Page 39 of Only Rogue Actions
I raised my burned left hand and flashed my gnarled, twisted fingers at him.“Doesn’t feel so good, does it?”
Roderick’s dark brown eyes bulged with a combination of rage and pain.His hand tightened around the gold hilt of his war hammer, and he snarled and lunged forward.
I dodged the awkward blow, then spun around and snapped out my right hand.I used my telekinesis to pick up some of the cracked flagstones and hurled them at Roderick.Most of the chunks of stone harmlessly pelted his armor, but one soared up and slammed into the burned side of his face.Roderick’s head jerked back at the sharp, smacking motion, and a high-pitched shriek erupted from his lips like he was a wounded animal.
Roderick whirled toward me, blood, tears, and snot streaming down his ruined face.He bared his teeth and stepped forward like he was going to attack me again ...
And then he dropped the hammer to his side, spun around on his bootheel, and ran away.
I stood there, blinking, wondering if my eyes were playing tricks on me, but they weren’t.Roderick was sprinting past the pools and cauldrons of lava and trying to get out of the Magma biodome as fast as possible.
He didn’t want to kill me anymore.No, right now, the cheating, cowardly bastard was trying to escape and save his own skin.
My inner monster roared with rage.An answering snarl spewed from my throat, and I also sprinted past the lava.
Kyr, wait!Vesper’s voice sounded in my mind.If you go to another section of the maze, I’ll lose track of you.I won’t be able to trigger any more obstacles to help you.Kyr, wait!
I don’t need any more traps, I growled back.He sicced a Black Scarab on you, and he’s going to die for that.
Frustration surged through the bond, and the image of Vesper threw her hands up in the air.
Renewed energy coursed through my body.My steps quickened, and I left the Magma biodome behind and plunged back into the maze.
The prey had just become the predator.
Despitehisinjuries,Roderickquickly outpaced me, thanks to the propulsion and other enhancements in his modified armor.I couldn’t see him, although I could hear his footsteps clanking through the maze.Roderick had chosen speed over stealth, and he wasn’t even trying to be quiet.
A junction loomed up ahead, but I couldn’t tell which path he had taken.
Where is he?I called out through the bond.Where did he go?
Once again, a series ofclicks,clanks, andclack-clack-clacksechoed in my ears.In the distance, a camera zoomed down from the ceiling and pivoted back and forth.
Right!Go right!Vesper’s voice sounded in my mind, and the velvety ribbon of her thrummed in time to the rapid beat of my boots on the flagstones.
I veered onto that path.I still didn’t see Roderick, but the clanking of his footsteps was a little louder.
Straight ahead, then take the next left!Vesper said.
Following her instructions, I plowed through the maze.I would have been hopelessly lost without Vesper tracking Roderick through the cameras, and the sound of her voice in my mind also helped me reinforce my psionic shields and block out the pain of my injuries.And most important of all, Vesper’s determination mixed with my own through the bond and gave me fresh strength and energy.
Perhaps this was what Lord Aldrich and Lady Verona had wanted us to discover.That no matter how far apart Vesper and I were or how bruised and battered we might be, we could weather any storm, and we were always—always—stronger together.
Slow down!Vesper called out a warning.I’ve lost track of Roderick.He went into the next biodome, but he must have turned off the sensors in his armor, because his hologram on the control panel vanished.I’m sorry, Kyr.
That’s okay.I’m more than happy to finish the job.
I did as she asked and slowed down, making my steps as soft and silent as possible.A few seconds later, the path curved, and the next biodome loomed into view.I stopped at the threshold.
This biodome was a Temperate forest filled with large trees, hedges, and shrubs sporting an array of autumn leaves, and the entire area was a riot of scarlet, gold, and blazing orange.Off to the side, a few large, fat pumpkins were clustered around a scarecrow in a red House Battis uniform that was slumped up against a short wooden stake like a dead body.Someone had used the scarecrow as target practice; its chest was adorned with blaster burns, and wads of singed straw had leaked out of its arms and legs.
Piles of fallen leaves covered the ground, hiding many of the paths, while still more leaves swirled through the air like jewel-toned snowflakes, thanks to a hidden wind machine.The floating, flying leaves made it hard to see much of anything, and the overhead lights had been positioned so that their rays sliced through the tree branches, creating a shadowy, dappled effect that further reduced visibility.
Roderick’s red armor matched the color of many of the leaves, making the autumn forest biodome the perfect place for him to hide.I scanned the trees, hedges, and shrubs, but Roderick was staying still and blending in.
I didn’t spot him, but I had another way to find my enemy.I reached out with my telempathy, and a presence pinged in my mind.One emotion after another wafted off Roderick—sharp worry, cold dread, and more than a little gut-churning fear.
The other warrior was brave when he had the advantage and things were going exactly according to plan, but now that his people were dead and Vesper was in control of the maze, he was on the verge of panicking.My inner monster licked its chops in anticipation.
