Chapter 143

Chapter One Hundred Forty-Three

It was the sudden silence of the legion of voices that were Dabichikal that tipped Connor off: He understood the imprisoned alien’s scheme, and it realized that it had been found out.

In that moment, the huge chamber seemed to shrink, and the violet hues of the eldritch lightning rumbling over the pool darkened.

There was no need for the monster to continue the charade.

Connor brought his blades up, and readied himself for a blast of psychic energy, something that might permanently destroy his mind.

But the murderous creature merely released its connection.

The chamber was almost silent without the discordant mental channel. As well, some of the stifling heat seemed to fade, replaced by the cool, fresh air that marked most of the facility above.

Unfortunately, there was no time to celebrate that, because Sokkizarai launched itself at Connor.

Long, spindly legs lashed out, thrashing hooked tentacles at Connor.

He flipped backwards an instant before the blow.

The thing that had claimed to be an intermediary pressed its attack, spitting globs something green that spattered against the walls and floor but missed Connor.

Where the globs hit, the stone sizzled and smoked.

Acid, then.

That would probably hurt worse than a hook or one of the spines lining the legs.

Connor skidded to a stop and almost laughed. What was he thinking? Any attack from the terrifying creature would be lethal. Even a glancing blow would be crippling.

He couldn’t face such a foe.

Red light flared from his chest again: Toshiko’s artifact.

A soothing certainty settled over him: He would not face this thing alone.

But fighting still wasn’t the objective. Something like Sokkizarai wasn’t going to be destroyed, not by a man with swords.

What Connor needed was to return to the artifact chamber.

Preventing the escape of Dabichikal came down to the pendant dangling from Selen’s neck.

How could he get back, though?

Coming to this chamber had been a fall through a void outside of time and space. Was that something he could reverse?

The giant winged creature didn’t seem interested in giving him a chance to puzzle an answer out.

It swooped at him, buffeting him with powerful bursts of wind.

He fell and got back to his feet with effort.

Then the thing climbed higher and slashed with its legs again.

Connor was able to strike aside a few of the attacks with his blades, but others got through. Those were repulsed by a red flash of light.

As promised, he had assistance.

“Toshiko? Whoever or whatever you are—I need to get back to the artifact chamber. Can you help me?”

In what could only be described as a panicked attack, the giant monstrosity lunged again.

It landed on its strange tentacle-legs and snapped at Connor.

Without thinking, he struck back slicing at the upper part of the thing’s mouth with one sword and down with the other sword.

Red light flared to a blinding magnificence, and Connor felt a shriek.

Then the creature split in two—half falling to the right, half to the left.

They splattered in pools of pus and acid.

But it wasn’t dead.

Ropey sinew stretched out from the two halves and began pulling the thing back together.

That was too much.

Connor backed away. “I need to get back.”

Once again, a thin line split the air, this time directly in front of him.

This line glowed with the red of the amulet’s jewel.

Then the line opened onto the artifact chamber, which was still littered with the gory carcasses of the monsters that had come from Selen’s armor.

Mosiah was hunched over something.

It had to be Elise, because Connor could see Selen’s body where it had fallen.

He had to decide right then: Did he trust this amulet or not?

Connor stepped through.

Rather than passing through a void, he found himself back in the artifact chamber.

Mosiah turned. His aura was weak, and his blurry shape shivered. “Connor?”

“The imprisoned alien is escaping.” He rushed to where Selen lay.

Blood oozed from the terrible wounds left by his sword strikes. That wasn’t right: The blades should have cut through arteries.

So, she was still connected to the creature, still under its protection.

And that meant it needed her to complete the corruption.

The pendant crafted from a K’luuta piece of technology hung from a simple leather strip that rested in her pooling blood.

Connor reached for the device.

A bolt of the same purple lightning flashed, singeing his fingers.

Mosiah shuffled closer. “Elise has a fever, and her breathing is strained.”

Connor squeezed his blackened fingertips. “Administer painkiller and anti-inflammatory injections.”

“I have. It helped, but I’m quite concerned about her condition.”

“I am, too.” Connor bowed his head. “If I can’t take this thing off of Selen, we’re all going to die.”

The old man whistled. “You burned your fingers?”

“It’s protected. This is what’s left of whatever Gu Li stole from here when he wandered off without you. The thing imprisoned here used it to spread its corruption beyond this place, and it created something like a computer virus.”

“It attacked our networks?”

“It’s attacking this place right now—all the technology used to keep the prison running. Toshiko called it an infiltration tool. At least I think she did.”

Mosiah harrumphed.

Then he reached down and grabbed the leather strap.

Lightning wrapped around the old man’s form as he tugged the device off Selen.

When the necklace was removed from her, he collapsed with a dry moan.

Blood spurted from Selen’s shoulder wounds, and her eyes flew open. “Connor?”

It was like breaking a circuit, releasing pent-up collapse. Her flesh sank in, and all the color left her cheeks and lips.

She sagged, and her eyes closed.

Then crushing pressure began building in the artifact chamber.

Green light glowed around the reliquaries, and holographic displays flashed. Indecipherable symbols danced.

A deep, terrible groaning rumbled through the floor and walls—like an old house settling on its foundation.

Infiltration, Connor realized.

It was exactly like Toshiko had described it: a virus tearing things apart from within.