Strange Attractors - Kim Falconer [197]
The trackers approached at the run, their camouflage blurring with the surroundings. The ground rattled and shook. It was in a constant state of agitation as the mountains belched out ash and smoke.
‘This isn’t right,’ Jarrod said, hoisting Teg when the Lupin stumbled.
‘Which part?’ Rosette asked. ‘The vanishing of Temple Dumarka? The loss of the spell? The destruction of Temple Los Loma or the bits of Corsanon gut and bone stuck in my hair?’
Teg chuckled in Jarrod’s ear. ‘Nice one,’ he whispered. He turned to him. ‘Don’t addle her. We need the glamour.’
Jarrod shook his head. ‘All of it, Rosette. Everything’s askew. But these tremors—they’re unnatural. The mountains are about to blow and that’s not where Earth geology was when I left. Someone’s tampering.’
‘We think it was Makee,’ Rosette said.
As they crested the last rise, the temple grounds appeared below.
‘Demon’s death. What happened?’ Jarrod stopped when he caught sight of the charred walls, broken aqueducts, burnt-out buildings and bare trees. Ash had shrouded every surface.
‘Spell’s all but gone,’ Rosette said. Her voice was tight. ‘How did this happen?’
‘Makee’s demon,’ Jarrod replied under his breath.
Nell circled once overhead, filling the air with a long, descending whistle that snapped at the end.
‘Are you okay, lovely?’ he asked Rosette.
‘Of course.’ She looked down.
Grayson and Annadusa met them, taking the horse and bards from An’ Lawrence. Jarrod passed Teg over, the Lupin grizzling.
‘Teg,’ Rosette said. ‘You have to be able to stand to fight. Let them heal you.’ She exchanged looks with Grayson but didn’t speak.
Fynn said enough for everyone. Maudi home! All is well! Maudi! He jumped up, his nose whiffling in her battle-soaked gear. Maudi hunts.
‘Maudi did hunt, little Fynn. Hunt and fight. Not through yet it seems.’
The young dog growled.
‘You can guard the temple grounds. This won’t take long.’
He yipped once and ran back to Annadusa, following her and Teg up the manor steps. Nell arrowed in, transforming as she rebounded off the Sword Master’s outstretched arm. ‘There are two bearing down on us, heavily armed. Five more skirting the borders.’
An’ Lawrence pulled them in close. ‘Nell, stay aloft. Keep an eye on them all. Scylla and I will take the two behind. Jarrod, you and Drayco mind the borders. Rosette, you’re with them.’
‘What do I do?’ she asked.
‘Keep us all glamoured.’
They spread out, melting into the landscape under her spell.
Jarrod, can you manage in that boy’s body of yours? Rosette asked.
I promise you, I’m old enough.
She winked. We’ll have to put that to the test.
Focus, both of you! Drayco’s voice barrelled into their minds. Trackers. North behind the orchard.
The three of them ran, circling around the charred fruit trees and taking the trackers by surprise. The ASSIST men didn’t see them coming. Rosette’s glamour blended with the landscape and they slit the trackers’ throats before they set foot on the temple grounds. When they searched the bodies they found explosives. A lot of explosives.
‘This is what Nell meant by heavily armed?’ Jarrod said.
‘Like the mountains going off isn’t enough,’ Rosette said.
‘It seems they don’t want to leave a trace.’
‘Of the temple?’
‘Or us.’ Jarrod rubbed his neck. ‘Me, most likely.’
Rosette slapped his hand away. ‘Don’t pick.’ She pushed his hair back to study the wound. ‘I can see why it killed him.’ Her fingertips swept the dried mud from his cheek. ‘I’ll work on it, as soon as we have a moment.’
Scylla’s calling us in, Drayco said. The trackers are all down.
Rosette pulled her hand back. ‘If I know ASSIST, there will be more on the way when these don’t report.’
‘They’ll send an army if they’ve got one.’ Jarrod looked at the packs full of explosives. ‘And I’d say they do.’
Rosette hosed down herself and Drayco in the stables. The ash and red dust ran in streams off her skin, along with enemy blood and some of her own. Nell hadn’t let them inside to bathe. She’d said neither smelled very pleasant.
‘Did you fillet half