The Iron Altar Series Box Set One: Books 1 to 3

by Casey Lea

  There was noise now, the growing sound of pursuit as air rushed ahead of the massed t’ssaa. Darsey turned back and crawled into the shelter until her face was close to his.

  “I won’t go down without a fight. I can’t. Not ever again.”

  “I know,” he whispered, and nodded toward his com. “Malik.”

  “Who?” Darsey wondered, and jumped violently when a head appeared behind her.

  A boy leaned over the ramp above, hanging upside-down from its edge. Dirty blond curls fell away from a thin face that considered them thoughtfully. “You called?”

  “Hide us. Five hundred,” Wing yelled, and the youngster peered in at him.

  “A thousand.”

  “Done,” the kres agreed, and a com link connected to the boy’s arm, just as booted feet hit the walkway behind him.

  The whole level thrummed as t’ssaa warriors arrived in force. Fluid green bodies fell from the level above to land with easy grace. They dropped in waves of five and the first group to land instantly launched itself along the walkway. They closed on the ramp at eye-wrenching speed, in a stampede of raised crests and questing tongues.

  However, Malik ducked beneath it before the t’ssaa noticed him and slammed his forearm against the floor. An old and bulky com, half hidden by an outsized sleeve, responded at once.

  A camouflage field rose smoothly to coat the fugitives in more convincing shadows. Darsey peered at the spot where Wing was lying, but it looked grimy and empty. She looked down at her hands, but they were gone too. Whatever the kid had in that toaster round his wrist it worked.

  The hunters prowled the level in increasing numbers, clearly unable to find a further trail. Several t’ssaa stopped beside the ramp and one ducked down to peer beneath it. Its tongue flicked out to scent the darkness, but it shook its head in disgust before moving away.

  Darsey breathed a quiet sigh of relief and a hidden hand settled on her shoulder. “Good eh?” the boy whispered in her ear and she had to smile.

  “Very good,” Darsey agreed, before the world around her rippled like a tent in a gale. Her companions reappeared and she spared the boy hunched beside her an anxious look.

  He responded with a gap toothed grin. “All’s well, lady in distress. The hissers won’t duck under again, so I pushed out my disguise. I wanted to swap greetings proper like.”

  Darsey’s gaze strayed to Wing, but she dragged it back and offered her hand to their rescuer. “I’m Darsey.” She tried not to look too closely at the very dirty paw that enthusiastically clutched her forearm.

  “I’m Malik. Sorry,” the youngster added when his unclipped nails dug into her skin. He pulled away, looking embarrassed, and rubbed the back of his hand under his nose. “What’s wrong with him?”

  Darsey followed the boy’s gaze to Wing, who was wedged beneath the far end of the ramp. His eyes were closed and his features were still tight with pain, while Harrier rested her hands lightly on his torso.

  “Nothing. He just needs a nap.”

  Malik gave her a sardonic look, from a face that suddenly appeared much older. “Sure. So what’s your story, Darsey lady?”

  “I don’t know what you mean,” Darsey murmured, looking back to the t’ssaa. They were regrouping at the point of impact, where she and the others had first hit. More of the aliens arrived while she watched, leaping from the level above. Her eyes flicked over the expanding group and her com confirmed fifty potential targets. “Damn.” She was distracted by impatient fingers tugging at her tunic.

  “Darsey-lady. What’s on with you? I saw a metal rail play in and out with your skin. Saw it true, when you first came on.”

  Darsey gave him her best amused-and-unconcerned look. “You’ve got an active imagination. I guess my top must have folded past the rail when I leaned over it. Your eyes played tricks on you.”

  “Then so did my com,” Malik sneered, and Darsey hesitated at the sudden malice on his face. It vanished as fast as it had come when the boy smiled again. “Sure, you’re just a normal-as mermaridian and I’ll not ask more.”

  “Great,” Darsey breathed, and turned back to the walkway.

  The t’ssaa were starting to disperse, splitting back into strike teams to continue the hunt. Several groups leapt toward lower levels and one ran up the ramp, with an overhead rattle of iron. The others turned left and right, disappearing either up or down as they reached links and steps.

  “Yes, good.” Darsey turned to Harrier, but she was still engrossed in healing Wing.

  However, the patient had his eyes open now and winked at Darsey. She shuffled closer in response and knelt beside his legs. “It’s stopped raining lizards. What next?”

  Wing’s faint smile vanished and his expression hardened. “I need you to see Harry safe. You’ll have to risk an up-link to the hire ship. The ch’t’kar will cry off, because I only paid a single fee, so tell him it’s for two, but just a one-jump trip. You need to pass through the nearest passage, but that’s all. Meet with my cousin’s ship and transfer on. Free will see you safe home.”

  “Uh-huh,” Darsey answered noncommittally. “And what will you be doing?”

  “Diversion,” Wing answered, his face bleak, and he raised a warning finger. “I mean this, Darse. I can watch your tail feathers. It’s our best plan.”

  “Best for us,” she pointed out. “Not for you.”

  “Perhaps.” He shrugged a hand. “But at least I’ll not be slowed.”

  “I don’t slow you down,” Darsey pointed out indignantly. “It’s Dr. Legs-Still-Asleep who’s the problem.”

  “That’s true, but I want you both safe. And I’m unsure why you don’t want the same.”

  Darsey stopped and her mouth snapped shut while Wing glared at her. “I’m not sure either,” she admitted, but then managed to rally. “Curiosity. Huge curiosity. Curiosity that didn’t just kill the cat, it hung, drew and quartered it. You owe me answers and I’m with you ‘til I get them.” She stopped, breathing hard, but the kres looked just as stubborn.

  “I need you to see Harrier safe,” Wing said very slowly and clearly.

  Darsey tilted her head and placed her fists on her hips, but, before she could answer, a small shadow edged closer.

  “I’ll do’n,” Malik offered with bright-eyed conviction. “I’ll take the kres-lady. I’m sneaky quick and I can get to any dock. I know where to hide. All the hides. Drak, I even know where you and the Darsey-ordinary-muck-lady can be safe.”

  Wing studied the urchin intently. “How much?”

  “We-ell,” Malik drawled thoughtfully, “with t’ssaa on the hunt, you for sure need help. Say two thousand credits as escort, plus a thousand to send you safe hid.”

  Wing laughed and then grimaced against the sudden pain. “You’ve helped us, Malik, and have our full thanks, but I’ll not spend three thousand credits on an unproved promise. Five hundred now, to see Harrier safe, and then such again when she is. Plus five hundred for a hide and the same once we reach it.”

  “You might not live to reach such,” Malik protested, but Wing just grinned again.

  “You’d best hope we do.”

  “Deal,” the boy agreed, without wasting further time on bartering. “C’mon, Lady-Doc,” he ordered, and plucked at Harrier’s sleeve.

  She spasmed at the interruption and her head flew up, wide-eyed.

  “What?” she demanded incoherently, and Wing sat up quickly to put an arm around her.

  “Easy, Harry,” he murmured, squeezing her shoulder gently. “Sorry for the interrupt, but it’s time to go.”

  “Go?” she asked vaguely, before her eyes snapped into focus again. “You’re not totally healed yet.”

  “Well enough,” he said firmly, “and the regen strip will finish the fix. You’ve got to go now while your guide’s still willing.”

  “Guide?” Harrier wondered, and looked doubtfully at Malik.

  The boy bridled at her expression, puffing his chest out in response, but Wing answered b
efore the youngster could comment.

  “Certain-sure, Gratuity’s best guider. This is Malik and he’ll see you safe to a ship I’ve bought passage on.”

  “But what about you?” Harrier demanded, reaching for Wing’s hand and squeezing it tight.

  Darsey looked quickly away, which she belatedly realized was odd, but then someone had to watch the t’ssaa. In the background the doctor kept bleating on about her duty.

  “-makes you my responsibility. If I don’t heal you, how will you flee?”

  Wing’s answer was so low Darsey hardly caught it. “I’ll join you soon-as, on Freefall’s ship.”

  “Free,” Harrier interrupted with an annoying trill. “Free’s here?”

  “Just a passage away. Tell the ch’t’kar I hired to rendezvous one jump out. He might need to wait there, if Free’s busy fetching us.”

  “Free’s a leader now?” Harrier gasped and Darsey could imagine the wide eyed expression that went with such breathlessness.

  “Sector leader, the gat,” Wing confirmed. “You know Free. He’ll sleep with anyone to get to the middle.”

  Harrier laughed and Darsey glanced back to see the healer clutching Wing’s hand in both of hers. Did the woman have no shame? Darsey caught her one-time owner’s eye and he plucked his fingers away from Harrier’s.

  “Hey. Harry. It’s time to go. Past time.”

  “I know,” she quavered, and her frond darted forward to wrap its entire length around one of his. “Promise to re-meet soon.”

  “Frond oath,” he responded. “I’ll get to Free’s ship someway.”

  “Good.” Harrier smiled down at him and then glanced at Darsey and Malik. She hesitated before looking back to Wing again. “We need to talk. Special talk, but only once we’re private.” She looked at Darsey with a tight, apologetic smile, and the human’s annoyance kindled into full blown dislike.

  “Ah, sure,” Wing answered, but had to break off when Harrier leaned in to kiss him.

  She planted her mouth on his with a desperate enthusiasm for which he seemed completely unprepared. He collapsed backwards, but his attacker persisted and he made no effort to fend her off. It was one of the most gratuitous displays of public affection Darsey had ever had the misfortune to witness.

  “Get a camouflage field,” she suggested and Wing finally pushed Harrier away. The healer slowly rose to a crouch, before crawling backwards and out from under the ramp. Darsey was already in the street and busy watching the walkway for t’ssaa, but the kres healer offered her a warm smile.

  “Deep thanks for saving me. I owe you a future-favor.”

  “Don’t mention it. You don’t owe me a thing. It was Wing who thought of saving you.”

  Harrier ducked her head in awkward acknowledgement. “Still and all I’m grateful. Stay safe, Darsey.”

  “We’ll be fine,” Darsey emphasised, but then bit her lip in remorse. “That is… be safe too, Harrier. Good luck.”

  The healer turned away without another word, to shuffle along the walkway. Malik hurried to catch her and ducked a shoulder under her hand to offer support. The pair moved slowly to the nearest up-link, but Harrier stopped once more before entering.

  She turned to look back at Wing, who was still under the ramp. She stared at him for several seconds before abruptly wheeling and launching herself into the tube. Malik leapt after her and they flew upwards, vanishing almost at once.

  “I thought they’d never go,” Darsey muttered, before swinging to face Wing in sudden concern. “What about the hiding place Malik promised us?”

  “It’s good,” the kres answered calmly. “We made exchange when we sealed the deal. Here’s the route.” He tapped his wrist band, sending the information, and then slid out from under the ramp. He rose to his feet with an arm wrapped around his ribs, but stretched carefully and let the arm fall to his side. “I forgot how good Harry is. She adds top speed to the cellular healing.”

  “Good,” Darsey answered brusquely, keeping her eyes on her com while Malik’s route to safety scrolled over it. “What is that?” she wondered, pointing at their final destination.

  “Brilliant,” Wing replied, looking over her shoulder. “It’s the Inner Hub, an old part of the city, long time abandoned with no easy way in. It’s also at the heart of this icy world, with no power for heat.”

  “From what we overheard, the t’ssaa won’t like that. How much will it slow them down?”

  “None,” Wing said more bleakly, “but it will drain their coms some and they’ll need more shots to blast through our shields. When the shooting starts, stay behind me... please. I want to see you safe.”

  Darsey gave Wing a long, considering look. “You really do, don’t you?”

  “Certain-sure,” he answered with the same intensity.

  “Then why did you walk out and leave me?”

  Any answer Wing might have given was interrupted by an urgent whistle from his com. He glanced down and moved at once, sprinting down the walkway so that Darsey had to take off after him.

  “What?”

  “T’ssaa gather call. They’ve scented Harrier.”

  Wing launched himself into the nearest downlink and Darsey jumped too. They plummeted together, falling straight through a scaled tentacle that had been anchored to the wall. It shrieked in response and Wing let it wail for a second before twisting to aim his com back up the link. A single blast crisped the flailing ribbon, while the crowd below them scattered. In seconds, the link shaft was empty, apart from the diving couple.

  “We need to take the lowest level to follow Malik’s map,” Darsey yelled across at Wing, who ducked a shoulder to slip through the air toward her.

  “Ye, but fast,” he shouted back. “Stay with me.” He spread his arms, slowing slightly and stabilising his plunge.

  Darsey did the same and they both curved toward the side of the tunnel. She looked up in time to see the first t’ssaa appear, far above. The reptiles hurled themselves down the link, with com thrusts so strong they left jet trails behind. They hurtled after the fugitives and were soon joined by more t’ssaa. Lithe bodies leapt from multiple levels, while a group of five appeared below Darsey.

  “Drak,” Wing cursed, and she silently agreed.

  She automatically slowed to avoid the threat below, but he grabbed her hand at once.

  “No,” he ordered. “Fast-as and straight through.”

  Wing pulsed his com to drive them faster than ever, so they flashed toward the rising t’ssaa. He tucked and then tipped head first, dragging Darsey into the same position. She was suddenly diving straight at a pack of homicidal lizards, accelerating as she went. She wanted to protest, but the wind of that fall stole her breath. She looked over at Wing and he was her mirror image, still holding her hand and completely committed to their dive. She watched him and tried to ignore the bright crests growing fast in her peripheral vision.

  Wing ignored her to keep his attention on the t’ssaa, until he yelled another order into the gale of their fall. “Full power, shoot.”

  Darsey’s mind obeyed at once and her com fired at the same time as Wing’s. Twin blasts ripped into the approaching t’ssaa. The reptiles were thrown aside and a gap opened in the middle of their formation. The two fugitives dropped through it while the t’ssaa grabbed desperately for them as they fell past.

  Claws dug into Darsey’s calf for an instant, before ripping free. The pain made her clutch Wing’s hand and he looked across in quick concern. “All power back to defense,” he shouted. “Every-all.”

  Her mind had scarcely obeyed, shutting off regen and pain relief, when the t’ssaa shots hit them. There was an explosion of heat and light and then she was tumbling through the link alone.

  “Wing!” Darsey screamed, even though the air seared her lungs.

  I’m here, his mind answered, and she struggled to control her head-over-heels fall. She belatedly realized that her com could help and, with a few quick pulses, managed to stop spinning. The world sett
led back to a blur of upward motion and she saw Wing outlined against the far wall.

  His expression was horrified and fixed on her. “Brake!” he screamed, even though he was still falling too.

  Darsey ordered a slowing pulse from her com and looked down. The ground was racing to meet them. The bottom of the link was scattered with rubbish, broken and rusted spikes of detritus that were closing at an alarming rate.

  Darsey’s throat went dry, but her mind gave orders without hesitation. All of her com’s power shifted from defense to propulsion. It thrust so hard that her arm flew up over her head, despite its bracing. She saw Wing braking too, but they were slowing too late. A spear of metal jutted from the floor below Darsey and she realized with utter certainty that she was going to be impaled on it.

  ‘Wing!’ she yelled, although she had no idea how the kres could save her.

  The rusted spike seemed to leap upwards and she closed her eyes just before she hit. The blow came, but from the side, not below.

  Wing cannoned into Darsey with full sideways thrust. He drove her into the last tunnel that opened from the base of the link and they rocketed sideways before colliding with the floor and skidding on. They slid along a tiny, half-hidden passage that was abruptly lit by the glare of com blasts hitting the link floor behind them. The spears of metal carpeting it were vaporised.

  Darsey skidded to a halt, breathless and disoriented, but Wing pulled her to her feet and on down the tunnel. The sound of landing t’ssaa carried clearly along its length. Her shoulders hunched in expectation of another blast, but they stumbled out of the corridor before their pursuers could fire. They ran on, down a wide flight of stairs, entering an area of dim light and over-arching space that seemed eerily empty. The Hub, Darsey realized at a glance, recognising that stepped city horizon, despite the strange silence.

  “We need to slip the pursuit now,” Wing gasped as he led them toward a suburb that resembled a road kill collection of mashed spikes and spines.

  They sprinted into the shadows of the cavern’s towers and onto a deserted travelator that was clanking along in oblivious, slow decay.