Godsend (The Circle War Book 1)

by Matt King

  Michael threw him like a rock through the kitchen’s bay window.

  Heat rose like an inferno through his body. Looking down, cracks formed on his skin. He turned his arm over, watching the pale, chalky flesh turn into a crust of ashen char. Fractured lines glowed red, rising and falling in intensity as if he could control the strength.

  I can, he thought, and to prove it he swelled the light on his left hand first, then his right. He looked around the house, pausing on all the places that used to keep him prisoner, that held him down while his father hurt him again and again. The Bloody Door. The closet. The upstairs room where he would fall asleep with the pain of his father's punches still throbbing in his head.

  He let out a pulse.

  The house burst apart at the seams, sending spears of wooden planks shooting in all directions. The ground beneath his feet reflected his red light in the sudden darkness. All around him stood the burning skeleton of the home, coating the yard in fire and embers. He walked through the flames, no longer burned by their heat. He picked up a section of the kitchen wall and tossed it aside. There, lying in a broken, disjointed pose, was his father, crying into the grass.

  He picked him up by the jaw.

  “Look at me,” he said.

  The man’s eyelids clinched tightly as the tears cleared a path through the blood on his cheeks.

  “I want you to see.”

  “Never...hurt you...” his father sobbed. “Never... Only wanted what was best. I only wanted you to live a better life than me.”

  “Open your eyes and look at me!”

  His father did as he was ordered. When he opened his eyes, they froze immediately, reddened by tears that evaporated at the sight before him. “My god,” he whispered.

  Michael let his own eyes blaze. “Is this what you wanted?! Huh? Is this the life you wanted for me? Is it?! Because this is what you created!”

  He dropped him into the grass, crying and begging. Neighbors that had run from their houses were all standing in the street. Some scattered when they saw him. Others stood in place, but shied away from him when he caught their stare. He looked back down at his father.

  “I’ll never live in fear of anyone again,” he said. “You deserve every bit of pain I’m about to repay.”

  He looked around at the fleeing crowd.

  “All of you!” he screamed. “YOU ALL! DESERVE THIS!”

  CHAPTER FIFTY

  The quiet was unsettling. As Galan's forces retreated, his half of the shield fell away, and Meryn's dome dropped to the ground near the center of the valley to cover the remains of her army. August had to shield his eyes as a synapse formed nearby, large enough to cover the width of the field. When the silver haze disappeared and the image of the other world came into view across the surface, it showed a stormy beige sky over rocky terrain.

  A group of Orphii collected around the last Mountain near the edge of the forest. When the synapse opened, they made no move for the doorway. Instead, the Mountain led them around the battlefield, where they retrieved the fallen bodies of their dead. The titan lifted the remains of the Mountain taken down by the cannon. He held him in his arms, and with a bellow, led the remaining Orphii through the portal.

  “What are those things?” Bear asked.

  “Orphii,” August answered. “I'll explain later.” He looked past Bear to the Horsemen standing behind him. “You guys all right?” he asked.

  The brother closest to him nodded. Two held wounds on their arms, but given what they'd been through, it was a miracle they were standing at all.

  When the last of the Orphii disappeared through the membrane, a funnel of light drifted down from the ceiling of the dome, taking the shield's energy with it. The sky opened up. With the wall gone, they were able to see the devastation around them. Fires bloomed in a ring around the valley. Sirens blared in the distance as jets screamed by overhead.

  “Go,” Meryn's voice ordered from behind. She was a walking mass of light, still in mid-transformation. Unless he was seeing things, she was brighter than he remembered. “Go back through the synapse before they return. You cannot stay here.”

  He took a final look at Coburn's body before heading through the doorway. Had he really done it? It didn't seem possible. He had a morbid urge to take a piece of the bloody armor with him, if only to remind himself that Coburn was truly gone. Once he broke through the synapse's membrane, though, all those thoughts fell to the side. Seeing the Lawson house again brought a relieved smile to his face. Surviving, as it turned out, was enough of a trophy for him.

  Paralos waited for them by the barn. “You should be congratulated,” he said, looking to all of them before settling on Meryn. “Victory becomes you, Meryn. One day you will have to tell me where you found such an army.”

  “The universe is large and not entirely traveled,” she replied coolly. “And the victory was through no effort of my own.”

  “Still, it was an achievement. Galan has never tasted defeat before.”

  Never been beaten? August shot a glance at Meryn. Funny how she failed to mention that before. Maybe it was for the best, though, considering how he’d viewed their chances in the first place.

  Paralos turned his attention to August. “And you. I must admit I didn't think I would see you alive again.”

  “Happy to disappoint.”

  “You fought well,” he said. August couldn't tell if the grudging tone in his voice was humility or recognition of the distrust still between them. “You were deserving of that victory.”

  Worthy, Meryn added in his head.

  It was the punctuation he needed, even if he didn't realize it. It really was over. No more worrying about Coburn waiting for him in the shadows. No more feeling like he was in a league where he didn't belong. He'd gone through the fire and come out the other side still in one piece.

  “There is more work ahead,” Paralos said, returning to his normal scowl. “Talus and Gemini remain, as does the rest of Galan's army.”

  “What do you mean, the rest of Galan's army?” August asked. “We just beat them. Coburn is dead.”

  Meryn faced him. “Galan's legion still fights with his energy. Until they are gone—all of them—he has not lost, and Amara will not allow him to fight alone again. Things will only grow more difficult.”

  The thought of facing more of Galan's machines took some of the shine off their victory. “So what do we do now?”

  “We get ready,” Paralos answered. “There is no telling what the response will be. They may be content to nurse their wounds, or we could see their full force in the blink of an eye. Whatever the case, we cannot stay here. This is where they will look first.”

  Bear took the news with a measured nod, almost as if he had expected it. He glanced to the hill overlooking the farm. “Can I have a few minutes before we go?” he asked. “I need to take care of something.”

  August stopped him before he walked off. “If you're going to see Ray,” he said. “I'd like to come along.”

  A flash in the distance interrupted Bear's answer.

  The spark drew their attention to the northern sky, where a dull glow bloomed on the horizon like a red sun rising. It grew brighter by the second until the stars were no longer visible over the trees and the sky seemed to catch fire. A growing din accompanied the onrushing wave. Its force intensified until the vibrations felt like they were going to shatter August’s bones.

  Gemini. By the time he realized what was happening, it was too late. Too late to run. Too late to take cover. The storm rushed forward, swallowing everything in its path.

  But we won, he thought. It's not fair. We won. He looked over at Bear, who slowly closed his eyes and lowered his head, readying himself to die. A red glow washed over his face.

  “Meryn?” Paralos said as his body morphed into a floating blaze of white light. “What are you doing?”

  Meryn didn't speak. She glanced quickly to August and Bear, then finally back to Paralos.

  The spe
eding blast was nearly on top of them.

  “You can't!” Paralos shouted over the rising winds. “Meryn, don't do this!”

  As the edge of the storm came crashing through the Lawson house, Meryn erupted into a flash of blinding blue light. She thrust her hands forward, shooting a wall of energy from her fingertips that crashed against the oncoming wave, sending a cloud of fire pouring over the top and sides. Her shield created a pocket of shelter amidst the deafening storm. August threw his hands to his ears as the wind from the blast whipped through his hair, scattering the blood flowing from his ruptured eardrums. The roar from the storm was like a dagger in his head. He fought to open his eyes. The Horsemen were huddled together, writhing with their hands pressed to the sides of their heads. Bear knelt, his eyes squeezed shut and his face strained. Blood streamed from his nose.

  Outside the small area where they stood, the world was aflame. The barn crumpled as soon as it was hit, splintering until it disappeared in the wind. The fields burst into a sea of fire. Beyond Meryn's shield, the tall oak that had towered over the Lawson farm withered to embers. Its branches leached into the hurricane of red energy until only a black skeleton remained. Bolts of lightning like bloody tridents danced across the wind. Everything they struck turned to flames, until fire surrounded their group and the air became so hot that it felt like it was melting August’s skin. He fell to the ground, burying his face in the crook of his arm while his body cooked inside his suit.

  And then, as quickly as it had come, the winds shifted and reeled the storm back toward the north. The backdraft took the air out of his lungs. He and the others broke into fits of sputtering coughs as their bodies desperately fought for air. The wind’s chokehold died away, and his chest drank in breaths as fast as he could inhale.

  Eventually, he was able to stand. Bear and the Horsemen rose in stages as they recovered from the storm's effects. August searched for Meryn.

  She stood facing the retreating storm. Her shield was gone. Her light had faded some, but she was still bright enough to illuminate the remains of the farm.

  Ash clouds filled the air. Anything that hadn't been torn completely apart by the blast was burning. The Lawson house was gone. Only a few smoldering pieces of wood were left of the barns. Smoke twisted in the wind as the fires in the field died away, leaving a landscape scorched and empty.

  But he and Bear were safe. Meryn had saved them.

  A cold grip took him when he realized what she’d done.

  “No,” he said, immediately looking to Paralos. The god hovered in place above the charred soil, his light pulsing with shafts of muted red. “Paralos, you don’t have to do this. We can figure something out.”

  Bear came to stand at August's side. “What's he doing?”

  “His duty,” Meryn answered, her shining body still canted away from them. “Do what you must, Paralos. Amara will be here soon to carry out her sentence if you do not.”

  “Wait,” August pleaded. “Amara doesn't have to know.”

  When Paralos didn’t answer, August reached for the blades on his back, but he stopped short of unsheathing them. It was no use. He was no god.

  “Be quick,” Meryn said. “Grant me that at least.”

  The energy inside Paralos’ form intensified, burning with a bright red light. His hands rose at his sides.

  August turned away to shield himself from the sight. If he hurts her, I’ll kill him, he thought. A gust of wind brushed across his armor, thick with electric charge. I’ll find a way and I’ll kill him.

  Bear grabbed his arm. “August, look.”

  August spun around. Paralos’s light shrank back into his body, cooling from red to yellow and finally to white. Returned to his human form, his face looked haggard. “Go,” he said wearily.

  Meryn’s face was frozen in disbelief. “Paralos...”

  “Run, damn you!” the god shouted. “And pray that I am half the deceiver that you are.”

  The group stood in a pause. Meryn turned to August and Bear. Her light pulsed rapidly, building in speed and intensity. The dirt beneath her feet vibrated. “I will find a way to return,” she said.

  Bear stepped forward. “What are we supposed to do without you?”

  She drew a hand across his cheek. “Survive.”

  Her eyes darted to August.

  In a flash, she was gone, racing toward the sky through the haze hanging over the farm, leaving a trail of blue light behind her as she sped away. August watched until he could no longer tell her light from the stars.

  “There is no time to waste,” Paralos said. He created a synapse where Meryn had stood. The hum seemed louder in the stillness of the aftermath. “Come. It is no longer safe for you here.”

  “I’m not going anywhere,” August said, looking to Bear and then to Paralos. “This is our world. We're supposed to defend it.”

  “Right now, your lives are more important than a thousand of these worlds,” he answered. “If you stay here, there is no telling what Amara will do to you, and she is coming.” He looked to the sky. A swirling blue light appeared over the remains of the farm. “Now! Or Meryn's sacrifice is for nothing!”

  Bear was the first to move. “Come on,” he said. He took the arm of an injured Horseman and helped him toward the synapse.

  A crack of thunder sounded overhead. August signaled for the rest of the brothers to follow, and together, they ran through the portal.

  CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE

  When they emerged on the other side of the synapse, they found themselves on a plateau halfway up a ridge of dull yellow rock. The mountain range was horseshoe-shaped and only about mile from end to end, or maybe that’s just all he could see from the dust storm surrounding them. He couldn’t tell for sure. The wind swirled short-lived tornadoes through the valley, creating rifts in the ceiling that teased the ground with orange rays from the alien planet’s sun. Closer to the center of the dust cloud, glimpses of white light sparkled in the haze. He thought he heard something that sounded like wind chimes in the distance.

  “Where are we?” he asked as the synapse closed behind them. He felt out of breath just from standing. The air was so thin.

  Paralos scanned the foggy surroundings. “One of Meryn’s worlds,” he said. “She told me of it before she fled. You are safe. For now.”

  Bear walked to the edge of the plateau. He glanced over the side, holding his hand up to shield his eyes from the swirling dust. “Something’s down there,” he said.

  August drew his swords.

  “You won't be needing those,” Paralos said. The god raised his hands, sending a wide gust of wind racing down into the canyon. It pushed the dust aside, gradually unveiling the floor beneath until the landscape was clear to the horizon.

  August edged closer to the lip of the rock. Bear waited for him along with the Horsemen. When he made it to their side, he looked down. His eyes widened at the sight.

  Paralos gestured toward the canyon. “Your army awaits, August Dillon.”

  August stared at the sea of Orphii. The last of the Mountains stood near the front, towering above the body of its fallen twins. A crowd of smaller Orphii at its feet looked up at August. Eventually, they all turned, thousands of them filling the canyon floor. And then, August looked above their heads to the thin rods of white light hanging in the air. They ranged in size from thin wisps no larger than a man all the way up to shafts of light that seemed to touch the sun. Where there were thousands of rocky Orphii below, countless more filled the sky.

  “What are those?” Bear asked.

  “The unbound Orphii,” Paralos answered. “They will take their form when you need them to fight.”

  There must be a million of them out there.

  Bear glanced down at him. “What do we do with them now?”

  “Now…” August began. The breaths in his chest quickened as he took in the strength of the Orphii’s host. A powerful roar started with the Mountain and spread through the valley. It combined with the ethereal c
horus of the unbound to create a war cry that shook the earth beneath his feet.

  “Now we take the fight to them.”

  AUTHOR’S NOTE

  To give you an idea of how long it’s been since I first started working on Godsend, I only have vague memories of how I came up with the story in the first place. I know there were a couple of locations that seeded things. The first was my great uncle’s farm, which I used as a template for the Lawson farm. I spent many a family reunion exploring that place (and yes, they really do have that many barns). The second was a stretch of train tracks in rural eastern North Carolina. I view train tracks as this weird, hidden pathway through the country, and I kept picturing what it would be like to wander down those roads. After a while, I started picturing August as that wanderer.

  My original attempt at Godsend was completely different from the story you just read. August was a brooding Batman-type, Bear was a doofus, Amara was known as Felania, and Meryn went by Sofia. The Circle didn’t have a name. Michael wasn’t even in it. The only person who didn’t change much was Ray, which I’m totally okay with. I loved Ray just the way he was. Everyone else was kind of lame.

  The first finished draft was a novella ending with the destruction of the Lawson farm by Amara. August and Bear left in search of a hidden champion and the epilogue introduced a certain gun-toting bounty hunter and his band of quadruplets. I let that story sit for years, unsure of where I wanted to go with it. It wasn’t until 2010 that I decided to go back to August’s world, only this time I knew what I wanted out of him and his story: the origin of a connected superhero universe.

  So I overhauled the plot, gave characters personality transplants, and the result was…well, what you just read. Godsend introduces the Circle War, and now The Last Winter will get into the meat of the conflict. It was a tough book to write, because I genuinely love these characters and they go through some not-so-nice things in the next installment. I’m sorry in advance.