Flux (Starblind #3)

by D T Dyllin

  “Of course not.” Ash was instantly in his flame form, swirling around the room. He reappeared behind Kade with laser cuffs of his own, snapping them on the Talsen with ease. I wasn’t even sure how he’d managed to get Kade’s arms behind his back so quickly. Lifting, Ash hauled his massive form up, dragging him out of my room.

  I trailed along behind them, my stomach flip-flopping. “Don’t hurt him. I just want him out of the way so he’s not a danger to anyone until we can get his issues sorted out.”

  “He’ll be fine,” Ash said. “He’s just going to cool his heels in one of the cells until after the mission.”

  “Don’t do it, LaLa. Please, I’m begging you.”

  I watched as Ash deposited him in a cell, and set the security system.

  “I’m going to check on Jane. I’ll have to smooth some ruffled phoenix feathers after what I just pulled.” He chuckled as if he enjoyed the prospect, and with the dynamic in their relationship, he probably did.

  I was left alone in the prison, with one very pissed off Talsen, eyeing me like I’d just stolen his firstborn child and given it to the Denards. I raised my hands in the air. “I’m sorry, Kade. I have to go on this mission and you need to calm down. When you’re back to normal you’ll realize why this had to be done.”

  His lips curled back from his teeth, his eyes wild. “Don’t leave me in here. If you’re going to do something so stupid, at least take me with you so I can protect you.”

  “You’re not in the mental space to protect me properly. Do you understand that?”

  He banged his hands on the bars, the Gartian grade alloy vibrating. “Don’t leave me in here. I’ll snap completely, and if I do I’m not sure I’ll be able to come back from that.”

  Reflexively, I backed up a few steps, eyeing him warily. “What does that mean exactly?” I’d heard of spliced humans having to be put down because an incompatible choice of alien DNA. Was there a possibility that dragon DNA and Talsen DNA were too volatile of a combination? As far as I knew, Kade was a prototype of the pairing, and in such cases, sometimes unforeseen side effects can happen when tinkering with genetic makeup. What if Kade becomes permanently unstable?

  I shook my head, staring at him. I couldn’t fathom the funny, smart, caring man who’d I’d fallen in love with being lost forever to a craze set off by a faulty splicing combination. Mikla was smarter than that, wasn’t he? I mean, he wasn’t infallible, but such a mistake was an easy one to avoid. Of course, intelligence didn’t always play a role in such experiments, which was exactly why they were just that … experiments. Successful splicing combinations were often nothing more than trial and error, the errors swept under the rug and eventually forgotten.

  Please don’t let Kade be an error. Beyond reason, beyond logic, I’d given myself over to my emotions, even after the plate had been removed from my head, and I’d permitted myself to feel something for Kade I’d never felt for another. I loved him.

  Plastering the best smile on my face that I could manage, I met Kade’s glowing gaze head on. “It’ll be fine. All of it. You just have to stay here and be patient, and I’ll be back before you know it.”

  Before he could respond in any way, I whirled around, dashing out into the hallway. I slumped against the wall, forcing myself to breathe deeply.

  “LaLa!” Kade bellowed. “Come back! You can’t go! You can’t leave me like this!” His voice cracked, belying his panic. “I have to protect you! I need to go with you! LaLa! Please!”

  Steeling my will, I pulled myself off the wall, notching my chin up as I marched towards the medical wing. Everything will be fine. Kade isn’t an error. Mikla will find a solution and Kade will go back to the way he was.

  Blinking in surprise, I realized I’d already arrived at my destination, my mind having been completely focused on my Talsen the entire way. I peeked around the corner, observing Mikla, Eron, and Tamzea working in silence.

  Clearing my throat, I stepped into the room. “Hey. We’re going to head out soon, and I wanted to check on progress before I left.”

  Tamzea smiled warmly. “Don’t worry, we’ll figure it out. We’re not going to let Kade and you suffer.”

  Mikla lifted his head, his gaze remaining on the slide in front of him. “We wouldn’t be in this situation if you hadn’t copulated with it.”

  Anger raced through my veins, my duel pulse hammering. “Stop saying that. If you tell me I shouldn’t have copulated with him one more time I might just scream.”

  That did snatch his attention away from the slide, and he tilted his head in confusion. “Why are you acting so emotional despite the removal of the plate? Maybe I should run some tests to see if there was permanent damage. Sometimes once the neurological pathways in a brain are tampered with, it changes the functions. It’s like an addict, in a way. Once—”

  “It doesn’t matter,” I snapped. “You need to concern yourself with fixing Kade and nothing else for right now. Do you understand me?” Was it possible? Was I permanently altered by the plate? New pathways forged within my brain? No. What you told him is true. It doesn’t matter.

  Mikla’s lips pressed into a thin line. He didn’t like being ordered around, especially by his little sister. I needed to change tactics before my temper landed me in even hotter water than I was already in.

  I shrugged. “Unless you can’t figure it out.”

  As if slapped, Mikla’s head jerked back. “I can figure it out. Don’t attempt to manipulate me.”

  “I’m not. You did hit your head when we crashed. Did you have Tamzea and Eron take a look at your brain? It could be injured, therefore your cognitive function—”

  “My brain isn’t injured. I’ll figure it out!” My brother’s teeth audibly ground together as he returned his attention to the slides.

  Well that was easy. Too bad I’d let him intimidate me when I was a child, too afraid to attempt to fight back in any way. Since the attack, our relationship had shifted slightly since seeing him break down. I guess a part of me always thought of him as perfect, but now I knew better.

  “I thought I’d find you here.” Jane stomped into the room, scowling at me.

  My eyes widened in shock, running up and down her body, her clothes the oddest I’d ever seen her wear. Instead of her signature Steampunk look, she was wearing plain black pants and a matching T-shirt. “Why are you wearing those?” I glanced over my shoulder at Tamzea, whose mouth was hanging open.

  “Shut up. I didn’t want to waste another good outfit since I’m going to be in flame form for so long and we all know I have a tendency to burn up my clothes when that happens.” Jane grabbed my arm, tugging me towards the door.

  “Hey! Let go!” I smacked at her hand.

  “We need to get going. I’m tired of waiting around.”

  “I was coming to meet you as soon as I checked on—”

  “I get it. You’re worried about Kade. But let’s face it, we’re all dead if we can’t pull off this mission. So Tamzea, Eron, and Mikla’s work comes second to what we have to do.”

  “I agree!” I finally broke free from her, teetering to the left before catching my balance. “But that doesn’t mean you get to drag me around. What’s up with everyone lately?”

  “Nothing’s changed. You’re simply getting your pride hurt when it happens now. Whether you want to admit it or not, Kade has changed you. Hell, you haven’t given one lecture since you’ve been back. Not one.”

  Is that true? Had I changed that much in such a short period of time? “It has nothing to do with Kade. Mikla said the plate may have permanently altered the pathways in my brain. I might—”

  “Please.” Jane rolled her eyes. “Don’t bullshit a bullshitter.”

  Clamping my mouth shut, I carefully focused my gaze ahead, my thoughts a twisted mess. Was I that altered by my time with Kade? Had my love for him changed me as much as Jane’s love for Ash had changed her?

  “Ready?” Ash’s voice yanked me from my inner musings. “R
emember, we’re only there for backup. The bulk of this is on your shoulders, Zula.”

  “I’m ready.”

  The three of us made our way off the ship, the fate of the Universe resting on our shoulders, and one little plan.

  Our trek back across the pockmarked land was disconcerting. Plants and animals had been uprooted and destroyed, the senseless act causing my heart to twist, and my soul to cry. My beautiful home planet was marred with destruction, and repairs would most likely take years … if Galvrarons even got the chance. We were walking into the unknown, the full extent of the attack still muddled in mystery. We just had to hope that what we were looking for existed, and that it would be easy to get our hands on.

  “I wonder what other planets were hit?” Jane murmured.

  Ash pulled her into his side, kissing the top of his head. “New Earth was prepared. I bet they’ve known the secret origins of the Denards all along. It would explain a lot.”

  “I was raised on New Earth, and no one ever filled me in on the little detail of them being one-hundred-percent human.”

  “The government probably kept it a closely guarded secret,” I offered. “Scientists maybe knew as well, although doubtful. Knowing that the Denards shared their heritage would change the face of them for many, and also garner unwanted sympathy, making New Earth vulnerable.”

  Unhooking the small canteen from my belt, I took a swig of water, coughing when it went down the wrong way. This time we were prepared for the trip, water and food packed in case we had to hunker down somewhere for a bit. We’re prepared this time? Jane and Ash weren’t with me before. Kade had been by my side, my partner here on Xianfrey and on Zeffrin, even when he’d claimed I was nothing more than a bounty.

  I missed his easy smiles, and yes, even his sexual innuendos. He kept the mood light even when things were at their darkest. Or at least he had. In his current condition, I had a feeling things would be drastically different. It was amazing how quickly I’d grown attached to him.

  Jane turned her head to meet my gaze, her expression fierce. “If Tamzea, Eron, and Mikla can’t figure out how to fix Kade, I’ll personally track down a full-blooded dragon to help. I swear it.”

  I appreciated the offer, but it was one she couldn’t fulfill. “Their kind hasn’t been seen for decades. Even you aren’t that good of a bounty hunter.”

  “We’ll see,” she grated, setting her jaw in determination. “And phoenixes were thought to be extinct.”

  “One found you, not the other way around.”

  “Ladies,” Ash interrupted, “we have more pressing matters at hand.”

  Following his gaze, I sucked in a sharp breath. A small hovercraft, manned by humanoids not with blue skin, was currently zooming our way. It had to be the Denards, possibly out looking for survivors. “What do we do?” I hissed, more to myself than Jane and Ash. We hadn’t formed any contingency plans for this. Which was stupid. I’d been distracted, and Jane’s plans were always half formed, landing her and everyone else involved in situations exactly like the one we were in.

  “Hit the ground, Zula,” Ash commanded. “And don’t move.”

  Dropping to the ground, I immediately complied, curling into a ball. Heat exploded around me on all sides, flames crackling to form a wall. My breathing grew ragged as the mechanic whirl of the hovercraft drew closer.

  The engine idled close by, but I didn’t dare move or so much as open my eyes. “Why’s this spot still burning?” a male demanded tersely. “Someone better not be still dropping those things. They know we’re out here, right?”

  “It’s the only spot we’ve seen,” another male replied. “It’s probably being fueled by some strange plant or something. You want me to put it out?”

  “No, it’ll burn out on its own most likely. There isn’t much around here for the fire to spread to. Let’s not waste the time. Besides, someone might have started it to delay us, hoping to buy themselves some time to escape.”

  I remained still, holding my breath until the sound of the engine faded into the distance. With relief, I opened my eyes, and sat up slowly, careful not to come in contact with the flames. “Okay, time to let me out of here. It’s uncomfortably hot.” Every pore on my body was leaking sweat, and my skin crawled with annoyance.

  “We need to wait a few minutes to make sure they don’t come back.” Ash’s voice wafted through the air, as if coming from all directions at once.

  “Not necessary.” Carefully, I brought my canteen to my lips, taking several sips. “Besides, I’m going to melt in here if you don’t let me out soon. I don’t think the two of you realize the heat a phoenix in flame form gives off.”

  “It’s just me, Zula. Jane is hovering nearby. She didn’t trust herself not to burn you alive since she hasn’t mastered her phoenix form yet.”

  “Huh. This is all you?” I stared at the flickering flames, mesmerized. “The control you have is pretty impressive.”

  “Jane could have as much, her block is entirely mental. She spent most of her life thinking of herself as human.”

  “Come on, they’re gone. You can let her out now,” Jane said, her tone impatient.

  The flames around me instantly disappeared, revealing Ash in his human form. He rolled his eyes. “The two of you are exasperating. Anyone ever tell you that?”

  “No. No one has ever said that before,” Jane deadpanned.

  Dusting soot and dirt off of my clothes and face, I stood. “That was a handy little trick. It won’t do us much good closer to civilization though.”

  “That’s why you came along. Your little Smurfette skin the better to blend with the rest of the Smurfs.”

  I mentally counted to ten, stalking away from Jane. It did little good to calm my anger, but it did give me the chance to focus back on our mission. “It shouldn’t be much longer. We should be coming up on the lab soon. From there we can ascertain where the Galvrarons are.”

  Something none of us was talking about was the very real possibility that the Galvrarons had been slaughtered. The manner in which Xianfrey had been attacked suggested otherwise, but there was also the possibility of the Denards not wanting to damage the planet, and once they’d invaded, they’d offed my people on a more one on one level. If that was the case, my blue skin wasn’t going to be the color of choice, and I’d have to hightail out of there hoping to make it in one piece.

  “There!” I pointed, the labs looming in the distance, the buildings seemingly unaffected by the attacks.

  “I don’t see any guards … or anyone for that matter,” Jane said. “What do you guys think?”

  “I think if there’s no one around then we can maybe connect to the main computer system and figure out what’s going on. Maybe the list we’re looking for is on the mainframe somewhere and we won’t have to go anywhere else to find it.”

  I’d already decided that if we could get our hands on the list of Denard weapons facilities that was the most important thing. I wasn’t going to risk the crew or me in an attempt to save my people. It would be illogical to do so, and in the end, we’d get nothing accomplished. In times of war, difficult choices had to be made, and I had to accept the limitations I’d been dealt by circumstances. Maybe thinking that way made me as cold, in certain ways, as other Galvrarons, but it couldn’t be helped. If we stood a chance of saving anyone, I would do it, but I wouldn’t sacrifice anyone else’s life in the process either.

  Ash halted, his gaze darting around. “Jane, you scout ahead in flame form. I’m going to hide Zula again, just to be on the safe side. All of this feels entirely too easy.”

  In a puff of smoke, Jane disappeared, her phoenix racing across the open field so quickly I couldn’t even see her. I dropped to the ground and crossed my legs. “Go ahead. Do your thing.” Encircled by the wall of flame again, I sighed. Minutes seemed like hours as we waited, the air around me sweltering.

  “Oh, for fuck’s sake. Does she do this shit to piss me off, or does she do it because she has to make
everything complicated?” Ash growled, appearing in his human form again.

  My head snapped up as several angry voices caught my attention, followed by several laser shots. Jane was sprinting across the field holding a computer clutched to her chest, as several men in UGFS uniforms ran after her.

  “We should never have let her go in there alone,” I huffed. “You know she’s a magnet for trouble, and she doesn’t think before she acts.”

  “I’ll take care of it.” Ash flamed across the field, arcing directly into the path of the men chasing Jane. Screams erupted, quickly snuffed out when Ash punched his way through their chests in quick succession, his flame form leaving neat circular holes behind. An instant later he was standing beside me again, his arms crossed over his chest as he watched Jane approach, huffing and puffing.

  “What were you thinking?” I demanded. “Why did you think it was a good idea to grab the whole computer?”

  Shoving it at me, Jane bent over to catch her breath. “There were too many men in there, and I heard them talking. What we want is on there and they were going to erase it. So I—”

  “Went in there with guns blazing, as usual.” I rolled my eyes, shifting the computer to get a better grip.

  She shrugged, sauntering off. “It all worked out in the end. We have what we need and no one is going to—”

  “Notice the men, dead outside the lab? You’re right, Janey, good call.” Ash took the computer from me, the weight of it more manageable for him. “You would think Galvraron computers would be smaller since they have all the latest tech.”

  I smirked. “That’s a super computer.”

  Ash’s eyes widened as he hefted it up and flipped it over and around, studying it in awe. “This thing is a super computer? Okay, I take back what I said.”

  “Mmm hmm.” I jogged after Jane, ready to get back to The Pittsburgh and the hell off Xianfrey before we were discovered.