Defiance Rising

by Amy Miles

THIRTY

  Eamon is at my side within seconds of Bastien busting through the door. He stares down at Bastien, the emptiness in Eamon’s eyes confirming my worst fears. There is no way Bastien can survive a wound this extensive. “You have to do something,” I plead.

  “I’ll get Kyan. Stay here.” He races out through the door, ducking as Brym unleashes a red laser through the courtyard at a group of black clad Caldonians breaching the far side.

  Bodies lie face down across the camp, the melting snow dotted with bright crimson. I shove the door closed just before a laser slams into the doorframe mere inches from my face.

  “Hold on, Bastien. Kyan is coming.” I lift his shirt and gag at the sight of the torn flesh across his abdomen. This is not a laser wound…it looks like he has been hacked by a serrated blade.

  His breathing becomes dangerously shallow, so I shake his shoulders and pat his face, praying to get a response. “What is taking Eamon so long?” I cry.

  I rip off the bottom of my shirt and press it against Bastien’s wound. I shudder at the squelching sound and the warmth of his blood as it rapidly soaks through the material. He won’t last long at this rate.

  Kyan! I need you!

  The wooden cabin creaks as a violent vibration ripples through the ground. My blood runs cold. “Oh god! The machines!”

  Kyan! My scream is met only with silence. I lay Bastien’s head on the floor and race for the nearest cot, yanking a sheet and pillow off. I race back to his side, slip the pillow over his stomach, then lace the sheet under his back, and tie my makeshift tourniquet tightly in place. It won’t last long but maybe it can help prolong his life until Kyan arrives.

  “I’ve gotta get you out of here,” I grunt as I wrap Bastien’s arm over my shoulder and try to lift him. I half carry, half drag him to the door. As I reach for the latch, the door bursts inward and Toren and Aminah dive to the side to avoid hitting me.

  “Eamon sent us,” Aminah gasps, clutching her side. “Kyan has sounded a retreat. There are too many of them.”

  “Drakon?” I ask Toren. He nods, his face grim and streaked with blood.

  “We have to fall back to the emergency camp,” Toren explains, grabbing Bastien from my arms. “Do you remember how to get there?”

  I nod. “He won’t last long without Kyan. Just get him there, ok?”

  Toren grips my shoulder. “I will do my best. Take care of Aminah till I get back.”

  With Bastien cradled across his arms, Toren blurs out the door and I breathe a sigh of relief. At least Bastien is out of harm’s way. I slam the door and slide down the wall beside Aminah. “You ok?”

  Her face is pallid, her delicate fingers twisting knots in her shirt. “I saw Zahra fighting with one of them. I didn’t see…” she trails off into whimpering silence. Her chin quivers as tears stream down her face.

  I pull her to me, resting my head atop hers. Precious, fragile Aminah doesn’t belong here…but I do.

  Aminah begins to hum, plugging her ears against the screams outside. I look toward the window, feeling trapped. I should be out there fighting.

  I fling open the door at the sound of a cry just below our cabin steps. A tall, ginger haired alien falls to a red laser. Aminah begins to hyperventilate behind me as she peers past to see dozens of our new allies staring lifelessly at the sky.

  I watch as Balan, one of Kyan’s best warriors throws himself over a man and disappears from sight. I have never been so grateful for his teleportation gifts as I am right now. Within seconds, the two of them will reappear in the safe zone, more than ten miles from this battle. Knowing Jardin, he’s out there in the fray, completely invisible to the naked eye.

  “I need to fight.” I turn and look to Aminah. Fear widens her eyes. “Our men are being slaughtered. Maybe I can give them time to retreat.”

  “You can’t!”

  She shrieks, covering her face as Toren bursts through the door, slamming it shut behind him. He instantly drops to Aminah’s side, soothing her. “It’s just me.”

  Lifting her into his arms, he waits for me to open the door. “I’ll be back for you.”

  I shake my head. “This is where I belong. I can slow them down.”

  Toren hesitates, obviously concerned by what I might be capable of now that Bastien is lying on his death bed. He grinds his teeth but nods in agreement. “Give ‘em hell!”

  “You got it,” I call as he disappears with Aminah in his arms. I poke my head around door, ducking low to get a lay of the land. Nothing looks the same. Smoke lingers in the air like a thick fog. Moaning rises from the smoke. The scent of burned skin and hair makes my stomach roil.

  The ground is a near constant rumble now. Judging by the loud splintering of wood in the distance, the spider drones aren’t too far behind the Squaddies.

  “Watch out!”

  I react instantly, throwing myself off the porch as a large fireball slams into the cabin, exploding in a rain of slivers. I shield my head, crying out as the splinters bury deep into my flesh.

  I crouch, choking on the thick smoke enveloping me. Blinking does nothing to help the stinging in my eyes as I rise to my feet. My ribs hurt, along with my head, but I push the pain aside.

  With a loud crash, the first metallic spider leg pierces through a cabin roof on the southern edge of camp. It’s giant cannon swivels toward the cabin beside it. Anger simmers in my belly as I watch my home go up in flames, and hear the cries of the dying all around me.

  Dark clouds roll in, bringing with them a downpour. The fires are instantly quenched, the smoke disperses and I am left with a gruesome view of Drakon’s handy work. We lost more men than I thought.

  A flash of blue streaks across the courtyard, snagging my attention. I duck and race after Zahra, sure that Kyan won’t be too far behind. I leap over a red laser that burrows into the growing mud and slide to a halt at the foot of the dining hall. Eamon has Zahra’s hand grasped in his, peeking around the far corner.

  “Get down!” I tackle him to the ground as a red laser slams into the wall behind him. Zahra screams and clings to Eamon.

  “Where’s Kyan?” I shout, rolling off Eamon to let him sit up.

  “Gone.” Zahra’s lips quiver. She looks like a drowned cat with her hair and clothes plastered to her body like a second skin. “They took him.”

  Thunder rumbles loudly overhead as I scream, slamming my fist against the wall. Kyan was Bastien’s only shot. “I have to go after him.”

  “No!” Eamon pulls me back. “They teleported him out of here. Drakon’s not going to let you within five miles of him. That’s why he was here.”

  I turn slowly to stare at him. “Drakon is here? In person?”

  “Was,” he corrects, looking increasingly worried that he just made a big mistake in telling me that.

  I grit my teeth, fight against the urge to race straight into the City, and retrieve Kyan myself. “Toren will be back soon. See to it that he gets you and Zahra out of here.”

  “I’m not leaving you.”

  “This isn’t up for discussion, Eamon,” I state emphatically, shoving his arm off.

  “You’re right.” He glares right back. “It’s not.”

  I stare him down, annoyed that he’s pushing the issue, but I finally relent. “Fine. Then get her out of here and meet me at the armory. We’re gonna need what weapons are left to bust Kyan out.”

  Three more machines pulverize the tree line at the base of camp, sending us sprawling to our bellies. The ground quakes as they smash through the outhouse and move on toward the far row of cabins, lasers blazing through the rain. Steam fills the air in their wake.

  The center spider swivels and locks us in its target. Run! Kyan’s booming command has me on my feet before the crimson laser even begins charging. I grab Zahra’s arm and drag her out of the way, Eamon close on our heels.

  The explosion slams us t
o the ground. My body sinks into the rising muck as razor sharp debris falls around us. A thick cloud of sawdust hangs in the air around us.

  “Illyria!” Eamon rushes to my side, pulling charred boards off my back. “I’ve got you.”

  His words come out in a jumbled mess as I pound my ear to still the loud ringing. Eamon lifts me into his arms and races toward Zahra. She lies nearly comatose near the medical cabin, one of the few buildings still standing.

  Eamon sets me down and shakes my shoulders. His hair is plastered to his forehead, dripping red tinted drops onto his nose. He is hurt. I can see the blood seeping up from the crown of his head.

  “I’m fine.” I struggle to rise to my feet. “Just a little shaken is all. I heard him, Eamon. I heard Kyan.”

  “That’s not possible,” Zahra gasps, coming out of her shocked state. “He’s too far away by now.”

  “I know what I heard. He’s still alive.” For the first time in my life, I reach over and give Zahra’s hand a squeeze. “He’s gonna be fine.”

  She nods, surprised that I’d offer her comfort. “Thanks.”

  “What are you doing just sitting here?” Toren grinds to a halt just behind me, taking in our battered appearance.

  “Take Zahra to the safe zone and then come back. We need to gather the weapons,” I tell him, crawling up the wall to support myself. “Eamon and I will create a diversion until you get back.”

  “It’ll take me longer in this rain,” Toren states as he pulls Zahra into his arms. “Is this your doing?”

  I shrug. “Wouldn’t be surprised.”

  Grabbing Eamon’s arm, I yank him down the side of the medical cabin and pause at the end, surveying the war torn yard before me. The aliens seem to be congregating off to our left. They have yet to reach the armory, but it’s only a matter of time. If they do, all our planning is for nothing.

  The overhang above gives us a brief respite from the driving rain. I’m pleased to see that even Drakon’s men are slipping and sliding in the mud. Eamon presses against my back, peering over my head. “We’ll never make it without them seeing us.”

  Two machines lie beyond the soldiers, trampling everything in their path. The hum of lasers sounds like a swarm of bees. “We need a distraction.”

  “No, no way! I’m not going to let you go out there.”

  I turn and place my hands on his chest. “You know I can do this. If we don’t get those guns we can’t save Kyan. You know I need his help.”

  Eamon’s face crumples under the full weight of my words. He knows I’m right. I can handle this…without him. I lift up onto my tiptoes and place a kiss on his lips. “I’ll be careful.”

  “Ha!” He snorts. “Why don’t I believe you?”

  I grin and race out through the driving rain and straight into the heart of my enemy.

  “It’s the girl!” a soldier shouts, raising the alarm. “She’s to be taken alive!”

  The alien’s chest is emblazoned with the familiar crimson moons, but this one is encircled by three red stars. I’m guessing he is someone important.

  “Where is Drakon?”

  He stiffens at my condescending tone. “Commander Drakon is not here at the moment. He returned to interview the traitor. Once he is done with your friend’s mind, there won’t be much left.”

  A low growl rumbles in my chest. I glare at the tall alien, staring openly at the deep red gashes across his face that disfigure him. “If Drakon wants me so badly, why didn’t he stay to capture me himself? Instead he sent you.”

  I walk into the center of circle the aliens quickly form around me. They stand rigidly, their guns poised and ready.

  The Caldonian’s smile is lacquered with hate. “Obviously he didn’t feel you were important enough for his personal attention.”

  I glare back, imagining several different forms of torture for him. “If Drakon touches one hair on Kyan’s head─”

  “You’ll do what? Glare at me?” He openly mocks. Chuckles rise all around me.

  I laugh and cross my arms over my chest. “He hasn’t told you who I am, has he, Scar Face?”

  The flesh around the man’s wounds turns deep red with anger. “How dare you!”

  “No!” I shout, planting my feet. “How dare you! You come into my home and attack my friends? Drakon left you all here to die.”

  Only the sound of the driving rain can be heard now. Apparently, I got their attention. “Strong words for a girl who is unarmed and all alone.”

  I smirk and toss my drenched hair over my shoulder. “Only a fool would think me unarmed.”

  “I see no gun, no knife, no weapon at all.”

  I lean forward slightly. “The Shadow Walker doesn’t need physical weapons.”

  The murmurs of the men around me rise as many of them take a step back. I can feel their fear mounting.

  “The Shadow Walker is a myth,” Scar Face spits.

  “I beg to differ.” The men shift uneasily as I lift my hands out. Energy courses through my body and sparks flicker along my skin.

  “Be careful, my dear. Electricity and water don’t mix well.” The man taunts.

  “Not a problem,” I sneer back. I wave my hands overhead and a nearly transparent dome forms overhead, sealing everyone inside. Rain pelts loudly from above, but not a drop slips through. Water gushes like a waterfall over the sides, cascading to the ground.

  “Hold your ground!” Scar Face yells as his men scatter. “It’s a parlor trick. She’s trying to scare you.”

  The soldiers fall back into place as the hum of charged lasers doubles in volume. I grin and twirl around to look each man in the eye. “I think your men believe in the Shadow Walker now.”

  Scar Face casts a glance back over his shoulder as two spider drones approach the invisible barrier. When he turns back to me, his smirk reeks of confidence. “We can do this the easy way or the hard way.” He raises his weapon to aim directly at my heart. “Personally I hope you choose the hard way.”

  “Then today is your lucky day.” I stand my ground as he trains his sights on me. He stares down the barrel of his gun, unnerved by my lack of concern.

  “Only a fool would stand off against Commander Drakon’s army. He has never lost.”

  I shrug and plant my hands on my hips. “That’s because he hasn’t come up against me yet, but trust me, I am coming for him.”

  He fingers the trigger with gleeful anticipation. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” I advise. “I assure you, I am capable of much more than mere tricks.”

  Scar Face glowers at me. His soldiers brace for impact as a green light spirals out of the end of his weapon. I raise my hand and cast it aside with little thought. It slams into an alien’s chest to my right, dropping him woodenly to the ground.

  “How’d you do that?” The first hint of fear seeps into Scar Face’s voice.

  “She is the Shadow Walker.” The murmur spreads like wildfire through the men. Many of them turn tail and run. The dome ripples as they flee into the woods.

  “Seems they believe me now.”

  “Stop!” He bellows, waving his arms at his men. “I order you to stop!”

  The Caldonians hardly acknowledge his shouts as they run full out, leaving their leader behind. “It’s just you and me.”

  With a jerk of his hand, the spider drones lurch into action, bearing down on us. “I think not.”

  I glance over my shoulder at the armory and find the door closed. It’s impossible to tell if Eamon is still inside or if he and Toren got away safely. I have no choice but to hold my ground. I eye the approaching monsters with feigned disinterest, although my pulse thumps madly against my neck. “Do you honestly think they will slow me down?”

  Scar Face throws back his head and cackles. It sounds rough and gritty. “You’ve got guts, but you’re a bit too cocky for your own good.”

  Two massive can
nons swivel, locking me in their targets. Diverting a small laser is one thing, but diverting one of those is a whole other story. Everything within me shouts to run, but I can’t risk them hitting the armory. I have to draw their fire. I open my stance and brace for a fight that I know I might not win.

  Gut wrenching shrieks fill my mind, driving me to my knees. The world spins before me as pain blisters my mind. I claw at my head, wishing I could dig the pain out. My heart plummets as I recognize my name being called over and over again.

  Kyan! Oh God, what are they doing to you?

  Get out of my mind. He’ll sense you! Kyan’s howl is fierce, deafening.

  I’m coming for you. I promise I will make Drakon pay!

  No! Kyan screams. You can’t come here. You’re not ready.

  I’m physically thrown back as Kyan shoves me out of his mind. I shake my head, fighting to still a shudder as the echoes of Kyan’s screams reverberate through my thoughts. Rage burns in my chest and the whispers rise, sealing out everything else. I grasp hold of the power, embracing the Shadow’s thirst for revenge.

  I rise slowly to my feet, my hands and clothes matted with mud. My vision darkens as my pupils melt into liquid black. “Drakon just made a huge mistake,” I growl.

  “Attack!” The cry comes from behind the machines. Scar Face, with all of his blustery bravado, has fallen behind his safety net.

  I slash my hands down to my sides and wide slits appear in the first machine. The metal groans as it is peeled back to reveal a soldier within. He scrambles out of his seat as I raise my hands again. With a crunching of bones, the alien lands in the mud, groaning as he cradles his broken ankle. I lift the machine into the air and toss it aside. It crashes through thirty feet of trees before coming to rest, lying on its side, the crimson core flickering out of existence. Only a cold shell remains.

  A second machine takes it place. It’s cannons boil over as I hold my hands out before me and close my fists, twisting my hands around. As the laser spirals down the cannon, the metal twists, sealing the flame within.

  I duck as the machine explodes. White-hot metallic debris rains down around me. A small shield replaces the towering dome to protect me from the shards as they pelt the ground.

  “Is that the best you can do?” I scream.

  Scar Face turns and flees, sounding a retreat to any Caldonians that may be left. I sink to my knees as I pull away from the Shadow. It gives up control, but not without making its lingering presence known. It has left, but has not gone far.

  I hang my head in the fading drizzle, breathing deep as exhaustion tugs me to the ground. I flop onto my back, gasping for breath.

  “Illyria!”

  Eamon rushes toward me, his feet splashing in the puddles as he dives for me. “Are you alright?”

  I nod. “Tired.”

  He pulls me into his arms, patting my face as my eyes begin to fall closed. “Wake up, Illyria. I have to get you to Bastien.”

  “Bastien?” I rouse just enough to wince at the reminder of his wounds. “Is he…”

  “No,” Eamon shakes his head. “But it won’t be long. You have to help him.”

  “I…I can’t. I don’t know how to heal him.”

  Eamon cups my face, forcing me to focus on him. “You have to try. If you can’t heal him, he’s going to die.”