walker saga 07 - earth (29 page)

“The Seventine are emerging. We need to make sure they don’t hurt any of our people. The soldiers can disable the trees if they start up again. We need to handle the Seventine.”

Eyes blinked rapidly at me. I could feel the nervous tension through our link. We knew we weren’t really a match for these ancient energy-sucking assholes, but shit – we were the best option our people had. The only option really.

“So the plan is to hold them off long enough for Jedi to figure out this ritual and how we get them into the prison?” Talina’s hair was wrapping around her all crazy-like and her eyes were shiny, like she was about to cry, but no tears fell. “How the heck are we supposed to do that? We’ve no idea the power they hold.”

I strode the two steps across to hug her. “They don’t know the power we hold either. The original seven beat them once, and their blood runs within our veins. It’s our responsibility now. We can do this.”

Look at me go; I had this pep-talking business down. Almost convinced myself there. Thankfully there were no more freak-outs. The girls pulled themselves together, and without thought we all reached out and linked hands. Delane was back on the ground now. She fell onto the end next to Sapha.

“Let’s do this, girls.”

Together, as a single unit of power, we strode through the trees and out to meet the Seventine. At our backs were the sacred animals plus Josian, Samuel and Quarn. The last year of our lives would boil down to this very moment. The moment we met the Seventine on the battlefield.

And we all knew only one group would survive.

Chapter 15

Either my ears had stopped working, or a hush fell across the crowds as we emerged into the open. The zombie forms still lingered in front of the crater, but they too were frozen in suspended motion. Like weird, ghoulish, skin-peeling, flesh-exposed, undead statues.

The Seventine had their army on pause, and I wasn’t sure I wanted to find out why. I blinked, and then somehow Brace was at my side. As I clashed eyes with his chocolate depths and ran my gaze over the perfect planes of his face, I actually calmed. His presence was reassuring and I was girl enough to admit that he made me even stronger. I was strong on my own, but with Brace I felt badass.

Heads-up, Red. When the Seventine released their last brother, Que’s cage was blasted open.

He used the bond, keeping our conversation private.

What happened?
I asked as we continued to pick our way across the battlefield.

I knew I shouldn’t be focusing on anything but the battle right then, but this information was important.

That’s why I was gone so long. My commanders were filling me in, and I was trying to find my father. The cage has been here on First World since we left Abernath, our men continued trying to open it, but the energy was too strong. Then right when the Seventine broke free from the prison, there was an explosion of light. Three of our men were blasted away, and by the time they managed to pull themselves together, the tank was destroyed and Que was gone.

I could tell that when he’d said “pull themselves together” he meant literally. The images were not pretty. One had lost an arm; the other had his face partially torn off. Luckily they were Walkers and could eventually regenerate, but still – not pleasant. Brace had sent them across to the medic ward.

So, somehow Que’s cage and the release of the Seventine were linked. How was it linked?

It would have required an incredible amount of energy to release the final Seventine. It seems they had drawn from Earth’s shield, something on Spurn, the joining of us half-Walkers and also – maybe Que’s tank.

Que’s tank was designed to contain more energy than could be gathered in a hundred years. Maybe all of that power gathered from Earth’s transference cage was stored in the tank. Que had it sitting in his little experiment room just storing all that power until it was needed. For many years.

So how did Que end up inside it then? Regenerating and gathering original energy.

Brace’s pause felt extended, but it was really only seconds.
I think the tank was supposed to just be an energy storage device for the Seventine. But Que always has a backup plan. He must have had it rigged to sense his essence. That way, if anything happened to him, he wouldn’t disperse into the universe. The tank would retrieve his energy and regeneration would be fast.

It was as good a theory as any. Que always had a plan A, B and C.

Movement caught my eye, and Brace and I stopped our guesswork. We had to focus now.

There was one more thing, though.
Where are Lucy and Colton?

They’re on their way. Took Lucy a while to escape her parents. They’re laying down a heavy load of overprotectiveness on her now.

Colton would be loving that. It was a full-time job trying to keep that pixie out of trouble.

We got this, baby,
Brace said finally.

His mental presence then faded out, resting in that small corner of my mind he always occupied. Just like with Quarn, Samuel and Josian – only a million times more – I wanted to push Brace away, make him go where he would be safe from the wrath of the Seventine.

But there was no way he would leave me, and I wouldn’t insult him by acting like he wasn’t strong enough to be here. Of any Walker, Brace was the one who could handle the Seventine. There was a reason he’d been the only one strong enough to house the first.

Plus a small part of me was terrified to face the Seventine. I wasn’t sure how I’d even react when I saw them for the first time. They would have their bodies now. They were no longer spirits.

The battlefield was still quiet. Our soldiers were waiting with bated breath, waiting for the enemies to come off ‘pause’. Waiting for the Seventine to finally show themselves.

Movement drew my gaze. Cerberus growled, and Crete morphed into his prehistoric panther size. Something was coming. I expected the Seventine, but it was …

Que.

He stepped out of the royal forest, and moved in a gliding motion across the blackness of the deadened field. A flare of emotion rocketed through me. I hated him with a passion; he was a sociopathic asshole, but – I still couldn’t tear my eyes from him. He wore his newly stolen power like the finest cloak you would ever see. His arms and legs were covered in black leather, and I wondered if some of his limbs still resembled a cyborg.

“Why the freak is Que suddenly so mesmerizing?” I heard Fury ask.

Comprehension clicked with me; Brace was a fraction faster.

“It’s the original power inside you. It’s drawn to the stolen power within Que,” he said.

The power Que had gathered from the universe, the free power of the originals, it recognized the power in us, and it was calling us. Drawing the seven half-Walkers toward him. And the connection worked both ways. I could see the confusion lacing Que’s blue eyes and furrowed brow. The faltering steps as he fought against the urge to cross the last hundred yards to reach our side.

Could we use this to our advantage?
I thought the words, but Brace and the half-Walkers all picked up on them.

Only one way to find out,
Delane answered, and with axes drawn she moved. She was done with waiting; it was time to fight.

The rest of us fell in with her, weapons drawn, power zapping between us.

Winds started to blow up around Delane. Her short hair whirled and the wings which almost double-spanned her body were fully erect and towering above her head. Lina strode beside her, wings also aloft as the unicorn used the currents to drift above the ground. The pair liked to combine this sort of glide and walk. It was a much faster way to travel than for those of us stuck on two feet.

I felt the pull of power as the storm brewed around the Angelica. Then her winds were soon joined by water torrents from Talina, fires from Fury, and the shadow of Sapha. Ria waved her hand, and from within the ground thick roots responded, springing up around Que. Our powers were joined now in a beautiful kaleidoscope of energy and elements.

Any weaknesses?
I asked Eva.

I wasn’t expecting any. Que did not tolerate weaknesses in himself or others, but if there was one there, Eva would find it.

I felt her focus, a wash of her spirit energy fluttering into the air. Her breathing increased, before stuttering in and out for many moments.

He wears so many ghosts of the dead. Walker and others. He carries their souls upon himself.

Her tone was eighty percent horrified and twenty fascinated. I was all horrified.
Ghosts of the dead.

I remembered when Que had killed those Walkers at that battle long ago, the one where Brace was possessed by the first Seventine. Walkers everywhere had freaked out because it was supposed to be impossible to fully kill a Walker. Upon the death of their body their essence would be released to regenerate, their energy reused for another Walker life.

But Que had somehow done the impossible. He would touch a Walker and then they would cease to exist, their energy completely wiped from the great cycle.

Brace growled.
That’s what he was doing. Not killing them, but sucking the energy into himself. Holding their essence captive.

His tone held disgust and guilt. He blamed himself for not standing up to his father over the years. I wished he wouldn’t worry about that now. For all he knew, had he made a stand, Que would have absorbed Brace and he’d have been trapped. Never able to find me. No melding bond.

I don’t understand,
I said slowly.
How were the souls not freed when he was blasted into a zillion little cells?

They must be tied to his energy, so until he actually frees them, they can never seek rebirth. At least until Que’s energy is sent for rebirth.

Ugh! An eternity stuck on that assface. We had to do something about that.

Eva was still examining him.
He wears weakness over his heart. He has much sorrow and pain within him, and if we can free those souls around him, then he will be easy to detain.

So the souls are giving him power?
I clarified.

Yes,
she said,
their energy fuels his energy and gives him several layers of protection. There’s only one other being I’ve sensed this much energy within, and that’s you, Abby.

She must have been able to see into my ‘filing cabinet’. I was packing a punch in there.

The Seventine have sent Que forward first. They’ll be hoping he can use his touch of death to thin our ranks,
Ria said. She tightened the vines which were further surrounding the large Walker.

Don’t let him touch you!
I said without preamble.
We must divest him of the souls which give him power.

“Bracelional!” Que still didn’t move, but he did bellow loud enough for us to hear. “I don’t want to fight you, son. My allegiance is with the Seventine, but there’s still time for you to join me. Together we will rule the new world.”

He was still under the misconception that the gods were going to allow a new world. No time to clue him in now, and I hoped he wouldn’t learn the hard way, because it would be too late for all of us then.

We were edging closer to the stoic male covered in vines. The storm still brewed around us, but I wasn’t sure what we could do to actually remove the souls. The elemental powers were good for kicking ass, not freeing souls. There had to be something, though – maybe this was in Eva’s wheelhouse of tricks. I whirled toward the others.

“Que has stolen original energy. We need that back so we may have a chance to lock away the Seventine. But first thing …” I turned to Eva. “Do you think that there’s a way for you to free the souls?”

Her cheeks drooped and brows furrowed as she blinked at the ground. I wasn’t sure what she was doing when suddenly her head popped back up.

“I don’t think I can.” Her sorrow increased. “I’ve tried to communicate and release trapped souls. The ones who were stuck on Earth without anyone to help them … I never could do anything to save them.”

“That was on Earth,” I reminded her. “Your powers are so much more here. It’s time to try again.”

“I’ll need to get close to him,” she said as she straightened her shoulders. “To touch the essence lingering around Que.”

“As long as you don’t have to touch his hands then we should be able to manage that.” Brace had energy resting in his palms now.

I could feel the heat and power he was releasing. He was pissed off, and the majority of that anger was directed at his father.

“Guess you aren’t taking him up on that generous offer to rule the world?” I said, snorting out my laughter.

Que never had a clue who his son was if he thought Brace would be swayed by something like that.

Brace’s laughter was dark and deep. “Que is a dead man. He just doesn’t know it yet.”

The words and tone sent shivers down my spine, and not in the normal mesmerizing way Brace tempted me. Nope, this was pure fear. How did the Walker induce fear like that? He was the last being I’d ever be afraid of, but still my body reacted involuntarily to the predator he was. I hoped he’d teach me that level of badassery one day, because it would be a skill I’d love.

“You don’t get to say ‘no’ to me, son.” Que was almost lost in the greenery now. Just a large vinery statue was visible, but his damn voice continued to make it through.

We were almost upon him, and while I could feel the Seventine out there, I could not see them.

Ria cried out, her hands rising to thread through the long mahogany hair at her temples. “He’s poison. He’s killing them.” Her cries continued for a moment; she slumped forward and Delane caught her.

At first I had no idea what she was talking about. Then, as her tawny-brown skin faded to something very pale, I could sense trickles of a metal element and – sulfur, maybe – seeping through our bond. The Artwon queen screamed long and loud, and the ground around us exploded in a veritable plethora of plant life.