The Spectrum Force Volume Three by Heather Ray (ready player one ebook txt) 📕

half an hour ago, watching us fight."

"Fight?" Jocelyn repeated. With Matthew's help, she rose to her feet. "What fight?"

"We'll tell you all about it later," Matt promised. He then turned to Spectra. "You saw us fighting. Is there anything else you saw?"

Spectra turned her head to the steep cliff. "According the angle, Craig watched you from the trees, and then ran toward that cliff."

Keith huffed. "But that's impossible

! How could he run past us without us even seeing him?"

"The only way we can find out is to check it out," Rachel determined. Following her lead, the entire group made their way back to the cliff, with a gaping hole giving testimony to the battle that had taken place within. She chose to step through the hidden doorway.

Spectra's eyebrow quirked. "What is this place?"

"We figure it's Gaius' hideout," Keith answered.

"Guys!" Rachel called, "Get in here!"

Without wasting a moment, the team leapt into the room. They were all immediately flooded by the faint blue energy that tingled their mental link.

"He's here!" Rachel breathed. Her relief was nearly palpable. "He's okay…"

Spectra hovered near the entrance, a tremor running through her body. She too had felt the presence of the Blue Enforcer, but even more powerful was the sense of the chamber's master.

It was unmistakably Gaius' stronghold. It had been more than that; it had been his home for nearly sixty years…

She cleared her throat, winning the attention of her team. "Let us find Craig, and then-"

Her words were interrupted as a horrible scream tore through her mind. Spectra's own voice erupted into a cry of distress, squeezing her eyes shut and grasping her temples as unending torture ripped through her.

Gods… oh gods… no!

she prayed, tears springing to her eyes.

The Spectrum Force watched in horrified panic as Spectra fell heavily to the floor, shaking arms barely keeping her face from the hard granite.

"Spectra," Rachel gasped, kneeling beside her. She watched the tears pour down pale cheeks in rivers. "What's going on?"

Spectra was too shaken to breathe; much less provide a reasonable answer. But the youths were soon informed of the terrifying situation, as a blink of light drew their attention to the forest outside.

As soon as he materialized, wordless howls lanced through the Force's ears. They watched in shock as the stricken man thrashed in the grass, swallowed by a consuming pain that closed his senses to the outside world.

"N…no…" Spectra whispered. She pulled her heavy head upright, wide eyes staring at the man outside. Somehow, she found the strength to pull herself to her feet, and then dashed outside to Gaius' side.

The Spectrum Force hesitated for a moment, before following her. They remained quiet, forming a circle around her.

Keith's arm instinctively found Tamara's shoulders, that began quivering with commiseration.

"This… this is Gaius," the Yellow Enforcer realized, her hands knotting together.

Matthew gulped. "What's wrong with him?"

Spectra drew a shaky breath, one timorous hand hovering over the victim's anguished face. She didn't even hear her friends, so immersed she was in the telepathic anguish she was receiving. "I'm sorry," she breathed, squeezing her eyes shut to block out the nauseating sight.

Just then, the entire Force whirled around at the sounds of slithering.

Jocelyn's eyes widened in fear. "The… the goop's back!"

Sure enough, the viscous waves of evil had crept toward them, hovering at the tree line in an endless, oily blanket.

Rachel's fists clenched. They're playing their last cards…

The waves separated into individual Shadows, all standing with their arms crossed and legs apart. An entire army formed before them, featureless faces and indiscernible eyes staring right at the Spectrum Force.

"You hear him now," Phaedra's voice mocked. Her words seemed to trumpet from the waves of Shadows, echoing in the ears of everyone present. "Now you see his torment. Can you truly leave him in such a state?"

Spectra's hand finally touched Gaius' face. His skin was stretched taut, his eyes screwed shut. His screams still rang in her ears, yet his mental cries throbbed in her mind even more.

*Hush…* she soothed, fighting with all her might to send her comfort. *I will end this. I swear

it.*

Her free hand clenched into a tight fist, her knuckles going white with rage. "Witch!!

" she screamed into the air, her voice rising above even Gaius' howls.

A chilling laugh. "Take heart, little girl… I can revoke the Blight."

Spectra looked back down at Gaius' face. Shaking fingers brushed sweat-matted hair out of his eyes. All her strength was gone. "Don't mock me, Demoness," she whispered hoarsely. "I am not so gullible. There is… no cure for this."

Her fist tightened again. This time, her energy flared into a silver-tinged blaze, creating a powerful wind that billowed through her disheveled ivory hair. "No cure but death."

"There is a cure. However, there is a catch."

Matthew snarled. "Isn't there always?"

"I know of the Blight," Spectra choked, "There is no cure."

Suddenly, a gilded scroll appeared on the grass beside her.

"Only I can cure him, Spectra. I

cast the Blight, so only I

can rescind it. If I have the Diadem, I may be persuaded to show mercy."

Spectra swallowed, a glimmer of hope in her peach eyes as she hesitantly grasped the scroll. Long fingers unraveled the parchment, and reddened eyes skimmed over the text.

She saw exactly what Phaedra had alluded to.

"The soul of the condemner"? What does that mean?

While it was vague, it did confirm Phaedra's claim. If anyone could ease Gaius' suffering, it was the vile Empress who condemned him to a fate worse than death.

Demon Empress

… Spectra seethed, Your son took my mother from me, and now this??

The parchment was the first mention of a cure Spectra had ever seen. Could it mean that Gaius wasn't

doomed? Perhaps… she wouldn't be alone, after all.

"I will give you until twilight to make your decision. But be warned; in darkness or in light, my Shadows will not rest. There is no escape for you or your pet humans. If you refuse me, you can all die together!"

It felt like hours before Craig's journey finally came to an end. The vein of hallway he'd followed ended abruptly in a dense wall composed of heavy slabs of granite in various shapes and sizes.

Craig sneered in consternation. "How the hell

did I go the wrong way??" he shouted into the air.

Frustrated, he turned on his heel, double-backing down the hall toward the last fork he had navigated. "Maybe I'm so worried about the gang I can't think straight," he rationalized, "Or… maybe my sense was just plain wrong

."

Before his excuses could even take root, another memory immediately squelched them.

You must have faith in yourself.

You must believe that you are able to complete the mission entrusted to you.

The Blue Enforcer turned around again, his dark eyes sweeping the entire room appraisingly. He knew there was something there… and he refused to doubt his instincts.

You must have faith in yourself…

He closed his eyes and held out his hand, fingers stretching in the direction intuition guided him.

…faith in yourself…

He walked slowly at first, taking each step after cautious consideration. However, his pace soon quickened, as if he could actually see the Diadem glowing before him.

You must believe…

He continued forward, heart pounding with excitement as the energy he sensed set the hairs on his arm on end.

…that you are able

…

Gloved fingers brushed against the smooth curvature of one of the granite pieces, spherical in shape.

…to complete the mission…

His fingers traced the stone, spreading out as they came in contact with the surrounding pieces. Without a second thought, he extended his power, carefully chiseling away the grout that bound the wall together.

…entrusted to you.

The perfect sphere fell from the wall with little effort, slipping comfortably into his palm.

For a long moment, Craig stared in stark fascination at the Diadem. On the surface, it looked like nothing more than a stone, smooth as glass and about the size of a softball. Only, it was so much more than a stone. So much more than he had expected.

Without warning, the Diadem came to life, saturating Craig's senses with its energy.

Craig's knees weakened, forcing him to the ground. Beneath his mask, his eyes stared blankly as the Diadem overwhelmed him with its very essence... of the power to ignite stars, to shake planets out of orbit.

The power of nature. Of creation. Of Life, in its most elemental beauty.

Yet, there was more than merely power within the unassuming orb. Craig was struck with a sensation of… intelligence

.

Was the Diadem alive? Even conscious?

There was only one way to find out.

"I need your help," he beseeched, his tone reverent. "The Midjinari told me to seek you out, to help us fight the Denebian Empire. My friends and I… our mission is to stop the Denebians from taking over Earth."

He paused, ruminating on the words he had spoken, and on the mission he had outlined. Incredibly, pieces in his mind snapped together, revealing a greater picture than he ever realized. "It's more than that," he murmured. "We must save the universe

from the Empire. The Denebians are a threat to everything that exists."

Amazed, he stared at the orb with greater understanding. "You're the key; somehow. We have to keep you safe from them!"

Craig waited, watching the pulsing light radiate from the Diadem. He wasn't quite sure whether to expect a verbal or telepathic reply… but the answer he received made his jaw drop.

Compelled by some subtle force, Craig skimmed the surface of the Diadem with one hand. His fingers grazed a protrusion about two inches in diameter.

Without understanding why, he grasped the protrusion as tightly as he could, and pulled. And as he pulled, an elegant granite staff emerged from the Diadem like Excalibur from the proverbial stone.

Awestruck, Craig stared at the long pole appraisingly. It was divided into six equal segments, each one engraved with an intricate, unique design.

Almost as if… they were six distinct pieces.

The longer he gazed upon the sturdy staff, the more he was awed by the raw power he felt within it… and the power he felt within himself

, seething within him as if it longed for release through the staff itself.

And suddenly, Craig Gillis understood just how magnanimous a gift the Diadem had bestowed upon