Destiny's Blood (The First Star Book 1)

by Marie Bilodeau

  “That’ll teach me to buy ale from a Corrarian trader,” Lang huffed between heaves.

  “That’ll teach you nothing, you lousy lout,” Ardin replied with none of his usual vigour. He was too busy keeping an eye out for any guards.

  “You’re probably right, Ardin.” Lang replied, his voice old. “You’re probably right.”

  “Come on, old man,” Ardin gently said. Lang was only in his early forties, but a lifetime of drinking had left him with wrinkles and paper skin that clung to his bones, making him look more like a man of eighty. Lang pushed himself back up with Ardin’s help, and the two set off again at a faster pace, the navigator managing to partially support himself.

  “I think we can get out this way,” Ardin said as they turned down another service corridor, metal door after metal door, lined by metal walls and flickering lights.

  They had just entered the corridor when the light turned red and alarms rang loudly. Up ahead, stark metal dividers descended from the ceiling.

  “So that’s where their security budget went,” Lang muttered.

  “No time to reach it,” Ardin grunted. He fumbled with his keys at the nearest door, practically lifted Lang and threw him inside. The metal latched in place behind them just as voices began shouting and the security barrier was being raised to allow the guards access.

  Ardin took a deep breath. The soldiers tried the door only once before moving on.

  “Ardin,” Lang said softly, and Ardin turned around and saw a young woman, her back to the wall, her head lulled onto her chest. He wasn’t even sure she was alive.

  “Blood and guts,” Ardin hissed as he approached her, putting his fingers gently on her neck to feel for a pulse. It was there, it was strong, and at his touch she shifted and moaned.

  “I can’t carry both of you out of here,” Ardin cursed, feeling bad for the girl’s fate, but knowing he had other priorities at the moment. Besides, for all he knew, she was a child killer.

  “I think I can walk,” Lang whispered, and Ardin, returning to the door and placing his ear against it, listening intently, gave him a quizzical look.

  “I think they’ve passed, and we’d better move fast before they check in here.” Ardin pulled out his keys. There was no lock on the metal handle. Nor underneath it.

  “What the…” Ardin felt himself grow cold with dread.

  There was no way to leave this room except by someone opening the door from the outside.

  He punched the door in frustration, scraping his knuckles badly and not caring.

  They were trapped.

  6

  Darkness. Light. Yoma!

  Layela’s vision broke as the weave of sleep fell away from her one strand at a time. As quickly as her mind had fallen captive to the images, they were gone, leaving only a shadow of terror behind. If the Kilita had stayed in contact with her longer, she might have managed to fully see the vision For some reason, she could never recall the visions by herself. They evaporated like dreams as soon as she woke up, leaving behind only impressions and echoes. Ether creatures could release them from her unconscious into her conscious mind, but the Kilita was too eager to unleash her ether. The last time he had done so, a tidal wave of visions had almost destroyed her.

  But the persistent and dark vision was about Yoma, she was certain. She would need Josmere’s help to see it. She needed to see the vision to find out more about her sister, and why the thought of Yoma left her heart drowning in dread.

  Yoma, where are you?

  She heard shuffling in the room with her; the hairs on her arm stood at attention. She forced her breath to remain steady. She was fairly certain she had not yet revealed the fact that she was awake, and didn’t intend to do so until she knew who was there and what their intentions were.

  From outside the room, she could hear voices smothered by metal: some shouting, others discussing, and a few laughing. She heard some shuffling and the voices neared the door, but passed just as quickly. Someone in the room sighed in frustration, another fought back laughter, each noise grating her strained nerves.

  So there were two in the room with her. She doubted it was the colonel and the Kilita, which offered her some relief, but very little.

  “They’re going to find us eventually,” a man said, his voice thick. “I can pretend I took you hostage.” He gave a low chuckle.

  “You’re too much of a lump to make such a claim,” a younger man replied, his voice tense.

  “Well, we should figure out how to get out. You can only carry one of us, so take the girl if I can’t follow. I’ve nothing to go back to,” the older-sounding man replied, and Layela’s breath caught in her throat. Who were these two?

  “I ought to leave you rotting in here, but the captain wouldn’t like that.”

  The room was silent for a moment, then suddenly the young man spoke from right beside her. “Are you feeling all right?” She jerked at his proximity even though his voice conveyed only concern.

  She opened her eyes and looked at the man, her heart skipping a beat as she saw his prison guard uniform.

  “Don’t worry, I’m not actually a guard,” he quickly clarified.

  Though he crouched beside her she could see he was tall, his long reddish-brown hair neatly tied in a ponytail at the nape of his neck. Not exactly standard soldier protocol. His eyes were the colour of flint, deep pools reflecting concern. Their corners showed that he’d already had much laughter in his days, even though he was still young — perhaps only a few years older than she. And, despite her first reaction, she now felt no fear of him. Suspicion at his rogue look and curiosity at why he was dressed up as a guard, perhaps, but not fear.

  His gaze was steady as she studied him, and she realized she was blushing. She tried to speak to cover her embarrassment, but coughed on dry blood instead.

  “Drink this,” the man said, bringing a canister to her lips. She smelled the alcohol before she drank it, and took just enough to wash the blood down. The last thing she needed was for her tired body to take to the alcohol.

  “Sorry,” he winced as he saw her taking only a small sip. “I didn’t think I’d be in need of water today.”

  “Thank you.” The words cracked, but at least she could speak.

  “My name’s Ardin and this is Lang,” the younger man said, not looking at the older man as he introduced him.

  “Lilac,” Layela instinctively lied; she always chose a random flower name when she felt her own shouldn’t be revealed.

  The man nodded, not questioning it. His eyes narrowed as he examined her closely.

  “Why are you in here?”

  Layela gave a short laugh at the question before she could think better of it. The man’s eyes narrowed even further. She saw no point in lying.

  “I think they’re trying to get my sister for something.”

  When his puzzled look deepened, she added, “We’re twins.”

  He still looked at her with suspicion, but seemed willing to accept her explanation. Or at least not question it.

  It was her turn to look sceptically at the two men. “What about you? Why are you in here?”

  Before Ardin could answer, Lang boomed: “He’s trying to break this stubborn old drunk out. Kidnapping is what I call it!”

  “Keep your voice down!” Ardin hissed and shook his head. “I don’t know why I bothered.”

  “That makes two of us,” Lang replied, looking up at the ceiling.

  Ardin scowled at him and then turned back to Layela. “Do you know how to get out of here? I have the keys, but there’s no lock on this side of the door.”

  Layela gave him a wry smile. “I was knocked out when they left, but let me have a closer look.”

  She leaned hard against the wall, her ribs protesting the movement. She hesitantly reached up and touched her swollen face, wincing a bit at the pain.

  “It’s not that bad,” Ardin offered. He stood up and took a step back to give her room to stand, but did not offer his hand.
She was grateful. She didn’t feel like being helped right now.

  She pushed herself up, her tired arms forcing against the cold wall, her bruised ribs slashing her breath. Once up, she took a careful step forward, her wounds complaining but not stopping her. She was pleased not to stumble as she took the few steps to the door.

  The door was also metal, and Ardin’s eyes had not deceived him — there was no keyhole on this side. So someone had to stay on the other side to let people out? She turned around and took a closer look, forcing her stiff neck to bend.

  Four small metal walls, one door with no inside lock. Interrogation rooms usually had surveillance or a one-sided mirror so that confessions, whether real or forced, could be used in court later on. Judgment rooms were small, but with a screen for the judge to dictate the sentence.

  But this room…she looked up, her eyes widening as she saw small nozzles at the top of the far wall. Three, like the Three Fates, ultimate judges of all races.

  Ardin followed her gaze and swore.

  “An old gassing room,” he said before she could. Lang chuckled.

  “I thought all gassing rooms had been made illegal a few years back,” Ardin said, alarmed.

  “They were,” Layela was calm, her mind forming a plan. “This one must have been built right before the new law, since the walls aren’t rusted.” Ardin nodded.

  The gas that had been used to kill dangerous criminals was strong and acidic, especially since most of the criminals who had been gassed were ether creatures, who could breathe all but the most foul of atmospheres.

  Like Bergandas. Layela felt a shiver go up her spine. But since most ethereal races’ powers had begun to wane, gassing had been deemed unnecessary and drugs and experiments had taken its place. She felt anger at the thought, at what could have happened and could still happen to her friend.

  “If this was put in later, why did they still use the one-way door?” Ardin’s voice cut through her thoughts.

  “Budget?” Layela replied, grinning as an idea came to mind. “They had back-ups back then, too. Remember the big jailbreak over on Thalos IV, when the guards were gassed? It was just a few years before the rooms were banned. And this one must have been built after.” Words tumbled out of her mouth as her eyes darted around the room. “They must have put in some sort of safety precaution, for guards to escape, just in case.”

  Ardin was already looking around, having easily followed her thought. Layela guided her hands on and around the door and felt every nick — around the handle, the bottom, the frame…Something tiny snagged her fingers, just enough for her to recognize it.

  She reached back and pulled another small pin free from her ripped coat’s left cuff, but it was too big to enter the snug hole. She stood up and looked at Ardin.

  “Is that an actual prison guard uniform?” she asked.

  He nodded, looking at her suspiciously again. She examined it closely, circling him once before focusing on the belt buckle.

  “I don’t usually ask this on first dates,” Layela said, smiling up at him, “but may I have your belt?”

  Ardin’s eyes lit and he handed her the belt without a word.

  “Thank you.” She turned it in her hand. The back of the synthetic leather belt was bland, except for one cross section running parallel to its length. She folded it, pushed on it, and from a hidden compartment came a little pin, small enough to fit into the hole her carefully trained fingers had found. Finding the pin made her wonder why the government had not stopped giving their guards this safety precaution. As though they didn’t really believe the gassing chambers would remain obsolete.

  She pulled the pin out and smiled victoriously.

  “Ready to get out of here?” She held it up.

  Ardin stepped to the door, listening.

  “Sounds like it’s clear,” he announced as he stepped back and headed for Lang.

  Layela found the small hole again, pushing the pin in without hesitation, and heard the latch release.

  Carefully she opened the door, looking down both ends of the corridor before signalling to Ardin, who was shouldering Lang.

  “This way,” Ardin whispered, and Layela gently closed the door behind them. She hesitated for a moment and wondered if her chances of escape would be greater if she continued alone. Incoming voices from the other corridor convinced her otherwise, and she quickly followed the rogue and the drunk.

  Ardin’s trigger finger twitched on his gun as he hugged the corner, unspent adrenaline pulsing in his veins. Beside him, Lang fought to quiet his gasps. The girl was as quiet as a mouse, and despite her injuries, easily kept pace.

  Lang began wheezing and Ardin fought the urge to knock him out. If he did so, he would need to carry him and, although he was certain the girl’s array of skills included guns, the thought of trusting their safety to a stranger’s hands left an empty pit in his stomach. Especially when that stranger was more than likely a thief. Not that he could boast a better background, but there was a reason he only trusted his own.

  He took a deep breath and carefully looked around the corner. Three guards walked down an adjacent corridor and traded jokes, speaking ruefully of the colonel’s latest catch and what they would do to her if he left her in their care.

  Ardin withdrew and looked back, the girl’s face bright red despite the emerging bruises. He caught her eyes and smiled reassuringly, nodding towards the corridor.

  She understood right away and shouldered Lang, her face drawn but determined as they trekked down the metal hall. Ardin passed them and kept an eye out for more guards, his jaw tense with frustration. Gullwing’s guards certainly made up for their ill-discipline and lack of training with their sheer number.

  The blue lights multiplied on the metal walls, their glow weaker as the three trekked down the furthest corridors. Ardin heard a shuttle fly over them, the walls almost fully concealing the familiar noise. He took a deep breath and allowed himself a quick smile. They were nearing the shuttle bay.

  He cast a quick glance back. Lang’s left shoulder collided with the wall often as he stumbled forward, but he managed to keep pace. The girl, Lilac, kept a close eye on him, for which Ardin was grateful. One less thing for him to worry about.

  She looked forward and their eyes locked for a moment. In the cold room, her eyes had already proved striking, but here, in the blue light, her eyes seemed to be lit from within and without. Even her long lashes didn’t seem enough to break the reach of the light, as though it knew no end in her.

  Ardin forced himself to pull away, turning around just in time to see, in the reflection of the upcoming wall, two guards about to round the corner.

  No time to get away! He aimed his gun and fired the second they crossed into the hallway, hitting the first guard in the knee. Blood exploded and he screamed in agony, throwing himself back. The second guard froze, his eyes wide as Ardin shot him in the shoulder. A clean shot, the bullet ripped through his flesh and ricocheted off the metal wall behind him.

  “This way!” he screamed, all hope of stealth now gone. He dashed down the corridor, turning toward the shuttle bay. The guards writhed and moaned but didn’t seem to care that their quarry was escaping.

  Ardin motioned for Lilac and Lang to move ahead. Lang’s features were drawn, but at least he was quiet as he leaned heavily on the girl. Ardin looked back at the two guards, his gun raised. He hissed as he heard their voices calling for backup, but could not bring himself to kill them in cold blood. Besides, all hopes of a clean escape were long gone, whether those two lived or died.

  “Faster!” Ardin called as he joined the other two, pulling out his comm device and sending a pre-set message. He stashed it again seconds before Lilac screamed in warning and threw herself down, dragging Lang with her. Bullets whizzed past where they had stood just moments before. Ardin crouched and returned fire, grabbing Lang by the belt and pulling him behind a low-set wall.

  Lilac ducked behind a nearby column, and Ardin wished he had a gun to gi
ve her. She had carried Lang this far without complaints despite her injuries, instilling Ardin with some trust in her. He checked his weapon and cursed. Although guards on Collar were entitled to more than the one bullet citizens were allowed, there still weren’t enough bullets to get them away safely.

  “Come out and you won’t be harmed.”

  Ardin and Lilac exchanged a sceptical look. Behind them, Ardin knew, the shuttle bay loomed, but all he could do was duck as more bullets flew overhead.

  He cursed and waited.

  7

  Layela’s cheek was growing numb from the cold concrete column. Ardin and Lang were not far, hiding behind a low wall, merely feet away from the shuttle landing bay.

  “Come out and you won’t be harmed,” one of the guards screamed again. Ardin responded with a quick shot, followed by the sounds of ripping flesh and a scream.

  He reloaded his gun for the third time. Layela doubted he had many more rounds left. A bullet struck the side of the column, sending small shards of concrete and dust flying on her. Still, this was better than energy weapons and she was grateful for Collar’s strict laws against them, which even the prison guards seemed to follow.

  “The offer stands,” another guard repeated with a shaking voice.

  He must be cursing his fate as second-in-command today, she thought, allowing herself a brief smile.

  “Come out in the open and offer me that again!” Ardin screamed over the wall, but Layela noticed that he was saving his shots. Not a good sign.

  This is insane! We’re just steps away from freedom! Assuming that Ardin had a shuttle waiting for them, of course, and hadn’t just been planning on strolling out the front door. She wished she knew more about their great escape plan. Bullets flew again, an entire volley. Layela was just beginning to wish that she had parted company with them when a bright light forced her to look down and squeeze her eyes shut.