Briannas Prophecy (39 page)

“Then that is where we shall begin.” The express lift doors opened into the transport station. The hoverpod was right where he left it. He climbed in, barely waiting for Ethanos to join him. He looked at his cousin from the corner of his eyes and wondered if he could trust him. He
was
Haron’s brother after all. “We’ll stop along the
Shantamoura
, you could use a drink to help you heal.”

Ethanos laughed. “Surely you don’t believe that old wives tale!”

Niklas gave him a solemn look. “I have seen the Fae, Ethanos. They have returned to
Terrna
. Brianna has called them home.” He stopped the hoverpod along the riverbank and climbed out. “They drink of this, and it strengthens them, and it
does
heal us.”

Niklas took a small cup from the hoverpod and dipped it into the river. He took a long drink. He may need the power of the
Shantamoura
flowing within him before long. He dipped the cup once more and handed it to Ethanos who shrugged, tipped the cup back, and emptied it with one tip, then handed the cup back to Niklas.

“I hope you’re satisfied.” He wiped his mouth on the back of his hand. “There’s probably an
Abicon
upstream taking a piss in it.”

Niklas smiled sadly. “Brianna said the same thing when I brought her here.” He tossed the cup back into the hoverpod. “Let’s go.” He struck out toward the hovercraft and
Carboda
hills with Ethanos following closely behind. He’d often believed in keeping his friends close along with his enemies. He only wished he knew which category his cousin fell into. He hoped it was the former. “What’s holding you up?” Niklas turned, staring at his cousin who had stopped a few feet behind him. He was looking at his hands.

Ethanos turned his hands over, looking at first the palms then the backs of his hands. “Niklas, you have got to see this.”

He stepped closer and his cousin looked up. Niklas watched as the cut above the other man’s eye sealed shut slowly, then disappeared. He raised a brow. “Well, cousin, it seems as though you may be of some help after all.”

Ethanos shook his head in wonder. “Yeah, if he’s there. I might just be able to beat the
drak
out of
him
this time.”

“Me first.” Niklas shot back as he climbed into the hoverpod. “Get in.”

Chapter Twenty-seven

Brianna woke with a start. She remembered this time. A man had entered the bathing chamber just as she’d been about to step into the tub. She shuddered with revulsion. He’d touched her bare body, leered at her with his cruel eyes. It wasn’t the same man who had kidnapped her before, but Brianna was sure he worked with him, or for him. She’d tried to run, but he’d stepped on the trailing sheet and she fell on the cold, hard tile.

She rolled over and winced. Her body was still covered in bruises from her last ordeal and now she had new ones. “Now I have bruises on top of bruises.” Brianna knew there was no reason to feign sleep, as it hadn’t helped last time. Somehow they knew when she was awake. They must have some sort of new technology, too. How else could they transport her without an MTU pad?

Brianna took inventory of her injuries, and, noticing she was still bare, scurried beneath the blanket before she had to put up with the indignity of another person seeing her nude. She placed a hand over her churning stomach. Even the children could feel her distress this time. It must be the reason they were so active today. She sat up, pulled the covering from the bed and wrapped it around her like a toga. She stood and wandered the room, trying to get an idea of where she could be. Brianna picked up the glass on the table and flung it in frustration. It bounced off the wall and landed near the table at her feet. She closed her eyes and tried to concentrate on finding Niklas.
Niklas, can you hear me?

I hear you,
Laharra
. I know where you are. My cousin Haron has taken you. My cousin Ethanos has warned me of his brother’s involvement in your abduction. He has brought me to you.

Brianna gasped.
You’re here? What if this Ethanos is in collusion with his brother?

There was a short pause.
I have thought of this. I am accompanied by a security force, in case he should pose a threat.

She sighed with relief even as the ground began to rumble beneath her feet. Brianna held onto the table trying to stay upright. She didn’t want to be pitched onto the filthy floor. Closing her eyes, she concentrated. “I could really use your help again, Larin.”

Brianna heard soft music playing in her head and a female voice said, “We’re sorry, the member of the Fae you are trying to reach is not available at this time. Please try to correct your problem alone, or try back at a later time.”

Brianna’s eyes widened with shock. “Oh, my God! He has an answering machine?” She plopped back down on the bed with disgust. “Now, what do I do?” She eyed the door. Hadn’t Larin said she could have gotten out of here on her own the last time? She went to the door, and tried to find a way to open it.

Concentrate
, a voice whispered in her head.

If she didn’t know better she would have sworn it was Amber.

Stop being so stubborn, Bri, concentrate!

It
was
Amber, all of this distance between them, and she knew Brianna was in danger. She really
was
a powerful witch. Brianna looked at the door and concentrated on seeing it open. There was a small click and the door opened a fraction of an inch. She ran to it, placed her palm on the door, and pulled it open slowly, just enough so she could see through the crack to make sure she wasn’t walking into another trap.

It was a cave, a very well designed cave, and it was empty. She bit her lip. Which way now? The passage was at a slant. Should she head up or down, right or left? Up was the logical choice, but what if he was up there waiting for her? She closed her eyes and concentrated on which way to go to avoid recapture. A breeze came from above her, and the air smelled fresh and clean. Brianna went up.

She walked slowly, listening to the wind outside. The beginnings of a storm howled on the surface. She could hear it whistling through the caves above her. Waves crashed against a nearby shore. The ground shifted beneath her feet. It was a large quake, unlike any of the previous ones. Rocks began to tumble from the ceiling of the underground chamber.

Brianna ran for the surface, knowing she had to get out of there. The man who had taken her had left her there to die. Brianna leaped the last few steps, leaving the shelter of the cave to bear the brunt of the wind whipping the ends of the blanket and her hair about her.

The ground rumbled beneath her feet. The force of the coming cataclysm threatened to rip the world apart. Dust billowed from the cave as a shaft collapsed. The sea below rumbled with the force of the waves crashing against the rocks beneath the precipice where she stood.

The moon being ripped from its orbit threatened the stability of the entire planet. She would have to stop it soon. They didn’t have the time that her grandfather had first predicted. She fell screaming as the ground shook violently beneath her feet.

How in the world was she going to concentrate? Brianna felt the chain appear around her neck and clutched the stone hidden next to her skin. Somehow she knew Larin would find a way to get the stone to her. He knew she needed it.

Brianna bowed her head. Her right hand clutching the stone, the fingers of the left dug deep into the ground. She needed to empty herself of her fear and the negative energies she’d been exposed to over the last few hours. Closing her eyes, she concentrated on the negative energies flowing from her left hand into the ground. She inhaled and exhaled deeply, in with the good, out with the bad. The dark energies within her swirled down through the dark soil, down into the ground to be purified by the positive energies of the planet, if she wasn’t already too late.

The ground shifted beneath her again, nearly knocking her over the edge of the cliff near her. She’d come to the end of her run. If she couldn’t stop it here and now before he found her, she wouldn’t have another shot.

Brianna closed her eyes and prayed. She prayed for success, but mostly she prayed for help. But who could help her now? She was alone on the precipice. A distant rumble caused the small stones near her left to rain down into the dark abyss. She screamed again. “Help me. Someone, please help me!”

A bolt of lightning struck behind her, and Brianna was no longer alone. A shadowy figure stood to her right. His cape billowed behind him. The force of the wind pulled his silver hair from beneath the hood to dance around him. A glowing Larin to her left smiled at her softly.

Brianna felt no apprehension and knew that they were here to help her. She breathed a sigh of relief at the knowledge that she would not have to face this alone, after all. They had no intention of allowing her to face this darkness by herself.

This evil was a presence too long denied. It was time to release it, let it find peace. Its ever-thickening presence threatened to strangle her. She felt it sucking the very life from her body, the oxygen from her blood. Brianna nearly collapsed from the lack of air.

The tall figure moved from the shadows and gently took her hand, whispering in her ear. She heard, even over the sound of the blowing wind and the groaning of the land beneath her feet, she heard the low timbre of his voice.

“We are here to help you, Granddaughter.” He waved his hand through the darkness that surrounded them, showing no fear. “Do not fear the darkness. Your fear only serves to feed it.” Gently, he pushed the hair from her face, looking into her eyes. “You must be brave. Your courage will weaken it.”

Larin took her other hand. “We must send it back now. It is searching for the stone. Soon it will find it, and if it does, all will be lost.”

They grasped hands, walked slowly in a circle, marking the boundary before they released each other. Closing their eyes, they began to call the quarters. Larin took the East, where he was the strongest, where he would be better heard by the Fae.

As a fae, Larin’s involvement was limited. He couldn’t help them more than an adept human. Brianna wasn’t sure how she knew this, the information was just…there.

Because Larin could offer no more help, even though he was the strongest of the three, Morwyyn took the South and North, since he was the stronger of the two humans, and the most knowledgeable.

Brianna took the west. Water was her sign. She was a Scorpio and of the water, so it was there where she would be the strongest.

Morwyyn took the lead. Starting with the North, he began to call the quarters. There was no Athame, candles, or incense. No wand to direct the energies within. Just this strange threesome, Morwyyn’s stone, and the magic within themselves.

They raised their hands into the air as one and Morwyyn began. “Guardians of the North and the elements of the Earth, hear me! Please, come lend your distinctive energies to this circle and protect all those who would step within its protective barrier with perfect love and perfect trust.”

Larin repeated what Morwyyn said for the East. His Fae voice was musical, where Morwyyn’s had been deep and gravely. Energy surged around him as he said his words of power. “Guardians of the East and the elements of air. All ye who reside within the land of Fae, hear me! Lend the distinctive energies of all that is Fae to this circle and protect all those who would enter its protective barrier with perfect love and perfect trust.”

Brianna watched in awe as the power of the circle revealed itself to her. It extended from the North to the East where Larin stood. He lowered his arms and watched as Morwyyn called the Guardians of the South and the elements of fire.

The circle was nearly complete. One more step would complete the sphere of protection. She raised arms and trembled. She stood among legends. Would they be proud of her or disappointed? She took a deep breath, and in a loud clear voice, called her quarter. “Guardians of the West, hear me! All ye magical beings of the water. Mermaids, mermen, undines, and sprites, if your hearts are filled with good, I ask thee to lend your unique energies to this circle and protect all who enter its protective barrier with perfect love and perfect trust.”