Darkest Designs Read Free

“I blame her for the mess my life is in.”
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    Eric glared at him, emotions welling up. He wanted to punch that smug look off his father’s face. He balled his fist and pulled back his arm. A red wave of anger and a need to hit out at something overwhelmed him.
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    â€œEric. Don’t.” Paxton’s sharp voice caught Eric just as the power built in his upper arm. Eric stopped, frozen, a fierce welling of denial inside. This wasn’t fair. His father deserved to get his ass kicked and Eric was just the one to do it.
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    â€œNo! Not you.” Paxton seemed to read his thoughts. “He will be punished. I heard what he said. We all did.”
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    Releasing his breath in a heavy gust, Eric let his arm drop and turned to face his mentor and friend and a dozen of the council. He tried to school his features back into the non-emotional, calm expression his people were used to. He knew he didn’t make it when Paxton took a small step forward, his hand outstretched toward him.
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    â€œHe pushed her out of the portal,” he cried out, anguish cracking his voice. “He pushed Storey out into the In-between. After she went and risked her own life…again…to rescue him.”
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    The look of horror on the collective group of faces made him realize he wasn’t alone in his shock and dismay. These people knew how final such a move was. How absolutely wrong it was. His people were peaceful, serene. Acts of violence were few and always shocking when they happened. But this…that their leader, even one that had been recently deposed…had done something so horrific to the visitor who’d saved them all…
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    If nothing else, it was satisfying to see the repugnance in their faces as they stared at his father.
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    Paxton ordered the Councilman to be taken under guard. Eric almost snorted at that. They didn’t have much in the way of guards. At the rarely used underground dungeons, there might be a few on retainer, but they were hardly in prime condition.
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    â€œThrow him in the dungeon. That way he can’t bribe anyone to let him out.” Eric caught the outrage in his father’s face. He turned. “Did you really think such an act would go unpunished? That you could return home a hero? That all your problems would go away if you could just get rid of Storey? Because I have to tell you, your problems are just starting. I for one will be asking for the death penalty.”
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    At the shocked outcries from the others in the room, Eric strode as far away from his father as he could get and headed to Paxton’s workbench. He had to focus on Storey. There was little information in the archives about In-between, the layer of nothing that existed between dimensions. Growing up he’d been fascinated by the early trials of portal travel. There’d been a few people who’d lost their lives in the development process. But he needed to go back and see if they’d ever rescued anyone who’d gotten lost In-between. Maybe there was a way to retrieve Storey. Or to help her find her way home.
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    Of course there was. Her stylus. Eric spun around searching for Paxton in the growing crowd. Where had all these people come from? He watched as more people rushed in to confirm the news. Had Storey really disappeared In-between? They’d talk until they had no more words to say, but that wasn’t going to help Storey come home. He caught Paxton’s eye, motioning him to come to his workspace.
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    â€œEveryone, let’s move this discussion into the conference room.” Paxton opened the double doors and motioned the crowd out of his space and into the large common room. “I need to speak with Eric first, then I will give you all an update as I know more. Please go in and get comfortable. We’ll find a way to handle this mess.”
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    â€œYou’d better,” someone called from the