by Taylor Leigh
Erikson punched the needle into Tollin’s arm and swallowed, jaw trembling.
Tollin grinned again, still satisfied he’d managed to fluster Roth. Oh, what the little things in life could do for one’s mood! He dropped his voice to a whisper. ‘Want to see something wicked?’
Erikson glanced at Tollin nervously.
Tollin directed his eyes down to the syringe. It started to fill with his blood. Non-human blood. A beautiful, copper gold, glinting metallic in the harsh lights. Erikson pulled the needle free and gazed at it in awe. Tollin sank his head back down to the table and grinned. Perhaps he was going mad. But really, he didn’t have much to complain about. Roth was at a loss with what to do with him, Samantha Turner had escaped and his enemies were a man who was afraid to touch him and a monster who he’d defeated before. It helped to be an optimist.
Roth growled. ‘Any secrets of your makeup can be unveiled, Traveller, one just needs to have patience, and after as long as I’ve waited, I have become quite good at being patient. So go ahead and smile. But you’re mine now, and unlike your other enemies, I am not afraid.’
Tollin studied Roth. He narrowed his eyes, trying to work out what he meant. For some reason, that threat was like an icy hand clenched round his heart. He didn’t like not understanding what was inside Roth. And being completely at its mercy.
Erikson was holding up a new syringe now. One filled with a sickly yellow colour. Tollin sighed. He needed to get out of here.
* * * * *
Sam lay still in bed, staring at the wall, unable to sleep. Her eyes were tired from frustrated tears but she couldn’t truly find the strength to quit. It was as if all the emotion that she should have felt over her father’s death and her new situation had been pushed aside once she’d met Tollin, and now that they were separated it all came back to her in a rush.
She sniffed heavily and rubbed her hand across her face. She had never felt so helpless. She didn’t know what she was going to do now.
How long could she really expect to hide out with Marus and Arkron? How long before they grew bored and left for some new adventure, leaving her to fend for herself? But where else could she go? To Darius? Not bloody likely, she didn’t want to get him in any more trouble. The one person she could trust, the one person who could save her, was trapped.
She was thinking about him too much. She’d only known him for a couple of weeks and now she could hardly put him from her mind! She groaned and flopped onto her back and stared up at the ceiling, moody. She really was such a mess.
‘Oh, I suppose that could have been worse. Blaiden? Really? Wouldn’t have seen that one coming. Blimey! What did they inject me with? Must be derived from the spores, hope that doesn’t mean I get sick. That would be lovely on top of all of this, going mad from those! All I need is some yellow eyes.’
Sam jerked upright. Tollin was talking in her head! She had no way of explaining it, but there it was. It was as if whatever mental barrier he’d put up between them had slipped.
She took a deep breath, and spoke.
‘Tollin?’
There was a long pause. ‘Guide? Well, I’m not used to this sort of communication! I feel special.’
‘No, it’s me!’ She took another deep breath and shut her eyes, concentrating on the thin connection.
‘What? Samantha! Oh, that is brilliant!’
‘All right?’
‘Me? Oh yeah, fine! Just a bit…well, never mind.’ His thoughts had a forced cheer to them.
She curled her fingers around her sheet. ‘I can tell you’re in pain. What did they do to you?’
Tollin mentally shook his head. ‘Leave it alone, Sam. How are you holding up? You and Marus make it back all right?’
Sam told him quick as she could all that had happened with the tracking device and meeting Arkron. Tollin had been quiet through her explanation and Sam could sense him musing over the problem.
‘I made a mistake when I assumed we were dealing with nothing but Myrmidons. They’ve already been infiltrated. Roth is possessed. But the Daemon in Roth is something I have never encountered the likes of before. It claims to have a personal vendetta against me…problem is, I don’t remember it! And it’s a weird sort, too, gives off a strange sense. It’s…troubling to say the least.’
Sam thought about that for a moment. ‘So there’s some thing here that you don’t understand? That must be some sort of first. But I thought you said that wasn’t possible for Daemons to be here…Unless, has someone let them through? It must be the Myrmidons on Scrabia! But we haven’t heard of Scrabia being overrun yet. It seems like the Daemons would have jumped right on that, yeah? So this just must be some lone agents.’
She could almost tell Tollin was smiling.
‘Yes, I think if the Daemons had the power they would already be enslaving the planet, so that tells me that not many got through. This one in Roth mentioned something about me meeting it before…I think I must have defeated it, maybe trapped it and somehow Roth released it. Then again, it’s impossible to exterminate them from any planet completely. There’s always one or two lurking about in some body somewhere, happy to eke out a living without lifting a finger to help more of its kind through. But that one in Roth isn’t lazy, and that means that they’re going to keep trying to get through. They’ve got me and an almost functioning gateway, so it won’t take long.’
Sam frowned. ‘Hang on. Why are you still there? How come you haven’t jumped yet?’
Tollin groaned. ‘Well, bit of a problem there. I can’t.’
Sam sat straighter, a cold sense of dread filling her. ‘Why not?’
‘Not sure! Bit strange, really. Myrmidons must be transmitting some kind of signal or something…hard to tell. I’m trying to figure it out. The ability is written into my DNA, they can’t just take that away from me. I swear as soon as I figure it out I’ll get back.’
Sam nodded, not liking his answer very much. ‘Right. So in the meantime what do I do? How can I help?’
‘Sam—’
‘Look, they’ve got to be stopped, you know that! Now I want to know what I can do to help you!’
Tollin sighed patiently. ‘I appreciate it, but the best thing you can do is lie low. The Myrmidons know you exist and they’re going to be looking for you like mad now. The anniversary is coming up fast. You need to stay with Marus and Arkron. They’re good…people…they’ll protect you.’
‘Tollin!’
Tollin winced. ‘Look, I’ve got to go; I don’t know if they have a way to measure telepathy signals, but it’s best to be on the safe side. Just keep out of sight; that’s the best thing you can do for me. Really. I’ll try to contact you later, Sam, please, just stay with them and don’t worry.’
‘Tollin, I’m not giving up on you.’
He smiled gently, lighting up her mind. ‘Don’t worry about me. We’ll talk later. Oh—and don’t kiss Marus, whatever you do!’
Sam blinked. ‘What? Tollin? Why? Tollin!’
Silence.
Sam groaned in frustration and flopped back on her bed. She knew one thing for sure; there was no way she was getting any sleep now.
Chapter Thirty-Two
Sam tightened the laces of her trainers and stepped out into the damp, foggy morning air. It was still early, Marus and Arkron had not yet stirred from sleep and would likely not for some time. She still doubted she would have been able to leave if they’d known.
What she needed now was some peace and quiet. A way to perhaps stretch her mind and find Tollin, wherever he was. Find an answer to the problem. And going for a morning run seemed just the thing. If there were any Myrmidons lurking in the shadows, the keep would not stop them.
The day was not a cheery one. By the time Sam reached the first of the trees, the keep was already invisible in the low clouds. Thankfully, the forest was clear enough; the cold mist was blocked by the thick overhead branches. It was still a gloomy path she took, and it felt appropriate for her mood; the sun wa
s hard to find on Scottorr. The wet ground ate the sound of her steps.
Sam concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other, pushing her frustration and anger as far behind her as physically possible. If only she knew what to do to help Tollin. Unfortunately, as hard as she thought, she wasn’t coming up with anything practical. All of the films she’d seen on such situations weren’t proving the slightest bit useful. When it came down to it: she was just a girl of nineteen from the rough part of town. What could she really hope to accomplish?
It was one of those quiet days in the wood, where all life seemed to have taken cover thanks to the drizzling sky. Yet beneath the patter of rain on leaves and the distant craw! of a raven, she sensed something lurked. That creeping, primal feeling of being watched pricked at her skin. If she’d felt it a year ago, she would have told herself she was being paranoid; but things were different now and Sam had learnt to not ignore her feelings. The lesson came especially hard after losing Tollin.
Tollin…
She shook herself, passing a hand through her damp hair. She had to push past her fear for him and look at the situation logically. Wouldn’t that be what he would do? She needed to clear her head, not cloud it even more. Wasn’t that why she was out here, jogging through the rainy woods alone?
She clenched her teeth and pressed onward. He was an unwelcome distraction—as much as she hated to admit it. Whenever her thoughts strayed to him guilt began to well up. She knew they were going to hurt him, and she knew that she was at the very core responsible for it all. It all came back to the blasted ring wrapped round her finger.
It was her enemy that was the most discouraging. The very thought of going up against it was enough to make her want to forget it all and crawl away. Whatever had captured Tollin was something wrong; something dark. How exactly was she supposed to defeat that? Something Tollin didn’t even understand. It filled her with a cold, helpless dread.
She pushed ahead, faster now, her ribs aching from the effort. She wanted to run till she collapsed. The ground sloped upwards before her challengingly. Her lungs burned, her legs going weak. She had to make it at least to the crest of the hill. Then she could stop. Then she could fall back into her miserable powerlessness. There she could think. She pulled onward, something inside urging with a desperate determination. She had to reach the top of the hill. She had to accomplish something.
With each agonising step her destination loomed closer, until, at last, almost collapsing, Sam reached the crest. She doubled over, swallowing lungful’s of air. She sat down heavily, the cool air feeling delicious in deep breaths.
And then she saw it.
Hovering just above the sea of ferns, glowing golden and beautiful in the foggy air, was a light.
The Light.
Sam slowly stood and stared at it.
It hovered in the same spot, shimmering, illuminating the misty air around it. It was waiting.
Cautiously, tentatively, Sam eased from the path and into the ocean of green in careful steps, like she was coming upon a fawn. She came just a metre away when it gently lifted from its resting place, as a disturbed butterfly might have down, and started to weave off through the plants.
Sam, without thinking it over, broke into a jog after it. Behind her, the ferns closed up; swallowing each footstep she took. She wasn’t the best with directions and was well aware if it took her far she would easily become lost. Familiarity could wait. She was supposed to be here.
The Light did not have far to lead her. After twisting past trees and boulders it finally, and very decisively, stopped at the centre of a circle of carved stones. Sam had seen such circles before. They were set up all along the coast; she’d been to several on school trips. This one, however, didn’t seem to have many visitors. Perhaps she was the first to see it.
Sam hesitated a moment at the edge of the circle. There were myths, legends, about such circles. They were supposed to be magic circles. Faerie circles. Sam hadn’t really believe, but after all she’d seen, she wasn’t so sure.
The Light waited for her and Sam stepped closer, huddled at a stone, running her fingers along the grooves carved in it.
Around her, in the trees, she saw no malignant spirits, no other blinking lights. It was all right. And there was something about this place. Something almost familiar.
She glanced back to the Light and almost stumbled backwards in surprise. Perhaps the circle of stones had some affect for it was no longer a nebulous mass. It was the shape of a woman now. Sam knew exactly what—who—had led her here.
With a deep breath, she stepped into the circle. She was facing Tollin’s Guide. She had brought Sam here, and Sam already knew why.
‘What is this place?’ Sam asked, eyeing the stones. ‘I feel like I should know.’
The Guide’s gaze followed Sam’s, roving around the stones buried in the moss. She was about Sam’s height, possibly her age, but it was impossible to tell. Her body glowed with such a beautiful, golden light Sam could not possibly discern any features. Long, flaxen hair shone around her shoulders like a halo and a white dress rippled around her body, though there was no breeze.
‘It is familiar,’ the Guide said. ‘But not to you. Tollin made this place, many years ago. It’s his memories you feel.’
Sam nodded. It made sense. She wanted to know what he’d made it for, but thought better than to ask. She had no idea how much time she had been allowed and could not afford to waste it. There were much more important matters to discuss. ‘So, why did you bring me here?’
The Guide started to walk around the circle, moving in a way that was so very human. ‘You know why.’
Sam swallowed and looked to her shoes. ‘Tollin.’
The Guide smiled, Sam could just barely make it out. ‘Of course.’
Sam turned slowly, watching the Guide. ‘I know I have to help him. But I don’t know how… He’s trapped there, guarded in the Myrmidon base and I’m stuck here and no-one wants to help. I’m at a loss.’
The Guide stopped for a moment to study Sam. ‘Perhaps you’re not thinking hard enough on who can help you. The Traveller is an amazing man; capable of accomplishing many feats that would seem to most impossible, but he always has a little aid along the way.’
Sam lowered her brows. ‘So I should be like Tollin and, what exactly, trick people into helping me?’
The Guide pulled a face. She had a strange voice, echoic and ethereal. ‘I wouldn’t say trick people. Use your influence over them. You’d be surprised about how many people care for you; want to help you. You’re more like Tollin than you know.’
Sam sucked in a deep breath and cast her gaze around at the forest. The leaves tossed in the cold breeze. It would start raining soon; she could smell it in the air. ‘I don’t know if I can do it. I could end up just getting caught and then I’d have failed not only Tollin but this entire Realm.’
‘Trust your instincts.’
Sam frowned. ‘You mean Tollin’s instincts.’
The Guide smiled. ‘Whatever works best for you.’
Sam crossed her arms. ‘Can I ask you something?’
The Guide shrugged.
‘If you’re so powerful, why don’t you just get him out?’
The Guide sighed. ‘As much as I want to, I cannot get involved.’
Sam huffed her breath. ‘Why? Would it upset your superiors or something?’
The Guide raised her eyebrows. ‘No-one tells me what to do. I do not live within the same boundaries of time that you do. For me, it is all around me, for you, it is a line. Things that happen in the past and future are as open to me as the present.’
Sam nodded. ‘So you could really screw something up if you get involved, because you know everything that’s going to happen?’
‘Precisely.’
Sam turned around in a small circle thoughtfully. ‘So…’ she said slowly. ‘That means you know what’s going to happen to Tollin, then.’
The Guide didn’t answer. She
just smiled.
‘My goodness,’ Sam said sarcastically. ‘You and Tollin are quite a pair, aren’t you? So, I guess if you know the future, you came to me for a reason. It must be up to me, huh?’ She bit her lip, the idea setting her stomach twisting in excited knots. ‘But, hang on, doesn’t telling me this mean you’re already getting involved?’
The Guide stuck out her lips. ‘You needed a little nudge in the right direction. That’s what I do. I may not be able to get directly involved…but that doesn’t mean I can’t bend the rules a bit.’ She grinned.
Sam returned the smirk. She was beginning to like her. ‘Right, well, if you think I can do it then I guess I’ll give it a go.’ She looked the Guide in the eyes. ‘How will I know if I’m on the right track?’
The Guide beamed. ‘If you start straying I’ll be there to give you a little nudge.’
Sam’s lips twitched. A loud crack of thunder caused her to look to the sky. A heavy drop of rain hit her on the cheek. ‘Right, well feel free, because I’m in way over my head.’
She looked back to where the Guide was standing and blinked in surprise and disappointment. The Guide was gone. The circle of stones was just as undisturbed as when Sam had first arrived.
She took a deep breath and couldn’t fight back her smile. She had a new purpose now. Saving Tollin was her destiny. Now she just had to figure out how to go about it.
* * * * *
Tollin absently yanked his wrists which were strapped down tight to the chair. He didn’t have much hope of getting free, but it never hurt to try.
He had to admit: he was concerned by his situation. The anniversary was—if he was not mistaken—in a week’s time and he was at the epicentre of whatever that would mean. Completely powerless.
He mulled over it all for a minute.
Not good.
Roth strode into the room, completely composed, hardly glancing Tollin’s direction. He made his way over towards the control panel and began flipping switches. Tollin craned his head forward as far as the helmet strapped to his head would allow.