Metal,Sonara’s curse told her.
A great wave of it coming from the north, growing stronger with each second that passed.
“It’s coming!” Sonara gasped out. “Jaxon, their ship is coming!”
They kept running.
The grass was ablaze now. Flames licked across the sea of green, leaving smoke and ash in their wake. Then the wind kicked up, fanning the flames higher. Sonara felt her heart slam against her chest, as the ship from her childhood appeared again, the flaming red bird aglow as the engines screamed.
The ship’s belly opened wide over their heads. A great black orb shot from its depths, the size of a steed, with wire connecting it to the ship. It tumbled down to the sand, where it landed with a thud that Sonara felt in her bones.
She stared at it, shock slowing down the moment she took in its details.
The giant orb was made up of hundreds of strange metallic beetles, as if they’d all locked together to form a hive. It remained motionless, but she swore she could hear it,feelit humming as they ran past.
As if it were alive.
“This way,” Thali directed, as an opening emerged through the smoke. “Hurry!”
There was Razor, appearing through the crowd. Three Wanderers aimed their rifles at her belly,but Razor let loose a war cry, dipped her head left, and blasted them with emerald fire. The Wanderers melted before her.
Her great tail lashed out like a whip, sweeping aside three other Wanderers closing in nearby. Their bodies soared across the Garden of the Goddess like falling stars.
Markam practically threw Azariah onto her back, Thali right after. “Go!” Jaxon shouted, just as Duran’s hooves thundered past. He hoisted her onto Duran’s back, then leapt on behind her, his strong arms wrapped around her middle as her fingertips locked into Duran’s mane. Then they were galloping away, the beat of Duran’s hooves beneath them, the shadow of Razor above. She could see the exit now, the lone road down the mountainside. They were going to make it. They were going to get out of here,safe.
The screams rang out, louder and louder.
They were nearly there.
Darkness,Sonara’s curse hissed a warning. A shot rang out behind her, a breath later.
A terrible, beast-like cry came from Jaxon, and his fingers slipped from her waist.
It was too late when she realized, with horror, that he was falling.
“NO!” Sonara screamed. She reached for him, kicked her heels and tried to turn Duran around, but he was going too fast, overtaken with fear. He reared beneath her, a screech of terror.
“DAMN YOU!” Sonara screamed at him, demanding him to listen through their bond. “GO BACK FOR JAXON!”
But the chaos was a monster, raising its ugly head, baring its rows of teeth.
Duran only ran faster away from Jaxon. His body was fading, his hand reaching out for her as his edges blurred from the distance, and in her mind, Sonara saw Jaxon turn into Soahm, lying on the sand, screaming,Wait, Sonara, wait!
Duran reached the mountain pass just as the orb of beetles came to life.
It exploded outwards, a mighty swarm of darkness. Buzzing filled the air as they soared across the valley. Sonara saw, with horror, one of the bugs collide against a Soreian soldier, latching on to the back of his neck. Blood burst as the metal bug burrowed its legs into the place where spine met skull. All around the Garden of the Goddess, the metal bugs found hosts, and dug their sharp claws into Dohrsaran necks.
When they were done, a crackle sounded from the ship.
Sonara watched as that same blue light from ten years ago shot down from its belly and stretched across the valley like a blanket. It tucked itself close to the ground, nestled up against the sides of the mountains surrounding them, stretched high up towards the ship.
The Dohrsarans running towards it were suddenly thrown backwards, as if the light had become a glowing wall.
A prison, that trapped everyone inside.
Two Hours Later
Geisinger Tower, Beta Earth
