Had the ship scanned Jaer’s form as he vanished from sight?
Erynn held her breath. Outside, the beam slid over their hiding spot. She could hear a faint buzz cover the soil above them. A green light reflected off the dead tree obscuring the entrance. The ship moved on, never hesitating. The resulting dark was reassuring. A collective release of breath, including her own, sounded through the small space. The compact interior of the cabin felt sheltering, not claustrophobic. Shuffling sounds followed by the searching of packs produced a lantern.
“We can’t have a fire. Too risky,” Tiar said, adjusting the light to a dim glow.
Sean pulled water and meal bars from another pack and passed them around.
After eating, they picked spots on the dirt floor and wrapped in blankets. Jaer sat next to the small entrance, peering over the log and between snow-laden branches.
Erynn shivered in her spot under her blanket, unable to sleep. She was too cold. She stood up and went to sit opposite Jaer.
Might as well help him keep sentry.
“You should be sleeping.” His voice came out of the dark, warm and inviting.
Erynn shook her head. Her voice trembled through chattering teeth. “Can’t.”
He leaned forward and pulled her into him, wrapping his warmth around her. “We should reach the base of the mountain by late tomorrow morning.”
“What about the ships and the troops headed this way?” She spoke into his chest, her voice muffled.
He sighed. “I will get you there, Erynn.” His hand stroked her hair.
I’m Erynn again.
She angled her face to see him. “Why do you do that?”
He tipped his head. His hand stopped its soft movement and dropped. “I am sorry. I will not do it again.” His arms stiffened.
“No. I mean sometimes you call me Lieutenant, or Lieutenant Yager, but rarely Erynn. Why?”
“I guess the same reason you call me, sir, and not Jaer.”
She stared at the dark outline of his face, quiet for a long moment. “So if I call you Jaer, you’ll stop calling me Lieutenant?”
He laughed quietly. “Yes, Erynn.” His hand moved back to her hair, sliding around to hold her face. His lips brushed hers, tentative, and then with more pressure, but still gentle.
Erynn put one arm around him and the other up to the collar of his jacket, grasping it and pulling him. She returned the kiss. Electric blue tendrils wove around, slow and graceful, encompassing them in a soft light.
Jaer laughed against her cheek. “Does this mean you are happy?”
She felt the heat rising in her face. “Does this mean you’re happy?”
His thumb moved lightly over her warm skin. “I will take that as a yes.” He kissed her again, light and quick.
“I’ll take that as a yes.”
His breath puffed into her ear. “We have an understanding then.”
“An understanding?” Her forehead tensed.
His arms tightened around her. “I could not be happier right now, Erynn. Holding you like this is more than I ever imagined possible.”
She burrowed in closer. “I believed I was the only one thinking that way.”
“Go to sleep.” His lips skimmed her forehead. He adjusted the blanket around them and began to stroke her curls again.
“There’s no way I’ll sleep now.”
He laughed quietly into her hair. His gentle touch and warmth lulled her, and she drifted away.
She stirred in the dark sometime later, groggily aware of Jaer’s arms around her and the rise and fall of his slow, rhythmic breathing. He was asleep.
***
Morning arrived, icy and gray, but no snow fell. After another meal of dry, flavorless bars and cold water, they pushed out of the shelter. Erynn scanned the sky. There were no ships flying above in a relentless pattern of probing.
Around them, the low boughs of the trees shook their cloak of snow, falling in soft thumps. From the shadows under the limbs, gray and white maejen padded into view. Jaer went for his weapon, but Erynn stopped him, her hand over his. Glancing back at Tiar, Sean, and Roni, she said, “It’s all right.” Erynn stepped forward.
Behind her, Jaer warned, “Erynn, no.”
The pack leader approached and lay down, staring up at her.
Roni gasped.
Erynn nodded, and the big gray male pushed into a sitting position.
He swung his head away, to the direction they had come, and chuffed. Then he stood up, his focus on the mountain, dancing with uneasiness.
Erynn’s gaze followed the maejen’s. “We need to go. The transport searching for us is coming.”
The maejen formed a protective ring around them, yipping and howling, their breath icy plumes, relaying the urgency that they hurry.
Erynn watched Jaer. He glared at the maejen, his eyes narrowed. He kept his hand on the holstered staser but started forward, keeping Erynn close.
Maejen led the way, circling. Erynn glanced back. The maejen behind ran through their tracks, wiping out the evidence of their presence.
Midmorning, the sun broke through the clouds and the maejen slowed, hanging behind. The low roar of a transport echoed through the trees, making the direction it came from unclear. The sound grew and from the cover of the forest, three transports pushed through low limbs, coming straight for them. The maejen scattered as the humans stood watching the approaching vehicles.
Jaer shoved Erynn behind him.
The transports stopped, engines rumbling. They weren’t alien, but that wasn’t necessarily a good thing. Erynn stared, waiting. The center vehicle’s hatch rose. A figure in a white hooded coat, pants, and boots emerged. He stepped forward and pulled the hood away from his face.
“I should have known you’d find me, Erynn,” Cale said and smiled.
Chapter 37
“CAPTAIN FAYLEN, THERE ARE SEVERAL life forms running ahead of us.”
The heavy transport lumbered up the steep incline, pushing through the snow.
“Identify, Sergeant,” Faylen snapped. He was sure that he or the ships scanning the forest would have come upon Erynn before now.
“Maejen, sir,” the sergeant said in a low voice, disappointment evident.
“You’re sure?”
“Yes, sir. There are… twenty-four. The five in the rear check with the computer scan of maejen. Long legs, massive heads, lean bodies.”
Faylen fisted his hand and hit the side of the transport. “Where is she?” He stared at the forms running on the screen. “Go back to the village. Erynn must be there.”
The transport made a wide turn to the right and began traversing the incline.
“Is there any way Erynn could have doubled back and is in Tamaagra?” Faylen asked through gritted teeth.
“It’s possible, sir. But the troops there would have found her. They continue to search. We followed her, moving up the hills and into the mountains until the rains washed away the evidence of her passage.” The sergeant pressed a button, and the forward panel shaded against the bright sun. He surveyed the ground. “Our best hope is to run across her tracks in the snow.”
Faylen pounded the transport with his fist again and glared out at the deep-green trees covered with a thick blanket of white.
The sun made the icy mantle sparkle against the deep blue of the sky.
His heart calmed and he smiled. “Keep watching for signs, Sergeant.” His hand relaxed.
A crimson creature swooped down, turning to the same white of the snow-covered ground, disappearing into the surroundings.
“Nice trick,” Faylen said.
Chapter 38
“HOW DID YOU KNOW?” ERYNN asked after they were all in transports and moving again.
Cale turned from his seat in front of her. “I have contacts in the village you passed. Had Tiar not run across them, I would have known someone was out here when you started tripping sensors closer to the base.”
“Base? Where?”
“You’ll see.” He turned away.
“Wait. I need to tell you about Mikal. He’s still with you, isn’t he?”
Sean slid forward, crouching next to Erynn. “Mikal is not who he pretends to be, sir.”
Cale held up his hand. “We know about Mikal and he has been dealt with. Thanks to Tam.”
“Tam?” Erynn shook her head. “What do you mean, dealt with?”
“Don’t worry about it, Erynn.” Cale glanced back at her, his face hard, his eyes cold. “You can talk to Tam soon. We’re almost there.”
Erynn sat back. Jaer was there, and she leaned against him. His arm went around her and she took in his comfort.
***
The trees disappeared. Their transport wound through large outcroppings of boulders with melting snow trickling down the rough sides. They came to a dead end—a high, flat wall of sheer rock. Erynn heard the rumbling under the engine noise, and the stone slid away, revealing a dark tunnel. The transports eased in and the driver hit a switch. A bank of lights shone across dark stone. The rock barrier rumbled closed behind them. Water flowed down the walls and dripped from the low ceiling. The tunnel led to a well-lighted transport bay.
People in heavy jumpsuits worked around the vehicles, more than just transports. Several troop transports lined one long wall. Vehicles meant for transportation in deep snow and ice filled the center of the large space. A tall man moved forward when they stopped.
Cale slid the door open. “Whill, they’re here. Advise Amara. Erynn and Roni will need quarters, clothing, and,” he turned when they’d all climbed out, “from the looks of them, a decent hot meal.” Tell Amara I want Roni, Tam, and Erynn in adjoining quarters. He smiled. “I’ll take care of Jaer, Tiar, and Sean.”
Erynn glanced up at Jaer and opened her mouth to speak.
“I am not going anywhere, Erynn,” he said before her words formed. “I will see you later.”
Cale walked up and asked, “After a good meal and a shower, do you think you would feel up to a debriefing?”
“Yes, Cale,” Tiar said as he received nods from the others.
“Good. I’m anxious to hear what you’ve seen, what you’ve been through.”
***
Amara led Erynn and Roni to a common room filled with comfortable-looking chairs, tables, and a DVSL. Amara had long silver hair, a fair complexion, and pale-green eyes. She reminded Erynn of the small, winged Leannan that lived in mountain meadows in children’s stories.
Why do I keep relating what I see here to what I read as a child?
Magic, her thoughts chimed.
Arranon is magical, like the stories.
A hall off this space had doors into separate sleeping areas with private washrooms. Amara opened a door for Roni and then took Erynn through the next one down. The walls outside in the common room were bare stone. The rock inside the quarters, though, was a pale blue. The space appeared light and airy. Next to the sleeping cubicle was a desk with a computer station. On the wall opposite the bed was a DVSL, turned on and showing a view of the rocky cliffs.
Fake window.
Erynn smiled. Across the room at the foot of the bed was the door to the washroom.
Amara stepped into the tiny space and activated the light. “Come in here and I’ll show you how this works.”
Erynn stopped in the opening. Amara stood with her back to the shower, facing a bin below a small metal hatch.
“When you take your clothes off, put them here, in the bin.” Amara pulled it open. “When you need clothes, you’ll access them here. She slid back a panel with labels.
Erynn saw sections tagged coat, shirts, pants, and boots before Amara directed her attention to the buttons next to the labels.
“You punch in sizes here.” Amara glanced at Erynn and smiled. “Small.”
Erynn’s cheeks warmed.
“When you’re done, come back to the common area, and I’ll take you to the dining hall.” Amara squeezed by Erynn. “Cale will want to talk to you as soon as you’ve eaten.”
“Thanks.” Erynn glanced around at the short counter, small round sink, and wall mirror to the left of the door. Her hair hung in damp, limp curls, appearing more brown than red. Her icy blue eyes were bright against her smudged, dirty face. She peeled out of clothes worn for three days, dumped everything but the boots into the bin, and anticipated the shower with pleasure.
She dialed the water as hot as she could stand. Steam quickly filled the small space. Erynn stayed under the liquid heat until her skin grew red and the chill set in her bones started to thaw. Her relief at getting safely to Cale faded. Damon, her dad, was dead. She would have to talk about her pain, her grief, the wind, the animals, Birk, her camouflage trick at Imoir, and… Zander. She needed to alert Cale about the Anim Blath’s warning—Zander’s warning—that Dhoran may return.
Erynn stopped the stinging flow of hot water and dried off. At the panel, she requested thick, comfy underwear, pants, and a sweater. Everything was off-white. “I guess there’s not much need for color choices.”
She finished dressing and glanced in the mirror, rubbing a section in the center to clear the view. She stared at her reflection for a long moment, willing herself to be strong, before depressing the button for a jacket, also white. Slipping into the coat, Erynn left her quarters and entered the common room.
Tam jumped up from a padded chair and ran to Erynn. Even in the bulky clothing, Tam epitomized grace. She threw her slender arms around Erynn. “I’m so glad you’re here, safe. You’ve got to tell me everything. Where have you been? How did you get away from that man, Birk? And wait till you hear about Mikal.”
Erynn pushed back, studying Tam. The white clothing contrasted beautifully against Tam’s radiant brown skin and her short dark hair.
Tam stopped the flow of words. “What’s wrong?”
“My dad is dead. Birk murdered him with Newell and who knows who else watching.” The wispy tremor in her voice rose to an angry pitch. “I want… Newell… to suffer… to hurt… just like… he’s hurting… others.” Her words sputtered out between sobs.
“Easy, Erynn.” Tam wrapped her arms around Erynn again and held her tight until the sobbing quieted. “I know. It hurts. But he’ll pay. They’ll all pay for what they’ve done.” Tam straightened and wiped tears from her cheeks, then Erynn’s.
“I’m sorry. I’ve just held everything bottled in for so long. There was no time, no place—”
“Stop,” Tam demanded. “You have every reason to cry, to let go of all the pain. I can’t imagine what you’ve been through. You must be exhausted.”
“I’m glad you’re here.” Erynn sniffed and tipped her head. “How did you get here and why?”
“Sean, Mikal, and I were in the hangar that morning. I believed we were there to give you moral support.” She dropped her arms to her sides. “Sean was there because Cale asked him to be. Mikal of course had his own agenda. I was there for you, Erynn. When they took you, I wanted to help. Cale arranged for me, for all of us, to come with him.” She chuckled.
“What?” Erynn asked, running the back of her hand across her eyes.
“Cale didn’t exactly ask Brayton. He told him he was taking Interceptors.”
“I would have loved to see Brayton’s expression.” Erynn gave Tam a weak smile. “You flew an Interceptor?”
“Oh, Erynn—piloting—real piloting, was great. You’ll get to fly soon, too. All Cale talked about was getting you here and up in the air.”
Erynn couldn’t contain her widening smile. “I’m going to fly?”
“Of course you are.” Tam pressed her lips together. “What happened to Birk?”
Erynn’s brow drew down. “You’re the only one who’s asked.” She sighed. “He’s dead.”
“Did you…?”
“No, not me, not exactly.”
“Not exactly?” Tam frowned. “You don’t have to talk about what happened.”
“I can. I should. Cale will want to hear. The a
nimals killed him, but because of me.” She stared up at the DVSL showing the wind blow crystalline snow about the peak of the mountain. “The animals here, well, some of them, protect me—help me. It’s hard to explain.” She glanced back at Tam and shrugged.
“Then don’t try, not now. Come on. I’m supposed to get you to the dining hall.”
***
They walked through cold, dim corridors, passing people who nodded and smiled in Erynn’s and Tam’s direction. From down the hall, Erynn could smell food and hear conversations among the clink of dishes. Her stomach growled. Something, anything, other than meal bars would be a feast. They turned into a large room, the same pale blue of her quarters, with several rows of tables and bench seats.
“Wow, big,” Erynn said, her gaze darting around.
DVSLs lined the walls, most of them showing views of the world outside. Others showed the activity in different areas of the base. At the front of the space, a long counter separated the eating area from the large busy kitchen. Tam and Erynn joined a line at the counter.
“What’s it like here?” Erynn asked, surveying the room. She didn’t see Jaer. Nor did she see Tiar, Sean, or Roni.
“Everyone’s busy—preparing for war. It’s exciting, but also kind of depressing and scary.”
Erynn nodded. When their plates were full, they went to find a seat. Erynn, occupied with her meal, didn’t ask more questions, and Tam was quiet.
Jaer dropped into the seat next to Erynn, Roni next to him. Sean and Tiar sat on Tam’s right.
Relief, happiness, and a warmth building in the pit of her stomach cascaded over Erynn at Jaer’s presence.
“Good to see you, Tam,” Sean said, smiling.
Jaer took Erynn’s fork and scooped up a mouthful.
“Try this.” Erynn pointed at a cubed white meat mixed with small, sweet red berries and thinly sliced, crunchy nuts. “It’s cearach, I mean achcear. And it’s good.”
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