Erynn grinned. “Then we need to check out Deanaim and get back home.” She glanced over to Aven and bit her lower lip.
“What?” Aven asked.
She took in a deep breath. “Jaer’s commitment was arranged? I didn’t think that sort of thing happened anymore. It’s…archaic.”
Aven leaned forward and tapped the face of a gauge. “The agreement worked for Jaer at the time and was helpful for Shan’s family.”
“Helpful? Why did the commitment work for Jaer?”
“Shan caused her family trouble. She was—is—a bit of a wild thing. They thought being committed would settle her down. Especially if there were children.”
Erynn grimaced and glanced at Aven, her stomach lurching into her throat. “Are there children?” She swallowed.
Aven shook his head. “No, Shan is unable to carry a child. This news made her more restless, agitated. Jaer was gone most of the time. They rarely saw each other. She took off not long after their commitment ceremony never to be seen again. Until now.” His voice was low and full of anger.
“Did Jaer love—”
“Love was not a factor, for either of them.” Aven turned his face to Erynn and smiled. “I’m not supposed to talk to you about this.”
Erynn studied him. “Jaer’s orders?”
Aven nodded. “Jaer’s orders.”
Dense green forests replaced high mountains and snow-covered trees. The sun, well behind them now, sent long fingers of blue shadows pooling under boughs and limbs.
Erynn could see the dark ahead of them. Night beckoned, waiting. There would be nothing but the vast unpopulated regions of Arranon until the city of Glaskra, and then they’d fly deeper into the wilds to Deanaim. She smiled, thinking about Glaskra and the nine children that resided there. Children like her, with mixed parentage. They lived together in the city, protected by Leathan Tal. Iyan, the oldest, would be coming to the base for a visit when they had a break in classes. Erynn looked forward to seeing him again.
Aven’s voice broke through her musings. “I understand we’re searching for information that will lead us to the portals.”
Her thoughts scattered like startled aleuns against the sky.
“But how will we know?”
Erynn glanced back to their gear packed away in the cargo hold behind them. “I hope to have contact with Cace. He’s my symbol expert. If the communication equipment we brought doesn’t work, well, we’ll have to record what we find and bring it to Cace. But it will work.” Her smile widened.
She sensed Aven’s gaze on her. He straightened and frowned. The glow of the instrument panel cast his face in a pale yellow light. “How will Dhoran begin this again? If he’s not dead, like Zander told you, how will he be able to gather an army? He’s not real, not a solid form.”
Her brow knitted and her eyes narrowed. “I’ve been thinking about that. If the Shifters can become other shapes, then why can’t Dhoran? Only more effectively. Maybe he’s not limited like the Shifters in becoming another being.” She shook her head. “Hmmm, I don’t know.”
Aven nodded and stared into the black nothingness. “No, Erynn. That makes sense. But not exactly the way you described. What if Dhoran can take over a body? Any body? Inhabit and use it?”
Erynn shivered. Icy fingers played along her spine. The truth in what Aven said battled against her grasp of reality, her concepts of nature. If this was what had happened, or would happen, Dhoran could be anyone.
Dark ebbed behind and light grew ahead. A growing radiance shone down on nightmares, revealing them to the sun’s radiance, pushing fear to a far corner. Time passed as the Herk sped onward. Dawn gave Erynn’s thoughts a new perspective. She smiled and shook her head.
I would sense. Know if Dhoran were near. He couldn’t hide from me or Cale.
The shining city of Glaskra sparkled like jewels in the morning’s golden rays.
Glaskra looks just like the first time I was here.
An indicator on the panel directed Erynn to change course. She guided the small ship to the right, the sun now fully at her left and rising. When the great orange ball was overhead, a large clearing in the thick forest marked Deanaim’s inner walls.
Erynn stared below and prepared to land. “Why doesn’t the forest intrude inside the wall?”
Aven leaned as far as his harness allowed. “Ghosts,” he whispered. “Not even the plants will go there.”
Erynn glanced quickly at him. He wasn’t smiling.
Does he actually believe in the ghosts of Deanaim? Do I? Or maybe a better question is, should I?
Erynn could see the layout. A circular wall of stone was overgrown with vines, impossible to see from the outside without knowing its precise location. The forest had reclaimed the land there. The fortress walls continued, one end overlapping the other, concealing the opening. Inside the lushly screened stronghold, the forest had not returned. Stone buildings remained, formidable and sturdy.
Erynn landed, setting the Herk down with gentle precision.
Aven unbuckled his restraints, pushing out of the seat. He smiled, but Erynn could feel his apprehension. Like waves in the ocean, his surging emotions crashed over her, pulled back, and crashed against her again. “Let’s get the gear unloaded and set up. I don’t know about you, but I’m starving. Takes a lot to keep this body fueled and ready for action.” He glanced down and patted his stomach.
The trip had taken a little over half a day, and Erynn was hungry too. Anxious to get started, she had been too nervous to eat much breakfast. “Sounds good.”
The spicy scent of the forest permeated the air. This equatorial region hadn’t experienced the heavy snows yet. They would come. The heady mix of trees and musky soil would diminish under winter’s spell. For now, the forest was alive with familiar chirping, chattering, and the sighing of wind through the trees.
A small storage building became their base. The structure offered a secure defense. With no windows and a solid door, the space would be easier to keep warm if the weather changed. They set up bunks, stowed their personal gear, and established a kitchen. Aven got to work preparing a hot meal, while Erynn began connecting the wiring for communications.
“Jaer’s was a commitment of convenience, for Shan’s family. Jaer felt a debt to them.” Aven talked with his back to Erynn. “When he was young, in school, he and his friends were responsible for another boy’s death. Indirectly, but they had a part in what happened.” Aven sighed. His shoulders rose and then slumped. “That boy was Shan’s older brother.”
Erynn tightened her grip on a tool she had been using to secure connections and stared at the dirt floor before turning to Aven.
“Even now, Jaer believes this debt is his to carry.” Aven dug something out of a pack. Tiny ripping sounds preceded him dumping the contents of a package into a pan. He shrugged, studying the empty container he held. “Shan contacted our parents to learn Jaer’s whereabouts just about a week ago. She wanted a separation. She’s found a new half she wants to be sworn to.”
The achcear, crunchy nuts, and red berries in a creamy sauce began to simmer, filling the space with a mouth-watering aroma. This particular meal was Erynn’s favorite since arriving on Arranon. Jaer must have told Aven.
“But not anymore. After returning to Glaskra and hearing of Jaer becoming Fayn, and then seeing his standing, his position on the base, Shan has decided not to press for a separation.” Aven turned. “Shan always enjoyed, and shared, Jaer’s status as an Anbas until his constant absence became too much and she left. Even when Shan was around, she was never really with Jaer. Always gone, running around with her friends.” Aven’s jaw muscles tightened and released repeatedly. His eyes narrowed. “Meeting with other men.”
Erynn winced.
Aven met Erynn’s gaze. “Now his position here as Cale’s second and the fact that he is the youngest Fayn in written history intrigues her. Shan knows her presence torments Jaer. She has the power and enjoys letting Jaer know it. She’s
going to take everything she can from Jaer before giving him what he wants. The separation.” He tossed the empty container into a bin.
“What does she want?” Erynn’s voice was little more than a whisper.
Aven chuckled, shaking his head slowly. “You’re thinking material riches, or even Jaer’s position. Jaer doesn’t care about those things. The one thing Shan wants to take from him—the one thing he does care about—is you, Erynn. Hurting people is what Shan is all about.” He turned back to the pot, its contents bubbling, steam rising.
“Why didn’t Jaer petition for a separation when she left him?” Erynn set her tools down, stood up, and stepped toward Aven.
Aven nodded. “Jaer swore never to be bound to anyone again. He believed that if his commitment remained legal, it would remind him of his mistake. Keep him focused on his career.” He twisted his head to Erynn and grinned. “Jaer is good at what he does.”
Erynn lay beneath thick blankets on her cot, thinking about the communication equipment. It wasn’t working. Aven’s slow, regular breathing let her know he slept.
I should be asleep. I can look at the COM tomorrow. Figure out what’s wrong.
Zander’s voice slipped into the silence. “Keep Jaer close to you.”
“Jaer’s not mine,” she whispered. She sat up, staring into the dark interior of the hut.
Nothing. Was I dreaming?
A sigh issued from above and to her right. “It’s important you stay with Jaer.”
She kept her voice low. “Zander? Why?”
Zander’s voice swirled around her. “You love Jaer. He loves you. Stay close to him. It’s important.”
Erynn shook her head. “Why? What has this got to do with stopping Dhoran?”
“Everything. Your children—”
Erynn tensed. “My children? What about my children?”
“They must be Jaer’s…not Dhoran’s.” Zander’s tone was severe.
“Dhoran’s?” Her tone rose, and Aven grumbled in his sleep. Erynn lowered her voice. “Why would I ever—”
“Stay with Jaer,” Zander interrupted. “Your love for each other is powerful, a weapon against Dhoran’s plan.”
“Plan? What is his plan?” The question came out in a rasping whisper.
Silence. The air seemed to grow colder, the interior of the hut darker.
“Dhoran believes that if he blends his power with yours, he will finally rule not only Arranon, but Korin too. His ambition to start a dynasty drives him. He needs your strength to become this powerful—to begin breeding supreme beings.”
“Breeding?” Erynn’s mouth twisted. She felt sick.
“Keep Jaer close, Erynn. Together, you are a force he won’t dare take on.”
A vision swirled before her. A little boy with dark curly hair and ice-blue eyes giggled in Jaer’s arms. The expression of love and pride on Jaer’s face melted her heart.
Chapter 14
DHORAN STORMED INTO GENERAL GADEN’S office. He slammed his fist on the desk with a loud smack. His voice rose with each syllable. “Erynn is gone? To Deanaim?”
Gaden scrambled to stand, bowing his head. “My Lord. I tried to reach you. Your staff told me you couldn’t be interrupted. The orders crossed my desk shortly before Erynn and the Anbas Warrior left.” He raised his head.
Dhoran leaned over, his hands curled into balls on the smooth surface. Sandy-brown hair slid over his shoulder. His silver-blue eyes narrowed. “Which Anbas? Jaer?”
Gaden dropped his gaze from Dhoran. “No, My Lord. His brother, Aven. I did arrange to have their communication equipment damaged. This should force their immediate return.”
Dhoran straightened. One side of his mouth turned in a faux but charming smile. He had the expression down perfectly. “That won’t stop Erynn. Why did she go to Deanaim?”
“I questioned Cale, My Lord, but he refused to tell me anything. Said it didn’t concern me. The man can be infuriating,” Gaden spat. “Can you send Shifters? Or your Socar Batahs?”
Dhoran stared across the room at a blank DVSL. “I have both on the way. But if Erynn is within the walls of the fortress, my army can’t touch her.”
Gaden tapped a finger on the wooden worktop. “What about the portal hidden there?”
With a lightning-fast reaction, Dhoran’s hand whistled through the air. He reached out, grabbed Gaden’s throat, and pulled. The general’s body lay at an awkward angle across the desk, feet not touching the floor. Dhoran growled low in his chest, teeth bared. “The surface dweller’s magic remains strong. Why do you think they built the fortress there? They’ve managed to keep that one portal from me.” He shoved, and Gaden dropped behind the desk. “And stop that annoying tapping.”
Coughing and grasping at his neck, Gaden pulled himself upright. He sucked in a rasping breath. “Yes, My Lord. Forgive me.”
Dhoran pushed his fingers over his forehead, palms rubbing at his eyes. “What is Erynn doing?” he whispered.
A soft beeping issued from the blank DVSL. Gaden cleared his throat. “Yes?”
Maire’s voice sounded through the room. “Is Byan Nev still with you, General?”
Gaden glanced to Dhoran.
Dhoran nodded, smiling. “Yes Maire, I’m here. What do you need?”
Erynn floated in a deep-purple obscurity of warmth and silence. She drifted, peaceful, slowly sinking to the awareness of the cot beneath and the blankets heavy on top of her. The familiar sweet, spicy scent of the Anim Blath lingered, tickling mischievously at her nose. The fragrance mixed with the aroma of their evening meal and the sharp, musty odor of damp stone and soil.
Tap, tap-tap-tap. A soft rapping on wood intruded.
She rolled away from the faint rapping. A loose shingle, a wind-blown limb, or a small animal searching for food, she reasoned.
Tap. Tap. Tap. The knocking came again, louder, more insistent.
A new scent touched her nostrils. Like smoke, the odor caused a slight burning to the tender flesh. Erynn opened her eyes.
What is that?
She raised her head and surveyed the dark. Concentrated shadows lay against the inky black.
What did I expect to see?
Knock, knock, knock. Deliberate this time. They had a visitor seeking entrance.
She pushed up from her bed, pulled the covers off, and swung her feet to the packed dirt floor with the silence of a whisper.
Aven threw off his blankets and pushed up from his bed. His cot made a subtle creak. “Erynn?” His voice was low, the utterance a whispery breath.
“I’m awake,” she answered, equally soft.
“Stay put.” He spoke not from the cot, but next to the door. Like Jaer, Aven moved with stealth and speed.
Must be an Anbas thing.
The dry whisper of a staser drawn from a holster issued out of the dark, followed by the quiet snick of the safety.
Thump. Thump. Thump. The solid door shook under a fierce pounding.
Erynn reached for her staser beneath the cot and jumped up all in one motion. Her heart throbbed in her throat. Her breath caught there.
With a flurry of movement, Aven kicked the door, and it swung open. His crouched silhouette stood out against the blue-black night, staser held ready.
Stars twinkled in a moonless sky. Cool, clear air swirled in with a gentle sigh, caressing Erynn’s hot cheeks.
No one was there.
Aven leaned first on the old rotted frame and then on the door, sweeping the staser over the deserted fortress. He took in a deep breath, let the air out noisily, and dropped the weapon to his side. “I think we just got our first visit from the ghosts.”
Their night caller didn’t return. Erynn only managed to doze, jerking awake at every tick of settling stone or moan of wind in the eaves.
With the door fully open, morning light brightened the gloomy interior of their lodgings, making the night’s visitation a vague memory.
Erynn knelt before the communication equipment, reconnecting the
wiring for the second time. If she couldn’t reach the base, maybe she could contact Glaskra and have the information relayed to Cace. She had to get the COM to work first, though, and it refused with a stubborn persistence.
What am I doing wrong?
She picked up the small handheld computer showing the schematics and followed the screen’s diagram, tracing what she had done. She sat back on her heels and stared at the COM. “It should work,” she grumbled. “But it doesn’t.”
A shadow crossed her, eclipsing the light. Aven walked in. A damp towel draped his arm, and a small pack dangled from his hand. By the look of Aven’s eyes, he hadn’t slept much either. “There’s warm water in the Herk.”
They were using the generator from the ship to heat water stored in tanks below the belly of the cargo section.
“Might as well. I’m not getting anywhere with the COM.” She laid the tools down and pushed up from the cold ground.
Aven tossed his things on the cot. He took the computer from her hand. “Let me take a look. Go. You’ll want to start checking out the fortress soon.”
“I’d hoped to get feedback from Cace as we went. Can’t spend all our time trying to get this thing to work, though.” She grabbed her pack and walked out into the bright, cool sunshine. This wouldn’t have been an issue on Korin. Arranon with its remote and dangerous immensity kept her isolated in Deanaim.
When she returned, Aven stood over the portable cooktop, preparing breakfast.
She grinned hopefully. “That was fast. Did you fix the COM?”
With a slow pivot, he twisted from his task. The answer was evident on his face. “No. But I did find the problem.” Aven reached in his pocket and produced a relay switch and several vital power connectors. The switch appeared burned and the connectors were cracked, exposing breaks in the delicate wiring.
Storm of Arranon Fire and Ice Page 11