Dire Destiny of Ours Read online

  Dire Destiny of Ours

  Title Page

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Chapter 38

  Chapter 39

  Dire Destiny of Ours

  Book Ten of the Overworld Chronicles

  John Corwin

  Copyright © 2015 by John Corwin.

  Digital eBook Edition.

  All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

  The characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

  LICENSE NOTES

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people unless expressly permitted by the author. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please go to Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com, Smashwords.com, or other digital ebook retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  THE END IS NIGH

  The last battle with Daelissa took a tremendous toll on the resistance. Elyssa is hanging onto life with the help of a preservation spell and Daelissa has new elite troops ready to conquer Eden. Justin realizes the only way to save the woman he loves and his home realm is to travel to Seraphina and ask the Darklings for help.

  But the Darkling nation, Pjurna, is embroiled in its own war with the Brightlings and its leaders believe Justin is an enemy. His back to the wall on two fronts, Justin decides to take the gloves off and kick some ass.

  If he doesn't, Elyssa will die and Daelissa will rule Eden.

  To my wonderful support group:

  Alana Rock

  Karen Stansbury

  My amazing editors:

  Annetta Ribken

  Jennifer Wingard

  My awesome cover artist:

  Regina Wamba

  Thanks so much for all your help and input!

  Chapter 1

  Elyssa has one week to live.

  The thought bounced back and forth in my mind as I listened to Chancellor Frankenberg drone on and on about the history of Science Academy.

  I forced the thought from my head and returned to the present. "We need everyone to help us. If Eden falls, Science Academy falls with it."

  The short, dumpy man shook his head. His long gray hair extended in all directions as though constantly subjected to insane amounts of static electricity. "Science Academy has always maintained neutrality in political affairs of the Overworld. We let those magicians"—he harrumphed and waved a hand in the general direction of Arcane University—"tend to their own business while we tend to ours."

  I looked around the audience chamber at the other professors seated at a long, semicircular table partially surrounding the lectern where I stood. I felt like a student in the hot seat. "Does he speak for all of you?" I waved my hand around the room. "If Daelissa defeats us, she'll shut down the academy to eliminate any threats to her rule. It's time to put aside ancient rivalry and join forces." I looked at Frankenberg. "It's time to come out of our shells and face reality."

  The chancellor rose to his feet, face red. "I believe we've heard enough of this nonsense." He looked at the other professors. "I forward the motion to deny this boy's request."

  A bony man with a crooked nose stood and spoke in a haughty voice. "I second Chancellor Frankenberg's motion."

  One of the younger professors pshawed. "Of course you would, Newton. There's nothing you'd like better than to see Arcane University destroyed even if it meant the end of the world as we know it." He stood. "I vote no."

  Shelton stood from his seat beside me and raised a fist. "Hell yeah."

  I gave him a stern look. He shrugged and sat down.

  The other council members, most of them resembling every kind of mad scientist stereotype I'd seen in the movies, voted. The final vote was eleven to two in favor of shutting me up.

  Frankenberg shot me a caustic smile. "Science Academy will tend to itself, boy. Why don't you run along, now? The magicians need you."

  Anger surged. My fists clenched so tight the knuckles cracked. How do people like this exist? "I think you should reconsider." My Elyssa had nearly died to protect idiots like Frankenberg and Newton. Instead of immediately setting off for Seraphina as I'd planned, I'd come here in a last-ditch effort to convince them to join us.

  "Or what?" Frankenberg leered and looked around the room at his fellows. "Will you throw a tantrum?" He snapped his fingers and two human-sized battle bots marched from behind the council table and toward me. Each of them bore an array of deadly weapons, complete with missiles, death rays, and other crazy gadgets I didn't recognize.

  "Are you threatening me?" I said.

  Shelton tugged on my sleeve. "Justin, we should go. These geezers ain't interested in helping."

  I ignored him and bared my teeth. "Brave people have died to protect Eden. Now I see you're nothing but cowards who hide behind the very technology that might help us."

  "These bots are magically resistant," Frankenberg said. "If you attack them, you'll only embarrass yourself."

  "You think I'm an Arcane?" A laugh burst from my throat. "Challenge accepted."

  The bot to my left raised an arm equipped with lasers. Before it could fire, I thrust out my hand and encased it in a cube of Murk. The laser fired, but was too weak to penetrate the shield. These particular bots were smaller and might be protection against conventional magic attacks, but it was obvious the scientists hadn't accounted for Seraphim magic.

  I saw the other bot aiming for me and fired a torrent of Brilliance. The magic-resistant armor held up for a couple of seconds before melting into slag. I clenched my left fist. The Murk cube compacted around the first bot and crushed it like a tin can. A couple of mini-missiles exploded. The impact sent a shock up my arm, but the Murk barrier held.

  Gasps rose from the professors.

  With a sarcastic smile, I opened my fist and let the crushed bot fall to the floor with a loud crash. "Imagine facing an army of Seraphim with powers like mine." I leaned forward on the lectern. "After you clean the crap out of your pants, maybe you'll reconsider my proposal."

  Frankenberg's face pale face turned purple. "Out! Out! We will hear no more of this!"

  Some of the other professors recovered their wits and banged on the table with their fists. "Out!" they chanted. "Out, out, out!"

  The young professor who'd supported us gave me a sad look. He pushed back his c
hair and left the room.

  My inner demon strained against my will as the professors continued to chant.

  Kill! it commanded. Destroy! It was even worse at diplomacy than me. Resisting the urge to rake the room with destructive rays, I turned and stalked out.

  "Well, that sure went to hell," Shelton said later as we rode the rocket ferry over the valley back toward Arcane University.

  I looked down at the city of Queens Gate far below and tried not to feel sorry for myself. As usual, time and distance had given me plenty of time to rethink every aspect of my failed attempt to secure another ally.

  Shelton blew out a breath and rested his arms on the railing. "What now?"

  "I'm going to La Casona."

  "Elyssa wouldn't want you moping around her all the time." Shelton paced around the deck. "She'd want you figuring out a way to beat Daelissa."

  "Well, I'm out of ideas." The rocket ferry docked.

  Shelton got off and stepped onto the flying carpet we'd ridden here. He looked back at me. "You coming?"

  I shook my head. "I'm going to take a portal to La Casona from here."

  He gave me a long concerned look. "Okay, man. I'll be at the mansion if you need me." The carpet rose, and he flitted off toward the Dark Forest and the hidden tunnel to the mansion.

  After he was gone, I paced around, wondering if there were any other potential allies I could talk to. None came to mind. "There has to be something I can do!" A glow emanated from my right side. I looked down and saw a sphere of Brilliance coalesced around my hand. My temper was getting the best of me.

  On a whim, I drew in Murk with my left hand and wove creation and destruction into a ball of gray Stasis. I'd been practicing my Seraphim magic as much as possible lately. It would take all my abilities to do what had to be done. I released the weave and let the fuzzy gray orb float in front of me and then channeled Murk and Brilliance directly into it. A crystalline beam speared from the other side and into a nearby boulder. It simply splashed against it.

  "What am I supposed to do with this?" I wondered aloud. I'd been testing this strange fourth element, but it apparently did absolutely nothing.

  I'd made plenty of use of the other elements. Brilliance, aka destruction, performed as advertised and blew up stuff. Murk—creation—was great for shielding myself from destruction, though I hadn't even come close to tapping its full potential. Stasis, a mix of the other two elements, could literally freeze magical attacks. I wasn't nearly as proficient with it as Fjoeruss, the Seraphim I'd once called Mr. Gray because of his affinity for the gray magic.

  All Seraphim had an affinity for Murk or Brilliance. From what Fjoeruss once told me, it was like being left or right handed. You could learn to write with your left hand if you were right handed, but it would take an awful lot of work.

  I, on the other hand, had felt no particular affinity for either element, though I'd experienced an overwhelming urge to decide. Instead of selecting one, I'd chosen all of the above. Not only was it a great way to cop out of a difficult decision, but it had also revealed to me that mixing the two primary elements together created the third one—Stasis. To make matters even more confusing, once I blended them into Stasis, I could channel new streams of Murk and Brilliance into Stasis to create a fourth clear element. Why it operated that way, I had no idea. Then again, nobody ever said magic had to make sense.

  Since none of the Seraphim I'd asked knew anything about it or what it did, I named it Clarity. What I should have called it was useless. I'd channeled it against magical attacks, but it went right through them. I'd tested it on wood, stone, and even on my pint-sized hellhound, Cutsauce. It hadn't so much as singed a hair on his hide.

  I sighed and released the energy. The gray sphere faded away. I'd eventually figure things out. For now, I had something far more pressing to attend.

  I sent the La Casona omniarch operator an image of my surroundings. A portal opened a moment later. I stepped through, nodding at the Templar as I left the control room. A few steps later I entered the doors leading into the La Casona pocket dimension and walked the short distance to the healing ward. Nobody stopped me as I marched upstairs to Elyssa's room.

  I stared at the still form of my girlfriend. She lay on a small wooden bed, barely more than a cot, beneath what looked like a glass shield. The barrier was part of a preservation spell—the only thing keeping Elyssa alive after Qualan, one of Daelissa's revived Seraphim, had speared her through the chest with a beam of Brilliance.

  It had been a week since I'd killed Qualan in an all-out battle with Daelissa's Brightling army. I'd overextended myself and, even now, wasn't back to a hundred percent.

  "I'm afraid we can't do anything to help her," Meghan Andretti said from behind me.

  Nightliss entered the room and hugged me. "I'm sorry, Justin." Tears spilled from her eyes.

  "Science Academy won't be joining us." I wasn't sure what made me say that right then. Maybe it was because I didn't know what else to say. Maybe it was my way of piling more pity on my shoulders. I felt like I was suffocating beneath a massive pile of crap. I felt directionless. We had to stop Daelissa, but we needed more troops. We needed more troops, but nobody else was willing to join us.

  The logic took me on a downward spiral to hopelessness. Elyssa is out of options. The world is out of options.

  There was nobody else in Eden who could help us unless we recruited the nom military. Thomas Borathen was firmly against that.

  There was one last glimmering jewel of hope, and it wasn't in this realm. Unfortunately, nobody wanted me to risk it. It was time I took the bull by the horns no matter what the others said.

  I looked at Nightliss. "I'm going, and there's nothing you can do to stop me."

  "It will be too dangerous, Justin!" She gripped my arm as if to keep me from walking away.

  I wasn't going anywhere just yet. I freed my arm and pressed my hands to the barrier around Elyssa. The color was already fading from her full red lips, her fair skin necrotizing to a greenish tinge. A fat tear splashed on the barrier and ran down the side. I wiped my eyes and took deep breaths to keep from completely losing it. I felt my chin quivering and looked away.

  "Nightliss, I'd like you to come with me." My words sounded hoarse.

  Green eyes filled with moisture, she nodded slowly. "It is the only possibility left to us. I do not think you should go, but I know you will not be talked out of it."

  "I don't think Elyssa would want you to risk everything for her," Meghan said.

  I felt warm wetness streaming down my face. I turned to her and said, "Elyssa is my everything. Wouldn't you do the same for Adam?"

  Meghan looked uncomfortable at the question. As a healer, she was used to seeing death. She'd been there when my Aunt Vallaena died at the Grand Nexus. She'd nursed my father back to health after he'd taken two shots to the chest intended for me at Thunder Rock. Elyssa was lying here because she'd taken one in the back meant for me.

  "That's not a fair question, Justin," Meghan said at last. "I would do everything in my power to save Adam, as I do for all my patients."

  Her response seemed cold and I wondered if it was the truth or not. It didn't matter. I couldn't waste another minute doing nothing.

  I had to go to the Darkling Empire on Seraphina.

  The sight of Elyssa filled me with a sense of purpose. The war with Daelissa could wait. We'd destroyed most of her army in our last battle at the Ranch, the now-deserted Templar Compound. Our army was still licking its wounds after the tough fight. We were in turtle mode. Despite my inability to recruit more allies, the resistance could survive a week without me.

  I took one last look at Elyssa. "Pack light, Nightliss. We're leaving today."

  The petite Darkling said nothing and simply nodded.

  We left the healing ward and stepped into the streets of La Casona. Row houses with terracotta shingles lined the cobblestone road. The pocket dimension housing the city was slightly larger than the Grotto, m
aybe ten square miles. Elyssa and I had planned to have a date here just before the battle that almost claimed her life. I swallowed hard to fight back the lump forming in my throat.

  I entered the second house on the left. A familiar female Templar looked up from a book on sword fighting and smiled.

  "Justin!" Katie Johnson gripped me in a tight hug and kissed my cheek.

  I returned the hug and backed away. Katie wasted no time hugging Nightliss and then backed away with an uncertain expression.

  "Is it okay to hug the Clarion of the Templars?" Katie asked.

  Nightliss smiled. "Life would be unbearable without hugs."

  Katie laughed. The smiled faded as she turned back to me. "You look so sad. Are you okay?"

  I disregarded the question. "What are you doing in La Casona?"

  "I'm part of the nom recruitment team." Her chin rose like a proud kid who'd just made her first poo-poo in the potty. "You wouldn't believe how many volunteers we have for the Darklings to feed from now."

  "That's great." I tried to muster more enthusiasm, but I'd really just come to get my own serving of human soul essence to help speed my recovery and amplify my Seraphim abilities.

  Katie seemed to sense that and touched a pendant on the collar of her Templar uniform. "Please send in two volunteers."

  "Confirmed," someone replied from the other end of the communicator.

  A door opened a few seconds later. A man and woman entered.

  "I am Beatrice, and this is Horace," the woman said in a Spanish accent. She stood about a head shorter than Horace.

  "Would you prefer to sit?" Horace motioned toward several leather divans that were set up to face each other for easier feeding.

  "Sure." I sat down in the closest chair. Beatrice sat down across from me while Nightliss paired up with Horace.

  Nightliss magically adhered a pyramid-shaped prism in her right hand. "Thank you for volunteering, Horace." She held out her hands. Horace's rose to meet hers. An oily smoke-like substance drifted from his left hand into hers while a thin trickle of milky white drifted from his right hand and into hers.