The Colony (The Survivors Book Seventeen)

by Nathan Hystad

  “How many times have you lied to us about your whereabouts? How many things have you done on her behalf that might have harmed those you love?” Dean Parker demanded.

  Sarlun wasn’t under a compulsion to deceive this query. “Dozens. Maybe hundreds.”

  “And us specifically?”

  “All of it. Making you Gatekeepers. Creating the Academy. Everything led to this point,” Sarlun told them. He wasn’t sure why he was able to reveal this. He stepped closer to Dean, and felt some of the weight lift off. “Dean, it’s changing.”

  “What is?”

  Sarlun’s pain was gone. He managed to drop his gun, and clawed at his uniform, pulling it up. “Is it…”

  “It’s fading,” Mary told him. Relief flooded him, until he realized what that meant.

  “The spell is receding. That only means one thing,” he whispered.

  “Ranul is dead?” Dean looked so hopeful.

  Sarlun slowly shook his head. “Not necessarily.”

  “Then what?”

  “Her goal is complete.”

  Dean seemed devastated. “What’s her objective?”

  “I’m so sorry,” Sarlun muttered.

  “Answer my question!” Dean shouted, grabbing hold of Sarlun’s uniform.

  ____________

  I couldn’t believe what Sarlun was suggesting. I saw the horror in his expression, and knew what he was implying. But I needed to hear it from his lips.

  “Jules’ blood. She wanted your daughter’s blood.”

  I let go of him, glancing at the crystal. “Give me that.”

  Sarlun’s arm remained still. “I can’t.”

  Hope welled in my chest. “Then she’s not done yet! There might still be time!” I grabbed at it and pried the crystal from Sarlun’s firm grip. He didn’t fight me.

  “We’ll get Suma, Elex, and the girl.” Magnus peered at the ground. “Go save your daughter.”

  Ovalax rushed to the front of my mind, pounding inside my head. I had to see what he wanted. He’d gotten me here… but something Sarlun said nagged at me. I held the stone, staring at Mary and Hugo holding one another a few feet away.

  “The Academy and the formation of the Gatekeepers. Who told you to do that? Was it a spell?” I asked Sarlun.

  “You know who. You bottled him up,” Sarlun said. “It’s Ovalax. They’re working together.”

  I screamed as the being within me lashed out. He tried to take control, and I fell to my knees, losing my grip on the crystal.

  Relinquish control. We’re close. I will allow her to survive.

  “I already saw what that looks like,” I chastised him. “Jules will be your prisoner.”

  She will make the universe a better place.

  “By destroying the Alliance and all of the portal worlds? How is that better?”

  You do not understand. Only I can know…

  “Get out!” I shouted.

  Never. I will live again inside of you. Devouring minds as I always have. You will be diminished. The Parkers will exist as tools for Ranul and myself. We will rule indefinitely.

  His thoughts devastated me in waves, and I struggled to remain conscious. I saw the crystal, and Mary bent down, picking it up. I gave her a single smile and reached for it, wrapping my fingers over the cool green stone. It glowed as I thought about my daughter.

  Everything vanished around me.

  ____________

  Ovalax climbed to his feet. Dean’s body was stronger than he’d expected. Maybe there was something to this Recaster after all. For his age, he expected Dean Parker to be weak, withered, but he was powerful. Ovalax sensed the strange alien blood inside him, from a being created to infiltrate their planet. He searched Dean’s mind for the term. Hybrid. Whatever it was, he was no longer only human. He could see that Dean had forgotten most of this.

  It didn’t matter. He was in control now, not this measly human. Ovalax laughed, the sound croaking from his vessel’s throat. It felt good to exist in the flesh again. Ovalax had once walked on two legs like this, ages ago, before the devouring began. He struggled to recall his name, or where he came from, and dismissed the memories as fruitless.

  He lifted an arm, waving his fingers around. A tiny scratching sensation tugged at his mind, and he ignored it. Dean was resisting him. He’d take care of that soon enough. Until then, he was confident there was nothing to worry about. No one was stronger-willed than Ovalax, not even the Recaster.

  The sky was dark and angry, flooding the landscape with rain. Lightning flashed above a building in the distance, and he began walking for it. Diminutive black lizards shuffled across the sand, trying to sneak a look at the new visitor. One approached him, and Ovalax crouched, picking it up with intense speed. He clutched the lizard by the neck. The brain was too insignificant to ingest. Pity. He was hungry. He dropped it, and the creature skittered away.

  Lightning repeatedly struck three iron runes planted atop the wooden towers over the temple. Ovalax had seen this moment before, and relished in its fruition. He’d almost single-handedly orchestrated this entire plan. Ranul was but a tool, used to achieve success. He might leave her alive when this was done, but that remained to be seen. He was angry that she’d disobeyed him, trying to have Sarlun kill Dean and Mary on New Spero. That wasn’t part of the plan. Had Ranul been attempting to rid herself of her prophetic partner?

  Ovalax would replace the Recaster, seize the powers of the Beykn witches, and adorn his own body with only the most formidable runes, inked with a Deity’s blood. No one would be able to stop him.

  The doors blew on their hinges, slamming open and closed with the wind. Ovalax stepped inside, feeling immense power within the witch temple.

  Rain beat onto the leaky roof, and Ovalax walked around the deep pool of water toward the proper doorway. He could almost envision Ranul and Jules descending these steps a short time ago. Their ghostly apparitions floated before him, and vanished as he set foot in the basement.

  Voices carried from down the hall, and he went slowly. Dean grappled against his barriers, but Ovalax shushed him. It was almost time.

  Ovalax listened at the entrance.

  “You won’t get away with this.” Jules’ voice was quiet. Weak.

  “I already have,” Ranul said.

  Ovalax peered into the space, seeing Jules’ arms up in the air, chains ending in shackles on her wrists. He smiled and saw the freshly drawn rune on Ranul’s forearm. The symbol was for fire. Interesting choice.

  Ranul set down her tools and flexed her fingers. She blinked, and flames spouted from her fingertips. She laughed. The sound was off-putting, filling the entire circular room. The symbol beneath Jules had been Ovalax’s idea, designed to contain a Deity. The girl had walked straight into the trap.

  Ovalax had lost his patience. It was time to take what was rightfully his. He strode into the room, hands clasped in front of him. “Weren’t you supposed to wait for me?” he asked.

  Both sets of eyes landed on him.

  “Papa?” Jules whispered.

  Twenty-Three

  “My daughter,” Papa replied. “You’ve been through so much. I wouldn’t want to bother you with all this stress you’ve been under. Stay here. Forever.”

  Jules didn’t understand. Her dad had just walked in, and didn’t act concerned for her in the least. “Papa, what are you talking about?”

  Ranul stared at Dean Parker, and smirked. “Finally. I didn’t think you’d actually pull it off.”

  “Child, I can do anything. What do you think?” Dean spun around slowly, as if showing off a new piece of clothing at a fashion show. “Fits like a glove.”

  “Don’t get too cocky,” Ranul said.

  Jules watched them like a tennis match. They spoke as if she wasn’t in the room. “Papa, what the hell is happening?” Ranul had only taken a small sample of her blood, but the rune below her was siphoning her energy.

  Dean finally stopped his chatter and slunk over to her. The movem
ents were alien. His eyes darted back and forth, and he blinked too many times. This wasn’t her father. She thought about the doppelganger in Ovalax’s underground lair. “Ovalax?” she whispered.

  “Very good, Jules Parker. Though I would have preferred it if you’d just left Dean to me on Newei, instead of bringing him back from the dead. His body was ready for me, but you messed that up. In the end, this works out better for everyone,” the being said.

  “Is this really my father?” she asked.

  He nodded. “I’ve been hitching a ride for some time. Waiting for this moment.” Ranul came to stand beside him, fingers illuminated with orange flames.

  Jules glanced at the ceiling, seeing a couple of drops slip through. They splashed on the rune, and she had an idea. Papa had a gun on his hip, a basic model pulse pistol. She wondered if she could grab it.

  But her arms were raised, and her abilities were inaccessible. She was an empty husk.

  “We have a lot of work to do. Will anyone come for us?” Ranul asked.

  “No. I have the stone.” Dean pulled the crystal from his pocket. It was dull green.

  “How did you bring it?” Ranul demanded. “It was supposed to stay behind.”

  “Dean Parker is the Recaster. He can do things no other is able to do, but apparently, he hasn’t utilized these skills.”

  Jules flinched. Papa had powers? What was Ovalax talking about?

  A needle valve was attached to Jules’ thigh, and Ranul opened the lever, dripping more blood into a narrow tube. There was a basic tattoo station set up, and she motioned for Ovalax to sit. “Allow me. Which would you like first?”

  It made her sick to see her father acting so nonchalantly in this terrible situation. “Invisibility.” He undid his uniform top and pulled it back.

  Ranul grinned and went to work, drawing the symbol on Dean’s shoulder.

  Jules averted her gaze, not wanting to see her father being tattooed with her own blood. She was so tired. Her head dropped low, and she struggled to remain awake. She needed to do something. It wasn’t just about saving herself anymore. She had to help her father.

  “Papa, don’t do this,” she whispered. Jules glanced at him, and their eyes locked for a moment. They were clear again, no longer the pupils of a monster. Her father was there.

  ____________

  Ovalax thought he could win, but boy was he wrong. I let him take over for a few minutes, listening to his thoughts, hearing the vile monster contemplate his vision. He reminded me that I was the Recaster. The second I heard that, I regained control. I shoved his evil consciousness into the dark recesses of my mind, and sealed him there.

  Ranul finished the tattoo and admired her work. Jules and I gazed at each other, me trying to silently assure her everything would be okay. Having her blood inking this symbol made my stomach churn, but I needed to escape with Jules, and this might be my only shot. It was why I’d chosen invisibility. Ranul had applied the same rune to escape Traro. Ironically, I’d use it now to kill her.

  I stood, sliding my shirt over the fresh tattoo. “How does it work?” I asked.

  Ranul groaned. “Exactly as you studied.” She squinted at me with her head cocked to the side, as if the question had been out of character.

  “Remind me,” I ordered, using the aloof speech patterns Ovalax had done.

  “Cast it. It’s already part of you. It’s different than the wand.” She pointed to the device on the floor a few feet away. With that, we could do many more things than my simple cloaking spell, but this would suffice.

  I pictured being invisible, and focused on my hand. Nothing happened.

  “That’s how you do it,” Ranul told me, staring a few feet from my position.

  “Am I invisible?” I asked. I still saw my arm, but apparently, she couldn’t. I went as quietly as I could, circling around her.

  “Yes, Ovalax. It works. Let’s finish. We have a lot of markings to draw,” she said.

  “What’s the hurry? I have the crystal, remember?” I kept moving, confusing her as to my position.

  “That’s true. If you’d stop messing around, let’s get to business.” Ranul seated herself, and I grabbed my blaster. I aimed for her head, cringing at the thought of murdering someone in this manner. But she was hurting my daughter. By killing Death’s Maiden, I was doing the universe a favor. Not to mention the fact that she wanted to destroy the Alliance and every portal world. That was sufficient motivation. I stood directly behind her, and pulled the trigger, closing my eyes as the pulse blasted out.

  I looked at her, seeing my pulse absorb into an imperceptible shield surrounding Ranul. She hopped to her feet, grabbing her wand. “What are you doing, Ovalax? Did you really think I wouldn’t add the protection runes first?” She turned around, trying to spot my position.

  I was out of moves. If I couldn’t shoot her, there was no way out of this.

  “Papa, the ceiling!” Jules shouted.

  What was she talking about? I glanced up, seeing a few drops of water seeping through.

  “Shoot it!” Jules yelled.

  I didn’t wait. I raised the pulse blaster to the wooden beams, and burned a hole into them. Water gushed from the pool inside the main floor foyer. It extinguished the flames on Ranul’s fingers, and I heard the clinking of Jules’ chains.

  Light exploded from Ranul’s wand, sending a beam of energy directly at me.

  ____________

  It worked! Jules had read that book from Regnig’s five times from start to finish. Runes were affected by water. It dulled a spell, because of how the liquid distorted the image with refraction. Momentarily, while the water covered the powerful rune on the floor, Jules managed to use her powers to free herself from the shackles. She then dug an energy lash across the wooden planks, cutting the spell in half. She was no longer blocked from her powers.

  Ranul had her wand up, and fired it.

  “Papa! Where are you?” Jules asked.

  He didn’t answer. He knew what he was doing, and using his voice would give away his hiding spot.

  “Ranul, it’s over. You’ve failed,” Jules said firmly. She felt strong again. Unstoppable.

  “I don’t think so, girl.” Ranul turned her attention on Jules and shot another beam from the wand. Jules threw her shield up and diverted the attack. It dug a gash into the wall.

  Ranul grinned, her face contorting to something terrible. “Have it your way.” Ranul split into two, another version of herself stepping out. Duplication spell. She’d read about that one. Only it didn’t stop. Ranul’s replicate did the same thing, and there were four of them. Then eight. They each had a wand, and suddenly, eight beams were directed at Jules. She hovered, racing to the top of the room. The only chance to defeat the replicas was to kill the original. They were moving so fast, trying to confuse Jules. She thought she could tell the real Ranul.

  Jules flew across the room, landing behind one of them. She sent a flurry of green energy into the woman, and she exploded. The wand clunked to the floor and vanished.

  The other seven laughed, continually firing from their wands.

  Papa appeared from nowhere, holding his stomach. Jules rushed to him, and found he wasn’t hurt. He was feigning it.

  All seven versions of Ranul came at them, and a casting penetrated her shield. Jules went numb, her body paralyzed. She didn’t know the exact spell, but it was able to contain her. She’d been foolish to stick around. They should have used the crystal to leave, but that might have left Ranul free. They couldn’t allow that.

  “I assume this is Dean Parker,” the various versions of Ranul said in unison. “What did you do to Ovalax?”

  “He’s gone. Just like you’re about to be,” Papa muttered.

  Jules tried moving, but she couldn’t. The Ranuls surrounded her father, all of them holding wands.

  “It’s a pity I have to kill you. Ovalax had his uses; I couldn’t have done this without him. But once you’re dead, I’ll finish what I started. He
was aware I forced Sarlun to send those mercenaries to kill you. You’ve done me a favor by ridding yourself of Ovalax. Now I don’t have to.” They spoke with a haunting synchronicity. Jules saw six of them flicker, and guessed which was the real Ranul. But her father seemed confused as to her actual position. The crystal was in his grip, glowing brighter.

  He glanced over his shoulder, past one of Ranul’s duplicates, and Jules tried to speak. The true Ranul was directly behind him. Her lips were dry, but she managed to whisper two words.

  ____________

  It was exactly as the vision Ovalax had shown me, but Jules wasn’t older. We’d changed the future, and that meant we could escape this chaos alive. Her words were so quiet, I couldn’t hear them, but I knew exactly what she was saying.

  Turn around.

  I did, spinning on my heel to face Ranul. Her expression shifted into a scowl, and I thrust the sharp end of the crystal into her stomach. It pierced through the black vest, and sank into her guts. The other wands fell to the ground and evaporated, until there was only Ranul and I confronting one another.

  “You can’t kill me,” she said.

  “We’ll see about that.” With her touching the crystal, I directed it to a destination I knew well. Before I used the section of portal to transport us, I reached for Jules, slapping a grip onto her wrist. We all vanished from the temple on Gasade, appearing in space above Earth.

  Jules gasped, despite the lack of air, and I felt my body freezing within a split second. She threw a shield over me and drifted off with Ranul, leaving me in relative safety. The moon looked gigantic from this vantage point, and I recalled being here when we first flew toward the Kraski mothership so many years ago.

  Jules clasped on to Ranul, and I wondered what she was doing. The vision. Jules holding hands with an alien woman. It wasn’t that girl, Jaessa, I’d seen after all. It was Ranul.

  Jules acted panicked as they drifted farther from me. Ranul’s eyes were wide, but she wasn’t dying from the exposure to the vacuum of space. She had prepared for everything. I wondered if any part of Ovalax had seen this eventuality.