Chapter Four

"This place goes on forever!" Fred grumbled as we turned yet another corner in the seemingly endless Cavern System. We had been walking for hours and were all a bit on edge. Even the normally well-balanced Varien was beginning to show the signs of strain. Therefore, it was no surprise when Fred made this protest or when Varien told him to be quiet and keep walking in a tone that was sharper than his normal tone. It was not raised from its normal soft volume, but it had acquired a razor's edge.

Stopping them, I sighed and turned to look at each of them. They were all tired and edgy. And who could blame them with that Voice still out there and threatening them.

"I think we should rest." I offered softly. "You are all tired, and it has been many hours since we've stopped to rest or eat."

Fred gave me a look that was less hostile than the ones he had been giving me up until that moment. "Now that's the first sane thing she's said since we met 'er!" He enthused.

Jonathan gave him a stare that could have frozen Hell itself; Leanna frowned but said nothing; S'Lel turned his nose up; and Varien sighed heavily. "There is no need to be rude, Fred." He intoned in those sharp tones. "She's only trying to get us all out of here." He reminded the doctor.

"Yeah, yeah." Fred waved him off. "So she says. But so far, what evidence do we have that she really is leading us out? I mean, for all we know, she's leading us deeper in." His dark eyes fixed on me, and I could see the suspicion plainly in them without my considerable Talent.

Varien tensed and opened his mouth to say something, but the Voice beat him to it. "The Physician is correct." It boomed.

I felt Jonathan tense beside me and reached out, giving his hand a gentle squeeze. I could not be sure whether his tension had to do more with the implication that I could not be trusted or the returning of the Voice, but I suspected the latter.

Leanna and Varien looked at me, and I could feel them studying me. "Is he?" Varien asked, his voice still edged.

And in that second, I saw the play for what it was. The Voice was affecting them, but not as overtly as It had affected Jonathan earlier. Apparently it learned from its experiences and had decided not to take me on directly but force my hand by twisting them against me. Make them suspicious of me, and I would be left with no allies.

I met Varien's eyes, holding them in an iron grip with mine. "No." I said simply, letting that sink through for a moment before continuing. "You know this, Varien. You know I am helping you. Why do you doubt now?"

Jonathan looked between us with mild confusion. He could obviously tell there was more to this interchange than there appeared, but he had not quite figured out what that was yet.

Fred scowled. "Back off, lady." He challenged in hard tones. "He just asked a question . . . and a good one."

My eyes did not turn from Varien's. Not yet. I let Fred rant but kept my attention, and my Talent, focused in a minor way on Varien. "You know this suspicion isn't natural for you . . . or that razor tone. You sense it, don't you? You know what's wrong here." My voice took on a note of pleading. "Come on, Varien, I know you can. Please . . ."

Scott had joined Jonathan in the confused watching. S'Lel seemed more interested in the Cavern around us, and Leanna was standing behind Varien in a supportive manner. Something in her blue eyes told me she understood though.

"Oh, very good, Celia." The Voice mocked me. "Useless, but good nonetheless." Then it laughed harshly. "They will not hear you now. They are mine. And there is only one way to retrieve them now."

I felt the anger rise in me, and my hand tightened its grip on Jonathan's hand reflexively, though I was not entirely aware of that. He winced and looked down at our intertwined hands then up to me, but he said nothing as if he knew the anger was not toward him, and that I needed his calm to find my own Center. As if he knew what I was about and was offering support.

My voice was low and dangerous when I finally managed to speak. "You will fail at this, Strrae'hel." I hissed, eyes flashing. "I will not let you take them. I will not give you my Power."

It laughed again. "Oh, but you will. Soon enough." And it was silent once more.

Only then did I realize the grip I had on Jonathan's hand and released it. "I'm sorry . . ." I murmured to him as I took my hand back. "I didn't mean to . . ."

He shook his head and caught the hand before I could completely take it back. "It's all right, Celia." He told me softly, gently.

I shook my head. "No, it isn't. I hurt you." I answered very softly, gently sliding my fingers along his hand and easing the pain I had caused. "I didn't want that."

He looked down at our hands again as if he knew what I was doing then back up to my eyes. "I know." He answered with a gentle squeeze to my hand. "You're angry. And, frankly, so am I." The last three words came out almost a growl. Then he sighed and looked down to our hands again. "But what can we do?"

He sounded almost defeated, and I reached out with the other hand to gently place it under his chin, fingers curled. Gently raising his head to look into his eyes again, I studied the look that was there for a moment.

Clear.

"Fascinating . . ." I murmured more to myself than to him, not actually meaning to say it aloud.

Confusion flickered in his eyes for a moment. "What is?" He asked.

I could sense the others clustering and conferring. The Voice was right to a degree; It had them. What It was wrong about was that It was going to keep them. But I needed to focus on the one I still had for the moment, so I let the others confer and answered his question.

"The Voice said it had them. And It does . . . for now. But It doesn't have you. That surprises me since It knows It can use you against me."

He frowned a bit in thought. "Maybe it has to do with what you did the last time It . . ." He trailed off, and I could see remembered pain in his soft brown eyes.

That hand that I had under his chin left its place and gently laid itself against his cheek. "It's okay, I understand. You don't have to finish that." I assured gently. "But you might be right. The Shunt was only supposed to block pain, but it might indeed have blocked Him from accessing you as He has them." It was an interesting side-effect of the Shunt and one I filed away for later analysis.

Jonathan relaxed visibly as I did indeed seem to know what he meant without his having to relive that moment too far. He nodded and sighed, head turning to look at the others clustered a short distance away. "But what can we do for them? How can we get them back?" He asked.

My eyes narrowed as I followed his eyes to them. "I'm not sure. If they'd allow me, I could set up Shunts in them too. Problem is, in their current states, they're not going to let me that close." I answered honestly then sighed heavily.

Jonathan frowned as he considered my words. "Isn't there a way you could set up a sort of . . . shield around them? A sort of general blockage or dampening field?" He asked, taking the Engineer's way around the situation.

It was an interesting idea, and it was one I had not thought of, so I gave it all due consideration. "Maybe," I finally answered, "except that I don't know how He's manipulating them exactly. If He's just using the Puppet-On-A-String Method, that could work because He's still on the Outside. But if He's using a more direct approach, then it wouldn't help because He'd be on the inside with them." I explained honestly, but extremely softly so that no one but Jonathan would hear.

Jonathan frowned and thought about my words. Anything he might have said; however, was cut off by Varien's voice. "Celia, I do have one pertinent question." He addressed me in that same sharp-edged tone. His eyes were hard steel as well.

My hand came from where it had been resting on Jonathan's cheek and laid itself on his shoulder in a calming gesture. That tone Varien was using disturbed him greatly, but I was not exactly sure why . . . whether it had to do with the tone itself being unnatural for the normally soft-spoken and warm Varien or because he was using it on me. I assumed the former and looked to Varien.

"Yes, Varien?" I asked, my own tones soft and warm.

His blue-grey eyes held on mine, holding them in their steel grip. "With such power as I know you Continuum types to have, why do you not simply remove us from this place to another?" He asked, very directly and bluntly.

So that was what they'd been discussing. He'd been explaining my power to them and why the Voice thought it would gain him so much. I sighed heavily. "Because if I could do that, Varien, I certainly would have." I answered, holding his gaze steadily, showing him my Truth. "There is something in this section of your world which hampers my Translocation Power."

In truth, it was more than that. There was something in what the Humans called the Devil's Triangle that hampered not only my more advanced powers but, in fact, all of them. I was on severely decreased power, and it was taking its toll on me. I was weak for one of my kind. At least here in this Anomaly.

"How is that possible?" Jonathan asked, concern in his tones.

Again I had to sigh. "I don't know, Jonathan. Truth is, I don't even know what I am." I admitted, suddenly feeling very old and very tired. I slid to sit on the ground, releasing his shoulder and his hand as I did so. "As I told you all earlier, I was taken in by The Continuum. They say they found me adrift and without memory. I still have never found that memory . . . or another like me." My eyes closed, and I leaned my head back against the wall. But the One kept his Children silent for me. "And without knowing that, I can't even begin to guess at what might affect my powers on such a basic level."

"Basic?" Leanna queried. "Then more is affected than merely your Translocation Power?"

Her tone gave me the impression that she was more worried than angry or suspicious. Why was she not affected in the same way Varien and Fred were? Or Scott? Scott might be immune because of his age, but Leanna? Could it be her extra-terrestrial heritage?

I nodded. "Yes, Leanna. Everything I can do normally is dampened."

Jonathan knelt beside me and gently turned my head to look at him. "Why didn't you say anything before now?" His tone was worried, and I could tell he was searching my eyes for something, but I did not know what exactly.

"Because I didn't want to worry anyone. Besides," I took a deep breath and let it out slowly, "as long as He thinks I am powerful, He has reason to keep you all alive. If He suspects that I am . . . diminished . . . He might decide that you are of no use to Him and . . ." I swallowed, suddenly unable to finish the thought.

Jonathan tensed visibly; he knew what I had not said. "And kill them." He near-whispered, finishing the sentence I had not. He sighed heavily then and stood, approaching Varien. Their eyes met, and there seemed to be a battle of wills going on for a moment. Then Varien stepped back a pace and shook his head, looking past Jonathan at me then back to the other man.

"What . . .?" He started, shaking his head again. The battle being waged in his mind could be seen in his light blue-grey eyes as I stood and slowly approached him. He did not stop me, and one look from Leanna stopped Fred from doing so.

"Varien?" I asked softly as I came to stand right in front of him.

He turned his eyes to me, and I could easily see the battle in them. And a plea for me to make it all stop or make sense.

I reached up and touched his temple. And in that instant, I felt his mind brush through mine, and I knew my mistake. I tried to pull away, but his hand clamped around mine, holding me in the contact.

Now you are mine. The Voice echoed in my Thoughts, and I understood what was happening. He could not control Varien the way He did the rest, so He had pushed him aside and taken command of his Form. The battle I had witnessed was Varien trying to retake control and remove the unwanted Entity from his Form.

Never! I hissed into his Thoughts and sent a wave of searing agony through the dominant mind. Unfortunately, they were Linked, to prevent me from choosing just that path, and I winced as I felt Varien react to the onslaught. I ceased it immediately. I'm sorry, Varien. I felt tears slide down my cheeks as I tried to find a way to pull out of the Link and bring Varien back too.

The Voice sneered at me. You may be powerful out there, but in here, I am Supreme. And He returned my Wave of pain using Varien's own Talent which, while it was nowhere near what mine was normally, was significant. I felt every fiber of me protest the agony which seized me. Then it was over. I was free. I blinked and tried to assess my surroundings.

"What . . . happened . . .?" I whispered, realizing I was now lying on the floor.

Jonathan was hovering above me, and Leanna brushed some of my hair back. "We pulled you away." She said softly. "Rest now."

She had no idea how much I would have loved to do just that, but He had Varien! I tried to rise to continue my attempts to retrieve their companion, but both of them put gentle, but firm, hands on my shoulders and pushed me back to the cool stone. Jonathan's jacket was once more under my head for a pillow. "But Varien . . ."

Leanna shook her head gently. "Shh . . . not now. We will get him back, but you can't help him like this. Sleep . . ." She murmured.

I felt the world slide to Black . . .