Destiny

by A D Starrling

  Ethan caught the weapon and looked at Reynolds. ‘Spread the word! I want everyone spaced out between Alexa and me and ready to drop into a crouch when I say so!’

  Lucas’s eyes widened. He gleaned a sudden inkling of what Ethan intended to do. He glanced at the cloudless sky above them and reluctantly cast the daisho to the ground, his heart thudding against his ribs.

  Reynolds stared at Ethan. ‘I don’t understand—’

  ‘Now, Steve!’ Ethan barked.

  Clatters rose around the battlefield as the Rangers discarded their weapons and packs on Reynolds’s reluctant order.

  Even though she stood over one hundred feet from him, Ethan felt the force of Alexa’s power flow across his skin as she rapidly intensified the energy radiating from her body. He waited until everyone had moved to the safe zone in the middle of the courtyard before taking a shallow breath and letting go of his own power.

  The earth trembled and the air hummed as their combined energies blasted across the compound.

  Conrad clenched his jaw as the violent pressure waves drove his boots into the ground. He watched the super soldiers slip and slide backward in an expanding circle around them.

  ‘Shit!’ Reynolds stared at the sand and dirt dancing in the air. ‘Is it really him doing this right now?!’

  ‘It’s not just him,’ Conrad said.

  Reynolds followed his gaze to the woman at the opposite end of the compound. Tires screeched as two Jeeps shifted across the ground ahead of Alexa.

  ‘Holy hell!’ one of the Rangers shouted, as pale as his companions as they gaped at the two Immortals at the center of the storm battering them.

  Ethan raised the staff in the air and aimed the glinting head of one spear solidly at the sky.

  The action confirmed the suspicion churning in Conrad’s gut.

  Reid swore. ‘Is he trying to—?’

  Ethan inhaled deeply before sending several massive bursts of elemental energy toward the sky.

  He felt them rise and expand rapidly, invisible, curving waves that smashed into the layers of moist, warm air drifting over the valley and drove them up against gravity at thousands of feet per second.

  Thin clouds started to form in the pale blue sky overhead as the wet, hot currents collided with the heavy, cold slipstreams in the upper atmosphere.

  Shocked gasps erupted around him as the clouds grew and merged into one another. Twilight descended across the land, the sun disappearing behind the growing thunderstorm.

  Sweat beaded Ethan’s forehead as he sought out the static charges forming in the middle of the darkening, roiling mass.

  Electricity had never featured highly on the list of elements he’d wanted to master. Although he knew how to short-circuit a flow of electrical current and could manipulate its polarities, he had never tried to directly generate or control it before. Especially not naturally occurring electricity.

  Ethan understood why Anna and Madeleine had asked him to do what he was about to do. If they were right, it would stop the super soldiers in their tracks and give them a fighting chance to defeat them.

  He grimaced. Still, this could hurt like a bitch.

  Lightning flashed and thunder clapped in the angry, gray mantle forming above the valley.

  Deep inside his heart, Ethan felt a flutter of admiration from Jared. He clenched his jaw, concentrated on the positively-charged flow of energy he could sense in the earth beneath his feet, and reached out to the enormous channel of negatively-charged ionized air building inside the thunderstorm.

  Hang onto something, old man.

  Hairs rose on Alexa’s arms. She heard the crackle of static and saw sparks dance along her skin.

  ‘Alexa, lose those blades!’ Ethan shouted. ‘Everyone, get down now!

  Alexa cast her sais away, dropped into a crouch, and covered her head with her arms just as light exploded violently in the sky. Black spots swarmed across her vision. She twisted on her heels and peered toward Ethan through the dust storm whirling across the compound.

  What she saw had her breath locking in her throat.

  A solid bolt of lightning arrowed down from the massive thunderstorm above them to the end of Conrad’s spear. Ethan roared as he guided the electrical discharge into the weapon, the metal tip glowing white hot and the gilded symbols along its length flashing with the same unholy light. He dropped onto one knee and slammed the staff hard into the ground.

  Thunder clapped, the sound so loud Alexa’s ear drums vibrated painfully inside her head.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Westwood blinked.

  ‘An EMP discharge?’ he repeated, not sure if he’d heard the man on the video call correctly.

  Victor nodded on the monitor. ‘Yes.’

  Connelly stared at the Bastian leader, her face pale. ‘You’re saying Ethan Storm created an electromagnetic pulse that took out the super soldiers’ tactical combat uniforms and every electrical device in a two-mile radius, including half the town of Hawthorne and most of the arms depot’s security systems?’

  Victor’s expression remained guarded. ‘The data we retrieved from Jessica Wu’s computer showed that Jonah Krondike and his associates had been experimenting with liquid-armor suits for the last decade, far longer than any other defense contractor in the world. Not only that, their nanotechnology work is also years ahead of anyone else’s and has already been battlefield tested.’

  Westwood ran a hand through his hair. Although he’d seen pictures of the aftermath of the fight at the army facility in Nevada, he still couldn’t believe what had taken place there, nor what Victor Dvorsky was actually telling him right now.

  ‘Why an EMP discharge?’ he asked finally.

  ‘When Dr. Godard and Dr. Black realized that Wu had designed experimental suits that incorporated both technologies, they knew there would only be two ways to neutralize them. Extreme heat or an EMP discharge.’ Victor paused. ‘They have since analyzed the uniforms of the men who attacked the island, the ones that were destroyed by the fire. Their theory that they embodied an early version of Wu’s armor technology has proven to be correct. It’s why Lucas Soul still managed to shoot and stab those particular super soldiers. It seems the armor worn by the men in Nevada was the most advanced version, made for full battlefield conditions, as Dr. Godard and Dr. Black suspected.’

  Victor hesitated. ‘What Ethan did was create an electrical storm with a single powerful lightning strike that generated a natural EMP field. It disabled the nanorobots built into the super soldiers’ combat suits and disrupted the chemistry of their liquid armor. Though I don’t believe it was Dr. Godard and Dr. Black’s primary goal, the EMP burst also deactivated the super soldiers’ neural implants, which made it easier to overpower them afterward.’

  Westwood tried to quell the unease he felt at the staggering scope of the marked Immortals’ ungodly powers. It seems there isn’t much they can’t achieve once they put their minds to it.

  ‘Is this something Storm’s always been able to do?’ he asked.

  ‘No,’ Victor said. ‘It’s the first time he’s ever tried anything like it.’

  A knock sounded at the door of the Oval office. A woman entered, gave a document to Connelly, and exited wordlessly. Connelly flicked through the paperwork with a frown.

  ‘I was right,’ she muttered. ‘It looks like Miller and his collaborators commandeered all communication with the private contractors overseeing the depot via a series of fake military personnel profiles. They probably didn’t know those stockpiles were being stolen.’

  Victor stirred. ‘I believe you have a few of the general’s associates in custody?’

  Connelly nodded. ‘Our investigators found enough in their offices and their financial records for us to question some of them.’ She grimaced. ‘No one has come up with anything that could help us discover the identity of the person Miller was working for, though, or where those children were taken. It looks like Miller’s accomplices were put in charge of
specific details of certain operations but were never given an overview of what the final end game was going to be.’

  Victor gazed at them steadily. ‘Olivia Ashkarov could probably break their minds.’

  ‘I don’t doubt that, Victor.’ Connelly glanced at Westwood and wavered for a moment. ‘But we’ve already tried some of our more—unconventional interrogation methods.’ She grimaced. ‘I truly believe they don’t know any more than what they’ve already revealed.’

  Westwood ran a hand over his eyes and sighed. ‘I’m gonna pretend I didn’t just hear you say that.’

  ‘Sorry, James,’ Connelly murmured.

  ‘How did your conversations with the Russians, the Israelis, and the French go?’ Victor said.

  Westwood grimaced. ‘Like a ton of bricks. The accusations were flying hard and fast after I told them about their subs.’ He let out a heavy breath. ‘They evidently believed me to some extent. I told them there may also be indications of weapons stocks having gone missing. The French and Russian presidents got back to me in the last hour with reports suggesting they’ve had artillery and other hardware stolen from their largest arms depots.’

  Victor frowned at this news. ‘Keep the channels of communication open with everyone, James. I will too. And we should talk to the rest of our allies. We’re going to need everyone on board if this enemy decides to make a major power play.’

  Westwood hesitated. ‘What about Vlašic?’

  Victor’s eyes hardened. ‘Leave him to me.’

  Howard let out a low wolf-whistle as he replayed the satellite imagery from Nevada.

  ‘Now, that’s impressive,’ Laura said dully.

  It was only by reducing the speed of the video to a snail’s crawl that they actually saw the lightning bolt strike the spear held by the man standing in the middle of the compound. He dropped to one knee in slow motion in the milliseconds that followed and drove the weapon into the ground. The resulting electrical discharge exploded violently outward in a complex web above the crouched bodies of the Immortals and their human allies, the currents forking through the air in dazzling, deadly streams that struck the super soldiers in the chest and blew them off their feet.

  Though they rose to fight again in the moments that followed, their movements were not as coordinated as before and they were soon subdued by the Immortals and Rangers encircling them.

  ‘Have you spoken to him?’ Laura said.

  ‘Only briefly.’ Howard smiled as he recalled Ethan’s cranky tone. ‘Reynolds’s men are calling him the Ultimate Power Ranger.’

  Laura grinned. ‘He’s never gonna live that down.’

  Howard chuckled. ‘Yup. Alexa and Conrad are gonna tease him about it for years.’

  Laura walked awkwardly over to a chair and dropped down into it. ‘So, the arms depot really had been raided?’

  Howard pulled a face. ‘I’m afraid so. The NSA’s already started examining their past satellite intel to see where those missing stockpiles have disappeared to. Jordan and I are helping them out, along with Eva and the techs at the Bastian headquarters.’ He looked thoughtfully at the video replaying on the computer screen. ‘And I think I have an idea about those subs.’

  Laura winced and laid her hands on her swollen belly.

  Howard tensed. ‘Hey, you okay?’

  Laura bit her lip. ‘Yeah. Just false labor pains.’ She rubbed her stomach and sighed. ‘This kid is lively.’

  Tomas stared at the pair of imposing, bronze doors opening up ahead of them. His heartbeat echoed in his ears as their guards guided them over the threshold and into the room beyond.

  He had barely had time to register the opulent decor of the suite they had entered before his gaze found the Immortal seated at the table to the right.

  Like Lily, Tomas had become attuned to the rhythm and energies in the complex where they were being kept prisoner. He knew from the number of minds he could perceive on the floors above them that the hour was late. He also sensed that the man who had awakened the kings, the man directly responsible for the attack on their island and their abduction, was not in the facility at this moment in time.

  We must not antagonize him, Tomas.

  Tomas blinked at Lily’s command. He took a shallow breath, the restless agitation winding through him abating under her soothing influence.

  ‘Is that you?’ Crovir asked.

  A shiver ran down Tomas’s spine at the sound of the king’s voice.

  It was raspy and deep, an ancient sound that belonged to a bygone era. It was a voice that spoke of an age when mankind used to revere Immortals as gods.

  Tomas felt the presence of a primitive evil, the same evil he’d sensed the morning the kings had awoken after receiving his and Lily’s blood. He knew then that it had always belonged to the Immortal now observing them with a quiet, frightening intensity.

  ‘I asked if that restful energy was coming from you, child,’ Crovir said in a silky tone.

  Lily swallowed before nodding.

  ‘Yes, it was,’ she said tremulously.

  Crovir watched them for a moment longer before glancing at the guards.

  ‘Leave us,’ he said with a dismissive wave of his hand.

  The soldiers twisted on their heels and exited the chamber.

  Tomas flinched when the doors thudded close behind them, sealing him and Lily inside with the once-dead king.

  He licked his lips and glanced around the room. ‘Where is Bastian?’

  Crovir rose to his feet and crossed the floor, silver and gold glittering in the fabric of his robes as they swished across the marble tiles. He stopped before them and tipped Tomas’s chin up with a finger.

  ‘He is King Bastian to you, child. You will grant him the respect of his stature.’

  Apprehension stabbed through Tomas as he stared into the pale irises above him. They had lost the milky pearliness from that morning and their gray depths now reminded him disconcertingly of his aunt’s deadly, silver gaze. But whereas Alexa King was a fair and just warrior, one who was as capable of love and compassion as she was of indomitable violence, the man scrutinizing him coldly was anything but.

  Tomas clenched his teeth. He would not let the king see his fear.

  A condescending expression dawned on Crovir’s face, as if he had read his mind. ‘I can see the insolence of Mila and the stubbornness of Jared in your gaze, boy.’ He dropped his hand from Tomas’s chin and traced Lily’s cheek with a finger. ‘Your eyes, on the other hand, reflect the kindness of Rafael and the warmth of Navia.’

  He gazed at them for several silent seconds before twisting on his heels and indicating the dishes on the table. ‘Come. Break bread with me.’

  Tomas glanced at Lily. She hesitated before dipping her chin. They followed Crovir and took the chairs he indicated on either side of his seat at the head of the table.

  The food was hot and tasted better than the meals they had been served by their guards.

  ‘What is this?’ Lily said, staring into a glass of red liquid Crovir had poured her.

  ‘It is pomegranate juice with honey,’ the king replied in a magnanimous tone. ‘It is what my—’ he hesitated for a moment, a troubled look flashing in his eyes, ‘—children used to drink when they were your age.’

  Lily took a careful sip. Her eyes widened. ‘It’s nice.’

  She glanced at Tomas. It’s safe. I can’t detect any unusual chemicals in it.

  Tomas acknowledged her words with a blink. He clasped his glass and took a mouthful of the juice.

  ‘You do that a lot,’ Crovir said.

  They gazed at him, puzzled.

  ‘Talk to one another without actually voicing any words,’ the king continued. ‘I believe the word for it these days is…telepathy.’

  Tomas set the glass back down carefully, his gaze riveted to Crovir.

  Lily straightened in her chair.

  ‘Can you read my mind, child?’ Crovir murmured.

  This time, the king directed the
question squarely at Lily.

  Tomas picked up on Lily’s deepening unease as she scrutinized the Immortal’s lined face.

  ‘No, I cannot,’ she admitted.

  Tomas knew his sister wasn’t lying. They had already attempted to breach the walls that protected the king’s consciousness when they had entered the room. They had found his mental shields even more impenetrable than those of the man who had awakened the dead Immortals or the giant super soldiers they had faced in the lab the day before.

  Tomas frowned. With time, he suspected he and Lily could learn to shatter those barriers.

  ‘I have been told that you possess the other gifts of my and Bastian’s children,’ Crovir said. ‘And that your powers may prove even stronger than theirs ever were. I saw the…images from when you fought those soldiers. I have to confess that I was impressed.’

  Tomas remained silent, curious as to the king’s intentions.

  ‘I would like for you to consider becoming our allies,’ Crovir said. ‘If you do, you will be released from your prison and allowed as much freedom as I am able to grant you within the premises of this place. I will also see to it that no harm comes to your family and friends.’ He paused. ‘I believe you and I can go on to achieve great things in this strange new world.’

  Tomas blinked, not sure if he’d heard the king right. ‘You want us to help you?’

  ‘Yes,’ Crovir replied.

  Lily stared unblinkingly at Crovir. ‘To do what?’

  Crovir’s face grew inscrutable.

  ‘Do you desire to reclaim the throne you once sat on and the kingdoms you used to rule alongside your brother?’ Lily said.

  Tomas startled. He glanced at Lily and was stunned by the expression on her face.

  ‘Is that pity I read in your eyes, child?’ Crovir said after a moment, surprise modulating his tone.

  ‘Yes,’ Lily replied quietly. ‘Because I see only darkness in your path.’

  Tomas’s mouth went dry when he read Lily’s intention across their mental bond.