by Ben Hale
Siarra darted to the side and called on the stone beneath her foe. The rock rose in large jaws to slam shut on the Immortalian. It shifted into liquid and poured out the side. Then it reformed into a person. Its smile fixed, it struck back.
The rock came from nowhere and slammed into Siarra, sending her skidding between the grappling hydras. Her body bruised and cut, she rose to her feet with fire in her eyes.
She called on gravity magic and amplified it tenfold. The Immortalian responded by spiking strength and walking out of the gravity well. Then it raised its hands, and sucked energy from all the sources in the room to fashion a staff of near white magic.
Siarra's eyes widened at the feat. The Immortalian's weapon would not be as powerful as Siarra's true white magic, but it was the strongest she had ever witnessed. Her hands tightened, and she swept her sword upward. Then she darted in.
She cast speed and agility on herself, but the Immortalian did the same. Weaving in complicated patterns, they struck and blocked, and sought to damage each other. In spite of the Immortalian's power it lacked experience, and Siarra found an opening. Driving into it, she severed most of the Immortalian's arm before retreating.
For the first time the Immortalian's smile faded. The anger that took its place reflected a terrifying darkness. Drawing in a breath, the Immortalian healed the wound. Then it stalked forward.
"Your punishment has been heightened."
The Immortalian struck with a barrage of curses, each aimed to take her life. Forced to retreat, Siarra sought for a way past the Immortalian's defenses. At every turn the Immortalian's power neared her own—even with the guardian magic flowing through her.
The Immortalian struck Siarra with a near white-laced blast of fire, breaking through her charms and singeing her skin. Fingers of rock blossomed from the ceiling and reached down like coiling snakes, snapping at her head. As quick as thought, she dodged them all. Her attention upward, she did not see the snake head rising in front of her. It slammed into her, its fangs piercing her chest and sending her tumbling backward.
Siarra broke its fangs and shattered the snake. Then she rose to her feet and yanked the fangs out of her body. Her frustration turned into anger, and her madness turned it into rage. Casting a pair of white golems, she sent them toward her adversary. As the Immortalian dealt with them, she reached up to the tiring hydras and lashed them to her will. Both turned on the Immortalian and unleashed a torrent of fire and ice upon it.
The Immortalian lifted its hands, shielding itself from the attacks. The enormous entities thickened the barrier with ice and heat, solidifying it until the twin golems reared back and struck. The orb shattered, sending the Immortalian sliding back. It rose to its feet and its staff morphed into a scythe.
"No one defies the Master," it said.
Darting forward, it spun between the golems and cut them down. Its staff shuddered as it struggled to slay the golems, but did not break. As pieces of golem fell to the ground and disintegrated, the Immortalian raised the scythe and killed the hydras.
"The Master calls for your death! And you WILL OBEY!"
Its scream echoed like shrill thunder—but Siarra was not there. Capitalizing on her foe's distraction, Siarra had sped around the room, piercing each of the sources of magic. The moment the Immortalian killed the golems, Siarra cast her prepared charms.
Fifteen threads of magic reached out and connected to the Immortalian. Where they touched its flesh glowed—and then began to darken. The Immortalian swung its scythe, severing three of them. The threads re-knit before it could swing its weapon again. Pulsing with power, they began to draw the Immortalian's magic back into the sources.
It stumbled, weakened from the attack. Dropping to its knees, it cast a sphere of near white that cut the threads. Its clothes rent and torn, its hair in disarray, the Immortalian spun to face Siarra. Their eyes connected, and the Immortalian dropped the shield. Shifting its scythe into a spear, it hurled it at Siarra.
Siarra leaned to the side and risked opening a Gate. Doing so in haste could backfire, but the portal opened where she'd been standing. The spear disappeared from view—and reappeared behind the Immortalian. The spear sank into its back, causing it to stumble.
"You will not disobey me," it rasped, and forced itself to stand.
Siarra summoned her sword from where it had fallen and stalked forward. The Immortalian did not move except to dismiss the spear through its chest. When Siarra was within striking distance, the Immortalian rose and struck at her—but Siarra was prepared.
The empowered fist streaked past her face as Siarra ducked and twirled under the outstretched hand. Rotating to its back, she buried the white coated blade into the Immortalian's side, severing an arm and knocking it to the floor. Injured yet still powerful, the Immortalian glared at her. Then it began to rise and heal.
Driven by anger and struggling to contain the madness, Siarra yanked her weapon free and kicked the Immortalian down once more. Then she buried her blade through its body, pinning it to the floor. Drawing on her power, she flooded white energy into the sword.
The magic filled the cavern, blinding and hot. Stone melted on the walls, dripping to the floor as the magic continued to build. Still gripping the hilt of the sword, she pulsed it, causing one of the sources to shatter. Then another. One by one the sources were ripped from the walls and drawn into the sweeping hurricane of combined magic.
The ceiling cracked, allowing water to pour into the space. It too was drawn into the burgeoning light. Siarra's skin quivered from the surge of magic, yet the power continued to build. Her hair whipping into a frenzy, she gathered every speck of white power and hammered it into her sword. In a thunderclap of raw energy the magic penetrated the Immortalian, and the room went dark.
The Immortalian fought to hold together, but its weakened body could not withstand the surge of power. From the sword out, the Immortalian burned. Its flesh turned as black as soot, and cinders floated away. Charred beyond recognition, its face stared at Siarra.
"All will obey the Master . . ."
The Immortalian disintegrated into ash, its power gone. Siarra slipped to her knees. Even with the guardian magic in her blood, Alice's Immortalian had nearly bested her. If the curse had been completed and Alice had melded her mind to it . . .
She shivered at that thought and rose to her feet. Limping away, she sought a speck of Gate magic. After a moment she found one. Collecting it into her palm, she teleported back to Auroraq.
Chapter 31: The Location
Tess lay in Rox's old bed and stared at the ceiling. She'd returned to Breaker's house and told her parents what had happened. Their dismay had been brief, but enough to hammer home the failure. Without any other option, she had gone to bed. Bitterness and fatigue had driven her to sleep, but after a few hours she had woken and could not sleep again.
How could she have failed so utterly? She was meant to guide the races to freedom and light, and yet she had shattered the third talisman, and their sole chance at destroying the Dark. Even with Siarra's help, the talisman representing the unity of the races had been destroyed forever.
Self-doubt washed over her in ever increasing waves. When she could bear it no longer, she threw off the blanket and dressed. She tied her shoes with savage yanks and took two steps toward the door. Then she realized she had no idea what to do. With a sigh, she sank back onto the bed.
She'd thought that Siarra would have all the answers, just like Hawk. Now she realized the full extent of what Hawk had always tried to teach her. The weight of her responsibility was hers—and hers alone. It wasn't Siarra, Hawk, or anyone else who could defeat the Dark. It was her.
You don't have to do it alone.
Unbidden, Derek's words came to her mind, causing a smile to appear on her features. She may ultimately be the one to defeat the Dark, but right now she needed help to figure out how. She reached up and tapped the nexus charm on her shoulder.
Derek?
There
was no reply, and fear gripped her. What if he had . . .
Tess? Is everything okay?
She let out an explosive breath at his groggy reply. I need your help.
What's up?
Tess had to swallow at the sudden pain in her chest. She would give anything to be with him right now. Then she had an idea.
Can you send me a memory of where you are?
Er . . . sure. But why?
The image flickered in her thoughts, revealing the dim interior of a rock tent. Most likely cast by Derek, it was mercifully empty for what she wanted to do. Blinking into her magesight, she scanned Rox's room for the type of magic she required. When she found it, she drew it to her hand and it grew warm. Then she opened the Gate.
She appeared a foot above Derek and crashed onto his form. He issued a grunt of surprise as a body collided with his, and the cot underneath him gave way. They tumbled to the floor together, tangled in the blanket.
"Tess? You scared the—"
Her kiss cut him off. Unable to stop herself, she poured all the anger, doubt, and desperation into the bruising contact. He responded in kind, and when they pulled away he grinned.
"If I knew you could teleport here, I would have sent you a memory hours ago."
"Sorry," she said. "I'm still getting used to it."
She extricated herself from the blankets and helped him up. In spite of the dire circumstances, she found herself distracted by his lack of shirt.
"Do you always sleep without a shirt?" she asked.
"I get hot," he replied defensively. He grabbed one and pulled it over his head. "I didn't expect my girlfriend to appear above me." He sat down next to her, his expression sobering. "Now, what's this about?"
She told him about the vault and her failure to extract Tryton's sword. She held nothing back, and he merely listened. When she was done he released a low whistle.
"That's certainly not what I expected," he mused.
"I just destroyed our only hope," Tess said, "and that's all you can say?"
He grinned at her irritation. "The prophecy says, 'four talismans she will require'.
It doesn't say anything about how you will use them."
"You think we were meant to destroy Tryton's sword?"
"Why not?" he asked, and shrugged his shoulders. "It doesn't sound like you and Siarra could have done anything different, which implies that was exactly what Ianna foresaw."
Tess opened her mouth to protest, but no words came out. Was it possible he was right? If so, what was the purpose of destroying Tryton's sword?
"Why didn't Ianna just spell it out?" Tess asked, her tone full of irritation.
"And have it fall into the wrong hands?" Derek shook his head. "Just think what Alice would have done if she knew what you needed."
Tess released a sour laugh. "How is it that one minute with you changes everything?"
He flashed the lopsided grin she'd grown to love. "You should have come earlier."
She couldn't help it, she laughed. When it subsided she showed him the compass. "You want to solve my last problem too? I don't even know what the item is, let alone where to find it. The prophecy says, 'she will have to find it on her own, for I know not its location.' Even with my farsight I'm at a loss."
Derek accepted the compass and examined it with interest. "Apparently finding it won't be the problem, so what do you need to defeat the Dark?"
"Something . . . powerful," Tess thought out loud. "And I don't mean Siarra or me. The Dark covers millions of miles of Earth. Even if we had the capacity to withstand the cloud, we could not affect something so large."
Derek's forehead creased in thought. "Give me a minute to think."
She laughed and leaned against him, and the conversation shifted to lighter topics. As they talked Tess felt like she was stealing a moment of peace before the end. Alice was just hours from crushing all semblance of freedom, but for once she was not afraid. With Derek by her side she felt like the calamities of the world had paused—if only for a moment.
"Can I ask you a question?" she asked after a while.
His eyes turned curious at her tone. "Something wrong?"
"I was just wondering why you have stuck by me through all of this," she said. "I've almost gotten you killed so many times that I've lost track. I can't tell you how often I feel like I'm drowning, and yet you have never abandoned me. Even when I fell into the Dark and everyone thought I'd been killed, you didn't. Why?"
He let out a slow breath, and then said, "Because I love you, Tess."
Tess's heart seemed to stall, and her breath caught. She'd known he cared for her, but not the depth of his affection. Now suddenly she saw everything he'd ever done for her. The encouragement when she'd first appeared, the willingness to fight by her side.
The memories accelerated as she recalled the times he'd considered what was best for her, and then done it without asking—or even seeking praise. He'd protected her, guarded her, and at times devoted his entire mind to planning what she would need. She wouldn't be alive without him, or have come so far.
"I love you, too."
The words came out before she could stop them, but as soon as she heard them she felt a surge of certainty. She could not imagine life without him. He was a true friend, smart and ever loyal—and yet she yearned to be with him in a way that surpassed all of that.
His crooked smile grew, and then suddenly he blinked. "For I know not its location . . ."
"What?" Tess asked.
Derek's eyes widened and he swiveled to face her. "It's not an object, Tess. It is the object."
"I don't understand," Tess said. "What do you mean?"
"The location is the talisman," Derek said. His voice intensified as he continued. "Remember when I told you that sometimes magic is tied to a fixed location? Any magic large enough to affect the planet would have to be fixed. It's the only way it could draw on a source of energy large enough."
Tess's skin tingled with certainty. "That's why Ianna said she knew not its location. Derek, you're a genius. I have to get back and talk to Iris."
She stood at the same time he did, and he gave her a crushing embrace. "Promise me you will come back to me."
"Only if you promise me the same," she said with a smile, and kissed him.
Then she stepped back and sought for the Gate energy. Just as she spotted it, Iris's consciousness connected with hers.
"TESS! Jack is hurt!"
Desperation, anger, and pain filled the mental scream, and Tess felt a surge of fear. Iris was supposed to be helping her dad in the Spirus.
"What's wrong?" Derek asked.
"My dad," Tess said, and Gated back to Auroraq.
In her wake a pair of figures stepped into Derek’s tent and struck him in the back of the head. Then they dragged his unconscious form into the night.
Chapter 32: Envoy
Jack woke after four hours of sleep and gently nudged his wife awake. Then he rose and got dressed while she strapped on her gear. She went to check on Tess while he was lacing his shoes. A moment later she returned.
"Tess is gone."
He frowned. "She must have had a good reason to leave."
She sank into a seat beside him. "A year ago I was worried about her passing algebra. Now I'm afraid she'll be murdered in her bed."
"She gets it from you, you know." She swung to look at him, and he released a quiet laugh. "Do you know why I asked you out on a date?"
She peaked an eyebrow, surprised by the turn in the conversation. "You said a friend set us up."
"It was a dare," Jack admitted. "There was a pool going in our unit on who had the guts to ask you out."
Her eyes widened. "Why didn't you ever tell me?"
"For the same reason they were afraid to ask you out. You're extremely intimidating."
She began to laugh. "But you asked anyway."
He smiled. "You also happen to be extremely attractive."
She shook her head in exasperation.
"You always had a way with words." Then she sobered. "Thanks for asking, Jack."
"When this is over, let's go back to the café I took you to. Even if it doesn't exist, we'll share a drink over the ashes."
"It's a date," she said with a laugh.
"I'll see you soon," Jack said and then stood to leave.
She stood as well, her expression returning to that of a soldier. "I'm on the Tryton's earth school for the next few hours. By then Tess will have won or . . ."
We will be dead.
She didn't need to say it, and he inclined his head in acceptance. "I love you, Kate."
"I love you too," Kate said, and leaned up to kiss him again. "Let me know if you hear from Tess. I know she's the oracle and all, but I still worry when I find her bed empty."
He lingered in their parting embrace, reluctant to let the moment end. Then he slipped out the door and into the early morning. As he wound his way to the Spirus he focused his mind on the impending conflict. He had been tasked with protecting hundreds of millions of lives. There had to be something he could do to stave off the inevitable.
The northern line was the strongest because the Dark had the furthest to go. With the dark elves joining forces with the Earth Army, the east had been strengthened even with the losses. The west had no such aid, and large holes remained in their retreating line. His plan to deal with the largest hole depended on Breaker, and he hoped he could pull it off. The south, however, concerned him the most. Covering north Texas was requiring a huge volume of personnel. If only he could tap into something greater . . .
He smiled at the idea and wondered briefly if it were possible. Certainly not with any weapon he had, but perhaps with magic? Perhaps. Then he set the intriguing thought aside and returned to the problem.
He reached the Spirus and caught a gravity lift, wondering when the presence of magic had become normal. Then he reached the command center and strode into a maelstrom of desperate people.