Attack on Phoenix (16 page)

A loud knocking roused Torsten from a dream. He sat up, wiping drool off his cheek with his sleeve. He'd fallen asleep on the floor while praying for a quick trip to a dragzhi ship. Clearly it hadn't worked because he was still in his room.

The knock came again, more insistent this time. Torsten stood and waved his hand over the wall. "Why didn't you cue the music, Leila?" he asked as the door slid open.

The guy with the two different colored eyes breezed past Torsten, talking in a high-pitched voice. "Because I tried over and over again, but you didn't answer, big brother. I decided to go the low-tech route."

Torsten laughed and straightened his tunic. "Why are you here?"

"I believe your story."

Torsten could tell he had more to say. He was waiting until Torsten swallowed the news that someone agreed with him.

"Don't you think I'm crazy?" Torsten asked.

The man laughed. "If I thought you were crazy, I wouldn't be here, would I? Look, I know you've been shunned by most of the other defenders. I have been, too. I know what it's like to be on the outside. I don't think that qualifies you for the loony bin. Now, if you really know a way on to a dragzhi ship, I'm with you. The others are leaving soon. They're going to try to kill all those dragzhi outside. We can leave with them and head underground. I’m Rutger, by the way."

“Torsten.” He held up his hand, fingers splayed. Rutger touched his fingertips to Torsten’s, quickly withdrawing. Torsten couldn't believe it. Someone was willing to trust in him. "I can't guarantee we'll succeed."

Rutger laughed. "The only guarantee in life is death, but I plan to avoid it for as long as possible."

Music lilted, alerting them to another's presence.

"It's probably my sister. I'm guessing she wants to try to change my mind one more time." Torsten waved his hand over the wall and the door opened.

It wasn't Leila. It was the bald girl. On second glance, Torsten realized she didn’t have eyebrows either.

"Can I come in?" she asked.

"Sure." Torsten moved to the side, and she strode in.

"Hey, Malia," Rutger said. "Want to come with us?"

Malia looked up, her shoulders square. Her dark brown eyes swirled, pulling him into their depths. She was different, and stunningly beautiful. Rutger's eyes didn't leave Malia's face. He looked at her the same way Torsten wanted to look at Rell.

"I believe Torsten. Why would he lie?" Malia smiled. "The rest only think about their guns and blood. Torsten has always been the voice of the reason. He has knowledge no one else has. He has no reason to lie. So, yes, I will go with the two of you, if you will have me."

"Torsten?" Rutger said.

"Yes, of course." Torsten tried not to stutter over his words. When he'd spoken up at the meeting, it was out of desperation, not a desire to lead. "We're all equals here. If we can work together, then I think we have a good chance of succeeding."

Of course he wasn't even totally sure how to teleport to the dragzhi ship, but he had a feeling the answers lay beneath them. He knew where to look, and he’d be damned if he didn't try.

"Then let's steal some guns and ammo. I already have a vast assortment of knives.” Rutger patted his hips. “We may need to fight our way through the dragzhi. Ready?"

Malia nodded. Torsten gulped as he looked at his room for what felt like the last time.

The three made their way through the tower to the supply room. A line stretched around the hall. Leila stood outside the door, taking weapons from someone inside and handing them to the next person in line.

"Tor," Leila said, her voice flat. "What are you doing here?"

"We want to fight," Rutger said, answering before Torsten could speak. "Guns?" Rutger held out a hand.

Leila rolled her eyes, handing him the next gun to come through. Rutger shouldered the plasma rifle and nodded to Malia to take the electric shotgun that was next.

Leila turned to her brother. "I'm sorry, Tor. I don't want to fight with you." Her eyes softened, and she sniffled.

"I don't want to fight with you either, Lei." Torsten meant it. "Promise me you'll be careful out there. I can't lose you."

Leila rested a hand on her brother's cheek. "I will. You need to be careful, too. You're a terrible shot. Hang on." Leila turned her back to him and said something to whoever was inside. A moment later, she faced him again, a sword in her hands. "I know you practiced with this when no one was looking."

Torsten gasped. He hadn't told anyone. How did she know?

"Before Mellok," Leila swallowed hard, "died in the line of duty, I asked him to give it some juice. He was training to be an engineer. He was so creative and far-thinking. I know you always assumed he was a dumb oaf, but he wasn't. You'll see when you use this. He liked you, Torsten, even if he wasn't always good at showing it."

Torsten grabbed the hilt of the sword his sister offered him, wondering what Mellok had done to make it so special.

"I don't even want to tell you," Leila said, as if reading his mind. "When the time comes, you'll know. Just trust me."

Torsten nodded and backed away. He almost regretted keeping his plans from his sister, but he knew she would get angry again. She was an amazing fighter and, he wanted her to stay focused during the battle.

"I'll see you back here after we've won," Leila said, a smile on her face for the first time since they'd been reunited.

Torsten forced a smile and followed Malia and Rutger out the way they'd come. Luckily, Leila was too busy to notice Torsten’s deception. Torsten wasn't sure how long he could keep it up. He wasn't just worried about Leila's safety. He wasn't sure any of them would make it back alive, no matter how well they fought.

The dragzhi had better tech. They had more knowledge. They could appear in two different forms to suit the needs of the battle ahead. Torsten had studied the dragzhi and their two forms of liquid and rock, just as much as he'd studied the history of Earth. Torsten didn't feel confident in their ability to prevail. Not without a dragzhi ship.

Torsten, Malia, and Rutger descended to the bottom level of the tower, milling in the gathering crowd of warriors, trying to blend in. It wasn't long before everyone stood in the holding area. Leila muscled her way to the front, along with Andessa and the redhead who'd given the rallying speech the day before.

"We're about to head into battle," the woman said. "I want to make sure all of you know we're shooting to kill. Don't let the dragzhi get too close. They're slower, but unbelievably strong. Their charka are even more dangerous. We know their bites are strong enough to snap a human in two, but we also think they are venomous. Stay away from them. Better yet, kill them on sight. If the rock dragzhi were invulnerable, they wouldn't need leashed pets to protect them."

Murmurs of assent traveled through the crowd as they stood shoulder to shoulder. The room practically vibrated with electricity.

"Are you ready for us to open the doors?" she yelled.

The crowd roared in response.

"Then let's do this!"

Metal clanked as the guard unlocked the huge bolts. They pushed the doors open, and the defenders poured out of the tower.

Torsten, Malia, and Rutger hung in the back, waiting to slip away before anyone noticed. They skirted the edge of the group. Torsten tried not to watch the others engage the dragzhi, but he couldn't pull his eyes away.

Gigantic rock arms swung down at the humans, bashing them. Ammo bounced off the hard dragzhi bodies, falling to the ground. A charka’s jaws snapped, taking the head off a defender Torsten didn't know. He searched frantically for Leila as Malia pulled him away from the battle.

"Torsten, we have to go. If you can't bear to see them die, then don't watch." She tugged hard on his elbow, forcing him away from the fray.

Torsten gripped his sword in his hand as guilt washed over him. He should stay and fight like the others.

"Don't chicken out on us now," Rutger said as he shot a wave of plasma at a dragzhi. The alien fell over, landing on the ground with a thunderous boom. Cheers went up from the other defenders as more and more dragzhi fell. "See, they can do this without us," Rutger said.

Torsten led Malia and Rutger away from the battle, back toward the waterfall. Instead of crawling on the ground like he and Rell had done on the way to the tower, Torsten thrashed through the tall grass, not taking the time to hide. There were no guarantees the defenders would win in his absence, or that Leila would live. The only way to truly fight the dragzhi was with their own tech.

Torsten splashed through the falls, grateful the dragzhi had all been drawn to the battle. Torsten scrambled down the hidden staircase to the tunnels.

"The torches have been lit," he said over his shoulder to Rutger and Malia. "We'll be able to see. But keep your guard up. The people down here don't take kindly to strangers."

Malia pulled her shotgun from her hip. "I'm ready."

Torsten stopped. "Don't shoot anyone unless it's necessary. We don't need to start a battle with the buried, too."

Rutger nodded. "We'll stay our itchy trigger fingers, right, Malia?"

She winked at Rutger. "For now. Once we get on a dragzhi ship, I can't promise anything."

Torsten smiled. These two were exactly the sort of allies he needed. Brave and open to the unexpected.

They ran down the halls. Something rumbled in the tunnel ahead of them. Torsten pulled Malia and Rutger into an intersecting tunnel. They waited, quietly, while the noise grew louder. People pounded past them, heading in the direction Torsten had just come from. They were going up. Leaving behind their pods. Torsten looked back at Rutger, his eyebrows raised.

The buried didn't ever leave their pods like this. Something was wrong.

"Should we warn them they're headed into a deadly battle?" Malia whispered in his ear.

Torsten shook his head and waited until the group had gone by and stepped into the tunnel again. A man and a woman raced down the tunnel, coming to an abrupt stop in front of Torsten.

"You are the one who escaped last night," the woman said. Then she waved her hand. "It does not matter. You must leave. The volcano is about to erupt."

"What?" Torsten's voice croaked. No. They needed time underground.

"You must leave." She tugged on Torsten's sleeve, cocking her head to the side as she gazed at him. "You’re looking for Rell aren’t you? How did you know she came back?"

"Back?" Torsten asked. "Rell came back? She's here?" He looked around wildly. "I didn't see her leave. Did she take another route out?"

The woman shook her head. "No. She's staying. She's the one who warned us about the volcano. She says she may be able to stop it."

"Where is she?" Torsten yelled, grabbing the woman's shoulders.

"She's with the volcano." Her voice shook. "She is my daughter. I didn't love her as I should have, but I do still worry for her safety. She is of age, though, and makes her own decisions."

"If you loved her, you wouldn't leave her down here to die," Torsten said through gritted teeth. "Get out of here."

Torsten turned his back on the woman and her companion. "Follow them back up," Torsten said to Malia and Rutger.

"And leave you down here to take all the credit for saving us? Hell, no!" Rutger smiled, his two different colored eyes sparkling in the torchlight.

"I'm not going either," Malia said. "Dragzhi above or a volcano below? Either way, we're screwed. Let's do this."

Torsten hadn't wanted to go alone, but he never would have compelled them to follow. Still, he was grateful for the help. "Then let's find Rell."

Rell stood at the edge of the inferno, the heat roiling around her toes. She'd removed her slippers, fearful of falling in. Her bare feet would give her a better grip on the dirt and rocks. The sharp piercing pain of the ground kept her alert.

She peered into the lava, watching the orange, yellow, and red magma fight for control. They swallowed each other in a dance of glowing flame and scorching embers. Rell held out her hand, palm up, concentrating. A flame burst forth, hovering just above her skin.

"Come to me," she whispered. "You protected me once. Do it again. I need you."

The ground shook as a form took shape in the bubbling lava. It rose, undulating in the air, coming up to Rell's height.

"Are you the third?" she asked it, not even sure if it could give her a response.

A hiss crackled forth. "Long ago I was called the third, but I chose to become one, apart from the others. I do not want them. They will absorb me. Destroy me. Force me to do their bidding. Do not let them find me. You are the Key to saving me."

Frustration welled up in Rell. The dragzhi above wanted her to lead them to the third, yet the third wanted autonomy and relied on her to give it to them. She wanted no part of their war. Not anymore. Her gods had been destroyed. Her faith torn asunder. All she had left was Torsten—her only friend, and he had been stolen from her, too.

Rell had nothing. No one.

"I can't stop the other dragzhi from finding you. I can't stop them from doing whatever it is that makes you part of them again."

"Oh, but you can." The voice was as soothing as the dragzhi voice that had spoken to her on the ship and been in her head. "The dragzhi are a species that becomes more and more powerful with each evolution. They require my fire to turn into the most powerful beings in all the universe. Without me, they are simply warriors. They need my fire to rule over all."

"I still don't see what any of this has to do with me," Rell said, growing impatient.

"I am your father. You are part of my evolution." Part of the fire broke away from the rippling body, rippling closer to Rell. A flaming hand rested on Rell's cheek. “If I change the essence of the fire dragzhi, we will no longer be useful to them. You are my future.”

She held her breath, waiting for pain to surge through her skin as it burned to a crisp.

It did not come.

Rell let out a breath, and took in another. Her body overflowed with energy as life unfurled inside her. Warmth spread through her veins, entering every corner of her being.

"Do you feel it, daughter?"

Rell nodded. Tears slid down her cheeks, leaving sizzling trails in their wake. All of her life, she had yearned for something more. For communion with her gods to make her feel alive. She'd done everything her mother had asked, striving ever harder for her place in the grand religion they followed. Nothing had ever given her what her father was imbuing her with now.

Rell shuffled closer, aware her toes were now hanging over the edge. She needed to get closer to him. To fulfill what the dragzhi side of her could promise.

"Come, daughter. Come to me, and I will show you why you are the Key and how you can help us." His voice purred in her head. His hand pulled back, leaving her cheek cold and empty.

Rell moved a little closer, swaying to maintain her balance. She needed the fire. Without it, she felt so empty. Reaching out, Rell touched his cheek. "Father?"

"Come to me, Rell. Just a little further."

The magma no longer seemed menacing. Now it beckoned to her, promising eternal warmth.

Closing her eyes, Rell jumped. Something grabbed her waist, yanking her backward. She rolled on the ground, hitting her head on the hard earth.

"Rell, what the hell are you doing?" Torsten yelled in her ear.

She struggled to get out of his grasp, but he wouldn't release her.

"Tell me what you were doing, or I won't let go." Torsten's arms only tightened around her waist.

They lay on the ground, not moving, for a moment. Rell didn't know what to tell him. How could she explain any of it?

"Please, let me go," she begged, her voice hoarse. Tears trailed down her cheeks again, but this time they were cold, empty.

Torsten's arms relaxed and he backed away, just as she'd known he would. He was too honorable to hold her against her will, especially when he knew how much she hated being touched.

"Tell me why." It was Torsten's turn to beg. "Why were you going to kill yourself? Did you think I wouldn't come for you?"

"I don't need you to come for me." Rell turned around, facing him. His eyes were bloodshot, ringed by dark circles. Torsten's shoulders slumped forward as if he couldn't bear to keep his back straight. Behind him stood two people Rell didn't know, a man with two different colored eyes and a young woman with no hair and dark skin. They both held weapons trained on Rell. Discarded on the ground next to them was a broadsword.

"I know you don't need me," Torsten said, clearly annoyed. "Maybe I need you."

Rell’s father was gone. Her heart dropped into her stomach. She wanted—no, needed—to know what was waiting for her in the fire. Somehow she was sure she'd survive what killed so many others.

"Why?" Rell asked. "What could have possibly drawn you back out of the tower?"

"We want a way onto a dragzhi ship," the unfamiliar man said. He stalked closer to Rell, his rifle at the ready. "Torsten says you can get us there."

Rell rolled her eyes. She'd been to the dragzhi ships twice, which was more than enough. "I don't know how it happened, Torsten. You know that. I thought it was through prayer. I thought I'd finally established some sort of connection—" Rell broke off her sentence.

That had to be it. Since she was the Key, a combination of both fire dragzhi and human, something inside her made it happen. She didn't know why it hadn't worked before she met Torsten, but that had to be it.

"I might be able to," Rell said slowly. “Take my hands.”

Torsten grabbed his sword, and sheathed it on his hip. “This is Malia and Rutger, by the way.”

“Hi,” Rell said with a shy smile.

Torsten took Rell's right hand, Rutger took the other, and Malia held hands with the two of them, forming a circle.

"Let me concentrate." Rell squeezed her eyes shut.

She tried to remember exactly what she'd said before she and Torsten had spun out of the caverns and into space. She ran through the prayers in her head, repeating the words over and over again. A spark burned in her chest. In her mind, she blew on the flames, wishing they would come to life, but they barely blazed, sputtering out only moments later.

Rell tried again and again. Sweat gathered on her palms, making the connection with the two men slippery. She gripped tighter, furrowing her brow as she repeated the words in her head. Still, nothing happened. Her frustration grew.

"Tell me what's happening aboveground," Rell said, her eyes still squeezed shut.

"The dragzhi have taken over," Rutger said. "As far as we know, those of us in the tower were the only humans left alive. There's so few of us. Even if we manage to survive, we may not be able to sustain our society. This may be the end of all humanity on Phoenix."

"But if we can get on a dragzhi ship," Malia said, "then maybe we can kill the dragzhi. And then we might stand a chance of escaping this planet and finding our way back to Earth."

Rell's heart pounded. It wasn't just her life and Torsten's at stake. It was everyone's. They were all doomed if she couldn't get them aboard one of those ships. She felt the fire spring to life again. She stoked it with her anger, fanning the flames until they roared to life. Rell concentrated on the dragzhi ship, on her need to get to it. She began to feel the spinning sensation, now familiar. Her eyes snapped open.

Torsten, Rutger, and Malia were standing still as if nothing was happening.

"Do you feel it?" Rell yelled, trying to control it.

"Nothing," Torsten said, baffled. Rutger and Malia shrugged.

Rell dropped their hands. The spinning ceased. Rell stood solidly on two feet, almost used to the dizzying sensation. "I can't take all of us. I'm feeling the pull, but the rest of you aren't. Going alone won't get us anywhere. I'm so sorry." Rell backed away from the three, knowing what she had to do. "I want you to wait outside the cavern."

"Why?" Torsten asked. "What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to get us on that ship. I promise. I just need to be left alone for a few moments." Rell hoped her tone was reassuring. "I need to meditate. Gain focus."

Torsten’s expression was filled with concern. "Okay. We'll be just outside the mouth of the cavern. Come on," he said to Rutger and Malia.

They reluctantly followed Torsten away from Rell. Rutger looked at her over his shoulder one more time. It was clear he didn't trust her. But he trusted Torsten, and Torsten trusted her. She would have the time to do what she needed.

After the others walked into the dark tunnel, Rell turned back to the volcano. "Father? Are you there?" She walked to the edge, looking down into the magma.

The fire dragzhi floated up to her, just as he had before. "I am here. Will you come with me now?"

"If I join you, will I obtain all the strength and knowledge of a dragzhi?" Her hands shook and she clasped them together to stop the tremors.

"You will help us to stop the others from taking us to our home planet. We wish to remain here. But we need you to lead us." He extended a molten hand. "Be one with us, Rell."

Rell closed her eyes and jumped.