Dark Mirror (29 page)

Tory frowned. “What would that mean?”

“That means you can send or draw power for some distance. If I needed more power for healing, you could send it to me. Or if you needed healing energy, you could draw some from me.”

“I suppose that could be useful,” Tory agreed. “I think it would have to be someone I know, like another member of the weather brigade.”

“I wonder how we could test this?” Elspeth said thoughtfully. “Perhaps Nick could drive you to Dover and you could try to connect with me from there.”

Tory groaned. “If I get to Dover, I’ll try to reach you, but that’s enough theory for one night. I need sleep because I’m taking the late-night-to-early-morning watch.”

“Sorry to keep you talking.” Elspeth slid into the bed and turned off the light. “Sleep well, Tory. Tomorrow should be a big day for the evacuation.”

Tory knew that was true. But when she slept, her dreams were not of Dunkirk.

*   *   *

Tory’s after-midnight watch was with Cynthia. The main problem was staying awake, but they managed, taking turns making tea and pacing around the sitting room, always maintaining the flow of magic. Cynthia monitored the weather over the channel and tweaked it now and then while Tory supplied a steady supply of power.

She yawned as she made them both a second cup of tea. “Have you seen the electric torch Nick has? It uses things called batteries that hold electricity that powers the light.” She stirred honey into the tea since sugar was rationed. As she handed Cynthia the cup, she said, “I believe I have become a magical battery.”

“And a good little battery you are,” Cynthia said with tart amusement as she accepted the cup.

“I’m even picking up some weather magic,” Tory said. “I’ll never be as good as you or Jack or Polly, but it’s a very useful skill.”

“I like having my weather power valued.” Cynthia rolled her eyes. “My evil talent was revealed when I kissed a handsome stable boy and liked it so much a storm blew up and flattened my father’s best wheat fields. Ruined my favorite silk gown, too.”

“Oh, my.” Tory sat opposite the other girl, wondering if they might actually become friends. No, this was only a late-night lowering of barriers. “You control your magic really well now.”

“My control is good, but I wish I had Jack’s range. He can read weather halfway to the New World.” Cynthia sipped at her tea. “Did you know that our former colonies in North America have prospered? The rebels went on to build a country that stretches from one side of the continent to the other.”

“I didn’t know that.” Tory sipped her tea thoughtfully. “If they enter the war, I hope it’s on our side.”

“Mrs. R. says they want to stay neutral, but if that changed, they’d be with us, not the Nazis.” Cynthia yawned again. “Isn’t this watch over yet?”

“Almost.” Polly was the speaker as she trailed into the room, blinking sleepily. “When Elspeth gets here.”

“Cynthia, if you want to go to bed now, I’ll work with Polly until Elspeth gets here,” Tory offered.

“I think I will. This kind of concentrated work is really draining.” Cynthia rose to her feet. “I’m eating like two hungry soldiers and have still lost a pound or two.”

“Go on then. It’s easier to be a battery. Polly, would you like some tea?”

Polly yawned hugely. “Please. Double honey. This late watch is the worst.”

By the time Tory finished making the tea, Elspeth had arrived and Tory could go off to bed. This time she would certainly sleep.

The advantage of being a battery was that she stood fewer watches than the weather mages. She crawled back into the bed, thinking that in a week or so, she would be free to sleep the clock around. Dear God, but she hoped that Allarde would still be alive and well and able to do the same!

CHAPTER 30

“Damnation!” a voice bellowed through the house.

Tory jerked awake when she heard the oath. Jack? She scrambled into the robe she’d borrowed from Mrs. Rainford and darted downstairs, risking tripping over the hem and breaking her neck. It was very early, well before dawn.

The others were racing down, too. “Jack, what’s the matter?” Allarde called, several steps ahead of Tory and taking the stairs three at a time.

Tory entered the sitting room as Jack swung around, blazing with rage. Polly was white and Elspeth was sending out calming energy without much success.

“There’s a major storm moving in from the Atlantic. It will slam into here within hours today if we can’t shift it.” He glared at Polly. “The weather mage on watch was sleeping on duty.”

“I’m sorry,” Polly whispered, tears on her cheeks. “I wasn’t really sleeping, but … but I wasn’t paying as much attention as I should.”

“How many men will die because you weren’t doing your job?” Jack snarled, his fists clenched. Tory realized that under his fury was cold fear of the oncoming storm.

“Stop!” Nick intervened, stepping between Polly and Jack. “Don’t you
dare
touch my sister!”

For a moment Tory thought the two Rainfords would come to blows. Then Cynthia grabbed Jack’s arm, ruthlessly digging in her nails. “You know Polly hasn’t your strength or range, Jack! Don’t blame her for missing the early signs. Just tell us what to do so we can fix this.”

“But Jack is right,” Polly said as she wiped at her tears. “I wasn’t trying hard enough. If I had, I might have felt the storm sooner.”

Jack made a visible effort to master himself. “I’m sorry, Polly, I shouldn’t have yelled at you like that. But we need to get to work on that storm system
now
! All of us. Get yourselves together and make the circle. Every minute counts.”

“Do you want me, too?” Mrs. Rainford asked.

“I said all of us, and I meant it.” Jack ran stiff fingers through his blond hair. “Please—if everyone can forgive me in advance. I’m going to be swearing and difficult and impossible until we head this storm off.
If
we do.”

“Forgiven,” Allarde said as he began moving chairs into a circle. “If you need help swearing, just ask.”

That surprised an uneven smile from Jack as he dropped onto the sofa. “That part I can manage on my own. Now everyone
move
!”

Even with only one water closet, the whole group was assembled within five minutes. They took the same positions as the first time they’d done a weather circle, except that Polly traded places with Cynthia and sat next to Tory.

When the circle was complete, Tory said, “We’re all upset, but energy will flow best when we’re relaxed. Take a deep breath.” She made her voice light. “I have a new image—not a driver and seven horses but an electric torch with seven batteries. Jack is the torch, and we’re the batteries who will supply him power.”

“And I lit up like a torch,” he said ruefully. “Tory is right. Relax. Let your energy flow freely. We have maybe a one-in-four chance of deflecting this storm.”

“Not bad odds,” Allarde observed. “We can do this.”

Tory felt the separate energy lines smooth out as people consciously relaxed. Voice low and controlled, Jack said, “And so we begin.…”

It took only a few minutes for Tory to decide that the torch and battery comparison didn’t work. They were a team of horses and Jack was driving them hard, like Apollo hurling the chariot of the sun through the heavens.

But this was a chariot of storms, not light. They swept west over the Atlantic, riding the winds, diving into the waves and whorls. Passive but powerful, the circle fueled Jack’s talent with their magic as he leaned into the fierce wheel of wind and rain. If they hadn’t already worked together once with Tory braiding and maximizing the individual talents, they might have broken down from this strain.

Slowly, relentlessly, by sheer brute force, Jack built the air and winds he needed to deflect the storm as it drew nearer and nearer to the British Isles. Dimly, Tory was aware of the passing of time, of her growing exhaustion, of the numbness of her backside.

She was in a near trance when Mrs. Rainford said, “I should take a quick break to ring up the school to say I won’t be in. Unless that would be too disruptive, Jack?”

“You can get up and even go to work if you have the energy, Mrs. R.,” he said hoarsely. “We’ve just about mastered this beast. I’m putting the finishing touches on.”

“I’m off then.” Mrs. Rainford stood and put Tory’s hand in Allarde’s before leaving. Allarde squeezed her fingers, putting wordless intimacy into the gesture. Tory smiled, her energy lifting a little even though the circle was diminished by Mrs. Rainford’s departure.

Now that she was alert again, she saw how Jack had shoved the storm into an amazing right angle turn that sent it northward over the Irish Sea between Britain and Ireland. They had achieved their goal, but at a high cost of magical and physical power.

After a few more minutes, Jack said wearily, “We’ve done what we can. Everyone can let go now.”

The strands of Tory’s energy braid unwove with startling speed as mages pulled back into themselves. There was a whimper from Tory’s left and Polly’s hand went limp. Tory opened her eyes to see the girl fold over like a rag doll onto Nick’s lap. He put an arm around her. “Good job, little sister.”

She didn’t respond. He shook her shoulder, but she still lay limply across him. “She’s out like a light,” Nick said, worried. “She isn’t hurt, is she?”

Elspeth was as fine drawn as silver wire, but she managed to lean over and rest her hand on Polly’s head. After a long moment, she said, “No permanent damage, but she’s going to sleep for a very long time.”

Tory bit her lip, knowing how much the brigade would miss one of the weather mages. Polly’s absence would also create additional pressure on the two remaining.

Allarde broke the silence to say, “I’ll take her up to her bed.”

He was the only one left with the strength to carry the girl, Tory realized. She looked around the circle with her inner senses open so she could evaluate their energy. Polly was a gray flicker, having pushed herself relentlessly to make up for what she saw as her failing. Most of the others were little better off.

Only Allarde burned a little more brightly. In this weary morning, she saw the full dimensions of his strength and his protectiveness. She would have given anything she owned to burrow into his arms and rest.

“The worst of the storm has been deflected, but it’s going to require constant work to keep it from turning back,” Jack said bleakly. “And in spite of our best efforts, there’s going to be more wind and surf in the channel for the next couple of days. More waves to knock the ships around, fewer clouds to provide cover.”

Tory made an effort to collect herself. “It’s still better than a full-blown storm, which would have stopped the evacuation cold, probably for good.”

Her voice barely audible, Elspeth asked, “Is the situation stable enough that we can all get some rest?”

Jack buried his face in his hands and exhaled roughly. “This storm can’t be left untended. Cynthia, would you be able to take a watch while I rest?”

Cynthia made a sound perilously close to a whimper. It was hard to recognize her as the fashionable Lady Cynthia Stanton. Her hair was tangled, there were circles under her eyes, and her oversized nightclothes were badly rumpled. Tory thought she’d never looked more worth knowing.

“I can’t right away, but give me four hours.” Cynthia got to her feet wearily. “Can you manage that long? If you do, I think I can take a double watch after, if I have help from one of the general mages.”

“I can manage four hours, but I’ll need help,” Jack said, his voice muffled by his hands. “I hate to ask when I’ve already asked so much of everyone.”

“I’ll be your second for this watch,” Allarde said. “Tory, can you support Jack while I take Polly upstairs?”

If Allarde could keep going for hours more, she could manage a few minutes. “Of course. Take the time to splash some cold water on your face.”

Nick said, “I’ll second Cynthia on the next watch. Since I have a bit of weather magic, maybe I can help her with that as well as general power.”

“That would be good,” Cynthia said numbly as she headed out the door. “If I sleep through the alarm clock, will someone wake me? Someone female.”

“A pity you just qualified that.” Jack lifted his head from his hands, a trace of amusement in his eyes. “I was all set to volunteer.”

Glad to know that humor hadn’t entirely died, Tory got to her feet. By the time she finished stretching her cramped muscles, Allarde had gently lifted Polly from her brother’s lap and everyone but Jack had left the sitting room.

Tory reached out to Jack with her energy and discovered that he needed to have his anxiety smoothed out as well as requiring augmentation for his depleted power. She sent calming energy and linked with him to help with the weather. The patterns over the British Isles and northern France were stable but filled with tension. It was easy to imagine the weather sliding out of control if it didn’t have constant attention.

Not quite ready to sit again, she crossed to the window and parted the blackout curtains. It was morning, still early. Mrs. Rainford was pedaling toward the road on her bicycle, a two-wheel contraption that made Tory appreciate a nice horse. Tory didn’t envy the older woman having to endure a long day in the classroom. But Mrs. Rainford had deep reserves. She’d changed her clothes, brushed her hair, and was looking somewhat revived as she pedaled off to her school.