Scorched Fury: A SkinWalker Novel #5 (DarkWorld: SkinWalker) (23 page)

"I can piggyback on your awareness in such a way that I can be in the same room as you. I can essentially watch your back from here."

"Sounds like a plan to me," I said with far more cheer than I felt. Again, I was leaving to cross the Veil and enter a strange land where I'd encounter people who didn't want me there. Why did I always end up in this situation?

A glance at Darcy confirmed that though she approved of the plan, she was still concerned about something. "What's wrong? I need us all to be on the same page here."

She shook her head, her golden hair swinging. She'd let the severe ponytail down and her hair framed her face nicely.

Iain must like her hair down.

Darcy cleared her throat and leaned toward me. "It's not doubt. I'm just worried about you being in danger. You don't have any backup other than one ethereal presence." She pointed a thumb at Nerina, "And an ancient dagger."

I glared at her. "How do you know about that?"

She shrugged, completely unapologetic as she said, "I had to access your mind while you were unconscious." At my angry glare she raised her hands. "Your father's orders. Sorry."

"Why did he do that?" Although annoyed at the invasion, I knew that my father would never have suggested such a thing unless he felt it was completely necessary.

"He wanted to be sure that you didn't forget any crucial information. You were out of it for hours, and he couldn't be sure that you weren't magically injured as well as physically. And since I was here, I offered to help."

A tiny part of me hoped she hadn't messed with any of my memories and then I blushed.

As I opened my mouth she raised a hand to stop me. "Don't worry. Whatever I saw in your head will remain in your head." There was a mischievous smile on her face that I didn't like.

I raised an eyebrow. "And what happens if some other Mind Mage accesses
your
mind?"

She shrugged. "Then they get nothing. I've erected shields around my thoughts that'd fry the mind of any Mind Mage who wanted in."

I laughed. "Harsh."

"Necessary, to protect the people I care about." She grinned as I got to my feet, coming around the corner of the table to take my hands in hers. "You be careful, okay?"

I smiled. "I'll do what I have to."

"I know," she said sadly.

Nerina was up too. "I'll check in every few hours. If I have something to report I will, otherwise I'll just take a quick peek. I won't have the energy to stay too long. I want to preserve my power for when you need me the most."

She was less emotional that Darcy but her pale eyes told me how worried she was. She did have reason since the last time I'd gone off-world I almost died.

She took a step back and Lily left the table. "I'm going with you, at least as far as headquarters."

"You don't have to, kid. It's a long trip."

She pursed her lips. "I don't care. I'm coming with so you better tell your private Teleporter that I'm on the passenger list."

"No, Lil's. I'll be fine. I promise." Time to put my foot down.

Lily sighed, giving in at last. She raised an eyebrow.

I snorted in response.

Lily cleared her throat. "I'll be starting the first of my sessions with your dad while you're away."

Her soft voice was calm and even, and I was relieved to see that the decision wasn't stressing her out. That meant she was happy with her choices.

I drew her into a hug. "Good luck, okay. You take care of yourself. And don't push yourself too fast. You'll know when you're ready." She nodded calmly. "Be strong, kid. I need you to be okay when I get back."

"I will." Then she sighed. "I only wish I was coming with you."

I nodded, understanding her longing to be there for me and her regret that she couldn't.
 

CHAPTER 32

A
FTER
A
QUICK
STOP
AT
MY
apartment to pack a small overnight bag, paste on some goth-girl makeup – an attempt to hide my identity in case those who protected Sienna in Sand Beach were around - and to load up on ammo, I headed to Elite HQ. Just outside the house, I received a message from Tara.

The suspicions that the Winter Queen was connected to the poisoned trees was now stronger. Tara had found compelling evidence in the form of two witnesses. She wasn't happy to go on hearsay so she planned to put someone on the inside.

I texted my thanks for the update, then sent off messages to my parents and Grams.

I'm off, take care. See you when I get back.

I shut off the phone before I could get any responses. I didn't have time for soppy farewells or well-meaning probes for details.

In addition, I'd have no reception in Dracys, so there was little point to keeping the device on. Larsson entered the room, his stride confident and sure. He wasn't much of a talker but he'd always seemed genial enough.

Now his familiar smile was comforting and he handed me a leather folder without saying a word. The brown folder weighed my hand down and I rifled through it quickly. The paper was thick and expensive, and inside I found official documentation confirming me as the envoy of the Elders of the Supreme High Council. Along with them was a map of Dracys. I appreciated Horner's forethought, since I had no idea where the portal would deposit me.

There were other papers, but I didn't want to waste time going through them. I shoved the file into my satchel before depositing the whole bag into my rucksack. I'd packed light for a good reason. I didn't plan on being in the Dragonlands for very long.

 
He held out his hand and transported me in one stomach-churning ride straight to the Mendenhall Glacier.
 

We arrived in a swirling blizzard, snow blowing in every direction. Thankfully I'd come prepared. Thermal underwear and socks, wool-lined waterproof boots, an insulated jacket that even a K2 climber would appreciate, and a fur hat that made me look ridiculous but was satisfyingly warm.

Once there I'd hardly registered the crunch of the snow beneath my feet, or the bite of the icy wind.
 

Larsson leaned closer and yelled in my ear, "I'll return for you every eight hours for the next five days. If you're not here, then I will go back. If you miss me, wait."

If he hadn't been screaming, I would never have heard a word he said.

And then he was gone, leaving me to make my way across the bank of the wide river.

To my left the tongue of the glacier seeped into the edge of the river. I focused on putting one foot in front of the other, my shoes sinking deep into the snow, the biting wind scraping the still tender skin on my cheeks.

I was glad for the goggles, glad for the fur-lined parka. Horner had said that the portal was located, like all other portals, deep in dark water. The only problem was how to access a frozen river.

A small boat sat on the ice lake, frozen in place. It was tied to a short, narrow jetty, and I trudged towards it, taking care not to step too hard on the wooden planks. I had little idea of what icy weather did to wood, and I tried not to think about it cracking beneath my weight and sending me plunging into the ice-cold water.

I focused on the jetty and struggled forward, bent over, fighting the wind, taking one step after the other. It took longer than I'd expected to reach the iced-over mooring line, intending to use my panther strength to lift it off the ice and reveal the water below.

When I looked down I knew that plan wouldn't work.

But I was determined to try. It was better than having to walk on that unpredictable ice.

I set my rucksack onto the deck, and grabbed hold of the boat's mooring line. I tugged hard but all I heard was the straining of the fibre of the rope. The boat didn't budge.

Frustrated, I decided to tackle the problem head on. I headed to the rickety stairs nailed to the side of the jetty and stepped into the little boat, testing its solidity. It held me, so I jumped. Once, lightly and when that didn't work, again, using my full weight. The sound of ice cracking all around the edges of the board was welcome. My weight had done the trick.

I leaned over and prodded the ice beyond the boat, comforted to see that it was thick and solid. I stepped out carefully, holding still as an ominous crack sounded.

My heart raced.

Perhaps I wouldn't need to move the boat at all if I ended up plunging headfirst into the freezing waters.

Or maybe not.

I reached into my pocket and retrieved the portal key. I threw the key up into the air and it came falling back down onto the ice with a loud crack. So much for that.

I retrieved the portal key and stepped closer to the boat. Pulling at my panther strength, I gripped it by its stern and tugged, glad that it was only a small fishing vessel.

The boat moved, wood groaning as I tugged.

Then, all around me, ice began to crack.
 

Terrified I pulled more of my panther strength into my limbs, lifted and swung the boat far away. It landed a dozen yards off, but I barely paid any attention. The piece of ice that I was standing on let out a loud crack.

The section, only about five feet wide, tilted beneath my weight and I was almost tossed into the freezing water. How the hell was I going to come back?

I stiffened. I wasn't about to let that stop me now.

With the water revealed, I tossed the portal key into the air, and thankfully this time it hovered above the inky surface.

The key spun for a few seconds then slowed, turning horizontally. I blinked and a column of white light soared from the heavens, then plunged straight into the centre of the key. The light exited the metal disk and pierced the water below.

No time to think.

The ice began to wobble beneath my feet. Gathering my strength, I jumped.

CHAPTER 33

T
HE
PUSH
SENT
ME
SOARING
THROUGH
the air, straight to the key. The column of white light grabbed hold of my body, a powerful gravity field that sent me spinning around like a leaf in a hurricane.

The magic of the seal and its light possessed me, changing my body, my shape, allowing me to pass through the very centre of the metal. I closed my eyes.

My feet hit solid ground, my ankle spasmed, and the key clattered as it struck stone. When I opened my eyes, I blinked against the near pitch darkness. To my left, a few yards around a short corner, a soft light glowed.
 

I'd arrived a few feet inside the mouth of a dark cave, and it took me a moment to get my bearings. I leaned over and grabbed the portal key, sliding it into my jacket pocket for safekeeping.

I hurried towards the mouth of the cave and peered out into the distance. The cave sat high on a mountain top, and the view was astounding.

Barren as the land was, with all its dark soil and trees that looked perpetually in fall, it was also breathtakingly beautiful. The mountain range snaked out, carving this way and that, as if reaching towards the distant sun which hung low and threatening, throwing a red glow on the landscape.
 

The journey was not going to be easy. Not that I'd expected it to be. I'd been to Wrythiin after all. And that was a dark, cold and forbidding place, that was a contrast to this blood and stone landscape.

The cave opened onto a small ledge. From it I had a clear view of the narrow ravine below, and the river that ran in a sinuous red line, as ominous as the sun.
 

To my left a narrow ledge led away, hugging the side of the mountain, likely my only route down the mountainside. Only the further it went the narrower it got.

I dropped my rucksack on the floor, and knelt beside it, rummaging inside to withdraw the files from my satchel. Removing the map, I studied it in the pink sunlight.

The map was an aerial, hand-drawn sketch of the city. Naturally it gave no indication of how I was supposed to descend from the mountain. I had to get across the range, and move north-east towards the city.

I folded the map and carefully slid it into my jacket pocket with the portal key. Throwing my rucksack onto my shoulders, I followed the path along the side of the mountain.