The two clones of Van have split off one going after Garrett and the other after Brink. I choose to help Brink since Garrett’s shield can defend against Van’s weapon.
“Van!” I shout up to him. “What does your shield protect you from?”
“Arrows!”
I slash Van’s clone across the back just as he’s arming a detonator. He tosses the device at Brink’s feet just before he falls to the ground. I can’t get to Brink so I yell. He sees the device and runs, making it a good distance away before the device explodes. I stab Van’s clone in the chest next and he disappears. I go after the other Van. He’s not daring to arm his weapon since he knows Garrett’s shield will protect him from them. What he is doing is wrestling Garrett to the ground so my twin can kill him. My Kopis slams into my twin’s just as she’s about to come down on Garrett.
“You do know this is useless, Max,” my clone says to me. “You’re all going to die just like the others.”
Brink shrieks as Garrett’s clone fires an arrow into his back. He falls to the ground and lies motionless.
“One down, three to go,” my clone says.
“I know something you don’t know,” I say to her, mockingly.
“And what’s that?”
Garrett’s clone moves over to our group. His arrow ready to fly at me.
“You can hold each other’s weapons.”
The clone smiles. “I knew you were smart, Max.”
I grab her free arm and swing her around so she is now between Garrett’s clone and myself. “But there’s something you don’t know.”
“And what’s that, Maxy?”
“So can I.”
I shove her in the direction of Garrett’s clone, reach for the real Garrett’s weapon, which is at his feet, and fire an arrow as quickly as I can into my clone. I then fire another one towards Garrett’s clone to distract him, drop the bow and arrow, and drive my Kopis into Van’s remaining clone. I then slice up Garrett’s clone.
I sheathe my weapon and run over to Brink to remove the arrow. Luckily it missed his spine, but I don’t know what else it may have damaged internally. Van drops from the tree as Garrett gets to his feet. I apply pressure to Brink’s wound. Van gives me a piece of his uniform to help stem the bleeding.
“How the hell did you do that?” Van asks.
“Not now,” I say.
“Do you think that was it? That it’s over?” Van asks.
“I don’t know, but if I don’t get this bleeding under control we’re all dead,” I say.
It takes all of use to tend to Brink’s wound. We finally get the bleeding under control and Brink starts to come around.
“What happened?” he asks, his face half covered in mud.
“Nothing,” I answer. “You just got nicked by an arrow. You’ll be fine.” I take his knives from his hands and secure them in their pouch.
He narrows his eyes at me. “Liar.”
An alarm pierces the darkness. It’s so harsh that we have to cover our ears to make sure they don’t rupture. We look around to see where it could possibly be coming from, but there isn’t one general direction. The trees, mud, and water begin to flicker as if losing power. They vanish, and the four of us find ourselves on the gray tiles of the battle floor. The building shakes and dust falls from the ceiling. Another rumble and the walls begin to crack.
“Do you think this is the next part?!” Brink shouts to be heard over the noise.
Something tells me no.
The alarm finally shuts off as the lights begin to waver. The entrance to the battle floor bursts open. Matron Kaniz flies in our direction, blood and ash covering much of her left side, as a group of Aedox pursue her.
Twenty
“Max, get them out of here,” she screams at me.
“Where are the others?!” I shout back.
“Don’t worry about that. Take your group someplace safe,” she says, pointing to everyone around me.
Matron Kaniz is struck with a bullet from behind, killing her instantly.
I take Garrett and Van by the hands. Brink takes Van’s other hand and I loop us out of Thrace Tower. The landing is rough since I projected us to a location I’ve never actually seen. It’s a gamble, but I hope it’s the right choice.
“Where are we?” Garrett asks, letting go of my hand and cautiously steps towards a pair of thick glass doors tinted purple.
“Pentras Tower,” I respond, quickly scanning the room.
“You brought us to the Dead Zone?” Brink practically screams at me, but stops when his body seizes with pain. He takes several deep breaths before continuing. “You were supposed to take us someplace safe, not kill us.”
“We’ll be fine as long as we stay inside. Van, go see if you can find something to help Brink’s wound.”
Van sets his bag on the floor and heads off down the corridor at the back of the lobby.
Dust should be thick over all the furnishings, but there isn’t any. Garrett helps Brink to his feet and sets him down onto one of the couches that encircle the large area. Along the back wall on either side of the corridor are monitors displaying maps. They look to be that of the Dead Zone, Tarsus, the Outer Limits, and someplace else.
Icarian?
Van returns a few minutes later with a medical kit. He sits down next to Brink, cleans his wound, and begins sewing him up.
“Where did you find that?” Garrett asks.
“There’s a room full of medical supplies down there and to the left,” Van says, pointing down the corridor he just came from.
Garrett walks around the lobby, which is covered in light blue paint, flourishing plants and a functioning waterfall that stretches up to the third floor, antiques, and two main desks by the monitors.
“What is this place?” he asks from the other side of the room.
“Your sanctuary,” a voice booms over our heads from hidden speakers. “Max, you have done well. It was very smart of you
