Darkest Designs (26 page)

“I know that. But,” he faced Paxton, “I have no intention of breaking off what's happening with her. I've spent all my life watching cold Toran relationships and wondering why none felt right for me. Now I've met Storey, I know. She's different. I saw her as a young girl when I first met her – only she wasn't. I was seeing what I expected to see. Not what she is – what she has become. She's a woman. She's become the star here. Not you or me or even the styluses. It's been her that has risen to the top of each challenge. I'm blessed to know her and I'll be incredibly lucky if she decides that I'm right for her – as I know she's right for me.”

Paxton shook his head. “She can't keep going back and forth like this. It's going to cause problems.”

“Maybe. But that door has been opened. We can't just ignore that.” Eric shrugged. “I'm sure there's a way we can live in both dimensions. No one has to know. Just think of all I can learn. And Tammy is going to want to see Storey, too. And Storey will want to see her. Just think, the three of us can represent our worlds to each other.”

Paxton's face puckered as he considered Eric's words. “Would Storey leave her world?”

Eric's eyebrows flew up. “She might. Particularly after her mother is gone. In the meantime, she'd certainly want to come back and forth. She's seen almost nothing of our world.”

Just then, Storey's face filled the screen. “Eric? Paxton? Are you there?”

Paxton immediately tapped the keypad. “We are here.”

As he tapped, the door opened and Toran council members and many others poured into his lab. Their voices raised in both outraged and terror.

“What has he done?”

“Are the Louers attacking?”

“What can we do?”

“Why has he been allowed to do this?”

Eric rounded on the last councilman who'd spoken, his temper flaring red once again. “He's done this because you people didn't believe Paxton and I. You let him loose.
You
gave him the means and methods to do this.”

The group stopped and stared at each other. “We didn't think he'd do something so awful.”

And Eric realized another truth. His people were as innocent as newborn babes. They'd handed over control, given complete power to his father and when he'd accepted it and made it his own, they were stunned. Now they felt betrayed. In truth, they should have seen it coming. He had. Storey certainly had.

“And…Paxton, is it true?” the elderly councilman Marxel asked, his voice tremulous. “Are you really a Louer?”

Eric stepped in before his mentor could try and explain. “Paxton's family descended from the Louers.” He smiled at them, his face grim, “As did we all. Remember that? Even the Councilman comes from Louers.”

They all stared at each other, unsure of what to say. Who to listen to. Who to believe.

Then a woman stepped forward and brought the conversation around to the biggest issue.

“Is he still free?”

Eric didn't recognize the speaker, but the woman was tiny and wedged in-between several other women. He was happy to see them here. To see them sticking together and speaking up. He wouldn't be surprised if they'd been influenced by Storey's behavior to do so. Not that they'd had much of a chance to see her. But they'd have heard of her. And her exploits. These women could do so much more than they did. Storey would be good for them.

It was Storey that had opened his eyes.

“Is the human, Storey, coming back?” asked one of the woman.

“How can she?” said one grim faced male Eric didn't recognize. “The Councilman has ordered her death. Now he is trying to arrange an assassin to kill her.”

“Are the Louers going to kill her? Paxton needs to help her.”

The mass of questions and cries rose as each person set off another until Eric held up his hands. “Stop!”

Silence. Everyone looked at him, even Paxton, who said, “Eric, what do you suggest?”

“I suggest we take care of my father, and if that means sending him out to the fields as a laborer, then we do so.”

“No.” Paxton shook his head. “We can't trust him. Even out there he will find followers and rise up again.”

Eric nodded, relieved that Paxton's words echoed his own thoughts.

“And he's sent many a prisoner to his death.” Paxton added, “Or left them alone to exist in that horrible prison. He needs to experience the same isolation. Maybe after ten years, then he could work in the fields. Not now. He has to learn repentance.”

Privately, Eric wasn't sure such a thing was possible. Maybe after a decade. He doubted it though. “And Storey?”

The cries were unanimous. “You have to go rescue her.”

Eric waited to hear a dissent amongst them. Nothing. Neither did Paxton's vague origins appear to be more than a news item, quickly discarded as not important.

He smiled. “Good. But there is more to that.” Just then Storey's face filled the monitor. Tammy was beside her. “Hi, Tammy,” Eric said. He motioned the crowd to look at the monitor.

Several of them gasped and shrank back. Then Tammy smiled. A big toothy grin that made her more adorable than ever. “Everyone, this is Tammy. A Louer child that Storey saved from the old Louer dimension after my father banished Storey there secretly.” Storey's face disappeared and then reappeared. This time she had Tammy in her arms.

Eric studied the group of Louers in the room standing behind Storey. He presumed they were looking at the motley group of Torans standing around him. His group showed mixed emotions at the sight of the Louer child in Storey's arms – or maybe it was the sight of all the Louers lined up behind her. Some showed shock, some understanding, some disgust, but there was a softening to their expressions. Enough that he could see, with time, they'd come to understand the Louers were not so different.

Paxton tugged him back away from the crowd staring fascinated at the screen. He whispered beside him, “Do you see how they turn to you?”

He had, but figured it was just the situation.

“You have changed yourself, son. You've gone from a green ranger to a leader. Matured into a good man.” He paused a moment, then said, “You should be proud of yourself.”

Eric heard the quiet pride in Paxton's voice and smiled. “I guess I am at that.”

He had changed. He might not be quite as far along the road as he might want, but he hadn't done anything that made him ashamed of his actions and that had to account for something. At least he knew value when he saw it. And Storey was valuable.

In a quiet voice, he said, “I still want Storey in my life.”

“And we'll work on a way to make that happen.”

Paxton's hand holding his stylus jerked. He raced over to his tablet where he'd left it on his desk. Immediately the stylus started writing. “They are ready to transfer the Broken One to a new stylus.” Paxton read off. “Storey wants Eric there when it happens.”

“Is it safe?”

“Yes. Especially now that your father is under guard.” Paxton's head bobbed rapidly as he read the answer. He lifted his gaze to Eric. “Which stylus is the Broken One planning on being moved to?”

“To Storey's stylus.” Eric smiled. “There really isn't much option at this point.”

“Or we could move him to another stylus?” Paxton frowned and raced to his box of styluses. He opened his box of styluses. “Which would be better?”

“I don't think we have a choice. It was done this way on purpose. Without Storey and her stylus, the process won't work. There's already a connection.” Eric produced the broken stylus he'd removed from the box and had carried since, and replaced it into the box. “I guess it's a good thing I took that. I wonder if there are other styluses there that need help?”

Paxton's stylus jumped, sending him running back to his tablet. “Yes. They all need souls.”

“And how do we do that?”

Paxton's hand once again twitched, the stylus apparently anxious to write the answer. “Once the Broken One is in his stylus he can coordinate the process. But souls are needed.”

“Right.” They were still at that balking point. They'd need some volunteers, and who would want that? He tabled the thought for the moment. There were other more immediate problems. “I need to go to the Louers' dimension.”

“Good. You do that.”

Just then the monitors on Paxton's workbench went crazy. Eric raced over and tapped the keypad, but nothing changed. Paxton nudged him gently aside. “Someone has initiated a cross-dimensional travel sequence on a codex.” He studied the screen. “Using one of my spare codexes…”

“What? Who?”

Paxton's voice was grim. “I think it is your father. I'm checking the serial number.” He clicked again. “It's one you brought back when you brought Tammy here. He must have grabbed it up before going to his chambers.”

Unbelievable. Eric hadn't seen him touch anything, but he'd been looking at the monitor, then wiping the screen clean at the time.

Paxton ran to the sideboard where his fingers tapped frantically on the keyboards. The monitor opened up on the Councilman's chambers. He turned back to stare at Eric. “He's knocked out his guards.”

“But where can he go?” Eric strode to the monitor, staring at the forms of the two unconscious men. He'd thought he was past being surprised by anything his father did. Apparently not.

Paxton riffled through items on the top of his desk, then raced to his workbench. He turned back to Eric and the others, the color draining from his face. “He's got a pre-coded destination.”

Eric stared at him, his mind racing through which of the codexes had been preset.

“Preset? To where?”

S
torey lay nervously on a raised, flat surface. At least that's what she called it. She had no idea what
ipous
meant, but that's the word Tammy kept repeating as she tried to get Storey to lie down. Skorky's antics hadn't helped.

Potre sat on the side. And that made her feel a little more nervous than she could believe. Apparently the Broken One, Barrat, was a man of great importance to their people. He needed to survive. Hence the process she was about to undergo.

Still, she couldn't help but be a little nervous at the thought of what they might do to her afterwards. She wanted Eric. Someone needed to be on her side. To stand
for
her.

The process will not be difficult.

Broken One, are you sure you should be going into this stylus?

Yes.

My stylus? Are you sure you want Barrat in there with you?

We are honored.

Sure. Everyone was feeling honored…except her. In truth, she'd gotten accustomed to hearing and feeling the Broken One.

And for that we thank you. You have saved us, welcomed us, sheltered us. We are in your debt.

And now you need to move to the stylus. Fine. Let's get this done.
She laid her head back down. Then lifted it again.
Are you sure you explained this to the Louers?

Yes. They know what is going to happen.

Are they going to kill me once you have been saved?

No. They understand that you communicate with us. And with us, to them.

And that's okay?
She hated to keep questioning every step, but the doubts kept her prodding. This was a little unnerving.
And they know about Eric coming?

Eric has arrived.

Oh, thank God. Noises around her said that more people were arriving. In fact, the place had filled up to standing room only. Then she saw Eric. She smiled brightly. And her heart swelled with warmth. She loved that he'd hurried to be beside her.

“Storey.” Eric rushed over to her side. “Are you okay?”

She laughed. “Definitely. And getting better now that you're here.”

Just then he fell to his knees as Tammy jumped on him from behind. “Ris.”

“Ooomph.” But he was grinning. He grabbed the little girl, tugged her around to his chest and pulled her into his arms. He hugged her tight. Storey caught sight of Potre's face. The love in his gaze, the surprise and the acceptance. Eric closed his eyes and hugged Tammy tight.

Then she wiggled free and ran back to her father.

The stylus spoke.
It is time.