Part 8 (2/2)

Shane couldn't seem to fathom what had just happened. He looked from Kovo to Gerathon, then back again, as if expecting something to change if he stared hard enough. In spite of everything, Abeke couldn't help feeling a twinge of pity for him. But the pity didn't last long, not when she thought back to what Shane had done to Meilin, to how many deaths he had been responsible for ... to how he had made her trust him.

No. Don't. She forced her heart to harden and hate. This is what it feels like, Shane, to be betrayed by those you trust.

Kovo turned his attention back to the Four Fallen. He hoisted the staff again. ”He who controls the Staff of Cycles,” he roared, beating at his chest, ”controls the Evertree. The fate of Erdas. He controls all.” He narrowed his dark red eyes at them, focusing particularly on Abeke and Rollan. ”You have lost! Give me your talismans. You have no use for them any longer, and I will put them to very good use. The world needs the talismans to bind together. Hand them over, kneel to me, and I promise you mercy.”

”Like you promised Shane you would let him rule?” Rollan snapped. ”You keep using that word I don't think it means what you think it means.”

Kovo's mouth curled up as he bared his teeth. ”Resist,” he roared, ”and I will destroy you all.”

For a moment, no one moved.

Then Zerif stepped forward and bent his knee to Kovo. He lowered his head. Abeke watched, stunned. An oily man to the end how quickly he turned his back on Shane, now that it seemed all was lost.

”I pledge my loyalty,” Zerif said to Kovo.

Shane let out an enraged cry. Then he called on his crocodile. It burst forth in a flash of light, front legs reared up and jaws already open Shane grabbed one of its spikes and leaped onto its broad back. The crocodile's front legs smashed down to the ground, shaking the earth, and they lunged for Kovo.

Shane didn't even cover half the ground between himself and the ape before his crocodile suddenly halted in mid-step. Shane let out a wrenching shriek of pain. Then he fell from his crocodile's back and collapsed to the ground. He writhed. Abeke gasped.

Gerathon turned her control on Shane, forcing him back onto his feet and toward them. Abeke instinctively looked toward Meilin. As she feared, Meilin's pupils dilated and her irises faded to yellow. She shook her head violently. The color of her eyes flashed between dark and gold as she fought against Gerathon's pull. ”Go!” she shouted at the others. ”Don't worry about me fight Shane and Zerif!”

”Now,” Gerathon hissed. ”Attack!”

Shane tried to resist, but Abeke could tell that his limbs moved of their own accord. He fixed his mindless stare on them and lunged.

”Go!” Conor suddenly shouted.

He, Rollan, and Abeke surged forward as one, their spirit animals at their sides. Conor and Briggan aimed for Shane and his crocodile, while Essix flew ahead of Rollan and opened her talons at Zerif. Zerif called his jackal and for the first time, they saw the tawny animal emerge. It lunged for them with frightening speed. Shane aimed for Abeke, but Uraza leaped between them with an earthshaking roar. She attacked Shane's crocodile with claws extended.

Something black and white flashed in the corner of Abeke's eyes. Jhi! The panda reluctantly stayed at Meilin's side as Meilin struggled against her bonds, throwing herself at Abeke with all of her strength. Her eyes were completely yellow now, her pupils fully dilated. Abeke jumped backward. Even fighting against the control, Meilin was a formidable opponent. She kicked out at Abeke, trying to trip her, but Abeke managed to dodge it and throw Meilin to the ground. Meilin struggled wildly, unable to stop herself.

”I'm sorry,” Abeke said breathlessly, ”but I have to do this.” Then she hit Meilin in the jaw, right where she knew she would knock the girl unconscious.

The hit landed where Abeke wanted it. Meilin's limbs went limp, and her eyes turned dazed. Abeke set her gently down, then leaped up and charged at Shane.

She had just reached him when Kovo lifted his staff and pointed it at all of them. A violent flash of light exploded from it, engulfing everyone.

Abeke halted. She threw her hands up to s.h.i.+eld her face. Then, unbelievable pain stabbed her.

ROLLAN CRUMPLED TO THE GROUND WITH A CRY OF agony. His muscles felt like they were on fire. His joints cramped up. What's happening? His head clouded with a tight, painful tingling, and for a split second he felt as if he wasn't himself at all that he was a complete stranger, and his real form was floating somewhere outside his body. For a moment, he was reminded of when he had been sick in Zhong. His thoughts flitted away as confusion clouded him. Who am I?

Nearby, he saw Uraza stumble and fall with a pained growl. Essix let out a shrill cry her flight turned erratic. She landed with a crash, sending up a shower of dust, her wings splayed out in agony.

”Essix!” Rollan managed to shout through his own pain. He tried to crawl toward her, but another spasm of pain lanced down his legs, forcing him to curl up in a ball. Tears sprang to his eyes. Through his blurry vision, he could see that Conor and Abeke had fallen too.

Kovo roared in triumph. He stepped away from the edge of the pit, his staff still glowing in his hand, and walked toward Abeke. He's going to take the Granite Ram, Rollan thought. He struggled to get up, but his limbs felt weak and useless. He could only look on as Kovo towered over Abeke, effortlessly shoved the girl's arms aside, and opened his giant hand toward her. Rollan's eyes widened in horror. He's going to crush her.

Abeke cringed away from the enormous fingers as they reached for the talisman looped around her neck. With one vicious yank, the talisman snapped free from its rope.

”No!” Rollan managed to shout. He glanced at Essix's struggling figure again. I have to help her! ”Essix, come here!” He pointed to the spot right above his heart. Essix turned her head toward him, her eyes full of agony. Rollan wasn't even sure that she could go into the dormant state after Kovo's attack but being dormant had to be better than letting her suffer like this.

Essix let out a weak cry before vanis.h.i.+ng in a flash of light. To Rollan's relief, she reappeared over his heart in her usual place. A small surge of energy rushed through him for now, he felt momentarily stronger. Rollan looked toward the others.

”Use the dormant state!” he called to them.

Conor called for Briggan, and Abeke for Uraza. Each spirit animal disappeared in a flash of light. Only Meilin stayed unconscious on the ground, Jhi beside her.

Conor shook his head, as if to clear it. His expression was still contorted in pain, but the little surge of strength his spirit animal had given him allowed him to crawl up onto his knees.

Kovo lumbered to Rollan's side and loomed over him. Rollan could only hold a weak arm up in a vain attempt to stop him before he grabbed the Coral Octopus hanging around Rollan's neck and pulled it free. Rollan's heart dropped.

Kovo had all of the talismans now.

The ape lifted the staff and set its point down on the ground. He tied first the Granite Ram and then the Coral Octopus around the top of the staff, using the broken chains that had once held them in place around Rollan's and Abeke's necks. As if in response, the earth shuddered. Rollan's fingers raked through red dust, leaving long scratches. He gritted his teeth as pain continued to pour over him. There was nothing he could do.

”Thank you for your cooperation,” Kovo said to them, although nothing in his sneer gave any indication that he felt grateful. He patted the staff in a taunting gesture, as if daring Rollan to come retrieve it. Then he tightened his fist around it and turned his back. ”Come,” he called to Halawir and Gerathon. ”The Platinum Elk is all that is left.”

The Platinum Elk. Rollan struggled up as Halawir took to the skies, carrying Gerathon in his talons. Kovo disappeared over the edge of Muttering Rock, leaping into what seemed like oblivion to the ground far below.

They'd gotten away.

With Kovo's departure, the skies changed color again, s.h.i.+fting from black and blue to an eerie, dark red.

”This is from my vision,” Conor said beside him, his face turned up to the sky with a stunned expression. ”This was when I saw Tellun.”

But Tellun was nowhere to be seen now.

Zerif was the first to bolt. He scrambled to his feet, suddenly freed of Gerathon's control, and called his jackal back into its dormant state. He shot a quick glance at Rollan. Then he turned away and hurried to the edge of the rock. Rollan wanted to shout at him. He wished he were strong enough to give chase. But Zerif was already gone.

Conor let out a groan nearby. ”Are you okay?” he asked Rollan.

Rollan gingerly stretched his limbs. The sharp pain that had crippled him seemed like it'd started to fade now. The fog that had shrouded his mind lifted too. He gradually felt more like himself again. Rollan tested his fingers and toes, then pulled himself into a crouch.

”Yeah, I think so,” he replied. He got up laboriously. ”What did Kovo do to us? The way my bond with Essix stretched ...” He paused, shuddering at the memory. ”It felt like my arms getting pulled out of their sockets. I thought it was going to tear me apart. Was that ... bonding sickness?”

Conor shook his head. ”I don't know. Maybe. But whatever it was, the staff must have caused it.”

They both went to check on Meilin, who nodded weakly at them, her face crinkled in shame. Jhi ambled over to her and nuzzled her gently. At first, Meilin couldn't seem to bring herself to look at her panda. Only when Jhi uttered a low, mournful growl and nudged Meilin with her nose did she finally turn her eyes up. Meilin put a hand on Jhi's nose, then hugged her muzzle. Jhi stayed perfectly still. Her gesture said everything Rollan wanted to. It wasn't her fault. None of this was.

Then they turned to Abeke.

But Abeke was already up and moving, walking past them with a grim, determined gait. She was headed toward Shane, who still lay on the ground. He'd looked so powerful while on the battlefield below but now, after Kovo had cast him aside, he looked defeated. His eyes, flas.h.i.+ng and furious only moments earlier, were hollow and empty. He stayed in a fetal position, his arms and legs limp.

His crocodile was gone now, back in its dormant state, and he made no effort to move. He didn't seem to care about his well-being anymore. He didn't even seem to notice Abeke approaching. Whatever spark of power that had driven him before was gone from his face, leaving behind something empty and forlorn.

At first, Rollan thought that Abeke would help him up, kindhearted even after all Shane had done to hurt them. But when she reached him, Abeke kicked him hard with her boot instead. Her heel caught him under his ribs. Shane's cry echoed out over the desert. He coughed breathlessly.

”Get up!” Abeke snapped. ”I said, get up.” Her voice sounded completely cold. Rollan didn't know what to make of it. He had always thought he would cheer the day when Abeke finally got her hands on Shane. But somehow, seeing her like this, merciless and vengeful, gave him little pleasure.