Gathering Storm (The Salvation of Tempestria Book 2) by Gary Stringer (howl and other poems .txt) 📕

that Cat, ever curious, had wandered over to inspect the device, he stepped forward to warn her against getting too close.

Rather than reply, she let out a gasp and frantically surrounded the device with thick walls of rock. No sooner was the device fully encased than it exploded. She desperately fought to keep her walls from shattering, trying to reinforce them with compressed air but within seconds, she was fighting a losing battle, until a shimmering bubble of higher planar energy surrounded it.

“It’s OK,” Daelen told her, striding forward and laying a reassuring hand on her arm. “You can stop now.”

By now, the rock had been completely obliterated by the raging inferno. The energy barrier had expanded to block all access to the portals, but now it was holding firm, keeping the continuing explosion contained within.

“My containment field will hold it back until it burns itself out, and then dissipate,” he explained. “But I think we’d better go before anything else happens.”

The others nodded. With StormClaw compromised, it was clearly too dangerous to stay. They would be better off back on the Dolphin in open water.

*****

“What actually happened in there?” Mandalee asked, as they quickly made their way to the coast.

Cat explained that she’d seen the display on the device flare up, presumably in response to Daelen’s presence in the room.

“A proximity sensor,” he realised. “A backup system in case I managed to avoid the primary tripwire.”

What he didn’t know was how Catriona, who was unused to technology, could have recognised the danger so quickly.

“I’m not sure,” she admitted. Perhaps it was thanks to her exposure to technology on Earth, or maybe it was just her instincts at work. Either way, when the light on the box changed colour, she knew she didn’t like what she was seeing and acted, although clearly, she had underestimated the power of higher planar energy and her shield of rock and air was not enough.

“No,” Daelen admitted, “not by itself. But your quick thinking gave me time to save five precious lives.”

“Five?” Mandalee wondered.

Daelen nodded and explained that in addition to two mortals and one leopard in that room, the blast would have travelled through the portal to Earth and ripped through his base, killing Sara and Jessica.

“Even I wouldn’t have escaped unscathed,” he told them.

The blast wouldn’t have killed him, but it would have led to a serious injury. Between that and the fifty-strong force, he would have expended a great deal of energy, and the loss of the StormChaser would have forced him to use his powers to cross the Ocean. Kullos could then have tracked him there and forced a confrontation before Michael and his forces could join him. All of which would have tipped the balance of power massively in Kullos’ favour.

“Kullos could have won the war today,” he concluded, “but he underestimated what the four of us can do now that we’re a team.”

Cat pounced on that. “Oh, so we’re a team now, are we? Not just pesky mortals who desperately need to be trained because our power could never match up to yours?”

“Your powers don’t match up to mine,” he insisted, indignantly. Then he smiled and added, “Fortunately, power isn’t everything.”

“Finally!” Cat cried in victory, rewarding him with a hug. “Although, I admit power does have its place.”

“In the end, I’d say we all trained each other,” Mandalee decided.

‘Like Daelen says,’ Shyleen put in. ‘A team.’

Having seen the power of one small bomb powered by higher planar energy, Cat could scarcely imagine what Heaven’s Surrender would be capable of. But if Daelen StormTiger was listening to her at last, maybe there was hope for the world yet.

*****

Under cover of darkness, the Dolphin launched a small wooden lifeboat to quietly pick them all up and bring them aboard. They all immediately went below decks. The vessel then drifted away, slowly at first, then faster as Cat encouraged a perfectly natural breeze to pick up and accelerate them discreetly away, joining the regular shipping routes between the two continents and blending in with all the other vessels going about their ordinary business.

“Will they be OK?” Mandalee asked, after a while. “Sara and Jessica, I mean. With StormClaw compromised, what if something gets through the portal to Earth?”

“They’ll be fine,” Daelen assured her. “With us gone, there’s no further value in attacking this island. Any invaders intent on attacking my base on Earth would have to find the right portal – remember there are six of them. I’ve also left a message to warn the Chetsuans to arm themselves, just in case. You’ve sparred with them both, so you know they’re quite capable of taking care of just about anything or anyone that might come through.”

“A powerful wizard—” Mandalee began.

“—Would have a bit of a shock when his powers failed against those magically resistant bodysuits,” he reminded her.

The assassin nodded. She had first-hand experience of how well that worked.

“Plus, if they did find themselves in more trouble than they could handle, I’ve enhanced the perception filter surrounding the place, so it now works as a containment field, preventing anything from crossing, except authorised people.”

Mandalee nodded her understanding, “So, Sara and Jessica could escape your grounds and your enemies couldn’t follow. You’re right. I’m worrying over nothing. I’m just sorry I had to leave them without saying goodbye.”

Daelen shook his head. “It’s not goodbye. You’ll see them again.” He hoped. “Now, try not to worry any more. That goes for you, too, Cat,” he added, although she had so far voiced no opinion on the subject. “Get some rest.”

Mandalee left for her cabin with Shyleen.

To Daelen, Catriona seemed far away, mind on other things as she gave him a distant smile and left for her own cabin.

Alone at last, aside from Pyrah, Catriona was stretching out her sympathic senses, receiving an update from far across Tempestria, before sending out a message of her own.

‘Back home. Island all clear. Third portal from left. Caution: Earth defended. Good hunting.’

*****

As my mother and her companions