Author: Benedict Jacka
Category: Science
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Red light bloomed from the end of the corridor. A ball of fire roared towards us, growing and darkening as it flew, turning the carpets and light fixtures to ash. It was headed straight for Variam, and behind him, Luna. I saw Variam’s hand go up as he started his shield.
I snapped out a command word. The gold discs flared into life, a plane of force materialising in the corridor, sealing it off from wall to wall. An instant later, the fireball struck and exploded two feet from Variam’s nose. Flame raged, scorching the walls, trying to burn through the forcewall . . . and failing. The corridor went dark.
Think you had it? I asked Variam.
Kind of glad I didn’t have to find out.
Luna hadn’t turned around. “Vari, tell that guy to keep it down, will you?”
“I’ll ask nicely.”
Another fireball came flashing down the corridor, exploding uselessly against the wall. Elemental magic can be rock-paper-scissors, and fire magic is very bad at cutting through force. “You two, move,” Kyle said to Luna and Variam. “You’re giving him a free look at where you are.”
Variam glanced over his shoulder towards Luna, then went back to looking down the corridor.
The cube’s unlocking sequence was picking up speed. “We good?” I asked Luna.
Luna didn’t take her eyes off the cube. The golden mist of her curse was still seeping into it. It had been one of the first tricks she learnt, redirecting the good luck of her curse to an external target. “Almost.”
“Pyre’s moving,” Variam said sharply.
“There!” Luna said. She took her hand away from the cube, starting to turn.
The futures changed, new possibilities flashing up. Luna, down!
Fire exploded inside the room. I was already ducking into cover, left arm coming up to shield my head; flames licked at me but my armour soaked up the heat. The blast lasted only an instant and was over, smoke trailing from the statue and from the wooden crates I’d been hiding behind. I looked up and my heart jumped. Variam was standing unharmed. Kyle had made it to cover in the far corner. Luna was on the floor, scorch marks on her back.
Another fire blast struck the room, and Variam flung out a hand, a shield of flame enveloping Luna and keeping her safe. As soon as it was over Variam broke into a sprint, scooping Luna up and carrying her to the far side of the room. A third blast struck, washing over his shield.
I stayed crouched behind cover, pressed between boxes and the wall. The blasts weren’t hurting me, but I couldn’t move. Luna! Are you okay?
I’m okay, Luna said, but there was pain in the message.
Vari, Kyle. How bad is it?
“Second-degree burns,” Variam shouted. “Need to get her out.”
“I’m fine,” Luna said. I could hear the strain in her voice. “Just—”
Another fire blast went off, erupting from high in the middle of the room. It had the signature of Pyre’s magic, but it wasn’t coming from where I’d last seen him. How was he getting through the forcewall?
I hesitated only an instant, then reached out through the dreamstone. Starbreeze. Going to need your help in a couple of minutes.
What?
“Alex!” Variam shouted.
“I know!” You have to get Luna, Variam, and Kyle out. Like we planned. Wait for the gate to open, then get them somewhere safe.
Starbreeze sounded confused. You’re going?
“Verus,” Kyle called. “How long till the gate opens?”
“I don’t know!” Not me. Everyone else.
What?
The three people with me. Get them out of here. You just need to wait—
“Alex!” Variam shouted.
“Give me a second!” I was doing too many things at once.
Pyre launched another fireblast. It was a longer one this time, flames roaring through the room. Again I ducked for cover, feeling my arms and back grow warm, then hot. When it stopped, the statue was smoking and there were small fires burning across the room. None were dangerous, but they were spreading.
And then Starbreeze was there, darting from Kyle to Variam to Luna, turning them into air one after another. Kyle barely had time to flinch before all three of them were mist, swirling up along with Starbreeze. She looked at me proudly. “There!”
“No!” I shouted at Starbreeze. “Not yet!”
Starbreeze looked thoroughly put out. “You told me.”
“I didn’t—Look out!”
Pyre struck again, and this time he was aiming at Starbreeze. I saw her eyes go wide and she fled, taking the other three with her. The blast spread outward, but Starbreeze outran it, flicking out through the gap between the forcewall and the ceiling. I ducked the blast; when I lifted my head again, I was alone.
Starbreeze, wait!
That hurt! Starbreeze sounded unhappy.
Wait, the gate isn’t . . . I tailed off as I realised that Starbreeze wasn’t listening. I could feel her presence fading. I looked at the cube. It was still resting in the statue’s hand, the beams of light still intersecting one by one, but they were barely half done. “Isn’t open,” I said to the empty room.
A bang and a clatter sounded from the back of the storeroom. I spun to see the back door creak open a few inches, coming up against piles of clutter. “Oh shit,” I muttered, pulling out my gun.
I could sense Variam in the distance, trying to talk to me. Not a good time!
Are you all right?
No! The door ground inwards a few inches, and a boy stuck his head around. I fired hurriedly, making him pull back.
This damn elemental won’t turn around! Luna’s shouting at her and she won’t—
Too late, I said. By the time they convinced Starbreeze to reverse course and bring them back, everything would be over, and Luna was in no condition to fight anyway. Get safe.
The boy stepped out from behind the door, levelling an AK-47. The assault rifle roared, deafening in the cramped space, bullets slamming into the walls and chewing splinters from the furniture. The bullets went everywhere but didn’t hit me.
The gun was awkward in my left hand, but I held steady until I saw the futures converge. Then I fired once. Red splashed onto the wall behind the boy’s head and he dropped. I heard shouts from the corridor; they sounded like they were yelling for help. Kyle, how—
Pyre attacked again. Flames gouted from above, playing over the crates and shelves. I ducked behind cover, waiting for the attack to stop. It didn’t. The flames kept roaring.
There were bangs and thumps from the back door. More of them were coming through, and I couldn’t do anything about it. Kyle! How’s Pyre attacking?
I don’t know. Despite the situation, Kyle sounded calm and focused. He can’t put spells through a wall. If he could, he’d have done it last time we fought.
A handgun boomed and the crate I was hiding behind shuddered. Well, he’s doing it now!
I know, I—Wait. I’ve seen him use focuses, red quartz. Maybe he’s got one installed in the room. Check to see where the attacks are coming from.
The crate was on fire now, and the heat was close to unbearable. My armour was shielding me from the worst of it, but I could feel my hair crisping. I searched frantically through the futures, looking for one where the flames stopped, and found it. I reared up, ignoring the pain in my hand and face, and fired blind.
There was a crack and I felt a flash of magic. Pyre’s spell cut off, the flames vanishing instantly. Then the two boys who’d made it into the room, and who’d been waiting with their guns trained on my cover, shot at me.
One of them managed to miss. The other didn’t. I didn’t have enough time to dodge, and the bullet took me in the chest. It felt like a murderously hard punch. Pain flashed through me and I lost my breath in an uff, the impact throwing me against the wall. I hit the floor hard.
“Yeah!” the boy shouted at me. “Get fucked!”
I lay still. I’d lost my 1911 in the fall and didn’t dare reach for it. Pain was spiking through my chest and the back of my head.
There was the crackle of a radio and I heard a voice. Pyre. “You get him?”
“We got him.”
Looking into the futures where I opened my eyes, I saw that the one talking was Trey. He was holding a giant silver handgun that looked sized for hunting elephants, so big that he needed two hands to lift it. Now that I was closer, I could see that he’d added some jewellery since we’d last met; two earrings in his right ear and a gold chain around his neck. The other boy had a bunch of face tattoos. They’d almost have looked funny except for the fact that they were pointing guns at me.
I’m going to die because Starbreeze can’t tell the difference between “two minutes” and “now.”
“He dead?” the other boy asked.
“Right in the chest, point five oh.”
“Check him,” Pyre’s voice said through the radio. “If he’s alive, keep him that way.”
The feeling was coming back to my limbs, and I knew that I’d be able to move. The bullet had struck my chestplate; the plate had splintered and it must have drained the armour’s energy reserves, but it had held. I kept still, my eyes closed.
“Looks dead,” the other boy said.
“Yeah,” Trey said. He stepped around the burning crate and kicked. Pain flared in my ankle, but I didn’t move.
“What’s with this thing?” the other boy said. He’d turned towards the statue, his attention off me.
“Dunno.” Trey bent down over me, poking at my face. “Hey, I think he—”
I kicked Trey’s legs out from under him and he fell onto me with a yell. I was already reaching for his gun hand, my fingers tangling in his. As Trey tried to pull back and his gun swung towards the other boy, I pulled the trigger and it went off with a boom like a cannon. The other boy slammed into the statue and slid down, leaving a blood trail.
Trey snarled and punched me in the head. We rolled over on the floor, struggling. I was taller and more skilled than Trey, but he was quick and vicious, and he hadn’t just been shot in the chest. I managed to twist the gun out of his grip, but the move left me open and Trey landed a punch that made me see stars. While I was stunned he got on top of me and started pounding.
I tried to shield myself with my forearms. Trey was straddling me, his weight on my hips, raining blows down on my head. I tried to buck him off and failed, getting a blow to my temple. I felt a flash of panic as I realised I couldn’t get loose. I knew counters to this position, but they needed two hands.
More blows hit my forearms and elbow. My right hand flopped uselessly, and another punch crushed it against my nose, sending a spike of pain through my face. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see movement at the forcewall, and knew the barrier wouldn’t last much longer. With Trey on top of me, I couldn’t reach my pockets. The boy snarled down at me and started driving hammer blows at my head, forcing me to use my one good hand to block.
With a chill, I realised I was going to lose. It was my fight with Caldera all over again. I was going to be beaten and captured, all because I wasn’t strong enough—
No. Fear vanished in white-hot fury. Not this time.
Trey reared up, fist raised for a knockout blow, the light glinting off the jewellery at his ear and neck. I snatched with my left hand and ripped out both his earrings.
Trey screamed, clapping his right hand to his ear. His left hand fell across my face and I bit, getting a good grip on two fingers. My teeth scraped bone, and Trey scrambled off me, yelling. I let him pull me up, got the half-charged stun focus from my pocket, and stabbed him with it. He went down with a crash.
I spat blood and looked up to see the last line of light from the statue merge with the cube. The statue seemed to double, an arched gateway materialising. As it did, magic surged from the corridor and my forcewall shattered, the gold discs sparking and burning out. Onyx had arrived.
I took one glance towards the door and saw Onyx, Pyre, and too many people with too many guns. I darted for the statue, trying to grab the cube and get through the gate before they could open fire.
I almost made it.
Divination can only do so much. You can dodge, but that only works if there’s somewhere to dodge to. Time seemed to slow down as I floated towards the portal, and just as I was passing through the gate I realised that between Onyx, Pyre, and all the guns, it was actually physically impossible for them all to miss. I managed to avoid Onyx’s force blade, the bullet that would have gone through my head, and the ones that would have taken out my legs. The fire blast and the last volley of shots hit me square on.
Pain seared through me and I fell. Behind me, the gate, destabilised from the loss of the cube and by the attack spells, collapsed.
chapter 11
Silence.
Slowly and painfully, I rolled onto my side. I was lying in the entrance room to the bubble realm, and I was alone. There was no sign of where the gate had been. My upper back and right shoulder blade were throbbing as if they’d been seared, there was a sharp pain around my lower back just next to my spine, and there was something wet above my right hand.
The right hand scared me the most. I looked down.
The bandages on the hand had been scorched off. Beneath, the skin was red, and two bloody holes gaped, one in the middle of the palm and one just above the wrist. Gunshot wounds; the bullets had gone through and through. I could see white bone and had the nauseating feeling that if I tried poking a finger, it would come out the other side.
Twisting my head, I could see that the armour over my right shoulder blade had been partially melted. My armour had saved me, diffusing the heat across my back. From looking into the futures where I stripped, I could see that the skin was scorched, but no more. Finally I reached around with my left hand to my back, afraid that my fingers would find a hole in the armour and the skin beneath, and instead found a bullet embedded in the mesh. There was blood, but the skin was unbroken. It must have been one of the shots that had gone through my hand. I was lucky that it had: if it hadn’t lost so much energy, it would have penetrated . . .
Had it been luck? I vaguely remembered my right arm twisting to shield me as I dived. I hadn’t done it consciously. Maybe it had been a reflex. Or maybe my armour had moved on its own.
“Thank you,” I said quietly, and felt the armour pulse. It was damaged, badly damaged. Imbued items aren’t just things, and they can be hurt or killed. The armour couldn’t have much strength left.
I already knew that I wasn’t being pursued, so I went through my pockets. My stock was running low: I had my gate stones and not much else. I’d lost the stun focus back in the storeroom. One of the few items I had left was a jar of healing salve, and I unscrewed it one-handed and applied it. It didn’t do much—the item had never been designed to treat such severe wounds.
“Guess I should look on the bright side,” I said to no one in particular. “I couldn’t use that hand anyway.” Blood was seeping from the wounds, and for the first time I was glad for the loss of those nerves. If they hadn’t been numb, I’d have been in agony.
I did what I could to bind the wounds, using what was left of the bandages and strips of my clothing. The bindings started to soak through immediately, and I remembered what Klara had told me about my hand not healing. Until I got proper treatment, I was going to keep losing blood.
Better not hang around, then.
I got to my feet and looked down at the red cube. Its glow had died and now it sat silent on the floor, sparks glinting in its depths. “I’m having a rematch with Abithriax,” I told it. “You coming?”
The cube watched me.
I stooped and picked it up, then started walking.
* * *
&n
bsp; The interior of the bubble realm hadn’t changed much from the last time I’d seen it. Off-white walls and rounded corners gave the rooms a muted, soft feel, and patches of light shone from the ceiling. The silence was total. My muffled footsteps felt like the only trace of life in an empty world.
As I walked, I reached out through the dreamstone. Luna.
Alex! Luna answered instantly. Oh, thank God.
You doing okay?
I should be asking you that. Luna’s thoughts were clear, with no trace of pain this time. You sound hurt.
Had a little trouble getting through the gate. I heard a faint splat; glancing down, I saw that drips were falling from my right hand. I lifted it to slow the bleeding. But I’m inside and they’re not. What about you guys?
Starbreeze dropped us off when Vari wouldn’t stop shouting, then she did a runner. I don’t think she’s coming back.
No, running away’s pretty much her standard reaction when she’s upset. How far away are you?
Miles. Vari thinks he can gate us back pretty close to the mansion.
A sealed door blocked my path. I searched the futures and saw that there were controls hidden behind a wall panel; I pulled it off awkwardly with my left hand and got to work. No point, I told Luna. The whole place’ll be on alert by now. Probably they’ve found the passage we used to get in. If you guys try to break in again, it’ll be a bloodbath.
Then what are you going to do? Luna asked. If Vari’s right, then as soon as you leave, you’re getting dropped right back in that storeroom. They’ll all be waiting.
I could camp out in here and wait for them to get bored.
You think that’ll work?
I found the trigger for the door and channelled a flow of magic. The door opened about a quarter of the way, then grated to a stop. Not really.
The controls weren’t responding, but the gap was big enough for me to fit, and I squeezed through into a corridor going left and right. So what are you going to do? Luna asked. Fight your way through one-handed?
Suppose I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it.