Read Online Treasure of Light (The Light Trilogy) by Kathleen O’Neal - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Kathleen O’Neal
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completed her mission the same day, killing Tartarus while he was in the middle of a broadcast to bolster his flagging troops in Seir—Harper and Jeremiel had seen the holo film of Rachel stabbing Tartarus in the chest. But no one had any idea what had happened to her afterward.
“Good,” Jeremiel continued. “Second, use a narrow beam transmission. Aim for somewhere around Pitbon. See if you can contact my fleet. If so, tell Rudy Kopal we’ve got another battle cruiser for him. Ask him to meet us at Tikkun.”
“I will.”
Harper watched Baruch go to the closest vacuum-suit locker and suit up. Though he’d begun repressurizing the decks, it would take another two hours to completely restore the life systems. Harper saw Jeremiel disappear into the dark hallway beyond and turned back to his console. He input a series of basic “search” commands and waited. A grid of the polar cap appeared on his screen, showing clearly the distinct topography of ice ridges and windswept plains. A barren foreboding place, the temperatures dropped to as much as a hundred below zero at this time of year.
“Oh, Rachel,” he murmured. “Be all right.”
While the ship searched for her, Harper accessed the communications panel again. He’d already assigned his most experienced people—refugees from the civil war and damned fine fighters—to land first and secure the bays. Two ships, samaels, were easing in now. They settled like feathers on the white tiles.
“Klausen? This is Harper. Be careful when you step out of that ship. Baruch suspects that another hundred soldiers managed to suit up before the decompression. They’re probably waiting for you.”
A pause. Then, “Affirmative, Harper. We’ll be ready for them.”
Harper looked back to the vast wasteland of ice and blue shadows at the pole. Bitter glacial winds swirled over the surface, kicking snow up to the dark star-strewn skies.
“Be alive, Rachel. We need you. We …”
He leaned forward suddenly. A red dot flared on the screen and began to flash. Harper let out a whoop of exultation.
“Got her!”
CHAPTER 5
Fitful, frightening dreams tormented Rachel Eloel. Wind shrieked around the ice cave where she lay, filtering through the narrow entrance to crust her white weather-suit and long black hair with snow. Half-conscious, she felt the fatal fingers of wind stroke her face in ghostly patterns. Her arms and legs had grown too numb to move.
She whimpered obliviously. Adom’s image came again, smiling innocently down at her, filled with love. Shining blond hair streamed over his broad shoulders. That vision soon melted into another—terrifying in its clarity. They stood in the depths of the polar chambers, watching battle scenes from the civil war rage across the wide screen. Adom turned and when he saw the knife lifted over her head, he backed away, stumbling into the screen.
“No,” he said softly, “Rachel, no….”
She plunged the knife deeply into his chest. Blood spattered his ivory robe in an irregular starburst. He sank to the floor, gazing up with all the tenderness, the boyish innocence that had always ravaged her heart.
“Rachel….” A red froth bubbled at his lips. “Hold me?”
She’d dropped to her knees and gathered him in her arms. “Adom, forgive me.” Forgive me… forgive me….
Even in sleep, tears drained from her eyes to crust on her lashes. She rolled her head to the side, sending icy locks of waist-length hair slithering over the gritty floor like frosted serpents. Adom had never shown her anything but kindness and love—and she’d betrayed both. Ornias, Adom’s High Councilman, had promised revenge and she’d fled into the vast glacial wilderness of the pole, following the lee of the icy cliffs until she found the cave and took shelter. And she’d had strange, strange dreams of talking to God—Epagael—and of being visited by the wicked angel, Aktariel.
Dreams. Just the fantasies of a dying
“Good,” Jeremiel continued. “Second, use a narrow beam transmission. Aim for somewhere around Pitbon. See if you can contact my fleet. If so, tell Rudy Kopal we’ve got another battle cruiser for him. Ask him to meet us at Tikkun.”
“I will.”
Harper watched Baruch go to the closest vacuum-suit locker and suit up. Though he’d begun repressurizing the decks, it would take another two hours to completely restore the life systems. Harper saw Jeremiel disappear into the dark hallway beyond and turned back to his console. He input a series of basic “search” commands and waited. A grid of the polar cap appeared on his screen, showing clearly the distinct topography of ice ridges and windswept plains. A barren foreboding place, the temperatures dropped to as much as a hundred below zero at this time of year.
“Oh, Rachel,” he murmured. “Be all right.”
While the ship searched for her, Harper accessed the communications panel again. He’d already assigned his most experienced people—refugees from the civil war and damned fine fighters—to land first and secure the bays. Two ships, samaels, were easing in now. They settled like feathers on the white tiles.
“Klausen? This is Harper. Be careful when you step out of that ship. Baruch suspects that another hundred soldiers managed to suit up before the decompression. They’re probably waiting for you.”
A pause. Then, “Affirmative, Harper. We’ll be ready for them.”
Harper looked back to the vast wasteland of ice and blue shadows at the pole. Bitter glacial winds swirled over the surface, kicking snow up to the dark star-strewn skies.
“Be alive, Rachel. We need you. We …”
He leaned forward suddenly. A red dot flared on the screen and began to flash. Harper let out a whoop of exultation.
“Got her!”
CHAPTER 5
Fitful, frightening dreams tormented Rachel Eloel. Wind shrieked around the ice cave where she lay, filtering through the narrow entrance to crust her white weather-suit and long black hair with snow. Half-conscious, she felt the fatal fingers of wind stroke her face in ghostly patterns. Her arms and legs had grown too numb to move.
She whimpered obliviously. Adom’s image came again, smiling innocently down at her, filled with love. Shining blond hair streamed over his broad shoulders. That vision soon melted into another—terrifying in its clarity. They stood in the depths of the polar chambers, watching battle scenes from the civil war rage across the wide screen. Adom turned and when he saw the knife lifted over her head, he backed away, stumbling into the screen.
“No,” he said softly, “Rachel, no….”
She plunged the knife deeply into his chest. Blood spattered his ivory robe in an irregular starburst. He sank to the floor, gazing up with all the tenderness, the boyish innocence that had always ravaged her heart.
“Rachel….” A red froth bubbled at his lips. “Hold me?”
She’d dropped to her knees and gathered him in her arms. “Adom, forgive me.” Forgive me… forgive me….
Even in sleep, tears drained from her eyes to crust on her lashes. She rolled her head to the side, sending icy locks of waist-length hair slithering over the gritty floor like frosted serpents. Adom had never shown her anything but kindness and love—and she’d betrayed both. Ornias, Adom’s High Councilman, had promised revenge and she’d fled into the vast glacial wilderness of the pole, following the lee of the icy cliffs until she found the cave and took shelter. And she’d had strange, strange dreams of talking to God—Epagael—and of being visited by the wicked angel, Aktariel.
Dreams. Just the fantasies of a dying
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