Lightning Bringer: (Lighting Seeker Book 2)

Bone By Bone

Vale watched as dozens of eyes turned and stared at them in unison. Red gleaming eyes calculating and cold. She knew the exact moment they were recognized. Every AI chirping out a message in a strange garbled voice. An electric growl that sent terror through Vale. "Lightning Bringer- Threat to the AI Directive- Ally to the Tradesmen - Daughter to ... Error. File corrupted."

Despite their terrifying voices echoing across the bridge, sweeping silence into all of the passengers they carried, Vale couldn't help but smile to herself.

Ace had done a marvelous job of erasing all evidence of her past. Of her mother who was hidden so no AI could touch her. She was a ghost. An idea. A glitch in the system that the AI's couldn't quite delete. The AI's eyes moved to take in Dash. "Dashiell Devinus - The New Healer - A Tradesmen - Son of Shorin Dust- MISSING and Prim Devinus - DEAD."

If they hadn't been surrounded by enemies bent on their destruction, Vale would have laughed. Dashiell? The name itself wasn't necessarily funny, it was Dash's face, flaming with embarrassment and rage in response to it that made the entire situation comical. Vale found herself on the verge of laughter at the most inappropriate times.

Dash glared at the closest AI, his eyes calculating, rage wafting off of him, filling the air with heavy, palpable fury. Vale found it a challenge to breathe, destroying all thoughts of humor. "Might wanna update those files..." Dash adjusted his jacket, his fingers hovering over his inside pocket, ready to pull out his scalpel at any moment. "Dust is my last name." His eyes flashed, two twin cold emeralds ready to set everything ablaze. "I am no Devinus."

With that, he threw his scalpel at the closest AI, wedging it into it's taunting red-eye, ripping chaos across the bridge as the AI's converged on them.

Vale yanked Dash behind her, shoving his hover disk into his hands. "Go!" she shouted as she pushed him to the ledge of the bridge. He blinked, seeming to come out of a trance. "I'll hold them off! Go!"

Dash shook his head wildly. "Don't be insane! There are too many!" Vale's arm transformed and she turned in time to slice her sword across several AI necks. The bridge erupted into screams as people scrambled from their cars.

Vale ignored their panicked cries. Their angry exclamations pinned the fault of the chaos on the bridge, on Dash and Vale. They don't know any better, Vale reminded herself. They don't know that the AI system is broken. They don't know that if they stepped out of line, they'd be taken out too.

Several severed AI heads clanked to the ground, rolling across the road, bringing about another ripple of panic. Lightning crackled from the AI's shoulders, sending wild sparks high into the air. Vale whirled back to Dash. "I will take care of them. You need to get out of here."

Dash shoved her aside and kicked back an approaching AI, his metal boot cracking against its chest and sending it stumbling backwards. Vale grabbed him by the arm and shoved him against the ledge. "This isn't a negotiation." Her eyes narrowed, adrenaline coursing through her veins, screaming to be used in the fight behind her. "They want you Dash!"

Her fingers gripping the lapels of his jacket tightly, shaking him slightly as she spoke. "They want you "Dashiell Devinus." His eyes narrowed, a flash of hurt entering his eyes. Vale barreled on. "They want you alive. Breathing. Don't be an idiot and get caught." She took a step back, dropping her hands from his jacket, angry and frustration clear on her face. "So go." She transformed her metal into a sword again, allowing it to hover in a threatening stance. "Before I make you."

Dash's eyes were a blaze of contradicting emotions. Awe, irritation, anger, betrayal. After a moment, they narrowed and she shook his head, landing on determination. "No."

Vale sighed and lowered her sword. She wished their relationship had far fewer threats, but if that were the case, he wouldn't be someone she had come to respect, someone who stood up to an unwinnable fight because it was the right thing to do, even if it ensured her wrath. Her metal melted back into its arm form again. "You better hold onto that hoverboard."

Dash had just enough time to grip his hoverboard tightly, realization flickering into his expression as Vale pushed him over the side of the bridge. Vale turned and was immediately consumed in metal, shoved to the ground under a pile of AI shoulders, bent on ripping her to pieces, gear by gear, bone by bone.

Vale tried to change her arm into a weapon, any weapon, but found it impossible. They had at least five AI's, their arms wrapped around hers, immobilizing it. Vale stiffened, suddenly realizing that she may have bitten off more than she could chew.

She kicked and screamed, determined to free herself. But it was like fighting against a wall, nothing gave. She was trapped. Her face was pressed into the concrete, cutting off the view from around her. She held her breath, preparing to die. Preparing for her final moments, refusing to beg for mercy, to show weakness and cry.

Instead she shut her eyes and filled her mind with thoughts of her mother. I wish I could have seen you again... I wish I could have made you proud. Made a world were you could fight in the rings without fear of being caught. Where you could have any job you wanted.

Vale waited for the pain to come. Or worse, for them to reprogram her, erasing her memories of the rebellion, of Sky, Ace, Geo, Mortem, and Dash. But nothing changed. What are they waiting for?!? Suddenly they all spoke in unison again.

"Lightning Bringer. You are to be escorted to the Capital. To House Devinus." Vale swore internally, ice filling her veins. She had thwarted the AI's from taking Dash and now she was going in his place, no doubt to be put on an elaborate execution display.

She had always expected to die quickly, but this was worse. Far worse than she had feared. Now she was going to be taken into the lion's den, to be fed to the king of them all. The King behind the chaos. The King of the AI's.