Apocalyptic Fears II: Select Bestsellers: A Multi-Author Box Set

by Greg Dragon

  There’s no mistaking her this time. Athletic strides, fiercely determined expression, piercing green eyes—it’s Adele. Icy tentacles stab at my back, but not as fiercely as the last time.

  My mind is a black hole; my heart is a stallion. The stallion in me wants to jump up, say, “Adele, we have to talk,” but thankfully my mind’s black hole implodes upon itself, evaporating and returning clarity of thought.

  The orphanage. Her sister. A small girl who resembles Adele. It’s clear what has happened. They’ve broken her out. And the way they’re running—like the wolves of hell have been unchained behind them—means that someone is chasing them. Enforcers perhaps. Or orphanage security, if there even is such thing.

  Wrong and wrong.

  The Devil himself emerges behind her, running with purpose, perfectly balanced and efficiently functioning, like a machine. A very evil machine. I know that face, that form, all too well. Rivet. The best of my father’s special purpose unit. And the most evil. The most like my father. He’s chasing Adele and her friends.

  Behind him is the rest of his unit: half a dozen special purpose personnel with big guns and sharp swords. Death on twelve feet.

  Adele and her friends look like they might turn toward us, but then they veer left, up a slight rock hill, heading for the mouth of one of the Lonely Caves.

  Rivet is gaining.

  Without thinking, I stand up and run hard, cutting the distance between them like a knife, willing my legs to fly. I ignore a blast of thunder in my skull as the headache returns. My hand draws my sword instinctually, using small movements to conserve strength. My heart is pounding, not from the urgency of the run, but because I know Adele is so close, and yet she might never know I’m even here. I hear footsteps behind me and know right away that Roc has my back. He and I both know he’ll be no match for the highly trained soldiers, but he’s my friend—a true friend—and he’ll go down fighting, whether to the grave or to a prison cell. Just like me.

  Rivet is like a heat-seeking missile: Such is the intensity in his venomous eyes and the way his stare is locked on Adele that he doesn’t even see me coming. One of his men shouts something as I approach, but he ignores it, thinking it’s just a standard war cry, an adrenaline-induced whoop! of the chase.

  When a collision grows imminent, I lower my shoulder and target his chest. The timing is perfect.

  I hit Rivet just before he starts up the hill, ensuring his momentum hasn’t lessened whatsoever, creating a human shockwave that sends tremors through both our bones. But I’m the aggressor in the collision, and I’m ready for it, so he takes the worst of it by far. He’s knocked off course, his feet momentarily leaving the rock and his body contorting awkwardly in midflight until he thuds onto a hard slab of rock more than fifteen feet away.

  There are people who, if hit that hard, at that speed, might die. Unfortunately, Rivet isn’t one of them. Not even close. He is pure strength, sporting more muscle around his fingers and toes than most people have in their biceps, back, or abdomen. Okay, maybe a slight exaggeration, but not too far from the truth. Plus, he’s wearing a thin layer of moldable body armor. The hit would’ve hurt, but to Rivet, pain is pleasure, all part of the game.

  I glance up the slope to see if she’s gotten away okay. To my surprise she’s at the top gazing down, watching my fight with Rivet. I want to run to her, to grab her and shake her, demand answers. But that is madness. Rivet will just kill us both. I need to give her time. It’s the hardest thing in the world to push her away when I’m so close to discovering the truth.

  “Adele!” I scream. “Run!” I don’t have a chance to see if she listens to me, because I sense movement to my left.

  The sick puppy is on his feet and drawing his sword before I even have a chance to say Bring it! which is probably good because it would just make him even angrier.

  As it is, he’s angry enough, charging me like a steamroller. Clang! The impact of his blade on mine jars my teeth, threatening to dislodge each and every one of them. His next swipe nearly takes off my head, but I manage to duck at the last minute.

  Roc reaches my side, and I use one of my arms to thrust him behind me, out of danger. He has improved steadily during our training sessions, but he isn’t ready for the big leagues.

  Rivet’s men surround us, jeering and taunting as their boss and I circle each other. Roc is like my unattached tail, hovering behind my butt. I look into Rivet’s eyes, hoping for some indication of mercy. I see only death. I’m a good fighter, but it’s too much. There are just too many of them. We’re both going to die, and I haven’t even spoken to Adele, haven’t had a chance to ask her a damn thing. The only satisfaction I have is that I’ve given her a slim chance to escape, although I’m not sure why it’s so important that she goes free.

  But I reserve my final thoughts for Roc: how I let him down, how I led him from the safety of the Sun Realm to the dangers of the Lower Realms, how his death is my fault, too.

  Ziiiip! Something whirrs through the air, sounding odd next to the raucous cries of Rivet’s men. “ARGH!” one of the men roars. Rivet and I both risk a glance away from each other to see what’s happening. A large guy with a patch over one eye is slumped to his knees and clutching his heart. A sixteen-inch shaft protrudes from his left breast, finned at the end. Blood dribbles from his mouth as he dies.

  A chorus of zips and whirrs fills the air as arrows rain down on us. Realizing we’re under attack by a seemingly deadlier foe than Rivet, I grab Roc and thrust him down, falling next to him flat. Cries of pain echo through the cavern as each of Rivet’s guards is taken out by precision targeting. Not one arrow so much as grazes our skin. They aren’t shooting at us—at least not yet.

  I hunt for Rivet, but he’s gone, either having lurked off or dove for cover somewhere. It’s too much to hope that he’s been killed along with his men. I scan the bodies anyway, looking for their leader. He isn’t amongst the dead. I finally spot him by pure luck, as a stray beam of dome light catches the tip of his sword as he skulks off, escaping over a rock embankment and back toward the slums.

  I stay down, preferring not to be mistaken for one of Rivet’s men.

  Our saviors approach, their faces cloaked in shadow by dark-brimmed hats. Most of them clutch bows, cocked and ready to kill, while others have swords, like us.

  The leader stands over me, his sword pointed close to my chin.

  “I’ll be damned,” he says. “If it ain’t Prince Nailin himself. If I hadn’t heard the news this mornin’, I’d never have believed it. You’ll make a pretty prize for the Star Dwellers indeed.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  Adele

  No beast of reality, or creature of imagination, is as terrible as mankind. Or as loving. It’s a contradiction. I’ve always liked contradictions. Today I see both sides of the coin unveiled in gruesome and beautiful imagery, captured by my eyes and filed away in my mind, like still shots taken by a world-renowned photographer.

  First the terrible: Rivet. I can see the bloodthirsty gleam in his eyes at the end of the alley. He shouts something, to his men most likely, and then comes after us.

  I’m surprised when I catch up to Elsey first. She was in the lead, but is now falling behind as Cole’s powerful legs and Tawni’s long strides outdistance her. I urge her forward with a soft nudge on her back. I have no idea where her shortcut leads, but I hope it will be to a place we can hide.

  Hiding is our only option. Fighting will be futile, as Rivet will have a horde of men with him, armed to the teeth and ready for action.

  In the distance I see Cole and Tawni drop out of sight, presumably cresting a rise and banking down a slope. Glancing back, I can see Rivet gaining on us, flanked by his men. They look like robots, rigidly pumping their arms opposite their strides, programmed to obey only one command: kill.

  “Go, Elsey, go!” I urge, trying to use my mind to magically lengthen her short legs.

  We reach the spot where the others dropped away and fee
l gravity pull us forward, down a steep slope. Dusk is falling upon us rapidly—the overhead cavern lights dimming—and it’s getting hard to see our feet on the gray stone. A sprained ankle or a slight stumble could cost us our lives.

  Thankfully, our steps are true and we reach the bottom of the slope, veering left to where another trail leads up to a cave mouth. Cole and Tawni are waiting for us at the top.

  I shouldn’t look back, but I do. Rivet is already halfway down the hill, having silently sped up, moving inhumanly fast, as if sensing that an end to the chase is near.

  Elsey and I try to find an extra gear to allow us to reach the top of our slope before Rivet reaches the bottom of his, although I know in my heart the feat is impossible. We’re caught and I know it, but I wasn’t raised to be a quitter. We push on. My thighs burn and my calves ache. My head throbs from the physical and mental stress of the chase.

  I glance up to see how close we are to the top. I’ll never forget the look on my friends’ faces. They’re staring past me, toward our pursuers. But their faces aren’t those of helpless prey about to be captured; rather, they look astonished, their eyebrows raised and mouths open.

  We reach the top and I look back, blood pumping in my forehead.

  I involuntarily imitate their expressions, raising my own eyebrows and opening my own mouth. I’m genuinely shocked by what I see.

  Rivet is on the ground, rolling to a stop. Has he fallen? I don’t think so. A simple misstep wouldn’t capture Cole’s and Tawni’s attention so completely.

  That’s when I see him.

  Despite the dim lighting, I recognize him instantly, both because he’s one of the most famous faces in the Tri-Realms and because my headache is back. He’s carrying a long sword, standing stoically, waiting to fight Rivet. His blond, wavy hair is ruffled although there’s no air moving through the cavern. He looks strong, confident, heroic. Clearly, he’s saved us. So he is a hero of sorts.

  He looks at me, locking eyes, like before. Also like before, the pain reaches a fever pitch, so intense it almost brings me to my knees. He screams my name: “Adele!” At first I think he’s beckoning me to him, but his second word clears up any confusion: “Run!”

  Despite the urgency in his tone I remain frozen, my heart and head pounding, watching what will happen next.

  Rivet attacks, launching himself with an animal frenzy at Tristan. In a manner I can only describe as professional, Tristan blocks the attack and jumps back. I notice someone behind him, also carrying a sword. A friend of Tristan’s most likely, or so I hope.

  Protectively, Tristan holds the other guy back with one arm while parrying and dodging Rivet’s strokes. The rest of Rivet’s men arrive, surrounding them. No! I think.

  We have to do something. He’s saved us and now he’s going to die for us.

  I take a step forward, but a strong arm holds me back. “No,” Cole says firmly. “We have to go. It’s suicide.”

  I try to struggle free, but Cole’s grip is iron. Tears spring up as I try to wriggle away. “Let go!” I yell. “Please, they’re going to kill him!”

  Tawni’s face appears in front of me. She pulls Elsey beside her. “Think of your sister,” she says.

  My body collapses, all fight gone from it. As much as I’m willing to throw my life away in an effort to save Tristan, the causer of pain, I know I can’t abandon Elsey. Not after all she’s been through. Not after all we have been through. I am all she has. And she is all I have.

  I let myself get half-dragged, half-carried into the absolute darkness of the cave. I feel numb. Tears continue to well up and stream down my face, but they feel cold, emotionless, a neurological response to a stimulus, nothing more.

  I barely notice as we cut a random path through the cave network. In the back of my mind I know we’re in the Lonely Caverns. Although we haven’t necessarily meant to come this way, it is the perfect place to hide from Rivet. I remember the kids at school telling stories of the Lonely Caves, how kids are always getting lost in them, dying of starvation, or falling down bottomless pits. I used to fear the caves, but now they feel like a sanctuary.

  I can hear Cole and Tawni whispering, making quick decisions about which side tunnel to take next. They’re taking the most convoluted route possible, almost trying to get us lost in an effort to lose Rivet, who will surely be pursuing us again soon, if not already. But with each twist and turn, they recite the full list of the directional changes we’ve made so far out loud, trying desperately to remember the way back. I try to memorize what they’re saying, as a backup, but get confused halfway through. I’m still not thinking clearly, am still a bit of a mess.

  But listening to the sounds of their voices also helps.

  Eventually I get control of my body and am able to save Cole a lot of effort by walking on my own again. When I do, Elsey appears by my side, illuminated by the flashlight she’s carrying. I notice that I have one as well—we all do. Funny how I can’t remember them being turned on or even someone giving one to me. We fall back from the others right away.

  “Adele,” she says, her violet eyes radiating compassion. “Are you okay?”

  I put my arm around her as we walk. What can I say? Actually, Elsey, I’m a complete wreck because a guy I’ve never met, a guy whose very presence brings me immense physical pain, a guy whose father abducted our parents, is dead, all because of me.

  Instead, I say, “I’m okay now, Elsey, sorry to scare you like that.”

  “I wasn’t scared,” she says. The matter-of-fact way in which she says it makes me believe her. Perhaps my sister is made of a tougher substance than I am. Or maybe she’s just too young to understand the true horror of what has just happened, is just happy to have her big sister back.

  “You’re very brave,” I say.

  “What happened back there? Who was the guy that saved us? He knew your name, Adele.”

  My face tightens and I try to get control of my emotions—take a deep breath. “It was no one,” I say.

  “Tell me,” Elsey says. “I’m not a child anymore.”

  There’s so much truth in her eyes that I know she’s right. Although she’s only been at the orphanage for six months, she’s changed, matured. Ten years might’ve passed in her mind. I can’t always protect her anymore.

  I decide on the truth. “This might sound impossible…in fact, I’m not sure I believe it myself…I might’ve been seeing things…I was probably mistaken, but—”

  “Adele, please, just tell me,” Elsey says, interrupting my ramblings.

  I take another deep breath. Why is this so hard? Just say it. Say it. Say it! “I think it was Tristan Nailin,” I blurt out, feeling dread wash over me, as if by speaking his name I’ve cemented his fate.

  I expect Elsey to giggle, to look at me with knowing eyes, to say Sure it was, Adele, I believe you, using the sarcasm that I taught her. She surprises me by saying, “I thought so.”

  “You what?” I say, unable to hide my surprise.

  “He looked like Tristan,” she says with a slight nod of her head. “I mean, not as good looking as in the magazines, but…”

  “I thought he looked even better,” I say, surprised at my own words.

  Elsey eyes me curiously. “Since when did you think Tristan was handsome?” she says, sounding more grown up than ever.

  “I don’t. It’s just…never mind.”

  Elsey smirks at me. “You can tell me the whole story later.”

  It dawns on me. Why was Elsey so easily convinced that it was Tristan? She doesn’t seem to find it strange at all that he appeared out of nowhere in a remote part of the Moon Realm. “Elsey….why’d you think it was Tristan? Was it just because he looked like him?”

  Now she giggles, finally sounding her own age. “Because of the news, of course.”

  My heart flutters and I know she’s about to tell me something important, so I stop and call to Cole and Tawni, who come jogging back, their eyebrows V’d in concern. “What’s wrong?” Cole
says.

  I motion to Elsey to speak. “Tell them what you were about to tell me,” I instruct.

  Elsey’s eyes widen. “You mean, you don’t know?” she says incredulously.

  “We’ve been kind of…busy,” I say.

  “Right,” she says, changing her tone to that of a lecturer. “Well, all the kids gathered in the big room to watch the telebox this morning, like we always do. This kid we call Wiz suggested we watch the news, like he always does. He always gets voted down and we watch something else, but this morning he put it on before anyone could say anything. You guys were all on the screen.” She waves her hand across us.

  “We saw that,” I say, hoping that isn’t her big news.

  She changes course, her voice softening as she says, “I just knew you would come for me, Adele.” Finally, she fully sounds like a little girl again, the little sister I remember, before life’s challenges forced her to grow up before anyone should have to.

  I put an arm around her. “I’ll always come for you. Now, what else did you hear on the news?”

  Elsey’s eyes light up. “That Tristan ran away from home!” she exclaims.

  “What? He…ran away?” I look at Tawni and Cole, who are staring at me.

  “Yep. And apparently he was headed for the Moon Realm, subchapter six I think they said.”

  “That’s only a single train ride from here,” I say, finally connecting the dots.

  “He was coming to find you,” Tawni says.

  Cole shakes his head. “C’mon, seriously. These strange feelings and headaches and all that crap again? Coincidence I reckon. If he really was trying to get away for a while, he probably just picked a place where no one would think to look for him.”

  Elsey touches my arm. “Why would Tristan have been coming to find you? And what does he mean by headaches?” she asks.

  I tell her everything. Cole stalks off and pretends not to listen, but Tawni stays by me, even holds my hand for part of it.