Blue solace complete ser.., p.83
Blue Solace: Complete Series Boxset, page 83
Beck kissed Beol gently as the crew started filing out of the room. “You’ll be careful, right?”
“Of course,” Beol said. “I may bitch about the babies, but I love them, and I love you. I’ll do my damnedest to come out of this alive.”
Beck checked the ship over one more time, Beol glued to his side, then walked Dr. Bloop to the bridge. Tinker perched on the dog’s head and chittered worriedly. All the pets would stay on board with Dannol and Nettle, well except Princess, but he was a Charybdis soldier now.
“Be a good boy, Dr. Bloop,” Beol said, rubbing the dog’s ears. “Your dog dad is here, and he’ll be worried about his people too. Keep each other company, okay? Keep an eye on Tinker.”
Hack kissed the top of Gravy’s head. “They’ll take care of one another. Right boy?”
Gravy licked Hack’s face, then trotted over to sit next to Bloop.
“Come on, assassin,” Hack said, slapping Beol’s back. “Let’s get this over with so I can love on my mate.”
Leti sniffled and pressed against Hack’s side. “If you don’t come back, we’ll find you and drag your ass back, Will.”
Princess Buttercup met them at the shuttle.
“He wants to go with us,” Leti said, voice breaking. “He can’t sneak with you guys, but he can stay on the ship with me.”
Hack looked relieved. “I’d actually really like that. Thanks, Princess.”
The dragon eyed him.
“Yeah, yeah. I love you too.” Hack rolled his eyes.
Beck went to the pilot’s seat and started the shuttle up. He looked back and counted heads, then headed to Xav’s ship to pick up his crew, then on to Moyra’s ship to get part of the Half-Moon folks. Dru would have Haroon’s crew and the rest of Half-Moon.
“Guild Master.” Clara nodded as she boarded with Wolfe, Noe, and a few others. “There’s a path from the closest jungle that leads straight to the heart of the temple.”
“That’s not very sensible,” Selene said.
Clara shrugged. “I know what you mean. The mercs and the rest stay away from the temple because the Queen and her guards are creepy as hell. There were too many of them to take on with just the five of us scouts or we would have given it a try.”
“She would have killed you all,” Death said.
“So, you say,” Clara said, making a face. “She doesn’t do anything but pace around.”
“We can’t trust appearances.” Death shook his head. “She’s a very social person, so that’s very unusual, but she’s also devious.”
Beck followed the coordinates and flew into the blind spot. He landed outside of the town, in a clearing a little way into the jungle, and lowered the back ramp.
He held Beol’s hand as they unloaded. His mate’s face was stoic, and Beck knew he was mentally preparing himself for the fight.
Death swallowed hard, sadness filling his eyes. “It’s strange being back here. The jungle looks and smells like it always has. Like home. I wish Wyatt had come on the shuttle so I could show him this.” He shook his head. “What am I saying? He’s safer on the ship.”
Hack pulled Leti into his arms, and everyone looked away, trying to give them a moment.
“What the fuck are those?” Clara pointed at the bots swirling in the air.
“Beck’s bots,” Noe said, shrugging. “You miss things when you volunteer to scout out a distant planet, Clara.”
Beck looked at Beol. Noe actually sounded angry. Did he and Clara have a thing?
Beol shrugged.
Clara arched a brow. “They’ll stand out a bit, don’t you think?”
Almost as one, each person focused, and the bots disappeared from vision.
“Damn,” she said. “They’re shielded?”
“Yeah. They also have sensors that prevent them from running into one another,” Beck said, trying to smile.
“I wish I had a sensor that did that,” Morgan said. “There’s benefits to invisibility, but there are also some downsides.”
“That’s amazing,” Clara said, smiling. “I want one.”
“We make it through this, I’ll get you one.”
Beol hugged him. “Don’t worry so much, Sparky. We’ll come back.”
“You had better. I don’t know how I’ll make it if you don’t. Plus, you’ve got our sons baking in there.”
“You’re pregnant?” Clara looked flabbergasted. “Why didn’t anyone pass that gossip on?”
Hack patted him on the shoulder. “You’ll watch out for Leti? I’ll keep an eye on Beol.”
Beck nodded. He’d guard Leti with his life.
Beck wished he could keep Beol in his arms, but he had to let him go. Beol kissed his cheek, hugged Icarus and the girls, then went to stand with Noe and Wolfe, who was currently being hugged/mauled by Leti.
“I’ll make sure he comes back, Beck.” Selene hugged him, settling her head on his chest.
“Make sure you come back too,” he said, voice cracking. “This isn’t a normal mission.”
“No. It’s not.” She pushed away and went with the others.
Together, they activated their shields and disappeared.
Beck turned around. “Everyone back on the ship. We need to stay ready in case they need us.”
They loaded back up, and Beck sat in the pilot’s seat, praying to every god he could think of.
Beck checked the time. It felt like it had been hours, but only fifteen minutes had passed. He scanned the clearing. Nothing but a few animals around.
Leti leaned against the back of his seat, Princess in his arms. The dragon was his traveling size, and Beck hoped he didn’t have to change that.
Leti hugged his dragon tightly, lip trembling. “I know I’m supposed to be strong, and I know Will is one of the best, but I’m so scared, Beck. This plan just plain sucks.”
“We have to believe in them,” Beck said.
Princess lifted his head and hissed. The shuttle rocked, and the windows were quickly covered by thick branch-like vines.
“What the fuck is that?” Silas jumped up with the rest, and they looked around the shuttle as it creaked.
Beck looked up from the scan. “The scan doesn’t show anything, and our comm is out. Maia, take the pilot’s seat.”
The young woman hurried over.
Beck walked through the shuttle, trying to look out each of the windows. Vines covered everything.
He focused, and his six bots flew from the upper storage space, circling his head. “Sax and Icarus stay with Leti. Silas, come with me. Everyone keep your injectors handy.”
Beck pushed the button and opened the hatch door. He didn’t expect it or the ramp to work, but the door slid open, clear of vines. What the hell was going on?
He stepped outside and saw her. The young woman looked feral. She was Silet, with long, tangled, white hair. Like every other member of her species, her pink skin sparkled like it was covered in glitter, but she was covered in mud and dirt. Cleaned up, she would be beautiful. As she was, she looked like she lived in the jungle.
Her eyes caught his attention. Most Silet had very human-looking eyes, but hers were completely black – sclera and iris, the whole thing.
“Earth?”
She nodded. “That’s what they call me this cycle.”
Beck raised his phaser, and Silas did the same. “I’m guessing you want something, seeing as how we aren’t dead yet.”
She looked uncertain. “I… I don’t know. You’re from Charybdis Station. Correct?”
“We are,” Leti said, peeking around him.
Beck turned and glared at Icarus and Sax. The two androids had their weapons drawn.
Sax blinked. “We stayed with Leti.”
“You’re Leti Hackett,” Earth said. “My Queen despises you.”
Leti frowned. “Why me?”
“She had plans, but you figured things out and made us public knowledge.”
“Plans?” Leti looked curious.
“She intended to stay in the background and use the Concords and Humans First to destroy the galaxy, but you made sure everyone knew of us and our history.”
Earth’s eyes kept slipping to Sax and Icarus, though she tried to keep her attention on Leti. Finally, she seemed to give up on it.
“What are you two? You’re living, but not alive. I’ve never seen anything like you.”
“They’re my children,” Beck said, moving in front of them. “Don’t you even think of hurting them.”
“Children?”
“My name is Beck. I made them.”
Earth’s eyes widened. “You made them.”
“What do you want, Earth?” Leti frowned at the woman. “This isn’t exactly how we pictured this confrontation going.”
“No,” she said softly. “I don’t imagine you would have.”
“I know pieces of your history, your story,” Leti said. “I know you love the Queen and are her most loyal Element.”
Beck whined at the pain in her eyes. He had never seen agony like that.
Her eyes met his. “Come with me, Beck. Bring your children and come with me. I need to show you something.”
“He goes, we all go,” Leti said, voice firm.
“No,” Beck said. “You need to stay with the shuttle in case… just in case.”
“The shuttle isn’t going anywhere,” Maia said from the door. “There are flowers growing in the engine.”
“Bring your friends, creator, but come. I need to show you something.”
“Alright,” Beck said. “We’ll come with you.”
If they were with Earth, that meant that Dru’s team wasn’t. They would try to contact everyone and notice Beck’s shuttle was out of commission. Hopefully.
Everyone filed out of the shuttle and followed the woman into the jungle.
.
Chapter 16
Beol walked down the path toward the temple, eyes scanning the area. Clara was right. No one was even close to them. The temple should have been covered with protection for the Queen.
“Entering the temple now.” Hack’s voice echoed in his earpiece.
The temple was a large, pyramid-shaped building with an ornate staircase starting at the base. It was surrounded by lush, beautifully kept gardens and paths.
“The Queen’s sanctum is at the very top,” Clara said. “The main stairs lead straight to it.”
“Everyone stay to the right on the stairs,” Hack said.
The group easily climbed the stairs, meeting no one on the way.
“This isn’t right,” Death said. “Something is wrong.”
The stairs led to a large, opulent, and airy room. Several men and women stood to attention along the walls, eyes straight ahead.
The Queen paced back and forth in front of a delicate, golden throne. She wore a Silet body, Dr. Linda Belcort to be exact. She was dressed in a simple white dress with a golden belt.
Beol stood still, looking around the room. No one noticed them. The Queen continued her pacing, unaware of their presence. Death was right. Something wasn’t right.
Fire’s voice came through the earpiece, frantic. “Earth isn’t here. It was just a golem.”
Golem?
Someone – it could have been anyone really – stabbed the queen with the injector.
She stopped pacing and stood still. Beol finally noticed her eyes. They were blank and completely empty.
Death deactivated his shield. “That’s not her. It’s just a golem. The guards are soulless husks, likely golems as well.”
Beol walked to the nearest one and sliced the man in two with his blade. It crumbled to dust.
Someone did the same to the Queen, and her body crumbled into little bits.
“Fuck,” Hack said. “Retreat back to the ships. We’ll regroup and figure shit out.”
“I’m so sorry,” Clara said, voice shaking. “We didn’t get close to her, so we didn’t know. Fuck. I’m so sorry.”
“You did exactly what you were supposed to,” Beol said. “Let’s get out of here.”
They hurried back to the shuttle and deactivated their shields. Beol froze, heart stopping at the sight of the shuttle covered in vines. “Beck.”
“Leti,” Hack called out, running toward the shuttle. He disappeared inside for only a second before coming back out.
“They aren’t there.”
“Dead?” Beol didn’t recognize his voice. It was so empty.
“No,” Hack said, clapping him on the back. “No signs of a fight. No blood. No dead bodies.”
“I called Dru. Her shuttle is on the way,” Noe said.
“They went this way,” Selene said. She stood at the edge of the jungle. “I count nine sets of footprints.”
“Nine? There were only eight of them,” Clara said. “Well, if you don’t count Princess Buttercup.”
A shuttle landed, and Dru and the others poured out. “What happened?”
Fire flew to Sebastian’s side, hugging him tightly.
“Let’s find out,” Hack said grimly.
They followed Selene as she tracked the footprints.
It seemed like ages, but may have only been about half an hour, before they found them.
Beol recognized Earth. He wore Melinda Belcort’s body and stood with Beck and Meggie, looking down into some kind of pit. Beol moved quickly to his mate’s side, eyes searching out Icarus and Sax.
Leti cried out and ran to Hack when he saw him, but Earth didn’t look up.
“The Queen?” Leti looked from face to face, counting heads.
“Golem,” Death answered. His eyes were glued to Earth. “Earth, what are you doing? Where is the Queen?”
Earth looked over his shoulder. “I don’t know. She’s been with her humans for months now. She ordered the golem made as a distraction.”
“She knew about the scouts?” Hack arched a brow. “Why not kill them?”
Earth shook his head. “She didn’t know about the scouts. My planet is crawling with humans, and she wanted to keep them all on their toes. Your scouts came after she left.”
“Why not kill us if you knew about us?” Clara moved closer to the pit.
Earth shrugged. “Why bother?”
“Beol?” Beck’s voice was strained. “Can you come here?”
“I’m already here.” Beol tried not to smile when Beck jumped.
His mate wrapped his arms around him and picked him up in a huge hug. Beol’s feet dangled off the ground, but he couldn’t make himself care.
“I’m glad you’re alive.”
“Me too.”
Beck turned him toward the pit. “Look down there.”
Beol peered into the pit, unimpressed. Inside were sixteen piles of dirt. “Dirt?”
“Meggie scanned them,” Beck whispered.
Meggie blinked at Beol, clearly still in shock. “Uh, yeah.”
A small screen opened in her palm, and she showed Beol the results.
Beol’s mouth fell open. “What?”
“Earth, what have you done?” Death surveyed the piles, looking as shocked as Beol felt.
Beol pushed at Beck’s shoulders, finally getting his mate to put him down. He turned to the Element, watching him closely. He recognized the defeat in Earth’s eyes.
He had felt that same thing when his mom killed Lolita. When he had known she would never be the woman he thought she was.
Beol tilted his head. “Where’s your loyalty, Earth?”
Earth looked at Beol, then at the pit. “The Belcorts woke the Queen first. Each cycle starts the same. Our Queen is awakened by our people. They beg her to help them against some enemy, and she raises her Elements. Then she manipulates her people until they destroy themselves.”
“What changed?” Beol asked. “What’s different this time?”
“The Belcorts’ pilot was human. When he realized what the Belcorts were going to do, he called a friend of his and the Concords arrived. Three men and one woman came with them. I don’t know how he convinced them to come.”
“The leaders of Humans First?” Leti tugged Hack closer to the pit and peered inside.
“Yes,” Earth said. “Before any of us were raised, they spoke to my Queen. They made the request, and she raised us.”
“Okay, so I’m still not seeing what was different?” Dru walked over and looked in the pit. Monty stared down from her head. “Dirt? Woohoo.”
“Your people weren’t the ones to raise her,” Beck said quietly. “Because they’re all gone, extinct.”
Earth’s face twisted in agony. “Our people are dead. There is not one living Crell in all the galaxy, and it is our fault. We drove them to this. When I awoke this cycle, our system lay dormant and empty, and she was only concerned with finding someone to manipulate. Someone to bleed for her.”
“Earth,” Fire said. He tugged Sebastian behind him as he went to Earth to hug him. “I didn’t even think of that.”
Earth sank against Fire. “My Queen is gone. My love, my mate, is truly gone. All I’ve done for her, all the pain I caused, was for nothing. She will never come back. I see it now.”
They were quiet as the Element sobbed.
“In her original lifetime, the Queen wanted peace,” Leti said softly. “She wanted to protect her people.”
Earth turned his face, keeping his head on Fire’s shoulder. “She was magnificent, so brave and kind. We bonded to her, and she wielded our power for the good of her people.”
“The ritual to bring her back corrupted her soul,” Sebastian said.
“Each time they brought her back, I hoped that something would change,” Earth said. “I hoped she would be herself again.”
“You served her loyally all those cycles,” Death said. “You just hoped she would change?”
“I hoped the shamans would be able to cleanse her soul.” Earth looked at Sebastian. “Is there any way?”
Sebastian hesitated, then shared a look with Death. “I think, maybe, there is.”
“It would mean killing her,” Death said.
“Tell me how,” Earth demanded, pushing away from Fire. “Tell me how to save her soul.”
“We would need to kill her,” Sebastian repeated. “Then, Death would need to freeze her soul, and I would need to do the cleansing ritual. Tell said it might work, but nothing is certain.”
