Page 72 of Above (Darkness Reigns #1)

Nova

“It’s said that when the stars rained their essence down upon the first Altair, the universe itself bowed in submission to his might.”

“ W e have plans to take this planet from the Ibreta Galaxy, which Elite Tershetta says is emanating an immense amount of magic,” General Altair said, followed quickly by Colonel Vaxys bringing up a glowing map of the galaxy before pinpointing the planet.

It was far smaller than ours, but I could feel the pulse of magic from it.

The general had taught me how to sit down, close my eyes, focus on my breathing, and clear my mind.

When done right, I was capable of entering the sky itself.

At least, my consciousness was. I could soar through the cosmos, darting past planets long since burned to ash or turned to rubble.

It was the only time I ever felt at peace now.

I had spotted planet nine-one-nine just this morning, though it wasn’t the conquest I was hoping for. No, I was searching for something far more important.

“Excellent, with the proper coordinates secured, we can send out the Intelligence Division immediately,” Colonel Elders said, not missing an opportunity to scoff at me in disgust when he realized I was the one who had discovered this new planet, therefore the reason they had a mission.

It had been six months since I received the stars, and still they all looked at me in disgust. All of them except for Talon, that was.

“Yes, each of you are to ready your companies. We’ll likely need our entire force. However, I do imagine the stars will be pleased with this offering. Yes, Elite Tershetta?”

Gaze flicking to General Altair, I nodded. “The stars will accept our offering with excitement.”

“Oh, will we? Interesting.”

As always, they loved to butt in at the worst time.

Mind your business.

Their simultaneous huffs of displeasure echoed in my mind. According to them, I was irritating and hostile.

“You are, and we find you exhausting.”

Then get out of my head and pick somebody else!

“So ungrateful.”

With that, they went silent, their bluff pointless.

They wouldn’t leave my head, not when they felt confident I was the one who would finally bring the chaos they craved.

Plus, I was quite certain they were a prideful bunch, and that meant not admitting they had picked the wrong shaytan.

Especially since the last one they chose had been so disappointing.

“Well then, we will meet next week and further discuss our progress. You each are to report to Elite Tershetta daily.” A general scoff of disapproval came from eighteen of the grown men around me.

Surprise surprise. Even if I weren’t an akhata, they’d still hate that I was a woman, made obvious by the way they forced their wives and daughters into submission and subservience.

“Enough!” General Altair boomed, slamming his hand on the thick oak table and forcing shadows to burst out of his palm.

They ricocheted, slamming into the family heads, the men grunting in pain.

Talon chuckled at my side, clutching my hand tightly in his.

“Elite Tershetta has been chosen by our celestial rulers. She is the closest thing to a deity among us. Your disapproval is understandable, but no longer acceptable. You are dismissed.”

This was the first time he stood up for me in such a blatant way, though this was also the first time he was involving me so heavily in a mission. I wished he wouldn’t. I’d gladly have nothing to do with any of it. My own plan was more important.

Standing, I pushed off the table and didn’t bother tucking in my own chair. With my feet firm, I shoved through the small crowd of men, daring to smile at their grunts of pain or annoyance.

Talon kept pace with me, his silence a sign that he had a lot to say. Outside the towering black doors was my squad, who had been assigned to me once the attacks began.

So far, my murder had been attempted on seven separate occasions. Which would be sad if the general hadn’t acted so surprised. It was laughable really. Because he knew they’d try. We all did. And then, just to rub salt into the wound, he assigned me three squad members.

Dofrel walked up to my left side, opposite Talon. Elders and Otarn remained in the back. The five of us moving in unison.

Something charged the air, a shift in the norm that I couldn’t explain. Still, we continued our path forward, aiming for my tiny office in the towering military base.

Most elites shadow walked everywhere, but I had quickly learned that the time spent walking made me feel somewhat closer to my family. As if I were still a part of them, and them me.

So few things did that these days.

When we arrived at my door, I shoved it open, not bothering to turn and let them in. They knew what was expected of them.

“Where to today?” Dofrel asked. He had cut off most of his curls last week, leaving him looking far more fierce and sharp. He had become a shadow of sorts for me, always quick to show up and eager to be a part of my plotting. Not that he didn’t often stand up for the fucking snake.

“Two-seven-three,” I muttered, grabbing my cloak and mask.

He nodded, pulling up his hood. Otarn came up to my side, bringing up a sprawling map, sifting through the galaxies until she arrived on Donatellos. Then, she expertly dug through the planets, pulling up two-seven-three.

“We took this planet in three thousand nine,” I explained. “It was perfectly compatible with life similar to ours, and we learned a lot about infrastructure from them. When we had successfully taken the planet, General Jeremi Altair siphoned the magic from the planet without destroying it.”

“So you think it can still contain life?” Otarn asked, her voice soft. It always was when we did this. She hated it, all three of them did. Talon, well, he was tired more than anything. Ready to move forward.

“Yes, I think it’s a possibility.”

“Do you sense magic?” Elders asked, quirking a brow. He was the most brave of the three, never hesitating to question me, always eager to argue in his once friend’s favor.

“No, but cloaking can be the cause of that,” I shot back.

Elders studied me for a moment, his piercing dark stare seeing right through me, his magic tingling against my mind.

But he remained silent, not pushing harder to read my thoughts.

He had learned better in the last few months.

Donning my mask, the others following suit, I said, “Talon, we’ll be back soon. ”

Opening his mouth to argue, he stepped forward, arms out. I silenced his coming fight with a fierce shake of my head.

“Now, Otarn,” I ordered. She nodded, reaching for my hand. Dofrel and Elders grabbed onto her at the same time I did, the four of us letting her shadows guide our way.

Talon’s face faded into the darkness, his disapproving and heartbroken expression morphing into the violet shade of planet two-seven-three.

The dark blue trees were twice the size of ours, reaching so high that the nearly black clouds were hiding the peaks of some. The violet grass was pointed and crisp, crumbled buildings built of what looked like clay easy to make out in the flat distance.

“Now we check,” I mumbled, crouching low and pressing my hands into the firm dirt. Closing my eyes, I searched for him.

Please be here.

An empty, lifeless feeling settled into my bones, the planet itself void of the rhythmic pulse that came from magic. The stars were quick to say what I already knew.

“No sign of Azazel Altair, sweet catalyst. Better luck next time.”

I know you know where he is! Tell me!

“Why would we do that? This is so much more fun.”

Standing upright, I screamed into the stale air, my rage and grief blending as I began snatching up chunks of rock, throwing them into the distance.

Magic and shadows and even star essence burst free of me, forcing the cores to ward as I lost control.

Buildings burst, trees disintegrated, and the planet itself shook and quaked.

Still, I screamed. I yelled out until my throat ached. I shouted and cursed with all the remaining energy I possessed.

When I was done, my body heavy and my head pounding, Dofrel did what he always did, scooping me up and carrying me to the others. Otarn ripped off her mask, a look of dread taking over her face.

“Please, Tershetta, give us a chance to talk to him if he’s on the next one,” Otarn begged as Elders summoned shadows around us. I stared at her, wishing I could understand why they remained so faithful to him when he had killed one friend and attacked another. Why? What was so special about him?

We appeared back in my office, Talon sitting on my dark wooden desk with a knowing expression. We failed to find him. As we always did.

I shoved out of Dofrel’s hold, falling onto my ass. But I didn’t acknowledge the pain. Instead, I stood up and ripped off my mask, getting closer to Otarn, my sneer making her drop her gaze.

“When I find that filthy snake, I’ll show him the same mercy he showed my family. If you want to help him, then expect to die at his side.”

With that, I called to my own shadows, the burn igniting across my body as I entered my old home.

I had dismantled the old wards long ago, no longer needing them.

Death meowed loudly at my arrival, and I quickly scooped her up before ripping open the door to my lab, letting it slam into the wall.

Darting down the stairs, I kissed Death and set her on the plush bed I had bought her with my newfound fortune.

One of the few things I used it for. She purred loudly, rubbing her head into it.

What was once my sanctuary and the source of hope for my family’s future had changed completely.

With my purpose gone, I found I had no use of the humanity I had desperately clung to.

Instead, I accepted the wicked darkness within me that so pleased the stars.

I reveled in it, pouring that energy into my hunt.

A hunt that fed on revenge.

Staring at the wall, I contemplated my next move.

Covering the surface was a sprawling display of hand drawn maps, galaxies and planets depicted in crooked lines and desperate strokes.

All along the parchment sheets were my furiously scribbled notes, along with large red Xs to show which planets proved empty.

Snatching up Celeste’s red paint, I walked over to the map, located planet two-seven-three, and crossed it out, ripping the parchment slightly.

“Where the fuck are you, Altair?” I asked the air. Death meowed, the stars giggled, and I could have sworn my own voice jeered within my head as well.

In my haze of desperation and exhaustion, I found my eyes settling on somewhere familiar.

Dajahim.

Maybe the fucker never left home.