Fulcrum of Light (Catalyst Book 2) C.J. Aaron (unputdownable books .TXT) 📖

“Welcome to your new home,” Kaep commented with a sweep of her hand. “The last bastion of solitude in this blighted land.”

She paused. Andr averted his gaze from the opening ahead to look upon her face. The fading light of the sun illuminated the lower half of her visage, though above her cheeks it was still cloaked in shadow. She was smiling.

“Welcome to Vim.”

Chapter 22

Andr’s gaze swept across the undulating grass of the clearing to the face of the mountain. He studied the natural rock wall for any sign of a cave or a passageway, yet found none. His confusion was evident, written across his face for all to see. Kaep giggled to herself at his side.

“Come,” she said. “You’ll see.”

She strode forward, making up the ground between where they stood at the forest's edge and the wall of stone. Shaking his head and cursing under his breath, Andr followed a few paces behind. The rest of their small group had stopped along the sheer face of the wall, waiting for their arrival.

Ryl screamed aloud and thrashed in pain. If not for the firm hold of the phrenics, he’d have tossed himself from the litter. Andr ran the last few steps to his side. His body was on fire. His skin had turned a sickly pale that bordered on grey. Beads of sweat poured from his head. Andr wrapped his hand around his arms, bracing him against the litter as his convulsions continued.

“Can we please hurry?” he shouted to those gathered around. “He needs help.”

Kaep stopped at his side, placing her hand on Ryl's forehead.

“He's burning, yet his skin feels rough, almost like the bark of a tree,” she said in confusion. “Vox, let us in. Hurry.”

Vox nodded, separating himself from the group, moving to stand an arm’s length from the face of the cliff. From behind, Andr couldn’t make out the rapid motion of his hands or hear the words he whispered. He saw the phrenic bring his hand forward, touching the wall with the tip of a single, extended finger. The massive slab of stone in front of Vox rippled like water, dissolving before his eyes; revealing a well-lit tunnel that ended in a staircase in the distance.

Andr stared at the translucent stone in utter amazement and disbelief. What powers had they used to create the hidden door? Without pausing for the ripples to settle, Vox stepped forward passing through the opaque stone into the pathway beyond. Ripples spread out from the outline of his body as it moved through the barrier.

One by one the group streamed through, entering the tunnel. They moved forward without waiting, making for the stairs beyond. Only Andr and Kaep remained outside.

He hesitantly took a step forward. Andr reached out with his left hand placing it on the stone of the cliff just to the left of the wavering doorway. The rock was rough and cool to the touch.

He extended his other hand to the translucent door watching as the ripples that spread across its surface settled. He reached out his hand tentatively, dipping it into the shifting image of the door. The ripples spread out from his hand, yet he felt nothing.

Kaep moved up to his side, stopping before stepping through the entrance.

“It's disorienting, but completely harmless, I assure you,” Kaep admitted. “Don't delay, you must cross before it settles.”

She looked at him briefly, the corners of her lips turned up into a coy smile.

Andr inhaled a deep breath and stepped forward.

Taking the first step was the hardest. Convincing his mind he could move freely through a surface that was solid rock only moments earlier required a considerable amount more willpower than he expected. There was no sensation as his body passed through the rippling wall.

The air inside held a slight hint of smoke from the torches that lined the narrow hallway. A mild breeze blew into his face, jostling his hair and clothes. The walls and ceiling appeared cut into the mountain itself. The ceiling was angled at the peak; he could see the chisel marks that scored the natural stone. The walls however, were polished to a shine.

Once inside, he turned around to watch Kaep step through the doorway. She passed through the veil without hesitation and the wall rippled with her passing. Andr’s gaze remained on the door as it settled; the wall became less transparent as the ripples stilled.

As the last vibration ceased, the wall reverted to its natural form. He couldn't resist the urge to feel the stone; his mind struggled to accept that the sight it had just witnessed was real. He cautiously rested his hand on the stone—similar to the exterior of the mountain, it was cold and rough.

“How?” Andr breathed. The solitary word was all he could muster.

“In time, you will come to learn the wonders of Vim,” Kaep admitted. “We need to catch up to the others.”

Andr’s eyes remained locked onto the wall as he backed slowly away, following Kaep. Shaking his head, he broke his gaze, hastening after the quickly retreating phrenic.

The path they followed ran for a short distance until it connected with a staircase leading upward. The sound of their footsteps mingled with the echoes from the group in front of them creating a disorganized, uneven cadence.

Like the pathway, the stone steps were carved directly into the rock; the discolored patches at their center told of ages of frequent, repetitive use. The stairway led upward into the belly of the mountain for a short distance before making a hard left, running parallel to the side of the mountain’s face.

Every so often they passed small entrances on their left. The narrow, darkened passageways lead back toward the outer wall and the forest. Though their winding paths hid the direct view of the outside, the hint of fading daylight illuminated their recesses. Shadowed figures moved inside their depths, silhouetted against the dim light from the outside.

“Guards?” Andr asked curiously.

“Aye,”