Expiation (Shadeward Book 4) Read online

  Magnetic power distribution will fail permanently in approximately fourteen stretches. Without realignment, atmospheric erosion will reach critical values.

  Kiri had no idea what she was repeating, but concentrated as the Obelisk continued.

  Flare generated ultraviolet. X-ray and microwave radiation exposure will rapidly increase to fatal levels as ozone layer depletion rises exponentially. It is imperative a repair maintenance team proceeds to the substellar pole, co-ordinates zero zero, immediately.

  Kiri let out a gasp as the Obelisk’s imperious voice stopped.

  ‘Tell it we’re coming,’ Meru instructed.

  Obelisk, we are coming to you.

  Acknowledged Administrator Kiri. What is your estimated time of arrival?

  ‘It wants to know when we’ll get there,’ Kiri said.

  Meru looked blank.

  We’ll be there as soon as we can!

  Acknowledged Administrator Kiri.

  Kiri shook her head as the contact faded in her mind.

  ‘Did you understand any of that?’ she asked.

  ‘Some,’ Meru said.

  ‘Tell me on the way,’ Kiri said. ‘I understood enough to know time is running out.’

  Meru nodded. ‘Buckle in,’ he said, pulling the harnesses about him. Kiri copied his moves.

  He flipped up a series of switches.

  ‘Sandra, please plot a course to the Obelisk.’

  ‘Course plotted.’

  Meru took a deep breath. ‘Let’s go then, as fast as we can.’

  * * *

  Zoella’s eyes had closed, her breathing deeper and more regular. Colour had returned to her cheeks and she was no longer twitching. Ira leant back, lifting her hands away.

  ‘Is she …?’ Mel began.

  Zoella stirred, her eyes opening. She looked around her.

  ‘Zoella?’ Mel whispered.

  Zoella looked across at her.

  ‘Mel?’

  Mel went to her side, grasping her hands. ‘Yes, Zoella. I’m here. Ira and Coran too … How are you?’

  Coran stepped up behind her.

  ‘I …’ Zoella blinked. Her expression looked confused. Mel, Ira and Coran watched as she looked about herself, her eyes moving rapidly. She sat up and looked at them, her hand going to her mouth in shock. ‘No …’

  ‘Look at me,’ Mel instructed firmly. ‘Zoella, here! Look at me.’

  Zoella turned to look, her face haunted, going pale once more.

  ‘But I … what I did,’ Zoella said. ‘I hurt you, how can you …?’

  Mel pulled her into an embrace. ‘It’s alright.’

  Mel felt Zoella grip her, feeling the girl trembling in her arms. After a moment Zoella drew back.

  ‘Where … where is Meru?’

  Mel looked up at Coran for a brief moment. She saw his jaw tense. ‘He’s gone hasn’t he?’ Zoella said. ‘With her … This is all my fault! I’m sorry …’ Her voice rose with hysteria. ‘I don’t know what happened … A madness took me … I didn’t …’

  ‘Hey,’ Mel said. ‘You’re with us, that’s what matters for now.’

  ‘Ira?’ Zoella asked. The girl smiled at her, signing something with her fingers.

  Zoella looked up at Coran.

  ‘But … Meru …’

  ‘We’ll find him,’ Coran said to her. ‘We’ll get him back.’

  * * *

  Coran and Mel had returned to the Mobilis. The ship was a mess, blackened dented and smelling of smoke. Coran had set to work with Daf and Creg trying to clean things up while Mel went straight to the engines. Several spells later the ship was at least serviceable, but it looked severely beaten up. There were leaks along the hull and it had a slight list to starboard which they weren’t able to correct. Looking down the hull Coran wondered if the keel had been twisted with the impact it had suffered in the defence of Amar. The ship just didn’t look right.

  Daf and Creg had turned their ample muscles to the hand pumps and cleaned out the bilges while Coran had finished cleaning up the bridge.

  A sudden thrum from below decks indicated Mel had fixed something. The wire mesh sails above him crackled with ’tricity and some of the lights flickered on.

  ‘Now we’re getting somewhere,’ Coran muttered to himself and jumped down on to the deck, heading aft.

  The engine covers were still open, one of the engines turning over slowly.

  Mel was watching it, her arms folded.

  ‘You got it working?’ Coran called.

  Mel shrugged, ‘Yeah. Guess I’m better at fixing things than people.’

  Coran climbed down beside her.

  ‘Don’t be hard on yourself,’ Coran said. ‘You sat with her, looked after her, tended her. More than you had to after what she did. I appreciate what you did. So will she.’

  ‘I couldn’t fix her.’

  ‘Each to their strengths,’ Coran said. ‘You’re the best snuttin’ engineer on the whole of this world. Don’t forget that.’

  Mel shrugged. ‘I guess.’

  ‘So, how is she?’ Coran asked.

  ‘Zoella, or the Mobilis?’

  Coran smiled. ‘The ship!’

  Mel sighed. ‘Pretty banged up. Using her as a ram did her no favours.’

  ‘So I saw,’ Coran said. ‘Daf and Creg worked at the pumps, but she’s definitely taken a battering.’

  ‘I managed to swap over a lot of the busted parts when we were in Caesar’s hangar,’ Mel added. ‘But it’s her general condition. The keel is sound enough, but some of the bulkheads are cracked, bolts and rivets are popped all over the place. Bow has a massive dent. She needs more patching …’

  ‘Is she seaworthy?’

  ‘I need more time.’

  ‘Yes or no?’

  Mel glared at him. ‘Yes, but barely. We can’t do no more smashing into things.’

  Coran nodded.

  ‘We need to get back out there, find out what’s going on … fix the Obelisk.’

  ‘I hear you,’ she said. ‘But even if the ship does hold together, if the ’tricity goes like Caesar said it would, we’ll be stuck out at sea …’

  The clumping sound of boots echoed across the deck. Both of them looked up to see Fitch approaching.

  ‘What’s up?’ Coran asked.

  ‘Meru’s on the move again,’ Fitch replied. ‘That infernal woman’s voice said that the medical transport is in the air.’

  ‘No joy getting hold of him I suppose,’ Coran said.

  Fitch shook his head.

  ‘No, still not answering the radio. But I think I know where he’s going.’

  ‘Where?’ Coran and Mel asked, simultaneously.

  ‘Got the track plotted,’ Fitch said, eyeing them both. ‘He’s heading directly sunwards.’

  ‘He’s heading for the Obelisk,’ Mel exclaimed. ‘Must be.’

  ‘But he needs Zoella to fix it,’ Coran said. ‘Doesn’t he? Caesar said …’

  ‘Caesar said something about Zoella,’ Mel said. ‘Don’t you remember? Meru started talking about it … Nano something. Caesar called her an administrator. Zoella has the gift, so does that witch, Kiri. Maybe …’

  ‘She’s an administrator too,’ Coran finished.

  ‘And Meru thinks she’s going to help him fix it?’ Fitch asked. ‘After she just tried to do us all in?’

  ‘Meru might have explained it,’ Coran said. ‘If the Obelisk fails we all die, Amarans, Scallians, Witches … all of us. Maybe Kiri understands that …’

  ‘So what are we going to do?’ Fitch demanded. ‘We can’t just sit here and hope Meru and that witch make it there.’

  ‘We can’t use the flying machines, they’re busted,’ Mel said. ‘And the Mobilis will never catch them up.’

  ‘And we might still have the rest of those witches camped on our doorstep,’ Fitch said. ‘We’ve got to secure Amar too.’

  Coran nodded.

  ‘Agreed. A recce of the Scattered Isles is the first priori
ty,’ he said. ‘We need to get hold of Meru, confirm what he’s doing and see if there’s any way we can help.’

  ‘He won’t answer,’ Fitch said, with a shrug. ‘I’ve tried. Snuttin’ stupid kid.’

  ‘If he won’t answer the radio,’ Mel said, ‘There’s nothing we can do.’

  ‘There’s another way of getting hold of him,’ Coran said, grimly.

  Mel and Fitch looked confused. Then Mel’s eyes widened and she shook her head.

  ‘No, Coran. You can’t ask her to do that,’ she exclaimed. ‘Not after what happened.’

  ‘Who?’ Fitch demanded. ‘Do what?’

  ‘Zoella said she could spy on Kiri before,’ Coran said. ‘Maybe she can speak to her and relay a message.’

  Fitch chuckled. ‘I’d love to see her face when you ask her to do that.’

  ‘Coran, you can’t!’ Mel said.

  ‘Do I have a choice?’ Coran replied, getting to his feet. ‘We need to talk to Meru. You two get the ship patched up as best you can. We’ll be leaving soon as you’re done.’

  * * *

  Coran strode back to Amaris from the harbour, heading for the house they had been assigned by the senate staff. Coran saw Senator Henoch standing at the gates, clearly hoping to speak to him.

  ‘Captain Coran!’

  ‘Senator.’

  ‘Any news of my son?’

  Coran grimaced. ‘We’ve not been able to contact him, but the flying machine he took is in the air once more. Meru must be flying it.’

  ‘Is he coming back?’

  Coran shook his head. ‘No, he’s heading sunwards. We think he’s going to attempt to fix the Obelisk.’

  ‘And what of the witch with him?’

  ‘All we know is that she’s alive too.’

  ‘How are you going to get him back?’ Henoch demanded.

  Coran turned to him. ‘Right now, I’m not.’

  ‘What?’

  ‘Meru’s got the best chance of fixing the Obelisk,’ Coran replied. ‘He’s nearly halfway there already. If the Obelisk isn’t fixed the flares will get worse, we’ll all die.’

  ‘Then … what can we do?’ Henoch said. ‘You said you couldn’t contact him …’

  Coran sighed. ‘That’s why I’m here, there’s something I’ve got to try.’

  ‘The other girl, the one that’s lost her mind?’

  ‘She may be able to send a message,’ Coran explained. ‘These powers …’

  ‘Are extremely dangerous,’ Henoch replied. ‘Are you sure this is wise?’

  ‘I don’t think I have a choice.’

  Henoch nodded. ‘I appreciate your efforts in all this, Captain. I apologise if I seem impatient. I’m just … worried …’

  ‘I will get hold of Meru,’ Coran promised.

  ‘I’d have him back safe,’ Henoch said. ‘But abducting a war criminal, breaking her out of jail? This girl assaulting you? Such a mess – and I am bound to uphold the law.’

  ‘Let’s get them back before we worry about the legalities,’ Coran said. ‘If you’ll excuse me …’

  Henoch stepped aside. Coran turned and walked into the house, climbing to the upper level. He walked into the room where Zoella had been put, knocking on the door.

  ‘Come in,’ Zoella’s voice called.

  Coran took a deep breath, pushed open the door and walked inside.

  Zoella was sitting up, dressed in a simple nightgown, with a bandage strapped across her forehead. She still looked pale, her brown eyes wide as she looked at him. She was gaunt and thin, her eyes sunken, with dark rings around them.

  ‘May I?’ he said, gesturing to a nearby chair. She nodded.

  Coran watched her for a long moment.

  ‘How are you doing?’ he asked.

  ‘Better,’ she said, her voice a whisper. ‘How are the crew?’

  Coran puffed out his cheeks. ‘Still pretty nervous I think,’ he said. ‘And I can’t blame them.’

  Zoella swallowed, pulling her knees up to her chest and wrapping her arms around them. ‘I’m sorry. You must all hate me.’

  Coran shook his head. ‘Scared is more the thing. You were pretty terrifying.’

  Coran watched her expression. She seemed contrite.

  ‘You remember what happened?’ he asked.

  She nodded, miserably. ‘Yes. All of it. What I did, what I said. It was unforgivable. I was …’ She looked away. ‘I don’t know what happened to me. Lost control … struck out … hurt you … all of you.’

  ‘We couldn’t stop you,’ Coran said. ‘You swatted us away like we were just nargs.’

  ‘It was pure rage,’ Zoella said. ‘Ren was murdered …’

  ‘Ren was killed,’ Coran said, his voice firm. ‘Not murdered. He wanted to fight for Amar. Mel and I did try hard to discourage him, but truth be told, we needed him. No one else save Meru could operate those machines. So we let him fight. He probably saved us all. Then …’

  Zoella’s expression hardened. Coran saw her lip curl.

  ‘She killed him.’

  ‘Kiri?’ Coran asked, keeping his voice level. ‘Yes, she killed him; in self-defence. Kiri was fighting Fitch. Ren stabbed her and she defended herself. Then she was captured. We had her locked up; she was going to stand trial for everything she’d done. Then you took matters into your own hands. Now she’s escaped, Meru is an accomplice to a crime and all three of you are in a heap of trouble with the council. It’s just as well we don’t have a death penalty.’

  Zoella looked away.

  ‘I understand what you felt,’ Coran said. ‘Fitch and I wanted to do the same thing, but not at the cost of attacking our friends. Just as well Mel had the courage to stand her ground. We talk, we debate, we argue, but we don’t attack each other, force our will upon others.’

  Coran could see Zoella’s expression crumpling, but he kept going.

  ‘This gift of yours makes you incredibly powerful. You just bashed us aside. Is that your way, Zoella?’

  ‘No,’ Zoella cried. ‘It’s not …’

  ‘Because if it is, if that’s what you’re going to do,’ Coran continued. ‘You can’t be part of my crew. You can’t stay. It’s too dangerous. The Amaran council wants you locked up …’

  Zoella was sobbing now.

  ‘I’m sorry,’ she said, desperation in her voice. ‘It was rage … it came from somewhere inside me … hatred for her yes … anger with Meru … grief over Ren … Mel promised to look after him … all of those things, but …’ She looked up. ‘It wasn’t me, something … it was …’

  ‘Can you control it?’ Coran asked. ‘Will it happen again?’

  ‘I don’t know,’ Zoella replied, stuttering through her sobs. ‘I don’t want it to.’

  Coran nodded. ‘An honest answer.’

  Zoella wiped at her eyes. ‘It happened once before. When Viresia was attacked. Kiri duelled with my queen, tortured my prince and struck down my carn Raga when he tried to defend me. A rage took over; like a part of me that’s so furious. It makes me want to hurt, want to inflict pain, it’s horrible, burning hot anger that just …’

  ‘Triggered by this witch, Kiri,’ Coran said. ‘She’s your problem.’

  Zoella nodded.

  ‘Who just happens to be your sister,’ Coran added. ‘What happened in that cell? There was blood everywhere.’

  ‘I took her staff and I beat her,’ Zoella said, her body shaking. ‘Tortured her like I saw her torture others. I was going to kill her – I wanted to! The rage I felt … She was terrified, I saw it in her eyes. She cried out. I was about to finish her. Then Meru …’

  ‘Both of them were gone by the time we got there,’ Coran said, softly.

  ‘Do you know what happened to her?’ Zoella asked. ‘What happened to Meru? He pushed me aside, hit me before I could turn on him. That’s the last thing I remember.’

  ‘They’re both alive,’ Coran replied. ‘It seems Meru managed to get Kiri to the medical ship, I guess he saved her life. W
e’re able to track the ship, but we can’t get Meru to answer the radio. He’s switched it off. I’m guessing he figures it’s not safe to come back.’

  ‘Because of me,’ Zoella said.

  Coran didn’t answer. Zoella’s head fell forward.

  ‘We think he’s heading towards the Obelisk,’ Coran said, after a moment.

  Zoella looked up and frowned. ‘But he won’t be able to fix …’ She swallowed. ‘Her?’

  Coran nodded.

  ‘Could Kiri have the same instruction from the Obelisk?’ he asked.

  Zoella shrugged. ‘Meru said she’d heard it call her, I guess so.’

  ‘I need to speak to him,’ Coran said. ‘If Meru is going to the Obelisk …’

  ‘But you said the radio was switched off.’

  ‘Yes.’

  Coran watched her face go even paler.

  ‘You want me to talk to her?’ Zoella said. Coran could see her fingers trembling.

  ‘That’s it exactly.’

  ‘I can’t,’ Zoella said. ‘I hate her, we will fight … the rage will come back!’

  ‘I need you to do this, Zoella,’ Coran said, his voice calm and even. ‘I need to speak to Meru. I need to know what he’s doing and whether there is anything we can do to help. You’re the only one who can relay a message.’

  ‘No, don’t make me do it …’

  ‘I need you to control this hatred. I need you to speak to her, to Kiri.’

  ‘She will refuse. It won’t work!’

  ‘You must try!’ Coran shouted the last words.

  Zoella flinched away from him.

  Coran waited for a moment before he spoke, his voice stern. ‘Prove to us you can put this aside. Prove we can begin to trust you again.’

  Silence hung heavy between them.

  ‘It’s the only way we can get Meru back,’ Coran whispered, breaking the stillness. ‘Will you do this for me, Zoella? Will you do it for him?’

  Zoella swallowed and then drew a long shuddering breath.

  ‘Alright. I will try.’

  CHAPTER FOUR

  Airea, Capital of Taloon

  Round 2307, Seventh pass

  Rihanna stood above the dying priestess, seeing her struggle to breathe, gasping for air. She was injured inside, the few healers had tried to save her, but nothing further could be done. She knelt down and grasped the woman’s hand in hers, feeling the life drain from her.