Approaching Storm (Alternate Worlds Book 2)

by Taylor Leigh

  ‘Turn left.’

  The voice came from nowhere.

  ‘Marus, come on,’ Sam said, straightening. She dashed the hot tears from her eyes.

  ‘What?’ Marus looked away from his crumpled schematics, baffled.

  Sam squared her jaw, allowing the strange sense of confidence to fill her. ‘I know the way. Follow me.’

  Sam struck forward, past Marus and into the darkness.

  She turned left.

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Sam was exhausted by the time they reached the lift’s shaft. The effort of concentrating on the Light had drained all of her strength. Somehow the guidance had taken them on a path that was deserted, but Sam knew it wasn’t going to last long. It was up to Marus now.

  She sagged against the wall, letting the warm glow finally leave her. Her skin tingled as whatever had given her the direction to make it this far slipped away. Back to wherever it had come from.

  She whispered a thank you to it as it went. It was Tollin’s guide. Sam knew what with a burning certainty now. For some reason it was helping her. If she wasn’t so worn-out from her effort she would have found it extremely interesting. But between her emotional and physical state, she couldn’t do much more than watch Marus force open the lift doors.

  ‘Power’s cut,’ Marus reported, stabbing at the buttons. ‘We’re out of a ride.’

  Sam nodded; her whole body was losing feeling. She felt empty. If they didn’t get out of here soon, she was going to have a breakdown. ‘Can’t you…’ her voice broke and Sam struggled to get it back under control. ‘Can’t you…climb up?’

  Marus gave her a look of surprise. ‘Yeah, stand back.’

  Sam obediently stepped backwards, hardly aware of the action. It was probably waiting up above for them. The thing in the ring was overjoyed by the situation; it wasn’t even trying to take control.

  Yet every nerve left in her body that hadn’t given in to exhaustion was fighting to take her running back to Tollin. She couldn’t even sense his thoughts in her head now.

  He was gone.

  The deprivation was devastating. Sam wasn’t sure what that meant. He couldn’t possibly be dead. They needed him alive to work the chair. As long as he was alive, there had to be hope. Sam understood that, but at the moment it was difficult to feel any hope at all.

  Behind her, Marus was transforming, taking up almost the entire width of the hallway. Sam didn’t turn as she heard him shoving his way into the lift. She directed her gaze to a black eye of a camera. Was it watching her now? Could it hear her? If she stepped forward and offered it the ring in exchange for Tollin, would it accept?

  She could hear feet against the corridor. More guards were coming. Maybe Sam wouldn’t have to bargain. They might just be captured anyway.

  She turned around to Marus. He was back in his big, black dragon form, halfway inside the lift. It took a bit of fitting, but finally he managed and stood up to his hind legs. He shoved his shoulders up against the metal ceiling of the lift compartment with all his might and there was a loud screech! as it started to give way. Two more heaves and the dragon was through. He backed out of the shaft and jerked his head to her.

  ‘Come on, let’s go!’

  Sam cast a glance over her shoulder just as the guards rounded the corner. They opened fire. Apparently, they didn’t mind killing either of them. It was the ring they wanted.

  She spun round with a gasp and dashed towards him, each step taking an agonising effort. She had no reservations this time as she scrambled up onto Marus’s back, ducking as bullets spat about her.

  Marus scrabbled up the shaft, claws scraping and tearing great ribbons in the metal. He tore the doors open at the top, battering his great head through and slid out. Once free, he spread his wings wide and took off at a run down the hallway. A few Myrmidon guards fell back in awestruck fear.

  As they raced by, Sam saw a familiar face that sent her blood running cold. It was Avery Roth. He was the only one not surprised to see them. He was watching them hungrily. Calling out to her. The thing in her ring responded.

  ‘Stop!’ he roared, voice making Marus’s spines go straight.

  Sam didn’t get a chance to hear what the threat was after that command because Marus blasted through the nearest window and went beating his wings, climbing into the air, before she could even catch her breath.

  Whatever control the base had had over her was gone now as it shrank beneath them. Her breath came back to her in a hard gasp. It came with the full reality that she was leaving Tollin, abandoning him.

  Marus was such an impressive specimen, surely he could take on the Myrmidons. If he could tear through metal like it was paper they wouldn’t stand a chance!

  ‘We have to go back!’ she cried. ‘Marus, we can’t leave him!’

  Marus clenched his sharp teeth and shook his head. ‘Not a chance!’ He beat his wings harder, taking them further away.

  Sam kicked him in the side ineffectively. ‘I am not leaving him! He wouldn’t leave me! They’ll hurt him!’

  Marus glanced below as he kept flying. The base was in chaos. She could see small dots of people rushing about outside. Lights springing to life in the windows. The pull to go back was stronger than anything she’d ever felt. Stronger than even the Daemons. She knew Marus could match them. If he’d just believe he could…

  ‘Going back there is suicide. Tollin told me to look after you. If we go back there then they’ll just get a hold of your ring.’

  For the rest of the flight, Marus ignored her pleas and protests. Finally, Sam, worn out and feeling useless, slumped forward against his neck. Hot, enraged tears welled up in her eyes but she didn’t let them fall. Never in her life had she ever felt so hopeless, or so alone.

  * * * * *

  Tollin stood still, guarded, breathing hard, teeth clenched. He was surrounded. All of the possible escape routes he’d calculated were now effectively cut off. Not the best situation. Sure, he’d been in tight spots like this before, but from experience things usually didn’t get better from here on out.

  He still had one obvious option left, of course, and if things got too bad, Tollin promised himself he’d Realm jump away. He was reluctant to at the moment, however. As much as he hated himself for it, he was painfully curious. And he still wasn’t sure what that would do.

  The Blaiden man chuckled deeply and swaggered forward through the crowd of Myrmidon guards. He grinned filed teeth at Tollin and crossed his giant arms across his barrel chest. ‘My master is very much looking forward to meeting you.’

  Tollin raised his eyebrows. He wished they would remove the electric cables. The steady current was messing with his head in a most uncomfortable way. ‘A Blaiden man, I’ll admit I’m surprised to see you! I thought you lot had turned from your spore-addicted ways! That was years ago, so what happened to you, then?’

  The man narrowed his yellow eyes. ‘Not all of us gave in to the Druid’s corrupting ways.’

  Tollin pulled a face. ‘Clearly not. So, where’s your master then? I don’t like to waste my time and would rather get on with things.’

  ‘You may not be so eager, once you understand what lies in store for you.’ A new voice broke over whatever the Blaiden man was about to say.

  Tollin raised his eyes and watched as Avery Roth pushed through the crowd. He stopped less than a metre away and they both surveyed each other. Tollin was a little surprised by how similar Roth was to him. Both close to the same height; both had facial hair, both with thick Northern accents. The only difference was Roth wore glasses and appeared slightly older; his long hair was greying.

  ‘So, the famous Traveller? We meet at last!’

  Tollin narrowed his eyes. ‘Avery Roth. I’ve heard much about you, glad I finally get to see the madman behind the reports.’

  A thin smile passed across Roth’s lips. Tollin couldn’t shake a sneaking sense he was getting from the man. Something about him wasn’t right. It wasn’t human…and at
the same time, it wasn’t like anything else he’d ever felt before…like there was some hulking, hungry thing just below the surface. Some dangerous predator Tollin knew too little about.

  As if Roth sensed what Tollin was thinking, he straightened. ‘I’m a little offended, Traveller, I know it has been a long time, but surely you haven’t forgotten me! I’ve been ever so keen on speaking with you! I must have missed much in my imprisonment.’

  Tollin raised an eyebrow, puzzled by Roth’s words. He knew he’d never met the man—Avery Roth—before. That meant…oh, buggar. Daemons. He hated Daemons. He attempted to act light of it. ‘Oh? And who might that be? I didn’t figure Roth would have the brains of this operation. Who’s hiding behind that skinny frame?’

  Roth laughed and then immediately jerked violently. Tollin watched in revulsion. It was a sight too familiar to him. When the body stopped its unnatural convulsions, Tollin wasn’t surprised to see his eyes were pitch-black. Ah. So that’s who was in charge. Daemon possession this early in the game was not a good sign. They shouldn’t be getting through.

  ‘How right you were,’ Roth said in a completely different, deeper voice. ‘About the brains being behind the brawn.’

  Tollin flashed his most snarky smile. ‘What? A Daemon? Oh, I did not see that coming! How clever are you! Tell me, what’s your name, have I defeated you before? Let me guess, Lughead, no, wait, Greasespit, no—’

  Roth’s brows lowered. ‘Do not insult me, Traveller. Daemons are nothing to me but waste. They fall before us in terror and worship. I am the god of all, the great Hunger.’

  ‘My,’ Tollin quipped. ‘Someone’s got an ego problem.’

  He struggled to not let his worry show. His brain worked overtime. What dark force could this be? Something that spoke as many and one entities; that thought Daemons to be nothing but waste? He’d met it before, but when? Surely Tollin would have remembered something like this. The very idea that there was some other negative entity out there besides Daemons was refusing to register in his mind. His brain, inexplicably, would not allow the fact. It was impossible. And for a man who made a habit out of believing in the impossible, he found this more disturbing than being faced with what he was now. The fact he couldn’t believe it.

  No. It had to be a Daemon. It showed all the signs of being a Daemon. It was just some…king Daemon or something, if there was such a thing.

  ‘How is it you have no memory of us?’ The Roth puppet asked, voice carrying true disappointment. ‘Surely you remember the Fall of Auger’a? My revenge will almost be hollow.’

  Tollin, ignoring his pounding heart, narrowed his eyes and let out a thoughtful hum. ‘Not ringing a bell…’

  The Fall of Auger’a had been Tollin’s first big battle…he’d defeated the Daemons quite badly, but beyond that…he could remember nothing. There hadn’t been anything, that’s what his memory told him over and over. There was nothing but that defeat. This thing, whatever was inside of Roth, was playing a game with him, it had to be. It was a Daemon from that battle. Nothing more. He decided to go with it.

  ‘Oh! That’s where I gave you lot the biggest defeat in your history and sent you all howling back to your Realm!’ He grinned. ‘I suppose you must have gone mad. Were you some general or lord, now struck with some delusion of grandeur, believing you’re some kind of dark god! Well, that’s a new one for me?’

  ‘Fascinating. You truly don’t remember. Funny how things work out, isn’t it?’ Roth chuckled. ‘I wonder, Traveller, are you getting so old you’re beginning to lose your mind…or, is someone tampering with your memory?’

  Tollin squared his jaw. No-one was about to convince him of that. No way.

  ‘Well,’ he drawled, in an attempt to cover his unease. ‘This has been fascinating, but I can’t be stuck with Daemons all day. Things to do, I’m sure you’ll understand.’

  His eyes closed and all the many distractions fell away. He pictured the Realm he wanted to jump to in his mind, a beautiful, tranquil place. Somewhere to lick his wounds and think. And he had to get back to Samantha Turner. He gave a teasing salute and prepared to jump.

  Nothing happened.

  Nothing at all. He might as well have just closed his eyes for a quick kip. He felt none of the rushing river of power so ingrained in him it was part of his very being. He felt…empty.

  That was a new one.

  ‘What—?’

  ‘Having trouble going somewhere, Traveller?’ Roth asked, tone matching Tollin’s own just moments before. ‘After all, I knew you were a Realm Jumper. We took precautions against it.’

  Tollin growled and struggled against the cable still clamped through his shoulder. The damn thing must be attempting to stop him with some sort of electrical pulse. He had been in such devices before. He knew how to break past the interference. Why couldn’t he now?

  Crunch! the butt end of a rifle struck him across the face. ‘Ouch!’ Tollin groaned unhappily and stretched his face out, judging that his nose was mercifully not broken.

  ‘Sir, if we increase the voltage any higher, we’ll be in danger of harming him,’ one of the soldiers spoke up.

  The guards circling them shifted nervously, none wanting to get too close. All save for the Blaiden man, who marched forward. ‘He has the ring! Do you want it?’

  Tollin had to wrinkle his noise at the abrasive, booming, stupid quality to the man’s voice.

  Roth shook his head. ‘No. It’s not the ring. I cannot sense our selves. It’s gone, far away. This is…a ploy. It’s still out there, with the girl, still connected.’

  ‘Ah, about that,’ Tollin started. That hadn’t worked as well as he’d hoped.

  ‘Shut up!’ Roth roared. He whirled on the few remaining Myrmidons, who looked utterly terrified. ‘Take him to the lab!’

  Tollin swallowed. ‘The lab?’ He sniffed, feeling blood tricking down from his nose. He did his best to dab at it, wipe it away. Oh, he did not like the sound of that.

  Roth did not hesitate as the others did, but marched forward, smiling wickedly. ‘I’ve been looking forward to this, Traveller.’

  Tollin didn’t look away from the dead black of Roth’s eyes. ‘Oh, I’ll bet you have.’

  Someone struck him from behind, and the world shrank away into a foggy dark.

  Chapter Thirty

  Marus was still flying. He’d long since passed over Druid land and Flotsen. Now, below Sam, she could see nothing but blackness. No lights from buildings, no trees. Absolutely nothing. Dark, rainy clouds had pulled across the sky since they’d broken into the base, making the ground below all the inkier. It was cold, the air fresh and wet.

  It took Sam a moment to realise they were flying over the ocean.

  She didn’t know where Marus was headed. She didn’t ask. And she wasn’t sure she wanted him to stop. Part of her just wanted to keep flying until the misery inside of her finally died. She didn’t want a destination. She needed to think. She needed a plan. Sam needed to know what her next move was going to be, but nothing was coming to her, nothing in this black, cool darkness.

  Slowly, she felt Marus start to descend. She turned her attention down to the surface and watched him drift towards blinking red lights. It was a large, automated barge chugging through the waves. Its lights lit up the black water beneath it into tossing sparkles.

  He landed among the towering crates and Sam slid off of his back on numb legs. She walked away from him towards the edge of the deck, confused by his choice of destination. Behind her she heard the strange noise of Marus changing shape.

  It was an odd sensation, seeing nothing but dark and the steady blinking lights, not knowing where she was going. She was growing a healthy fear of the dark. It was hard to gain control of her senses. It was hard to sense Tollin.

  Marus was making his way towards her and she wrapped her arms around her chest. She was alone with him now. For some reason that sent her stomach into a tumbling flutter.

  She didn’t want to talk to him. No
t unless it was about going back.

  ‘Sam?’

  She sucked in a breath and got control of herself. She couldn’t just stand here. That wasn’t going to save Tollin. ‘Why are we here?’

  Marus held out his hand to her. A small metal barb, bloody and blinking with electronic lights, was at the centre of his palm. ‘Tracking device. They shot me with it on our way out. I didn’t think it would be a good idea to go back home with it stuck in me.’ He spun round and hurled it out of sight. There was a soft metallic plunk! as it hit somewhere on the barge.

  ‘Maybe that will confuse them for a while.’

  Sam nodded. The crashing of waves against the ship filled the silence. Lighting flashed on the horizon. ‘I can’t just leave him there, Marus. I—we need him. We need to figure out a way to get him out. If they strap him up to that chair…’

  Thinking of Tollin captive to the chair wasn’t even the greatest of her worries, which she did feel slightly guilty about. Sure, Tollin opening up a portal to another Realm was bad, but her reasons, she had to admit, were much more selfish. She felt incomplete without him.

  She sat down on the edge of the barge and swung her legs out over empty space. For a dizzying moment, she worried about falling, but after all she’d been through, the fear seemed childish now.

  With a heavy sigh, Marus dropped down next to her. ‘Tollin can Realm jump, remember?’ He smiled at her gently. ‘He can get out of there any time he wants. He’ll probably be waiting for us when we get back.’

  Sam studied his face for a moment, trying to search out if he truly meant it. His midnight eyes were gentle. For once his handsome features were compassionate.

  Marus hesitantly lifted his hand and touched her face; his fingers were unnaturally warm, which was welcome compared to the cold ocean air. It had to be her imagination, but the heat of his touch seemed to leak through her body, down from her cheek, spreading throughout her.