The Source: Book III of the Holding Kate Series (6 page)

GREGORVITCH MATTOVDZKY, OR
Gregory Matthews as he preferred, tapped the screen on his desk, and a bank of holo monitors lit the circular wall in front of him. He slid his finger across the pad on his desk and the squares of quantum feed flashed by in four rows. He paused the racing gallery and enlarged one of the images. With a flick of his finger, the image of Kate moved forward and hovered in front of him.

Rounding his desk in hurried anticipation, he reached toward the frozen image of Kate in one of the quantum jumps. She held a tiny green dragon, nose to nose, and smiled down on him with affection. Gregory reached up and put his hand into the image, stroking Kate’s cheek.

“Kate. Where are you?” His voice purred, soft and full of emotion.

Determined to find Kate and bring her to his home, he straightened his jacket, stood erect, then turned his back on the wall of holo projections and walked to the open veranda. The manicured lawn stretched out for acres into the distant hills surrounding his palace, Dragon Castle. He and his Kate had lived here on this mountain. The massive rampart, with verandas enormous enough for dragons to come and go, was home while Kate continued to be the source for draconic communications on this world.

The dragons scattered after her death. No longer able to thought-speak to humans, they returned to the wild. He suspected they could still speak with each other, but human communication was lost to them. Occasionally, he would see one flying in the distance, but they no longer came near.

The castle was so quiet and lonely. He needed to bring Kate back. She could source the dragons again and life could resume its former glory. They would live together as husband and wife and he would dote on her every need.

He had loved her for as far back as his memories would go. He remembered her tender caresses when he was a young boy, frightened and alone. She took him under her wing and kept him within arm’s reach that night in the penthouse as the tornado sisters tormented the city, searching for them.

He returned to his desk and scrolled through the gallery until the scene of his dance with Kate came up. Hitting the memory card, he replayed the best moment of his young life. Kate smiled at him and told him secrets as they swayed to the love song. Her eyes flashed with flirtatious humor and her cheeks flushed from dancing with all three boys. He had fallen in love with her on the night they danced in the subway terminal on the tornado world. It was clear to him that she had a change of heart in that moment, too. To his young mind, she fell in love with him during that dance. He saw the moment in her eyes when the light for Trip had shifted. It was in the middle of that dance that he decided he was going to give himself to the tornados to save her. He did not count on her walking into the very middle of the demon twisters to bring him back. He saw love in her eyes that day and knew there was only one way to keep her safe.

He had to let go.

He shook loose of her hands and flew backward into the mouth of the giant maelstrom with his eyes locked on beautiful Kate.

Greg’s tears landed on the console of his desk and he tapped the screen and froze the image of Kate in his arms.

The Kate. The only Kate left.

He stroked her cheeks and touched the image of her lips.

Righteous anger rose in his chest. He had so little time with her before her life was snuffed out by that wicked Amazonian-Dragon killer.

He was done playing nice games with these vile jumpers. It was time to send in the nasty monsters.

He picked up his cane and headed toward his QHR to enlist the help of some of his more disturbing quantum discoveries.

KATE AND COREY
stood in the center of the new QHR the next day while Schmitz and Wallace—the new white coats—explained the updates. They brought in all new computer systems and data containment pods, fusion power packs, backup generators, replicating quadrants, holo interfacing, wireless transmitters and transponders. It all resulted in the majority of the boathouse being devoted to equipment and a small rectangle designated as the QHR pad.

The team, dressed in jumpsuits, had the supplies and equipment on the transfer pad while they waited for Corey’s lawyer to arrive. There was still the pesky little problem of choosing a jump site.

“Take us back in time to Jewel City,” Trip suggested. “We could meld in with the two century jumpers.”

“We can’t do that because we didn’t do that,” Donnie replied.

“Say what?” Trip asked.

“If that was our decision, then we would have shown up already in Jewel City. We’d have met ourselves already in our past. Since we didn’t, then that means we won’t.”

“I hate time paradox crap,” Trip muttered.

Kate and Mel giggled behind their hands at the consternation on Trip’s face. He scowled at them and that sent them into more giggles. He cut his eyes to Tara and her amused expression finally got him to crack a smile.

“Dirk, Mel, Donnie, can you think of any good sites you’ve been to?”

They shrugged. “Most places I’ve been, I wouldn’t want to go back to.” Mel chewed on the side of her thumbnail.

“I have an idea,” Eunavae said. “When Kail and I were in our Scriptorium, we went to a place called the Crystal Certosa. We heard stories of people coming through what they called ‘The Veil.’ Who’s to say we aren’t those very people?”

“But that was the Scriptorium. Why do you think we would be able to get to this Crystal Certosa?”

“Because they spoke Ampelese.”

“No.” Kate shook her head. “I am not going back to any land that has dragons!”

“Yeah, besides, we know Greg knows about that place,” Dirk agreed.

This was a lot harder than Corey thought it would be. He had visions of just picking a world and jumping there. They stared at each other in silence, trying to come up with a solution.

An ear piercing blast sounded outside.

Kate screamed. Trip and Tara squared off in front of her, blocking her from the doorway.

Dirk ran to peer out of the window. Another blasting gong sounded, but didn’t have the same depth of tone.

“Holy crap!” Dirk swore and ran to the weapons cache, ripped it open, and began hurling weapons at the team.

They ran out of the boathouse into pure mayhem. In the field beside First Cabin, two enormous dragon-like creatures screamed down at a peculiar looking group of people. Warriors circled the dragons, waving spears and swords at them. They were so engaged in the battle that they did not appear to know they had jumped.

Kate flinched at the dragons, hunching down. Corey, Trip, and Tara closed in around her.

One tall female with short spiky blonde hair fought side by side with an enormous mountain of a man. They jumped and twisted in exacting spirals and flips that made Corey immediately think of Tara and Trip. Some of their moves were identical to moves he had seen Tara teach the advanced warriors in Jewel City.

There were eight warriors surrounding the dragon creatures. One of them did not seem to be engaged in the battle. He stood to the side with arms raised, shouting warnings. It appeared he directed or upheld them in the battle. Occasionally, he ran and snatched up a fallen spear and lobbed it back to the owner.

They seemed so ordered in their attack, Corey feared any interference from the Keepers would have devastating consequences. Evidently, he wasn’t alone in that assessment. None of the Keepers advanced past the house. They stood in the driveway, ready to rush in if needed.

Corey observed as they systematically divided the two dragons and took them down one at a time. When the dragons had collapsed into a heap, the one who had been calling out turned and saw the Keepers.

His expression morphed as he took in the house, the cars, and their appearance. He shouted to the tall spiky blonde-haired girl and her battle partner. They whirled around, noted their surroundings, and then locked eyes on the Keepers, raising their weapons.

Corey moved to the front of the team. “Put down your weapons,” he murmured to the Keepers, and then raised his voice and held open his hands.

“Hello, you are welcome here.”

The tall couple stepped forward, sheathed their swords and walked to stand a few feet away. Corey gawked at the girl. She was the spitting image of Tara, a bit taller, but they were so alike it was uncanny.

“I am Starlythe ap Murkhul,” she spoke in Ampelese. “What is this place?”

Her name resounded in his head. Starlythe! From the journals! Could it be the same person? He tested the theory.

“I am Corey Chastain, descendant of Tsian the Wise.”

The exotic warrior’s face broke into a radiant smile. “Tsian?”

She took a tentative step forward, then another, and finally stepped up to embrace Corey.

“Tsian? Is she here?”

“This is her home. That is the lake where she first passed into your world.” Corey pointed to the pond in front of First Cabin.

Starlythe was joined by a perky blonde who resembled Mel so strongly Corey had to look again.

“Tsian’s time was a hundred years ago. We have built on her work and developed our own way of passing into other worlds. We can come and go at will, now.”

“Did you bring us here?” she asked.

“No. We didn’t. We have an enemy who seems to be trying to harm my wife.” Corey motioned for Kate to join him. She hesitated. He realized she didn’t know what they were saying since it had been in Ampelese.

“Kate, they knew my great-great-grandmother. Come meet them.”

She smiled hesitantly and stepped forward. “Corey, they look like Jewel City people.”

“Cheulseti? You know of our home?” the perky blond asked.

“You are from Jewel City?” Corey asked.

“Yes. I am Starlythe, heir to the Cheleuthi throne, this is my husband, Staid.”

The mountain of a man stepped forward and crossed his fist over his chest.

Corey nodded and turned to the Keepers. “These are the Keepers, some of your ancestors. We settled the village of Jewel City.”

The remaining five warriors stepped forward, gathered around Starlythe and gaped at the team with astonishment. They ran feral looking eyes over the group of teens who were near their own age. Tara approached Starlythe and they stood eye to eye examining each other with curiosity. Tara lifted her hand and Starlythe reached out and placed her palm against Tara’s.