Interphase (24 page)

"Now!" Rupu said, and the group dashed around the building. As Rupu predicted, the two remaining city guards were taken by surprise. Thomas brought the first down with a single punch. David took a glancing blow from the second that made his ears ring, but he managed to kick the guard's feet out from under him. Rupu stepped in and knocked the fallen guard out.

"Thanks for the help," David said.

"
David
," a voice yelled from behind a circular stone slab. He pulled out the fastening pin and rolled the stone away. Analara was crouched in the corner, bound hand and foot. He ran to her and pulled the bonds apart, wrapping her in his arms. She collapsed against his shoulder and sobbed.

Rupu and Thomas stayed at the door, watching for more guards. David pulled away to examine Analara. One of her cheeks was bruised and smudged with dirt. Angry welts encircled her wrists and ankles. He winced when he saw claw marks along her arm, still caked with dried blood. He grasped her tightly, tears mixing with his anger. "I'm so sorry."

Rupu looked in the cell. "We can not linger. We have to get away from here. 'Nala, I know you hurt, but can you walk?"

Wiping away her tears, Analara nodded and got to her feet. She clung to David for support as they walked out of the cell.

"So, the demon returns for his prize at last." David looked up, startled by the appearance of an armed figure in the entrance, framed against the light outside. He gestured to Analara with his spear. "I shall carry out the will of Totarakh and destroy you, traitor. Then I will capture these invaders in Siath's name."

"Melarras, please don't do this," Analara said.

Without another word, he lowered his weapon and charged.

David reacted without thought, summoning his sword immediately. He dashed toward the soldier and sidestepped the lunge, striking with the Wraithblade. In one smooth motion, he impaled his foe.

Melarras slumped to the floor, a faint trickle of blood escaping from his lips. "Behold the fruit of your evil. Betrayer…" His body convulsed, then lay still.

They ran from the barracks. Analara limped along as best she could, but eventually David was forced to pick her up. All around them, chaos reigned. Smoke billowed along the walls, and the Rethkor, agitated by the commotion, struck at anything within reach. Along several points of the wall, knots of soldiers grappled with the twisting vines.

They dashed through the city streets but came to a screeching halt as a figure stepped into the shade of the alley. As David's eyes adjusted, he recognized Nathalion. The Artisan's gaze lingered on David before moving to Analara. No one spoke. Nathalion raised his hand and laid it on Analara's brow. "Protect her," he whispered to David, before disappearing back into the street.

Behind them, they could hear approaching footfalls. A voice shouted, "The traitor is escaping. After them." They sprinted down the alley, all thoughts of stealth abandoned. Breathing heavily, they ran into Varlath's courtyard and through the front entrance.

"Get to the tunnels," Varlath commanded. "You must leave now."

"What about you?" David said. "They'll know you helped us."

"It doesn't matter now. I've sent my family ahead to Len. As long as they are safe, I can fight. I shall atone for my sins."

Rupu stared at Varlath in horror. "That is madness! You can not stand alone."

"Do as you're told, boy," Varlath roared. "Leave, now."

David looked at Varlath's face and knew argument was pointless. He turned toward the storeroom, and a spear sailed through the front arch, missing Thomas by inches. Five white-garbed soldiers rushed into the courtyard, weapons drawn.

An icy gust of wind swept through the room. It knocked David to his knees. He cracked his eyes open to see the guards outside bracing against the gale. Inside, the only one still standing was Rupu.

The wind vanished suddenly. One by one the guards steadied themselves and began to approach. With a shout Rupu flung his hands forward, and a torrent of ice and wind blasted through the arch. He made a fist, and the ground shook, fingers of rock bursting up to strike the warriors. Staggering, they were caught by the wind and hurled into the building across the street. They fell senseless to the ground.

All eyes in the room turned to stare at Rupu as he dropped to one knee, panting from exertion. Analara wriggled out of David's numb grasp and knelt beside him. Rupu lifted his head to stare at her, and David saw fear and triumph mixed in his eyes. "I… I didn't want to tell anyone."

Analara wrapped her arms around him. "You secretive fool. You could have told
me
you were a sage."

Rupu hugged her back, then pushed her away gently. "You have to go, 'Nala." He turned to David. "You promised to keep her safe. I must stay with Varlath. We will hold them as long as we can."

David nodded. "I will." He reached out, took Analara's hand, and motioned for Thomas to follow. Raising the hatch, they slipped back into darkness.

As they crept through the lightless tunnel, Thomas nudged David. "When we get back," he whispered, "you'll have to explain to me exactly
what
just happened there."

***

The last several minutes had been a flurry for Jessica. When David and Thomas emerged from the tunnel, carrying a bedraggled Analara, there hadn't been a chance to think. The nearest city gate had opened, and a squad of soldiers in white tabards had come marching out. Thomas had dashed out of the grove to lead them away before they could locate the group. Now a silence had fallen over them all as they waited, hidden among the trees.

Jessica found herself watching Analara. The girl was curled against David, who stroked her tangled brown hair. It was impossible not to notice her bruises and scrapes. David disentangled himself from her and snuck to the edge of the grove. Soon Analara found Jessica's gaze, and she realized she had been caught staring. She blushed and looked away.

"You are a friend of David's?" Analara asked. Her voice was soft and gentle. Jessica looked at her and nodded.

"When he found out you were in danger, he asked all of us to help."

Analara's eyes briefly lost their focus. "What will happen now?"

Jessica knelt down beside her, concerned that she might still be hurt. "I think David means to take you back to… back with us, I mean."

"Back to your world? I guess he told you. We only discovered the truth of it a short time ago."

"Are you upset that he told me?"

Analara blinked. "Not at all. I am glad that he has friends he can trust with that knowledge. I only wish…" She trailed off with a sigh. "I wish that my people could have accepted the truth." Tears formed at the corners of her eyes. She brushed her hair away from her face. "What is your name?"

"Jessica."

"Ah." A smile appeared on Analara's face. "David speaks often about you. I'm glad to have met you."

Jessica found her own smile growing. She realized that she had formed an unfriendly picture of Analara in her mind over the last few weeks: a dazzling and mysterious vixen who was seducing her best friend. The real Analara was very different. She seemed sensible and down-to-earth. Despite the horrible trials she had just endured, she was making every attempt to be friendly and courteous. Jessica decided that she liked her.

Analara inspected her scraped arm and made a sound of displeasure. She picked a handful of grass and rubbed the stalks gently over the scratches, wincing as dirt and dried blood flaked away. She noticed Jessica's eyes on her again and blushed. "I must look terrible right now."

"You've just gone through more than I could imagine." Jessica moved closer. "Can I help?"

Analara pointed to a patch of lavender flowers growing nearby. "Could you bring me some of those, please?"

Jessica picked some of the plants and handed them over. Analara bit off the delicate flowers, chewed carefully, and spat the contents into her hand. She smeared the paste lightly over her wounds. "This will help for now." She leaned back against the tree and closed her eyes.

Jessica patted her on the shoulder. "Try to get some rest," she suggested. "Thomas will be back soon."

Analara smiled. Jessica held her hand quietly and strained to hear any sound. Every second that ticked by increased her worry for Thomas's safety.

A twig snapped behind them. Jessica whirled around to see Thomas slip into the grove. "Bloody hell, Lancelot," Clyde hissed. She hadn't been the only one Thomas startled.

"We need to go.
Now
," he reported. "I outdistanced the soldiers and tried to lose them through some trees, but they'll find my trail soon."

David looked over at Analara, an unspoken question in his eyes. She nodded. "I'll be all right for the run."

He turned back to the group. "Move fast, stay together. Jessica, if they catch us, I'm counting on you to get everyone out. Thomas and I will buy you enough time."

Jessica's brow creased with worry, but she said nothing.

They set out at a quick jog. She knew Thomas was a few paces behind her, and she longed to take his hand, but doing so would slow them down. More than anything she wanted to be home. Several minutes passed in silence, then she heard shouts from behind.

"The gate is near. Hurry," David yelled, and everyone began to sprint.

Behind them, a group of soldiers were drawing closer, but ahead Jessica caught the glimmer of the gateway through the trees. They were nearly there.

They raced between the trunks and came to a halt in front of a half-dozen warriors. The officer in charge shouted triumphantly, and they advanced, weapons raised.

The wind came up with such abrupt ferocity that it nearly knocked Jessica down. It howled through the bending trees like a wild animal, blowing her hair into her face. From the clear sky above, the twisting finger of a tornado descended. It touched down around the soldiers and lifted them into the air, hurling them over the tops of the trees. As quickly as it had appeared, the gale vanished.

Jessica didn't know what had saved them, but the group didn't stop to puzzle it out. As one, they dashed through the doorway, heaving sighs of relief as they stepped back into familiar environs.

A sharp gasp from Analara made Jessica look up. They weren't alone. A man stood several yards away, watching them silently. In the dim light of the command core his robes seemed black.

David stepped forward, staring in horror at the figure. "Shalaron."

***

David stood in shock, his pulse racing. This was no vision. Shalaron was standing inside V-Net, staring directly at him. The sight filled him with dread.

For several seconds, Shalaron simply gazed at them, one by one, his expression unreadable. Finally, he returned to David, and his gaze lingered. Closing his eyes, he whispered, "Let my actions be testament to virtue, that my people may know peace."

David frowned, unsure whether Shalaron was speaking to them or to himself. Taking a tentative step forward, he cleared his throat. "Lord Shalaron, there is evil at work in your city—"

"There is evil manifested before me," the Sage snapped. His eyes opened again, seething with rage. "Thieves. Usurpers. Each and every one of you."

"Oh please," Clyde scoffed. "Usurpers of what? Until three hours ago you people didn't exist!" David stared at the hacker with a mixture of awe and disbelief.

"David, who is this man?" Thomas stepped forward, his gaze locked on Shalaron as if assessing a potential threat. "What quarrel does he have with us?"

Shalaron raised a finger and swept it around the room. "Invaders, all of you. You lay claim to that over which you have no right." He pointed at David, and his eyes narrowed. "But you. You are darker and fouler than the rest. Upon your hands the blood of Ilinar flows. I mark you now as the murderer of Melarras."

David paled as he recalled the fight in the barracks. He had tried to forget the sickening feeling of his blade plunging into the other man. How could Shalaron know?

"I see the knowledge of the deed reflected in your eyes." Shalaron glanced toward Analara. "You, and the traitor, shall both be disposed of. For your crimes, and for the darkness which your people have spread across my world, I sentence you to destruction. Stare into the eyes of your executioner, and behold the death that awaits therein!"

"Whatever crimes I have committed were in defense of her," David growled. "It was your people who betrayed her and began this fight. You are in our world now, and you will find we are not without defenses." He morphed into the Wraith, drawing his blade from its sheath. Behind him, he could feel the shift as his friends loaded their own avatars.

Shalaron blinked, taken aback, but the look was quickly replaced with one of unbridled anger. "You dare to challenge me?"

"To save her life, I would face your entire world."

"Her life…" Shalaron raised his hand, and his palm filled with black fire, "…is forfeit!" He loosed the deadly projectile, not at the party, but at Analara.

David's heart seized. "No," he screamed, dashing forward, but Jessica was quicker. He watched her fling herself in front of Analara, pushing her out of the way, just as the burning sphere exploded. Jessica crumpled to the floor like a rag doll.

A cry of rage tore through the room. Thomas hurled himself at Shalaron, greatsword raised above his head to deliver a killing blow. Shalaron thrust his hand forward, and a burst of air exploded into the knight, knocking him off his feet.

Clyde aimed his launcher and fired a blast at Shalaron. Whirling, he snatched the rocket out of the air and studied it for an instant. When Lucas charged from behind, Shalaron tossed the rocket at him. The explosion threw Lucas across the chamber.

Shalaron turned to Clyde, who was preparing to fire again. He gestured, and Clyde lifted off the ground, gripped by an unseen force. Shalaron made a throwing motion. Clyde slammed forcefully against the codewall and slumped to the ground, senseless.

Regaining his footing, Thomas nodded to David, and the two of them advanced. Shalaron opened his hand, and a quarterstaff blinked into existence, the tips burning with blue flame. He parried the incoming strikes and lashed out, clipping Thomas in the shoulder. David tried to flank him and split his attention, but the Sage was a dervish, spinning madly and deflecting every attack. Shalaron focused his counterstrikes on Thomas, and slowly, the knight was beaten backwards. Ducking a high slash from Thomas's greatsword, Shalaron drove the butt of the staff into the knight's chest. Thomas collapsed, gasping for air.