Walter joined them. “Right. If not for Mardon, we’d be dancing in daisies by now.”
“Trust me or don’t trust me,” Mardon said, “but as it stands, you have a closed portal. Feel free to wait for the reinforcements to arrive. They can’t hurt me.”
Elam moved out of the way. “It feels like trusting the devil himself, but we don’t have much of a choice. Let’s get started.”
Mardon took a hesitant step toward Sapphira, a hand raised. As his fingers drew nearer, he closed his eyes. “The energy field around you is orbiting from your right to your left, and it is concentrated in a dense ring around your waist. In order to counter the magnetism that is blocking the portal, you will have to raise the field to head level so that you can perceive it with your mind. Only then will you be able to manipulate it in a way that affects the magnetic orientation beyond the portal.”
“How do I raise it?” Sapphira asked.
Mardon opened his eyes and set his hands around her waist, as if ready to lift her, though his immaterial fingers merely floated inches away. “Put your hands where mine are, your palms open and against your body. Summon fire and run your hands up your sides as if you were trying to slide an invisible film that is clinging tightly to your frame.” He took a step back. “Try it now.”
Sapphira pressed her palms against her waist. As flames shot out from the edges of her hands, she slid them upward across her battle tunic. If not for the flame-retardant material, the tunic would probably have ignited. “Like this?”
“Yes. Yes. The energy field is already redistributing.” Mardon lifted his hands as if helping Sapphira with the effort. “Repeat the motion until I tell you to stop.”
While Sapphira continued massaging her sides in an upward motion, Ashley kept her eyes trained on Mardon, her brow deeply furrowed. Bonnie slid close to Ashley and whispered, “Are you trying to read his mind?”
Without shifting her stare, she nodded. “I’m not getting anything. His ghost status might make it harder, or his powerful intellect might be blocking me. I’ll keep trying.”
“Is his idea reasonable?”
“Definitely. I’ve studied the spectral trails of portal passages in depth. Nonphysical transport to another realm is possible. Walter and I proved it in the Circles of Seven.”
Bonnie nodded. “So that gives more evidence that Mardon might be telling the truth. Sapphira can open the portal this way.”
Ashley shifted her stare to Bonnie. “Open it? Most likely. But going through it might be dangerous.”
“Will Mardon feel a jolt?”
“I’m not sure, but I think he’s willing to risk it.” Ashley crossed her arms. “It’s no use. I can’t read his mind, but maybe Thomas can sense something.”
“On my way.” Bonnie walked to Thomas and Mariel and crouched in front of them, both still shaded by Gabriel’s wings. Thomas stared toward Mardon, his eyes completely white and unblinking. “Thomas,” Bonnie whispered. “It’s me, Bonnie. Can you sense if Mardon is telling the truth?”
Thomas’s eyelids twitched. “He believes in his theory, so he is not lying. He desperately wants to get to Second Eden, so we can rely on his passion. But can we trust him to rebuild the fire?” He shrugged. “The motivation he provided is suspect. Once he is in Second Eden, why should he care about what will happen to Arramos?”
Mariel’s red eyes flashed. “You’re just parroting what I whispered to you a few seconds ago.”
Thomas jabbed a finger at Mariel. “I was thinking it before you said it. But to prove my worth, I will add counsel.” He reached up toward Bonnie. When she grasped his hand, he whispered, “Mardon’s words are drenched with lovesick sentiment. He loves being with Sapphira. He sees her as his greatest achievement, the crown jewel of his scientific prowess. When he is near her, he feels a sense of accomplishment. His failure to draw Earth and Heaven together fades. The pain of his disfigurement vanishes. I think we can trust him to do what is necessary to bring Sapphira to Second Eden. Let him go without hesitation.”
“I understand,” Bonnie said, “but should we tell Sapphira what you told me?”
“There is no need. She already knows. I sense that she has compassion for Mardon as a daughter has for an errant father. She is wise. We should trust her to sort out her feelings.”
Bonnie patted his hand. “Thank you for your insight.”
“You are quite welcome.” Thomas nudged Mariel with an elbow. “See? I’m more than a parrot.”
Mariel frowned. “You certainly squawk more than a parrot.”
When Bonnie turned to leave, an engine hummed somewhere. She looked up, as did nearly everyone else, but nothing appeared in the sky.
“No!” Mardon snapped at Sapphira. “Keep concentrating. You’re almost ready!”
“Does anyone see a jet?” Elam asked as he pivoted, his gaze upward.
“Nothing.” Billy set a hand on his stomach, the other hand still holding Excalibur. “I don’t sense danger. Maybe it’s just a passing plane.”
“With a transportation lockdown going on? I doubt it.” Elam looked toward the resting dragons. “Do any of you sense danger?”
Makaidos rose to his haunches, Thigocia now at his side. “I sense background danger. It does not feel imminent.”
Gabriel beat his wings and launched straight up. After ascending about a hundred feet, he flew in a slow orbit and called out, “I hear an engine to the east, but it’s getting cloudy in that direction. Can’t see anything.”
At the middle of the field, Sapphira continued sliding her hands upward against her body. Fire splashed from her palms. It seemed that she was stripping flaming layers from her slender frame and throwing them into the sky. An aura emanated from her hair, as if the whiteness in her locks were spreading out in an alabaster glow.
“That’s it!” Mardon shouted. “The energy field is swirling around your head now. Do you sense it?”
Sapphira’s eyes widened. “Yes! I see a wall of rock with a painted compass design.” She blinked rapidly. “I see … I see sparkling ash swirling within a walled-in shelter.”
“That’s my ice storm.” Mardon lifted his hands. “Now use your arms to spin the energy in the opposite direction, from your left to your right. Use the same motion you use when you spin fire to create a portal.”
Sapphira raised her arms and stirred the air. The surrounding aura expanded into a flat, vertical ellipse about four feet across and six feet high. The whiteness faded to transparency. Sparks flew from the edges in a rhythmic pulse.
Bonnie took a step closer. Beyond Sapphira, dirty ice whirled in a frenzy, visible only within the aura. A red compass appeared on a far wall, similar to the one on the floor in Sir Patrick’s mansion, though with far less detail.
“You’ve done it!” Mardon edged closer to the portal. “A superb effort!”
“I see an aircraft!” Gabriel shouted from high above. “It just appeared from behind a cloud to the east.”
“A fighter?” Elam asked.
“Bigger. A transport of some kind. Four propellers. Maybe an A-Four-hundred. It looks like it’s descending toward us. And now I see two more behind it.”
“Likely military transports,” Mardon said, once again wringing his hands. “Soon hundreds of soldiers will arrive with machine guns and heavy armor. I hope I have time to build the fire to allow for transport for the rest of you.”
Gabriel flew down to ground level, breathless. “It’s landing on the highway next to the field. Definitely military. The rear compartment could easily carry fifty troops.” He took off toward the parking lot and called back, “I’ll spy on them from the top of the bleachers.”
Makaidos extended his wings. “Weak or not, we have to force ourselves to be ready.”
Thigocia snorted twin flaming streams. “The three of us should be able to keep them at bay until Mardon builds a fire.”
Roxil raised her head and nodded in agreement. Her flattened
ears made her look angry, or perhaps tired.
“Then I will go now.” Mardon turned toward the portal and leaped through the aura to Sapphira’s left. The barrier sizzled for a moment before settling.
On the Second Eden side, Mardon tumbled to a floor of dark ice. He rose and brushed dirty crystals from his clothes, proving that he had transformed to a physical body. He looked back into the Earth realm. His lips moved but no words came through.
Ashley leaned close to the portal. “I can’t hear him, but I can read his thoughts now. He says there is wood, though much of it is cold and damp.”
Mardon’s lips continued moving while Ashley provided the audio. “A few embers have survived the storm, so I will try to revive them. Although I see Earth, the view is extremely blurry, so I will not be able to tell how you are faring against Arramos’s forces. In order to keep them from seeing through the portal, you might want to close it for now and reopen after I have had time to build the fire.” He disappeared from view.
Elam waved a hand at Sapphira. “Let’s shut it down.”
“Will do.” Sapphira lowered her arms. The aura contracted around her as if her body absorbed the whiteness.
Gabriel flew back from the bleachers and landed next to Elam. “Only about ten troops were on the plane, and they’re carrying automatic weapons. One had an antitank gun, the shoulder-mounted kind. Four more planes and at least three helicopters are on the way, and a red dragon is flying with them. Arramos, I assume. It looks like the first ten troops are waiting for the others to arrive.”
Elam heaved a sigh. “An entire legion to battle a few dragons and several outnumbered humans.”
“Arramos is taking no chances. My guess is he’s staying back until he gets word that the air is clear, because the anti-dragon potion affects him, too.” Gabriel looked toward the parking lot again, skepticism in his eyes. “They’re an undisciplined crew, probably hastily trained.”
Elam looked at Adam and Carly as they knelt on the grass, still working on the computers. “Any chatter on the airwaves?” Elam asked.
Carly shook her head. “Nothing. It’s as quiet as a graveyard.”
“Same with Larry.” Adam touched his lapel clip. “But he’ll let us know if the chatter picks up again.”
Billy clasped Walter’s shoulder. “Walter, Gabriel, Elam. Are you ready to go into guerilla mode?”
“You bet,” Walter said.
The other two men nodded.
“And me.” Adam rose to his feet. “Just tell me what to do.”
“We need a spy.” Billy winked. “You have experience.”
“I can’t deny it.” Adam nodded. “Go on.”
“We’ll strike immediately. With so many troops coming, they won’t expect it, especially since they probably think our dragons are still too weak to fight. Once we take the soldiers out, you’ll put on one of their uniforms, pose as the only survivor when the others show up, and infiltrate. If they’re as untrained as Gabriel thinks, we should be able to pull it off.”
“Makaidos,” Elam said, “will you join us in a raid? The three of you should be able to take out ten of their thugs.”
“With pleasure.” Makaidos snorted a weak spray of sparks. “Say the word.”
“The word is given. Fly ahead of us. If the soldiers begin shooting, then you have permission to strike with deadly force. We’ll be right behind you. And don’t forget that they might have candlestone bullets. Even Thigocia isn’t immune to penetration, and they might also have the weakening potion.”
Billy grasped Walter’s arm. “Go on ahead. I can’t keep up, so don’t slow down for me.”
“We’ll wait for you before the final attack. First we’ll check out their positions and make our plans.” Walter took off toward the bleachers in a quick trot, followed by Elam and Adam. Makaidos, Thigocia, and Roxil vaulted into the air. Their wing beats sent buffeting breezes in their wakes.
Billy handed Excalibur to Bonnie. “They probably have uniforms to protect them from Excalibur, so you take it.” He kissed her tenderly. “I love you. I’ll see you in one world or the other.”
“I love you, too.” Bonnie grasped his hand. As he pulled away, her fingers caressed his until they broke contact. He turned and jogged with a heavy limp, his fists tight.
Bonnie turned toward the portal. Ashley stood near Sapphira, her arms again crossed. “Isn’t it strange that Arramos is coming? We thought he was rounding up children as a way to bring God’s wrath, but now he’s coming here to battle a hopelessly outnumbered little band.”
“The portal,” Bonnie said. “He wants to get his forces into Second Eden.”
“But why is that important to him?”
Bonnie gestured toward the pot in Marilyn’s grasp. “I’m not sure if he knows Clefspeare is just a plant right now, but he might suspect that we have a plan to regenerate him, so Second Eden is his only real vulnerability.”
Ashley looked at the plant with a skeptical frown. “I know Clefspeare is the only dragon powerful enough to defeat Arramos in single combat, but it took only an airborne potion to neutralize three dragons who could defeat him if they battled together. Since Arramos has anti-dragon firepower, what is he worried about?”
“The unknown. Secrets he can’t control. Second Eden is a world of resurrection power, and Arramos doesn’t know what it might generate. Destroy Second Eden, and he can’t lose.”
Ashley’s brow slackened. “True, but he has to know that we’d die before opening the portal for him. He’s too smart to come here without extra leverage. There’s more to his plan than meets the eye. Remember, we’re matching wits with the craftiest being on the planet.”
“Well, you keep chewing on it. I’m going to watch Billy and the others, but I’ll stay in sight. Shout if you need me.”
With Excalibur gripped in both hands, Bonnie took wing, flew to the bleachers, and landed on the top row where a shoulder-high chain-link fence allowed a view of the parking lot and highway. The three dragons were nowhere in sight, maybe on the ground planning an angle of attack.
The ten soldiers stood near the airplane, now on the parking lot. Wearing helmets that masked their faces, they shifted nervously as they watched the sky, weapons at the ready. One held a missile launcher on his shoulder, and a soldier next to him crouched near a bag, perhaps filled with the launcher’s ammunition.
To the east, the other aircraft flew at a low altitude. Still pretty far away, their engines droned at a low pitch. They seemed to be traveling at a slow speed, but they would probably arrive in a few minutes. Surely they would see the coming battle, and if so, Adam wouldn’t be able to pull off the planned charade. Maybe a distraction would turn the eyes of the enemy away.
Bonnie raised Excalibur and summoned the beam. It shot straight into the cloudy red sky. Aiming carefully, she angled the beam and ran it across the closest airplane. Sparks flew. The plane wobbled in flight, though it seemed that no damage resulted. She whipped the beam from one aircraft to another and back again. Each plane and helicopter glowed with sparks, but they flew on, apparently unaffected. Still, the sparks had to be creating a distraction.
She kept waving the beam back and forth as she whispered, “Keep looking at me.”
At the parking lot, Walter, Elam, and Adam ran onto the pavement at the near side, Billy trailing by a few steps. The soldiers aimed rifles and fired. Billy and the others dove low and rolled. The dragons appeared out of nowhere and swooped toward the soldiers. The soldiers shifted their aim to the sky. While bullets pinged off the dragons’ scales, Billy and company stayed low and watched.
One man readied the missile launcher while another helped him load it. The dragons blew balls of fire. The first ball blasted the missile carrier, the second flattened the ammo man. The third bowled into the legs of several soldiers. When the flames struck, their uniforms and helmets glowed red, but most of the soldiers stayed upright and continued firing. The dragons swerved in midai
r, slashed their tails into the attackers, and sent them tumbling across the pavement.
Walter, Elam, Adam, and Billy leaped to their feet and ran into the sea of writhing bodies. They snatched the weapons away, tore the soldiers’ helmets off, and smacked their heads with the butts of rifles. When they all lay unconscious or dead, Walter grabbed a soldier by the ankle and, with help from Billy, Elam, and Adam, dragged him toward the bleachers until they were out of sight.
The three dragons flew toward the football field again. Bonnie swiveled in place and watched their smooth flight. Apparently the soldiers had not been equipped with candlestone bullets or a weakening potion. Maybe Arramos’s forces had finally run out of their supply. Yet, the fireproof uniforms proved that they had come prepared to battle dragons.
The buzz of engines grew louder. To the east, four planes lined up to land on the highway, and three helicopters led the parade. At ground level, a uniformed man belly crawled across the parking lot to the airplane that had carried the first ten soldiers.
Bonnie shut off the beam. That man had to be Adam, though with a dark helmet on, no one could see his face. Soon everyone would learn if the distraction worked.
Like alighting dragonflies, the trio of helicopters settled onto the parking lot, their blades sending gusts across Adam’s body. His uniform rippled as he crawled closer to the airplane’s open passenger door. Noise from engines and propellers created an ear-splitting din.
Just as Adam reached the door, a soldier leaped out of a helicopter and ran toward him. With a burst of energy, Adam climbed into the plane’s passenger compartment and disappeared in the dimness. The pursuing soldier stopped at the door and shouted something into the void. He then nodded and walked away.
Once the other airplanes landed and taxied to the lot, a hatch door opened at the side of the rear compartment of each one. Armed soldiers filed out and gathered, maybe forty in all, far fewer than the planes’ capacity.
Several seconds later, Arramos landed nearby. His neck swaying, he shifted his head from side to side, perhaps looking for the source of Excalibur’s earlier burst of light. Bonnie crouched low and peered through the gaps in the fence.