by Casey Lea
“You good?” Falkyn yelled from beside him and when they bumped shoulders, the world fell back into place.
“Ye. All fluffy.” Jace hurried on, shooting again, but this time Falkyn moved with him. They aimed to opposite sides and kept in step, back-to-back. Ice flakes and dust sprayed past, while Nikareon brought up the rear.
Jace could only see the Beserk’s hunched shoulders, as he backed after them, but the cold was clearly hurting him. He was shaking and his aim was wild, but somehow he kept the frost off their tails. A glacier seemed to be chasing Nikareon, pouring over the undulating ice of the floor to block the passage behind them. He was stopping that frozen front from catching them, but it still had them trapped. If they failed and had to retreat, things were going to get messy.
Jace focused on his own task again, seeking distraction. It was lucky the guns had compression storage magazines with plenty of ammo. No, not lucky. Like everything else about their kick-ice weapons, it was thanks to Misty. She really was the big-bad.
“You having fun, honey?” Zak asked and Jace realized he was grinning inanely and that everyone had stopped.
His face convulsed when he forced it into a rough, tough scowl instead. “Lots of shooting, so yeah, lots of fun”
Silver-blue eyes studied him coldly, but then the ice cave around them grew darker, so Beserk vision seemed to be taking a break. “That's a pity,” Zak said. “I bet Patri you'd be wetting your pants, or your cheeks, or both by now. Looks like I lose.”
“You utter jerk-”
“Quiet.” Falkyn's combined voice and mental compulsion worked as well as ever, on all of them and Jace was delighted. It sounded like Zak had jerked backward at the unexpected order. Certainly his boots scrabbled on the ice, but that was the only noise he made. Nova. It seemed he could be shut up after all.
“Better,” Falkyn continued. “Why have we stopped?”
“Movement ahead,” Misty answered, bouncing on her toes. “See.” She pointed to the distant nest and in the dim light of her fading eyes they could see a sheet of ice across its entrance.
Jace lowered his gun and tried to hear past the trill of its rapidly cooling metal. There shouldn’t have been any other noise, but the faint sound of shuffling feet was increasingly clear. Muffled thuds from beyond the icy veil made the link shake. He breathed deeply, to be sure it was the tunnel trembling and not him, before looking more closely. Blue shadows could be seen through that filmy barrier and with each impact they grew larger. The hazy smears lurched closer, until half-a-dozen tall silhouettes were pressed against the far side of the ice wall.
Silence returned, but then the barrier groaned like a heartbroken Mutt. Cracks appeared from its depths and split the cloudy wall like lightning. Its shattered face bulged and everything beyond it went dark. Jace slid his gun into a compression strip at his hip and palmed his sword instead. The hilt was so cold it made his fist burn, but he tightened his hand and hefted its familiar weight anyway. He was ready.
Beside him Falkyn's fronds lifted to send an order thick with urgency. Secret weapon two, but new shields first.
Jace flipped his sword away and sent a silent message to his com, just before the barrier shattered. A metabolic field covered his skin with dark energy even as the hail hit. Sparks of ice ripped into his guinea-pig shield and stopped. They splattered across the darkness around him and melted, to drift away like steam. The thin mist made it hard for Jace to check his friends, but it seemed they were still alive. So the crazy, dark-energy shields worked.
Jace grinned at Misty, who was now a slim figure in black armor. She leaned forward eagerly and he had to admit she suited the dark-matter matrix that held her new energy shield in place. He couldn’t see whether she smiled in return, but could sense satisfaction and impatience from her. She had a new look, but was definitely the same old Mist.
Thunder crashed through the link as more ice sheared off, behind the ruined wall. A wave of water spiraled from the nest and chunks of ice flew with it. One of the larger bergs smashed into Zak, throwing him back, but Jace grabbed his twin by the shoulder until he found his feet. At the same time Jace used his free hand to snag Misty and pull her against him, before she could be crushed between two massive slabs.
The noise of ice and water was abruptly drowned by a chilling roar. They all looked up. The nest entrance was blocked again, but not by an ice face. Instead six massive bodies swayed there. Their open mouths showed bloated tongues and pale gums, while the stumps of their frozen teeth wobbled in the blast coming from each throat. That wail drew goosebumps from Jace and Misty's sword appeared in her fist. One of the new swords, infused with dark energy. Show time.
Jace glanced back at Falkyn and Nikareon. The Beserk was trembling and his face was even paler than usual. “It's Lamidia's c-crew,” he pushed past blue lips. “All that's left of them. The p-plague, it makes ice zombies. We saw it, w-with her.” Nikareon started shaking uncontrollably, but scowled when Jace frowned at him. “I'm f-fine.”
“Certain-sure,” Falkyn yelled. “Stay here and hold our exit.” He turned and all four of the youngsters strode toward the swaying zombies.
The infected Harvesters stopped wailing, although their mouths still hung open. They blinked and then raised their arms which were encased in ice. Their fingers had fused to form clubs, but those new hands had edges as sharp as any stalactite. They stamped their feet awkwardly, their knees cracking and graunching at the movement. Their feet had bloated to form frozen blocks and each one dented the deck. The zombies stopped to sway again and dead white eyes stared down at the youngsters.
“I've got this,” Jace blurted, rising on his toes and hefting his sword, but Falkyn stepped around him to move to the front. “Hey.” His older brother looked back with a raised eyebrow and Jace felt his own right brow lift in response. “I should take point,” he insisted. “Patri's been sword fighting with me since I was two.”
Falkyn snorted. “My mother hired the finest fighters to train me. I’ve sparred with everyone from retired kres Masters to notorious barroom brawlers.”
“Sure, but I don't think kneeing a zombie in the groin will work.”
A clash of metal and ice drew the brothers from their fight, to see that Zak and Misty had already attacked. Their black swords slashed at rigid arms and bodies that were as hard as stone. The noise was horrendous, but Jace didn't wait to see whether it was working. He and Falkyn leapt forward together. Misty's fronds must have sensed them coming, because she ducked just as they arrived. Jace hurdled her and his sword sank deep into the throat of the creature looming over her.
The zombie staggered back into the nest and crashed straight through the damaged floor. There must be gravity in there Jace realized and grinned. About time. Another of the frozen Harvesters fell back and almost crushed him. He twisted aside and saw that the monster had lost its feet, so Misty hadn't wasted her time when she ducked down. Her victim plunged straight through the deck too, making it split all the way across the nest.
Jace teetered on the brink, before unfurling his wings to shoot out over the zigzagging chasm. It gaped wider the further he went, until the floor beneath him vanished. He used his jets to bank back to the fight, but it was already over. The zombies were all down and the last remnants of the floor had vanished with them, forcing Jace's friends to fly in circles too. He swiped fists with Misty in passing, before studying the ragged edges of the room, looking for a place to land.
However, the torn metal grew smoother while he watched. A white powder softened it and feathery layers began to build. The frost thickened into snow and drifts formed around the nest. Their lowest level packed down beneath the weight of more flakes and soon became solid. It spread to form a new floor and in less than a minute Jace was gliding over a winter world.
The crisp tinkle of ice blocks tumbling into a glass jerked his attention to the far end of the nest. A rain of white chunks fell from a fresh barrier across the exit, chiming when they hit the ground. Dozens
of zombies were clustered beyond that remade, milky face. They heaved against it again. The frozen wall disintegrated in front of them and the infected Harvesters charged out onto the floor. They pounded forward, sending up great arcs of white powder and turning the nest into a snow globe.
Jace swept a gun into his left hand and fired a burst at the first wave, but they ignored it. Tiny chips appeared across their frigid chests, but nothing more. He shook his head and holstered his weapon. Damn, these guys were really frozen solid. They were far too dense for bullets to make any impression. He stared down at blank eyes, but the nearest zombie leaped as if it could see him.
Arms like pallid spears shot straight at Jace. He twisted desperately and managed to slip past each dagger. His fronds felt someone dive toward him and he jetted sideways just before Falkyn slammed into him. His brother scraped by and Jace saw that one of his wings was ripped. Something sharp had sliced through it, to leave a section flapping.
Jace tucked abruptly to avoid another stalactite arm. Space, those things were tall. He jinked again, jetting sideways then back, before he could curve to follow his older brother. Ahead of him Falkyn ducked under a blow that grazed his forehead. A spray of blood dusted random swirling flakes in red, while the ice zombies kept slashing at him.
Jace heard Falkyn grunt in pain and more blood appeared. This time there was enough to splash to the snow below. A puddle of red slush spread, before freezing to a shiny stain. Falkyn crashed to the ground on top of it and the zombies closed in.
Jace yelled something inarticulate, but also felt his own battle shriek, while at the same time he roared. That was strange. He seemed to have three voices and he was moving, despite the fact that his wings had locked wide, so he could hover over Falkyn. No, it was his smaller self that still hovered, circling to flank the attackers on one side, while his larger self did the same on the other and he dived to help Fal. Huh?
Jace resisted for a further moment, trying to find his single self...
***
But then we were attacking. Every limb struck simultaneously. We hit the enemy from each side and above. Our-dancer struck like lightning, leaping to slash at zombie throats. Our-passion attacked lower, hacking off feet and limbs, dodging club-like kicks. Our-eyes dropped from above, with normal vision that could clearly see the target to be saved.
We reached Falkyn together and used three of our hands to help him up. He was limping and had a shredded wing. Prognosis, partial mobility. Recommendation, patient reassurance, followed by retreat.
“Don't...” one of our voices began,
“Worry,” our lighter, feminine voice added.
“We've got...”
“This,” the deepest voice finished.
Falkyn blinked at us. “Are you kay?”
The patient still seemed distressed. Further calming was required. “We...”
“Are...”
“Well,” we finished, but Falkyn seemed unsure, so our three voices spoke as one.
“We are Trinity.”
The patient made no response – query, brain damage? – so we turned to fight. The enemy had regrouped and loomed over us. We spread all of our wings and sucked in air, to jet for the ceiling while the first wave of zombies tried desperately to brake. A few managed to twist and slash at the space above, but our three limbs moved safely away. We turned back together to drop among our targets, slashing and hacking. Ice shards flew and we pirouetted through them with perfect co-ordination.
We moved as one, but our fight to break free was challenging. The patient was soon unconscious, but we instructed the individual called Nikareon to carry him. We incapacitated forty-two enemies and completed our retreat. Nikareon collapsed en route and was also carried. We returned to the t'ssaa female Zyl at six thirty-seven. We relaxed. We were greeted by the individual called Amber, who accepted delivery of the patients for healing. We noted that she seemed surprised to see us. Did she not expect our return? Our limbs considered this with words and thoughts.
“What's up” with Amber?
Looks like a virgin bride after her “first drak.”
We laughed, but a part of us rolled its eyes. She's looking...
At us strangely
Like we're odd
She's looking hot.
Trinity felt the first tremor of loss at the last comment. Their thoughts had somehow diverged, because the emotion behind 'hot' was unshared. It was too... individual. Jace shook his head and then his body. That observation must be Zak's. His alone. He. Him.
The gestalt disintegrated and the trio looked around, blinking at each other in the light, as solemn as newborns. They stared for less than a second and then fell apart more literally, each keeling over to hit the floor and lie still.
Their mind had shredded and the whole universe shifted.
***
Jace opened his eyes, but then closed them against the pounding in his skull. His throat was dry, until bile rose to fill it. He swallowed it with a gulp and pushed back against nausea. He must have had a hell of a night. No, wait... memory returned. Slowly at first and then in excruciating detail. He finally opened his eyes to stare blankly at the ceiling. It was the flat, pearl roof of a med pod. How had he made it in here and how long had he been out?
You’re welcome, Zyl’s answer trickled into his head, and eleven minutes.
Jace shuddered, then ran his tongue around his dry mouth. “Well, that was intense.”
Beside him someone snarled and rolled away. Jace carefully turned his head to find Zak on all fours. His twin ignored him, to stagger upright before sliding from the pod. There was no sign of Misty, she was already gone. Jace ordered more pain suppression from his com, but it made little difference. He sighed and rose to follow his brother.
He found Zak just outside, leaning on a corridor wall and watching space pass. The entire passage had become a view screen and Jace slumped against it too.
“You okay?” he asked Zak who snarled again at the suggestion.
“I don't do touching-feely.”
“It’s called touchy-feely.”
“Even worse.”
Jace frowned at the strange mix of emotions he could now easily read from his brother. “I don’t know why you’re so scared. That wasn't touchy-feely, it was kick-ass.”
“I was inside your head.”
Jace considered that and it just didn't seem so bad. “Harden up, asshole,” he suggested and a burst of laughter escaped Zak. It seemed involuntary, because his brother slipped straight back into blonde and brooding, but at least it was something. Now, where was Misty? “You seen Mist?”
“Way too drakking much of her, thanks to you. I need to go scrub out my skull.”
“You can't talk. I was in your mind and your only priority is sex.”
“That's because I'm not a girl.”
“You don't have to be female to think about more than drakking.”
Zak pushed himself angrily away from the wall. “Actually you do, but only a girl wouldn't know that.”
“Are you trying to pick a fight?”
“No drakking way. I wouldn't want you to mess up your hair.”
It took all of the maturity and control Jace had to stay leaning against the wall. He dragged in a deep breath and looked Zak in the eye. “It's okay. I don't think you're soft and I'm not about to do anything affectionate. Whatever relationship we have starts from here.”
Zak ducked his head at that and offered an awkward shrug. “Sure. Suits me. I don't need any instant brothers shit. I already have a family. A sister and nine brothers I've known all my life.” He looked up through a blonde forelock. “Did you make that happen? I mean, the drakking freaky meld thing. Was it you?”
Jace laughed harshly at that. “Hell no.”
Zak bit his lip, but nodded. “Kay. But do you think, could it have been me? Something some spaced part of me thought I wanted?”
Jace considered that very carefully. It was so tempting to comment on the possibility th
at his twin wanted to be closer, but he sensed that even hinting at that would drive Zak further into hiding. He tried for a wry smile instead. “I don't think something that freaked could happen just because part of us wanted it to. Seems likely we merged because we were in deep guano and we share genes and all have fronds, or something. Let's go find Misty and then we'll ask Amber.”
Jace finally pushed away from his support and strode toward the link. He kept his fronds pointing ahead and didn't look back, but he was listening very hard and could hear his brother following close behind.
50
Where to now?
Amber finished scanning Nikareon and relaxed. The frostbite was extensive, but already retreating and he should be fine. She leaned closer to whisper in his ear. "Told you so."
Nikareon’s eyelids fluttered, while his mouth twitched at the corners. “Hey. It’s the Doc who tells her patients to drop dead.”
Amber snapped upright with a scowl. “Get killed, not drop dead. And only the psychotically annoying ones.”
Nikareon’s lips curved further. “I am so far beneath your skin.”
“You’re beneath me in every way. Now be silent and heal.”
“Mmmm. . . do like that thought… me, beneath you.” His eyes closed and the monitor showed he’d slipped into a deep, regenerative sleep.
Amber bent over her patient again. “Don’t you dare dream about me.” She straightened suddenly, regretting her unprofessional lapse and turned away to check on Falkyn. “His prognosis is good and he’ll definitely fly again,” she announced to Misty, but there was no reply.
Amber looked up from the wing she was healing to see that Jace had arrived and was already lip-locked with his girlfriend. Zak was there too, throwing back a drink. She looked more closely. “That’s medicinal alcohol.” The tall warrior grimaced, but downed the rest of the beaker anyway. Wonderful. She was alone with the children. “Your com will have to work overtime to metabolize that stuff and where have you three been anyway? I thought you’d come straight to medical to be checked.”