by Megg Jensen
"It's okay." Torsten attempted a smile. "We're going to do our best to find them. Alive."
"We need to stay alive, too," Rell said. "Let me take a look on the other side of the waterfall."
"No." Torsten stepped in front of her. "I'm going to do it."
Rell planted her hands on her hips. "I'm perfectly capable of scouting ahead."
Torsten pointed to her hair. "And your hair is pink. You'll stand out. Mine is brown, I'll blend in with the surroundings."
Rell opened her mouth to argue, then closed it. Torsten walked away, skirting the rock behind them as he got closer to the side of the falls. Then he disappeared between the water and the wall.
Rell bit her lip, waiting. She tapped her foot and paced as she waited for Torsten's return. Giving up, Rell stalked to the edge of the falls. Just as she was about to put a foot through the water, Torsten came flying through the falls, crashing into her. They fell backward. Torsten wrapped his arms around Rell's head, softening the blow when they hit the ground.
Rell opened her mouth to protest, but Torsten's hand was over her lips.
"Shh," he whispered in her ear.
Rell nodded. Torsten slowly unwrapped himself from her body. They sat side by side on the ground. The wetness pooled under Rell's leather pants, but didn't permeate the smooth fabric. Torsten's pants, however, were soaked. That wasn't what concerned her, though.
Torsten stared at the falls, his eyes locked on the water, and his shoulders tense. She wanted to know what he'd been running from. Instead, she waited silently, knowing he'd tell her when he could.
Her hand found its way into his, and Torsten squeezed her fingers so hard she thought they might bruise. Finally, his grasp relaxed. Their hands fell away from each other.
Torsten stood, brushing off his pants. He turned to Rell, who was still on the ground. "I don't think they saw me."
"Who?" she asked, standing.
Torsten looked over his shoulder at the falls. The water fell in regular lines, a barrier between them and whatever lurked on the other side.
"The dragzhi. They're everywhere, searching in the bush. They're hunting," he said.
She didn't have to say it. They both knew. The dragzhi were coming for them. It was either back down to the buried, or stay and face the aliens who had wiped out Hadar in one day.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Torsten motioned Rell to the spot where the falls met the cave. "They're out there. Huge, fierce beings. Each one looks like a shimmering rock. Their arms are wider than our heads. Their feet are the size of boulders. They aren't fast, but they are strong. Our only chance is to outrun them before they shoot us."
He’d studied them for years. He knew of two types of dragzhi, but this was the first he’d seen either with his own eyes.
Rell looked over her shoulder to where she'd found the drops of blood.
Torsten grabbed her arms, forcing the pink-haired girl to face him. "Renata did what she could to save us. She was coming back for us, just as she promised. We have to assume Leila and Andessa made it somewhere safe. If two out of the three made it, then we can, too."
Rell nodded, her eyes wide but her chin resolute. Torsten knew she had the fortitude to get through the mobs of dragzhi. She'd proven stronger than he had at times.
"I'd rather get past them undetected, if possible." Torsten dropped his hands from her shoulders. "The less commotion we cause, the more likely we are to make it to the tower alive."
"If we need protection, I can make some fire." Rell threw her shoulders back, standing straighter.
"It's a plan," Torsten said. "But there's one other thing we need to do first. Your hair."
"It's too pink. I'll stand out amid the foliage." Rell fell to her knees, scraping mud from the ground with her fingers. She rubbed it over the magenta strands.
Torsten smoothed out a couple of strands she missed. Her makeup had long ago worn off, and he was beginning to see the girl she had been before coming aboveground. "Are you ready?"
Rell nodded.
"Then let's go."
Rell knew as well as he did the importance of stealth.
Torsten crept low to the ground, passing between the falls and the cave wall. Water lightly sprayed his face. He watched Rell to make sure the water didn't disturb her muddy locks. The thick mud held.
They followed the same path Torsten had taken while scouting earlier. The two kept low, under the canopy of tall, leafy plants sprouting at the edge of the falls. Torsten took care not to slip on the wet rocks underfoot. The river rushed on their left, churning up whitecaps. Torsten saw Rell's face go white at the frothing water. She reached out, fumbling for Torsten's hand.
Torsten had hoped the dragzhi would leave, but a high-pitched grinding noise told him they were still around. When the rock dragzhi moved, their lapidarian limbs scraped together. His eyes squeezed shut against the nearly intolerable cacophony.
However, the noise also gave Torsten and Rell an advantage. As long as the rocky beings continued to move, Torsten and Rell could circumvent them, the dragzhi discord drowning out their movements.
Torsten moved to the left a few paces, then stopped. He nudged Rell, pointing to their right. A rock dragzhi stood motionless not far from them. Its eyes, lodged deep within its stone head, moved from side to side, scanning the jungle. It held a charka on the end of a leash. The large, lizard-like creature rooted around the ground, its jaws snapping at anything that moved. Torsten had read about them, too, but seeing one sent chills down his spine.
Rell's eyes widened as she took in the goliath. Torsten was tall for a human, but the dragzhi stood easily double his height and took up more than three times his girth. Rell was understandably frightened, but if she’d studied them as he had, she’d be downright terrified. These rock beasts were only the grunts of the dragzhi. The fighters. The liquid dragzhi were far more frightening.
Torsten poked Rell's shoulder, urging her away from the dragzhi sentry. They crept slowly through the foliage, trying to minimize the movement of the canopy. Torsten's legs ached and his head hurt, but he kept moving. He would get them to safety in the tower, and if his hopes were realized, he would see his sister again.
He could see the tower getting closer with every step. They were so close. Only one hundred steps from the entrance. Unfortunately, two dragzhi stood guard at the door. They weren't going to let anyone in. Torsten just hoped whoever was inside was able to keep the dragzhi out, too. The tower was built to withstand attacks. He and Rell would be safe inside, if they could get there.
"We need a distraction," Torsten whispered.
Rell’s eyes followed his to the dragzhi, and she nodded. "I can shoot a spear of fire toward the tree over there and set it aflame. It might pull them away from the door long enough for us to get in."
"Can you do that?" Torsten asked, gaping.
Rell shrugged. "I think I can. It’s a big tree. I’m sure I’ll hit it. They’ll want to investigate." She attempted a smile, but Torsten could tell by the fear in her eyes that the smile was fake.
"Then do it." Torsten didn't want to wait another moment on the ground. The sooner they got inside the tower, the sooner they'd be safe.
Rell reached a shaking hand up, pointing her palm toward the distant tree. She closed her eyes and a stream of fire shot out at the tree. The upper leaves burst into flames.
One of the dragzhi turned its face toward the tree with a grating sound.
"More," Torsten said.
A second burst of flames hit the leaves. Both dragzhi noticed this time. They moved toward the burning tree, their rocky bodies grinding with each heavy step.
Torsten yanked on Rell, pulling her toward the tower. They rounded the side within a stone's throw of the entrance. The two dragzhi had moved far enough away to give Torsten confidence. He leapt up, banging on the door.
"Is anyone in there? Let us in!" His fist slammed into the metal door over and over, making enough noise to attract the attention of th
e dragzhi.
"They're coming back, Torsten!" Rell's voice wavered.
He continued walloping the door, his voice growing hoarse as he pleaded for someone, anyone, to hear him. "Create a shield of fire, Rell!"
There was a noise like the one Torsten had heard when Rell trapped them near the edge of the volcano. He ventured a glance over his shoulder. The dragzhi were advancing, faster with each thundering step. The ground shook as more dragzhi came from the sides, closing in on them. Two of them led ravenous charka.
"Torsten! Hurry!" Rell yelled.
He pounded with both fists, screaming. Someone had to be in there. Why else would the dragzhi guard the door? Desperate, he kicked the door, his toes aching with each blow.
Then he heard it. Voices. From the other side of the door.
"Help us!" Torsten yelled again, pounding more vigorously. He looked to Rell. "Get over here. I want you right next to me."
She stood shakily, her arms still in the air, holding a wall of fire around them. Rell made her way to Torsten, her back against his. He faced the door; she faced their enemies as they marched closer.
A different kind of grinding noise joined the cacophony outside. Torsten's heart beat harder. The tumblers of the lock were moving. Several clunks were followed by a loud pop as the door swung open. Torsten reached out for Rell's arm, but she wasn't there.
Torsten's eyes met his sister's, who stood inside the tower, two strangers at her side. He swung around, looking for Rell, who'd been next to him only a moment ago.
She was a few steps away, her arms trembling as one of the dragzhi entered the fire, testing it.
"Drop it," Torsten said, reaching out for her. "The door is open."
"No." Rell shook her head. "The moment I stop, they'll be on us. You go. Now."
"Not without you." Torsten's voice cracked. But Rell was right. The dragzhi were ready to fling themselves at Torsten and Rell, and judging by her quaking arms, she couldn't hold them off for much longer. "We can do this. Back up, Rell. Just a few more steps, and you can drop the shield, and I’ll slam the door behind us. We'll make it."
"Don’t risk the lives of everyone in there," she said through gritted teeth. "Go. I'll be fine. I'll find another way underground."
"No,” Torsten said. Rell might be right, but there was no way he could leave her to fight the dragzhi alone. Leila was inside. She was safe. He spun around. "Close the door," he told his sister.
"Tor, I can't do that. You have to come with us. Get in here, now." Leila's eyes flashed with anger. "Where's Renata?"
"She didn't make it," Torsten said. "Now shut the damn door, Leila!"
"I won't let you die, too," Leila said.
Two men jumped out from behind her, grabbing Torsten's arms.
"No!" Torsten struggled, but they were too strong. Torsten dug his heels into the ground as the two men pulled him away. "Rell!"
He watched in horror as she sank to the ground, her arms limp at her side. She looked back at him, her brown eyes wide, tears bubbling. One of the dragzhi reached down, plucking her from the ground by the collar. Rell's legs dangled in the air. She didn't even fight.
"Rell!" Torsten screamed as the men pulled him into the tower and slammed the door, locking it.
The men dropped him. Torsten fell to his knees and looked up at Leila. His tears mirrored Rell's. "How could you?" he asked his sister. It was only his deep love for her that kept him from grabbing her by the throat.
"I couldn't risk losing you." Her voice was barely above a whisper.
"But you could let Rell die?" he croaked.
"She killed Mellok." Andessa strode up behind them, throwing an arm around Leila's shoulder. "She wasn’t worth saving."
Torsten stood, anger filling every part of his body. "She just saved my life."
"Then we're even," Andessa said. "Besides, we couldn't trust Rell. All she's ever done is lie to us. Who’s to say she wouldn't do it again?"
"Leila?" Torsten asked, his eyes burning. "Do you believe this, too?"
His sister shrugged unhappily. "All I know is I love you, Tor. And I chose to save you." Leila slipped out from under Andessa's arm, stalking down the hall. Her boots clanged up the metal staircase.
"Let me out," he said to the two men guarding the door.
"No." One of the men stepped in front of the door, his arms crossed over his chest.
Torsten's shoulders drooped. He wasn't a fighter, and he knew he didn't stand a chance at disabling them.
He leaned against the wall, his forehead against the freezing metal. Rell was out there. The dragzhi would take her. They would kill her as they had Renata. He'd done everything he could to save her, and hadn’t succeeded. Torsten doubled over, his stomach heaving its meager contents onto the floor. He walked away, leaving the sick on the floor with the guards. For the first time, he wished he believed in Rell's gods. Then he could pray to them for a miracle.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Torsten woke with a start. Sitting up, he looked around, searching for Rell. She wasn't there, of course. He'd spent years studying the dragzhi, learning about them so someday he could help defeat them. He knew enough to be worried sick over what they would do to her.
The guards wouldn't let him through the main door, and he didn't know another way out of the tower. He couldn't even break the windows to escape. They were made from advanced tech. Impenetrable from the outside and the inside. The tower wasn't just a fortress, it was also a prison.
He'd spent the entire first day at the window, watching for any sign of Rell. Leaves moving. A flashing light. Anything. But it was calm. Only the dragzhi moved outside, their bodies grinding as they shifted. Torsten could just barely hear the high-pitched squeal inside. Or maybe he was imagining it. Either way, chills traveled over his skin.
It had been days, and there was no sign of her.
A pleasant song played, interrupting his thoughts. Someone was at the door. Probably Leila again. "Open," Torsten said. He'd have to face her eventually.
"Tor." Leila charged in, as if she was afraid he would change his mind and close the door before she made it inside. "You need to come out of your room. You've been in here for five days. What remains of the military is readying to retaliate against the dragzhi. You can't just hide in here thinking about Rell."
Torsten wanted to scream at his sister until she admitted she was wrong for what she’d done. Leaving Rell to possibly die at the hands of the dragzhi. Torsten had lived the scene in his head over and over since the door had slammed behind him.
They were supposed to make it to the tower together. He'd promised her they wouldn't separate.
Leila’s hands were on her hips, her eyes narrowed, her head cocked to the side. She wasn't going to let him dwell on it anymore. Leila was smaller than he was, but she would force him out of his room, at gunpoint if necessary. Torsten heaved himself off the bed, towering over his sister. "Fine. I'll go the meeting."
Leila relaxed, a smile crossing her face. "Good. We need your expertise. So many were killed in the first battle when the dragzhi came to the surface. Commander Bartok is gone, as well as the senior staff. There's only a few dozen of us defenders left. There are more civilians who were taken in after Hadar was leveled. No one knows as much about the dragzhi as you do. We need you, Tor."
Torsten looked out the window at the ruins of Hadar. Phoenix wasn't even their original home. They were stranded. Interlopers. Maybe they didn't belong there at all, and nature was simply restoring balance.
He refused to give up, though. The humans’ only goal had been to build a ship to take them home. They'd rebuilt what they could, using natural resources to attempt to recreate the tech to travel across solar systems. It hadn't worked. Not yet. But maybe they had a chance after all.
"I have an idea," Torsten said, his heart hopeful. His plan would give him the chance to find Rell.
"I knew you would." Leila grabbed his hand, tugging.
Torsten waved his palm over the
sensor and his door opened. Leila pulled him down the hall to the lift. They entered, letting the lift take them up forty levels to the conference rooms. He swallowed hard, popping his ears to relieve the pressure building in his head. It had only been days since he'd first left the tower, but after everything he'd been through, it felt endless.
Torsten wasn't the same man who'd left the tower on a strange mission to locate an artifact that didn't even exist. Instead, he'd found another world and made a new friend. He’d lost Mellok and possibly Rell. It always came back to Rell.
He shook his head, trying to concentrate on the task ahead of him. Following Leila out of the lift and down the hall, Torsten went over his plan again in his head. Perhaps it was a tad crazy, but this wasn't the time for conservative plans. If they were going to make it out of the tower alive, they had to take risks.
Leila entered the first conference room on the left. The room was packed. People stood in groups, whispering, but the noise stopped when Torsten walked in. All eyes were trained on him.
He realized he knew only a few of them, including the two who had been at his table when he’d been chosen for the mission: the bald quiet girl and the guy with the two different colored eyes.
"We're all here. Now we can get started." A redheaded woman, older than Torsten, but not old enough to be his mother, stood on the dais at the end of the room. "Thank you for gracing us with your presence, Torsten."
He didn't respond. Not that she gave him a chance. Instead, Torsten stood next to the man with the strange eyes. They nodded at each other as the redhead began her speech.
"We can't stay here forever. I think everyone here knows it." Her eyes wandered the crowd, as if she was looking for someone to challenge her. When no one commented, she continued. "The dragzhi are on the ground. This is something we've never had to face because our troops in space held them at bay. A few weeks ago, the dragzhi broke through our lines, killing the vast majority of our troops. Only a few ships were able to escape. All made it back here, but the dragzhi destroyed them after hitting Hadar. There was one final ship remained in space, fighting with everything it had. As you know, they were able to destroy one dragzhi ship. I'm assuming all of you saw the explosion the other evening. Unfortunately, it too, was taken out in the explosion. It was a successful suicide mission."
