Thunder cracked overhead. Triblets! Night showers.
* * *
Acielon stumbled through the downpour and inside the blue temple dome through the door... a shameful thing to do for an Azuran, but he did not have the energy to fly through the crystal dome. Once inside the temple, he glanced around to make sure no attendant lingered at this late hour. He did not want anyone to witness his shame.
He dragged himself toward the central platform where the Sacred Crystal glowed on its pedestal. Even from twenty feet away, Acielon could feel its healing power. He painfully climbed the few steps to the pedestal and latched his arms around the large segment of crystal, clinging to it like to a life-buoy in a tempest, when either flying or letting go could get you killed. He desperately needed to replenish his strength, in order to keep Fianna close and safe.
He remained latched to the crystal and lost track of time. Blue light surrounded him. The crystal hummed, and its vibrations made his entire being tingle. He breathed better. Slowly, his strength returned. He could probably fly now, although it would take all his energy reserves. He needed more healing but he could not risk losing Fianna. He could not risk anything happening to her in the jungle.
Only one thing to do. As outrageous and blasphemous as the deed seemed, he would have to carry the crystal with him. Fianna would call it stealing. A desecration, to be sure. He would have to face the public shame of the sacrilege, but he had no other choice at this point.
Using the crystal’s own power, Acielon levitated it from the pedestal. He deployed his wings then flew, levitating the crystal through the clear blue walls of the temple dome. Lightning struck in the distance, and thunder rolled, shaking sky and ground, as if protesting his sacrilegious deed.
Shielding himself from the downpour, Acielon rose into the angry storm and flew above the dark jungle. As he battled the strong wind, he searched the thick vegetation down below for signs of Fianna. The tall canopy obscured the ground, but night-crawlers shook the ferns everywhere. He prayed the Formless One to keep Fianna safe.
Now that some of his abilities had returned, he concentrated on Sheba. If he could locate the cat, Fianna would be close. Despite his focus, his search for Sheba failed. It never happened before. Was it because of his weakened state? Or did the Council prevent him from contacting Fianna?
Borrowing the Sacred Crystal from the temple would get him in deep trouble with the Council, but what could they do to him? For the first time he experienced fear and uncertainty. Would they take away his powers? His immortality? If they did, one simple encounter with a night-crawler would end him. He shuddered at the thought of death.
Knowing Fianna would be headed for the ships in the clearing, he flew in that direction. Perhaps he would find her already there, whole and safe.
On the way there, as he flew over the sacred cave, he wondered how much damage the Dragons’ explosives did to the cave. The large chunk of crystal he carried from the temple hummed in harmony with the ground below.
Without slowing his flight, Acielon visualized the cave and its crystal through the rock. Relief flooded his body. The sacred cave had already healed itself from the explosion. The crystal beams stood whole again. He found it comforting. No one could ever destroy Azura’s crystal.
As he reached the clearing, heavy rain battered the two ships, illuminated by random lightning. Where was Fianna? Inside a ship? Had she perished in the jungle? He could not bear the thought of never hearing her laugh, or never again caressing her soft skin.
Acielon flew through the slick fuselage of the Silver Angel and made himself invisible as he landed inside the dark living quarters, but the crystal still hummed and glowed. No trace of Fianna or Sheba. His heart beat faster. Fianna had to be alive. He refused to consider the alternative.
A scream pierced the silence, coming from down below... a male scream. Acielon levitated the large block of Sacred Crystal into the yacht's bedroom, then fused and buried it inside the metal bulkhead supporting the bed. He had enough strength now to confront Fianna without it.
Still invisible, he let himself drop through the floor deck and landed into the brig below, illuminated only by a few glow sticks. In one of the open cells, Fianna attended to a man lying on a bunk. Tarkan. Sheba lay at the foot of the cell bed.
Raw anger stirred Acielon’s blood. Tarkan had a beatific smile on his scarred face, while Fianna dutifully cleaned a ghastly wound gashing his left lower leg. Acielon recognized the pattern of sharp, serrated teeth. A night-crawler wound.
Had Fianna confronted a beast? Had she saved Tarkan’s life? His heart thumped. She could have died! He slowed his breathing to keep calm.
Sheba, at the foot of the bed, turned toward him and stared.
Acielon drew a finger to his lips. “I know you can see me, kitten, but please do not tell Fianna... not yet. I am here to protect.”
Sheba harrumphed a disgusted consent, dropped her head upon her crossed paws, and closed her eyes.
“Thank you, Sheba.”
Tarkan hissed as Fianna poured foaming liquid into his wound. “Easy does it, Monalisa.”
“Stop moving and let me do my job, or you’ll lose this leg, too. You don’t want to become a complete cyborg. They don’t get the same status as organic entities.” Fianna’s tone showed too much concern for such a despicable criminal.
“You should retrieve some of that crystal before you leave, Monalisa. It’s worth a lot more than the bounty on my head.” Tarkan winked at her. “Think about it. You wouldn’t have to hunt criminals another day in your life.”
“I happen to enjoy putting dirt balls like you behind reinforced titanium panes. It gives me great satisfaction.” She forced thick foam into the gash.
Tarkan gasped as it filled the wound. Then as the foam retracted, the flesh drew closer together, and the gap closed.
“It would be a shame to let such a hoard go to waste.” Tarkan’s engaging smile, even forced, made Acielon want to smash his face. “Besides, you are going to need some crystal to ignite the engines. Nothing else will do.”
“What? Now you tell me?” Fianna slapped a white sticky patch upon the wound.
“Crystal is the only way off this planet, Monalisa.”
“Thanks for the Intel.” Fianna smiled and fingered her pendant. “But I do have some crystal on hand.”
“Right.” Tarkan sat up and tentatively moved his injured leg.
Fianna stepped back. “Sheba. Out! Now!”
Fianna and Sheba hurried out of the cell. Then she punched the manual release, and the thick titanium-glass door dropped closed, locking Tarkan inside.
Acielon felt proud of Fianna for neutralizing Tarkan, but she was too gentle with him. No wonder the disgusting man thought she still loved him.
But what if she did love that horrible man from her past?
Acielon shook his head, refusing to entertain the thought.
Now he had a difficult choice to make. Would he plead for Fianna to remain on Azura? Or would he call the Avenging Angels to prevent her escape with Tarkan?
Chapter Ten
On the command deck of the Silver Angel, illuminated by the glow of the gel encasing the electronics, Fianna held the blue pendant in her hands by the side panel of the command console, cocooned in thick clear gel. The pendant glowed and hummed making her entire body vibrate. A rather pleasant sensation.
“Triblets!” She muttered. “This crystal is tear-shaped.” She knelt and studied the simple octagonal crystals inside the console, through the clear gel. “It will not fit in any of the slots. It’s the wrong shape, and it’s too big. Besides, opening the panel would endanger the electronics.”
She sat on the deck and turned to Sheba. “How am I supposed to start the ship with this crystal? Do I talk to it? Do I order it in my mind like the Azurans do?”
Sheba huffed, obviously not interested. The cat stared at an empty spot in front of Fianna.
Fianna followed the feline’s gaze. “What are you look
ing at, girl?”
When Acielon materialized in that very spot in front of her console, Fianna’s heart leapt in her chest. She stood up in one leap. It was so good to see him. She’d missed his soothing presence. She resisted the urge to propel herself into his arms. She could not let her feelings for him break her resolve. “What are you doing here?”
“Looking for you.” Acielon towered over her, supplication rounding his eyes. “Please, you cannot leave. No one ever left this planet alive. The Council will not allow it.”
“Triblets!” Fianna resisted the urge to kick the gel-padded side of the console. “I will leave if I very well please.”
“You could die in the process.” Acielon’s voice softened. “The Archons are powerful... and not always kind.”
“The Archons?” The word sounded ominous.
“The great beings who rule this planet.” So much awe in Acielon’s voice.
But Fianna refused to be intimidated. “I face dangerous situations all the time. It’s part of my job.” She steeled herself against the sadness of leaving him. “If I die, so be it. At least, it will be as a free individual, and with a clear conscience.”
Acielon’s shoulders squared and stiffened. “You would rather die or escape with that scar-faced criminal to a wicked, corrupt world, than stay on Azura with me?”
Fianna met his gaze. How she wished she could stay. She firmed her jaw then turned away from his accusing stare. She must be strong and let him go... for his own sake.
“If staying here means being a prisoner? Yes, I’d rather die. Humans value their freedom above all.” Fianna dropped the useless pendant on the console.
Acielon stepped closer to her and touched her arm.
Fianna’s skin tingled. She didn’t have the heart to pull away.
His beautiful face slacked and his striking turquoise eyes stared in disbelief. “I thought we had something special, maybe a future together.”
She looked away, unable to sustain his gaze.
Acielon let go of her arm and sighed. “Obviously, I was wrong to believe you cared about me. Our night together was only a game to you, to get what you wanted.”
The accusation stung. Fianna had often used her charms to get what she wanted before, but she couldn’t stand Acielon’s pain. “I would never manipulate you. I truly care about you.”
His face lit up and he smiled with too much hope. “You do?”
“Yes, I do.” The realization stunned her. She didn’t know she could still care so much. “My leaving doesn’t change how I feel about you... it’s something I have to do. I won’t be able to live with myself if I don’t deliver Tarkan to justice and help my brother in his time of need. Duty and family come before personal happiness.”
Acielon bit his lips. “I understand duty. But I was raised alone by wise teachers. I never had a family. From what I read in the books salvaged from many crashed ships over the centuries, humans cherish their family bonds.”
Fianna’s resolve softened. “You never had a family?”
“I never knew my father, and my mother died giving me life. I am the first Azuran born who survived birth... and the last. It seems giving birth is a death sentence for mother and child on Azura. So, the Azurans do not dare conceive.”
“How strange.” Fianna couldn’t possibly leave him now. “Why don’t you come with me? Didn’t you say as a boy you dreamed of exploring the universe?”
“I did.” Acielon hung his head. “The reason Azurans do not leave the planet is that outside of its influence, they revert to ordinary humans.”
“You mean you would lose your wings and your ability to fly?” Shock punched Fianna’s chest like a ram. She couldn’t imagine Acielon without his angelic abilities.
“I could no longer read minds, heal, dematerialize, become invisible, or communicate with plants and animals.” His shoulders dropped. “It would affect our happiness in the long run.”
“I would still like you as a simple human.” Fianna realized Acielon had enjoyed these abilities since birth and could never thrive without them. “But I’m sorry I suggested you come with me. I could never accept such a sacrifice on your part.”
“There is also my age...” He flashed a sad smile. “Outside of Azura, I would quickly become a much older man. You may not like such an old companion.”
“One hundred is only mid-life in my world.” Fianna chuckled. “But I cannot picture you living on a space station like Byzantium-5. Compared to Azura, it would seem dismal, wicked and corrupt.”
“So, will you stay?” He touched her shoulder over the console.
Fianna closed her eyes briefly, enjoying his contact. The pull of his touch melted her resolve. How she wanted to stay with him... but she could not. Her brother needed her. She took a deep breath and stepped back. “No. I must leave.”
“Sheba see flying people.”
A blast of trumpets blared in the night, penetrating the bulkheads of the Silver Angel. The crystal pendant on the console vibrated and glowed brighter. The ship trembled under Fianna’s feet like during an earthquake... or a space battle... and it kept shaking. She snatched the crystal and latched onto the console for balance.
Sheba braced herself on four paws. “Sheba not like shaking.”
Acielon did not seem affected at all. His feet didn’t touch the deck.
Fianna’s senses switched to full alert mode. “Are we under attack?”
“The Avenging Angels.” Acielon’s face remained serene. “They will not let you leave.”
A strong, disembodied male voice permeated the ship. “Surrender now!”
Through the clear titanium panes of the bridge, in a streak of lightning, Fianna saw a swarm of angels forming a circle above the ship. Would they paralyze her, like the previous day at the cave? She expected her weapons to jump out of reach, but none of it happened. She remained in control of her body.
She turned to Acielon. “Why don’t they just carry me away like before?”
Acielon flashed a smug smile. “Maybe they feel a little weak tonight.”
“Weak?” Fianna wondered what he wasn’t saying.
* * *
Acielon struggled to resist the pull of the Avenging Angels on his mind. He would not let them control him. He would not let them hurt Fianna.
Through the clear pane he could see them aiming their many weapons at the ship. Many blared their infernal shofars. Some used crystal objects to focus their strikes. Others aimed flaming arrows or threw daggers. All strikes turned into fire bolts as they flew in the direction of the Silver Angel.
Acielon focused on the sacred block of crystal embedded in the bulkhead and drew strength from it. “Please, Sacred Crystal, manifestation of the will of the Formless One, protect the woman I love.”
“Incoming!” Fianna ducked behind the command console.
Sheba retreated into a nook between two gel-encased power boxes.
Fire bolts flared and fizzled harmlessly against the ephemeral blue net protecting the hull.
“Did the ship somehow activate its shields?” Fianna sounded surprised.
“No.” Acielon weathered the silent assault of the Avenging Angels on his mind. He steeled himself to exert his own will. With the help of the Sacred Crystal, he could resist their pull.
Fianna rose and grabbed Acielon’s arm. “What is shielding the ship? Are you doing this?”
“Yes and no.” He stared at her hand on his arm, glad for her contact, but he did not move. “We are getting help from something much stronger.”
Fianna stared at the multicolored fireworks battering the blue shield. “What could be stronger than an entire legion of Avenging Angels?”
“The Sacred Crystal.” Acielon felt strangely calm all of a sudden. He’d found his inner strength. With Fianna at her side, he could face anything.
Fianna glanced at the pendant in her hand. It glowed and vibrated like a living thing. “Is this a relic of some kind? Does it shield the ship?”
�
��Yes and no.”
She shook her head. “It didn’t protect me at the cave yesterday.”
“Yesterday, you were in no physical danger.” Acielon smiled. “And sometimes, the crystal has a will of its own.”
When the nine Archons appeared around them on the bridge, their image shimmered and through them, Acielon could still see the gel-encased consoles and screens on the bulkhead beyond. Their tall wings disappeared into the ceiling. This was a mere projection of them, not their physical presence. Why?
Sheba came out of hiding and growled at the ephemeral intruders.
Fianna removed her hand from Acielon’s arm and stepped back. “Who are they?”
“The Archons.” Acielon bowed to the great angels. “Lord Abraxas, Venerable Ones...”
Lord Abraxas, sitting slightly higher than the others, furrowed his brow. “What have you done, Brother Acielon?”
“You know exactly what I have done, and I do not regret anything.” Acielon straightened his back. “I would do it all over again.”
“Do what? What did you do wrong?” Fianna’s voice sounded far away.
“You would endanger not only this planet, but the state of the entire universe?” The ethereal being sounded certain of the dire consequences.
Fianna stared at the crystal in her hand. “Endanger the universe?”
Acielon snorted. “I doubt my actions have such an influence over the universe. Besides, the Sacred Crystal followed me of its own volition.”
“What are you talking about? What have you done?” Fianna gasped. “You stole this? By the frozen hells of Laxxar!”
“Return it immediately!” The commanding tone would make any Azuran tremble.
Fianna clutched the pendant tightly and hid it behind her back. Good girl. But that was not the crystal the Archons wanted.
Acielon winked at her then turned his attention back to the Archons. “If I return the Sacred Crystal, what prevents you from killing us?”
Angel Mine Page 12
