Barely containing his own escalating stress, Jaden blurted, “What are you doing?”
“Help me here a minute, would you?” Atu directed, ignoring Jaden’s question.
“What do you need me to do?”
“Check Han’s chin. See if there’s a small cut below his lip.”
Mystified, Jaden hustled over to Han and did as asked. “No, no cut.”
“How about under his left wing? Is there anything there?”
Jaden inspected the area and shook his head again. “No. What are you looking for?”
“Something I’m not seeing,” Atu muttered, moving around Taz and lifting an eyelid. He peered at her exposed eyeball, then ran over to Han and did the same.
“For pity’s sake, Atu, tell us what’s going on!” Jaden bellowed.
“I’m trying to find some medical reason why our gliders are in this state. Something has to be causing it. And I can’t find it.”
“That’s because there isn’t one.”
At the voice booming behind them, they spun around and gasped at the sheer size of the man. Human, but so tall and broad and obscured by furs, he could’ve been mistaken for a small bear. Bounding back to Kayla, the boys assumed defensive positions in front of her and Taz. Jaden hoped the stranger wouldn’t question the noticeable gap between Kayla and the boys, a result of Taz’s inert body. An invisible creature would be difficult to explain.
Chapter Seventeen
“Who are you?” Jaden demanded.
“You’re invading my space and you want to know who I am?”
His voice carried the unmistakable accent of a native Gotskienian. When they simultaneously noticed the odd-looking weapon protruding from his hand, the teens sucked in a communal breath. It could’ve been a gun except for two glaring alterations: the grip resembled a remote control, and the barrel flared outward to a wide mouth instead of the usual short, uniform tube.
Jaden wasn’t the only one who heard Kayla’s stifled giggle.
“You find this amusing, no?” the man snapped.
“Sorry,” Kayla sputtered. “That reminds me of my hair dryer attachment.” She frowned when she realized that hadn’t sounded rational. “A bump on the head combined with pain medication isn’t exactly a recipe for self-control.”
The man grunted, studying them for another moment. His next question shocked them. “Are those your beasts?”
He could only be referring to their gliders. He can see them? “And what if they are?” Jaden countered.
“Friend or foe?” the man clarified.
Atu answered this time. “They’re our friends.”
“I thought as much!” the man exclaimed, his face breaking into a broad grin. “I never thought I would ever lay eyes on them.”
His reaction was bewildering. Jaden glared at Atu for giving out even this small tidbit of information. What was he thinking, putting the gliders in jeopardy? Then Jaden noticed Atu was gazing at the man as though he suspected who he might be.
Tossing Jaden a tight, pacifying smile, Atu reached into his pocket and, to Jaden’s dismay, withdrew his medallion, holding it up to the man.
The stranger’s reaction was instantaneous. Muttering an oath, he dropped his weapon. Astounded, Jaden watched, wide-eyed, as he patted around inside his heavy jacket. Then, with another face-splitting grin, he produced what he’d been searching for: another medallion.
While Jaden and Kayla gaped, Atu ran to the man, embracing him. “Armorer!”
The man was just as flabbergasted as Jaden and Kayla. Then Atu’s salutation registered because the stranger returned the hug, a look of wonder crossing his face. “You’re from the desert?”
“Yes. Sava’s my father. Do you remember him?”
“How could I forget the masterful storyteller? His tales of the beasts were so real, you experienced their invasion when he spoke of it. How is he?”
Atu’s face fell. “I’m not sure. He and my mother went missing three months ago.”
“No! What happened?”
“I suspect the Gaptor took them, but to what end, I don’t know.”
The man cursed unintelligibly. Shaking his head, he gave Atu’s shoulder an understanding squeeze. “I am so sorry to hear that.”
Atu nodded, then changed the subject. “Come, let me introduce you to my friends,” Atu murmured, dragging the man to where Jaden and Kayla still gawked. “Armorer, meet Jaden and Kayla.”
“A genuine pleasure,” the man said in his strange accent. “Please, call me Sven.”
They shook hands, exchanging brief pleasantries before Atu said, “Armorer, not to be rude, but our gliders are ill. We don’t know what ails them. Do you have any idea how we can help them?”
Sven bashed his hand against his forehead, uttering another garbled oath. Without explanation, he hurriedly retrieved his weapon. The teens all stepped back in alarm. He frowned. “This won’t hurt you. It’s to help them,” he explained, pointing at their gliders.
Sven pushed a series of buttons on the flattened grip. There was a soft popping sound, like the seal of a vacuum being broken. The teens’ gazes swiveled toward their gliders, expecting movement, but their friends remained motionless.
About to ask Sven what they should observe, Jaden whooped when Han and Taz straightened, albeit stiffly, and assumed their usual resting positions. Jaden dashed to them, Kayla on his heels, both shouting their gliders’ names.
Jaden reached Han and put a hand on his fur. “How do you feel?”
Han blinked, still waking up, and surveyed his surroundings. Spying Sven, he struggled to his full height, shielding Jaden with his wings and hissing at the intruder.
“It’s alright. He’s a friend.” Jaden rushed to explain, noticing Taz taking similar steps to protect Kayla. Somewhat mollified, the bats stopped hissing but did not lower their wings.
Atu led a nervous Sven toward the bats. “Taz, Han, I’d like you to meet Sven. He’s the armorer I spoke of.” When the bats maintained their hostile stances, Atu said. “Sven, show them your medallion.”
Trembling, Sven held up his medallion. The sight of the rare artifact finally convinced the bats there was no danger, and they lowered their wings.
“We apologize if we scared you,” Han murmured.
Sven gaped. “They speak?”
“We do.” Taz sighed, rolling her eyes. She wasted no time getting to the point. “Armorer, do you know what precipitated our disorientation?”
Sven looked uncomfortable. “I’m sorry. I did not know it was you, or I would not have engaged the signal. Please accept my humblest apologies,” he offered, bowing to the gliders.
Taz inclined her head, but before she could speak, Jaden charged in.
“What signal?”
Kayla scowled. “You caused all that?”
“But why, Armorer?” Atu asked.
Sven held up a hand to stop the barrage. “The last time something entered my airspace, I got this.” Sven tugged his jacket open to reveal a jagged, bright red scar running the length of his collarbone.
Kayla winced. “A Gaptor?”
“Yes. Which is why I made that,” Sven said, gesturing toward his strange weapon. “I didn’t want that abomination having control if we ever had the misfortune of meeting again.”
Jaden nodded, his anger assuaged. “The gun sends out the signal, then? What does the signal do?”
“It disrupts sound waves at an ultrasonic level. I suspected it would affect the sonar the beast uses for navigation, unbalancing it, to the degree it would incapacitate the beast, causing it to fall from the sky. I didn’t know whether it would work, but,” Sven shrugged, gazing apologetically at the gliders again, “you have proven this will be an effective weapon should that beast ever dare enter my space again.”
Jaden whistled. “Impressive! What made you think of disrupting the sound waves?”
Out of the corner of his eye, Jaden caught Kayla’s eye roll.
“Boys and their toys!” Kayl
a chided. “I know all this is terribly fascinating, but should we be standing around here discussing a weapon’s design? Sven, do you perhaps have somewhere sheltered our gliders could rest? Considering,” she pointed out with some snark, “not all of us escaped unscathed.”
Sven barked a laugh. “She has some sputska, no?”
“You could say that,” Jaden muttered, reluctant to give up the first bit of tangible information he’d had in days. But Kayla was right. As usual. And now that he examined Kayla’s face, he could see the exhaustion drawing her mouth tight and the faint, black smudges under her eyes.
Jaden regretted not thinking of her needs sooner. If he could just scoop her up in his arms and carry her away to a safe place—a place where she could find peace, where no harm could touch her. Except does such a place exist anymore? Even if it did, Kayla wasn’t one to shirk her responsibilities. Will she ever let me take care of her? Jaden sighed, realizing Sven needed a nudge. “She has a point. Our gliders need a sheltered place to recover. As do we.” Jaden glanced at Kayla.
Discerning his concern, Kayla smiled, responding to his unspoken request. “Yes, I promise to be a good girl and take it easy when we get there.”
Jaden grinned. “I’m glad you’re not going to be difficult about it.” Turning to Sven, he said, “So how about it? Do you have a place nearby?”
“Yes! You will follow me home. You’ll be my guests, yes?”
“Thank you, Armorer. We’d love that,” Atu answered.
Sven beamed. “It will be delightful to have company again after all these years alone. Please, come!”
Kayla gave Taz an anxious glance. “How’s your wing? Do you need help?”
Taz fluttered her injured wing. “I think I can manage. Did Atu work his magic on it like he did with Han’s?”
“Yes, so let’s hope it’s healed by tomorrow. Are you sure you’re alright?”
Taz smiled. Anyone with eyes could see Kayla was growing on her. “Thank you, but it’s bearable. How’s your head?”
Kayla returned the smile. “It’s bearable.”
Taz laughed. “You’re my kind of girl.”
Jaden agreed. She was his kind of girl too. Looking pleased with herself, Kayla took up her position alongside Taz. Then she blinked in surprise and raised a questioning eyebrow when Jaden stepped closer and settled an arm around her waist.
“I don’t want you falling over and bashing your head again.” Jaden shrugged, as if this was the most sensible explanation in the world. He had wondered how she would react, and that she hadn’t drawn back—no, hadn’t even flinched—soothed his soul. It was so right to have her snuggled under his arm. If only he could keep her there.
Chapter Eighteen
Kayla eyed Jaden as they hobbled after Sven. Something about his flippant response made her believe there was more to the casual contact. Although his touch was light, Jaden’s arm was a band of steel, binding her to him as tightly as a vine wrapping around a post. She had to admit—it felt heavenly. Kayla relaxed against Jaden, not in the mood to think about his motivations anymore. Or that she should push him away. She was too tired to keep resisting. All she wanted was to savor his closeness.
As they walked, Kayla wondered where Sven’s home was. This was such an isolated region. She couldn’t help but speculate on his reasons for living in the middle of nowhere. More than that, she hoped they’d discover other weapons Sven might have developed. Atu had said he was the armorer. Maybe Sven could work his magic, the same as Atu, and adapt the contraption he had used to bring them down, so it only worked on the Gaptor and not on their gliders. Wouldn’t that be a bonus!
Kayla sighed as they trudged onward, hoping Sven’s home wasn’t far, even though she didn’t want to give up Jaden’s arm around her. Much as she was enjoying the contact, she longed for a place to lie down. Glancing at her companions, she found she wasn’t the only one in need of a good night’s rest. Fatigue weighed heavily on their shoulders as they slogged along.
If everyone’s already this tired and we still haven’t found what we’re looking for, what are our chances of successfully completing the rest of the journey? And what’s yet to come? Kayla shuddered as she recalled their last encounter with the Gaptor. Will more of the monsters be coming our way soon? If so, is our little group really equipped to deal with them effectively? Frazzled, Kayla jerked a hand through her long blonde hair, flinching and sucking in a sharp breath when the action pulled on her wound. Why aren’t we there already?
Kayla was so preoccupied with her thoughts, she didn’t notice Atu had stopped. Between pressure from Jaden’s arm as he held her back and bumping into Atu, it brought her back to reality. “What’s up?”
“Sven said he needed to disarm something,” Atu muttered, shrugging when she raised an eyebrow.
Kayla looked for Sven, finding he’d stepped off the semblance of a track they’d been using. Kayla frowned when Sven picked an apparently random starting point, then paced forward from that spot in odd, geometrical patterns, until he eased behind a tree to the left of the wide swathe of snow in front of them.
A sparse rash of gray boulders marred the otherwise perfectly smooth surface of the snow, sticking out like ugly, blotchy blemishes. Sven stepped out from behind the tree onto the carpet of white, carefully inching between two boulders. Bending down, he grunted, tugging on something.
There was a sucking sound. Then the serene, snowy slope beyond the boulders disappeared. Kayla blinked as the image slid away, like an enormous canvas being yanked off a wall. It revealed a different landscape: one infinitely more treacherous. A precipice dropped into a vertical abyss a short way ahead of them.
Sven grinned at their stunned expressions. “You like my little deception?”
“Wow, that’s unbelievable!” Jaden declared, enamored as always with anything technological. “Explain how you did that! Was that image similar to a holo-screen?”
“Nothing so simple.” Sven smiled, pleased with Jaden’s appreciation. “When you’re dealing with creatures from another realm, it’s best not to assume anything, including their ability or inability to detect holo-images. Therefore, I, shall we say, ‘adapted’ the basic concept of the holo-image, adding some extra sizzle as a surprise for anything trying to cross without first disarming the field.”
“Sizzle?” Kayla asked, her own curiosity roused.
Sven smirked. “A hefty electric field with enough voltage to fry anything that touches it, and impervious to EMPs of any kind.”
Jaden snorted. “I wouldn’t be too sure of that. We’ve seen an EMP that completely bypassed all the shields on our terraporter. Have you ever come across anything like that?”
“I have,” Sven mused, but didn’t elaborate. When Jaden pressed, he merely smiled. “We all have our secrets, no? This is one of mine, and I’ll not share it willingly. Come, it’s getting dark and we have a way to go.” Hearing Kayla’s groan, he added, “But not too far.”
Skirting the icy rim of the cliff, Jaden guided Kayla to the other side, where they waited for Sven as he re-engaged the trap. They marveled as the flawless illusion snapped back into place. Sven reclaimed his position in the lead, and they resumed their journey. Fifteen minutes passed before Sven called another halt. This time, their reason for not going further was obvious. A wide chasm yawned in front of them, stretching without end in either direction.
Kayla peeked at Jaden and Atu, not surprised to find they were equally mystified. Why had Sven brought them to a dead end? There was no way forward.
But, grinning like a loon, Sven reached under the icy ledge curling up at the chasm’s edge. A tiny click preceded a soft whirring. Their eyes followed the sound. Two enormous, glittering quarter-circle arches rose, one from each side of the sheer walls, meeting in the middle and forming a perfect bridge over which they could cross.
Kayla chuckled. “Extraordinary!”
Sven laughed. “Yes, I like that one myself. Shall we?”
Making their
way toward the bridge, they were delighted when it accommodated the gliders comfortably. And it wasn’t at all slippery.
“Okay, how d'you do that?” Jaden asked.
Kayla could almost see those little wheels turning in his head as he tried to figure it out, and she grinned.
Sven’s grin was almost as wide as Kayla’s. “It’s amazing what a little heat and a special coating will do to keep things safe. I can’t very well have my guests falling off the walkway to their deaths—that wouldn’t be very hospitable.”
They all laughed. Reaching the far end of the walkway, they waited while Sven retracted the crystal drawbridge, then tramped after him as he resumed his lead. In under five minutes, they encountered their next seemingly insurmountable barrier: an unscalable cliff, rising immovable and impenetrable before them. The teens and their gliders turned and gazed expectantly at Sven.
“Any guesses where my key is hiding?” Sven teased.
“On the rock face?” Atu suggested.
“Nope.”
“Under a ledge somewhere?” Kayla offered.
“No, again. Care to try?” he asked Jaden.
“Well, it’s most likely a place you haven’t used before. From the little I’ve seen of your work, you hate being predictable. Since the mountain and any ledges are out, the only other suitable hiding place here would be in those trees.” Jaden gestured. “But which tree is the right one?” Jaden pondered, gazing at the proliferation of massive trunks crowding the cliff edge.
“You’re smarter than you look. Tell me, which general grouping would you choose?”
Jaden shrugged. “With the way you think, it could be any of them.”
“That was what I had hoped to hear.” Retracing his steps, Sven navigated the deep snow toward a tight circle of trees, quite some distance from the path. Entering the circle, he disappeared.
Destiny Series Boxed Set Page 39