The Soldiers of Halla (25 page)

I lifted my own.

Wump.

I never fired. I didn't get the chance. My entire body went rigid. It felt like being Tasered by the Ravinian guards when Alder and I arrived at the Sherwood mansion on Second Earth. I'm sure I hit the floor, but I don't remember it, because an instant after feeling the jolt, I was unconscious.

 

Waking up from being rudely separated from consciousness is never easy. I should know. It's happened to me often enough. There's that initial feeling of disconnection, followed by the pain of whatever event caused the lights to go out, followed by the desperate need to understand exactly where I had landed and what situation I'd have to deal with. This time was no different. Once I started becoming aware of my surroundings, the first thing I realized was that I was paralyzed. I couldn't move. Not a pinkie. I didn't panic. I hadn't pulled far enough away from the land of the unconscious to feel as if it were anything permanent. I had been through this enough times to know I had to bring my brain back online before I could expect it to control my body.

One thing was clear. I may have been the illusion that Saint Dane said I was, but at that moment my body felt all too real. I hurt every bit as much as if I had been born in Stony Brook, Connecticut, instead of in some alternate universe filled with spirits. At that moment I kind of wished I was a little more spiritlike and a little less humanlike.

I opened my eyes and tried to focus. There wasn't a dado in sight, which meant I was no longer in that factory. I was flat on my back and looking up at a ceiling covered with white tiles. Was this a hospital? It didn't seem like a prison. I moved my head, which meant I wasn't paralyzed.
At least not from the neck up, anyway. Mark was lying next to me, still unconscious. Someone had covered us with dark green blankets. I saw that we were lying on thin mats and not directly on the floor. That was good. At least we were being treated semi-okay.

I felt control slowly returning. I twisted my head around to see that we were in a large, empty room. Windows were set high near the ceiling. There would be no way to get out that way. The walls were covered with ornate tiles that created mosaic patterns. If this was a prison, it was a fancy one. I rolled my head the other way and saw that someone was standing by the only door.

Nevva Winter.

“You'll be fine,” she said without compassion. “The effects are temporary, which is better than what those weapons do to the dados. Where did you get them, by the way?”

Nevva wore a dark outfit that kind of reminded me of Saint Dane's black suit. But not quite as severe looking. She had a cloth belt that tied at the waist and an open collar. It looked more like a dark warm-up suit. Her hair was tied back too, which was different from the way she'd worn it on Quillan. This was more casual and made her look almost human. Still, she had those piercing eyes that made me remember just how cold and calculating she could be.

“Water?” she asked.

Elli. Where was Elli? I forced myself up to my elbows and scanned the room. Another body was lying against a far wall. Her face was covered, but I saw the end of Elli's gray ponytail poking out from beneath the blanket that was over her. She was here, but still unconscious. I hoped that the effects of the blast hadn't hurt her.

“No,” I answered.

Nevva walked toward me. “Why did you come back?”

I put on my best smile. “I missed you.”

Nevva didn't appreciate the sarcasm. She glared at me. “It's over, Pendragon,” she said with a touch of impatience. “Halla has fallen. Anything that you and the Travelers do now is futile.”

“So then you won't mind that we hang around a little longer,” I replied.

“You can do whatever you like, but why would you bring Mark here and put him in jeopardy? That's just irresponsible. He's your friend.”

I gave her a surprised look and said, “Wow. Do you really care?”

Nevva grimaced and turned away. It struck me that she hadn't said anything about Elli. Did she even know that her mother was lying only a few feet away? It didn't seem like it.

“Leave, Pendragon,” Nevva said. “Take your friends with you and find someplace safe for them to live.”

She said “your friends.” She didn't know that Elli was one of them. I had to figure out a way to use that to our advantage. I also had to figure out a way to learn what Nevva knew about the exiles.

“Sorry,” I said. “Monkeying with Saint Dane is a hard habit to break. I think I'll keep at it.”

“But it's over!” she repeated with a touch of frustration. “Surely you understand that. You're fighting a war that has ended. The territories are no longer. Every world in Halla has been cleansed. There's nothing left to do now but rebuild.”

I sat up. “Cleansed? Is that what you call it? What you mean is that the people Saint Dane considers worthy are living the life, and everybody else has either been killed or will be soon.”

“We have rewarded excellence,” Nevva said patiently. “That has been the vision from the beginning. Nothing has happened to the rest of the people of Halla that they didn't bring about themselves.”

“You're kidding, right? Saint Dane manipulated the people of seven worlds into making decisions that led to their own destruction, and you're saying it's
their
fault? That's like pushing a puppy out into traffic and saying it was his own fault that he got hit by a car. Give me a break!”

Nevva took a breath. She was trying to control her emotions. “I know you don't feel that a guided future is right. You believe that people should be free to choose their own destiny. But time and again the people of Halla have chosen poorly. And not just where Saint Dane was involved. The people of Halla were flawed, and I have no doubt that if Saint Dane never intervened, their destruction would have occurred anyway. This way, we have separated those who are worthy of rebuilding Halla and protected them from those who are not. I know, the worlds of Halla are in shambles, but it was necessary. This is only the beginning. We are going to make it right this time, Pendragon. We are going to create Utopia.”

I stood up. My head hurt and my legs weren't working that well, but I didn't want to be sitting on the floor to have this discussion. I wanted to be on Nevva's level.

“What about the dado attack on Ibara?” I asked. “Did the people of Ibara bring that on themselves?”

Nevva blinked. She didn't answer right away. I had struck a chord.

“They created the situation that allowed for it to happen,” she finally answered.

“No, they didn't!” I shot right back. “They saw that
their society was in trouble, looked ahead, and did exactly the kind of thing that you're talking about. They created Ibara as a way to save Veelox. And they were going to succeed, until Saint Dane convinced the Flighters to attack and destroy the pilgrim ships, and then invaded the island with dados. Where was his grand vision there? The dado attack was sent as a conquering army. Plain and simple. It wasn't the people of Veelox who let that happen. It was all Saint Dane. How do you explain that?”

For the first time since I'd known her, Nevva looked unsure of herself. “It…it was about you, Pendragon. It was intended to put you to the test, and you failed.”

“So what if I did? I'm not even from Halla! What was I being tested for?”

“The ends justified the means,” she complained.

“No!” I shouted back at her. “You can't tell me this is all about doing what is best for Halla. Maybe at one time that's what Saint Dane thought. Maybe on some philosophical level he was right. Who knows? But it's not about that anymore. It's about his own selfish goals. He wants to be king, Nevva. No, he wants to be a god. He wants to create his own Halla. It's the ultimate power play. He's living in a palace. He likes being human. Look how he's changed himself. He's developed vanity. He wants to look good. Don't you see that? That's why he sent conquering armies, and that's why he's built another army of dados to do it again. Whatever noble thoughts he may have had at one time have been corrupted. If you think he's got any other goal than to be a god, you're kidding yourself.”

Nevva looked stunned. I couldn't believe that my words had hit her that strongly. No way. She was too firmly committed to her mission to let a little argument like this
change her mind. But something I had said got through, and shook her.

“What do you mean, ‘he's built another army'?” she asked tentatively.

“Oh, please,” I shot back. “Don't pretend like you don't know.”

“Don't know what?”

“We saw the factory, Nevva. Where do you think we got shot by the dados?”

“You were found in the helicopter plant.”

“Yeah, the helicopter plant that also happens to be building about eighty thousand dados. What do you think they're for? Washing windows and doing all the little chores you Ravinians think are beneath you? I'm not an idiot.”

Nevva was shaken. Really shaken. I didn't think she was a good enough actor to fake that. And why would she want to? As far as she was concerned, the battle was over.

“Are you serious?” I asked without sarcasm. “You didn't know about the new army of dados out there, all polished up and ready to go?”

Nevva's eyes told the story. She really didn't know. It was a total surprise to her. She was about to get another one.

“Nevva,” came a thin voice.

Nevva didn't look at first. She kept looking at me, but I saw the change in her eyes. She had heard a voice from the past. One I'm sure she never expected to hear again, and certainly not in a dim room on Third Earth. She held my gaze, silently asking if what she had heard was real. I motioned for her to look. Nevva had trouble turning away from me. It was as if she were fighting the pull of a magnet that wouldn't let her turn. But she had to.

Slowly Nevva turned to face her mother.

Elli was on her feet. She stood across from Nevva, tall and straight. Mother and daughter. It was like looking at the same person, though one was several years older. They locked eyes. Nevva opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. Elli looked strong. Stronger than I'd ever seen her. As tough as it must have been to be reunited with her daughter this way, Elli was up to it. I was proud of her. My fears about her not being able to handle the situation were gone. Elli didn't say another word. I think she wanted Nevva to speak first.

Nevva was finally able to croak out, “Why are you here, Mother?”

Elli's answer was to haul off and slap her daughter across the face.

It was totally unexpected.

And totally awesome.

I wanted to bottle the moment to remember it forever. Unfortunately, something happened that made the sweetness short-lived. We heard a voice come from the doorway. A tall man with long dark hair stood in the frame.

“My,” Saint Dane said with mock dismay. “Not exactly a touching reunion.”

T
he demon strolled into the room as if he owned it. Which he did, I guess. He wore the same deep red, princely costume I had seen him in earlier. It still threw me to see his new look, complete with long black hair and the elegant suit. His eyes hadn't changed though. They still cut right through me.

“I feel sorry for you, Pendragon,” he said with an air of superiority that made my blood boil. I guess I should have been used to it. “You've made such a valiant effort for so long, it pains me to see you unable to let go.”

“Let go of what?” I snarled.

“Your coming back here smacks of denial. It's a pathetic attempt to prolong a battle that has long been over. And who do you bring along to help you on this desperate mission? A feeble woman. Is this what the mighty Travelers have come to?”

Elli ignored him. Her eyes were still fixed on Nevva. Nevva held her hand to her stinging cheek and looked to the floor. It was the first time I had seen Nevva Winter cowed. Instead of lashing back, she'd taken the slap as
if she knew she deserved it. Her reaction to seeing her mother was what I hoped it would be. So far.

When Saint Dane reached Elli, he leaned down to her and whispered, “Did that make you feel better? Did it take away the pain of knowing the daughter you abandoned grew up to be one of the bad guys?”

It was a vicious thing to say. I wanted to hit him myself. I expected Elli to whirl and land one on him. Instead, she did something I never would have expected. She stepped forward and took Nevva into her arms. She closed her eyes and hugged her daughter.

“I miss you,” she whispered.

Nevva didn't hug back, but she didn't pull away, either. There were tears in her eyes, though I couldn't tell if they were tears of emotion, or from getting whacked in the face.

“That's more like it!” Saint Dane exclaimed with sarcastic joy. “Together again! The woman who turned her back on her own destiny and the girl who never should have been.” He smiled, as if realizing something for the first time. “Never been. Is that the origin of the name Nevva? How appropriate.”

Elli held on to Nevva, but answered Saint Dane. “I do not regret having given birth to my daughter.”

“No?” Saint Dane taunted. “The union between a creature of Halla and a spirit from Solara is just…unnatural. Then again, it is typical of your way of thinking. No thought to what is right. Or to the future consequences of your actions.” He looked right at me and declared, “And yet you still wonder why you've lost the battle.”

Saint Dane walked toward Mark, who hadn't yet budged. I'd almost forgotten about him. “Go away, Pendragon. Go
back to your dying world and stop fighting a battle you lost so long ago.”

Nevva gently pulled away from Elli. She stood up straight, regaining her composure. “Is it true?” she called to Saint Dane.

Saint Dane glanced at her. “Are you speaking to me?” he asked with surprise.

“The dado army,” Nevva continued. “Pendragon says that you have created another large force.”

Saint Dane stared at Nevva as if he couldn't believe she was questioning him. He stepped away from Mark to face her. “
I
have not created a large force.
We
have. Ravinia has. You are part of Ravinia, or have you forgotten?”

“Of course I haven't forgotten. I just don't understand why I wasn't informed.”

“I'm sorry, Nevva. I wasn't aware that I needed to consult you on every decision I make. Forgive me.” His comment dripped with sarcasm.

“To what end?” Nevva persisted.

This was getting interesting. Nevva was questioning Saint Dane. I'd never heard anyone do that before. Other than me, of course.

Saint Dane stiffened. “I don't believe I appreciate your tone, sweet Nevva.”

Nevva left her mother and walked toward Saint Dane. She stood directly in front of him, still waiting for a direct answer. I was mesmerized.

“Must we discuss this here?” he asked in a low voice. He stole a quick look to me, as if to check whether I was watching.

I didn't budge, but my pulse was racing. Nevva was actually challenging Saint Dane. I wondered if it was
because of the way he had insulted Elli. Or because he had more or less called her an unnatural mutant. Didn't matter to me either way. I was loving it. Saint Dane was off balance. That didn't happen often. Nevva had drawn blood. I figured I should rub some salt into the wound.

“It's a good question,” I said. “If this war is over, why are you building another army?”

Saint Dane walked to me and looked me in the eye. He was still taller than I was, but not by much. I wasn't threatened by his physical presence anymore. I didn't flinch.

“Because I can” was his simple, blunt answer.

I chuckled.

“You find that amusing?” he asked.

I turned my back to him and faced Nevva. “See? Whatever lofty ideals this guy had, they are long gone. Now it's all about power.
His
power.” I imitated him, saying,
“‘Because I can'!
Ooh! What a badass!” I looked back to Saint Dane and scoffed. “Look at him. New hair. New face. Living in a palace. An outfit that makes him look like some goofy Disney prince—not that you know what that is, but trust me, it's a joke.” I stood next to Elli and continued, “And he isn't above insulting a harmless lady like your mom. I don't know what kind of new Halla you think he's going to create, Nevva, but if you believe he's worried about anything more than elevating himself to some exalted position of power, you're dreaming.”

Nevva looked unsure. For her, that was huge.

Elli must have seen it too. “There's still time, Nevva,” she said. “You can still do the right thing.”

“No!” Nevva snapped at her mother. “You don't have the right to say that. You gave that up a long time ago.”

“Not because I wanted to,” Elli replied. The words pained her. “I wasn't capable of raising you.”

“But you're capable of jumping around Halla with the Travelers.”

Elli dropped her head, as if embarrassed. “It's what I was born to do.”

“Really?” Nevva pressed, upset. “What about me? What was I born to do?”

Elli didn't have an answer. She looked defeated.

“I guess that's pretty much what we've been fighting over,” I said. “Is our destiny chosen for us? Or do we have a choice in the matter? What do you think, Nevva? If you had to do it all over again, what choices would you make?”

Nevva was shaken up. Things weren't happening the way she expected. She whirled on Saint Dane. “What is the army for?” she demanded.

Saint Dane was back in control. His emotions were in check.

“You know as well as I. As do Pendragon and his kind. Let's drop the charade. The remaining exiles of Ravinia must be dealt with the way that was originally intended.”

“No!” Nevva shouted. “We were to leave the territory untouched. Unspoiled. This is not the way!”

“No territory is unspoiled, Nevva,” Saint Dane explained patiently. “I was willing to allow you your little experiment, but circumstances have changed. They should have died, Nevva. You know that as well as I. One day we will learn how that mistake occurred, but as of this moment all that matters is that we have located them, and now we must cleanse Halla of their influence.”

Nevva was trembling. She looked to be on the verge of tears.

Saint Dane gave her a twisted smile. “Don't you agree?”

Nevva started to answer, but stopped herself. She dropped her eyes to the floor. In a small voice she said, “Of course.”

That was it. Everything we feared was true. Saint Dane had found the exiles and was planning to wipe them out. There was only one piece of the puzzle still missing.

“Where are they?” I asked casually.

Saint Dane gave me a sly smile. “Oh? You don't know?”

Oops. I was kind of hoping that since we were going to “drop the charade,” everything was out in the open. Guess not. Now Saint Dane knew that we still hadn't found the exiles. I had made a huge tactical blunder.

Saint Dane strolled toward Mark. “I do realize that in large part the situation we now face is of my own doing. I should have seen to it personally that the dissenters from Second Earth were properly handled. But mistakes happen, don't they, Pendragon?”

“You mean you should have personally killed them. Nice. Really glad to hear that you're planning on running your own universe. Should be a real fun place.”

Saint Dane shrugged. My sarcasm was lost on him. “No matter. My lack of diligence has only prolonged the inevitable.”

“You are just ghastly,” Elli gasped.

Nevva kept her eyes on the floor.

Saint Dane continued, “And now I must decide what to do about our situation right here. I don't believe there is anything you can do to stop me, Pendragon. Yet there have been so many times in the past where you have surprised me.” He raised a finger and wagged it at me playfully. “You are quite the resourceful young spirit.”

I wanted to grab his bony finger and break it off.

“Of course you know that you and Elli can leave here at any time, if you're willing to use what little spirit is left of Solara. I feel confident that you won't.”

“Really?” I asked defiantly. “Why's that?”

Saint Dane kicked aside the green blanket that had been covering an unconscious Mark.

“My good friend Mark Dimond. Strangely enough, I've spent more time with him than anyone else in Halla. Even more than you, Pendragon. I've grown quite fond of Mark. Such a pity that I'll have to execute him.”

“What!” I screamed.

I went for Saint Dane, but only got two steps closer before I felt strong hands holding me back. Two Ravinian guards had slipped into the room without my realizing it.

“He is part of an annoying group of guerrillas here on Third Earth,” Saint Dane explained. “They've stolen weapons, food, even helicopters. Any one of those offenses is punishable by death.”

“You can't kill him!” I shouted. I stopped worrying about appearing cool and in control.

Saint Dane looked at me with wide, innocent eyes. “And why not?”

“Because it's murder,” I shot back. “And…and he was your friend! You may have been using him, but that didn't mean you didn't like each other. I know he liked you. Or Andy Mitchell.”

I was out of my mind. I was willing to pretend that Mark's friendship with Andy Mitchell had positive sides to it, that's how desperate I was to save Mark.

I looked to Nevva. “Nevva? Tell me you don't have feelings for Mark. He's a good guy. Hell, he even fits the
Ravinian profile. He's exceptional, isn't he? Geez, he's the father of the dados! He doesn't deserve to die.”

Nevva looked at the unconscious Mark on the floor. I saw her soften. She did like Mark. I knew it. Who didn't?

“It isn't right,” she said softly to Saint Dane. “Hasn't he suffered enough?”

Saint Dane walked to Nevva. He towered over her. She couldn't look him in the eye. Suddenly Saint Dane snapped out with his right hand and grabbed Nevva roughly by the neck.

Elli gasped. “Stop that!”

He didn't. She had pushed his buttons one too many times. Saint Dane held her tight, lifting her chin so that their eyes met. He spoke in a low growl. “You either believe in the vision or you are no better than the dirt we've worked so hard to wash away. The choice is yours.”

“Let her go!” Elli commanded, her voice cracking.

I saw the intensity of the look between Saint Dane and Nevva. They held it for a good long time. I was actually afraid he'd choke the life out of her, that's how long they stayed in that position. Finally Nevva blinked, and nodded in acceptance. Saint Dane let her go. Nevva tried hard not to gasp for breath. She was too proud to show that he had hurt her.

“I believe in the vision,” she gasped. “I always have and always will. But I do have opinions and would appreciate the right to voice them.”

“As do I,” Saint Dane said, back in command. “And my opinion is that Mark Dimond is a rebel enemy of Ravinia and will be put to death.”

Nevva shot him a look, but said nothing.

“Do you have a problem with that?” Saint Dane asked.

Nevva shook her head.

“Good. Then you will be pleased to know that the honor of carrying out the execution will be yours, Nevva.”

Elli gasped.

Nevva barely reacted, but I saw her eyes go steely.

“Tell me your opinion of that,” Saint Dane demanded, taunting.

Nevva answered through clenched teeth. “It is my duty. I only ask that it happen as soon as possible so that he will not suffer.”

Saint Dane scoffed, “And before you lose your nerve.”

Nevva shot him a steely look. She was definitely back on her game. “Say what you will about me, but I have never lost my nerve.”

They held eye contact a moment more. I could tell that Saint Dane was debating about how to respond.

“As you wish,” he finally said, dismissing her remark.

He looked down at Mark and gave him a nudge with his foot. Mark stirred and grumbled.

Saint Dane smirked. “Good. I was beginning to think he was already dead.” He turned to me and added, “Now, Pendragon. Will you be leaving us?”

I wanted to tear the guy's heart out, and I might have. If he had one.

Saint Dane laughed. “Of course you won't! You will remain here, hoping to find some way to save your friend.” He motioned to the door.

Two more Ravinian guards entered.

“Take the rebel,” he ordered, gesturing to Mark.

The guards lifted a barely conscious Mark to his feet and dragged him out of the room. Saint Dane glanced
around as if looking to see if he'd forgotten anything.

“And so it will be,” he said. “Make yourselves comfortable. We will reconvene at the execution.”