Shadowstorm (Sorcery and Science Book 6) (7 page)

“The sand pit,” he said aloud.

Terra looked at him, her eyes twinkling. “Close. This is the portable version. A sand slate. But while an Elition can use any of the temples’ sand pits to speak with another person standing at any other sand pit, the sand slates are only linked in pairs. That means you can use your sand slate only to communicate with the person who holds its match. And instead of actually hearing the other person’s words, you see them written in the sand.”

Ryder leaned over to look at the sand slate. “What sand?”
 

“Hmm.” Terra traced her finger across the bottom of the tray. When nothing happened, she frowned. “Odd. I think it’s broken.”

“This just doesn’t add up right. Any of it,” Everett said. “What’s an Elition sand slate doing in a box of Xenen artifacts?”

“And it’s the only non-Xenen thing in there,” she told him.

“None of this makes sense. It’s a whole lot more complicated than you think, Ryder. I wonder how deep it goes. Ambrose Selpe is already dead, but if it reaches beyond him, perhaps to the Advisory Council…or even beyond the Selpes… Others must have been involved. Others who can still be reached.”

A wide grin broke out across Ryder’s face. “Does that mean you’ll take the job?”

“Job, you say? So what’s the pay?” Everett asked.

“Vengeance on the responsible party.”

“Uh-huh. So, in other words, not a single damn Crest.”

“When you catch the stinking weasels, you each get first pick in the executions,” Ryder offered.

Well, that was something at least.

“I think I’ll just pass on that tempting reward,” Terra commented and slid the box over.

“Fine,” Everett told the room of Revs. “I’ll do it.”

“Fabulous!” his father exclaimed.

Everett sank into his chair.
Time to save the world.
He sighed.
Again.

“You look like you could use a few more tarts, dear,” his mother said. “How many would you like?”

Everett looked at her. “That depends. How many do you have?”

CHAPTER FIVE

~
Drugs, Pain, Torture ~

527AX January 9, Eclipse

JASON HAD BEEN away from Eclipse for a while. He’d left Terra there, safe behind the protected portals. And when he finally returned, she wasn’t there.
 

He’d spent weeks hunting down leads on what he was now certain were experiments on Elition children. It was just like what the Xenens had done centuries ago. Discovering that the Selpes and Avans were at it now had made him angry. dKnowing Terra was out there in a depraved world dead set on enslaving her—that had nearly sent him over the edge.

“Where is she?” he asked Lana.

His sister pressed her lips together and locked them with an invisible key.

“This isn’t funny.”

But Lana found the whole thing enormously funny. Her eyes sparkled with a mischievous emerald fire.

“This is the Rev’s influence,” said Jason. Everett had a bizarre sense of humor, and it was starting to rub off on her. “You two are spending far too much time together.”

“You don’t get to pick my friends, Jason. And you don’t get to glare menacingly at them either.”

Jason stepped to the edge of the tea terrace and looked down over Eclipse. “Where is Terra?”

She planted her hands on her hips.

“I’m serious,” he said.

“So am I.”

“I don’t have time for this, Lana,” he said. “Tell me where Terra is.”

“What will you do to her if I do?”

“Keep her here. By any means necessary. I don’t care if I have to knock her out and tie her to the temple walls.”

“What’s going on between you two?” Lana asked.

“Nothing.”

“That’s not what I heard,” she said with a smile.

The number one pastime at Eclipse was spreading gossip. That’s what happened when the majority of the population never wandered beyond the boundaries of the protected bubble. Most of them hadn’t left town since they’d arrived there a decade ago.

“This is all beside the point.”

“The fact that you think that, Jason, is the whole problem.”

“I have a lot of problems,” he replied. “Once I’ve taken care of them, then maybe I’ll have time to work on figuring out what you even meant by that.”

Lana chuckled. “Fair enough.”

“There are vile things brewing out there. No Elition is safe, and with her powers, Terra is a target. They want her.”

“Who?”

“The Avans. The Selpes. Everyone. We can’t let them have her.”

The humor faded from Lana’s face. “You’re afraid.”

“We can’t let them have her,” he repeated. “You should see what the Avans are doing to Elitions.”

“I’m not sure I want to.”

“The Selpes are no better. I’ve learned what went down at their Summit. The Selpes and Avans have tried to keep it a secret, but you can’t cover up something like that.”

“Like what?” she asked.

“The Selpes and Avan are both experimenting on Elitions. Each brought their ‘project’ to the Summit to intimidate the other. They left Marina Bay at war.”

An agitated crinkled formed between Lana’s eyes.

“If they get Terra, they will use her just the same,” Jason told her. “I didn’t trust Aaron Selpe as a Diamond Edge, and I trust him even less as the Selpe emperor.”

“Jason—”

He set his hands on her shoulders. “We need to keep her safe.”

Lana looked up, meeting his eyes. “She’s back. She just walked through the portal a few minutes ago.”

“Good.” Jason began to walk toward Terra’s house.

“Jason.”

He looked back.

“Just go easy on Terra,” Lana said. “She’s been through a lot.”

Jason couldn’t think of anything appropriate to say to that, so he just turned and continued toward Terra’s house.

CHAPTER SIX

~
Ice ~

527AX January 9, Eclipse

TERRA AND EVERETT returned to Eclipse to find the entire town glistening beneath a silky layer of ice. Icicles dripped from house rooftops and from the bare tree branches, which drooped under the weight. A fine grain of crystallized snow dusted the icy paths, sparkling like a million tiny diamonds under the hard midday sun. The piercing winter wind whistled in Terra’s ears, seeping ice into her. She tugged on her woolen hat to adjust it, but it was no use. There was no getting around the fact that it was cold outside.

Terra was relieved when her house came into view. Though no smoke wafted up from her chimney as did from the other houses in Eclipse, the sight of its thick walls was nevertheless inviting. She would get a fire started soon enough, and then she would make herself a cup of hot tea and nestle in under a pile of fluffy blankets. She might even take a bath. It would take hours to heat up enough water to fill her bathtub, but it would be worth every second. It would be glorious.

Smiling to herself, Terra waved goodbye to Everett and dashed with renewed energy toward her front door. Despite her hurried enthusiasm, she managed to make it inside without slipping on the ice. As soon as the door was closed, she exhaled deeply, and a misty cloud puffed out from her lips. She’d been gone for days, so the inside of the house was nearly as cold as it was outside. Terra piled some wood into the hearth. Before long, the tiny flickers of fire grew into a full-grown family of flames, crackling and snapping as they licked across the logs.

She’d only just made her tea—and was about to begin heating water for her bath—when her front door opened, allowing a sliver of cold air to slip inside. Though she’d not heard the approach of footsteps, she
had
felt him coming. Jason. She could always sense when he was nearby. Their resonances were linked, tied together like two ends of an ever-taut string.

And it worked in reverse. Which meant that as soon as Jason had returned to Eclipse, he would have known she wasn’t tucked away inside her house as he’d insisted she remain.

Terra looked at him. Dressed in his usual assassin-approved black, he was a dark silhouette against the frosty scene beyond the open doorway. He wore his favored expressionless mask, a granite rock that was both unyielding and apathetic. All but his dark eyes, which had phased to deep obsidian pools of molten fury. Ok, so he was a bit upset.

“Please close the door, Jason,” she said for lack of any better way to start what was sure to be an exhausting conversation. “I’ve only just managed to get the place warm again, and you’re inviting in the leftovers of the latest ice storm.”

A ripple of Phantom energy shot out like a whip, slamming the door shut. Terra couldn’t see it, but she could feel it none the same. Apparently, Jason hadn’t found her quip especially funny. His eyes darkened further, teetering on the edge of rage. She hoped he didn’t lose it. Phantoms were known for their volatile tempers—and the blood-curdling consequences of succumbing to their rage.

“Have you completely lost your mind?” he growled.

“It’s nice to see you too,” she shot back in irritation before she could think better of it.

Jason swallowed hard, clearly struggling to push down the boiling fury. “You were not here.”

“How long have you been back?” she asked, calmly she hoped.

“An hour.” He stepped forward. “When I arrived, I couldn’t sense you.” He was so close that Terra couldn’t even avoid his enraged eyes. “I came here to find your house empty.” His fingers closed around her forearm. “It had been empty for days.” Jason squeezed down hard, and pain blazed across her arm. “You’ve been gone for days.”

“Jason,” she gasped, wincing. “You’re hurting me.”

His fingers sprang open. He looked from his hand to her arm, where the imprint of his fingers shone against her skin. “I apologize. You have a talent for cutting through years of practiced self-control.”

It was as much a compliment to her as it was a reprimand of himself. At least that’s how Terra decided to take it. Jason didn’t lose his temper over just anyone.

“I’m glad you care,” she said, brushing her hand lightly down his face.

Jason caught her hand. “Stop.” He dropped it and took a step back. “This is important, Terra. You are the Elite Prophet. You’re being hunted by everyone, most especially by Emperor Aaron Selpe. Your deranged
husband
,” he tacked on with disgust.

So, that’s what this is all about.
Terra took a few seconds to check her tone. “That wasn’t by choice. You know that. I don’t love Aaron. I only—”

“If you care nothing for him, then why do you still have his ring?”

Jason’s hand darted out to the dresser. The entire top drawer fell out in one rough tug. He snatched up the white diamond ring inside, pushing it in her face.

“I thought a piece of the Selpe imperial jewels might be worth something,” she said.

His scowl deepened.

“And I haven’t gotten around to selling it yet,” she added, forcing her stiff shoulders to lift in what she hoped was a convincingly easy shrug.

Jason wasn’t amused. “Give it to Everett. He’ll get you a good price.”

Terra reached out, setting her hand on his arm. “Jason…”

He turned his back on her, an angry buzz pulsing through his skin.

“Forget about the stupid ring. It doesn’t matter.”

“You are married to Aaron Selpe.”

She tried again, this time setting both hands on him. “I refuse to allow that to rule my life. And you shouldn’t let it rule yours.”

Jason turned. His penetrating eyes looked at her for a few seconds before he declared, “You are naive.”

She moved in closer, wrapping her arms around him. “Perhaps.” She nestled her face up against his neck, drinking in the scent of his wild, spicy musk.
Aurelia’s crown, he smells good
. Terra resisted the urge to…well, do anything unseemly. “Perhaps I am naive. But you didn’t seem to mind that before.” She tilted her neck up to meet his eyes. “We were standing right here, on this very spot. You kissed me. I mean,
really
kissed me.”

“I remember,” he said, allowing his eyes to close for a brief moment. When they opened again, the fire in them had burned down. “It was a moment of weakness. Despite what everyone thinks about me, I have them too. You are…an alluring woman.” His hand traced down her arm, making her breath catch in her throat. He dropped his hand suddenly. “But you’re also my friend. My best friend.”

She watched him back up as far as he possibly could in that small room. A chill pushed out the warmth that his closeness had brought. “More excuses?” she asked.

“It’s not an excuse.”

“It is,” she told him. “And now will come—”

“I made a promise.”

She sighed.

“A promise to—”

“ ‘To my dead father that I would protect you’,” Terra finished for him. She was all too familiar with that one, the high king of all excuses. How his promise to protect her translated into he could not be romantically involved with her was utterly unclear. And he claimed she was naive and illogical.

“You aren’t taking this seriously, Terra. I’m sworn to protect you. I want to protect you. But you are dead set on throwing yourself upon your sword—and any other ones within reach—at every opportunity. I find myself unsurprised that you and Cameron are twins.”

“In case you’ve forgotten, I can defend myself well enough.”

“Against one opponent, or even a few. But the Selpes and the Avans will not be sending a mere few misfits to apprehend you; they will be sending dozens of trained soldiers.”

Terra pouted out her lip and gave her chin a stubborn tilt. “You regularly take on dozens.”

“Yes,” he said slowly. “But I aim to eliminate, you to incapacitate. I don’t need to explain to you which method is more efficient when faced with such uneven odds.”

“I’m quite accomplished in the art of incapacitation.”

A hint of amusement flashed across his eyes before being swallowed beneath the dark depths. At least he’d calmed down a bit.

“And I have a plan,” she said.

“Dare I ask what this plan is?”

“Best not. You won’t approve anyway.”

“Going after the bounty hunters will only solve half of your problem.”

“Get out of my head, Jason,” she muttered, throwing up her mental wall. She should never have let it drop. Being around him made her relax her guard. She had to remember that.