Brink of Dawn (A Chosen Novel Book 2)

by Jeff Altabef

  The Prime Elector smiles as we enter.

  Connor and I step forward with our swords out front.

  The man in the suit stands and turns—he’s big, his jacket fitting tightly over well-muscled arms and a massive chest—and points a handgun at us.

  He’s not Smyth.

  Two other Deltites charge into the room from a back door, holding swords in their hands. A second later, two granite slabs of muscle burst through glass doors by the terrace, wielding pistols.

  We’re outnumbered and surrounded.

  “Oh, bloody hell!” says Connor.

  “You knew we were coming.” My face burns and the muscles in my jaw ache.

  “Of course I did,” says Gagarin. An arrogant edge cuts his words as he lifts a sword in his hand. “You were invited.”

  “How could you possibly know?” asks Blake. “We just intercepted that email today.”

  “Unless a snitch betrayed us.” Connor spits out the words.

  “It must have been Sydney.” I clench my hilt in a death grip as I imagine chocking the life out of her. I knew we couldn’t trust her. She’s no better than the girls back at Bartens—only interested in herself.

  We can still retreat. Maybe the others can escape, if I buy them time. I’m about to shout at them to run, when Stuart locks the door behind us and blocks the way out.

  Light bends around him and the doors, but the distortion from his force field can’t hide the guilt carved into his features.

  Heat singes my face. “You’re the traitor. It isn’t Sydney, after all.”

  Stuart nods. His eyes look sad, and his voice lacks its usual bubbly character, as if regret weighs down his words. “Once Blake came up with the plan to clone the computer, the rest was easy. Yes, yes, easy.”

  “You mangy runt!” grumbles Akari.

  Stuart betrayed us; Troy was right.

  “If you put down those swords, I give you my word that I’ll finish you off quickly,” says Gagarin. “This way none of your families will be harmed. Otherwise, this will be a very long night, indeed. It will be morning by the time I finish torturing you, and then I will have to kill everyone you care about. You hybrids are no match for us. Don’t be foolish and make this worse for you than you must. Now is not the time for mindless bravery.”

  He makes it sound as if killing our families is just a simple chore.

  Worry ripples through me and keeps me grounded. I turn to face the other Chosen. Grim determination is chiseled into their faces and etched in their eyes. We might have lost the element of surprise, but we haven’t lost our resolve.

  I turn back to face him. “We’d like to thank you for gathering so neatly together. We really only wanted to kill the Prime Elector, but since you all came with him, we might as well clean out the entire rats’ nest.”

  Gagarin cackles. “You know nothing. You are all silly pieces in a game you can’t comprehend.”

  “Comprehend this!” Akari pushes her hands forward. The air sparks and a fireball flies toward Gagarin.

  He flicks his wrist and a disc shape of reddish energy shields him and blocks the flames.

  A wolf four times the normal size materializes before us, made of pure energy. It bounds toward Connor, mouth open, razor sharp paws about to carve into his chest, and jumps.

  Connor slices through its neck with his sword and rolls to the side at the last second.

  The energy creature bounds past him and turns. A gash appears in the creature’s neck, but it closes almost instantly. The wolf howls and charges. Connor flips a table across the beast’s path, but the apparition leaps and smashes through it.

  It will land on him. Connor won’t stand a chance.

  I react on instinct and create the same energy bands I used at the abandoned warehouse. I whip them around the wolf’s neck and it squeals as I yank it to a stop mid-leap.

  Connor thrusts his sword into the animal’s chest and the beast vanishes in an explosion of light.

  Another energy creature appears in front of us, this time an eagle the size of a small car. It squawks and flies toward Akari. She blasts it with a fireball, yet it still comes.

  Blake generates a wind gust that slows the bird, but it’ll be upon her in seconds.

  I imagine a spear, which appears in my hand—made from my energy. The bird is about to reach Akari when I heave the spear at it. It scores—the eagle screeches and disappears—but I drop to my knees, all my strength drained from me.

  Gagarin chortles.

  My head spins; I can’t concentrate, and the room turns gray.

  Gagarin can lop off my head with one easy stroke. I’m defenseless.

  “You’re nothing. What a pity.” Gagarin clicks his tongue. “I was hoping for something extraordinary. Once again I’m disappointed. You’re no better than the miracle child.”

  His sword swooshes in the air.

  I struggle to lift my head, to at least see the end, but Connor jumps between Gagarin and me, and then Akari and Blake join him.

  “You’ll have to bloody well go through us.” Connor challenges him.

  “When I want her dead, she will be dead.” Gagarin laces his voice with amusement. “There’s nothing you can do to stop me.”

  I shake my head to clear it. Flashes of light appear in front of my eyes as energy from the other Chosen flows to me. Life sparks and returns to my body, and color seeps back into my vision. I stagger to my feet and notice red vines slithering around my legs. By the time I turn to face Gagarin, vines cover my whole body; they’re too strong for me to break free.

  Connor curses. Similar vines wrap around him, Blake, and Akari.

  Gagarin has frozen us with his own energy bands. The animal creatures were a mere distraction.

  Creating the spear stole all my energy, and I didn’t have enough left to prevent the vines from binding us.

  Fear grips me. I try to break his hold, but he’s too powerful, too focused.

  He lifts us off the ground and howls with pleasure. “Your powers are childish.” He marches toward me and stops only two feet away. “You are Juliet Wildfire Stone, correct?”

  When I don’t say anything, he squeezes the vines and I gasp from the pain. “Yes!”

  “I thought you were the Alpha. Interesting, but I do not see anything extraordinary in you. The Ugly warned me to be careful with you, but really, you are nothing more than a child.”

  I grit my teeth. “Your plan won’t succeed.”

  “Oh please.” Gagarin removes a small glass vial from his pocket. It’s the same size and shape as those in the fridge at the townhouse. “I see from your expression that you recognize this. We’ve dumped enough of this drug in the City’s aquifers to poison the entire drinking supply.”

  “Why kill everyone?” I snarl at him.

  He laughs.

  “He’s gone mental,” says Connor.

  “No, not mental, you insignificant worm.” He waves his hand at Connor and a gash appears across his forehead as if he’s sliced into him with a knife.

  I struggle but his energy does not slacken.

  Gagarin turns back toward me. “We won’t kill everyone. Once I broadcast a signal from our cellular towers, humans will be susceptible to my suggestions. Sure, millions will die, but the others will do my bidding without even realizing it. My superiors will be very pleased with me.”

  A flash of light from outside catches my attention. I sneak a glance and see Sydney, Troy, Frankie, Landon, and Amare—they’re standing on the terrace that faces the lake.

  It seems I have misjudged Sydney.

  Troy signals for me to keep talking and buy them more time.

  “How sad! I would have thought you’d be able to conquer a planet without drugging everyone.” I snicker. “Some Prime Elector you are.”

  The bands tighten and it feels as if an elephant sat on my chest and crushed the air from my lungs.

  “I’m not the Prime Elector, you fool. Do you really think the Prime Elector would be the face
of a private equity fund? Someday I will be the Prime Elector on this stinkpot of a planet, and much more than that. Unfortunately, you won’t be around to see it.”

  Frankie and Troy creep toward one of the doors that separate the banquet hall from the terrace, while Landon and Amare move toward the other. Sydney stays back.

  Despair builds inside me as my eyes fix on Troy. I couldn’t keep him away. I failed at the one task I couldn’t afford to fail at, and Gagarin is too powerful for me. When Troy tries to save me, he’ll die.

  Connor curses from behind me, but I don’t pay any attention. My angst turns to anger that erupts inside me and threatens to consume me. It feels like it did in the sweat lodge when I had to pass the first test to survive. I used the anger then to focus my energy. Could it work again?

  Gagarin lifts a crystal tablet. “I guess you’re wondering why I haven’t killed you yet....”

  Anger shoves aside my fear. It grows from a spark until it blazes into a wildfire. I mold it and power surges in response. His grasp is still too tight, but the bands loosen, so at least I can breathe and focus on what he’s saying.

  “By using this tablet, I can start broadcasting the signal. All it will take is one touch of my hand.” Gagarin takes his time, a smug look on his face. He’s enjoying himself.

  He moves his hand inches from the crystal. He’s about to start the broadcast and kill millions.

  The doors crash open.

  Troy, Landon, Frankie, and Amare charge into the room.

  Surprised, Gagarin loses his focus on us and spins, and his grasp weakens even further.

  I concentrate all my mental power on the vines that grip us, and snap them.

  We fall to the floor and total havoc breaks out.

  I’m in the eye of a tornado.

  Time slows to a crawl.

  Connor leaps forward and swipes his sword at the male Deltite off to the left, filling the room with the sounds of shattering glass.

  Landon struggles with one of the security guards while Amare swings a club at another one.

  A fireball erupts and is whisked aside by the female Deltite, but Blake uses the moment to slice into her side with his sword.

  Akari bends her knees, ready to leap, but she freezes. Strain shows on her face, her eyes widen, and she lowers her sword.

  The female Deltite whirls from Blake. Nothing separates her from Akari. She smiles and bends her legs to lunge forward.

  Blake’s too far away to block her, so I try to grab her with my mind, but my thoughts bounce off her.

  Akari’s still frozen, stuck in a panic attack.

  Blake conjures a tornado and spins it around her, creating a wind funnel with her in the middle.

  The Deltite thrusts her sword forward, but the wind is too strong and knocks her blade to the side.

  Blake leaps forward and tackles the Deltite, and they go down in a jumble.

  I can’t see who has the advantage, but Blake stands, blood dripping from his blade.

  From the corner of my eye, I notice one of the security guys leveling his gun at Troy. My heart stops.

  He pulls the trigger and Troy dives to the side. The guard aims at him again.

  This time I use telekinesis to yank his arm upward, and though the guns fires, the second shot misses.

  Frankie bull-rushes him and tackles him in a full-on collision. I can hear the thud from across the room as they crash through a table.

  “Troy!’ My breath catches in my throat. I expect his aura to turn black but it stays white.

  He grins at me, jumps to his feet, and runs to help Connor.

  I can breath again.

  I want to protect him and Connor and the others. My instinct tears at me to make sure they don’t get hurt, but they’ll never be safe unless we get Gagarin. I need to take him out to protect them.

  I search the chaos and find him across the room.

  His eyes find mine, and a flicker of doubt crosses his face. He turns and plunges out a side door.

  I take one last look at the others and race after him.

  Connor screams, “Juliet, don’t!”

  I ignore him and race toward the door. A heartbeat later I’m through it and in a courtyard.

  The fear from Gagarin’s eyes is gone.

  The door slams shut behind me. Red energy seals it.

  “Now you’re mine. They can’t help you, and once I kill you, I’ll kill the rest.”

  In my haste to protect the others, I’ve left myself vulnerable, on my own away from the herd.

  The red energy he’s projecting totally seals the door back into the Boathouse.

  I won’t make it through his blockade, but I don’t want to go back. It’s time to stand on my own. I want him. I’m the Alpha and this is my responsibility. “It looks like it’s just you and me.”

  “Good. We can fight to the death. It has been too long since I last killed someone.”

  I point the edge of my sword at his chest. “You’ll find out that I’m not so easy to kill.”

  He waves his arms over his head in a grand gesture and conjures a massive creature of pure energy. It resembles a lion with three heads, sharp talons instead of front paws, and two massive back legs. When it roars, all three heads bellow at once.

  I shudder. This energy creature is worse than anything I’ve ever dreamed of, but I can’t let fear overcome me.

  I have to create my own creature to combat his monster. Like so many other bits of knowledge the Fusions have given me, it triggers at the right time, and I know how to do it. I generate the first animal that comes to mind—Sicheii’s animal guide.

  I imagine it—and a giant hawk soars above us.

  The lion creature leaps.

  The hawk swoops.

  Sharp jagged teeth are about to rip off my head when the hawk snatches the lion in its claws and lifts the beast above me. Still, the lion’s talons swipe at me. Hot wind blows against my face and heat fries my hair.

  As the hawk soars upward, the lion creature turns on it. The middle head sinks its teeth into a leg and the hawk let’s go of the beast. Wings instantly sprout from the lion’s body and it flies toward the hawk. The two apparitions collide with a massive explosion, as if a bomb has detonated.

  The ground shakes.

  Gagarin claps his hands together. “You are more powerful than I thought. Good. I hoped you would present some challenge, even if it will be meager. At least you are not a coward. You will have to die the old fashioned way—my sword shall drink of your blood.”

  He flicks his sword in front of him and half bows his head. The muscles in his hand tense and his eyes narrow.

  A wind rustles.

  I need to be unpredictable, so I take the fight to him and leap forward.

  We collide in a blur, the swords swirling at blinding speeds. The crashing and shattering sounds of our swords connecting explode around us, and we move so fast that sparks fly when the blades connect.

  I swipe at his left side just as he spins away and rakes the edge of his sword across my left thigh. The blade cuts through my jeans, blood seeps from the wound, and my leg buckles.

  He cackles.

  I scramble to my feet and fly toward him with my blade thrusting at his chest. He parries my thrust, and I swipe at his neck.

  He ducks under and nicks my other leg with his blade.

  It feels like ice.

  He slices at me from every conceivable angle: downward chops, then sideswipes followed by thrusts. He moves so fast, he’s a blur.

  I react instinctively more than by sight.

  We lock swords for a second, his pushing against mine. He’s not even sweating, whereas I’m drenched. I shove with all my strength and we separate.

  He’s too fast and his arms are too long for me; I need an advantage, some new weapon I can use. For the first time, the details of the courtyard come to view: a brick floor, low four-foot brick walls, a couple of black metal tables and chairs.

  I flick a chair at him with
a mental shove, but he blocks it with his own mind and sends it crashing into the Boathouse.

  “The Elders are such cowards. Do they really think a few hybrids and one Alpha might defeat us? What arrogant fools.” He jumps forward and plunges his sword at my chest.

  I knock it away, a hair’s breadth from my body, but he flicks the tip up and it nicks my ear and draws blood.

  “They’ve summoned a Gathering.” I try hard not to let my voice crack. “They’ll come for you.”

  He smiles and a chill settles in my bones. “By the time the Alphians have enough courage to face us, it will be too late. Earth will be ours and that will be enough for us to defeat them. Not that it will matter to you—your time is finished.”

  I slide behind a table to keep some distance between us, but he glances at it and throws it off to the side with his mind.

  Nothing separates us now.

  As he’s about to attack, the sound of footsteps draws our attention.

  Connor appears—he’s raced around the outside of the Boathouse.

  Gagarin forms a new force field over the four-foot brick wall, which blocks Connor from joining us.

  He throws himself against the reddish light, but it does no good. “Juliet!” he screams.

  “I’ll kill him soon enough, when you’re finished. They won’t stand a chance without you.”

  Akari and Blake appear at Connor’s side. They all dive into the red force field, yet it holds.

  Gagarin smiles and plunges forward in a wild attack. He moves so fast, I barely have time to leap out of the way as he swipes his blade at my legs.

  I backflip away from him a second before another swipe would have cut me in half, and land with my back against the wall.

  “There is nowhere else for you to hide, Juliet Wildfire Stone.” My blood drips from his blade. “You and your friends are about to die. Where should I cut you first?”

  “You can have me, but let them go. They’re no threat to you.”

  He chuckles. “The time for deals is long past. I’m going to drain their blood, preserve their bodies, and throw them at the Elders’ feet.”

  I can’t let them die because I failed.

  Sicheii’s voice fills my head. “Little Bird, have you learned nothing?”