"What?"
"It's my job to protect you."
"In case you missed it, I just saved you. From now on we work together." She stared right back at him, daring him to argue.
"Whatever it takes?" He raised a brow questioningly.
"Didn't I prove that downstairs?"
"Yes you did." Landry nodded at the men fighting through the breach. "Shamaf, let's join your rebels."
Most of the revolutionaries looked to be in the early twenties, with a few older men sprinkled in.
Talia pointed at the stone archway where the doors used to be. "Look!"
Spurts of colored lights flashed in the clearing smoke. The outliers tried to use their magic. They were weak but it kept the Controllers off balance.
"Let's give them a hand, shall we?" Landry nodded toward the highest tower in the fortress. "Can you take out command? If we do that, the others may surrender. It'll save lives in the long run. "
Talia took a deep breath and gathered as much energy as she could from the suns light and focused on the command tower. The electrical pulses from computer circuitry acted as a beacon. With a little tweak, the wiring heated up. Talia could almost see the men wiping the sweat from their brow in her mind's eye. One headed for the door. Talia closed her eyes and pushed the energy upward.
"What's she doing?" Shamaf tugged on her arm. "Come on!"
Talia ignored him.
"Give her a minute--" Landry ducked as the tower exploded outward.
Brick, molten computer screens and bits of charred flesh rained down on them. Shamaf swore and crouched down covering his head with one arm, dragging Talia down with the other.
She stood and nodded to Landry. "Command is down."
"That's my girl." He kissed her cheek.
"She did that?" Shamaf shook his head and hurried behind them. "Healing and explosions?"
Landry chuckled and scanned the crowd of outliers fighting their way in. "Now it's my turn."
Talia stood close enough she felt his power reach out, locating each of the people with magic in their blood. One man shifted the earth and made more of the fortress wall crumble. Another shot weak electrical pulses into the line of Controllers. It didn't amount to much more than a small shock, but the Controllers slowed their forward march.
Another boy gathered the moisture from the air until he had handfuls to throw in the faces of the enemy. They were all children playing with their power for the first time.
"Do you think you can make them stronger?" She reached for Landry's hand and transferred some of the extra power she still held.
"It's worth a try." He connected with another mage with a gift of winds. "Okay, I know what to do."
He linked with the electrical man and the wind boy. She followed the mental links with her eyes. The older man stood tall and confident. They wind boy hid near the wall, young and shaking. He had his eyes closed, hand outstretched and a deep wrinkle creased his forehead.
Landry focused first on the electricity. He pushed power into the man, strengthening his output. The next wave of energy shook the Controllers for a few seconds before they collapsed. Landry immediately switched to the boy's efforts.
The wind picked up speed, swirling as it grew. Men flew backward until a clear path emerged. More outliers swarmed into the opening. The young man looked around until his eyes locked with Landry's.
Talia left her husband and turned back to the men streaming out of the barracks. There were too many. She pulled energy from the suns and the Controllers. Her body filled quickly. She thrust a burst of energy toward Landry and knocked him off his feet.
"Sorry!" She ran to him.
"Looks like I can't absorb it that way." He chuckled and stood. "Send it back to them."
She nodded. Focusing the energy into her arms, she shoved her hands forward. The force of the wave knocked the first two lines of men to their backs. The rest slowed down. Talia had time for one more surge before the outliers mingled with the Controllers.
She expected hand-to-hand fighting, but many soldiers embraced the outliers. Most laid down their weapons and looked to be having a reunion. Three outliers approached Talia, Landry and Shamaf. Their weapons aimed while they yelled for surrender.
"Silus Petnick, where's your father?" Shamaf roared at the boy in front. "What? You didn't recognize me without my beard?"
He lowered his rifle. "No, sir! Dad's taking a team to see if there's anything left in the tower."
"Good luck with that. You got a man named Craig with you?"
"Yeah, he's hanging out on the other side of the wall." The boy pointed.
"Well, get on with you!" Shamaf shooed the three men on.
Landry and Talia walked to the front gate. The wind boy waited under the archway. His honey brown eyes never left Landry's face.
"Something you wanted to ask?" Landry paused in front of him.
"Can you teach me to be that strong without you?"
"Depends on why you want it."
"I've got this girl--" he stammered, "The Bargoron's men tried to take her three days ago. We stopped them, but I need to keep her safe."
Landry placed his hand on the boy's shoulder. "What's your name?"
"Da'rehl."
"I'll do what I can before we leave."
"Thank you, Sir." The boy shook the hair out of his eyes.
"Talia! Landry!" Craig ran toward them. He hugged Talia and punched Landry's shoulder. "Still alive I see."
"This little gathering you put together is remarkable." Landry looked over the courtyard. "Looks like the rebellion will have access to more men and weapons after today."
"Yeah, so they don't need us anymore. I say we get back to the Vis Vires, and get out of here." Craig coughed and waved at the smoke in the air.
"We'll go soon. I know this isn't my fight." He reached for Talia's hand.
Da'rehl hovered on the edge of their group. His brow furrowed as he listened. He glanced from Landry to Talia and back again.
Talia could see Da'rehl's hope fading. "Don't rush because of me. I told you I'd stay as long as you needed."
"I'm not as young as I used to be. It's time I settled down. Let's go home. After we share what we've learned with Stefan we can move out of the palace. Find somewhere to call our own." Landry smiled down at his wife.
"Landry, what about--" Talia glanced toward the boy, but Craig interrupted her.
"I don't care why you're leaving, let's go." He waved at the chaos around them. "I'm not a soldier."
"Well, you did a good job. You'll have to last one more night here. Tomorrow we'll head back to the Vis Vires." Landry waved to the boy. "We'll talk later."
Da'rehl nodded and wandered over to help the men repairing the front wall. One man stood with his hands outstretched. A boulder too large for the men to lift floated in the air. The man shifted his weight, moving the stone by the motion of his hands. It settled into the hole, and the others tossed smaller stones in. It wouldn't take long for them to make the fortress secure again.
"So you won't help us go after the Bargoron?" Shamaf had stood by quietly.
"You asked me to help you get things started. This qualifies. You could hole up here gathering more men, but if I were you I'd clean it out and be gone by sunsrise."
"Landry, they could go to the mountain. Once inside the cloak they'd be hidden from the Controllers." Talia looked to him for approval.
"That's an idea. Can we talk about it over a meal? I haven't eaten for three days."
Shamaf laughed. "I'll take what I can get. This has been the strangest week of my life, but it feels good to finally work toward creating a better life for the outliers. Come on, the mess hall is that way."
CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN
The outliers were efficient. Eighty-five percent of the Controller trainees had family members among those who blew their way into the fortress. They quickly helped gather weapons, ammunition, armor, clothing, food supplies, and anything else that would be useful.
&nb
sp; Shamaf sent them off in groups to gather families and get to the Wizard's Mountain. Landry told them how to bypass the magical field that protected it. Soon it would shelter the outlier rebels.
Talia and Landry didn't get much rest as the groups departed. Many of those with magical talents wanted a few minutes of their time. Da'rehl had disappeared shortly after they left him at the wall. For some reason it bothered Talia. His youthful appearance tugged at her. He seemed genuinely scared for his girlfriend. She wished they could have done more to help him. Given him some kind of hope.
"Jewel was right. You were more help than she would have been." Landry ran his fingers through her short hair. "I hope this grows back fast."
"Mmhm."
"Talia, what's wrong."
She looked into his eyes. Should she tell him about Jewel? If she did, she'd have to reveal the dream as well. He acted the same, but the last three days had changed him. How could she add to the haunted look in his eyes?
"It's nothing. I'm tired I guess." She sighed. Was it wrong to want happiness a little longer? To pretend the dream could never happen?
"Are you sure?"
He didn't believe her. Her concern must be written all over her face, but she knew he wouldn't push. He'd been through so much. It couldn't be wrong to give him the opportunity to recover. There would be time on the trip home to figure out how to avoid his fate.
"Yes." She moved in to rest her head on his shoulder. "I almost lost you today. Hold me."
They stood in silence, hearts beating in rhythm until the guard sent up an alarm. Landry jerked Talia to the side, shielding her.
"It's me. Da'rehl." His voice drifted over the wall.
"Who's that with you?" A sentry called down.
"My wife, Madhi."
Landry and Talia approached the two young people crawling over the rubble. Da'rehl had a large pack over one shoulder. He helped a petite girl down the side. Her hair shone like flames even in the dull light of the courtyard. She clung to Da'rehl's hand even when they stood on solid ground again. She didn't look old enough to be married.
"I thought you said she was just your girl? Does the Bargoron steal wives too?" Landry's voice cut through the night.
"We got married an hour ago." Da'rehl put his arm around her. "We want to come with you."
"Come with us where?" Talia asked.
"To your planet." Madhi finally looked up. Her soft eyes pleaded with Talia. "There's nothing for us here. Da'rehl said you could teach us how to use our magic. We both want to learn."
If Talia didn't know better, she'd say her mothering instincts kicked in. She melted. "Of course you can come with us."
"Wait." Landry turned to his wife. "Is that a good idea?"
"Why not? They want to come. We can make room for them. It'll give us a chance to practice teaching," Talia answered.
"They'll never be able to come home."
"We don't want to come back," Da'rehl interjected. "Please, we won't be any trouble."
Landry ran his hands through his hair. "I don't know."
"Landry?" Talia rested her hand on his arm. "We can spend time out of the warp bubble teaching them. As long as we're heading toward Sendek we have plenty of time."
"Why do you want to do this?" he asked.
"I don't know. Perhaps I need to know good things came out of this trip." Talia's voice cracked and she turned away. She couldn't tell him she needed the distraction. The excuse to prolong the journey home.
Landry stopped her retreat. "They can come if you want, but a lot of good came from this trip."
She nodded, but couldn't speak. Maybe they had found what they came for. They wouldn't be sure until they translated the hard drive. She tried to focus on that hope and not the future that waited for her husband.
"Be ready to leave an hour before sunsrise." Landry waved the two young people toward the mess hall before leading Talia to the barracks. "Come on, you need some sleep."
Shamaf and the Suttons' group left the fortress last, a little before dawn. Everyone kept quiet, but a barely contained energy accompanied them. As they passed the lone tree, a deep hum vibrated up from the ground. Talia knelt and placed her palms near the base of the tree. The pulse tickled her nerve endings.
The sensation turned to a purr that ebbed and flowed through her, growing stronger until accompanied by emotions. The tree let her know all trees on Orek were waking. Their life force once more flowed from their roots to the tips of their leaves. They were reestablishing their link with each other.
"We should reach the forest by sunsrise. I'll send another burst of energy from there. Good luck, my new friend. There are people here with magic, they'll need your wisdom." She turned to the others.
Da'rehl and Madhi whispered to each other. Shamaf stared and Craig shook his head. Landry smiled at her.
"Come on so we can keep your promise." He extended his hand.
They reached the forest as the first light pushed its way into the night sky. Talia struggled with a momentary awkwardness. No one but Landry had ever observed her pull energy from the suns. Not the way she did it at sunsrise.
"It'll be fine." Landry comforted her. "We'll wait for you inside the tree line.
She turned her back to the forest and concentrated on the power around her. It grew easier every time she tried. The energy flowed around her in streams of light. All she had to do was collect it. When she gathered all she could hold, she turned to the trees.
"A gift for Orek. Help her heal." She bent to the earth, sinking her fingers into the dirt.
Talia watched the energy flow into the new channels connecting all the trees. For a moment the world glowed brighter, greener. The air smelled fresher. When it returned to normal, she joined the others.
"You really surprised me." Shamaf hugged her.
"What?" she mumbled into his chest.
"I hate to admit that I didn't think we needed you, but we did." He released her and pointed to Da'rehl and Madhi. "You've let these two tag along, and I've watched you do that twice now. It's clear you care about everything around you."
Talia blushed. "Thanks. I hope you'll be safe at the mountain. Be careful and good luck taking on the Controllers."
Shamaf turned to the young couple. "Never underestimate what a gift this is. You take all of Orek with you to a new world. We are once again an interstellar society. Perhaps one day we will be able to join your descendants on our own."
They hugged and Shamaf moved on to Craig. "You're still the crankiest traveler I've met. In spite of it all, you've come through when it mattered the most. Good speed on the journey home."
Craig looked embarrassed by the compliment and the hug.
"And you," Shamaf pointed at Landry. "I pictured this differently. You leading us against the Bargoron, not me."
"This is the way it should be. I'm an outsider. This is your world, your people. You've got what it takes."
"How do you know?"
"Because you wanted a change. Good speed to your cause."
The men slapped each other on the back. Shamaf backed away, nodded to everyone once more and took his journey toward the mountain.
"Craig, do you still have a GPS? I seem to have lost mine." Landry winked at Talia, who rolled her eyes.
"Not funny." She took a pack from her husband.
"Of course I've got one." Craig pulled it out and located the Vis Vires's homing beacon. "This way."
"Lead on."
CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT
An hour after Shamaf left, they heard a rumbling noise. It grew louder as it drew closer.
"Can you tell which direction?" Craig whispered.
Together, Talia and Landry linked hands and opened their minds. He searched for emotions. She searched for energy signatures. They found an army, half a mile away. Marching toward the fortress.
"Should we stop them?" Talia asked through the connection.
She felt Landry trembling. Images of his torture flickered through her mind. The pai
n, sharp, burning, constant. The sound of marching brought the image of heavy boots. Kicking. Stomping.
Landry shut the memories down, but his inner voice still sounded unsteady. "How?"
"I can kill the engines in the machines." Talia squeezed his hand.
Landry shook his head. "Not a good idea. Then they'd be stuck here. We'd have a harder time getting around them."
"What are you talking about?" Craig asked. "What's not a good idea?"
Talia ignored him. "Then what?"
Landry turned to the other three. "Controllers about half a mile, heading past us. We need to stay hidden until they're gone."
"That should be easy," Madhi spoke up. "The Controllers track two ways. By sight and infrared. There's a pond a couple hundred yards that way."
She led them to what appeared to be more of a mud hole than a pond. The murky water hid the bottom. Slime and old leaves covered the edges.
"What is that smell?" Craig tugged his shirt over his nose.
"Decay and a bit of preen gas." Da'rehl hid his pack under a bush. "Word of advice, don't walk in. It's not deep, but you'll get stuck in the mud. Spread out your weight."
They watched him lie on his stomach and slide into the water. He barely made ripples. Madhi entered right behind him.
"You've got to be kidding me." Craig shook his head.
"Hey, it's this or a Controller holding cell." Landry put his pack under the bush, barely hiding his trembling hands.
Talia followed suit and turned to the water. Landry slid into the pond. Her husband grimaced. She could see him shivering. How much was from the cold? At the last minute she removed her boots and tossed them under another bush.
"Smarty pants," Landry whispered.
Talia sank to her knees. Her fingers squished into the cold mud. The smell grew stronger closer to the ground.
"Do it," Madhi encouraged her.
She pushed off with her legs. Water splashed onto her cheek. She wiggled in a few more feet until her body submerged. The cold was complete. Her teeth chattered, and she lost feeling in her hands. She noticed Landry's lips turning blue.
"How long do you think?" she mumbled.
Dawn of the Mages (The Magic Wakes Book 2) Page 24