Chapter Twenty-Nine
A Rescue Attempt
For long seconds, I lay where I'd landed with no idea how I got there. My head swam; my stomach ached; my muscles felt like goo. And to make matters worse, the bright sunlight of afternoon completely blinded me.
"Alleana M’Orrean, the Council of Glowing Ones charges you with the most heinous crime imaginable: murder of a fellow Balmythran."
Was that Cadrow speaking? I shaded my eyes with my hand and squinted up at the figure towering over me. Slowly he came into focus, as did the cave entrance right behind him. I realized that I'd just been victim of an involuntary psifly, something that could only have been accomplished by more than one skilled Sairon since no one had actually touched me. I now lay outside the mountain.
Sure enough, when my eyes fully adjusted, I discovered fifteen to twenty Sairons had encircled me and the boys, all of whom appeared to be in some kind of trance. Tirafalen was nowhere to be seen.
"Your friends must leave Nodyra," said Cadrow. "But you, Alleana M’Orrean, daughter of the Houses of Cassiopeia and Orion, are sentenced to permanent stasis."
Stasis. On Balmythra, that state of existence amounted to a death sentence. Shock sucked the air right out of my lungs.
Unmoved by my breathless reaction, Cadrow coolly continued. "How you survived the Gilmarden Void, we do not know or care. What matters is that you've now contaminated our most sacred ceremonial site, yet another reprehensible crime. This wanton behavior from the leader of our allies is beyond comprehension."
The other Sairons present nodded and mumbled their agreement to this. I felt terribly alone. I wished Matt, Kenny and John would snap out of it. And where in the heck was Tirafalen?
"Clearly your stay in Nodyra has compromised your Balmythran values," Cadrow said. "But that doesn't excuse you."
My values were compromised? Furious, I jumped to my feet and rounded on him. "There's nothing wrong with my Balmythran values. And as for your sacred Gilmarden Void—well, it was contaminated when I got there." I pointed to the cave entrance. "I saw hundreds of bodies imprisoned in it and sensed the presence of my parents. They were definitely alive. That means that Jor may be, too."
"What nonsense." Cadrow as good as growled the words. "Enough of this." With a sweep of his hand, he released Matt, Kenny, and John. As one, the boys shook themselves and glanced around, clearly disoriented.
Cadrow turned to one of the other Sairons. "Escort these Nodyrans to the Xephyr Stream again, and once they are gone, seal it to everyone except Sairons."
Lucianis stepped forward. "But Cadrow. Ionians travel the Stream every day along with a lot of others. Some are probably there now. They'll need a way back."
"These are grave times for Balmythra. Evil threatens our very existence, and that evil clearly comes from Nodyra." His stern gaze encompassed the solemn group. "Witness the activities of the Dagonel and of these Nodyran delinquents. Look at the daughter of Ceedrill and Koann. She's now a murderer with no respect for what we hold dear." He rested his cold gaze on me. "You're a shame to your parents and the houses of Orion and Cassiopeia." He shook his head. "At least Ceedrill and Koann will never know of your disgrace."
Cadrow motioned to one of the older Sairons standing nearby. "Take her to the Hall of Judgment, Menos." He paused thoughtfully. "And don't psifly. The Ionians will sense that. As for these—" he pointed to the other poPs "—Tanar, Paolus, Renn, escort them to the Stream, and make certain no Ionians await you there."
At wit's end, I jerked myself free of Menos and whirled to grab Matt. "What are we going to do? My parents are in that cave. I saw them."
Matt stepped forward to confront Cadrow. "Please, sir. You’ve got to listen to her. She’s telling the truth."
And that truth might convince Cadrow if I could get him to listen. I tried again. "You said yourself that nothing could survive the void, but I'm proof that that isn't true. I was there; you pulled me out."
Some of the Sairons stared at Cadrow, questions in their eyes. Please let there be hope, I prayed. But glancing back to Cadrow, I saw that his mind was made up.
"I'm sick of your schemes. Only evil can exist in the void." Cadrow dismissed me and Matt with a wave of his hand, pivoted, and walked toward the entrance to the cavern, followed by other Sairons. "Gather as many of our people as possible for the purifying ceremony." That said, he strode into the cave, as did the Sairons who were with him.
"Where's Tirafalen?" I asked Matt even as Menos's strong arms grasped my shoulders to guide me in the opposite direction. Likewise, Tanar, Paolus and Renn herded Matt and the others away from the cave.
It was hard to talk, but Matt tried. "She left in a big hurry ages ago."
I noted how he avoided looking me in the eye and guessed he wasn't telling everything he knew. Abruptly, I planted my feet on the ground, which brought everything to a momentary halt.
I ducked free of Menos's grip and stepped in front of Matt. "What's happened? You may as well tell me. Things can’t get much worse."
Matt started to answer, but Paolus pushed him none-too-gently from behind, which made my boyfriend collide with me. "Something about Rocc. She said that he needed her, and that she'd come back as soon as she could."
Kenny added to that. "Before we knew what was happening these guys showed up and jerked us right out of the cave. Talk about jet lag...I'm never doing that again."
I felt a firm hand between my shoulder blades, urging me away from my friends. "Is Rocc okay?" I had to call out the question.
John tried to answer as Tanar pushed him into motion. "We don't know. But she seemed really scared, so I'm thinking he was in danger or something."
Matt shot John a shut-up look, "Whatever it was, you know Tirafalen can take care of it. Everything will be fine."
Fine? Not by a long shot. Impulsively, I caught Matt's eye, and then Kenny's. Hoping John would follow their lead, I deliberately stumbled and fell. On cue, Kenny and Matt rounded on their startled guards and broke free. Matt yanked me to my feet; Kenny motioned to John. The four of us loped back toward the cavern, leaving our startled escorts behind.
My plan? I didn't have one beyond getting inside that Void and staging a rescue. As I ran, I opened the nexus, which was much easier than before—so easy, in fact, that the mountainside actually filled with psiflying Ionians by the time the boys and I reached the cave entrance. Marveling that I hadn't even transmitted any kind of plan, I watched as my people quickly outnumbered the Sairons present.
Though Kenny couldn't have known the difference between Ionians and Sairons, he saw my relief. "This is good, right?"
Before I could answer, many more angry Sairons appeared from nowhere, too.
"Ninety neon ninjas!" Matt kept his voice low as he turned slowly to take in every expression on the faces of the gathered masses.
At that moment, Menos caught up with us and once again lay a heavy hand on my shoulder. "Come, Guardian."
"What are you doing?"An elder Ionian, stood up to him. "This is outrageous. Let her go."
"Cledione." Cadrow quickly emerged from the cave, his faithful followers still one step behind.
"What's the meaning of this?" Cledione asked the Sairon, his voice tinged with unmistakable anger. "Why are you restraining our Guardian? Why did she cry out to her people while in the presence of friends?"
Cadrow scowled at both of us. "Your Guardian is a murderer, Cledione, and you know the laws of Balmythra."
Angry Ionian shouts greeted his words. Cledione got right in Cadrow's face. "Alleana is incapable of murder."
Dismayed, I wedged myself between them. "There's no time to argue. My parents and Jor are being held inside that mountain, and we have to save them."
"That's absurd!" Cadrow exclaimed.
Cledione glared at him. "We know what she's showing us from her mind."
Cadrow snorted. "A truly treacherous mind; a manipulative mind. We understand why you want to believe your Guardian, but you must understand that t
his one—" he pointed to me with disdain "—is no longer Balmythran. She has fallen under the influence of Nodyra, the same Nodyra that produced the Dagonel."
"That’s a lie!" I quickly read the determination on the faces of Ionians and Sairons alike. If I didn't make them understand what now transpired inside the Void, they'd surely come to blows.
At that moment, Tirafalen and Rocc appeared beside me.
Gasping my relief, I grabbed my brother. "Thank goodness you're all right."
Rocc hugged me back. "Thanks to Tir, as usual." He gave her a loving glance.
"Enough of this." Cadrow summoned the Sairons inside and outside the cave with a look, and in seconds they closed ranks and surrounded me, the poPs, Rocc, and even Tirafalen. "All Ionians must leave this area now. Those who don't face immediate expulsion from Balmythra according to ancient law."
Cledione squared his shoulders. "You can't threaten us." Fellow Ionians surged forward with an angry shout.
"No!" I'd never been so scared. "Please don't fight. My parents wouldn't want this." In desperation, I whirled on Cadrow. "If you don’t trust my words, I’ll open up my mind to you completely." Though the effects of such an in-depth mind probe could never be predicted, I knew of no other way to convince Cadrow and his followers.
Cadrow laughed at me. "You're crafty, Alleana M’Orrean, but we can't be fooled. After all, we introduced your people to their abilities."
"Then go into my mind." Matt stepped up. "I’m a Nodyran nobody with zero abilities."
"You might want to rethink that, Matt." Rocc flicked a look at me. "If you're not, um, properly prepared.... I mean, if it hadn’t been for Tirafalen, I don't think I'd have survived it."
I didn't have a clue what he meant. "Survived what?"
Rocc's gaze locked with mine. "You pulled me into the nexus with you."
My heart stopped. "Oh no."
"Oh yes." Rocc shrugged off my horror and shifted his attention to Matt. "I've been trying to stay tuned in to her since...well...you know. But I still had no idea what she was up to until it was too late." He shook his head and gave Matt a rueful grin. "It was my first nexus and felt like my insides ripped out. I'm thinking a Sairon mind probe won't feel any better. In fact, it might even feel worse since you're not from around here."
"If it’ll convince these guys that Leah's telling the truth, then I’m willing to try it anyway." Matt was as determined as I'd ever seen him.
I still tried to argue. "Please don't do this."
Matt shifted his gaze from me to Rocc, and finally settled on Tirafalen. "Can you fix me if I have problems?"
Though obviously worried, Tirafalen nodded. "I believe I can."
Matt turned back to Cadrow, who had watched the entire exchange with interest. "Okay. Tell me what I need to do."
I made one last effort to changed his mind. "Please, please, please don't."
Matt never shifted his gaze from the Sairon. "I'm ready if you are." The words had no sooner left Matt's lips than he went white as a ghost and dropped to his knees with a groan. Doubling over, he held his head as if it might burst open at any second. I rushed forward...or tried to. Menos held me back. Horrified, I watched Matt collapse face first onto the rocks.
"You’re killing him!" I twisted free of my restraint and ran to Matt’s side just as Cadrow released his mind. Matt groaned softly and lay still as death. "Tirafalen!"
But my cry for help wasn't necessary. Tirafalen, already in mist form, enfolded Matt in a healing fog. Rocc gave me a comforting side hug.
That instant, several things happened at once: I went cold all over, Cadrow began a halting apology, and Kenny yelped. "Look!"
Everyone turned to where he pointed. Hundreds of Dagonel swarmed from the cave entrance, as heavily armed as the last time they'd attacked.