by Ben Hale
"I don't know how to cast the Gate charm," Tess said as she rotated to face Siarra.
"It's like stepping through a door," Siarra replied. "You must focus on where you want to go, and let that image wash over you. Once we exit the other side I will wedge the portal open by linking the magic between the halos. Understood?"
"No," Tess said, and Siarra flashed a tightlipped smile.
"Look for a color you've never seen before. It will be dark, and tiny. Reach out and draw it to you."
Tess threw a glance at the horizon, and forced a nod. Then she blinked into her magesight and did as requested. Energy filled her vision, bright and multi-colored. Now the colors of magic were as familiar as the red bricks on her old house. Looking past the energies she knew, she searched for something she had not noticed before.
Her breathing became ragged as she searched, her desperation rising. Would they be too late? Would it even work? She forced the doubt aside and focused harder, but it remained. How can I see a color that doesn't exist—
She saw it, and her thoughts froze. It really was a color she could not describe. It was dark, but not blue or purple. It flickered like a dull firefly. She touched it with her will, and it glided to her. She reached out to it, and her hand grew warm. Siarra must have seen the motion.
Like stepping through a door, Siarra said into her mind. Then she pulled her upward, toward the halo.
Tess threw her mind hundreds of miles east, to where the eastern Arc stood. Then she pushed beyond it, to the beach in South Carolina. It grew more vivid by the second, as if she were stepping through a television and into reality. Her hand with the Gate energy grew warm, and then pressure built around her body. Gathering every ounce of her strength, Tess flew straight up and passed through the halo . . .
There was a terrific boom, and her ears popped. She opened her eyes to see the world had changed. Now they stood floating above the South Carolina beach. Activated by their passage, the Arc had cast a matching halo for their exit. Tess felt the urge to grin—and then saw the epic battle arrayed beneath them.
Fire and torn bodies littered the earth on the threshold to the Dark. Off to the south a helicopter exploded and went down amidst a swarm of massive, shrieking bats. Nearby a greater fiend reached a tank, and the rending of armored steel grated against her ears.
"They can't hold," Tess said, horrorstruck.
The line was on the verge of buckling at countless points. The army of the gathered nations had been preparing for weeks, Alice had been preparing for decades. Between the Dark and her vast horde of Twisted, she would not be stopped.
"I may have helped you see what was coming," Siarra said, "but you foresaw this. That's why we built it."
"Is it enough?"
"It will help them endure until we can stop her."
Tess swallowed the knot of fear. Then Iris spoke into her mind.
Siarra has linked the exiting Gate to my threads, she said. Get back so I can fire.
Siarra reached out and squeezed Tess's hand. "We've still got work to do."
They dived back through the Gate together. They exited above the Spirus and were greeted by a scattering of hoarse cheers. Tess dropped so fast to the side of the weapon that she stumbled when she hit the roof. Siarra landed equally as hard, and together they held their breath. Then Iris activated the halo.
Light poured into the gaps provided, illuminating the spearhead as the asunder hex began to build. One by one the supporting charms activated, enhancing the power as if a hundred light mages were casting together. The light fused above the spear and pointed into the halo. Then the meteor charm sparked into life.
The air took on a noticeable chill as heat was drawn into the weapon, and pure heat augmented the mounting light. The mages on the roof retreated as the ball of fire grew above the spear. Mentally Tess counted down from ten, and then held her breath as it fired for the first time.
The enormous inferno exploded from the spear tip, sending out a concussive blast that slammed Tess into the roof. The very air was incinerated as the two thousand degree fireball struck the halo—and disappeared. Hundreds of miles away another halo erupted into view. Teleported to the coast, the searing fireball exploded through the Gate and fell toward the Twisted surging out of the Dark. As it fell a rising whine rose until it became a deafening shriek.
Shielding her gaze from the titanic blast of power still pouring through the halo, Tess heard Iris in the techno sphere warn the soldiers on the front line of the target area.
". . . get to ground, Eric. Ten seconds until impact . . ."
***
Wolf didn't hesitate, and ordered his men to retreat. They looked at him like he was crazy, but two words got them moving.
"It's Iris."
Without a word they pulled their guns and ducked behind the rubble. Wolf did the same, his fear rising as the sounds of the fiend offensive reached the barricade.
"All teams in company 608, get under cover immediately." The orders came over the radio from Command now. "No exceptions."
There was a chorus of protests over the radio.
"If we stop firing we'll be overrun, sir!"
"They are almost to our position!"
"Can't do it, sir!"
"NOW!" someone barked. "If you have your head up you're going to lose it."
Soldiers on both sides of the SEAL team reluctantly pulled back. Wolf saw the doubt in their eyes, but ignored it. After what Iris had done on Auroraq, he would never doubt her again.
Then the hair on his arm began to rise. The air grew cold and the area darkened. His eyes were drawn to a white halo that appeared in the sky above. The space inside brightened to the point of blinding, and then exploded with charged power.
Wolf flinched from the screaming fireball, his eyes wide in shock. It was like the sun itself was falling from the sky, shrieking in fury at being cast from the heavens. He tore his gaze from the sight and dived behind the concrete barrier. Then he swallowed and waited for the impact . . .
Slamming into the beach, the fireball incinerated everything in a two mile swath. The Twisted pouring from the Dark were annihilated. Sand melted into glass and puddles of molten rock. Even the Dark recoiled.
Wolf held onto the wall as the world heaved. The current of heat washed over the line of soldiers, singeing skin and igniting small fires on clothing. Huddling behind the barrier, men and women screamed. The sound was lost in the titanic hurricane of noise. Linda cast a gravity shield around them, dampening the heat.
Then suddenly it abated, and Wolf eased himself up to survey the carnage. The other side of the concrete barrier glowed red, and a section of exposed rebar had melted. Sweat beaded his face as he peered into the clouds of steam. For a mile in both directions, the beach of South Carolina had been replaced with a crater of melted sand and newly formed glass.
Through the searing fog he could see Twisted attempting to enter the bowl. The few that tried were left with burned limbs. Snarling their hatred, they retreated. Wolf flashed a grim smile and tapped the radio.
"Iris, please tell me we can do that again."
To his surprise it was Jack Oliver, Commander of the entire Earth Army that answered.
Chapter 13: The Hope of Nations
"Captain Thompson," Jack said, "report the moment they manage to pass through the heat barrier. We need to know how long it lasts. Until then reinforce your position and prepare for another assault."
"Understood, sir," Wolf said.
Jack made a cutting motion to Uri and he disconnected the link. As he did there was a heavy thrumm that vibrated the room as the Halo fired again. Jack looked at his watch, and made a mental note of the delay. Nearly three minutes between firing the first and the second shot. He filed the information away and then turned back to the command center.
The air of tension lifted as news of the Halo spread. Inspired by the weapon, the generals and aides spoke with hope to their techno mages. It was the desperate hope of a man in quicksa
nd, but Jack intended on pressing the advantage. His gaze on the lightcast map, he issued orders as the problems appeared.
"General Braun, your line is buckling on the southern flank. Dispatch reserves to that location. Chancellor Gerik, add several of the reserve battlemages to company 301. General Xiao, your eastern division is about to receive an assault into the command bunker. Can you hold the line?"
One of only four surviving Chinese generals, Xiao gave a curt bow. "My force will not break."
Jack nodded. "Let me know if you need assistance."
Xiao turned and spoke in his own language to the techno mage assigned to him. She rapidly transferred orders as he spoke.
Jack's lips tightened. The Earth Army had been cobbled together from the remains of hundreds of militaries and reserve forces from throughout the world. Without time or means to train them together, Jack had ordered each nation to occupy a specific area. The larger militaries held a presence on both sides of the country, while the smaller ones filled in the gaps. Now he was forced to rely on an army that lacked cohesive strength.
Without the map or the Halo he doubted they would have lasted until lunch. With them he had the ability to spot weak spots as they developed, and provide enormous air support. But what happened if something slipped through? He frowned, and strode up the model of the east coast, scanning for trouble spots. A moment later the head of the auren defense team on Auroraq approached him.
"Do you think Alice will keep her word and wait to attack the west coast?" Charlie asked.
Jack threw him a look. As head of the MIO task force, Charlie had led numerous attempts to take down Harbingers that had infiltrated the United States. He'd come out alive where many others had not. More importantly, the man had protected Kate.
Broad in the shoulders and the belly, the man sported a gray goatee that matched his hair. In normal clothes he still looked like an old soldier. Dressed as he was in body armor and loaded down with gear, he was tasked with guarding the command center alongside the battlemages under Agent Pierce.
"She has so far," Jack said. "Are the teams still tracking down the Harbingers?"
Charlie bobbed his head. "We still haven't discovered who revealed them, but whoever they were made it easy for us to track the traitors. Our forces are hunting Alice's spies as we speak."
"Keep me posted," Jack said. "We can't afford sabotage from the inside. We have three hours until Dawn breaks on the west coast. When it does we will have two fronts to handle."
"We can barely handle one," the president said as he stepped to Jack's side.
"Without the Halo Alice's words would be true," Jack replied, and then motioned to Uri. "Have the weapon target sector 76.29 at south Georgia. It looks like they are trying to get around the end flank. Then find out when Iris is going to get here. Mr. President? Send in the reinforcements to the north of them. After the Halo's impact they are going to redirect their forces around the crater." Then he threw Charlie a look. "What's your assessment of the defenses here on Auroraq?"
Charlie tapped the rifle on his chest. "As good as we can make them. Agent Pierce seems to be a good man, and between the two of us we've set up multiple perimeters. No one can get close to the city or this building without us knowing about it. He's also briefed me on their abilities, and how this city has been reinforced. It was an . . . enlightening conversation."
Jack flashed a faint smile. "And the evacuation?" Jack asked. He paused to deal with a hole forming among the Spain Company in Vermont. Then he listened to the answer.
"Almost done," Charlie said. "All the underage mages are assisting at the Stacks. Professors from the various mage schools are keeping track of them, as are the parents that volunteered."
Kate appeared at his elbow. "You ready, Sam?"
Jack looked to Charlie. "Why do they call you that?"
Charlie shrugged. "Apparently there is a game called Serious Sam. My grandkids started calling me that, and soon everyone did. Sometimes I wonder if my team knows my name."
Most of Jack's attention was on the map, but he forced a light laugh. It was important for the others to see him at ease, or they would subconsciously echo his tension. Then Kate leaned close and squeezed Jack's arm.
"Nice try, honey," she murmured, "but it doesn't work unless you smile with your eyes."
He grinned at her, grateful more than ever for her support. Kate nodded in approval. "Better."
Then Tess, Iris, and Siarra walked into the room, drawing their attention. "The Halo is built," Iris said, "and I'm lazing it to this location now."
"Between it and our army, we have a chance to last into tomorrow," Jack said. "Excellent work."
"It won't fire at night," Siarra warned.
Jack's eyes flicked to her. Her accent and features were unlike any he'd ever encountered. There was also an almost tangible air of power around her that somehow made her look like Tess.
"Anything you can do to keep it going overnight?" Kate asked.
Tess shook her head. "The hexes that power the Halo are the most powerful we can cast, but they will only work during the day. We could have used weaker magic, but that would have made it weaker throughout the day."
"No," Jack said, "you made the right choice." The floor hummed under his feet as the Halo fired again, causing him to smile. "How exactly did you get the idea?"
Tess's gaze flicked to Siarra. "I used my farsight to see it coming."
"So you can see further into the future?" Kate asked, and her eyebrows shot up.
"Sometimes," Tess hedged. "I'm still working on it." Then she sighed. "That's where I'm going now. I need to try and figure out my next step. I have three talismans to find and not much time."
"Hang on," Jack said.
Throughout the conversation he'd kept part of his mind on the map, and now several spots of red had appeared. Inwardly he cringed. The Halo of Dawn might have been the largest weapon ever built, but it was alone. He ordered the Halo to change its target, and then dispatched secondary teams and reserves.
At the rate they were going it was only a matter of time before they ran out of reserves. At that point they would begin retreating to the second line that surrounded the Stacks. After that . . .
He shook his head. It won't come to that.
"Do what you have to do," Jack said. "We'll do the best we can here." Then he realized how quiet it had become.
He looked up, and realized that nearly everyone in the room had gone silent. They stared at Tess with a mixture of hope, anger, and fear. Seeming to feel the weight of their gaze, Tess straightened and addressed them.
"I know that you fear the outcome of this battle," she said.
Her tone felt weighty and powerful, and it sent a tremor through Jack. He swallowed at the reminder of who his daughter was.
"As you fight the army of Twisted, I fight the Dark. Do not allow past grievances to buckle the line, and I promise I will find a way to end it."
She scanned the room, her challenging gaze somehow connecting with everyone. Most appeared buoyed by her brief words, and Jack made a mental note of those who didn't. Then Tess's eyes settled on him, and he felt oddly small.
"Stand as one," she murmured, "and I promise I will help where I can."
"I will," he said, and she turned to leave. As she departed the room Kate turned to him.
"I don't think she's our little girl anymore," she said.
"She's the oracle now," Jack replied, but his worry did not diminish. Oracle or not, she was still his daughter.
Chapter 14: Incursion
"The Halo works," Derek said in awe.
In the distance to the north a ring of white appeared in the clouds, and a massive ball of fire erupted from it. Even from several miles away the impact from the Halo of Dawn caused debris and smoke to geyser higher than the buildings of New York City. Derek could feel the tremble all the way to his position.
The man beside him issued a grunt, and returned his gaze to the pitched battle below. In sp
ite of widespread protests, the president had ordered that every building within 500 feet from the coast be demolished. The piles of rubble created a line of demarcation between the wall of Dark and the Earth Army.
A continuous barricade of cars and busses had been dragged into a line down the center of the street. On one side the armed forces issued a barrage of sustained fire, slaughtering the Twisted creatures climbing onto the docks.
Windows of the neighboring skyscrapers had been knocked out to allow for sniper and mortar fire. Derek's team had been assigned to SEAL team seven on the18th floor of an office building.
A boom drew his gaze as a warship fired. As one of several stationed just off Staten Island, it bombarded the horde attempting landfall. The bombardment slowed the Twisted down, but fresh forces were quick to take their place.
The scene of desperate battle was repeated in either direction to the horizon, with smoke rising from the constant shelling. The United States had invested everything into preparing this front, and they were not about to let it fall.
"Larger fiend," Freezer said, "four o'clock."
Beside him, Ensign Tack rotated his sniper rifle. "Got him," he said, and the crack of a high-powered rifle rippled over them.
"What's with the glasses?" Freezer said with a grunt. He didn't take his eyes from his binoculars.
"They're omni-glasses," Derek said. "Among other things, they have an eye enhancing charm. I would guess they act similar to your binoculars." Another of the SEALs fired, and Derek added, "There was a gust of wind as he pulled the trigger."
The man muttered under his breath, and then fired again. Freezer issued an annoyed grunt, and Derek threw him a look. The SEAL captain towered over him. Loaded down with body armor, weapons, and camouflage paint, he could have intimidated a reaver—but the most frightening thing about him was his eyes. It was also where he'd gotten his callsign, Freezer.