Read Online Strange Attractors by Kim Falconer - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Kim Falconer
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something.’
Shaea dropped her voice to a rough whisper. ‘I’ve found the portal.’
Rall hissed. ‘Are you sure, lass?’
‘I am, and I’ve got enough trinkets to get us out the front gates.’
Rall stiffened. ‘We can’t go like this.’
‘I’ve got enough gold to fix that, too. Come on.’ She stood, hauling Rall to her feet and propping her cane in her hand. ‘We’re getting a room, a bath and a meal, and then we’re getting out.’
When Rall looked back at her, there was a shine in her eyes that Shaea had never seen before. She shivered again, but this time not from the cold.
An’ Lawrence watched Rosette and Drayco disappear into the portal. He exhaled. It felt like he’d been holding his breath since she’d arrived. How he could care so much about someone who gave him constant discomfort, he didn’t know. Kali called it parenthood, but he shook his head at that. They’d both missed out on raising their daughter. He didn’t feel any more parental towards her than he did towards his other apprentices. He thought it was their chemistry, a strange brew. They were oil and water, trickster and fool, and he never knew which one of them was which. It changed all the time. Now that he had her safe in the corridors, he could concentrate on this rabble, and he could get the Lupin away from her. What was Kali thinking, mentoring them together? He wouldn’t have it.
‘Not you!’ he yelled to the Lupin who scrambled up the cliff face behind Rosette. ‘I need you here.’
Teg skidded to a halt and doubled back.
An’ Lawrence frowned. He had to admit he was impressed at the Lupin’s response—no discussion,query, rebellion or flack. Nothing like Rosette. It almost made him feel guilty about keeping him behind. Almost. He knew there was a thin chance of getting them both out unscathed at this point. He had superior magic and sword skills but the odds were against them, at least one hundred to one.
Two , Teg said, his mental voice undaunted.
Three , Scylla added.
An’ Lawrence nodded. ‘Three to a hundred it is.’
The plan, Sword Master?
‘We’re going to blast these Corsanon warriors back to their city. Teg, get the stallion into the portal and guard the entrance. No one gets through. You got that?’
No one gets through.
An’ Lawrence knew it was a lot to ask. Teg would be an easy target for the archers in human form, the shape he’d have to take to manage the horse. If he was hit, his chances for survival were low. In wolf form, Lupins were near impervious. He ought to know: he’d battled the demons.
Teg morphed, stepping up to take the reins as An’ Lawrence dismounted. Their eyes met briefly and then Teg led the horse towards the corridor at a trot, not pausing to run up the stirrups which clanked at the horse’s sides. The animal’s ears were pinned back. It would be tough going, getting the stallion up the grade. An’ Lawrence tossed a calming spell their way and turned back to the charging warriors.
He had to be quick or they’d be skewered. He had no intention of dying here in some other-time Gaela, stuck by a Corsanon he’d well and truly defeated in the past—his past, anyway. He didn’t want Teg getting stuck either. Kreshkali had taken a shine to him and even though it rankled, he felt it best to bring the Lupin back in one piece. As for his familiar, he wouldprotect her with his life. Into the portal, Scylla. I’m right behind you.
An’ Lawrence took a fraction of a second to still his mind, releasing the conflicting thoughts. He drew in his breath and with it he called on the four Elementals—Fire, Gaela, Air and Water—filling his body with sparks and snaps of energy from each. He contained its building mass until an arrow fell just short of his foot. It was too soon to release the spell. He knew it instantly. Cut loose now it would lack the volume needed to bowl over this many, but he was out of time. He let the spell rip, like an invisible shock wave
Shaea dropped her voice to a rough whisper. ‘I’ve found the portal.’
Rall hissed. ‘Are you sure, lass?’
‘I am, and I’ve got enough trinkets to get us out the front gates.’
Rall stiffened. ‘We can’t go like this.’
‘I’ve got enough gold to fix that, too. Come on.’ She stood, hauling Rall to her feet and propping her cane in her hand. ‘We’re getting a room, a bath and a meal, and then we’re getting out.’
When Rall looked back at her, there was a shine in her eyes that Shaea had never seen before. She shivered again, but this time not from the cold.
An’ Lawrence watched Rosette and Drayco disappear into the portal. He exhaled. It felt like he’d been holding his breath since she’d arrived. How he could care so much about someone who gave him constant discomfort, he didn’t know. Kali called it parenthood, but he shook his head at that. They’d both missed out on raising their daughter. He didn’t feel any more parental towards her than he did towards his other apprentices. He thought it was their chemistry, a strange brew. They were oil and water, trickster and fool, and he never knew which one of them was which. It changed all the time. Now that he had her safe in the corridors, he could concentrate on this rabble, and he could get the Lupin away from her. What was Kali thinking, mentoring them together? He wouldn’t have it.
‘Not you!’ he yelled to the Lupin who scrambled up the cliff face behind Rosette. ‘I need you here.’
Teg skidded to a halt and doubled back.
An’ Lawrence frowned. He had to admit he was impressed at the Lupin’s response—no discussion,query, rebellion or flack. Nothing like Rosette. It almost made him feel guilty about keeping him behind. Almost. He knew there was a thin chance of getting them both out unscathed at this point. He had superior magic and sword skills but the odds were against them, at least one hundred to one.
Two , Teg said, his mental voice undaunted.
Three , Scylla added.
An’ Lawrence nodded. ‘Three to a hundred it is.’
The plan, Sword Master?
‘We’re going to blast these Corsanon warriors back to their city. Teg, get the stallion into the portal and guard the entrance. No one gets through. You got that?’
No one gets through.
An’ Lawrence knew it was a lot to ask. Teg would be an easy target for the archers in human form, the shape he’d have to take to manage the horse. If he was hit, his chances for survival were low. In wolf form, Lupins were near impervious. He ought to know: he’d battled the demons.
Teg morphed, stepping up to take the reins as An’ Lawrence dismounted. Their eyes met briefly and then Teg led the horse towards the corridor at a trot, not pausing to run up the stirrups which clanked at the horse’s sides. The animal’s ears were pinned back. It would be tough going, getting the stallion up the grade. An’ Lawrence tossed a calming spell their way and turned back to the charging warriors.
He had to be quick or they’d be skewered. He had no intention of dying here in some other-time Gaela, stuck by a Corsanon he’d well and truly defeated in the past—his past, anyway. He didn’t want Teg getting stuck either. Kreshkali had taken a shine to him and even though it rankled, he felt it best to bring the Lupin back in one piece. As for his familiar, he wouldprotect her with his life. Into the portal, Scylla. I’m right behind you.
An’ Lawrence took a fraction of a second to still his mind, releasing the conflicting thoughts. He drew in his breath and with it he called on the four Elementals—Fire, Gaela, Air and Water—filling his body with sparks and snaps of energy from each. He contained its building mass until an arrow fell just short of his foot. It was too soon to release the spell. He knew it instantly. Cut loose now it would lack the volume needed to bowl over this many, but he was out of time. He let the spell rip, like an invisible shock wave
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