Ontarian Chronicles: Taken by the Storm Read online

  “So your proposal is that I trust everything you tell me and -- what? Twiddle my thumbs until you --”

  A sharp gasp cut her argument short. He suddenly stood in front of her, though she hadn’t seen him move. His hands pressed against the wall on either side of her shoulders. As he leaned in, his spicy scent surrounded her, filled her head and made her almost giddy.

  “I understand sarcasm, Charlotte,” he whispered into her ear. “I do not have time to entertain your temper. People I care about are on that ship. Your choice is simple. Offer me whatever vow an Earthling will honor, or I will put you in stasis, so you no longer hinder me.”

  She wasn’t sure what stasis meant in his world, but it didn’t sound good. Her mind reeled from the things she’d seen him do so far. Was it wise to test him? “That isn’t a choice; it’s a threat. How long do you anticipate this ... investigation taking, and what does it entail?”

  He stepped back, his gaze moving over her features. “How is information communicated on this world? If something of significance happens, how is the general populous notified?”

  She was almost afraid to ask. “You mean like the crash of a spaceship?”

  He nodded.

  “There was more than one ship? Was it your ship that started the fire on the mountain? Were you the only person in your --”

  “I am a Master-level Mage; I do not require a vessel for interdimensional transportation. I was stabilizing the conduit for the others.”

  He sounded affronted, but Charlotte was still confused. “You created the portal for them? Were they in some sort of ship?”

  “Yes. If Trey’s ship is in orbit, as it should be, your world will never know; but if there was a serious malfunction --”

  “Who is Trey?”

  “My brother.”

  “Don’t you have some sort of communicator?” She bit her lip to keep from laughing. She suddenly felt like an escapee from a Star Trek convention.

  “I am a Master-level Mage.”

  “And I have a law degree.” She sighed. “Look, I didn’t ask for your résumé. If Trey’s ship crashed in or around Aspen, it would definitely make the news. Unless, of course, the government managed to cover it up.”

  “And how is this News accessed?”

  Tal watched her walk to the door and gesture expectantly toward the latch. He commanded the metal to reshape and waited for the acrid smell, confirming its compliance, before he nodded for her to try again.

  She pulled her fingers back with a sharp gasp and shook her hand. “That’s hot.”

  “My apologies,” he said. Reaching around her, he opened the door. “I forget the limitations of Earthlings.”

  Indignation pulsed from her in little bursts as he followed her into the outer room. Her shoulders squared and she impatiently shoved her hair off her brow. He should not provoke her thus, but her reactions amused him greatly. Her odd, sky-colored eyes blazed, and the skin above her sculpted cheekbones blossomed with color.

  “Your flesh is impervious to heat, I suppose?”

  “I can adjust my body temperature to compensate.”

  “Like a reptile.” She shot back.

  “No, reptiles are susceptible to their environment even more so than ...” He took a deep breath and laughed. “Why are we arguing?”

  “Because you said the word Earthling like it was a disease.”

  He really did have more important things to do than goad the female, and she could assist him, if he but kept his errant tongue between his teeth. “Would you please access the News and see if there has been any reporting of significance?”

  “Wouldn’t that be a refreshing change,” she muttered and moved to the small table beside a cushioned bench covered in tanned animal hide. How barbaric. She picked up a small, thin box and pushed a button, which activated a much larger box. As the picture came into focus, he realized it was some sort of audio/video monitor. The design had been so unusual that he had not recognized its purpose. She continued to push buttons on the controller, changing the picture on the convex screen.

  What should he tell her?

  How much did she really need to know?

  If Trey was lost, and Vee ... the thought was too painful to complete. Dez dar Joon had cost him so much already. Tal would surrender nothing more!

  His gaze moved back to the woman. She was completely unaware, innocent -- helpless. Could she even comprehend an evil such as Joon?

  Joon had traveled through space and time to find her. The thought sent chills down Tal’s back. He could imagine how this little Earthling would react to such a revelation.

  Apparently, she found what she desired, for she stopped changing the image on the screen. Tal took advantage of her distraction and sent out a seeker pulse. If she noticed what he was doing, he had no doubt she would try to escape. He had to decrease the efficiency of his other senses to power a long-range pulse. Hopefully, her search for information would keep her occupied. The doors were fused, and he had immobilized her conveyance, so she would not get far. Still, he didn’t trust her.

  No one responded to his mental call. He reached farther, intensified the power of each pulse. He felt nothing. Awareness faded as he poured more power into each pulse. The room grew hazy, out of focus. Sound became an indistinguishable rumble, but he pushed on, reached farther, desperately seeking the people he loved.

  Charlotte flipped off the television and tossed the remote on the couch. Nothing. There was nothing on the news about an alien spaceship crashing in Colorado, or anywhere else. Had good old Uncle Sam pulled another Roswell?

  “How far away should we be considering?” When he didn’t answer, she glanced over her shoulder, and whispered, “This just gets better and better.”

  He hung suspended in the air about six inches off the floor. His arms extended away from his sides and his hair fanned out like a cape. Bursts of light pulsed from his body, expanding until they disappeared. His eyes remained open, but they now glowed with colorless light.

  Shocked and fascinated, Charlotte wasted precious moments staring at him. Clearly he was unaware of the cabin and her. She couldn’t just stand here and wait for him to emerge from ... whatever this was.

  He had demanded her vow, but she had never promised a thing. It wouldn’t be dishonorable for her to take advantage of this opportunity. Quickly tugging on her boots, she snatched her coat from the back of the chair and tiptoed to the front door. It shouldn’t have surprised her to find the handle “fused,” but she groaned all the same.

  The front wall of the living room housed a massive picture window, but functional windows were situated to either side. She tried the lock on the nearest window and nearly cried when she was able to rotate the latch. She pushed the pane up and reached for the screen.

  Glancing once at Tal, Charlotte pulled on her coat. This wasn’t a betrayal. He could use the cabin for as long as he liked, as long as it took for him to ... she would say nothing to anyone about what she had seen. This wasn’t a betrayal.

  Thank you, God; Thank you, God; Thank you God. She repeated the words in a silent litany as she stepped through the tall, narrow window and ran for freedom.

  Chapter Five

  A faint, Mystic signal responded to Tal’s seeker pulse, and his entire being exhaled with relief. Vee. If Vee still existed, then likely the ship had survived, as well. He formed Trey’s image and transmitted it to Vee. Soothing warmth and a sense of wellbeing responded to the inquiry. Trey was alive; all was well.

  Tal nearly ended the link, when he sensed one final image approaching. He saw a mountain peak with a distinct shape. Why Vee wanted him to go to this place, Tal did not know, but their tenuous connection only allowed them to communicate basic impressions, not specific thoughts.

  Transmitting his understanding of the request, he felt Vee add a sense of urgency. Something was wrong. Tal responded again and then severed the psychic connection. He came out of the trance with a grunt. His legs buckled and his palms met the floorboards with a painful slap. Panting and shaking his head, he struggled to clear the last of the psychic haze.

  They were alive. Joon had failed to collapse the vortex entirely. Hopefully, the effort was costing him dearly. Tal lifted his head and coiled his hair. Rolling his shoulders, he hefted himself to his feet and felt a cold draft brush his back. He turned and cursed. His hair snapped like a whip, expressing his frustration.

  The little Earthling had crawled out the window.

  Unbelievable!

  With an impatient wave of his hand, Tal reshaped the latch and yanked the door open. Her conveyance had not been moved, but she was nowhere in sight.

  Curse the ghosts of the night moon, why was she being so difficult? Everything he did on this world drained his energy. How was he ever going to Summon the Storm? He sent out another seeker pulse and located his wayward companion. The moment he had her back in the cabin, he would tell her, in explicit detail, what was at stake and the sort of fate awaiting her should Joon find her.

  Shifting his shape to her location, he firmly closed his arms around her as she crashed into his chest. She cried out, but Tal conjured a gag and swept her up in his arms. Wiggling and kicking, she struggled against his hold and protested frantically behind the gag. Tal ignored it all. He was finished indulging her useless antics. He opened a transportation vortex and emerged in the main room of her cabin.

  Halfway through the spinning conduit, Charlotte stopped struggling. Fear shouldered aside her indignation and she wrapped her arms around his neck. Every imaginable color twirled and spun in dizzying patterns. A roar like gale-force winds drowned out every thought, and all she could do was hang on and experience the awesome spectacle.

  He stepped out into her living room and Charlotte released her pent-u
p breath. Could he do that anytime he wanted?

  I am a Master-level Mage. I do not require a vessel for interdimensional transportation. His words echoed back to her. No wonder he had been insulted by her assumption.

  He lowered her to the couch and spoke several words she didn’t understand. Suddenly, her entire body felt weighted. She struggled merely to keep her head up.

  “Has it not occurred to you to wonder what brought aliens to Earth?”

  Seething behind the gag, she glared at him. She had wondered. She had asked him, but he refused to answer any of her questions!

  “My companions and I are pursuing a man named Dez dar Joon.”

  She shook her head and tried to form words, making it as obvious as she could that she wanted him to remove the gag. The show of defiance exhausted her. She stopped fighting the invisible pull and her head sagged against the back of the couch.

  Slowly, the gag disintegrated and the pressure lessened. She took a deep breath and sat up. “What did he do?”

  “He has yet to do anything on this world.”

  He paused ominously.

  “What do you expect him to do?”

  “No, Charlotte. The question is: Why did Dez dar Joon come to Earth?”

  Her eyes narrowed at his patronizing tone, but she resisted sarcasm’s familiar call. “Why did Dez dar Joon come to Earth?”

  “He is searching for a woman.”

  “There aren’t any women on ... I’m sorry. Please, don’t put the gag back on. Why is Dez der Joon searching --”

  “Dez dar Joon. Dez, head of the House of Joon. And again, that is not the correct question. The question is: Who is this woman?”

  “Who is Dez dar Joon searching for?”

  “You.”

  “Way would the head of the House of Joon be searching for me?”

  He released her entirely and crossed his arms over his chest. “Joon is a Master-level Mage in everything but name.”

  “I don’t know what that means, and it doesn’t explain why you believe he’s looking for me.”

  “He has not earned the title, but he has a skill-set similar to my own.”

  “Is he dangerous?”

  Tal laughed, harsh and scornful. “Am I?”

  “You didn’t answer my question.” She bit out each word, clenching her fists to keep from smacking him.

  He just stared at her. His nostrils flared. “I need your assistance. I will exchange the information you want for the information I need.”

  “What information do you need?”

  “Give me your hand,” he said, holding out his own expectantly.

  “Why?”

  “I am not going to hurt you.”

  She was not as certain of that as she had been earlier, but she extended her arm and placed her hand in his.

  “Close your eyes.”

  “Why?”

  “Because this will be less startling if your eyes are closed,” he answered impatiently.

  Hesitantly, she closed her eyes.

  “Where is this place?” The image of a mountain peak gradually formed within Charlotte’s mind.

  “That looks like Pyramid Peak. It could be Maroon Bells ... no, it’s definitely Pyramid Peak.” She opened her eyes and pulled out of his light grasp.

  “Take me to Pyramid Peak.”

  Charlotte laughed, moving farther away from him. “I can’t create one of those vortex things. Pyramid Peak is over fourteen thousand feet up, and this is January.”

  “We will not stay long.”

  “I don’t think you understand. I have a friend who is an avid climber, but I can’t --”

  “Can you take me to a place where Pyramid Peak is visible?”

  He had threatened to put her in some sort of stasis. She had no doubt now that he could do that, and a lot worse. It really did make more sense to cooperate with him. “Why is Dez dar Joon looking for me?”

  “We are not certain.”

  “Oh, what a stinking cop-out,” she flared. “This is supposed to be an exchange. Knock me out -- I don’t care. Find Pyramid Peak on your own. Go walking around Aspen looking like that and see how far you get.”

  One corner of his mouth curved in a mischievous smile, and a ripple passed from his toes to the top of his head. His appearance was swept away, replaced by the exact likeness of James Miller, a local business owner.

  Charlotte gasped softly and walked around him in a wide circle. An advertisement for Miller’s Bistro had been on TV right before she switched it off.

  “You’re a shapeshifter,” she murmured, feeling foolish stating the obvious.

  “No, I am an Ontarian. Being able to change my natural shape is a Mystic ability, not the definition of who I am.”

  The cocoon. He must have gotten stuck in between forms. She shuddered, remembering the undulating mass.

  “How far will I get in Aspen in this shape?” he asked, when she continued to stare at him.

  Shaking away her shock, she pointed out, “James Miller would know where Pyramid Peak is.”

  “Then I will Shift to another form.” He exhaled impatiently and stalked toward her. “Something is wrong, Charlotte. I do not know what, but I must get to Pyramid Peak. If I can see it, I can transport myself to the location. Will you help me or not?”

  Swallowing awkwardly, Charlotte pushed her fingers through her hair. “What did you do to my car?”

  “I can reshape it. Is your conveyance necessary to reach this place?”

  “Yes. Is everyone on your world able to do this?”

  “Does everyone on Earth have the same abilities?” he sneered.

  “It was a reasonable question, you arrogant jerk.”

  “Something is wrong. I cannot make myself any clearer. Will you help me?”

  Her heart fluttered as she made the decision. “Yes.” She would help him. Until he was reunited with his companions, she would help him. “People will probably see us. Can you keep that basic shape, but change the hair, maybe make it darker and a little longer?” He shifted effortlessly and Charlotte shivered. “You’re good at that. Sharpen up your cheekbones. Make them more like your own.”

  He quickly complied. “May we go?”

  “You need a coat.”

  “I can adjust --”

  “You will draw attention to yourself if you are not wearing a coat and gloves.”

  He formed a jacket identical to hers. “No. This is a woman’s coat. Make it shorter and gathered at the waist. Now, lose the hood. Most men wear knitted caps that conform to their heads. Wait, I have one.”

  She rummaged through the box on the top shelf of the coat closet and found a stocking cap. He pulled it on and she folded it up to form a small cuff. Tucking his hair behind his ears and his ears under the hat, she decided that Tal made one handsome Earthling. Trying to disguise her laughter, Charlotte found her gloves.

  “Why are you laughing?”

  “I just thought you looked nice as an Earthling, but didn’t think you’d appreciate the observation.”

  “This is not my appearance. It is a minor variation of the man on the monitor,” he said stiffly.

  “Good point. Make yourself some of these and let’s go.”

  Tal looked at the hand protectors she held and shaped similar coverings over his hands. Her brow furrowed and she asked, “Can you take them off or are they actually part of your hands?”

  “All of my garments are part of me. I cannot remove them as you do; I simply reshape myself without them. I can give you a more in-depth demonstration later, if you like.”

  The provocation snapped her back to attention, as he had intended. She shoved her hands into her coverings, but turned toward the room containing her sleeping station.

  “Are we departing?”

  She rolled her eyes in an odd expression he had no trouble interpreting as impatience. “I need my keys.”

  He had no idea what keys were, but did not bother asking. If he attentively watched, he often learned more than demanding information. She returned with a ring bearing several small, jagged pieces of metal. Some sort of bag now hung beneath her arm from a long strap she had hooked over her shoulder.

  This was the complication with the rapid infusion of languages. All of the words were in his brain, but it took time to connect the words with their meanings.

  She led him to the conveyance and he Shifted through the nearest door. Her eyes widened and she emitted a soft gasp. She was not used to someone with his abilities. He must attempt to curtail their use until she had time to adjust. She opened the door and slid in behind the navigation controls. Lowering the shoulder-bag to the floor behind her seat by its long strap, she inserted one of the pieces of metal. Keys, he corrected.