Free Canyons Of Night by Jayne Castle Page A

engineering crew to crank up the power of the fence. It’s definitely much stronger now, a lot harder to get through than it was the night I took you inside. But that’s not the only thing that has changed. The Preserve itself feels different, at least in parts.”
    “Really? How?”
    “It’s hard to explain. There are still a lot of pretty places, but in some sections the energy is darker and heavier.”
    “I recall that it was very disorienting the night you took me in,” Charlotte said. “If you hadn’t been with me I would have been hopelessly lost within ten or twenty feet.”
    “Back in those days the psi fence and the fear of getting lost was enough to keep out most folks. But now I’m pretty sure that only someone with a heck of a lot of talent and just as much determination could get through the barrier.”
    “You said some of the places inside feel different?”
    “I spent a lot of time inside the Preserve fifteen years ago. It was an irresistible attraction to a nineteen-year-old guy who had come into a strong talent.”
    “I remember,” she said. She smiled, thinking about it. “I felt the lure, as well.”
    “The two times I went in this past week I came across some features that were definitely not present fifteen years ago.”
    “Such as?”
    “Ponds and lakes that seem to simmer with dark energy. Canyons of intense night.”
    “Canyons of night?” she repeated, fascinated.
    “I don’t know what else to call them.”
    “But the beautiful places are still there? That meadow that you showed me that night, for instance. It was like a fairyland. I’ve never forgotten it.”
    “It’s still there,” he said. “Still as pretty as ever. But it feels hotter now.”
    “Got any theories?”
    “Not yet. But I’ve been doing some research online and I’m working on a theory. Ever heard of a paranexus?”
    “Sure. According to the Arcane experts it’s a natural geologic hot zone of paranormal forces, a location where there is a confluence of several kinds of powerful natural energy currents. Similar to a vortex, I think. There are records of such places back on Earth and I’ve heard that they’ve found some here on Harmony down in the catacombs.”
    “A nexus is more powerful and more complex than a vortex because there are more forces at work. In addition to the energy of the planet’s magnetic field, there are ocean currents and strong tides, as well as tectonic and geothermal forces involved in a true nexus. When they come together in certain ways in certain locations they produce a lot of ambient energy like the kind inside the Preserve.”
    “You think it’s a nexus?”
    “Yes.”
    “How did you do your research on the Preserve?”
    “I found some old navigational charts and ships’ logs and diaries from the First Century expeditions. They’re housed in the online collections of the University of Old Resonance. I also turned up a few accounts of the Amber Sea Islands left by smugglers and pirates. I haven’t had a chance to read all of them yet but I can see that a theme is emerging.”
    “What kind of theme?”
    “Some of the early navigators were convinced that Rainshadow was haunted by ghosts of the aliens.”
    She laughed. “Okay, that’s an original notion but I think you can ignore that theory.”
    “The first expedition that went into the part of the island that is now the Preserve disappeared. There were two rescue attempts made but in both cases the teams were forced to turn back. The bodies of the first group were never recovered. Later a couple of expeditions were able to get a short distance inside but none of them got far and most of the territory remains unmapped.”
    “When did the Preserve go into private hands?”
    “Good question. Shortly after the Era of Discord, a corporation called Amber Sea Trading Company claimed most of Rainshadow under the old Exploration Laws that were established to encourage private exploration and development.”
    “When