eye gleamed alabaster white as though refusing to be affected by the filth trapped inside it.
She paused and looked back. Two pairs of eyes urged her on. Once in place around the glistening bowl, Sparrow reached for her hand—closing the circle—locking the danger inside.
A high-pitched howl of anger shook the Eye. Water splashed and rolled. A single large wave emptied the bowl, exposing the tip of the Vesen crystal, and then plunged back into the fountain with the force of a miniature tsunami. Wind ripped around Veersuni, tearing at hair and clothing, flinging flame-tattered curtains one way and then the other, and slapping scorched pieces of velvet against bodies, windows, and walls. Another shriek of rage ended in a dense, smothering silence.
Elcaro’s Eye grew calm. A long hiss of air sent bubbles skittering over the surface. Sparrow gasped and shook soot-covered hair back from her face. Her expression grew calculating. Flames flared in her eyes. Almiralyn squeezed her hand. Their eyes met. One moment The MasTer’s essence stared back; the next, Sparrow reclaimed her mind.
One Man blew across the water’s surface. A ravaged face emerged. Red eyes began to glow.
“Look at me.” One Man’s telepathic message, exacted immediate obedience.
Three pairs of eyes locked gazes above the fountain. Almiralyn began to chant.
“Elcaro’s Eye rid your bowl
Of all that does not play a role
In this realm of Veersuni,
Release it, never more to see.”
A burned and blackened landscape formed on the Eye’s surface, a blazing pit of fire at its center. The water began to boil. The filmy outline of a shrouded figure formed and hovered in the rising steam. Vapors swirled, dispersing the image until only a hood draped head remained framed in a circle of flames. Pale lips moved. Words flew like tiny blackbirds into Veersuni and evaporated, unheard. The mouth rounded in a scream of disappointment. The image melted away.
Water trickled from the statue’s open palms and dripped into the pristine bowl. “Rebuild the wards,” One man instructed.
They worked together until multi-layered shields enclosed the fountain. He released Sparrow’s hand.
Almiralyn put an arm around her shoulders. “You did well, SparrowLyn.”
A wan smile brightened Sparrow’s tired face. “I sent him back.”
One Man grinned. “You sure did.” He touched her forehead and frowned.
“What?” she demanded.
“I’m not sure. Will you let me do a mind link?”
Her hand shot out and grabbed a fluttering speck of black from the air. The word “no” appeared on her palm. She rubbed it on her pants, stared at the faint smudge, and back at One Man. “Yes. Find out what he did.”
One Man clasped her hands and closed his eyes. When he opened them, his expression was sober.
“What do you remember about the twins?”
“The twins? I remember every—” She swallowed. “Everything except what they look like.”
Jordett looked up at the Theran sun blazing overhead. This was one of those times he wished for lousy weather. Clouds and rain would hide their movements better than bright sunlight. He glanced at his mini-chron. Mid-turning. Wanted this done by now .
Teva joined him. “Got a report from Senar at the Transit Center. It’s ours. Quick and clean. No one hurt. The battle for the perimeter is still in process. Two men are down, one RewFaaran and one of ours. Davley, I think. Hold on.” She seemed to listen. “Lavir is wounded, but not badly. So far Nissasa’s men are holding steady. Wait—” More listening. A small smile. “Akeri did a mind sweep. Two RewFaarans are here because Nissasa has something on them, not because they care about his bid to become the Largeen Joram. She amplified their doubts. We’ll see if that helps.”
Jordett removed his cap. “What we need is a distraction that will get our team into the compound. If we can take Tower One and capture Orittra, then we have leverage. The leader of the Brigade in our hands would facilitate a much quicker takeover. Thoughts?”
Teva held up a finger, nodded, and turned her attention back to him. “Lenadi will take care of a distraction. Lavir told him there’s a side gate used only by the Five Fathers.”
Jordett nodded, “I know it. Tell Lenadi it’s a go.”
When she gave him the sign that all was in place and had informed the other team leaders of their plans, he led his team to the street opposite the gate. Shots firing on the far side of the compound echoed through the quiet of Idronatti. The muted spit of RewFaaran weapons answered. Jordett and his team, sprinted to the compound wall. Teva gave the all clear. Jordett tried the gate. Locked. The touch pad gleamed in the sun. Taking a chance, he tapped in an emergency code. A muffled click generated a rush of relief and a grim smile.
Using the gate as shield, he scanned the area. Nothing. His two men dodged inside. Teva followed. He wedged the gate open to allow other teams access and joined her in a recessed doorway in the side of Tower One. His two men squatted behind bushes on either side of the gate. Running feet pressed them lower. He pushed Teva behind him. A shot rang out. The running ceased. Hope that wasn’t one of ours .
Teva whispered, “It wasn’t.”
He glanced over his shoulder. She shrugged.
Might as well make use of your gift . He heard her soft laugh and formulated a mental question. What’s on the other side of the door?
“Two patrollers.”
Motioning her out of sight, he waved his men to either side of the recess, assumed a harassed demeanor, and knocked.
A square in the door opened and a face appeared. “Who’s there?”
“Colonel Saila. Open up. I’ve gotta message for Orittra.”
The face disappeared. A second pair of eyes looked him up and down.
Jordett presented an impatient face. “We got trouble. Let us in.”
A shot fired close at hand. “Move it.”
The square slammed shut—a pause—the door opened a crack.
Jordett gave it a shove. A patroller stumbled backward. The other, caught by surprise, stared. The next minute gave Jordett control of the door and the side gate. A brief discussion with the patrollers also gained him two additional men. Teva’s mind touch assured him they were trustworthy. Giving them instructions to let no one else in the tower, he led the way toward the third floor offices where Orittra and two of his staff were meeting.
Bypassing the Drop Car, Jordett led the way up the stairs with Teva next and his two men bringing up the rear. Sidling beneath the small surveillance lens, he jogged up the first flight and stopped short of the door. Safe?
Teva squeezed his shoulder, their prearranged signal. At the second floor, her response was the same. Her hand on the back of his neck, stopped him several steps below the third story landing. “One guard down t
he hall—RewFaaran.”
He started to move. Pressure from her hand stopped him. He half turned.
She mouthed one word that made his heart stutter. “Mocendi.”
He put a finger to his lips and pointed his men back down the steps. When they all reached the second floor landing, Teva motioned them to hold on to her. She gave almost silent instructions. “Don’t think. Don’t let go of me. Don’t move.”
Jordett fought to keep his mind in check. It wanted to react, to warn, to regroup, and to plan. Teva held his gaze. His mind went blank.
Thorlu Tangorra scanned the corridor in Tower One. Without knocking he, marched into the third floor office of Grantese Orittra. A quick mind touch crumpled his two companions to the floor. He glared down at the astonished RewFaaran. “It appears, Orittra, that you have trouble pounding at your gates; yet I find you hiding here. Nissasa would not be impressed; The MasTer even less so.”
The man blanched. “I w-w-was m-meeting with my staff to make some decisions.” He indicated to the two unconscious soldiers, and came to his feet.
Thorlu shoved him back in his chair. “I didn’t come to argue with you. I’m here to inform you that The MasTer has sent orders to escalate the takeover of Idronatti and to warn you that mistakes will not be tolerated.”
“Of course. Yes. I…” Orittra shut his mouth.
“Good, man. If you have nothing of value to say…” Thorlu grew still. Somewhere within the Five Towers compound a weapon fired. He rounded on Orittra. “When I return from squelching this little rebellion, I will be visiting the Five Fathers. Since you’re responsible for their continued imprisonment, I will introduce you. It is time they, and you, know what The MasTer has in store for them.” He pivoted and marched from the room.
Teleporting to the foyer on the ground floor, he executed a mental sweep of the area. Nothing out of the ordinary came to his attention. From the shadows beside a tall window, he surveyed the inner compound court yard. PPP patrollers and two RewFaaran soldiers guarded the main gate. Everything else was quiet.
Flipping his cape behind his shoulders, he stepped through the front door and paused. Another scan uncovered nothing of concern. Business as usual, that was all.
A sneer of frustration morphed to a speculative frown as he re-entered the main foyer.
“Hello, Thorlu.” Teva Rivan walked toward him. “What brings you to the Five Towers?”
“I should ask the same of you.” He glanced around. “Is your little man with you? I’d still like to ask him a few questions.”
“I’m sure you would.”
Teva’s beautiful smile almost melted his anger; her words fueled it. He held up a bandaged hand. “I owe you one, my dear. It seems your handy work is not easily healed.”
“I did warn you to remove your hand, did I not?” She stopped a short distance from him.
A sound behind him made him glance over his shoulder. “Lenadi. On guard, are you?” He moved to keep both KcernFensians in his line of vision. “So what now?”
A shield shimmered up around him. Good, had it been his, but it wasn’t.
“You can’t hope to keep me trapped in shields this flimsy.” He attempted to push through and stopped. Two more KcernFensians appeared in the foyer. The realization that he might be in over his depths dawned. Arrogance negated it. Masking his thoughts, he prepared to teleport. Nothing happened. Keeping his expression bland, he tried again. Hauteur straightened his spine. “If you do not let me go, The MasTer will make you pay more than you can imagine.”
The shields around him began to wobble. Heat infused his body. The room and the KcernFensians disappeared.
After Teva flashed from view, Jordett guided his team back up the steps. At his command, his men entered the hall and disarmed the guard. Grantese Orittra noted their arrival in his office with a distracted nod. When it dawned on him that the visitors were not under his command, he calmly laid his weapon on the table and folded his arms across his chest. Jordett’s men secured the unconscious soldiers and then took up positions on either side of the door.
Jordett sat down opposite Orittra. “I need two things from you: The Five Fathers whereabouts and control of the Five Towers.”
The RewFaaran Grantese straightened a stylus, folded his hands on the table, and pressed his lips into a firm line. The non-responsive demeanor continued until Teva materialized at Jordett’s side. Astonishment dropped Orittra’s mouth open.
Teva gave him a polite nod. “A word in private, Colonel?”
Jordett followed her into the hall. “We have an opportunity to take the compound and towers. Will you give Lenadi command of the tower teams?”
Jordett didn’t hesitate. “Give the word.”
After several tense moments, she relaxed. “Done.”
“Mocendi?”
“We created an illusion that everything was per usual. Thorlu fell for it. He is a smart man and a powerful Mocendi, but he does have an ego.” She frowned. “We think his actions were monitored. He was extricated from our combined shields. I gather Orittra is not talking.”
“Resistance is part of his training.”
Her face set in stern lines. He knew the look. Almiralyn had worn it on several recent occasions. “You have an idea?”
“I can do a bit of snooping in Orittra’s mind.” She grew quiet, listened, and gave a grim nod. “Lenadi’s plan is in place.” An air of authority cloaked her like the Mocendi’s cape. “I’ll need your two men.”
Jordett motioned them into the room and followed.
Teva walked around the table. “Please, gentlemen, I will need your help to keep the Grantese in his chair.”
Orittra’s expression did not change. “You will get nothing from me that I do not want you to know.”
She looked down at him. “You have a choice. You can answer the colonel’s questions, or I will do a mind probe.”
Lips pressed firmly together, he stared straight ahead.
The men on either side, held him in place. Teva pressed the palm of her left hand to his forehead. The only sound in the room was Orittra’s labored breathing.
Almiralyn observed Sparrow with a sympathetic eye. She could only imagine how hard it must be to realize that all your visual memories of someone you loved had been removed. The face of Corvus formed in her mind.
“Sparrow, One Man and I can give you mental pictures of the twins. You have retained enough memory that we can add the layers you need to recall your girls.”
A soft knock interrupted. A young priestess stuck her head in the room. “I have urgent word from Dom.”
Almiralyn waved her into the sanctuary. “Tell us.”
“He managed to use a piece of his crystal to relay this message: “Four Mocendi meeting in shoppe. Plan to use mirror portal to enter Myrrh. Goals: to destroy the RewFaaran camp, to take over the Demrach Gateway, to enter DerTah and gain control of the desert portal.
“Thank you. Keep monitoring happenings in Idronatti.”
“Yes, my lady.” With a nod to Sparrow and One Man, the young woman exited and closed the sanctuary door.
Almiralyn moved to the fountain. A snap of her fingers brought the flow of water to a standstill. Color enlivened its surface. A TreeOm perched near the top of a tall birch tree came into focus. It dissolved and the leader of the Wood Tiff’s round face appeared.
“Yes, my lady. What can I do for you?”
“Tibin, I need you to send a Nyti to warn Mondago of four Mocendi headed his way. Tell him to clear the camp. Tell him I’ll hide the forest portal.”
The Wood Tiff’s usually merry countenance grew serious. “Mocendi. Oh, dear. I’ll send Reana. The Tiffs will hide the soldiers. Don’t worry.”
“Thank you, Tibin. Let me know if you need help.” She waved her hand and the Wood Tiff vanished. “Sparrow and One Man, I need your assistance.” As she spoke, the Demrach Gateway emerged in Elcaro’s Eye. She held out her hands. “Form a closed circle and concentrate on the portal. On my wor
d, see it grow to the size of a repoc. Hold it at that size while I transport it. Are you ready?”
Hands gripped hers. Energy coursed through her. She focused her intent. The portal began to swirl. At her command, it reversed its spin and began to shrink. “Now. Hold it steady.” Concentrating her will, she levitated the coin-sized portal, carried it through the Terces Wood to the center of the Grove of Mehloc, and recited a poetic command.
“Secure and hold this portal here
Within the hemlock till all’s clear
Obscure its presence deep inside
Where only ancient secrets hide.”
Three sharp claps and the water flowed once more. She sank onto a bench and lifted tired eyes to the pattern of colors in Veersuni’s stained glass window.
Kieel yawned, trying to shake the exhaustion that threatened to drown him. The turning had been long and frightening. He had seen and experienced things that would give him nightmares for the remainder of his life. Pools of blood, faces gone lifeless, the terror in young men’s eyes as death came to take them overshadowed everything else in his memories. He shuddered. He had seen death in the Terces Wood—animal killing animal for food or to protect their young or in defense of their lives. Humans killing Humans brought home an awful truth: in certain circumstances, he would be capable of killing.
It had taken every ounce of discipline he possessed not to run and hide. He had done his duty—carried messages for Lenadi from one end of the compound to the other, fetched help when it was needed, even held the hand of a dying man. A blood stain on his pants made him cringe. As hard as he tried, he could not rub it into oblivion. He suppressed the desire to sob.
Jordett’s Oppositional Force or JOF, the name the Idronattians had given the group who fought to regain control of the city, had taken the Five Towers. The cost on both sides had been high. The KcernFensian, Radec, had died protecting Anada. Of the Idronattians, five were dead, including Davley. Several others were wounded, Sagus seriously.
The UnFolding Collection Three Page 32
