Lily smiled at the older man. “Later, then. Right now, we need to know where you want us.”

  Morrissey’s forehead creased and he looked confused. “I thought … um, well, I thought you would direct this project.”

  “Oh, no, Professor,” Lily said. “I’m sure you have a better read on the seismic activity in this region. You need to tell Carr and me where our abilities will be of the best use.”

  Morrissey nodded. “A preliminary question: How close were you to the epicenter in Indiana?”

  “About thirty miles away—and it was artificially induced so the L-waves increased unnaturally fast.”

  “Yes, yes, I heard that … criminal, just criminal.” Morrissey closed his eyes. “Let me check on the current status of the quakes.”

  Carr felt the psi essence leaving the older man’s body. While not nearly as strong as Lily’s, the old Terran had power.

  His Talisman sent out her own essence. Carr automatically connected with her as she mirrored Morrissey’s much slower essence as it sank into the earth.

  As Carr kept pace with Lily, intense heat and a horrific rending of the very fabric of the substrata surrounded them. He was shocked to feel an almost quasi-sentient nature as the quake sought the release of centuries of pent-up pressure.

  Abruptly, all three Terrans’ essences rejoined their physical selves. They stared at one another, horror in their eyes.

  “From the strength and speed of the L-waves, I’d say the epicenter is approximately twenty-five miles away, about five miles south and west of the South Sister,” the older Earth Keeper said, his breathing heavy from exertion or, maybe, fear. “There’s been measurable ground uplift in that region over the last decade. The seismic swarms of 2004 were mostly centered there.”

  Lily’s mental concurrence with Morrissey’s reading of the quake build-up echoed in Carr’s mind. She maintained a constant link with him now. They could follow each other’s thoughts and actions as if they were one. Their unique relationship might be the difference between life and death as they worked the quake.

  “Has there been plate slippage and concomitant magma movement in this region before?” Lily asked.

  Even after all the lovemaking they’d shared on the plane, Lily had managed to read and commit to memory Morrissey’s notes on the regional geology. His Talisman was not only beautiful and sexy as hell, but also brilliant.

  Carr sent her a mental kiss. Her eyes glowed with love as she returned the intimate touch.

  “Yes, definitely. While not all the Sisters are considered active volcanoes, they are watched carefully by the Cascades Volcano Observatory and the Earth Keepers in the area. But in my memory, nothing like what is happening now has ever occurred before. These swarms have already exceeded the frequency of occurrence and highest magnitudes of the 2004 event.”

  “Has the region been evacuated?” Donovan looked around at the activity in the staging area.

  “We’ve done our best.” Morrissey rubbed a shaky hand over his bald scalp. “It is the height of spring skiing. The Willamette Forest Rangers are doing their best to get everyone out of the area, but…”

  “But there are always those in the far bowls who can’t be reached,” Brenna added, shivering noticeably. Donovan pulled his wife into his arms.

  A dark pall settled over the group. No one wanted any living being, human, Terran, or animal, caught in the fallout of seismic activity. But all knew deaths would occur no matter how hard they tried to avoid it.

  “Back to where you need us, Professor,” Lily spoke, breaking into the funereal mood. “Carr and I are comfortable working from here. If the Middle or North Sister decided to add to the temblors, we would also be able to sense and work them from here. Right now, I’m only reading activity at the South Sister. I sensed the pressure and heat of the expanding magma pool and could hear the slippage. What I can sense and hear, Carr and I can attempt to control.”

  Morrissey looked to Carr.

  Carr nodded. “If Lily says it can be done from here, it can be done.”

  “Blessed Gaia.” Morrissey let out an awed breath. “I only sensed the resulting L-waves at about five miles down.”

  “That’s correct,” Lily said. “The magma activity is at the same depth; it is a more subtle reading, but Carr has amplified my ability to detect nuances. If we can short-circuit the pressure from the slippage caused by the expansion of the magma pool, we might be able to dissipate energy and keep it from reaching the surface.”

  “Amazing.” The older man coughed. “May I pace your essence and watch you work?”

  “Our essences—” Lily began.

  “No,” Carr cut her off, “Lily and I must work closely together. We can’t have observers on either plane of existence.” He gave Lily an affectionate squeeze at her squeak of embarrassment.

  Morrissey frowned. After a few seconds, the older Earth Keeper turned beet-red. “Oh my. Yes. I forgot that part of the prophecy. Quite right. You’ll need complete privacy. I’ll make sure my Keepers are working away from the area you choose. Would that work for you?”

  “Yes, thank you,” Carr replied. “We could use a small tent or something to give us even more privacy.” He looked down at Lily whose cheeks were flushed. He rubbed her back. It’s okay, Lily. Donovan and I will make sure Morrissey doesn’t share how we stop the quake. Where do you want to set up, love?

  “Over there.” She pointed to an outcropping of rocks at the farthest end of the clearing. “We’ll be out of the way of the planes and helicopters, but close enough just in case we need to get a ride closer to the South Sister.”

  Morrissey’s eyes bugged as he realized Carr had communicated mentally with Lily. “You really are the Consort to the Talisman. I just thought…”

  Carr glared at him. “What did you think?”

  “Uh, well, …” Morrissey shook his head. “Forget I said anything.”

  “You doubted the prophecy was real. A lot of us were told it was myth,” Donovan said. “Carr and Lily are the real deal. The Prophecy of the Book of Sorhineth is happening. There is no doubt. We wouldn’t be here if they weren’t a Talismanic couple. And now we’ll do what we came to do.” Donovan called out, “Mark?”

  “Yeah, boss?” Mark came to Donovan’s side.

  “Get one of the survival tents and kits from the jet and set up camp for Lily and Carr at the far end of the airfield, at that outcropping of rocks Lily indicated. Make sure they have water and emergency rations.”

  “Got it.” Mark hurried back to the jet.

  Donovan turned toward him and Lily. “Carr, what else will you need?”

  “Mark and one of the other Protectors as guards for our perimeter.” He thought about how close the security should be, then considered Lily’s modesty, and doubled the perimeter. “Have Mark keep people at least forty yards away from us. The rock formation at our back should take care of any approaches from that direction.” He snuggled Lily’s trembling body closer to his to absorb some of the excess quake energy she was even now instinctively processing. “While we work, we’re not aware of our physical surroundings.” In other words, they would be helpless if someone decided to attack them.

  “You got it.” Donovan set off after Mark.

  “You’re already working, aren’t you, Lily?” Morrissey commented. “I feel you opposing the energy, but I’m not sure how you do it.”

  “She can’t answer right now, Professor.” Carr massaged the small of Lily’s aching back. “I can tell you that she takes in the energy, processing it through her Earth Keeper essence and then dissipates it into harmless liquefaction areas, empty spaces, or other more stable faults. But exactly how her essence does it is a mystery to us both.”

  Lily sagged against him. Her eyes closed and her breathing so shallow the only reason he knew she still breathed was through his connection to her. “Excuse us. I need to get Lily in the tent and lay her down. Working the quake takes a toll on her physically. Whatever your other Keepers can do to help knock down the quake will help.”

  “I’ve already deployed Earth and Fire Keepers to each Sister,” Morrissey replied. “I have a core group here. We’ll supplement your work the best we can using traditional Terran methods. May Gaia and the gods bless us all.”

  “Amen to that.” Carr swept Lily into his arms and strode after Mark, Donovan, and the other Protector they’d drafted into guard duty.

  Tuesday, 5:45 a.m. (PST), outside of Eugene, Oregon.

  After a long jet ride and three time zone changes, Darcy reached the Eugene, Oregon airport where his father awaited him with a rented vehicle.

  Once they were on the road, heading for the Three Sisters area, Darcy pushed the rental Hummer to ninety miles an hour. He was very aware of his father’s tension. It hung in the car’s atmosphere like a thick wet blanket. It suffocated him so much he popped the sunroof and then pushed the car’s speed to one hundred.

  “Darcy, must you drive so fast?” His father’s voice quavered.

  He glanced over to his unwanted passenger and smirked. His father gripped the sissy bar, the knuckles on his hand white with the strain. Dear old Dad must not like Darcy’s need for speed on the twisting mountain roads.

  “You didn’t have to come, Father.” Darcy gripped the steering wheel so hard he’d probably leave dents. “I can handle retrieving Lily and eliminating Madoc all by myself.”

  “I don’t doubt that, son,” Ben said, his voice shaking. “But Brody wanted me along to ensure you would follow his instructions to the letter.”

  “What? Is he afraid I’ll keep Lily?” he sneered. “Well, he’s right, I will. What can he do to me clear across the country? I’m out of the reach of his powers.”

  “He has your mother.”

  The pregnant silence in the vehicle was only broken by engine and road noise. Darcy wasn’t even sure either of them took a breath.

  Finally, he turned to look at his father. “How could you let him take Mom?”

  Darcy despised his cowardly, ass-kissing father with everything in him, but he adored his mother. She was the only person in his life who’d loved and cared for him unconditionally. He’d kill or be killed to protect her.

  “I had no choice.” Ben shook his head, his eyes moist. “Brody’s men came in the middle of the night. They terrorized us.” He paused, choking back tears. “They tied me to a chair, forced me to watch as they hurt her. They tied her to the bed, then they…” His father gasped, tears streaming down his face. “If we don’t report in regularly … they’ll … they’ll hurt her worse.”

  “Shit. Damn.” Darcy pounded the steering wheel, wishing it were Brody’s face under his fists, or his yellow-bellied father’s.

  If the bastard Brody had threatened his father, Darcy easily could’ve ignored it. He hated the old fucker, but his mother? No, he couldn’t leave her in Brody’s hands. So, he needed to figure out a way to save his mother and keep Lily. And if he had to kill anyone who got in his way, he would.

  Darcy turned to his father. “You’re useless. Ya know that, old man?”

  “Maybe.” Ben sighed. “Brody knew you’d try to double-cross him. He always knows where to apply the pressure.”

  Strained silence reigned in the vehicle. His father broke it first. “Darcy? Son? What are you going to do?”

  “I’m going to get Lily Redfern, take care of Madoc, then…” He snarled under his breath and gripped the wheel so he wouldn’t kill his father because the old man might be of some use, though the gods only knew how. “Then we’ll rescue Mom.”

  “Darcy! Brody will know. He’ll kill us all.”

  He threw a disgusted glare at his father. “How can he know? He’s clear across the country in New York State.” At his father’s absolute silence, he snapped out, “What haven’t you told me?”

  “They hurt her, showed me what would be done to her if we didn’t stay in touch.” His old man gasped in a sobbing breath. “Then they took her to New York—to Brody’s estate.”

  “Great, just great.” Darcy swallowed anything else he might have said to his father. What could he do about it now? Nothing. Letting out an angry growl, he said, “We’ll get Lily and then go to New York to rescue Mom.” He turned to his father. “There’s no way I’m letting that bastard hurt Mom or take Lily away from me, do you hear me?”

  “Yes, son.” His father shrank in his seat.

  He glanced at his old man and anger swelled within him. Before he could stop himself, he backhanded the coward across the face, splitting his lip. “You don’t believe I can do it. Damn you! You’ve never believed in me. Only Mom did. Well, fuck you. I’m the strongest member of this family. And the gods know, I got all the good genes from Mom and not your wimpy ass.”

  Darcy took several deep, slow breaths. He had to regain control. “Just make the reports to Brody like the dutiful little butt-kisser you are. I’ll handle the evil bastard when the time comes. I’ll rescue Mom. As for you, after this is over, if Mom still wants you, I’ll stay quiet. But if she even hints she wants to be rid of you, you’ll be gone. Do you hear me?”

  “Yes, son.”

  “Good. Now, where in the hell did your old friend Morrissey say he was set up?”

  “They put the headquarters at the only airfield near the town of Sisters.”

  “Well, that helps me a whole bunch.” Not.

  “I have the GPS coordinates.” His father pulled out his phone and pulled up an app.

  “Can you manage to program them into the Hummer’s GPS system?” sneered Darcy.

  “Yes, son. That I can do.”

  He detected no sarcasm in his father’s response. Good. He had the old man cowed. He didn’t want dear old Dad to think for himself. Royal fuckups occurred when his father tried to think.

  They were lucky that Morrissey, a foul old bastard of a Terran, and unfortunately as honest as the day was long, maintained a lifelong friendship from his schooldays with his old man. If the good professor knew his old school friend had gone over to the Destroyer side, they’d never have gotten the inside track on where Lily would be.

  “It’s programmed.” Ben hit the plotting button. The route lit up on the on-board mapping system. “Looks like we are about seventy-eight miles from Sisters, Oregon, which is the gateway to the Three Sisters Wilderness. Yes, the airport is on the map.”

  “Good. We’ll get there, find Lily, and leave. They’ll be too busy dealing with the seismic activity to worry about people coming and going.”

  “Uh, son,” Ben mumbled.

  Darcy glanced at the map, noting his next turn was coming up soon. “What?”

  “Wouldn’t they have the area cordoned off?” Ben hemmed and hawed, then said, “If the area has the potential of volcanic activity, they’d evacuate all unnecessary people.” His father stared out the front of the car. “Look at the traffic heading away from the Cascades. They’ll probably have roadblocks to turn people away.”

  “Then, Father, you’ll throw your KOTE weight around and tell them we’re coming in at Morrissey’s request. Won’t you?”

  “I guess so.”

  “You guess so? Mom’s life depends on us getting Lily, so you’ll tell the most convincing story of your life, or you’ll die.”

  “Yes, of course I will. I love your mother, never doubt that, Darcy.”

  “Well, it didn’t sound like it there for a moment.”

  “I forgot … the stress. I’m not used to it the way you are.”

  “Well, get used to it and do it fast. People who can’t keep up get left behind.”

  A few miles later, Darcy slowed for a roadblock. The fact that it was this far out from the volcanoes just underlined the urgency for them to get in and get out before all hell broke loose. Even he could feel the tremors, and he was only an Earth Protector.

  “You’re on, Father. Make it good. Mom’s life—and yours—depends on your lies.”

  CHAPTER 16

  Tuesday, 8:45 a.m. (EST) KOTE Hurricane Response Team, headquartered near Gulf Shores, Alabama.

  Autumn leaned over Trent’s shoulder as he tracked the incoming storm on a computer screen assigned to them. They’d been put to work immediately upon their arrival. With all the natural disasters popping up around the globe, all volunteers were welcome.

  She’d chosen to stay close to Trent. When his amulet appeared that would be her cue to act. At the moment, the Air and Water Keeper teams in the region seemed to be handling the storms as best as could be expected.

  Around them, the Keeper-Protector teams spoke in hushed voices, heads bent over computer monitors and communications equipment, following their own lines of investigation concerning the incoming hurricanes and coordinating the efforts on the ground, in the air, and at sea to diffuse them. It was 21st century technology meeting ancient Terran elemental skills. With information from the monitoring devices, the Keepers in the field were delicately altering ground and atmospheric conditions so as to weaken the storm generators of heat and humidity.

  The first of a line of deadly storms had hit Cuba and were now headed to the vulnerable coastlines of Florida’s panhandle, Alabama, and Mississippi, with a projected path to hit New Orleans head-on. The storm had measured as a Category 4 when it made landfall at Cuba. After it passed over the island, it had lost some energy, but picked up strength as it passed over the warm waters of the Gulf.

  “Still a Cat 4 over the Caymans,” a voice shouted out. A pregnant silence filled with too much knowledge settled over the room for a mere second or two, then the white noise of many voices erupted once more.

  “Air Keepers at Cayman Brac couldn’t get a handle on the atmospheric conditions feeding the storm. They lost it.” Trent turned a worried glance toward Autumn.

  “It’ll be a Cat 5 when it hits the U.S.” There was no doubt in her mind.