Dawn of the Mages (The Magic Wakes Book 2)

by Charity Bradford

  "What is it?" he asked.

  "We have to help him." She almost hyperventilated as images from her dream cycled through her mind.

  "Did Landry communicate with you?" Craig narrowed his eyes.

  "Yes." She tried to run up the stairs, but Craig grabbed her.

  The two guards looked their way.

  "Calm down, you're drawing attention." Shamaf grabbed her other arm and the two men led her down the steps.

  Talia struggled to get free. "He's surrounded. We have to help him."

  "Don't make me give you a sedative." Craig patted his pocket. "I've got one right here. Calm down and tell us what he said."

  "He said to take cover." Talia stopped fighting them.

  "Then that's what we do." Craig nodded to Shamaf. "Where to?"

  They left the steps and slipped into the shadow of a building across from the Archives.

  "Now tell us what he said," Shamaf whispered.

  "He didn't say much. There are Controllers inside and we should take cover. I told him to come out but he won't!" Her voice kept rising.

  Craig pulled out a syringe. It didn't look like one from the Vis Vires.

  "I don't need that." Talia shrunk back.

  "Here try some woodspice." Shamaf held out a small shaker fromhis pack but Talia shook her head.

  "I need to be fully alert." She pushed it away.

  "Then calm down." Craig put the medicine away. "And he told you to stay hidden?"

  "Yes, but the dream. This could be my dream." A ragged sob escaped, but she moved farther into the alley, trying to pull it together. No matter what, she had to be ready.

  "You never told me what the dream was about." Craig followed her while Shamaf kept watch on the courtyard.

  "I dreamed Landry had been captured, but I wasn't. He promised we would stay together but now he's in there and I'm not. We have to get to him out."

  Shamaf held up his hand and the other two fell silent. "It's too late. Listen."

  The sound of boots marched across the concrete yard, their rat-tat-tats clattering up the steps. Talia peeked around the corner to see soldiers flooding toward the building.

  She screamed Landry's name, and Shamaf clasped his hand over her mouth. Talia continued to scream in her mind as she reached for Landry's awareness.

  She knew the moment he looked through her eyes. He saw the Controllers streaming into the building. Could he do anything to hide?

  Talia tried to move into his mind, to see through his eyes, but he blocked her completely. Her hands shook. Shamaf didn't loosen his hold.

  "How did they know we were here?" Craig whispered.

  "I don't know," Shamaf answered.

  "Stay hidden. It will be all right. Don't come after me." Landry's voice surprised Talia again. It sounded odd in her head, strained.

  "Something's wrong." Talia whimpered against Shamaf's hand.

  "Of course it is. An entire division of Controllers entered that building. I hope Landry found somewhere to hide." Shamaf loosened his hold on her.

  Talia shivered. There hadn't been enough time for Landry to conceal himself. Her strength gave out and she sagged to the ground. She counted heartbeats, peeking around the corner, staring at the Archive steps. Each beat that passed without Landry appearing at the door hurt a little more.

  No one spoke. Darkness fell before the doors opened and the Controllers streamed out. Her eyes strained as she searched their faces.

  Nothing.

  She couldn't find or feel him.

  Craig helped Talia to her feet after the Controllers had gone. "Maybe he's still inside."

  "He's not." Talia's voice sounded lifeless.

  "How do you know?" Shamaf asked.

  "Because he's not here. If he escaped he would have come straight to us." Anger burned through the emptiness of the moment before. "He should have listened to me. If we'd stuck together he would be safe now."

  "No, we would have all been captured with him. Think of it this way, it will be easier for him to escape alone without having to worry about freeing you too." Shamaf talked low and studied the area for any lingering Controllers.

  "He didn't have any trouble getting us both out of the Controller's grasp last time."

  Shamaf grunted. "That could have been luck."

  Heat scorched its way into Talia's face. Did Shamaf think her useless? Static built between her fingers as he continued talking.

  "You should go back to your ship with Craig. I'll follow the Controllers and wait for a chance to help your husband."

  "That's a good idea." Craig cautiously touched her arm. "We can work on translating the hard drive while we wait for him. We'd be safe and productive. There's nothing we can really do for him right now."

  Talia had watched the courtyard empty of civilians when the Controllers arrived, but now it filled with traffic again.

  "Landry is all I have. I will not sit in a ship while he's a prisoner. I've seen what they do to him in my dreams. He might be able to escape on his own, but he's going to need help when he does." She shook herself away from Craig. "You can come if you like or not. It doesn't matter to me."

  "Talia, please. Come back to the ship with me. He made me promise, remember? If he got caught I'm supposed to take you back to Sendek." Craig grabbed her again, not as softly as before.

  "Craig, let go before you regret it." She ground the words through her teeth.

  "If you get caught I'm stuck here." He growled. "I'm taking you back."

  Shamaf nodded his head. "You should go."

  "I thought you needed us to help get your revolution off the ground." Talia spat at him.

  "I need your husband, and keeping you safe will help him in the long run."

  "I can help." She would not back down.

  "Dreams aren't going to help that much," he mumbled.

  "That's what I used to think." She turned to Craig. He still had her in an iron grip. "Craig, last chance. Let me go."

  He grimaced. "I'm trying to keep you safe. Help you return home so you can accomplish your goals."

  The air around them grew warmer. Craig looked down at his hands wrapped around her arm. A soft glow built between them.

  "It doesn't hurt me. How long can you hold on?" She didn't smile.

  Craig dropped his hands. "I'm not the enemy here."

  Talia didn't answer, but turned to Shamaf. "They're taking him to a stone fortress. It looked like a valley surrounded by low hills with very little vegetation. Where would I find such a place?"

  Shamaf shook his head. "I know the place you speak of. We'll need a plan before we knock on the front door."

  "Agreed." Talia waved her hand in the air. "Lead the way."

  Shamaf led her down the street.

  Craig followed. "This isn't smart."

  "We need to gather as many outliers as we can. The place Talia described is a training facility for new recruits. Everyone knows where it is. If we can find a way inside, we could rescue Landry and steal much needed weapons." Shamaf played with his beard. "It won't be easy, but it could work."

  "We don't have time to gather anyone. They're going to torture Landry." Images of her husband flickered through her mind. Bloodied, tied up and unconscious while a Controller continued to kick him. Talia pushed the pictures away. She stood straighter. Walked faster. "Craig could do it. We go to the base, he gathers as many people as he can and meets us there in a couple of days."

  "Whoa, you want me to wander around an unknown planet by myself?" Craig shuddered.

  "You're almost worse than her." Shamaf shook his head again. "You don't think you can do anything, and she thinks she can do everything. You two are going to get me killed."

  Craig visually straightened his shoulders and stood a little taller. "I'm going to prove you wrong. I'll bring you an army. Tell me when you want them there."

  "Three days. Controller training camp."

  "Fine. Tell me how to convince them you sent me?"

  "Tell them the outl
ier moon is rising."

  "We'll be there." Craig turned to Talia. "I wanted to help, that's all that was back there. Will you be okay with him?"

  "Landry trusts him. That's good enough for me."

  "Try not to get yourself killed."

  "Thanks, Craig. Be safe." She gave him an awkward hug before he turned and left them.

  Shamaf and Talia walked in silence, both lost in their own thoughts. The stars shone above, twinkling as if everything were right in the world. If only it could be true.

  Talia sent thoughts into the stars, hoping they would reach Jewel. She doubted the dragon would come save them, but she had to try. Her thoughts, almost like silent prayers, consumed the hours of the night.

  They crossed through a forest as a short cut to the fortress. Shamaf said it would allow them to get in front of the Controllers.

  "If we're lucky we can find a way to rescue him before they take him inside. That will be much harder."

  Talia nodded. Tired and achy, she stopped by a tree and placed her palm to the bark. Still nothing like on Sendek. The life force hid so deep inside she didn't dare pull from it. She worried that without the ready energy from the suns or trees, she might be as weak and useless as Shamaf feared.

  CHAPTER FORTY-ONE

  Right before dawn, they left the forest.

  "We have another hour, maybe two before we reach the fortress." He set his pack down. "We can rest here for a while. I'll see if I can catch us a rodent to eat. There are a few left in this sector."

  Shamaf headed back into the woods, leaving Talia alone. She needed a sunsrise. It would sooth her anxiety and give her the power she needed to help Landry. The colors of the sky lightened. There were no clouds, but she still couldn't feel the energy building like on Sendek. It had been instinctual on her home planet, but here it would take work.

  She concentrated on the thin line of glowing light, tried to see the energy patterns. After a moment, right before the corona of the sun appeared, she caught a glimpse of the energy flowing from the sun.

  It looked as strong as that on Sendek. Now that she could see it, she called the light to her. It came sluggishly at first, but as the pathway between her and the sun grew stronger it flowed easier. She felt much better by the time Shamaf returned with a small animal.

  "We can't start a fire, so you'll have to eat it raw." He set it down and cleaned it.

  "No way." Talia wrinkled her nose.

  "Then you'll be hungry and no help."

  "No, you misunderstood." She bent down and looked at the pitiful strands of meat, closing her eyes and focused the energy she had gathered. Forming it into a ball, she opened her eyes and it materialized in her open palm. The heat from it warmed her face, but didn't burn.

  "What are you doing?" Shamaf moved away.

  "Cooking without smoke." She smiled. "Guess I'm a little less useless now?"

  A couple hours later they reached a broad hillside.

  "The training camp is on the other side of that." He nodded up a slope covered with rocks, shrubs and the occasional tree. "We should be careful when we get to the top. Stay low and out of sight."

  "Okay." Talia's heart raced. Did we make it in time?

  She sent her thoughts outward, searching, calling for Landry. Only the wind answered her. As she climbed she pulled more energy from the suns. The more she practiced, the easier it became.

  Her skin tingled all over. The fullness overwhelming her until she sank to her knees. Raw power filled her. She trembled.

  Too much.

  "What's wrong?" Shamaf stood over her, blocking the light above her.

  The coolness felt good. "Nothing, but I need a moment."

  She needed to vent some energy if she wanted to continue. Please, no lightning. She stumbled to a burned out stump. Placed her palms against the sides, closed her eyes and visualized a fully grown tree.

  "What are you doing?" Shamaf asked.

  "Thinking about what this tree must have looked like fully grown and green." She whispered. The energy flowed through her fingertips. The bark trembled with life. It moved as if breathing. She opened her eyes to see the tree sending up shoots and unfurling branches.

  Talia sighed as tiny green leaves popped out all over.

  "Wow, I've never seen that before." Shamaf scratched his beard. He started to speak again, but a seismic tremor knocked him down.

  Talia fell over backward. The tree sent out another shudder. It wasn't speaking to her, but it called to others of its kind. The deep base exuded desperation and sadness. Those feelings burned her heart and she answered before she could stop herself.

  She quietly sang a song she'd often heard the trees of her forest sing. The melody soothed, caressed. Talia wrapped her love around it, encasing her memories of the other trees on this planet as well as those from her home world. The song contained questions and answers along with the pleading of her soul.

  This tree didn't speak back the way those on Sendek did, but she sensed it reach back to her with comfort. A resolve filled its trunk. As it bellowed she clasped her hands over her ears. The sonic wave knocked her to her knees again. She sat up and saw the sound spread outward in rippling waves from the base of the tree.

  "What happened?" Shamaf had his ears covered as well. "Every Controller in the area will be falling on us any minute."

  Talia tried to feel the energy all around her, seeking signs that other humans approached.

  "No, we're safe. The tree tried to wake his kind. They've retreated so far within themselves that I've not been able to speak to any of them."

  "How do you know we're safe? What good will this do?" He pointed to the growing tree.

  "I don't know. It probably won't help us at all, but it's one step in restoring your world to its former glory. I hope he's successful in waking the rest." She patted the trunk of the tree affectionately and scrambled to her feet. "We're safe because he sent the waves toward the forest, not the training center. Let's get to the top of the hill and find a hiding place."

  Shamaf dozed under a bush, but Talia watched the road for most of the day. It lay yards below their hiding place. Several large boulders scattered across the hill, but Shamaf said they were safer at the top.

  The breeze drifted by warmer than it had all week. She still wrapped the coat around her. Talia ached to stand and stretch her legs, stiff from crouching in the bushes, but she remained hidden. Huddled and staring at the massive building below drove home the actuality of what she hoped to accomplish.

  No one entered or left all day, but the air filled with noises from inside. Voices rose and fell. Doors slammed. She heard explosions, ballistic style weapons, and other sounds she suspected were laser based. There were a lot of soldiers training in there. If they couldn't get Landry before he disappeared inside, how would she get in to rescue him?

  A distant thrumming reached her ears.

  Shamaf sat up and waved her lower. "They're coming."

  The sound drew closer, separated into the sound of feet, laughter, voices. A trail of dust approached and eventually the dark shapes of men came into view, carrying the sound with it. Talia swallowed hard as she entered the reality of her dream.

  Hundreds of men dressed in dark uniforms ambled down the dusty road with a stride that didn't come close to a march. Confidence oozed from them. They owned this world. The large doors screeched open, scraping against the stone ground, and the men filed inside.

  Talia scanned faces. They were all relaxed, most smiled as they talked to the man next to them. Some gestured with their hands in animated conversation. Man after man passed by with no sign of Landry. She knew he would be there, somewhere in the middle of that flowing mass of bodies.

  Then she saw him.

  Silent tears fell from her eyes as she took in his bruised and swollen face. They had not washed the blood off after they beat him. It crusted around one of his eyes and down his nose. His arms were shackled behind him, the chain falling to the manacles on his feet. He shuff
led along and every once in a while one of his guards prodded him forward.

  Her heart ached for him. All her anger over his broken promise shifted from him to the army. They were to blame.

  His head lifted, and his gaze met hers across the distance even though she crouched behind the bushes.

  "Don't do anything foolish. Give me time." His mental speech came slow, labored.

  "But you're hurt!"

  How badly did they beat him? He walked under his own power. She took that as a good sign.

  "Please, keep yourself safe." He looked at his feet as he passed by and disappeared through the doors.

  She continued to watch as the last hundred or so men entered and the doors labored shut once more. The tension that held Talia's body rigid dissolved, and she sagged to the ground. The cold earth seeped to her heart. All emotion leaked out, leaving her frozen and empty.

  A hand touched her shoulder. The pressure of it stopped her inward retreat. Shamaf sat still, his eyes dull with lips turned down.

  "Now do you understand? This is going to take time to plan. It won't be easy."

  "Do you think he'll live long enough for us to rescue him?" Her voice came out flat.

  "Probably not." Shamaf looked away.

  She cringed and feeling found her again. Fear shook her to the core and lit the fire she needed to keep moving forward. "I won't give up yet. Tonight I'll reach him with a dream. He may be able to tell us how to help him."

  Talia turned her back on Shamaf and he wisely didn't push her.

  CHAPTER FORTY-TWO

  Shamaf claimed the first watch and Talia tried to sleep. They couldn't start a fire, but she used a bit of stored energy to warm herself from the inside. She tossed and turned, thinking about Landry locked inside, and about Shamaf shivering a few feet away. With a sigh she sat up.

  "Are you cold?" she whispered.

  "No." A chatter of teeth revealed his lie.

  "Here." Talia reached out, pushing heat toward him.

  His eyes opened wide as the warmth flowed in. She imagined he looked at her differently, but she didn't care what he thought of her anymore.