Arrows of Time - Kim Falconer [136]
‘That’s our signal,’ An’ Lawrence said. ‘Let’s go.’
‘She’s distracting them,’ Jarrod added, motioning Selene and Shane out of the shadows. ‘Come on. This is our chance’
The moonlight revealed the zigzag road coursing out of the valley for nearly half a league. Selene baulked. ‘We’ll be spotted if we climb that.’
An’ Lawrence shook his head. ‘We’ll go the other way.’ He stretched out his arm towards the far end of the valley.
‘But it’s twice as steep,’ she said.
‘It’ll provide cover,’ he said. ‘Hurry. I want out of here before they discover we’re gone.’ He took off at a jog, finding the narrow back alleys and keeping to the shadows. If they didn’t run into any more guards, they would make it.
‘Some chance this is,’ Selene whispered as she caught up to him. ‘And what do we do if we manage to get to the top?’
‘Hope Kreshkali’s waiting for us.’
‘Hope?’ Selene made a spitting sound.
‘She’ll lead us to the portal.’
‘And what if the other one is there instead?’
An’ Lawrence slowed his stride for a moment. ‘She won’t be,’ he said, and ran.
EARTH—TIME: FORWARD
CHAPTER 29
Rosette was desperate to have her body back, if for no other reason than to clobber the two men over the head with the nearest blunt object. How could they be so dense? They weren’t picking up on her thoughts no matter how hard she hurled them. Of course there was a way to get her body out of that medical fortress, and she had a fairly clear picture of what it would take for her to get back into it as well. If only these blockheads would listen. Drayco, nothing’s working. They can’t hear me. I don’t know what to do.
I see that, Maudi.
She felt the big cat warm against her awareness—a divine comfort.
Have you tried to get through to Fynn? he asked.
How will that help? They don’t understand him either, and he’s acting like a drunken rat. What are they feeding the poor guy?
Sedatives. Let me see what I can do.
She brightened. And I’ll play poltergeist.
There’s an idea, Maudi. Can you?
I’ll know in a sec. Rosette hovered over the table, focusing her intention on the objects there—a bottle of amber liquid, two very small glasses, a single plate with some kind of white wafer on it and a small computer display that they were passing back and forth. Not quite the ideal ingredients for a conjuring but something to work with anyway. Dray? Do you think the four Elementals even exist in this world?
I imagine they exist everywhere, don’t you?
I love your imagination! And you’re right. Of course they do. She began to weave the Elemental summons, calling up Air, Earth, Water and Fire from the four corners of the room, the four corners of the city, the four corners of this world. The results knocked her over before the spell was half complete.
Grayson jumped out of his chair, righting the bottle as the liquid splashed out. At the same time the contents that pooled on the table ignited in flames. Everett yelled and leapt away from the fire, the hairs on his forearm singed. He grabbed a towel hanging in the kitchen and threw it over the table, snapping up the computer display before it melted. He dropped it immediately, shaking his hand and cursing. Fynn sprang to his feet, barking up a storm. He broke free of his restraint and Grayson caught him in his arms. He stood still, the dog squirming and yapping. His lips parted. Rosette! ‘She’s here,’ he said as the smoke billowed towards the ceiling. The table was charred black, the smell of burnt plastic thick in the room. Everett was hacking and coughing, waving the towel away from the smoke detector. Grayson let Fynn down, snapping his fingers towards the kitchen. ‘Sit, Canie. Good pup. Stay!’
‘Who’s here? What are you talking about?’ Everett’s face was beaded with sweat. He stared at the table as if it was alive. ‘Rosette can’t be here. You’re mad!’
Finally! Drayco, I’ve got their attention.
Maudi, you have the attention of most of the people in this apartment building. It might have been a little over the mark, that spell.
She rippled laughter. You know me…
Yes,