Crystal Tomb (Starfire Angels: Dark Angel Chronicles Book 3)

by Melanie Nilles

  He restrained the ripple of spines down his back at the unexpected rebuke from Lorel and easily kept pace with her. This might be easier than he had expected. {"No, but I must speak with you."}

  She said nothing and they rounded a corner together.

  If she would join him, he would need only a couple more supporters to gain power. If Rik remained unconscious, Kalas might have enough support with Lorel on his side. How fortunate that the crystal had knocked the Nakor unconscious and potentially eliminated one threat.

  Kalas scanned the corridor but they were alone. {"Join me."}

  {"Why?"} The spines along her back rippled in a clear sign of anxiety.

  {"Not here."}

  Together they marched through the dull corridors, passing a few soldiers carrying out their duties. Some of them knew of his plan, while others had displayed some disdain for their Nakor masters but had not yet defected to his side. If—No, when the time came, he hoped they would join him. The others he couldn't be sure about.

  {"How long do you think the human will survive?"} he asked.

  {"Difficult to guess. He's already lasted longer than the other three."}

  Too true. The man in holding also proved hardier than the others they had tortured. All bore an Inari symbol tattooed on their hands. None had surrendered the information they wanted, but research had linked the men bearing the symbol to rumors of an Eye. The mythology of its presence linked to the coming of winged beings, angels or Valkyrie, had snatched their attention. Finding the monolith of Inari writing had been another lucky find. One way or another, they would find the stolen D'Nuvar. The Inari were now the key to linking the clues to the crystal.

  {"Surik should not have tortured the other three to death."}

  The spines on Lorel's back lifted slightly, but what part of his statement agitated her—leaving off the title of their commander or his opinion of what Surik had done to the prisoners? Lorel had been the one monitoring their life signs and seemed to take a special interest in the humans' well-being.

  {"I warned him they were weak."} Her voice hushed as they passed through the corridor. {"He went too far with them."}

  {"He learned, though. This one lives longer."}

  {"This one is hardier than the others. He pushed this one near death while you were gone. I fought to revive him. It's good for us that human anatomy is sturdier than Inari. He will kill them too, and we will be no closer to finding the D'Nuvar."} A snort blew from distended nostril slits and she halted, her spines flattening. {"He will listen to you."}

  Kalas glanced back down the hall through which they had walked without passing anyone. No one approached. {"He listens to no one but his clan. Once he has the D'Nuvar, the Nakor will be powerful again."}

  Her eyelids sank with her head and her body took on a posture of attack. Perhaps he had said too much.

  Or not. The gurgling growl from her throat indicated a foul mood, but against him or the Nakor? She made no move to attack him.

  {"It should benefit our whole world,"} he whispered.

  Lorel straightened and fell silent. {"You believe this?"}

  {"Many of us do."}

  The padding of feet came from the end of the corridor.

  {"I will speak to you later."} Kalas parted with her as a guard strode past, his gun holstered at his waist.

  Kalas had either given himself away as a traitor to Lorel or gained another supporter. She was wise to use caution, and he had tried, but one of them had to speak up. Now he could only hope Lorel shared his feelings about the Nakor, although he would be surprised if she supported the clan who had eliminated most of hers.

  Subtleties and Instigations

  Darkness filled the room, defined by the pinpoints of lights organized in sections, some blinking while others shone steadily, until a piece detached and approached.

  A nightmarish face materialized in the faint light, and spines shifted on a face with four slits beneath the eyes and a lipless mouth stretching beneath that into what appeared to be a smile. The spikes along the face shrank to almost nothing. Fingers tipped with short claws partially enclosed the view, touching it but not, as if separated by a barrier.

  The Risaal carried the viewer; the scene shifted with movement, until a cloth thrown over hid all sights.

  Images blurred, until after some time, a voice hissed and clicked and the scene opened to a…forest? Giant alien trees filled the scene, interconnecting branches forming walkways upon which other Risaal crossed. Orange fan-like leaves spread about the tops with green blotches forming bumps along the height. Clusters of artificial structures and lights attached to the trees.

  {"We have to hurry."} The translation of the strange language made it easy. The speaker sounded worried. {"The consular ship is almost ready to leave. The dead guards will be noticed soon."}

  {"The Nakor will soon fall,"} another voice replied. {"We will be free."}

  The scene shifted and bounced, voices mingling. It settled once again, but this time on a platform upon which a radiant ship berthed. The delta-wing shape of the silver and blue arrow glistened in the light and a short ramp descended from the underside to the platform.

  An entourage of angels approached from one of the nearby tree-like structures, their hair and wings ranging in colors from black to various shades of brown to the yellow of the lead figure.

  {"It will soon end."}

  {"Are you ready?"} The second voice spoke clearly this time. {"Go. Now."}

  The Risaal carrying the view source approached the lead Inari, a woman of regal presence in a layered outfit of a translucent beige gown over lavender pants and midriff-exposing top with gold trim. Golden hair cascaded down her shoulders, matching the wings barely visible in their tightness to her back. Her pursed lips loosened with the furrowing of her brow as she halted. Four female attendants wore weapons belted to their dark green uniforms, but they made no move for them. A lone Risaal apparently presented little threat.

  The Risaal knelt before the dignitary, the view source held over the bearer's bowed head in both hands.

  ["What's this?"] The lead Inari turned aside to a young boy in the same green as the armed women.

  {"The lady wishes to understand,"} the boy said in the guttural sounds of the Risaal tongue.

  {"We offer this gift on behalf of the lesser clans,"} the Risaal said. {"Judge not all of us by the self-interests of our rulers."}

  The woman's frown deepened. ["This is inappropriate…but I understand your predicament. Your gift will be remembered."] She motioned to one of the attendants to take the gift while the boy translated. ["We will return when we are welcomed by your leaders as you have demonstrated. Thank you."]

  After the boy translated, the kneeling pair of Risaal lifted their heads. {"We anticipate that day with gladness, emissary."}

  At the boy's translation to the Inari, the woman smiled and entered the ship with her attendants and the view source in her hands.

  She took a seat in the rear compartment surrounded by attendants, the gift in her hands so she filled the view. ["Not all are suspicious of outsiders like those in charge. There may be hope for the Risaal yet."]

  .

  Images merged with the harsh pain of reality in Raea's head. Oh, man. It hurt. The hard floor she laid on didn't exactly help. Memories turned back to the warmth of the resonance consuming her in a fire she swore should have burned her to ashes amid the tumultuous shrieking of the Starfire entities. All she did was touch the center red stone of the monolith.

  The monolith—

  She opened her eyes. Still there. She hadn't been moved either, based on the ceiling far above.

  And neither had Elis, who lay next to her with his eyes closed.

  Her heart jumped from her chest in fear. Was he hurt? "Elis?"

  No answer. Oh, God. Please, please, PLEASE let him be okay.

  His chest rose and fell with his breath. Thank goodness. Relief slowed her pulse.

  Awkward with her hands shackled, she rolled on
to her side and reached for him. At the touch of her fingers on his cheek, he jerked his hands up as if to brush her away.

  "Elis, it's me," she whispered.

  Deep purple eyes fluttered opened and turned to her with his smile, his hands stopping on hers. "Raea?"

  "I'm here." And so needing him to hold her that she pressed close against the familiar musky scent of his body. Things would be easier if they had their hands free, but that would be too much to ask their captors, the Risaal.

  The thought of them returned the vision in crisp detail. Her shard must have been there, which meant the Risaal were right about the Starfire being their D'Nuvar. That's the only way the Starfire could have shown her the scene and translated their language. What were the two doing giving it to the Inari emissary?

  Kan Rikku Nakor Surik had said the Inari stole the D'Nuvar, but the Starfire had shown them giving it to the emissary as a gift.

  Something didn't fit.

  [No.]

  What?

  She blinked. Who had spoken?

  Warm lips pressed against her fingers. Elis.

  "Did you say something?" she asked.

  "Not until now."

  "No. I thought I heard a voice."

  "The Starfire?"

  "No. A clear voice…Nevermind." It must have been her imagination. She shoved aside her concerns and pressed closer to the security of Elis's warmth in the cold chamber.

  ["I was worried about you. What happened?"] His breath blew through her hair.

  Good question. She wished she knew. ["I don't know. The Starfire reacted when I touched the stone. I saw…I saw the Risaal offering the Starfire to an Inari emissary."]

  ["Offering it... "]

  ["Yes. This Nakor Surik guy said the Inari stole it from them, but the Starfire was there. It was offered to the Inari delegation as...as a gift."] Except something still didn't make sense. There was something else unclear. ["I don't know the details. It just showed me that it was given to the Inari right before they left the Risaal homeworld."]

  He said nothing. She recognized the distracted look on his face and the way he caressed her cheek. Unfortunately, the hard floor wasn't her bed and her cuffed hands reminded her she was a prisoner. The dank smell of the chamber made things worse.

  No, the click and scrape of the door followed by the variable padding of steps made things worse.

  Raea rolled to her back and looked up. Oh, no. Not him again.

  Elis jumped to his feet, placing himself between her and the Risaal. She rose slowly behind him, giving her head a chance to quit the mild throbbing.

  The man stopped before Elis in a stoic posture, his eyes locked with the dark glare beneath Elis's wild black locks. The Risaal fingered something in his hand and a calm dread passed through Raea. Confidence plus something in his hand equaled a bad combination.

  A couple seconds later, Elis's jaw clenched and he trembled. He hunched and gasped while the man stood still.

  Except for the palm-sized device in his hand.

  "Elis?" She caught him before he fell forward, his fingers opening and clenching. Oh, God. What now? What was wrong? "Elis."

  No, no, no. This was wrong. This was torture. Why did the Risaal do this?

  Him. Kan Rikku Nakor Surik. He did this because he wanted her crystal shard. No way. The Risaal didn't deserve the Starfire. And they had given it up.

  Raea jumped for the device, a remote of some sort.

  Oh, all kinds of hell. Pain tingled through her from her wrists. Her knees buckled and she caught herself with her hands a second before collapsing next to Elis.

  After what seemed an eternity later, it ended. She gasped for air, her limbs numb. "Why?" she croaked.

  "You will translate the monolith, Inari, or one of you dies."

  "No." Elis lifted his head.

  "You have no choice."

  Elis gasped and fell again, twitching in mini-spasms next to her.

  Elis… Strength returned for her to push herself from the floor. "Stop it. Please stop."

  "Tell me where the rest of the crystal is."

  "I don't…I don't know." It had split apart, but she wouldn't tell him.

  "What did the Inari do to the D'Nuvar?"

  "I don't know!" Not all of it.

  Oh, God. The torrent of electricity coursed through her, numbing her limbs so she collapsed next to Elis. Seconds later, it ended, leaving her gasping for the breath she'd held through the pain.

  "If you don't know, translate the monolith."

  "All right." Elis breathed heavily and rolled onto his back, his hands sliding to her arm. Every cell in her body yearned to end this, to be with him in peace. "All right."

  He was giving up already?

  What did the Risaal expect the monolith to say? It told the story about the Inari settling on Earth twelve thousand years ago, not the Risaal. She couldn't ask Nakor Surik for details about their connection to it; he'd probably torture them for daring to question him. At least when she questioned Debbie's judgment, her aunt only sent her to her room.

  Not this alien…thing. She'd never criticize Debbie's punishment again, if she survived.

  The Risaal stepped back and let them up. Elis helped her, despite his wincing with each movement after the torture.

  "No more resting. Read."

  Elis stood and leaned on the monolith for support while breathing hard like her. The cuffs were more than restraints; they were torture devices. The electrocution had weakened them both.

  Raea struggled to bring her feet under her, still numb from the stupid cuffs.

  At a motion from Nakor Surik, an ugly alien at each side grabbed her arms and lifted her to her feet to face their leader.

  Talk about superiority complex. He leaned close so she could make out the triple points in his pupils. "Tell me, Inari, what happened to the crystal. What did you do?"

  "Nothing." Fear jumbled her thoughts. "I…um…"

  [Don't tell him anything.]

  "What?" Who said that?

  "I ask the questions. What happened to the crystal, Inari?"

  The crystal. The Starfire? Right. That. "It…"

  "It shattered five thousand years ago."

  Elis?

  He stood upright on his own feet, a dark look in his eyes fixed on the Risaal. "It refused to be misused. It chooses its Keepers now."

  The skin along Nakor Surik's neck and cheeks broke apart and changed to the same dark green as the others.

  Elis's face pinched and his hands tightened into fists with the fingerless gloves still hiding his Starburst marks. He fell to the floor in obvious pain.

  No. Not again. Raea tried to pull away from her guards to reach for him, but their strength held her firmly in place.

  "Tell me again—what did you do to the D'Nuvar?"

  Elis lay still, his breathing labored. "I spoke the truth."

  "Liar!"

  He seized in pain again, and Raea's heart whimpered in sympathy. This shouldn't be happening. She should be practicing her speech with Elis beside her. Where was the justice in this? "Stop it! We didn't do anything. He told you the truth."

  Elis spasmed on the ground. Sooner or later he might quit, but not because the pain stopped. Oh, God. She couldn't lose him. "Stop it!" Desperation rushed through her and, using the guards as leverage, she kicked out at the Risaal leader.

  He tumbled back and the pain controlling device for the cuffs clattered across the floor.

  The guards holding her rotated her arms over her head until the extreme pulling of muscles and tendons while stabbing her with hundreds of needles from their hands made her eyes water. For a moment, she feared they would rip her arms out to make them stretch behind her. She twisted to relieve the pain and fell back into their grip.

  Nakor Surik returned to his feet in his natural Risaal form and one of the guards returned the device to him.

  Numbing currents of electricity coursed from her wrists through her body.

  Through the haze of
numbness induced, Raea caught a voice somewhere: [You're not alone. You will endure.]

  WE ARE HERE. She recognized that feeling, but the interpretation of the Starfire entities was different than the voice. What was going on?

  {"You'll kill them."} The Starfire must have translated that. She didn't understand the Risaal, or hadn't before the vision.

  {"They are Inari. They don't deserve to live."} Nakor Surik's eyes lit up like a madman's.

  {"We'll lose our chance to translate the monolith and find the D'Nuvar."}

  After what seemed an eternity of numbing pain, it stopped. Raea breathed hard while leaning against the support of the two Risaal. Nakor Surik had a nasty temper, but no wonder with the chip on his shoulder against Inari. Maybe she should tell them what she saw in the vision, that their own kind had given the crystal to her ancestors.

  How could he not know, though? Nothing made sense. How was the monolith connected to the D'Nuvar?

  She didn't care. The only thing that mattered now was recovering from the torture. Her arms would heal quickly.

  What about Elis? He'd taken so much more of the torment than her. Her heart gave a hiccup; she had to know he was all right and struggled to shift her head, which felt like it weighed a ton.

  His sides rose and fell with deep breaths. Big relief. After all they'd endured together, it couldn't end like this.

  {"They need rest,"} the second Risaal said. An understatement. Stupid Risaal. Raea hated them all, but she was too weak to fight.

  {"If we lose them, we lose our chance of recovering the crystal. Without it, we can't hope to return home."}

  A low growl from Nakor Surik preceded his heavy steps fading from the chamber. The two guards released her and her knees gave out. She caught her balanced in the collapse, so she landed sitting up, blinking at the trio leaving the chamber.

  Something touched her arm and she jerked from it.

  "Easy. I'm trying to help."

  As if. For all she knew, they lied as a way to inject her or cut her or do something else horrible to her. Still, what could she do? She could hardly move.