Impact of the Fallen: The White Mage Saga #4 (The Chronicles of Lumineia)

by Ben Hale

  "After we land," Jack said. "ETA is thirty minutes. Are you sure you can silence the rotors?"

  "I'll be back in five," she said, and couldn't resist a small smile. One of the soldiers rose to push the button on the ramp but Tess flicked a wrist and pushed it with magic before he could. As she lifted off the deck and floated out the opening door Kate shouted over the screaming wind.

  "Stay clear of the rotors, honey!"

  "I will!" Tess shouted back.

  As she departed she distinctly heard her mom say, "Jack, I never thought I would tell my daughter not to fly into a helicopter's blades . . ."

  Tess grinned as she flew close to the rearmost helicopter. When she was clear she dodged above the choppers, but steered well clear of the downdraft created by the rotors. She'd practiced the sound dampening spell for the last two days, and was grateful she had. The thundering drone of the chopper blades faded to silence as her magic took effect. One by one the others followed suit.

  Amidst the eerie quiet she returned to her parents. The sun had almost set by the time she alighted on the ramp. Once inside she found the group hadn't moved. Wolf gave an appreciative whistle. Then he fished a hundred dollar bill out of a pocket and handed it to Freezer.

  "I should have known better," Wolf said, his voice rueful.

  Freezer's eyes were still cold, but his smile thawed it a little. "I had an inside tip."

  His gaze flicked to Jack, causing Tess to smile inwardly. In spite of everything they were going against, it was good to know that her dad would bet on her.

  Wolf tapped the modified gun slung across his chest. "If you can do that to a helo I wonder what you could do to a weapon."

  "Fifteen minutes to the LZ," someone yelled.

  Jack turned to Tess. "The pilots need a heading."

  "Marcus and his light friends will drop the illusion when you get close." She linked to Iris, and said, "Guide them in."

  "A marker just lit up on radar!" a voice shouted from the cockpit.

  "Follow it," Jack said.

  "Will your hanger fit all the choppers?" Chuck asked. "We don't have enough fuel to make it back."

  "They should fit," Tess said, "but it's going to be tight." A small smile creased her face as she thought of Derek. How could she do any of this without him?

  One of the soldiers tapped Chuck on the arm, and he turned to receive a data pad. "It looks like Hawk has seen us. He's turned in our direction."

  Tess and the others stepped to the small windows that ran along the helicopters’ sides. Several of the other soldiers joined them, obviously wanting to see a phoenix with their own eyes. They all squinted in the fading light, but saw nothing. One of the MIO team members made a wisecrack about Chuck's skills with a data pad. He frowned in annoyance and gestured outside.

  "He should be half a klick south of our position."

  Tess blinked into her magesight and spotted him immediately. Rather than flying above the Dark, he was flying just below the surface, using its shadow as cover. Even that far into the cloud the Dark would be assaulting his mind, but he evidently did not want to risk being spotted.

  "There," Tess said as the Dark rippled, revealing an indistinct shape of fire red.

  Then Hawk lifted free of the Dark. With Darkness cascading off his form like black smoke, he rose just enough to send a thought to Tess, then he slipped back out of sight. Hardened as they were, the soldiers sucked in their breath.

  "Did you see how big he was?"

  "I don't believe it . . ."

  "He asked if we are ready for battle," Tess said, repeating the phrase that Hawk had spoken into her mind.

  "How did he talk to you?" a SEAL asked.

  "Techno magic is like technology without the hardware," Tess said. "When higher creatures and techno mages use it to communicate, it's called mindspeak."

  "So he can talk to anyone that way?" Wolf asked.

  "If he wants to," Tess said. "But he's pretty selective with who he does."

  Jack turned to the soldiers around him. "Weapons check and load your gear. From this point on you are to assume combat readiness. The Harbingers may be aware of this operation, so we may be going in hot. If we do make it inside, the protection of the mage students is our top priority until the assault begins. Chuck, Wolf, Freezer, set the shifts and organize your men. We have ten hours before the aerial assault begins, which gives us eight to prepare and get into position."

  The soldiers accepted the orders and began loading their weapons. Their motions were performed with practiced precision, and yet there was an aura of tension. Tess felt it as well. Did Alice know of their arrival? Did they know about her or Robar? Either way they were committed. As she watched them she realized one immutable fact.

  She wasn't the only one who wanted this fight.

  Chapter 35: Aurens on Auroraq

  The closer they got to Auroraq the more Tess's stomach tightened. At any moment she expected to see fire rain down on the auren fleet, destroying it before their attack could even begin. From the start Alice had proven herself to be one step ahead of Hawk, Tess, and every government on Earth. What would make this attempt any different?

  "LZ has been spotted," Jack said to Kate, and then turned to Tess. "Are we cleared to land?"

  Tess sent Iris a quick message, and a moment later got the response.

  The techno shield will have a hole in exactly three minutes. It won't last long, so don't take your time getting in.

  Tess passed the message to her parents, and added, "The techno shield surrounds the city, and alerts the Magtherian if anyone—or anything—tries to enter. It also has the ability to fry technology."

  "Like what happened to the British jets." Jack nodded and relayed the information to the pilots. Then he asked, "How did Iris manage to create a hole?"

  "It's Iris," Tess said.

  Kate flashed a grin. "From what I understand Iris recruited a couple of friends from within the Mage Technology Bureau. Among other things, they manage the techno shroud of the city. As much as Alice has taken over the Magtherian, she didn't have enough techno mages to control it."

  "How much do you two talk?" Tess asked.

  "Every couple of days now," Kate replied. "She's a smart girl, you know, and has never really had a mother."

  "How do you know that?" Tess asked.

  She hadn't known that until recently. With a start she realized she had no idea what had happened to Trina. Iris had not mentioned her at all. Did that mean she was in or out of trouble?

  Kate's flashed a faint smile. "I read between the lines."

  Tess issued a grunt, unsure of how to respond to that. It wasn't that she minded sharing a little bit of her mother with Iris, but it still felt like her two worlds were clashing.

  Jack's headset chirped, and the lead chopper radioed that they were landing. A moment later the chopper slowed. Distracted by the conversation, Tess's stomach knotted again. She would have much preferred to be outside the chopper. Then at least she could act in case anything happened.

  "It will be alright," Kate said quietly.

  Tess met her gaze. "How do you know that? How do you know that Alice doesn't know exactly what we are doing right now?"

  Kate sighed and held her hand. "When I was in the Marines I was trained not to dwell on everything that could happen. Doing so causes you to lose sight of the mission, and the distraction can cost lives. Worry is no more than a reminder of unfinished plans—but once your course is set it becomes an impairment. Right now we are committed to seeing this through."

  She smiled, and the softness of her expression reminded Tess of her youth, when Kate had bandaged a scraped knee or bruised heart. To Tess it seemed inconceivable that her mother could be so calm in the face of such adversity, and yet her words rang true. She drew a slow breath and resolved to take them to heart.

  "Thanks," she said.

  "I love you, honey," Kate said, and squeezed her arm. Then her gaze took a fierce tint. "Just watch your back against
that woman. If anything happens to you I will go after her myself, and no amount of magic is going to stop me."

  "Don't worry," Tess said, and then grinned at her word use. "Hawk and I are more prepared this time." And we have no choice.

  The helicopter vibrated as it settled onto a hard surface, but Kate held her gaze for another moment. Seemingly satisfied, she turned away as several people began issuing orders. Faster than she thought possible the soldiers exited the chopper. Tess didn't wait, and flew over their heads into the rough-hewn cave.

  Large by any standard, it barely contained the last chopper. Its rotors almost touched those of its neighbors as it settled onto its skids. Unnaturally quiet from her spells, the silence from the blades allowed for the sound of booted feet to fill the chamber.

  Tess kept her flight low to avoid the still spinning rotors, and soon spotted Derek. Weaving between the heavily armed men and the choppers, she reached his side and alighted with the group.

  "Nice job," Jack said.

  The seven boys and four girls smiled in unison, their white teeth bright against their dirty faces and clothing. Weariness showed through the grit, reminding Tess that they had worked overnight to finish it.

  "We made it as big as we could," Derek said, and stifled a yawn. Brody protested as it spread to him.

  "Go get some rest," Tess said.

  Derek's earth mage companions were too tired to argue, and departed to get some sleep. Derek caught Tess's hand and pulled her into a kiss. With all the soldiers and her parents around she resisted. He didn't allow it to stop him. The contact was brief, but it warmed her to her toes, and eased some of the tension she felt.

  "I'll see you later," he said, and turned to leave.

  Tess watched him go, overly aware that her parents and other soldiers were watching. Then her mom spoke from behind her.

  "You have dirt on your face," Kate commented.

  She wiped at the smudge she'd received from the kiss, and then cast a simple charm that pulled it off. Kate's smile was smug.

  "Oh don't worry," she said with a dismissive wave. "I like him."

  Jack appeared at her side fastening a strap on his body armor. "What's this about a boy?"

  His grey eyes bored into her, causing her to squirm. Hoping to distract him, she said, "We need to get started. Hawk should be here any minute."

  On cue the great phoenix appeared from the dark and glided through the opening. Morphing as he soared, he finished changing shape and landed in a walk. Behind him there was a shimmer of static energy, indicating that the techno shroud had closed. He bypassed the startled soldiers and made his way toward Tess.

  Tess hadn't seen him since the Harbinger takeover, and her chest filled with relief to see him alive and well. On impulse she stepped to him and gave him a fierce hug. When they parted his features were tight with emotion.

  "I thought I'd lost you," he said.

  "Then why send the elves?" she asked.

  "Even in the Dark there is hope." He flashed a faint smile. "Or maybe this old man just didn't want to believe you had perished."

  She laughed and gestured to him. "Are you ready to lead this?"

  "Actually I think its best that you do. You have done a remarkable job on your own."

  His decline surprised her, and she paused to gather her thoughts. While she was distracted her parents returned and introduced the SEAL captains and Chuck to the Guildmaster. When they were finished the entire group turned to face her.

  Instead she called to Marcus. "Close it up," she said.

  Marcus walked the edge, his face a mask of concentration. Then a wall of false rock closed the gigantic gap like a curtain closing. Full night had fallen while they had been talking, and the illusion would allow them to use light within the hanger. Auren and mage lights flickered to life the moment the barrier had sealed.

  Jack nodded in approval and leaned close. "Nice redirect, honey, but we will talk about your friend later."

  How was it possible for her dad to be a hardened soldier and still have time to think about the boy she was dating? Of any guy she had favored, Derek was by far the most decent. Cheered by that thought, she turned to find the other leaders of the Order already approaching her.

  Iris got to her first, but barely gave her a passing glance. "Glad you could make it Tess—and excellent job, Jaybird and Falcon, they're all in now—and what do you mean you want to change your callsign? No you can't be figglenibbits, that's too hard to say."

  She blew out her breath, still distracted."You know the Harbinger network has been using a polinax curse. We can't afford for them to find out that you joined us. Falcon, I swear, if you don't stop watching youtube I will burn your Star Wars collection to the ground—Oh yes I would—thank you Jaybird, I'll let them know." Her gaze flicked to Tess. "The techno shroud is in place. It looks like we are in the clear, for now."

  Tess released a breath she hadn't realized she was holding. For them to sneak a group of aurens into Auroraq was a major accomplishment, and yet it was easy compared to the rest.

  "I see you have everything in order," Hawk said, and smiled down at her.

  Gathering her courage, Tess smiled. "Follow me."

  Turning on her heel she led them to a small side room that Derek had carved. It exited into a plant practicum room. She paused, and added her seal onto each newcomer. Then they caught a Gate to Siarra's refuge. Like a film of liquid had passed over her, her next step was inside the secret hall. She strode to the lightcast model that James had made of the city and then turned. Iris, Shorn, and Rox joined her.

  Her parents followed Tess in, and then the three soldiers. One by one they stepped through the liquid metal door with expressions of surprise and shock. Only Freezer appeared to take it in stride. Hawk and Janson brought up the rear.

  The aurens looked with curiosity and wonder at the room. Ringed by the twelve sources of magic, the space was exactly as it had been when Tess first entered, and she felt a surge of pride that she'd managed to find it. Regal and flawless, the sweeping architecture of the space lent a sense of solemnity to what they were planning.

  Eleana, the entity that guarded Siarra's Refuge, smiled at her. Invisible to any but an oracle, the entity of light had initially been furious with Tess upon her return. Her anger at Derek for allowing so many into the refuge had diffused once Tess had explained the purpose. Now she'd come to terms with aurens walking the halls of the refuge, and their desperate plan to retake the city.

  "Where are we?" Chuck asked.

  "Siarra's refuge," Tess said. "A place that remained secret since my ancestor built it."

  "And that?" Wolf stabbed his finger at the threads of light that formed a map of the city.

  "It's a lightcast model," Tess answered. "It will help us coordinate our attack."

  Jack cut off Wolf's next comment. "I have no doubt we could spend the next few days just asking about the magic of this room. However time is short. Let's stay focused on what is pertinent to the task at hand."

  Wolf accepted the suggestion with a nod and turned to Tess. Gesturing to her, he said, "I'm not used to getting orders from someone the age of my niece, but I've seen what you can do. There is one part to this that I don't understand, though. Janson told us about the Voidlings. How are we going to eliminate them?"

  Chuck issued a grunt. "I'd like to know that as well. From what I understand, your own abilities cannot harm them. I assume that our weapons are equally futile?"

  "True," Tess allowed, "which is why we've waited until now to share a secret. When I fell into the Dark a man kept me from joining it. He was born to a mage family, but he is immune to magic—and the Dark."

  Some of the SEALs crowed at that. Then Tess lifted one of the blood-red swords. "I managed to craft five of these with his help. They should kill the Voidlings."

  "Five swords against how many?" Janson asked.

  "Too many," Tess said, "which is why he will draw the bulk of the Voidlings to his position." She motioned
to the small side door and it opened. Out strode Agent Bracken, followed by Robar.

  "This is—"

  "Robert?" Wolf breathed.

  Robar blinked, and his eyes connected with Wolf. His jaw worked, but no words came out.

  "You know him?" Tess asked.

  Wolf didn't appear to hear her. "I thought you were dead." He took half a step closer to him, but Robar retreated. "What happened to you?"

  Robar ground his teeth together. "I killed a kid, that's what happened." He spit the words out with such venom that Tess flinched. Then he whirled and stalked away. The silence lasted until Jack broke it.

  "Wolf?"

  Wolf's gaze remained on the empty doorway. "We went through training together and were assigned to the same team. Ten years ago we were sent into Russia to escort a scientist out. He and his daughter were defecting to the US. The op went south, and several of our team didn't make it. Robar was guarding the girl. Last I saw he was crouched over her body. He didn't follow the order to retreat. We couldn't make it back for him."

  Tess was stunned. She'd known Robar had a past, but had not pressed him on it. In the ensuing silence she forced herself to bring the discussion back to the impending assault, but Robar weighed on her mind. They had fought and bled together, and he'd saved her life countless times. The one thing she knew for certain was that he was a friend.

  The meeting soon finished. Hawk threw her a glance that said, I'll take care of things here. She smiled in gratitude, and then slipped from the room. After a few minutes of searching she found Robar sitting in a corner of one of the training rooms. She sank into a seat beside him. She didn't know what to say, so she waited. After a while he began to speak.

  "I was on my third tour when it happened . . ."

  Chapter 36: Robert's Truth

  Ten Years Ago

  Sergeant Robert "Robar" Aergad clung to the side of the rubber zodiac and peered through the night scope as they glided upriver. The other members of SEAL team nine were similarly positioned, their silenced MP5's poking out of the boat like needles on a hedgehog. They reached the dock and glided to a stop. Taking point, Wolf and Robar leapt out and glided to the railing, scanning for potential threats.