Ablaze (Indestructible Trilogy Book 2) (27 page)

“You can’t beat him, Murray,” says Val. “I can plant a bomb. I’ll activate it at your signal, and this place will blow up. He’ll be buried a hundred feet underground, and so will his Transcendents.”

As if in response to her words, a bone-shaking tremor goes through the corridor, and most of the Pyros are forced to steady themselves against the walls. Murray swears, and runs down the corridor faster than I’ve ever seen him move.

“Shit!” Cas draws his weapon, his expression murderous. “He’s not going back to fight that madman alone.”

“Hold on a second,” I say, at the same time as Ryan says, “No way. Cas actually cares about someone?”

Cas shoots him a furious look, turns his back, and heads after Murray. Shouts, crashes and clangs ring through the corridor, and the occasional screech from a fiend. My heart races, as I imagine more of the Pyros, fighting, dying. They need to leave. But now…

Dammit.
Murray said something about a cure for the visions. Might the Fiordan blood be here? The only possible cure for what’s happening to me? The old lab went up in smoke. This is our only option to get our hands on his research. Part of me knows this is a stupid idea, but I have to try. I wanted to gain control over my blood. If my blood’s the key to the war, it’s about more than just my life.

And I’m too good at survival to give up now.

“Leah!” Val grabs my arm. “We can’t lose you, too.”

“I’m dying,” I say, and raise my voice so everyone can hear. “The cure might be here. Jared keeps blood samples in all the labs, and if you blow this place up, we’ll lose all of them. It might even stop the tattoos, too. I have to try…”

Val sighs, glances back at the others, then turns back to me. “Then we’ll help.”

“You can’t,” I argue. This is an entirely selfish mission, and I’m not putting everyone else in danger for it. “Someone has to take care of everyone else, especially with Murray gone.”

“Yeah, but we don’t count,” says Poppy, pushing forward with Tyler at her side. “We’re quick. We can search the labs while you and Cas blow things up. We don’t want you to die either, Leah. You don’t have to do this alone.”

I take a few calming breaths. We’re wasting time. Jared will more than have his hands full with Cas and Murray, but what about the other Transcendents?

“Give it up, Leah. You know we’ll follow you anyway.”

I give Val a desperate look. “You can’t be serious about this.”

“Leah… I know you’re used to working alone, but I think you should let them come with you. You’re forgetting they’ve had more experience in the labs than you have.”

“I can tell fiends’ blood from humans’,” Poppy says. “Can you?”

“Er…” No, I can’t. Dammit. “Guys, please be careful. If you see any of the Transcendents, don’t fight. They’re pretty much invincible.”

“No one’s invincible,” counters Poppy. “But yeah, fine. I’ll take the left labs, you take the right, okay, Tyler?”

“Val, you can’t,” Ryan says as she makes to join us. “That tattoo might get you again. Besides, someone has to keep everyone else from wandering off.”

“All right.”

The sounds of fighting ahead grow louder. I walk ahead of the others, hoping I’m not leading them to their deaths.

When we reach another corridor, there’s no sign of Murray or Jared, though the noise of swords clashing make standing still almost impossible. But doors lie open to either side, and I’m all too aware this is the last chance we’ll have to search the labs.

Damn.
I hope Murray knows what he’s doing.

Cas grabs me by the sleeve and drags me to the side. “What the hell are you doing?”

“Looking for the Fiordan blood,” I hiss. “It has to be here.”

Cas swears. “You idiot. Why did you think I came back here? What did you think I’ve been looking for all this time? You just had to put yourself in danger again.”

My eyes go wide. He was trying to find the cure all along?
That
was his plan?

“I’ve searched all the labs down this end,” he says. “The others are past the fiend cages, and the monsters are breaking out. You can’t go that way.”

“Neither can you,” I point out.

“I’ll take my chances.”

Blood streaks the floor. Jared’s blood. This is the room I was imprisoned in. But I already know there’s nothing of use in here. Poppy and Tyler are already on the case, searching the other rooms. Cas walks ahead, barely glancing in each room before striding off, before he disappears around a corner.

A tugging sensation grabs at my veins, sharp and unexpected. And that’s when two winged Transcendents drop from the ceiling. Before I can register that the ceiling appears to be
moving,
one of them lunges at me with a clawed hand, the mirror of Jared’s.

Crap. I’m eternally glad to have my weapon as I swing the dagger in an arc, severing the claw at the wrist. I stab again, fire flowing to my fingertips and along the blade.

Cas runs around the corner, knife at the ready and anger etched on his face. I stab the first fiend in the shoulder, throwing a blast of fire for good measure. The fiend staggers back, the wound already cauterising by itself, but the fire spreads in a haze of light. I stab it again, dodging its every attack, my body moving with barely a conscious thought from me. Finally, I’m at full power again.

Cas has already speared the other through the chest, just as he did to Jared earlier. He yanks the blade free, spattering blood everywhere, as I deal the killing blow to my enemy. Both fiends crumble to the ground. Literally.

“Damn,” I say. “If it came from the cages, Murray and Jared must have gone pretty far, unless they’re caught up in the middle of it…”

“Hope they break Jared to pieces,” says Cas savagely. “Come on.”

Tyler and Poppy run out into the corridor, sidestepping the remains of the fiends.

“Be careful, guys,” I say. “Jared’s experiments are on the prowl.”

The corridor’s a straight line, which at least makes it hard for anything to sneak up on us. But the rooms appear deserted as ever, as I remember from when I was trying to find my weapon. It’s like Jared intentionally hid anything useful. But where, if not here?

“Whereabouts did my weapon come from?” I ask.

“I have no idea.” Cas walks swiftly, and I have to hurry to keep pace behind him, while worrying about leaving the others behind.

“And yours? I thought he’d hidden them.”

“He did,” says Cas. “Locked them in a secret room inside his personal suite, but I’ve already checked. I’d guess he threw the other weapons away in case any of his Transcendents bonded to them and made his life even more difficult. Pity they didn’t.”

I open my mouth to respond, and the clash of metal on metal interrupts. We’re two corridors away from the fiends’ cages, and unless they know the way out, they’ll be frantically trying to escape.

We turn the corner, in time to see Murray running at his brother, two swords held high. It’s definitely the real Jared, judging by the blood trailing from the wound in his chest. He shouldn’t even be standing.

Jared grins at us over Murray’s shoulder, where his brother has him backed against the wall with his twin blades. Fire sparks around the two of them.

“Are you sure about this, brother?” asks Jared. “You seemed certain you didn’t want to kill me. Don’t we have a common enemy?”

“We haven’t been allies in a long time, Jared,” says Murray. “You know that.” He strikes without warning, the left sword coming down at Jared’s weak side. His brother dodges the blow, countering with his own blade, not at all deterred by his still-bleeding wound. My heart sinks.

“Relax,” says Cas. I look at him, surprised to see his mouth curling into a smile. “Murray has two weapons. And I bet he knows Jared’s weakness.”

He really believes Murray can win? I turn back to watch the standoff. Jared’s blocking Murray’s sword, but the other weapon flashes forward.

Blood spurts into the air and two claws drop to the ground. I feel a burst of shame for ever doubting our leader.

“I see your enhancements aren’t working out for you,” Murray comments.

Dripping blood, Jared pushes harder with his blade against his brother’s.

“You’re a fool. The Fiordans are on our doorstep, brother.”

“Who built this place on top of the divide?” Murray counters. “If I didn’t know better I’d take it as an invitation. You don’t give a damn about the rest of the world.”

“I care about winning this war,” says Jared. “And I’ll cut you down if I have to.”

Murray blocks his strike, raising the twin swords in an X. Blood drips to the ground, but Jared hardly seems to notice. They’re evenly matched—but Jared’s lazy confidence makes icy fingers trail up my spine.

“So you do mean to kill me?” Jared grins widely. “And there I was, thinking the fiends would finish you before you’d give me a fair fight. What do you say we give these willing spectators a show, hmm?” He looks back at me and the others, eyes lingering on Cas.

“I’m not playing games with you, Jared,” says Murray. “This is war.”

“Oh, you always were a killjoy.”

The two brothers jump, almost at the same time. Next thing I know, Murray has Jared pinned to the wall.

“I knew you wouldn’t be able to kill me,” Jared whispers.

Murray curses and aims a killing blow at Jared’s exposed neck.

Jared jerks his head back and kicks Murray in the shins. Murray hisses between his teeth, blades spinning. My eyes widen. If Jared wasn’t equipped with the speed and power of a Transcendent, those blades might have taken his head off.

Murray’s really trying to kill him?

I step forward, though I’m not entirely sure what I’m going to do. Stop the fight? Kill Jared myself? I’ve no idea.

But before I can move, a tremendous roar echoes through the corridor and a giant muscled fiend rampages through the corridor, one wing dangling uselessly at its side, one hand dragging claws.

It got out,
is the first thing I think, stupidly.

“Get back!” Cas pulls me out of the way. Murray ducks down and strikes at the fiend with both swords—but Jared’s already taken the opportunity to run.

The fiend shrieks, and rather than running at us, runs headlong into the wall. Its eyes are red and wild, and it doesn’t appear aware of its surroundings at all. But it’s also barring the way between us and Murray. When the fiend hits the wall again and the path clears, Murray’s gone. Must have chased after Jared.
Oh, shit.

Cas makes an impatient noise and swings his sword close enough to cut into the fiend’s arm, before I can warn him he’ll set the monster on all of us. Sure enough, the fiend lumbers around, swinging its clawed fists. It’s not the fiend I dominated, but the wings mark it as one of Jared’s. Which means they’re probably all out their cages, beating the walls down to get out of this prison. We haven’t a chance of searching the labs without putting the others in the path of the fiends.

When the fiend swipes wildly again, I have no choice but to raise my weapon. I can’t give it any more mercy than I would one of the monsters outside, even if I’ve given one of them
my
blood.

The fiend charges the wall again, this time leaving a dent half a metre thick. Bits of stone fly everywhere, and I raise an arm to protect my face. Those bat-like wings beat, and it claws at the ceiling, sending rock raining down on all of us.

I gape, the dagger limp in my hand, as the fluorescent lights retract into the ceiling, plunging this section of the corridor into darkness. Then the next. Now we can barely see as the ceiling shifts with a rumble that shakes the earth.

Cas’s blade flashes red. Fire. Of course. I let flames flicker along my own blade, too, illuminating the area around us in pure white. Brighter than I intended. The fiend staggers, blinded, and its fist pummels another hole in the wall. Its body follows, breaking into the room on our left. A lab. At least, it was. The fiend staggers over the newly-created threshold, kicking furniture aside, sending test tubes flying and blood spattering the walls. I curse, remembering what we’re looking for, but even I could be in trouble if I get too close, and injuries will cost us precious time. I back out, but Murray and Jared are nowhere in sight and the corridor’s blocked by rubble.

Before I can move, another resounding crash shakes the tunnel as the fiend throws itself at the wall to the neighbouring lab.

“Dammit,” Cas hisses. “It’ll bring the place down if this keeps up.”

I’m pretty sure we have bigger problems. The others are boxed in behind me, and the ceiling’s shifting, the remaining fluorescent light moving further away by the second. Cas’s blade glows so bright my own eyes are dazzled, and I have to tighten my grip on my own weapon to anchor myself in the here and now. If another vision hits me, I’m utterly screwed.

“Come on,” I say. “We can’t stop that thing now. Murray’s…”

Crash.

Rubble rains down, bits of rock hitting the floor like gunfire. Cas swears and runs forward, kicking it out of the way.

“What the hell are you doing?” I call at him—he’s running right through the place where the ceiling just collapsed. I pause to check on the others. Luckily, the fiend next door took most of the hit.