Kindred of the Fallen

by Isis Rushdan

  Serenity listened, but didn’t move, pretending she was unconscious.

  “I don’t know,” Evan said.

  “I’m not asking you for permission. I’m informing you of the situation. A quick snip, snip, and then she’ll be all yours, or I could just put a bullet in her now. Unfortunately, killing her wasn’t a part of my orders. Ravich wants to handle things like this and allow her to live a long life, rather than dispatch her. But I’d be happy to make an adjustment if you’re going to make things difficult.”

  “No, I won’t be difficult. I just don’t want her hurt.”

  Silence.

  “I think our kitten is awake,” the woman said in a soft voice. “Evan, I’ll let you stay with her until it’s time, but you have to promise to behave.”

  “I won’t be a problem,” he reassured.

  “We’re here, Artemis,” said a male voice somewhere in front of her.

  The vehicle stopped and a door slid open. A cool breeze hit Serenity and she was grateful for it. Someone picked her up and carried her. She considered struggling, but realized how futile her efforts would be.

  There were lots of footsteps and it sounded like they walked over broken glass. She heard a gate open and then a creaky door.

  Water dripped somewhere as she was carried, and there was a cold draft.

  “We’re almost finished setting up on the second floor. It wasn’t easy to create a sterile environment here. Put her in the back room upstairs until we’re done,” said a male voice.

  “How long is this going to take? I told you, we don’t have much time,” Artemis said. She continued to speak to the man as someone carried Serenity away.

  Another door squeaked open. They went up a long flight of stairs. After several more minutes, a couple of doors opened. Then someone put her on a cold, damp floor and the door closed.

  “Are you okay?” Evan asked.

  The dark hood, covering her head, was yanked off. She squinted as she opened her eyes. She was in the back corner of a large, dimly lit room with chipped paint, cracked walls and no windows. Wires dangled from a hole in the high ceiling and the floor was covered in grime.

  “Do you want some water?” Evan asked in a low voice.

  She nodded.

  He removed the tape from her mouth slowly, then held a black canteen up to her lips. Her mouth was so dry it felt like it had been stuffed with cotton. She sucked down the water.

  “What’s going on? What are you doing?” she asked in a hoarse voice.

  “I’m trying to help you. Cyrus is a monster,” he whispered. “He’s brainwashed you. It’s what those things do. They prey on the innocent and convince them to breed. I had to save you.” He spoke so quickly his words ran together.

  “Evan, you don’t know what you’re doing.”

  “I know exactly what I’m doing.” His eyes were wild and glinted with a ferocity she’d never seen in him. He even wore gloves like one of her assailants. “They know all about what kind of monster he is. I won’t let that thing have you.”

  “You don’t know who you’re working with. Artemis is a liar. She’s one of us.”

  “See, you said us. Artemis said you would. You’re not like those beasts. I had to save you before it was too late.”

  She glanced at a plastic zip tie secured tightly around her wrists in front of her. “Please free my hands.”

  He shook his head.

  “Evan, it’s too tight. It hurts. I’m in a lot of pain. Please,” she pleaded.

  He looked at her, deliberating.

  “What are they going to do to me?”

  “They want to give you a hysterectomy to make you infertile.”

  Recoiling, she stared at him in horror. “You’d let them do that to me?”

  “You never wanted children and it’s the only way to keep him from you, to protect you.”

  She felt like she was falling into a dark abyss with nothing to grab on to, nothing to save her, nothing to cushion the impact when she hit the bottom. “Please, help me get out of here.” She tugged his shirt. “You can’t let them do this to me.”

  “You’ll just go back to him. This is the only way. Artemis said he won’t take you back if he can’t reproduce with you. Then he’ll have to find somebody else to brainwash.” His voice was sharp with bitterness and pain.

  “Get me out of here, and I’ll go with you somewhere, anywhere. Wherever you want to go and we’ll talk this through. Please.” Her chest heaved and she sucked in flutters of breath. “At least untie my feet.”

  He probed her face with his eyes, then reached down and removed the tape wrapped around her ankles.

  She groped for presence of mind. She wanted to use her gift, but her dim stream of energy sputtered, flowing through her like sludge, crackling beneath her skin as if she had short-circuited. With her ankles free, she stretched her legs and lifted her hands in front of her face, pleading to Evan with her eyes.

  The door swung open and a man with a gun waltzed in.

  “What in the hell are you doing?” he asked. “Artemis said I needed to check on you.” He stalked into the room. “Artemis wants your little girlfriend to remain gagged and blindfolded until she’s knocked out for the surgery.” The man walked toward her.

  She pressed her back against the wall, swallowed hard and focused. She waited for him to get closer. He picked up the black hood from the floor and took a small roll of duct tape out of his pocket. As he reached for her, she kicked him as hard as she could in the knee.

  He cried out, stumbled back, and then bent to grab her. She rammed the heel of her foot up into his groin. He doubled over in pain and she kicked him in the face with both feet.

  As he fell back, she used the wall to help herself stand since her hands were still bound.

  “Where did you learn to do that?” Evan asked aghast.

  Ignoring the question, Serenity ran to the man and kicked him several times in the throat. She bent down and picked up his gun. Frantically, she looked for the safety and disengaged it. She dashed for the door and pulled it open awkwardly, trying to hold on to the gun.

  Another man stood in front of the door, reaching for the knob. She took the butt of the gun and slammed it up into the man’s nose.

  Blood gushed from his face. She kicked him twice in the groin. He hunched over, grabbing his privates. She drove her knee up into his chin, then kicked his head with the ball of her foot. He dropped to the floor.

  Scanning the room, she didn’t see anyone else. There were no windows and only one door leading out.

  Her heart beat like a jackhammer in her chest. Her breathing was erratic, but she refused to panic. Flinging the next door open, she sprinted onward.

  “Serenity!” Evan yelled.

  She glanced over her shoulder. He ran toward her with an uneasy expression. Not slowing for a second, she faced forward and plowed into a large man with a thud.

  He trapped her in a bear hug and lifted her off the ground. She kneed him, but only struck his thick belly. Her mouth was inches from his face. She clamped down on his nose with her teeth and bit hard until he dropped her.

  Her foot connected to his groin and she kicked him relentlessly. If only her hands had been free, she would have gouged out his eyes.

  Three more kicks to his privates, one to his chin, and he was down.

  The floor of the abandoned warehouse was barren, except for a white tent-like contraption set up at the back end. She spotted stairs to the far side of the room close to the white tent and bolted toward them.

  “Serenity!” Evan ran after her. “Please, wait!”

  Two men with guns emerged from behind the tent. She dashed for the stairs, but another man came running up the steps, holding a gun. She backed away, searching for a new exit.

  But there was nowhere else to go.

  She pointed the gun at one man, then at the others. Three men aimed their guns at her.

  “Please drop the gun,” Evan said as he held up his hands.


  The gun shook in her sweaty hands. Adrenaline pumped inside her, jumpstarting the energy in her core. Still weak, she didn’t know if she could tap into it and switch on her ability. She tried to think of something terrifying to project. Projections were simple, easy. Her mind bounced around to dragons, snakes, spiders, but finally locked on the image of a rabid dog.

  Dropping the gun, she held on to the image of a monstrous dog, foaming at the mouth, with sharp teeth. She focused on her fear and held the image. She inhaled deeply, closed her eyes and continued to move backward. The snarls of a pack of dogs made her stop.

  “Where did they come from?” asked one of the men in an alarmed tone.

  She opened her eyes to see six rabid dogs emerge from the shadows. Ferocious Doberman Pinchers with snapping jowls formed a semi-circle, protecting her. The men looked at each other in confusion.

  Growling, the dogs moved forward. Evan staggered away from her. The men opened fire, but the bullets hit the ground. The men withdrew as they continued to shoot with bewildered expressions on their faces.

  It was working.

  Artemis bounded up the stairs and gave her a furious look, narrowing her eye. Serenity’s concentration slipped and the dogs faded.

  It didn’t matter. They weren’t any more real than her projection of her father, and a distraction wouldn’t fool Artemis.

  Refocusing her fear and anger, she visualized releasing it, pushing it out from her core, and emitted a burst of energy. A thick band of magenta light spread out in all directions. The wave of light knocked down Evan and the other men, propelling them backwards. Artemis stumbled as if a strong wind had slapped her, losing her balance, and slipped down the stairs. The windows around the edge of the large space rattled.

  A sluggish current of energy oscillated in her core. Still weak from whatever weapon they had used on her, she’d only been able to slow them down.

  Stunned, the men flapped about on the floor. But Artemis leapt back up the stairs, regained her composure and pressed a button on an energy gun.

  Little white lights flickered across the top.

  Serenity released another wave of bright purple light, draining the recesses of her core. The weaker band, no more than a thin strip, sailed forward slowly. The wave hit Artemis, forcing her to take several steps backwards while the men struggled to stand.

  Artemis raised the energy weapon and fired.

  Terror sprung up in Serenity as a white orb of light and heat slammed into her, knocking her back into a concrete column. Crushing pain burst throughout her body. Dazed, she fumbled to an upright position. The spinning room came into focus.

  Artemis shook the large sci-fi weapon. No more lights flashed across the top. She threw it to the floor and pulled out a gun from a hip holster.

  Evan jumped up in front of Serenity and lifted her, dragging her backwards.

  “Please don’t do this,” he said to Artemis.

  “If you knew the truth about your precious Serenity, you’d put a bullet in her yourself.”

  “What are you talking about?” Evan demanded.

  Artemis pointed the gun. “She’s his now! Sterilized or not, nothing will keep her from him besides death. The first chance she gets, she’ll scamper right back to his bed.”

  Evan shook his head and his fingers tightened on Serenity’s arms. “No!”

  “I don’t have time for this.” Artemis shot him in the leg and slinked forward.

  Evan hollered in pain as he fell to the floor.

  Serenity faced her, struggling not to tremble, refusing to beg for her life.

  Glowering, Artemis fired two shots. A searing pain pierced Serenity’s stomach, snatching her breath. A second bullet tore through her and she dropped to her knees.

  Blood seeped from her midsection. With every breath, white-hot pain lanced her. Salty fluid filled her mouth. She tried to cough, but the pain was too much.

  Moisture trickled down the side of her mouth. She rolled to her side, trying to hold her stomach to stop the bleeding, but with her hands bound it was futile.

  Artemis advanced, closing the distance between them.

  Writhing in agony, Serenity stared at her. Even with one eye, how could the cruel face of death be so lovely? Artemis was everything Serenity wasn’t: blonde, tall, pale and endowed with a bosom she’d never have unless she was pregnant. She didn’t want to see beauty and grace in the woman who was about to kill her; the wretched woman who had touched Cyrus first and spent years loving him when she’d only had weeks.

  Rage consumed her. She wanted to discharge an energy wave so powerful it would incinerate Artemis, but when she went to thrust it outward, excruciating pain sliced her midsection and radiated out, clogging her projection. She spit out a mouthful of blood.

  Artemis raised the gun, prepared to fire again when two warriors of Herut leapt up the stairs behind her. One of the soldiers tackled her, hit her in the face, and disarmed her.

  Several figures crashed through the windows, Cyrus, Abbadon and two other warriors. They had wings and were the deepest shade of blue with a slight iridescence, except for Cyrus. He shifted from the color of the sky to midnight blue like the others, then he was white as a cloud. At last, he blended in with the concrete floor.

  Cyrus flew at the large man who had grappled with her earlier. He crushed the man’s face with his fist. Before the body could slump to the floor, Cyrus grabbed him by the jugular and crotch, and snapped his spine across his knee like a pencil. Then he threw the broken corpse to the ground.

  In the time it took to blink, Cyrus had crossed the floor, lifted Evan and kicked him in the gut, driving him backward until his body crashed against the wall.

  Evan scrambled to get up, but Cyrus clutched him by the throat and smashed him into the wall. Concrete crumbled around Evan and he strained to breathe.

  “Please,” she called out as loudly as she could, “don’t kill him.”

  Cyrus looked down at Evan’s leg, where he’d been shot, and grabbed it at the site of the wound. He squeezed until the shape of the leg contorted. Evan gasped, but couldn’t make any noise as he struggled to get air. Cyrus let him go and Evan slid to the floor in a wheezing heap.

  Taking shallow breaths, she managed to get a small cough out and sputtered blood on the floor. She leaned on one elbow, trying to hold her abdomen. Her shirt was soaked in blood.

  “Serenity,” Cyrus said, kneeling beside her. He broke the zip tie from her wrists as if had been a piece of string, and scooped her into his arms. His skin shifted to normal, but he kept his wings. He wore a small wireless earpiece like some of the battle-guard.

  She smiled. “It hurts.”

  He wiped blood from her face with his hand. Two warriors dragged Artemis to her feet.

  Screaming and shots fired came from the opposite end of the warehouse. The other warriors killed the rest of the mercenaries and the people in the white tent.

  Across the filthy warehouse floor, Abbadon pulled a short sword from a holder strapped to his back. The other warriors pushed Artemis toward him and threw her a sword. They formed a loose circle around them.

  Artemis wielded her blade with great skill. Then Abbadon moved in. The bright gleam of highly polished barenpetium swords clashing hurt Serenity’s eyes. And the sound, the strident, high-pitched sound reverberated through her.

  Cyrus tucked her close to his body.

  She pressed her head against his chest. “What’s going to happen to her?”

  “Abbadon is going to take her head,” Cyrus said firmly, and flew out of the window.

  He cradled her tightly and went up into the sky. She was so cold.

  Below them was the warehouse in a deserted area somewhere near the Hudson River. Not far in the distance, a thicket of wildflowers stretched across the steel structure of old railroad tracks. Elevated high off the ground, the aerial greenway was like a beacon of hope.

  Liquid ice pumped through her veins, making her shiver. Her teeth chattered. She could
n’t feel the warmth of his body anymore, only ice.

  He flew over the building. Cassian’s Shelby moved closer to the warehouse and she wondered who was driving. The car blurred and the darkness ensnared her.

  Chapter Forty

  Cradling his kabashem in his arms, Cyrus touched down beside the mustang. “Help her!”

  Carin examined her wounds, shaking her head.

  “Don’t just stand there. Heal her!”

  “I can’t. We’ve got to get the bullets out first. Set her down.”

  He knelt on the cold ground, holding her close. His fingers tightened around her as he felt her life force slipping away.

  Carin took off a backpack and fished around inside.

  “Hurry! I’m losing her.”

  Lifting Serenity’s shirt, Carin rinsed away the blood with water from a canteen. More blood pooled in the two holes in her gut, and streamed over her abdomen. She fished around in Serenity’s stomach with a pair of forceps.

  He clutched his kabashem tighter as blood leaked from her body, pouring down his leg to the ground. She was losing too much blood.

  “There’s a lot of internal damage.” Carin pulled out one slug and wiped the wounds with gauze, then stuck the forceps back in.

  Serenity’s energy stream flickered and dimmed until he could no longer feel her. He searched for a way to connect. But the waves of his energy pool surged beyond her body. There was no perceptible life force he could anchor to.

  “Heal her,” he said, his voice an unfamiliar, pale shadow. Sighing, Carin took out another bullet. “Fragments. There’s another piece still inside.”

  His heart twisted into a throbbing knot, wrenched so taut a spasm seized his chest and he couldn’t breathe. If she died, he’d kill any of those mercs still alive in the warehouse with his bare hands. Then he’d wait at Valhalla for Sekhem to send their battle-guard. He’d tear through as many as possible until they sent him on his way to find his beloved in the afterlife.