She did a slow turn to study her surroundings, not bothering to try to disguise her scrutiny. If someone was watching her, it was already too late for that. They already knew Safara was there, which left only one unanswered question. If she wasn’t just being paranoid, did the eyes watching her belong to a friend or an enemy?
The simplest way to find out was to ask. She’d get an answer or she wouldn’t. Either way, she would learn something about her unknown companion.
“Want to tell me why you’re hanging around up here?”
Nothing but the sounds that were normal in the woods. The slight rustle of the tree branches stirring in the breeze. The call of birds in the distance. A flicker of motion as a small rodent scurried under a bush off to the left. No rush of her watcher going on the attack. She guessed that was a good thing.
Heck, maybe she was imagining things, and the sensation was a by-product of her overstressed nerves. She resumed her march toward the cave, determined to check it out and then get back to her hideout to wait. Eventually, someone would show, even if it was only her father coming to relieve her.
She was just shy of the entrance to the cave when the interior lit up with a flash of light. Damn it, was someone coming through the barrier? She got her answer when eight Kalith—six men and two women—charged out of the cave with swords drawn. Her cousin Tiel was the last one to come into view, which told her everything she needed to know about the situation.
Raising her own sword, she injected as much authority as she could as she spoke in their native language. “Stand down! I am not here to fight unless you force the issue. Go back to Kalithia and stay there. This is not your world.”
Either they didn’t understand her Kalith or they didn’t care what she had to say. She repeated the warning as they formed a semicircle in front of her with swords raised. Knowing she could be facing her own death, she stood her ground and said, “Fine. Let’s dance.”
ELI ADMITTED HE’D been a total asshole as he scrambled down the tree. He’d been sitting right above Safara’s head and laughing while she’d tried to figure out where he was hiding. He had no idea what had warned her that she wasn’t alone on the ridge, but it had been pretty entertaining watching her head swivel from side to side as she tried to figure out if someone was spying on her.
If he’d answered when she’d called out, he would’ve been down on the ground already where he could immediately join in the fight. He briefly considered staying where he was and picking off her attackers one by one with his rifle. However, with the swarm of black-clad men and women swirling around Safara, dodging in and out on the attack, he couldn’t risk taking a shot for fear the bullet would go right through one of the enemy to hit Safara, too.
She was speaking in a language he didn’t understand. Something with a deep, guttural sound to it, nothing like the French, Spanish, or Arabic that he spoke. Her opponents answered in kind. While he couldn’t decipher the exact meaning, that they were taunting her came through loud and clear.
Out of desperation, he fired several shots over their heads, hoping to drive them back and draw their attention away from Safara. They froze for a heartbeat but then immediately renewed their attack. Cursing, he dropped the broadsword down to the ground and landed right by it. Grasping the pommel in one hand, he bellowed a challenge to the bastards who dared to attack a woman alone. Son of a bitch, was that the same guy who’d attacked Safara the other night? What the hell was going on?
“Hurt her and you die!”
For the few seconds it took him to get close to the action, he kept his eyes on Safara, her lethal grace mesmerizing. The effect on him was primal, a warrior’s heart hungering for a mate whose fierce nature matched his own. She was dangerous, no mistaking that truth, but there was such beauty in the way she moved. Unfortunately, the same was true for the crazies doing their best to kill her.
So not happening, not on his watch.
He paused to fire another round of shots with his sidearm, this time closer to his targets. One of the men barked what sounded like an order. The two women backed away and took off running up and over the ridge out of sight. Eli holstered his gun and then swung his sword in a wide arc as he yelled, “Safara, I’m coming up beside you.”
She spared him a quick glance. “Get back, Eli. This is my fight.”
“Don’t be selfish, Safara. There’s enough of these bastards to go around.”
Before he could stop her, she tried to slide in between him and the remaining six fighters. “Damn it, Eli, back off.”
Three of the fighters had other ideas and broke away to face Eli. From that point, it got interesting. Their curved-blade swords were a blur as they came at him. He took pride in holding his own against multiple enemies, even if it was mainly due to beginners luck.
Even in the chaos of combat, there were moments of pure clarity. Who were these guys? They’d all been cut from the same mold, the similarities between them startling. Their clothing was nearly identical, varying only in the shades of gray and black in a style unlike anything he’d ever seen before. Tunics hung down to their upper thighs over close-fitting pants. Their soft-soled boots came halfway up their calves.
They all had long hair, too, which was dark with streaks of silver and dark gray despite their youthful faces. Their eyes were so pale as to be almost white. He’d seen that shade of gray before, or at least close to it. Safara and her father, grandfather, and even her aunt all had eyes about that color. He’d put the similarity off to a strong family resemblance. That all of these crazies had it, too, was a coincidence he couldn’t ignore.
“Eli, watch out!”
He blinked and jumped back as the tip of his closest opponent’s sword came within a hairbreadth of slicing open his neck. “Son of a bitch!”
“Stand back-to-back with me.”
Good thinking. At least no one would be able to come at either of them from behind that way. Regardless, he hoped like hell they could end this soon; the muscles in his arms and legs already burned with the strain of the prolonged fight.
Suddenly, other voices entered the fray as three more men charged out of the cave shouting in that same guttural language. Had they all been having a fucking party in there? This second bunch wore similar clothing to the others, but with insignias that made them look more like a uniform. They also each carried one of the same lethal blades as the other bunch. Eli’s gut twisted into a knot of fear and fury, worried they were reinforcements. To his surprise—and immense relief—that wasn’t the case. He didn’t understand what they shouted to Safara, but she nodded and kept her attention on their original opponents. As soon as the trio moved into fighting range, the guy who had attacked Safara shouted a warning to his men about the added danger.
Thanks to the distraction, Eli wounded the guy who’d almost slit his throat, while Safara did some damage to the man closest to her. Drawing blood triggered a mass retreat of the fighters. Eli drew his gun and got off several shots before they were out of range. He thought maybe he scored one hit, but it was hard to tell once they got lost in the shadows under the trees. He started forward, prepared to follow them all the way to hell if that’s what it took to end their threat for good. Safara grabbed his arm.
“Don’t, Eli. There are too many of them.”
He wanted to argue the point, but then another man staggered out of the cave. He was dressed in the same uniform the other three wore, and his arm hung limply at his side as if too weak to lift the weight of the sword. As soon as he appeared, the three remaining fighters retreated to stand on either side of him. They continued to hold their weapons at the ready but made no attempt to attack Eli and Safara.
The newcomer was clearly their leader. He struggled to catch his breath before he spoke, directing his words to Safara. She shook her head and said, “My companion doesn’t understand our language. Speak English if you can.”
He gave Eli a considering look before finally responding in English. At first, his harsh guttural accent made
him difficult to understand. “You partner with a Paladin?”
Back to that again. Who the hell were these Paladins anyway? “No, I’m not a Paladin. I don’t even know what that is.”
The other man clearly didn’t believe him, but he’d already turned his attention back to Safara. “I am Sworn Guardian Vedin s’Krom. My Blademates and I were tracking those rogues in our world. We almost had them cornered when they escaped across the barrier and then two of them working together slammed it shut again.”
Pausing to press his hand against the back of his head, he then held up a bloody palm. “They disabled me first, since none of my Blademates have the power to control the barrier. It took me time to bring it down again.”
Eli struggled to follow what the man was saying, and not just because of his heavy accent. What barrier was he talking about? Maybe the crime scene tape, which now hung in tatters, but that didn’t explain all the strange clothing and odd weapons. No country he knew of called their soldiers Sworn Guardians, not to mention the guy talked about fighting in their world like they weren’t all standing on the same piece of terra firma.
His brain hurt trying to make sense of it all, while Safara clearly understood exactly what the man was talking about. He was about to demand that she explain what was going on when Vedin’s legs gave out on him. His men caught him before he hit the ground.
Safara bit her lower lip and then pulled Eli aside to whisper, “We need to get them out of sight. Can we take them to your cabin long enough to get Vedin patched up? We’re all vulnerable out here right now. I also need to tell my father what’s going on.”
He had no reason to trust the four men, but he did trust Safara. “Fine, but then you will explain what the hell is going on here.”
She swallowed hard, looking even more worried than before. “I will. I promise.”
Turning back to the men in black. “Sworn Guardian, I am the granddaughter of Halder d’Ennell, daughter of Jakes d’Ennell, and sworn deputy of Ridgewick, home of many of our people. On my honor and on the blade of my family, I will see that you and your men are safe.”
Vedin’s eyes widened in surprise, or perhaps it was recognition. He slowly straightened and then nodded. “I, too, swear on my honor and that of my Blademates that we will accept your offer of sanctuary as allies and in friendship.”
She pointed down the slope. “Eli’s home is nearby. Let’s go there where you can rest and tend your wounds. Once your strength has returned, we’ll guide you back here. I can bring the barrier down if you need assistance.”
When the other man nodded, she pointed in the direction of Eli’s cabin. “Start walking toward those trees, and we will catch up with you shortly. I need to show my friend something first.”
Her gaze swung back toward Eli. “My companion has never seen what lies in the back of that cave. It is time he does.”
Vedin didn’t look happy, but he didn’t argue. Instead, he said something to his men, who spread out across the small clearing and drew their weapons. By way of explanation, the warrior said, “Better that we stand watch to make sure our enemies don’t return.”
Safara merely nodded and headed toward the cave. Eli managed to hold his tongue until they reached the entrance. When he was reasonably sure they were out of hearing, he wheeled around to glare down at Safara. “Start talking, and don’t hold anything back.”
“I need to show you something first.”
She took his hand, her palm warm against his as she led him into the cave. The light outside didn’t penetrate very far beyond the entrance, but she moved through the darkness with confidence. She stopped right about where he remembered the cave bending around to the left.
“Eli, you’ve guessed I’ve been hiding the truth from you about the attacks on both me and my grandfather. This cave is one of those things. I have no right to ask it of you, but promise you will to keep our secrets. Lives depend on it.”
“I don’t make promises when I’m shooting blind, Safara. The best I can offer is to listen to everything you have to say before I make a decision one way or the other.”
She must have realized that was as good as she was going to get under the circumstances, because she led him those last few steps down the passage. Odd that it was less dark even though they’d come some distance from the entrance. Another turn made the reason for that blazingly clear. The entire back wall of the cave was a shimmering wall of light. It was so bright that he had to blink several times to give his eyes the chance to adjust. Then he watched in stunned amazement as various hues swirled into sight and then just as quickly faded away only to be replaced by another splash of color.
It was beautiful and yet terrifying. He released his death grip on Safara’s hand and edged closer, the strange compulsion to reach out and touch it almost impossible to resist. She immediately caught his arm and jerked it back.
“Watch it, Eli. That barrier has enough voltage to fry your brain.”
Now that she mentioned it, he could feel the buzz vibrating deep in his bones. He’d never seen the likes of it, yet it felt oddly familiar to him as if it spoke to him on some level.
“Are there more of these things around? Where did it come from?”
Because if this barrier had always been there, wouldn’t someone have talked about it? If not on the news, then in some kind of nature special on television?
Safara remained close by him, her pretty face awash with the flickering colors of the barrier. “Yes, there are more pieces of the barrier scattered around the world, mostly in areas like this one where the tectonic plates meet up. As to how they formed in the first place, I have no idea. I don’t think anyone does.”
“So you and your family aren’t the only ones who know about this?”
She crossed her arms over her chest with a shiver that he doubted had anything to do with the chilly temperature of the cave. “No, we’re not, although we try hard to keep outsiders from finding out about them.”
“And I’m an outsider?” For some reason that pissed him off big-time.
A slow nod was her only answer. After a few seconds, she drew a slow breath. “I’m going to show you one more thing before we go. Stand back a little.”
When he was in position, she slowly raised her hands out toward the barrier, palms forward, and began to chant. He couldn’t understand the words, but they had the same cadence as the language she’d been speaking with the Sworn Guardian earlier. As her voice grew stronger, the light in the barrier grew thinner bit by bit until it flickered and disappeared altogether.
The cave extended across the line where the barrier had been seconds before. He started forward, but Safara remained where she was. “Aren’t you coming?”
She shook her head, sweat beading up on her skin as if she were under a strain. “No, and you can’t stay over there very long. The exit is just beyond those boulders. Poke your head out of the cave carefully and make sure no one sees you. If it’s safe, take a good look around, especially up at the sky, and then hustle right back. I can’t keep the barrier down for long, and we can’t risk you being trapped over there.”
He did as she told him. Outside the entrance, the terrain was completely different from where they’d entered the cave on the other side. The low rolling hills were covered in scrub vegetation, more like what grew in the high desert of Eastern Washington, and nothing at all like the towering Douglas firs and cedars he was used to. And the sky was a dull gray and completely devoid of clouds. How was this all possible? He noticed he was breathing hard as if he’d been running, his lungs struggling to fill with oxygen. Was it shock or thin air? So many questions.
“Time’s up, Eli. Come back.”
He scanned the distant horizon one last time before turning his back on all the strangeness. As soon as he rejoined Safara, she resumed chanting. Within seconds, the barrier returned, colors swirling and buzzing away. From the way her shoulders slumped, the process had taken a lot out of her.
“Are you okay?”
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She nodded. “We need to get back to Vedin and the others. Let me catch my breath before you start the inquisition.”
“Just one question before we go.” He pointed back toward the barrier. “Where is that place? Because it’s sure not anywhere on this mountainside.”
“That much is true, Eli.” Safara paused to stare up at him, her worried eyes taking his measure. “In fact, it’s not even on this planet. Now let’s get out of here.”
Then she walked away, leaving him staring at the barrier. Was she really expecting him to believe that he’d just stepped foot in another world?
The answer was obvious—yeah, she did. It was hard to argue with the little demonstration she’d just provided him. In less than thirty yards, he’d gone from the lush, green terrain of the Pacific Northwest to a high desert. The plant life was unfamiliar, and the sky was a strange color. Hell, even the air smelled different and felt thinner.
So either she was crazy or he was for believing her. Only one way to find out which of those two things was true. He’d listen to what she had to say and go from there.
He made his way toward the entrance of the cave, the one right there on planet Earth. Along the way, he wondered what his life was coming to when the best outcome from today’s events would be to learn he’d lost not just his life in that helicopter crash, but his mind as well.
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Her father was going to have a full-on hissy fit when he found out what she’d just done, but surely he’d realize why she’d had to introduce Eli to their reality. Then again, maybe not. He’d made his opinion on her involvement with Eli all too clear. Regardless, it was too late now.
Her thoughts spun in circles as she left the cool interior of the cave behind. She crossed the clearing to point Vedin and his men in the direction of Eli’s cabin, promising to join them shortly. She stopped long enough to retrieve her backpack, not because she particularly needed it right then. It was more of an excuse to wait for Eli. If he didn’t reappear soon, she’d have to go back in after him.
In Darkness Transformed Page 11