Page 36 of Only Rogue Actions
Everything went black, and I had the sensation of streaking downward like a shooting star dropping from the sky and about to slam into the earth ...
My entire body jolted, and my eyes snapped open.For a moment, everything remained dark, and then light bloomed, just as it had when I’d first entered my mindscape.
I blinked, and from one moment to the next, everything snapped into focus.Flagstones underfoot, a circular metal wall, a clear energy shield shimmering overhead.I had done it.I had astrally projected myself into the maze.
Triumph pulsed through me, but it quickly wilted away as I took in an unexpected but nauseatingly familiar feature.Permaglass pools and bronze cauldrons were scattered throughout the area, and every single container was filled with lava.
This biodome was fashioned after a Magma planet.
Even though my physical body wasn’t actually in the biodome, the intense, oppressive heat still blasted over me and sucked the moisture out of my body.An unexpected and unwelcome side effect of my seer magic.The sensation stirred up memories of the Techwave battle on Magma 7, but I pushed them aside.I didn’t have time for memories right now—only rogue actions.
Kyrion was standing off to my left.His black hair was plastered to his forehead, and his skin was red and chapped.Sweat trickled down his face and spattered onto his dark blue clothes, and dust coated his knee-high boots.
An ugly burn from a blaster bolt marred Kyrion’s right forearm, but that was a minor injury compared with his left hand, which looked like he’d stuck it into the lava.His palm was as black as charcoal, and his fingers were a bright, unnatural red and twisted at an awkward angle like he couldn’t move them.
Just looking at Kyrion’s injuries made the pain of them flare up in my own body again.My left hand spasmed, and I couldn’t stop my fingers from curving into the same awkward claw as Kyrion’s fingers.A couple of weeks ago, I’d been shot with a powerful blaster when some bounty hunters had cornered me on Tropics 44, but the sheer, unrelenting agony pulsing off Kyrion took my breath away.I didn’t see how the Arrow was still on his feet, much less glaring at Roderick like he wanted to rip the other warrior to pieces with his bare hands.
If walking through Kyrion’s door had been like entering a distant dream, then Roderick was the nightmare that was front and center.His red armor was even brighter and shinier than the pools of lava, making him seem like he was wearing polyplastic plates of blood.Disgust curdled in my stomach.
Sweat kept dripping down Kyrion’s face, but not a single drop appeared on Roderick’s forehead, and his skin wasn’t flushed.His armor must be equipped with a cooling and heating system that adjusted to the surrounding environment and temperature.I snorted.Of course it was.The Erzton lord wouldn’t want to be the least bit uncomfortable as he hunted people.
Being in the maze and seeing the area from this angle made it much easier to orient myself, but I still wanted—needed—more information, so I called up my seer magic and studied the rest of the biodome.I concentrated on the bronze cauldrons and the metal wall, since those were the most likely places for hidden traps.My magic kicked in and highlighted a few nozzles and other hazards, and I marked those spots in the mental map I was creating.
My body trembled, and sweat streamed down my face, although I thought my physical distress had more to do with using my magic in such a focused, prolonged way than with the intense, almost unbearable heat of the lava.
I blinked, and everything wavered, as though it was a mirage.I clenched my hands into fists and gripped my seer magic a little more tightly, along with the sticky cobweb of Kyrion.Slowly, everything solidified.
I reached for more of my magic, anchoring myself to it, along with this spot in the maze.I only had one shot at this, and I had to make it work—or Kyrion was dead.
In my mind’s eye, I was still in the biodome watching Kyrion and Roderick face off.Keeping that image front and center in my thoughts, I slowly cracked my eyes open back out in the real world.
The control panel with its plethora of buttons and blinking lights swam into view.I curled my right hand around the metal.The sharp edge pressed into my palm, grounding me back in the control room, even as the image of Kyrion and Roderick flickered in my mind, like a holoscreen about to go dark.I ground my teeth and tightened my grip on my seer power and the sticky cobweb of Kyrion yet again.
The real-world view of the control panel warred with the image of the maze in my mind, like I was trying to watch two different gossipcasts at the same time.I thought my brain was going to explode from the intense pressure, but I reached for even more of my magic, and both images slowly steadied.
I drew in a breath, then let it out.When I was certain I had a good grip on my magic and especially my connection to Kyrion, I flexed my fingers, leaned over the control panel, and started hitting buttons.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
KYRION
Roderickstoppedandstaredat me, like I was a cherished photo he was committing to memory.No doubt the arrogant lord wanted to remember every second of his wretched hunt.
Then he grinned and advanced toward me, swinging his hammer back and forth.The lunarium weapon shimmered a darker, bloodier red than before, mirroring both his psion power and his sick anticipation of finishing his game.
A bright silver light flared, and a second version of Roderick appeared.I tensed, wondering if it was a hologram, a trick to get me to lower my guard, but then I realized it was Vesper’s seer magic surging for some unknown reason.The light flared again, and a second version of myself appeared.My mirror image threw himself at Roderick, who lashed out with his hammer.
Crack!Crack!Crack!
Even though it was just a vision, I still heard the gruesome sounds of my ribs cracking, and phantom pain stabbed through my chest, stealing my breath.
The second Roderick grinned and lashed out with his hammer again, shoving my mirror image into one of the nearby glass pools.Horrified, I watched the lava close over my mirror image, who screamed and screamed as he was quickly incinerated ...
I ground my teeth and shoved Vesper’s power away.The silver light vanished, as did the image of my scalded skin, but an intense burning sensation cascaded through my body, and my own hoarse screams echoed in my ears.A fresh river of sweat streamed down my face, and even more nausea roiled in my gut.Fuck, that had been intense.
I might not know much about seer magic, but Vesper’s power had clearly shown me a vision of the future.If I stayed where I was, I would be trapped in the gladiator-style ring in the center of the biodome.I would put up a vicious fight, but Roderick would eventually use his hammer to knock me into one of the pools, and the lava would end me.
A snarl rose in my throat, and my inner monster roared with rage.I wasn’t going to die that easily.Not when Vesper would feel every agonizing second of my demise through our bond.I might not escape Roderick, but I would spare Vesper the gruesome shock of drowning in a pool of lava.
