“I’m sorry, I can’t let you do that,” he said. As he spoke, he changed. His voice became thick and gravelly. His human face disappeared, replaced by that of a Shadowlord, and he seemed to grow taller. In the blink of an eye, the illusion of Byron had vanished.
“You’re a Shadowlord,” Jodi hissed. She could barely breathe with his hand squeezing her throat. “You were all along.”
The Shadowlord smiled. He lifted her by the neck and carried her out of the doorway, out onto the lawn. “My name is Malech,” he said. “And I have been looking for you. It is time for you to forget, Jodi… forget.”
Jodi’s eyes flashed angrily. She struggled against him, digging her nails into his arm. She kicked out with her legs and felt her boots slam into his gut. It had no effect whatsoever. Malech smiled grimly.
Jodi felt Malech’s touch inside of her mind and recoiled. It was sickening, like disease and death and dark, crawling things. And it was inside of her. Jodi lashed out. The wolf inside of her went into a frenzy. It wanted out. It wanted to be free, to kill the Shadowlord. Jodi released it. She couldn’t have held it back if she wanted to. A scream erupted from her throat as her body began to change. Her muscles convulsed, her bones elongated. The world vanished in a wave of blinding pain.
Shocked, Malech tossed her aside. Jodi hit the ground hard, her body bouncing across the grass. She rolled with it, and came up on all fours, snapping at him. “What is this?” Malech said, drawing away. “By what magic-?”
Then he reached out to her, and Jodi felt the touch of his mind again. It was filthy and revolting. A deep threatening growl erupted from her throat. I’ll kill you! she thought.
Deep laughter rumbled up from Malech’s chest. “Ah, I see it,” he said. He twisted his head sideways, as if he were looking at something that wasn’t there. “A relic… you’ve found a piece of the old world. Aha! I see it travels with you, but you don’t know that, do you? You don’t even understand what you have.”
Jodi was beyond comprehension. The wolf was in control now. She lunged at Malech, snapping wildly as he took a cautious step back. Then, with a wave of his arm, he brushed her aside. He never actually touched her. Instead, a wall of magical energy slammed into her and threw her backwards. She tumbled awkwardly, yelping as she hit the ground and one of her ribs cracked.
Malech smiled. With her lupine eyes, Jodi could see the magic gathering around him like a black cloud. It crawled up and down his skin like a living thing, and then Malech thrust his arms out toward her and a blast of energy shot out, slamming into her like a semi truck. Jodi tumbled backwards. Another rib cracked, driving the air from her lungs. She grunted, gasping for breath.
She forced herself upright, leaning heavily on her front legs. Blood trickled from her nose. Her ribs relaxed and cool air rushed into her lungs. It was painful to breathe. Jodi’s eyes blurred in and out of focus.
Malech summoned the energy into himself again. He raised his arms for the final blow, and Jodi was helpless to stop him. She didn’t have the strength left to fight. She waited, glaring at him with eyes full of hatred as he prepared to kill her. Then, as the magic surged down his arms, a dark shadow passed before her eyes. Jodi blinked as a large black shape hit Malech broadside, knocking him to the ground. Malech cried out, throwing out his arms defensively as a wolf lunged for his throat.
Ridgerunner! she thought. Big brother! You are here!
Not only him, another voice said nearby. She twisted around to see Frostpaw and the rest of the tribe stealthing across the lawn.
Malech gathered a charge of energy and slammed Ridgerunner aside. He pushed up to his feet, but Frostpaw leapt on top of him, crushing him back to the ground. The rest of the wolves closed in, snarling and snapping, eager for the kill. Malech cried out. He scrambled backwards on all fours until he ran straight into a tree. Terrified, he pushed himself to his feet.
Kill him now! Ridgerunner ordered.
As one, the pack lunged forward. A cry escaped Malech’s lips as they closed in on him. At that moment, an explosive blast rocked the mountain behind the Academy, and fire lit up the sky. The thundering boom echoed up and down the mountainside.
That brief moment was all Malech needed. He made a gesture with his hands and vanished.
There was a moment of near silence as the echoes of the explosion died away. The wolves eyed the empty space where Malech had been. The air rippled, as if the fabric of reality had been split apart and sewn crudely back together. The wolves sniffed at it, growling and barking with mistrust Then the sound of gunfire and small explosions rattled through the night. Bright lights flashed in the sky over the mountain.
The wolves fell back, whimpering, afraid. Jodi followed them for a few strides and then paused. A spark of the memory flitted through her mind, a memory of who she really was. She examined it and pulled it closer, and her eyes widened. Suddenly, she understood what was happening.
My friends in the mountain! she called out desperately to her tribe. The Shadow is attacking them! I have to help!
Lead the way, little sister, said Ridgerunner. I will come with you.
Chapter 32
Pete found Reeves and Starling in the cafeteria chatting over a cup of coffee. Pete had been running tests on the statues with Hank all day. At last, he had some solid results. He went to Starling’s office first, to inform her of the good news, but she was gone. A note on the door said the two of them had gone to the cafeteria. Pete located them a few minutes later. The couple seemed to be getting along quite well and he almost felt bad breaking up their pleasant conversation. Almost. Pete still didn’t trust Starling, and he didn’t like the idea of her and Reeves getting too close.
“I have some test results,” he announced, inviting himself to sit at the table next to Reeves.
“That’s great news,” said Starling. “What did you find out?”
“The statues seem to be made from some very uncommon elements. Stuff I’ve never seen before. The analysis said it was probably stellar material.”
“Stellar?” said Reeves.
“Yes. They’re from space.”
“The statues are from space?” said Starling. “How could that be? Are you saying…” she lowered her voice and glanced around nervously. “Are you saying that aliens actually exist, and they made the statues?”
Pete laughed. “Not necessarily. It’s more likely that these were pieces of a meteor. Aboriginal humans probably discovered them thousands of years ago and carved them into statues.”
“Ah,” Starling said, looking slightly embarrassed. “Then what’s so special about them?”
“Well, actually there are a number of things. First, they contain elements that no one has ever seen before. We’re still not sure what they are or how they were formed. Plus, the statues seem to be capable of generating some type of energy. It’s like a combination of magnetism and gravity.”
“What can they be used for?” Reeves said.
“I don’t know,” said Pete. “We’re still testing.” At that moment, Reeves’ phone started ringing. He pulled it out and looked at the screen, frowning. “What’s the matter?” said Pete.
“I don’t know… weird number.” Reeves answered. “Yes? Oh, Julia! I’m glad to hear you’re okay... Australia? Are you serious?” Reeves pulled the phone away from his ear and covered the microphone with his hand. “How long on those tests, Pete?”
Pete shrugged. “A few more hours at most, I’d say.”
Reeves nodded and put the phone back to his ear. “Julia, give us some time. Twenty-four hours. What’s the name of the ship? Fine, tomorrow, then.”
Starling and Pete were staring expectantly as Reeves hung up. He scratched his head. “It appears that the shadowfriends left Julia on a freighter. She’s in the Indian Ocean, headed for Australia.”
“Well that’s a relief,” Pete said. “At least we know she’s safe.”
“True,” said Reeves. “But Gabriel and Jodi are still unaccounted for, and we serious
ly need to know what’s so important about those statues.”
“Point taken,” Pete said, rising from the table. “I’ll update you as soon as I know more.”
Pete only made it three steps before an explosion shook the entire mountain. Instantly, alarms began to go off. A voice came over the intercom that said, “All personnel on duty. All personnel to their stations…”
Pete turned and saw that Reeves and Starling were already on their feet. “What was that?” he said. Reeves’ face looked grave.
“Come with me,” said Starling. They rushed to the nearest elevator. Starling hit the LVL 100 button and held it down for three seconds. A female voice said, “Confirm destination.”
“Command Center,” Starling said.
“Yes, Commander.”
Pete was surprised that Starling was taking them to a completely top-secret level of the base. He doubted a civilian had ever been in there before. He wondered how much of it had to do with her guilt about Gabriel and Jodi disappearing, and how much was the fact that Reeves was there. A few seconds later, the doors opened and they stepped into a large, windowless room filled with computers. A dozen military personnel were scattered about the room, manning workstations covered with computer screens and blinking lights.
Pete realized that the place was not unlike the D.A.S. headquarters below Winschfield Manor, but much more sophisticated. The command center had live video feeds from all over the world, satellite, radar, and infrared tracking and hi-tech computer systems that made Pete’s eyes boggle. The computer monitors and video screens were like flat transparent sheets of plastic. The technicians tapped them, moving images from one place to another, accessing computer files and video feeds with a touch.
“We’ve been hit by a class three device,” a young woman said. Her blonde hair was pulled back in a tail and she wore a navy blue business suit. “It was planted at the east entrance.”
“Damage?” Starling said.
“No report yet. We’re pulling up a video feed.”
“I have it!” said another technician. “Front display.”
A large screen at the front of the room came to life with the image of the Black Mountain’s entrance. The gates had been blown apart and the heavy concrete doors were massively damaged. Smoke and dust billowed up in the air. Pete saw flashes of gunfire in the darkness. Then there was another explosion and the video feed went blank. The mountain shook.
“What happened?” said Starling.
“They’re finishing the job,” Reeves said.
“Give me another feed,” Starling commanded. “Let me see what’s going on down there.”
Another video stream appeared, this time from a more distant location. Thick white smoke churned up the mountainside and into the sky. A stream of army trucks and Hummers rolled through the open gates. Behind them, a convoy of strange machines chugged up the mountainside. Their wheels were made of metal with sharp protruding spikes and thick black smoke poured out of their engines. Shadowfriends rode on top of them, manning heavy caliber spring-powered rifles, cannons, and crossbows.
“I don’t understand,” she said. “How could they do this? When did they get so… powerful?”
“Julia and I have been trying to warn the world about this for years,” Reeves said. “No one would take us seriously. Now it’s too late.”
“Open her up,” Starling told one of the soldiers. “We’ve got to be ready for anything.”
“Yes, sir,” said the blonde girl. She pressed a button on her workstation and entered a code on the computer screen. A deep rumbling sound emanated from the walls around them, and the floor shook.
Pete grabbed a handrail to steady himself. “What’s going on?” he said. His eyes were wide and the color had drained from his face.
“Watch this,” Starling said with a twisted smile.
The metal shields around them dropped into the floor, revealing an arched dome of glass. Looking through it, Pete saw the dense granite of the mountain pulling away, almost as if the top of the mountain had split into wedges and it was falling apart. The mountain didn’t collapse though; the sections simply slid out of the way revealing an open view that stretched out for miles in every direction. The entire mountain peak was a clear glass dome.
Pete walked up to the glass and peered down towards the base of the mountain. He saw flashes of light and caught glimpses of movement through the smoke. A steady stream of large black vehicles poured through the demolished gates.
Starling and Reeves came to his side. “I can’t believe they attacked us,” she said. “How could they possibly expect to win?”
“They don’t,” Reeves said. “They don’t need to win. They just need to get to the machine.”
“I want ten squads at the Tech Sector!” Starling ordered. “Get every available hand down there, and make sure they’re armed!”
“I’m sorry ma’am, but we’re cut off.”
“Cut off? What’s the problem?”
“They’ve secured the main tunnel and welded all the doors shut. It looks like they’re headed straight for the Tech Sector.”
“But how?” Starling said. “How did they know where it was?”
“They have spies everywhere,” said Reeves. “You can’t trust anyone. You of all people should know that.”
Starling looked at Reeves helplessly. “I don’t know what to do,” she said.
“Can we reach the Tech Sector from here?”
“Yes! We can take the elevator to the next floor and then use the access conduit in the wall.”
“Then let’s move,” said Reeves.
Chapter 33
Mayzhl led Gabriel down a trail through the woods for nearly an hour until they reached a nearby troll village, or what remained of it. The place was in ruins. The tree houses had fallen from the trees and smashed into the ground. Their crumbled remains had been burned to little more than ash and a few charred timbers. All of the huts and tents of had been destroyed. The stones of the elders’ circle were smashed apart, leaving only the blackened embers at the bottom of the fire pit.
Mayzhl stooped low and lifted something that Gabriel at first thought might be a stick. She held it out and he realized it was the crushed and burned remains of a child’s doll. It reminded him of a doll he’d made once. It was when he was in captivity with the other orphans, when the shadowfriends had locked them in a dungeon and fed them table scraps. Gabriel had done whatever he could to keep the other orphans safe and happy. He’d shown them how to make toys out of the mud, and how to drink and wash up in the water that dripped from the leaking pipes in the ceiling.
“What happened here?” he said. He had a sick feeling growing in the pit of his stomach.
“Slavers,” Mayzhl said softly. “They come at night, when we sleep. They burn and destroy. Take everyone.”
“Even the children,” Gabriel said.
“Especially children.” Mayzhl settled her weight onto an old log at the edge of what had once been part of the elders’ circle. She cast her arms out wide and began chanting in a low, rhythmic tone. “Hayo-waha, Hayo-way, Hayo-waha, Wayho-ho!”
She repeated this over and over again. Gabriel felt a tingling sensation crawl across his skin. He knew that she was using magic. It took a long time for Mayzhl’s spell to work. Like everything she did, it was slow and subtle, but powerful. Gradually, the village around them changed, as if it were moving backwards through time. The tree houses pulled themselves upright and lifted slowly into the sky. Smoke swirled and condensed around them, until the branches swallowed up the flames and once again became homes up in the trees. The web of rope ladders that connected the village flew back into place, and the huts on the ground uprighted themselves. After a few moments, the village was once again complete and whole. Then Mayzhl stopped chanting.
At once, the trolls appeared. Gabriel saw the elders at the circle, cooking and sharing stories and laughing at one another. He saw the younger trolls scurrying up and down the trees and fo
raging in the nearby woods for mushrooms and herbs. Then he saw the children. There were dozens of them. Some were playing in the stream while others dashed in and out of the forest playing a game similar to hide-and-seek. The village elders kept a wary eye on the children, but it was clear they all thought they were safe.
“Secret village deep in forest,” Mayzhl said. “We bring children here where no Shadow come. Until now.” She waved her hand and the illusion fell apart. Homes crashed out of the trees and caught fire. Huts were torn to the ground by invisible hands, smashed into pieces and set ablaze. The children dropped their toys and vanished into the smoke. It was a gut-wrenching scene.
“All gone now,” Mayzhl said softly. “Only one village left.”
“This is what the Shadowlords did to your other villages?” Gabriel said. Mayzhl gazed into the mist and the trees with tears flowing down her cheeks.
“I don’t know what to do,” he said. “I can’t let the Shadow have the machine. If they activate it while Niburu is facing the sun, it will destroy my world.”
“We take,” Mayzhl said. “We use machine.”
“Use it?” Gabriel said. “I don’t understand.”
“Cruel lords use machine to make Shadow… Gabriel use machine to make light! Understand?”
Gabriel pondered that. The Shadowlords wanted to activate the machine when the planets were aligned, in order to cast a permanent shadow over the earth. Did Mayzhl mean she wanted to use the machine at a different time? At a time when the sun was shining?
“If we use the machine like that, won’t it bring sunlight into your world?”
“Sun good,” Mayzhl said.
“But I thought the sun killed shadowcreatures. Won’t it destroy you?”
Mayzhl looked at him like he was a poor misguided fool. “Not all monsters bad,” she said sadly.
Gabriel frowned. “I didn’t mean… I’m not saying you’re monsters, I just-”
Shadow Rising (Shadow Born Trilogy Book 2) Page 17