by Kim Falconer
Good timing, Teg. There was excitement in her mental voice as she risked mind-to-mind contact. I was running out of ideas.
My pleasure, Mistress.
We best get out of here.
The others?
Unfortunately they can’t shape-shift. Where’s Scylla?
This way. He took in the air, scenting for the Sword Master’s temple cat. Preoccupied with the serpent around his neck and the aftermath of the door spell, he didn’t scent for anything else. He turned a corner and ran smack into another guard.
Teg drew his sword as the guard recovered from her surprise and lunged at him. She wilted to the ground before Teg could block her strike, a tiny trickle of blood oozing from her neck. The serpent snapped her mouth shut, concealing long curved fangs.
So you’re toxic?
Somewhat, Kreshkali hissed, tightening her coils.
Teg took the sword and knife from the body and stepped over it, continuing down the hall. Around the next corner they found Scylla in front of a door, her bobtail twitching. She backed up as Teg approached.
What now, Mistress? he asked.
Same thing, only higher, if Jarrod’s on the other side of the door. There was a pause as the loops tightened. He is. Move closer. Scylla, back up, sweet one. We’re getting him.
The heat of the spell flushed his face and in a moment the bottom of the door vanished. There was plenty of room for them to crawl out.
Teg held his breath, waiting for the sound of guards approaching at a run, or the clang of the temple bells. Neither could be heard. He nodded to An’ Lawrence as he led the others out.
‘What took you so long?’ the Sword Master said.
Teg didn’t know if the question was for him, Kreshkali or his temple cat. He retreated down the hall, tilting his head in the direction of the exit. ‘I suggest we hurry,’ he said, taking in the measure of Shane and Jarrod. His eyes rested on Selene. ‘There will be a pursuit.’
‘How many bodies did you leave in your wake?’ An’ Lawrence asked, stepping over a guard. The woman was face down, arms and legs at awkward angles. She hadn’t moved.
‘Enough to rescue you,’ Teg replied, his voice low. ‘Follow me.’ He didn’t turn to see if they did. He could tell they were behind, slinking down the long twisting hallway, keeping to the shadows. When they reached the alley, Teg closed the door, sealing it with a light spell of his own. Kreshkali relaxed her coils when he did. The night air touched his face, cool and fresh after the cloistered warren beneath the temple hall. He tilted his head back and gazed at the stars. When he looked at the others, they were all staring at him. ‘What’s the problem?’ he asked.
‘Who are you?’ Selene asked.
‘Kreshkali’s apprentice. Name’s Teg,’ he said, introducing himself.
An’ Lawrence stepped forward and tapped the serpent on the top of her head. It let out a hiss, mouth wide, fangs bared.
‘And this is Kreshkali,’ the Sword Master said. ‘You needn’t stay in this form forever, you know. I’d hate to see you get stuck like that.’
In a warp of energy, Kreshkali shifted, launching skyward as a night owl, the loops of the serpent disappearing as she burst out of her previous shape. Teg gasped, the sudden release throwing him backward. He watched as she rose above the treetops and disappeared.
Teg, come with me!
He blinked, dropping the weapons at his feet. He leapt after her, shifting into wolf form in mid-stride.
An’ Lawrence grimaced as the Lupin morphed and bolted.
‘This is déjà vu,’ Selene whispered, picking up the swords. She belted one on, and passed the others to the men.
An’ Lawrence held up his hand, listening. ‘Did you hear that?’ he whispered.
‘Guards!’ Jarrod said.
The Sword Master drew them into the darker shadows of the alley. Scylla crouched, bristling, and he kept his hand on her back as he pressed against the wall, motioning for the others to do the same. Boots clipped on pavement and stopped. Scylla jumped to the top of an apple barrel, tasting the air.
Guards, Rowan. Two.
He spotted them. ‘Sentinels,’ he whispered to the others. ‘Don’t move.’
The guards lingered at the end of the alleyway, their conversation clear on the evening breeze. ‘There’s no way to tell,’ the woman said. ‘They may or may not be from the southern continent.’
‘They sure as demons aren’t from around here. I’ve never seen a shift like that, and you haven’t either.’ The other voice was masculine.
‘Come on, Drake. At Temple Dumarka they shift like clouds in a storm.’
‘Gossip!’
‘Fact!’
‘How do you know?’
The woman whispered; An’ Lawrence was barely able to hear her answer. ‘It’s in their blood.’
The man didn’t have a response for that. He struck a match, and a wreath of smoke rose up around his face. ‘What do you think Le Saint will do with ‘em?’ He jerked his head towards the temple.
The woman laughed. ‘Bargaining chips, of course.’
‘For Corsanon?’
‘Where else if, as you say, they are spies.’
‘It’s more likely than your theory—there is no southern continent.’ He chuckled, then stopped suddenly. ‘Did you hear that?’
Red sparks fell to the ground and were crushed beneath his boot. Both sentinels drew their swords and jogged away.
‘That’s our signal,’ An’ Lawrence said. ‘Let’s go.’
‘She’s distracting them,’ Jarrod added, motioning Selene and Shane out of the shadows. ‘Come on. This is our chance’
The moonlight revealed the zigzag road coursing out of the valley for nearly half a league. Selene baulked. ‘We’ll be spotted if we climb that.’
An’ Lawrence shook his head. ‘We’ll go the other way.’ He stretched out his arm towards the far end of the valley.
‘But it’s twice as steep,’ she said.
‘It’ll provide cover,’ he said. ‘Hurry. I want out of here before they discover we’re gone.’ He took off at a jog, finding the narrow back alleys and keeping to the shadows. If they didn’t run into any more guards, they would make it.
‘Some chance this is,’ Selene whispered as she caught up to him. ‘And what do we do if we manage to get to the top?’
‘Hope Kreshkali’s waiting for us.’
‘Hope?’ Selene made a spitting sound.
‘She’ll lead us to the portal.’
‘And what if the other one is there instead?’
An’ Lawrence slowed his stride for a moment. ‘She won’t be,’ he said, and ran.
EARTH—TIME: FORWARD
CHAPTER 29
Rosette was desperate to have her body back, if for no other reason than to clobber the two men over the head with the nearest blunt object. How could they be so dense? They weren’t picking up on her thoughts no matter how hard she hurled them. Of course there was a way to get her body out of that medical fortress, and she had a fairly clear picture of what it would take for her to get back into it as well. If only these blockheads would listen. Drayco, nothing’s working. They can’t hear me. I don’t know what to do.
I see that, Maudi.
She felt the big cat warm against her awareness—a divine comfort.
Have you tried to get through to Fynn? he asked.
How will that help? They don’t understand him either, and he’s acting like a drunken rat. What are they feeding the poor guy?
Sedatives. Let me see what I can do.
She brightened. And I’ll play poltergeist.
There’s an idea, Maudi. Can you?
I’ll know in a sec. Rosette hovered over the table, focusing her intention on the objects there—a bottle of amber liquid, two very small glasses, a single plate with some kind of white wafer on it and a small computer display that they were passing back and forth. Not quite the ideal ingredients for a conjuring but something to work with anyway. Dray? Do
you think the four Elementals even exist in this world?
I imagine they exist everywhere, don’t you?
I love your imagination! And you’re right. Of course they do. She began to weave the Elemental summons, calling up Air, Earth, Water and Fire from the four corners of the room, the four corners of the city, the four corners of this world. The results knocked her over before the spell was half complete.
Grayson jumped out of his chair, righting the bottle as the liquid splashed out. At the same time the contents that pooled on the table ignited in flames. Everett yelled and leapt away from the fire, the hairs on his forearm singed. He grabbed a towel hanging in the kitchen and threw it over the table, snapping up the computer display before it melted. He dropped it immediately, shaking his hand and cursing. Fynn sprang to his feet, barking up a storm. He broke free of his restraint and Grayson caught him in his arms. He stood still, the dog squirming and yapping. His lips parted. Rosette! ‘She’s here,’ he said as the smoke billowed towards the ceiling. The table was charred black, the smell of burnt plastic thick in the room. Everett was hacking and coughing, waving the towel away from the smoke detector. Grayson let Fynn down, snapping his fingers towards the kitchen. ‘Sit, Canie. Good pup. Stay!’
‘Who’s here? What are you talking about?’ Everett’s face was beaded with sweat. He stared at the table as if it was alive. ‘Rosette can’t be here. You’re mad!’
Finally! Drayco, I’ve got their attention.
Maudi, you have the attention of most of the people in this apartment building. It might have been a little over the mark, that spell.
She rippled laughter. You know me…
Yes, but now what are you going to do?
I’m not sure, but at least Grayson knows I’m here. That might encourage him to hurry along with the body snatching. I’ve an unpleasant feeling that we’re running out of time.
Kali would argue the point, but I have the same feeling too. What’s next?
Is Fynn listening to you?
As best he can in his state.
Rosette longed to grimace.
Tell him to keep quiet and stay out of sight of the security cameras.
A little after the fact, but will do.
She hovered over Grayson and watched his aura jump. Again her thoughts wafted out towards the man and she let herself immerse in the memories of their intimacy—open, deep, passionate. It felt like years since they had touched and she allowed the backlog of desire to surface. Who knows, maybe it had been years, yet the sense of familiarity had not diminished as she mingled with the energy surrounding him. Gray? Can you hear me?
There was no answer, but the look on his face was one of reverie. ‘She’s here, in the room with us,’ he said. ‘I can feel her.’
‘I don’t know about that, but we’ll have more than her ghost in here shortly. We’ve got to move, fast.’
‘Why?’
‘Fire squad will investigate as soon as that footage is viewed,’ Everett said, indicating the surveillance camera. ‘They may send security too, if there were noise complaints. And there will be. I’d no idea how loud a dog could get.’
‘How long do we have?’
‘Fifteen minutes, tops.’
Both men were startled by a knock at the door.
‘Or less if they’re on patrol and get an instant divert.’ Everett waved Grayson aside as he swept the table clean, throwing the charred towel and burnt items into a cupboard. He scooped up Fynn, clamped his mouth shut and stuffed him into the backpack. Grayson grabbed it as Everett propelled them both into a closet. Rosette would have rolled her eyes, if she’d had any, when she slipped out into the hall to see who was there.
They’re worried about a little boy selling papers?
Not that, Drayco said, his voice on edge. The boy’s a decoy. Look down the elevator. Armed troops are on the way up.
Demons! What now?
Perhaps the doctor has something clever in mind.
I’m brewing up another summons, just in case.
Try not to incinerate them this time, will you? They won’t be much help if they’re cooked.
Good point.
But you better do something quickly, Maudi. The troops are here.
Rosette drew on the energy around her as Everett opened the door. He had a short conversation with the boy, bought a paper and was about to close the door when the elevator on the opposite side of the hallway rang and opened. Men with shields and fire extinguishers poured out, pushing the youth aside and knocking Everett back. They were heading straight towards the second room where Grayson hid.
Maudi, now would be a good time for that spell.
I’m on it, Dray. Eyes open. It’s going to get hot in here.
Grayson raced down the fire escape, the backpack digging into his spine. Everett was ahead of him, one hand on the metal railing, the other clutching a small computer case under his arm. The sound of his boots on the metal steps was like an alarm, clanging out a warning. There was no stealth in his movements, speed being the imperative. He hunched his shoulders every time an explosion erupted overhead, waiting for the muffled shouts and screams that would follow. They must be getting close to the ground floor.
Everett stopped suddenly, breathing hard. He leaned over the railing and looked down the shaft to the bottom of the stairwell, his face bright red and sweating. ‘We have to go back.’
‘Why?’ Grayson said, following his line of sight.
Everett’s eyes were wild. ‘We can’t get out this way.’
Grayson eased the tension of the backpack and indicated above. ‘It’s no better up there.’
Paint chips and rubble fell from the ceiling as another boom rocked the building. Grayson wiped his eyes.
‘The door we just passed,’ Everett said, retracing his steps. He raced up to the next landing. ‘It should lead to the service entrance. Come on.’
‘Should?’ Grayson asked, following on his heels.
Everett tested the door for heat before he tried his key-card in the slot. It clicked, and a small light blinked from red to yellow.
‘Damn. We need the password,’ he said as the key-card ejected.
‘Do you have it?’
Everett shook his head.
The sound of boots on the stairwell tapped double time. Grayson glanced below and spotted the troops sprinting up the steps—a moving blockade with their riot shields and batons. ‘I think I might know someone who does.’ He yelled above the explosions and shouts, ‘Rosette! A little help with the door?’
He didn’t hear an answer but felt an overwhelming impulse. He grabbed Everett and jerked him forward, dragging him up one flight of stairs. He crouched, shielding his face, waving for Everett to do the same. ‘Get down.’
‘If you think they won’t notice us here in plain sight…’
‘Everett, cover your eyes.’
‘Why?’
Grayson pulled him to the ground. A blast knocked them both back into the wall. When the sound subsided, Grayson scrambled to his feet, hoisting Everett as well. They charged down the steps to the landing. There was a hole in the wall where the door had been, exposed wires sticking out like a burnt claw, sparks zapping from the raw ends. Grayson raised his eyebrows at Everett. ‘Not the exact password, but effective, don’t you think?’
Twisted metal littered the floor, radiating heat and smelling of solder. He picked his way through the rubble. The hall was dim, lit only by flickering orange lights. They had to step over the remains of the door. It had been thrown several metres from the entrance and was folded over itself.
‘How did you do it?’ Everett asked, pulling his hand back from a smoking beam.
‘Rosette.’
Everett frowned. ‘I feel like I’m going mad. How can you know it’s Rosette?’
‘Subtlety’s not one of her strong points,’ Grayson said without further explanation. He winced as a palpable wave of energy swiped the back of his neck. ‘It’s true, and you know it.’
He turned behind him, sending his words to the general area where he felt Rosette hovering.
‘I didn’t say it wasn’t,’ Everett replied.
‘I was talking to Rosette.’
Everett shook his head. ‘This is a bad dream.’
Grayson held his finger to his lips. ‘They’re behind us,’ he whispered.
The sound of the troops on the landing rang out, like hammers on tin. Everett started to run, but Grayson stopped him, shaking his head and signalling again for silence.
‘They’ll be onto us,’ Everett whispered. His eyes were black in the orange light.
‘She’s taking care of it.’ Grayson crouched against the wall. ‘Trust me.’
‘You’re delusional,’ Everett whispered, as he hunkered down beside him. ‘I don’t know how you planted the explosives but you can’t really think a dead woman did any of this.’
The sound of the troops rushing up the steps shot past. Soon it was silent again except for the distant rumbles.
‘What just happened?’ Everett’s face twisted.
‘Not a bad glamour, don’t you think?’ Grayson smiled.
‘I don’t know what to think. You aren’t making sense. None of this is making sense.’
‘It will in time. Can you get us out of here?’
Everett rose to his feet, his hands shaking. ‘This way,’ he said, heading down the hallway. ‘The service entry is this way.’
Grayson followed him through a warren of twists and turns.
‘I hope you have a plan for when we hit the street,’ Everett said.
‘It’s forming. Can we get back to Rosette without attracting any attention? Back to the hospital?’
Everett stopped in front of another door, glancing at Grayson before swiping his key-card. This lock was not password protected. They stepped through into a small alcove with two elevators.
‘We’ve put ourselves on every security screen in the city,’ Everett said, shaking his head. ‘We couldn’t attract more attention than this if we joined a circus.’
Grayson chuckled, glad Everett had found his sense of humour. ‘Then we can’t wait. We have to get Rosette’s body out of that deepfreeze now.’
‘You’re not suggesting we blast more walls, are you?’
