Read Online Dearest Mother of Mine (Overworld Chronicles) by John Corwin - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: John Corwin
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across the circle and made it to within twenty feet or so of the arch before exploding in a cloud of sparks as a flash of ultraviolet nailed it.
"Holy Zeus on a tricycle," Shelton cried out in surprise. "That thing is broken as hell."
I jogged back to the control button and touched it again. The klaxon wound down as the Alabaster Arch de-energized .
"Perhaps there is another button to access the Grand Nexus," Cinder suggested, looking the rows up and down.
"I ain't going near that thing," Shelton said.
I looked toward the exit and shuddered. "Then I guess it's time to go out there."
Shelton flicked off and on his glow vest a few times. The rest of us took his cue and tested ours to be sure. Now was not the time to rush blindly. The Arcanes took out their staffs, eyes set in concentration for whatever lay outside. Bella brandished a wand in addition to hers. Elyssa retrieved a compact pole from a pocket on her side, and at first I thought she'd brought her own staff. I gave her a puzzled look. She grinned and snapped out a quarterstaff.
"Swords won't do much against cherubs," she said. "But if I can knock 'em across the cavern, that'll keep them out of the way."
"Smart thinking," I said.
She kissed my cheek. "Naturally. I'm a girl."
Shelton and Adam took up positions on either side of the door. I twisted the handle, and pulled it open. The industrial sized glowballs drifted outside, lighting the immediate vicinity outside the control room. I checked the map on my arcphone. The cavern was as large as the way station in the Grotto, which meant the "X" on the map was a couple hundred yards away in the center.
"I don't suppose anyone can cast one of those light burst spells like Curtis did?" I asked, looking at Bella. Curtis had come along on our expedition through El Dorado during our mission to apprehend Vadaemos. He'd scoffed at my suggestion to take along flashlights, and screamed like a little girl when a drain rune sucked us dry of aether and nearly left us helpless against shadow people.
"It's a waste of energy," Bella said. "Curtis is a bit of a showboat."
"Talk about blowing your entire load for one spell," Shelton said with a chuckle. "Amateur."
Adam sent the glowballs drifting higher until we had a clear view in a hundred-foot radius. I led the group forward until the door remained barely visible at the back edge of light, held up my hand for everyone to be quiet, and listened. Elyssa closed her eyes, presumably doing the same thing. I heard shuffling noises. Low groans from giant throats somewhere ahead. And then I heard the sound that sent a pant-wetting chill down my back.
"Dah nah," croaked an infantile voice.
A whistling gurgle answered. Cherubs were ahead of us, but not by far. I assumed the things could see us highlighted in the middle of the light, or maybe they just sensed our delicious, creamy souls.
Shelton's staff burst into a roiling inferno. "Maybe I should do that light spell after all," he said.
Elyssa threw out a handful of tiny glowing orbs which swept through the area around us. The last time we'd been here, cherubs literally carpeted the cavern floor. Elyssa had used them like stepping stones. Light glistened off shiny pitch-colored skin as the orbs drifted along the path toward the center. Each time one spotted a cherub, it took up a position directly over their heads. By the time the path was scanned, wisps of light bobbed above at least twenty cherubs. On the bright side, we had a fairly clear path.
Bella pointed ahead. "Do you see a light?"
"I see light everywhere," Shelton replied, waving a hand at the glowballs above.
"No, it's yellow, not white." She squinted. "I think the light we're putting out makes it hard to see."
Adam spoke a word, and the huge glowballs winked out. Shelton flicked off the roiling fireball above his staff, leaving us in nearly pitch black aside from the wisp markers over the cherubs.
"What the hell?" Shelton said in a harsh whisper.
My eyes
"Holy Zeus on a tricycle," Shelton cried out in surprise. "That thing is broken as hell."
I jogged back to the control button and touched it again. The klaxon wound down as the Alabaster Arch de-energized .
"Perhaps there is another button to access the Grand Nexus," Cinder suggested, looking the rows up and down.
"I ain't going near that thing," Shelton said.
I looked toward the exit and shuddered. "Then I guess it's time to go out there."
Shelton flicked off and on his glow vest a few times. The rest of us took his cue and tested ours to be sure. Now was not the time to rush blindly. The Arcanes took out their staffs, eyes set in concentration for whatever lay outside. Bella brandished a wand in addition to hers. Elyssa retrieved a compact pole from a pocket on her side, and at first I thought she'd brought her own staff. I gave her a puzzled look. She grinned and snapped out a quarterstaff.
"Swords won't do much against cherubs," she said. "But if I can knock 'em across the cavern, that'll keep them out of the way."
"Smart thinking," I said.
She kissed my cheek. "Naturally. I'm a girl."
Shelton and Adam took up positions on either side of the door. I twisted the handle, and pulled it open. The industrial sized glowballs drifted outside, lighting the immediate vicinity outside the control room. I checked the map on my arcphone. The cavern was as large as the way station in the Grotto, which meant the "X" on the map was a couple hundred yards away in the center.
"I don't suppose anyone can cast one of those light burst spells like Curtis did?" I asked, looking at Bella. Curtis had come along on our expedition through El Dorado during our mission to apprehend Vadaemos. He'd scoffed at my suggestion to take along flashlights, and screamed like a little girl when a drain rune sucked us dry of aether and nearly left us helpless against shadow people.
"It's a waste of energy," Bella said. "Curtis is a bit of a showboat."
"Talk about blowing your entire load for one spell," Shelton said with a chuckle. "Amateur."
Adam sent the glowballs drifting higher until we had a clear view in a hundred-foot radius. I led the group forward until the door remained barely visible at the back edge of light, held up my hand for everyone to be quiet, and listened. Elyssa closed her eyes, presumably doing the same thing. I heard shuffling noises. Low groans from giant throats somewhere ahead. And then I heard the sound that sent a pant-wetting chill down my back.
"Dah nah," croaked an infantile voice.
A whistling gurgle answered. Cherubs were ahead of us, but not by far. I assumed the things could see us highlighted in the middle of the light, or maybe they just sensed our delicious, creamy souls.
Shelton's staff burst into a roiling inferno. "Maybe I should do that light spell after all," he said.
Elyssa threw out a handful of tiny glowing orbs which swept through the area around us. The last time we'd been here, cherubs literally carpeted the cavern floor. Elyssa had used them like stepping stones. Light glistened off shiny pitch-colored skin as the orbs drifted along the path toward the center. Each time one spotted a cherub, it took up a position directly over their heads. By the time the path was scanned, wisps of light bobbed above at least twenty cherubs. On the bright side, we had a fairly clear path.
Bella pointed ahead. "Do you see a light?"
"I see light everywhere," Shelton replied, waving a hand at the glowballs above.
"No, it's yellow, not white." She squinted. "I think the light we're putting out makes it hard to see."
Adam spoke a word, and the huge glowballs winked out. Shelton flicked off the roiling fireball above his staff, leaving us in nearly pitch black aside from the wisp markers over the cherubs.
"What the hell?" Shelton said in a harsh whisper.
My eyes
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