Lightning Destroyer: (Lighting Seeker Book 3)

Sparks of Fire

Dash jumped out of the airship and dove into the open sky below with little thought for his own life. The sky was lit like fire as the airship castle in the sky, which had been a beacon of tyranny looming over the human world, was engulfed in the sea below, nothing more than sparks of fire and blooms of smoke.

The rebellion had accomplished something grand, taking down one of the headquarters that attempted to control humanity's way of life. And normally Dash would have been thrilled to watch it burn, but all he could see was Vale falling into the clutches of his deranged grandfather to buy him his freedom. And the sight of her sacrifice drove him to act before his brain could process what he was doing.

The jet boots at the bottom of Dash's mechanical legs kicked to life as he fell through the open air, boosting him to a stop in mid-fall. His heart hammered wildly as he spotted Vale struggling against an AI inside the skymaran below.

The skymaran swerved as it began to fly away and Vale managed to slice the AI open, watching it die under her grip. Vale spun, searching for her captor, Kebar. The reason for her sacrifice and the reason for Dash's panic.

But before she could find him, Kebar found her, and stabbed her in the neck with a syringe, sending her to her knees and sealing her as his captive.

"VALE!" Dash shouted angrily into the wind as he dove into a spiral, determined to reach the skymaran before she was out of reach.

The sudden sound of metal ripping, split through the air, and Dash was jolted to a stop. A harpoon having pierced one of his metal legs.

Mortem, the seven-foot captain with a large round belly, and one of the key leaders of the rebellion stood in the mouth of the airship that Dash had just abandoned. His eyes were wild with anger, his black hair whipping around his face, his hands holding the other end of the rope. "Get back inside boy before I drag ye back like a fish on a 'ook!"

Dash glared back at Mortem with his sharp green eyes before reaching down, struggling to free his leg from the harpoon with his bare fingers. He was thrown off balance as Mortem yanked the rope, sending him falling through the air, unable to keep his balance on his jets. "That wasn't a request!"

"Let me go Mortem!" Dash shouted back.

Ignoring his protest, Mortem continued to pull until he had dragged Dash back onto the ship, leg first. Shoving Dash to the ground, foot on his chest, Mortem yanked the harpoon free from Dash's metal leg.

Mortem bared his teeth as he stood over Dash. "What possessed ye to do somethin' so incredibly daft!"

"They have Vale!" Dash said, attempting to shove Mortem's foot off his chest.

"I saw," Mortem answered, his voice unnaturally calm as he removed his foot. Dash tried to stand up but his warped metal leg refused to cooperate, leaving him on his knees.

"So let me go get her!" Dash finally managed to stumble to his feet. "Mortem, please."

"No!" The single word boomed across the room, cracking like thunder in the rusty metal airship and filling Dash with a hollow feeling of despair.

There was no room to question him. Mortem's decisions were always final. And anyone who defied him didn't last long. But Dash felt himself slipping towards the edge of his sanity at the thought of Vale being controlled by the worst man he had ever known, and that thought pushed him to demand a different answer even if it cost him everything.

Dash rolled his shaking hands into fists as he took an unsteady step towards Mortem. "Let me go. I will bring her back."

Mortem's eyes narrowed. "Do not ask me again." Turning, Mortem walked away, shouting over his shoulder as he went. "Patch up yer cousin before 'e dies!"