A Dome of Blood Read online

  “Maybe that’s what’s missing in my life,” Amal said.

  I put an arm around her shoulders, then gently pulled her close. She seemed surprised by this gesture of affection, but she didn’t reject it. We’d never really hugged, in the early days. We’d come out fully matured and indoctrinated into following Ta’Zan everywhere. His needs always came first. Our relationship didn’t matter, unless it could be of use to him—after all, we were brilliant together, and not as efficient when we were apart.

  “You have love in your life already, Amal, if you want it,” I said to her, gently. “I’ve got enough for you and for Ridan.”

  She snaked her arms around my waist. I didn’t see it coming, but I was beyond happy to have it, nonetheless. Amal and I hugged for a while, quietly letting each other know that our connection ran deep, and far beyond our cerebral capabilities. We were sisters by blood, and it was time we acted like it, too.

  “We have to stop him, Amane,” she mumbled, resting her head on my shoulder. “Do you trust your friends to go through with this? To do their part of the plan?”

  I gave her a soft nod. “They’ve done enough damage to him already, don’t you think?”

  She grinned. “I’ll admit, they exceeded my expectations.”

  “Then trust them with this. They want to save their worlds, their friends, and their loved ones. And, based on the stories I’ve heard from them, they’ll stop at nothing until they succeed. And that’s where we come in,” I said. “If anyone can take Ta’Zan down, it’s them.”

  Amal thought about it for a while, then looked at me. “We’ll help them. But you know what that means.”

  I most certainly did, and we’d already discussed it. I didn’t feel comfortable being separated from Ridan anymore, but, with Amal’s and my knowledge, we had enough information between us to maybe pull this off. It was only temporary, anyway.

  If my sister and I succeeded in what we’d planned, we’d all survive and maybe even thrive in a new world. If we failed, however, I’d be forced to watch Ridan live out the rest of his days with a shock collar around his neck, withering away in Ta’Zan’s diamond dome.

  At least I had Amal back. I’d never really lost her, but with her so close to me, my mind functioned at incredible speeds. I was processing a thousand possible scenarios at once. Together, Amal and I were unstoppable.

  Nathaniel

  “The interplanetary travel spell functions quite simply, but its landing is random,” Arwen said.

  Uriel, Angelica, Deena, and I stood on the top level of GASP’s Mount Zur base, where a platform had been built. The space shuttle was small but had enough firepower to steer the travel spell away from a potential hotspot—that much we’d learned from the blueprints that Phoenix had showed us. This particular vessel was his latest design, and he’d insisted on being up here with us for the takeoff.

  “All you need to do is rev all the engines to the max as you steer toward the Merinos cluster,” he added, checking some last flight details on his computer tablet. He’d wired it so he’d be permanently connected to the shuttle and our vitals. With the comms blockers down, that was easy.

  I gave him a confident nod. “We’ve got this. We’ve learned how to pilot the ship. Your manual was very good,” I replied.

  “Yeah, the one thing I’m really good at is telling people what to do.” He chuckled nervously.

  He was on edge. I could almost feel him. His pulse was thudding in my ears. I was still trying to get used to what my body was capable of, but I didn’t feel superior to anyone, in any way. My mind was as far from what Ta’Zan had intended as possible—and it was all because of me.

  “You’re also very good at designing ships,” Uriel chimed in.

  “You need to land as close to Merinos as possible. Araquiel and his local crew will meet you there,” Arwen said. “I think you can find each other without much effort.”

  “We can sense each other, if we pay attention,” Angelica replied. “I’m not sure our Stravian brethren are aware of that.”

  “I doubt they are. Otherwise, they would’ve found Raphael and Douma already,” Phoenix said, then looked at me. “Thank you for what you’re about to do.”

  “Don’t thank me yet. Not until we deliver,” I replied, feeling my nerves stretch to new limits. “Once we do what we have to do, and the mission is declared successful, I will gladly accept the praise.”

  Angelica laughed. “Ever the serious soldier,” she quipped, then gave me a friendly slap on the shoulder.

  Uriel, Angelica, and Deena were the creatures that were closest to my heart. In a way, we’d grown up together, though over the course of days, not years. We were made from the same genes, and we understood each other better than most.

  They knew what it felt like to attain consciousness in a foreign world, to be told that you had no power over the decisions you made, that your brain was programmed and molded to fit the agenda of a creature whose sole purpose was to cause misery and prove nature wrong. I felt violated and ashamed by what I’d done. I’d done it willingly, because I didn’t know any better.

  And they felt the same way. For all the blood we’d shed and all the hurt we’d caused, the four of us felt compelled to do something to make amends. To do good in order to stifle the evil we’d done already. To be better versions of ourselves. To prove to these people that we deserved a chance, after all.

  What I appreciated most about Arwen and her people was that they gave us the freedom to choose, to decide what was wrong and right. They shared their history with us; they showed us their way of life and their reasoning methods. And they made a lot more sense than what I’d picked up from our recorded memories as Ta’Zan’s soldiers.

  “We’re going to have a tough time walking in there,” Uriel muttered, crossing his arms.

  “What do you mean? Inside the colosseum?” I asked.

  He nodded. “They’re our brothers and sisters, in a way. And we’re about to turn their world upside down. We’re about to kill a whole lot of them to save the world from them.”

  “To save many of them, too,” Deena interjected. “We didn’t choose to be like this, and neither did they. We can’t rescue them all. But the ones that we can, we will.”

  “As long as Amal and Amane get the mass memory wiper working,” Angelica replied.

  “Let’s trust the twins. Rose and Ben’s crew certainly believes in them,” I said. “And they’ve been out there, kicking and fighting against our misguided brethren for a long time now. I trust their instincts.”

  Arwen sighed. “Just be careful once you get there. Don’t let the beauty of those diamond colosseums seduce you. Don’t think for a second that Ta’Zan might actually win this—”

  “He won’t.” I cut her off before she could suggest that we might get soft in there. I completely rejected the notion, anyway. “Once we’re in there, his entire scheme will fall apart, diamond brick by diamond brick. And we’ll have Araquiel and the Faulties to work with. It’s more than we could’ve asked for. We’ll be okay, Arwen. Please, don’t worry.”

  “My daughter’s life is on the line,” she said, her voice trembling. Tears gathered in her eyes. “I can’t help but worry.”

  For a moment, I wondered what it would’ve been like if Ta’Zan had acted more like a father and less like an evil and delusional overlord. Maybe my brethren and I would’ve been less vicious. Maybe there wouldn’t have been the need to wipe our memories and have us start over, just to stop us from killing innocent people.

  Rage burned through me, quiet but persistent. I couldn’t ignore the grief, either. I’d done terrible things for Ta’Zan. And I was determined to live through an eternity of making up for it, if needed.

  Arwen gave me a soft smile. “I know you’re worried too, about what to expect down there,” she said. She knew me well enough to understand how my mind functioned. I would’ve loved to have her as a mother, if I were ever to experience the traditional family model—if I’d had the
presence of real parents in my life.

  “I don’t know what to expect,” I said. “I dread the thought of having to kill Perfects.”

  “We may not have another choice,” Deena said. “And it’s not our fault. This is the situation we’re dealing with, and this is the best we can do.”

  “Besides, you have the whole of GASP by your side,” Arwen said. “Whatever you need, we’ll do our best to help. Phoenix will be manning the comms line, ready for your instructions. He’ll guide you through the islands, too, if you need additional guidance.”

  “Once our people surrender, you’ll have a very brief window of time to do what you have to do,” Phoenix continued. “While you and Araquiel set the explosive charges, Amal and Amane will work on the mass memory wiper, and Rose will manage the prisoner evacuation procedures.”

  “With a shock collar around her neck? How’s that going to work?” Angelica asked, slightly confused.

  Phoenix grinned. “Amal gave them all the operational codes for those things. They won’t be a problem. Once Rose is in with Derek and the others, they’ll be ready to do their part. It’s all about timing.”

  “That’s why Amal didn’t give Derek the codes already,” I reminded Angelica. “They need to be in the diamond dome. All of them. They’ll escape together at once, after we do our job.”

  I felt surprisingly optimistic about all this. Knowing how dangerous fate could be, in general, I didn’t dare to voice this optimism. I kept it to myself, fueling me in our endeavor to infiltrate Strava and pretend we were still part of Ta’Zan’s army.

  I looked at Uriel, Deena, and Angelica for a brief moment. They all smiled and nodded, signaling that they were ready for takeoff. We were already dressed for the part, in dark blue silk tunics that matched those we’d seen in our video memories. I shifted my focus back to Arwen and Phoenix.

  “I think we’re ready to go,” I said.

  “Good. Then hop in, and we’ll see you after we win this,” Arwen replied, beaming at me.

  I’d already made a promise to her, though she didn’t know it. I was going to do whatever it took to keep her daughter, Kailani, safe, and to bring her back to Calliope and her parents. Under no circumstances could I allow Ta’Zan to get his hands on her and exploit her powers. I couldn’t bear to think of Arwen suffering while her daughter languished in that diamond dome. No. I’m getting you your daughter back, Arwen, because you gave my life back to me.

  “I will see you soon,” I said.

  “Wait…” Arwen sighed, and wrapped her arms around me, taking me by surprise.

  Her embrace felt warm, and it filled me with more determination than I’d thought possible. She didn’t hesitate to hug Angelica, Deena and Uriel. The girls teared up. I figured this was the value of family and love—something we’d not been destined to have, and yet, we got it anyway. I only hoped our brethren would get a chance at such things, too.

  One by one, we moved into the shuttle and settled in the pilot chairs. Four sets of controls and commands were needed to operate it once we had to force its course toward Merinos. Outside, Arwen prepared the interplanetary travel spell. I’d yet to fully wrap my head around swamp witch magic, but I did appreciate the principles upon which it functioned.

  I made a note to myself to study this stuff in greater detail, provided I survived the oncoming mess. This wasn’t going to be easy, and I was well aware that one or more of us might have to die—sacrifices needed to secure the mission and make sure the others took it to the very end. I was, in fact, ready to give my life, as long as it led to Ta’Zan’s death and the salvation of the Perfects.

  As the shuttle trembled, engulfed by the spell’s golden light, then took off and shot through the sky, the four of us braced ourselves for what came next.

  “We’re in for a heap of trouble. You know that, right?” Uriel muttered, as the shuttle shuddered and groaned, breaching Calliope’s atmosphere.

  It quickly settled, smoothly sailing through the vacuum of cosmos, shooting past the stars and nearby planets as it headed toward the Meahiri galaxy, home of our Strava.

  “Yes, but we’re getting our world and our lives back,” I said. “I think it’s worth a scuffle or two.”

  They all chuckled, but I knew that we were on the same page. Together, we were going to take our maker down and give our people the freedom to forge their own paths through life—peacefully, and not at the expense of others.

  Rose

  My pulse drummed in my ears.

  We’d synced our watches, and we knew we were two hours away from Ta’Zan’s deadline. Amane had already given me the tiny scrambler and explained what it was for. It was neatly hidden beneath my skin with a quick, last-minute surgery, just to make sure it wouldn’t be found. I knew I’d asked my dad to keep the details of our operation to himself for a reason…

  My parents and the other prisoners had already been aware that Ta’Zan might have ears on the dome, so they’d been careful with how and when they talked—the collars didn’t allow for much conversation about rebelling against him, anyway.

  Even so, it was better to be prepared than to be caught by surprise. The scrambler sure wasn’t going to hurt us, especially with the comms blockers down—Ta’Zan knew he was at a temporary disadvantage there, and he wasn’t going to let that slide.

  With clammy hands and a permanent knot in my stomach, I found Ben in his chamber and brought him into the main hall, as the rest of our “initial” crew gathered around us.

  Our bags and weapons were piled up in a corner. We had no use for them, for the time being. We were going to surrender, and we would be lucky if we managed to sneak anything inside our hidden pockets.

  There was a certain sense of doom weighing on our shoulders. We had a plan, but it still felt weird. We’d circled and infiltrated the colosseum before, fighting tooth and nail not to end up its prisoners. Yet now, we were doing exactly what we’d tried so hard not to.

  The rogue Faulties, led by Herakles, along with Rakkhan and his Draenir, huddled to the side, watching us quietly, their eyes wide and filled with curiosity and concern. Araquiel was by Herakles’s side, his lips pursed and his arms crossed.

  “Everyone ready?” I asked, my voice breaking. I cleared my throat, hoping I’d sound a lot more confident the next time I spoke.

  The first line of surrender consisted of myself, Ben, Kailani and the rest of our original crew, along with Douma, the Faulty twins and Raphael. They all nodded. Behind them, Draven and Serena, Lumi and the others in their group also confirmed they were ready, as the second line of surrender, according to our plan.

  “You all know what you have to do. From prisoners to trusted Faulties and wayward Perfect children,” I added, giving Amal and Amane, then Douma and Raphael a soft smile.

  Kallisto raised a hand. “Are you seriously leaving me behind?” she grumbled.

  “You’re safer here with Leah and Samael. We’ll tell Ta’Zan we lost you after we heard about the deadline,” I replied. “If you go back to him, the Perfects won’t let you live.”

  “Or, if they do let me live, they’ll torture me until I beg them to kill me.” Kallisto sighed. “Yeah, I get it. I just wish I could help you more.”

  Amane squeezed her shoulder. “You’ve done enough already, and you know you’ll be out there with the Draenir and our rogues when the time comes. That’ll be enough, trust me.”

  “We’ll be okay,” I said, trying to reassure them all. “It’s risky as hell, and there are some unknown variables that might mess with our calculations, but we’re perfectly capable of adjusting to and overcoming anything. We’ve proven that much.”

  Rakkhan smiled. “If anyone can destroy that maniac, it’s you.”

  “Araquiel and I will do our part, don’t worry,” Herakles interjected. “By the time we’re done with Ta’Zan, he’ll be weeping like a baby.”

  That got a chuckle out of me. If we survived this, I was determined to offer Herakles a position in GASP. He had
n’t been around for too long, but he damn well deserved it. His grit, his quick wit, and his ability to adjust in response to unexpected twists and turns had already placed him ahead of many non-Stravian potential candidates. His sense of humor was just a delicious bonus.

  “And we’ll do ours,” I said. “No matter what we see or hear, no matter what happens around us, we stick to the plan. We do our parts. Then, we reap the rewards and win this damn war before it spills into the In-Between.”

  “This is our one shot to make things right. We inadvertently helped Ta’Zan create his Perfects and develop this nightmare. We’ll be the ones to stop him,” Ben continued.

  “I’ve told you before, you shouldn’t blame yourselves for any of this,” Amane said, drawing a nod of approval from Rakkhan, Raphael, and the others. “Ta’Zan would’ve woken up eventually. He would’ve found a way off the planet. He would’ve built his Perfects another way. A similar outcome, regardless of the circumstances. This was always his plan. But you’re right about one thing. We will be the ones to put an end to it.”

  Kailani stepped forward. She seemed nervous, and for good reason. She was about to walk into the home of the one creature who was most desperate to snag her and poke and prod her, until he figured out what made her magic tick.

  “Okay, let’s get the first group there,” she murmured, then looked at Taeral. “You bring in your crew. Let’s see if Ta’Zan knows about all of us, or just my team.”

  “That sounds reasonable. We might get lucky,” Taeral replied with a smirk.

  “Hey, if he doesn’t know about us, that doesn’t mean we get to kick back with a fruity cocktail and enjoy the tropical sunrise,” Lumi said, raising an eyebrow at the young prince.

  “Don’t hate me for dreaming,” Taeral retorted, pouting like a little boy.

  Ben and I linked hands. Seconds later, the original recon crew was connected through touch, along with Douma, Raphael, Amal, and Amane. We knew that Ta’Zan wanted them back as much as he wanted us, and that they were included in his demand. The four of them had also insisted on coming with us, in the first group, hoping that Ta’Zan would be too pleased to have them back to worry about Draven’s crew. Wishful thinking, I’d thought, but worth a shot, nonetheless.