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

by Casey Lea

  Amber was shocked when Falkyn crouched beside her and she belatedly realized she was swaying on her hands and knees. He frowned and his fronds rippled with concern. Exactly how bad did she look?

  “You need to rest.”

  “No,” she countered, “I need a plan. A battle plan. We all do, and you’ve already begun by taking down video coms.” She turned her head to find Misty. “Do you still have your weapons lab stocked? Because it's time to get inventive.”

  47

  Sacrifice

  “I'm just stepping outside,” Darsey whispered to no one in particular. “I may be some time.” Her last word trembled and she saw it in front of her as a jagged trail of mist that hovered briefly, before turning to flakes and falling. The tiny cabin was cold enough to freeze her breath. She moved without further hesitation, throwing herself from the pilot's chair toward the airlock. She palmed the scanner to open it, but nothing happened. The electronics had already frozen. She cursed and the words streamed around her, hiding the manual override.

  Darsey turned her head, unable to stop herself and saw the air freezing behind her. Daggers of ice appeared and fell to strike chunks from the flaking, brittle floor, but she managed to face the airlock again. Never look back. It definitely didn’t help. She grabbed the manual door control and yelled when it seared her hand. She tried to pull away, but her skin was stuck to the frigid metal, so she went forward instead forcing herself to passage at reckless speed. She pushed her trapped palm into the door handle and then through it, followed by the rest of her body. She thrust herself beyond the hatch and collapsed on the far side, held upright only by the airlock’s other door, the exit in front of her.

  The air in that small space was already cold enough to make Darsey shake. There was no time to rest, but she was twitching so badly that passing through the final door felt far worse than usual. Parts of her moved in and out of its molecular structure at wildly different times. She gritted her teeth against some of the carbon door and kept on going.

  Darsey broke free from the tiny ship, but not the cold. The frost reached after her, building a spar of ice supported by an energy supply at each end - the shuttle at one and her at the other. The protective field around her lost its invisibility, to appear as a milky film crazed with cracks, and a cold so intense she couldn't even shiver closed around her. That icy fist squeezed the air from her lungs and it hurt. It hurt more than anything she'd ever known, but there was no air to scream and her tears froze over her eyes, until everything was white.

  Darsey made one final effort and pulsed her com. She was blind and there was no sense of movement, so she had no idea whether she was trying to escape in the right direction. She might have been heading back to the shuttle for all she knew. The last of her energy was gone and she wasn't cold anymore. Nothing hurt either. Space was warm and comfortable. It tucked around her like a feather blanket until there was no pain. She simply felt strange and she also seemed to be hallucinating. She must be, because although her sight was back, instead of the void ahead she could see cobwebs streaming through space toward her. She smiled faintly and could have sworn she felt something settle over her face. How odd.

  I'm dying, but it's not so bad. And it really wasn't. Darsey grieved for the people she loved. The ones who would miss her, but death happened to everyone eventually. Guaranteed. Even her babies one day. Her eyes tried to open again, but were now held shut. Her fronds managed to bush in surprise and she felt flakes as soft as snow fall from them. She ignored them and tried to concentrate. Her mind was slowing, but it didn't matter. What gripped her was an emotion as much as a thought. Protecting her sons was only natural, but then so was death. So was risk and the thrill of being alive, as opposed to simply living. She finally got it. This was what protecting her sons was about, not about controlling their lives, but what she could offer with her own.

  Her boys were tough and they would survive losing her, even if it hurt. Zak certainly would, but there was one person who might not. She ached anew and her body shook, dragging in non-existent air with a desperate gasp. “Wing,” she croaked, but his name gave her strength. WING, her mind howled and her cry rang through space, until everything dimmed. Darsey's frond could sense the universe spinning away from her, its gossamer threads untangling in front of her face and then there was only darkness.

  48

  Fighting Back

  Amber ran the simulation for the seventy-second time and tried to relax. Misty's new weapons worked. Amber watched again as carbon bullets shattered the mock ice and sent it flying. The figures were certain. The kinetic energy delivered with the bullets was too little to heal the damage they did. The ice didn't just shatter, it shrank as well. She flicked a finger and the statistics disappeared.

  An arm draped over Amber's shoulder and Misty gave her an encouraging squeeze. “Stop frowning, Doc. We'll blast the frost out of our ship and then get you on board to figure out how it got in and how we get rid of it. See you soon.” She released Amber and skipped over to join the males. “Shall we, boys? Ladies first, of course.”

  “Sure,” agreed Zak, “if we see any.” He stepped in front of her and she jostled her way back under his arm.

  “Children,” Nikareon snapped, pulling them roughly apart, “I thoroughly encourage levity in life, but not before battle. I want to see concentration, or you can wait in your rooms until we get back.”

  “Couldn't they do that anyway?” Falkyn growled stepping to join the group and Amber hurried to his side.

  “You can’t fight,” she said to Nikareon and her captain. “Either of you.” Falkyn raised an eyebrow, so she started with him. “You're more important than you think and you can't risk yourself in battle.”

  “So I sit at home while my brothers fight? No.”

  “Yes.”

  “Never.”

  “Excuse drakking me,” Zak tried, but went unnoticed.

  “You can't take that sort of risk,” Amber insisted.

  “I've finally got a body that works and I'm not cowering-”

  “HEY.” They both turned to stare at Zak. “What did you mean by brothers? Was that just a crappy 'brothers-in-arms' attempt at close and cuddly, or what?”

  Falkyn took a deep breath, but kept his gaze on Amber. “Ye, sorry. I'm brother to Jace and you too, of course. Same patri.”

  “Woah. Nightwing drakked around? Lord-perfect-kres?”

  “No!” Falkyn and Jace said together and Falkyn finally looked away from Amber, to Zak. “He loved my mother first. She was a court healer and he thought she died, but now she's on Gratui-She was. Was on Gratuity. Helping people, you know.” His jaw clenched and his wings rustled then snapped out to quarter spread. “Let's go.” He stepped into the hatch before Amber could protest further and the others quickly followed. She made one last effort anyway.

  “Nikareon! You shouldn't go near the frost. Your cells will still be sensitive to cold. You shouldn't even be up. Your metabolism needs monitoring and I want you lying down in the medbay. You could still have necrotic tissue that needs excising."

  "Relax, if any bits fall off I'm sure you'll rub them until they regrow."

  Amber ignored the comment and the wink that went with it. "I'm your doctor and I'm refusing you medical clearance. Zyl will stop you from leaving."

  Nikareon made no move to rejoin Amber, pursing his lips to blow her a kiss instead. "I doubt it."

  "Then I’ll drag you to the med bay myself. I want you on your back under monitors, for as long as I say."

  The Beserk turned back fully and leaned toward her, reaching out to support himself on either side of the door frame. "Now, that does sound like fun and I'm impressed by your efforts to get me into bed, but, Doc, show some patience. I'm not that easy."

  Amber folded her arms tightly around her, while her hair tugged against her scalp. "From what I’ve heard, you definitely are."

  "Ouch. Gossip hurts, especially when it’s true. I’d actually quite like to get horizontal with you,
but this is important, so you'll just have to cross your legs till I get back." Nikareon's chuckle was unexpectedly slow and deep and incredibly annoying.

  "Don't come back just for me. I'd rather see to myself."

  "I'd rather see that too."

  "Within your dreams," Amber snorted and Nikareon laughed at her.

  "Of course. Often."

  Her hair stirred again and suddenly, just like that, she didn't give a drak. "Fine. Go and get killed. Quickly."

  "Thanks. I knew I'd get your permission." Nikareon lifted two fingers to his temple, before waving them at Amber, then turning to go.

  She had to fight a sudden urge to stamp her foot and belatedly yelled after him as the hatch began to pucker shut. "You don't have my permission to get killed, you've got my encouragement."

  Unfortunately his mind felt even more amused by her outrage. Her opinion of Beserks, which had always been low, was now in freefall. Impossible, insufferable, insulting-

  "We should study the attack from Zyl's nest."

  Amber jumped when Zariss spoke, but still couldn’t look away from Nikareon’s back. The hatch finally drew shut and he vanished behind a smooth pink wall. She hugged herself closer and stared blankly at where he’d been, trying to remember whether she’d ever known anyone she disliked so much, so soon.

  “This mission should be successful,” Zariss tried again and gestured back toward the nest. “But whatever the outcome we need to watch close.”

  Amber sighed, and paced slowly after the t’ssaa, falling behind when she looked back over her shoulder at the closed hatch. She’d done everything she could. Now she just had to wait.

  49

  The Freezing Dead

  Jace stood beside his brothers and behind Misty, watching her back. Her lower back, to be more precise. Her lower, lower back to be really precise. A hand fell on his shoulder and shook him, then Nikareon pulled him closer to whisper in his ear. “Fix your mind on the job, cupcake, not my daughter.”

  Jace nodded roughly and pulled himself free. Great. His girlfriend happened to have two fathers and neither of them liked him. That could only end well. He shifted his eyes to stare at Zyl’s rosy wall instead. He’d been keeping his thoughts to himself since the ship saved them, but it was time to stop procrastinating. He concentrated hard and finally forced his mind along the back-to-front megaphone that was talking to Zyl. Hey… hello. How are you?

  The ship responded with warm laughter. Pregnant.

  Yeah. Jace looked down and frowned at the floor, while his toe traced circles in its pink velvet. Yep, yep, yep. So Zariss said. He seemed to think some of them were mine.

  All laughter vanished from Zyl’s thoughts. You have sired ten.

  Uh-huh. Jace clasped his hands behind his back and began to rock from his heels to his toes. Misty and Zak both turned with surprised expressions, so he offered a bright, breezy, I’m-alright-and-being-a-father-was-part-of-the-plan grin. They frowned in unison, so he clearly needed to work on that smile. He dropped his gaze to the ground again and ignored them. What can I do, Zyl?

  Amusement returned to the t’ssaa’s thoughts. You have done all that was required. I must do the rest.

  Sure. I meant, can I rub your back or something?

  Why?

  During labor. For comfort.

  Birthing my babes is a celebration. I will not need comforting.

  “Let me guess,” Misty interrupted. “Impregnating your mode of transport is not recommended.”

  “What?” Zak demanded, but Misty kept her eyes fixed on Jace as she answered.

  “Ace knocked up the ship. She’s got ten, little hybrid lizards on board.”

  “What?” Zak was clearly struggling with the concept. “But why? Why would you even drak that?”

  Jace shrugged and went back to studying his feet. “She looked a lot different, believe me,” he muttered and mentally kicked himself when Misty’s fronds flinched. “Zyl,” Jace asked out loud, “are we good to go? Please.”

  The hatch in front of them irised open without further delay and they all wafted from it in a rose tinted bubble. A thrust from Zyl drove it toward the two enemy vessels and Jace sighed. This wasn't how he'd imagined charging into battle with a t'ssaa strike ship, wafting in like something escaped from a baby’s bath. However, despite the cherry surroundings they closed rapidly on their target. The shiny bauble that used to be his ship grew brighter, but Lamidia's vessel surged forward to block their path. The Harvester vessel charged straight at them, as hard and fast as a mom in full pursuit mode. It hit their fragile craft and the bubble bulged, then popped, amid a spray of ice.

  Jace was suddenly in space, floating away from the jagged glacier face of the Harvester ship. Misty decompressed her gun and he copied her, his new weapon thumping into his hand with reassuring weight. He snapped the shiny barrel up and they fired as one. Unbelievably, his disgusting brother was just as quick and their guns chattered together. Crystal shards arced from the frigid cliff, to open a gap in its translucent shell. Jace flipped his wings wide and they collided with Zak’s, so their claws snagged and had to be wrenched apart. His twin glared, but Jace had no time to discipline the prodigal brat.

  “Hurry,” Misty urged and he realized she was jetting straight at the frozen ship.

  Jace tilted his wings to follow and the tip of one extended past the shadow of Lamidia’s craft. The solar wind collided with it to send him spinning. He instantly tucked his wings away, but it was too late and he tumbled further from his friends. The iceberg ship seemed to shrink as it flashed in and out of his sight, growing smaller with every turn.

  Zak’s laughter spun past too, but Jace set his teeth against the mockery and used com thrusts to stabilise himself. His head-over-heels rush steadied and he quickly focused on his comrades. Damn. They were already at the enemy hull and shooting again. He fired his jets to join them, keeping his wings tucked in this time.

  Jace curved higher as he closed with them, so he could aim over their heads. He fired and his arm tried to whiplash, but he kept it braced. The last of the ice veneer chipped and cracked, sending flecks flying into space, before shattering completely. It exploded outward and the five attackers drove forward, firing as they went. Their hail of bullets met the hail of scattering ice and pulverized it. They cleared a path all the way to the naked hull and then on, through that pitted surface. Bullet holes riddled the brittle fullerene and it caved further, before ripping apart.

  Jace used the last of the air in his wings for a perfectly judged thrust. He darted forward, twisting past the rent in the hull, to enter the enemy ship first.

  It was dark and weightless and his fronds couldn't see a thing. Even infra-red was blind and there was no hint of brainwave activity either. He strode forward anyway, because there was no way he was stopping now, and his magnetic boots skidded on the slick floor. The passage vibrated when his friends landed behind him and the world turned to silver.

  Jace looked over his shoulder and three sets of glowing eyes stared back, as feral as any pack caught in headlights. He shivered and exchanged a glance with Falkyn, his normal brother, who grimaced and shrugged. Fighting beside this many Beserks was going to be interesting. As if to underline his thought, all three of them started shooting. Bullets cracked past his head and he ducked away.

  Just in time. A spar of ice had been reaching for him from the darkness. The rapid fire made it teeter over his head, then disintegrate. It turned to powder and sifted to the ground, to cover the frozen floor with a cold, gray dust. Jace swallowed and scuffed it with a toe. It crunched under his boot in a totally satisfying way.

  “It's lost its energy flow,” Misty told him and he looked up, past a passage lined with gleaming stalagmites and stalactites, into her shimmering gaze. He shivered, but between the cold and the general freakiness that wasn’t surprising. He looked at the misshapen tunnel walls instead, all of which offered blurred and distorted reflections of the group.

  “How can you tell?”
he wondered. “Can you see energy in the ice? What does it look like to ghost vision?”

  Misty moved to his side and the corridor shone as bright as a full moon. She looked around too and silver moved across the infected space like a spotlight. “The ice is dark,” she murmured, “more than black. Mostly it's like a hole, but a few strands of light run through it, to link it together. And there are vital points that show dull red in the dark. Like dried blood. They pulse where the arms of ice meet, and where its daggers join the ceiling or floor. Places where a bullet will break it apart. Follow us.”

  Jace had no chance to argue. Misty sprinted away, her boots slipping with each stride, but still finding enough connection with the icy metal to let her run. Zak loped after her and Jace managed to get on his heels, ahead of Falkyn, with Nikareon bringing up the rear. They charged down the passage and into the link with their guns bucking in their hands and the frost turning to dust around them.

  Jace sprinted and slid through a world of silver and gray. The magnets in his boots lost grip with exhilarating randomness, but put him at risk of shooting his friends, so rather than try to run straight, he started spinning instead. Each time he had any grip he turned on his heel, so his next slide took him sideways. That was when he opened fire. Only when he faced the passage instead of his team. His gun chirped happily while he shot the side walls, to keep open the tunnel made by Misty and Zak.

  The whole experience was intense. So intense it started to seem surreal. The tunnel darkened around Jace and he blinked furiously. He could still see, but another vision seemed to be overlaid on his. The ice was blinding silver, but blacker than tar too, while veins of gold and silver flowed through both views. That must be the plague's stolen energy, flowing away ahead of him.

  Woah. Jace pulled his finger off the trigger. Somehow he must have tuned into Misty-vision again. He suddenly had two perspectives and no idea where he was actually shooting.