by Ben Hale
Your fear will tell you what you cannot do.
Shoving the thought from her head, she clenched her jaw and willed the gravity to bend around the four of them. It didn't want to go beyond herself, but she pushed harder than she ever had. Tuning out the shrieking wind and breaking glass, she wrenched her hands apart and ripped the gravity away from them.
It wasn't pretty, nor did it bear the crystalline shape that surrounded her when she flew alone, but it was enough to lift the four of them off the floor. Someone squeaked in surprise, but Tess was too focused to discover who.
"Do it," she said in a hoarse bark.
Out of the corner of her eye she watched Derek swing his arms wide, and then bring them together in massive clap. The orb exploded into a whirlwind of deadly shards as the smell of rain filled Tess's nose. Rox and Derek managed to keep most of the glass from hitting them, but a few got through.
Tess heard grunts of pain, and then felt several fragments score her cheek. She winced, distracted.
And they fell.
Chapter 26: Plummet
The wind knocked the air from Tess's lungs and howled in her ears, heavy and grating. Fear and panic gripped her as her friends screamed on all sides. For a long moment Tess tumbled toward the earth, terrified and helpless in the earth's grasp.
Then she fought back.
She clawed for control, striking against her fear with all the will she could muster. Twice she slowed their fall, but each time couldn't hold it enough and they gradually picked up speed. After the second attempt Iris shouted to her.
"Don't try to take us together!" she yelled. "Get one at a time!"
Tess could hear the tremble in Iris's voice, and she swallowed at the shrill panic she heard there. "I'll try!" she yelled back.
She felt a rush of relief as her power answered her call. In an instant she went from falling . . . to flying. Her confidence surged, and since Rox was closest, she dived to her side. Catching her arm, she ignored the stark terror in her face and screamed over the wind.
"Put your arms by your sides!"
Rox did as requested, and Tess aligned her path with her. Then she expanded her power to include her. She expected the resistance, but on the second attempt she managed to join them together. It felt like throwing a hundred-pound stone on her back. Rox's features were a mask of relief, fear, and hope as her fall became controlled.
Derek was next closest, and Tess yelled to him as she approached. He threw a look at her that conveyed a wealth of emotion. Fear lit his eyes, yet determination tightened his jaw. As the wind screeched around them, he held her gaze. Then he shook his head and rolled away from Tess's path.
Tess growled and went for Iris, who appeared even more terrified than Rox. Apparently seeing what Rox had done, she had already aligned their path and put her arms at her sides. With her hair billowing behind her, she fought to keep herself in line.
Tess brought them together and forced her spell to expand. Inch by reluctant inch it stretched until it included Iris. This time it felt like she had added a refrigerator to her shoulders. Gritting her teeth against the strain, she growled and arrayed the three of them together. Then she turned to Derek.
She accelerated downward to catch up to him. The force of the wind made it feel like each breath was a punch into her lungs as she aligned their falls. Then once again she sought to add another person. Her blood thundered in her veins, drowning out the wind.
She screamed in primal fury, and forced her magic to obey her will. With all her might she wrapped her power around the four of them. The instant she felt Derek's weight, she banked them away from death. Painstakingly slow, they curved to the side.
"Ground. Or. Auroraq?" She spit the words through her teeth.
"The city!" Iris said, "It's closer. Go through those clouds."
Tess couldn't answer. She swerved toward it. Each foot took more strength then she dared to admit. Each yard demanded her absolute power—but she fixed her gaze on her target and strove for it.
Her magic mounted as they flew . . . and they began to accelerate. They passed through a cloud and the moisture joined the sweat beading her forehead. Then she spotted the cloudwall. Rox groaned at the distance, but Tess snarled. She would not let her friends die.
The distance felt like a thousand miles, but gradually the cloudwall drew nearer. As the distance diminished she heard Iris mutter under her breath about gaining clearance. Then the purple lines in her clothing flared. Tess didn't care. She couldn't spare an ounce of thought or risk losing her focus. If she did, she knew she wouldn't be able to rescue them a second time.
They reached the cloudwall as her strength ebbed. Her body sought to give in to exhaustion, but her mind screamed for them to rise. She felt energy crackle on her arms as she forced them higher. Then an unseen barrier separated to allow them to pass.
A dozen feet later the city came into view.
Red darkness rimmed Tess's vision, but she strove to get them over the wall. No thought existed in her consciousness except the will to succeed. Ten feet closed to five . . . and then two . . . and then they passed the wall at the edge of the city. Tess collapsed, and vaguely felt them fall toward the ground.
A cascade of water from a nearby pool reached out to catch them. It felt cold on her limbs, but her mind had given up. Relinquishing her power with a great sigh, her awareness faded.
Her last sight was of her three friends staring at her.
***
Tess awoke with the worst headache of her life. She sat up with a groan and peered at her surroundings. Clean white greeted her. Sheets, blankets, even the walls were all pristine white. The exceptions were the trio of dark blue chairs and their occupants, only one of which was awake.
"What happened?" Tess asked, clasping a hand to her head.
Hawk waved a hand at the room. "You are in the healer's school at Tryton’s. It was the closest place to get you after you collapsed."
The two girls were asleep in the room. That just left . . . "Derek? He didn't . . ."
"No, he's fine. They forced him out when I arrived. Apparently there is a strict three-visitor rule here."
"My head hurts," she said with a wince.
"As it should." Hawk grinned, but it did little to mask the worry in his eyes. "I'm surprised you aren't magesick." At her questioning look he added. "It's when you use too much magic in too short a time. Your body can't handle it, and you get sick. Oddly, you aren't."
She relaxed into the bed with a sigh. "I'm just glad we made it."
"It's a wonder that you did. I doubt any flyer in our world could have done what you did."
"Is it because of . . . who I am?"
"Yes and no," Hawk replied with a sideways glance at the two sleeping girls. "But we’ll talk about that later. They are going to wake up soon, and I’m sure you’ll want to speak with them. I’ve added myself to your schedule tomorrow when your classes resume. We have much to discuss then."
"But classes don't start until Monday," Tess said, "and how could you know they're about to wake up?"
"To answer your first question, you’ve been asleep since Friday afternoon. As to your second, if you pay attention enough to body heat, it's easy to see when someone is sleeping or awake. It's a minute difference, but a difference nevertheless. I'll see you tomorrow."
He rose and gave her arm a quick squeeze. Then he headed for the door. Just as he reached it, Tess called out to him.
"Hawk?"
He paused and looked back.
"It's good to see you."
He smiled and nodded. "The same." Then he was gone.
Tess sighed and looked at the ceiling. She felt something warm on her arm, and she looked down to see a silver bracelet that she had never noticed before. It quivered when she looked at it, and crooned at her. She smiled and touched it.
"I'm okay, Stel," she said. He wiggled and reached up to touch her finger. Then another sound caused him to revert to the bracelet.
"About time
you woke up," Iris said with a broad yawn.
Rox jerked awake at the sound and wiped her mouth. "You okay, Tess? I almost had a heart attack when you collapsed like that. I thought you were dead."
"I don't break that easily," she said, relieved to see them both. "What did I miss?"
"A lot," Iris said. "What you did is big news here—and planetside. The aurens can't explain why a thousand pieces of thick glass landed in a cornfield. There is also the matter of a couple of wind mages dead at the Oakridge Terminous."
Tess cringed. "And here?"
"They are calling you a 'heroic example of what mages should be'."
Tess frowned, sensing there was something they were holding back. "And?" she prompted.
For the first time since they'd met, Iris seemed hesitant. Then she said, "Some are saying you are the oracle from the prophecy."
Great.
She tried to wave it off and moved to get out of bed. "Let's just get out of here."
"You should wait for a healer," Rox said, her voice anxious.
"Forget that," Tess said. "I'm fine."
She threw the covers back and rose to her feet. She wobbled once, but caught herself on the side of the bed. "Let's go." Her expression caused both girls to close their mouths in unison.
Tess led the way into the hall but only made it a few feet before a woman wearing a pink knot stopped her.
"Where do you think you're going?" she demanded.
"Out," Tess said, and there was no mistaking the steel in her voice.
"I need to check you before you go," she said, matching Tess's glare.
"You can do it here then," Tess said, and waved a hand at the hall.
She rolled her eyes and reached toward her. As the healer touched Tess's hand she felt a wave of cool air blow through her flesh. The next moment it withdrew.
"You appear to be fine," the healer said. "For now. Come back if your headache resumes or you begin to feel nauseous—or you can ignore me as I'm sure you intend to do."
Despite her annoyance Tess grinned. That was exactly what she'd planned. The healer's frankness changed her mind. "I’ll come back if I need to," she said, and the woman appeared satisfied. She acquiesced with a nod and stepped out of the way.
Together, Tess and her friends dodged the other healers and found an exit. They stepped outside to be greeted by Derek, who was stuffing food into his mouth as he returned to the building. When he caught sight of Tess the dismay on his face was almost comical.
He swallowed and glared at his sister. "Why didn't you send me a message that she was awake?"
"I did," she sniffed. "Where are your glasses?"
He opened his mouth to respond but no words came out. Then he grunted and stabbed a finger at Tess. "I didn't leave your side for two days, you know."
She laughed. Privately she was overjoyed to see him. When she'd awoken and he hadn't been there, she'd feared the worst. Before she could respond a pair of students walked by, whispering and craning to get a look at Tess.
"Can we just get out of here?" Tess pleaded once they were gone. "There are still a few hours of the weekend left, and I would love to just relax somewhere."
"Surfing?" Rox asked.
Relieved at the suggestion, Tess nodded and stepped down to join Derek. Halfway across the field Iris broke the silence.
"This is stupid, Tess. Are you going to tell them the truth? . . . or should I?"
Chapter 27: Truth
Tess couldn't do it, so Iris followed through. After she told them, Tess couldn't meet Derek’s or Rox's eyes. They walked in silence to the dorms and by unspoken agreement continued to a shadowed bench on the lake. Then they sat and stared at the water. After several minutes, Derek spoke first.
"What exactly does that mean?" he said slowly.
"It means she can do every type of magic," Rox said, "and that supposedly she is meant to unite mages and aurens."
"If that's even possible," Tess said. "All I know is that I have no idea what I am supposed to do—or be."
Derek punched her shoulder lightly. "All I know is that you saved our lives."
The other two murmured in agreement and Rox shuddered. "The only thing worse than falling to your death . . . is being sliced to pieces on the way down."
Derek and Iris agreed in unison. After another moment, Tess asked, "Can you guys do me a favor?" They nodded, so she continued in halting words. "If what I am . . . gets out, I'm not sure I will know who to trust. The three of you know much more about this world than I, and I need you to keep me from . . . getting someone killed."
"You think it would come to that?" Rox asked.
On impulse Tess shared what had happened the day she'd met Hawk, as well as her training sessions with him. Then she explained about her following the marked one to the Spirus. When she finished even Iris looked shocked. Rox blew out her breath.
"So you saw the same guy right before our sphere launched," she said.
"Oh," Iris said, her eyes widening. "That explains a lot."
Tess turned to her but her eyes had already glazed over. Typically when her roommate bore that expression she was somewhere else. This time her expression was one of intense concentration.
"Iris," Derek barked, and she snapped out of it. She returned to the conversation as if nothing had happened.
"For a couple of years now I have been tracking a group of people on the nets who call themselves the Harbingers. I first noticed something about them when I came with Derek for his first quad tour. It was odd, their messages were shielded, even more than normal."
Tess sighed and rubbed her forehead. "I have no idea what that means, Iris,"
"In auren terms, their data encryption was off the charts," Iris said. "It's way harder to crack than the school's private messages, or even the high council's inter office notes—ˮ
"Do you read all data streams?" Rox asked.
"Yeah," Iris said. Her tone added the, why not?
"So the signal . . .?" Derek prompted.
"Right," Iris blinked. "I'd never seen anything like it. I was curious, so I started to pick it apart. The magic is masterful, subtle, and artistic, so I've been cautious. It's taken me a year to read even some of the notes. Now I'm deep enough that I risk being discovered at every turn. The only reason I've stayed under the radar is because the techno mag behind it is beyond arrogant. I doubt he thinks anyone could notice it, let alone break it."
"What do they say?" Tess asked, doing her best to keep her impatience from her voice.
"From what I've been able to gather their goal is to guide the aurens to peace—hence the name. The problem is they think that aurens will only accept peace it's forced upon them. They believe that it's their divine duty to remove the auren's ability to choose—whatever the cost."
"What do you mean—whatever the cost?" Derek pounced on the words.
Iris shivered, and then quoted, "We must convert mages and aurens to our cause, but witnesses at this point are unacceptable. Use their children, wives, or parents to force cooperation. If that fails, eliminate them."
Iris paused, and then added, "That was sent a few months ago."
"Did they really do that?" Rox asked. Her expression was of disbelief.
Iris nodded slowly. "I think so. A bunch of mages and aurens disappeared soon after—and many of them are upper level masters or of a high rank in the auren militaries."
"Wait," Derek said, and shook his head as if he were trying to understand. "If some are being killed, then who is joining the cause?"
"I don't know," Iris said.
"Have you tried to report this?" Rox asked. "And why haven't we seen the council commenting on it?"
Iris frowned. "You don't think I tried that? As soon as I knew what was going on, I sent a veiled message to someone in the Mage Security Bureau. It would have looked like it came from one of his subordinates. His reply was that they were already looking into it, and that they suspected a group called The Guild was behind the killings."
"Hold on—who's The Guild?"
"Am I supposed to know everything?" Iris said. "I have no idea. If they exist, I haven't seen any messages from them. They might be made up by the Harbingers to turn suspicion away from themselves."
"But why hasn't the council alerted everyone?" Rox said.
"Because they want to avoid a panic," Tess said. "Remember how everyone was acting when we did the tour of the high council room?"
The girls nodded, but Derek's expression was blank. Tess filled him in on the tense atmosphere. When she finished he was rubbing his chin, lost in thought. Then he asked, "Iris . . . are any messages coming from within the Spirus?"
She blinked. "How did you know?"
"It's the only thing that makes sense," Derek replied. "A group like this would want control, and if they are gathering powerful mages and aurens, it means they are operating from somewhere very high up. It's the only way they could operate unseen."
"Did they mention me?" Tess said.
Iris's expression became apologetic. "They kept referencing a girl they wanted, but I didn't realize until now that it meant you."
"Who are they?" Rox asked.
Iris made an irritated noise. "I just told you I haven't made it that deep into their system. I can tell you there are at least twenty in the school, and a few hundred scattered throughout the city—an increasing number of which seem to work in the Spirus. I believe there are a lot more planetside."
"And they want me dead," Tess said. For some reason saying it out loud made it worse, and she grimaced.
"It looks that way," Derek said. Then his brow furrowed in anger. "You both should have told us sooner. We could have been watching out for them."
Iris and Tess spoke at the same time.
"How was I supposed to know it was talking about her?"
"It's a big thing to drop on someone."
Rox raised her hand to forestall any more disagreement. "Fine. At least we know now. But what do we do? Tell someone?"
"There's no one to tell," Tess said. "Hawk wants me to keep it secret for as long as I can. He wants me to understand more of the mage world before anything is expected of me. After the attack on us, I think it's only a matter of time now."
