Artificial Light (Evolution of Angels Book 3)

by Wall, Nathan

  “You’ve been poking around where you shouldn’t have been.” Amun towered over Isis, appearing as if he were about to stomp on her. “Where’s your starstone?”

  “Gone.” Isis covered her face to safeguard from any strike. “How long have you been conspiring outside our borders? How long have you bartered with the Architect to repower your star?”

  “Father, what is going on?” Hathor cried.

  Rashini came to, gasping at the sight of the Amun.

  “No, not you!” she screamed. “You won’t take me back to the burning man.”

  “His name is Ra,” Amun replied, grabbing Isis by the shirt and banging her head against the floor. He stepped toward his daughter. Solar flares of pure white erupted over his body and brought forth his aurascales. “Hand her over.”

  Hathor shook her head and slouched back. Amun dug into her arm and jerked it end-over-end. His gloves seared her flesh. Her screams echoed through the corridors. Amun let her go and lumbered after Rashini as she attempted to crawl away.

  “My head,” Isis said, rubbing her forehead as she stood and swayed in a circle. Her knees buckled and she caught herself on the bed. “Where are you taking her?”

  Hathor lay injured on the floor. Amun glanced at Isis and snatched Rashini up. He covered the girl’s mouth and walked toward the exit. Isis stood in his way. He lifted her with one hand around the neck and choked her until she passed out.

  “Leave her alone!” Hathor yelled, trying to stand. Her arm felt like it was going to slide apart at the burn.

  “We’re at the precipice, daughter.” He grinned. “The days shall revolt. You can join me or be left behind to die. The choice is yours.”

  Amun marched out of the room and around a corner. Rashini reached for Hathor, screaming for help, but disappeared with her abductor into the black hallways. Hathor, seething with anger, glared at Isis.

  “What was that?” Hathor roared, standing up. She jumped onto Isis. They slid along the ground and stopped against the wall. Hathor grabbed Isis by the shirt, lifted her, and struck a blow with her right fist. “Where did he take her?”

  “Stop. Please,” Isis gasped, raising her right arm in a lethargic fashion. “I don’t know.”

  “Liar!” Saliva formed spider webs in Hathor’s teeth as she screamed.

  Sobek and Anubis entered Isis’ private chamber. They grabbed Hathor and threw her onto the bed. Anubis leapt and landed over Hathor. He twisted her arm behind her back, lifted her up, and pinned her against the wall. Sobek offered a hand to Isis, pulling her up and wiping a trickle of blood off her mouth.

  “What happened?” Sobek asked, moving Isis over to the bed. The lights of their fortress came back on, but the walls still wept under the unforgiving forces of space. Sobek pointed at Hathor, commanding Anubis. “Remove her.”

  “She’s the traitor!” Hathor tried to pull away from Anubis while grabbing at Isis. His massive hands went clear around her arms as he forced her out of the room. She dragged her feet and kicked on the walls, trying to pull free from his grasp. “She’s responsible for all of this.”

  “Remove her now, Anubis,” Sobek said, raising his booming voice.

  Anubis put Hathor into a choke hold, forcing her to sleep. He slung her over his massive shoulder and carried her away. Sobek turned to his older sister.

  “What child does she speak of?” he asked.

  “Amun… The one he took,” Isis replied, still rubbing her temples. She looked at Sobek, but he was clearly lost. “He is a traitor. An Architect has been reigniting his starstone. The extent of their alliance, I know not.”

  Sobek analyzed the door. It was melted down the middle. He peered over his shoulder at Isis, biting his lower lip as his eyebrows furrowed with suspicion.

  “I speak the truth,” she insisted.

  “You should come with me. It’s not safe in here,” he said, massaging his hand through her hair. “Our shields are down. Most of the station is without power. If we don’t reinforce the power supply, the time flux will affect us exponentially. We need the power of your star.”

  “I sent it away.” She shook her head and held his hands tightly. “My son guards it now. Along with his father’s.”

  “Then we’ve not a moment to waste. We must make our way to a chariot.” Sobek wrapped his fingers around Isis’ wrist and pulled her from the room hastily.

  They marched through the Great Hall and the swirling lines of the event horizon came into view. Their side of the planet slowly turned to face it. The edge of the fourth dimension could be seen in their physical realm, mixing with the tangible like a cocktail. The light spectrum flared until it was sucked into the center of the abyss, no longer carrying any meaning.

  “This has gone on long enough,” Khnum said. His chartreuse aurascales and silver armor were fully manifested; his helmet the shape of a ram. A large mallet materialized in his grasp. His lieutenants, Serket and Khonshu, stood behind him in their warrior regalia. He snapped his fingers and they moved into offensive positions. “Hand over the traitor queen.”

  The large pieces of the shattered moon swayed as they were sucked towards one another. The two largest pieces collided, splintered off into millions of projectiles, and released countless meteors towards the planet.

  “We don’t have time for this. We must take cover underground where the reserve shields can safeguard us until we can rift to a new home,” Sobek replied, shaking his head to Khnum’s demand and stepping in front of Isis. A beam of light radiated over Sobek. Billions of sentient dots raced over him, giving off a green glow. A scimitar and shield sprouted in his grasp.

  A scorpion tail grew from Serket’s aurascales. Sobek spun across the floor, evading her sting. Two skinny blades curved over her wrists and hands like pincers. She jabbed and flung a cross hook, missing. His scimitar cut upward in a diagonal motion. Serket’s tail bounced off the floor. His shield jabbed into her shin and brought her to all fours. He kicked her face and knocked her out cold.

  Outside the large windows, the fractured moon pieces pelted their planet. The rumbling from the meteor strikes ran through the floor, shaking the brawlers.

  “Vishnu is using the power of his star to protect us now.” Khnum directed his words toward Sobek, but his gaze was fixed on Isis as he gave chase. He grappled her tiny waist and threw her into the wall.

  Isis bounced off and rolled backwards onto her feet. She grabbed a stone statue off the floor, crouching. The majesty of the meteor shower reflected off Khnum’s breast plate. She swung the statue. His fist pulverized it into dust.

  “You’re an imbecile,” Sobek shouted, jostling with Khnum’s other lieutenant, Konshu.

  Konshu moved behind Sobek and put him in a full-nelson. Sobek broke free, jamming himself inside his foe’s reach. He pinned Konshu’s arms in the air and used the back of his crocodile helmet as a battering ram, snapping Khonshu’s left arm at the shoulder and throwing his enemy to the floor.

  “And you’ve no way off this rock,” Khnum replied, his lungs heaving.

  Isis ran to Sobek, but Khnum grabbed her hair and pulled her backward. Her head bounced off the floor like a tennis ball, rendering her unconscious. Sobek tackled Khnum. The two skidded along the floor, exchanging short jabs.

  Khnum stuck a katar into Sobek’s ribcage, twisting. Both of his feet pressed against Sobek’s chest and pushed him off. He jumped to his feet, conjuring the mallet once again, and swung with an uppercut motion. The hammer caught Sobek under the helmet. Half of the crocodile faceguard splintered into pieces. Sobek fell to his knees. The mallet bashed into Sobek’s right shoulder blade. The bones in his shoulder, arm and collarbone cracked, making a sound like an insect being squashed.

  A meteor collided with the Great Hall, extinguishing the outer shields and rupturing the hull of their fortress. The windows on the far end of the hall shattered and the air in the room raced to escape. The vacuum of space wrapped a noose around Khonshu and dragged him into the cold depths of oblivion.
Time and space ripped into him as the edge of the event horizon drained his starstone. Radiation melted him in a matter of seconds. The exploding starstone sent a shockwave through their planet, fracturing it. The core of the planet shifted from the surge of energy, tilting the planet onto a new axis.

  Sobek slid towards the opening. With his one good arm he latched onto a door and wrapped his legs around Isis to keep her from flying away. To his right, Serket’s legs were flailing from the suction while her two wrist blades were dug into the ground as an anchor. Sobek made eye contact with Khnum. The emergency doors rose up, sealing the inside, removing any fear of being sucked into space. The planet, however, continued to crumble.

  Khnum stumbled over to Sobek, twirling the mallet in his hands. His facial armor retracted, revealing a snarling, contempt-filled glare. Anubis ran onto the scene.

  “Vishnu has sent Shiva,” Anubis said. “Where is Khonshu?”

  “You betray your own uncle and aunt?” Sobek yelled.

  “They never treated me as such. I do what is needed for the survival of our people.” Anubis stuck a sword to Sobek’s neck. “I would take your life, uncle.”

  “They always treated you harshly,” Khnum responded, collecting his breath. His eyes were unsure. “Sucked out into the darkness, Khonshu was.”

  “Regrettable.” Anubis stood over Sobek, turned him onto his stomach, and locked shackles around his wrists. “We’re to coordinate forces and track down those who remain loyal to Amun.”

  “There’s no point in taking prisoners.” Khnum raised his mallet, but Anubis stood in his way.

  “I was told by Shiva that I could deal with my kin as I see fit.”

  Khnum groaned, his jaw tight, and then nodded reluctantly. He lowered his weapon, gesturing with his head for Serket to follow. The two left and Anubis pulled Sobek to his feet. He slung Isis over his shoulder and pushed Sobek through the corridors. Sobek looked at his nephew with a curious expression.

  “Vishnu’s delegates arrived shortly before the meteor storm,” Anubis said, answering Sobek’s silent question. “I put Hathor in one of the chariots and locked it off.”

  “I take it Amun and the others didn’t survive?” Sobek asked.

  “When the moon fragments entered the hazard zone in the event horizon, they shuttled down to the planet’s core. The gravity warp ruptured the shuttle line, and all readings say the core has begun bleeding out. There’s no telling if they’re still alive.”

  “How much longer is the planet feasibly safe?” Sobek grimaced as the weight of his cuffs pulled on his broken body.

  “Are you sure you’re up to this?” Anubis undid the cuffs, referring to Sobek’s broken body.

  “How much longer?” Sobek grunted, grimacing.

  “An hour, maybe less.” Anubis sat his aunt on the floor. His armor slid up his arms then ran down to his feet until his whole body was covered, except for his head. “Shiva brought Khali and their Angel-born son, Skanda. There are several lower-ranked among them, not counting those of ours who’ve joined their side.”

  “That’s exactly what you do when you’re looking to join forces as equals,” Sobek said with a frustrated laugh. “You send your strongest and best fighters to extend the olive branch. Khnum is a fool.”

  “You don’t think they really mean to adopt us?”

  “No.” Sobek shook his head and then looked worriedly at Isis. “They’re here for something specific. You don’t send Shiva when you expect things to go well.”

  ***

  “Welcome to our realm,” Khnum said as his ram’s face armor slithered back into his collarbone. His bushy apricot eyebrows ran together over his steel-blue eyes. It was a jarring contrast to his freshly shaven head. He nodded, acknowledging Shiva, who returned the favor. “Vishnu honors us with the presence of his most trusted. Your reputation as a skilled warrior precedes you. I know we can quickly quell any rebellion in good faith of a merger.”

  “This place is pathetic,” Shiva replied, his upper lip curling. His nose wrinkled and his mouth held back a gag. “How repugnant. You have my pity.”

  Khnum opened his mouth, but shock held the words in. He exchanged confused glances with Serket. Her eyes locked on her toes to avoid any discussion. His gaze reconnected with Shiva’s pitch black eyes.

  “Where are your others?” Shiva asked, walking past Khnum and peering into the corridors. His hair was extremely short, black, and curly and his taupe skin had a sheen to it. He stepped back, slowly shutting the door to the engineering room.

  “Those loyal to Amun, the very few they may be, followed the crisis protocol. If they’re still alive, they won’t be a problem...” Khnum’s back stiffened when the sound of Shiva locking the chamber door interrupted him. Khnum turned around, anxious. “The civilian population, have they been evacuated already?”

  “I’m sure you’ve surmised by now that god Vishnu has only sent enough power to keep life support systems in place for a select few,” Shiva said, walking with his hands behind his back. He nodded at Khali, giving her a silent signal. “We’ve secured all those of any use or value.”

  A pair of Urumi materialized in Khali’s grasp. With a quick flick of the wrist, the whip-like metal blades wrapped around Serket’s neck, slicing her throat. Serket fell to the ground, bleeding out instantly. Khnum moved to engage Khali, but Shiva stood in the way, raising the point of his sword to Khnum’s neck.

  “We’ve already moved those we require to our realm. We don’t need any more leeches.” Shiva squinted at Khnum, gently prodding the blade against his prisoner’s flesh. He winked at Khali, sending her on her way. His voice became stern and imposing. “We can make space for a few more. I would prefer Isis be among them unless you can make our need for her obsolete.”

  “She’s not here already?” Khnum asked, scratching the back of his head. His eyes widened. He spoke under his breath. “Anubis... I should have known he’d remain loyal to his aunt and not his people.”

  “Speak up.”

  “She’s useless. That is, if you’re looking for her starstone...”

  “The Forge,” Shiva quickly replied, squinting at Khnum.

  “Yes, of course.” Khnum begrudgingly smiled with the realization that he’d been played. “Her son. He has what remains. She thinks I don’t know, but I have my spies just as she has hers. Isis merged the power of her starstone with that of her late husband’s. Horus uses it to travel to the human realm. He and his retarded cousin are looking for Azrael. They’re hoping salvation and forgiveness lies with his return.”

  “They will be bitterly disappointed with what they find.” Shiva smirked, shaking his head, trying to suppress a chuckle.

  “Impossible.”

  “No, I have my sources too.” Shiva lowered the blade, but Khnum remained petrified. “While your Corner has been hiding here on the edge of this collapsed star for ages, some of us have been hard at work.”

  “Do tell.”

  “Insider information only—but we are open to expanding the club.” Shiva shoved Khnum into the wall, causing the hull to bend. He threw the frightened member of the Southern Corner to the floor and stood on his chest. Shiva’s sword hovered inches from the bridge of Khnum’s nose. “Just because Isis doesn’t have the artifact I seek doesn’t make her useless. It makes her collateral. You’ve failed by every measure to prove your worth.”

  “Please, I can still be of use,” Khnum stuttered.

  “I would get to saying how instead of pissing myself.”

  “I know the ins and outs of this fortress. I know where they would hide her. And I know the pressure points to get her to speak.” Khnum closed his eyes and breathed deeply. “At the very least I hold possibility. If I fail to deliver a second time, have my head then.”

  “Your starstone.” Shiva stepped off Khnum, keeping his sword trained on him. He lowered his empty hand. “Give it to me so I know you’re defenseless.”

  Khnum nodded and rolled onto his knees. His body shook with
trepidation. A green light sparked between his hands. Billions of slate-gray metal cubes melded together into an egg shape a little smaller than a basketball. He handed it to Shiva.

  “Very well.” Shiva nodded.

  ***

  Anubis laid Isis down and scooted over to Sobek. His uncle’s armor retracted completely to reveal a large gash over the right side of his collarbone. A bone protruded from the skin and blood bubbled out slowly. Anubis tried to stabilize the wound, but Sobek put his hand to his nephew’s and shook his head.

  “It’s no use,” Sobek sighed. The color in his face faded by the second. “You’ve got to get her out. There’s nowhere safe for her here.”

  “She wouldn’t want to leave you behind,” Anubis said, hesitantly lowering his hands into his lap. He stepped away from his uncle, nearly in tears.

  “Apparently you don’t know my sister very well,” he chuckled. “You and Horus have always been what are important to her. The urge for a son never came upon me, because I had you both. I only regret that I didn’t see you more for who you really are, instead of listening to the rumors of what many held you to be.” Sobek closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He coughed and little spurts of blood covered his lips. “Can you get her to the chariot? You can save her and Hathor. Get off this ship and find Horus.”

  “It depends on how much attention Shiva is paying to the launch bay. I would assume plenty.”

  “I’ll draw them out,” Sobek grunted, pushing himself up. Anubis offered a helping hand but Sobek shrugged him off. The Beta Guardian stood on his own power. A green light sizzled out from his skin as the aurascales penetrated his wound and sealed it. “I hear them. Go.”

  Anubis carried Isis out of the mess hall. Sobek stumbled through the hall, tossing about stainless steel chairs and tables. Khali kicked through the entrance and the twin doors flew off the hinges, tumbling end over end. She grinned, elated at Sobek’s current condition. Two additional blue arms grew from her aurascales, curving around from under her shoulder blades.