Fire and Brimstone (Chaos of the Covenant Book 2)

by M. R. Forbes

  Thraven raised his eyebrow. “Interesting,” he said, reaching out with the Gift. He connected it to hers, using it to scan her for anything out of the ordinary. Then he allowed himself a small smile.

  “What is it?” Airi asked, confused.

  “There is nothing in your head that isn’t supposed to be there.”

  “What?”

  “I’m afraid Captain Mann was playing you all for fools. You believed what you wanted to believe, based on his suggestions.”

  “But. But that means Queenie must know the truth. She’s keeping it from the others. That bitch.”

  Thraven didn’t react. His mind had already moved on, carrying the new information forward, calculating how he might use it to his advantage. Cage was strong, but would she be even half as strong without support?

  It was a possibility he would have to consider further.

  “Gloritant,” Honorant Piselle said. “The commanders have been notified. Ground forces are beginning to collect specimens for testing.”

  “Very good,” Thraven replied. “This is Noviant Airi. Show her to the quarters beside mine. She will be in training to carry out the will of the Father.”

  “Yes, Gloritant.” Piselle looked at Airi, her jealousy obvious. “Follow me, Noviant.”

  Airi glanced at Thraven.

  “Your training will begin when we return to Kell,” he said. “I have no need of you until then.”

  He could see her become angry. Good. Anger was an essential fuel for the Gift. It would make her stronger if she could learn to harness it.

  “What did you think you were coming to, Noviant?” he said. “Unlike others you may have served, I have no need or desire for your flesh. What I do require is complete obedience and devotion to the way of the Covenant. You will not survive here any other way. I can be a harsh master, but I will lead you and all of our kind to glory. I will fulfill the promise of the Father and herald the Great Return. That is my oath to you, and to all who serve.” He glanced at Piselle. “Take her.”

  Piselle tried to grab Airi’s arm, but she yanked it away. “I can take care of myself.” She headed off the bridge ahead of the Honorant, leaving Thraven’s presence without honor or respect.

  Thraven watched her go for a moment. He would accept her lapse one time, and then he would be forced to teach her. He didn’t think it would come to that. Trinity had once been equally angry and difficult to control, and he had brought her in line.

  “Agitant Malt, the bridge is yours until Honorant Piselle returns,” Thraven said.

  “Yes, Gloritant,” Malt replied.

  Thraven left the bridge, trailed by his Immolent. He required time to recover in the Font, but there was one other thing he wanted to do first.

  He crossed the corridors of the Fire, his servants moving hastily aside as he passed, kneeling or saluting, looking on him with respect and awe. He ignored them, singular in his pursuit.

  He entered Medical soon after, making his way to an isolation room in the back corner. The hatch opened ahead of him.

  A Lrug was sitting on the floor in the corner. He looked tired and beaten, his eyes heavy, his body bruised. Resting upright beside him was a closed case. A decapitated head in a gel solution was set on the table for treatment.

  “Villaueve,” Thraven said. “I am Gloritant Thraven.”

  The Lrug stood. “Gloritant?” Villaueve said. “Those things that took me work for you?”

  Thraven nodded. “They are like children to me.”

  “They could have been a little more gentle. I didn’t resist.”

  “You know how children can be.”

  “Right. If you don’t mind me asking, sir, what am I doing here?”

  “The same as you were before. No more. No less. And when you are done, perhaps you’ll go free.”

  “Perhaps?”

  “You’re reliant on my magnanimity. Be careful.”

  Villaueve kept his eyes down. “You want me to integrate the head into the suit?”

  “Yes.”

  “It isn’t going to work. Not without Gorix to do the larger pieces. Your children killed him.”

  “Worry only about your part in this, Villaueve. I will take care of the rest.”

  “And then you’ll let me go?”

  “Perhaps.”

  “Perhaps. Right. What’s so important about this woman that everyone wants her alive again?”

  “Good help is hard to find.”

  Villaueve started to laugh, trailing off when he saw Thraven wasn’t amused at all. “Yes, sir.”

  Thraven moved forward, leaning down in front of the head, looking into its dead eyes. Ursan Gall had been an idiot who ultimately needed to die. Trinity? She had still been one of his best, and thanks to the one misguided but intelligent thing her husband had done, perhaps she would be again.

  He had need of a new Immolent. Maybe he would even give her a second chance with Cage. To convince her to join them? He still wanted her power under his control, especially now that he knew that she had asserted. On the other hand, she was a painful thorn, one that might be better off removed completely. No matter. He had time to decide.

  “Am I well?” he said.

  He paused a moment and then smiled. Cage was only one individual. The Brimstone was only one ship. Even with the aid of the Ophanim, it wouldn’t be nearly enough to stop the harvest. It wouldn’t be nearly enough to prevent him from leading the Nephilim to glory.

  “Yes. I am. I’m very well, indeed.”

  45

  Abbey reached the bridge of the Brimstone, with Bastion, Ruby, Dak, and Jequn following at her heels. She heard the unmistakable chitter of excitement before she even saw Gant, and she smiled widely when he came into view, standing on the arm of the command station to get himself closer to her height.

  “Queenie!” he barked.

  “Gant,” she replied, leaning forward and hugging him. She could hear him purring as she did, and he shoved his arms against her to push himself away.

  “Damn. Not in public.” He was still purring. “Stop it.” He closed his eyes. “Fragging larynx.”

  “Maybe I should be calling you freak-kitty instead?” Bastion said.

  “Shut it,” Gant replied. He backed away. “I wish I could be happier to have you here, Queenie, but we’ve got complications.”

  “What else is new?” Bastion said.

  “What kind of complications?”

  “Well.” He waved his arm out at the bridge, where half a dozen crew members she didn’t recognize were stationed. “That’s one.”

  One of the crew members was standing, and she came forward. “Lieutenant Olain Iann,” she said, introducing herself. Her attention shifted to Dak, her expression turning fearful. “Sir?”

  “Lieutenant Iann,” Dak replied. “This ship is under Republic control, and you’re still alive. Why is that?”

  “Sir, we were led to believe we were boarded by General Thraven’s forces. We didn’t come to realize we were misled until it was too late.”

  “Led to believe?” Gant said. “Misled? Bullshit. You said it first, I just went along with it.” He looked at Dak. “Wow. You’re bigger than Pik. Where’s Fury?”

  Abbey felt her hands clench at the question.

  “Gone,” Bastion said. “She turned traitor on us.”

  Benhil appeared from the side of the space. He was still armed and armored, keeping an eye on the bridge crew. “Shit. Are you going to send the signal, Queenie?”

  Abbey shook her head. “It won’t do any good. Thraven will have disabled it by now.”

  “Maybe we should all go-” Benhil stopped talking when Abbey glared at him. “Nevermind.”

  “Dak,” Abbey said. “Are you willing to take responsibility for this crew?”

  “I don’t know.” He eyed Iann. “Mutiny? After all these years?”

  “Sir, you can’t argue that the Captain was losing it. You saw what he did to Ligit.”

  “Besides,” Gant
said. “They didn’t have that much of a choice. Not really. I mean, I did kill half your crew.”

  “You?” Dak said, surprised. “Alone?”

  Gant nodded in reply.

  “If you don’t mind me asking, sir,” Iann said. “Why are you here with these individuals?”

  “She’s got you there,” Benhil said.

  “I’m loyal to Ursan,” Dak said. “But I can’t say his mind was right, and he did lose fair. Queenie even tried to let him off the hook. And then there’s Thraven. You’ve seen he’s no friend to the Outworlds. We got him these ships, and now he’s using them to attack our planets. He lied to us. He tricked us. Trin and Ursan are both dead because of it. I don’t know who he is or where he came from yet, but I know this universe is going to suffer if he gets what he wants, and the enemy of my enemy is my friend.”

  “Well said,” Abbey said. “This isn’t about Republic or Outworld. What’s happening here is bigger than all of that, and it’s been cooking for a long, long time. We aren’t many, not yet, but we’re the only ones who can do anything about it right now.”

  “At least we captured the Brimstone,” Bastion said. “Halfway there, right?”

  “Yeah, about that,” Gant said. “Remember I said complications? Plural. As in more than one.”

  “What’s wrong with the Brimstone?” Abbey asked.

  “Those last two torpedoes did a number on her. Somehow she’s still holding together, but I’m not sure what we’re going to have left when we come out of FTL. Not to mention, we expended almost eighty percent of her munitions shooting back at the Fire.”

  “Severely damaged and unarmed?” Bastion said. “That’s more like us.”

  “Where are we retreating to?” Abbey asked.

  “An Outworld system Jester recommended,” Gant said. “Machina Four?”

  “Never heard of it.”

  “It’s not on standard maps,” Benhil said. “But we can trade our disterium to resupply there, and if we need any repairs, that’s the place to do it.”

  “How far is it from Kell?”

  “Kell?” Benhil said. “As in the cartel?”

  “That’s where Thraven’s building his fleet,” Dak said.

  “We need to get to Kell and stop him before he can launch any more ships,” Abbey said.

  “Good plan in theory, Queenie,” Bastion said. “But in case you missed it, we just got our asses kicked. So did you, as surprising as that is. We can’t go to Kell. Not if Thraven is going to be there. Not unless you want to die.”

  “I don’t intend to just go to Kell.” Abbey turned to face Jequn. “You came to Anvil for a reason. You saved my life for a reason. Your friend sacrificed himself for a reason. I think now is a good time to tell us who you are, where you came from, and what you know.”

  Jequn met Abbey’s gaze. Then she nodded, took a deep, strong breath, and began to speak.

  Chaos of the Covenant Book Three, The Devils Do, is coming soon. Want to know when it’s out? mrforbes.com/thedevilsdo

  AUTHOR’S NOTE

  Since this is the second book in the series, I’m going to assume you’ve already read the first. Even so, I want to thank you again for picking up one of my books and reading it all the way through (and into the author’s note = AWESOME!). I hope you found the continuing adventures of Abbey and the Rejects fun, exciting, and worthy enough to consider picking up book three, The Devils Do, when it’s released next month.

  I wrote this for the first book, but it bears repeating. If you want to help me make this book and the entire series a success, or even if you want to tell the world how much this book sucks and that they should stay far, far away, please, please, please consider leaving a review. Here’s a link to make it really easy for you: mrforbes.com/fireandbrimstonereview. It SHOULD redirect you to the correct Amazon site based on your location. My apologies if that isn’t where you actually purchased. Depending on how you’re reading, the Kindle app may have already asked you to leave a review as well. I hope you will.

  Thank you again.

  Cheers,

  Michael.

  OTHER BOOKS BY M.R FORBES

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  Man of War (Rebellion)

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  In the year 2280, an alien fleet attacked the Earth.

  Their weapons were unstoppable, their defenses unbreakable.

  Our technology was inferior, our militaries overwhelmed.

  Only one starship escaped before civilization fell.

  Earth was lost.

  It was never forgotten.

  Fifty-two years have passed.

  A message from home has been received.

  The time to fight for what is ours has come.

  Welcome to the rebellion.

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  A lost starship...

  A dire warning from futures past...

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  Captain Mitchell “Ares” Williams is a Space Marine and the hero of the Battle for Liberty, whose Shot Heard ‘Round the Universe saved the planet from a nearly unstoppable war machine. He’s handsome, charismatic, and the perfect poster boy to help the military drive enlistment. Pulled from the war and thrown into the spotlight, he’s as efficient at charming the media and bedding beautiful celebrities as he was at shooting down enemy starfighters.

  After an assassination attempt leaves Mitchell critically wounded, he begins to suffer from strange hallucinations that carry a chilling and oddly familiar warning:

  They are coming. Find the Goliath or humankind will be destroyed.

  Convinced that the visions are a side-effect of his injuries, he tries to ignore them, only to learn that he may not be as crazy as he thinks. The enemy is real and closer than he imagined, and they’ll do whatever it takes to prevent him from rediscovering the centuries lost starship.

  Narrowly escaping capture, out of time and out of air, Mitchell lands at the mercy of the Riggers - a ragtag crew of former commandos who patrol the lawless outer reaches of the galaxy. Guided by a captain with a reputation for cold-blooded murder, they’re dangerous, immoral, and possibly insane.

  They may also be humanity’s last hope for survival in a war that has raged beyond eternity.

  Or maybe something completely different?

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  Finish the job, or be finished himself.

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  My name is Landon Hamilton. Once upon a time I was a twenty-three year old security guard, trying to regain my life after spending a year in prison for stealing people’s credit card numbers.

  Now, I’m dead.

  Okay, I was supposed to be dead. I got killed after all; but a funny thing happened after I had turned the mortal coil...

  I met Dante Alighieri - yeah, that Dante. He told me I was special, a diuscrucis. That’s what they call a perfect balance of human, demon, and angel. Apparently, I’m the only one of my kind.

  I also learned that there was a war raging on Earth between Heaven and Hell, and that I was the only one who could save the human race from annihilation. He asked me to help, and I was naive enough to agree.

  Sounds crazy, I know, but he wished me luck and sent me back to the mortal world. Oh yeah, he also gave me instructions on how to use my Divine "magic” to bend the universe to my will. The problem is, a sexy vampire crushed them while I was crushing on her.

  Now I have t
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  One thousand years ago, the world was broken and reborn beneath the boot of a nameless, ageless tyrant. He erased all history of the time before, enslaving the people and hunting those with the power to unseat him.

  The power of magic.

  Eryn is such a girl. Born with the Curse, she fights to control and conceal it to protect those she loves. But when the truth is revealed, and his soldiers come, she is forced away from her home and into the company of Silas, a deadly fugitive tormented by a fractured past.

  Silas knows only that he is a murderer who once hunted the Cursed, and that he and his brothers butchered armies and innocents alike to keep the deep, dark secrets of the time before from ever coming to light.

  Secrets which could save the world.

  Or destroy it completely.

  JOIN THE MAILING LIST

  “No,” you cry. “I will not submit myself to even more inbox spam. I have quite enough garbage coming in from people and places that I care a lot more about than you.”

  “But,” I reply, “if you sign up for my mailing list, you’ll know when my next book is out. Don’t you want to know when my next book is out?”

  “Eh… I’ll find it on Amazon.”

  “True enough, but you see, a mailing list is very valuable to an author, especially a meager self-published soul such as myself. I don’t have a marketing team, and I don’t have exposure in brick and mortar stores around the world to help improve my readership. All I have is you, my potential fans. What do you say?”

  Silence.

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  Followed by more silence.

  “Where’d you go?” I ask. “Well, I’ll just leave this here, in case you change your mind.”