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

Aye, ever yours,

Rose

~x~

“What does that mean?” Daelen wondered.

Cat gave him a wry smile. “I guess it means I’m going to be training with you, after all.”

Chapter 24

“Is this how your staff research always works, then?” Daelen wondered.

“Mostly,” Cat nodded. “It’s about learning specific magical keys to unlock one layer of protection at a time.”

“Magical keys?” Mandalee wondered.

“Think of it this way,” Cat encouraged her. “Your mark is being sheltered by your enemies in the deepest room of a house like this one. Between you and your quarry are many guards and many doors that are locked and booby-trapped. If you miss one or make one small slip, your enemies will capture you. As a trained assassin, what would you do?”

Mandalee smirked, “Knowing me, I’d probably just have a couple of drinks, get armed to the teeth and go for it.”

Her friend laughed, “Not quite the analogy I was hoping for. OK, you can’t launch a full-scale assault because before killing your mark, you must make him reveal information that is vital to your sponsors. His death alone will not fulfil your contract. On the plus side, your mark and his friends are not going anywhere so you can afford to wait.”

“In that case, I would need to plan it to the letter, know the location and detail of every trap, every lock, every guard. It would be futile and probably fatal to attempt a move without all the information. I would probably also need help from others, but not too many, if only to gather the…” she hesitated, “…intel – is that the right phrase, Jess?”

Jessica nodded.

“Well, that’s how I gain access to this power,” Catriona explained. “I don’t know yet whether the power within this staff is friend or foe, but I have to find out. I need to understand every barrier between me and its release before attempting to use it, or even deciding whether I should. This isn’t a solo effort; I need help from others, but only from the right people, not too many. Pretty much just you guys.”

Plus Dreya, of course, but she couldn’t mention that.

“It sounds pretty complex,” Daelen commented, with a newfound appreciation for Catriona’s hard work.

“It’s certainly a serious challenge – that’s why I’m enjoying it so much.”

She paused for a moment to determine if there were any more questions or comments – there were none.

It was getting late. She had already seen a few stifled yawns, and she took her own as a firm agreement that it was time for bed.

In the morning, she would, at last, begin her training.

*****

The next few mornings, they enjoyed breakfast together before dividing the day up into chunks. Mandalee would do physical exercise and workouts with Daelen, while Cat spent her time studying. Then Mandalee would train and spar with either Sara or Jessica – they were pretty evenly matched as long as Mandalee didn’t use her super-speed. Meanwhile, Catriona would suffer through physical training with Daelen. She wasn’t the physical fighter that Mandalee was, and it quickly became apparent that it was never going to be her forte.

By now, the shadow warrior had learned that trying to push Catriona into doing something she didn’t want to do was futile, but he could help her to push herself. Cat appreciated the value of improving her physical conditioning, which she had to admit wasn’t quite back to where it had been before her illness. Within a few days, though, Daelen had managed to help her push herself even further, so she was in the best condition of her life.

At range, her archery was a match for anyone. Up close, it made more sense for her to shift to leopard, wolf or even bear form. Apart from anything else, in a real battle, her attackers were unlikely to expect that, so that would put surprise on her side.

Away from the training centre, Cat and Mandalee worked on their different forms of magic. Both young women were reminded of the time they had spent hunting demons together, a few years ago. This was really just an extension of the skills they had developed back then.

Their evenings were kept free of work – even Cat put her books away – in favour of going out into the city, soaking up the sights, the culture and shopping. Cat still didn’t buy anything and simply used a perception filter. Sometimes, Daelen accompanied them. Other times, he left the four young ladies to their own devices in the name of not cramping their style. The more time they spent together, the less they would want to part later. That meant it was more likely Jessica and Sara would choose Tempestria to be their new home when the moment came.

The pattern held until one day, just into the second half of their planned stay on Earth, when Cat and Mandalee heard a commotion coming from Daelen’s training centre. Powerful cannon blasts followed by explosions mingled with shouts and screams from the Chetsuan girls. Racing to the scene, the two friends found Sara and Jessica standing outside the training centre. Jessica was pounding on the door begging for Daelen to let her in and help.

“It’s no good, Jess!” Sara implored her, reaching out to her sister. “He won’t listen. He never does when he’s like this, you know that.”

Jessica snarled and swore at her sister.

“You turn your back on him if you want, but I won’t!” she insisted. “I’m staying here,” she continued, her voice becoming a scream, “until he opens this bloody door!” She resumed her pounding and demanding to be let in.

Catriona was shocked. She’d never heard them say a cross word to each other in the admittedly short time she’d known them.

She shared a worried look with Mandalee, who asked, “Sara, what’s going on?”

There came a rumbling sound, as the house shook to its very foundations. The girls had to hold onto each other to keep their balance.

“Oh, hey, you two,” Sara greeted them. “It’s Daelen.