Secrets in the Mist Read online

Cass didn’t seem to be afraid of Luron. Didn’t she see the sword hanging at his side, or the two revolvers tucked around his waist? He could take them out faster than the Turned.

  “We have a mission to finish,” Cass said, as if reading his thoughts. “And I will not let the House of Lords ruin it.” She made no comment about the name Winchester. Was that purposeful? Her face was flushed.

  Theo kept in pace with Cass while glancing back every few feet. No, she was focusing on what needed to be done. Finish the mission. A warm feeling of respect rose up inside him toward the petite diver currently leading him toward the hill now appearing between the break in the trees. But he knew that focus wasn’t going to stop Luron.

  “Cass.” He pulled her to a stop, then shoved the puzzle box into her hands. “Take this and go. I’ll deal with him.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  Yes, her face was definitely flushed and her eyes much too bright. A warning bell went off in his head, but he ignored it. There wasn’t time for anything but to escape. “I know who he is. You need to get this box to the Daedalus.”

  “But what about you—”

  He quickly gave her a hard shove forward as Luron drew near and pulled out a revolver. “Go!” he shouted. He didn’t care if he alerted the Turned. Maybe they would assist him in taking down Luron. All that mattered was that Cass got away.

  Theo spun around and threw himself at Luron. A shot rang out, glancing off a nearby tree as the two went tumbling down onto the dead leaves. The top hat went flying into the bushes. Luron raised his revolver again.

  Theo grabbed him by the wrist and twisted. The revolver dropped to the ground. With both hands free, Luron grabbed Theo’s forearms while Theo latched on to the metal-man’s neck. The ascot prevented him from getting a firm hold, but Luron wasn’t strong enough to do anything but hold Theo in place.

  Both men struggled against each other, Theo planted on top, and Luron grappling for a way to twist out of Theo’s hold.

  By now, Theo could hear the raspy gasps of breath through Luron’s metal mask. If nothing else, that proved that something living and most likely human existed behind the golden metal.

  “Why are you doing this?” Theo panted.

  Luron stopped struggling. At first Theo couldn’t hear it, but a second later, odd laughter drifted through the two holes. “Why do you think?”

  “I have no idea. All I know is you were driven into the Mist during a Purge, but didn’t Turn, and were burned badly when you tried to go back. I would think you’d hate those who tried to Purge you in the first place. So why are you working for the House of Lords?”

  Luron laughed again, raspy and eerie. “Hate is not a problem. I hate your Families. I hate your cities. I hate everything. I am hate.”

  Theo was taken aback by the venom, and the words. Luron had to be insane. “And that’s why are you trying to stop us from finding a cure for the Mist?”

  “Because I am also part of the Mist.”

  “What?” Theo stared down into the metal face at the two eye slits.

  “None of you can exist in the Mist. But I can. Why would I want the Mist gone? It is my world. The Staggses may think I’m working for them, but I’m only here for myself. Soon the Mist will cover the world, and only those chosen by it will survive. I am part of the chosen.”

  This man was insane. “So you’re trying to stop me on your own? I’m afraid that’s not going to happen.”

  Something flickered behind that lifeless metal plate. “We shall see.” With a sudden surge of strength, Luron jerked around, throwing Theo off balance and rolling to the ground. But instead of going for him, Luron struggled to his feet, then took off in the direction Cass went.

  Luron knew Cass had the box.

  Theo jumped up and ran after him. The forest was a maze of dead branches and hidden holes and logs waiting to grab him. Theo crashed through them, his eyes set on Luron ahead. His heart raced inside his chest as he drew in deep breaths through the mask. He couldn’t let Luron catch her for all sorts of reasons. There was something between him and Cass, a connection he would not lose. And he wasn’t about to let Luron get her or that box in her hands. Not for all the world.

  Theo drew closer. He was faster, despite his hunger and weakness. Fortunately, Luron was having a harder time avoiding some of the branches. He still couldn’t spot Cass ahead which was good. He could reach Luron before the metal maniac got to her.

  Five feet.

  Three feet.

  Theo launched himself forward and caught Luron around the waist. The two men tumbled into prickly foliage. One of the branches caught on Luron’s faceplate and tore it away as Theo shoved him onto his back.

  Both men’s breath came heavy, Theo through his mask, Luron without his mask. Theo paused, repulsed by the face before him.

  Luron stared up at him with hazel eyes set back in a face so scarred he almost didn’t look human. His skin was red and pink, and most of his nose was missing. Ridges of skin zigzagged across his face, and his mouth was just one thin line. There were patches of hair along his scalp like weeds breaking through barren ground. Blood trickled down from a cut along his temple.

  His thin lips cracked open to show a mouth of yellowing teeth, and he laughed. “Look! Look! This is what your House of Lords did to me! And yet I live!” He grabbed Theo by the collar and pulled his head closer. “I will live. And you will not.” He grabbed the side of Theo’s mask with his other hand and began to pull.

  Instinct took over. The overpowering will to live. With fists trained to punch, Theo pummeled Luron while the man tugged at his mask. If he went, he would take Luron with him. Cass had the box. He just had to keep Luron away from her.

  After a minute, Luron’s grip lessened. Blood oozed from broken skin around his face, and one eye was starting to swell, causing his face to look even more grotesque.

  Theo pulled away. His own mask was almost off. Luron slumped against the ground and fell sideways. It appeared he had blacked out. A part of Theo was horrified at what he had done. He’d always been a man of science, not violence. But in a span of a couple of weeks, he’d twice beaten a man within an inch of his life.

  He could feel Luron’s blood coating his knuckles, a sickly, wet, cold feeling. Theo stumbled up to his feet and readjusted his mask. Pity mixed with anger at the scarred man at his feet. Luron had been through literal hell, but he’d also tried to kill him. If Theo’s mask had moved just a bit more . . .

  Theo shook his head and stumbled away. No time to think about that now. He was alive, and he needed to catch up with Cass. For a second he felt a twinge of concern about Luron but quickly dismissed it. He had no time for a madman who wanted the world to burn.

  Theo started running in the direction Cass had gone. They’d been heading for the foothills, which were just beyond this forest. As long as he hadn’t been turned around during his fight—

  A distant scream echoed between the trees, followed by two shots. Theo steered toward the left and ran as fast as he could as another scream followed. He jumped over fallen logs and pushed his way through the dense trees. Another shot. Then another. There could only be one reason for gunshots and Cass screaming.

  The Turned.

  A minute later, he could make out dull colors and erratic movement amongst the trees. “Cass!” he yelled, crashing through the brush. It didn’t matter now if he was heard, the Turned were already here. And maybe he could distract them from their prey. “Cass!”

  His lungs burned from running, but concern compelled him as smoke and the smell of burnt flesh began to fill the air. Another shot went off. How many bullets did Cass have? That made five now. Should he take out the Turned closest to him or go on?

  “Cass!” he shouted again. “I’m coming!”

  The Turned had a hard time maneuvering through the branches, giving Theo an advantage. Although they possessed human host bodies, the funguses inside were only capable of instinctual movement and had the limited function
s of human senses. He passed them to find at least ten more crowding around something, the trees blocking his view of what that was.

  Theo’s mind feverishly took in the situation, calculating what he needed to do. A weapon, he would need a weapon. A rock. No, the ones he spotted were too small. A stick? Again, thin and brittle. He tightened his fists. They were all he had until he could find something else.

  The Turned seemed so occupied with their prey they didn’t react to Theo’s presence until he arrived and aimed a powerful kick at the nearest one. It flew forward and before it could get up, Theo was already standing over it, fists ready.

  With one glance, he assessed the situation. At least ten Turned, three smoldering bodies, and a bush that had caught on fire. Theo’s heart stopped, and everything around him seemed to come to a standstill. There on the ground lay Cass like a crumpled doll, her face up toward the sky, her mask ripped off and lying a foot away.

  Theo could hear nothing but a faint buzz in his head. Cass’s mask was gone. Which meant soon she would be gone as well.

  A cry welled up inside of him, primal and full of rage. He might be too late to save Cass, but he wouldn’t allow it to be a loss. He determined retrieve the box and get its contents back to the Daedalus and bring this accursed plague to an end.

  Theo charged the closest Turned and caught what was once a young man by the jaw. He had to remind himself there was no human inside the body. The soul had departed a long time ago. This was survival.

  The Turned was down. By now the others were gathering around, but Theo was a storm of fists and kicks. Anger and fury propelled his every move. They reached for him with curled fingers and bared teeth. They were animals, and they fought like animals. But there was no refinement in their movement.

  One reached for his face and mask, but Theo ducked and brought his arm up in an upper cut. The Turned went flying back. Another one took its place. Theo caught it with a side kick.

  At each tiny pause, he looked around—for the box, or Cass’s revolver, or a weapon, but another Turned would appear.

  Sweat covered his body and stung his eyes as it rolled down his face. He breathed hard through the mask and felt his goggles slipping down his forehead. He shoved them back up before going after another Turned.

  There. Cass’s revolver.

  As another Turned fell, Theo dove for the weapon and came up in a tucked roll. Were there any bullets left?

  One way to find out.

  He shot the middle Turned in a grouping of three. It glanced the shoulder, but it was enough to trigger the incendiary bullet. The Turned exploded in a ball of fire that spread to the two on either side of it.

  Then to the tree behind it.

  Gales! No time to think about that now. He was down to two Turned. But he still hadn’t spied the box.

  Theo brought the revolver up and readied himself. If his opponents were driven by fungus within, he was driven by the agonizing thought of Cass. It powered his body, guiding his every movement, giving him energy he shouldn’t have.

  The flames spread as the three Turned fell to the ground. He didn’t have much time.

  The two Turned approached him, both once women, but now with cloudy eyes and brown, leathery skin stretched over skulls. He shot, but only a click followed. He threw the gun down. Empty. So he went with his fists instead. It didn’t take much to put them both down. A few of the other Turned were beginning to rise as he hunched over and wiped the sweat from his face. He glanced at Cass with an ache heavier than anything he had experienced before. She would be Turning soon—

  He slowly straightened up. Something was different. She lay there, unconscious, but breathing. Just breathing. No violent spasms. No shudders or convulsions. His heart pounded. Was it possible? No, it couldn’t be, the odds of such a thing . . .

  Hope surged through him. He was shocked at the tears coming to his eyes. He had less than a minute to decide. Find the puzzle box or grab Cass and get out.

  What if he was wrong? Theo glanced around one more time. If she started Turning while they were escaping . . .

  He would have to put her down. Permanently.

  The thought absolutely sickened him. But if she Turned, she was already gone, and only her body remained.

  He made up his mind.

  He rushed over to Cass. Blood and scratches coated her face, and her goggles were gone. There was no time for gentleness. He lifted her, threw her over his shoulder, and ran.

  His muscles screamed, and his body wanted to collapse. But he kept on running, pushing himself with each breath and each step. If he stopped, they were both dead.

  As far as the puzzle box . . .

  He remembered everything. He’d always had the ability to recall words or images, even if he’d only seen them once. The same way he remembered Cass when they met on the Daedalus, and those bright green eyes. Once he was in a safe place, he would recall it all and write it down. But the vial would be missing.

  A thought struck him. Maybe he wouldn’t need it. Maybe he was holding a sample of it at that moment in his arms.

  He reached the first plateau and paused, huffing and puffing. After a few seconds, he spotted a place that could be used as a takeoff. Only a few trees, tall grass, and a lengthy slope. As long as there were no hidden holes or logs.

  Now came the hard part: flying tandem with Cass. How to do this . . . how to do this . . .

  He laid her down gently and searched her belt and pack. Seconds later, he found what he was looking for. Rope. He would secure Cass in front of him, then use her emergency cord to attach her pack to his own.

  He held her close with one hand and used the other to wind the rope around their bodies and through her pack. His tension grew. The need to hurry and the need to make no mistakes in securing the two of them safely together consumed him.

  At that moment, the Turned appeared at the bottom of the hill.

  His heart beat double time. He pulled the tandem cord from her pack, and after one failed attempt, quickly fastened her to his own. The cord hung over his shoulder near his neck, but once they were in the air, he hoped it would move into a more comfortable position.

  Theo gritted his teeth as he pulled on the cord at his side and his glider expanded. He brought out his guiding poles and took in a deep breath.

  Don’t fight the air, let it lift you.

  The hymn came unbidden to his mind. His lips mouthed a prayer. Theo took another deep breath and started running.

  The grinding of metal sounded behind him. That was no Turned. Was it Luron? A shot rang out behind him, confirming his suspicion.

  He wanted to glance back, but one false step would send both him and the glider plummeting to the ground. Instead, he focused on the long slope ahead of him and where he would put his feet. Seconds later, his straps began to tighten as the glider and gravity clashed. The leather straps creaked, and Cass let out a groan, and her head fell forward.

  “Cass,” he cried out, gripping the guiding poles.

  His feet lifted off the ground.

  He drew on all his knowledge and experience with flying, tilting the glider slightly to the left to catch an updraft, letting the air lift them higher and higher. For a moment, the glider stalled slightly, and he feared their combined weight would send them crashing, but then the air swept them up again.

  He reached the treetops, glided for half a minute, then caught a thermal and began to circle. He scanned the area they had just left. Four Turned were shambling out of the woods and up the hill. Then he looked again. There was no sign of Luron, but Theo knew he was there somewhere.

  Theo turned his attention back to the air current. He readjusted the guiding poles and continued his ascent. Was it possible the Turned had somehow subdued the automaton after that first shot? He doubted it. Luron seemed very equipped to deal with anything within the Mist. He just hadn’t been prepared against Theo’s unconventional means of attack.

  Which also meant even if they reached the Daedalus, they wer
en’t really safe. Luron would continue to hunt down the contents of the box, no matter what.

  Seconds later, they finally broke through the Mist.

  Or at least he thought they did, but the air was as thick and hazy as it had been below, almost like smoke. He took a big breath through his mask. Smelled like smoke, too.

  And then he saw it. A ball of flames growing higher and higher, almost reaching the balloon that kept the ship afloat.

  The Daedalus was on fire.

  Disbelief swept over Theo, and he mentally cursed Luron, the Staggs family, the House of Lords—and everyone and everything that led up to this.

  A spark reached the balloon that held the Daedalus aloft.

  A deafening boom filled the sky as a burst of red and orange flame enveloped the ship. Theo watched in shock. Pieces of burning wood began to fall into the Mist below.

  He let go of one of the poles and wrapped his arm around Cass. He was thankful she was unconscious and unable to see the destruction of what she had told him was home and family. Numb horror spread across his body, replacing the shock.

  He didn’t know how long they hovered there, but Theo gradually became aware again of Cass slumped against him and the need to get her to safety.

  He forced himself to think. There was a small village along the western mountains. Duskward. About a hundred miles away, if he remembered the maps correctly. All he had to do was follow the mountain range north and, once there, he could find transportation back to Belhold. After that, he had no idea. But for now, it was the only thing to do.

  One step at a time. Or in this case, one flight. A wing and a prayer. Theo closed his eyes. A lot of prayer.

  The glider faltered as he began to turn it around. Theo countered and set the glider heading back the other direction. He couldn’t hear the fire roaring behind him, but he could smell the smoke and see the slight coloring from the flames reflected in the Mist.

  His heart was heavy, and his throat thickened as they soared. Had anyone escaped? Surely there were emergency measures in place. There had to be. He would hold on to that hope.