He could feel her presence in his mind, comforting and bright, inviting like the calm centre of the storm. It grew stronger with every step Rees took towards his Queen, but still too distant to make real contact with her – and the guards slowed his progress to a near halt, a snail's pace.
Sore knees and palms added to the distraction, even though he placed them with care and avoided all the sharp or filthy places. Even so, filth seemed to have made its way into his handmouth, which he despised and it itched, burned, and drove him crazy. Teeth clenched, he crawled onwards. If we get out of this in one piece I will introduce Kala to another duty – the care and massage of my handmouth. For a split-second he brightened up at the prospect of having Kala take care of his well-being after this was over; thoughts of her gentle voice, the way her hands soothed, comforted him as he edged forwards. Every time he spotted a friendly face among the Wraith who hurried along beneath him, going about their business unknowingly, his frustration grew. If only he could contact his allies.
Ironic, he thought. A ship teeming with Wraith but not one can help me right now.
Another patrol went by and the drones stopped in their tracks. Dismayed, he growled – though they were lead by a blade Rees had classified as 'not the sharpest dagger' he could not underestimate this foe.
Haughty face wrinkled in concentration, the blade stood still, closed his eyes, and Rees prepared to hide his telepathic signature when – a clear mindvoice rang in his head. Rees felt himself addressed, a floating, shifting mirror of his own mental presence called for his attention. "The commander wants you to know he has found a female human who was wandering the ship alone, and she claims to be yours. The commander wishes to return the stray servant and he insists you meet him in storeroom seven on the main flight deck in ten minutes."
Chill crept up Rees' spine as an abyss opened before him, threatening to swallow him. No, this is a lie, a ruse for luring me out of hiding. It can't be… He cannot have Kala. Rooted to the spot, his claws dug into the fabric of the floor, Rees waited, willing the officer to leave, but the message was not finished yet.
An image appeared before his mental eye: a Wraith hand holding a worshipper's necklace – the very necklace Rees had given Kala only that morning. The image shifted as the hand was moved and a human came into view – Kala. She looked pale and utterly shaken but she was unharmed as far as Rees could tell. No fresh feeding mark or other obvious signs of mistreatment. No lie after all.
Frustration squeezed his throat shut, suppressing the savage growl that was building up inside, and his breath came in rapid bursts as he kept himself under control. If he didn't turn up at the rendezvous point, Rees had little doubt as to the outcome. A short message would follow about the death of the unfortunate female and no one would care. No one would remember. After all, what was one more dead human?
She was nothing; no one knew her anyway. But he did - he knew what her eyes looked like in the bright morning light, her hair smelled of flowers, and that her touch felt like silk. The narrow walls of the passage bore down on him, confined him and choked him. Time slowed again, to an impossible rate where seconds were millennia, but his thoughts raced in an endless, pointless circle with no conclusion in sight.
Features twisted in a silent snarl, Rees gazed, detached, down at his hands on the floor where his claws had left grooves in the upper layers of the living surface. Immersed in his misery, he didn't realise that he had broken two talons.
Go to the Queen. You are almost there. If you hesitate now you will only lose time. Nothing else is important. You are immortal; your soul belongs to your hive. You will live long after she is dust between the stars.
Yes, but will it be worth it? Will it be worth living with the knowledge that I might have saved her, that I was responsible for her death? Will I be able to live with myself when every time I look into a mirror I see the cold remnants of a shattered heart, asking me 'what if'? Yes, she is but a human. Yes, attachment is foolish. But what if it happens nonetheless? Is it worth it to sacrifice the life of someone you love for the greater good?
There it was, plain and evident. He could continue to fool others but not himself. It was true, he loved her. More than his brothers, more than his Queen. More than any other being, human or Wraith, he had met in his life. Something clicked into place, something that he hadn't even known was amiss. But like a man seeing the light of day after years of imprisonment, he felt oddly whole and at peace – the realisation was liberating, and for once doubts were gone.
They are missing the point, he thought. They have infinite lives but when do they ever feel alive? After all these millennia Rees knew very few things excited him and the days blurred, more or less the same bar the rare occasions they met or battled another hive. Unlike other blades, he did not seek to validate his existence through ever more dangerous missions, just so he could feel alive for a few measly seconds. To be so jaded by his unlimited life span that he would only live for the thrill of the moment. What about the small things that make life worth living?
A memory of Kala asking, after their bonding, if he understood what it was like to be human surfaced. Annoyance had been his initial reaction – how dare she ask such a thing! But now he could acknowledge the icy knife of fear that sat in his heart. All the times he'd taken a personal worshipper, he'd never experienced such an exchange of essence – the feeding process and the mental connection never got out of control, shouldn't get out of control, not if performed by a Wraith as experienced as himself. Yet it had happened – Kala left some part of her human spirit inside him. Awe and delight had taken hold of him and he yearned for life – hunger that had nothing to do with feeding, and it had not been this strong in a long time.
Determination and certainty filled Rees. The hive has been here before my birth, and it will remain even if I die trying to save my love. And if I succeed… Then I have served my hive the best way possible.
Rees inhaled, filling his lungs with air until he could feel oxygen travel through his body, powering muscles, his nerves sparkling with alertness and he felt truly alive. It was lunacy, it was irresponsible, and it might be the very last thing he did but … deep down it felt right.
No wonder humans are such passionate beings if they feel this foolish storm of emotions all the time. What is it they do in such circumstances? Ah, yes… reckless defiance and self-delusion seems to be the appropriate reaction. First I save the girl, and then I save the hive. A smirk curled his lip. It sounds easy enough if you break the task down into its essentials. One simple little piece at a time, suitable for a human to comprehend.
Tense as a spring, he allowed the taut feeling in his muscles to drain, and moved forward towards the next exit. Swinging his legs over the edge of an opening, he dropped down into the corridor below, lithe as a cat. Ignoring the startled looks from the other Wraith, he straightened his coat and walked towards the nearest transporter with determination.
Only ten minutes. The time for hide and seek is over. What I do is wrong on so many levels; the least I can do is do it in dignity, and not by crawling through dirty passages like a common thief.
His gaze met a pair of hostile eyes. One of the commander's dogs had spotted Rees and fixed him with an icy stare. Pretending to ignore him, Rees marched on, his thoughts racing. He will get reinforcements soon. I may only get this one chance before I get to a less populated part of the ship.
Rees scanned the Wraith hurrying past him for an unknown face. Preferably someone he'd never had dealings with – someone who would not be suspected to work with him.
An approaching young cleverman – the tone of his mind like a lively mountain stream – Creek, seemed a possible candidate, and Rees reached out to him, the younger Wraith's ignorance of the imminent dangers faced by the hive all too obvious as he moved deeper into his mind.
Don't stop. Don't look at me. Keep moving. Go to the Queen immediately, she is in danger. The commander is a usurper.
The younger Wraith's eyes widened for a split-second but he kept walking without losing momentum. Rees felt his own mind being touched by Creek as he imprinted the unknown mind signature – necessary detail if he was to tell the Queen who sent the message.
If he actually went to see her. It was a long shot but it was the best Rees could do under the circumstances, even if everything in him wanted to scream out.
The commander's men did not follow him on the way to the transporter. Instead they remained in the background, and watched every move and breath. You will not stop me. I do not fear you. As a man with a purpose he entered the transporter and the world around him dissolved in white light.
He closed his eyes to protect them from the light – he couldn't risk being blinded, even for a second. When he opened his eyes again he found himself on the main flight deck, not far from storeroom seven. He was alone.
The perfect place for a trap – the transporter nearby, the room itself a dead end and a convenient airlock nearby to get rid of unwanted bodies. Definitely not a fight Rees would pick under normal circumstances, but this situation was far from normal.
Only five minutes remained of the ultimatum and Rees burst out of the transporter, directing his feet the way that would lead him to Kala.
I will think of something and improvise. He is far too arrogant to simply kill me on sight – his arrogance is his weakness. Rees mouth stretched into a grim smile. And to imagine he thinks me weak. Weak because I care more for a human. To protect someone you love is no weakness, it makes us strong, he told himself as he walked towards his nemesis.
oOo
He hadn't spoken to her and gave no indication of doing so in the foreseeable future. Instead he stood, motionless, with his back to Kala, facing the single door of the room. Not one strand of his immaculate hair was out of place and his coat curved elegantly down from his slender waist, emphasising his strong torso. He may as well be a statue carved from jade and obsidian, for all the movement he made. It was so infuriating.
Does he really think I'm no danger to him? For all he knows I could sneak off and search for a weapon in here. But Kala didn't fall for this delusion – he would hear her moving and there was no way she would win if she fought him.
The tips of her fingers brushed across sore skin, weals left by the leather thong of her necklace when it was ripped from her neck. Underneath the fresh burns, her neck also sported a set of tooth marks she'd acquired this morning when Rees got carried away in their moment of shared pleasure. Kala touched these marks tenderly, as if they were her most precious possession; a reassuring connection to the one who could help her, the one she loved.
The one I love… Love… yes. More than respect, more than friendship. The single emotion she hadn't dared to think and had been so reluctant to accept – for fear of attachment, for fear of getting rejected…
But he had proven in many subtle ways that he felt the same. In her memory she saw him smile, that familiar smug, lop-sided smile that exposed the sharp tips of his teeth, outwardly arrogant but with an undeniable spark of fondness in his golden eyes. I love him, against all odds, against all reason. And he loves me too.
Deep peacefulness settled over her as she acknowledged the simple truth, a beacon of hope and solace. Rees would not leave her here to die; he would do everything he could to save her. He was powerful and cunning – he would think of something. Kala tried for the moment to push aside the thought that the commander was equally powerful and cunning. We will cross that bridge when we come to it.
An organic creak told Kala the door had opened and she looked up, stepped back involuntarily, and craned her neck to see what was happening. Disappointed, she recognised the bulky shape moving through the doorway. A drone entered, followed by a second, and then – her heartbeat stopped – Rees.
He walked casually through the door, his stance nonchalant, no betrayal of either fear or excitement on his face, not a trace. Yet Kala could see the tell-tale signs in every movement, his body an open book for her to read. He was just too casual, too relaxed, too controlled, and that scared her more.
Condescension emanated from Rees, tangible and freezing the air, and his eyes glowed with contempt as he faced the commander, completely ignoring Kala. Pain and tears stung her, until she saw reason. How could he pay attention to her, when a distraction, or a sign of weakness could be exploited?
Every fibre of her being wanted to leap at the commander, rip him and his drones to shreds, and her stomach knotted in fear, her hands clasped together till white bone showed beneath her skin. Frustrated, Kala took a step forward, chewing her lip with anxiety, but found herself menaced by the tip of a stun gun pointed in her direction.
Slowly she raised her hands. It's okay, I get the message. So I'll just stand here and no one gets hurt, right? Unimpressed, the drone kept his stun gun trained at her. Still the commander kept his back to her, and Kala fretted, wanted to see an expression, a look – anything! – she could interpret. Are they talking in their heads?
Other than the low background hum of the ship's stern engines and the distant whine of an idling dart, the only noise she heard was her own breathing. The oppressive silence thickened while the two Wraith simply stared at each other. Maybe it's a matter of who blinks first, Kala mused, as sudden light-headedness swept over her. If only it were that easy.
"I have come to claim my property." Though spoken softly, Rees's words tore apart the air like thunder.
"That you have," the commander replied with an icy drawl. "I knew you wouldn't risk the life of your toy, not even for your own hive. I was right from the beginning – it does addle your sense of duty." He chuckled. "How fortunate for me."
Rees clasped his hands behind his back, still caught in the glaring competition when he spoke once more. "Let her go. You have no right to keep her here. This has nothing to do with her."
The commander gave an angry hiss and Kala saw his hands twitch. "I have no right? This has nothing to do with her? Why, pray, do I have no right? I am your commander and she is but a human – I can do whatever I want with her."
A furious snarl came from Rees' throat, his expression feral. "You can not do what you want with her. If you touch her you will break hive law." As he took a step forward, each stun rifle tracked his movement.
Holding up a hand, the commander motioned for the drones to hold fire. Kala's heart beat so hard she thought it would burst out of her ribcage while Rees continued. "She is mine and the bond is protected by the Queen's rules."
"Your Queen, not mine," the commander snapped. "My Queen would never allow fraternising with food. But your Queen will be history soon."
Rees snorted in amusement, the cool smile on his lips never reaching his eyes. "Now we get to the true reason why we are here, gathered in a cold, uncomfortable storeroom, slinking like hyenas round a dying animal." His eyes followed the commander who had begun to pace around Rees with measured steps. "You planned this from the start, I assume."
"The change will do this hive good – our Queen-in-waiting is young and strong," he hissed, and ignored the accusation, dismissing it with a casual flick of his hand. "When she takes over she will bring a new order to this heap of flying junk that stinks of humans." He spat the word like it was an obnoxious profanity "Your Queen is weak – she never attempted to join an alliance or take control of other hives. What good she has done this hive with her policy of failed independence? Instead of attracting young and able blades and clevermen, she populates this ship with humans and her own feeble, worthless offspring."
Such politics were beyond Kala, and what did she care for them anyway, but from the look in Rees eyes, she could tell he commander had hit the mark, that his remarks were poisonous. She never wanted to experience the rage she could see tremble beneath Rees deadly stillness; it frightened her more than she could say. Right now he reminded her of a tiger, biding its time, waiting for just the right moment to charge and kill.
Rees growled, fire blazing in his cat eyes. "All the time I thought you were just an ambitious fool. Only now do I realise you are actually a pretentious, ambitious fool. Do you really think this hive will fall under your control this easily? You may have tricked me for a while but not long enough to succeed."
The commander paused, a sneer on his face. "You are bluffing. There is nothing you can do to prevent me from taking control. You couldn't have known of our plans early enough – I saw to it you were too occupied to pay attention, and your minions were not fast enough. Yes…" A grin crossed his face, an echo of the pure hatred on Rees's face. "You have no idea how much I enjoyed your pathetic attempts to find the enemy facility, and it's a terrible shame, really, you didn't chose exile on your own accord. You could have spared yourself all of this." A wave of his feeding hand encompassed the entire area.
Rees' hands flexed, clawing at thin air. "Oh, I see… very clever. You fed wrong information to my spy – used my own network against me." Kala saw that the tricks the commander had used dawned on Rees, and she clenched her own hands in agony.
Chortling softly, the commander shrugged; a precise and elegant motion of his shoulders.
"It was just a bait. A game to keep you out of the way. Oh, the facility does exist – in fact, it belongs to my hive. Your informant knew that so he had to die before you had the time to put two and two together."
"He was one of my best spies. I should kill you, if only for his sake and the hard work I put into training him." Rees took another step forward and again, the drones adjusted their aim, muzzles pointing at his face and chest. "You are telling me all this for a reason."
"But of course. You have been a source of constant annoyance to me and stood between me and my plans far too long. First I want you to watch the downfall of your ideals. Turning his back to Rees, the commander shot Kala a look of malicious glee. "Harmonic coexistence of Wraith and worshipper? It's a fairy tale, invented by weak minds. Worshippers are nothing special, they're just mindless food that has learned not to squeal when we touch it."
In helpless terror, she watched him come closer; saw how he raised his feeding hand in slow emphasis, feeding slit gaping. Kala backed away as far as she could, until the edge of a low shelf stopped her.
Don't panic! Don't panic! All she wanted was to squeeze her eyes shut and cower on the floor but she resisted the urge; she had to stay alert, had to look out for a chance to flee. Is it really going to end now? Rees wouldn't let him kill her. He would do something, wouldn't he?
With a triumphant hiss and a mad gleam in his cold eyes, the commander brought his hand down on Kala'a chest, making her scream in panic. The answering roar of intense rage from Rees drowned out her voice – like all fury of the world distilled in a single sound. Her vision filled with darkness and then, all hell broke loose around her.
The harsh sound of sirens filled the air, making Kala jump. The commander jerked his hand away from her, his eyes wide in shock. Now. Kala leapt aside on the spur of the moment, tripping, falling down on her knees. Hastily, she scrambled forward, frantic on all fours, not looking behind her. Fear clogged her throat – fear that any second she would feel a steel-like claw on her ankle, dragging her back, but she made it to the inviting safety of a shadowy recess behind a shelf.
Panting heavily, she crawled deep into the shadows, pressing her back against the wall and peered out into utter chaos. The drones had begun to fire at the walls and shelves; sending the blue glow of stray stun bolts crackling over every surface, the staccato of their shots mingling with the blaring sirens. In their midst, the commander stood, spinning in circles on the spot, his eyes searching restlessly, searching…
Rees was gone. Everything had happened so fast – much too fast for a human eye to follow, but Kala recalled seeing a flash of movement that might have been Rees, throwing himself to the floor and somersaulting out of reach as the drones started firing.
He lives. He's hiding. Her heart skipped a beat in relief and joy. He must have known this would happen. Moving with caution to not make any noise, Kala looked around for him, searching for a telltale darker patch of shadow in the gloom. She almost missed him; he was perched high on top of a rack, hidden from view behind a plate of armoured ship skin, his long coat melting into the darkness. He sat motionless and tensed up, a deadly shadow, ready to pounce, his golden eyes and a few strands of silver the only discernible features in the gloom.
oOo
Up. Again. Nothing prepared Rees for this day and the many times he had to use his climbing skills, and he wished he'd taken more time to work out at the gym. For a moment, he thought he wouldn't make it. The stun bolts missed him by a whisker but just one had made it through to hit his neck and impair his breathing. Dark stars danced before his eyes and he fought to stay conscious, drawing breath after strained breath, gasps covered by the racket sirens and stun guns. At least he didn't have to worry about Kala at the moment; she had reacted instantly and was out of sight. Good girl.
An angry roar halted the drones. The commander spread his arms and they stopped firing.
"Go," he bellowed in their minds, so loud even Rees could hear it. "Help the others, I will deal with this alone. Make haste!"
Rees wished he knew what was going on but all he got were confused, cut-off impressions on the mental network. Creek must have reached the Queen and relayed his message. At least, Ress hoped he had because that would mean there was some underlying order to the chaos. I hope I did not make a terrible mistake, sending the ship into turmoil.
Plunged into silence after the drones left, the room was deathly still, apart from the shrill sound of the siren. No telepathic signature, no glimpse of movement – the commander had slunk down the rows of shelves and was out of sight. I have to keep moving or he will find me sooner or later. It all boiled down to who was the better hunter.
The dark, dancing spots clouding his vision disappeared one by one as his body got rid of the paralyzing charges of the stun bolt, and his breathing slowed to normality. Weakness shook his limbs, forced him to admit the stun had hastened the need to feed, and sapped what remaining strength he had.
Add to that, the drones searched and disarmed me, Rees thought bitterly. The only weapons he had left were his mind and body. Someone will come down here sooner or later, to search for me or the usurper – if I get lucky the search party will be on my side.
Inching along his perch, he tried to locate his hunter but the commander was far too experienced to give away his position. The looming forest of racks, populated by indiscernible shapes, was silent, and it was far too simple to hide behind an assembly of dart canopy frames or the dark, tangled mess of organic cables. His opponent would be on the move – the commander was running out of time and flight was not an option he would consider. Not if he returned to his hive with empty hands.
The bulky shape of a dart engine emerged from the gloom and Rees carefully climbed around it, his nerves jangling every time his coat snagged and he bared his teeth in irritation. Impractical as it was for climbing, he couldn't afford to remove the coat now.
Sudden silence rang in his ears. Who has switched off the sirens? And why? Who has won? What is going on outside? Confusion and unanswered questions still tangled the telepathic network – and to make things worse, the Queen's mind signature was gone. Rees couldn't tell if she'd chosen this to remain hidden, or if – fear clutched at him – she had been mortally wounded, or killed? Without her presence, it seemed the hive had lost its soul.
He didn't have the time to contemplate longer – a familiar whooshing and whispering noise filled the silence around him, rising up from below and moving along the racks with inhuman speed as immaterial shadows raced past his shelf in a wisp of smoke. And suddenly his mind felt cold, so deadly cold and alone in the dark… What is he up to? Shaking his head in annoyance, Rees shifted his mental focus and the apparitions became unperceivable to him. Neither them nor the sense of terror they invoked could touch him if he used his natural defences, so what was the commander playing at?
He can't really think these tricks work on me, as if I was some weak-minded fool or a human… A human! Realisation struck with the merciless force of a punch in the stomach. The bastard is casting shadows to drive Kala out of hiding!
The phantoms chased around the room, creeping into every nook and cranny, hunting for their prey as if they possessed a mind of their own. Wild fear in his eyes, Rees looked out for any sign of Kala but she remained unseen – until Rees finally spotted her. She was cowering in the shadows behind a stack of energy cells; her eyes squeezed shut and her hands firmly clamped over her ears. She trembled visibly but didn't move from the spot. It was such a pitiful sight; he wanted to protect her from the fear.
Brave human, keep it up, just a little longer. Don't panic. Although Rees knew his soothing thoughts couldn't reach Kala, he willed her to stay clam. When this is over and we're back somewhere quiet and safe, I will teach you how to shield your mind and you will never be afraid of shadows again.
A loud Wraith roar echoed off the walls – the commander had given up and howled his frustration into the world. "I will find you, you cannot hide forever!"
Rees felt safe enough to answer, equally loud. "Neither can you. And you are alone while I am not, so the odds are against you. Surrender now and I will not kill you." There was no chance the commander would accept the offer but he had to keep him talking – to distract and find him.
Unpleasant laughter drifted up to Rees. "You are not referring to your toy human, are you? A thing so scared that I can smell its fear? It's not even male. There is no way it will be able to help you."
No point in letting him provoke me, Rees thought, unimpressed. Instead, he moved noiselessly to the edge of the shelf and looked down. Four metres to the floor, time to get moving. Dropping down, he hit the ground and quickly sought shelter behind a pillar, making sure his opponent couldn't spot him, wherever he was.
"She is not an 'it'," he growled into the darkness while moving along the shelves on stealthy feet. Keep on moving and listening, moving and listening… He is somewhere here, could be lurking around the next corner. The tension became painful as he strained his ears in an attempt to hear the commander, as if he could perceive his opponent even before he spoke.
The shelves and racks that provided shelter for him became oppressive and hostile and his eyes played tricks on him. He saw things at the edge of his vision that weren't there. Purple organic tubes dangled in his way, like climbing plants on an exotic planet, ready to choke him if he wasn't careful, and he brushed them aside impatiently.
Another bark of condescending laughter answered, distorted by the echoes. "A human. What's so precious about that creature anyway?" The commander's voice had a malicious edge as he continued. "It must be very hard for someone like you – never getting a chance to be invited to a Queen's bed. Living without a woman for thousands of years. I know your kind – cowardly and worthless, never taking risks, never proceeding in life. You will have told yourself in some twisted parody of honour that it is for the hive's greater good to stay here and serve – because you didn't want to leave the safety of your birth-hive. You will have told yourself you don't need a female. You are not worthy to be called a blade."
His steel-cold words were cutting deep into Rees's soul with the single-minded purpose to cause as much damage as possible, and Rees tried hard to resist, to not take this seriously. The words were nothing but an attempt to provoke but even though he tried to control his emotions, fury cast a red veil before his eyes, and threatened to overwhelm him. Instinct told him to attack, to claw the life out of that scum in mindless, frantic battle-rage. Don't give in. Don't play his game. You can only prevail if you are strong. Control is the true strength of a blade.
When he replied, his voice was steady and clear. "Most of us never share a Queen's bed. It is nothing of relevance."
Movement! To his left, a shadow, more solid than the surrounding gloom, crept along the opposite side of his shelf, the distinct shape of a stun gun protruding from it. Rees bared his teeth in silent triumph, calculating how long it would take to round the shelf and sneak up on the commander from behind.
"Oh, but the strongest do. The strongest and best, like me. And I disagree – it is of relevance, otherwise you wouldn't have succumbed to temptation… would have been satisfied with the affections your brothers can offer." The commander's voice echoed through the room again.
Ramble on, Rees thought. The more you get lost in your self-righteous ranting, the better. A vague shape moved at the far end of the shelf as he rounded the corner – he finally had an advantage! Unaware he was being followed, the commander continued his tirade, his voice no longer a sneer but becoming more enraged, tinged with madness.
"Although I won't blame you for bedding a human. It can be comfortable to lose yourself in its embrace – no obligation, no emotional involvement, no consequences, just cheap release. You, however, have perverted ideas about a – a relationship with such a creature!
You are chasing a dream. You delude yourself in thinking this creature could be your equal – the woman you yearn for. But she is not. Her body is frail. If you were to take her for real, you would kill her in the act. And even though she has a limited talent for telepathy, her feeble mind is nothing compared to a Queen, who sears your mind with the fire of passion and wipes out your consciousness."
The acidic words hit home. Deep down, Rees knew he had a point and a treacherous, hollow feeling crept into his heart. You know it's not meant to be – a Wraith and a human, a guilty voice whispered in the cold emptiness.
Perhaps, but it is the road I have chosen, and I will follow it to the end, he told himself. No looking back. Reason and common sense may be on his side but that doesn't give him the right to condemn my way of life. And the bastard is wrong about an essential point – what I feel for Kala is no self-delusion but real and tangible. It is true I cannot compare it against the love of a Queen – maybe it would be more intense – but such thoughts are futile. Right now, at this moment, Kala is the one I love. He almost pitied the commander since apparently he couldn't comprehend this concept.
The vague shape resolved into details as he approached his enemy. He could almost touch him. Dust coated the commander's coat and his hair, at other times painstakingly groomed and sleek, looked dishevelled and matted. With slow determination, Rees approached his prey who seemed completely unaware of the danger. This was almost too easy – only a few metres more and he would end the commander's suffering.
His unsuspecting opponent, not in the least startled by the fact that the conversation had turned into a monologue, snarled on. "You know I am right. I can sense your doubts, yes. You need not be afraid though."
Almost there… Silent and lethal, Rees emerged from the shadows behind the commander, hands raised and claws flexing in anticipation of the surprise attack. The fever of the hunt throbbed in his veins and heightened his senses. Just another step closer and a swift move…
"Your failing will end soon. Very soon, in fact," The commander's voice suddenly dropped to a low hiss. "Traitor." Too fast for the eye to follow, he whirled around to snarl into Rees's face and lashed out with his hand, a dagger in his closed fist. Instinct saved Rees, as his reflexes kicked into action and he sidestepped the attack in a flurry of motion – he could feel the draught and hear the faint whirring of the blade as the dagger sliced through the air where his throat had been a split-second ago.
He used himself as bait! And I, idiot that I am fell for it! Rees snarled his anger at the commander who grinned, ready to strike. His arm angled at chest level before his body, dagger pointing at Rees, the commander slowly advanced. A stun gun was still in his left hand though he made no attempt to fire it, but Rees was certain the commander would use it soon. A ploy to distract him, the dagger glinted, light bouncing from its sleek surface.
"Did you really think catching me would be easy?" Demons flickered in the depths of the commander's eyes as he came closer. The subdued lighting filtered through the racks to plunge him into alternating light and darkness as Rees was forced to back off.
"Well, it was worth a try – after all your incredible hubris has blinded you before," Rees retorted, drawing the corner of his mouth into a lop-sided smirk. A sneer answered his taunt, as the commander continued his advance, slow, but unstoppable, an avalanche of hatred. Sweat ran down his back and glued the heavy coat uncomfortably to his body, every movement clumsy from the weight of leather pressing against his skin.
The dagger jerked forwards at his chest while at the same time, the stun gun shot upwards and released a blue flash. Relying again on his instincts to save him, Rees ducked, avoiding the stun bolt by an inch, and dived sideways under the commander's outstretched left arm. No, you won't!
Before the commander had time to take aim, Rees's kicked hard at the hand holding the stun gun. With a satisfying crack his foot impacted with the commander, making the surprised man yelp in pain and caused the stun gun to fly up into the air. It described a wide arc and landed some ten metres away with a clatter. Yes! Let's see if we can even out the chances, Rees arched his back and flexed his muscles to jump back on his feet.
Though he had no time to revel in his small victory – his opponent rounded on him with a furious hiss, silvery strands of hair and coat tails trailing behind, leaving ghostly impressions in the air where the light hit him.
In slow motion, Rees took in the intricate detailed ornaments engraved on the dagger; flashes of light glinted in mocking beauty on its deadly edge as it sang past his ear. He was caught in a fatal choreography; a dance unleashing velocity and sheer force. Reflexes honed by centuries of training took control of his body and made him twist out of reach in the blink of an eye as the commander made another attempt to stab him.
A fierce staccato of thrusts and kicks rained down on him; the commander fought like a demon, and forced Rees on the defensive. In efficient, precise movements, the commander drove him backwards until his back came hard up against the wall. Unyielding knotty surface behind him, trapped, his eyes darted to and fro, searching for a way out as his opponent brought the dagger round with a gleeful roar. But in his enthusiasm, the commander calculated wrong – his strike got too wide, his momentum far too high and Rees spotted his moment to escape.
Leaning rapidly to the left, he let the blade run into thin air – then right as the dagger returned in a predictable trajectory. A frustrated growl sounded in his ears as he ducked and somersaulted to the left, then got to his feet in one fluid movement. Spinning on the spot, he grabbed the commander from behind, wrapping one arm tightly around his enemy's throat.
Just when he brought his second arm up to deliver a deadly twist to the commander's neck, his opponent bent forward and grabbed Rees's shoulders in a steel grip. Before he could react, the world turned upside down as he was thrown onto the ground. Air rushed from his lungs, and Rees lay, stunned, unable to do more than gasp.
He looked up into the contorted features of the commander who was thrusting the dagger down, aiming at Rees's heart. In a frantic attempt to avoid the blade, Rees rolled sideways and felt a sharp pain in his abdomen. Spears of pain shot out in all directions and Rees curled up before his fighting reflexes kicked in and he re-assessed the situation.
The commander bore down on him with an expression of delighted insanity, the dagger poised to kill. In a desperate move his hand shot out and grabbed the commander's foot firmly, pulling hard and leaving the rest to gravity. With a grunt, the commander crashed down, landing on top of Rees and knocked the air out of him for a second time. Seizing the opportunity while the other tried to get back his bearing, Rees grappled his enemy's knife arm and banged it hard on the floor until the hand holding the dagger opened. The weapon fell away, clattered out of reach.
Throwing himself on his belly, Rees ignored the pain that grew stronger as he crawled towards the dagger. The wound wasn't healing as it should, and a siren went off in Rees head, one he could not pay attention to.
Sparks erupted in his vision before he could reach the weapon, as an elbow impacted with his skull. The commander had recovered too quickly from his shock and now struggled to reach the dagger first, punching and kicking without aim as he went.
Suddenly the pain Rees had tried to ignore, exploded in a paralysing outburst and he roared in shock. His enemy had got a lucky hit and a quick glance confirmed Rees's darkest fears – it still hadn't sealed and he was losing a steady stream of blood. Adrenaline, fuelled by his need rushed through him like a tide, but even so, Rees knew it would only be a matter of time before his body gave up. No time for that, keep going…
Something moving at the edge of his vision got his attention as he was wrestling the commander – Kala had come out of her hiding place. Pale and shaking, she peered out from behind a shelf, her hand gripping the frame tightly. Her knuckles were white with tension, as if she was holding on for dear life. Deep creases of worry disfigured her forehead and her eyes were wide, gleaming with fear. Her mouth was slightly open, lips quivering, whispering something. No…
Don't give me up yet, little human, there is still some fight left in me. He threw himself forward and caught the commander in the back, delivering a hefty strike to his opponent's kidneys. With a howl, the commander fell down and Rees clambered on, his eyes fixed firmly on the dagger – Oh, so invitingly close now! Only a few more inches…
Extending his arm, he made to pick up the weapon when… agony exploded in his side, and he felt the commander's talons dig viciously into his side. Blind with pain, he hit his head on a half-disassembled dart engine and tumbled against the framework of a shelf only to find himself eye to eye with the commander. Numb, Rees felt blood trickle down his forehead, too weak to defend himself against another attack, or the feeding hand that slammed onto his chest. Rees's eyes snapped open.
Not even the thick leather of his coat, not even his tough skin, could resist the acidic juices that dissolved everything that stood between the feeding membrane and its victim. Enzyme flooded his veins, strengthening him at first while his sparse remaining energy left in a stream of white-hot pain.
In an enormous effort, Rees lifted up his arm and tried to pry the commander's hand away but as his life force fled, the commander grew stronger. Though his opponent had closed his mind to him, Rees could still feel an overwhelming sense of triumph.
Not… much… time… left… Glancing around through eyes that seemed to lose their focus fast, Rees tried to find Kala but she was nowhere to be seen. No… I would have liked… to see her… His vision blurred and his thoughts slowed, hovering above a dark abyss.
Hearing a dull thud, he dimly realised his own hand had fallen down from the commander's and his fingertips brushed against something hard and cold on the floor… Hard and cold… with an edge. If only he could think clearly; once upon a time he would have known what that meant, but the fog of pain grew thicker, making it impossible to concentrate.
Dagger… A spark ignited inside his head. Dagger… Slowly, carefully closing his feeble fingers around the hilt, he prepared for what could be his last movement. Milky fog clouded his eyes and the commander was only a vague outline but if he used his last remaining resources he could find his target. Drawing a rattling breath, he steeled himself and jerked his hand up with all the pitiful speed he had, slashing a red gap across the commander's throat.
Hot blood spurted like a fountain, and the commander let out a desperate telepathic yell. Life seemed to leave Rees's body even faster as the wounded man tried to heal his throat. It was a race neither of them could win – the injury was mortal and Rees's remaining life force wouldn't be enough.
I will at least take you with me, Rees thought with strange serenity. But then, everything changed. A fierce yell rang in his ears. It was tinged with the unyielding courage of someone driven over the edge. Kala stood over them, holding a heavy dart cannon like a club. Wild strands of hair flying, she looked terrifying, like a Wraith Queen fighting for her life. Nightmares of fury and fear flared in her eyes as she brought the cannon down in a wide arc. It hit the commander and knocked him over, sending him to the floor in a loud crash and flailing of limbs.
The last seconds of his enemy's life intruded into Rees' mind, overwhelming in their intensity. He couldn't shield himself against the haunting images of a smiling Queen with gentle eyes, and her infant daughter – no, their daughter – tiny hands clutching his fingers… Longing so strong it made his heart ache… Regret… And a sudden intense blaze of terror and despair fading away into the darkness – he was gone. The commander was dead.
But his legacy of memories lived on, and against his will, Rees felt a spark of sympathy. The victory of having killed his enemy turned to ashes in the bitter aftermath of the fight. Not long and I will follow…
Lost in misery and pain, Rees dimly heard Kala sob. Quietly at first, then coming in loud ragged gasps, her voice was a piercing lament, grieving for every soul lost and suffering. How very fitting…
Straining his weary eyes, he saw her slump down on her knees, the thud of the dropping dart cannon echoing like thunder, a harsh counterpoint to her wailing. Tears streamed down her face as she crawled towards Rees, reaching out for him… over the abyss that seemed to deepen even as he focused on her trembling hand.
Agony stirred in Rees' broken body as he tried to move, and the pain in his side flared to life again. Tired… so tired… Must not… sleep… But the pull of the abyss was strong and once more his eyes glazed over as darkness fell and his head rolled sideways. So tempting to give in…
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One more chapter to go...
Thank you, all my loyal readers who have supported me and waited so patiently for this chapter. I hope I did not disappoint you.