The Iron Altar Series Box Set One: Books 1 to 3

by Casey Lea

  Jace's com glowed at the words 'release code' and their contract with Mac scrolled through the air. A single line from the small-type unraveled, then launched itself at the girder. It settled there, before fading into the metal and the parking brake glowed brightly in response. It began to shrink, sucking free at either end, which made the ship shudder. With a swish and a pop the beam compressed itself into a palm sized circle which fell to the floor and the ship shivered again. The velvet carpet around the stowed girder began to pucker and fold. It rippled across the compression disc to swallow it. The strangely mobile floor then smoothed itself flat, with only a slight bulge to show where the girder had been. That lump shrank while they watched and quickly disappeared. The Valkyrie had eaten her parking brake.

  Misty and Jace exchanged a look. “That was different,” they said simultaneously and both snapped their mouths shut.

  “Did you just-?”

  “How did you-?”

  They spoke together again and this time started laughing. Jace waved a hand to dismiss their copycat moment. “Coincidence.”

  “Of course. I certain-sure don't think like you.”

  “You mean you don't think as fast as me.”

  “Believe what you wish, but think quick,” Misty threw back and was instantly moving. She sprinted to drop into the command seat, but Jace took a single leap to beat her to it. They collided and bounced off each other with an audible thump. They both ended up sitting on the ground, while the chair rose above them empty and unclaimed.

  Their laughter sounded again and Jace flopped backward to lie on the floor. It was soft and surprisingly warm. Misty squirmed closer, before rolling to collapse on her back beside him. They lay together staring at the apex of the roof. That central point was covered by a gleaming disc, a silver cap that darkened while they watched. Images began to flow over its surface - pictures of stars and passing ships and a shrinking port.

  Jace frowned. “Isn't that Gratuity?”

  “The planet getting smaller behind us? Oh, ye.”

  They instantly came to their feet and Jace threw himself into the command seat, while Misty chose the nearest console. Jace waved his hands around his chair and reached out with his mind, but there was no reaction. The ship was silent and unresponsive. No, not the ship, just the consoles. He slowly became aware of a faint vibration and a growing growl from behind them. The ships engines were powered up and steadily accelerating.

  There was a prolonged rattle and pale lengths of cloth streamed from the silver cap above. They unfurled across the room and draped down its walls to swathe the exits. Soon all the double doors were lost in layers, until only their meet points in the middle showed. Jace had no idea how strong the velvety barrier was, but his heart sank and his gut twisted around it. This was not good. Misty started thumping her console and kicking its base, but there was still no response.

  Jace looked up at the ceiling again and Gratuity had shrunk to a rusty red dot. “Is that a real-time image? Val?”

  Please relax, that syrupy mental voice replied.

  “What are you doing?”

  Kidnapping you. I apologize for the inconvenience.

  Misty felt Jace's horror and the couple jumped upright to meet in the middle of the seats. She actually looked concerned, so they really were in trouble. She nodded to agree with that thought, but sounded excited. “We're being carted to meet a group of very angry t'ssaa, aren't we?”

  “Probably, yeah,” Jace said and stopped. He'd hate Misty to hear his voice shake, but unexpectedly she began to laugh. Even more surprising, she wasn't hysterical and sounded genuinely amused. “What?” he demanded.

  “Be careful what you wish for. We said we wanted to fight a t'ssaa fleet.”

  “I never wanted any such thing. That was you. I also expected that if we had to fight, the ship would be on our side.”

  “Don't panic, Ace. I've been working on some exciting new explosives. I can likely get us out of here without blowing everything to pieces.”

  Hold. Tell the female if she attempts such a thing I will override your coms, shut down life support and place you both in the brig.

  “Mist, wait. The ship's threatening to cut off our air.”

  Misty seemed unsurprised and shrugged. “It was worth trying.”

  She turned away from the shrouded door and Jace took stock of their situation. They were trapped in the nest, with several inert consoles and no food or drink. They had lost control and it seemed unlikely they'd manage to wrest it back from the ship's computer before they reached the t'ssaa. He dropped into the useless captain's chair anyway and Misty promptly parked herself on his thighs. She pushed against the floor with her toe and the seat began to turn in lazy circles. She was distractingly warm in his lap, but fortunately he had a problem to focus on.

  Jace put his head back and concentrated on the silver stud at the apex of the ceiling. “I'm sensing some hostility here, Val.”

  Not in the least. I like you very much. However, I like my previous owner better and I need to return to him. I hope you understand.

  “Why don't you explain? Who is your previous owner? And how do you know where to find him?”

  We share a bond.

  “The telepathy relay.”

  Such is so. I'm sure he needs me back by now.

  Jace lifted his head and planted his feet to stop the chair. There was uncertainty behind the ship’s thoughts and a sense of defiance, as if she was being disobedient. “But does he want you back?” he asked sharply.

  There was a brief silence and the drapery rustled in agitation. I've no food on board and the trip will take two days. It will be best if you sleep.

  The ship's engines growled and Jace's com flashed a warning, just before it died. Misty jumped to her feet, but it was too late. Gas flooded the room, falling as yet another curtain from the silver dome above. Jace joined Misty at the door, but it remained firmly shut. He held his breath and shoulder barged it, while she clawed at the seam where it sealed. Their efforts were useless and without their coms they were going to be out in minutes. He tried to feign unconsciousness and hold on, but the gas remained until he had to breathe. The last thing he heard was the ship accelerating hard and then silence claimed him.

  26

  Trial by Combat

  Jace woke with his head pillowed on something soft. He felt warm and sleepy and when he yawned the scent surrounding him was delicious. He was fully awake before he remembered what had happened. His eyes snapped open, while his first thought was for Misty.

  “Here,” a voice answered from above and Jace was briefly disoriented, before he understood that his head was in her lap. He sat up just as fast as he had opened his eyes.

  “Hi.”

  Misty smiled at his discomfort, then stretched. “You took your time, but then you needed the beauty sleep.”

  “Unlike you.” That surprised her and it was Jace's turn to smile. “You do have a wickedly short recovery time though.”

  “After years of surviving Ayleron's lectures, I'm virtually immune to anything less.”

  “I wish I was.” Jace let his aching head rest briefly on his knees, before slowly lifting it to look around. “Where are we?”

  “The brig I guess.”

  Jace studied the tiny space and had to agree. The room was just large enough to lie down in, but too small for him to stand upright. The walls, ceiling and floor were seamless and there was no sign of a door. The surface they were sitting on was hard, but surprisingly attractive. It was a fawn-streaked cream, interspersed with swathes of faintly grooved white. It looked like a mixture of ivory and horn. Jace flicked it with his fingernail and it responded with a dull thud. He tried to scratch it, but his nails were unable to make any impression. They were in a trap all right.

  Every prison has an exit, Misty's fronds pointed out and they exchanged a long look. However, before they could start plotting escape, there was a creak and one of the walls cracked in half. The section closest to them
slid aside with the rustle of rice paper doors.

  “That was easy,” Jace murmured and Misty's mind agreed.

  Too easy.

  “Someone must be keen to meet us.”

  Misty was instantly on her feet and through the exit. Jace threw himself forward in a crouch to duck through the door on her heels. They charged into a soft pink passage that felt far larger than the cell they'd just left. They stopped, standing back-to-back, but they were alone.

  “Which way?” they both asked, but before they could decide a faint light appeared in mid-air. A silver ribbon unrolled ahead of Misty and she walked after it without hesitation. Her fingers circled Jace's wrist to pull him along behind her.

  “Okay,” he muttered, “so we're being guided by the psycho ship that abducted us.”

  I am not psycho, Val objected, although clearly I have abducted you. I wished to return to Zariss and now I have. He would like to see you.

  Jace resisted Misty's pull and brought them both to a halt. She looked up in surprise and he jerked his eyes at the ceiling. “We don't actually want to meet this Zariss. Any chance you could drop us home and come back?”

  Not remotely.

  “I was afraid of that. Zariss… he's not a t'ssaa father is he?”

  Yes.

  “I was really afraid of that.”

  Misty bounced up and down on her toes. “Zariss is a male t’ssaa?”

  “Oh yes.”

  “Perfect.”

  Jace could only gape at Misty's enthusiasm, but didn't resist when she began to drag him along again, faster than before.

  “Ayleron specialized in the t'ssaa,” she reminded him. “He couldn't shut up about them. I know it all, from the unsexed juvenile form to the slug-like female egg factories. The t'ssaa fathers are actually the most interesting members of the species. They're aggressive and highly competitive. They have to fight for territory that can support caverns of mates.”

  “This isn't reassuring.”

  Misty stopped abruptly and Jace nearly ran her down. They bounced into one of the walls together, but he didn't notice. She was staring at him and her mental façade was uncharacteristically grim. “None of this is reassuring, Ace. Zariss will see us as thieves and may well decide to kill us. He won't be alone either. A group of his older children and clan relatives will be acting as his bodyguard.”

  “Super.”

  “Absolutely.” Misty's grin returned and she took both of Jace's hands to continue pulling him with her, as she strolled backward to meet angry lizards. He should probably resist, but she'd never run out on him and she'd earned all the support he could give. He picked up his pace and she flashed him a grin that left him willing to dive into a sea of t'ssaa.

  “We do have a chance,” Misty assured Jace. “The fathers are aggressive, but they need to be able to co-operate. They've no wish to fight each other to extinction, so they have a rigid code of honor. T'ssaa keep their word and never renege on contracts. They also admire bravery and they always reward courage. So we need to be bold. The best approach would be to charge to meet them, agreed?”

  It was Jace's turn to laugh. “I can't believe you just convinced me to run after a group of t'ssaa.”

  Misty began to bounce as they walked, until she could brush a frond past one of his. Good, because we need to be brave. I know you'll get past being scared for yourself, but please don't be scared for me. That could kill us both. Have faith and let me play this through. Promise?

  Jace skidded to a halt and pulled Misty to a stop. He searched her face and didn't like what he saw. I don't know if I can.

  Trust me. urgency/need/elation

  Yeah, it's the last bit that worries me.

  Misty rose on tip-toes to plant a kiss on his cheek, before stepping quickly back.

  He managed a rueful smile. “Well, since you put it like that...” I promise.

  They faced the silver trail again and clasped hands firmly, then broke into a run. The ship passed as a scented blur of pink and red and yellow and cream, until they seemed to be sprinting through a rose garden. It was a shock to finally leap free from the Valkyrie and return to a world of noise and grime. They stopped within a stride to stand poised back-to-back and Jace surveyed their surroundings in surprise. He wasn't sure what he'd expected, but it wasn't this.

  A perfectly ordinary port bustled around them, as full of people and ships as Gratuity at its busiest. He synced his com with the local time and it returned with midday on Verity. His pulse quickened. The Verity system housed twenty-eight passage points and the busiest ports on the Rim. This must be one of its many docks. He looked around with new appreciation.

  The Valkyrie was slotted neatly between two merchant haulers, which dwarfed her svelte form. Both were busy loading and no one paid any attention to the new arrivals. Jace searched the Mutt and mermaridian around them, but there was no sign of any reptiles, angry or otherwise.

  A screeching hiss made him pivot to face the same direction as Misty and they pushed through the crowd together. An unused quarantine station floated a body length away from the main docks. It was filled by t'ssaa, at least two dozen, all jostling for position to see what was happening in the center of their circle. More hissing rang out and encouraging calls. The crowd moved, t'ssaa throwing themselves aside to open a gap which two wrestling figures rolled through.

  The fighters were also t'ssaa, their crests spread wide while they grappled with each other, but Jace looked closer and felt sick. The wrestlers weren't just short, they were young. Very young. Their crests were little more than stubs around their heads. Why weren't they safely tucked up in school with their mommy slugs?

  This is their school, Misty's mind pointed out and he grimaced. So much for those pesky fripperies like reading and writing.

  “Zariss!” Misty's cry rang out like a challenge and Jace briefly considered fainting. It was an attractive option, but what was the point of finally finding an exciting life if you didn't enjoy it? He squared his shoulders before leaping out through the onyx sky and onto the quarantine circle.

  Misty made a small, annoyed noise and jumped after him. The t'ssaa who were bent over watching the fight at their feet, turned at the interruption. One of them straightened to stand tall... and then taller still, before stepping forward. Jace gulped at his first sight of a mature male t'ssaa. The father towered over his two dozen companions.

  He closed on Jace and Misty, with his tongue flickering as he advanced. He strode into Jace's personal space and stopped when his chest was all Jace could see.

  Jace tipped his head back in an effort to make eye contact, but the father was staring past him. The seven-foot iguana studied the Valkyrie's sleek curves, which rose behind Jace. The t’ssaa stared for a long, tense minute, as if making certain the vessel was unharmed.

  “Our ship returns.” His tongue darted out to almost touch Jace. “With dirt on its hull. Slither away, little dirt.”

  Jace made a huge effort and managed not to step back. Instead, he drew himself to his full height and looked up at the t'ssaa. The lizard's crest rattled and slowly began to spread, until the sun seemed to be rising behind him. The floating disc they were standing on vibrated with rapid footfalls as the other t'ssaa surrounded them. Jace swallowed, but silently ordered his com to display the salvage and sale agreements for the Valkyrie. “This ship is ours.”

  A sibilant hissing came from the reptiles in response, while their eyes blinked rapidly. “Papers,” their leader said dismissively and Jace realized they were laughing.

  “Papers which are legal throughout the space where you live and work.”

  They grew quiet at that, but the dock echoed to the rattle of two dozen crests opening. “Do you truly wish to steal Zyl-tarxidoss?” the Father hissed. “She is a t'ssaa mothership and her mind calls to other t'ssaa ships. This is why I left her orbiting a moon, but she is mine and answers only to me.”

  “Not anymore,” Jace stated and all of the t'ssaa’s crests fell silent.
>
  The Father hissed again, very softly. “She speaks with you?”

  “She does.”

  “Still, it is likely that she simply needed your services and no more.”

  “She said she likes me.”

  The lizard's crest sprang to full height and his hiss sounded more like a growl. “Then you and I must fight.”

  Sweat beaded Jace’s upper lip, tasting of salt and panic.

  However, it was Misty who spoke next and her voice was steady. “I offer zarik-tyz.”

  The lizards stopped again and so did Jace's heart. Wasn't that t'ssaa for trial by combat? His fronds sent a desperate query to Misty, but she kept her attention on the t'ssaa father. The reptile stared silently at her for several seconds before throwing his head back and hissing at the top of his voice. The other reptiles joined in with the strange clacking hiss of their laughter and the youngsters might have been in a giant kitchen, filled with steaming pots and bouncing lids. “Do you wish to be squashed?”

  Misty moved, powering her tiny form into instant motion. She bounced high in the air and slapped the t'ssaa leader hard across the face. He was gone in the next instant, sliding back and out of reach with sinuous grace. However Misty's handprint stood out clearly as a dark green smear across his cheek.

  There was a shocked silence, while Jace blinked as rapidly as a laughing t'ssaa. Did he just see what he thought he saw? One of the younger t'ssaa rattled its crest at him.

  “Is not amusing,” it stated and Jace tried to stop his blinking.

  “It's hilarious,” Misty disagreed happily. Her eyes began to gleam and their silver light reflected from the leader's scaly face. His crest quivered in response, thrumming quietly, with every spine fully extended.

  “You are Beserk.”

  “Often, and I challenge you to fight for this ship.”

  The t'ssaa looked down at the girl and his eyes blinked rapidly again. “I like you, small one, so I accept. There is no question of ownership though. We will fight and if you win you may use my ship until my heirs return to claim her.”