The door to the office opened, and in walked Rhun, Avery and Zabeel.
‘Yee-ha!’ Bast embraced the development, literally. ‘Are you guys a sight for sore ears.’ Nobody had to ask what she meant. ‘What are you all doing here?’
‘We think Viper is headed this way,’ Rhun advised as he gave his cousin a squeeze. ‘So we’re your reinforcements.’
‘Sweet!’ Bast backed away to look all four brothers over, and what a handsome bunch they were. She considered it a great pity that the Dragon had not fathered a Leonine son. Her eyes came to rest on Avery. ‘My sister is a fool.’
‘No, Bast,’ Avery insisted, ‘I was the fool.’
Bast was accustomed to Avery supporting her when she was bad-mouthing her sister and she was a little taken off guard by his comeback.
‘She’s in a lot more danger than we thought, Bast, and I helped put her there.’
Bast had never seen Avery so serious, and the notion of losing her sister struck the fear of God into her heart. ‘What’s happened?’
Whilst Avery brought Bast and Sparrowhawk up to date with affairs, Rhun and Zabeel headed for the vault.
Rhun had the security guards lock Zabeel and himself inside the security safe, which was filled with row upon row of large crystal cylinders that had a reinforced Charichalum casing. With a wave of his hand, Rhun fried all the surveillance cameras inside the vault. ‘We’ll run a security recording,’ he explained to Zabeel, who still looked confused.
‘But how are we to keep a watch on the Orme inside the vault?’ the Delphinus ruler posed. ‘You’re not going to suggest we keep a vigil, are you?’
‘We don’t need to watch the Orme stores, if they’re not here,’ Rhun enlightened, flashing a cheeky grin, which his far more serious younger brother returned. ‘How are your teleportation abilities these days?’
‘I’ll go anywhere you go,’ Zabeel assured.
‘Then do as I do and follow me.’ Rhun placed his hands on a Charichalum storage hanger that housed six of the dark Orme cylinders and then vanished with them.
‘Holy moley.’ Zabeel gazed over the thousands of such hangers in the vault. ‘This is some ambitious plan you’ve had, bro.’
‘Come on, keep up.’ Rhun reappeared and took hold of another two racks.
Teleporting his load after his brother, Zabeel found himself in an identical vault to the one he’d just left. ‘Where the hell are we?’ He grabbed hold of Rhun before he disappeared again.
‘Sorry, that’s classified,’ Rhun advised.
This second vault had been built upon Rhun’s suggestion to Lahmu. At the time the dark Orme went into production for Anu’s shield, they had known the potential dangers that the substance could pose to humankind and the Chosen Ones if it fell into the hands of someone with evil intent. This vault was just one of several security measures that had been devised as contingency plans should Charichalum Orme production be threatened or abused.
By the time they’d finished, Zabeel didn’t know if he was coming or going. There had been a stage around the middle of their task when he wasn’t sure which vault was which. It was a good thing Rhun was more focused, as they could’ve accidentally ended up with all the cylinders back in their original vault.
Rhun slapped a hand down on Zabeel’s shoulder in congratulations for a job well done. ‘Now for the cylinders in the production facility.’
In the security office of the vault, Bast, Sparrowhawk and Avery had their eyes glued to the soft-light screens that monitored all the entrances to the building.
Rhun had just reported his deliberate destruction of the security surveillance in the vault itself, without offering up a reason. He’d instructed them to run old security recordings of the vault on the screens that usually monitored the area. The Vice-Governor had also advised that he was heading over to the production plant to batten down the hatches there.
‘What the hell is he playing at?’ Avery hated it that he couldn’t demand that his older brother explain himself. ‘Is this how a team operates?’
‘Actually, it is,’ Bast advised, whilst loading up the recordings Rhun had ordered. ‘A team has a captain and the rest of the players take their directives from him. Unfortunately, Pan man, in this instance you’re just one of the players.’
‘Funny! I understood team work was several souls working in succinct harmony.’
‘You want to apply that definition to the Dragon brothers.’ Bast scoffed and laughed at the same time. ‘Good luck.’
‘Hey, hotshot.’ Sparrow motioned his brother closer. ‘You’re approaching the security foyer with Fallon and a couple of the complex guards.’
‘I’ll alert Rhun,’ Bast offered, knowing that given the choice Avery would not.
‘If we must.’ Avery assumed the appearance of his father, which shocked Sparrowhawk.
‘Yeah, right, in your dreams maybe.’ Sparrowhawk protested the tactic.
‘Just so there is no confusion when Viper and I end up in the same place,’ Avery justified.
‘Viper is on his way.’ En Noah appeared in their midst, in time to see Avery’s transformation
‘He has arrived, you might say.’ Sparrowhawk updated their old mentor, directing his attention to the screen where Fallon’s party was entering the foyer of the building.
‘Where are Rhun and Zabeel?’ Noah wanted to know.
‘In the Orme production facility,’ Avery responded, when a pouch on a long string was thrust into his hand. Noah gave one of these to Bast and Sparrowhawk as well.
‘Put them on,’ he instructed. ‘They will shield you from the crone’s influence. Keep your wits about you.’ Noah looked at them each in turn and then vanished as abruptly as he’d arrived.
Rhun and Zabeel were down to the last dozen racks of cylinders, when Avery arrived on the scene.
‘Need a hand?’ Avery floated over to one of the racks, and placing his hand on a cylinder, he stared at the strange dark gas that was filled with glistening dark specks. Each cylinder had a long slim window in the outer Charichalum casing that allowed someone to gauge how full it was.
‘You want to be useful … now there’s a switch.’ Rhun gripped hold of a couple of racks. ‘Follow me.’
But the Vice-Governor was delayed when Zabeel, who was closer to Avery, commented, ‘Damn, little brother. Have you been bathing with the dead? You stink!’ Zabeel grabbed his nose and took a couple of steps backwards.
When Rhun got a whiff of the vile odour, he recognised it at once. ‘Mahaud.’ A band was pulled over Rhun’s head suddenly and he stopped centimetres short of elbowing Noah in the face. ‘A thousand apologies, Noah.’ Rhun recognised the amulet that was a means to ward off the crone.
Selwyn had given Rhun the same protective measure back in ancient Gwynedd, which Rhun had naively given to his would-be Queen for her protection. This chivalrous mistake had landed Rhun in a whole load of strife, so now when a wise man placed an amulet around his neck, that’s where it stayed.
‘Are you sure it’s not Avery?’ Zabeel had his sonic pulse blaster set for kill and aimed at the smelly impostor.
‘Very sure,’ both Rhun and Noah replied at once, whereupon Zabeel fired his weapon.
The crone did not attempt to flee and although thrown across the room by the impact of the bullet, she laughed as she transformed into the rotting human corpse in which she was currently residing. You can’t kill something that’s already dead, her multi-layered demon voice informed them as she raised the weight of the carcass up into the air. Eyes of glowing red peered at the Chosen trio from the face of a dead man. Soon it will take more than just a Druid’s charm to protect you from us.
When Bast, Sparrowhawk and the Dragon appeared in the foyer to meet their party, Fallon didn’t blink an eyelid. The weapons Viper’s force carried shot immortal strength chloroform, so although shamed, her kindred would not be harmed.
‘I found her, father.’ Viper thought he might have a chance of getting away with th
e masquerade, as Avery was not present.
‘Well done, son.’ Avery played along as he neared the impostor.
One of the female Falcon guards with Viper had captured Sparrowhawk’s attention, for she was the spitting image of Lirathea and the discovery had him speechless. Fallon was partly blocking the warrioress from his view, but he could see that the beautiful guard was fiddling with something in her hands. Was it a weapon? Sparrowhawk reached for his own weapon, but enchanted as he was, he did not have the heart to fire at her.
When two shots sounded from behind her, Fallon expected her kindred to start dropping, but instead it was Viper who fell to the ground, and the other male guard. Then Fallon felt something dig into the small of her back.
‘Lose the weapon, sister,’ Gazelle advised.
Fallon looked back to her kin, who all had weapons pointed at her now. ‘What are you doing? You’re his sister. How can you betray Viper and your people like this?’
‘How?’ Gazelle scoffed. ‘Because my brother is shacking up with a demon from the sub-planes, that’s how! And he’s planning to use your body as a host for his sweetheart, ahead of dragging the souls of my kindred down into the sub-planes with him.’
‘I don’t believe you!’ Fallon challenged, her emotions going into a seizure.
‘It’s true, Fallon,’ the Dragon told her. ‘He has raised Mahaud.’
At the sound of the crone’s name Fallon took several steps away from Viper and discarded her weapon. ‘Where is the witch now?’ she asked, closing her eyes to endure the answer. ‘Please don’t say she’s inside him.’
‘No,’ Gazelle stated frankly for everyone’s benefit. ‘Mahaud is inhabiting the rotting corpse of some twentieth century mortal from Gaia, who caught us resurrecting the demon. She has assumed Avery’s form and is currently in your production facility stealing as much dark Orme as she can lay her hands on.’
‘Dark Orme?’ Fallon queried. ‘Why would Viper be after dark Orme?’
‘Christ, you’re so gullible!’ Bast threw her hands up in frustration.
‘The witch told Viper Orme Charichalum was the only way the dark souls of Dumuzi’s children could ever retain an immortal state of being,’ Gazelle informed Fallon, feeling ashamed to be counted among the offspring of Dumuzi herself.
Suddenly the ground began to rumble, and all the glass windows across the front of the foyer smashed in turn. Everyone dropped to the ground as a mighty wind swept through the foyer and a mighty stench accompanied it. Mahaud manifested her rotting corpse of a host, and willed Viper’s unconscious form to her. The unconscious guard also slid towards the crone. Come, my pretty. You belong with us. The crone motioned Fallon hither with a single decaying finger.
Fallon’s legs went from beneath her and the next thing she knew she was flying towards the crone and screaming her lungs out.
Avery literally flew after Fallon and landing on top of her he willed them both to the Otherworld.
As the couple vanished Mahaud let out a deafening shrill, Home, bitch! The crone pointed her demon finger at Gazelle, who in turn looked to Sparrowhawk to plead, ‘Please don’t let her take me.’ The hardened expression of a warrior slipped from the woman’s face and the horror of a petrified child replaced it.
‘It could be a trap.’ Bast yelled her advice to Sparrowhawk over the crone’s smelly storm.
Sparrowhawk looked back at Gazelle, who was battling fiercely against the crone’s evil summons.
‘I don’t want to go to hell,’ she appealed, tears of conviction spurting from her eyes. ‘I’m dead meat, for sure.’
Sparrowhawk gripped hold of both her hands and pulled Gazelle to him, so that she might be protected by the charm he wore. ‘One good turn deserves another.’
Bast came to stand between Sparrowhawk and Mahaud to aid him in protecting his captive; if this child of Dumuzi was telling the truth, it would be useful to pick the brain of their enemy’s sister. ‘Leave, Mahaud. You have no further business here,’ Bast ordered.
Give that treacherous little whore to me, or I shall —
‘Shall what?’ Rhun appeared with Zabeel and Noah, who all stood opposing the crone.
I shall be forced to shoot you all to get to her, the crone finished, as the unconscious guard and Viper began firing their weapons. They got Rhun and Noah, who fell to the ground unconscious. Everyone else scampered for cover behind the large pillars that supported the foyer ceiling.
‘Did she get at the Orme?’ Bast asked Zabeel who was bailed up behind the same pillar with her.
‘No.’ Zabeel set her mind at ease.
Across the foyer behind another pillar were Sparrowhawk and his captive.
‘I want to seek diplomatic immunity,’ Gazelle whispered.
‘I can grant you that,’ Sparrow assured her, wanting to focus on her lovely face, but he was otherwise distracted keeping an eye on Mahaud’s movements.
‘Who are you, that you have such authority?’ Gazelle tried not to sound scornful, but her protector appeared so young and not much older than she did.
‘I am the newly appointed ruler of Tarazean,’ he was pleased to be able to say for the first time ever.
‘You’re Sparrowhawk … really?’ She couldn’t stop her voice from wavering with the awe she felt.
Gazelle had spent many a night fantasising about what the Dragon’s Falcon son might look like. She had imagined that perhaps she might find true love with him and discover the happiness that Cordella had enjoyed since wedding the Dragon’s Delphinus son, Zabeel.
‘I thought you’d be fiercer looking,’ she commented to hide her infatuation and delight.
‘Sorry, I’m still working on looking official,’ he joked, as Mahaud willed the unconscious guard and Viper around, trying to get a clear shot at her foe. ‘What’s in those bullets?’ He fretted for the welfare of his brother and the Sage who were still down.
‘Just immortal strength chloroform,’ Gazelle informed. ‘Fallon insisted that her kindred not be harmed during this attack.’
The unconscious guard unexpectedly ceased firing his weapon and Zabeel, the most telepathically adept soul still conscious, sensed the crone’s fear at her loss of control.
‘Enough, Mahaud!’ Avery’s voice resounded around the foyer, as he now floated high above the crone. ‘Time to send you back to where the Night Hunter condemned you.’
The crone laughed off the threat. ‘Save your energy, little novice, the Night Hunter you are not.’
‘She’s lying, Avery,’ Zabeel yelled to his little brother, as he became conscious of Avery’s doubt. ‘She knows you are capable, she fears you.’
As Avery closed his eyes to call upon the Pan Ray to disperse the crone, she vanished from their midst, along with Viper and the unconscious guard.
‘Damn it!’ Avery floated down to ground level. Willing himself after the crone got him nowhere. ‘Why can’t I follow?’
‘I do believe that the witch intended to return to Gaia’s recent past,’ Gazelle came out of hiding to inform him. ‘Would that impede your will?’
Avery smiled as he recognised his sister in the stranger. Suddenly he realised why Lirathea had insisted that it was so important Sparrowhawk accompany him on this mission; Sparrowhawk’s attraction to Avery’s twin sister now made perfect sense. ‘If that is the case, I should be able to locate the crone from the Otherworld.’ He thought out loud for the Falcon woman’s benefit. All the love and guidance Lirathea had been channelling this soul’s way had obviously had the desired effect.
‘Hold your horses, bro,’ Rhun ordered as he came to and struggled to a seated position, feeling a little groggy. ‘Our mission for today has been accomplished. Mahaud and Viper can’t do any great damage without the dark Orme, and will be back for a second attempt.’
Avery was frustrated by his brother’s demand for restraint, feeling it was ego based. Rhun just liked ordering him about. ‘No, something isn’t right, I can sense it.’
‘Me, too.??
? Zabeel seconded Avery’s view. ‘My telepathic perception was that the witch was satisfied with today’s misadventure.’
‘She’s deceiving you both.’ Rhun waved off their concern, but then a thought occurred to him. ‘Holy hell!’
‘What?’ Bast begged Rhun to voice his worry as she felt ill-at-ease also.
Rhun ignored the query, silently focusing on what a cylinder of Orme looked like. The next minute one of the cylinders manifested in front of him. ‘Mahaud didn’t have to steal the dark Orme. All the crone had to do was get a look at how we have the substance stored these days. Now all she has to do is will it forth whenever she requires it … goddamnit!’
‘Won’t a PKA teleportation lock prevent her retrieving the canisters from the vault?’ Bast suggested.
Rhun shook his head, frustrated by the event. ‘It will only stop her from teleporting herself inside the vault. Damn, damn, damn!’ Rhun was furious at himself and walked away so as not to direct his annoyance at anyone else. ‘If only we’d dispensed with the cylinders sooner … if Mahaud had never seen our storage process the PKA teleportation lock would have served some use.’
‘I’m going after her,’ Avery stated in a defiant manner.
‘You’re not going anywhere until we report this to Lahmu.’ Avery was of the mind to debate the issue and Rhun knew it. ‘If you are to defeat the crone now, you are going to need our help. You’re not just battling one demon any more, but a whole race of them. Mahuad has never succeeded in taking over the body of a free immortal being, let alone one pumped full of dark Orme. We are all in very deep trouble, Avery. We have to stick together.’
As Rhun’s appeal was heartfelt, Avery calmed and considered his point. Rhun had dealt with the crone before, which made him a greater authority on the witch than Avery was himself.
‘He’s right, Pan man.’ Bast approached to beseech her friend to listen to reason. ‘You’ve got a supreme team at your disposal, so for heaven’s sake, utilise them! Don’t allow your pride and ego to push you into rushing off unprepared.’