Ascendant Saga Collection: Sci-Fi Fantasy Techno Thriller Brandon Ellis (ebook reader for comics txt) 📖

put his hand up to grab the railing, but was too late. He was off his feet and falling toward the bottom of the stairs.

First, his butt hit, then his back, and lastly, his head cracked on the concrete floor.

Carl came crashing down on top of him.

Drew’s breath was knocked out of him and his gun went flailing. He pushed Carl off and Carl rolled into the basement, holding his stomach.

Megan yanked Drew all the way into the basement, his heels dragging, and slammed the door shut, locking it.

Drew, holding his side, gasping for breath, leaned over in a stoop, eyeing Carl, his head aching.

Carl was breathing heavily, his eyes wide. “What in the name of Jupiter was that?”

Drew and Megan took a step back.

Carl’s hands, arms, and chest were covered in blood. Purple blood.

10

J-Quadrant, Solar System - South of East Rise, Callisto

The Agadon combat-mech aimed and its forearm cannon sent forth an ion burst, headed right for Rivkah. If it hit, Abdu and Bogle would turn into a pile of fiery dust along with her.

Her idea to climb this rock wall on the back of a lion, with a dying woman in her arms, was a dumb idea, and her failure was going to take the lives of her two friends.

Abdu crouched in his climb, his toes curling around two small rocks that jutted out of the cliff wall. He roared like the lion he was, and leaped upward. The wall shuddered as the ion charge pounded into the rockface. It missed its mark, but sent shards of rocky shrapnel toward the trio.

“Hurry,” yelled Rivkah.

“Two more leaps and we’re above the lip,” responded Abdu.

Rivkah held Bogle with one arm, clutching Abdu’s chains that crisscrossed his torso with her other. If it wasn’t for the Chi that Rivkah had running through her body, this feat alone would be beyond impossible.

Abdu crouched a second time and jumped upward. He snagged the jutting rocks above him.

Wapooo!

Another burst of fury was heading their way.

Rivkah shot a look over her shoulder, dreading the inevitable.

Abdu pushed off, the wind whipping through his mane. They landed just over the lip of the cliff as another explosion cracked across the rock wall. Abdu lost his balance, sending Rivkah and Bogle sliding across the ground.

Rivkah stopped her slide, pressing her hands on the snowy terrain. She spun around, ready to get up.

Abdu was already on one knee, eyeing the combat-mech through his scope. He held steady.

Rivkah shook her head, her lips pursed, her eyes narrowed. They needed to run, but Abdu wasn’t moving, wasn’t budging an inch.

“We have to get out of here,” screamed Rivkah, rushing toward Abdu.

Abdu put a hand up and let out a mew.

A strong force pushed Rivkah away and onto her back. She skidded across the snow-covered rocks. “What the…” She wiped her hands together, patting the snow off her palms, and quickly got to her feet.

The Agadon mech raised its arm, targeting Abdu’s position.

Abdu’s bamboo rifle recoiled against his shoulder and a purple burst shot forward, zipping into the Agadon mech’s cannon. The cannon sparkled, electricity dancing around the muzzle in a haze of wild blues and purples, then imploded, tearing the mech’s arm in half. Another explosion blasted outward on the mech’s upper arm, a chain reaction that Abdu nodded at, almost as if expecting it to happen.

The mech dropped to its knees, then stumbled forward—shutting down. The thing was out of commission, smoking like a chimney.

Abdu strapped his rifle over his back, then raced over to Bogle. She was on the ground, unconscious, her body pale—almost white.

He bent down and touched her forehead, his eyes heavy with unmistakable melancholy. “She has passed to the next world.”

Rivkah stiffened. “She’s dead?”

Abdu nodded and slid his fingers down Bogle’s eyelids, shutting them. “The prophecy is doomed.”

Another Agadon combat-mech’s foot rocked the ground. Abdu dashed toward Rivkah. “We must push forward if we want to live.”

“We can’t just leave Bogle there. We have to bury her, or…do something.” Muscles tensed up, her eyes clouding with worry. “We’ve failed everyone.” She swallowed, closing her eyes, willing Bogle to get up and run. She opened her eyes. Bogle lay there, breathless. Dead.

Abdu grasped Rivkah’s forearm. “Unless you wish to be buried as well, we need to go.” His purple eyes flashed, penetrating deep into her own.

A vibration went through her. She knew, without needing to ask, that the energy was from Abdu. For the first time, Rivkah felt a high wisdom coming from him and into her like a caring, trusting father to his daughter. Maybe this is what family was like—loving and protective. He didn’t want her. He didn’t need her. He loved her for who she was, not for what she looked like or what her body could offer him. He cared for her safety, more so than some damn prophecy.

But how did she know this by a single look? She shook her head. She could think on it later. She needed to focus. She had a mission. She couldn’t lose sight of it, not even if Bogle was dead and Abdu was beaming unconditional love at her. She needed to concentrate all her energy on saving the children who were being enslaved by the Kelhoon. That was her sole purpose. Nothing else mattered. She needed to halt her father’s effort to bring more slaves to Callisto and use them as cattle, killing of the weak and sickly kids who didn’t make the cut. Her father’s effort? She paused, correcting her thoughts. No, Colonel Slade’s effort. She smiled at her Leonian friend. “If the prophecy is off, I still have something of importance I need to do. Will you join me, Abdu?”

Abdu looked over his shoulder. An Agadon mech was headed for his fallen comrade. “Yes.”

She nodded and closed her eyes. Her vision expanded and she saw his trail—Slade’s energy signature. It was an etheric ribbon, flowing in the wind, moving across hills and to the walled city.

It was due south from