King of Eon by Anna Hackett ePUB)
Chapter Sixteen
As several blows hit his gut and torso, Gayel bent over, biting back a groan.
He wouldn’t give these Kantos the pleasure of hearing his pain.
A hard shove sent him stumbling.
Move, King of Eon.
He glanced up at the elite. “Make me.”
Two Kantos soldiers gripped his arms and half dragged him through the jungle. His hands were tied in front of him and he had some black gunk on his helian band, blocking his communication with his symbiont. That meant no armor, and no weapons.
He had tried to slow the Kantos down, but soon, he was bleeding and bruised for his efforts. It didn’t matter. As long as Alea was alive.
By the warriors, let her have survived the fall.
The rain was pelting down, and they were moving closer to where the clouds churned like an ugly brew. The rain stung as it hit his face.
They’d torn his backpack off him, and tossed it into the trees. Thankfully, they hadn’t searched it, but now he had none of the agent. And he also had none of the antidote needed to free his helian band.
Unfortunately, this left him with limited options for stopping the plague the Kantos planned to unleash.
He let out an unsteady breath. Alea would survive. He held on to that.
But there were so many Eon on this planet, including the young warriors. And Gayel was well aware that it wouldn’t stop here.
The Kantos would ravage the Eon Empire, and then Earth, then turn their sights on the Oronis, and beyond.
He had to stay focused and look for a way to stop them.
Finally, the jungle thinned out and gave way to cleared land. Huge walls circled the Eon base. Kantos guards let them in through the gates.
In the huge courtyard, there were no signs of any Eon, just lots of Kantos soldiers, and several bugs of different descriptions. He prayed to the warriors that all the Eon here had evacuated to the catacombs before the Kantos arrived.
He noticed slime smeared on the stones, and webs on the walls, and frowned. The bugs were clearly making themselves at home.
He also spotted the huge, brown generator-like device. He felt the throb of energy off it, its brown shell pulsing red as it sent waves of power skyward. He looked up, and his gut hardened.
Right overhead, the clouds whirled in a deadly vortex. Wind whipped his hair into his face.
Your empire will end today.
The Kantos voice in his head made him turn. An elite stared at him, pin-prick eyes glowing. It shifted on its four legs, and he wasn’t sure if it was excited or nervous.
We will unleash a plague and kill your meddlesome warriors.
Several more elites came out of the main building, gliding over. Their voices joined in, echoing in his head.
This was the elite council.
Heat poured through his veins. This was the real enemy.
“You always underestimate us and our allies. It will be your downfall.”
Look, Solann-Eon. The lead elite pointed to the boiling clouds. Soon, the winds will carry our locust plague across the planet, infecting and destroying your future warriors.
Off to the side, Kantos soldiers pushed out carts, loaded with the large egg pods they’d seen in the images. Things inside the pods were writhing, distorting them.
We will free the krekta, and they will fly.
Revulsion filled Gayel, along with panic. What the cren could he do to stop this? He felt a horrible sense of helplessness.
The elite turned to watch the pods being moved into position. Clicking filled the air, and he knew they were talking to the other Kantos.
He couldn’t even use the helindai. Not when he couldn’t access his helian, and not without some of his warriors close by.
He dragged in a deep breath.
Something brushed his senses.
He lifted his head. He saw a native creature climbing over the stone wall. The xalk were deadly. The felines were vicious, and their tails could be lethal weapons.
It leaped off the wall and darted into the shadows.
Then he looked up and spotted a lithe figure in a black-and-white spacesuit with a backpack, climbing over the wall.
No. No. His chest locked. He wanted her safe. Not here, alone, in the middle of the enemy.
Careful not to look directly at her and give her presence away, he kept an eye on her until she disappeared from view.
You should be afraid, warrior king. Your end is close.
Cren, he’d never realized just how much the Kantos liked to talk.
“Less talk, bug, more action.”
The golden eyes flared.
The soldier behind him rammed an arm into Gayel’s lower back.
Blocking the pain, he smiled, then spun, jumped into the air, and kicked.
The soldier’s head snapped back, and it staggered. Gayel leaped up, landing on the soldier’s back. He slipped his bound arms over its head and jerked.
The Kantos soldier’s neck snapped.
Gayel leaped off, and as soon as his feet hit the ground, the soldiers were on him.
The blows drove him to the ground. They kept beating him, until he tasted blood in his mouth. But at least they weren’t looking at Alea.
Enough. Bring him.
They dragged him across the courtyard. Pain throbbed through him, and he tried to forcefully push it back, as his helian couldn’t help to dampen it.
He was pulled over to a tall pole in the center of the courtyard and tied to it. He tested the strength of his bonds surreptitiously. He might be able to pull free.
He glanced around. He couldn’t see Alea anywhere.
He wanted her safe. Needed her safe.
We have something special, just for you, Solann-Eon.
He looked up. A soldier approached, carrying a small pod. It writhed and stretched in the soldier’s arms. This close, he could hear a whispering sound coming from it.
They set it down in front of him.
Nothing to say?The elite cocked its head.
He stared at the elite. “You’re dead. Your reign of terror is almost over. My people, my warriors, my allies, won’t stop fighting you. We protect those we love, and you can never understand that. You’ll never understand what love motivates us to do.” He hoped Alea was listening. “Loving someone, especially a beautiful, strong, woman, brings everything into clear focus. It fills you with hope, with the need to do better for her, to protect her, cherish her, to stand by her.”
The elite shifted, clearly confused.
Gayel looked directly at them. “You had a chance to save your people, to help them be more. Instead, you used them, and robbed them of their free will. For that, you will die.”
Enough. Do it.
One soldier touched a fluid to his helian band, releasing it. His link with his symbiont flared to life. Gayel’s muscles bunched as he prepared to fight.
Then the soldier used its arm to slice open the small pod.
Insects flew out. They whirled in a funnel, their wings fluttering madly.
They were beige, ugly.
They swarmed Gayel.
He gritted his teeth. They nipped at him—and it felt like tiny blades cutting his skin.
Then, a strange sensation welled. Heat entered his veins. In his head, his helian screamed.
No. No!He felt the bond between him and his helian being ripped and torn at. Stretching thin.
The pain was immense. It felt like he was being torn in half.
He threw his head back and roared.
* * *
Alea couldn’t breathe.
The sound Gayel made—raw agony—was like a spike through her heart.
Her hands curled and she bit her lip. She wanted to leap from her hiding place and mow the Kantos down.
She fought for some control. To help him, she had to think.
Carefully, she slipped off her backpack and hid it behind the transport she was using as cover. Her new friend rubbed at her ankles, its colors shimmering.
She peered into the transport. It had a sleek Eon design. She reached in and opened a center console and smiled.
Yanking out the short sword, she gripped the hilt tightly. Perfect.
Crawling back out, she peeked over the transport. Locusts swirled around Gayel. She had to get them off him. His back bowed and he shouted in pain.
Enough.
Alea leaped on top of the transport and ran.
She jumped into the air, clutching her sword. She spun and beheaded a Kantos soldier. Clicking filled the air and several soldiers raced at her. She ducked and swung, then dodged as a soldier attacked.
Her blade slammed into the legs of the soldier, toppling it.
She had to get to Gayel.
There was an angry hissing sound. Her animal friend leaped at a Kantos soldier. It clamped onto the alien’s head and then scratched with its sharp claws. The soldier staggered.
Alea fought with everything she had, whirling and swinging. She reached Gayel. The locusts looked like a whirling cloud.
She charged into the insects, waving her sword.
They bit at her.
God, it hurt. Like knives slashing at her. They were too small to hit with the sword.
She slapped at them, then stomped on the ones close to the ground.
“Alea.” His wide eyes met hers.
Suddenly, her feline friend leaped in…and started eating the locusts.
Holy cow.As more soldiers rushed toward them, she forced herself to look away.
She spun and lifted her sword. She had to keep the soldiers off them.
Her animal friend landed in front of her. It was…glowing. Its tails lengthened and whipped around wildly.
What the hell?
The animal sprang, and its tails wrapped around a soldier’s arm and neck. With one tug, it sliced off the soldier’s head and arm.
Oh. My. God. With a blink, Alea swiveled to face an incoming soldier. Her sword hit a hard arm and she gritted her teeth. She kept fighting.
A slash, followed by a kick, then a powerful swing. She ducked and slashed again.
More Kantos soldiers rushed at her. She blocked their attacks, but each hit vibrated through her body.
They drove her across the courtyard.
One got close and swung its arm.
This time she was a little slow, and the tip of its arm gashed her bicep.
Dammit. She leaped back, gritting her teeth through the pain.
A second soldier raced in and she dove, her body feeling every jolt as she rolled across the ground and pushed herself up.
A blow hit her side, cutting through her suit. She pressed a hand to the wound and felt blood.
Shit. A soldier knocked her legs out from under her and she went down. The sword fell from her hand.
God, get up, Alea.
Instinct had her rolling, and a sharp Kantos arm slammed into the stone, right where her body had been.
She saw the Kantos loom above her, its arm raised.
“Alea!”
Gayel’s roar cut across the space. He was free and covered in his armor.
He was okay.Relief punched through her.
He stood in the center of the mêlée, his muscular body encased in black, sword glowing purple in his hand. The wind whipped his hair around his rugged face.
He was alive, and all that mattered was that he was free.
He was too far away to help her, but he flung out an arm toward her.
Then black scales flew off his arm like smoke. They crossed the space between them and hit her body.
She felt a pulse of warmth as the armor covered her.
The Kantos attacked, eyes glowing. Alea rolled and leaped up, feeling a rush of energy filling her and dulling her pain.
Sword. Sword. She ran the thought through her head.
The blade formed, hilt in her hand—long, beautiful, and deadly.
She smiled and launched herself at the Kantos. She swung the sword and it felt perfect.
She cut the soldier down.
Then she fought her way to Gayel.
“You’re okay?” His gaze raked her.
“Yes. You?”
He nodded, but she saw pain on his face.
“Your helian?” she asked.
“Hurt, but we’re okay.”
Then together, they spun and faced more Kantos. As they fought, the wind picked up, tearing across the base.
Alea stared at the racks of egg pods. They must be filled with more locusts. God.
She looked up as a crack of lightning colored the dense clouds.
“We need to stop the weather generator,” she yelled.
He nodded.
At least if the locusts weren’t freed, they wouldn’t be able to spread.
They cut and hacked their way to the brown machine.
Stop them.
The voice of the elite screamed in her head.
She gritted her teeth. Hell, no.
A large, centipede-like bug leaped at them, but Gayel jumped and slashed his sword through it.
He was magnificent to watch.
She skewered another bug, and then they reached the device.
“Ready?” he asked.
“Ready!”
They sliced their swords into it.
She worked her blade through the hard shell, grunting. Suddenly, her animal friend leaped on top of the device.
“By Ston’s sword,” Gayel cried.
“It’s okay, she’s with me.”
The creature ripped at the device with its claws.
A second later, the lights blinked off.
Alea smiled.
Suddenly, there was a huge groan of metal and stone. She lifted her head, her pulse spiking.
Nearby, part of the main base building tore apart. The stones from the walls rose up into the air.
Nearby, Kantos soldiers floated off the ground, their legs waving.
What the hell?
Gayel cursed. “The device has affected the planet’s gravity, but only in pockets.”
Bits of rubble and Kantos soldiers were hanging in the air.
Wild clicking and buzzing echoed in her ears. The elites in the courtyard faced them.
Kill the Terran and the Eon king. Kill them now!