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

by Casey Lea

  The chamber ahead had become an alien world filled with mist, and tendrils wafted from it to wrap around Amber. They tried to cling to her armored field, but condensed and ran down its dark matter to pool at her feet. She straightened slowly, staring into the refuge of her enemy, although it was impossible to see far. She listened, but everything was now very quiet, so she flipped a coin from her com and tossed it through the door. It sailed halfway before slamming to the ground. She looked thoughtfully down at the flattened metal disc. This was a more challenging barrier. One that only two people could pass. Darsey IceFlight and herself.

  Amber tried breathing deeply, but the knot in her stomach twisted tighter. She grimaced and ignored it. She could do this. There was only one reason why, years ago and in another life, she’d taken Darsey's cells. They could survive an infusion of exotic matter and then use it to open passages through space. She’d stolen that ability to be able to kill the Devourer, but now she too could jump past barriers that would trap anyone else.

  The sound of heavy footfalls and a surge of water round her ankles made Amber start. The zombies were coming. She looked back to see the distorted Nikareon closing on her, with the other four further behind, jostling against each other. They were trying to run abreast and refusing to give ground. Two of them tripped and fell, sending another wave over Amber. She turned in panic to lean into the heavy-gee barrier.

  Amber shot through that danger zone in less than a second. She was propelled straight through passage space and back out, into a primeval world. She shook herself and checked that her extremities were all there. She was intact and she'd done it. Made it to the heart of darkness when no one else could. She hesitated and stopped to peer around in the dim light, because the nest was definitely not what she was expecting. It was warm and inviting. So warm that steam rose around her and it was hard to breathe.

  A cold draft was all the warning Amber had, but it was enough. She twisted and ducked as an arm of dripping ice shot past. It was impossible to see in the clinging fog, so she dodged deeper into the nest. Muffled footfalls seemed to surround her, but a creaking right behind made her spin to face the Nikareon zombie.

  It swung a leg wide to take a swaying step, but its body was covered in rivulets of melting ice. Amber backed away and water streamed from it when it pursued her. It swung a bladed arm again and this time its aim was better. The blow was too low to duck, so she jumped backward, tucking in half to let that blade of frozen fingers graze her stomach. She staggered further into the fog and her attacker vanished.

  Amber stopped with her abdomen on fire. She looked down and saw that she had her own rivulets. They were red and running from her gut down her legs. She swayed, but managed to plaster a regen strip across the cut. She was fine. She could keep going.

  The only source of light in the nest was close and easier to find as the fog lifted. Amber staggered on, until ponderous footsteps made the deck shake behind her. She swiveled her head, searching for a fog bank to hide in, but the mist seemed to be lifting as the light grew and she had nowhere to run. She turned to face the Nikareon zombie again and silver eyes looked back at her. Silver, not white. He was fighting the ice.

  Amber made a small desperate sound and the Beserk ground to a halt. He stopped, swaying and standing over her, while water cascaded from him. The ice covering him was melting faster. All the energy the plague had stolen must be flowing to this point, nurturing something hidden in the nest. The warmth was clearly too great for the frozen form of the plague to survive.

  Nikareon groaned and a slab of ice slid from his shoulders. His muscles strained to break free and Amber stepped toward him. “Doc. Stop.” His voice was a tortured whisper, but he held her gaze, while his legs grated into movement. They dragged him backward away from Amber, and she followed. He was talking and thinking for himself, so she could fix him. He stopped and swayed, letting her close the distance between them. His mouth shaped ‘no’, but she ignored him to start a scan.

  “You’re thawing,” she whispered back. “Keep hope-”

  “Doc,” Nikareon croaked and his face creased until its icy sheen cracked. “Run.”

  A flash of white was all the warning Amber had when Nikareon’s arm rose. She flinched, but he hit himself instead. One melting fist collided with a rigid temple to leave slush oozing down his cheek. “Don’t listen,” he grated and wacked his head again. “In your mind. It’s lies. Don’t.”

  “What?” Amber demanded, but then her eyes met his. A milky film swam over his pupils and she realized the retreat had brought them closer to the frozen link. The ice was reclaiming him.

  “Run,” Nikareon repeated, but this time his cry was filled with a hunter’s glee. He lurched forward and the chase was back on. Amber threw herself back and a blunt hand grazed her chin, bringing tears to her eyes. The last of her dark energy cushioned the blow, but her armor sloughed from her. Her dark-matter matrix fell apart to trip her as she staggered away. She fell to a knee and a frozen fist punched from the mist to just miss her shoulder. The zombie’s arm dripped water over her.

  Amber surged to her feet and sprinted, drenched and cursing, to meet the light. She risked a glance back and the Nikareon monster was shuffling along on stumps. It vanished in the steam behind and a small sob escaped her, but she instantly muffled it. The zombie would still be out there, in the cold, waiting for her.

  Amber's knees gave out and she slid to the ground. She sat down in a puddle, to huddle there, damp and grieving. The water evaporated around her, and steam spiralled upward to join a cloud far above. She started panting in the damp air and felt her nose wrinkle. Away from the ice the ship reeked of rotting carpet and... what was that? Damp dog?

  The air finally cleared enough to see further and she realized she was close to the center of the nest. A warm yellow light was shining strongly behind her and Amber looked over her shoulder, straight into the heart of the plague.

  It blinked back at her with thick eyelashes. They fluttered like dark butterflies above a meadow of rippling fur. Amber felt her jaw drop and then her gaze followed it, while shame slammed through her. Why was she here, sneaking in like an assassin to hunt this adorable alien? What kind of murdering creature was she? Destroying such beauty would be monstrous. Amber writhed when self-hatred lashed at her. She was vile beyond belief.

  The shimmering heart of the plague gave a cheap and Amber straightened in delight. That sound had carried forgiveness. She was sure of it, thank the gods. They could still be friends. She half-turned, then shuffled forward on her knees with a hand outstretched.

  The rainbow mound ahead looked like a clothes rack draped in layers of fur that swayed when it flinched away. Its fear made Amber bite her lip. She hadn’t meant to scare it. This lovely creature was no danger to her, or to anyone else. It was no more violent than a tweet and certainly no more cunning. She would have laughed at her paranoid cares, if she hadn’t been so ashamed. After all of her fear and a ridiculous amount of shaking, her enemy was as welcoming as a cushion.

  Amber edged closer, drawn deeper into the nest by the strange pile of fur. The alien reminded her of a medium-sized pet, but its pelt was longer and more luxuriant than any she’d ever seen. It flowed to the ground and tumbled over the floor on either side in mesmerizing waves.

  Amber’s eyelids drooped and she sidled closer, but the alien hunched defensively, sending ripples shining through its fur. She made a soothing noise and kept going. She had to touch it. The creature blinked frantically when her hand rose toward it, but she didn’t stop. Couldn’t stop.

  The animated rug wriggled and bounced, as if inviting her closer. Amber giggled and the rug jumped playfully at her. It looked so soft. All she could see was swaying fur and she ached to bury her hands in it.

  The alien dipped down at the front then waggled its rear end, like a pet preparing to pounce. Amber laughed and it bounced some more, edging closer still, with fur rippling around it as it came. It leapt again, which lifted its front fring
e, and she saw an unexpected flash of grey. She hesitated and her hand froze, still raised toward the alien sidling to greet her. Eyelashes fluttered, making her laugh and lean forward once more.

  The rug accelerated, charging at Amber, and its fur lifted again to show the belly beneath. There was no soft pelt there, just naked, slimy, gray skin ringed with jagged teeth.

  Amber yelled and threw herself backward. She belatedly noticed the wide trail behind the creature, a pitted slurry like icy snot left wherever it passed. The monster landed where she’d been and snarled, before darting forward with a gnashing of teeth against the floor.

  Amber shook her head and pain lanced through it. How had she missed that noise before? She scrabbled away, but her frantic movements were awkward and part of her still wanted to stop and pat her enemy. Oh, gods, the thing was a telepath and it was deep inside her mind. How could she have been such a wide-eyed chick? Her fronds writhed, and it was the alien’s turn to stop when she blasted it with all the mental energy she could.

  Amber felt momentary hope, but then a consciousness so ancient it made her feel like a child struck back. An alien thought sliced through her head and she cried out. The plague’s brain stopped hiding its true nature, so she finally felt how ruthless it was. Her forehead tightened, but she pushed past pain to grab more from the sharp contact. Her enemy was a clone of something much older. It was a bud, sent by an energy plague that had been draining galaxies since long before she was first born. She was nothing more than a passing inconvenience.

  The brain darted forward to rear over Amber and all she could see were rows of teeth. She rolled and clutched at her com, trying to remember the password that would release a weapon. The monster missed, landing where she’d been, but instantly spun to strike again. It was terrifyingly fast, quicker than any t'ssaa. She tried to crawl away, but was too slow.

  The thing wrapped itself around Amber's lower leg and she screamed when teeth closed on her calf. They ground deep and her blood sprayed through the air, but instantly froze to float to the ground as dark flakes of ice. The monster wasn't radiating energy any more. It was using all it could. It attacked mentally too and pain sliced her brain into a jumble of disjointed thoughts.

  It was impossible to focus on her com, so Amber sank her fingers into the brain’s soft coat. She fought instinctively, tearing out handfuls of fur in an effort to drag the creature off her. Its teeth snapped, followed by her leg and her mind splintered, but slimy patches appeared in the rippled pelt. The creature squealed and her head stopped spinning. She could see again. The brain looked like the victim of some terrible fungal disease, with gaping wounds in its coat, but it kept on chewing at her.

  It dug its teeth deeper, until Amber's broken leg went numb. The relief was incredible and she slumped over the monster, even as it sucked at her wounds, slurping up her blood and draining her dry. The crazy reflections from half-melted ice sheets spun around her and the creature feeding on her started purring. Its pleasure vibrated through her body, while her pain grew increasingly distant.

  A wordless voice began to croon in Amber's mind, rising and falling with the purr, and more of her body grew numb. She had to force herself to feel, force herself to concentrate, before she could finally free a knife from her com. She almost dropped it when it hit her trembling palm and had to grab for it when it bounced away. She managed to catch it at her second attempt and gripped it hard before slowly leaning forward, fighting the lethargy to cut at her attacker.

  The knife sliced into fur with no more impetus than the weight of Amber's numb hand, but it was sharp and sank deep. The brain squealed and bucked, releasing her leg. She dragged herself backward, trailing more than blood. Her calf was a mess. Gods it hurt. She draped a regen pad around it and her nausea receded, while she sagged into the half-frozen slurry of her own blood. Several seconds passed before she could look for her enemy.

  It was watching Amber closely and when she lifted her head its shining eyes narrowed. It was the first time she’d seen past its eyelashes to the harsh light they fringed. She shivered and the world came into sharp focus again. Her mind was calm and clear and truly her own again. She felt her top lip curl back from her teeth. "Seems it’s brain for dinner."

  The monster flattened itself in a puddle and more steam rose, but then the water disappeared. It seemed the brain was capable of sucking a puddle as dry as a person. Amber gulped and waved her blade in front of her, while she dragged herself forward with her other hand. She inched after the brain, using her uninjured leg to help her crab along and finally backed the slowly retreating creature up against the wall. The brain rose and twisted in an effort to climb over itself, before slumping and cowering. She swayed above it and a soothing purr rose from its furry folds.

  Amber hesitated and her hand shook, while she struggled with a sudden reluctance to strike. It was only the memory of the monster purring over her mutilated leg that let her steady the knife. She was completely distracted by her struggle to attack and almost missed the threat clumping closer from behind.

  Footfalls made the floor shake and Amber belatedly realized someone was there. Bulky hands closed on her throat, but she threw herself sideways and managed to rip free. Her leg shrieked and she bit back her own cry as she fell heavily. A booted foot slammed into her side to cartwheel her across the nest.

  Amber landed hard and something across her middle split. She retched, but pushed herself onto all fours. She looked up and saw the brain flapping like a rug in a gale, as it fled through the far exit. She tried to crawl after it, but had to stop when a spacesuit stepped into her path. She swayed and groaned, struggling to make sense of that. Most ships carried a few old fashioned suits in case of overwhelming disaster, but they had no ability to go anywhere on their own. She peered up at the helmet and a once familiar face looked blankly back.

  Lamidia was barely recognizable, with her features now shiny white and bloated. The zombie's leg swung forward and Amber was catapulted again. It hurt so much only her com field kept her conscious. She could no longer crawl, but dragged herself on anyway using her fingertips. She had to stop that brain.

  The trail of snot left by the alien felt greasy under Amber’s palms as she pulled herself along, but the clank of boots told her the spacesuit was coming. Despair sent fresh pain through her. Zombie Lamidia could chase her anywhere, safe from any warmth inside the insulated suit. The footsteps grew louder, hitting the ground at the same rate as Amber's pulse. Far too fast. The zombie was on her. She rolled and ordered another knife from her com, but her abused fingers fumbled with it. She cut one of them feeling for the blade and winced, but finally managed to throw it. She tossed it with combat strength and it veered toward the figure leaning over her. The knife struck and buried itself to the hilt in Lamidia's arm.

  The zombie didn't even hesitate. Its foot swung back for another kick and Amber cringed, curling away from the blow, but it never came. Instead something silver flew through the sweaty air. It curved past Amber to settle on the spacesuit helmet, draping over it like a web. More strands arrived, landing thick and fast, until the zombie’s head looked like a huge ball of string balanced on top of a spacesuit body. The monster wobbled on one leg and the cobwebs kept coming. They wrapped around Lamidia, covering her completely and pulling her down.

  Amber rolled aside just before the crash. She was bounced upward by the zombie's fall, but hardly noticed, because she was frantically busy with her com, directing all of its power to med fields. They flowed through her body, healing internal injuries and lacerations, but she didn't have much time. She plastered every regen strip she had around her mutilated calf and pushed her thoughts after them to speed healing.

  There was a crunching sound beside her, where pale strands continued to bury the zombie sarcophagus. Layers of crisscrossing web had turned it into a solid cocoon, but the misshapen mound began to collapse. The web must be eating through the spacesuit. Amber wondered vaguely how far it would go, but kept most of her mind on fr
antically healing herself.

  More cobwebs wafted from the link, but not toward Lamidia. Instead Amber's time ran out and a lacey web settled over her com. It circled her wrist then shrank to tighten round that bracelet, making it crack, then spark and sending a shock up her arm. She gasped and gritted her teeth when every support field she had disappeared. The room spun and pain returned. Her body was all alone and unsupported, having to survive without help.

  Amber took a ragged breath and it was just enough to stop her panicking. Surprisingly the com loss wasn't as horrible as she'd feared. She could move and her emergency healing seemed to have worked. Her leg, still wrapped in regen, was nothing more than a distant ache and she felt brief relief, before slumping back to the ground. Sadly, her improved state was unlikely to help. She was in the grip of an enemy much more dangerous than a cowardly rug and it was all her fault.

  Amber had seen the cobwebs before. Many times. She’d also known that the Devourer was fascinated by arachnids, but she’d never wanted to put the two together. Now every suspicion she’d ever had and ignored, every dread that had kept her awake at night, but then been dismissed in the light of day, had come back to haunt her. She’d been stalked for all of this life and it was impossible to ignore that any longer. Pretending it wasn't happening hadn't made it go away. Hadn't made him go away. The truth had finally caught up with her and everyone would pay for her willful ignorance. The Devourer was here.

  54

  The Devourer

  Amber clenched her jaw and tried to rise. It seemed to take forever and she finally had to stop, swaying on all fours. The chamber was growing colder every second and she stared grimly at the refrozen floor. The regen had masked her pain, but she didn't care, because this dread felt infinitely worse.

  The mist in the air solidified around Amber to start falling as snow and she could feel the skin of her palms sticking to the ground. She tensed, but the ice seemed inert after its recent melting. At least she didn’t feel like a zombie. She kept her hands spread wide and flat on the fresh floor, trying to hold herself away from it.