Pleasures of the Night(28)

“Nope. Just me.” Aidan reached the outer courtyard and leaped into the upper Twilight, pulling the struggling Sheron behind him. Gliding rapidly through the mist, he put every ounce of power he had into achieving the fastest possible speed.

The sky was beginning to darken when they reached the lake. Aidan dived straight down, into the icy water that didn’t heat even though he wished it to. Beside him, Sheron stilled, allowing them to slice through like a blade. It took a moment to find the grotto, and then they emerged, gasping.

Aidan’s first impression was of moss-covered black rock, but a closer inspection showed there was no subterfuge here. As he crawled up over a shallow ledge, he pulled Sheron out of the water after him, his gaze moving swiftly over the circular console manned by one very startled Elder-in-training. At a nearby desk, another trainee leaped to his feet. Above their heads, scenes flashed like movies, glimpses into the open minds of thousands of hypnotized people.

He stood, his hostage dripping, and moved to the other men with rapid, near running strides. Aidan shoved Sheron into the man at the desk, effectively knocking them out of the way, freeing his arm to swing forward with punishing force.

The sickening crack of his fist to the jaw of the trainee at the console was loud and echoed, causing the other to cry out and lunge at him. A quick crouch and upward thrust of his body threw the man back and into the rock wall, where he was rendered as unconscious as his partner.

Rolling his shoulders, Aidan straightened his tunic and caught Sheron with a steely glare. “Get to work.”

Unfazed, the Elder moved to the console and sat in a metallic swiveling chair that was anchored to the stone floor. “We have to catch a Medium when they are at their deepest state. You will attach yourself to their subconscious, and ride the slipstream into their plane of existence. Once there, the temporal disturbance created by your appearance should cause a…hiccup in time. A brief pause that will allow you to leave the area undetected. That is the theory, anyway.”

“The theory?” Aidan arched a brow. “That’s the best you can do?”

“It is not as if I have done it myself,” Sheron pointed out.

Nodding grimly, Aidan asked, “Is there any way to choose a Medium who is near to her?” If he arrived on the other side of her world, it could be days before he reached her. He would not get to her before she fell asleep again. The thought of Lyssa dealing with the banging at the door and sinister-minded cajoling infuriated him and aroused possessive feelings he never knew he was capable of.

“Where is your lauded patience, Captain?”

“Running out,” Aidan warned.

Sheron shook his head in silent chastisement. “Lucky for you, the Dreamer you want lives in an area of eccentrics. There is a high concentration of Mediums in California. Understand: once you go, there is no known way to return.”

“Quit talking, and do it.”

Aidan began to pace, his hands clasped at his lower back, his gaze wandering. Scattered across the nearby desktop were loose-leaf papers and open-faced books. He was about to turn away when an odd glare caught his eye. Wedged beneath the corner was a slim volume boasting a jeweled cover that betrayed its position. A quick glance at Sheron showed the Elder occupied and unaware.

Summoning the book, Aidan flipped through it silently, recognizing the handwritten language of the Ancients. He was rusty, but was able to make out enough words to know the book was one he wanted to take with him. One page in particular gave him pause, the reference to “pausing abbreviated space” one of vast interest. Collecting a makeshift bookmark from the desk, Aidan saved the page and slipped the volume into his waistband where his tunic could hide it from view.

“Here,” Sheron murmured. “You can catch this stream.” He swiveled and set both hands on his knees. With his cowl thrown back, and his white hair wet and sticking out in all directions, he was an odd sight. But his facial features were familiar, despite their lack of coloring. The sight of them reminded Aidan of the time when they had been mentor and student, and he had been an idealistic youth with great hope for the future. That boy could never have foreseen this event.

“I beg you to reconsider, Captain. You are not the first Guardian to grow an unnatural attachment to a Dreamer. It can be resolved with time.”

For a moment Aidan paused, giving his heart and mind a last chance to object.

In the end, he knew he was making the right decision. He hoped he had in his possession the secrets he’d been searching for. Either he would discover that the Elders were correct and he could resume his fight with renewed determination, or he would find out they weren’t, in which case he could enlighten the others. He would be helping his people however he looked at it. He wanted to believe in the Elders, he truly did, but Aidan saw no reason for them to hide information that wasn’t incriminating in some way.