“Who? Who bribed them?” Uvid’s voice was so low, none but Regnig could hear the question.
Regnig leaned into his canes, trying to stay upright on the shifting carpets. He gave the name to the Wibox king. Parker. Dean Parker.
Uvid roared, stalking across the room. He pulled Malir from the pair of Wibox’s grip and shoved Ader. “I gave you an order, and you dare cross me?”
Ader grunted but stood his ground against his liege. “King, we have done nothing wrong.”
“He’s right, Sire. We’ve not crossed you!” Stoden tried to intervene, but Uvid was quick. His blade struck the large Wibox in the throat, the handle sticking out as Stoden rolled over onto his back. The blood seeped into the sand, leaving a dark stain.
Regnig swallowed, knowing that death was on his hands.
Ader was backing away, arms up. “Don’t. I’ve been a faithful servant for my entire life.” He tripped on a carpet’s edge, falling to the ground. The Inlorian bar jostled free, landing beside him. “I can explain! Parker told me not to trust—”
A blast hit Ader in the head, and Regnig glanced to the tent’s entrance to find another Wibox, his gun’s barrel glowing a dull blue. The man had no hair, and burn scars across most of his face.
“Cillen. You may be my only true constant. First you bring me the sacrifice, tricking this supposedly brilliant alliance, then you kill my enemy. Here.” Uvid leaned over, picking up the bar. Everyone in the room gasped when he tossed it to Cillen. “This is for you. Seal down the camp. Go and lock up any known assailants of Ader’s, in case there’s fallout. Tomorrow has to be perfect.”
Regnig watched as four simple soldiers entered, dragging the two dead bodies out of the tent.
“Thank you,” Uvid told Regnig. “I’ll keep you around.”
Regnig glanced at Fronez, who glared angrily at him.
It was going to be a long night.
Twenty-Two
I looked at the group of soldiers and wondered if it was overkill. Fifty of Magnus’ best were lined up, each in armored suits, adorning the newest iteration of the jetpack. I wore one on as well, and Mary passed a weak smile as she sealed her helmet. Her brown hair was tied back, and I fought the urge to tell her I’d do anything she asked when we returned home, because I knew there would always be another adventure.
“Did you hear from your father yet?” I asked Suma.
“No. He said he’ll meet us if he can,” Suma answered.
I watched her for anything that might indicate she was keeping a secret from me. The fact that Shimmal had been on the list of Sect members had me on edge. If they were donating to Ovalax, Sarlun would know. He was one of my closest allies, and I couldn’t imagine him doing it without just cause.
Rivo walked across the grounds, wearing her gear. “I’m glad you’re coming,” I said.
“So am I. I’ve had enough boardrooms and stuffy negotiation meetings. Time to fly for a bit.” Rivo grinned, her expression so genuine it hurt.
We were all here. Sergo and Walo chatted near the edge of the round portal stone. Slate and Magnus were combing last-minute details about drone deployment, while Loweck talked with the hybrid, Leslie.
Ableen was at home with the kids, Hugo with her once again, while the students hunkered down at the Academy until this was finished with.
“Dean, I’ll be prepared to assist with any medical concerns,” Nick told me. Clare was behind him, nervously tapping her foot. She hadn’t been in a conflict zone for years.
“You guys don’t have to join us, you know.”
“We want to.” Clare strode away.
“She okay?”
“We’re all just worried about Regnig. She’ll be fine,” Nick assured me.
Everyone wanted Regnig returned, and with the looming threat of this Ovalax and the Wibox’s involvement, we were primed to end the risk.
Instead of bringing a fleet we didn’t have prepared, we were taking the fight to the ground. We knew that Malir would be brought to Newei as a sacrifice, and that Regnig would soon be arriving. We’d had no word from Jules, which meant that she, along with Dean and Karo, was MIA. I’d get to that afterwards. They were capable and could take care of themselves. Regnig, on the other hand, needed us.
“When’s the last time we were all together?” Mary asked, looking around at our friends.
“Probably Magnus’ wake.” I glanced at the other Magnus, noticing the similarities, but also the differences.
“You’re right.” Mary’s shoulder bumped into mine comfortably. “Let’s bring Regnig home.”
“We owe him that much,” I said.
The group Sergo and I had rescued arrived, each wearing armor. I’d put them under Sergeant Raron’s command, and they stopped near their commanding officer and listened intently. Kallig, Othus, and Neemi were miniature compared to the Keppe man, but they were here to help. Size wasn’t everything.
Darem stood protectively near the group, and even Eretan Six seemed at ease with the thought of going into combat. I supposed that when you’d been freed from captivity, after thinking you’d be enslaved your entire life, you’d have a different kind of perspective. I wished they were staying, under the protection of the Institute, but if they felt a debt was owed, I couldn’t stop them from joining our team.
“Everyone set?” Magnus asked. Natalia walked over to him, her armor painted black.
“Did you know she was coming?” I asked Mary.
“No. She was worried about Dean, but she thinks he’ll end up on Newei with us,” Mary said.
“Really? How could they get to Newei from Duliv?”
“Nat said that our daughter has a knack for finding danger.”
We walked to the stone sphere, and I flipped on the portal table we’d managed to integrate into the smooth stone. They were different than the Theos tools, but the theory was the same. Suma and a team of engineers had been able to set the controls so anyone could use it, not just a select few, because after testing it, we’d determined that not everyone had the ability to touch the stone and activate it.
I found the symbol for Newei, ensured I had the device Rivo had given me, and hefted the jetpack onto my back. “We go in bursts. Mary, Suma, Rivo, Slate, Loweck, Sergo, Walo, and myself first. Magnus, send the troops through next, and you come last.”
Magnus nodded, ceding to my command, and my team entered the radius of the stone. I initiated the portal.
Newei was listed as a desert planet with compatible air. The Gatekeepers’ notes we had on the place were outdated and simplified. It was clear that the duo who’d investigated it had only arrived, sent their sensors, and recorded the data. I wasn’t taking the chance that it wasn’t dangerous. The rumors of Ovalax were too big to deny.
Some thought the beast was actually embedded into the planet, and I’d seen enough not to discount the theory. I didn’t know what we’d encounter, but I was sure the Wibox would try to stop us, not to mention Fronez and his desire to steal minds. Sergo wasn’t positive what the Shimmali man had been working on when he’d destroyed the files, but it was bad.
“Who turned up the lights?” Sergo asked as our helmet visors automatically darkened in the bright evening sky.
This Newei portal wasn’t protected like most. The crystal Shandra sat in the center of a stone dais, lifted ten meters from the desert below on thick legs. Each side of the platform had steps, and the lower half of the stairs was covered by years of drifting sand.
“No footprints,” Sergo said.
We cleared the perimeter while the second team from the Institute arrived. Ten minutes passed, and everyone was there and accounted for.
Magnus stalked over to me, and we stared in the distance as the sun began to descend. “That’s a huge desert.”
“It is. We’ll need to send the probes. Learn what we can.” Slate overheard me and gave the orders, shooting a hundred small drones into the skies.
“Give me thirty, and we’ll have this covered.” Slate s
tuck his tongue out while he typed on his tablet, linking all the devices.
“We’re not expecting Regnig and Fronez quite yet, but that doesn’t mean the Wibox won’t be here already. Stay together, and everyone watch for anything out of place,” I told the group. There were almost seventy of us in total, a far larger team than I was used to traveling with. We’d obviously underestimated the Wibox before. The mere fact that they’d managed to board Outpost, our newly designed warship, was a testament to their abilities.
Natalia started down the steps, and the ground began to rumble. The entire platform shook, and a couple of the soldiers fell over the edge, landing on the sand.
“Does that count as out of place?” Sergo asked.
“Everyone back!” I called as I saw the sand begin to part fifty meters away. A single dust-covered tentacle appeared, striking into the air. It grabbed a fallen soldier by the leg, dragging her toward a pit.
Magnus didn’t hesitate. His jetpack propelled him up and above his soldier. He cut the thrusts, landing a split second in front of her. They clasped hands, and I watched as Magnus activated her jetpack. The tentacle tightened at the reverse pressure, and a plume of sand shot high in the distance, like a whale’s blowhole. The appendage snapped, and Magnus sailed into the air, with the soldier directly beside him.
She crashed to the platform in a heap, and Magnus kneeled next to her. “You okay?”
“Thanks to you. You saved my life,” the human woman told him. The others that had fallen from the edge had managed to recover and dashed up the steps. We’d suffered no casualties.
I stared at the desert, noting dozens of similar shots of sand. “This place is crawling with the creatures.”
“Do you think that’s Ovalax?” Mary asked.
“Maybe.” I watched the horizon and closed my eyes. If Ovalax had been waiting for me, he might be aware of my arrival.
The portal’s platform shook again, but we were all piled into the center of it, avoiding the edges. More tentacles emerged from the sand, writhing and propelling toward us.
“I think we’d better find another location while we wait for the probe’s results.” We checked the initial sensor readouts and chose a spot on the map. It was an oasis in the desert with dark green grass, about two kilometers in diameter. There was even a visible pool of water. “We go here. Everyone sync your radars. Jetpacks on.”
The entire group prepared for flight, and the moment we began lifting off, I spotted a few tentacles reaching up the portal’s platform. I cringed, wondering what would happen if they took someone down their hole.
Mary flew high into the sky, and I joined her before changing trajectories. The destination was two hundred kilometers away, and I settled in for the flight.
____________
Jules hadn’t known where she expected they’d end up, but inside a long-range transport ship’s cargo hold wasn’t at the top of her guesses. It only took a few minutes to determine Regnig had been there. Jules saw the scuffs on the white floor from his canes, and kneeled beside the door to pick up one of his graying feathers. The plume was dull, and she held it, hoping her friend was okay.
“Jules, we can leave. Use the portal to retrieve backup,” Karo told her.
“No. Regnig’s close by. If we can pinpoint him and sneak through the portal…” She opened the doors, their hissing sound loud in the quiet ship. Jules stayed inside the cargo hold, clutching her pulse pistol. No one came to greet them.
Dean went first, barging into the corridor with his rifle raised. “Jules has the right idea. We do this now.”
They searched the craft, finding it empty. She spotted another feather on the bridge, and one more near the ship’s exit ramp, which was open. Sounds of celebration carried through the door, and Jules crouched while she assessed the situation.
“Wibox Runners.” She pointed at them and used her zoom feature to scan the crowd. “Those are Wibox. Two hundred, maybe.” Jules kept looking and stopped on a familiar face. “Cillen’s here.” She’d never forget the burned Wibox that had distracted her while they’d breached Outpost to steal Malir.
“Which means Malir’s nearby too,” Dean said.
She scanned for the Gretiol heir, but he was nowhere in sight.
“The tent.” Karo indicated the giant red temporary building. “My guess is Malir’s inside. Possibly with the Wibox leader.”
“The Sect is going to make their sacrifice.” Jules bit down, almost hitting her tongue. “It’s up to us to stop them.”
“I wish we knew where your dad was,” Dean told her. “He’d know what to do.”
Jules glared at Dean. “Well, you have the next best thing. I’m a Parker too.”
“If Jules thinks we can do this, I’ll put my faith in her,” Karo whispered.
It felt good to have the Theos man’s support, but she hoped it wasn’t unfounded. Karo only knew her as the Deity-gifted girl, not an eighteen-year-old human. “It’s too bright out. Let’s hide here before investigating.”
And the plan was hatched.
“Someone’s coming.” Karo was the first to see the Shimmali man, and they hid inside a storage compartment near the exit. Jules watched through the slotted doors while he stalked aboard, squeaking and squawking in his own language. She translated in her head.
“King Uvid thinks he can take my assistant. Regnig is mine to do with as I wish. Who does he think he is? The Wibox would be nothing without me. It was my technology that allowed them to breach that damned Alliance warship, and this is the thanks he gives me! He’ll see. When that kid is fed to Ovalax, they’ll never know what hit them.” He clasped his hands together as he paced the cargo hold. He stopped, and Jules worried he’d discovered them. Had he seen through the slots into this locker?
“But can I do it without Regnig?” The Shimmali man had a puckered scar over one of his eyes, and Jules wondered who this guy was. The good news was, it sounded like Regnig was alive. The bad: he was trapped inside a tent, being guarded by two hundred Wibox soldiers.
Jules mentally urged him to keep speaking, but he dashed from the cargo hold in a flurry, muttering to himself.
“What do we do?” Dean asked softly.
She peered at the corridor, then to the exit. “We wait for dark. Then we find Regnig and Malir.”
____________
Uvid ate and drank like the world was about to end. He sat with the one called Cillen as they laughed and clinked giant glasses together, spilling the frothy beverages over the carpets.
Regnig hung from the wall, chains chafing his narrow wrists. His feet barely touched the floor, and he was grateful he didn’t weigh much. His spine stretched a bit, but honestly, it was almost a reprieve from the pressures of gravity on his old bones.
How are you doing, son?
Malir shifted, rattling his metal shackles. “I’ve been better.”
I won’t let them give you to Ovalax. Regnig could tell the young man didn’t believe him.
“Thanks. But you’ve seen these guys. I don’t think anyone can stop them. Especially you.”
Regnig wished he’d told Dean to travel to Newei sooner. They were still a day and a half earlier than the two-week timeline he’d given to the Recaster. A simple thing, but possibly a deadly error. Fronez had tricked him.
Tomorrow, these people would offer Malir to Ovalax, and the mind eater would devour the Gretiol heir, thus securing their deal with a yearly offering. But Regnig clung to faith that somehow he could interject.
“I was starting to like my life.” Malir finally stared at him, his eyes dark in the tent. “Being an Emperor’s son isn’t all you’d think. I had constant studies, wasn’t allowed to spend time among the commoners, and my days were full of training. It was rare to have a moment of peace to myself.
“I went to the Alliance Institute, and everything changed. I met a girl, and she was so wonderful. Her spirit…”
Regnig stifled a cough. What is she like?
“She’s one of
their leaders, an Ambassador, though I didn’t understand why at first. Not until I spent time with her. Jules Parker is one special person. Stronger than most men, and confidence reserved for royalty.” Malir’s grin spread widely, despite being bound to the wall.
Was this another sign? Did you say Jules Parker?
“Yes. Jules Parker. Her mother was very generous too. She runs the Board of the Alliance. I don’t know why I’m boring you with this,” Malir said.
On the contrary. I’m well acquainted with the Parkers.
“You are?” Malir tried standing but made a racket with his chains.
Cillen rose from their table across the tent. “What are you doing, prisoner?”
“My arms are going numb,” Malir told him.
“Good. Keep it down,” Cillen shouted.
Malir kept his voice low. “You know Jules?”
You might say we’re close. She’s very dear to me. Regnig pictured the bright and fearless girl, and sadness crept over him. He would never see her again.
“What are the odds?”
Quite high. Where her father is involved, things tend to coalesce together.
“I haven’t met Dean Parker, but I’ve heard great things. Is it true he stopped not one, but two invasions of Earth?” Malir’s voice dripped with awe.
Depends on who you ask. I’d say it’s closer to four times, but who’s counting? Regnig peered at the feasting Wibox, wondering what kind of universe allowed his end to be at their mercy. In a cruel twist of fate, he’d been captured by them again, and with another Gretiol. He shook his head slowly.
“I wish I could see him. Maybe learn from the man. I’d like to be an inspirational leader one day, but it seems that’ll never happen.”
Regnig closed his eye. The boy beside him had a lot to live for. It was no comparison. Regnig was old, and there weren’t many years left under his belt. He was tired of the pain, and even though his loneliness had subsided during the last couple of decades, he was prepared for this step.
The Survivors | Book 16 | New Lies Page 21
