Quest For Earth (22 page)

Sherise opened her mouth but snapped it shut when Dyrke switched his gaze to her and said, ‘We will give weapons, namely plitza guns. The one medie tube and its power source which we have with us may remain with you, as well as the medical supplies.'

‘I hear no mention of explosives, or armour, or any other technology. And what of an alliance?'

‘Your battle is not ours, Maaka.'

It would have to do. And pray to the god Leon, I will still have time to win them to our cause.
Maaka removed his hand from Sherise's arm and slid his fingers down to intertwine with hers. One quick squeeze and he released.

‘Agreed. You may take the woman.'

Chapter 15

Inside the Central Fortress

The Teacher hummed as he ran his finger down the list he held. Anticipation fired his blood, like pistons at full throttle. This was the moment he craved on every level. The wondrous knowledge that soon he and his people would be satisfying their hunger for human flesh. And all it required was a special, pure-bred person.

His finger stopped, resting against a name.

He quivered.

Yes, this was the one. He found another and yet another. Three should suffice.

Without lifting his gaze from the page, he said, ‘Fetch Jessica Neilson, Chung Zhou and Macy Brown.'

‘But Teacher,' whined his companion, Lilith.

This time he glanced up, pinning the young handmaiden with his icy glare. That was all it took, for she immediately ceased rubbing his unshod feet. Her face flushed and she stood, then rushed from his private quarters.

He allowed the paper to slip from his fingers and nestled into the soft cushions littering his wide bed, savouring the heady wait. He smiled. His plan was falling into place. A little more time, a little more patience and all he had desired for so long would soon come to fruition.

After several minutes he rose and walked across the carpeted room to where a narrow timber cupboard was positioned against the wall. He glanced over to the curtained doorway, listening until he heard the sound of approaching footsteps, then poured a clear liquid from the toppered bottle into three glasses. The potion had to be consumed within four minutes or it would lose its potency.

The curtain was thrust aside and Lilith glided into the room. Three young humans followed her, looking excited and just a tiny bit nervous.

He licked his lips.

Perfect.

‘I have them.' Lilith fluttered her lashes. ‘Shall I stay?'

He heard the avid curiosity in her voice and quickly restrained his glee. One day he would ensure she learnt everything, personally, but until that time he would continue to use her pliable body. He beckoned her closer and she quickly obeyed. As soon as she was within reach, he pulled her up against his body. Her breasts were soft against his human form as he pressed his mouth against hers.

She murmured her approval, sliding her tongue over his teeth and rubbing her lower body over his groin. His sex hardened, his balls swelling with hot blood, but he pushed her away.

‘I have a job for you to perform.' He paused for four beats before continuing. ‘Seduce the one called Barid. We need to know the exact extent of the damage to their ship. Report only to me. Can you do this?'

‘Of course, Teacher. He will sing like a canary,' she said proudly.

‘I don't want him to sing but to talk. Now leave and do not return until I call for you,' he said coolly.

Lilith knew better than to argue, even though lust glazed her eyes. Nodding, she left.

The moment the curtain swooshed back into place he looked at the chosen three. When he smiled, some of the trepidation disappeared from their expressions. ‘Come. Join me in a drink before we begin the ceremony.' With a sweep of his hand, he indicated the glasses on the countertop.

Trained from birth to obey and in awe of being in the presence of their spiritual advisor, none questioned him. Gleefully, he watched until they'd drained every last drop.

‘Follow me.' One twist of a handle inset into the wall and a secret door swung open. As soon as the last one entered, the door closed behind them.

He began to hum again as he led the way along the well-lit corridor, then down the steep staircase. With every step he took, his true self seethed and thrummed, desperate to be freed from the puny form encasing him.

At the bottom of the staircase he opened yet another door and expelled a long relieved breath. The basement was the lowest point in the entire city and had been excavated out of rock. A wide expanse of space, it stretched under several adjoining buildings with concrete pillars taking the load of the floors above. It was dark, lit only near the stairwell and off-limits to all save himself.

For only he knew the secrets hidden here.

Those who'd assisted in the construction all those years ago, not long after he'd landed on this planet, had been killed. A necessity; for these ignorant people would never have accepted him if they learned his true identity.

Or his purpose.

His gaze swept the shadows until he found the portal; a Darkon technology powered by their highly prized energy spheres made from darkyrionean rock. And yet the device itself was composed of a dull black metal and alloy, the likes of which he'd never seen before. It was an anomaly that had long fascinated him, especially as the Darkons had never shared this technology with any other race.

He stalked toward the portal wedged deep in the ground; the quickening sizzled down through his body. He'd attempted many times to invent a power source of sufficient energy to operate the portal but had failed. It remained frustratingly inert.

For several long moments he stared at the arc, his breathing now heavy, coming fast and strong. How the portal had come to be here, on this pitiful planet so far from the Seven Galaxies, he had no idea. He'd always suspected that somehow members of the crew of the
Rising Star
, the Darkon battlecruiser that had followed him into the Vortex, had survived. Perhaps they'd used the portal to flash off the ship before he'd managed to destroy it during that last battle. But if that was the case, how did the portal come to be on Earth?

His own ship had begun to disintegrate moments afterwards, leaving him and his people with no recourse but to man escape pods or suffer the same fate. They'd ended up here, where the primitive people had viewed them like gods and where he'd conducted experiments on breeding with such delightful results.

At least some of his race had survived; but the only one who mattered had died.

His son.

He'd been pulverised into a mass of blood and gore during the barrage of plasma fire from the Darkon cruiser. He'd been so badly injured not even his Bracken heritage had saved him.

The Teacher's hands clenched into fists.

Despite constant searching of this planet, he'd been unable to find any trace of Darkon survivors or Darkon technology. Nothing but this one portal he was unable to activate. And now, with a Darkon star voyager orbiting Earth, all he had to do was gain control of her. He would use what remained of his ship, the pieces of wreckage hidden in this very room, to repair the
Quinnie
and either activate the portal or take it with him.

Then he would return to Darkos and decimate the entire race. After killing each and every Darkon on this planet, of course.

But first, with the fresh meat waiting so docilely behind him, he needed to feed his army. Shapes began to stir amidst the shadows, the rustle of clothing and a low growling cut through the quiet.

Spreading his arms wide, the Teacher flung his head back and allowed the transformation to begin.

***

Command Shuttle

Approaching the Central Fortress

Slumped in her seat, Sherise listened with little interest to the hushed conversations taking place around her. Beside her, Bree succumbed to exhaustion and slept while the shuttle flew unhindered towards the Fortress.

Stars above, it seemed Maaka could not wait to be rid of her, so hastily had he arranged her departure from the Freebers' settlement. A bitter smile twisted her lips as she acknowledged the battering her pride had received.

Used again as a bargaining chip.

First by the Elites, who had incarcerated her on Gazood with the intention of forcing the surrender of the Darkon race once they found out the only daughter of their leader was still alive. She'd been imprisoned there for thirteen cycles before her rescue. Then Kondo had used her status to garner her brother's attention. Kondo had been part of the team that had rescued them off Gazood, but he'd spirited her away until he'd secured an alliance between their two races. It had been unnecessary. Sherise would have intervened on Kondo's behalf, if he had but asked. She would have done anything to bring the war to an end. Instead of respecting her, he'd ignored her reasoning.

But no matter how much she wanted to deny it, this time a man's callous disregard for her opinions hurt far too much. She had been a fool to think any substance lay beneath Maaka's smooth words and teasing touch. She closed her mind to his gift of flowers and of how he'd tapped the rosemary leaves against her fingers. If he had been serious in his intentions, he would never have let her go. And he would have availed himself of her unspoken invitation when they had been alone at the pool.

Despite her eagerness to shake the dirt of such a primitive way of life from her hands, one part of her, a surprisingly large part, wished he had.

She shifted in the seat and bit down hard on the keen of anguish that demanded to be released.

Forget him. Remember your duty to your people and your friends.
Still, she could not help wondering what it would feel like to have the man she ached for take possession of her body.

That was all she wanted.

Surely the goddess, Cercis, could have granted her this one wish? But no. It appeared she was ordained to live out her life without such blissful memories. Memories that perhaps would wash away, once and for all, the sordid encounter that festered in the shadows of her mind.

Dyrke leant over from the row in front of her. ‘Prepare for touchdown.'

She checked her harness. All secure. She gently nudged Bree, who blinked and yawned. ‘We're about to land.'

Bree grimaced.

‘Remember, Lady, maintain your low profile. We have been given separate living quarters close to the Board's Headquarters for the night. A guide has been assigned to you to bring you to the rendezvous point tomorrow, when we will begin the tour of the city.' He shot back his sleeve and examined the data on his personal compu. ‘Ensure that both of you have your personal locators on and functioning at all times.'

Her lips thinned. ‘I understand, Dyrke, there is no need to continually remind us of caution.'

‘Very well. I will say no more on the matter.' He eyed Sherise narrowly. ‘Tell me exactly what happened.'

Sherise huffed out a breath. ‘Another matter you do not need me to explain again. What is more important is learning how advanced these people are. I hope this tour will provide some answers.'

‘Agreed.' Dyrke frowned heavily. ‘Time is not on our side.'

‘I am positive the shuttles' signals were jammed. Have you investigated this matter?'

He nodded. ‘I have ordered a scan of the area where you landed. It should pick up any energy bursts which may have been responsible.'

The shuttle's engines changed tune and Sherise braced herself. ‘It may not be a natural phenomenon. If that's the case, we need to find out who has the capability of doing so and why they would put us at risk.'

‘That's easy. Whoever it is wants your tech,' Bree said.

‘She is correct.'

Sherise gripped the armrests tighter as the ship descended. ‘I know she is but we need the ‘who' confirmed. We can't afford any mistakes. People's lives could be at stake here. Dyrke, I'm keen to discover what powers the city and the dome. Ensure all personnel on the ground keep their eyes open and record everything they see and hear. We will evaluate the reports when we return to the
Quinnie
.'

The shuttle jolted. They'd landed.

The Commander released his restraints and stood. ‘Stay safe. Any hint of trouble, or should unease enter your mind, contact us immediately. Kondo and one of my men will be at your call.' He shrugged his wide shoulders, no longer encased in Darkon armour but covered by his black form-fitting flight uniform. ‘The walls of the compound are sufficient to keep the predators outside at bay. You should come to no harm in this city.'

‘Famous last words,' said Bree as the Commander marched off to join Kondo at the hatch.

Both men stepped down from the shuttle and disappeared from view. Darkon and Relic warriors followed until only Sherise and her friend remained on board.

‘Now what? We gonna sit here all day?'

Sherise shot her a quick look, taking in her stony expression. Bree was not normally this curt, but, on reflection, perhaps she had yet to come to terms with her new situation. As Sherise well knew, grief often took some time to release its painful hold.

‘You are correct. It is time to be on our way. I want us to do our own tour of this city. I'm certain there will be places we will not be shown during the official one.' She pushed to her feet. Her gait wobbly, she wound her way past the rows of seats and reached up to grab her replenished medie satchel before swinging it over her shoulders.

Bree snapped off her harness. ‘Come on, let's go check this place out. From what you've told me it sounds really cool. But then, anything is better than that hole in the ground we were in. Too similar to Gazood for my liking.'

Although Sherise agreed, she refrained from comment. Perhaps if she did so, all memory of Maaka and his life would fade.

Fast.

She moved to the exit, relieved that her friend's spirits had lifted. Her boots clanged against the metal rungs as she climbed down. As soon as Bree joined her, Sherise coded a sequence into the panel on the shuttle's side and the hatch slid shut.