Omnix

Chapter Three

I crept over the threshold, eyes glued on Caleb's remains and searching for some sign of life: a twitch, the rise of shallow breath, the flutter of his lashes. He's still. My sister twisted her fingers through Cade's hair and forced him to look at his father. "A shame, truly," she said. "Your husband could've been a great Fleshling had he revoked his infidel nature."

"Tetra." I lowered my weapons, shaking. "Let him go."

She trailed her blade away from my son's neck, pointing to me. "What, just as before? Where will you run this time?" She tsked. "No. I must finish this. Unless you would like to do the honors?"

My son was trying his very best to show that he wasn't afraid, shifting in her arms and eyeing her sword.

"Cade, stay still." I focused on keeping my voice steady. "Don't move. It's going to be alright."

"Yes, heed your mother," Tetra said. "One slip and you'll save us a lot of trouble."

I narrowed my eyes. "Put your blade down. Turn around and run. Do it now and I'll consider letting you go."

She threw her head back and laughed, her long black tongue stretching over pointed teeth. She rasped when she spoke. "How desperate."

"You've got what you wanted. You killed my husband. Tell Father that you didn't spare me, and I will stay hidden with my son. Keep my silence. It'll be enough to restore your honor-"

"Enough to restore my honor?" She scraped her throat and spat. "How dare you speak of Father. Turning a blind eye to you was the worst mistake I've ever made, now I'm here to rectify what you've done to my family."

"Cade isn't a part of this. He's just a boy!"

"You think it's enough to let you hide and cower? Pathetic. Killing you isn't enough, it will never be enough-"

Cade bucked against her. I sheathed my weapons and held up my long pale fingers, a slow, watchful surrender. "Cade, stay calm."

He tried to lift his chin over her arm. "Mom, please..."

"Stay still," I warned. "Tetra, I will give you anything-"

Cade is thinking of attacking. Before I could plead, he elbowed the exposed portion of her diaphragm plate and made away while she stirred. If I knew anything about Tetra, is that she was a very sore loser. She doubled, rage twisting her face, tongue running over her fangs. "Die, traitor!" She rushed, glassblade speared.

I met with my own. I'qod raked over i'qod, hissing in our trade. She snapped out, lunged the blade's give; I juked, danced over the attack, and made for my dagger. Her smile then. We've done this dance before, and we're both in step. She bucked her leg like a mule and caught the back of my knee. I keeled, rolled out of the light. My dagger clattered against the wood floors before me, the i'qod a luminescent teal casting over the curling lines in her face. Tetra guided her sword hand to recalibrate. I met her motions, got to a knee. We swirled at the eye of the room. A perfect storm.

"You're soft," she said, purple eyes sunken into her skull. "Exile's made you fat and slow. Only you could manage such a thing."

"You're the same book I've read a hundred times. Almat tactics could never match what the wasteland has taught me."

"Hardly. How many times, pray tell, will you use that parlor trick of yours on me?" She hungered for the dagger then. We closed in together, but only one of us arrived. Tetra kicked off a table and aimed for my head above. I caught her attack, grinded off as sparks emitted. But she wanted more; she brought her blade to smash, smash down until my wrists visibly weakened.