Soul of Eon (Eon Warriors #8) - Anna Hackett Page 0,4
it easier to disrupt the bond between warrior and helian.” He glared at the testing tanks. “It looks like they are closer than ever to succeeding. We need to get off the ship.”
“How do we do that?”
“We steal a swarm ship. We need to get to the main hangar.”
“Oh, okay, let’s get—”
The doors to the lab opened.
They both dropped down behind a bench.
A bug entered. It was large and took up the entire doorway.
The alien was bright green, with spikes covering its legs. Two large, purple eyes topped its head.
The creature lifted its head, sniffed, then screeched.
The sound was loud, battering Kaira’s eardrums. She winced and saw Thane grimace.
Then the bug charged into the lab.
The bug crashed through the room, knocking benches over.
Cren. Thane’s fingers curled into his palm. They needed to get out.
Objects tumbled to the floor, and a nostril-searing smell filled the room. Beside him, Kaira gagged. He grabbed her arm and tugged her along the bench.
The bug lifted its front legs and screeched again. Thane morphed his sword, relishing the renewed connection to his helian.
“Stay down.” Then he leaped over the bench and landed in front of the bug.
It skittered forward and Thane slashed. The creature screeched. He dropped down, slid under the body of the bug, and ran the sword into the creature’s soft underbelly.
The alien went wild, its thorn-covered legs slamming down.
Thane rolled, and a leg caught him, winding him. The spikes tore against his armor.
“Hey!”
Kaira. He looked up.
She’d managed to morph a sword as well. “Come on!”
Cren. He’d told her to stay down.
The bug charged. She grabbed a small, empty vat off a bench and threw it at the alien. It smashed into its head.
The creature skidded, shaking its head wildly. Without pause, Kaira rushed at it, and stabbed it with her sword.
The alien made a deafening noise and slashed out with its front legs. One of its legs hit Kaira, sending her flying
No. Thane leaped up.
He jumped onto the back of the bug. It tried to buck him off, but he held on, and raised his sword high, then he rammed it down.
It connected with a crack, and he worked it through the hard, green shell. Darker green blood dripped down the bug’s side.
Grunting, he kept pushing. He had to keep Kaira safe. Finally, his sword hit something vital.
With another wild noise, the bug collapsed beneath him and he leaped off. “Kaira!”
She leaned against a bench, holding her side. “I’m okay.”
“Let me see.” He strode toward her.
“I told you—”
He touched her side. “I’m the doctor.” He probed.
She hissed.
“You might have some broken ribs.”
“Just bruised. I’ve broken ribs before, and it felt worse than this. Thane, we can’t stop now.”
Cren, she was right. He nodded. By the warriors, the urge to see her safe was overwhelming.
A buzzing noise filled the corridor.
They both stiffened.
“Kantos soldiers are coming,” she said.
“We need to barricade the door.”
“The bench,” she suggested.
They both pressed their hands to one of the long workbenches, and together they pushed.
Thane gritted his teeth. “Harder.”
The bench screeched as it moved across the floor, sliding and ramming against the door.
He spun. “We need a way out.”
“Back into the ducts?”
He scanned the lab. “Agreed.”
They pushed another bench right beneath the open grate. Kaira climbed up and was about to jump, then she stilled.
“Kaira?”
“Wait. I hear something.”
Thane heard it, too. A skittering sound in the vent.
He circled Kaira’s waist and yanked her off the bench.
Tiny bugs poured out of the vent opening, like a dark waterfall.
“Fuck,” she breathed.
“Back up.”
They retreated, and watched as insects flowed into the room. They landed on one of the experiments, and instantly devoured it.
“Double fuck,” she breathed.
Thane gritted his teeth. He formed a flamethrower and waved flames across the sea of bugs. They shriveled and died, but more continued to pour out of the vent.
“Thane, the door?”
There was a heavy pounding on the doors. They vibrated under the force. The Kantos would break through soon.
Cren.
“We need another way out,” he said.
“I’m looking.”
There was no fear in her voice. No hysteria. Just quiet competence.
“Here! There’s a grate in the wall.” She crouched.
Thane kept pouring flames onto the bugs.
Kaira kicked the vent. “Come on.” She kicked again. Then she dropped down, and kicked the grate with both feet.
Some bugs flew onto Thane. They were tiny, but they nipped at his arm, hair, and skin with sharp teeth. It felt like knives. He batted them off.
“Got it!” Kaira yelled.
Thane sprayed fire again.
He glanced back and saw the grate bent inward.
With a giant crash, Kantos soldiers smashed