Approaching Storm (Alternate Worlds Book 2)

by Taylor Leigh

  She pushed his great head away with slight reservations. Marus let out a low rumble, but didn’t resist. Sam closed her fingers around one of the venomous spines and went to work. She cast a look over her shoulder at Tollin. ‘Care to explain that void? Been able to work out how we got there?’

  ‘Still a bit baffled by that, I’m afraid.’ Tollin sidled over to Sam and gazed down at her and the dragon. ‘I understand what it was; I just don’t understand how we got there. It’s like there’s a permanent…spot in the atmosphere above Scrabia that sucks things into the void. Most likely it’s the pathway for the two Realms, which won’t become an actual portal till the stars align. Right now it’s just a lifeless void.’

  Sam tugged on a spine. ‘So you think it’s like an empty place, just…what, making room for the doorway?’

  Tollin made a face and shrugged. ‘Not a bad way of putting it.’

  ‘Doesn’t sound that safe, any unsuspecting shuttle could just get sucked in.’

  Sam pulled the spine free. Marus let out a snarl and whipped his head around, teeth bared. ‘Watch it!’

  ‘Calm down, you! Stars, you’re supposed to be a dragon!’ She looked up at Tollin. ‘Is there any way we can close it up?’

  Tollin frowned. ‘I’m not sure. It’s kind of a first for me. Interesting idea, though. Whatever was out there, in the darkness, I’m not too keen on it getting through to this Realm.’

  Sam shuddered at the thought. ‘Is that possible?’ She dropped a handful of spines to the grass.

  He sighed. ‘If we could get in, then I bet it can get out. It must be there because it wants to be. Perhaps it cannot survive in a Realm. Perhaps it needs to live in nothing.’

  Sam nodded. ‘Like a fish in water.’

  ‘Right.’ Tollin directed his next question to Marus. ‘You mentioned that there was something familiar about it, the void, I mean. Care to elaborate on that?’

  Marus pulled his heavily scaled brow down in a scowl. ‘Hard to pin it down, you know how bad dragon memory is, but…I remember something about the last time the anniversary happened, when I was with Arkron and Reginald. The palace had the same feel about it, like you said; limbo. Arkron might have used that very word.’

  Tollin blinked, surprised. ‘Now, that is interesting. What about that…thing there? That feel familiar?’

  Marus shrugged. ‘Dunno. Might have been.’

  Tollin wrinkled his nose. ‘Did you get a look at it, by chance?’

  ‘Sorry, didn’t exactly manage. We were a little busy. Damn devils everywhere!’ Marus’s next few words were inaudible and probably rude.

  ‘You’re mumbling. Suppose I should have known nothing would be so simple. Must be some higher power in the Daemon hierarchy, perhaps?’

  Sam shook her head, dropping another dripping feeder fang to the grass in disgust. ‘If they’re like any other society, then they should have rulers, shouldn’t they?’

  ‘There isn’t much structure that I’ve seen, yes, there are some higher ranking commanders, but maybe I’ve been looking at it all wrong,’ Tollin mused. ‘Maybe there is something else. Some Daemon king for lack of a better word.

  ‘At the moment, however, we’ve got other concerns. The Myrmidons no doubt saw us leave Scrabia. Hard to miss a big beastie like you. They know we’re here.’

  ‘Yeah, but they don’t have an exact location on us, and what difference does it make? They aren’t that smart!’ Marus said, absently tugging at a spine in his arm.

  ‘No, but we have to be careful. Now that they know about Sam and the ring; they’re not going to give up; they’re not going to wait another five-hundred years.’

  ‘They’re going to do whatever it takes,’ Sam muttered quietly, ‘aren’t they?’ She was surprised the idea didn’t actually frighten her. But saying it made it a fact. It solidified it in her mind as a problem she was eventually going to have to face, and either overcome, or fall to. She was going to meet the Myrmidons again, and they weren’t going to show mercy.

  Tollin nodded his head, as if he knew exactly what she was thinking. ‘I’m afraid so.’

  Marus watched Sam pull the final fang from his scales. Sam pushed herself up. ‘I think that’s the last of them,’ she said, unaware she was wiping coppery dragon blood on her leather suit.

  Marus eyed her. ‘Thanks,’ he said it like he wasn’t used the word. His long mouth pulled up in an awkward smile and he gave Sam a curious look. ‘Guess she’s a little more than just a pretty face.’ He stretched his long body out. ‘I think I’m just going to bask for a while. Feeling a little drained.’

  Sam smiled, thinking just how typical of a reptile that was.

  ‘Well, glad to see that problem solved.’ Tollin glanced down at Sam’s legs. ‘You’re going to need to wash off soon. That venom is going to start stinging.’

  Sam frowned and stared down in disgust at the shining bronze blood and dull green venom on her suit legs. The sight sent her stomach swimming. After all she’d been through, seeing her space suit shiny with bodily fluids was still a bit too much for her.

  ‘Oh, that’s lovely,’ she groaned.

  Tollin chuckled and turned towards the keep. ‘Come on, we’ll get you cleaned up.’

  It was then that Sam turned her attention towards the building. She found it hard to accept they would be staying at such a place. This was a place for royalty—if a little dilapidated. The garden was one of the most beautiful things she had ever seen. ‘Where are we?’

  Tollin looked at her. ‘Watcher’s Keep. Somewhat of a haven for people like us. Come along!’

  The walled garden barely contained room for any of the overgrown rose bushes and shrubs thanks to the odd machines and contraptions that ticked and whirred in every available space. It was like Tollin, eccentric and oddly easy on the eyes.

  The castle had more windows than Sam could count and appeared to be three storeys tall, with one very high tower. There was only one door at the back, large and carved out of a single hunk of wood. It was this door that Tollin had stopped under. He was watching her with raised eyebrows.

  ‘Are you coming or not?’ he called.

  Sam shook herself out of her reverie. ‘Right,’ she said to herself, and then hurried across the soft grass to Tollin to step into the cool darkness.

  Chapter Eighteen

  After Tollin had helped Sam strip out of her suit, she had a chance to look around. If Sam hadn’t been on so many school tours, the inside of the castle would have been impressive. It reminded Sam of the old manors that some toff families had out in the country, the only difference being this place was not nearly as richly decorated. This place stuck out in the forest was completely baffling to her.

  Sam turned to look at Tollin, explanations were required. ‘How did you come by this place, exactly? Where are we?’

  ‘Druid land!’ Tollin cried, spinning in a small circle in the large hall. ‘We’re about half an hour from the city of Miol Mor, on the other side of Elk Lake.’

  Sam started. ‘Miol Mor? But that’s only an hour’s drive from Flotsen! We’re so close to where I used to live! Can’t we go?’

  ‘Oh, no,’ Tollin said, picking up a decorative vase and peering inside. ‘Considering how…unusual the circumstances have been over the last few days there is going to be a lot of coverage about your disappearance. Going to the city where you grew up is the last thing we should do!’

  Sam frowned, not liking that at all. ‘Hang on, how is this castle—house—’

  ‘Keep.’

  ‘Whatever, how is it even legal? This is Druid land, there was a treaty written years—’

  ‘I know!’ Tollin cried. ‘I wrote the treaty! This place is special!’ He gave Sam a disarming grin.

  It was then that Marus swaggered in, back in human form and looking much better.

  Sam narrowed her eyes. Her head was spinning. Which questions to ask were getting jumbled with the ones that weren’t that important. ‘Okay, maybe a weird question, b
ut do your clothes transform with you? You’re wearing the exact same thing.’

  ‘Only if I want them to.’ He winked at her.

  Sam did not really care to explore that any further.

  ‘So, where’s the rest of the mad lot at?’ he asked, running a hand through his hair.

  Tollin looked up from the bookshelf he was perusing. ‘Uh,’ his mouth hung ajar slightly. ‘Out, as I said. O’Neill and Victoria went off to explore some grave Realm and Arkron mentioned she was doing some undercover work. Last I checked, at least.’

  Marus appeared to relax a tad upon learning the other residences of this castle were not at home. ‘Did she give you permission to stay here?’

  Tollin let out his breath in a haughty fashion. ‘Ha! Permission? I don’t need permission! She should be asking me if she can stay here!’

  Marus backed up nervously. ‘Oh, no. I’m not staying here, what if she comes back?’

  Tollin gave him a steady, hooded look. ‘Don’t tell me you’re afraid of her.’

  Marus straightened. ‘Of course not! We just…our relationship is…’ He coughed. ‘Complicated.’

  ‘Relax,’ Tollin said. ‘She won’t be back and no-one knows we’re here!’ He smiled in a non-too assuring way.

  ‘Please provide passcode. Unauthorised DNA detected,’ a voice above them demanded. ‘Thirty seconds to comply.’

  They all looked up. It was then that Sam noticed the ceiling was running with cables. A small black eye of a camera glowered down at them.

  ‘Ah,’ Tollin said. ‘Then again, maybe not.’

  Marus gaped. ‘Oh, come on! This is that boffin O’Neill’s invention, isn’t it? Bloody hell, what infernal device has he installed this time?’

  Sam looked at Tollin in bewilderment. ‘Who’s Arkron?’

  Tollin cleared his throat and spoke in a low voice. ‘She’s a…ah, a witch.’

  Sam raised her eyebrows. ‘Perfect. Why am I not surprised?’

  ‘Twenty seconds’

  ‘We’re friends!’ Tollin spread his arms wide. ‘See? Friends! Hello! Uhh, passcode?’ He closed his eyes and pressed his hands to his temple. ‘Has to be something Andrew would think up. Blast! ENLIGHTENMENT!’

  A noise bleeped above them. ‘Welcome. My mistress is away. Do please not make a mess of things, Tollin.’

  ‘Don’t worry,’ Tollin said reassuringly. ‘We’ll treat her property with the utmost respect!’

  It was at that moment that Marus bumped into a table, sending an ornate vase smashing to the floor. Sam winced as Marus swore loudly.

  ‘Is, uh, Arkron away far?’ Tollin asked innocently.

  ‘That is classified information, I am afraid. All teams have chosen to keep their intentions from me.’

  ‘No surprise there. Well, Arkron said we could stay here for a bit, use the upstairs rooms, we can find our own way,’ he leaned backwards to cast a look at his companions. ‘Come on,’ he encouraged brightly.

  Sam hurried to follow him.

  Marus paused and turned to the camera. ‘Just to clarify, by mistress you don’t mean—’

  ‘Marus, come on!’ Tollin hollered.

  * * * * *

  Sam sat with Marus and Tollin at a massive table which was almost the length of the stone dining room. Giant windows ran from floor to ceiling, letting in the dull light of Scottorr’s late afternoon sun. They were finishing up a meal of cold meat and cheese, which seemed, to Sam, to fit the atmosphere rather well.

  The castle was deceptively contradictory. From all outward appearances, it was an old, draughty building, but the inside was a different matter, as she’d already witnessed. Cables ran this way and that. Keycard locks were fastened to almost every door, highly sensitive security systems around the walls, paper thin monitors and huge safes locked with impressive combinations. Whatever went on here was clearly beyond what she’d at first pictured.

  ‘So,’ Marus said, leaning back in one of the wooden chairs. ‘What to do now? I’m here stuck with both of you. I could be on a beach somewhere right now, you know.’

  Sam narrowed her eyes, wishing she’d perhaps left a few spines in him.

  Tollin puffed his breath. ‘Well, you are more than welcome to leave, if you’re that miserable. But good luck keeping a low profile now.’

  Marus grumbled crossly. ‘If anyone, you’re the one to blame for that.’

  ‘They were on to you anyway, trust me, I did you a favour,’ Tollin said. ‘In the meantime, we need to keep Sam safe from the Myrmidons and figure out how to close up that nasty tear in the Realms.’

  Marus laughed humourlessly. ‘Oh, no! I’m not getting involved with that! What makes you think you can figure that out, anyhow? You said yourself you didn’t know if it was possible to close it up.’

  Sam said. ‘Couldn’t we just…I dunno, stitch it up, somehow? I mean, if something tore it open.’

  ‘Hmm, interesting idea, Samantha. We would need an unusual needle, though.’

  Sam held out her hand. The ring’s red stone glinted in the waning light. ‘What about the ring? If it’s in a way responsible for opening it in the first place, shouldn’t it also be able to close it?’

  ‘We just need to keep our heads down till the anniversary passes,’ Marus stated. ‘Once that happens the Myrmidons won’t have anything to work for. In five-hundred years they’ll all be dead.’

  ‘There’s more going on than you think,’ Tollin replied coolly. ‘By all accounts, that rip to the void shouldn’t be there, even with the approaching anniversary. It’s not natural. Something’s tore it open. Now it could be Sam’s ring, or it could be something else. The anniversary might be redundant if the Myrmidons have some other power we don’t know about.

  ‘Arkron has plenty of technology here at our disposal and I could use your help with it. We can monitor the Myrmidon’s communications and start developing a plan.’

  ‘A plan? You’ve lost your mind. I need a drink!’ Marus stood and marched off towards the pantry at the end of the hall.

  Sam turned her attention to the man sitting next to her. ‘First thing’s first, we need to go to Miol Mor tomorrow.’

  Tollin blinked and looked at her in surprise. He’d clearly been lost in other thoughts. ‘What? Why?’

  She pulled at her dirty vest. ‘Because all I’ve got with me is my pyjamas! I’ve already checked here and there isn’t much in the way of clothing. Not to mention, we’ve only enough food for a couple days, and it’s hardly good food at that. We need to go shopping!’

  Tollin groaned, slumping forward against the table, resting his chin in his hands. ‘Myrmidons after you, great, gaping hole in the sky and you feel the need to go shopping?’

  Sam gave him a weak shove. ‘Oi! I’m just trying to be the sensible one around here! We can’t live on ale and stale biscuits!’

  ‘I beg to differ,’ Marus interjected for the pantry.

  Tollin’s lips twitched into a smile. ‘Righto! Tomorrow shopping and then,’ he stood and looked out of the window, ‘we plan.’

  Marus tromped back into the room, lager in hand. ‘We could all just Realm jump out of here, you know,’ he took a sip.

  Sam frowned. ‘That’s something I’ve been meaning to ask about, you keep talking about it, what is Realm jumping?’

  Tollin hopped up on the table and glanced over at Marus. ‘Should we tell her?’

  Marus shrugged. ‘She’s got to learn some time. If her little human brain can handle it.’

  Sam ignored him. ‘Tell me.’

  Tollin flopped back and let out a deep breath. ‘Well, basically, the world you think you know is really very different from what you think.’

  Sam frowned and gazed down at him. ‘Yeah, I think I’ve got that.’

  He sat up, growing more excited. ‘Imagine a great big tree with hundreds—thousands—of branches. All connected, all different, all little points, some bigger than others, some just beginning to expand.’ He spread his hands, fingers waggling.
<
br />   Sam nodded. ‘Okay.’ Her brain spun. It was a struggle to work out the path Tollin was taking.

  Tollin’s face grew more serious. ‘Now imagine Scrabia and Scottorr and everything you see, all of the planets and stars in the sky, as one of those branches, well, two, but we’ll call them one for now.’

  Sam closed her eyes, focusing so intently on the image of a tree and its branches she about lost Tollin’s description. Marus chuckled and took a long pull from his drink.

  Tollin took a breath. ‘You see, there are Realms everywhere, all woven through and above and beneath one another. This Realm, the one we’re in now, is just one of stars’ knows how many! There’s the dragon Realm, Chrystilla, just to name one, the Daemon Realms are another and they’re all their own little universes.’

  Sam chewed on her lip. ‘Like different dimensions?’

  Tollin grinned, pleased. ‘Bingo! First prize to Samantha Turner! Complete universes, completely inaccessible. They don’t even exist, as far as most people are concerned. Sometimes people do see signs, ghosts are a good example of that, they’re trapped in some parallel world, but sometimes bleed through. But for most, you might as well try and step through to the reflected world in the mirror. Unless you’ve the right genes.’

  Sam hadn’t expected that. ‘The right genes?’

  ‘Well, take me for instance, I, and Arkron and hundreds of other individuals, can do what is called Realm Jumping, where basically, we have the ability to jump from one Realm to another. It’s brilliant, really, the ultimate form of travel!’

  Sam shook her head. ‘You mean to tell me you’ve been to…other dimensions? Other Realms?’

  ‘Yup!’

  Sam glanced over to Marus. ‘Can you jump?’

  The cross look on Marus’s face was enough of an answer for her.

  Sam squeezed her eyes shut again, aware that her heart was starting to thud faster in her chest. What he was telling her was beyond comprehension. But…it was something so strange, so wonderful, she realised she desperately wanted it to be true. ‘Everything just feels so small now.’