Chapter 734: Conscious Effort
I may not have been running, but I still beat up the heavy bag on an almost daily basis, my fighting skills much improved thanks to my martial arts training with my normal instructor, Sage. I think he would have been proud of me as I leaped out of hiding and headed for my target, Brotherhood Goon #1, taking the tall, heavy-shouldered man full in the chest with both feet. He crashed backward into the door, head hitting stone with the hollow sound of a rotten gourd being smashed and collapsed where he stood, whites of his eyes showing.
Boo-ya.
Quaid made short work of his little playmate, Brotherhood Goon #2 hitting the ground about a second after my target lost his touch with reality. But I could hear shouting from behind me and knew time was short.
When wasn't it?
The cell door crashed open with an echoing bang, the metal and wood impacting rock so loudly the four Brotherhood sorcerers inside actually jumped from the sound. I was already moving, attacking one with an uppercut, making my knuckles burn before sweeping his feet out from under him with a kick to the side of his knee.
I spun, caught sight of Piers bending over one of three narrow cots in the room where once there had only been one, red hair and freckles of the unconscious victim he crouched beside identifying him as Ellis Lowsley, Piers's best friend and co-conspirator in all things mind your own business. Two girls, both faces I recognized, even if I couldn't take the time required to hunt up names, lay on the other cots, also out cold.
Quaid's next opponent was already down, but he was busy with the Zornovs at the door, trying to keep what looked like a sea of black robes from crashing into the room. The other two sorcerers went down quickly and, as I hoped, neither tried to use sorcery on me.
The stronghold's protections prevented them, too. Which made me wonder if the stronghold really was theirs after all. Wouldn't it welcome them if that were the case?
Things that made me go hmmm would have to wait until my friends were safe.
Not working out very well at the moment.
"Quaid!" I called to him as I turned, the last of my enemies dropping to his knees, then his side, a huge lump rising on his temple from a blow of my fist. Belaisle hadn't trained his interrogators in hand-to-hand, clearly. Good for me. I just wished it was the same for his hulking bullies. Quaid was gone out the door, surrounded by Brotherhood, the Zornovs nowhere to be seen. I sprinted for the exit, only to have Piers beat me to it, slamming it in the face of a sorcerer who tried to enter.
The sound of his face thudding into the other side did nothing to chill my rage as I reached for the door to jerk it open again.
Piers held me off, face twisted in anxiety. "Send them home first," he said. "Then we'll go after the others."
Was he freaking kidding me? Rage flared, poured over me like a boiling pot of oil so hot I was sure I'd burst into flames at any second.
"So your friends are more important than mine," I said. Lashed out and punched him in the chest. Same spot as last time, only harder, much harder. So hard, he gasped for air.
"Syd," he choked. "Please. I'll stay and help you, but they are hurt. They have to go home."
Damn him. Damn him!
I spun, reached for the veil. Felt the stronghold respond, power rushing toward me, not enough time to catch Ahbi, to open the veil and escape.
Unless. Quaid called it a "him", hadn't he? Old boy, he said. Liked Enforcers, he said.
And acted on impulse.
Please, I sent to the power rushing to crush me for my invasion. Please, help me.
Pause. Recognition. Retreat.
It actually worked?
Ahbi found me, opened the veil while I sobbed once in relief, not knowing why or how the stronghold gave me leeway, but not willing to waste it. Please. I'd have to use it more often.
I grabbed the three fallen sorcerers, tossed them into the veil, before latching onto Piers with my power and heaving him toward the opening.
Ahbi, I sent, can you take them without me?
Yes, she sent. And they were gone, Piers screaming my name as the veil sealed around him.
I spun, dashed for the door. Used my power to slam it open.
Met resistance so powerful I was sure Belaisle caught me, trapped me here.
Until the curious mind of the stronghold touched mine and I froze.
Maji, he sent. Definite "he" to the flavor of the place, all grinding stone and depth of power. Quaid was right. Light One. Welcome back.
Holy. Freaking. Crap.
Hi? Syd. Come on. You can do so much better than that while your friend's lives are at stake.
The stronghold's power ground together, the sound of rock crushing in my head. I've been waiting for your return, he sent. Have missed you. Not the Dark One. His anger felt as deep as the heart of the plane and as old as the Universe, slow to rise but scaring the crap out of me none the less. She, I can do without.
Makes two of us, I sent. Giggled in mild hysteria and jerked myself back to focus. Thank you for letting me open the veil, I sent.
Yes, he sent. You had need. And though this is the center of my power and doing so put me at risk, I knew you meant only good, not ill.
This tower? I didn't even try to hide my surprise. Why here?
My heart lies beneath us, he sent. Under the stone. At the base of this spike.
Cool. Very cool. And yet, I really didn't have time to do show and tell at the moment. I have to save my friends, I sent. The Brotherhood has them. Terror roared to life in my stomach. I had no doubt Belaisle would know about it by now, they could even be in his custody already.
Trill. Owen. Apollo. He'd hunted them before, wanted them to fulfill a prophecy. Damn it, had I just delivered them to him? To it?
And Quaid.
Would not. Could not.
So much fear.
The empty ones, the stronghold grated in anger, they are not welcome here.
Can you kick them out? Hope, could it be?
I cannot, he sent, stone groaning in protest. I remember them, their greed, feeding from me when I have another destiny. I could hear pounding at the door, but felt nothing, not a trace of sorcery reaching through the stronghold's protections. I can only wait for the time to come when what must be either is or isn't.
Cryptic. Just lovely. I hated cryptic.
And yet, I found myself calming, slowing down, connecting with the stronghold.
Can you help me? Already was, keeping me safe up here. And if I could continue to ride the veil in the stronghold itself without being squashed like a bug, that would rock.
No pun intended.
I cannot act on your behalf, he sent with the regret of an immobile mountain, but I can ensure you are allowed to act without bias.
Me and my new bestie thought alike, sure did.
Too bad he was a big, stone castle.
I'd take him.
Thank you, I sent, spinning to the door, maji power rising in full-blown fury. Hit the door with a blast of creation power dissolving the exit, the wall beside it and probably sent several of the Brotherhood behind it into low orbit.
Impressive, the stronghold sent.
I caught myself grinning. Damn it, Syd. Not funny.
Or fun.
Sure. Not fun at all.
Ahbi's presence put an end to my smirk just as I passed over the threshold and into the blackened mess of the prison hall. Demon magic surged through the tear a heartbeat before Meira's mind reached mine.
SYD!
Meems! Ameline. Oh. My. Swear-
No. Not now. Not when everything hung in the balance for my friends.
But how could I say no?
I couldn't. Simple as that.
Please, I sent to the stronghold as I spun and ran for the veil opening. I know you can't save them, but do what you can to protect my friends.
So thin, weak, empty, my attempt to help them while choosing my sister over their safety.
Because I really had no choice.
His affirmation made me feel a little better. Only a little. Terror and guilt and absolute loathing filled me as I promised to come back for them, knowing now I could, before throwing myself through the gap after my desperate sister.
Mind locked on Meira, hyper-focus channeled into saving her from whoever dared attack her.
***
