“Maybe worse,” Trent said.

  That meant one-hundred-fifty-five-plus mile per hour winds and storm surges of eighteen feet or more. Complete coastal devastation would ensue. The tornadoes and straight-line winds generated by the monster storm would create further havoc inland. Wherever the storm went, it would also pour huge amounts of rain and cause devastating flooding.

  Autumn’s hand trembled on Trent’s shoulder. Trent covered her hand, sharing his strength. She brushed a kiss over his cheek. He patted her hand then typed their conclusions about the storm’s escalation into the system. Immediately, an upgraded hurricane warning went out to the local meteorologists who’d post new storm warnings along the coast. Evacuation plans that had been voluntary to this point would now become mandatory.

  She shuddered as a particularly heavy blast of straight-line winds buffeted the heavy metal doors that led to the subterranean military facility taken over by KOTE. A slight change in air pressure made itself felt in every joint in her body. The air grew more humid in the room. Then her ears popped.

  “Will the doors hold if there are tornadoes, Trent?” She glanced around the cavernous room, the only vulnerable part of the room were those doors.

  Trent’s eyes narrowed. “I’m not sure. Are you feeling what I am?”

  “The sense that a tornado is forming. Yes.”

  At her words, the doors flew open. Swirling, violent, hungry winds tore into the room as if they wanted to destroy those who might control them. Equipment was tossed about the enclosed room in mini-cyclonic up-bursts. The danger of being sucked into the updraft and out of the shelter was high.

  The amulet on her chest lit up like a searchlight and almost burned her skin. A quick glance toward Trent’s chest showed his amulet had appeared.

  A sepulchral voice resounded in the room. Air Talisman. Act now. Trust your instincts. You and your Consort have enough ability and power to handle this.

  “Autumn,” Trent shouted as he reached for her with one hand as his other grasped the energy-spitting pendant hanging around his neck. “What the fuck is this? Who was that voice?”

  Gaia has spoken. I am the Air Talisman. You are my Consort. The Prophecies of the Book of Sorhineth are upon us. Together, we’re the only ones who can control the storm. I need you to share your strength with me.

  She only hoped she’d know what to do. She had no clue and had expected detailed instructions from Gaia when the time came. Being thrown into the deep end sucked.

  The Air Keepers in the room struggled to contain the winds but had little to no effect. The tornado generated by the supercells fed by the hurricane conditions was escalating. The wind speed had increased from one hundred mph to one hundred forty mph within seconds and the storm appeared to be in a holding a pattern immediately over the HRT headquarters.

  Get down, Autumn! Trent attempted to push her under a workstation bolted to the floor.

  No, I need to gather the winds. Hold onto me.

  Or at least that was what her instinct told her she needed to do.

  Buffeted by the powerful wind, she stood with Trent’s arms around her waist. He fought the wind to hold her to his solid male strength; she knew he would never let go.

  Autumn raised her arms and opened them as wide as she could. It sounded insane, but something inside her told her to draw the winds into her body and to dissipate the wind energy inside the walls of her Talisman psi essence, then release the weakened energy. Logic said she was crazy and that processing the energy would kill her.

  Go with your instincts, Air Talisman, Gaia’s voice whispered through her mind. Trust in my gift to you.

  Trent’s sharp inhalation indicated he’d heard the voice in his mind also. His lips touched her neck and he telepathed, I’ve got your back, love.

  I love you, Trent.

  Their minds and souls were already united; even without the completion of the Power of Three, they were stronger together than apart. They’d live or die together—and since she really hadn’t had a chance to live and make love with her man yet, she planned on surviving.

  Blocking out the chaos in the room, she reached deep inside and found more power than she’d ever dealt with before. All along her back, energy bounced back and forth between her and Trent.

  The wind energy rushed to her, filling the vacuum her body had instinctively created. After all, Nature abhorred a vacuum. As the winds circled within her, strengthened by the addition of Trent’s energy, she beat the storm into submission. As she took in more and more of the violent winds, the calmer the air in the room became. Finally, the air currents swirling in the room died down to a mere breeze.

  Two Protectors rushed to the doors, closed them to keep out the rain.

  Controlling the energy had been bruising but bearable. Now she had to get rid of the excess energy she carried within her body. But how?

  “I have an idea,” Trent whispered. Keeping her within the shelter of his arms, he turned her to face him and took her mouth in a deep, hungry kiss. The excess energy flowed from her into his body where it would be stored deep within him until they needed it in the future.

  The kiss was so deep, so hungry, so sexual, she grew needy with want. Trent’s erection throbbed against her abdomen. She’d like to welcome him into her body, but they had an audience.

  Thank Gaia, her lover had absolute control over his libido. He eased them out of the kiss and then soothed her with nonsense words as he stroked her back.

  We’ll take time to make love later, baby. If I recall correctly, we need to complete the mind-body-spirit connection.

  Yes. And I look forward to it, my love.

  “How can you handle all that power?” she asked after he’d finally calmed them both down.

  “Protectors are made to store energy for later use.” He smoothed a stray hair from her face. “I suspect it’s the reason the Talisman in the Book’s prophecy always have Protector-Consorts. You, my love, can process and manipulate energy, but you can’t store it.”

  “Truth.” She brought his face to hers and kissed him, tasting the sizzle of the power he’d just absorbed. “As long as it doesn’t hurt you.”

  “It won’t.” He touched his forehead to hers. “I also suspect we can generate extra energy, if needed.”

  “How?” she asked, her brow creased.

  He grinned. “I’ll show you later. I studied the Book of Sorhineth as I was growing up. Since I was only half-Terran, I hungered for the heritage I only shared half of.”

  “You’re all Terran now.” At his curious glance, she added, “You are the Consort to the Air Talisman. In my book, or any book, that makes you all Terran, no matter your birth. And you’ve always been all man.”

  Trent smiled. “Is there any wonder why I love you so much?”

  “Back at you.” She stroked the stubble on his cheek. “I also studied the Book. I also recall reading about the benefits of the union of mind-body-spirit. I can’t think of any man I’d want to be bound to other than you.”

  While they’d been talking—and kissing—the Terrans in the room had encircled them. Their faces held a mixture of awe and disbelief. Glances flew between her and Trent’s torsos where their amulets continued to spit colored sparks and glow white-hot. And the Protectors and Keepers had obviously heard Gaia’s call to arms as Trent’s amulet had appeared.

  A supernatural voice that drowned out the roar of a tornado was always memorable and shocking.

  The head of the KOTE HRT approached them. “Mrs. Brody—”

  “Call me Autumn, never Mrs. Brody. Mrs. Brody is … no more,” she said.

  “Autumn … I’ve never seen anything like that,” the director said. “It usually takes a full team to handle atmospheric pressure of that magnitude. We were barely keeping ahead of it, in fact, were failing miserably. The monitors indicate you shut down the major supercells feeding the tornadoes.”

  “It’s the prophecy,” an older Air Keeper shouted out. “Didn’t you hear the voice, man? Look at the amulets. She is the Air Talisman, and he is her Consort.”

  The Terrans murmured prayers of thanks to Gaia. The feeling in the room was one of hope and joy.

  The director reached for a phone. “I’ll inform KOTE headquarters in San Francisco of the Air Talisman’s arrival. Donovan Callahan needs to know as soon as possible.”

  “They probably already know,” the same elder said from the back of the room. “The Book writes the history as it happens.”

  “I’ll call them anyway,” the director said. “KOTE will want to figure out how to best use Autumn and Trent’s partnership in the fight against the Destroyers.”

  “The hurricane hitting this area has already been downgraded to a Category 2 with just what they did a short while ago,” another Terran offered as he checked his monitor. “If she can get to where the main pressure imbalances are occurring in the Atlantic, she might be able to shut these storms off completely. We can control what slips through before that, but the storms are lined up and training over the Atlantic and will eventually hit this area again.”

  “Autumn,” Trent looked her in the eyes, his expression serious, “you up for this?” I won’t allow you to harm yourself, if you’re not.

  “I’m not sure,” she answered aloud.

  In her heart she knew, Trent would take her away and protect her from everything that might harm her. He’d never judge her harshly if she said she’d had enough, but she would.

  “But I’ll do it. I have to—” She cupped his jaw, smoothing her thumb along the muscle tensed with his need to protect her. “This is what I … we … are meant to do. All our lives have led to this point in time. I won’t fail the faith Gaia has placed in us.”

  “Then neither will I,” he said. I love you and will always go wherever you go.

  I know you will. She laid her head on his chest and reveled in his strength and love for her.

  Tuesday, 1 p.m. (PST), Sisters, Oregon.

  “That’s great news, Claire.” Donovan waved Brenna, Mark, and Lily and Carr over. Lily and her consort had just left their tent after taking a much-needed rest break. He put the call on speaker phone. “We’re holding our own here. If I can get away, I might fly to the Gulf to meet Autumn and Trent.”

  “Trent is certain Brody will send assassins after them,” Claire said. “Right now, they’ll be okay since they’re heading out to the Atlantic to control the atmospheric conditions feeding the hurricanes.”

  “After Autumn and Trent get the hurricanes under control and stabilize the Gulf’s weather conditions, have them go to San Francisco. We can protect them from Brody better there,” Donovan said.

  “Okay, uh … is Mark there?” Claire sniffed audibly then blew her nose. Loudly.

  He and the others chuckled. Mark grinned. His love for Claire shone from his eyes.

  “Yes, and he’s about ready to clock me if I don’t hand over the phone and give you two some privacy to do whatever it is you two do on the phone all the time.”

  Mark snatched the phone from Donovan and flicked off the speaker phone. “We don’t do whatever, boss. We have phone sex.”

  Donovan laughed and snuggled Brenna snuggled against his side.

  Brenna poked him in the stomach with a finger. “We need to try that sometime.”

  “What?” He looked down at the top of his wife’s curls lying against his shirt. He nuzzled her.

  “Phone sex, silly,” she tilted her head back. “Sounds like fun.”

  He snorted and took her mouth in a deeply satisfying kiss.

  “Get a room, you two,” Mark said. “And privacy, people?”

  The two couples moved away from Mark, already crooning love words to Claire over the phone.

  Donovan turned his mind back to the business at hand. The Gulf Coast was under control—for now. Obviously, the Air Talisman and her Consort thought they could fix the imbalance in air systems. Claire had sent an email which had included a report from the director of the KOTE Hurricane Response Team. The report had been extremely optimistic that with the Air Talisman’s help the HRT’s Air Keepers could keep the lid on the worst of the storms and damage. To the humans, it would look like an active hurricane season and not something extraordinary.

  The situation with the geologic activity here in Oregon concerned him more. He worried about the effect on Lily and Carr. Between the volcanic outpouring of energy and the energy transmitted by the grinding of tectonic plates and slippage faults, they had to deal with forces far exceeding those of windstorms.

  “Lily?” Donovan looked at her and Carr, who hadn’t been more than arm’s length from her since they’d reached Oregon.

  The Earth Talisman looked at him; there was weariness in her eyes, in her entire demeanor.

  Were they putting too much pressure on her, both literally and figuratively?

  Then Carr wrapped Lily in his arms and a glow suffused the two of them, a nimbus of pure white light spreading outward from their bodies for at least two feet and growing, in all directions.

  Donovan gasped as the heat from the bright light touched him. He stepped away, taking Brenna with him, shielding her more fragile human body from the power.

  “What is that?” his wife said. “It burns, but in a good way.”

  “Carr is supplying me with energy.” Lily turned into her lover’s embrace and the range of the light doubled. “It’s amazing. He senses when I need it and just gives.”

  “Instead of resting, you’ve been using energy all the time we’ve been standing here.” It wasn’t a question.

  With a new certainty, Donovan realized he hadn’t noticed the minor temblors routinely swarming the Sisters’ area since Lily and Carr had arrived on-site.

  “Yes,” Lily said. “I’m trying to stay ahead of the tectonic build-up in the hope we can keep the pressure off the volcanoes. The other Keepers are mimicking my technique with the two northern Sisters, and it is helping somewhat. I’m taking the brunt of the pressure from the South Sister.” She turned a worried glance toward the three volcanoes looming over the small ski town. “The pyroclastic blast from any one of those three would take out this area and make it a wasteland just as Mt. St. Helens did to a part of Washington back in the late 20th century.”

  The four of them stood in silence and stared at the majestic peaks until Mark rejoined them. He handed the sat phone to Donovan. “What’s wrong?” He swept a glance over them and then to the volcanoes. “Are things worse? Or better? I haven’t felt any shaking for quite a while.”

  Lily shook her head, the grim look on her face telling Donovan all he needed to know. “Your strategy isn’t working is it, Lily?” he said.

  “No. I sense a great amount of pressure from magmatic intrusion under the southernmost Sister. It’s increasing. It will blow unless we can stop it.”

  Donovan recalled that the South Sister was the youngest of the three and wasn’t considered extinct. It had last erupted around 50 B.C. This portending eruption demonstrated just how much out of balance Earth was.

  Lily swayed and Carr swept her into his arms. “Let’s go back to our luxurious canvas abode, baby, and get comfortable. I want you to, um, rest—and absorb more energy before we need to knock that mother down.”

  Lily blushed.

  “We’ll maintain the established perimeter, Carr.” Donovan rushed to reassure them and spare Lily any more blushes.

  Brenna pinched him over his ribs and whispered, “You are embarrassing her, you moron.”

  Mark turned his head, choking back a laugh. Donovan wasn’t sure if it was because Brenna had upbraided him or because Carr glared at the two of them on Lily’s behalf.

  “No, it’s okay, Brenna.” Lily’s gaze was fixed on Carr’s chin. “It’s not as if everyone doesn’t know what … we’ll be, um, doing.”

  Brenna glared at the two men standing with her. “Men are—”

  “Pigs?” Donovan suggested with a grin.

  “I was thinking of Neanderthal throwbacks,” Brenna said, “but pigs work for me.”

  Donovan noted Lily smothering a smile against Carr’s throat.

  Carr said, “This whole … thing has been hard for Lily. Now, me? I’m of the pig or throwback mentality.” He waggled his eyebrows then let out a grunt when Lily punched him on the shoulder. He laughed, kissing the top of her head, then strode with her held tightly against his chest toward their tent.

  Morrissey joined Donovan and the others. “They gonna be okay?” the older man asked, staring after the couple.

  Donovan held Brenna closely. “I hope so, for all our sakes.”

  Carr placed Lily on the air mattress provided for their comfort. He much appreciated the silky sheets and thick blankets added to the makeshift bed, for Lily’s sake. So far in their short acquaintance, he’d made love to her on the astral plane amongst the dirt and upheaval of a violent Midwestern quake, on an airplane, and in a tent on a volcanic ground zero. Maybe later, once they completed their roles here, he could find a luxurious suite of rooms and make love to her in a real bed. Room service and a spa-like bathroom would also be nice. He wanted to pamper Lily, protect her from the brutality and harshness of life, even if only for a day or so.

  “Carr?” She stroked a finger along his jaw line.

  He shivered. Such a light touch, yet it had his erection as hard as a steel pike in a split-second.

  “It’s all right, darling,” she said. “Your lovemaking is special no matter where we are.”

  “You’re reading me more easily.” He stripped her, craving the feel of her skin even though it had only been less than an hour ago when they’d last made love.

  “Yes.” She arched so he could unhook her bra. Her breasts rubbed his chest, moving his amulet. Sparks flew from his pendant to hers, adding small flashes, all colors of the rainbow, to the white nimbus surrounding them. “The more we touch, the stronger our connection gets.” She shuddered. “Carr … there’s another set of strong quakes making their way to the surface.”

  As she processed the surge of seismic energy, he urged her to relax into the bedding. Stroking her tense jaw with one hand, he unbuttoned his denim shirt with the other. He needed to maintain contact with her body; the thought of being separate from her in any way was abhorrent.