She swallowed hard, looking even more worried than before. “I will. I promise.”
Turning back to the men in black. “Sworn Guardian, I am the granddaughter of Halder d’Ennell, daughter of Jakes d’Ennell, and sworn deputy of Ridgewick, home of many of our people. On my honor and on the blade of my family, I will see that you and your men are safe.”
Vedin’s eyes widened in surprise, or perhaps it was recognition. He slowly straightened and then nodded. “I, too, swear on my honor and that of my Blademates that we will accept your offer of sanctuary as allies and in friendship.”
She pointed down the slope. “Eli’s home is nearby. Let’s go there where you can rest and tend your wounds. Once your strength has returned, we’ll guide you back here. I can bring the barrier down if you need assistance.”
When the other man nodded, she pointed in the direction of Eli’s cabin. “Start walking toward those trees, and we will catch up with you shortly. I need to show my friend something first.”
Her gaze swung back toward Eli. “My companion has never seen what lies in the back of that cave. It is time he does.”
Vedin didn’t look happy, but he didn’t argue. Instead, he said something to his men, who spread out across the small clearing and drew their weapons. By way of explanation, the warrior said, “Better that we stand watch to make sure our enemies don’t return.”
Safara merely nodded and headed toward the cave. Eli managed to hold his tongue until they reached the entrance. When he was reasonably sure they were out of hearing, he wheeled around to glare down at Safara. “Start talking, and don’t hold anything back.”
“I need to show you something first.”
She took his hand, her palm warm against his as she led him into the cave. The light outside didn’t penetrate very far beyond the entrance, but she moved through the darkness with confidence. She stopped right about where he remembered the cave bending around to the left.
“Eli, you’ve guessed I’ve been hiding the truth from you about the attacks on both me and my grandfather. This cave is one of those things. I have no right to ask it of you, but promise you will to keep our secrets. Lives depend on it.”
“I don’t make promises when I’m shooting blind, Safara. The best I can offer is to listen to everything you have to say before I make a decision one way or the other.”
She must have realized that was as good as she was going to get under the circumstances, because she led him those last few steps down the passage. Odd that it was less dark even though they’d come some distance from the entrance. Another turn made the reason for that blazingly clear. The entire back wall of the cave was a shimmering wall of light. It was so bright that he had to blink several times to give his eyes the chance to adjust. Then he watched in stunned amazement as various hues swirled into sight and then just as quickly faded away only to be replaced by another splash of color.
It was beautiful and yet terrifying. He released his death grip on Safara’s hand and edged closer, the strange compulsion to reach out and touch it almost impossible to resist. She immediately caught his arm and jerked it back.
“Watch it, Eli. That barrier has enough voltage to fry your brain.”
Now that she mentioned it, he could feel the buzz vibrating deep in his bones. He’d never seen the likes of it, yet it felt oddly familiar to him as if it spoke to him on some level.
“Are there more of these things around? Where did it come from?”
Because if this barrier had always been there, wouldn’t someone have talked about it? If not on the news, then in some kind of nature special on television?
Safara remained close by him, her pretty face awash with the flickering colors of the barrier. “Yes, there are more pieces of the barrier scattered around the world, mostly in areas like this one where the tectonic plates meet up. As to how they formed in the first place, I have no idea. I don’t think anyone does.”
“So you and your family aren’t the only ones who know about this?”
She crossed her arms over her chest with a shiver that he doubted had anything to do with the chilly temperature of the cave. “No, we’re not, although we try hard to keep outsiders from finding out about them.”
“And I’m an outsider?” For some reason that pissed him off big-time.
A slow nod was her only answer. After a few seconds, she drew a slow breath. “I’m going to show you one more thing before we go. Stand back a little.”
When he was in position, she slowly raised her hands out toward the barrier, palms forward, and began to chant. He couldn’t understand the words, but they had the same cadence as the language she’d been speaking with the Sworn Guardian earlier. As her voice grew stronger, the light in the barrier grew thinner bit by bit until it flickered and disappeared altogether.
The cave extended across the line where the barrier had been seconds before. He started forward, but Safara remained where she was. “Aren’t you coming?”
She shook her head, sweat beading up on her skin as if she were under a strain. “No, and you can’t stay over there very long. The exit is just beyond those boulders. Poke your head out of the cave carefully and make sure no one sees you. If it’s safe, take a good look around, especially up at the sky, and then hustle right back. I can’t keep the barrier down for long, and we can’t risk you being trapped over there.”
He did as she told him. Outside the entrance, the terrain was completely different from where they’d entered the cave on the other side. The low rolling hills were covered in scrub vegetation, more like what grew in the high desert of Eastern Washington, and nothing at all like the towering Douglas firs and cedars he was used to. And the sky was a dull gray and completely devoid of clouds. How was this all possible? He noticed he was breathing hard as if he’d been running, his lungs struggling to fill with oxygen. Was it shock or thin air? So many questions.
“Time’s up, Eli. Come back.”
He scanned the distant horizon one last time before turning his back on all the strangeness. As soon as he rejoined Safara, she resumed chanting. Within seconds, the barrier returned, colors swirling and buzzing away. From the way her shoulders slumped, the process had taken a lot out of her.
“Are you okay?”
