Shattered Soul (19 page)

A dark cloud roiled high in the air, engulfing the horned beast that had accompanied them. Sparks flared from the cloud as another monstrous form appeared briefly, and then came the harsh scraping sound as though of horns locking.

The ground shook beneath his feet and he almost went down on one knee. Reaching out, he grabbed Rani’s hand and started to help her up, only to be knocked backwards by an icy brand. It tore through his shirt, scraping across his abdomen and leaving a bleeding line in its wake.

Chapter 5

“Fredrico!” Veknor yelled. “Shit! Carto! Alonz! Cover him!”

Fredrico didn’t wait for help but stumbled upright again. The wind buffeted him, a gale that tore at his clothes and pulled the tie from his hair. Darkness seemed to cover the area and he saw the shadows slide up to the clouds as Phemar started chanting.

Rani was on her feet once more, her hands held up again, and as he watched she braced herself.

And started moving forward towards the edge of the cliff, the soles of her boots skidding in the dirt.

“Rani!” Fredrico tried to push forward. “Rani, no!>
ing

The darkness took the form of a man, only taller and wider, bigger, pushing against her. It turned her suddenly in a spinning movement and started pushing her back towards the edge of the cliff.

Fear shot through Fredrico and he tried to force himself forward against the wind that blew harder than he’d ever felt anything blow. His boots slid in the gravel but he pushed onwards.

“Rani! Watch out!” His words were whipped from his mouth before they even formed properly and all he could do was battle forward, knowing with each slow step that he had no way of reaching the warrior before she was pushed over the edge of the cliff.

A startled yell sounded from behind him but he didn’t turn around, his attention focused on Rani.

Feminine muscles pulled taut as she fought the strength of the darkness. Mocking laughter boomed above them all, making the loose rocks tremble and slip down the side of the cliff.

Closer and closer Rani was pushed to the edge of the cliff and Fredrico’s heart pounded in his chest
. She was going to die! She wasn’t strong enough! It was all a mistake!
She should have been left to die, and fool that he was, he had caused her trip into damnation by bringing her back to The Overlord.

Shadows slid through the skies, twirling and twining, and he knew that some were Phemar’s shadows and some weren’t, but the enemy’s shadows had one mission, distract everyone from the warrior.

The wind stung his eyes and through tears he saw something happen. A small glow around Rani’s hands, a sliver of violet shot through with pale pink. The light grew brighter and suddenly the darkness pushing at her stumbled, broke free, fell to one knee. Rani took a step back, drew a deep breath, and then punched downward.

The light from her hands cut through the darkness like a hot knife through butter. The darkness screamed and shattered, blackness flying off in every direction, torn by the wind.

The booming laughter stopped abruptly and the shadows boiled high up in the sky. Another sharp crack rent the air, then a blood curdling scream, that struck every man standing there, to the bone, making them cover their ears and fall to their knees.

The wind stopped. The blackness boiled back and faded and the only shadows left were those that slid back to Phemar and swirled around the hem of his tattered robe. Hunched against the rock face, Phemar’s head was turned in Rani’s direction.

Pushing breathlessly upright, Fredrico hurried to where she was bent over with her hands on her knees. Her breathing came in unsteady gulps and when she looked up at Fredrico, he could see tiny, pale pink lights in her eyes. Even as he watched, they winked out until only her own green eyes looked up at him.

“Crap,” she said, “wasn’t that a fun ride?” She fell to her knees.

Crouching down beside her, Fredrico slid one arm around her waist. “What’s wrong? Rani, where are you hurt?”

“I’m trying to figure that out.” She took a deep breath and shook her head. “No pain. I think I’m all right. Just tired.”

Veknor skidded to a halt beside them. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing that we can tell.” Fredrico looked down at Rani’s bent head. “I’ll carry her inside - ”

“You bloody will not.” Rani struggled to stand upright and Fredrico straightened, bringing her with him. Her arm wk rm. Her ent around his waist and she leaned against him as she swayed. “I walk back to the ship under my own steam or you’ll leave me here.”

Veknor gave Fredrico a wry look.

Wanting to give her time to recover, Fredrico looked to where Phemar was standing, his hooded head now turned to the deep valley below the cliffs. “What happened?”

“We were attacked,” Phemar replied. “The Darknen was testing us.” He turned to face them. “The next attack will be worse.”

“Gosh, I can’t wait.” Rani stood straighter, her arm sliding away from Fredrico’s waist, her hand brushing against his buttocks briefly as she pulled away. “I can walk on my own.”

He felt that touch clear to his boots, but there were other things demanding his immediate attention right now. Such as their safety. “Everyone onboard. We’re heading back to the fortress.”

Veknor and Fredrico strode along each side of Rani, ready to catch her if she faltered but apart from a slight sway in her walk, she didn’t seem to be suffering any ill effects, which was a huge relief to Fredrico.

Once inside the ship she disappeared into the dining cabin with Phemar on her heels. No doubt the dark mystic wanted a blow-by-blow account of her experience.

Overseeing the taking off from the desolate planet, Fredrico was comforted to see their demonic guardian hovering in the distance. At least, he hoped it was their demon. Whoever this Darknen was, it seemed as though he had his own mystical beasts to command.

When it was clear there was no threat for now, Fredrico headed for his own cabin to change his bloodied shirt. Entering, he drew the shirt over his head and tossed it down onto the bed. Grimacing, he looked down at his abdomen. Across the ribbed muscle was a thin, red stripe. It was shallow but long and easily fixed with antiseptic.

“Not as bad as I first thought,” Rani’s voice came from the doorway.

Glancing up, Fredrico saw her studying the wound. “I’ve had worse.”

“So I see.” Her gaze slid over his torso and he felt a tightening in his gut.

Turning to the cupboard which kept a private stock of medical equipment, he opened the door and took out a small medipack. “You wanted something?”

“I noticed you got hit.” She shrugged. “I just wanted to make sure you were all right.”

Placing the kit on the little table, he unpacked the gauze, antiseptic and a self-adhesive patch. “I’ll live.” He glanced over his shoulder to find her still standing in the doorway. “Are you all right?” A sudden thought struck him. “Did you get hurt?”

“I’m fine.”

He returned his gaze to the equipment at hand but he was more than aware of her presence in his cabin. Wondering why she hovered, he poured antiseptic on the gauze and traced it over the red line, washing away the dirt and trying to ignore the bite of the liquid.

“I wanted to thank you,” Rani finally said.

“For what?”

“You were coming to help me.”

“It’s my job to see you safe.”

“Yes.” The change of infliction in her voice made him to look around. “Your job.”

He started to turn. “Rani - ”

“We’re all just doing our job.” With a slight smile that didn’t reach her eyes, she left the cabin.

Fredrico stared at the empty doorway, then cursed and continued patching himself up. Unless he wanted to walk around bleeding he had to finish this job first, then he could see Rani.

Smoothing the self-adhesive patch on, he replaced the equipment in the medipack and put it back in the cupboard. Leaving the cabin, he strode to the one allotted to her, only to find it empty.

“If you’re looking for the warrior,” Veknor drawled from where he leaned against the dining cabin doorway, “She’s with Phemar.”

“Was she all right?”

“As well as can be expected, I guess.” Shrewd dark eyes studied him. “Getting a little involved with the warrior, Fredrico?”

“Just concerned.”

“Right.”

Sometimes his friend saw too damned much. “She could have been hurt.”

“But doesn’t appear to have been.” Veknor was so still he could have been carved from ebony marble. “That woman is packing a lot of power, my friend.”

“In what way?”

“The air that was so charged?” Veknor crooked a finger at him. “Have a look at this.”

Curious, Fredrico followed him to Veknor’s own cabin.

Picking up a small instrument with a reading meter on it, Veknor pressed a couple of keys and the screen lit up. The lines on it zigzagged wildly before shooting straight up and disappearing off screen.

“See that red line?” Veknor pointed to it.

“Yeah?”

“That’s the unknown force we faced today.”

“What’s the blue line that’s veering so sharply above it?”

Veknor smiled slightly. “That, Fredrico, would be our warrior. Her energy shot right off the scale.”

Fredrico blinked. “You mean she was more powerful than whatever it was that attacked her?”

“Definitely. The only problem is that she hasn’t learned to harness those powers yet. But when she does,” Veknor tapped the side of his nose, “things could start to get really interesting.”

Fredrico stared down at the blue line. “Does Phemar know this?”

“Of course. That’s why he’s checking her out now.”

The thought was enough to make Fredrico queasy. Those putrid hands near that soft skin...

“Relax.” Veknor placed the little monitor back on the table. “He’s not touching her.”

“I never -”

“I can read you like an electronic book, Fredrico, I knew exactly what you were thinking.” Veknor gave him a serious look. “Just be sure what you’re getting into.”

“I’m getting into nothing.”

Veknor looked at him, and there was a combined glint of humour and worry in his dark eyes. “Right.”

Resting his hands on his hips, Fredrico frowned. “She’s a beautiful woman. Of course I’m going to notice her.”

“We’ve had a lot of beautiful women pass through the fortress and you’ve never once been attra/foe been cted to them.”

“How would you know?”

“Because you look right through them.”

“Did it ever cross your mind that it was because every single one of them would have knifed me and left me for dead if I wasn’t The Overlord’s man?”

“Flirting with danger was always your way once,” Veknor reminded him.

“Flirting with it and living with it constantly are two different things.” Feeling suddenly weary, Fredrico shook his head. “I miss those days.”

“Yeah,” Veknor agreed quietly.

Silently they looked back down at the monitor, each was lost in his own thoughts.

~ * ~

The Darknen

The Darknen stormed around the chamber, the shadows sinking back into the cold walls. The crystal on the pedestal swirled with blackness.

“She is powerful.” He stopped and stared at the crystal. “Very powerful. I didn’t think she’d be so strong. There’s something not right. Something so very not right.” Reaching out, he laid his palm on the crystal. “Maybe you’re not quite ready yet, little one. Your control - ”

The crystal shuddered, the sensation of rage making the crystal crack slightly. Almost immediately the crack sealed again until nothing marred the perfect outline.

“We shall see, my sweet. We shall see how strong this warrior is.” The Darknen strode to the door. “There are many ways to bring strength to its knees and make it bow down before that which is mightier. Oh yes, little one, there are many ways, and one most of all.”

He left the chamber, the door banging shut behind him. The crystal shivered again on the pedestal, more violently this time, but then all grew quiet once more.

~ * ~

Inner Sanctum of the Outlaw Sector

Overlord’s Fortress

The Overlord was intrigued. “So she was strong enough to destroy the darkness?”

“The one that appeared, yes.” Phemar’s voice was satisfied. “She did well.”

“What of the battle to come?”

“Ah.” The dark mystic moved slowly across the room, bits of mottled, damp skin flecking on the floor in his wake. “Her powers are untapped. That is a danger.”

“We knew she’d have power.” The Overlord watched him closely.

“Power, yes. The power I gave her. The power she got through dark mysticism. That I can teach her to control. But...”

“What?”

“Since that meddling witch touched her, there is something else deep inside her that I can’t touch.”

Black pupils slitted in pink eyes. “Untouched power?”

“Yes. I think so.”

“Either it is or it isn’t.”

“I don’t know.” Phemar shook one hand irritably and a gnarled nail dropped to the floor. “She shouldn’t have so much emotion.”

Tnct size="he Overlord glanced at Fredrico, who shrugged. “I don’t know what he means.”

Phemar made a sound of disgust. “She was supposed to have no real feelings. She was supposed to simply do as ordered, otherwise stay quiet.”

Fredrico grinned. “You mean you hate that she baits you. That she doesn’t fear you.”

Phemar swung around sharply. “I mean that she has too much emotion!”

The Overlord stroked his chin. “Is this dangerous?”

“It could be. It makes her unpredictable.”

“It could make her weaker?”

“Or stronger.” Phemar shook his head. “I just don’t know.”

The Overlord wasn’t one to worry about matters he couldn’t control. “She has shown herself stronger than what she faced today and that is good. Whatever the future holds, I know she can fight.”

“But will her emotions get in the way?”

The Overlord didn’t hesitate. “No.”

“How can you be so sure?”

The Overlord looked from Phemar to Fredrico, and his smile wasn’t humorous. “Because I know my killers.”