Sword in the Stars (Once & Future #2) - Cori McCarthy Page 0,104

first, then coming closer. “Hurry, Merlin.”

“Not something to be hurried!” he sang. A series of associates broke through the Lionelian blockade, and Ari threw them down with her new sword, loving the way it sliced the air. It was shorter than Excalibur, but sharper, too.

Gwen was fighting alongside her people with nothing but a replica bow and arrow. The Lionelians were strong and mad, but the associates had the numbers. When an entire block of them moved in, Ari had an impossible choice—continue to protect Merlin or rush to their aid.

A hacking sound fired from above, like a spaceship with a smoker’s cough, and then Error tore into the dome, landing on an entire battalion of Mercer associates.

The loading bay opened, and Jordan leaped out swinging dual axes, Yaz right behind her with her knives. Jordan immediately took a stray heat gun hit to the armor, bucking slightly and then swinging her ever-buff arms with furious precision.

Ari found herself screaming out a short cheer that caught Jordan’s attention, and the black knight grinned hard and cheered right back. Ari couldn’t think of anyone she’d rather have at the head of the resistance, swinging heavy weapons. And loyalty really had won the day—because Jordan would never let anyone hurt Gwen. Which left Ari free to keep Merlin alive.

His puddle had grown as large as a bathtub. It gained depth, spreading up Merlin’s legs, contained by an invisible force. “You’re drawing Nin’s lake?” Ari asked. “Can she not exist in space or something?”

“She’s not remotely vulnerable unless we can get in her cave, and we can’t make her open it. Nothing can. Unless I’m as powerful as she is.” The water had grown huge, looming over Merlin like a liquid doorway.

An entrance to drowning.

Ari turned to fight two more associates as her thoughts clicked into place. Whatever Nin had done to make herself so immortal, so ethereal, so powerful had cost her humanity. And Merlin was about to make the same sacrifice.

People screamed as the park was suddenly awash in red light. The Mercer ships fired on Amal, all at once. Ari had to do something to save the last Ketchans, but there was only one thing that would stop Mercer mid-attack: bad PR. Like not saving the thousands of tourists in their stupid park.

Ari launched her blue sword skyward. It flipped as it flew, magically enhanced, striking the enormous dome and causing instant fractures. The last time the dome had broken on this particular moon, the cracks gave way to searing, boiling sunlight. Not this time. This time, the surface was turned away from the sun and the instant cold of the void roared through the cracks. “Run,” Ari shouted to Gwen. “Get everyone to safety!”

Gwen herded her people and the tourists toward the emergency lockdowns.

Merlin looked at Ari, eyes blown wide. “What did you do?”

“Remember when we met? Right here?” Ari smiled. “Unless you count that other time. The time I watched you take your first breath.”

Merlin sputtered, fighting tears. “You’re making this harder than it already is!”

The shattering cold of space pushed through the crack in the dome, prying it wide. Everything was freezing, starting with Ari’s confidence, and ending with the lake. It solidified with a sickening crack. The dome above gave way, the cold pouring in along with the silver of the stars. Ari’s sword shot out toward space, and she shouted.

Merlin’s magic snapped into place, creating a bubble to keep out the cold and leave her with oxygen. He called the sword back to her hand in the same motion. She held it tightly, but she held on to Merlin tighter. Until she couldn’t. He sealed the atmosphere around her skin like a space suit and pushed her away.

“Stop! Merlin, stop!” She propelled herself toward him, which was increasingly hard in the limited gravity.

Merlin hummed until the water returned to the state of a liquid doorway. “I’m sorry,” he said, tears muffling his words. “Don’t make me say good-bye!”

She got a hand on his shoulder and held on to his robes. Her mind spun with ways to make him stop. “But we just got you back.”

“There’s no other way to get Nin to open her cave!”

But there was. And Ari knew it.

Merlin went to step into the water, and she pulled a low blow.

“You didn’t even see Val yet,” she shouted. Merlin’s resolve cracked ever so slightly, and she grabbed him by both shoulders. “You’re the hero now, Merlin. Not the martyr.” Ari put a hand