As related by His Most Sublime and Eminent Radiance, Ailann Tiarnan, Archon of Skarsia
Mickey, Aran and Lorcan go running after Balin, despite the fact that they have not earned their achievements. They are joined by the twin Jacks, Valentin, Lucius, Beat and Sloane. I ought to go as well.
« Ailann, » says Ellery, grabbing my arm. His eyes are full of compassion, full of concern. He loves me. I’m not worthy of his love.
« Let him go, » says Tara, slinging a rifle over her shoulder. « He’s already stained himself with killing. He might as well keep going and protect some of the others. »
I need at least half a bottle of scotch after that remark. I squeeze Ellery’s hand and begin to move away. But there’s someone else looking at me: Harsh.
Harsh’s eyes haven’t left me since I saved his life. I know damn well why Ellery wanted me to know about that conversation between Harsh and Beat, because I know damn well that Harsh has fallen in love with me. Ellery is hoping that Harsh can get through to me in a way that he can’t and Tara won’t.
But I’m not worthy of anybody’s love, not without strength, not when I can’t protect them.
Tara and I go jogging in the direction of the battle. Behind me, I can hear Harsh whispering, « It’s not fair. It’s not fair that I could lose both of them. » And then Cüinn is putting his arm around Harsh, who is crying on his shoulder.
I hear the whistle of a rocket through the air. It’s coming from the east. There’s an explosion as the secondary entrance booth is melted into waste. The air stinks of burned plastic.
Balin tracks its path, fires back. A moment later, there’s an explosion in the distant hills as a bolt of plasma shatters the rock.
« Thirty, » says Marius.
Balin stands frozen, tears welling in his eyes. « Come on, » I say, slapping him on the shoulder. « Let’s finish it before any more branches have to join this obscene club. »
« There are nine more out there, » he murmurs, « nine more. »
No, eight, as Tara has just pegged the one rappelling down the north wall.
Callum had been racing towards that invader, but now he turns and screams, « Damn it! He was mine! »
« Stop it! » Tara shouts, marching towards him. « Who do you think you are? Hellborne? »
Suddenly Callum crumbles, weeping. When she reaches him, he crawls to her feet.
She kicks him with her boot. « I’ll punish you for your presumption later, » she says. « For now, get back to where you belong – protecting Ellery. »
« She’s fierce, » mutters Balin, awestruck. « She’s so fierce. »
« Twenty-nine, » says Marius. « No, twenty-eight. A second one under that rockslide just…»
Balin’s lip is trembling, but he picks up the cannon and starts to run.
At the main gate, Whirljack and Lucius have been laying down covering fire, but neither one has the heart to shoot anyone. They’ve done a decent job of keeping two invaders pinned down, unable to advance towards the park perimeter. I’m about to tell Lucius to hand me his laser rifle when it occurs to me that I don’t need a rifle. I’ve never needed a rifle.
It stops now. « Put out the lights, » I whisper.
It takes so little effort to destroy an organic system. It’s so much easier to kill than to heal. Just a slight disruption of the electrochemical signals from the brain, a twist in the autonomous nervous system telling the heart to beat, the lungs to keep breathing.
« Twenty-one, » says Marius.
Tara stares at me. Her angry eyes have turned sad. I can’t look at her. There’s something in my heart, something cold, black as jet, and it’s clawing to get out. It aches.
It’s the only thing I can feel. Everything else is like stone, like steel.