by John Corwin
Illaena answered. "Commander Borathen is already working on it."
Two more explosions rumbled behind us as we shot out of the foggy pass and back into clear air. Smoke trailed from two levitation foils on the Rekt. The crippled ship drifted steadily toward the ground even as a battle raged on its deck. The Templars on the Uorion seemed to have their fight under control, but ragged breaches dotted the hull, and gems spilled out of the main hold, glittering in the air, a storm of jewels.
The skyway teemed with legionnaires, now less than a quarter of a mile away. While they might not have the same flight capabilities as the Daskar, they would certainly have an easy time dispatching our grounded units. The Rekt thudded to earth, sending cracks through its crystal hull. The gangway dropped and the shifter factions abandoned ship.
The Daskar turned their attention on the Ogan, defended primarily by Blue Cloaks and Arcanes, while the Uorion shifted into position to defend the grounded units under fire from the sky.
I was so busy watching the battle I almost didn't see what was coming for us.
"Justin!" Elyssa grabbed my arm and pointed to two squadrons of Daskar coming for us.
"Why are they sending so many after us?" I said. "Two people on a carpet can't present much of a threat."
Elyssa slapped the huge gem sitting between us. "They saw this and they know what it is."
"Oh, do they now?" I grabbed the gem and held it over my head. "Hey, assholes! Look what I've got!"
They probably couldn't hear me over the sounds of battle, but the big gem sparkling in the sunlight certainly caught the attention of more enemy squadrons. Another three groups of twelve Daskar broke off their attacks on the ships and angled to intercept us.
It didn't take a mathematical genius to calculate our trajectories and come to the same conclusion I did. One squadron would reach us before we reached the skyway.
"I instantly regret my decision." I dropped the gem back on the carpet and turned to Elyssa. "I need you to drive."
"I still can't beat them to the skyway," Elyssa said.
"No, but I can fend them off until we get there." I channeled orbs of energy around my hands and prepared for battle.
Elyssa tapped her pendant. "All units prepare for loss of aether. We're going to detonate a malaether gem at the skyway."
The Blue Cloaks on flying carpets began to withdraw closer to their ship, doing what they could to fend off the Daskar swarms.
The closest enemy squadron cut us off. Daskar armor glowed with malevolent energy and unleashed an ultraviolet torrent. Wind whipped in my face as Elyssa took us into a steep dive and angled back up. I unleashed beams of Brilliance and punched a hole through the armor of the nearest Daskar.
A feminine shriek of pain drew regret and winces from me. It's not Nightliss, I reminded myself, and fired at the next enemy. The Daskar swarmed like bees, dodging my beams while I landed only an occasional hit. Only Elyssa's flying skills kept us from getting hammered.
"They're too damned fast," I said. "They're even harder to hit than the ones we fought before."
"Maybe you need a flyswatter," Elyssa said.
As we looped beneath another flurry of attacks, I observed how the squadron moved, how they split apart to dodge my attacks but quickly reformed. They were fast enough to dodge narrow energy beams, but what about something a little bigger? "You're a genius, babe."
"Obviously," she said.
I drew on Brilliance with my right hand and channeled Murk in my left. "Let's see how they handle this." I fired three short bursts of sizzling white energy. The Daskar swooped and funneled around the attacks with ease. At the last instant before they were upon us, I threw up a wide wall of Murk right in front of them and tied off the weave.
The Daskar didn't have time to react before they smashed into the barrier. The shield shattered and three Daskar plummeted for the ground. Their comrades dove to save them, and we darted past the remaining enemies toward the skyway.
I channeled into the malaether gem and threw it at the pylons. A hum filled the air. I sucked in all the aether I could and stored it in my well. The other squadrons of Daskar closed in and unleashed their attacks right when the bomb went off.
Chapter 18
I felt the magical energy drain from the air. To my magical senses, it was like trying to draw breath in an airless vacuum. Aether crystallized and rained down, leaving behind a magicless void.
Thankfully, I'd stored a reserve of aether. The Daskar, however, had not. As the shockwave rippled through the air, hundreds of Daskar found themselves without power. I channeled my reserves into the carpet to keep us aloft, but others weren't so prepared.
Bodies plummeted. The Mzodi ships faltered, levitation foils flickering, but reserve energy kept them aloft. The Blue Cloaks on their magic carpets had already landed on their ship. The skyway vanished and Kohval's legionnaires performed impressions of a cartoon characters who'd just run off a cliff.
Arms flailed and the screams and shouts of surprised legionnaires reached me even from hundreds of yards away. Luckily for them, they were distant enough to still have aether and most channeled wings so they could glide to the ground. The nearby Daskar weren't so lucky, bodies smashing into the grassy field below before more aether rushed in to fill the void.
Without power in their armor, the Daskar who'd boarded our ships were quickly dispatched or tossed overboard by Templars. As power flickered back on in the levitation foils of the two remaining Mzodi ships, they altered course to assist the grounded Rekt.
Thomas's voice came over Elyssa's pendant. "We stopped the saboteurs in the Northern Pass, but not before they mostly blocked the gorge," he said. "There's not enough space for the other ships to follow."
"Understood," Elyssa said. "We'll rejoin you shortly."
The Daskar who'd recovered before falling to the ground retreated south, presumably to rejoin Kohval's legion. The Uorion settled to the ground next to the Rekt and began taking on more passengers. The Krstuk and Volante drifted over from the impassible canyon and joined the other ships.
A voice boomed from the flagship. "Board quickly and prepare for departure."
"I think they're okay for now," Elyssa said. "Let's get back to the Falcheen."
I sat down on the carpet and watched the retreating swarm. "How are we supposed to defeat them, Elyssa?"
She cupped my hand in her chin. "I don't know, but we'll find a way." She managed a smile. "We always do."
Her brave front didn't alleviate the sinking feeling in my guts.
Elyssa spun the carpet around and flew back to the pass. The entire entrance brimmed with aether crystals. Only a small gap far above allowed us passage. Aether lightning crackled through the clouds thirty feet above. Powerful winds swirled and deadly energy crashed against the mountains.
The dangerous aether storms crowning the mountains would destroy or severely damage any Mzodi ships that tried to go over the blockage. Damaged as the sky ships were, it was likely they wouldn't make it far.
A shimmering bed of aether crystals filled the gorge for a hundred yards or more in front of us. Elyssa flew low as possible. Lighting struck the crystals at random intervals, narrowly missing us several times. I caught myself holding my breath in anticipation of the strike that would kill us in an instant. There was no way I could shield us from that sort of destructive power.
Elyssa gripped my hand and I held onto hers for what seemed like a tension-filled eternity. At last, we shot from the other side and immediately dove lower to put as much distance as possible between us and the aether vortex overhead.
The Falcheen waited for us not far ahead. As we came in for a landing, I saw Meghan and Bella on their knees before a still form. The wide-brimmed hat lying to the side sent a jolt of terror straight to my core.
I leapt off the carpet before we'd even landed and ran to Shelton's side. Blood caked his shirt and his leather duster. Eyes closed, face pale, he looked dead. A painful knot formed in my throat. I
couldn't breathe. Couldn't think. "Shelton!"
Bella looked up at me with tears in her eyes. Meghan didn't move a muscle.
David grabbed me before I could rush to his side. "He's stable, son. Shelton is just sleeping."
Salt stung my eyes. "What happened?"
"He went on a flying carpet and fought off one of the saboteurs, but one of the gems went off before he could get out of the way." David grimaced. "A crystal shard stabbed him right in the gut."
Alysea stood next to David. "Bella brought him back, and Meghan managed to stabilize him before he lost too much blood."
The weight of everything seemed to drop on my shoulders all at once. Elyssa's arm around my waist supported me both emotionally and physically, otherwise I would have dropped to my knees and shouted at the top of my lungs.
"We lost almost everything today." I couldn't even begin to calculate how many lives had been snuffed out, how much damage had been done. "The vampires had to retreat on foot, and the Uorion had to pick up the shifters. The Ogan and refugee ships were the only other ones still in the air."
Thomas appeared by my side. Blood stained his uniform and speckled his face. "Kohval outsmarted us. I knew he had moles mixed with the civilians, but there was no way to root them out, no way to know they'd remain behind and repair the skyway."
"I don't understand how they repaired the skyway so quickly," Elyssa said. "It's almost like they anticipated it."
"I'll tell you how," Adam said. "When Kohval took his forces to Tarissa, they left repair gems hidden near each of the skyway pylons in case of sabotage."
Thomas frowned. "Is that a guess, or conjecture?"
"It's a guess, but an educated one," Adam said. "When we were looking through their gem warehouse, I couldn't find a single repair gem."
David blew out a breath. "It doesn't matter at this point. What matters is what we do next."
Shelton groaned and his eyes blinked open. Bella cried out with relief and peppered his face with kisses.
I knelt by his side. "How you doing, buddy?"
"I feel like I lost an ass-kicking contest with a unicorn." Shelton tried to fend off Bella's kisses but grimaced in pain. "Guess that means I'm still alive."
"Unfortunately for the rest of us," Adam said, relief spreading across his face.
"It's your second chance at life," I told him. "You have a chance to redeem your asshole ways."
"Screw that," Shelton groaned. "Take me now, lord."
Bella tutted. "Oh, baby, I'm so glad you're alive."
He smiled and looked up at her with adoration. "Ain't nothing as beautiful as you up in Heaven."
"Aww," Alysea said, brushing away tears.
"So cheesy," Adam muttered.
Bella kissed Shelton's forehead and started crying again, but this time with a smile through the tears.
Illaena emerged from below decks, face pale and tired. "The Uorion and Ogan recovered most of the shifters they could, but they are at full capacity. The rest will have to walk."
"What about the vampires?" Thomas said.
"They are headed southeast on foot." Illaena shook her head. "There is no easy way for them to rendezvous with us, and there are no other Mzodi ships in Pjurna to come to their aid. Xalara said the Uorion will unload passengers in a safe place and return for the others. Then they will find a way to meet us in the north."
"So much for retreating to Atlantis," Adam said. "We've got the only way in and out of that place."
"How long would it take to circle around and meet them?" Thomas said.
"We have to circle out to sea, navigate past the vortexes, and approach from the western pass," Illaena said. "We cannot take the shorter route to the east because that would take us right into Tarissa, a route Kohval likely has guarded. Because of the weather patterns this time of year, it could take weeks."
"Weeks?" I said. "What do we do when we get there? Just sit around and hope Kohval doesn't hunt us down?"
"We have to find a safe place where we can weather this storm," Thomas said. "I see no other alternatives."
David raised an eyebrow and looked at me. "There is that other idea we had."
"Anything is better than just sitting around," I said.
"No." Alysea gripped David's arm and shook her head. "It's an idiotic idea."
Thomas's cool gaze shifted back and forth between us. "What idea?"
I stood up and brushed off my hands. "Dad—David—and I don't think Kohval is the one in charge. We think Aerianas controls the dolems."
Meghan's lips peeled back into a snarl. "She needs to die."
"Yes, she does," David said. "But she's a hard target with the legions around her."
"Impossible to reach," I added. "We think Aerianas plans to grow her army by making more of those dolems. Then she'll attack the Brightling capital, Zbura, and take over the empire."
Michael grunted. "Then it's simple. We just sit back and let them destroy each other."
"That would be unwise," Cinder said. "If a Daemas is indeed involved in creating these dolems, then she could summon many demons at one time."
"True," David said. "Does that mean they can mass-produce those things?"
"Not precisely," Cinder said. "They are limited by how much soul essence they have. It is more likely they will try to clone Kaelissa or someone close to her and assassinate her from within rather than risk a direct assault. Then they need only one dolem instead of an army."
Thomas's lips pressed into a grim line. "I think he's right."
"Which is why we need to get to Kaelissa first," I said. "The Brightling army could easily crush the Darkling legions."
"Do we really want to crush them?" Alysea said. "There are thousands of innocent legionnaires who are only following Kohval's orders. They think they're driving invaders out of their homeland."
Shelton groaned. "Can someone get me to a bed before I die?"
"Yes, baby." Bella helped Shelton to his feet. With her dhampyric strength, she probably could have hefted him over a shoulder and carried him like a sack of potatoes, but with his wound, it probably wouldn't have felt too pleasant.
"Careful," Meghan warned. "I sealed the wounds, but they are still delicate right now."
"Understood," Bella said. "No rough sex."
The tension broke and most of us enjoyed a good laugh at Shelton's expense. Thomas, however, looked pensive as ever. After a time, he nodded. "I think Justin is right. It might be easier to get to Kaelissa before Aerianas does. Neither our army nor Aerianas's forces are a match for the Brightlings, but we could win this war with a clone of Kaelissa."
"Madness," Alysea said. "We'll never get to her."
I took her hand and squeezed it gently. "Mom, we have to try, and you're the expert who can help us succeed."
David put an arm around her shoulder. "He's right, honey."
Alysea looked at us as if we were madmen. A long sigh deflated her, and she nodded. "Fine. But don't blame me when we're all dead."
Illaena blinked and shook her head. "I cannot be party to this."
"Do we really have to go through this again?" I said. "Believe me, you do not want someone like Aerianas running the realm. She's probably crazy enough to engineer a total demonic takeover."
"They are right," Tahlee said. Her fiery red hair hung limp and dull and, for once, the indefatigable sera looked worn and tired. "We must put a stop to the madness. It is time to show the Brightlings and Darklings that unity is stronger than division."
Illaena's tired gaze shifted to her first mate. She nodded. "I will confirm with Xalara."
Thomas held up a hand. "Be sure Xalara is the only one who knows and that she keeps it to herself. We don't know if there are other spies in the Mzodi fleet."
"Today removed all doubt of that." Illaena headed for the bridge, Tahlee on her heels. The orders rang out and the crew of the Falcheen once again set a course that would take us into danger.
"Before we go too far, we need to confirm that Kael
issa is in Zbura," Thomas said. "It's too long a journey to make only to discover she's elsewhere."
Elyssa nodded. "I wonder if we could find out in Guinesea?"
"My idea exactly," Thomas said.
"How exactly are we supposed to find out where she is?" Alysea sounded exasperated. "Just waltz in and ask around?"
"That's precisely what we need to do." Thomas braced his chin with a hand. "The Mzodi are typically welcomed at all ports, so we could simply pass as them."
"I don't know about that," Adam said, pushing up on the bridge of his nose. "Kaelissa stole two Mzodi ships while they were docked in Guinesea. I don't think the Mzodi are any safer than we are in Brightling territories now."
"Especially since they helped us drive Kaelissa out of Atlantis," I added. "Might be best to keep this as covert as possible. Not to mention, there might be Mzodi prisoners still in Guinesea."
Thomas nodded his agreement. "Very well, then. We'll need to learn more about Guinesea and find out who to talk to."
I motioned toward Illaena. "I suggest we start by asking the captain."
An hour later, the Falcheen set down on in a cove on the northern shores of Pjurna. The crew needed a rest and the ship needed repairs. After dinner, Thomas, Elyssa, and I met with Illaena to discuss our next steps.
"Guinesea is a small island with a population divided almost equally between military and civilians," Illaena told us when asked. She displayed a holographic map over the table in her quarters and zoomed in on the island in question. In Eden, Guinesea coincided with Papua New Guinea, but a quick look at the map on my phone confirmed that this island was barely half the size of the one in my home realm.
The Mzodi map displayed few details other than markings for the military base and a single city named Novus. Illaena traced a finger in a space between the base and the city. "This is where we landed to trade gems for goods and services."
"Do you also believe that the Mzodi are no longer welcome in Brightling lands?" Thomas asked.
Illaena scowled and nodded. "They still hold the crews of the stolen Mzodi ships." She turned to me. "I would like to rescue them."
