The Unfinished World (The Armor of God Book 2) (33 page)

Carefully Ezra put Nandi’s hands around one of the carts and pulled. When he did, the other one began to roll down; they were tied to one another with rope, like a train. And like a toy train, the one at the front was rigged with a massive rope made of construction rods. Nandi grabbed onto it.

He knew he had to be careful. If the carts were damaged—

“We’ll cover you!” Erin said and she was already behind him.

Ezra lifted Nandi’s finger and gave a signal to Jade. Phoenix repeated it, and Jade nodded. He had all the cover he needed.

We only have one chance.

We only need one chance
, the Minotaur replied.

Nandi began to walk, gently pulling at the two carts.

Again the monsters showed signs of intelligence, recognizing the carts as something precious to their enemies, and began to focus their attacks. It was good that Jena and Erin had grown so skilled, especially Jena, whose arrows now hit more targets critically than ever before.

They were close to the exit.

“Did you hear that?” Erin said.

“I can’t hear anything outside,” said Ezra.

“It sounded like Lazarus, how it screams. I recognize it,” Garros said, voice strained and tired. “You two need to go now! They’re calling him here. If that thing gets inside, it won’t be friendly. We won’t be able to fight it without bringing the whole thing down.”

“No pressure, though,” said Ezra. He didn’t even want to look back at the payload, only trusting that the two women would be able to protect it. He saw, at the other end of the city, the two larger Creuxen fighting together: Milos Ravana and Quantum Ares fighting back to back, crushing every monster that crawled out of the Caduceus.

One of them tackled Ares, and though it wasn’t large enough to knock the Creux down, it did make him stumble. Ezra saw too clearly how Ares crushed Solis’ home under his foot.

“Pick it up! Blanchard!”

Ezra was finally at the atrium, but the scattered stones that had fallen from the ceiling, and the corpses of several Flecks, made it impossible for the carts to roll through. He picked each with one hand. It was impossible to measure the strength of Nandi’s hands; a little too much pressure and they would be crushed.

I need your help
, he thought.

No you don’t
.

Nandi was then holding the carts in its hands. The Minotaur’s grip was gentle but firm, expertly applied. He walked past the fallen rocks and put the carts back on the floor of the wasteland, right next to Elena’s refuge.

“Blanchard, you stay here and protect them. Jena and I’ll go rally the people,” Erin said. “Don’t move. Tell us if you see Lazarus. If we must fight it, we must make sure it’s not destroyed.”

“What?” asked Garros, still caught in the middle of his own fight alongside Milos Ravana. “Erin, if that thing attacks us, I sure as hell am destroying it!”

Erin didn’t reply.

Ezra turned away to look at the jagged horizon.

For a moment, there was peace.

The sun was setting; he could see a sliver of its orange light under the heavy coat of clouds. With no field hearing, everything was quiet. He could only hear Nandi’s heart.

“Ezra,” he heard Elena’s voice.

She was below him, looking up at Nandi like the first time they met, back in Kerek. It was impossible. But there she was. And she looked hurt.

Ezra knew he shouldn’t, that it was a mistake he could very well have to pay for, but he had to get down and make sure she boarded the carts safely. She was the only thing left behind of Solis’ family; he didn’t know how he could tell her that her father, brother, and former lover, were all gone.

Don’t believe in her lie
, warned the Minotaur.

He didn’t listen. Ezra brought Nandi down to one knee, and separated from him.

Elena met Ezra with a desperate and passionate, but cold, kiss. She was a woman whose heart had grown dry, desperate for love. He couldn’t tell her about her family. “Ezra—Ezra please take care of me,” she said.

“I’m here,” he said, looking down at her body. She was hurt.

“What happened?”

“I had to hide.” She was crying, covering the bruises on her arms with her hands. “You weren’t there to take care of me. Ezra, please don’t leave me like that again. I asked you to do that thing for me. You’re the only one I have left right now—”

“What do you mean?” he asked, and his stomach hurt again.

“Don’t ask me how I know the things I know. I can’t explain. Just tell me you’re not leaving me alone again. I’m done being alone.”

“No, I’m sorry. I don’t need to say it. Look back there, at those carts. We’re leaving, Elena. Remember what I told you? I wasn’t lying. I said I’d take care of you and now I am.”

The carts stood in the protection of Nandi’s legs. They were much larger than they had appeared from Nandi’s eye. He knew they could carry at least one hundred people, or more, in one trip. He’d be more than willing to take as many as necessary if it meant no one else had to die.

“Come on.”

He grabbed Elena’s cold hand and walked towards the front car, suddenly realizing the stink of death that emanated from the lifeless city. There was an opening in the back of the wooden carts, and they stepped inside together. Along the sides there were sitting spaces hastily made of artificial wood. Elena looked at the space. “This is it.”

“Yeah,” he said. “You stay here, all right? The others are coming. If anyone asks, your name isn’t Elena—it’s Lara. Try to avoid speaking to anyone, at least until we’re there.”

She smiled. Ezra grabbed her shoulders and placed his lips on hers. For the first time they were wet and warm. For the first time it felt like kissing someone who truly wanted to kiss him back, and wasn’t doing it out of desperation, pity, or viciousness. This love filled him with strength.

“This is the last time you’ll ever be alone. I promise.”

It took Erin and Jena less than two minutes to make their way back to the Atrium. They led a chain of at least fifty people who all looked terrified, not feeling protected by the two Creuxen.

Still, the transfer was successful. The line of citizens began to emerge from the tunnel, led by a man in armor—a soldier formerly under Farren. Ezra walked towards the man; he was tall, bearded.

“Sir, what is your name?”

“Loire—I’m interim captain,” said the man. “I’m escorting these people out of Clairvert.”

“Captain Loire,” said Ezra. “Move them into the carts please. I’ll be piloting Besoe Nandi, that big red guy there. I’ll protect you, but you need to protect them.”

Loire nodded.

“There’s a woman in there already, she made it here before the others, hid in the tunnel. Her name is Lara. You need to take care of her—make sure she’s safe, all right? She’s very important to me.”

“I’m taking care of
everyone
,” he said and two men passed behind him, carrying what appeared to be a dead body, hanging in a sheet. Ezra knew who it was: Captain Farren.

Of course, Ezra didn’t protest; the man needed a proper burial, and a clean place in an otherwise deserted land would be fitting.

“You go and do your job,” said Loire, herding the rest of the people who were lucky enough to make it to the outside with them. “Maria, James, Reed, please move into the carts. Take a seat, go, be quick! Where are your children? All right, go!”

Ezra nodded and ran back towards Nandi, taking one last look at Elena on the way.

ф

Ares had grown awkward to pilot, Garros began to realize, and it was a worrisome thought.

Maybe he was losing his skill. Though Quantum Ares, by far the largest and heaviest Creux in the Zenith roster, was by no means nimble, it had never been so clunky. It was like training in the equivalency suits for the first time.

At least all of its massive strength remained.

It was fortunate Garros was such a peaceful spirit, or it would be easier to be lost in this monster’s power as it had happened to Blanchard.

“Garros, they’re leaving,” said his wife through the comms.

“All right,” he replied, unable to talk clearly. He was beyond tired; he had never felt that way. They had spent too much time in Clairvert, growing weak, away from the Creux. He hoped with every inch of his heart that the same weakness hadn’t affected his wife. “You come back here, all right?”

We should be careful. I can feel its presence
, said Quantum Ares in a deep voice that had once terrified him.
That one—the one beast I don’t trust
.

We’ll be careful, old friend. Just make sure my wife is safe.

“Garros,” Blanchard spoke, and his voice was far away and unclear. “Please take care of yourselves. If you don’t join us in the oasis, we’ll be back before sunrise.”

“No, you need to take care of the others,” said his wife. “Those people need you more than we do. We’ll take care—”

Her voice was cut off. He turned to look, and saw she was okay; it was another glitch in Phoenix’s faulty communications systems.

“We’ll catch up,” said Garros.

The battle was almost over, he noticed, and could hear the echoes of every monster’s dying scream still resonating within the egg-shaped hall that had once provided Clairvert with protection.

“All right,” said Blanchard, reluctant. “See you soon.”

“Thank you, Blanchard,” said Garros, getting ready to lie; the kid needed comfort. “Don’t worry. We’ll clean up here, and then we’re going to join you. Everything will be all right, you can be sure of that.”

Blanchard said something else, but he was too far away now, and the aural link was broken.

Inside the egg, Garros smiled, happy with the results of the battle.

He looked at Milos Ravana. “I think that’s it for them,” said Garros after seeing Milos Ravana skewer one last Fleck. No others had come through the Caduceus after the battle began. The killing was finally over.

Milos Ravana, who had for a moment become relaxed, suddenly took a fighting stance. They had been joined again.

“Garros!” she heard Erin scream. Her scream became lost between Ares’ suddenly desperate words of warning, and the terrifyingly familiar roar of Lazarus. “Garros! Help me!”

Lazarus was standing at the doors of Clairvert.

Sissster
, he heard a voice. It wasn’t Ares.

Lazarus’ hand was gripping Phoenix by the neck. His wife’s Creux thrashed, trying to set herself free. She fired blasts of energy, tried to project her shadow self to battle, but couldn’t; Milos Ravana’s monstrous doppelganger was merciless, and too powerful.

“No!” Garros yelled and ran towards Lazarus. The creature slammed Phoenix against the wall and the city shook. Rocks fell from the destroyed entrance. He heard his wife’s helpless grunt. “
Erin
!
No
!”

All of Ares’ weight was put on the charge, and even then, Lazarus’ blast of energy not only stopped him in his tracks, but sent him crashing back.

Lazarus slammed Phoenix against the wall again. The ceiling above cracked. Then, Phoenix hung held from the head as if already dead, limbs hanging limp.

The aural link was almost dead. He could only hear Erin’s voice in intermittent blasts of noise. She couldn’t hear him scream her name.

Garros got up again and looked at Milos Ravana, who had begun his own charge against Lazarus.

Brother
. . .

Lazarus slammed Phoenix on the floor this time. Phoenix’s back cracked against the fallen rocks. The monster’s fist hit the wall so hard the entire ceiling above fell in a shower of giant boulders.

The monster got out of the way to meet Milos Ravana’s charge.

Hundreds of tons of aqua stone fell down on Phoenix Atlas.

Challenging what he had thought before, Ares moved more swiftly than ever to catch one massive boulder that would have fallen on top of Phoenix Atlas’ chest. On top of the Apse. On top of his wife.

It was too heavy, even for Quantum Ares.

Garros screamed, feeling the joints in his Creux’s shoulders begin to strain from the weight.

“Akiva! I need your help!” he yelled, knowing Akiva wouldn’t hear him. “Please!”

Garros was crying. He looked down. Phoenix Atlas was looking straight up at him from between Ares’ feet. His wife was moving the Creux’s head. She was still alive. He only needed to hold on until Akiva was done so he could get her out of—

“Garros . . .,”

“Baby. Erin, honey,” he said, his voice a weak squeal. He could hear pieces of Ares’ shoulders begin to twist and snap. It felt as though his own muscles and tendons were being pulled apart from the bone.

“I’m so sorry,” she said. He knew she was crying; he could hear in her voice, and he recognized it because she almost never cried. “I’m so sorry I lied to you. I couldn’t know this would happen.”

“No, please,” he said; the pain in his shoulders had become unbearable. “Just wait a bit longer. Just until Akiva—”