Gathering Storm (The Salvation of Tempestria Book 2) - Gary Stringer (read e book TXT) 📗

This is another reason the other Guardians are against my actions, but to me, the key point is that we should have known about this void-creature the instant it appeared in our time. The fact that we didn’t is, in my opinion, reason enough to seek that information from the past.

*****

“Dealing with that creature will have to wait,” Mandalee insisted. “I’m just here to fix the Time damage. That creature is a future problem, and you need to focus on Kullos. It’s too soon for anyone to be messing around with you. Except me. I have to mess around with you but having too many people messing around with you at the same time is bad. Dear gods, now that I’ve seen you naked, I just want to go back up my own Timeline and rephrase all of that.”

“I see, so you’re some kind of Time fixer,” Daelen suggested.

“Oh yeah,” Mandalee agreed, her voice dripping with sarcasm, “that’s a great title. I’ll propose the change as soon as I get back.”

“Well, whatever you call yourself, you travel in Time. I recognise the signs; I’ve done it myself.”

“Don’t I know it!”

While Mandalee continued to grumble about the trouble he caused through blundering about in Time, the shadow warrior wasted not a moment, scribbling a quick note which he left by his beside. He prepared to open a Prismatic Sphere portal to Tempestria, but his exasperated visitor yelled at him to stop.

“Daelen! Just wait a minute, will you? Dear gods. And they call me reckless. You’re rushing to face down an army, and you don’t even know where it is!”

Daelen shot her a confused look. “I assumed you’d tell me when we got to Tempestria.”

“So many problems with that. One, I’m not coming with you – as I say, you haven’t even met me yet. Two, I’m not just going to tell you everything, because it’s too soon for you to know – I’ve told you only as much as you would have figured out yourself by now if you hadn’t been tampered with. And I really need to find a better way of saying that. Three, you don’t even know if what I showed you was the truth. I might be an enemy lying to you.”

“I don’t think you’re an enemy. You have a very trustworthy aura.”

“That’s all part of my cunning plan to gain your trust and then betray you, or at least it could be. As it is, I’m not here to help you as such, just get your Timeline back on track. Fortunately, this Time meddler is obviously new at this because he’s left me with a straightforward Intervention.”

“Oh, so you’re not a Time fixer, you’re a Time intervener. Time interventionist?”

“Seriously, Daelen, one more crack like that and I’m going to come over there and knock you into the middle of next week and to hell with your Timeline! Look, this is what you need to know: wizards are going missing.”

“Why should I c—”

“—Care about that?” Mandalee finished for him. “Isn’t that a lovely sentiment from our so-called Protector? I’ve shown you why. Kullos is building an army.”

“What’s an army of mere mortals and demons to me?” Daelen asked, dismissively.

The arrogance of the shadow warrior was really challenging Mandalee’s self-control, now. Her fighter’s instinct was pushing her to show him what even one ‘mere mortal’ could do to him. But she maintained her composure, refusing to let him goad her into a mistake.

“If you want to find Kullos, you have to find his army,” she explained with exaggerated patience. “To find his army, you need to find out where the wizards are going. To learn the answer to that, there’s someone you need to meet. Now, I’m guessing you’re not up with current Wizards’ Council politics.”

“Hardly!” Daelen scoffed.

“Tell me you at least know where the Council building is.”

Daelen nodded, so Mandalee continued.

“Then go there, find a wizard – any wizard – and ask directions to the home of Justaria. Tell them you’re investigating her disappearance. You might want to assure them that you didn’t do it, while you’re there, but that’s up to you.”

“Wait, you want me to just roll up to a wizard who might think I’m there to kidnap him, and ask directions?” Daelen was incredulous.

“That’s right,” Mandalee replied, acidly. “Daelen StormTiger is going to have to have a difficult conversation with a mere mortal for the first time in centuries. How will you ever cope? Well, you’ll just have to. Find Justaria’s place, Daelen, and find it quickly. Your adventure starts there.”

Without another word, Daelen’s visitor vanished.

The shadow warrior could only wonder at who she could have been, as he quickly stepped through a portal and headed for the Council of Wizards in Walminster, Elvaria’s capital city and seat of power.

Once there, he managed to get directions, and now he was here, where some mortal girl seemed to be trying to wind him up.

Chapter 3

Daelen, unsurprised, didn’t bother turning around. It took more than that to sneak up on a shadow warrior. Still, there weren’t many mortals who would try. The typical reactions were either awe or terror. After the one he’d spoken to, earlier, this was two unusual mortal reactions in one day. Perhaps there were signs of change in this world, after all.

“If it helps,” he offered, “I promise I didn’t abduct Justaria.”

“Well, obviously you didn’t,” Cat agreed.

“What makes you so sure I’m telling the truth?” Daelen wondered.

“Three reasons: First, she may have left under duress or threat, but she wasn’t abducted at all. Not as such.”

“And how do you know that?”

“Ah, you see, I have a special ability. It’s called paying attention. Speaking of which, what are the chances of you turning around and paying attention to me? You really shouldn’t keep your back to me like this. I’m running out of rude faces to pull at you.”

Daelen smiled and at last did turn around to see the mortal girl, not levitating or flying like him, but casually standing on thin