The Antithesis- The Complete Pentalogy

by Terra Whiteman

  EZEKIEL WAS STILL AIRBORNE, THANKFULLY.

  But my relief was quickly flushed at the sight of all the bodies littering the port. My group dispersed to help where needed, and I ran through the hangar and onto the deck in search of a pilot. Aerial defense survivors were scattered around the halo, helping as much as they could to get communications running. Communications was priority.

  EMP was ingenious, but lethal. The demon jets that had dropped those bombs would have lost all power to their crafts as well. That was something we lacked; soldiers stupid and selfless enough to die for the greater good.

  The aircraft carriers and floater stations hovered beside injured Ezekiel. The command ship was scorched and smoking, somewhat similar to the scenery in Golheim. I grabbed an aero-lieutenant and told her about the soldiers at the ruins. She hurried to the port to issue a transporter from the carriers.

  No one knew where Yahweh was. He wasn’t seen since the ambush. I took that as a good sign. If he’d died, news would have spread like wildfire.

  The command station was reminiscent of a killing floor. A holomap of Ezekiel floated at the podium. External communications had been lost, but the ship’s shield had held long enough to conserve its central AI.

  Someone had selected a zoom option on the laboratory and residential sectors. Whoever was here had been looking for something.

  Or someone.

  Seyestin found me on the way out. I was happy to see he was alive. Never thought I’d say that.

  “Where’s Leid and Yahweh?” I asked.

  “Leid took him to the infirmary. He’s injured.” Seyestin seemed worried. I could empathize.

  “How bad?”

  “I’m not sure, but he’s unconscious and Belial told me there was a lot of broken glass involved. The primers attacked the ship. I didn’t get back here in time to help. Luckily your wife is still strong enough to contend with their leader.”

  I blanched. “Their leader?”

  “Praetor Delvori. She’s lying in the lab.”

  She.

  So, here was where that demon bitch had run off to. Lucifer was going to be thrilled that we’d just slain all of his elites in one fell swoop. It almost made me smile, but then I thought of all we’d lost.

  I pushed by him, heading for the infirmary.

  He grabbed my arm, and my heart sank. I didn’t want to be the one.

  “What happened down there?” he asked.

  “Same thing that happened up here,” I said, coolly. “Minus the jets and EMPs.”

  “How many did we lose?”

  “A lot.”

  He studied me. I tried to hold a straight face, but failed.

  Seyestin’s eyes narrowed as he prepared himself.

  “Where’s my sister?” he demanded.

  *

  A handful of surviving medics, Leid, and an on-site physician had pulled what equipment they could salvage from the wreckage to make Yahweh as comfortable as possible.

  From what Seyestin had described, I was shocked that there were no bandages or even an IV. Yahweh laid on a gurney, sleeping soundly, the sheets free of blood or any other indication that medical treatment had been provided.

  As I moved by the window and entered the room, Leid turned and clasped her hands together. It was a meager gesture of relief. Public display of affection was looked down upon in Archaean society. She asked everyone to give us some privacy, and they filtered out of the room. I drew the blinds across the window.

  “You look like you’ve gone through a giant paper shredder,” I remarked, eyeing her still-fading wounds.

  Leid’s response was a kiss. She looked up at me, forlorn. “Who was it?”

  I didn’t bother asking how she knew. “Zhevraine.”

  She winced, covering her mouth. “How?”

  “Tranqs.”

  If Leid had come across primers here, she must have understood.

  “How is he?” I asked, nodding at Telei.

  She looked at him, too. Her gaze was harrowed. “He’ll live.”

  And then I heard it: snaps of bones and twisting of tendons; the wet noises of shifting viscera. I shot her a look, but she didn’t return it.

  I moved toward his bed, tilting my head. Leid reached out to me but I didn’t relent.

  “Qaira, wait.”

  I threw back the sheets that covered him. My eyes widened.

  I turned to Leid, horrified.

  Her eyes stayed on the kid. They were brimming with red tears. “I had no choice.”

  Before I could respond, Belial opened the door. I threw the sheets back on Yahweh.

  “Ever heard of knocking?” I snapped.

  He ignored me, looking to Leid. “There’s something in the residential sector that you need to see. Looks like we’re in a lot more trouble than we thought.”

  XXXII

  CRESCENDO

  Calenus Karim—;

  I’D BEEN AT A MEETING WITH THE Aldephori Tzengra in Taran IV.

  Conflicts were escalating between empires of the Sridan and Vardonia systems. Both had called on the Court of Enigmus for advisory aid, but I’d been at a crossroads about a contract. I couldn’t pit two scholars against each other, no matter how fun it might seem to them, and choosing one side would only anger the other. Foregoing the idea of getting involved in this war at all seemed the wisest route. But we needed things; things they could provide us. Neither the Sridan nor Vardonia Empire contained people even remotely similar to us, thus an anonymity clause was impossible in this case. It had become a contest of incentive. Who could sell their offer better?

  However, none of that mattered as soon as I’d felt it:

  Icy pain, like a frozen blade shredding its way down my back. My chest fluttered, and I’d stopped mid-sentence. The council looked at me, and then each other when I failed to continue.

  This feeling wasn’t foreign; I’d experienced it once before and would never forget it.

  I couldn’t even render words to formulate a plausible excuse for abandoning the Tzengra. I simply left.

  Zira was standing at the pendulum gate when I arrived in Exo’daius. He looked distraught, and then hurt when he saw my disappointment. Of my two guardians, he would have been the easiest to handle.

  “What happened?” I said, a demand that was barely anything more than a whisper.

  Zira exhaled, looking back at the still-open pendulum. Infused light shined against his face. “Ixiah disobeyed your charge. Again.”

  “Where is he?”

  Zira shook his head. He didn’t know—couldn’t know. Guardians never felt death the way nobles did. “He left to save his brother. Their ship was under attack.”

  I closed my eyes and clenched my fists.

  Who had done it? Qaira? Leid?

  Zira was beginning to realize something terrible had happened. “Calenus?”

  I turned, heading for Enigmus. Zira followed ten paces behind me.

  I would round up our scholars and relay the news of Ixiah’s death. We would then go to The Atrium and find out how it happened.

  My kindness was only so flexible. We would not return until Leid came with us. Her part was too thick; she was the very stew from which this chaos stirred. Bad things followed her. Tragic things. Her existence outside our realm was a terrible omen in itself.

  I’d wanted all of this to happen quietly, but not anymore.

  The death of a scholar was a declaration of war.

  And if Leid wanted a war, she would get one.

  Love, morals tossed aside

  Across the ground he drew a line

  Promise, promise

  Heart of knives

  Maghir will bleed them for their crimes

  - Kelkrah; Di Abanyeri Veroma (For the Sordid Heart, Verse II)

  I

  TWIST THE KNIFE

  Leid Koseling—;

  I’D ALMOST FORGOTTEN WHAT CALENUS LOOKED LIKE.

  I was unable to keep my heart from cracking open, to keep my chest from f
illing with ice. The pain was indescribable.

  Indescribable, because to look at him was to remember every terrible thing that had happened. To look at him was to acknowledge he had tried to save me, even when no one would have blamed him if he’d just given up; and in the end, I’d spurned him.

  I’d thought he had understood how I felt. I just couldn’t be there anymore.

  Calenus had loved me, corrosively. He would have made a kind master, yet a master nonetheless. I was not a true noble. The Court of Enigmus would have never recognized me as their Queen.

  Perhaps he’d kept my infection a secret not for my sake, but his; allow me to lose my mind and then kill everyone ahead of him in line to the Exodian throne. Save me and then charm me into being his Queen. Have his cake and eat it, too.

  “Three hundred years and you’re still wearing the same face as when you stormed out of Enigmus,” he said with a mirthless smirk. “I’m surprised, Leid. You used to think all your problems lay in Exo’daius. How long did that belief actually last?”

  “I don’t have time to do this with you.”

  “Fair enough,” he said. “Back to business. Your carelessness has cost the lives of two scholars.”

  “Zhevraine was not a scholar.”

  His stare hardened. “You may have thought that, but she didn’t.”

  We’d been here for a while already. Calenus hadn’t taken the news of Zhevraine’s death well, but was even more upset over the idea of tranquilizer bullets capable of immobilizing us. I could sympathize. Lucifer had outdone himself this time, even I had to admit.

  “Ixiah’s death had nothing to do with me, or mine. He had no business on this ship.”

  “You’d placed his brother’s life at stake,” he said, coolly.

  “Yahweh placed his own life at stake. This war would have happened with or without me.”

  “I don’t disagree with you; I’m just explaining Ixiah’s reasoning for being on this ship. His reasoning is from a lesser source. Like yours.”

  Calenus took pride in tearing me down, each blow laced with serrated geniality.

  My eyes narrowed. “Collect Ixiah’s statue and get out of here. I have nothing left to say.”

  Calenus gave me a lightless smile. “You’ve denounced our throne and therefore have no place giving me orders. This is more than enough, Leid. You look sicker than ever, and it’s time for you and your guardians to return home.”

  “I’m still on two feet. You can have me once I’ve fallen unconscious.”

  “I’m afraid that’s no longer an option. Zira combed euxodia and found some interesting queries made extramurally. Judging by the look you’re giving me, I don’t have to explain.”

  “I had no part in that. I didn’t even know until recently.”

  “A noble needs to have control over her guardians.”

  It was my turn to smile, in spite of him. “Trying to control Qaira is like trying to control the wind. You’re the one who gave him access to euxodia, so why don’t you turn that finger around?”

  Calenus sighed and shook his head. “I am finished with trying to convince you that this situation has become critical. It is absolutely mind-blowing how you cannot see that staying here is a terrible idea.”

  “I’ve taken steps. I made Adrial swear to kill me once I’ve fallen unconscious.”

  “Do you think he’ll do it?” he asked, incredulous.

  “Probably.”

  “And if you don’t fall unconscious?”

  “Let’s cross that bridge when we get there.”

  “Except the bridge is set to explode.”

  “I’m not coming with you. End of discussion.”

  “Apologies, but this isn’t your choice.”

  I tensed. “Are you planning to take me by force?”

  “That’s all up to you.”

  I felt his resonance shift two-fold, leaving tingles across my skin as my own heightened in response. A pointless measure of defense; in my state he could have pummeled me.

  Pressure condensed between my eyes. Calenus took a step forward and I prepared to defend myself, as hopeless as that was.

  My head swam with lyrics of a song in a tongue unfamiliar to me, sung by a voice too beautiful for words.

  My vision inked over.

  I saw the terror on Calenus’s face in the final moment before everything turned to black.

  I knew.

  Hello, my lovely doll, she whispered, her voice caressing my soul. It’s been too long, hasn’t it?

  Oh, Qaira—;

  Goodbye. I love you.

  II

  AFTERMATH

  Qaira Eltruan—;

  LEID WOULDN’T LET ME NEAR THE NAVIGATION ROOM. She’d even parked Adrial in front of the door. Nobles were somehow able to use a private line on our telepathic channel, so I couldn’t even hear what they were talking about.

  The King’s favorite guardian was found dead on this ship. Someone was in trouble, and there was little either of us could do in the event of a conflict between noble Vel’Haru.

  Adrial hadn’t sent a warning ping yet, so all parties involved were playing nice for now.

  I killed time by trying to coax Yahweh out of his private quarters again.

  Needless to say, he wasn’t taking his new situation well. And with news of his brother’s death, well, this was going to be tough.

  But there were things to do; an entire fleet to lead. The idea that Yahweh had shut everyone and everything out to wallow in self-pity was alarming. His angel subordinates were even more puzzled, considering they didn’t (and couldn’t) know what had really happened. The only thing I could think to do was tell them he was still recovering from his injuries, while he hadn’t suffered a single scar. And never would again.

  There were a lot of things he would never do again. A sad thought but Carpe diem, or whatever.

  The guards stationed outside his door looked bored and hopeless. I told them to go and get some rest. Not bothering to knock, I stepped inside his quarters.

  Yahweh sat with his back to me, facing the circle-window that overlooked the southern bow. He hadn’t moved since the last time I was here. Trays of fancy food were all left in varying degrees of decay across the table. He was very thin.

  “Alright, enough,” I said. “You need to snap out of this. Your army is worried.”

  Yahweh didn’t respond.

  I sighed. “This isn’t the worst thing that has ever happened to you. I don’t get it.”

  “Are you sure?” he sniped over his shoulder. “My brother is dead, and I’ve been removed from my race.”

  “No one else knows that but us. We can keep it that way until the war is over.”

  He looked at me, angry. “And then what? What happens after that? Where do I go? If anyone finds out, then they’ll know the honorary terms of this war were violated. It’ll happen all over again.”

  “No one’s going to find out. We’ll think of something. You really need to eat; you look dead.”

  “I’m not hungry.”

  “Don’t forget I now know exactly how you feel. I can hear your body metabolizing itself. Pretty soon your ass is going to start absorbing that chair.”

  Yahweh grimaced.

  “Trust me, eat.”

  He waved me off. “Leave, I need to think.”

  “I’m not going anywhere until you get up, get dressed, and issue a statement to your men and Crylle PB. We’re still winning this war; everyone needs a victory speech to keep up the morale.”

  “A victory speech.” He looked away, solemn. “What victory? We lost.”

  I shot him a warning look. “Last time I checked, the only way we could lose is if you surrendered.”

  “Or died.”

  “Which you didn’t.”

  “Yes, I did.”

  “You’re not dead. Yeah, we’re cheating, but still.”

  “Cheating makes the victory empty.”

  I snarled, getting pretty annoyed. “This is not
a game, Yahweh. This is war. War has no rules, and trying to follow a ridiculous guideline of proper conduct is how you got yourself into this fucking mess.”

  “Angels must follow something. It’s ingrained into us.”

  “Not you. You’re not an angel anymore, remember?”

  Yahweh said nothing, casting down his eyes.

  “Fine,” I said. “Go and tell everyone the truth. Watch Heaven burn.”

  He returned to the window, sadness etched across his face.

  “I’m sorry you don’t have more time to mourn,” I said, lightly this time. “I wasn’t given much time either. My advice is not to think about the future. Focus on the present. Clean yourself up and make that speech.”

  “Very well,” he conceded, massaging his head.

  “Page me when you’re at the command station.”

  Before he could respond, I left.

  Poor kid; at least now he had a personal investment for curing expiration, but the idea that he was part of the family was unsettling.

  And Zhevraine was gone. We’d never been as close as she and Adrial—or Leid for that matter—but her death left a void in me. I had to chalk it up to something involuntary.

  Adrial was taking it worse than Leid, surprisingly. Sometimes I wondered if there’d been more going on between those two than they had let on. I valued my teeth, though, so I never planned to ask.

  Belial and Naberius were at the port, watching the angels burn their dead. An ambassador of Raith’s army had been here yesterday with two transporters to haul off all the demon bodies on Ezekiel. They were also cleared to take the dead demons we had contained in the prisoner sector. We found Malphas and a handful of others laying on the floor of their cells, each with a bullet between their eyes. The primers must have executed them so no further intel could be garnished.

  It was infuriating how composed both sides kept during clean-up. Sure, come aboard our ship and collect your corpses; that gigantic battle the day before where you downed half of our army isn’t important. Unreal.