“Stop, you’ll set off the failsafe,” Tarise groaned.
Frowning, Zubiaba reluctantly released her. He watched as she studied her hand. Her confusion was comical. “Yes, the bargain brand won’t leave any visible mark, yet its effects will remain as a reminder of our deal. If you even think of reneging, the pain will resurface. Now tell me about the failsafe you devised before I change my mind about helping you.”
Tarise glared at him as though she knew he wouldn’t, but she was smart enough not to say so. Zubiaba smirked.
“I put a sensor in my body that reacts to my pain levels. If they get too high, it will trigger an explosion, killing me and anyone within a moderate radius,” Tarise disclosed.
This was another unexpected development. “Why would you do something like that? Most humans are averse to self-destruction.”
“If you were prepared to torture me for how to sabotage the missiles, I wasn’t going to get what I wanted anyway. So what reason did I have to keep living? And if I was going to die, you should too.”
The girl was truly devious. A spark of admiration ignited within Zubiaba. It also told him she couldn’t be trusted. He would have to set her straight on that score. Raising a hand, he exerted the force within him. A minuscule clear chip burst from the thin skin covering Tarise’s neck, leaving a bloody trail. Zubiaba commanded the tech to himself, then crushed it between his fingers.
Tarise slapped a hand over her neck as she cried out in pain, her eyes wide with shock. “How did you do that?”
“I have more skills than all you pathetic creatures combined. Remember that, if you ever think of double-crossing me.” The naked fear that leaped into Tarise’s eyes satisfied him. Zubiaba inhaled the sweet fragrance of terror. “Go, before I change my mind about harming you.”
The girl ran. Zubiaba guffawed. She looked like a scared rabbit. Excellent! She hadn’t missed his implied threat, but he could only hope she didn’t choose to betray him. Although Zubiaba would know eventually, he wasn’t omniscient like his nemesis. The time delay could be costly. Deciding it was a risk not worth taking, he summoned an underling and gave orders for Tarise to be followed. Reports were to be made to him at least twice a day. When the underling was dispatched, Zubiaba turned to the mission already underway. It was time for an update.
Chapter Thirty-One
Jaden watched Kayla zoom away. Should he have gone with her? No, she had been pretty adamant that she wanted to go alone. The whole episode with Tarise had been unpleasant. She would need time to deal with that. Resigned, Jaden turned and went downstairs, his smile returning at the jeers that greeted him from the kitchen.
“Yeah, yeah, simmer down,” Jaden tutted. “I’m getting the dough into the prepper. Why haven’t you guys grated the cheese yet?”
Bree smiled. “If we do it too far in advance, it gets hard and affects the flavor.”
“Of course it does.” Jaden grinned. “We can’t have that, now can we?”
Bree swatted him with a dish towel. “You probably wouldn’t even notice. But I would, so we’re going with that.”
Chuckling, Jaden disappeared into the pantry. The sudden silence that swamped the room behind him had him reversing direction. Zareh stood in the midst of the group, inspecting them.
“Zareh, I be,” he said, waving his furry little arms. “Greet you, I do. Introduce yourselves, will you?”
Shianna bounded toward him, her hands reaching.
“I wouldn’t cuddle him if I were you,” Jaden warned.
Shianna stopped in her tracks, suddenly wary. “Why, does he have fangs or some other means of hurting me?”
“Yes, you just can’t see the fangs,” Jaden commented. “Zareh, what are you doing here?”
Zareh stared at him, his beady little eyes boring a hole into Jaden. “Your behavior, improved has not, I see. Kayla, where be she?”
“Not here,” Jaden bit out. “Are you going to answer my question?”
Out of the corner of his eye, Jaden noticed his friends gaping. Yes, he wasn’t known for being rude. But his atypical behavior had the twofold advantage of keeping his friends away from Zareh and stopping them from conversing with the little fiend.
Zareh ruffled his feathers. “Remember, about the strange clicking sound that you and Kayla heard, told us you did?”
“Yes. What about it?”
“Figured it out, we did.” Zareh chortled. “Interpret the Gaptor and Usurper’s conversations, we have.”
“Well, that’s great.” Jaden didn’t bother hiding his sarcasm. “But you don’t usually appear to pass along such inconsequential news. Tell you what, before you do get to that piece of information you have to share, how about you tell me why there wasn’t a map with the new artifacts we found?”
Zareh clucked. “Because already in your possession, the map is. Your guide, it has been, since received it you did. Stall me no longer, you must! Wait, the information I must give you, will not. Short, time is. Prepare, you must.”
Jaden’s anger boiled. Again, Zareh hadn’t answered his question directly. Throwing his hands up, Jaden growled, “Here we go again! Why don’t you stop with the mumbo jumbo and spit out what we have to prepare for? Oh, and while you’re at it, try and explain more clearly how it is that we already have the map, since the first one disappeared in a flame of blue light and the second one isn’t offering any additional options.”
Zareh cut him off. “War coming, it is! Vast numbers of Gaptors, on their way here now, they are. Yourselves, get ready. Courageous, you be. The words given to you in the Forest, forget not.”
Jaden stepped forward, fists clenched, ready to grab Zareh by his cute little ears and shake him. But Zareh was gone. A void filled the space he’d occupied.
“Dude!” Markov breathed. “Does he always appear and disappear like that?”
“Blast! I thought I had him that time,” Jaden seethed. “Little runt. He’s the most annoying thing in any world. Why, if—” Jaden broke off as Zareh’s words sank in. “Did he say we were in for a battle?”
“He did,” Sven answered. The others only gaped at Jaden, unable to believe this was the same person they grew up with.
“Bro, are you okay?” Atu placed a hand on Jaden’s shoulder.
Jaden took off, taking the stairs two at a time. “Kayla! She’s on her own!”
Clattering feet sounded behind him. The group spilled out the maintenance room door onto the roof, confronted by a swarm of anxiously circling gliders.
Jaden didn’t stop. He kept right on running, leaping off when he reached the edge. Han swept under him, catching him, and they rose above the other gliders darting in to catch their own voyagers. Only then did Jaden notice Taz. “Why are you still here? Kayla’s at her house!”
Taz’s reaction sent a chill down his spine. She stared at Jaden as though he was speaking gibberish. Then her face morphed into fear. He’d never seen Taz afraid before. And that scared him more than anything else. Without a word, Taz tucked her wings and streaked away.
“I assume we’re following her,” Han offered before Jaden could ask.
“Yes—and hurry! Why didn’t Taz sense Kayla needed her?”
“Her link with Kayla stopped working, which is why we came. At first we thought that perhaps your proximity to her had obscured the link, as sometimes happens when you two are, uh, close. But the nearer we got to your home without the link reconnecting, the more we were certain something was wrong.”
Jaden hunched over Han, trying to think of something else. He shed the clothes he wore over his smart suit. Had Kayla followed Sven’s dictates that they always be prepared and worn her smart suit today? Were the others wearing theirs? From the way some gliders flew with speed and others lagged, not everyone had taken the same precautions. Well, they’ll just have to catch up. I don’t have time to wait for them to sort themselves out. I have to get to Kayla.
Jaden was so engrossed in worrying that he almost fell when Han veered to the right. Jaden
’s eyes widened when he noticed the Gaptor. And right behind it, another one. No, wait, a whole line of them. He cursed. Why had Zareh taken so long to warn them?
“Jaden, what’s the play?” Atu called over the comm.
This was no time to be distracted. Shaking himself, Jaden surveyed his surroundings. The sky seethed with foul, horrid shapes he knew all too well. And there were plenty of them. More than he had ever seen.
Jaden gritted his teeth. “Sven, are those new missiles of yours ready to rock and ruin?” Jaden was unsure whether he would even get a reply.
He breathed again when Sven answered. Evidently the old goat followed his own advice and wore his smart suit at all times too. “Absolutely! I had Markov and some of the others help me set them up on the way in. Time for some fun, no?”
“For sure! Where are we headed?”
“You know those mountains on the western edge of Daxsos?”
“Yes, but be a little more specific. That’s a huge area.”
“I’m sending coordinates now.”
Jaden glanced at his PAL, assessing the location and passing the information on to Han. “Alright, Armorer, we’ll buy you some time to get there and get them lined up. Anyone who can hear, the play is eight.”
Jaden made the call, although he didn’t know whether the plays he, Kayla, Iri, and Atu had learned had been taught to Markov and his group. And despite not knowing how the play would work with so many gliders. Jaden risked a peek behind him. Several gliders were getting into formation. And so it begins.
Han dove, and the line of gliders that had formed up behind them followed, catching the attention of the circling Gaptors. They plunged after the line. When the Gaptors were within striking distance, the gliders alternated peeling off to the right and to the left, starting with those at the back.
Jaden grinned. The Gaptors’ confusion when this happened was always amusing. They floundered, some of the late arrivals careening into the stationary ones, and the crashing parties spiraled downward in a tangle of limbs. That at least gets rid of a few.
Han began the loop to curve them back up on top of their prey. The Gaptors were now even more undecided about what they should do: follow those going left and right, or take after those climbing above them. Their hesitation was their downfall.
When the first of the Legion who had darted the opposite way converged with Jaden and Han, they crossed paths diagonally, making an X. Then each party slanted down over their enemies. The remaining gliders in the converging lines traced the same route, and arcing gliders surrounded the Gaptors. Bolts of light slewed off multiple DDs, obliterating the hovering Gaptors.
Exiting the smoke marking the demolition site, Jaden and Han shot into clear air, crisscrossing with others finishing their own runs. They looped back up to begin the attack sequence all over again.
By the time they had completed three runs, the immediate area was free of Gaptors. Jaden looked down, trying to see through the thick blanket of smoke, but it was impossible to see the ground or figure out what losses their side had taken.
“Everyone okay?” Jaden called over the comm.
Voices filtered back in the affirmative. But the one he was most desperate to hear was absent. Where was Kayla? Had she and Taz been delayed, or were they hurt?
“Han, you can sense Taz, right?” Jaden faltered, remembering something the gliders said when Iri joined them. It was how they had been able to track and find Iri after she took off with Aren. Han’s shoulders sagged under Jaden, increasing his panic. “What?”
“I was hoping you wouldn’t ask.”
“Han, tell me, or so help me,” Jaden warned.
“I haven’t been able to sense her since just after she left,” Han confessed.
Jaden tensed. “What does that mean?”
“Either she’s dead or unconscious,” Han croaked.
His pain was unmistakable, and his words were so final. Jaden didn’t have the heart to ask more questions. What did that mean for Kayla? “Let’s head over there.”
“We don’t have time.” Han nodded toward the horizon.
Jaden glanced that way. The sky was no longer blue. From one end to the other, a black stain spread, obliterating the light and moving toward them at speed. “We’ll make time. We can detour via Kayla’s as we lead that lot to Sven.”
Han grunted, but said nothing as he turned them toward Kayla’s home.
“Listen up,” Jaden said over the comm. “We’re headed to the mountains via Kayla’s home. We’ll have to take the brakes off if we’re going to reach that little surprise Sven has prepared before those Gaptors catch up. Keep pace!”
Han rocketed forward, but Jaden wished he could go faster, even though Kayla’s home was already visible. Then they were there. Jaden sucked in a horrified breath. Taz lay sprawled on the grass next to Kayla’s home, blood pooling around her. Countless cuts covered her body. Her wings were in tatters. One leg was connected to her body by only a thin piece of tissue. Was she even still alive?
Han lurched under him. He wasn’t taking this any better than Jaden was.
Aren and Atu shot under them. Atu somersaulted as he dismounted to counteract Aren’s speed. He rolled, came up on his feet, and sprinted to Taz. Han was already dropping down, his wings wilted. Jaden leaped as soon as he could, allowing Han to land without having to circle back around. They raced toward Atu. Aren landed beside them, startling them both into attack stances. Recognizing Aren, they lowered their weapons and approached Atu.
“How is she?” Han rasped. Jaden barely recognized Han’s voice. Then again, Jaden didn’t think he could get a word past the lump in his own throat.
“She’s breathing,” Atu muttered, his hands flying over Taz.
This time there was no pretense of ointments and salves. Wherever Atu’s hands moved, healing flowed. Jaden watched, awed, as the cuts closed. Atu moved to Taz’s near-severed limb, and a golden light glowed over the area, emanating from Atu’s palm. When the light faded, the limb knit back so perfectly Jaden couldn’t tell that there had ever been an injury.
“You really are the healer,” Jaden breathed.
Atu didn’t look up. He carried on working, applying the same golden light to Taz’s wings. Finished, Atu sat back on his haunches, a frown on his face. Jaden wouldn’t believe this was the same glider if he hadn’t seen the transformation with his own eyes.
“Well?” Jaden asked, aware Han was too emotional to say anything.
“It’s touch and go. She’s lost a lot of blood. Only time and rest will correct that. It’s a waiting game now,” Atu announced.
“Thank you, Healer.” Han’s voice was gruff as he stepped closer to Taz, putting a wing on hers.
Markov’s voice cut in over the comm. “Dude, you need to get back up here. Those beasties are closing in.”
“We’ll be right up. Lead the others to the coordinates I’m sending you,” Jaden ordered.
“Will do,” came Markov’s terse response. Thank goodness for their long friendship. Markov wouldn’t question him.
Jaden put one hand on Han and the other on Taz. He stared at Taz for a moment, still amazed by the healing Atu had wrought. “Han, buddy, we need to help the others. Are you ready to leave?”
“We can’t leave her lying here out in the open,” Han protested.
“We’ll move her to a more secure location,” Aren assured him. “Do what you must to avenge the Tazanna.”
Jaden blinked. The Tazanna? What did that mean? Before he could consider the implications, Han took to the air and whizzed back faster than Jaden could ever recall. Jaden leaped to meet him. Then they were on their way to join the others—only just in time too. The massive group of Gaptors weren’t far off.
Would Aren and Atu have enough time to get Taz to safety? Even as Jaden thought it, the Gaptors chasing them altered course, taking a more direct line to where Jaden and Han flew. While it was a relief to not have to worry about Taz, reaching the safety of their friends before
that menacing group of Gaptors caught up to them wouldn’t be easy.
As if he had reached the same conclusion, Han put on a burst of speed. They wouldn’t be able to maintain it for long, but seeing the gap between them and their foes widening was reassuring. As they closed in on their friends, Jaden breathed a sigh of relief. Additionally, the mountain pass where Sven waited was just beyond them. At last, a break!
The group of gliders and riders sped into the valley. As they neared the tapering end, Jaden saw the missile launchers. True to form, Sven had outdone himself. The structures, no bigger than a person, were lined up along a ridge. Heavy bolts held the light frames in place. But where were the stacked missiles?
In answer, bright beams spewed from the slim frames. Of course! These “missiles” had to act like the beams on their DDs. A conventional weapon wouldn’t work. Jaden watched, amazed, as the beams struck their targets, drilling lines of death into the approaching Gaptors. At least a hundred were destroyed in that first volley.
Jaden whooped. Several of the other riders joined in. A second volley blasted from the frames. This time, Han turned so he could watch too. The effects were even more devastating.
Their first taste with the beams had given the Gaptors a clue of what they meant. Those that weren’t decimated by the blast fled. Squawking, they scattered in several directions. Many of them rammed into one another, going down. But going down wasn’t dead.
“Move in and take out those falling Gaptors,” Jaden ordered.
The gliders and their riders complied. Sweeping across the sky like dotted lines behind an arrow, they took out the plummeting monsters. Not one made it to earth.
Another round of missiles whooshed out of Sven’s frames. Han and Jaden were abruptly surrounded by shrieking Gaptors, some still bent on attacking them, others just on escaping the death rays.
Han and Jaden struck out at any Gaptor within range. They disposed of one Gaptor attacking them only to be confronted by two more. Jaden’s nose crinkled as the repugnant odor of the blood of their wounded opponents covered them. Jaden’s arm began to burn. Between hacking at Gaptors that were close and flicking currents at those further afield, his muscles were working overtime. Han’s muscles quivered under him; he was just as fatigued. But there was no respite. The Gaptors kept coming. Round after round of beams from Sven’s launchers cut into their foes.
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