Waymakers (Champions of the Crystal Book 9)

Chapter 23: Attack

Sabrina woke from her nap with a distinct feeling that all was not well. She sat up in bed, looking around with both her eyes and her mind. Her environment and the Crystal were normal, but Ford was disturbingly absent from her awareness. Her heart pounded with dread.

As she levered her unwieldy body out of bed, Ranja came in. "Oh good, you're awake. The Prince is fine; he's just out of phase looking at the Wayshipyard. Stecklan said not to worry when he passed on the message."

Sabrina gave a sigh of relief. "Thank you. What else have I missed?"

"Not much. We're all just waiting for news." Ranja made a face that perfectly matched Sabrina's frustration. "The Inheritor and Princess Shariara are still at Dansestari."

"I'll go get them in a minute," Sabrina said. "They need to eat and rest, and they probably aren't."

"And you need to eat," Ranja nodded. "Cynthia had a look at you while you slept. The baby's growing at a slower pace, but you're at the equivalent of the start of the third trimester."

Sabrina looked ruefully down at her abdomen. "You mean I'll get even bigger? I'd forgotten what it felt like."

Ranja smiled. "At least we aren't pretending to be farmers this time. And you don't have to eat yak stew. Or cook it."

"Believe me, I am inexpressibly grateful for that." Sabrina got to her feet. "Help me change, please. I'd rather not make two appearances at Dansestari in a bedraggled state."

"You don't need to go," Ranja pointed out. "You could just call."

"I want to talk to Stecklan, see if Ford said anything else. Plus, I'd like to hear what the tactical situation is firsthand. I'll be quick, though, I promise."

"I hope so, because I'm coming with you," Ranja replied.

"You don't need to."

"Nevertheless. Things never go as we plan, and Terel's tired after your adventure earlier. It's either me or Cynthia. Take your pick." Ranja grinned, then vanished into the closet. When she came out with an armful of clothes, she added, "Or we could both go."

"I don't need an entourage," Sabrina sighed, knowing she wasn't going to win this debate.

"On the contrary. History shows you absolutely do," Ranja said briskly.

Sabrina had to smile. "Fine." Then she fought a sudden, irrational impulse to cry. "I've missed you."

Ranja gave her a quick hug. "I'm back. And I'm not going anywhere. At least, not anywhere you don't go." She straightened and said, "Let's try this one. We might need to let the other out again."

Sabrina nodded. "It wouldn't surprise me."

——————————

After some wardrobe adjustments and a quick snack, Sabrina transported herself, Ranja, and Terel to Dansestari. She was eager to find out how much longer Ford would be out of phase; his absence in their link made her anxious. It had been a very long time since he was more than a thought away.

She was in such a hurry that she didn't think about the stir she would cause by suddenly appearing in Praxatillus Control. Fortunately she did remember to aim for an area unlikely to be crowded—the Commander's office. But it wasn't deserted, as she expected while Rigeon was gone. Senior Subcommander Sheeren was in the middle of a video call, and his jaw dropped open.

"Oh, sorry!" Sabrina said, chagrined.

"You—uh—your highness," Sheeren managed, clearing his throat. "I, er, wasn't expecting you. How—if I may ask?"

He wasn't in on the secret of her abilities, she realized in dismay. "You may, but don't let me interrupt you any further. We can talk when you're finished." She should probably tell Stecklan, too, she thought. They both needed to know their full range of options for defending the planet. "I assume the Inheritor is still in the conference room?"

"Yes, ma'am." He relaxed a little, composing himself. "I'll join you there shortly. You'll be pleased to know that Captain Edris is reporting a successful start to the campaign at Pderth."

"My best wishes to her and the rest of the fleet," Sabrina smiled. She then led Ranja and Terel out into the outer office, which was fortunately empty.

Ranja said, "So he doesn't know about your new talents?"

"Apparently not. I thought Rigeon would have told him. So I guess this was a good thing."

Terel choked, and Ranja grinned. "Well, he took it better than I did! Though I sure wish you'd been able to do this during the invasion."

"Me too," Sabrina agreed. She sighed and pushed the outer door open, then headed for the conference room.

Stecklan met them around the first corner, looking curious. "Your highness," he greeted her. "The Commander messaged me not to let you leave Control until he can speak with you. What have you done now?"

Sabrina chuckled, glad to have someone she was so comfortable with in the command structure again. "It's a long story. I'll tell you both, don't worry."

Stecklan glanced at Ranja. Whatever he saw in her expression must have reassured him, because he gestured for Sabrina to continue walking and then fell into step beside her. "May I send for anything? Our refreshments are not particularly nourishing."

"Don't fuss, Stecklan," she said. "I'm not here for long. Just to get an update. When will Ford be back in phase?"

He hesitated, and her heart sank. He noticed, because he said quickly, "Don't worry. There's no timetable for the work they're doing, and we only had a loose schedule for checking in. I'm sure they've just gotten involved in something and forgotten the time. It wouldn't be the first time the Prince did that."

"Nor even the tenth," Ranja added.

Sabrina shook her head. "I'm well aware. And stop trying to cheer me up. It makes me think I have reason not to be cheery."

Stecklan chuckled. "You'll be out of sorts until he's back, I know. Very well. You are a perfectly understandable level of anxious, and we will stop trying to alter that."

"Thank you," Sabrina said.