Storm of Arranon Fire and Ice by Robynn Sheahan Page A

being. The white wildfire that swept
from her into Cace smoldered and died. The intense radiance
retreated, and the heat cooled. Blue, green, and purple firelight
once again swirled through her consciousness.
    Alarms from a monitoring room down the
corridor alerted the staff of Cace’s wildly irregular vital signs.
They would come to see what was wrong, and quickly.
    The Anim Blath receded. Their points of
flashing colored lights dimmed and disappeared. The familiar sweet
scent faded, and the room chilled.
    Erynn opened her eyes.
    Cace stared at her. Sweat plastered strands
of dark hair to his face. “I feel…different. What did you do?” His
face was no longer ghostlike. His cheeks had a high, healthy color,
and his breathing was even and smooth. She sensed the erratic
rhythm of his heart skip and then steady, slow and strong.
    She smoothed hair back from his forehead and
smiled. “I didn’t do anything, Cace. I think that medicine of Nev’s
is finally working.”
    He shook his head slowly, his eyes bright and
wide. “No. There’s way more to it.”
    “Maybe.” Erynn glanced to the door. Hurried
footsteps sounded, coming closer. “It was you, Cace. The power is
in you. It’s in all of us, if we believe.”
    He nodded vaguely, grinning. “I understand.
It’s our secret.”
    Erynn stood up and stepped away from the
bed.
    Nev rushed into the room, followed by Maire
and Cace’s mom. Nev’s expression promptly changed from one of
reserved dread to pleasant surprise. “Hey, pal, you look pretty
good. Are you feeling better?”
    Maire began examining Cace before he could
answer.
    “I’m fine. Captain Yager and I were just
talking.” Cace grinned and winked at Erynn.
    Maire glanced up from her exam. She took in a
breath and stared at Nev. “All vital signs are normal. I mean
normal for anyone, not just normal for Cace.”
    Nev reached out and took the readings Maire
handed him. He smiled. “Well, young man, it may be that this new
medicine will be the answer for you.” He handed the readings back
and glanced at Erynn. His smile faltered as his gaze met hers.
“Would you wait in my office, Erynn?”
    “Sure.” She nodded at Cace and grinned. “I’ll
see you later.”
    Cace pushed himself up straight in the bed.
“Promise?”
    Erynn nodded. “I promise.”
     
     
    “Ah, the healing powers of a pretty face.
Much more of that, and you’ll put me out of a job. And that’s not a
bad thing.” Nev stood in the door, arms crossed. He wasn’t
smiling.
    Erynn rose from her chair. “What do you
mean?”
    Nev hooked his thumbs in the pockets of his
jumpsuit and shook his head. “You aren’t going to tell me, are you?
Not anymore than Cace did.”
    She frowned. “What do you want to know?” Her
voice cracked and she cleared her throat. Nev’s light brown hair
had streaks of gold that shone in the light, sparkling. She noticed
the clasp at the back of his neck, his cocha , silver and
blue.
    Like his eyes .
    He stepped in and closed the door, walking
around her to fall heavily into his chair. He rubbed his mouth with
the back of his fingers. “Erynn. Trust me, please. There is more to
you than just dreams and visions. Or being able to fly an
Interceptor like no one else I have ever seen. Or finding a way to
save us all when we had given up hope.”
    “I told you, I had help. It wasn’t me,” Erynn
snapped, glaring down at him. She bit back her anger and sorrow.
“Faylen was the one. He saved us.”
    “Was it you just now, with Cace?” He put his
feet on the corner of the desk and laid his hands over his
stomach.
    “ I didn’t do anything.” Her eyes
narrowed, and she held his gaze.
    He didn’t back down.
    Would he if he knew about me ? Would
he be afraid ?
    A light tap at his door broke the
impasse.
    Nev leaned forward, his feet hitting the
floor with a smack, and he stood up. “Yes.”
    The door opened. Maire’s gaze darted from
Erynn to Nev, and she winced. “I’m sorry, Nev. We’re ready