The Draykon Series (1-3)

Orlind: Chapter Thirty-One

Ever since Llandry had arrived in Orlind, the thrumming energies of the place had kept a perpetual buzzing sense of explosive energy running through her. It was not unlike the heightened alertness and heart-pounding dread she suffered in one of her fits of anxiety; her body was unable to cope with the interference and it did not react well. Throughout Eva's conversation with Galywis, she had been obliged to keep part of her mind on the struggle to stay calm and in control of her breathing and her trembling limbs.

Then a jolt had shot through the floor, a powerful burst of energy that sent her rocking back on her feet, almost tumbling to the ground. Her heart had jumped in tandem and now pounded harder than ever. She couldn't breathe and was rapidly growing dizzy.

Pensould's hands steadied her as she swayed. He whispered a few words of comfort, which helped, although she could sense that neither he nor Ori were in any better state. Tren and Eva's confidence in them was gratifying but also alarming. How could they prevail in any confrontation when the very measures Krays took to subdue Orlind had such a powerfully negative impact on the three of them as well?

But they would have to manage, for she doubted not that Krays's arrival was the reason for the additional disturbance. A second jolt shook the building again, harder this time, and she had to cling to Pensould to remain upright.

For some minutes a palpable sense of panic reigned in the corrupted Library. They weren't ready, weren't prepared; they'd only just arrived at some degree of understanding about Krays's motives and had only the vaguest idea how to combat his methods. Further, the extent of the possible consequences appalled and frightened her.

She looked across to where Eva was helping a recumbent Tren to his feet. 'Eva, do you have a plan?'

'Stick together, for a start,' she said, looking around for Ori. 'Galywis, if you can keep him from finding your energy devices that would be a big help.'

Galywis had hitherto been more frightened than any of them as his beloved "old girl" shook around him, but at Eva's words he snapped back to alertness. 'I'll do that!' he cried as the greenhouse dissolved. The Library rushed through three Changes in as many seconds, flashing from a laboratory to a reading room to a kitchen back to a greenhouse with disorienting speed. By the time the Library settled again, Galywis had disappeared.

'Time for an experiment,' Eva said, lunging across the shivering floor to grab Llandry's hand. 'If contact with draykon bone is enough to amplify my draykon side, I should get the same effect if I keep in contact with one of you.' Llandry blinked as a statue of Eva appeared a few feet away, made from solid gold and wearing an ironic expression. 'Theory confirmed,' Eva said, and the statue went away again.

'I want one of those in our house,' Tren told her.

'If you're good for the next hour or so. Llan, please keep with Tren. Ori too. Make sure he can reach one of you at all times. Pensould, you're with me if you have no objection.'

Llandry didn't like being separated from Pensould, but Eva's strategy was sound. Pensould was the strongest and could support Eva alone; Tren would do better with both Llandry and Ori to help him.

'We'd better get out of this building,' Ori said, eyeing the increasingly unstable floor with misgiving.

'Seconded,' Eva said. 'Run!'

They hastened for the greenhouse's misted glass walls, and as they approached no less than three doors blossomed in the transparent surface.

'That's a waste,' Eva said curtly as they passed through. 'Pense, please keep in contact with the others in that draykon fashion you have. We'll need to coordinate better.'