“It’s a marker for a Vitae tether.” Jay slumped down behind the sheltering stone. “They’ve found us.”
A wave of horror washed through Arla. “Then they’ve …”
“Got your sister?” Jay cocked one eye toward her. “Oh, yes, probably. They probably got Lu as well.”
Arla glanced angrily through the tattered clouds, as if she could see through the blue and spot the Vitae ship. Her heart beat hard from fear and anger. A dozen images of what the Vitae might be doing to Broken Trail crowded together in the back of her head.
“If they’re putting down a tether, then they know how important this place is.” Jay scowled at the dome. “I thought we’d have at least a few more days.”
Think! Arla ordered herself and reflexively, she clutched her pouch of stones. If they have Broken Trail, we’ve got to get her back. To do that you need something to fight with. Nothing’s really changed. You’ve still got to get down there. She forced her gaze back to the dome. It waited, silent and unchanged from the first time she’d seen it.
“If they know how important this place is,” said Arla slowly, “why isn’t it guarded?”
“Oh, it’s guarded,” Jay pointed at the sky. “I have no doubt there is at least one satellite trained on this place right now, and I’m sure the dome’s been rigged, and there have to be security guards in there.” He eased himself around so that he was on his knees and peered at the silent dome. “But there can’t be very many of them,” he said thoughtfully, “or they’d be out here now to pick us up.” He fingered his torque. “Maybe we’ve still got a chance.”
“How?” Arla shifted her weight to her toes, ready to move fast if need be.
“We set an emergency transmitter up in the flood cup.” He pointed up the canyon wall. “Just in case we lost the base for some reason. If the Vitae haven’t found it yet, I might be able to use it to find out just how they’ve got the dome rigged. If we can find a blind spot, we might have a chance.” He touched the holster of his gun the way Arla touched her stones.
He lifted himself into a half crouch. “Keep down and behind cover as much as you can,” he cautioned her. “They probably know we’re here, but that’s no reason to give them a clear shot.”
Arla matched Jay’s stance. He nodded once, and they both scuttled out from behind their boulder, heading for its cousin a few yards away.
A muffled roar, building faster than a flash flood’s, made Arla jerk her eyes skyward. A silver splinter dived out of the clouds and hurtled across the sky, leaving long white trails behind it
“No!” Jay sprang to his feet “Run!”
Before Arla could force her frozen legs to move, Jay was already halfway to the dome. She pounded after him, hurdling the larger stones, grateful that she was at home and on steady ground.
What is going on! Her mind shouted as Jay tore open the dome’s door and darted inside.
She followed without stopping, though. Whatever the aircraft brought, Jay obviously thought it was worse than meeting the Vitae.
In the distance she heard a shrill whine. Jay threw open a trapdoor and Arla barely had time to see the dark shaft.
“Down!” He shoved her forward, hard enough that her body swung out over the edge.
Arla shrieked as she fell, so startled that she barely remembered to tuck herself. Everyone in the Realm knew how to take a hard fall. The floor slammed against her shoulders and arm, knocking all the breath and almost all the sense out of her. She rolled halfway over just as the Skyman dropped like a stone beside her.
The world shouted. It rumbled and groaned and growled deep in its throat. Overhead the dome creaked and shuddered. Equipment crashed against the ground and fabric, probably the dome’s side, tore. Arla curled further in on herself, trying to hide behind the darkness and the ringing in her ears.
Nameless Powers preserve me. What have they DONE?
Eric saw the flash over the top of the Wall. It turned the clouds sulfurous yellow and bounced back to earth again. Then came the noise, like a roll of thunder that meant to go on forever.
No! Eric stumbled between the boulders, tripping over stones and brush, trying to follow the vapor trails dissipating into the formless clouds. The rumble kept on, steady, endless. Nameless Powers preserve and forbid … no!
Now the light on the clouds was burnt orange, sienna, and scarlet. Eric stood panting in his tracks. The thunder still rolled.
He turned and sprinted back to the sledge.
“What …” began Heart. Eric snatched the reins and the stick out of his hands.