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

nothing better to do until Tammy gets out of the shower."

After a few more minutes, Tamara emerged from the bathroom, her long black hair styled into a tight French braid down her back.

"Finally," Rachel sighed, stretching her arms and legs.

"Sorry about that," Tamara murmured, tightening the cloth belt of her fluffy white robe.

"It's okay. I still have over half an hour before Econ."

Tamara stopped, and glanced at Rachel curiously. "You're leaving? For how long?"

Rachel's eyebrow rose. "Class is two hours, and I've got work after lunch. Why?"

Tamara shrugged innocently, opening the refrigerator and selecting a can of Diet Coke. "I invited Chris to come by to read lines in 'A Winter's Tale.' Thanks to the Phlegnin keeping me up all night, I canceled on him last time and rescheduled for today. I wanted to make sure we wouldn't be bothering you."

"Nope, I'll be out of the way."

With that, Rachel disappeared into her own bedroom. Once she was gone, Tamara hurried to the couch, plopping down beside Jocelyn. Jocelyn looked up in surprise from her book.

"You know Chris, right?"

Jocelyn blinked. "Sure."

"What do you think of him?"

"Nice guy, really cute, fun... easy to get along with." Jocelyn frowned slightly. "Why? He's a senior... that's a little old for me."

"But not for Ray," Tamara pointed out with a devilish smirk.

Jocelyn stared at Tamara incredulously as she took a sip from her can. "You're not thinking of setting them up, are you? You know how she is about that stuff."

"Not setting them up, persé. Just... facilitating

matters."

Jocelyn's eyebrow rose skeptically. "Meaning...?"

"You know... holding study sessions here, preferably

when Ray's actually around. That kind of stuff." She leaned closer to Jocelyn, an excited glint in her eye. "I'm almost positive Chris is interested."

Jocelyn struggled against laughing aloud. "How do you figure? Chris Greyson strides around campus like he owns the place. I've seen him at Xando's with at least eight different girls since I met him. Why would he be interested in a girl who's so wrapped up in her own world she probably doesn't even know he exists?"

"Maybe for the challenge?" Tamara proposed. She waved her hand dismissively. "I don't know... but I really think he is. I just know

these things."

"You two look like your planning something," Rachel noted. Both girls jumped slightly, and looked behind them. Rachel stood at her door, her arms folded and a slight frown on her face.

"Wow... all this alien invasion stuff really has you on edge, Girl!" Tamara exclaimed, standing up from the couch. She threw a rather obvious wink at Jocelyn before disappearing into her own room.

Rachel moved closer to the couch, leaning against its back. "What's going on, Joce?"

Jocelyn smiled innocently. "I have no idea."

Rachel rolled her eyes. "Fine, have it your way."

Jocelyn watched as Rachel moved toward the bathroom.

"Hey Ray? What do you think of that guy Chris?"

Rachel frowned thoughtfully. "Who?"

Jocelyn was astounded. "Chris Greyson. Dark hair, gray eyes... Tammy's favorite Study-Buddy."

Rachel shrugged her ignorance, and disappeared into the bathroom.

Jocelyn giggled softly, opening her topology book once again. It figures. Rachel Castaneda wouldn't notice a hot guy if he fell onto her lap!

Chapter Five

"Sorry I'm late, Coach... I..."

Coach Teddy MacKenzie took a long look at his star player, and one of the best power forwards in the NCAA. "No excuses, Gillis. This is the third time this week you've been late to practice. And you always show up tired!"

Craig grimaced.

"Just get on the floor."

The athlete nodded, jogging onto the basketball court to join his teammates, who had already broken into two teams for a scrimmage. Teddy watched incredulously as Craig deposited his gym bag on the bench.

"Don't you think that belongs in the locker room?" he growled.

Craig frowned worriedly. "I guess..."

Teddy's eyes narrowed. "Excuse me?"

Craig bit his lip. "Yessir."

Teddy sighed in exasperation as Craig strode back into the locker room. His hard eyes widened in shock as the athlete passed.

"That's not a ring, is it?"

Craig halted, his gaze dropping to the silver band on his finger. "Uh... yessir."

"Not only is it a ring, but it's got a stone on it too. You know the regulation... no jewelry. You could cut someone with that thing!"

Craig sighed in silent defeat as he turned back into the locker room.

"Dammit," he grumbled, once the swinging door had closed behind him. He hurried to his assigned locker, stifling a yawn that threatened to erupt from his throat. He begrudgingly pulled off the Spectrum Stone, gazing at the blue crystal for a long moment.

I wonder if Spectra can reach me without this?

He shrugged, slipping the ring into his outside pocket.

"Maybe I'll be lucky," he assured himself as he closed his locker, "Phaedra hasn't attacked in awhile. Maybe she gave up?"

Chapter Six

The empress' cold blood eyes narrowed. "You called me over 2300 light years for this."

The statement was muttered with the most dripping malevolence the listener had ever heard. The aged man lowered his face to the cold marble floor.

"My Empress... I have reason to believe the Diadem is hidden somewhere on this planet-"

Phaedra huffed with impatience as she turned to the tinted window. Through it, she saw a small planet, snuggly settled in an orbit around twin stars, that themselves orbited each other in an intricate celestial dance. The planetoid itself was covered entirely with either lush greenery or large pools of crisp blue water.

"The Diadem," she repeated in a deadpan. She clasped her ashen hands behind her back, and turned once again, her flowing velvet gown cascading on the ground. "You are a fool, Mor'se, to beg my presence. If you wish to follow those foolish fairy tales of Deneb Prime, you'd be better off summoning my husband. He may chase fables, but my feet are firmly planted in reality."

The scholar suppressed a shudder as grim light flowed from the empress' eyes.

"Empress, the Diadem isn't a fairy tale. It is real! It is the gateway to the Inner Sphere... an ancient universe of infinite power. The elemental force it contains can feed the Empire for centuries!" He then raised his face slightly. "Besides... there is a personal matter you may wish to attend."

Phaedra's ears perked at that. "Explain."

"There is a member of the Remnant on the planet."

"There seem to be traitors everywhere."

"But this one may be of particular interest."

After he had clearly gained the monarch's interest, Mor'se opened his hand, creating a sphere of dark energy that soon flattened. On the magical screen, an image slowly took shape.

Phaedra openly gaped at the man depicted, fighting an army of Shadows with surprising ease. He whirled with grace that would rival an eagle, his flowing mane of perfect platinum blonde hair floating through the air with him.

An almost imperceptible smirk twitched the corner of her lip. "Lord Gaius..." She paused, considering. "Why would Lord Gaius be on this empty planet? There is no one here to protect."

Mor'se lifted his head with a measure of boldness. "Unless... he is protecting the Diadem."

Phaedra snarled at the man, inspiring him to bow even deeper.

"Clearly, his presence deems this planet worth investigating," Mor'se uttered, keeping his voice meek, "And that is why I needed your assistance... my scouting party is in no way a match for him. His power is phenomenal."

"For a White Denebian," Phaedra corrected. She then gathered the long skirts of her gown, and moved toward her shelf of magical volumes. "But can he stand against me

?"

Chapter Seven

A scowl marred the man's smooth, sharply featured face. He raced up the winding stairs of hard granite, his hair tumbling behind him in waves of platinum. The flare of blazing torches glinted in his cool blue eyes.

They will never

find the Diadem!

he decreed.

Everything depended on the Diadem. If the Empire ever learned of the true power behind the legend, all hope for repairing the universe would evaporate like the dew in morning.

The war would be over forever, and Death would come in its final form.

The very thought sent shivers through the warrior. He grimaced, pushing through an ornate door of heavy oak into a large chamber, completely barren save for the high pillar that sat in the exact center of the marble tiles, the glowing onyx pyramid that hovered above it, and the small fireplace against the innermost wall.

Gaius rose to his feet unsteadily, forcing back the panic that had touched his mind just moments ago. He felt the fear of the Midjinari- his secretive allies in his singular duty to protect the Diadem- and it drowned his calm resolution in an ocean of unwanted distraction.

*Have faith in me, friends,* he soothed the echoing voices, *I will not fail you.*

His eyes snapped open when he felt a sudden encroaching darkness on all his senses. They've found me…

Escape was impossible. Initially, he had chosen to face the oncoming hordes of the Empire. After all, the two suns blanketed the entire planetoid in perpetual daylight, limiting the