Earth's Blood (Earth Reclaimed) Read Free Page B

vibrated next to him. Stones scraped against one another as the gateway swung open. Fionn bent to give Rune instructions, but the wolf bounded through the opening and disappeared into the dark.
    “Damn it.” Fionn swore softly. “Ye stay with me,” he said to Bella.
    “I am not going past this doorway,” the bird informed him. She fluttered from his shoulder to a chair and perched on it. “Fewer of us, less chance of discovery. Safer for Aislinn.”
    Fionn couldn’t help but agree with her. His bird had warmed to Aislinn, much to his relief, since she’d taken a perverse delight in making all the other women in his life—including Tara—miserable.
    “Mind speech,” Gwydion said sharply. “And precious little of that.”
    “I suppose we follow the wolf. He gave us little choice.”
    “After you.”
    Fionn stepped through into a dark tunnel. Careful to mute his magic in case the Lemurians had posted guards nearby, he turned left and trailed after Rune. Guts tight, barely breathing, he moved beneath Taltos, the city built by Lemurians deep inside Mount Shasta. Desperation thrummed through him.
    I have to find her. Failure is not an option.

Chapter Two
    A islinn sat on a dirt floor, grateful for the heavy material in Marta’s green work pants and jacket. As she thought about things, she was grateful to Marta, period. The woman had been Rune’s first bond mate and was a true visionary, seeing through the Lemurians’ chicanery long before it became obvious.
    She shook her head, feeling like a fool. The Old Ones had gotten aggressive after striking the bargain that allowed the dark gods entry to Earth. I wonder if they knew the cracks between the worlds would draw bright magic, too. Sorcery tuned to a frequency humans could use. She wrapped her arms around herself to quell a shudder. Most of modern civilization lay in ruins. In the midst of destroying things, the Old Ones had managed to convince a few select humans they were Earth’s salvation. “I can’t believe I was so stupid,” she muttered. “Christ! They killed millions of us while pretending to be my friend because I had Mage and Seeker abilities.” Aislinn inhaled raggedly. She could almost hear Metae’s voice dripping with compulsion as the Lemurian patiently explained why humans without magic had become superfluous—a drain on valuable resources.
    And now I’m their prisoner. No more pretending good will on either side…
    Aislinn shivered and zipped her black wool turtleneck up to her chin; she tugged her jacket closer about her. Pale light filtered through cutouts high on the walls. Assuming she was in Taltos, deep under Mount Shasta, the light had to be generated by magic. Not that there was anything to see. Her cell didn’t contain so much as a bucket. The thrum of alien magic pounded against her—not sounds exactly, but a subliminal grating that set her nerves on edge.
    She’d expected Regnol, Travis’s Lemurian mage lord, to kill her on the spot, or right after dragging her to Taltos so the others could observe her death, but it hadn’t happened. She hadn’t even seen any other Old Ones before being whisked to this small stone cell. She’d tried to break and run, understanding Regnol’s intent to imprison her, but the contest was laughable. She’d made it about six inches before her limbs froze in place. After that, he’d simply picked her up like a stiffened version of a rag doll and dropped her in this stark room. It had taken a while before she could move again.
    Time passed. Her terror ebbed and flowed in waves. She removed her backpack, got a drink from her water bottle, and dug her black wool watch cap out. Aislinn had no idea how long she’d been in her cell. The light level never fluctuated. She tested all five of her magical skills: Mage, Seeker, Seer, Hunter, and Healer. While she could maintain her warding, sending magic outward was another story. No matter what she tried, her spells bounced back hard. It was as if