First Watch: A Watcher Bay Adventure (13 page)

Levra swallowed hard and nodded. “Okay.” The last word was barely a whisper. She was out of options.

“When will they come?”

“I can’t say for sure. I would expect them before first light.”

She looked around at the night sky that would soon reveal a brightening until dawn revealed itself in its full splendor. There wasn’t much time.

Morgan arrived with the rest of the rescued villagers and additional crewmen who joined Levra.

Levra brought Morgan into the conversation. “You met Morgan. She is one of the Founders helping us. It is because of her we were able to get Vildana out.”

Bria bowed at the waist and then kissed Morgan’s hand. The three Founder crewmen that came with her stood behind her.

Alena translated the Chieftain’s words. “Thank you for returning my daughter to her home.”

Bria rose and glanced around at the villagers, her eyes thoughtful. Then she spoke. Everyone listened, clinging to her words.

Levra watched the faces of those who listened to Bria and watched their expressions turn from curiosity to confusion to horror as she spoke.

Alena’s translations weren’t necessary. Bria was clearly relaying the information they’d all recently discovered.

Almost simultaneously the villagers turned to look at her and Enric. She expected to find resentment and fear, but instead she saw love, compassion, and understanding. The entire group knelt down in front of Levra. Vildana spoke to Alena who translated for Levra.

“They are honoring you. You are brave and wise. Your family is now part of their family. They kneel and swear to protect our families forever. As long as they have breath in their bodies, they will watch over and defend us.”

A tear snaked down Levra’s cheek. She was utterly overwhelmed by their kindness. She was drowning in the destruction of her whole world, and their welcoming arms were like a life preserver tossed out amongst stormy seas. She felt utterly unworthy of it, considering her husband was the mastermind of this plot that threatened them.

Then, the moment was over. The villagers stood and immediately began preparing. Their movements were orderly—almost practiced—and that surprised Levra.

Veld spoke to Levra. “The Ddaerans are not easily flustered. They will leave in a few moments. They are gathering only what they can carry on their backs.”

“Oh, I’m so sorry. So sorry to put you through this.”

Alena continued to translate.

“You don’t need to apologize. You saved Vildana. You could have chosen your own people, but instead you have sacrificed everything for us.”

Vildana spoke and Alena translated. “The others. They are leaving the Outpost now. She can see them. She said someone will die tonight.”

Levra nodded at Vildana’s announcement. “There is no time to waste. Morgan, fill the larger hovercraft and take as many as you can to the summer village.”

Bria spoke again. “If they are close, we should hide the children in the hovercraft.” Bria seemed to sense Levra’s anguish. “We are prepared to fight these Founders. You will see we are no strangers to combat. Come. You can help us get the children to safety.”

Levra eyes filled with tears and then quickly wiped her eyes and nodded. “Of course. We would be honored to help in any way we can.”

Veld spoke now. “The hovercraft will only be able to take them part of the way up the mountain. The vegetation will become too thick. The men and the rest of the women will stay here to fight. We will not run from our enemies.”

Levra nodded and tried to swallow her fear. It was right for Enric to go. He’d been with Alena and the Ddaeran children during her trip to the Outpost. If what Vildana saw was true, this battle might be horrific. She honestly wasn’t sure if the Ddaerans, with their limited technology, could defeat the Founders. If they lost, Levra didn’t want Enric anywhere near the carnage—or part of it.

“I’ll take them as far as I can, and then I’ll return. Morgan bring the other ship. We’ll get everyone to safety. Then when we come back, we can help you with your battle plans. Morgan will be able to anticipate Gunnar’s moves.”

Hopefully, she thought.

She led the way to hovercraft and kept her last thought to herself. Either way, the fight was coming to them.

Levra transported the children and some of the adults as far as she could in the hovercraft.

She pulled Enric close to her and held him fiercely for a long moment. The last few hours had been hectic and she was feeling anxious to be away from her son again. “You stay with Mera, Alena, and Vildana. They are in charge until I get back.”

Levra’s voice broke on those last words, uncertain about her future.

Enric pulled on Alena’s arm to get her attention. Alena touched his hand and listened as he communicated with his thoughts. Levra knew some times he opted for this method of communicating when what he had to say was important or emotional. Levra always appreciated the special insight Alena had into Enric’s mind.

Alena stared at Levra for a moment before she spoke. Levra watched her eyes tear up and steeled herself for her son’s thoughts.

“He wants to know if you will be back. What will happen? Will you die?”

Levra looked at Enric, his eyes welling up with tears.

She nodded, forcing a toughness into her voice. “I’ll be fine, Enric. And I will be back. I won’t let anything bad happen. I promise.” She pulled him close. “Now, help Alena with the younger children and be good.”

Enric nodded and wiped his eyes, catching a tear as it dripped over the rim of his eye. She tousled his hair in what she hoped felt like a casual goodbye to him. Her heart ached at the thought of not seeing him again.

Vildana led them away from the hovercraft and into the thick maze of trees that would offer them cover until they reached the summer village in the mountains. Levra watched them until they were out of sight, cloaked by the forest that would protect her son from harm.

Once they were well on their way up the mountain and on their way to safety at the summer village, Levra considered her promise to Enric. She forced down the bitter taste of her lie. The truth was she didn’t know whether she would be okay or not. But today, for Enric, she would lie. He needed hope.

She scrubbed a traitor tear from her cheek, closed the door on the hovercraft, and sped through the trees back to Glanmorr to prepare to battle her husband. It was time to face her demons.

One of them would prevail today, and it wouldn’t be Gunnar. Not if she had anything to say about it. She had a promise to keep.

CHAPTER 16

Glanmorr, Rasia, New Eden

October 17, 12 AA

The sun rose and began its slow climb above the trees. While she’d been delivering the children, Bria, Veld, and the warriors organized the remaining villagers into battle stations. Levra heard mumbling between the villagers, but she didn’t understand them. She couldn’t communicate well with them, so she stared quietly into the night, straining her ears for a sound that would indicate the Founders were coming.

Levra was exhausted. She hadn’t had a solid night sleep since the first night in Glanmorr, and even that had been short. Last night she’d been at the Outpost and then traveling back to the village to warn them. Now they waited, but she struggled to keep her eyes open.

Then she heard it. The low whine of a hovercraft approaching the village. They’d managed to repair Morgan’s sabotage. Luckily that bought her people some precious time.

The tension hung in the crisp morning air like a taut wire that when pulled too hard would surely snap.

The villagers hid around the courtyard, standing ready to defend their way of life. Levra gazed at the determined looks on the faces of the Ddaerans she could see and worried, for the first time, about her husband’s life. When Morgan first revealed Gunnar’s plan, she’d doubted the ability of the primitive Ddaerans to hold their own in an attack. But as she watched them prepare for battle, as though it was something they did every day, she realized they’d be able to hold their own.

Would she be able to live with herself if her son’s father died today? Was there a way to stop the coming clash?

Maybe she could talk to Gunnar, try to reason with him. There was a time when her husband had as much respect for the Ddaerans as she did. Maybe she could help him find himself again.

If no Ddaerans died here tonight, maybe things could be salvaged.

But things, especially battles, rarely went according to plan. And her husband was essentially a stranger to her now. She didn’t know if she could still reach him.

Gunnar’s men burst into the village as she’d expected them to. Gunnar wasn’t among them. He was hiding.

Coward
, she thought viciously.
What was he up to?

All the villagers were watching her, waiting for her signal.

Then she saw him, in the back of the group, with Ana marching next to him.

Levra wished for any sort of useful weapon. She’d love to kill Ana on the spot. She’d had enough of the smug blonde who had no problem claiming someone else’s husband for her own.

Wow. Just wow. What nerve he had. He sent his crew in to be butchered while commanding from the rear.

What a horrible excuse for a man
.

Levra pointed Gunnar’s location out to Veld, who stood next to her. He then passed on the word to the archers who had been lying in wait by touching the Ddaeran on his left and pressing his thoughts into his skin. That man did the same thing to his neighbor, and before she could process the gravity of this skill, she saw the signal pass along the perimeter of the armed Ddaerans. In only moments, they’d passed vital information to all the warriors. Silently. It was tremendous. She knew in that moment that the Founders, even with superior technology and weapons, would find a well-prepared enemy in this battle. She crossed her fingers for a good outcome.

Levra stepped out into the open, her hands held high toward the sky, and spoke loudly to Gunnar, who was positioned behind the three rows of crewman who stood between them.

“Gunnar, please. There must be way to stop this. I don’t want anyone to get hurt. I don’t think you do, either. Not really.”

“Surely even someone as ignorant as you could have figured out by now I’ve changed. What we had is gone. The man you married isn’t here anymore. Standing in his place is someone who can’t even bear the sight of you. Surrender the Ddaerans you took from our bunker, or we will take them back. I can be reasonable. You give me back the five I acquired, or everyone here in this village dies. Now. Five lives in exchange for the rest of you. A fair exchange.”

Levra snorted, blinded by her fury. “Never.”

Gunnar’s eyes turned even colder than Levra thought possible and he yelled an order. “Now. Kill the bitch.”

Before Levra could process what was happening, one of the crew stepped forward in his shiny silver uniform, drew his plasma weapon, and fired at Levra. She saw the light exit the barrel of the weapon, understood she would die in the moment it connected with her chest, and then finally the sound of the weapon being fired caught up with the rest of her senses. Just as the bright light reached Levra’s chest, the beam bent upward shooting harmlessly into the morning sky.

Incredulous, Levra looked at Bria who stood in a wide stance, her arms outstretched guiding the light.

Bria controlled the direction the matter traveled in. Levra saw it during the ceremony when the woman used her abilities to summon the light from the flames and deflect them around the circle of men who’d lain at each woman’s feet. It had been beautiful, and Levra had never considered a more practical use for it. Now she decided, as she took a breath that shouldn’t have come, that this was a very practical skill, indeed.

In the moment the gun was fired, the Ddaerans that surrounded the village pointed their seemingly inferior bows, arrows nocked at the chests of each crew member.

Levra addressed Gunnar one more time. “You can’t win. The Ddaeran, these villagers, they are superior to you in every way. You will not be allowed to get your hands on them to torture them and clone them. Turn around, Gunnar. Go home. This fight is over.”

He looked smug. “I’ll leave when you hand over the Ddaerans. Fire!” he ordered.

All twenty crewmen fired. Some aimed for Levra, some at Bria, and others at Veld. Levra watched as all the plasma beams were stopped mid-air by an unseen force and manipulated by several Ddaerans to change direction. Levra tried to discern which Ddaeran was using their abilities but couldn't tell. That meant Gunnar’s crew couldn’t tell either.
Good
. The purple light from the plasma guns shot up into the sky, all save one.

Levra watched in horror as Gunnar fired his weapon moments after the coordinated shots fired by the rest of the crew. The Ddaerans were so busy stopping the first volley that this later shot made its way to the intended target with nothing stopping its trajectory.

“Morgan!” Levra screamed.

Bria turned and saw the purple beam, threw up her hand, and with the flick of her wrist, sent the light off course and skyward.