by Megg Jensen
Images swirled through her mind, as if her life was unwinding. Torsten. Her father. The stars. All of it flew past her, twirling in mad fury until only one image remained.
The volcano. The being of fire who took their sacrifices each year.
Rell's fingers were released from the earth and the pain in her head subsided. She sat up, tears streaming down her cheeks.
The third has been found! We rejoice. Take us to him. If you do not do so of your own volition, we will force you. But we do not want to hurt you again, Rell. Do as we say, just as you have your whole life, and all will be well.
With quivering legs, Rell stood. One hand pressed against the dirt wall, steading herself. They had read her memories, yes, but whether or not they realized it, Rell had read theirs at the same time.
So it was the fire in the volcano. That was what the dragzhi sought. Their third. Their kind had three states: liquid, solid, and fire. And their third state had been hiding underground on this planet since long before the humans had crash landed. The dragzhi had only been trying to come down and claim their third species. Rell's ancestors had stopped them at every turn, refusing to work with them. In retaliation, the dragzhi had blown up every rescue ship from Earth that had come to their aid. None of those ships reached Phoenix. The humans never knew their people had come for them.
That wasn't the worst of it. Once they discovered Rell’s existence, she became their greatest asset. Her mother had been human, but her father, her biological father, had been something very, very different. One of the dragzhi. When Rell had come to their ship with Torsten, they had realized what she was. Rell straddled both species—human and dragzhi.
Sick to her stomach, Rell stumbled forward, heading to the volcano. She had no other choice. If she didn't go, they would force her. The pain was too great to bear, and she knew if she fought, they would disable her again. And it wouldn't end well. Once they had what they wanted, they would kill her. She wasn't convinced they'd let her live, even if she cooperated.
Rell staggered down the tunnel, her eyes wet and her brow furrowed. Anger fought with sadness. Everything had been a lie, and it went much deeper than anyone knew. Even her mother hadn't a clue who’d impregnated her. The man had been brought to her, then spirited away. She had confided her night of fiery pleasure to the council of the Menelewen Dored, who had then forced her into a marriage with the man Rell had always believed was her father. A baby was born to them nine months later, and Rell was raised just like all the other children underground.
But she wasn't like the others. She showed signs early on. Fire springing from her hands when she was angry. Glowing at night when her parents were trying to sleep. Only meditation and prayer calmed the thing inside her.
The dragzhi inside her.
She was a combination of the two species. The Key. She was the only one who could coax the fire out of the volcano to the surface, where the dragzhi could take it back into space to reunite with the rock and the liquid.
"Rell!" Her mother’s voice rang out in the tunnel.
Rell turned. "You must evacuate the underground. Tell everyone to go aboveground."
"What are you talking about?" Her mother took Rell by the shoulders, shaking her slightly. "You're not supposed to be down here. The others will find you. Leave. The volcano is fine. I was there only a day ago. Nothing has changed."
Rell's eyes burned.
Her mother stumbled backward. "Your eyes. They haven't done that since..."
"Since I was a small child, before I knew how to control what lurked inside me." Rell's voice deepened, crackling as she forced herself to speak the truth and not what the dragzhi voice inside her wanted her to say. "You know I am not like you. I know things you will never understand. Trust me, please. Take everyone aboveground. Avoid the rock dragzhi. Run far away from here." Rell fought to get each word out. The dragzhi inside couldn't control her completely, but it did hurt her every time she said something it didn't like.
Her mother took three steps back and ran away, heading toward the main pod. Rell's heart ached. Part of her wanted her mother to take Rell in her arms and promise her everything would be well.
But it wouldn't be. Never again.
Rell knew once the third species of dragzhi emerged from underground and reunited with its brothers, nothing would ever be the same again. If the humans thought they had any chance of surviving, they would soon discover their folly. The dragzhi would wipe them out, leaving the planet a fiery ball in their wake.
The dragzhi did not come here to live. They did not come to conquer. They only came to destroy. Once they were reunited with the third, they would be unstoppable. And Rell would bring it all about.
It was what she was bred for.
The Key.
Myth among the humans. A savior to the dragzhi.
The humans believed the Key could have saved them from the dragzhi. And maybe...
Rell stopped.
Continue.
"No."
Continue, or we will force you.
Rell sat on the ground, her legs crossed in front of her and her hands folded in prayer. "I dare you to try."
She focused deeply on her inner self. She ran through every calming exercise her mother had taught her as a child.
The dragzhi screeched in her head.
Rell brought her thoughts to her center. Her calm.
You cannot expel me!
Rell pulled in again, ignoring the dragzhi voice. It was then she realized, it was not inside her after all. It was only a projection from space. The dragzhi was still in its ship. It couldn't lurk inside her, living off of her existence. The voice was only that—a voice.
Rell used all of her religious training to build a wall in her mind. To separate the dragzhi from her thoughts. To push away all but the most important things from her mind. She concentrated on one word: hope. Over and over, she repeated it until the dragzhi voice was no more than an echo in the back of her mind, a nuisance she could easily dispose of. With a smile, Rell imagined flicking the voice out of her thoughts, and it floated away until she no longer heard its screeching.
Finally free of the dragzhi voice in her head, Rell ran down the tunnel, as fast as her slippers could carry her. She had to get to the volcano before the liquid dragzhi figured out a way underground. She was their Key, but she would not slide into the lock the way they expected.
Rell would destroy their third, hobbling their power for good. If her plan worked, the dragzhi would leave in defeat, knowing Phoenix was protected by Rell's power.
The dragzhi would no longer be able to hunt the humans. Though few remained, they would rebuild. Eventually, they would find their way to space again. They would find their way to Earth. Torsten and his descendants would live long, full lives.
Rell approached the cavern with the volcano. Heat blasted her from the entryway, forcing beads of sweat down her forehead. She brushed them off with the back of her hand.
It was time to face whatever lived in the volcano. Rell knew she was part of it, and she hoped she could survive a trip into the lava. She would do it for all of the humans underground who had been tricked into serving the Menelewen Dored. She would do it for those above who had died trying to save their families from the dragzhi.
Rell had the power to reunite the dragzhi species. Instead, she would sunder them, cutting off part of their unholy trinity for good.
Torsten must already believe she was dead. It was just as well. Rell's path wasn't one of ease or happiness. Torsten deserved more in a friend. At least he wouldn't be there to see what she was about to do.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
A loud knocking roused Torsten from a dream. He sat up, wiping drool off his cheek with his sleeve. He'd fallen asleep on the floor while praying for a quick trip to a dragzhi ship. Clearly it hadn't worked because he was still in his room.
The knock came again, more insistent this time. Torsten stood and waved his hand over the wall. "Why didn't you cue the mu
sic, Leila?" he asked as the door slid open.
The guy with the two different colored eyes breezed past Torsten, talking in a high-pitched voice. "Because I tried over and over again, but you didn't answer, big brother. I decided to go the low-tech route."
Torsten laughed and straightened his tunic. "Why are you here?"
"I believe your story."
Torsten could tell he had more to say. He was waiting until Torsten swallowed the news that someone agreed with him.
"Don't you think I'm crazy?" Torsten asked.
The man laughed. "If I thought you were crazy, I wouldn't be here, would I? Look, I know you've been shunned by most of the other defenders. I have been, too. I know what it's like to be on the outside. I don't think that qualifies you for the loony bin. Now, if you really know a way on to a dragzhi ship, I'm with you. The others are leaving soon. They're going to try to kill all those dragzhi outside. We can leave with them and head underground. I’m Rutger, by the way."
“Torsten.” He held up his hand, fingers splayed. Rutger touched his fingertips to Torsten’s, quickly withdrawing. Torsten couldn't believe it. Someone was willing to trust in him. "I can't guarantee we'll succeed."
Rutger laughed. "The only guarantee in life is death, but I plan to avoid it for as long as possible."
Music lilted, alerting them to another's presence.
"It's probably my sister. I'm guessing she wants to try to change my mind one more time." Torsten waved his hand over the wall and the door opened.
It wasn't Leila. It was the bald girl. On second glance, Torsten realized she didn’t have eyebrows either.
"Can I come in?" she asked.
"Sure." Torsten moved to the side, and she strode in.
"Hey, Malia," Rutger said. "Want to come with us?"
Malia looked up, her shoulders square. Her dark brown eyes swirled, pulling him into their depths. She was different, and stunningly beautiful. Rutger's eyes didn't leave Malia's face. He looked at her the same way Torsten wanted to look at Rell.
"I believe Torsten. Why would he lie?" Malia smiled. "The rest only think about their guns and blood. Torsten has always been the voice of the reason. He has knowledge no one else has. He has no reason to lie. So, yes, I will go with the two of you, if you will have me."
"Torsten?" Rutger said.
"Yes, of course." Torsten tried not to stutter over his words. When he'd spoken up at the meeting, it was out of desperation, not a desire to lead. "We're all equals here. If we can work together, then I think we have a good chance of succeeding."
Of course he wasn't even totally sure how to teleport to the dragzhi ship, but he had a feeling the answers lay beneath them. He knew where to look, and he’d be damned if he didn't try.
"Then let's steal some guns and ammo. I already have a vast assortment of knives.” Rutger patted his hips. “We may need to fight our way through the dragzhi. Ready?"
Malia nodded. Torsten gulped as he looked at his room for what felt like the last time.
The three made their way through the tower to the supply room. A line stretched around the hall. Leila stood outside the door, taking weapons from someone inside and handing them to the next person in line.
"Tor," Leila said, her voice flat. "What are you doing here?"
"We want to fight," Rutger said, answering before Torsten could speak. "Guns?" Rutger held out a hand.
Leila rolled her eyes, handing him the next gun to come through. Rutger shouldered the plasma rifle and nodded to Malia to take the electric shotgun that was next.
Leila turned to her brother. "I'm sorry, Tor. I don't want to fight with you." Her eyes softened, and she sniffled.
"I don't want to fight with you either, Lei." Torsten meant it. "Promise me you'll be careful out there. I can't lose you."
Leila rested a hand on her brother's cheek. "I will. You need to be careful, too. You're a terrible shot. Hang on." Leila turned her back to him and said something to whoever was inside. A moment later, she faced him again, a sword in her hands. "I know you practiced with this when no one was looking."
Torsten gasped. He hadn't told anyone. How did she know?
"Before Mellok," Leila swallowed hard, "died in the line of duty, I asked him to give it some juice. He was training to be an engineer. He was so creative and far-thinking. I know you always assumed he was a dumb oaf, but he wasn't. You'll see when you use this. He liked you, Torsten, even if he wasn't always good at showing it."
Torsten grabbed the hilt of the sword his sister offered him, wondering what Mellok had done to make it so special.
"I don't even want to tell you," Leila said, as if reading his mind. "When the time comes, you'll know. Just trust me."
Torsten nodded and backed away. He almost regretted keeping his plans from his sister, but he knew she would get angry again. She was an amazing fighter and, he wanted her to stay focused during the battle.
"I'll see you back here after we've won," Leila said, a smile on her face for the first time since they'd been reunited.
Torsten forced a smile and followed Malia and Rutger out the way they'd come. Luckily, Leila was too busy to notice Torsten’s deception. Torsten wasn't sure how long he could keep it up. He wasn't just worried about Leila's safety. He wasn't sure any of them would make it back alive, no matter how well they fought.
The dragzhi had better tech. They had more knowledge. They could appear in two different forms to suit the needs of the battle ahead. Torsten had studied the dragzhi and their two forms of liquid and rock, just as much as he'd studied the history of Earth. Torsten didn't feel confident in their ability to prevail. Not without a dragzhi ship.
Torsten, Malia, and Rutger descended to the bottom level of the tower, milling in the gathering crowd of warriors, trying to blend in. It wasn't long before everyone stood in the holding area. Leila muscled her way to the front, along with Andessa and the redhead who'd given the rallying speech the day before.
"We're about to head into battle," the woman said. "I want to make sure all of you know we're shooting to kill. Don't let the dragzhi get too close. They're slower, but unbelievably strong. Their charka are even more dangerous. We know their bites are strong enough to snap a human in two, but we also think they are venomous. Stay away from them. Better yet, kill them on sight. If the rock dragzhi were invulnerable, they wouldn't need leashed pets to protect them."
Murmurs of assent traveled through the crowd as they stood shoulder to shoulder. The room practically vibrated with electricity.
"Are you ready for us to open the doors?" she yelled.
The crowd roared in response.
"Then let's do this!"
Metal clanked as the guard unlocked the huge bolts. They pushed the doors open, and the defenders poured out of the tower.
Torsten, Malia, and Rutger hung in the back, waiting to slip away before anyone noticed. They skirted the edge of the group. Torsten tried not to watch the others engage the dragzhi, but he couldn't pull his eyes away.
Gigantic rock arms swung down at the humans, bashing them. Ammo bounced off the hard dragzhi bodies, falling to the ground. A charka’s jaws snapped, taking the head off a defender Torsten didn't know. He searched frantically for Leila as Malia pulled him away from the battle.
"Torsten, we have to go. If you can't bear to see them die, then don't watch." She tugged hard on his elbow, forcing him away from the fray.
Torsten gripped his sword in his hand as guilt washed over him. He should stay and fight like the others.
"Don't chicken out on us now," Rutger said as he shot a wave of plasma at a dragzhi. The alien fell over, landing on the ground with a thunderous boom. Cheers went up from the other defenders as more and more dragzhi fell. "See, they can do this without us," Rutger said.
Torsten led Malia and Rutger away from the battle, back toward the waterfall. Instead of crawling on the ground like he and Rell had done on the way to the tower, Torsten thrashed through the tall grass, not taking the time to hide.
There were no guarantees the defenders would win in his absence, or that Leila would live. The only way to truly fight the dragzhi was with their own tech.
Torsten splashed through the falls, grateful the dragzhi had all been drawn to the battle. Torsten scrambled down the hidden staircase to the tunnels.
"The torches have been lit," he said over his shoulder to Rutger and Malia. "We'll be able to see. But keep your guard up. The people down here don't take kindly to strangers."
Malia pulled her shotgun from her hip. "I'm ready."
Torsten stopped. "Don't shoot anyone unless it's necessary. We don't need to start a battle with the buried, too."
Rutger nodded. "We'll stay our itchy trigger fingers, right, Malia?"
She winked at Rutger. "For now. Once we get on a dragzhi ship, I can't promise anything."
Torsten smiled. These two were exactly the sort of allies he needed. Brave and open to the unexpected.
They ran down the halls. Something rumbled in the tunnel ahead of them. Torsten pulled Malia and Rutger into an intersecting tunnel. They waited, quietly, while the noise grew louder. People pounded past them, heading in the direction Torsten had just come from. They were going up. Leaving behind their pods. Torsten looked back at Rutger, his eyebrows raised.
The buried didn't ever leave their pods like this. Something was wrong.
"Should we warn them they're headed into a deadly battle?" Malia whispered in his ear.
Torsten shook his head and waited until the group had gone by and stepped into the tunnel again. A man and a woman raced down the tunnel, coming to an abrupt stop in front of Torsten.
"You are the one who escaped last night," the woman said. Then she waved her hand. "It does not matter. You must leave. The volcano is about to erupt."
"What?" Torsten's voice croaked. No. They needed time underground.
"You must leave." She tugged on Torsten's sleeve, cocking her head to the side as she gazed at him. "You’re looking for Rell aren’t you? How did you know she came back?"
