“Yes, the way to the exit will be clear,” Sebastian said. “But we won’t be heading there. So, be ready to fight.”
“Just take us to the labs,” Gella said and flicked the daggers in both hands. One of them slipped through her fingers and crashed on the floor with a loud bang. She cursed as she bent over to grab it, then leaned against the wall for a moment before standing up again, her face looking ashen.
Sebastian shook his head and moved to the front of their short column. “Let me handle any fighting.”
They kept their backs to the wall as they slithered down a corridor. David kept his ears peeled for any noise but was startled when Sebastian raised his hand to stop them. They pushed their backs against the wall and froze. Moments later, they heard chatter. Two guards and two priests turned the corner and almost crashed into them.
One of the guards let out a surprised cry upon seeing them. A red flame shot from Sebastian’s hand. The clone whirled around, silencing the man instantly. David barely had time to register what was happening before all but one guard were on the floor, a glistening pool of crimson liquid forming rapidly under their bodies. Sebastian was about to plunge his rod into the last guard’s stomach. The man cowered and raised his hands in a desperate attempt to ward off his imminent death.
“Wait!” David shouted, recognizing Mike.
The scarlet flame from Sebastian’s rod froze midair.
David rushed between them. “Please, don’t. I know him.” He extended his arm to raise him. “It’s all right. We won’t hurt you.”
Mike struggled for a moment to recognize him, his face contorted in fear. “What’s going on?” He rubbed down his arms to stop them from shaking.
“We’ve been infected with a plague,” David explained. “Alexander is planning to release it on the planet. Only his followers will survive.” The man was staring at him silently. “You must help us. We have to stop him.”
Mike nodded in understanding, then bolted toward a wall and slammed a button. A deafening alarm blared all around them.
Sebastian raised his rod and fired a crimson blast into the man’s back. He crashed into the wall before dropping to the floor like a broken mannequin.
David rushed to his side. “Why?” he screamed to be heard over the alarm.
“Dur lex, sed lex,” Mike whispered. “We’re nothing without the law.” His body tensed up for a second, then all life fled him and he lay still on the floor.
“I’ll never understand you humans.” Sebastian pulled David to his feet. “Run!”
They barreled down the corridor, stopping briefly when Gella stumbled. David placed his arm under her and steadied her. “It’s gonna be all right,” he whispered. She’s so pale.
She nodded, her lips pressed together in a tight smile. “I’m fine.”
She tried to push him, but he held fast and they ran together, following Sebastian and Cyrus down a flight of stairs that ended in another corridor lined with opaque glass doors.
Cyrus fell back to offer Gella his arm. “At least the alarm isn’t so loud here,” he said, a forced grin failing to mask the pain in his eyes.
She hesitated for a moment, then accepted his help. “Your head hurts, too?”
“Feels like my worst hangover times ten.”
“It’s the Whispers,” David said. Pressure was mounting on his head with each passing moment, despite Parad’s best efforts to shield him from the pain. “They’re stronger here.”
“This is it,” Sebastian said, stopping abruptly. He pointed to one of the doors. Light came out of the room, but they could not see anything within. “Shall we?” he asked. Without waiting for an answer, he pressed his palm against the lock and waited for the familiar woman’s voice.
“DNA confirmed,” she said. The door opened wide with a soft hiss.
Fennel Bay
Sol
Down on the ground, at the very edge of the grove’s end, Sol leaned forward to capture the moment, pressing the binoculars against her eyes. The cannon had failed to hit any of the marching Antheans. She offered silent thanks to any god she could think of. It’s not over, though.
A whistle caught her attention. A thin line of smoke rose from the beach to land before the wooden wall they had occupied hours earlier. It blew a hole large enough for a wagon to go through, sending splinters flying everywhere.
“He is targeting the wall,” she shouted to the ensign by her side. “Make sure no one’s left there.”
“Yes, ma’am.” He raised a rapid succession of flags.
She fixed her gaze back to the marching army that was barreling down the field toward the Capital’s archers, advancing in three loosely formed groups. The center one was the longest, having extended to fit the field’s width. As a result, it had a depth of just four ranks, whereas the two groups flanking it were twice as deep. For the hundredth time, she wished for more men. It’s all part of the plan, she consoled herself. Somehow, that did not stop the thumping in her chest.
Farther down the beach, she counted two large groups of Capitolian archers. Behind them, three infantry groups waited patiently. She had to admire the Capital’s generals and the enemy’s discipline. During the little time they had until the Antheans reached the shore, the troops had formed tight units, standing in perfect formations.
Her breath caught. The Antheans had now reached some two hundred yards from the archers, and the first hisses split the air. Within moments, a hail of arrows covered the sun.
The Capital
Sebastian
The room was filled with lit monitors and instrument-laden desks. Little red and green lights flickered on most of them. Machines hummed and beeped. Cabinets and shelves lined with colorful vials covered both side walls. The far wall was covered in darkness. The room stank of unfamiliar, acrid smells that brought a sneeze to his nostrils.
A young man in a white coat looked up from behind one of the desks. He did a double take when he saw the prisoners behind Sebastian. “What are you doing here?” he shouted and reached for something inside a drawer.
Sebastian slammed the drawer shut. Bones shuttered with a satisfying crunch. He waited for the screams to die before speaking. “We need your help,” he said in a calm voice.
The man pulled his broken hand from the drawer and glared at him, his eyes dripping hate. “Screw you,” he hissed through gritted teeth, panting with pain.
“Wrong answer,” Sebastian said with a shrug and pulled the man by his coat. He slammed him against a cabinet. The doors burst open and vials flew out to shatter at their feet. More chemicals. Honestly, how many do they need? He let the man slide to the floor, his face and back bleeding from a hundred cuts. When the litany of curses finally died, he reached down and pulled the man to his feet, then threw him like a rag doll over the desk. A myriad instruments crashed to the floor, sending shattered pieces of equipment to scatter across the room. Sparks flew. Smoke rose from broken machines.
“Enough,” the man whimpered. His right hand hung limply from his side. He wiped blood from a gushing cut above his left eye with his good hand. “What do you want?”
Sebastian opened his mouth, but David spoke first. “You’ve poisoned us. We need the cure.”
The man’s eyes widened. “The cure?” He cackled hysterically. “There is no cure, you idiot. Only the faithful will be saved from the Purge.”
“Bull,” Sebastian said and raised his fist. “What is the poison?”
The young man hid his face behind his broken hand. “Don’t! It’s the truth, I swear.” He wiped the blood dripping from his nose. “We don’t really understand it ourselves. That’s why finding the right dosage is such a pain.”
“Where did you find it?” Sebastian barked.
“In the caves,” the man said in a hurry. “They’re in the level below us. But no one’s allowed there. His Eminence brings us the soul crystal. They say the Librarian gave it to him.”
Sebastian’s eye narrowed. “Who?”
�
��He’s…” The young man licked blood from his lips. “He knows stuff. When His Eminence gave us the crystal, we diluted it and injected our test subjects.”
David exchanged a glance with Sebastian. “What test subjects?”
“We’ve been experimenting for years now.” Sebastian barely stopped himself from wiping with his fists the proud smirk that flashed on the man’s face. “Most people died right away at first, until we got the dosage right. A handful survived. Mutated. We keep them in the back.” He raised his hands in the air. “Here, let me show you.”
Sebastian nodded, and the man’s hand moved slowly to a keyboard. He clicked keys in rapid succession.
The lights in the room went out. Locks slammed on the doors. A red light atop the far wall strobed.
“Warning,” a woman’s voice said. “Contamination. Level three. Contamination.”
“What have you done?” Sebastian barked and grabbed him.
The man cackled. “What I had to. Now you all die.”
Blinding lights lit up the far wall, revealing four humanoid figures behind a glass. The glass slid open. The creatures made their way through the opening in slow, uncertain moves.
“Fallen,” David whispered.
“No,” Sebastian said, pushing him behind him. The creatures had none of the thick gray skin of the Fallen, resembling instead crustaceans. They clicked lobster-like claws as they made their way toward them. “Something worse.” Strange how repulsive they look. Would a Fallen look hideous to me now?
He threw the young man across the room. When he landed at the creatures’ feet, one of them lifted him into the air, slashing at him as he fell down. His screams were cut short when a spiky claw went through his abdomen, impaling him.
Gella let out a cry and charged the nearest creature. With surprising speed, it dodged her attack and swayed to knock her over a cupboard. She cried out in pain and collapsed before it.
“Gella!” David screamed her name and rushed to her side, ignoring the creatures. The one she had attacked cocked its head and stared at him in bewilderment.
Sebastian took advantage of its curiosity to draw his rod. He fired a blast at it. The upper half of its body exploded, showering them with blood and foul-smelling entrails.
One of the creatures roared and lifted its hands in the air, as if challenging him. Its challenge was met with another blast that cleared its head straight off its shoulders.
Sebastian expected the remaining two creatures to withdraw. Instead, they attacked him from both sides. He fired a volley at the one on his right, but it ducked. The volley exploded behind it, filling the room with a rain of instrument shards. Without breaking its stride, the creature grabbed him from his waist and slid him across the room. Sebastian crashed against the wall, his rod flying from his hand.
“I’ve got him,” Cyrus cried out and thrust his sword at the creature’s back. It slid harmlessly across its carapace and struck a cabinet. He let out a curse.
The beast ignored him. It charged Sebastian again and slashed razor-sharp claws at him. He lifted his arms to protect his face, using his elbows to evade the creature’s assault.
Cyrus shoved his taser against the back of the creature’s skull. Electricity crackled. The stench of burning flesh filled the room. The creature howled in pain. It whirled around and whacked the weapon from Cyrus’s hand.
“Hold on,” Sebastian shouted. Before he could get up, the second creature jumped on his torso, pinning him to the floor. It hissed in rage as furious claws swiped at him. His head moved from side to side, avoiding the deadly thrusts and swipes. He raised his elbows to push it away, but the creature was too fast and strong even for him. One of its claws struck his neck, piercing his throat. Blood flew out in a gushing stream. His eyes widened in terror as he choked in his own blood, a gurgling sound coming from his mouth.
Cyrus
The creature lowered its head and charged Cyrus. He jumped to the side and it crashed against a desk, which slid to the end of the room until it banged against the glass pane. Without breaking its momentum, the creature whirled around for another attack.
Cyrus grabbed the clone’s rod and flicked the switch. The pommel felt reassuring in his palm as the red blade split the air. The creature cocked its head, studying the new threat. A malicious smile flickered on its lips. Swirling around, it grabbed a cabinet and threw it at Cyrus. He ducked, but the metal caught his left shoulder. He screamed as it crushed his shoulder blade. Somehow, he held on to the rod. Through the blinding pain, he saw the creature charge him, its speed making it blurry. Instinct kicked in. He raised the rod, parried, dodged and stabbed. To his surprise, the rod caught the creature in its abdomen, nearly cutting it in half. It let out an inhuman howl as he pushed and twisted the blade. He kicked away the still convulsing corpse.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Cyrus cowered behind a desk. An image of Altman hovering over him, a smoking gun in his hand, burst in his head. A warm stain soiled the front of his pants. Damn you, Altman! His whole body convulsed and his head banged against the table’s metal, blinding him with sharp pain. His face flushed in fury. I don’t care whether I live or die, but I refuse to spend another moment in fear.
He jumped to his feet, ignoring his throbbing head and the sharp pain from his shattered shoulder. David was standing over Sebastian. A twitching creature slid over the clone and slipped onto the floor. Blood oozed from three holes in the back of its head.
“The clone,” Cyrus shouted and pointed at Sebastian, who was pressing his palms against his throat. Thick blood was pumping through his fingers.
David’s gaze flew from Gella, who was lying unconscious—or worse—to Sebastian. He shoved the gun down his pants and rummaged through the desks’ drawers. He pulled out a canister and a paper box from one and tore it open with his teeth. With shaking fingers, he grabbed gauze and dropped on all fours next to the clone. He pushed away Sebastian’s fingers and pressed against his throat with one hand, his other hand pressing a button at the top of the canister. Thick white foam poured from a nozzle and covered the wound. Moments later, the crimson flow slowed to a trickle.
Cyrus rushed to Gella, jumping over the dead doctor’s body and a small pile of smoking monitors. He pressed his fingers against her throat. I let Mom die. What will Dad think if I let Gella die too? The strange thought caused his mouth to twitch, then he let out a relieved sigh at the feeling of a faint pulse.
Her eyes fluttered open and she let out a soft moan.
“She’s alive,” Cyrus shouted.
David knelt next to him and took her in his arms. “She may have a concussion.”
“I’m fine,” she whispered. She pressed her palm against her head. “I just have a hell of a headache, that’s all.”
David ignored her. His gaze darted around the room. “I wish I knew what these machines do. We need to check you.”
“No time,” Sebastian growled behind them. His face looked ashen. He leaned against a desk to steady himself. A plastic jar caught his eye. He picked it up and read the label through narrow slits of eyes, then popped the lid open and gulped down two pills. When he swallowed, he threw the bottle at Cyrus.
Cyrus raised his good hand to catch the bottle, but he was too slow. “What’s that?” he asked through gritted teeth as he bent over to pick it up from the floor. Waves of pain throbbed from his shoulder and through his body. Even holding on to the bottle was hard. His head swam.
“For the pain,” Sebastian said.
Cyrus took two pills, then took another one before pocketing the bottle. “Any water?” When everyone shook their heads, he bit down on the pills, cringing at the bitterness. He swallowed with effort. Rough bits clung to his dry throat.
“There may be more of these creatures,” Sebastian continued. “Even if there aren’t any, the guards will be—”
Loud banging on the sealed door interrupted him. “Open up,” a voice hollered.
“The guards,” David said. “They’re alread
y here.”
“They’ll break through eventually,” Sebastian said. “We must keep moving.”
“Where to?” Cyrus asked and yawned. The pain was already duller, but a wave of exhaustion hit him. Must be the pills.
David’s gaze fixed on Gella. He helped her to her feet, holding her when she stumbled, then pointed to the opening where the creatures had come from. “The caves.” He threw a worried glance at the door. “With any luck, the guards will be too scared to follow us there.”
Fennel Bay
Sol
The storm of arrows was meant to slow the advancing army down. Instead, the Antheans broke into a mad dash toward their enemy. This was Satori’s personal gambit. Jonian armies were comprised primarily of missile troops. She had bet that Capitolians would assume the same was true of Anthea as well. Our charge must seem like madness to them.
Within moments, the first Antheans had broken through the hail of arrows, protected for the most part by their shields. They collided with the enemy army. She studied the enemy’s terrified faces and let out a relieved sigh. Far from providing easy pickings for their bowmen, as the Capitolians must have imagined, the Antheans were not going to be halted.
The impact was devastating. The Athenians had honed their style of fighting in combat with other phalanxes. This made them superior in every way to the thinly-protected archers. Wooden shields smashed against wooden shields. Iron spear tips clattered against leather padding. In those first terrible seconds of collision, there was nothing but a pulverizing crash of metal into flesh and bone.
The Anthean tide rolled over men wearing, at most, quilted jerkins for protection and armed with nothing more than bows. The Antheans’ ash spears, rather than splintering, stabbed and stabbed again. Those of the enemy who avoided the terrifying jabbing were crushed to death beneath the sheer weight of the advancing army.
Pearseus Bundle: The Complete Pearseus Sci-fi/Fantasy Series Page 106