“Use your sword, cut them into pieces!”
Fate tried to tighten her grip, but the hilt of the sword slid against her sweaty palm. “I can’t do it!” Her whole body shuddered. “The thought of slicing through their gummy skin and seeing all that goop spill out makes me want to hurl!”
Jessie checked Wodrid for any signs of life. Satisfied he wasn’t a threat anymore, she holstered her gun, drew her sword and slashed the head off the nearest worm. The worm vanished in a puff of green mist. “See? No goop.”
Fate shook with unbridled relief. “I’m on it.” She sliced through a worm wriggling next to her ankle. When it dissolved into harmless, green vapor, she went berserk on the remaining worms. Panting, she wiped the sweat from her brow when she was done and grinned. “Well that was therapeutic.”
Jessie smiled back as she cut Gerdie’s bonds. “Glad to see you’re over that silly phobia.” She rolled her eyes. “Of all the things to be afraid of.”
Fate frowned at her. “You were there, and you know what happened with the worms. I was traumatized for life. And don’t tell me you wouldn’t have reacted the same–”
Gerdie removed the gag from her mouth. “Kaliena. She’s here too!”
Fate glanced over her shoulder. “Where?”
Gerdie’s brown eyes grew wide with fear. “There! Behind you.”
Fate turned as the clatter of metal against stone echoed throughout the chamber. A mechanical aberration shaped like a long beetle or centipede, with too many legs to count, scrabbled from the alcove. The thing stopped abruptly when it came to Wodrid’s limp form. It reared upright, revealing Kaliena’s torso, which crowned the top portion of the freakish contraption. Her six arms swayed in a hypnotic rhythm as she peered down at Wodrid.
Fate’s breath came in ragged starts as she scrambled to make sense of what she was seeing. Countless metal tubes from the lower mechanics were plugged into Kaliena’s back and into an ornate but functional helmet formed in the shape of outspread wings. Her complexion was paler than Fate remembered, waxen and tinged with a web of fine blue veins, which glowed beneath her translucent skin.
Fate stepped next to Jessie, her sword in one hand as she reached with the other for her laser gun.
“That’s not the Kaliena I remember seeing. What’s with the creepy, crawly bug thingy she’s attached to?” Jessie said, voicing Fate’s thoughts out loud.
Fate stared at the monstrosity. “Looks like she had to move from the shrine’s life support to something more mobile.”
Gerdie edged in between them. “She may be weak, but she’s got the Orb, and now she wants the Rod,” she warned. “Please tell me you didn’t bring it.”
Fate gulped as her hand reached automatically for the chain holding the Rod beneath her armor.
“Terrific,” Gerdie muttered.
Seeing Kaliena was still distracted with Wodrid, Fate chanced a glance at Finn.
Gerdie patted her arm. “He’s just knocked out.”
Fate swallowed down the painful lump in her throat. “Go check on him while we keep Kaliena busy.” She scooped her laser gun off the floor.
Gerdie nodded and slipped over to Finn.
Fate and Jessie advanced on Kaliena with laser guns blazing. The killing beams drilled into her pallid skin, but not with the desired effect. She was lighting up and appeared to be absorbing the energy.
Kaliena reared her head, glaring at them with eyes as empty and black as space.
“Scrap that.” Fate holstered her gun. “Switch to blades.”
They split up, circling round Kaliena from opposite ends. Kaliena leveled her steely gaze on Fate. Her vulnerable form was too high for Fate to reach with her sword. She wished she’d brought the crossbow after all.
Jessie jumped onto the back of the mechanical centipede, climbed the rise and swiped her sword at Kaliena from behind. It was a good move, but not quick enough. Kaliena twisted round, jerking Jessie’s lower half out from under her before the blade could meet its mark. Jessie hit the floor hard with an impact that left her gasping. Kaliena climbed over Jessie, pinning her under the carriage of machinery before she could get away.
Kaliena turned her attention to Wodrid. Using her lower centipede limbs, she lifted Wodrid off the floor, raising him along each set of legs until she held him cradled at her waist. Her smooth, expressionless face twisted with rage as she looked up from Wodrid and glared at Fate. “You know better than most, there’s no destroying true love.” Her voice roared with power and sheer volume.
This sudden woman-to-woman chat startled Fate. Her gaze darted to Finn, and in that instant, she knew exactly what Kaliena meant. She was a woman in love, and she would do whatever it took to keep her man safe.
Fear flooded through Fate as she watched Kaliena swing the Orb over Wodrid. She was using it to bring him back to life. Only he wouldn’t actually be alive. He’d be a zombie the same way Brune had been.
As the Orb’s golden light fell over Wodrid’s body, he convulsed and came to life in her mechanical embrace. Kaliena took the chain holding the Orb and clasped it around his neck. “This will keep you here with me, my love,” she said to him before lifting her black gaze to look at Fate. “But now we must have the Rod for the everlasting life we both deserve.”
“Over my dead body,” Fate seethed.
“This can be arranged.” Kaliena gently set Wodrid on his feet.
“How? By sicking your zombie boyfriend on me?” Fate glared at Wodrid.
He frowned with confusion, obviously still dazed. He started to speak, when Kaliena cut him off.
“He’s sacrificed enough. I’ll deal with you myself.” She reached at her sides and drew six sabers from the scabbards built into her machinery. Rearing back and raising the front legs of the machine, she whipped the blades in the air expertly.
Fate edged backward as Kaliena crabbed sideways and stepped off Jessie. “Jess, get out of there!” she yelled.
Jessie stood, but stayed next to Kaliena. She wore a blank look on her face and her Dragon Eye headgear was haloed in blue-green light.
A chill ran through Fate as she remembered how Jessie had tripped near Kaliena’s shrine when they’d fought the scavenger. Jessie’s headgear had fallen into the luminescent liquid filling the runnels of the shrine floor. Neither of them had given it any concern beyond that moment. But they should have. This was the liquid that had poured from Kaliena’s hands and it must have contaminated the headgear. “Jess?” she cried out. “Are you still with me?”
Jessie didn’t answer.
Kaliena smiled coldly at Jessie. “She’s under my control. Mine to command as I please.” Her black gaze shifted to Fate. “Hmm, you two have a long history with each other. I sense a deep bond. Give me the Rod, and I’ll let you have her back.”
Indecision locked Fate in place. If she gave the Rod to Kaliena, the entire universe would suffer. But how could she sacrifice Jessie? They weren’t just friends. They were sisters. No one should ever have to make such a horrible choice.
Turmoil turned to outrage and exploded into a fit of blind hatred. Cutting tight lines in the air with her sword, Fate charged at Kaliena.
Three blades deflected the blow, while another set of blades swiped down. Fate arched backward, barely escaping the slice of three razor-sharp tips at her neck.
Kaliena screamed in defiance and frustration. “Try what you will. I’ll have your head and take the Rod from your severed neck!”
Terror surged through Fate as she parried Kaliena’s swift, precise attacks. The force behind each strike jarred Fate to the bone, despite the strength gained from her cybernetic armor. The effort of blocking three blades at a time weakened her with every blow. There was no way she was going to win this sword fight. Not when it was six swords to her one.
She needed something else to win the battle. But what could she use? Kaliena fed on the energy from the laser gun. All she had was her rifle and deducting fluid cartridges.
Fate ducked low, f
eeling the wind of the blades slicing the air just above her head. A lock of hair fell to the ground. She glared at the unwelcome haircut she’d been given. Anger cut through some of the fear as she dropped and rolled to avoid the next strike.
When Fate righted herself, her glance landed on the machinery Kaliena was plugged into. Most of it was made of iron. Why hadn’t she seen it earlier? Reaching over her shoulder, she drew the rifle and targeted the under carriage supporting Kaliena’s mechanical legs. The gun kicked hard against her shoulder and an explosion of red gas engulfed Kaliena.
With the rifle aimed, Fate stood, ready to fire again.
Kaliena screamed and teetered, her swords flailing as the cloud thinned. The front bottom part of the machine and legs crumbled into rust and fell away. Kaliena’s swords clamored to the ground as she gaped at the damage Fate had caused.
Fate took a step forward. “What was that you were saying? You’ll take my head off? Kind of hard when you’re falling to peices.”
Wodrid raced to stand in front of Kaliena as she struggled to remain upright. He was swinging the Orb and muttering some sort of incantation. Golden light poured from the Orb, pooled at his feet and flooded toward Fate.
Fate had seen Brune do the same with the Orb and she didn’t care for a repeat performance.
In a rush of fear, Fate targeted what was left of Kaliena’s machine and pulled the trigger. Another red gaseous cloud swallowed both Kaliena and Wodrid. Kaliena’s shriek of fury reverberated from behind the misty curtain, while Wodrid’s conjurations seemed to have stopped.
Fate picked up her disgarded sword, intending to run into the cloud and start slashing wildly, but a storm of blue fire dispersed the red gas. Wodrid was thrown aside in a heap, whereas, Kaliena floated in the air above her disintegrated machine. Her cyanotic skin gleamed with the fire raging from her six hands. Malignant wrappings of dark power radiated from her as she turned her vicious gaze on Fate.
Caught off guard by Kaliena’s swift and powerful recovery, Fate scrambled for answers, hoping against hope that a helpful piece of Keep knowledge would kick in and offer a solution. But her mind remained blank. She had nothing to fight with.
48
Forever Cursed
FINN WOKE TO A sharp sting on his cheek. Memory nagged him as he tried to orient himself. Opening his eyes, he glimpsed the blur of a small hand whipping through the air. Jerking his arm to block the blow, he discovered his wrists tied above his head and instead angled his elbow before he received another slap to the face. “Gerdie? Whoa, stop. I’m awake.”
“Finally.” Gerdie’s shoulders hunched with tension. “I’ve been tryin’ to wake you for the last ten minutes. Fate’s in trouble.”
Finn swallowed hard as he stared past Gerdie. He first spotted Wodrid. Something was different about the sorcerer, but the clash of swords drew Finn’s attention to Kaliena, who was heavily armed with six swords. She was fighting a highly skilled fighter in enhanced armor. His heart nearly stopped beating when he recognized Fate.
In that instant, everything else fell away. The sight of her filled all the empty spaces of his heart. For seconds, he remained paralyzed by a battling mixture of joy and disbelief. The only movement was the rise and fall of his chest as he drank her in with thirsty eyes.
His mouth went dry as his mind fogged with desire. She was breathtaking, her movements mesmerizing–a perfect blend of grace and efficiency. His bonnie warrior lass. She wore her strength majestically, stunning in her power.
Gerdie tugged on his shirt. “Snap out of it. Can’t you see Fate’s going to lose? She’s fighting Kaliena.”
Adrenaline blasted through him, clearing his head. He forced his gaze from Fate. “Where’s Jessie? Why isn’t she helping?”
“Kaliena’s using that headgear Jessie’s got strapped round her noggin to control her.”
Finn strained against the ropes, but they were bound too tight. “Reach into my left pocket. Get my buck knife and cut me loose.”
Gerdie retrieved his knife and went to work cutting the bonds. Finn strained forward, anxious to leap into the fray. Terror stretched through him when Kaliena came frighteningly close to slicing Fate’s neck. He watched her recover and block the next strike, but he could see her arms shaking against Kaliena’s tremendous strength.
“Hurry up,” he growled.
“I’m doin’ my best.”
Fate dodged another close call. Finn caught the fear in her eyes. His stomach wound into a tight coil as she drew her rifle and shot at Kaliena’s machine. “That’s my lass,” he whispered.
Kaliena’s shriek filled the underground chamber as he watched the gas particles quickly oxidize her machine and crumble out from under her. “Blast her again,” Finn hissed under his breath. But Fate was waiting for the cloud to dissipate. Then Wodrid raced in, swinging the Orb.
Finn wrenched against the slack in his weakened bond. His left hand fell free. Gerdie moved to his other arm and started sawing at the rope. Relief filled him when Fate shot another round at Kaliena, interrupting Wodrid’s incantation. “Get yourself to the exit as soon you cut me free. You don’t want to be here once I get going.”
Gerdie bent her head to look at him. “You don’t have to tell me. I’ve seen what you can do.”
Finn went rigid with fear when Kaliena dispursed the gas with a blast of enscorcelled flames. The explosion threw Wodrid and he fell a few yards away from Finn. The sorcerer lifted his head and locked eyes with Finn.
Finn yanked at the rope, breaking through what remained of the half cut tether. He looked for Fate, but the gas had drifted and blocked his view. Bolting to his feet, he faced Wodrid as Gerdie ran in the opposite direction.
“Looks like a lot happened while I was resting my eyes. Thanks for that. I needed a wee kip. I feel mighty refreshed.” Finn studied Wodrid, while expanding his senses. The air around him looked gray and felt void of life. “Unlike you. I see you’ve gone and gotten yourself undead. Is that my girl’s work?”
Wodrid stopped a good twelve feet away and sneered at him. “Death won’t stop me. The Orb’s keeping me alive, and once your girlfriend’s dead, I’ll have the Rod and become a god.”
“I thought that was Kaliena’s goal.”
“Enough talk.” Glaring with contempt, Wodrid held his palm out to conjure another fireball.
“Having some trouble there?” Finn glanced past the sorcerer to check on Fate. He still couldn’t see her and that made him all the more nervous. “I imagine it’s tough calling on the elements of fire to move through those shriveling veins.”
Wodrid scowled at his hand. “I still know how to use magic.” He lifted his staff while murmuring an incantation. The jewel at the top of his silver staff lit with gray-green ethereal flames, which ghosted down around him in swirling waves.
“Impressive light show, but what does it do?”
Wodrid gave him a crafty smile. He thrust his staff, unleashing the ghostly fire at Finn. The power hit like an arctic wind, sending him sprawling against the tree roots burrowed into the floor. A barrier of flame rose around Finn, making a noise like scalding steam, only without the heat. Instead, an icy chill pressed in.
A violent shudder as forceful as an earthquake passed through Finn. Frigid air lashed against his skin, bringing with it the smell of death, endings and horrific change. Doom hung over him like a shadow. Fear tormented him as he fought against thinking the things he dreaded most–that Fate would die because he’d underestimated his enemy. That he would die only a few yards away without holding her in his arms ever again.
Wracked with chills and fits of despair, Finn curled into a ball. When he most needed to move, fear seemed to have robbed him of every drop of courage he possessed. He lifted his head, squinting past the crackling wall of flames, straining to catch a glimpse of Fate. The red gaseous cloud had cleared. Kaliena was illuminated with power and hovering above Fate, who for the first time looked helpless. Fate took her eyes off Kaliena and turned to look at
him. Their eyes met and held across the span of space stretching between them.
“Finn!” she cried out.
The sound of her voice sent a surge of strength through his limbs. But it was short-lived. He inhaled terror when Kaliena unleashed spears of blue fire at Fate. Her body went rigid as the barrage of malevolent energy struck her. Time stopped for a heartbeat as the girl he loved dropped to the floor like a fallen bird.
Cold sweat iced Finn’s back as a sickening wave of grief came over him. This couldn’t be happening. Not now. Not when they were this close to reuniting.
Pain and fury lashed through Finn, summoning something deep inside. Something that fed on hatred and retribution. A dark power swelled, pressing in all sides, begging to be set loose. Gripping hold of the roots beneath him, Finn connected with the spirit of the Whitethorn Tree, and he spoke in the clipped language of the Elder race to ask for its help.
The tree’s energy flowed into him, open and welcoming.
He invoked the rune power of Wood. An inner fire blazed at his core, burning off the paralyzing chill and malaise Wodrid’s spell generated. Crimson sparks laced with gold poured from Finn’s mouth, altering the volume of his voice into the roar of giants. Magic flowed through him. As he rose to his feet, he gloried in the expansion of power.
The sorcerer staggered back in fear as the ghost fire dwindled to nothing around Finn.
Unconcerned with Wodrid, Finn fixed his gaze on Kaliena as she continued her fiery attack. With a deafening shout, he commanded the tree to attack.
The floor quaked and cracked open as the tree tunneled through stone. A tangle of roots burst free in an explosion of rubble and dust beneath Kaliena and coiled around her. Finn raised his hand, squeezing as if he held her in his grip and watched the roots tighten. Kaliena’s many arms flailed as she struggled to breathe.
Gerdie shoved him from behind. “Finn, that’s enough! You need to get Fate out of here.”
Finn turned on her. “I told you to leave.”
Gerdie shrank from him. “I’ve seen that black look before, but I hoped I’d never see it again.”
Fate's Keep (Fate's Journey Book 2) Page 37
