“How like a girl to believe that her emotional snivelling has the power to save the day,” Kyron taunted. “I can tell you right now that Janak is going to rip your head off and when she does, she’ll enjoy it. The creature is under my control, and the only feeling she has for you is hunger.”

  “You lie,” she shot back as she placed her hand on the creature’s snout and flooded it with hue. Like Eviath had done to her on the plane, Asharielle sent waves of love through her touch, bombarding the creature’s mind with her favourite memory of them together: her and Janice hugging in the kitchen. If she could just get through to the human that she was sure still lived inside the beast, then perhaps she could break Kyron’s hold on her.

  Janak’s snarl was deafening but Asharielle didn’t flinch. She stared into the creature’s eyes and let hers fill with the love she held for her aunt. Her voice was gentle as she whispered of the times they had sat on the couch watching movies and eating popcorn. The beast growled, and she felt the weight of its paw on her chest soften.

  Hope blazed in her heart. Was it working? The feline’s pupils began to dilate, and Asharielle heard a rumbling purr deep in its chest.

  “I knew you were still there, Janice. Fight it. Please fight. Come back to me,” she implored, blinking tears from her eyes.

  “Stop playing with your food and eat her already.”

  The anger in Kyron’s command was all it took to break her hold. Janak’s pupils tightened back to slits and her jaw snapped around the hand touching her nose. Shocked by the sudden movement, Asharielle could only watch as the beast’s jaw gnashed and crunched along her arm. It snarled in frustration when its teeth could not penetrate her shield. Sad couldn’t begin to cover how she felt at losing her aunt, but she had no time to process her feelings, for the beast shook its head and she was tossed from side to side like a ragdoll.

  She had to get free.

  Nick had said that shielding was her strength. How could she use it against this creature? Running through the lessons he had taught her, she began to thicken the shield around her arm, widening it so that the Kryak’s jaw wedged open. Next, she poured hue around its teeth and hardened it like steel so that when she ripped her arm free the creature could not spit it out. Using the momentum from its shaking head, Asharielle waited until her body was thrown left and released her arm from its hold. She rolled and sprang to her feet. Finding herself a few metres from the beast, she shielded.

  Janak howled but its cry was muffled by the obstruction in its throat. It attacked, but she was prepared this time and her mindset was strong. The Kryak bounced off the barrier, shook its head, and sprang again. When it could not get through, it began to claw at the impenetrable wall. It howled in frustration and sprang toward The Guardian, but Serra was there to stop her. Her tails whipped like spears, shocking the Kryak with their electrified tips.

  Where possible, shield your friends, Asharielle. Nick’s words whispered in her head, and she turned from her aunt, side-stepped past Janak and Serra and expanded her shield around The Guardian.

  “He’s shielded, Nick. I’ve got him.”

  Her words caused Kyron to glance at her. He looked away but then his eyes bulged, and he turned back. He looked confused, then angry, triumphant and…his eyes lasered over every inch of her body? His gaze made her want to take a bath.

  “You?” he asked, “Is it truly you? How is such a feat possible? I see you, yet I am not sure it is you, for you are not as you were before…and yet you are here. Now that I look at you, I can see the hue blazing within you. But is it yours, or just a remnant from The Guardian? Are you She? Tell me, and I will let everyone live if you come with me now.”

  Confused by his rambling, she watched the fireball in his hand falter. A range of emotions flitted across his face so fast that she couldn’t categorise them. His shield flickered, then faded. His hand reached toward her…

  Hued fireballs shot out of Nick’s hands and knocked Kyron off his floating disc. The crack of bullets began to whistle through the air and on instinct, Asharielle tapped into Sanctuary and increased the strength of the dome shields surrounding everyone. She could tell it was live ammunition by the way it shattered against the barrier. The sound frightened her, and she knew she must not let any get through.

  The militia had fanned out over the grass about twenty metres away. They seemed overly confident, for they stood while they shot at her. She looked over her shoulder at Ryder. He was awake and Eviath was trying to haul him to his feet. Neither one reacted to the rapid-fire of the machine gun that tried to bore a hole in their dome.

  She was sure that they wouldn’t fire at Nick; he was too close to Kyron. It was much harder for them to hit a moving target anyway. Back on his flying disc, Kyron tried to slip past Nick to get at The Guardian, but the winged boy was always in the way. He flipped and turned through the air, dodging fireballs where he could and shielding when return fire came his way. But she was wrong about the gunfire. As Nick spun clear of Kyron, bullets peppered his shield, then stopped as he closed the gap.

  “Serra, can you hear me?” Asharielle said, projecting her thoughts into the creature’s mind.

  “I can, Asharielle, but I’m a little busy right now,” she replied as she sprang over Janak’s back.

  “I need you to take the ullmae and stop those soldiers. I have everyone shielded here and the Kryak cannot get through.”

  “As you command, My Lady.”

  She bounded away from Janak and raced head on toward the militia with one of the males. Each used their tail shields to protect against bullets. The other two males sprinted away from Rychek and disappeared amongst the rubble of the war-torn landscape. Rychek sprang after them, but Asharielle imprisoned her in a dome as well. The beast hit the inside wall and her head went sideways as she slid to the ground. Janak began throwing herself against Asharielle’s shield.

  Ignoring her, Asharielle walked over to The Guardian.

  “I need to re-absorb you now,” she said, holding out a hand.

  “Before you do,” he said as he took a step back,” know that it might take me a while to find my voice so that we can speak again. You need to know how to get out of Sanctuary in case Nick or Ryder cannot perform the task.”

  Asharielle thought of the doorway she had felt earlier. He had described it as a cut, but to her, it felt more like a zipper. Could she not just unzip it?

  “With Sanctuary breaking down, the tear in space is fragile. We are right over the gate, Asharielle. Can you feel it?”

  The Guardian was right. The tear had weakened since she last saw it. The doorway was fading!

  “We have dallied here too long. Before, the portal always sliced open like a neat cut, but now leaving may be a little more traumatic. You might need to rip it open, but you must not get stuck inside Sanctuary when the last of the hue that binds this dimension runs out, or you will all die. Do you understand?”

  Asharielle nodded, grateful to be made aware of the situation. She was hoping that Nick would take care of the doorway, but with Sanctuary becoming so weak, she knew they had to get out of here soon. He stepped back toward her, and her hand connected with his cheek. She concentrated…

  “Asharielle, RPG! Real bomb! Strong shields now. Protect your friends,” Nick yelled. The image of a bomb shelter flashed in her head and though she had made the dome walls like titanium, her mind added layers to each. Two loud booms rang in her ears as the missiles were fired. Huddled against The Guardian’s side, she saw Nick and Kyron shoot into the sky. Her eyes slid to Ryder’s. His fists beat against the barrier, but Eviath was dragging him back. She was grateful that he could not get to her now. At least he would be safe.

  Two rocket-propelled grenades detonated against her shield only seconds apart. The double impact shook the ground so hard that she fell to her knees. Dust and hue exploded around her and then she felt it in her bones… Her shield wavered then shattered like broken glass. She tried to shield again but shock held her captive.

  A burning light ran toward her through the dust and Asharielle saw that Janak had caught fire. The beast launched at her.

  “Janice, no!” she screamed and brought her arms in front of her face to shield her from the flames.

  Light flared in front of her, and as she peeked through the gap in her forearms, Asharielle saw the flaming beast slam against a sunlit shield before a golden laser beam severed the creature’s head.

  Chapter 36

  Asharielle screamed as the beast’s head slid off its neck. It hit the ground, then the still flaming body slid down the shield. The severed head blinked, and its eyes flickered back and forth before they locked on hers. Just as she was wondering if her aunt’s consciousness had surfaced in her final moments, the beast hissed at her, then the head stopped moving. As the smell of burnt flesh filled her nostrils, she was unsure if the relief she felt was an appropriate response to losing her aunt. She was glad that Janice was no longer suffering. It was the only emotion she let herself feel. The rest, she pushed away to deal with later.

  Ryder dropped to his knees in front of her. He was mouthing something, but her ears were ringing from the explosion. His arms went around her. She returned the hug and saw that his palms were still glowing from the laser beam he had conjured to save her life. She could not fathom where he had summoned the strength to manifest from, for he was so weak that he could not support the weight of his emaciated arms, and they fell from her shoulders like dropped bricks. She glanced at the devastation around her. The dust had yet to settle, and she realised that another missile could hit at any moment.

  She nodded to Eviath, who knelt behind Ryder and pulled him back against her chest while she cast another dome shield around them. She could just make out The Guardian’s form through the dust and pushed the barrier out to include him. She met resistance. Something was not right. Her shield would not go around him.

  She heard shouting and looked up to find Kyron descending from the sky. “Stop, you blithering idiots,” he screamed toward the militia. The ringing in her ears was fading, but his voice sounded as though it was coming through a microphone. “I need the unicorn and the girl alive.”

  Again, she tried to shield the unicorn, but something was preventing her.

  “Bullets weren’t doing nuthin,” one of the soldiers called, then his next utterance was silenced. She realised the ullmae were still out there. Had they attacked the soldiers yet?

  Nick landed outside her shield. She began to expand it to include him, but he shook his head to stop her. Then she saw why, and dismay filled her. Kyron had shielded The Guardian. She swore as she tapped the others’ shoulders and pointed to the awful red dome that kept them apart. It was all her fault. She should have re-absorbed him earlier!

  “Well, this is an auspicious moment,” Kyron said as he landed outside The Guardian’s prison. “After all this time…you are finally mine!”

  He strode back and forth along the dome, inspecting his prize from all angles. Asharielle shivered at the longing in his gaze. His hands caressed the shield as though he was handling a rare treasure, and she knew if they didn’t do something, he would soon be touching The Guardian with his creepy fingers. She looked to Nick for help, but he had not moved from his position outside her shield.

  “Such a magnificent creature. To think that you hold all that hue within you. And now, all your sacrifices have been for nothing!”

  The Guardian knickered and turned so that his hind quarters faced Kyron. The single flick of his tail suggested that his enemy’s words were no more significant than a fly that needed swatting.

  Unperturbed by the snub, Kyron cocked his head and looked over at a barely conscious Ryder slumped against Eviath’s chest.

  “I can’t wait to see the light dull in your eyes, Watcher! I imagine it can’t be long now.”

  “Long enough to defeat you, Kyron,” Asharielle shot back. Ryder was too weak to reply, though the anger that flared in his eyes told her that his spirit was still strong.

  “And you!” he bit off as he scrutinised every inch of her. “You are the ultimate surprise, though the more I look at you the more I can see that you are not her! Your dull cow eyes, though sparkly, do not have the agelessness that she does, nor do they display her serenity or strength. I can only imagine that you look the way you do because the unicorn has somehow changed your DNA.” His smile was filled with cynicism as he stepped across and tapped on her shield.

  “This yours, little girl? It’s quite strong. Perhaps it’s for the best that you killed your aunt. Had she lived, it would be difficult to stop her from tearing you apart. I need time to discover whether the hue is yours or a by-product of your connection to the unicorn. I do hope it’s yours. It would make you the first person to wield hue since I last wiped out the earth. Along with your brother, you are now very precious to me, child.”

  “Ah, you’re all talk, Kyron. I can tell you The Guardian is not the only one getting bored with your drivel!” Nick said.

  “And as for you…” Kyron spun and stepped right up to the little boy’s face, challenge in his eyes. Nick didn't move, even when Kyron raked a long fingernail over his cheek. “You are a wonderful surprise. I have no idea who you are or where you come from, but you too shall spend time in my lab. You’re quite an inspiration—physically, that is. Just imagine…a winged Kryak!”

  He laughed as though they had just shared a joke, and he slapped Nick’s cheek affectionately, then frowned as he realised there was blood on his fingers. He whipped out a handkerchief and wiped his hand as though it was covered in faeces. Holding the material by the corner, he sneered, looked around, then used a single finger to shove it back in his pocket. Only then did he look up. He seemed surprised to find that Nick had not moved, not even to wipe the blood that trickled down his cheek. Asharielle watched as his mouth twitched with disappointment. He nodded, and Rychek moved to stand behind Nick.

  Nick was not intimidated by the beast at all. What surprised her was that her fear of these creatures was also lessening. As she stared at Rychek, she felt more objective curiosity than horror. Like her aunt, Rychek had been human once, but her braided blonde hair was the only clue that remained. Her tough armadillo-like skin had protected her chest and back from the full brunt of the explosion, but she bled from a hole in her left cheek and shrapnel had pierced the tough skin on her arm.

  Six militia came running in to stand behind Kyron. They were breathless and bloody, and instead of facing the shield, they faced out, weapons at the ready. Two soldiers held knives; she had no idea what had happened to their rifles. No more soldiers arrived, and she felt a grim satisfaction knowing that the ullmae had reduced their numbers so much. She wondered where they were. Nick must have them camouflaged close by.

  Buffered by reinforcements, he turned from Nick and placed his hand against the red shield. He paused, and Asharielle could tell how much he relished the idea of having an audience to witness his success. She glanced at Nick, looking for help. His subtle hand motion told her to wait. Surprised by his lack of action, Asharielle grabbed the edges of her shirt and scrunched the material as hard as she could.

  “Say goodbye, everyone, for the power of The Guardian is now mine!” He pulled at the hue contained within the unicorn. Asharielle’s heart stopped.

  “No,” she yelled, scrambling to her feet. “You cannot have him.”

  Kyron’s brow furrowed and his concentration deepened as he tried to absorb the energy of The Guardian. He slapped a second hand on the shield. Asharielle waited but nothing happened. She glanced to Ryder, who was grinning despite his frail nature.

  Her eyes shot to Nick. ‘Be ready,’ he mouthed.

  “What?” Kyron muttered to himself as he took his hands off the shield and then slapped them back onto it. “Why can’t I—”

  “Why can’t you absorb the hue?” Nick finished the question as he stepped toward a scowling Kyron.

  “It’s not working,” he yelled, beating his hands against the shield. The Guardian began to nicker. It was soft at first, then it grew louder. Asharielle felt her lips twitch. He seemed to be laughing at Kyron’s pathetic attempt to defeat him.

  “Be ready, Asharielle. As soon as the shield is down, you will need to absorb me,” The Guardian warned.

  Nerves skittered in her belly, wiping the smile from her face. She let go of her shirt. Her hands felt electrified, and she hid them behind her back, just in case Kyron sensed her intent.

  “The reason you won’t win today, Kyron,” Nick taunted, “is that you can only absorb the hue when The Guardian is in his physical form, and currently…he is not.”

  With a flick of his hand, a shield wall sprang up in front of the militia, separating them from their boss. Kyron signalled Rychek, who sprang at Nick from behind, but as she gripped his arms, his wings ignited. Phoenix flame spread over his whole body. Rychek’s hands burned like phosphorus. She tried to hold him, but the searing pain of that otherworldly fire was too much, and she jerked them free.

  Nick’s eyes turned white as he took another step closer to Kyron. Asharielle could feel the heat blazing through her shield, but Kyron held his ground. He blasted Nick with fireballs, but Phoenix had taken over and he didn’t even try to dodge them. They melted into the inferno that raged across his skin. Kyron had no choice but to step away from the shield.

  “What are you?” he bit out.

  Phoenix ignored him and placed his palm on the red shield. Unearthly flame ate the dome wall.

  The Guardian was free. It was only once she’d held out both hands that she realised she didn’t need them. The tether connecting them told her they had never been apart. Instead of pulling like she had with the animals, she felt a void inside that needed to be filled to make her complete. She wasn’t absorbing him; she was drawing him back. His form unravelled. A blue sun hovered in the air. She pulled upon it, and a beam of pure energy hit her heart.

  Eyes closed against the blinding light, she drew it all in, feeling joy at having him safe inside her again. Asharielle could feel the infinite power she contained and when she opened her eyes, she let Kyron see it. Her whole body glowed.

 

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