Sepia Blue- Nightmare: A Sepia Blue Novel- Book 3 Read online

  “She had an inhibitor mask on,” Anna said. “What kind of power did she unleash?”

  “The kind that dissolves warded straps like tissue paper, stops my blade midair, and throws me across a room and into a wall,” Wake answered. “I don’t think it’s a good idea going after her.”

  “Agreed for now,” Anna replied after a pause, “but we will have to deal with her. For now, another threat has surfaced. Shanti?”

  “The Black Hunters nearly wiped us out,” Wake said. “Now you tell me we face something worse?”

  Shanti stood and activated a display. A holographic image appeared above the conference table showing five heavily armed men. In the center of the group stood a tall, wiry man with dusty-blond hair. He wore a crooked smile, but his piercing blue eyes glistened with the promise of death.

  “Who is that?” Wake said, pointing to the figure in the center. “He looks like the primary threat.”

  “He is,” Anna said. “His name is Velos and he runs a group of elite fighters called The Hand of Regional.”

  “The Hand, really?” Wake said. “They couldn’t come up with a better name than ‘The Hand of Regional’?”

  “My source tells me that Regional has sent the Hand here on a mission,” Anna said. “They need to retrieve an artifact of some kind.”

  “Hold on, what do you mean retrieve an artifact?” Wake asked. “They’re going after Sepia?”

  “It would appear so,” Shanti said. “We must not let them succeed.”

  “You and Shanti are going to find Sepia and bring her here,” Anna said. “In addition, I want Jas brought to the compound before she gets herself killed, or worse—gets us all killed with her.”

  “And where is our little walking disaster area?” Wake asked.

  “Gan had her taken to a Gray medical facility uptown,” Anna said. “Find out which one and bring her here.”

  TWELVE

  Sepia and Calisto crossed the footbridge and headed back to the courtyard. They could see someone sitting at the marble table. He sat in the lighter pine-wood chair.

  “How dare you?” Calisto said to the man as they approached. “Get up before I do it for you.”

  He was reclining in the chair with his feet on the table. He wore the leathers of a Hunter and his dark hair was cut asymmetrically—short on the left and long on the right. An eye patch covered his right eye.

  He looked around in mock confusion, a smirk crossing his face.

  “What, did I sit in the wrong chair again?” he said. “It’s this roundtable, it keeps throwing me off.”

  “Daiki, what are you doing here?” Calisto said as the power flowed from her. “You have no purpose here.”

  “You are going to see Father, aren’t you?” Daiki said. “I really can’t let you do that.”

  “Whatever you see, don’t get involved,” Calisto whispered to Sepia. “Without your sword, he can and will kill you. Do you remember what I said about how to get to this place?”

  Sepia nodded. “Ursa.”

  “If this goes wrong he’ll be waiting just outside the courtyard. Find him and escape.”

  “Who sent you?” Calisto asked as she turned to Daiki. “What do you want?”

  “Nice eyewear,” Daiki said, looking at Sepia. “I think I may need to upgrade to the newer industrial model.”

  “You need to leave, now,” Calisto said as her energy surrounded them.

  Daiki stood as he turned to Calisto. “My job is simple,” he said and unsheathed a large ebony blade from a thigh sheath. “I need to make sure you don’t leave this place…alive. We can’t have you disturbing him.”

  “We?” Calisto managed to say as Daiki lunged at her. She spun around the lunge and jumped over the table, putting it between them. The power she had been building rushed out of her and slammed into the table. The wards around the edge flared as the power washed over the surface and crashed into Daiki, sending him back. He raised an arm and used it as a shield against the onslaught.

  “Is that it?” he said as he stepped toward her. “I thought this was going to be a challenge. Don’t hold back. I can take it.”

  Sepia stepped back, away from the exchange. He noticed the movement and smiled, throwing his knife at her. Calisto shoved a chair and intercepted the blade as it buried itself in the high back. She placed her hands together in the universal gesture of prayer as power coalesced around her. When she spread her hands, a long silver blade appeared.

  “Now we’re getting serious,” he said, holding out his arm as a black viscous fluid dripped from his fingers. In moments, it solidified and formed into a sword. “I’ve always wanted to see how good you really are.”

  “You’ve always been a fool, Daiki,” Calisto replied. “Allow me to lay your doubts to rest.”

  Calisto stepped in, parried his thrust, and extended a hand. A wave of energy hit him square in the chest. He took several steps back and laughed.

  “You’ve lost your mojo, Calisto,” he said. “I don’t know why anyone fears you.”

  Calisto absorbed her sword and stood looking at him.

  “Sepia, please wait outside, and I will have to finish this here,” she said. “Ursa, open the passage to the obelisk. This won’t take long.”

  Ursa padded softly over to Sepia and nudged her with his muzzle. Sepia walked out of the courtyard but remained transfixed by the scene.

  “Won’t take long?” Daiki said and stumbled as a paroxysm of coughs gripped him. When he managed to catch his breath, blood trickled from the edge of his mouth. He spat on the ground in an effort to clear his throat.

  “What did you do?” he asked, wiping his face and streaking his sleeve with a trail of blood.

  “I killed you,” Calisto said matter-of-factly. “It just hasn’t caught up with your brain yet.”

  “You…killed me?” he replied. “Bullshit. You barely touched me.”

  “I’ll give you a warrior’s grave,” she answered. “It’s more than you deserve, but it’s the least I can do to honor your father and your family.”

  He took several more steps before collapsing to his knees and pitching forward face-first. She went to him and turned him on his back.

  “Those rumors about you are true, I guess,” he said and gasped. “You hit me with an earthwave, didn’t you?”

  “It’s a seismic wave—destroys everything under the surface, in this case your skin,” she said softly. “Can you tell me who sent you?’

  “Never saw his face, but he was powerful,” he said. “Told me to come here and stop her.”

  “Did he have a name?” she asked. “How did he know I was here?”

  “He never gave one, but he could sense her,” he said, pointing at the still staring Sepia. “You can’t mask her enough—there’s too much power.”

  “I know,” Calisto answered. “That’s why we need Fuma.”

  Daiki began coughing again. This time the coughs sounded wet and rough. Blood splattered the floor with each exhalation. Daiki wheezed as he caught his breath.

  “Be careful with Father—he’s changed somehow,” he whispered. “He’s not the same. Something has him twisted and he may not help you.”

  “He’ll help me,” Calisto said as she looked down into Daiki’s lifeless eyes. “Or we’ll sacrifice it all.”

  She stepped back and lifted his body to a clearing at the edge of the courtyard. Placing him gently on the ground, she gestured with one hand and his body sank and disappeared into the earth. A large stone broke the ground at the head of his grave. She stepped to the large pink marble slab and traced something onto it. She stepped back and joined Sepia.

  “You killed him?” Sepia asked, her voice grim. “Why?”

  “Do you want to know what I wrote on his stone?” Calisto answered.

  “It doesn’t matter to him…now,” Sepia said, angry. “What difference does it make?”

  “Daiki was once an honorable man, a great fighter, but he became lost,” Calisto replied. “He let
his inner darkness rule him. It changed him into what you saw today. He sacrificed much to his power.”

  “You’re saying this can happen to me,” Sepia said.

  “Read the stone,” Calisto answered. “It should be clear to you.”

  Sepia walked over to the pink marble stone that jutted out of the ground. She ran her hand over the writing that Calisto had inscribed with her finger. It was still warm to the touch. The stone thrummed and power flowed from her as she ran her hand over it. The wards transformed from indecipherable symbols to images in her mind. She turned to Calisto with a questioning look.

  “How did—?” she started.

  “Read it,” Calisto answered. “The power within you has many uses.”

  “‘Here lies Daiki the Warrior, son of Fuma—Ward Master. In his final moments he returned to the true path and died an honorable death,’” Sepia whispered.

  She stepped away from the stone and they stepped close to Ursa.

  “Did he?” Sepia asked as they stepped past the curtain wall that encircled the courtyard.

  “What?”

  “Die honorably?”

  “No, he didn’t,” Calisto replied. “But I would rather he be remembered as the man he was and not what he became.”

  “What did he mean about Fuma being twisted and not helping?”

  “Why don’t we go and find out?” Calisto said. “We need to stop at the obelisk first and then we go the chasm.”

  They placed their hands on Ursa and vanished.

  THIRTEEN

  Jas opened her eyes and saw a familiar face looking down at her. He was squatting down as he examined her. It was Gan.

  “Seems like getting you inked was a good idea,” he said. “I swear you’re worse than Sepia and she’s a walking natural disaster.”

  “What happened?” Jas asked. “Where are the Unholy?”

  “How did you manage to stay in one piece?” he asked as he got her into a sitting position. She groaned in pain and looked around. After a few moments, she realized she was sitting on the edge of what appeared to be a large crater.

  “Emelia—where’s Emelia?” Jas asked. “Is she—?”

  Gan shook his head. “No way could she have survived that blast,” he said. “I only hope she took out that bastard with her.”

  “Onyx—it was what they called him,” Jas said.

  Gan nodded. “We were close, just not close enough,” he said. “We saw what she did, but it was too late to stop her.”

  “She saved me,” Jas whispered as tears began to flow down her face. “She gave her life for me.”

  Jas put her face in her hands and cried. Gan put a hand on her shoulder.

  “We can’t stay here,” he said. “It’s too dangerous. Do you know why the Unholy were after you?”

  “They’re looking for Sepia, and Emelia said they were going to use me against her,” Jas replied. “I don’t know how.”

  Reed approached Gan.

  “We have multiple remains, mostly Unholy, sir,” he said as he gave Jas a short nod. “Whatever she detonated took out most of them. Including this.”

  Reed held up a plastic bag filled with rocks.

  “You’re showing me a bag of rocks because…?” Gan asked.

  “They give off an energy signature,” Reed answered. “Techs’ve never seen anything like it—it’s Unholy.”

  “The golem,” Jas whispered. “That was the golem.”

  “The what?” Reed asked.

  “Are you sure?” asked Gan. “How do you know what it was?”

  “I didn’t know what it was, but that’s what Emelia called it,” she answered. “I had read up on them but it was much worse than what I read. We couldn’t stop it.”

  “There was no way you could have, without a named blade,” Gan said, looking at the crater. “Or an extreme explosion.”

  “Emelia was carrying a bag full of explosive devices,” Jas answered. “That’s how she stopped them.”

  “That would do it, but Emelia wouldn’t have done this unless she felt it was the only choice,” Reed said. “Still, I don’t think we should stay here, sir.”

  “Agreed. Take her to HQ and lock it down,” Gan replied. “I don’t want a repeat of what happened here.”

  “Yes, sir,” Reed said and escorted Jas to a vehicle.

  *******

  Gan followed the destruction back to the medical facility. He looked up at the room Jas had been in. Some bricks and debris still fell from the gaping hole in the wall.

  “Stop shadowing me,” he said into the night. “What does Anna want?”

  “You’re as good as she says,” Wake said as she stepped out of the darkness.

  “No, I’m better,” he answered. “Why are you here? The Sisters have nothing to do with this.”

  “Anna wants Jas back, where she can be safe,” Wake replied.

  “Anna doesn’t do anything without an agenda,” Gan said. “Tell her Jas stays with me until this Unholy situation is resolved.”

  “She won’t like that,” Wake answered. “Jas is a Sister.”

  “A Sister?” Gan said. “That young girl is treated like an outsider in a group of outsiders.”

  “That’s not true,” Wake answered. “She’s part of us.”

  “Who is currently responsible for her within the sisterhood?” he asked. “Anna? You? Has Anna discussed terminating Sepia yet?”

  Wake remained silent.

  “I can hear your silence from here,” he said.

  “There are circumstances—” Wake started. “You wouldn’t understand.”

  “Here is what I understand,” he said. “The Unholy are hunting her to use against Sepia. This makes it my business. If Anna has trouble understanding that, tell her to come see me. We’re done here.”

  “I’ll tell her, but she won’t be pleased,” Wake said and disappeared into the shadows again.

  “You do that,” Gan said into the night.

  He sensed she was gone and exhaled.

  “This is getting worse by the moment,” he said to himself. “Where are you, blueberry?”

  FOURTEEN

  They arrived near the Hunter’s Hall.

  “Ursa, this is not the location of the obelisk. What’s wrong?” Calisto said, alarmed. “Ursa?”

  Ursa took several steps forward and then collapsed on his side with a groan and low growl.

  “We’re back in the park—at night,” Sepia said, looking around. “We need to get inside the Keep before my welcoming committee—”

  “Hunter, we have been waiting for you.” The sound of ground glass and crushed rock mingled to form the voice that filled the night. A behemoth stepped into view, blocking the way to the Keep.

  “He’s been poisoned somehow,” Calisto said, oblivious to the behemoth before them. “I can’t help him out here. We need to get him to Mercy.”

  “That may be a bit difficult,” Sepia answered and pointed.

  Calisto turned and set her jaw.

  “I’m going to give you one opportunity to walk away from here before I reduce you to dust,” she said as the air filled with power, causing stones and debris to float lazily around her. “Leave…now.”

  The behemoth roared as he charged.

  “Sounds like a no,” Sepia said as she drew her guns and fired.

  The explosive rounds hit the behemoth with no effect as it came at them. Calisto stood her ground as her power flared. She extended her arms forward and released a wave of energy. The shockwave flattened the trees around her and buffeted Sepia against a large stone slab. The wave of energy cut a furrow in the earth and smashed into the oncoming behemoth with an ear-splitting crack. The park went silent for several seconds. The behemoth stood still as if frozen.

  “What did you do?” Sepia asked as she stepped closer to the behemoth. She touched it and it toppled over, breaking into several pieces as it hit the ground.

  “Calcified,” Calisto said with a gasp before falling to one knee. In the dist
ance, howls filled the park.

  “Shit, that would be Fang and his pack,” Sepia said. “We need to go. Can you walk?”

  Sepia helped her unsteadily to her feet. Calisto waved a hand at Ursa and he disappeared from view.

  “What was that?” Sepia asked. “I can’t sense him.”

  “Camouflage,” Calisto said as they made their way to the Keep. “The Unholy. They can track you now—you’re too strong. He’s safe, I shifted him away.”

  “Let’s get to the Keep,” Sepia said through grunts. “Preferably before the pack catches up to us.”

  “Poison,” Calisto said. “Same as Ursa.”

  Sweat covered her face as she stumbled again and almost fell.

  “Let’s go because I’m not explaining to Gan how you died in the middle of the park,” Sepia said. “The Keep is just over that ridge.”

  “Leave me, Sepia, or we will both die out here,” Calisto said. “The Dreadwolves are close.”

  Sepia took a deep breath and released the power within her. Green light spilled from her eye as the howls grew closer.

  “I’m not dying out here and neither are you,” she said as she lifted Calisto in her arms and ran to the Keep.

  They approached the wards around the Keep. Behind them Sepia sensed the Dreadwolves closing in. She ran past the wards and into a miasma of pain that ripped the breath from her lungs. She stumbled forward, nearly dropping Calisto as the skin on her arms caught ablaze. Sepia put Calisto down and put out the fire.

  “It’s the artifact—the wards are sensing you as Unholy,” Calisto said. “You can’t stay here or it will kill you.”

  Sepia gritted her teeth against the pain and picked up Calisto again.

  “Once I get you safe,” she said, her voice tight with pain, then I’ll leave.”

  At the edge of the wards, the Dreadwolves assembled, waiting. Sepia entered the Keep and the floor tilted as she dropped Calisto. Mercy rushed to their side but stepped back from Sepia as the flames reignited. She gestured with both hands and a cocoon of white light enveloped Sepia, extinguishing the flames.

  “She can’t stay, and that layer of protection won’t last long against the artifact,” Mercy said. “We need to remove her.”