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

seemed like a natural extension of her Nature’s Mirror. If she could reflect beams of light, then surely, she could reflect an image of herself in a similar way to taking a photograph. Couple that with her Windy Steps spell, making air solid enough to stand on, and she could make her copy seem solid and real, too. She already had experience of the workings of photography; she just needed a little more detail. A quick look at the book on the science of photography provided the final piece of the puzzle. When Mandalee had left the room, Cat had cast the spell, leaving her copy sitting right there while her real self took the form of a seagull and flew out to investigate what was going on with Daelen.

*****

“So, the Catriona I killed was just an illusion!” Daelen gasped, much relieved.

“That’s right, and now that I’ve successfully used such a simple trick against you, maybe it’s time you swallowed your ego a bit.”

Mandalee demanded some solo attention then, hugging her friend tight, saying, “I’m so happy you’re alright.” Then she stepped back and slapped Cat across the cheek. “And that’s for letting me think you were dead.”

To Daelen, she warned, “You have some serious making up to do before I will ever trust you again.”

“I swear nothing like that will ever happen again,” Daelen vowed.

Cat inclined her head in acknowledgement. “So, what exactly happened to you out there? I didn’t get much from my spying.”

Daelen promised to explain all about Aden’s request to parley, but he wanted to take them somewhere first. They followed him to his portal room, where he ushered them through the one he had told them led to Earth. There to retreat, recover and train. Also, to buy time, almost literally.

He reasoned that no matter what powers of detection Kullos might have, he surely couldn’t spy on them on another world.

“What about Shyleen?” Mandalee asked.

“Up to her,” Daelen replied, simply. “If she comes, she’ll have to stay in my grounds – can’t have a leopard running around in the city. Otherwise, she can stay here on StormClaw. There’s plenty of wild prey out there so she won’t starve. Remember, it’ll only be a few days for her.”

Shyleen chose to stay on StormClaw, and just admonished Mandalee to be mindful and take special care of her half-Faery friend during her ‘difficult time.’ The White Assassin tried to press her on what she meant by that, but the leopard kept her own counsel and would say no more.

*****

The portal room on the other side was inside a facility that was virtually identical to his base on StormClaw. As they stepped out into the corridor, Cat pointed out the photographs that were mounted all along one wall. Head and shoulder shots, each with a name underneath. A few appeared human, while others were species that she couldn’t identify. They were all from different worlds, Daelen explained. None from Tempestria. His bases didn’t run themselves, clean themselves, maintain themselves, stock themselves with food and supplies. So, he usually kept two or three people on as his personal staff. Presently, he had two young women in his employ: Sara and Jessica.

“They’re out at the moment,” he informed them. “I haven’t had chance to forewarn them like I normally do. I’ll text them – send them a message – and ask them to come in to help out with a few things tomorrow.”

“And they’re from one of those other worlds?” Mandalee wondered.

Daelen confirmed it. “Their stories are not mine to tell. Suffice to say they’re refugees of sorts. They’re happy to take care of my base here and elsewhere, in exchange for the chance to escape and see other worlds.”

Cat nodded; she could see how that would be appealing.

“Can they pass for human?” Mandalee wondered.

“Hardly!” Daelen laughed.

“Not that I’m worried about how they might look,” Mandalee assured him, quickly, lest there be any misunderstanding. “I’m just wondering how they fit in out there.”

“Or are the people of Earth used to seeing aliens?” Cat suggested.

Daelen smiled as if at a joke he knew his companions wouldn’t get. “Not normally, no,” he replied. He told them that, as a rule, whenever they went out into the wider world, Sara and Jessica wore a device called a perception filter. “But if I’m right about where they’ve gone today…” he opened a door into a bedroom and peered around the door for a moment. “Yep, I’m right. They’ve left them behind. Today, they don’t need to worry about it.”

“Why not?” Cat asked, unable to work it out.

“For the same reason you don’t need to worry about your clothes or your markings looking too conspicuous when we go out.”

His explanation did little to answer Cat and Mandalee’s confusion. All he would say was that they would see what he meant when they went out to a place he called a ‘shopping mall.’

“Sara and Jessica are at an event in an adjoining building:

“A sci-fi convention.”

Chapter 18

The two young women had never seen such crowds before. Even a busy marketplace in Walminster couldn’t compare. The speed of their road transport – a horseless carriage called a car – took some getting used to, as well.

Laughing, Daelen joked that if they thought that was fast, they should try a rollercoaster.

As they travelled, Daelen talked about his meeting with his dark clone.

They had agreed to communicate telepathically, to maximise privacy, and Aden had made a surprising amount of sense. After his defeat at the hands of Dreya the Dark, he’d thought of a way to use his much-drained power to his advantage: to spy on Kullos through astral projection.

Daelen admitted he’d done much the same thing when he was suffering from the effects of Pyrah’s venom.

“That’s news to me,” Cat objected.

Mandalee nodded in agreement.

Daelen apologised but assured them he had always intended to tell them when they got here and could talk without risk of sensitive information being overheard.

Mandalee had to concede that made sense and given