by CR Barlow
"Good job, witch! Look at that, you've managed to capture one all by yourself."
"It's only a baby." Ingrid kept her spell in place, pushing outwards against the force field now. "We can't take it."
Gelron snorted. "Of course we can. The adults always come after the babies. We'll get enough venom to buy a small asteroid because of this thing. And you caught the little stinger by yourself. I'm impressed. I honestly thought you would be dead by now. You look so soft and delicate."
"Let it go." Ingrid gritted her teeth, struggling to expand her magical sphere, to keep the force field from crushing the baby. She knew that it wouldn't kill the tiny creature, but it would hurt.
Gelron shook his head. "Don't get all emotional on me, witch. We made a deal. You'll get your gallon of venom. It's not like they're sentient beings, anyway. Come on. We have to get it back to the ship to set the traps for the adults that come for it."
"No!" Ingrid clenched her fists.
Gelron's eyes narrowed at her. He stepped forward, a snarl twisting his lip. "We made a deal, witch. Don't think you can back out of it."
"I didn't sign up to kill babies!"
"Kill? Babies are too valuable to kill. We can get more for a live baby then ten gallons of venom. They're a hot commodity. And if you even think of letting it go, I will drag you back to my ship and take you to Earth."
Ingrid's eyes widened.
"That's right, I know who you are. You have a bounty on your head. Alive and unharmed. It'd almost be worth it, taking you back. But you're lucky I hate Harper." Gelron's fingers brushed her neck and she shivered, backing away. "I'd rather spite him than have his money."
"How much does he want for me?"
"Not enough to convince me to let the little stinger go, if that's what you are wondering."
It was. Ingrid struggled against the force field, trying to break it.
Gelron stepped forward, eyes narrowed. "Don't make me your enemy, Ingrid. You'll be wishing to go back to Earth if you cross me."
Ingrid's heart pounded. Spells flitted through her mind, but nothing that would help in this situation. Though she hated herself for it, she released the spell on the baby manticore, letting the force field close in.
Gelron grinned. He walked back to camp, dragging the screaming baby manticore with him. There was no choice but to follow.
Chapter Six
Bile churned in Ingrid's stomach as she listened to the cries of the baby manticore. Once they reached the poacher's ship, Gelron had made her go inside. He didn't lock her in, but she knew he had considered it.
It took them only a couple of hours to set the traps, various force fields ready to be activated as soon as the manticores showed up. Gnash and the other poachers patrolled around the area, waiting and watching, while Gelron strapped the baby manticore to a table just outside the ship, protected by a force field, cutting into the tiny creature to make it scream.
It sobbed just like a human child would, and let out high-pitched cries. Even when Ingrid cast a spell to block out the sounds, she still could still hear it. The bastard was torturing a child!
She paced from one end of the ship to the other, digging her hands into her short brown hair. What was she doing? Was this really worth it? But if she interfered, what would Gelron do to her? She played his threat over and over in her mind. It could mean anything! In any case, she could not go back to Earth, to where her father-in-law was waiting to force her to marry him.
But how much of this could she take?
The baby manticore's face floated into her mind. Would she be sitting here doing nothing if it was a human child? Elf? Orc? Any of the sentient species of the solar system? No. She wouldn't. Ingrid stiffened.
If it had been any other species, nothing would be worth listening to it being tortured. And neither was this. She would not stand by and let the elf torture a child. Nobody knew if manticores were sentient or not, but they could feel pain and she couldn't continue this path.
Lolita had been right. This wasn't who she was.
Ingrid's hands were steady, her eyes steely, as she strode off the ship. She called to her magic, filling her whole body from the soles of her feet to the top of her head with it. Her fingertips pulsed and burned.
Gold and crimson sparks cascaded around her as she stepped from the ship. She let out a breath, calming herself, and as Gelron looked over at her, she flicked her wrist. The magic cut through his force field easily, lifting him from his feet. He flew twenty feet and landed, rolling several times.
The little manticore cried out. The other poachers shouted and raised their weapons, pointing them at her. Ingrid pushed her magic out, sending it out in waves across Uranus' surface. As it touched the poacher's weapons, they exploded. The force field traps laid on the ground popped and smoked.
"Stop!" Gnash cried.
Even as he spoke, there was a rumbling, crashing sound below them. Ingrid stumbled to one side, feeling the ground shift beneath her feet. A dozen manticores burst through the surface, sending showers of dust over the poachers.
Gelron was the first to die.
An orange-yellow manticore twice as big as him pounced on the elf as he scrambled to his feet. Its mouth closed around his head, the razor-sharp teeth severing his spine in one bite. It spat out his head and seized another poacher close by. Two dragons were stung and left to die.
Gnash drew a knife and slashed at the manticores, ducking and weaving through the bodies towards the ship. Ingrid threw her hands out, magically blasting away a manticore that lunged at him.
One came at her and she screamed, throwing a shield between herself and it, but it merely leapt over her. The baby manticore was still mewling, and the adult gathered it into its mouth and dove back beneath the surface.
Gnash was suddenly beside her, his hand on her elbow, dragging her back into the ship. Ingrid shot a bolt of magic at a manticore as it charged them. The magic glanced off its chest. Gnash cursed and pushed her away, off the gangplank. She fell, rolled, and scrambled to her feet to see the manticores all climbing over the ship, tearing chunks off it.
One of them turned to her. Green eyes locked onto hers and Ingrid held out her hands. She meant to form a protective shield between her and the creature, but as it came towards her, slowly, every move deliberate, she found herself unable to. Her hands dropped to her sides.
Intelligence shone from those eyes. They knew exactly what had happened here.
"What have I done?" she whispered.
She'd been taking venom for years now, building her magical strength. How many had died for each injection? There was a reason harvesting manticore venom was illegal, and now she knew.
The creature towered over her, growling low in its chest as it came nose-to-nose with her. She flinched but didn't back down. Tears rolled down her cheeks.
"I'm sorry," she gasped. "I'm so sorry."
The stinger came at her. Before she had time to open her mouth to scream, it plunged into her chest. Fire raged in her heart, spreading rapidly through her limbs.
Power burned through her. It was too much, too hot. Ingrid fell to her knees, screaming, as a rainbow of color swirled around her. Sounds like music and screams crashed into her ears and she saw the universe, every blade of grass, every atom in every star.
She screamed again. It was too much, too bright, too powerful. Gnash's face was twisted as he piloted the ship away, leaving her behind. Lolita looked up from reading a book, feeling a shiver run down her spine. Ashley warded off blows from multiple opponents, teeth bared, determined to prove herself worthy of staying a part of Earth Force. Harper knelt at a grave, weeping.
There were more, confusing images of past, present and future, and Ingrid could not understand it. Edan stared out at the stars. Her head was going to explode and she fell to her knees. The planet beneath her throbbed and she thrust her hands into the frozen soil. She poured her magic out, ripping it through her pores, shooting it through her fingertips. She had to get it all o
ut!
Everything stopped. She felt her heart give a thump and heard her lungs take a single gasp. The manticores gathered around her, whispering to each other. Their gazes were like nails on the back on her neck.
Her body stiffened, every cell swelling, and in a last-ditch effort Ingrid threw her head back, screaming a spell. A sound like the planet cracking in half roared in her ears. Her body drained of its last energy.
Ingrid collapsed, sucking in noisy breaths as darkness closed around her mind.
Chapter Seven
Edan's blue eyes sparkled as he stroked Ingrid's hand. She leaned her head against his shoulder, exhausted from the day they had just enjoyed, touring all the wonders of ancient Earth. They had even been able to write their names at the entrance to the old grottos that held the first works of art their ancient human ancestors had ever created.
"How was your day?" he whispered.
"Amazing." Ingrid smiled at him. "I'm exhausted, though."
Edan pressed a kiss to the top of her head, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "Exhausted enough to sleep with me tonight?"
Ingrid gave him a dirty look. "I love you, but I'm not going to sleep with you until we're married."
She thought of Lolita and a flash of pain stabbed into her. When she returned to Earth, she had tried to tell Edan about her lover, but he wouldn't hear any of it, satisfied that it was over and she would never be with Lolita again.
"How about engaged? Officially, I mean," Edan said, interrupted her thoughts.
Ingrid raised her head as she felt something press into her hand. She gasped at the ring. The diamond was the size of her thumbnail. "Edan!"
"You said you'd marry me when I took you from Pluto. So let's make it official. Get my father's seal of approval. Let's get married."
Ingrid slid the ring onto her finger. She smiled up at Edan–and her face fell into horror. Fire curled around his skin, melting his face off. Ingrid screamed as Edan burst into flames, disintegrating before her eyes.
"What's the matter?" Lolita turned her away, catching her face in her hands.
"Edan," Ingrid sobbed.
"Don't worry about him." Lolita giggled. "It's your turn."
They were sitting in their little outpost station. Lolita was bundled head to toe in parkas, wrapped in an extra blanket. Ingrid shivered, moving a little closer to the heater. She looked over the cards in her hands. It was a good hand, but she didn't know if she wanted to win. They were deciding who would get transferred out when their shift out here was done, and she didn't want to leave.
"Lolita," she stared hesitantly, blushing at the smile her friend gave her.
"Yes, Ginny?"
Ingrid's insides glowed. She loved that nickname. It made her feel so special. "I don't want to go back to Earth. I want to stay here with you."
Lolita flushed as well. Her gaze dropped to the cards in her hand. A blue tinge started to color her cheeks and she looked up again, eyes widening in horror.
"Ingri—"
Ice closed over her face, frosting her eyes, her lips frozen mid-word. Ingrid couldn't breathe, she tried to reach out for Lolita, tried to scream her name, but nothing would come out. Her hand inched forward and Edan took it, pressing her palm to his lips.
"I love you so much," he whispered.
"No," Ingrid whimpered. She couldn't see him die again! "No, get away from me."
She killed everything she loved.
Edan's hands brushed against her neck. His mouth pressed to hers, bringing her closer. Ingrid was powerless against him. Even though she tried to push him away, tried to save him from her, she couldn't, and found herself drawn even closer.
"Can you believe it? After all these years, we're still in as much love as we were when we last saw each other."
"Lolita," Ingrid blurted, and Edan pressed a finger over her mouth, silencing her.
"Lolita isn't here. She was your companion in isolation. You were afraid you were going to die, and she was the only one with you. I understand why you were with her, but it wasn't love. It was never love. What we have, that's love."
He held up a necklace of rubies and sapphires. Ingrid sobbed, shaking her head, trying desperately to break free from him before it was too late. But he put the necklace around her neck and kissed her again. The necklace writhed like a snake, getting tighter and tighter. Edan's hands clasped her wrists, backing her up to the wall. He thrust his hips forward. She couldn’t breathe, the necklace choking the life out of her.
"We love each other," Edan whispered once more.
"I love you!" Tears ran down Lolita's cheeks, she reached for Ingrid's hands but Ingrid couldn't feel them.
Ingrid gasped for breath, trying to tell her to run, to leave before the necklace choking her wrapped around Lolita's throat too. Her lungs screamed for breath, dark spots swam before her eyes.
Lolita clung to Ingrid, pushing against the invisible barrier between them. "I love you! I know you love me, too. I know you love him, but that doesn't mean you love me any less! Tell me! Tell me, please!"
If she could force the words out, this noose around her neck would loosen. Ingrid opened her mouth, trying to speak, but nothing happened. The necklace cut into her skin, threatening to sever her head from her body. Her eyes bulged.
Lolita grabbed her head, pressing an open kiss to her mouth. The necklace snaked down Ingrid's arms, stopping her from embracing the other witch. Tears pooled in her eyes as Lolita pulled back, her face stained red.
"Was it all a lie?" Lolita whispered, her skin turning ashen. Her eyes went red and a fountain of blood erupted from her mouth.
"Enough!" Ingrid fell to her knees, ripping the necklace away from her neck. "No more! No more! I love you both! I love you both!"
Arms wrapped around her, rocking her back and forth. Ingrid didn't know who it was and she didn't care. She just wanted this to end. She clung to the person, sobbing, letting their warmth into her freezing blood.
"I didn't mean to hurt you. I didn't mean to hurt either of you. I'm sorry. I'm sorry."
A hand stroked her hair, a voice whispered in her ear. "It's okay. Everything is going to be okay. I won't let anything happen to her."
Ingrid tried to tell the voice that she wasn't the one in danger, but her head felt heavy. Her tongue was swollen in her mouth, and everything went black. She spiraled into the darkness, and suddenly light stabbed into her eyes.
They flickered open to find wide eyes staring directly into hers.
Chapter Eight
The first thing Ingrid realized when she opened her eyes was that she was alive. After a second it occurred to her that of course she was alive, because if she was dead, she wouldn't be opening her eyes. Her head felt muddled, though, so she abandoned that line of thinking.
The second thing she noticed was that she was not laying on Uranus' surface, waiting to be eaten by manticores. Instead, she was tucked into a bed, with the blankets pulled up to her chin. Her armor had been removed, and a cool cloth lay over her forehead. Had Gnash come back for her?
"You're awake." The feminine voice was full of relief.
Ingrid jerked upright. She gasped, expecting some sort of pounding nausea in her head, but she felt fully awake and perfectly fine. Lolita rushed to her side, putting her hands on Ingrid's shoulders.
"You need to rest. You were stung by a manticore, it's a miracle you're alive."
Ingrid stared at Lolita's beautiful face, her concerned blue eyes, the delicious, kissable mouth. For a moment all Ingrid wanted to do was kiss her, but she got hold of herself quickly. "You came back for me."
"Against my better judgement," Lolita said with a half-smile. "But I thought about you alone on that hunt, and I got worried. You don't have very good fighting skills, and I was afraid that you'd get stung… I guess that worry came true."
"Yeah," Ingrid agreed.
She flexed her hands, looking down at them. There was a strange vibration in all her cells, something that filled her with ener
gy. It was familiar, but more powerful than she had ever felt before.
Sliding off the bed, she strode over to the pile of armor lying on the floor. Lolita asked her what she was doing, but she didn't want to answer–she just wanted to see if she was right. Her hands trembled as she picked up her sword and concentrated on it.
White-green flames flickered over the blade, and the metal turned from a dull steel to vibrant gold. Alchemy was a very difficult spell to master. Even the most potent alchemists could only change small amounts of metal without getting exhausted, but Ingrid changed all her armor in a matter of seconds, and still felt full of energy.
"The venom really improved my powers," she said, turning back to Lolita.
The other woman's face was pale, her jaw hanging open. And no wonder–what Ingrid had just done should be impossible.
"That's... amazing," Lolita breathed.
"The others who were stung died. Why did I survive?"
Lolita stretched out her hands, slowly as though she didn't dare actually touch Ingrid, but her fingers closed around Ingrid's, cool and calming. "Probably because you already have magic and it wasn't suddenly and violently thrust into your system."
Ingrid nodded. That made sense. She felt like she could do anything–destroy a star, create a planet. She was a goddess in her own skin, and if Lolita hadn't been right there, holding her hands, it would have terrified her.
Her dream came to her mind and she shivered. It had just been hallucinations caused by the venom. And yet, there had been bits and pieces that were from real life. It had all felt so bizarrely real, even as she remembered that the necklace Edan actually gave her did feel a little too snug. She let out a shuddering breath, and shivered again when Lolita stepped away from her.
Ingrid opened her mouth, to tell her former lover the dream, but Lolita spoke before she did.
