Destiny's Blood by Marie Bilodeau (superbooks4u txt) 📕

“Oh sure, just let me see...Oh, look, they upped the security here, how nice! That’s a neat trick with that bypass...Hang on Travan, access incoming…Oh, that was too easy. Oh well, there you go, Travan, you’re in! The dock’s network is your playground!”

“I’m going to set us free,” Travan said after a few moments of silence. “But the clamps will automatically go back up after five seconds. We’ll have to get out fast.”

Ardin strapped himself into his seat. The rest of the crew on the bridge followed suit, including Zortan, who took a seat near Jaru.

Five seconds. Five seconds to fire the engines, which he had only left idling, and pull the heavy ship away. In space, he would need only two seconds, but on a planet, five was cutting it close. Especially considering their confined space.

“This is Colonel Dunkat Groosh,” the radio came alive and both Zortan and Cailan sat up a bit in response to the name. “You have one minute to abandon your ship and surrender yourselves to Solarian authorities.”

The line went dead. A second passed.

“I do hate to disappoint a man of such standing,” Cailan said. “Take us out of here, gentlemen.”

“I’m ready.” Ardin took a deep breath.

“Unlocking!” Travan shouted from his station. Ardin pulled back hard on the controls. The engines spouted angry flames as the ship tried to gain altitude quickly in the oxygen-riddled air.

“Four, three, two...” Ardin gritted his teeth and pulled harder. Destiny groaned and jerked upward.

“One!” The clamps closed back up, hitting the bottom of the ship but failing to hold her. Ardin kept pulling, sparks flying as Destiny’s side slid against other docked ships.

“Get us out of here, Ardin,” Cailan ordered.

“I’m on it,” Ardin replied. He found a turn big enough to bring the ship around and fired her main engines, the hull buckling with the speed. Ardin held on with both hands. The slightest shift in the tension in his muscles could send the ship veering into an all-too-close wall. Lang emerged on the bridge and waddled to his station to strap himself in.

“We’re being followed!” Jaru called from the back.

“Lang, find us the quickest course from the docks to the tunnels.”

“For some reason,” Lang replied, “I plotted that course the second we landed here.” Ardin heard Cailan chuckle, seconds before a small ship turned in front of them.

“Hang on!” Ardin pulled the Destiny up into another shaft to avoid the ship. Lang brought up the chart of the docks.

“This shaft has no exit!” Lang called. “All exits are currently closed by the Solarian forces!”

“Travan?” Cailan asked, his voice tense. The end of the corridor was looming before them, the thunder of the Destiny clapping around them as it resonated off the dead-end. Metal rose before them while ships gathered behind.

“Like I said,” the old engineer said as the end of the tunnel began opening. Twilight poured in to greet them, “the day I can’t get out of one of their traps, is the day I retire.”

“Gun it east out of the docks, then 142 north and all the way to the tunnels,” Lang told Ardin, who nodded and breathed in relief, his hands numb from clutching the rudder.

“And...doors closing before they can follow,” Travan ended, obviously pleased with himself.

Ardin set the course and guided the Destiny off Thalos IV. In a few minutes, they would be in the tunnels, safe from Solarian grasp.

i

“From where do I know you?” Layela whispered. She couldn’t hear her own voice. She and Yoma grabbed hands as they stepped together into the darkness of the temple. None of her other senses picked up anything: no light, no sound, no smell. There was only the feel of Yoma’s hand in her own, the heat pulsing steady and strong.

Warm liquid trickled onto their hands and the smell struck a second later. Blood! Blood was dripping onto both their hands, but they needed to keep going. She knew that above all else. But...whose blood!?

“Yoma!” She gasped, pulled roughly out of the vision. Josmere’s eyes flickered in annoyance as the door opened. Layela forced her breathing to calm, and her hands to stop shaking.

They needed to go further. Her mind reeled from the webs of the vision, but she knew that they had not yet walked into its heart. Whatever truly left her terrified each time she awakened, it had not yet been revealed to them.

“What do you want?” Josmere hissed toward the opened door. The Berganda regained her senses first. Of course, she had just been an observer.

Warm blood dripping onto our hands.

“The captain needs to see Layela,” Avienne said, and Layela looked at her questioningly. “Now,” she added, leaning back against the doorframe.

Layela swallowed hard and stood, the physical movement shedding the last threads. Still, she rubbed her hand, feeling the lingering echoes of the sensations from the vision.

“I’m coming too,” Josmere said, putting her gloves back on as she stood. Layela found the Berganda’s quick movements disorienting.

“He only asked for Layela,” Avienne said.

“We’re in this together,” Josmere hissed. To Layela’s horror, the Berganda took an aggressive step forward.

Avienne raised a graceful eyebrow and flashed a quick smile. “It would be interesting, fighting with you. But not this day. Come on.” Avienne pushed herself off the wall and started down the corridor.

Josmere looked down at Layela and squeezed her hand as they both followed, the leather rough where earlier had been only her soft, printless skin.

And still the darkness clung to Layela, more insistent than ever, whispering of blood and shadows.

CHAPTER 19

Why are you looking for my sister?” Layela asked. Names flickered by on the screen as Jaru scanned logs of ship after ship.

“Because they’ll be coming after her, too, and you both need protection,” Zortan answered, barely meeting her eyes.

“Who will be coming? And why?” Layela couldn’t keep the exasperation from her voice. The vision and its need to be fully seen called to her, sapping her of precious energy and commanding her attention. None of this mattered.

Zortan replied casually.