Storm of Arranon Fire and Ice (17 page)

Air no longer passed in and out of her
straining lungs.

The fist of shining vapor before her relaxed
its grip. Glowing miasma fingers reached out and grabbed the front
of her jacket. With a jerk, she was off her feet, suspended above
the floor. She clutched for the suffocating hand covering her
mouth. Her fingers slid vainly through the dense mist. There was
nothing substantial to grab. She kicked out with no force as if she
floated in a viscous material. Her arms thrashed, making no
connection. Erynn’s heart constricted with a paralyzing fear.

How can I fight something I can’t
touch
?

She thought of her recent vision.

The laughing little boy with dark curly
hair and blue eyes. Is he mine
?
Yes. Yes, he will
be
.

Erynn kicked and struggled against a powerful
force. Her actions were little more than a slow-motion dance, a
futile attempt to free herself from this ghostly assailant. Her
lungs burned. Her head swam from lack of oxygen.

Through the dense white haze, she saw a flash
of movement. The door swung open with tremendous energy, bounced
back into sight, splintered, and cracked from striking the outer
wall. The bang of the heavy door shattered the muffling
silence.

I heard that
?
Or is my
oxygen-starved brain giving me what it believes the breaking door
would sound like
?

The veil of fog parted. A stinging fear
swarmed over her like angry
hornacts
. Beyond the opening,
three transparent figures in long, dark fur capes appeared. Low
cowls obscured their glowing faces. A bright blue light radiated
from their shining outlines.

Will these ghosts finish us
?
Take
our souls into their keeping, forever to roam the fortress of
Deanaim
?

An overwhelming sense of terror crashed
against her and joined her own sense of dread. If her life flashed
before her eyes, the vision was far too short for her to take
notice.

Phantom hands released her. The heavy mist
thinned. Vapor whirled and spiraled upward into the rafters in a
frenzied escape.

Gravity returned with sudden alacrity. She
hit the cold floor, gasping. Her head bounced on the hard packed
dirt. “Aven?” She called and sucked in precious, cool, fresh air as
fast as her lungs expelled it. “Aven!” She pulled herself up on
hands and knees.

The three spectral forms entered the small
room. One went to the stack of plates on Erynn’s cot. Another went
to Aven and leaned over his still form. The third stood before
Erynn.

Aven lay unmoving in the corner, tossed over
the supplies like a discarded toy.

“Don’t…touch…him,” Erynn panted.

The ghostly figure over Aven turned his head
to stare at her. Long dark hair cascaded beneath the hood of his
cape.

Erynn pushed up, getting one foot under her,
and staggered to stand. “I said leave him alone.” Her breathing
steadied. Wind swirled. Her hair whipped around her face.

Aven coughed and his body jerked. His boots
scrambled at the dirt floor. He labored unsteadily to a sitting
position. “Erynn?” His gaze took in the three translucent forms,
and he jumped up, swaying.

The glowing male shape before Erynn hadn’t
taken his eyes off her until the wind gusted through the cramped
space. Now he watched the effect and grinned. “Interesting.” His
gaze returned to Erynn. “Am I using the correct language?”

Aven shuffled over, pushing Erynn behind him,
shielding her from the three spectral figures.

Erynn held her breath.

The wind stopped.

She nodded. “Why are you trying to kill
us?”

“If we wanted you dead, you’d have been
unable to stop us. The
Brusart
are the ones who tried to
harm you. They betrayed Arranon and stood with Dhoran during his
attempt to rule the surface hundreds of years ago. Traitors. Their
cursed human spirits reside within the walls of Deanaim, trapped
here for eternity.” The apparition gestured to his two companions,
and the corners of his lips turned up slightly. “We, the guardians
of Deanaim, saved you.” The guardian turned in a slow circle. He
studied the room, an expression of wistful recollection in his
shimmering eyes. “When you showed your power to the Brusart, they
moved in to kill. Before, they were just trying to scare you away.
The Brusart guard the portal as we do, but for different reasons.”
His attention spun to Erynn. He tipped his head, staring at her
with a mixture of curiosity and suspicion.

“A portal?” Erynn pushed around Aven.
“There’s a portal here? Which one?”

“Erynn, stop.” Aven took her arm and pulled
her back.

The other two ghostly men stepped in to stand
on either side of the guardian doing the talking.

His form wavered and dimmed, then cleared,
and brightened. He frowned. His gaze narrowed and shifted from Aven
to Erynn. “Yes. Are you searching for the portal?”

Erynn started to speak. Aven jerked her to
silence, but not before she nodded.

The guardian in front of Erynn shook his head
like a father reprimanding a small child. White hair escaped the
hood, shimmering in a transparent, liquid fall. “Why would you seek
such danger? This knowledge will gain you nothing. There are no
riches to be had. The portal leads to an incomprehensible
evil.”

Erynn chose to tell this guardian of the
portal the truth. “I understand. I have come to destroy the gateway
to Dhoran’s world.”

“Erynn, no!” Aven snapped too late.

The three exchanged glances. Their radiance
brightened and pulsed.

The specter in the middle nodded. “How do you
propose to do this?”

“I don’t know. Because Deanaim is the oldest
site on Arranon, I came here to learn if there was information
about the portals, or how to find them.” She slipped around Aven to
face the three apparitions. “Dhoran has returned. He will amass an
army in another attempt to take Arranon by force. Our only chance
to stop this war is to destroy the portals and imprison Dhoran
below, forever.”

A slight smile touched the guardian’s ghostly
lips. “The two of you take on this massive task alone?”

“No. Just me,” Erynn asserted, standing to
her full height.

At the same time, Aven stepped next to Erynn.
“Yes, both of us.”

She glared at Aven.

Aven gazed down at her, his mouth twisted.
His eyebrows bunched together, and he dipped his head toward the
three ghosts.

“You are both brave. This is an admirable
quality, but foolish.” The three figures blurred, turned toward the
door, and disappeared into the night. Their blue radiance blinked
off like a switch had been flipped. A voice swirled in on the
breeze. “Return to your home. Next time, the Brusart may not flee
from our presence.”

Erynn ran to the door and shouted into the
dark. “I’m not leaving. You may not care if Dhoran takes over
Arranon, but I do.” She pulled the door closed, and it sprung open
a few centimeters. Tugging again, she got the same results. “The
door’s broken.” She frowned and turned to Aven.

He tore at the bedding on the cots, pulling
the pads and blankets free. “We’re sleeping in the Herk
tonight.”

Erynn nodded and followed him outside. “We
can set up a new base tomorrow.”

Aven grabbed the handle to the cargo door,
and it opened with a whoosh. He tossed in the bedding. He spun to
her, his face set, determined. “We’re leaving tomorrow. I’m getting
you out of here.”

“Aven, no. There’s a portal here—”

“Then we’ve accomplished what we came for. We
can advise Cale. Let him figure out a way to get around the ghosts.
You have the plates with the symbols. Concentrate on getting them
to Cace. Find out what they say.”

She sidestepped to stand in front of him.
“Okay. We’ll leave, but not first thing in the morning. Give me
that long to search for the portal. Then I’ll go with you. The
Brusart won’t be back before dark.”

He shook his head. “We don’t know that. I’m
getting you out of here, Erynn. I should take you right now.” He
studied the Herk. “I want to go over the ship before we fly,
though. Make sure it’s not been tampered with. I need light for a
thorough inspection.”

“While you check the Herk, I can search—”

“Erynn. No. We can come back after we have a
plan to deal with the Brusart.” Aven held up his fisted hand, the
first finger extended at her. He tucked his chin, staring at her
under hooded eyes. “No argument.” He motioned for Erynn to get in
the cargo hold. After jumping in, he closed the door, securing it.
“Try and get some sleep.” He arranged the bedding, more tangled
than straightened. “Aren’t you going to say something?”

She glared at him. “You told me no argument.
I have nothing to say.”

He turned to her, his eyes sad, still
attempting to spread the blankets. “My brother loves you. More than
anything. And I love my brother. I’m getting you out of here.”

Erynn curled on her side away from Aven,
resolved to take up the conversation in the morning. In the light
of day, their ghostly attack might seem less traumatic. He had to
agree to let her search, at least until he was ready to go. If not,
she would find a way. She was too close to give up now.

LATE AFTERNOON SUNLIGHT SPILLED IN the open
hangar doors. Loud bangs and shrill whirs from the various tools in
service battered Jaer’s ears. In a far corner, two helmet-clad
workers ground at the frame of a Herk. White sparks jumped,
bounced, and disappeared. The smell of hot metal and scorched cloth
hung in the air. Jaer wound through the people and aircraft in the
bay to the scramble pad.

He stepped into what remained of a bright day
under a blue sky. Cold air swept around him in a mild wind,
clearing his lungs. His long hair stirred, fluttering blue-black
strands along his back and over his shoulders. The chill penetrated
his heavy, dark tunic. Ice crawled like stick fingers along his
spine. He shivered.

An omen
.

Driven by the breeze, icy powder drifted and
danced across the smooth rock surface. Three Interceptors waited,
glistening in the golden glow of the fading day. Tam, Sean, and
Tiar would be leaving soon. He would have answers about Erynn’s and
Aven’s safety.

He stared out over the rocky crags and below
to the trees decorated with snow. His chest tightened around his
heart and squeezed.

There would be time before the Interceptors
reached Deanaim. He intended to visit the Medical Unit and have a
talk with Nev during the wait.

Cale moved from the hangar bay and stood next
to Jaer. “It won’t be long. We’ll have contact with Aven and
Erynn.”

Jaer detected the low edge of worry winding
through Cale’s words.

Cale crossed his arms. His gaze followed
Jaer’s. “It will be winter soon. Farglas Lake has ice around the
edges that hasn’t melted for days. The snows can be cruel here in
the upper regions.”

Jaer nodded again. His gut churned.

More snow, more ice, more cold. Erynn in
the snow, in the ice, in the cold, dying
.

Cale’s voice broke the vision and the image
scattered like the snow skipping over the pad. “They’re fine, Jaer.
You know Erynn. She’s dug in and is compiling enough information to
keep Cace busy for a month.”

Jaer frowned, sucked in a breath, and turned
to Cale. “Something is wrong. I have a…feeling. It is crucial we
reach Erynn in time. Before…”

Cale’s features tightened. “Before what?”

“I do not know, but I cannot shake the sense
that time is running out.”

“We’ll know soon. It won’t be long,” Cale
repeated, his voice low. He gazed out over the rim of the scramble
pad.

Jaer nodded. The twist in his stomach
tightened. “Shan knows Erynn is of mixed parentage.”

Tam, Sean, and Tiar walked out onto the pad
and went to inspect their fighters. Their ground crews
followed.

Cale’s gaze whipped to Jaer. “What? How? No
one that knows would have spoken to Shan about this.” Cale’s gaze
drifted to Sean and Tiar. “They wouldn’t have told…anyone.”

Jaer ground his teeth. “There is one that
knows. One that believes Erynn’s mother is Arranon. One that would
use this information for his gain.”

“Nev,” Cale whispered.

Jaer watched a single aleun catch an updraft
and ride the wind, dark wings a silhouette across the blue sky.

Another omen
.

“I will discuss this matter with the byan
after the Interceptors are on their way.”

Jaer entered the bright Medical Unit, his
left hand resting on the hilt of his
dygaer
. His staser hung
holstered on his right hip.

The guard stationed in the outer recess stood
up and stepped around the desk. “No weapons allowed. I’m sorry,
sir. You can leave them with me.”

Jaer stepped to within centimeters of the
man. “I learned a lesson not long ago, when given a similar
request. I keep my weapons.”

The man stumbled back. “Sir. It, it’s the
p-policy of this unit—”

Jaer leaned in. “It is my policy that
concerns me, not yours. But I will not enter if you send the byan
out.”

The man frowned, scanning Jaer up and down.
“Are you injured?”

“I am here on a personal matter, involving
only the byan and me.”

“Stay here. I’ll see if Byan Nev is
available.” He turned and hurried into the wide white corridor and
out of sight.

After a short wait, Nev came through the
door. A smile touched his lips. “Jaer. I wondered when we’d finally
talk.”

Jaer spread his arms, his broad shoulders
squared. “If there was something you wanted to say to me, I am not
hard to find.”

Nev sat on the corner of the security guard’s
desk, his posture relaxed. Jaer read the gesture differently. He
could sense Nev’s tension running like wind through taut wires,
singing, revealing his unease. Jaer repressed his pleasure and a
smile.