Ace of Pentacles

Chapter 8

Chapter 8

In a dark dungeon, under the flickering light of a small fire, Kyle tapped his bony fingers on the blade of a black sword. The contact didn’t produce the sound of pure metal, but something darker, thicker, and more surreal. He narrowed his eyes and examined the sword carefully.

Kyle was not much into physical weapons. He preferred to use mind control. After all, it was his unique talent. But in dealing with the LeBlancs, he thought it prudent to gather all the weapons he could get his hands on. He would not lose a fight to Ciaran. Again.

He glanced at a human shaped creature standing nearby and waiting for his command. “Any news?” he asked the creature.

“Not yet, Master.”

Kyle shook his head. He had been given the lowest ranked and most unskilled troops in the cosmos as punishment for his unsuccessful attempt to attack the LeBlancs on Earth.

“I’ve given them the precise route of their travel. How hard can it be, ambushing a small capsule of two people? They’d better not waste my hard-earned intelligence. I would have done it myself if they’d given me a bloody combat vehicle,” Kyle snarled.

“I’m sorry, Master. It’s outside my control.”

“I’m not saying it’s your fault, dumbass. Get out of my sight!” Kyle shouted.

The creature scurried out without glancing back.

In the tunnel, the robots stared at Ciaran’s surrendering gesture. Then the one who appeared to be more senior nodded. They grabbed Ciaran and Madeline, pushed them toward the spaceship, and locked them in a small compartment.

Ciaran checked the gash on Madeline’s arm.

“Your arm is bleeding, and you have a cut on your back, Ciaran.”

He shook his head. “I’m fine. My injuries are minor, but yours aren’t. They—”

“I’m pregnant, but I’m not crippled, Ciaran. Stop fussing.”

Nodding, he flopped down on the bench next to Madeline. She could see fatigue clouding his beautiful eyes. She was cold—her teeth chattered, and her body shook. Ciaran pulled her into his arms and held her, hoping he could give some warmth and comfort. It didn’t seem to help.

The door of the compartment slid open, and a man who appeared to be in his forties entered.

“Ciaran LeBlanc, King of Eudaiz,” the monotone voice filtered through a robotic translator, “we will take you to our central—”

“I need you to increase the temperature in this compartment and give me the necessary medical equipment to tend to her injury,” Ciaran interrupted, pointing at Madeline’s arm.

“I am not authorized to change the specifications of the vessel. I need you to—”

“We won’t go anywhere or do anything until you do as I ask.”

Madeline was fading quickly. She couldn’t handle the environment outside the Sciphil zone. Ciaran knew he wasn’t going to get anywhere quickly with this robot in human form.

A loud bang echoed in from the side of the spaceship.

Electronic sparks and smoke fumes spread through the corridor, distracting the robotic man. Ciaran grabbed him and snapped his neck with one twist. Bunches of wires poked out of the broken neck, and smoke swirled from the eye sockets. Ciaran grabbed the robot’s gun.

He helped Madeline out of the compartment. She could walk, but Ciaran scooped her up and hurried through the long corridor. Via a broken wall, Ciaran saw very small capsule shooting at the spaceship. He didn’t know who piloted it.

From the far end of the corridor, robots ran toward him.

Carrying Madeline in his arms, Ciaran strode quickly toward the hole in the wall of the spaceship. The suction was strong and was drawing Ciaran and Madeline out. He held his stance to resist it.

The robots on this ship were fast approaching. He could put Madeline down and shoot at them. But how long could he hold on to this fight? He didn’t know how many of them were on the ship or how long his gun would last.

He took a gun from a rookie robot. The weapon couldn’t be too advanced.

The air pumping through the hole on the ship wall was too thin. Madeline was completely out of it now.

The small capsule outside hovered and opened its wing door. It was waiting for Ciaran to leap over to it. This wasn’t exactly a safe tarmac. If he couldn’t make the jump, only God knew what was underneath.

He looked at the approaching robots again. They charged at them, but they didn’t shoot. He frowned. Whoever wanted them must want them captured alive. And who was manning the small capsule over there? Were they friends or foes?

Hell. He glanced back at the robots again then stepped back to gain some space. He ran fast with Madeline in his arms and leaped toward the small door of the other vehicle.