Dragon Awakened(79)

She put her hand to her chest as she watched him head back to the car. The thought of his dying made her heart hurt. It was only fear of being on her own, right?

It seemed like forever before she heard his voice, carried on the breeze. “We’re safe to talk out here. My neighbors are gone for the summer. Lately I don’t like being in closed spaces.”

Ruby dared peek just above the wall. The other man was dark-haired, too, but shorter and stockier. Cyn positioned himself so that the man’s back was to her. His gaze flicked to her before focusing on Fernandez again. “What’s going on?”

“Mr. Smith came to see me again. He said you’re harboring a woman who has been trying to sabotage his efforts to save as many people as possible from the Deus Vis fluctuations.”

“It’s not the fluctuations that are threatening us. It’s that our life force is actually breaking up. I’ll bet he didn’t tell you that he’s causing the fracturing. Brom Winston saw the devastation his project would cause. That’s why Justin sabotaged the project, and why he was executed.”

Fernandez shook his head. “Mr. Smith told me how he hired Justin to come up with portable Deus Vis so Crescents could leave the Field. How the device he engineered exacerbated the fluctuations of the solar storms that were hitting at the time. And yes, Brom did warn him, but Justin ignored those warnings. When Mr. Smith talked of shutting the project down, Justin took all of his research and the device and went on the run to continue his experiments. That’s why he was terminated.”

Fernandez clearly believed the story Mr. Smith had fed him. But Ruby didn’t.

Cyn didn’t either by the hard edge to his next question. “So why are we experiencing this extreme disruption now? Did he have an answer to that?”

“It’s a huge solar storm. You’ve heard it on the news, physicist Michio Kaku talking about the way it might affect electricity and satellites. It will affect Crescents in more devastating ways. Mr. Smith has a device that holds Deus Vis and will feed a select number of Crescents the energy we need. The woman is trying to destroy this device. We’ll all die.” Fernandez’s words grew raw with emotion. “Celia is already ill, as you know. Those who are weakened are feeling it first.”

“Who chooses the ones that benefit from this supposed device?”

“The Chosen are based on their value to Crescent society. My wife, I, and you, Cyn, we’ll all get the energy. But only if you turn over this woman to my custody.”

“And you trust a man who won’t even tell you his name?”

Fernandez nodded with conviction. “I’ve seen the device revive my flagging secretary.”

Ruby went cold. She was a bargaining chip. Cyn lived if she was taken into custody. She knew he’d never hand her over.

“I’m not turning her over.”

Fernandez’s shoulders slumped. “I’m sorry, Cyn. I can’t let my wife die.”

Ruby tensed, ready to come out and fight. Especially when a man stepped out from the hedges. He looked to be in his sixties with a trim beard and expensive-looking clothing. She held her position because she didn’t see any weapons or demons. In fact, his hands were held at his sides in almost a surrender style.

“Cyntag Valeron,” he said in a strong voice. “We meet at last.”

“We haven’t met, since I don’t know your name.” Cyn, always smooth and in control. His body language, though, was poised for action. His hand flexed behind him, a message to stay put.

“I mean you no harm. You or the girl.”

“Those demons weren’t exactly benign messengers.”

“My son, Darren, went overboard. I didn’t know he’d gone to such extremes. I am Purcell, by the way.”

He was Darren’s father?

“Listen to your former mentor, Cyntag. What would I have to gain by causing the death of so many Crescents? Do I look like a diabolical mass murderer? I am, in fact, a savior. While the Mundanes have been preparing to protect power grids and global communications satellites, the private lab I’ve been funding has invested years of research to figure out how to protect Crescents. The problem is that there are just too many. When the coronal mass ejection arrives, many will lose their connection to the Deus Vis and their essence will wither. And they will die.”

“Why not warn the population?” Cyn asked. “They could leave the Field for a time. Surely the fluctuation will not last for more than two weeks.”

“First, how would we get all of this across in a secretive manner? Then, can you imagine the panic that would ensue? It’s unfortunate that many will die. You remember during the Cold War when a nuclear attack seemed imminent? The U.S. government built fallout shelters for their high-ranking officials. It’s logical to protect those who can rebuild society. I am willing to ensure that you and yours are included in the Chosen. But you must give me something in return.”