The Veil Read online

  Silence.

  The Reaper Archives were empty.

  Panic filled me up. I sprinted out the front doors, expecting the bright light of Capis and Soren, but instead was met with the shimmering disc of Oboris, hanging low and full in a black sky. There were no Lightwardens outside and of all the Unicorns, only Isiodore remained. He stood tethered to the centermost pillar, regarding me with turquoise eyes that glinted in the pale moonlight.

  My heart thundered in my chest. What has happened to everyone?

  It was then that I saw the fluttering note, pinned to the pillar with a blade. I ran over to it and yanked the knife out, grabbing it and staring at the words.

  Alex,

  Something bad has happened in Fenodara. The Lightwardens are frantic and won’t tell me what’s going on. Vendal tried to let me wait as long as I could for you to come back out, but other Lightwardens arrived and forced me to go back with them all under orders of the Highwarden. I’m so sorry; all I could do was leave this note, along with Isiodore. Something is very wrong…please come as soon as you can.

  Please be okay.

  I love you.

  Ella x

  I dropped the note and the wind carried it away. Something so bad has happened that they’ve just left the open archives without protection. That’s not a good sign.

  I pulled out the Biomote and linked with Gabriella. “Ella? Ella, its Alex. Can you hear me, over?”

  All I received back was the harsh crackle of static feedback. Shit…something is blocking the signal.

  With trembling fingers, I undid the knot of reins and swung onto Isiodore’s back. He seemed to understand the urgency because as soon as I cracked the reins, he broke into a thundering gallop that took us down the mountain at breakneck speed. The thumbnail of Lunis rose to meet Oboris in the sky, and the brother moons provided just enough light to navigate the pure Pandemonian darkness. Isiodore didn’t slow once as we made our way back down the mountain – the dead of night made no difference to his keen eyesight.

  Soon we were galloping along the sweeping bridge, travelling at well over sixty miles an hour. Yidema had gone, as had Lightwarden Obeden – clearly having fled back to Pandemonia like everyone else. What is going on!? I repeated, although all the thought did was make me more anxious – there was no way to know until I got back. All I knew was that it was bad.

  I cracked the reins and we tore through the terrain so fast, the icy wind whipped at my face and made my cheeks ache. Clutching the Biomote in one hand, the bright glow of the torch revealed the thick vapour of both Isiodore’s breath and mine. In contrast to the blistering heat of the day, the night was deathly cold.

  We tore through the valley and back over the hill where we’d first encountered the Harpies. The moonlight – coupled with the Biomote torch – revealed the remains of those I’d slaughtered, somehow already reduced to bloodied bone by other creatures. Isiodore kept thundering through the wreckage of the Free Forest battle. I ducked and leaned as we surged underneath the great legs of Furystalkers and weaved through the narrow gaps created by crashed Greatwheels.

  Isiodore ground to a sudden halt, sliding forward several yards and throwing me forward on his back. Pressing my forearm against his neck, I pushed myself back upright and scanned around. I couldn’t see any reason for him to stop – the surroundings seemed identical to how they had been for the previous twenty miles. Bodies of metal and bone decaying in an endless grave of dirt and wood.

  “Come on boy, we’ve got to go,” I insisted, cracking the reins.

  Isiodore made a snorting sound in response.

  “Come on,” I said, cracking them again. Once again he made a snorting sound and then a low whinny. A moment later I heard a light clatter as something skittered across the metal remains of a tank in the distance.

  Oh, shit.

  I switched off the Biomote light and hunkered down on Isiodore’s back. “Go boy,” I whispered, tapping his side. The Unicorn walked forward slowly, his hooves making only the slightest sound on the ground.

  More scuttling sounds came from around us, followed by the harsh guttural growls of primitive communication, which was a beat too low for me to catch.

  We’re surrounded.

  Fighting was a bad idea. I was at a disadvantage – still weakened from whatever had happened on the other side of the blood Veil and barely able to see in a darkness that was deeper than anything Earth had to offer. Plus I needed to get back to Fenodara quickly.

  Better to do it Isiodore’s way.

  So I kept low and quiet. The Unicorn kept picking his way through the remains and the sounds grew louder as we moved into the heart of the unknown creatures’ horde. I could hear them on the tanks above us, skittering over the charred wood of the fallen trees and rattling through the bones of the soldiers, searching for food. Something sharp and furry pressed down on my back, moving between two thick tree branches. Isiodore and I both froze in position and waited, me with my hand poised near Crimson. Two twitching appendages flicked at the hair on the back of my neck before the creature moved on. So did we.

  It was then that I heard a cracking sound and a hideous, high-pitched squeal. One of the scavengers was half-buried, boring underneath the tracks of a Greatwheel, and Isiodore had stepped on one of its brown, multi-pronged legs. Isiodore burst into a gallop and the creature gave immediate chase, signaling to the others with a loud whooping cry. We tore through the old battlefield once more, and the creatures pursued – revealing glimpses of spiked shells and salivating mandibles in the moonlight.

  I had to press flat to Isiodore as he tore under low hanging sheets of metal, holding the reins white-knuckled as he vaulted over colossal tree trunks without breaking stride. Whatever was following was no match for the Unicorn’s incredible speed, and soon they gave up the chase, withdrawing back into the Free Forest once more and releasing piercing howls of frustration.

  Even though we were relativity safe, Isiodore didn’t slow, keeping at the furious speed. He was even more intelligent than I had given him credit for – he knew instinctively that something was wrong and was trying to get us back as soon as possible. We reached the beach in half the time it had taken us to travel to the archives. I switched the Biomote torch back on, sweeping the ground for anything that could hurt Isiodore.

  There were dozens of creatures.

  The night had bought with it new terrors that slipped and scampered along the beach. Thankfully, they were creatures that chose to hunt at night for a reason. There were clicks and chitters and shrill screeches as I swept the beaming light onto them and saw slimy backs, arched legs and finger-like claws jerk away as they slipped into the safety of the darkness. We reached the sea, and I was relieved to see that one of the high-octane Valoons had been left for me by the second wave of Lightwardens. I jumped down from Isiodore’s back and climbed onto the boat to locate a plank he could climb up, but he had already leapt over the side and was waiting patiently for me to secure him in. I fumbled with the securing barrier, fixing it around him in the way Vendal had shown me. Then I ran to the back of the boat and sat down, pulling the control panel onto my lap, using the light of the Biomote to see what I was doing. Everything was written in Qi’lern symbols, but quickly it shifted to English in my brain.

  “Okay, let’s work this out.”

  I pressed down on a button called “lights” and two mounted lamps switched on, casting their glare far out into the dark water ahead of us.

  Okay, that’s step one.

  I chose an option called “motor” next and the Valoon juddered into life. I pressed my palm against the surface of the screen and pushed upwards the way I’d seen Sabrien do it. The boat shot forward, snapping my head backwards so hard it cracked my neck. Isiodore gave a whinny of fright. I snatched my hand away and the boat drifted to a stop, the water sloshing and knocking against the sides. “Okay, so a bit lighter on the throttle.”

  I inched my hand forward and the rotor blades started to churn at th
e water. I pushed my hand further and the boat started to speed forward at a good speed. I slipped my hand to the left and right and the boat snaked through the water in response. It’s just like a video game. It was at that moment I was finally thankful I’d spent such a large portion of my life as a gamer.

  Soon we were carving through the water, navigating past the wrecked ships and using the headlights to avoid collision. Beyond the horizon, the moons shone down on the rolling sea, their glow like twin wedges of light carved from their surfaces.

  Okay, so where are we going?

  A relatively straight ride back from the archives on a highly intelligent unicorn had been easy enough – even in the dark – but a flat bed of open ocean was a bit more difficult.

  Which way is the city?

  It was a question that I wished I hadn’t asked, because the answer came as a deep blade of orange, stabbing the night sky in the distance. I squinted in the direction, focusing my senses. It was then I heard the unmistakable sounds of high-powered weapons being unleashed. Fear gripped my heart with an iron fist. The reason that the Reaper Archives had been abandoned, and why Gabriella had been forced to leave me behind became painfully obvious.

  Fenodara was under attack.

  *

  The city was in chaos.

  As I drew closer, I could see billowing smoke rising high into the air and great fires raging from a countless number of skyscrapers. Some had collapsed against each other, bombed into submission. Sleek jet planes shaped like black arrowheads tore overhead, releasing drop-missiles that carpeted across the city in a deafening storm of destruction. I thought back to what Aegis had called them when we’d first arrived in the city.

  Skyjets.

  The huge battleships I had seen in the harbour district were spread out around the city waters, firing at the ships from hundreds of manned turrets. Those that connected covered the dark metal in blooms of fire, puncturing the fuselages over and over until the Skyjets burst into fireballs and came crashing down into the sea, sending up huge waves as they landed. The overwhelming cacophony of the battle was eardrum shattering. Isiodore neighed and bucked against his restraints as he took in the absolute fury of the battle.

  I carved the boat through the churning waves, doing my best to avoid the numerous smaller ships that were speeding around me. Frantic Lightwardens were yelling commands and those on the mounted guns swiveled around and fired in response. One battleship surged past us – far faster than its size suggested it was capable of – and a colossal gun shuddered backwards as it fired off a huge round that ignited the whole night sky in a flash of green, crackling lightning. A moment later there was a burst of secondary flame as the central blast consumed the back section of a large airship – which was semi-circle shaped, with tall fins at its rear – that hovered at the edge of the city.

  And those must be the Skyships.

  Those inside ejected and a hail of follow-up gunfire reduced them to a bloody mist while they were still airborne. The unmanned Skyship made a loud whirring sound and then stalled, nose-diving into the sea only a few hundred yards from the Valoon.

  A wall of water rushed towards us.

  I had no choice but to punch the accelerator before tidal wave hit and hope for the best. The Valoon arched upwards until it was almost vertical, and I scrambled to secure the safety harness one handed – my head pinned back into the seat headrest – as we surged upwards. Through great craftsmanship, or sheer luck, the boat didn’t flip, but managed to crest the massive wave. The nose of the boat dipped and we shot back down the other side, slamming into the sea like a fist, which sent gallons of water rushing onto the deck, half-drowning me. I leaned forward and retched, releasing a stream of foul-smelling water onto my lap. Coughing and gasping, I rubbed at my stinging eyes in a desperate attempt to see. Staring blearily around, I saw that a drenched Isiodore was whinnying and bucking, but held safe by the securing harness.

  “It’s okay, boy, it’s okay,” I spluttered. It really isn’t.

  The battleship that had downed the jet made an odd clunking sound. I snapped my head around and watched in utter horror as something tore it in half and yanked it under the water. A moment later the destroyed pieces of its hull bobbed to the surface, along with the lifeless bodies of those manning it. Three giant, metal fins appeared above the waves for a moment before sinking back under the waves and disappearing.

  “We need to get the hell out of here!”

  I pushed my hand along the soaking control panel and we sped forward, weaving through the water and dodging the exchange of rapid gunfire that punctured the waves around us. My heart was pounding in terror as we moved, every part of me convinced that the next heavy duty round would hit the Valoon and blast us into pieces. I might have had the combined power of fifty Chosen hiding inside me, but even I couldn’t survive the explosion from a ten-foot incendiary round.

  I drove the boat close to the towering pillar that supported Fenodara. The column had taken several big hits and large chunks of it had fallen away into the sea. I prayed that it didn’t take many more – the thought of an entire city falling a thousand feet into the ocean carrying with it countless thousands of innocents, not to mention all those I cared about was an image that didn’t bear thinking about. Just keep going.

  Somehow we managed to avoid gunfire, most likely due to the fact that it was like an army of battling giants worrying about an ant crossing their path. I guided the Valoon through the underpass that led to the ascension mechanism. I covered my mouth in horror as I saw the slain bodies of all the area’s Lightwardens. Some dangled over the railings, riddled with bullet holes. Others bobbed facedown in the water around me in a mass of severed limbs and exposed bone.

  Jesus Christ.

  The Valoon hit against a low level walkway, juddering to a stop and smashing one of the lights. There was no one left to help us gain entry to the city, so I unbuckled the seat straps and vaulted over the railings onto the nearby platform. Isiodore gave a loud whine as he stared at me.

  “Don’t worry boy, I’m coming back.”

  I ran along the walkway until I reached the chain pulley system that the Lightwardens had used the previous afternoon. I took a deep breath and cleared my mind, carrying my memory back to the moment we had arrived and watching the pattern that the guards had pulled the chains in. I snapped my eyes open.

  Got it.

  I pulled two chains on my left and then ran over and pulled three on the right. There was a loud rush as the water started to pour from the entry points, filling the area.

  Yes!

  The walls were rising up fast and I barely had any time to make it back. I had no choice but to sprint the length of the walkway and vault over the side. I landed hard on the boat, cracking a handful of ribs. Blood flecked over my lips and I lay on my side for a moment, trying to catch thin breath.

  The water filled up the elevator and I felt the boat starting to rise. Slowly I forced myself into a sitting position, one hand holding my aching ribs. My hands still trembling from adrenaline, I unzipped my soaked jacket and pulled out the Biomote. Luckily they were completely waterproof and the water had simply beaded up on its surface. I wiped it away with a thumb and tried to vocal-link with Gabriella .

  Please be all right.

  “Ella, Ella can you hear me? It’s Alex!”

  For a moment there was nothing but the same buzz of static feedback. Then I heard a distorted voice crackling through the receiver and my heart skipped a beat.

  “Lex? …hear…”

  “Ella, it’s Alex, can you hear me?” I almost shouted. How can something still be interfering with the signal when I’m this damn close? Fiddling with the fine-tuner, I scrolled through the frequency of the Biomote coms, trying my best to pinpoint the partially blocked signal. At first I did it the wrong way and her voice faded into a hissing sound, but spinning the tuning dial the other way, I was able to get a slightly stronger reading – her voice was still disjointed and electronic, bu
t I could make out just enough.

  “Alex…you hear me?”

  “Yes, yes I can hear you!” I said, relief flooding through me at the sound of my soulmate’s voice.

  “Th…god you’re okay. I di…want to leave you…”

  “That doesn’t matter, I’m almost in Fenodara, what’s happening?”

  “Alex, the city…under attack.” She sounded breathless, as if she had been fighting, or running hard. “…Overrun.”

  “Is everyone okay?”

  “For now. We managed…get to cover. But they’re just outside. Alex, I don’t know…longer we can hold on.” I could detect a hint of panic in her voice that she was doing her best to disguise. “…too many of them.”

  “Where are you?”

  “…ius.

  “Where?”

  “Atrius! We gathered innocents…bought them here…doors are shut, but…are trying… break through right now!”

  My stomach twisted in fear. “I’m coming!”

  “…Hurry!”

  I heard Gabriella shouting orders to someone and then the line fell quiet. The boat had almost reached the end of its ascension into Fenodara. My heart was still thumping and a gnawing sensation was biting its way through my stomach. Calm down and prepare. This is what you were trained for. This is what you do. I closed my eyes for a moment and took a deep breath, settling my mind and getting ready.

  I jammed the Biomote back into my open jacket and then unsheathed my sword. Moving over to the securing fixture, I unlatched it and took hold of Isiodore’s reins, staring into his aquamarine eyes. “This is going to be tough boy, but we can do it.” He pressed the side of his head into my hand in a clear show of solidarity. He knew what I was asking of him.

  The doors cranked open and I was hit by the acrid stench of burned flesh and gunpowder. Thick rolls of billowing smoke rolled above the city like smog, stained orange in areas where the flames rose to the apex of the buildings. Screams and shouts hit from every direction and I glanced from side to side, the bright lights of the city exposing the Lightwardens and the invading Umbra – dressed in lightweight black armour – positioned in ranks and firing a hailstorm of bullets at each other. Wardens high up were taking pot shots at the Umbra forces below before getting torn to pieces by armed Succubi sweeping through the clouds. Those who could fly were locked in airborne battle, and those who had reached each other on the ground were slicing pieces out of each other with hand-to-hand weapons. The bodies of innocents were strewn everywhere, slumped down on the ground, over railings and some dangling over the edge of the waterway, blood streaming down their limp arms and pooling with the water. A cluster of Valoons had been shoved together to bar the way forward. I guided the boat forward until it bumped against them and then I swung onto Isiodore’s back.