Page 111 of Above
Something charged the air, a shift in the norm that I couldn’t explain. Still, we continued our path forward, aiming for my tiny office in the towering military base.
Most elites shadow walked everywhere, but I had quickly learned that the time spent walking made me feel somewhat closer to my family. As if I were still a part of them, and them me.
So few things did that these days.
When we arrived at my door, I shoved it open, not bothering to turn and let them in. They knew what was expected of them.
“Where to today?” Dofrel asked. He had cut off most of his curls last week, leaving him looking far more fierce and sharp. He had become a shadow of sorts for me, always quick to show up and eager to be a part of my plotting. Not that he didn’t often stand up for the fucking snake.
“Two-seven-three,” I muttered, grabbing my cloak and mask.
He nodded, pulling up his hood. Otarn came up to my side, bringing up a sprawling map, sifting through the galaxies until she arrived on Donatellos. Then, she expertly dug through the planets, pulling up two-seven-three.
“We took this planet in three thousand nine,” I explained. “It was perfectly compatible with life similar to ours, and we learned a lot about infrastructure from them. When we had successfully taken the planet, General Jeremi Altair siphoned the magic from the planet without destroying it.”
“So you think it can still contain life?” Otarn asked, her voice soft. It always was when we did this. She hated it, all three of them did. Talon, well, he was tired more than anything. Ready to move forward.
“Yes, I think it’s a possibility.”
“Do you sense magic?” Elders asked, quirking a brow. He was the most brave of the three, never hesitating to question me, always eager to argue in his once friend’s favor.
“No, but cloaking can be the cause of that,” I shot back. Elders studied me for a moment, his piercing dark stare seeing right through me, his magic tingling against my mind. But he remained silent, not pushing harder to read my thoughts. He had learned better in the last few months. Donning my mask, the others following suit, I said, “Talon, we’ll be back soon.”
Opening his mouth to argue, he stepped forward, arms out. I silenced his coming fight with a fierce shake of my head.
“Now, Otarn,” I ordered. She nodded, reaching for my hand. Dofrel and Elders grabbed onto her at the same time I did, the four of us letting her shadows guide our way.
Talon’s face faded into the darkness, his disapproving and heartbroken expression morphing into the violet shade of planet two-seven-three.
The dark blue trees were twice the size of ours, reaching so high that the nearly black clouds were hiding the peaks of some. The violet grass was pointed and crisp, crumbled buildings built of what looked like clay easy to make out in the flat distance.
“Now we check,” I mumbled, crouching low and pressing my hands into the firm dirt. Closing my eyes, I searched for him.
Please be here.
An empty, lifeless feeling settled into my bones, the planet itself void of the rhythmic pulse that came from magic. The stars were quick to say what I already knew.
“No sign of Azazel Altair, sweet catalyst. Better luck next time.”
I know you know where he is! Tell me!
“Why would we do that? This is so much more fun.”
Standing upright, I screamed into the stale air, my rage and grief blending as I began snatching up chunks of rock, throwing them into the distance. Magic and shadows and even star essence burst free of me, forcing the cores to ward as I lost control. Buildings burst, trees disintegrated, and the planet itself shook and quaked.
Still, I screamed. I yelled out until my throat ached. I shouted and cursed with all the remaining energy I possessed.
When I was done, my body heavy and my head pounding, Dofrel did what he always did, scooping me up and carrying me to the others. Otarn ripped off her mask, a look of dread taking over her face.
“Please, Tershetta, give us a chance to talk to him if he’s on the next one,” Otarn begged as Elders summoned shadows around us. I stared at her, wishing I could understand why they remained so faithful to him when he had killed one friend and attacked another. Why? What was so special about him?
We appeared back in my office, Talon sitting on my dark wooden desk with a knowing expression. We failed to find him. As we always did.
I shoved out of Dofrel’s hold, falling onto my ass. But I didn’t acknowledge the pain. Instead, I stood up and ripped off my mask, getting closer to Otarn, my sneer making her drop her gaze.
“When I find that filthy snake, I’ll show him the same mercy he showed my family. If you want to help him, then expect to die at his side.”
With that, I called to my own shadows, the burn igniting across my body as I entered my old home.
