The Dark of Light (Starhawke Rising Book 1)

by Audrey Sharpe

  “Do you want to know where the Necri are?” she called out, pointing at the cages and doing her imitation of the creatures.

  The teens moved closer, watching her intently.

  Celia raised her hands, pantomiming the shape of a fence, then the Necri descending into the space. She then laid the side of her face on her palms and closed her eyes to indicate sleeping.

  Maanee frowned, then made a series of gestures.

  “You want to know how we got them to sleep?” Celia spread her hands in front of her face and swirled them to indicate a mist, then waved them toward her nose. She took a deep breath, letting her lips form a soft smile as she repeated the gesture for sleep so they’d know it was nothing harmful or traumatic.

  Maanee frowned again and shook her head.

  No? Did she not understand, or was she disagreeing? Celia’s earpiece crackled to life before she could respond. She cupped her hand over her ear, barely catching Emoto’s words over the background noise coming through the signal. “We’ve lost control of the wing harnesses. The Necri are returning to the ship, and they’re bringing several of the guards with them.” A brief pause was filled with the distinct sound of weapons firing. “It looks like everyone’s wide awake.”

  The inhalant hadn’t worked. Apparently Maanee knew something about the Necri they didn’t.

  The teenagers had also figured out something was wrong. Maanee’s sister began a series of rapid questions Celia couldn’t follow.

  Reynolds’s voice came over the comm. “Did you get that?”

  “Yep. Working on a plan.” Because they needed one. Now. “Give me a minute.”

  As she saw it, they had one option. And with two hundred Necri and ten or more guards due back in the bay within the next five minutes, she’d have to move quickly.

  She motioned for the teens to huddle up so she could hide her movements from the younger children. She prayed she could get her point across and that the teens would go along with her plan.

  She pantomimed the Necri and guards returning. The fear and anxiety that appeared on the teens’ faces showed they got that point loud and clear. Next she mimicked the teens carrying the younger children down the zip line in groups, with the kids in their arms or holding onto their backs. It wasn’t the safest method of transport, but they couldn’t wait to go one at a time—not if they wanted to get all the younger kids into the trees before the guards arrived.

  Most of the teens nodded, but a dark-haired girl and a brown-haired boy gestured to the Necri cells, their eyes clouded with concern and anger. They clearly didn’t want to abandon the Necri to their fate.

  Celia didn’t believe in leaving others to suffer needlessly either, but in this instance the kids’ safety took precedence. She worked to convey that idea, but several of the teens, including Maanee and her sister, indicated they wouldn’t leave with the Necri still onboard.

  That complicated things considerably.

  Touching her earpiece, she opened a channel to the assault team. “Cardiff to Ellis.” No response. She tried again. “Ellis, do you read me? Drew? Williams?” Nothing.

  She glanced around the cavernous space, searching for inspiration. If the assault team had been ambushed or was otherwise incapacitated, anyone who remained on the ship would turn into a captive as soon as the bay door closed. Were the teens willing to accept that risk? Using gestures and pantomime to convey that idea she lifted her brows in question.

  Most of the teens looked uncomfortable, but the dark-haired girl calmly held Celia’s gaze. Seven others nodded, including the boy and both the sisters. Celia tried to talk Maanee into changing her mind, but the look of fierce determination on the child’s face stopped her.

  The dark-haired girl gave instructions to the rest of the teens and they immediately began gathering the kids into small groups.

  Celia moved to the bay door so Reynolds could see her. “The older kids are going to help. They’ll be coming down to you in large groups. Hopefully we can get all the younger ones into the trees before the guards are in visual range. But I have eight who refuse to leave without the Necri. I’ll stay onboard and help them get the Necri out.” How exactly she would accomplish that was still a big question mark.

  The first group descended. Reynolds didn’t respond until she’d helped them off the line. “Have you talked to Ellis?”

  Celia shook her head. “They’re not responding. That’s another reason I have to stay. They may need backup.” The next group headed down. The kids worked together amazingly well, with none of the friction or panic she’d expected. Their actions showed an efficiency worthy of a Fleet crew. To see it from a group of frightened kids was astounding.

  “They may have encountered more resistance then we anticipated,” Reynolds said as the group completed the trip down the line.

  “You’ll need to get the kids away from the ship as quickly as possible in case this thing powers up. After you’re on the ground, see if you can reach Emoto or Byrnes for assistance. They may be able to help you communicate with the kids and keep them calm.”

  “Roger that.”

  Celia turned back to the teens. The Necri and guards would arrive shortly. They needed a plan.

  Most likely the Necri would be placed in their cells for lockdown, which would resolve one issue temporarily. Then all she’d have to deal with was hiding eight teenagers from a squad of heavily armored guards in a tight space with no good exit. No problem. Right.

  But that was better than two hundred Necri on the loose. Things could get ugly fast. The teens didn’t seem to fear them, but Celia had witnessed their destructive power. She had a healthy respect for how deadly they could be if they chose to make her or the kids targets.

  34

  How could things have fallen apart so quickly?

  As Aurora raced toward the shuttle, she focused on three important facts. The guards knew exactly where each team was located, the inhalant had not affected them or the Necri, and a large attack force was headed in their direction.

  She flung herself through the open hatchway and into the co-pilot’s chair next to Jonarel while Mya dropped into one of the seats behind them. Their harnesses snapped into place as the shuttle lifted off.

  She’d briefly considered staying put to face the attack. But the sounds of weapons fire that had overlaid Kire’s communications had nixed that idea. His team needed backup, and that meant bringing the shuttle down to the fight, even though their attackers would likely follow.

  “Kelly and Star are en route.” Jonarel banked hard to the left and brought them directly into the path of the oncoming figures. “ETA in eleven minutes.”

  Thank the universe. Whatever happened with the ground assault, they could still keep the enemy ship from leaving Gaia.

  She brought up the weapons grid for the shuttle and targeted the eight guards and four Necri as they bore down on them. Now that she knew the Necri were prisoners, she wanted to avoid hurting them if at all possible. That would be tricky, since they were in the center of the oncoming pack.

  She flipped on the forward lights, giving her a spotlighted view and temporarily blinding the guards. She let loose a barrage of blasts aimed at the outskirts of the approaching group, scoring a few hits that knocked the guards out of formation. The Necri, however, continued their collision course.

  Jonarel took the shuttle into a dive that swept them under the Necri and down toward the ground. He leveled off their descent as they approached the open space where the containment fields had been set up.

  The console indicated their attackers had changed course to follow them, but the shuttle’s speed had earned them a precious minute of leeway before the guards and Necri would reach their location.

  Flashes of light in the woods marked the unfolding confrontation with Kire’s team, but she didn’t try to contact him. He probably wouldn’t hear her anyway, and she didn’t want to distract him. His team should be holding its own in the fight. Gonzalez was a weapons specialist, after al
l, and Kire was no slouch with a pistol, either.

  The shuttle touched down with a grace that belied the danger waiting outside. She unsnapped her harness and grabbed a rifle out of the weapons panel next to the open hatchway. Flipping her visor down, she surveyed the landscape. No sign of heat signatures near the trees that would indicate an ambush.

  She turned to Mya, who had also snagged a rifle. “I’ll lead in case we encounter any fire from the woods. Jonarel can watch our backs. Stay close.” She slipped outside, summoning her energy shield as they raced across the open space. Halfway to the trees, she glanced over her shoulder and spotted the approaching guards and Necri, the heat from their bodies creating splotches of color against the night sky.

  An explosion lit up the trees deep in the woods, indicating where they’d find Kire’s team. She altered course and picked up the pace. They raced under the protection of the canopy, but a scattering of shots followed them as the guards descended. Jonarel’s large form was cast in silhouette by the light from the blasts that streaked past him and slammed into the trees.

  “This way.” Aurora took off in the direction of a warm glow that appeared to be the beginnings of a fire caused by the explosion. The guards crashed through the underbrush behind them, but the trees provided decent cover.

  At least until several forms dropped to the ground fifty meters ahead, the wings attached to their backs giving them an eerie outline.

  “Down!” Aurora cried as she pulled Mya into her arms and spun her against the nearest tree. Blasts sizzled past. She kept Mya tucked firmly within the safety of her energy shield.

  “Over there.” Jonarel pointed to the right.

  She spotted the tall forms of five guards moving their way, but she couldn’t see the other three or any of the Necri. Dammit! The delay in reaching Kire was really starting to tick her off. “We need to get to Kire’s team. Let’s split up and circle to the sides. Either we’ll slip around them unnoticed, or we’ll go right through them.”

  Jonarel nodded. “Stay as low as you can. I will draw their attention.”

  If anyone else had said such a thing, she’d wonder if they were suicidal. Jonarel? He looked eager for the opportunity to rip the guards to pieces. She almost pitied them. She turned to Mya. “Ready?”

  “Absolutely.”

  Jonarel took off to his left, firing several well-placed shots. A couple of the guards staggered while the others moved to intercept him.

  “Let’s go.” She and Mya ran in the opposite direction, making an arc that would eventually bring them to their destination. They’d traveled about eighty meters when Aurora pulled to an abrupt halt.

  The four Necri stood in a loose semi-circle directly in their path. Their dead eyes stared at her as they began stalking forward.

  Mya’s voice was breathless, and not because they’d been running. “They’ve been tracking us.”

  “I know.” Just as they had in the orchard. Somehow the Necri were able to lock onto them with the precision of a laser beam. But she was getting a different feeling from these four than she had from the five the night before. They definitely didn’t look like they wanted to communicate.

  They were hunting.

  Well, she wasn’t willing to be prey. Raising her rifle, she fired a shot. It slammed into the upper thigh of the closest Necri and it stumbled.

  Aurora barely noticed. She was too busy sucking in air as a flare of heat and pain scorched her own thigh, in the exact spot where she’d hit the Necri. As if she’d fired on herself rather than the creature.

  Mya clamped a hand on her shoulder, her healing field pulsing like a beacon. The pain disappeared as the vibrant green melded with the pearlescent of Aurora’s field.

  “We can’t fire on them.” Mya’s gaze snapped back and forth between the approaching Necri and Aurora. “We have to run. Now!”

  Aurora didn’t have to be told twice. “Back to Jonarel. This way.” She pulled Mya in front of her and sprinted in the direction they’d come.

  She didn’t understand the whys of her connection to the Necri, but all signs pointed to bad. Empathic abilities were one thing. What had just happened? That was something totally different. If she couldn’t fire on the Necri without hurting herself, how would they get out of this mess, let alone help the other teams?

  At least this time she and Mya weren’t having any trouble running for all they were worth. The Necri pursued, but they were slow by comparison. She spotted Jonarel up ahead. He’d taken out a couple of the guards, and several others were struggling to keep their feet. But two more were moving in from the left.

  She lifted her rifle and fired at one of the approaching guards, scoring a direct hit on the arm that held his weapon. He dropped it to the ground and grabbed the wounded limb with his other hand. The second guard whirled in their direction. Mya dove for the ground as blasts streaked past. Aurora didn’t bother to duck, allowing the energy shield to absorb the shots before returning a few of her own, forcing the guard to take cover.

  Unfortunately, the brief pause had allowed the Necri to close the gap. She darted forward, but the remaining guards shifted their focus from Jonarel and sent a barrage of fire that lit up her energy shield so brightly it blinded her. Mya grabbed her hand, pulling her to the right, but they halted as two more guards appeared from behind the trees and opened fire. The guards who had attacked Kire’s team must have joined the fight. That was bad news.

  They spun and headed in the opposite direction, now moving parallel to Jonarel’s position rather than toward him, but two of the Necri stepped into view up ahead.

  Aurora changed course again, moving away from Jonarel as her energy shield flashed with blasts from multiple directions. She was forced to slow down to keep Mya within the shield.

  “Aurora!” Jonarel roared. He was aware of their predicament, but it was a question of numbers. Too many guards and Necri attacking on too many fronts.

  Two more Necri came toward them, their movements ape-like, their hands and feet pushing their ungainly bodies along the forest floor.

  She and Mya pulled up, heading back once more toward Jonarel. He was wreaking havoc on every guard he could reach, but he was still overwhelmed. So was Aurora. The effort of deflecting the constant barrage of blasts to her shield was sapping her strength.

  One of the Necri moved into view, cutting off their route. She slowed, halting in the middle of a small clearing. The guards ceased firing immediately, confirming what she’d suspected—they’d been driving Aurora and Mya into a net.

  It was always going to come down to this. Whatever the connection was with the Necri, the time for running was over. Game. Set. Match. A sense of—if not calm, at least acceptance—settled over her.

  The Necri’s hunched forms crept out of the surrounding foliage in a rough circle with Aurora and Mya at the center. As they slowly raised their hands, she knew exactly how this would end.

  35

  The Necri and guards had arrived.

  From her position on the floor near the far wall of the bay, Celia watched as the flock of shadows flooded the cavernous space and swept across the room.

  Turning back to the four teens who crouched beside her, she waved the next one toward the opening in the wall that led into the air circulation system. The girl quickly disappeared into the dark hole.

  It was far from a pleasant place to hide, but the intake air vent was sufficiently spacious to fit the nine members of her group. And it was relatively clean, unlike the Necri holding cells. She’d placed magnetic grips along the wall to allow the kids to climb to the upper ductwork. Unfortunately, only five of them had made it inside. Celia and the remaining three were still fully exposed.

  At least they’d successfully transported all the kids down to the trees. Reynolds should be on the ground by now, moving them to safety.

  Another teen slipped into the hole while Maanee and her sister mimicked Celia’s posture, keeping their heads down and bodies still.

  The Necri de
scended, deposited with quick efficiency into the cells. The doors swung shut behind them and the locking mechanisms clicked in place with a soft whirring sound. A sudden silence fell, broken only by the shallow breathing of the girls and the clanks and clatters of the guards removing their wing harnesses.

  She’d hoped the guards would head for the exit, but their heavy footsteps approached across the floor and started down the rows. Apparently they were going to check the cells first.

  Maanee scrambled into the opening, her sister right on her heels, adrenaline making their movements jerky.

  Celia pushed off the floor, snagged the vent, and edged backward into the tight duct space, pulling the cover into place a split second before the guard reached the end of the row. She waited for the guard to pass by before climbing the rungs, keeping her movements as silent as a mouse. The space was pitch black, although she could hear the soft rustle of arms and legs pushing against the metal walls as the kids moved out of her way.

  In a few minutes, she’d head down to the bay and verify that the guards had left. If they had, she’d try to reach Ellis on the comm. If his team still didn’t respond, she’d have some decisions to make. She could leave the teens in the relative safety of the bay and go in search of the assault team, or she could follow through with the teens’ plan to spring the Necri from their cells and turn them loose in the ship.

  She wasn’t crazy about either option. But for now, all she could do was wait.

  36

  Aurora pressed her back against Mya’s and laced their fingers together. “Give me everything you’ve got,” she murmured as she focused her attention on her own energy field.

  Mya didn’t reply, but her hands gripped Aurora’s firmly, their fields blending in perfect harmony.

  The blast struck. For a heartbeat, every detail froze. The beauty of the deep green and pearlescent swirls of energy. The wall of charcoal gray that leapt from the Necri and slammed forward, creating a hard line where the two fields met. The reflection of the blast in the cold eyes of the Necri. The roar of horror and fury from Jonarel as he rushed toward them. The intense pressure that squeezed every cell like a vise.