Chapter 18
Carys cautiously entered the pumping station.
She heard the rumble of the pumps and the whoosh of water nearby. She moved quietly, making sure her boots didn’t make a sound on the stone walkway.
She heard a grunt ahead and let the energy form on her hand. It was wilder than usual, blue and gold spinning together. Power coursed through her veins.
Pressing her back against a wall, she peered around a corner. She spotted the Gek’Dragar’s huge form. He held some sort of large glass orb in one of his clawed hands. Inside the orb, a jagged cloud of blue roiled like it was alive.
Like it wanted to get out.
He was approaching one of the pumping station intakes. Purple-tinged water cascaded down a wall and into the river.
As she’d tracked him down here, she’d realized that the Blue Death was meant for the water. He was trying to kill her people by infecting the water supply.
She couldn’t let him get that orb into the water.
She stepped out, letting the energy ball on her palm grow. She couldn’t toss it directly at him. The risk of hitting the Blue Death was too high.
Instead, she tossed it off to his side.
It hit the floor, sizzling and crackling. The Gek’Dragar dived behind some pumping gear. A moment later, he popped up and fired a laser weapon.
Carys ducked back around the wall.
“You’re too late,” the Gek’Dragar called out. “This will poison your water and kill your people.”
She darted out and slid in behind a pump. She felt the vibrations coming off it. “I won’t let you do that. This is my planet and my people. I will stop you.”
“The knightqueen herself.” He rose, his powerful body flexing. He smiled, showing off his sharp teeth. “This is perfect. My name is Trager. I’m one of the leaders of the mighty Gek’Dragar. I will kill you and your city. Your planet will follow when my fleet arrives.”
She rose as well, glaring at him, and snorted. “My ships, along with those belonging to the Eon, are waiting at the border. They will decimate your fleet.”
Trager’s scaled face stayed impassive, but his tail waved behind him, betraying his agitation.
“Maybe we’ll take some losses, but you’ll be dead.” He spun the orb, the blue fluid inside contracting and pulsing. “And Oron will die.”
She shook her head. “The days of the Gek’Dragar destroying planets and innocent people is over.” She summoned her energy, everything she could. It rushed to her, rich and pure.
Gold energy crackled over her body. The Gek’Dragar jerked, his eyes widening as he stared at her, some of the confidence leaking from his face.
She thought of Sten. Of the quiet moments and gentle touches, and the way he looked at her with desire in his eyes.
She wanted more time with him.
A lifetime.
But she had to do everything she could to stop this Gek’Dragar.
It was her duty and honor as the knightqueen.
Power swelled inside her and she linked to a deep well that she’d never known existed. For a shining second, she felt like she could feel her mother and father standing at her side.
She’d read the legends of old about the royal bloodlines. The knightkings and knightqueens who’d accessed a higher power to protect the Oronis. A power that shone gold and was more powerful than anything.
The Gek’Dragar spun, sprinting for the water sluice. He held the orb up, ready to throw it.
“No!” Carys leaped forward. Gold energy shot from her hands and snapped out, forming a barrier between the Gek’Dragar and the water.
He threw the orb, but it hit the energy shield and bounced off it.
Carys quickly threw a ribbon of energy into the air and caught the orb. It hovered for a second, then she lowered it to the floor.
Trager let out an enraged screech. He swiveled, green eyes locking on her as he pulled a combat sword off his back.
Her gold sword formed in her hand. Gold lightning crackled along its blade.
“You will die here.” Her voice echoed through the pumping station. “Your plan will fail here.”
“No,” he hissed.
“You have failed.” She advanced. “The Gek’Dragar will be driven back. And I will ensure that you never hurt anyone again.”
He leaped at her, and Carys spun to meet him.
Their swords clashed. Her blade cut through his like it was made of fabric.
He stumbled back, shock on his face. He tossed the hilt to the ground and lifted his claws.
She launched a whirlwind of strikes. He tried to dodge, but her blade caught him several times. Deep slashes scored his armor across his chest. He heaved in air.
With a roar, he launched up and grabbed her arms. He spun and tossed her against the wall.
Carys hit, pain reverberating through her body, but a second later, it was gone. The rich energy flowing through her washed it away.
She rose. Trager scrambled across the floor, trying to snatch up the orb.
No. She ran and leaped.
For the Oronis. For Sten.
The Gek’Dragar spun. She saw his eyes go wide. He lifted the orb and threw it at her.
In a split second, she knew she couldn’t dodge.
Suddenly, a large form leaped in from the side. The body jumped between her and the orb.
No, Sten. Her heart swelled, rapping against her ribs.
The orb hit him, cracking open. The Blue Death washed over him like a cloud of angry ants. It absorbed into his body, and he dropped to the ground.
With a cry of outrage, Carys let energy spikes form in her hand. She tossed them at the Gek’Dragar. The three sharp, gold blades pierced Trager’s chest, pinning him to the wall. He died in an instant.
Carys raced to Sten.
She saw the blue running over him. His armor had crumbled and the veins under his skin bulged, turning bright blue. The bronze color had leached from his skin, turning a pale blue like ice.
“Sten!”
He turned his head toward her, and she saw that his green eyes were now bright blue.
“No! Sten, no.”
The pain waslike icy fingers stabbing into his insides.
Sten tried to breathe, but it was like he had a heavy weight on his chest.
“Sten.” Carys dropped to her knees beside him, her face distraught.
“Don’t touch him,” Ashtin warned. “He’s infected.”
“Why did you do that?” she breathed. “Why?”
When he’d seen that Gek’Dragar throw the Blue Death at her, Sten hadn’t hesitated. He’d always known he’d give his life for her.
“Save…you. Always.” Gul, everything hurt.
Tears welled in her beautiful gold eyes. “You cannot die!”
“Carys…you’re my reason for being.” He dragged in a shuddering breath and realized he couldn’t feel his hands and feet anymore. “I love you.”
Her lips parted.
“Should’ve…told you a long time ago.”
“I love you too, Thorsten Carahan.” She reached out like she wanted to touch him, then her fingers curled into her palms. She looked up at the others. “Get the knighthealers here. Now!”
But Sten knew there was nothing the knighthealers could do. He could feel the Blue Death working through his body. The healers didn’t have an antidote for it.
He gasped in air. It was working deep into his cells. Disintegrating his insides.
“I can’t lose you.” Her voice cracked. “You’re my heart. My soul.”
“I am…Knightguard Thorsten Carahan. It is my duty to protect…my queen.” He wheezed. “I am her sword, her shield, and her devoted servant.”
She sobbed. “And I am Knightqueen Carys, the woman who loves you. My loyal guard. My protective lover. Mine.” Then her jaw tightened, and she shook her head violently. “I won’t lose you. I won’t lose anyone else I love.”
She leaned forward and pressed her hands to his chest.
He heard the others shouting.
“No, Carys!” Ashtin gripped her shoulder. “You’ll be infected.”
She shrugged him off, then lifted a palm. A wave of energy pushed Ashtin, and he fell back into Kaden.
Sten watched as energy swirled around Carys, sparkling a brilliant gold. Her skin glowed gold, and he heard exclamations from the others.
His mouth dropped open. She was stunning. Beautiful. “Carys…”
The gold energy poured out of her and ran over him. It hit him hard, and his back bowed.
It coursed through him, and he gritted his teeth against the powerful sensations.
Then he felt his body lifting off the ground. He opened his eyes and saw Carys was rising off the ground as well. Her hands entwined with his.
The gold wound around them, like ropes. The energy was warm, and it poured into him, washing away the frigid cold.
“Carys.” He could breathe again. He wrapped his arms around her as they hovered above the ground. “My love.”
Then he kissed her.
She gripped him hard and kissed him back. She molded herself to him, stealing his breath, making his heart beat faster.
He kept kissing her. It took him a while to realize that the gold energy had dimmed, and their feet touched the ground.
He looked down and saw his skin had returned to its usual bronze color. Then he looked at Carys. The gold glow on her skin was fading.
“You’re all right?” Her voice was tight, her face filled with hope.
“Yes,” he said. “Thanks to you.”
“Good.” Then her eyes closed, and she collapsed.
Sten caught her in his arms and lifted her. “We need the knighthealers.”
“We’d already called them,” Ashtin said. “They’re arriving now.”
Sten saw three knighthealers making their way down the path to the pumping station. They were led by Knighthealer Taera. The female knight rushed toward them, her eyes locked on Carys.
“Set her down,” Taera ordered.
Taera served aboard the BlackBlade, and was one of the very best healers. Her implants were geared toward healing.
Sten laid Carys on the ground, but he was reluctant to let her go. He stroked her hair. Please be okay, sweetness. Please.
The knighthealer pressed her palm to Carys’ chest, energy swelling in the air. She moved her hand over the queen’s body, then sat back.
“She’s fine. Her vitals are all normal. After some rest, she’ll wake.”
Sten sagged, his hand clenching in Carys’ hair.
Then the knighthealer’s gaze switched to Sten. “Now you, Knightguard. I’m told you were exposed to a deadly alien chemical weapon.”
“I’m fine.”
Taera smiled sweetly. “I don’t care.”
She lifted her hand, energy pulsing off it.
He glanced at Ashtin. His friend just crossed his arms. “If Carys was awake, she’d order you to get checked.”
Sten sighed and nodded.
Taera pressed her hand to his sternum, and he felt a warm glow of energy.
“It appears you’re a lucky man, Sten. Whatever the chemical was, it’s been neutralized. I detect no sign of it in your body.”
“The Blue Death is gone,” Nea said, leaning into Kaden.
“Oron is safe,” Ashtin breathed.
Emotion shuddered through Sten. “Thanks to our queen.”
He lifted Carys into his arms and held her tight.
Something he wanted to do the rest of their lives.