Without warning he shot an orb of blue flame at her. Instinctively, she cowered behind her shield, eyes closed tight as she waited for the impact.
“Wow…” Blair laughed.
Opening her eyes, she relaxed and looked to him. “What?”
“Watch,” he grinned, sending another orb towards her. This moved more slowly and she gasped as her shield shifted to meet it. Changing back to its swirling form, it reached for the blue flame, tendrils of violet, amethyst and black engulfed it, wholly smothering it before pulling back and settling into the protective wall again. “You don't even need to think about it. Your power seems to do it all for you. We need to test it further, of course.”
“Yay for being fired at,” she cheered sarcastically. “Where has Callan gotten to?”
“Pass. Lukas was probably in the middle of something. Or out. He may have had to track him down. Ready?”
“Yep, try two this time, see what happens.”
Giving her time to check her shield, Blair summoned two more orbs. They hovered before him.
He tilted his chin in question. She grinned in reply and braced herself.
Okay…
This time she was ready, watching. As the blue orbs approached she watched her shield change its state.
Wait.
Blair smirked as he watched his fire sail toward her, closer and closer until at last she allowed her power to protect her.
Give him it back.
Her shield pushed forwards, forming a spinning cone that stretched two feet in front. The force sucked Blair's flames in, caught in the vortex. With a pulse of energy, they were ejected from the cone, soaring through the air towards his chest. He didn't react.
Shit, he wasn't expecting that, chase them down.
With no time left before they hit him she choked out his name. With no answer, she panicked. Blair appeared behind her, placing a warm hand on her shoulder. “I'm fine, Charlotte. Where did they go?”
“I got them. I thought they'd hit you,” she huffed, turning to face him. “I'm sorry. I thought I'd hurt you.”
“You really must stop worrying so much about whether we get out of the way or not. If we're burned it's our own faults. We're all experienced enough to know how to evade in practice sessions, Charlotte.”
She nodded. “How about a nice safe game of hide and seek?”
“I assume I'm 'it'?”
“Yep,” she grinned, disappearing. “Count to twenty.”
It was another forty minutes before Callan returned with Lukas and a tall, willowy woman with cropped dark hair. Blair had been to collect their lunch and had just finished eating as they arrived.
“Sorry, I had to track them down. Charlotte, this is Klara.”
Charlotte beamed and held out her hand in greeting. Klara gave a weak smile and looked away.
Fair enough. I know they said she was quiet but, wow.
Lukas kissed her cheek, “How are you?”
“Well, thanks. I'm sorry to drag you from your work but I really need your help.
He nodded, “Callan explained. I haven't had the need to expand the shield but if anyone can, I'm sure it's you. Let us try together.”
Klara joined Callan and Blair as they moved a safe distance away. Blair spoke to her in Czech and she smiled warmly at him.
“Why is she so quiet?” Charlotte asked as Lukas watched them leave.
“She is very reserved with strangers. She'll warm to you with time,” he said quietly.
“Why did Callan rush to find you?”
“We have waited for you to decide, to choose how you would like to proceed. Now you have made your decision we can help you to prepare.”
“Are you close to finding him?”
“Yes. Carlie found a promising trail this morning. She's taken another druid with her to scout a few locations. We will find him.”
She nodded and let out a tense breath.
“And when we do, you will be ready, Charlotte. We shall begin with the bolder. Can you move it closer to us, please?”
With little effort, she placed the rock at her side and waited for Lukas to instruct her further.
He stood with his arms folded, his chin resting on his closed fist as he thought. “I have never attempted this myself so we must rely on guesswork. Conceal yourself.”
As she faded from view, Lukas walked around to the opposite side of the bolder.
“I shall try with you. Blair and Callan will be watching to see if we manage to conceal the bolder between us. Whatever command you give your power, please remember it,” he laughed gently as he too was cloaked.
Okay. Hiding me, perfect. Hide the rock too.
She glanced to Callan, he hadn't reacted.
Come on! How can I keep them safe if I can't hide them? I need to be useful in some way since I can't wield a dagger without collapsing. Hide the damn rock!
“It's gone!” Callan called.
Thank you.
Lukas emerged at Callan's side, grinning.
“You didn't even try, did you?” she called to him.
“No. I wanted you to do this on your own. Well done!”
Klara gaped at the space she and the rock occupied and muttered something. Blair laughed and nudged her with a shoulder as Charlotte dropped her cloak.
Callan crossed the cairn, lifted her and kissed her deeply. “You're amazing,” he murmured against her lips. The others followed.
“Lukas,” Klara said, her voice low.
“We are needed elsewhere. Please forgive me, Charlotte, I would like to stay longer but my duties call.” He bowed as he apologised.
“Of course, Lukas. Thank you. Even if it was just moral support I needed. And you, Klara. We'll see you again soon, I hope?”
Klara bowed her head slightly, her lips tilted in a small smile and disappeared.
“Well, that was interesting, Charlotte. We'll work on that tomorrow,” Blair smiled. “Nine thirty again?”
“I'll drop her here on my way into work,” Callan nodded, smiling at her. “I'm sorry I took off. I've been waiting for weeks for you to let me know one way or the other. We're short on time.”
“If I'd decided differently?”
“I bought a house in Canada,” he shrugged. “But, I knew we didn't need it. You needed time. Space to think. I've tried to give you that.”
She nodded, “I know you want to protect me, Callan. I know how hard this is for you.”
“I won't make decisions on your behalf,” he promised. “We do this together. All of it.”
A lump formed in her throat, she couldn't speak. Eyes swimming with tears, she rested her head on his chest and let out a deep sigh.
“Let's go and pick something up for Enya and her friend to have for dinner,” he said, kissing the top of her head.
Chapter 23
“Aren't you going to play with Enya and Kayley?”
“No, they're dancing. I'm okay here,” he said as he smiled over at her from the sofa opposite and went back to his tablet. “Can I have the expansion for this app?”
“What is it?” She moved over to sit beside him. “That makes no sense to me…”
“You build stuff. I need the expansion to be able to make more,” he shrugged.
“Okay, pass it here I'll put the password in.”
They sat quietly, Zander playing his game snuggled in to her side as she watched.
Callan watched them quietly from the doorway. Charlotte smiled when she noticed him.
“Kayley's mum will be here shortly. I'll call them down.”
She nodded and turned to Zander. “I'll be back in a few minutes. Okay, baby?”
Engrossed in his game, he nodded and shifted to let her up.
Kayley's Mum knocked gently on the front door and Charlotte let her in. “Hi, they're still playing upstairs. Callan's gone to get them.”
“Thank you for having her, has she been good?”
“Didn't know she was here. They've been dancing in Enya's room
all evening,” Charlotte laughed. “Here they come.”
The girls came thundering down the stairs, giggling, Callan behind them.
“Mummy!” Kayley smiled up at her mother and asked, “Can Enya come to our house next time?”
“I can't see why not. We'll arrange something for next week, okay?” She looked to Charlotte.
“That sounds lovely. Enya, can you get Kayley's bag and coat please?”
Enya retrieved the items from the kitchen and hugged her friend. “Thank you.”
“See you tomorrow,” the girl smiled as she left.
Callan waved them off and closed the front door. “Had fun?”
“Yeah, where's Zander?”
Charlotte smiled, “Through there.”
Enya skipped into the lounge and sat with him as he played his game.
Charlotte lay back on the pillows and closed her eyes, listening to the rain beating on the window.
I can face him. I must stop him.
No. I'm not alone any more. I have them. I have Callan. Together, we can stop him together.
A tear slipped from the corner of her eye. A warm hand settled over her cheek, a thumb brushing it away. “It'll be okay. We'll find him, deal with him and put all of this behind us.”
“I know,” she whispered as she opened her eyes and looked at him, kneeling by the bed.
The kids are happy, settled and safe here. I'm happy. Why can't I just be happy? Why all of this?
“Do you think I'm being punished for something I did in a previous life, Callan?”
Stroking her hair, he smiled and said, “No, I believe that you are brand new. A gift. The very first version of you. And by whatever grace I'm honored to have found you.”
“You believe all that?” she sniffed.
“I do,” he whispered, kissing her forehead. “So, we'll do this together. Keep each other safe, protect our world from his evil and when it's done we can get on with our lives. I promise to keep you safe, Charlotte.” He moved around the bed and settled beside her.
Turning to rest her head on his shoulder, she said, “You won't need to. I have my power. We'll all be okay.”
“Just us today,” Blair said as Callan left for the palace.
“Same as yesterday then?”
“Yeah, we'll see if you can hide that bus,” he laughed, gesturing for her to lead the way.
“It needs something doing with it. Has there been any news?”
“Not yet. Carlie got in late last night and went back out early this morning. Dane, Klara and Lukas have been tracking anomalies with little success. It's been a while, he's bound to make a mistake soon.”
“Why are they working so hard? They must be exhausted,” she frowned. “Surely they can afford to relax a bit. Isn't no news good news?”
“Not when he has Meg. Every day counts. If they're summoning Daeva, we have them to fight through before we get anywhere near him.”
They'd reached the bus. Scanning the length of it she said, “I'm not well enough trained for that.”
“You are. You can protect yourself and others well enough to get past them. We're a team, Charlotte. None of us go in alone.”
With a tight-lipped smile, she closed her eyes and was lost from Blair's view.
Come on, as much of this thing as possible. Hide it.
“Anything?” she called.
“A large section, about a third of it,” he answered.
Muttering under her breath she pushed harder. “Now?”
“No, the same. That's good though, don't wear yourself out. See how long you can hold it for.”
She gave it all she had but the drain on her power was too much. Her head throbbed, her arms felt weak. As the pressure built she felt herself growing weaker by the second.
I'm tired. Tap down, borrow some.
“What's wrong?” Blair asked. “The cloak is fading.”
“Tapping, I can't hold it on my own.” Her voice was strained with the effort.
“Stop. Charlotte that's enough. The cloak isn't holding and you sound…”
Falling to her knees, her power left her. Blair was by her side instantly. “Charlotte, your nose!”
He gently wiped the streak of blood from her face. He tilted her chin, “That was too much. Don't push yourself so hard.”
“I need to get this right, Blair,” she sniffed. “I don't want to let any of you down.”
The tang of blood turned her stomach, and she struggled not to retch.
Rubbing her back, he said, “You've got it right. Not one of us can do all that you can.” He spoke so gently, so kindly, her eyes brimmed with tears. “Come on, let's get you up to the palace. You need something to eat.”
“What about Callan? He'll wonder where we've gone.”
“We'll go directly to him. He'd kill me if I didn't.”
They arrived on what seemed to be a bridge. She looked around, could see nothing but a cornflower blue sky beyond the stone pillars that lined the walkway and asked, “Where are we?”
“The portal,” he said, turning her around.
Her eyes widened as she took in the terrace at the end of the bridge. Through a stone archway a few yards ahead, she could see what could only be the portal. In the bright summer sun, it shimmered, not holding any one shape for more than a few seconds. From a small oval to a large circle it shifted, expanding and contracting, pulsing. Stepping closer, she could feel the energy within, pulling her. Her power responded, flooding her veins.
Blair placed a firm hand on her arm, “Not too close. The dragons.”
She froze. “Where are they?” she whispered.
Blair's eyes flicked upward. Following them, she gasped and stumbled backwards. “Shit…”
“That's Aodh. He's alright, he said, fondly. “Just don't get close to the portal.”
Footsteps sounded behind her.
“What happened?” Callan sounded worried.
“I'm fine. Pushed myself too hard, that's all,” she smiled.
His eyes narrowed as he studied her face, noticing the crusted blood around her nostril he asked, “How long did it bleed?”
“Not long, it was just a trickle. We've found her limit,” Blair answered.
Callan nodded, his hand finding the back of her head as he pulled her into his chest. “Can you bring her something sweet, Blair?”
“Sorry,” she muttered.
“What were you doing?” he asked, stepping back and looking her over again.
“Hiding that bloody bus,” she laughed. “I managed about a third of it, Blair said, but not for long. It was too much.”
“Please, don't do that again, it isn't worth you hurting yourself,” he said, his voice uneven with concern.
She nodded and dabbed at her nose with the back of her hand to check it had stopped.
“Here, drink this,” Blair said softly, appearing at her side. “It's a sweet tea.” He handed her a glass mug and small paper bag. “Anything?” he asked, turning to Callan.
“Not yet, no. The old man's happy enough, so no sign of fluctuations,” he nodded toward the dragon above.
She looked up at him, sipping her tea. He was every inch what she had imagined a dragon to be. Most of him was obscured by the ledge he lounged on. His huge head was scaled, thick spines lining his snout. Easily three times the size of Vlasta, his green/black, hulking form was more terrifying than anything she'd encountered before. She turned away, walking carefully to the low stone wall of the bridge. Callan and Blair continued their conversation as she took in the view. They were high above Avalon, at the very top of a mountain range. She could see nothing but sky, thick blanket of white cloud preventing her from seeing too far down, from making out their exact location.
How high are we?
She felt Callan behind her. “So, this is where you hide every morning,” she smiled up at him.
He put an arm around her shoulders and chuckled, “Yeah, it's beautiful, isn't it?”
“He's a bit off-pu
tting…” She didn't look round.
“They're alright. They're watchers, until someone goes near it they're just lazy old lizards. The other two at the back are fast asleep. You don't know they're here most of the time.”
I'd hate to see them on alert.
“The portal. What, exactly is it? It feels familiar.”
He cleared his throat and glanced back over his shoulder. “It's a rift. A tear in the veil between this world and the other. We guard it to keep malevolent forces from corrupting the souls on the other side.”
“It… feels odd.”
“It's, essentially, a concentration of the powers. The rift gives it an outlet, somewhere for it to take a physical form. That's why it shifts and moves as it does.”
“What would happen if he accessed it?”
“Hell. He could corrupt every soul in there, bend them to his will and bring them back with him to do whatever he wanted,” he said, his voice tense.
She shuddered.
“It would be too difficult for him to take this portal, though,” he went on. “Too many barriers, too strongly warded. But Houska… Well, the corrupt souls are ready and waiting beyond their portal. They'd flock to him. It'd be carnage if he managed to breach their defenses.”
“You have to find him before he's powerful enough for that.”
“We'll find him. We're ready, you're ready. We can stop him,” he said. She wasn't reassured.
She leaned into him, looking out into the clear blue skies.
This get more unbelievable as the days' pass.
One of the dragons, Aodh, shifted. His long claws scraping on the stone of the ledge as he rose to look along the bridge. She gazed up in awe as his jaws opened, large teeth glinting in the sunlight. Seemingly satisfied that there was no threat, he snorted through his snout and settled back.
Blair said, “It's Carlie, but she isn't due back for hours yet.”
Charlotte looked up to see a Harrier flying swiftly along the stone walkway. Without stopping, she shifted, the bright flash of blue light making Charlotte turn away to protect her eyes. When she looked back, Carlie's face was stricken with worry. “You need to come home. Zander's missing.”
Callan stiffened, glaring at her.
“What do you mean, missing? He's at school,” Charlotte choked.
Riftkeepers: Pursuit Page 17