Midnight Sky (Dark Sky Book 2) (29 page)

The weight of my plan crushed my already aching shoulders. Davin had seen me, and was sending Hellions in my direction. What would happen if my back was turned? Would I lose someone I cared about–someone I loved–if I couldn’t get to the Palisade in time? Would something happen to me up here, destroying any chance my friends had of making it out alive?

Was this the only way?

Yes
, a stubborn voice in my head announced.
You’re already up here. Don’t stop now. They’ll die if you do. Don’t think. Just move.

I took a breath, then saw new shadows moving below me. I glanced away from the fight, and saw two other Hellions scaling the ladder after me. If I didn’t keep moving, I would be torn to pieces right here on the ladder.

I climbed as fast as I could, grimacing at the weight of the blowtorch pulling against me. I was almost at the overhead pipes. It wouldn’t lead to the top deck, but if my plan worked and I aimed correctly, I wouldn’t need to get to the top.
 

By the time I reached the catwalk, my arms were almost numb and I was covered in sweat. I shrugged out of the straps of the blowtorch, my shoulders aching with pain. A pain I had to increase. Over my head were old metal pipes just wide enough for the gas tanks to fit on. Since they were securely strapped together, I couldn’t lift one. I had to raise both. My arms trembled, and I couldn’t lift them over my head. I needed to get them up another way.
 

I looked at the railing, which was in reaching distance of the pipes. Hoping I wasn’t about to make a suicidal mistake, I dragged the tanks to the railing. Holding onto them with one hand, I climbed onto the railing of the catwalk. I bent my knees to keep my balance and propped my elbows on top of the pipes. It was an awkward position, but if I slipped, I could grab onto the pipes. There was enough space between them for me to slide the tanks into a snug position.
 

Wrapping my arms around the pipes for support, I pulled the tanks up. My arms throbbed and trembled mercilessly as I hefted the tanks. Sweat poured down my face and my knees wobbled. The Hellions screamed. They had to be close to the catwalk by now.

Finally the tanks screeched, tightly wedged into place. I dropped my arms on either side of them, panting with exertion and drenched in sweat. The hard part was over, and now all I had to do was–

A clammy hand wrapped around my ankle and yanked.
 

I screamed, my hands tightening over the pipes. I looked over my shoulder, tight with pain and about to wrench loose. One of the Hellions had left the ladder and climbed across the railing to grab me, and was trying to pull me over the edge. I shook my foot as hard as I could, desperate to break free. I almost jumped from my skin when the second Hellion bounded onto the catwalk and darted straight for me.

I roared and kicked again, knocking the Hellion capturing my ankle off balance. It lost its grip when I slammed my foot into its head. The monster’s shriek echoed through the halls as it fell to its death. I kept my leg swinging, raising it over the railing so the tip of my boot slammed into the second Hellion’s ribs. It too was knocked off balance, but didn’t go over the opposite ledge like I hoped.
 

Taking my chance, I swung my legs back over the railing onto the catwalk. I ducked as I landed, feeling the Hellion swing its claws at my hand. The hose for the torch brushed my spine. I reached back to grab it. The Hellion crouched low and hissed in my face, bloodshot eyes wide with hunger and fangs bared to enter my throat.

It was too fast for me to avoid, slamming into my chest and driving me into the catwalk. But I raised my arms in time to push the torch nozzle into the Hellion’s mouth, and pull the trigger.
 

The creature’s tongue began to sizzle and cook, the walls of its mouth melting from the flame. The stench was atrocious, like burned blood in a rotting corpse. The Hellion thrashed and backed away from me. I got to my feet, dropped the torch, and shoved the monster over the railing.

It had no balance and toppled headfirst over the ledge, howling the entire way down until it was splattered on the ground with its friend.

I didn’t even try to look at the battle my friends were locked in, unable to be distracted. I grabbed the torch nozzle again and turned it on, taking a screwdriver from my belt and sliding it into the trigger guard to hold it down. Then I shoved the burning nozzle between the gas tanks, and ran for the ladder.
 

As I started down, the tanks reacted to the heat burned into both of them. They rocketed into the air, screeching and squealing through the pipes and pounding out of the ceiling with a hissing scream. The gap left by the tanks was just big enough for me to use the Palisade. Except now I had to line it up with the hole.

Climbing down the ladder was much easier than climbing up, but my limbs still felt like rubber. I practically slipped down the last few rungs, scrambling to find my footing. I pivoted on my heel and bolted for the engineering bay. Two more Hellions crossed my path and almost bowled into me, but Sawyer suddenly appeared, slashing at them with his cutlass and shoving them back.

I didn’t stop running, not even when I heard Davin shout insults at his brother.
 

I made it back to the engineering bay, where the Palisade was snapping out electricity on dangerous levels. I swung behind it and pushed the lever to the highest setting. The Palisade groaned and stuttered forward.

“Come on, come on!” I yelled, demanding it go faster.
 

Relief washed over me as it picked up its pace, sliding out of the engineering bay. I kept pushing, forcing the machine to get as close as it could to the gaping hole in the roof. I glanced over my shoulder, and saw the fights take their worst turns.

Gemma was lying on the floor in a heap. I didn’t know if she was breathing. Nash stood over her, punching and kicking, breaking the bones of any Hellion that got too close to him or her. But he was taking multiple scratches, blood lining his face and arms, his coveralls all but shredded. He was getting weaker, and the moment he faltered, the four Hellions surrounding him would pounce.

Sawyer wasn’t far away, locked in combat with Davin. The Kendric brothers parried and lunged, both of them keeping a fair distance away from each other. Sawyer gripped his sword with both hands, panting for breath and covered in claw marks. Blood oozed down the side of his head, nearly to his cheek. Davin was completely unscathed, laughing at his brother before making his attack.

Davin feigned a single-handed chop toward Sawyer’s neck. He blocked it, leaving his side exposed. Davin punched him in the ribs, hard enough for his brother to wince. He grabbed Sawyer’s cutlass and pulled it down, nearly slicing open Sawyer’s face. He tried to take his sword back, but his Hellion brother jabbed him hard in the face, drawing blood from his nose. He swept the swords around and kicked his younger brother in the chest, knocking him onto the ground. Davin’s cutlass hacked down, and Sawyer barely missed it when he rolled away. Swinging his leg back, he tried to kick his brother off balance, but Davin jumped back and laughed. Then his heel crashed into Sawyer’s face, drawing a spray of blood and driving his head into the cold, hard floor.

The Hellions watched the fight, saliva dripping from their gaping maws. Some of them looked up and finally noticed me, just as I was getting into place. They yowled, drawing their leader’s attention. Davin whirled around, his amusement twisting into fury when he saw me with the Palisade. It was ready to burst with power. I would have one shot at this.

“
Get down!
” I screamed at my friends.

I hoped they heard me, because I pushed the first lever. The left tube flared a blinding white, the electricity snapping out around the prongs and spiking in the central filament. I raced to the right tube and pushed up its command lever. The second tube burst to life, the current meeting the first in the central filament.
 

The charge exploded, becoming a reverse lightning bolt that flashed and flickered through the ship’s dark walls, smaller sparks licking out to find victims. The main column weaved back and forth, finding release in the hole I’d created, saving us from being cooked alive.

The pressure and power of the electric column shredded metal over our heads, ripping into the sky and raining sharp debris onto the floor. I covered my head with my hands, hiding next to the Palisade and waiting for it to be over.

Static energy filled the air and prickled my skin. Every breath was thin and dry. The world became a tornado of harsh buzzing and terrified screams. Some of the Hellions had made it to the ground, but the ones that remained standing had lightning bolts stabbed into them. They exploded in a shower of blood and charred skin. The smell of boiling blood and seared skin was ten times worse than when I burned the Hellion on the catwalk with the blowtorch.
 

It became too much. The power, the noise, the death. I couldn’t handle it anymore. I made my point.
 

I turned around, crawling and reaching to the lever on the right tube. I grabbed it, crying out when it scorched my hand. The Volt was overcharging with power. It would explode at any second. Gritting my teeth, I grabbed the lever and pulled it down. Then I did the same with the left tube.

I still wasn’t fast enough.
 

The lightning came back down too quickly, snapping the filament and exploding the glass tubes. I screamed as the still live splinters hit my back, each one striking me with sharp, unforgiving static shocks.
 

Then it was over. Silence filled the air, mixing with the smell of burning meat. I slowly lowered my hands from my head and looked at what I had done.

At least a dozen Hellions were reduced to charred, smoking lumps on the ground. They twitched and jerked, but didn’t make a sound. Nash was lying on top of Gemma, and he was shaking. I couldn’t tell if he was hurt, crying, scared, or all of the above. Sawyer was across from me, blood and bruises covering his face. He groaned, coughed, and started to push himself up. It put my mind at ease.

Until Davin kicked me in the ribs.
 

I cried out and rolled onto my back, screaming when he kicked me again.
 

“You
bitch!
” he roared at me.
 

Another kick. I choked on my next scream, unable to breathe.
 

Sawyer got to his feet and charged his brother. Davin snarled and reacted, snapping his elbow into Sawyer’s jaw. His brother spun, and Davin drove his knee into his stomach. He grabbed Sawyer’s hair and jerked his head back, pressing the sword to his throat.

“
NO!
” I screamed.

“Davin.”

The new voice was quiet, raspy, and weak. We froze in terror from it. I dreaded to look, but I turned my head to see the new creature that appeared. Fear dug its icy talons into my heart and crushed it.

A Hellion stood behind the blackened, smoking bodies. The blood red cloak was draped over his bony shoulders. Long black hair touched like ground like a curtain of shadows. Onyx claws jutted out of his pale, skeleton hands. A crown of broken bones adorned his head. Dark red eyes with dilated pupils stared at me, as though they were two endless chasms waiting to drag me into darkness.
 

I screamed at the sight of the Vesper. And then I screamed again when I saw Abby standing beside him, with Riley holding a knife to her throat.

Chapter 17

The Vesper waited until my throat was hoarse from screaming.
 

“Do not kill your brother, Davin.”
 

Davin obeyed his master without a single protest. Davin must have been intimidated, obviously aware of the kind of power the Vesper had, and not willing to test his own strength against it. Which didn’t bode well for the rest of us.

Sawyer staggered away, holding up his cutlass. His hands were shaking.

“Traitor,” he hissed at Riley.

The soldier I’d trusted, the man I thought was my friend, stared at his former captain with empty eyes. Whatever Riley had once been was scooped out. Gone.
 

“Do not blame Riley,” the Vesper said. “He was broken long before you met him. But his shattered mind serves my purpose. Through his life force, I gain strength. I shall soon drain him of all essence, and regain a youthful form.”

I rolled onto my side and squinted, unable to comprehend what I was seeing. Then I noticed it. The angle of his jaw, the slant of his nose, curve of his lips. All of it belonged to Riley.

“What is this? What did you do to him?” I whispered shakily.

“Your Riley is dead, Claire,” the Vesper answered. “His soul died before you came onto my ship. The
Behemoth.
I saw you through Davin’s eyes, and knew he would prove useful to me again. I took control of his mind and memories, using his body as a pawn. All to gain access to you. To find the
Meridan
, and the treasure on it.”

I replayed every word he said, thinking it was impossible. Nausea swam in my stomach, and I wanted to retch. The very idea that this, this
thing,
had manipulated me from the very beginning, gotten close to my sister, tried to win my friendship and my heart, made me physically ill.

The sickness worsened when the Vesper wormed into my head.

It was a sharp, stabbing pain at first, as though I had slammed my head into the corner of a wall. The pain spread, digging deeper, becoming fingers that wiggled and pulled my brain apart. I clutched my skull and started to scream.

Images flashed behind my eyes. Seeing the parade when the Discovery began. Playing with my mother’s tools. Seeing my father’s worried face when the Hellions returned. Hearing my baby sister cry for the first time. Growing up underground as Westraven fell apart. Enduring Garnet’s abuses. Meeting Sawyer and the marauders. Fixing their ship. Flying to the
Behemoth
to rescue Abby.

I tried to push him out, shove the fingers away from my head, but they dug in deeper and clenched. Pain exploded through my skull and I screamed again.