Читать книгу Keepers of the Flame - Robin D. Owens - Страница 7

“Scary,” Elizabeth said, jabbing at the elevator button. “Everything will be fine in a few minutes. We’ll figure this out.” She tilted her head in Bri’s direction. “I’m glad you’re here with me.”

“Likewise.” The sounds had affected her heartbeat; the chanting sped it up, the chakra chimes tugging at different internal energies. She didn’t like the sensations.

The elevator dinging melded with everything else and she didn’t notice it until the steel gray doors opened and Elizabeth hustled in. The black rubber-edged doors nearly closed before Bri hopped inside, stumbled to the far wall and braced herself.

Elizabeth pressed thirty-four and the elevator rose.

Too slowly. Bri’s vision was morphing. Sound seemed to take shape, with pastel clouds of pink and green and coral whirling around them. Bri gulped.

“Just a couple of minutes,” Elizabeth chanting herself.

“This ain’t good,” Bri whispered. She wondered if she should dial 911.

The elevator went up and up and up. The chanting and chimes and gong filled it.

There was a slight hesitation, then the upward motion continued.

“We’ve passed the thirty-fourth floor!” Elizabeth cried.

Bri shuddered. “Isn’t that the last one?”

The walls and ceiling vanished.

A wind whipped them into its grasp. They shrieked in unison. Bri wanted to drop her load and reach for her sister, but her fingers were frozen around the chest. She saw Elizabeth’s pale face, arms clutching the potato sacks.

They flashed through a rippling field of blinding rainbow light, an enveloping wave of sound. Nothing under Bri’s feet. She fell, jarred, as if she’d missed a couple of steps descending a staircase.

Her screams mingled with Elizabeth’s. They were together, at least. Chanting came around them, along with the chimes that pushed all Bri’s chakra buttons, the gong that had her dropping the chest and shuddering. She flung out her hand, found Elizabeth’s. They grabbed each other, clinging.

The chanting stopped. “Well, how about that,” said an accented voice. “Two for the price of one. And they brought spuds! Did we get this right, or what?”

Elizabeth hung on to Bri, who was trembling as much as she was. The chimes continued to rise and fall, touching her inside—her chakras if she was to believe Bri—stirring her. Everything echoed in her head: her thumping heartbeat—and her twin’s?—her ragged breath, whimpering.

Blinking again and again, Elizabeth saw a large circle of people surrounding them, holding hands. There seemed to be four different groups. Some obvious couples were dressed in matching colored tunics over chain mail and had a weapon at each hip. Others had silver or gold bands around their foreheads and wore long robes. A third group wore leather clothes and sheathed swords, a fourth bunch wore colorful pants and shirts or dresses. Most of the people appeared Asian. Golden skin, black hair with slightly different colored highlights, brown eyes. Silver or gold streaks in their hair at one or both temples. Beautiful features. Beautiful people.

I’ve got a bad feeling about this. Bri’s voice came in Elizabeth’s mind! She stared in shock at her sister.

Bri!

What!

I can hear you in my mind.

Me, too. A whisper.

“Welcome to Lladrana,” a woman said.

The gong sounded again and it was as if a surgeon clasped her beating heart. She and Bri screamed and swayed.

“It sounds as if they’re hurting. It’s not supposed to hurt that much, is it? I don’t recall. Marian!”

Elizabeth focused on the different voice. She saw a blue-eyed blond woman in leathers staring worriedly at her and Bri.

“Ohmygod,” Bri said thickly, turning her head. “Lladrana. I didn’t do it, twin!” Childhood words of utter truth tore from her. My itchy feet didn’t bring us here!

The chimes ran up and down the scale, once, twice…seven times. Noises wrung from Elizabeth merging with Bri’s. After the last tone reverberated, they huddled together on cold stones.

Bong! The final thump on the huge silver gong had them twitching.

Silence.

Shoving her sweaty hair away from her eyes, Elizabeth stared at the people again. They’d unlinked their hands.

Three women came to stand near them, outside a glowing green circle around a star on the floor. These three were Caucasian, though the tall, voluptuous woman with red hair and blue eyes appeared to have an Eastern European heritage.

She gestured and the green circle surrounding them subsided. “I’m Marian Harasta Dumont.” She touched a golden band around her forehead that showed lightning bolts and clouds, whorls that looked like wind, curvy waves. She, too, had a large streak of white in her hair. “I’m a Sorceress, called a Circlet of the Fifth Degree.

“Welcome to Lladrana, another dimension. We have Summoned you here on behalf of the Cities and Towns. A strange fatal illness has come and they requested medicas—doctors.”

Bri sat up straight, glowered at them, crossed her arms. Elizabeth kept her mouth shut.

The smallest person there, a woman with silver hair and wearing chainmail and hip sheaths spoke. “I’m Alexa Fitzwalter, come from Denver last year. I was an attorney. Here in Lladrana I am a Swordmarshall and use the Jade Baton of Honor.” She pulled out the baton. It flared green and silver and bronze. The flames atop it turned from metal to real.

Impressive.

Does her name sound familiar to you? Elizabeth asked Bri.

No, but attorney…would Uncle Trent have said something about her?

Maybe I want them to do all the talking, though, Elizabeth said.

Good plan.

The willowy blond cleared her throat. She wore a leather outfit. “I’m Calli Torcher Guardpont. I am the Volaran Exotique.” Her brief smile lit her face. “Flying horses.” She inclined her head to others dressed as she was, “and the knights who ride them, Chevaliers.”

I think I hit my head on the stones, Bri said.

Elizabeth turned to her and sent her fingers roaming over her sister’s skull. Without thought she drew power into herself, sent it flaring around Bri’s head, checking for any damage.

Breaths caught in gasps around them.

“You’re a doctor?” Alexa asked.

Neither of them answered. You’re fine. You have a hard head, Elizabeth said.

I’m having massive hallucinations.

You aren’t the only one.

“We know this sounds crazy, but it’s true,” Marian said. “We can prove you’re in another land. A place that needs you very much.” She pulled a stick about as long as her hand from her pocket. It grew and shaped into a wand. Then as Elizabeth watched, the piece of wood lengthened and thickened until it was a staff.

“They’re not believing us.” Marian sighed.

“It takes a while,” Alexa muttered.

“Yes, but it should be easier with a welcoming party like us,” Marian said.

Bri snorted.

“Neither one of them looks like the woman we’ve been having those intense dreams about.” Alexa shrugged, peered at them. Then said, “How long are you going to sit there and let us stare at you and talk about you?”

I vote forever, Bri said to Elizabeth. Hallucinations have to end sometime. Someone will find us in the elevator.

Elizabeth chuckled.

The blond woman’s, Calli’s, eyes narrowed. “Do you get the idea that they’re mentally talking to each other?”

“Twins,” said the short one, Alexa, philosophically. “And they’re very Powerful, you can hear the strength of their Songs. Telepathy might be the first thing they notice.”

Good guess, Elizabeth said to Bri.

They’re all sharp. And now that she mentioned it, I, uh, hear tunes coming from everybody.

Elizabeth tilted her head. She was concentrating on her own vital signs, her pulse, her breathing, and Bri’s, but beyond that she could hear small tunes emanating from each person. Sometimes it was comprised of more than one melody. She focused on Marian’s and discovered the tune became less of a string and more of a woven rope—and led to a black-haired, blue-eyed man standing behind her.

Bri had followed her thoughts. Interesting.

“Time for plan B,” Alexa said. She gestured to a tall man with powerful shoulders dressed in gray raw silk shirt and trousers. He gave them a half-bow. His expression was serious, his eyes haunted. He left.

Bri’s fingers twined in Elizabeth’s. That bad feeling is back.

Yes.

“The baby thing worked for me,” Alexa said conversationally. “Twice.”

I definitely don’t like where this might be leading, Elizabeth said.

“Children worked for me, too, in a different way,” Calli said softly. She held out her hand and a man came up and stood with her. A definite couple. Their Song spiraled out and snagged Elizabeth, so strong and loving and tender that she had to block it out because it reminded her of what she’d lost with Cassidy. She turned away from the sight of them.

Bri squeezed her hand. They look very married, and he’s definitely a native. Marian’s guy, too.

Elizabeth shivered. At that moment the large door opened and the man wearing gray strode back in. He held a small, limp body in his arms.

“Oh, no!” Elizabeth and Bri said.

He walked straight up to where they sat and carefully laid the boy of about three before them. The man’s expression was stark. “Mortee.” He dies.