Page 286 of Interion

Somewhere in the hospital, a heart stopped beating. The cardiac monitor flatlined, and when someone pressed the button to mark the time of death, the world erupted in gold.

It was so golden it looked like molten fire. It spread in waves so strong and violent I felt myself disintegrating. There was so much power my body trembled and convulsed, unable to handle the sheer insanity of the energy. It echoed as it expanded beyond the hospital, through walls, forests, rivers, and stones. It echoed to the four corners of the continent, rippled through cities, and found what it was looking for.

Glowing fragments.

It found the first one hidden inside an icy lake in a frozen city. It glowed like black onyx, its power spreading through the water, breathing shadows in every direction. Every molecule around it was charged with that energy, and the beings in that place were saturated with its essence.

It searched for another fragment at the peak of a mountain so high the clouds shrouded its summit. But the nursery of blue crystals was empty.

The third place it searched was a deep, dry well. The earth there was golden, and down at the bottom, a yellow stone glowed, radiating abundant power. The glow was so intense it merged with the soil like veins of gold, branching out in all directions.

It moved on to an arboreal city I also knew, but its protective sanctuary had been destroyed, and a castle had risen in its place. An empty throne stood in the hall, and around it, bones and clothes were heaped together like some grotesque collection. It was a twisted, corrupted nest. The walls reeked of horror and rot.

The energy searched for the fragment, but it wasn't there. So it returned through the forest and found the false queen of that throne near the walls, mounted on a carnical. She turned her face toward us when she sensed our presence. Her face was a mask of hunger, hatred, and rage. I knew her—that creature had killed my mother. It was Ravena, and at the same time, it wasn't. She trembled and pointed a finger in our direction. But before she could do anything, the power moved to another location.

We flew over a city of a thousand colors and dove into the ground, into a grotto full of crystals that illuminated a well where water seeped up from the earth. The power searched but found nothing. Anxious, it rose through the crevices in the ground and pressed on until it showed me a man running through shadows in the forest. His essence radiated pure black power with hints of green.

The golden energy stirred beside him, but the shadows around him bristled like a frightened cat. The man seemed focused on where he was going, but stopped when he felt the shadows grow agitated. When he turned, he stared at me in astonishment. Then his expression shifted—the chaotic determination giving way to confusion.

“Kyller?” he asked, his brow furrowed.

I could only scream as I was dragged back into my body.

“ZION!”

Chapter 71

“Kyller!” Zion shouted frantically as he rushed back into the room.

She lay on the floor, bloodstains smeared across the cold tile around her. He lunged to her side, cradling her head as he checked her vital signs. Her heart was beating, her breathing rapid—but what had happened?

Her gown was soaked with thick blood—so many red marks it looked like a murder scene. Golden energy still pulsed in waves from the center of her chest, making his shadows react erratically, seething around his partner.

“Kyller! Wake up, what’s happening?”

He brushed her hair back behind her ear. His eyes scanned every inch of his partner’s face, searching for any reaction, but she wouldn’t wake. He pulled on the bond and searched her mind, but when he reached her mental barrier, he found it was immense—her bones glowing with a second golden layer. Double protection. Zion remembered barriers like this from when he was young and Serguei had shielded him with his own mind.

He lifted her gently and laid her on the bed, careful of her back. Noises echoed from the hallway—a team of doctors running and shouting back and forth. Something was happening out there too. A doctor in a white coat and polished shoes stopped in the doorway.

“What happened here?” Ambrose asked as he entered, eyes widening in horror at the scene before him.

“I don’t know, Ambrose—I was hoping you could tell me.” Zion gestured frantically as the doctor approached the bed.

“I couldn’t come up right away—the hospital is in chaos.”

Ambrose checked her pupils, heart rate, and breathing. Then he turned her onto her stomach to examine her back, noting the bloodstained bandages.

“The blood’s only coming from the cuts,” he said, peeling off the velcro holding the gown together at the back.

He heard Zion growl at the intrusion but knew it was just instinct. Ambrose was only there to help.

“That’s not the biggest problem, Ambrose. Something’s wrong—I can feel it through the bond.”

The shadows kept their distance from her body, bristling, wanting to attack.

“Calm down, Zion. Nothing happened—it was probably a nightmare and she must have fallen from the...” The doctor lost his train of thought when he removed the bandages. He stared at where the cuts had been, shock crossing his face. “This isn’t normal.”

He turned, pulled on gloves, opened a drawer, and grabbed a wad of cotton. He soaked it in alcohol and ran it across her back, cleaning away the blood. Both men stared in astonishment. The cuts had healed, but instead of pink scars, two golden lines glowed faintly where the wounds had been. The doctor and the general exchanged looks, their minds racing to understand what was happening.