The Magic Wakes (14 page)

Landry set the pace, but he didn’t talk at all. That was fine with Talia. She concentrated on forcing her feet to lift off the ground.

By nightfall, the rain fell steadily and Talia shivered. She pictured the rain falling on the bodies in the ravine. Did rivulets of black water run into the river? How long would it take before someone came to retrieve the bodies from the elements? Talia pushed the image from her mind by staring at Major Sutton’s back. He slowed to a walk in front of her.

Tired and hungry, she lifted feet of stone. With each step, her calf muscles threatened to spasm and her quads twitched. Talia feared she would collapse if she stopped.

“How much further?”

“Not far. There’s a cave in that hill over on the right.” He pointed to a gray green hill that was barely visible in the rain. “I keep it stocked with firewood and food.”

It took another ten minutes to reach the cave. A door with a coded lock lay hidden behind vines that draped over the mouth of the entrance. Landry punched in the code and when they stepped inside an automated lighting system flickered on.

The cave was oval in shape, with the far side retreating into darkness. The Major had stocked the front half with sleeping bags, cots, chairs, a huge pile of wood, and a cabinet full of food. There was a fire pit in the center with a ventilation system installed above it.

“Where does the smoke go?” Talia peered at the place where the pipe disappeared into the cave ceiling.

“Through a diffuser and out the top near the cliff.”

Talia nodded and looked toward the kitchenette. Sink, cooler, cabinets, and an old-fashioned burner unit for cooking.

“What? No metabolizer?” It popped out before she could think. Talia rubbed her hands up and down her arms. “Sorry.”

Landry scowled but didn’t comment. Instead, he walked to a storage cabinet and pulled out dry clothes.

“These will be big but dry.” He tossed them at Talia and pointed toward the back of the cave where she could have some privacy.

Talia rolled up the waist and the pant legs to keep them from dragging on the ground, but she wasn’t sure how to keep them from slipping off. She folded back the shirt sleeves until her hands were free and then held the pants up while she walked back toward the fire.

She stood in the shadows and watched Landry, finding comfort in his steady work. There was purpose to each movement.

Landry looked up and noticed her. Talia blushed at getting caught lurking. She stepped out into the light, still holding onto the pants.

His clothes fit perfectly, which sent a blaze of irritation through Talia until she remembered they were his clothes. The thought made her blush.

“Do you have a belt or something I can tie the pants on with?”

Landry tossed another log on the fire and considered her. A smile twitched in the corner of his lips.

“I think I’ve got some rope.” He returned to the cabinet and dug around. “Hey, you’re in luck, there’s a belt in here.”

He tossed it to Talia. She turned away and wrapped it around her waist just below the roll of fabric. When she was sure she wouldn’t lose the pants, she retrieved her own clothes and set them around the fire to dry.

“I’ll get us something to eat. It shouldn’t take long.” Landry pulled food out of another cabinet.

Talia sat by the fire and let the warmth sink in. In an effort to keep from thinking about the tram, she concentrated on the crackle of the wood as the flames devoured it. The soft sizzle and the tangy smell of the food cooking calmed her and before she knew it, Landry handed her a plate of food.

They ate in silence, but when she finished, Talia was ready for some answers.

“Major Sutton—”

“Please, call me Landry. I think after all we’ve been through we can move to first names?” His eyes watched her face even though his head stayed bent over his plate.

“Of course. I wonder why you were the only Royalist following that man. If you knew he was so dangerous why didn’t you take every precaution to keep the tram safe?” Her words came out harsher than she intended.

“I didn’t plan to be at the tram station today, but as I walked through the streets he passed by me and . . .”

Landry looked at Talia, considering his next words carefully.

“Something just didn’t feel right. Sometimes I sense things about people. I decided to follow him and found myself on the tram with you. At first I thought maybe—”

He stared into the fire.

“That I was with him?” Talia whispered.
Why does it hurt so much that he doesn’t trust me
?

“If I had known what was at stake, I never would have let the tram leave the station. That’s something I’ll have to live with.”

She didn’t have his ability to feel others emotions, but she understood the look. His shoulders slouched, he couldn’t hold eye contact, and the hand holding his plate trembled slightly. Today’s events shook him more than he wanted to admit. The weight of death
did
affect him.

“If I knew how dangerous he was, I would have acted immediately. It’s my fault those people died.”

“Major, I mean, Landry, thank you for saving my life. I know that one doesn’t stack well against how many died, but . . .” Her voice tapered to a whisper. Her hands knotted together, a perfect mirror of her emotions.

Landry moved to kneel beside her. He pointed to her hands and said, “May I?”

Talia nodded. The connection was instantaneous as she heard his thoughts.

I should thank you. You pulled power to the doors so we could get out. You saved yourself and me with you.

If only I were faster. If only we could have warned everyone else
. Talia tried to pull her hands free.

Landry held her hands tightly, but gently.
I’m not going to let go.

Their emotions swirled together in a writhing mass of sadness and guilt. As they rode the waves of emotion, Landry leaned forward and, untangling one hand, he lifted Talia’s chin until their eyes met.

There was the pull, the need between them. Talia leaned forward as Landry moved closer. The shock when their hands touched was nothing compared to the sensation of their lips meeting.

The kiss brought Talia’s loneliness to the surface. She shuddered as all the years of solitude and fear burst into flames. She wrapped her arms around Landry and pulled him closer. Everything faded away and all that existed were his arms, his lips.

Landry nibbled on her lower lip and something within Talia broke free as she melted into him. Neither could tell who the whispered thoughts belong to, or whose emotions surged through their veins.

When the saltiness of Talia’s tears reached her tongue, she remembered that this wasn’t a dream.

She removed her hands from his hair and half-heartedly pushed him away at the same time her kiss grew hungrier. Her body wasn’t ready to give him up, but the slight pressure had its effect.

Landry pulled away, and they both gasped for air.

Talia touched her swollen lips. Her eyes searched Landry’s face. She couldn’t believe how strong her reaction had been. She wanted to pull him closer, but her mind ruled her body and she leaned away. Her hand moved from her lips to brush the bare spot where her necklace used to rest.

Landry said, “I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking.”

“It’s fine. I—” Talia glanced at her hands, which still trembled. The tears slid quietly down her face.

Landry took her hand. “Talia, forgive me. I never should have taken advantage of the situation.”

Talia tentatively stretched her thoughts outward. The mental barrier was solid, protecting Landry’s thoughts, keeping her out.

“You found a way to touch me without letting me inside your head.”

“I spent the last week figuring it out.”

Talia wiped the last traces of dampness from her face. The kiss had freed more than just her desire. The years of loneliness and the last two weeks of fear had finally worn her down. Why not trust someone and see what happened? Perhaps a relationship could bring some of the happiness she had always denied herself.

She squeezed his hand. “It wasn’t the tram, you know, and I kissed you back.”

“What?” Landry’s eyes widened.

Talia chewed on her bottom lip for a moment. “The kiss. You shouldn’t apologize. Unless you regret it?”

“The only thing I regret is the timing. Emotions are high, and it could have been our way of dealing with survivors’ guilt.”

“Are you trying to convince me or yourself?”

“I don’t know. Both? This is out of nowhere. A week ago we couldn’t stand to be in the same room together.”

“That’s true.”

Talia pulled her hands from his and gathered their plates. She turned away and went to the sink. “You’re right of course, it probably was the tram.”

Landry jumped up and followed, reaching for her arm. “Wait.”

She jerked her arm out of his grasp and set the dishes in the sink before turning to glare at him.

“What? Are you going to find some other way to deny the attraction between us? Don’t forget I’ve heard your thoughts.”

“You’re right, but I don’t make it a point to give in to physical attraction every time I feel it. You were a person of interest in my investigation. That doesn’t make this easy.”

“Were? I’m not anymore?” Talia softened a bit.

Landry sighed and ran his hands through his hair. “No. Look, I think we both need to rest. Can we talk about this tomorrow, or better yet, over dinner in a few days?”

Talia nodded her head. “You’re right. And sleep sounds good. I hurt all over.”

“Yeah, sorry about that. Here let me get a cot for you.” He grabbed a cot and sleeping bag out of a storage compartment. “There’s a ledge over here just right for a cot.”

“Thank you.” Talia marveled again at how organized everything was. Landry was a prepared man. “Do you have a plan for getting picked up from here?”

“Yes. My men are probably on their way. They should pick us up sometime in the morning. Here you go, it’s ready.”

Landry spread the sleeping bag onto the cot, then grabbed a second cot and bag, and headed over to the door.

To Talia, it looked like he moved as far away from her as he could get. She climbed into the bag and hoped for a dreamless night.

With that thought, sleep overtook him; it was not merciful. Jaron dreamed he watched the tram plummet over the cliff. It fell slowly, allowing him to see a face peering at him from the rear window. Not one but two.

“Dailya!” His cry ripped the stillness of the air and returned time to normal. Before Jaron could take a step forward, the tram was gone.

He had killed them.

Jaron had killed his beloved wife and son.

Talia crouched behind the charred remains of an aeroflyer. She squeezed her eyes shut, but since she dreamed, the chaos and carnage remained visible. The familiar scene permanently burned on her retinas.

As she watched, the aeroflyer transformed from a charred mess to a perfectly bright and smooth metal. Her reflection stared back. Half her face was badly burned and falling away from her skull. The other half was blood splattered but otherwise unmarred.

Not now. Please not now.

Talia watched the street, hoping the dream would end quickly. Two Dragumon came around a building. Their scales glittered in the sunslight. She could clearly see their long, pointed ears swiveling in every direction, searching for the slightest sound. Cat-like in their movements, they hunted. Hunted for her.

Come on. I’m tired of running.

The creatures lowered their weapons, and Talia’s resolve weakened. Even in her dreams, she didn’t want to die.

Wake up! Wake up, before . . .

Too late, the red light flared and Talia became a blazing ball of fire and pain.