Chapter 10 - Forty Miles to the OceanBy sunrise, the forest ended.
The land became salt flats.
The ocean was somewhere beyond the horizon.
Forty miles.
Kael estimated two days.
They had one.
Vael soldiers were moving from the north.
Human bounty hunters were approaching from the south.
And something else was coming behind them.
Alex walked beside Kael.
"Do you believe my mother?"
"Which part?"
"That the Vael were running from humans."
He thought.
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Because she was never afraid of us."
"She should have been."
"No."
Kael looked at her.
"She was afraid of what humans might become."
They reached an abandoned settlement.
Bodies lay in the streets.
Human.
Vael.
No weapons.
No signs of combat.
Everyone had collapsed.
Alex knew what that meant.
"The Roar."
Kael nodded.
"But why are they dead?"
He crouched beside a body.
"They weren't killed by the Roar."
"Then what?"
"Something removed their memories."
Alex stared.
"That's possible?"
"It wasn't supposed to be."
A figure stepped from a house.
Joren.
Alex raised her weapon.
"You again."
Joren looked exhausted.
"I found your mother."
Alex froze.
"How?"
"She contacted me."
"Where is she?"
Joren lowered his eyes.
"Dead."
Alex looked away.
"What did she tell you?"
"She said you would come."
"Why?"
Joren stepped closer.
"Because the final chamber is beneath the ocean."
Kael frowned.
"That chamber was destroyed."
"No."
Joren shook his head.
"It moved."
The ground trembled.
A massive shadow passed beneath the salt flats.
Alex stared.
"What was that?"
Joren whispered:
"The door."
A Vael transport appeared overhead.
Then another.
Then six.
Kael raised his weapon.
Joren looked at him.
"You've run out of road."
Kael smiled grimly.
"No."
He pointed toward the ocean.
"We've run out of land."
They sprinted.
Gunfire tore apart the settlement.
Alex ran until her lungs burned.
Kael fell behind.
"Go!"
She turned.
"No!"
"Alex!"
The bullets came closer.
She refused.
Then Joren grabbed her.
"He's buying time."
"Let go!"
Kael stood alone in the street.
A hundred Vael soldiers surrounded him.
General Veyra stepped forward.
"Traitor."
Kael lifted his weapon.
"Always was."
Veyra raised his hand.
The Roar started.
Alex screamed.
Kael collapsed.
Joren pulled her away.
"Don't look."
She did anyway.
Kael lay motionless.
Veyra turned toward Alex.
"Your mother was wrong."
Alex glared.
"About what?"
"You are not the key."
May you like
He smiled.
"You're the door."
