(eng) Nick James - Skyship Academy 03 by Strikeforce

Author:Strikeforce [Strikeforce]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

26

I awake in the center of fire. A vast whirlwind of flames rushes past me at all angles, so thick that I can’t see anything past it. I make out faint outlines, silhouettes moving beyond the burning walls, but I can’t tell what they are.

I stand, turning to look for an exit. I expect heat, so staggering that it would burn the life out of me. Instead, there’s nothing. No hot, no cold. I feel balanced, at peace somehow. Protected by the flames.

I step forward and reach out a hand, wondering what will happen if I touch the fire. My fingers shake as I extend my arm farther. The fire tenses, as if waiting for my touch. When my skin finally dips beneath the flame, it’s like plunging my hand into room-temperature water. I leave it in place for a moment, marveling at my newfound invulnerability.

Then a figure breaches the fire wall.

I pull my hand to my side and turn to see Cassius, barreling toward me. He’s already passed through the flames, with only a few yards before running into me.

“Cassius!”

He doesn’t respond. He doesn’t slow his pace or change his direction. He keeps coming, too fast for me to move out of the way.

Our eyes meet. His mouth stays shut, his expression plain, but focused.

“Wait!” I reach out a hand, as if that’ll stop him.

He runs right into me. As soon as our skin touches, his body fizzles to phantomlike transparency. Another moment and he’s gone. My hand is still outstretched, stopping nothing.

The flames continue to loop and twist around me, but something’s different. Something’s changing.

I lower my hand and watch the color spread through the cyclone.

Green. Pearl green.

––––

A detonation wakes me, this time for real.

My father’s hand wraps around my waist. I lie slumped over his shoulder, carried through the Fringes like cargo, bumping up and down with every footstep he takes. My head spins. My heart pounds like it’s about to explode. I don’t know what’s going on or why we’re running.

Another explosion, closer this time. A hailstorm of dust shellacs my face. I manage to shield my eyes, but swallow some of it. I cough, struggling to see the landscape around me. I don’t see the cruiser, but I do notice the silhouettes of soldiers. They sprint by too fast to make out details, and move in all different directions. I can’t tell if they’re chasing us, surrounding us, or something even worse.

Savon hoists me farther up his shoulder, but this time I’m awake. I reach out with my leg, accidentally kicking him in the thigh. A moment of surprised exertion on his part sends me toppling over his side. He holds firm to my bottom half, but the rest of me dangles. My hands touch the ground and support my torso, dragging in the dust for a painful, disoriented moment. When Savon realizes that I’m conscious, he allows me to right myself.

I topple onto the ground and land unceremoniously on my butt. The pain and nausea catches up to me, but there’s no time to dwell on it.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.