Page 21 of Capture of Capricorn (The Thirteenth Zodiac #3)

A few ballistae launched, falling slightly short.

The arrows barely made it past the moat.

The ground beyond the liquid line remained intact, out of Tower’s reach.

The men in the UTVs, all wearing the bulky goggles that must have been what allowed them to see Tower, began disembarking, and Zora couldn’t help but watch despite the fact Sage waited for her and surely worried.

However, locking herself away meant she couldn’t support Tower and give it suggestions for defense.

Someone holding a box and dressed in tan khaki clambered out of a vehicle.

He spoke to one of the thicker guys, who nodded before pulling something from a pouch hanging from his utility belt.

The man pulled back his arm and threw something, not a large object, for it barely made a splash in the moat.

However, the effect? The fluid suddenly frothed, churning and bubbling before going completely still.

The man wearing khaki waved his hand, and the baddie who’d thrown the object strode to the edge of the moat and knelt. The crazy bastard stuck his hand in it, and she waited for him to get snatched.

Nothing happened.

“What the fuck? Where’s the moat monster?

” she murmured. Obviously incapacitated.

The flung item must have been some kind of bomb.

The baddies began pulling what looked like ladders from the UTVs and snapped them together to create a bridge, not only over the moat but the ground as well. So much for reusing the pit trick.

The invaders began to cross, and Zora pursed her lips. “Might be time to make sure all the doors are locked.”

Tower went one step further than that. It sealed all outside egresses. The window suddenly disappeared, becoming a smooth wall of stone.

There went her view, and without it, she had no reason to stay in the room. “Guess I should check on Sage.”

Only she’d apparently waited too long. She emerged from the apartment to all the doors in the hall gone.

Only the stairs remained intact, going down only, the upper floors sealed off.

With no choice, she descended a seemingly never-ending staircase.

Gone were the various levels. Not even a landing remained to mark their location.

Good and bad. Good because it meant Sage, and whoever else lived in Tower, were well hidden. Bad in the sense Zora had nowhere to go, nowhere to hide. Unless…

If she could make it the main level, she could use one of the arches in the portal room to escape and get word to Capricorn or the others. Although she had no idea how she’d do that since she not only didn’t have a phone, but she also lacked contact information for him.

The bigger problem with that plan, other than convincing Tower to give her access to the portal room, was the fact she’d be right by the main doors. Hopefully, she could escape before they broke their way in.

“I don’t suppose you could zoom me to make this faster?” Zora asked as she kept skipping down the steps.

Tower shivered in reply, and the stone groaned ominously, which, given the gravitationally impossible height of the tower, caused some worry.

No bubble encased her. Tower must be too busy to help her chunky ass, or could it be running low on magic? No one seemed to know Tower’s limits.

Zora huffed as she jogged, in better shape since her arrival.

Climbing a gazillion stairs a day would do that.

However, it still took way too long to make it to the main floor—and even longer to catch her breath.

She leaned over, hands on her thighs, huffing and puffing, but in good news, the main doors remained shut.

In the bad, all the rooms were sealed just like the other levels.

Time to see if Tower could unlock just one room. “Hey, I don’t suppose you could give me access to the portal room so I can get some help?”

No reply and the spot where the entrance for the portal room used to be remained a wall of seamless stone.

“Fuck a duck,” she huffed. There went her plan to beam her butt out of there.

Tower once more shuddered. This time the shaking went on for a few terrifying minutes while Zora crouched with her hands over her head, as if that would save her skull from being crushed by falling stone.

Luckily, nothing cracked or tumbled. The building remained intact, but when the shivering stopped, the lights extinguished.

Zora could see nothing, and a hum she’d not previously noticed disappeared.

A deafening silence ensued, which lasted almost long enough for her to start screaming.

It ended with a familiar sound, that of a torch plied against metal.

In this case, the doors. She could do nothing but watch as a faint orange line appeared as someone cut through one of the doors, creating a jagged rectangle.

Once the four melted sides met, the cut section got kicked hard enough to dislodge it.

The discarded metal panel hit the floor with a clang.

Oh shit, the baddies were coming in.

Zora pressed her back to the wall. Maybe they wouldn’t see her.

A bright spotlight bathed her, and she shielded her eyes while blinking away spots. Even without seeing, she recognized the voice that mocked her.

“Well, well, if it isn’t the missing blacksmith.”

Zora lowered her hands and squinted before snarling, “Crius.”

“Surprise!” the asshole beamed as he entered with an entourage of armed men who formed a semi-circle around him and held their weapons at the ready.

“How did you get past Tower’s defense?” The question she asked rather than the more dreaded one of, did he kill Tower?

“Same way I nullified the warriors’ ability to access the stars. Black hole technology.”

The answer rounded her mouth. “You made a black hole? Are you fucking insane?”

“I prefer the term brilliant. And, yes, I found a way to create and contain them, and what do you know? Black holes, even tiny ones, nullify the Zodiacs’ astral power as well as the magic protecting their secret base of operation,” Crius boasted with a smirk.

Her lips pinched. “And now that you’ve forced your way in, what’s your plan?”

“Activating the last relic and harnessing its power.”

“You didn’t need to invade to do that. You already have the orb,” she pointed out.

“Ah, but you see, unlocking it requires an astral portal, and while I could have used one of the permanent ones scattered around the world, I wouldn’t have had access to the thirteenth Zodiac’s dais for the transference of power.”

His claim reminded her of the book she’d read when she’d first arrived, how the dais imbued the chosen warrior.

The key word being “chosen,” not to mention close to death.

It would seem Crius understood only part of how the imbuing of power worked.

“Looks like you’ve wasted your time and effort, seeing as how the constellations are very particular about who they associate with.

They only pass on their gift to heroes, not villains. ”

The corner of his mouth lifted, and Crius sounded positively gleeful as he stated, “The thirteenth isn’t bound by the same rules, and when its last avatar caused quite a bit of trouble, it was rendered into three parts and scattered.

I’m sure it will be rather grateful to the person who sets it free. ”

Did he speak the truth? “Doesn’t really matter, seeing as how the portal room isn’t accessible. Tower locked it down.”

“Do you really think a bit of stone will stand in my way?” Crius laughed. “I’ve got enough C-4 to bring down this whole building if I want.”

“You won’t get away with this.”

“But I already have,” Crius’ sly reply. “You see, I knew the tower would turtle in its stony shell to protect itself, but in doing so, it also prevented the warriors from beaming back. By the time they do sluggishly make their way here via more mundane methods, I’ll have transformed.

Then, with the thirteenth’s power and my black hole technology, it will only be a matter of time before I control all the constellations. ”

“You’re out of your mind if you think you can control the star entities.” She snorted.

“The Astraeus that refuse to transfer me their support will be destroyed. As Earth’s Supreme Leader, I won’t tolerate any dissidence.”

“You want to rule the world?” She ogled him as he uttered the most insane thing yet.

“I think it’s time to put an end to all these bloated, and useless, governments. What humanity needs is one ruler making and enforcing laws worldwide. I will put an end to all crime. There will be no divide between wealthy and poor, as all will be rendered equal under my rule.”

“How amusing you think you’ll be the first dictator to make communism succeed. It won’t work. Never has, never will.” She rolled her eyes.

“I will run the planet like a hive. Drones working for the common good, and once the lazy complainers are eradicated, humanity will thank me for it.”

“I doubt that.”

“Then they’ll die. I think Earth would be a much better place with fewer people, don’t you?”

“You’re going to fail.”

The slap didn’t exactly take her by surprise, but it still stung.

Crius snapped, “Mouthy bitch. I was going to kill you, but now, I think it will be more enjoyable to have you watch as I succeed. Tie her up,” he ordered. “We don’t want her getting in the way.”

As if Zora could actually do anything. She had no magical power or strength. Nothing but her wits and sassy mouth.

Fuck me, I’m screwed.