Now, Liria sat in General Caden's tent, front and center in the Paradefense encampment that spread out before Fortress 6. The general had invited Thax, his father, Evellor, Rinna, Laroc, Liria's father, and Liria to join him to discuss a plan to surpass the ward and enter the fortress. The invitation had only been made because Liria declared that she knew how to get into the fortress and wouldn't share that information unless she was assured a spot in the infiltration team.
Liria had been prepared to argue over how big the team was and who would be on it. She had not been prepared to face a magical boundary that she had no idea how to circumvent. With the ward up, the secret escape passage was sealed. The ward wasmade to enclose the entire fortress in a bubble that went through earth and air. It prevented any mining attacks.
“So, we have nothing,” General Caden, a Medean with a lot of gold on his uniform, declared.
“Not exactly, General.” Rinna, seated between Liria's father and Private Larocran Ader, leaned forward and peered at the map of the fortress. “I know where the ward tower is. It's this one.” She pointed at a tower that emerged from the center of the main building.
“We assumed it was that one.” The general grimaced. “It would have to be in a central position to cast the ward. That doesn't help us.”
“It does if you know where the convergence is and what frequency it uses.” Chief Rinna Jass grinned.
“I fail to see how that helps.”
Rinna blinked and then recovered. “I'm sorry, General. I forget that not everyone has my training. I've converged ward towers. I know their weaknesses. And I know this specific ward tower very well.”
“Now you have my attention.” The general leaned forward. “Can you dismantle it?”
“It will take time, but yes. Wards are made by vibrating molecules in the air. Frequency is measured by the number of oscillations per second. Each cycle is called a hertz—”
“Great Source, get on with it, Chief Jass!” General Caden snarled.
“I was almost finished, General.” Rinna grimaced and shot Liria a look that clearly said, “Men.”
The general motioned for her to continue.
“I know the frequency of the tower ward,” Rinna said. “I just need to converge a machine to mimic that frequency and magnify it. My magnified frequency will drown out the tower's and shut down the ward.”
“How long will that take?”
Rinna shrugged. “It's converging. It takes as long as it takes. And I'll need equipment.”
“You'll have it. Whatever you need.” The general nodded to his assistant, and the man hurried over to Rinna, pulling out a small notebook and pen. “Meanwhile, we hold the line.”
“What about Lena?” Yaru Drask, Liria's father, demanded.
“I can't do anything until that ward is down, sir. I'm sorry. Believe me. I want to get in there and drive these bastards back into the ground where they belong. The magic of Para depends on it.”
“As I said, General Caden, it does not.” Thax glanced at his father before continuing. “Magic will survive. But I'm still going to kill the monster who took my destra's sister.”
Liria took her destru's hand and squeezed it.Not if I get to him first, darling. The blond bastard is going to wish he'd never laid eyes on my sister.
Chapter Seven
Lena
Lena Drask stood at the open window, holding the curtains nearly closed against the sluggish breeze that tried to pry them open. She peered through the tiny space between the curtains and down at the lantern-lit courtyard. Commander Vor, her captor and tormentor, stood amid the bustle of soldiers and machinery. He pointed as he gave orders, often glancing her way as if he could see her through the fabric. But that wasn't possible. With it being night and the lights in the sitting room off, she'd be concealed in darkness even if she had the curtains drawn open. Yet he still looked her way. Perhaps he was merely thinking about her.
And why did that send an excited tremor down her spine?
A week had passed since Vor had brought her to the fortress. She had tried to leave the room the first time that Vor left her alone, but he'd left a guard at her door. By the time he returned that night, a key lock had been installed on the outside and the inside of the door. That meant the door could be locked from either side, and Vor was the only one with a key.
With the new locks, Vor didn't feel the need to insist on Lena accompanying him when he showered anymore. He just locked the door with his key and took the key into the bathroomwith him. That was a good thing. She didn't have to watch him undress or stand beneath the spray of water, his body glistening. Lena especially was relieved that she didn't have to watch him touch himself—there. It was bad enough that the memory of his body and the things he casually did to it haunted her. To have to experience it again and again would have driven her mad.
For the first few nights, Lena had lain awake, terrified of Vor sliding into bed with her. But he had slept on the couch with the door shut between them. By the third night, she relaxed, but sleep still evaded her. She kept thinking about her captor and how ridiculously respectful he was with her. She hadn't left their rooms for the entire week, but Vor returned to share every meal with her, and after dinner, he would sit with her before the fire and tell her stories of his life underground and his years in the army. Lena rarely spoke, even when he asked her direct questions. She didn't want to know about his life. It was making her sympathetic to him, and that wasn't fair. She was a prisoner. How dare he try to make her love him? It was insane!
Vor once more looked up at Lena's window, the lamplight shining on his metal arm. He paused so long that the soldier he was speaking to leaned into his view to get Vor's attention. The commander flinched and jerked back into action, issuing his directives once more. He moved with confidence and more grace than a man of metal should possess. Lena knew she should walk away, but she remained at the window. What else was there to do?
Vor strode about the courtyard like a predator, and Lena couldn't help but admire that feral grace and authority. Everyone rushed to do his bidding, often inclining their heads or even bowing before they hurried off. Vor had rearranged the courtyard the very first day, ordering soldiers to mountwar machines upon the walls despite the ward shimmering just beyond them. Crates of ammunition stood stacked near the walls. Without convergence, the Nethren had to use projectiles in their weapons instead of energy, and those projectiles were called ammunition. They ranged in size from the tiny metal projectiles used in their handheld weapons to the massive munitions their war machines used.
