“Hold your ground.” Asteran’s arms tightened as he raised the gun. “We must face this now.”
Leaves crunched as the stalker approached. My breathing came in ragged spurts, and my heart climbed its way to my throat. Acid stirred in my stomach.
The dead forest parted and a furry, clawed paw as wide as my arm stepped onto our footsteps, stirring up dust and ash. Another paw followed, and a feathered head broke through the ferns. The face reminded me of an Old Earth tiger, except with blue and black stripes and a whiskered muzzle. The beast opened its jaws and roared, rumbling the marrow in my bones.
“It’s a magadon,” Asteran whispered.
“A who’s-a-what?” Leo hissed back.
“A large, predatory animal.” Asteran put up his free hand. “Be very still. They’re provoked by movement.”
I studied the thick, velvety fur and the way the stripes spread from its clear, intelligent blue eyes. The beast was gorgeous. I couldn’t believe I stared at a king that once ruled the land, probably the last of its kind. My gaze traveled to its feathered back where a wing bent at an unnatural angle. Ribs protruded from its stomach. “The poor thing is starving.”
“Then put it out of its misery.” Tauren elbowed Asteran.
“No! Don’t shoot.” I whispered. Killing the one living thing on Priavenus seemed like such a crime. Thank the Guide we hadn’t given Tauren a weapon.
“What are we going to do, let it eat us?” Leo’s voice shook.
“Fire your laser at its feet.” Asteran spoke calmly.
The beast limped forward. Leo fired, and a cloud of soot sprayed in our eyes. Nova screamed, and Asteran shouted something about staying together. Disoriented, I expected a clawed paw to tear through my skin. Someone grabbed my arm and pulled me back against him. Asteran’s misty rain scent soothed me and I relaxed in his embrace.
He whispered in my ear. “Are you all right?”
I nodded, and he released me before anyone else could see.
When the dust settled, laser marks blackened the ground.
“Where did it go?” Leo pointed his laser in a circle around us.
Asteran listened to the breeze. “It’s gone. Magadons are wise enough to know which battles to fight and which ones to leave.”
“Do you have a lot of those things running around in your cities?” Nova looked at Asteran in disbelief.
“No. They usually stay deep within the forest. We’re on the outskirts. Hunger drove this beast to hunt outside his territory.” Asteran turned to the untraveled path. “We must continue.”
Hot, unshed tears burned my eyes. That creature had no idea what had happened. By hunting us, he was trying to stay alive. I thought of all the species that once thrived on Priavenus. The memory I shared with Asteran had given me a small glimpse of how wonderful his world had been. The enormous sense of loss hollowed my heart and fueled my rage against the arachnids.
Sure, we’d colonized Paradise 21 by mining its resources and hacking down jungle, but we hadn’t stripped the land in mere days. It would take thousands of years for us to use all of the crystals, and by then maybe we could work out a way to live in harmony with the planet. We had a conscience. I had to believe we’d learned from our mistakes on Old Earth, whereas the arachnids would continue to devastate entire worlds.
Leo came up behind me. “Are you okay?” Ash covered his entire head, transforming him into an old man with gray curls.
I wiped my eyes, smearing soot across my face. “Yeah. I just want to get this done.”
“Me too.” He placed a reassuring hand on my shoulder. “This place gives me the creeps. Reminds me too much of Old Earth.”
“Yeah, but these people suffered from invasion. On Old Earth, we did it to ourselves.”
“They did it to themselves.” Leo pulled me aside. “We have a second chance to start over. To make things right. We may have their memories, but we’re not them.”
I glanced ahead. Asteran’s silhouette disappeared behind a copse of swirly vined trees. When he turned to wave to us, his face blended with the scenery, and I had to squint to make out his bright eyes. Natural camouflage.
We had to keep going, and I had to put my doubts aside. “I can only hope.”
Asteran led us an hour northeast of the ship. Or at least that’s what I figured from a sky with no stars. The forest thickened with dense undergrowth that pulled on my clothes like bony fingers. Leafless trees rose above us, their scraggly branches twisting like deformed limbs to the sky. Ash continued to rain in big, fuzzy flakes that lodged in my hair and blanketed my clothes. Visibility dropped to only an arm’s reach ahead, so I almost ran into Asteran as he stopped and crouched low to the ground.
“What is it?” I kneeled beside him as the others caught up.
He pulled at a vine wound between two trees crossing our path. “We’re close.”
Adrenaline rushed through me. I had no idea what or who we were looking for. The land and inhabitants had already proved inhospitable. I didn’t know whether it was better to find these elders alive or dead. Who knew what they’d do when we asked for their last crystals? Or what Asteran would do if we found only bodies instead?
He dragged a large, fallen branch away from a patch of cleared undergrowth the size of a landrover. Another obelisk, like the one we’d seen at the forest’s edge, poked up from the right corner. He pressed some of the carvings on the side with a quick motion of his fingertips, then pushed the shard into the ground. The rest of us stood by and watched silently.
The grating of stone rubbing against stone came from underground. We stepped back as a patch of earth separated from the forest floor, lifting above our heads to reveal a platform much like an elevator made from the same porcelain stone as the obelisk and the walkway. Glowing blue lights flashed on a silver panel inside.
Asteran turned toward us. “Come. Follow me.”
Nova hesitated, raising one eyebrow like she wasn’t born yesterday. “Where does it lead?”
He stepped onto the platform. “A secret underground temple only used by my elders.”
“You’re not an elder.” Tauren crossed his arms in a smug taunt. “How did you know the code?”
Asteran sighed as though we didn’t have time for this. “When the city was under invasion, they took me here to train me how to fly the arachnid ship.”
Lightning cut the sky above us into two and we all ducked even though it was way above our heads. That was enough explanation for me. I stepped onto the platform with Asteran. “I don’t know about you guys, but it seems safer underground.”
Leo followed, then Nova.
Tauren gave us a wary look and pointed to Asteran. “You’d better not be pulling anything on us.” He stepped onto the platform and I wondered how much weight it could take.
He flicked his fingers over the panel and the lights pulsed. “I can assure you I’m not.”
Was that annoyance underlying his tone? I searched Asteran’s face but saw nothing.
We jerked as the platform moved, lowering us at least two stories below ground. Soil and tree roots became hardened rock. Claustrophobia pressed in, and I closed my eyes, trying to calm myself. I’d never been underground on any planet before. Could it be any worse than a transport ship in deep space?
The platform hit the ground with a reverberating thud. Asteran touched the panel, and the portal retracted above our heads, revealing a porcelain corridor lit by dim blue lights on tracks on the sides of the path. Strangely, the passageway reminded me of the New Dawn.
“No weapons. They are unnecessary.” He stuck his gun in his backpack.
“No weapons, my bony buttocks.” Leo shook his laser. “I’m not going in there unarmed.”
“Please.” Asteran raised his hand. “Only the elders and I can access this place. There is no danger here.”
“You heard him.” I took the barrel of Leo’s laser and pulled it down. “We don’t want to piss off the people that are going to help us, do we?”
I glanced at Nova for support. Surely she’d understand. Walking in pointing guns wasn’t the most diplomatic way to ask for help.
Nova frowned but stashed her gun in her backpack.
“Oh, all right.” Leo followed. “But if one of those mega-whats comes at us, he can eat you first.”
Asteran gave me a knowing glance and stepped by me into the corridor. “I’ll go first.”
Even though I could take care of myself, I kinda liked how he stepped in to protect me. Even though his problems consumed him, he still cared about me and had from day one, when he’d touched my scar.
We followed him down a series of twisting passageways with offshoots in all directions. The dim blue lights flickered as though the energy stream powering them diminished with each passing heartbeat. I wished I’d brought my beacon light. What if the power went out while we were down there, leaving us in the dark? My locator only shone a tiny, white square of light. A chill descended over me. The platform might not work without power. Even if we made it back through the maze, we might have to climb our way out.
We turned a corner, and the corridor opened into a long, low-ceilinged chamber. Faint lights spread in the ceiling like stars, illuminating rows of pews. Carvings like the symbols on the obelisk and the swirls on Asteran’s face covered the walls. In the center of the room stood a bronze statue of a great horned beast that resembled a moose from Old Earth, if I had my biology correct. Beside the great hooves stood a garden of herbs dwindling under the dwindling light.
“What does it all mean?” I whispered to Asteran, afraid to break the solemn mood.
“The carvings are the history of my people. They tell of the great balance achieved between us and our host, Priavenus.”
“What about the mule on steroids?” Tauren’s crude depiction made me want to smack him.
Asteran didn’t seem to notice, or if he did, he refused to take the bait. “The yulander is a symbol of fauna. He is the great peacekeeper of the forest and keeps watch over the balance.”
“Epic fail on his part.” Tauren chuckled.
I elbowed him in the ribs. He quieted down but didn’t apologize or wipe the cruel grin off his face.
Shadows flickered from the end of the chamber by a side alcove. I jerked back. “Over there. I see something.”
“Now might be a good time for weapons,” Tauren whispered under his breath.
“Stay still,” Asteran whispered. He turned toward the sound and raised his voice. “Garinish tinally prin.”
A scraping sound came from the alcove. Nova bent her arm back to grab her laser, and Leo swung his backpack to his chest, ready to unzip the front pocket. I positioned myself in front of them, spreading my arms to block their fire.
A hunched figure emerged from the shadows, hobbling over a wooden cane. He wore the same light fabric Asteran had when we found him, with small tubes running down the length. The figure turned toward us, pulling the robe away from his ears.
Inky swirls ran across his entire face in an intricate design, much more complicated than Asteran’s. He held up his hand and spread his fingers. His eyes shone bright magenta and gold in the mask of ink.
“Klisok yulan fara.”
“Who is he?”
“What did he say?” Leo and Nova whispered at the same time.
The wisdom and pain etched in the wrinkles around his eyes mesmerized me to a standstill. Wisps of light blue hair swept from his head up toward the ceiling. He held one hand close to his chest, as if it was damaged or deformed. The other clutched the cane with twisted fingers. On his third finger, he wore a jade stone set in silver, the same stone as in Asteran’s necklace.
Asteran’s breath caught as he exhaled. “He says he’s the only one left.”
Chapter Twenty-One
Precious Cargo
The only one left.
The bottom dropped from my soul, taking my breath with it. I wanted to wrap my arms around this old man left to die alone in the ruin of his planet. I paused with my fingers in the air. I didn’t know the customs of Asteran’s people, and to embrace him might disrespect him. Instead, I let him take the lead.
Asteran stepped forward toward the man, raising his hand. “Yultar umbria, pliste sect.” He turned back toward us. “It will be easier to converse if I teach him your language.”
“Teach him our language? I’m not sure if you noticed the condition of this planet, but we don’t have all day.” Tauren’s voice echoed through the chamber, loud and rude.
I grabbed his arm, remembering the scene with Gavin’s lapscreen. “It’s not what you think.”
“Oh, is it now?” Tauren glanced at my hand on his arm. He made no move to remove it, as if he liked it there.
Gross.
Asteran approached the old man. He placed his hands on either side of the elder’s head and leaned down, touching their foreheads together. A dim glow of blue light emanated from the space between their faces.
Tauren didn’t seem impressed. “If he’s the only one left, why don’t we just take what we need and get out of here?”
Nova gave him an icy stare. “I thought we left our savagery on Old Earth.”
Leo harrumphed. “Take him far enough away from society and the true barbarian comes out.”
Tauren narrowed his eyes. “Haven’t you read section five hundred and three of the Guide?”
Leo shrugged. “No.”
Even I had no idea what he referred to.
“A small act of forcefulness is warranted if it benefits the greater good of the whole.”
Boy, did I hate the Guide sometimes. It seemed so callous and cruel, like the arachnids. If we adhered to that, we’d be no better than them.
Leo smirked. “Screw the Guide.”
Tauren’s neck reddened as he moved toward Leo. I tried to hold him back, but he ripped his large bicep from my grasp and brought up a fist.
Leo wasn’t fast enough to whip out his laser. I screamed as Tauren’s fist sailed through the air toward Leo’s jaw line. If he knocked him hard enough, we’d be dealing with another episode, and we didn’t have time for Asteran to bring him back.
Blue light shot through the chamber, creating a force field around Leo just as Tauren’s fist neared his chin. Tauren made contact with the light and fell back, holding his hand against his stomach.
Leo stepped back unharmed.
I whirled around to where Asteran stood with the elder. The old man had dropped his cane. He held one hand up with his palm facing us. The blue light shot from his hand to the force field. As he brought down his arm, the light disappeared. Asteran picked up the cane and set it up near the elder’s arm.
With a sigh, the old man leaned on the cane and spoke in perfect English. “You must not argue in this dire hour.” Raspy fatigue tinged his voice. I couldn’t tell if his psychic powers caused his exhaustion or the length of time he’d lived down in the dark temple alone.
“Who are you?” Hushed awe filled Leo’s voice.
“I am Telehedron Spinx de Lutal, elder of the Trithion Circle.”
Asteran gestured toward each of us. “This is Nova Williams, Tauren Crophaven, Leo Bryan, and Lyra Bryan.”
Telehedron bowed. “May the winds of time usher you swiftly to a safe place.” He turned back to Asteran with fondness softening his face. “I thought you’d passed into the silent land.”
The alien I was growing to admire dropped to one knee. “I have failed you and all of our people. The arachnids captured me before I could reach the controls to the ship. I would have become another victim if not for this young woman.” He gestured to me. “She saved my life.”
“She is an angel in disguise.” Telehedron turned to me, and my face flushed under the intense solemnity of his gaze. “I’m grateful for all you have done.”
Tauren released a half-cough, half-laugh behind me. At least Asteran was proud of me.
I kicked the toe of my boot on the floor. “It was nothing, really.”
&nbs
p; Telehedron clenched his fist then spread his fingers in the air. “Saving a life is never nothing. It creates a positive force in the balance, spreading in all directions to accomplish never-ending good.”
“All this new-age, Buddha crap is interesting, but let’s get to the point.” Tauren gestured to Asteran. “If you would, because we don’t have much time.”
The elder held his hand out to Tauren then turned to Asteran. “Why have you returned?”
Asteran straightened and took a deep breath. “Lyra has given me a second chance to beat this evil. Even though it’s too late to save our world, I can try to save hers, and future worlds, from our fate.”
Telehedron glanced at me with mischief in his eyes and held up a finger. “See how the rippling effects of good can spread?” He placed his hand on Asteran’s shoulder. “How can I help?”
“We need what’s left of the jade crystals to protect the rest of the group from the mother brain’s psychic powers. I know they are sacred, and the last ones—”
Telehedron silenced him by raising his hand off his shoulder. I held my breath, trying to read the elder’s impassive face. The inky swirls formed a jungle I couldn’t get through.
“I will give you what you seek.” Telehedron signaled for us to join him as he walked back to the alcove. “Come. You’ve had a long journey, no doubt. Food for the body is food for the soul. First, we must eat.”
“Eat?” Tauren threw his hands up in the air. “Why don’t we play a game of chess and take a nap, too?”
Ignoring Tauren, I grabbed Asteran’s arm. “Are you sure about this? I feel bad taking his supplies.”
Asteran took my hand. “Please, Lyra. To deny him would be considered rude.”
I thought about how long Telehedron must have hid here by himself and the immense pain and loneliness he must feel. Another fifteen minutes wouldn’t do any harm. “Okay.”
I looked to the others, settling on Leo and Tauren. “Be polite. Just a few minutes, and he’ll give us what we need.”
“I see no harm in it.” Nova joined my side.
Alliance Page 13
