Cursed Read online

  Those eyes…where have I seen those eyes before?

  Then it came back to her—the red eyes she’d seen peeking out at her in the kitchen area of the Kindred shuttle she had Stav had taken to the J’lorgan’s Mind resort in the first place.

  “A furskin,” she heard Six growl.

  “A spybot now—and a very useful one,” the Dark Kindred Commander sneered. He looked at Charlie. “My little furry friend here has been keeping me informed of your whereabouts and intentions the entire time you were at the resort and you never even noticed it.”

  “So you’re up to your old tricks, Two.” Six sounded disgusted. “Modifying creatures to suite your own purposes—just like the sniffers.”

  “Yes, my lovely sniffers.” Two smiled malevolently. “They are so going to enjoy tearing the lot of you apart after I’ve made my point. Regrettably I cannot bring them to the Hall of the Collective. Though they’re not supposed to have emotions I have found it actually helps to give them some. Their animosity and rage would be far too much for the power net to handle, especially mixed with the positive emotions Stavros has so thoughtfully brought us.”

  “Is he—is Stav all right?” Charlie couldn’t help asking. “Why isn’t he moving much? Why did you put him out there by the center of the net?”

  “Why to prove a point, my dear. To show you definitively that your sad little plans cannot defeat the greatest minds the universe has ever known or will ever know. Observe!”

  Two strode out onto the narrow metal walkway suspended in space in the center of the vast room. His boots clanked, echoing in the emptiness but he seemed not the least distressed by the thousand foot drop on either side. When he got to the round platform in the center, he stood perfectly still a moment.

  “Lights.” He spoke softly in that high, unpleasant voice but the clusters of black grape globes which must be the Collective suddenly began to glow brighter. “Thank you.” Two nodded respectfully around him, acknowledging his sentient machine masters.

  Looking closely, Charlie saw that Stavros was indeed crouched on the metal platform, his head bowed. She couldn’t be sure but it seemed he was chained down in some way—maybe by his hands which would explain the awkward position he was in. Her heart clenched.

  The bastards are too afraid to let him up! She felt a surge of anger followed by a surge of fear and regret. Stavros, oh God, I wish I could have talked to you…wish I could have told you…But told him what? She still didn’t quite know. She only knew she wished with all her heart that she had just a little more time.

  But it seemed her time was up—what was Two going to do?

  * * * * *

  Crouched on the metal platform balanced precariously above the void, Stavros was wondering the same thing. He already knew that their plan had failed. Obviously the mixture of emotions he had managed to collect with his Mark wasn’t volatile enough to affect the power net of the Collective.

  He had even managed to reach out one hand and wind one of the silky white strands around his finger when Two had first manacled his wrists to the platform. He’d been hoping that direct contact with net would do the trick. And indeed, for a brief moment he’d thought he felt a tremor run through the line he held and the clusters of black globe lights that represented the Collective’s many processing systems had flickered briefly. But that was all. Clearly the emotion he had brought wasn’t enough or wasn’t the right kind or mixture of feelings.

  Now he watched as the Dark Kindred Commander stood beside him, putting on a show for his own amusement.

  “Behold!” he shouted and reached down to hook his long, skeletal fingers in the back of the black shirt Stav still wore. Though the fabric was thick, Two’s slender frame was deceptively strong. With a jerk, he tore the shirt away and cast it down into the yawning pit below.

  At once the darkness was pierced with light as the glowing Mark was revealed, shining like stripes made of pure golden sunlight in the dim room. The gossamer-fine white line still wrapped around his little finger began to tremble and vibrate.

  This is it! Stav thought hopefully. Surely it will happen now! Surely the emotion flooding out of my Mark will overcome the power net and blow the Collective to bits, just as we hoped it would!

  He held his breath and closed his eyes, trying to be ready for the blast.

  But instead of an explosion, he heard only the high, maniacal laughter of the Dark Kindred Commander.

  “Do you see? Do you see?” he demanded, shouting at Six and Mei-Li and Charlotte who were still all gathered on the edge of the pit, staring. “Do you see what effect your pitiful little positive emotions have on my masters? Nothing! Noth—”

  Two’s words were cut off by another voice, one much louder and deeper and unnaturally harsh—and it was coming from his own mouth.

  “He is mine and I shall have him! You shall not keep me prisoner any longer, Two!”

  Two’s bony left hand suddenly jerked towards Stav and landed flat on his back, covering the place where the Mark shone brightest.

  Stav jerked in agony—it was like a sword piercing his flesh—but couldn’t shake off the hand. For a moment he felt something dark flowing into him—some black sludge from the pits of hell that had somehow gained sentience. It crawled inside him, clawing at his mind, seeking a way to own…to control…

  Then he felt something else—a surge of light from under his skin. It was the positive emotion his Mark had soaked up in the Heart of Love, he was certain. It met the darkness head-on and repelled it, fighting it fiercely, denying it entrance to his soul.

  It was like fire meeting water—lava meeting ice.

  Or maybe nitro meeting glycerin.

  Stavros began to feel the pressure build within him. The two forces were evenly matched—something had to give. The fine white wire wrapped around his little finger was vibrating madly now—the whole gossamer net which converged at the metal platform was shaking and the metal platform itself started rocking but still Two’s hand stayed stuck to his back, as though by some magnetic force or electrical charge that could not be broken.

  Stav was aware of people shouting and screaming now. What he mainly heart was Two shrieking, “No, you fool! You must not try to take him now! Let go—Let go!”

  There was a deep, unearthly howling which was also coming from Two’s mouth—clearly the voice of the demon, Ur, which had apparently tried to invade him.

  What in the seven hells? he had time to think and then the black, dimly glowing globes that hung in clusters from the ceiling began to flicker in and out alarmingly. Directly over his head there was a sharp popping sound of glass exploding and a shower of purple-black shards rained down on the swaying metal platform.

  “Stavros—Stavros!” he heard a familiar voice shouting. Looking up he saw Charlotte struggling madly with the two armed Dark Kindred guards who were still holding her.

  She’s trying to come to me but it’s not safe—not safe!

  “No!” he tried to call to her. “Stay back, Charlotte! Keep clear!”

  But his voice came out as no more than a whisper. Inside he felt the fierce pressure building to a head. His heart was pumping harder and harder, the blood rushing in his ears. His breathing was becoming labored as the light inside him fought off the darkness that sought to invade.

  “Nooooo!” The unearthly howl came not from Two’s bulging throat but from somewhere outside, someplace in the center of the white gossamer power net. Then the entire net burst into blue and purple flames.

  Gods! Stavros scrambled back from the flames but he couldn’t get too far as he was still manacled by his wrists to the metal platform. He couldn’t be sure but he thought he saw something black and formless trapped in the center of the power net—something that writhed and screamed in a deep, unnaturally voice—howling in the anguished tones of the damned as it burned to death and was crisped to ash.

  “Ur!” he heard Two shout. “Ur, you fool! No!”

  A blast of energy came from the burning