Oceans of Red
Volume Two
By
Willow Cross
Copyright 2011 Willow Cross
Smashwords Edition
Smashwords Edition, License Note
This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
Dedication
For Amanda Wimer, Amanda Sheffer, Brittany Carrigan, Katie-bear, and Heather Badgwell. My think tank, the world’s greatest Admins, and the best group of cheerleaders a person could ask for. Thanks for everything you do! You are more than just appreciated, you are also loved.
Acknowledgements
A special thank you to Fidas, Angie, Rhonda, Jill, and Irene for taking the time out of their busy lives to beta read for me. You guys rock!!!!!
Oceans of Red
Volume Two
Chapter One
Shane shoved an errant strand of raven hair behind her ear, pushed her shoulders back, and tried to make her four foot eleven frame look as intimidating as possible. “Open the door, Dave. I have an errand to run.”
A spindly, pale-faced young man peered at her through the view screen. “Code red lockdown, Shane. You know I can’t do that.”
She cleared her throat and cocked her head to the side. “Who do you think told me to run the errands, you idiot? Unlock and open. He’s all over my hump about it.”
“Not without confirmation.”
She let out a deep sigh and hoped her father hadn’t had time to change the previous day’s code sequence. “Alpha, tango, sixer, sixer, nine, alpha.”
His face left the screen for a moment and she heard the clicking of a keyboard. Within seconds he returned. “Good to go. Be careful out there.”
Shane took a step towards the door as it slid open before returning to the screen. “Hey, can you do me a big favor?”
“Probably.”
“Could you possibly check the radar for today’s weather? I have to go across town and don’t want to get caught in a storm.”
“No problem. Just a sec.”
As soon as the clicking began, a dark shadow slid under the camera and sprinted out the front door. Shane waited patiently for Dave to give her the all clear and followed behind.
***
Shane stepped through the door and was immediately yanked to the side. “What the—“
“Shh.” Remy answered pointing to the surveillance camera mounted on the side of the building.
“Well, duh. What do you take me for?”
Remy put her index finger to her lips and motioned for her sister to move across the parking lot towards the dumpsters. With a little luck, Dave’s all seeing eyes would be on Shane and she could slip around the building unnoticed.
Shane smiled, and using her best strut, headed across the lot.
Biting her lip, Remy stifled a laugh. Poor Dave. If she puts any more sway in those hips, she’s going to throw one out!
Remy slipped along the side of the building. Reaching the edge, she waited for a thick patch of fog to disappear into. Daelen, if you’re out there, I could use some help.
As if on cue, the haze thickened, swirling in dark grey patterns in front of her. She sped across the alley and down the side of the next building before making her way back around to her sister. Within a few feet of the dumpster, Remy saw a large shadow hunched over a smaller one. For just a moment, a twinge of fear pinched her chest. The larger shape towered over her little sister. Remy tensed, ready to launch into the massive shadow.
A soft giggle erupted in the quiet swirling fog.
Pent up air expelled from her lungs and she allowed her shoulders and arms to relax. Unbelievably, he was there. It had to be Daelen. “Things have gone way past weird now,” she muttered.
“About time,” Shane said as Remy stepped into view.
Surveying the two, Remy nodded. “Okay, I’m here. Now what?”
A smile broke over his chiseled face. “I expected you to be alone. This little doll,” he said touching the tip of Shane’s nose, “complicates things just a bit.”
The young girl burst into giggles at the intimate touch.
Remy cleared her throat and cast a disapproving glare at Shane. “How so?”
His smile widened. “Well, we can’t take her with us, and we can’t leave her out here to fend for herself. I’d say that’s a bit of a complication, wouldn’t you?”
Shane’s face wrinkled into a scowl. “Hey! I can take care of myself. Besides, I can help. You don’t know what we’ve been able to do. Watch this.” Eyebrows drawn together, she concentrated on the powerfully built man in front of her. As the seconds ticked by, small veins in her forehead began to pulsate. Beads of perspiration formed around her hairline.
Daelen made a ticking noise with his mouth. “Give up little one. You’re going to hurt yourself.”
“What gives? Levitating my brother is no problem, and you aren’t much bigger than he is.”
“Your brother isn’t a Druid,” he answered.
Remy let out a sigh of relief. “Well that settles it then. I’m not either. She lifted me with no trouble. Held me against a wall and everything. You’ve got the wrong girl.”
This time it was Daelen’s eyebrows that drew together. “Interesting. Show me.”
Before Remy could protest, Shane lifted her sister a foot off the ground and giggled.
“Yeah. Yeah. It’s funny. We get it. Now put me down.”
Looking from one to the other, Daelen said, “Well ladies, it’s best we get going. It seems I have some issues to sort out and looks like I’ll be needing both of you.”
Feet firmly on the ground, Remy placed her hands on her hips. “Look, she’s not going anywhere. And I don’t see why I should either. That dream trick was real cool, but I’m not what you think I am. Shane just proved it.”
Daelen’s eyes twinkled as he spoke. “Oh you most certainly are, and this little darling is much more than she seems. Whatever is going on with her is something that warrants looking into.”
“Daelen?” Shane asked quietly.
“Yes, little one?”
“Our brother has the same power as I do. Shouldn’t he be coming too?”
“Hell no!” Remy insisted.
“Oh, stop it. You’re being ridiculous. Of course Greg should go. I thought the whole point of this was to level the playing field?”
“Girls, I hate to intervene in a family quarrel, but this isn’t the most suitable time or place. For now, it’ll be just us three. Once I have some answers, we can return for Greg.”
“I haven’t agreed to go yet, and Shane is definitely not going.”
Standing between the two girls, Daelen nodded and smiled. Placing a hand on each of their shoulders, he said, “Take a deep breath.” Before either could answer, they were encompassed by darkness and pressure, followed by a feeling of weightlessness. It was over almost as abruptly as it had begun.
“What the hell was that?” Remy yelled as her vision blurred with pinpoints of light. She shook her head and repeatedly blinked her eyes. “What did you do to us?”
Shane gasped. “Uh, Rem?”
The dots clouding her vision diminished and Remy’s jaw dropped. They were surrounded by trees. Some very tall and others squat and full, but all were covered in thick clusters of red berries. Scattered throughout the glade grew large leafed plants with long spindles of red flowers shooting up through the center. Layered between these, smaller bell-shaped pink blooms peaked through, giving off an enticingly sweet scent. Remy sucked in her breath. “It looks like—“
“The garden of Eden,” Shane finished for her. Spinning, she faced Daelen. “These are Rowan and Hawthorns. Where are we?”
Daelen turned and looked questioningly at Remy. “Where are we? What does your instinct tell you?”
Remy closed her eyes and immediately knew. Opening them, tears welled in the corners. “We are home,” she whispered.
Once again Shane’s mouth opened. Her chin moved up and down as if trying to speak, but no words would come.
Catching the shocked look on her sister’s face, Remy turned and swiped one lone tear from her cheek. She moved across the small glade, reached out, and ran the silky pink petal of a bell shaped flower between her thumb and forefinger. “What is this? It’s beautiful.”
Daelen moved behind her answering softly, “It’s Butterwort. They grow wild here in the west and are dwindling quickly. Humans have encroached on nature to the point that many species are dying out.”
Quietly, the girls took in the beauty of the small glade. A low grunt drew their eyes to the eastern edge of the clearing. Enormous brown eyes with thick long lashes peered at them under a wide antler rack. The rust colored deer snorted as if in greeting, before stepping through the trees.
“Well, there you are. Not much of a watcher now, are you? It’s okay, you’re here now,” Daelen said as he moved towards the massive animal.
It bobbed its head and snorted again, pawing the ground with one hoof. Daelen ran his hand down its side. “Well done old friend. This is Remy, and the little one is her younger sister, Shane.”
Shane let out a giggle. “You have a watch deer?”
Flourishing his hand to the side, he gave her a low bow. “But of course. Only the best for a druid compound.”
The young girl’s cheeks transformed from the usual lily white, to pink.
Remy eyed the two of them with consternation. Although she didn’t have the slightest clue how old Daelen was, he was definitely too old for her sister. “Ahh Humm. If you two are done playing the dating game, I suggest we move this along. Daelen, spill it. What are we doing here? How did you bring us here? And what exactly is your plan?”
He smirked as his mesmerizing blue orbs met hers. “In time, dear Remy. It’s just a short jaunt to the cottage. You remember the cottage don’t you?” Without another word, he spun on his heel and briskly walked into the woods.
Shane smiled excitedly at her sister. “Come on, Rem. This is outta this world cool, and you know it.”
“It’s outta this world something.” Remy answered. For a moment Shane’s smile faded. “Oh all right, but stay close to me. And quit flirting with him! He’s probably old enough to be our father.”
Chapter Two
Although the outside of the cottage felt familiar to her, the inside was identical to the place she’d visited in her dream. Remy moved around the table and chairs to the shelved books against the walls. The titles, smells, and even feel of the bindings were the same.
While the girls investigated the living area, Daelen pulled a cast-iron swinging arm from the center of the fireplace, and hung a large cauldron made of the same material from it. After stoking the fire, he meticulously added ingredients from glass jars shelved along the wall next to the fireplace.
“What are you doing?” Remy asked, coming up behind him.
“Preparing your first lesson.”
She cocked her head to the side. “I’ll be wanting those answers now, if you please.”
He continued adding more dried herbs to the pot and smiled without looking at her. “In time, dear Remy.”
Arms crossed over her chest she returned, “No. Now.”
Daelen’s shoulders shuddered with his barely audible snicker.
Across the room, Shane watched as Remy’s body tensed. Her sister’s head rolled first to one side and then the other. “Um, Rem,” Shane cautioned.
Too late. Remy’s hand latched on to his shoulder and spun him around. In a flash it repositioned over his collar bone as her thumb dug in sharply. “I said now,” she repeated through gritted teeth.
His eyes sparkled with mirth. The broad smile never faltered. “Well that went swimmingly. And I thought you’d do so much better.”
“What the hell is wrong with you? What are you talking about?” Her hand dropped to her side.
Daelen pulled a chair from the table and motioned for her to sit.
She glared at him, refusing to move, while one foot began tapping on the floor.
“Have it your way.” He shrugged and moved to sit on the opposite side. Patting the chair beside him, he winked at Shane.
After glancing at her sister, she joined him.
“Look, you need to cut out the guru crap and tell us what is going on. You’ve invaded my dreams, managed to control fog, and somehow moved us to the other side of the planet. I think it’s way past time for some answers. We don’t even know you. You’re asking a lot here.”
For once, his smile dissipated and a serious expression took over. Motioning for her to take a seat, he said, “Lesson number one: Patience. Nothing worth accomplishing should be executed in haste. Lesson number two: Violence is the last resort. Always. Why use the force of the body when the mind has a greater more encompassing power? Bodies give out and grow weak. A well-honed mind will outlast even the strongest of adversaries.”
Remy sighed and rolled her eyes. “I thought I said enough with the—“
“I know. Guru crap, right?” Daelen laughed.
Shane placed a hand over his. Hers appeared childlike in contrast. Eyes pleading, she said, “Please tell us why we’re here, and how this is going to help?”
Patting Shane’s hand, he motioned to the chair beside Remy. “If you would be so kind?”
“Fine.” She plopped into the chair and scooted it closer to the table.
Daelen’s smile returned. Meeting her gaze, he began, “Our race is ancient. With each death a new druid is supposed to be born. Our bloodlines do not always pass down through our children. Should both parents have druidic heritage, then the chances of a child being born with the correct qualifications are much higher. It is probable that one of your ancestors held the druid fire within and passed it along to you.”
“What is druid fire?” Shane asked.
He leaned toward her, winked, and whispered, “Magic, my sweet.”
Shane’s eyes grew wide. For just a moment her face resembled the darling eight year-old Remy so fondly remembered. “Magic? Really?”
He laughed, reached out, and tucked a tuft of hair behind her ear. “My dear child, surely after everything you’ve witnessed, you’ve come to realize that science cannot begin to explain all things in the cosmos. There are a multitude of questions science will never answer.”
The young girl cringed a bit at being called a child, but the wonder of what she was learning never left her face. “Maybe not, but only through science have we gained enough knowledge to attain the power I have today.”
“Ah yes, the power. Science did not give you this power. It allowed you to steal it from a race much older than any science known to this world. There is a difference.”
Shane shrugged. “It’s still mine to use. I control it. Without the science behind it, I wouldn’t have it.”
Daelen’s ever present smile faltered. “Control is an illusion that soothes the troubled mind. How do you know you manipulate it instead of the other way around? Levitation can be accomplished by the simplest of minds, if the person understands it. You have not taken the time to learn and understand the power. You use it because you can without any comprehension of how it works.”
Remy rolled her eyes. “Here you go again. Same old, same old. Quit talking guru-speak.”
He nodded and moved his index finger in a circle. A bright blue ring appeared and floated over the center of the table. Although Remy looked less than impressed, Shane’s eyes grew wide as she gasped.
“Another lesson then. This represents time. Most humans think of time as linear. It is not.”
“Einstein’s theory,” Shane interjected.
Daelen sighed. “Yes and no. We are in the center of this circle. Everything that has ever happened, is happening now, and will happen—is occurring simultaneously at this moment. If we bridge the gap between the center and one part of the outside, we can step into any time we desire. It is the same for distance. Once you know how to step over the gap, you can go anywhere or any when. Now watch,” he blew into the ring and it became a sphere. “This is the whole of existence. Many different dimensions all overlapping and occurring at the same time and place. In one dimension, the demons never arrived here. In another, they’ve always ruled. Multiple outcomes for the same event occurring right now, right here, just a layer above or below us. Understand?”