The air was cool and dry. A gentle breeze was blowing, and with it billows of sand that swirled around our feet. The sky was clear and full of stars. Despite the obvious darkness, it felt blindingly bright compared to the caverns we’d been in. It was quiet. Maybe even too quiet. Far off in the distance, amber lights shone, molten Echoes patrolling the perimeter. But this unknown exit tunnel was safe.

Ahead, the shining lights of Timbuktu were a ways off. But Russula was somewhere there. We’d have to find her. I pointed in the direction, and the rest of us nodded. We set off on foot, across the sand, towards the light. Though the grit got between the clawed toes of my Imago, I was glad that it was night. The blistering heat of the day vaporized in the darkness, leaving the dust cold and relaxing beneath our feet.

Echoes were still patrolling around here. Though far away, the ground was flat and expansive; we could be seen from miles away, if only light was shone upon us. The molten figures seemed like ships at sea, their fiery lights sparkling in the distance, and searchlights sweeping from place to place over the sand, in search of any Angels. Surely we’d have been able to break through them all if we’d simply tried. Instead, we’d been holed up in there for who knows what reason, slowly going insane. Even now, as we drifted further and further away from the cave, from the Sanctuary, I felt my mind clearing again, the cacophony of noises and voices vanishing. I’d gotten so used to them that the silence was deafening.

It was quiet out. Quiet enough to hear the footsteps in the distance, the hushed voices of Demons and members of Blood Thunder carrying from hundreds of metres away. Quiet enough to hear the lone sounds of trucks sputtering down the road to the city. If we took to the air, we’d be noticed instantly. So we continued on foot, careful to stay well out of the lights. Now and again, we’d hear a shout echoing and freeze, but thankfully it was never anything close by. Time was ticking, but we were making good progress, step by step over the dry sand and scrub..

Nobody spoke. Perhaps we were just paranoid of being overheard. Or perhaps we were simply revelling in the peace and tranquility. Grace and Angelina reverted the transformation around their faces, taking deep breaths and drinking in the crisp night air.

It started softly. A barely noticeable vibration, passing through the ground. As it approached it grew louder, shook the earth beneath our feet. We all stopped in our tracks as it passed. Something huge was moving... directly beneath our feet. But just as quickly as it had started, it faded away again, passing us by seemingly without notice.

“What was that?” I whispered.

Nobody seemed to have any response. Or perhaps it was just that nobody wanted to speak, yet. After we were sure that it had passed completely, we continued on our course. The city lights were growing brighter, now, glowing golden-amber as they reflected off the earthen facades of centuries-old mosques and universities. We were close. So close.

But now also the features of guards and checkpoints were coming into focus. Not just Demons and their echoes, though there were plenty of those, but also human members of Blood Thunder, each with their bandanas, armed with all sorts of weapons. The stations were too close together to sneak past, and so we walked parallel to them, circling the perimeter of the city searching for a way in.

“I have an idea,” whispered Melody, leading us over a ridge. Beyond it, there was a steep drop down to a narrow ditch. One by one, we clambered down the slope and into the channel. This must have been a tributary of the river, perhaps occasionally filled with water. Right now, it was empty, save for us. “I think this runs all the way to the city,” she said. “We can follow it all the way there without being seen.”

The trench twisted and turned. We could scarcely see ahead. I felt uneasy, oddly, even though this was the right way. Grace and Faith had confirmed it. Angelina was keeping to the back, her head swivelling often to ensure we weren’t being followed. The ground beneath my feet was bone-dry, hardened sand and mud with uneven footprints from when this place was wet and lush. I could scarcely imagine what it must have looked like, now that it was the midst of the dry season. Dust scattered in our wake. Thankfully, our compound eyes were not as irritable as our human ones would have been.

Sunrise would be coming soon. The deep black of the sky was giving way to dark blues. On the horizon, to our right, rays of rose and violet painted the morning sky. The distant sounds and lights of the patrolled Echoes began to fade as the noises of the city proper grew louder and louder.

I peeked up over the edge of the ditch. Here, the arid scrub gave way to concrete and asphalt. We’d reached the city’s edge. Members of Blood Thunder were stationed all around the perimeter. In close proximity to them were Echoes of various shapes and sizes. Dog-like, cat-like, bird-like, and more, each made of white-hot iron that glowed bright orange in the early morning light.

“Are you scared?” one of them spoke to another. In the stillness of the night, they must have thought themselves alone.

“Of course,” said the other. “Aren’t you?”

“I still can’t believe this is all real,” said the first. “That aliens have invaded our home. That something like this would happen in our lifetime.” If only they knew. If only they knew the real aliens that dwelt among them. The ones they were fighting for.

“I’m so glad for Dr. Lee. Organizing this expedition.” Dr. Lee? No. I mean, Lee was a very common last name after all.

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“Yeah, she’s really given a lot for the movement,” the other said. “You know, I heard that it’s because her daughter got kidnapped by the aliens and they... they turned her into one of them.” Oh. It was... it was probably my mom, then. I felt a shiver run down my spine. As if in response, the ground beneath us trembled—or was that just my imagination?

The guard let out a long, drawn-out sigh. “That’s rough, man. I can see why she hates them so much. I can see why she... tomorrow’s going to be a bloodbath, isn’t it?”

“Yup. She’s going to really tear into that alien bug. Maybe that’ll convince them to leave.”

“Wow, man...” the guard still seemed in shock. And so did I. Was this why my mother was... no, I couldn’t think about that right now. We were here to get Russula out of there. But... but from the sound of it, my mother would be there too. Was I ready to—

“Keep moving, kiddo.” Angelina whispered, prodding me forward. “We’re nearly there.” The sky was growing light. Sunrise was fast approaching now. The early morning last illuminated everything with a warm glow. Peeking up above the rim of the ditch, I could see we were entering the city proper. The sounds and smells of the city filled the air.

“We’re so close,” said Melody. She seemed oddly out of breath. Excited, perhaps. We were close to Russula indeed. She began visibly shaking. Even though it was far from silent now, we couldn’t afford to make any noise. I ran up to her, grabbing her wrist and squeezing her hand.

“Hold on—”

“I can’t wait,” she said, slipping out of my grasp and breaking into a run. The wings on her back jittered to life, droning on as she took off from the ground and into the sky.

“Wait—” I said. But it was too late.

And then gunshots broke out, deafening. Her wings were torn. She crumpled back into the sand at the bottom of the gully. Grace and Faith ran towards her, kicking up sand in their wake. I couldn’t see anything. I had to make sure she was okay, though. My wings came to life, launching me forward to her side. “Melody?” I asked.

She muttered something incoherent.

“Melody?” I turned her over. Her body was limp. Hemolymph was pouring from the tears in her wings. “Melody? Say something. Are you alright?” Grace and Faith were position nearby, weapons drawn, awaiting the inevitable attack.

“Come closer,” she muttered, gesturing for me to get down near her.”

I knelt by her side so she could whisper into my ear.

“Gotcha.”

The sand beneath our feet turned to liquid as huge jaws snapped up from underneath. Made of molten iron and steel, the behemoths turned the sand to glass as they breached, mouths slamming shut around arms and legs, snapping through the carapaces like they were nothing. Grace and Faith were caught instantly. My ankle was caught, too, in the jaws of one of the smaller Echoes that emerged from the sand. The ground beneath us had become a whirlpool. The creatures tossed us to and fro, all while Melody looked on, getting to her feet and brushing the sand off of her carapace.

Melody. The traitor had been Melody. “What a show,” she muttered.

“I did it all for you,” said another voice. A Demon rose out of the sand on the largest Echo of them all, a behemoth of a whale with a short, squat head brimming with huge, sharp teeth. He was clad in... in Roman-style armour, with a helmet and a huge, rectangular shield.

“That’s my Ollie!” Melody smiled, giving the Demon a peck on the cheek.

“And who have we caught here?” he said with a smile. “Some familiar troublemakers? Oh my. Quinn herself. Excellent job, dear.”

Faith was indignant. “Why would you—”

“Because I can’t be human as part of that silly order,” she said. “All they do is take human being and grind them up and turn them into parts of their system. I’m going to get what I want. I’m going to get my life back.” She glared at me. “And that doesn’t come by being part of them.”

The Echoes tugged at my ankle. I was sinking into the sand. The whirlpool of dust and Echoes threatened to choke me, drown me, suffocate me beneath the earth. All around, I could feel their heat as they passed close by. They were toying with me. They were gloating. In that case, perhaps...

“I can’t believe you fell for it.” Melody continued. “I despise people who fake tears. How could anyone do that?” she mocked, laughing.

My foot was caught in its jaws for now, but as the sand swirled around I could feel the grip loosening. The Demon seemed distracted now. He wasn’t focusing on controlling the Echoes. This was my opportunity to escape. With a quick tug of my leg, I freed my ankle and tried to swim out of the sand. Dirt and grime got into every join and crevice of my carapace. I felt my joints creaking with every movement. But eventually, I emerged onto solid (or at least more solid) ground.

At that, they stopped laughing. A wind started to pick up from the southwest, swirling around us. Sand began to fill the air. The sky above grew dark and cloudy, swirling angrily over our position. I had my blade drawn, ready to fight her, and Ollie, and the Echoes but Angelina tapped me on the shoulder and whispered in my ear. “Not this time, Quinn.”

I looked back at her, puzzled. Angelina had been free this whole time. Her wings thrummed cleanly, dark spots glinting in the early sunlight as she manoeuvred into position. “Go for Russula,” she said, stepping forward, all four blades drawn. “I’ll take care of them.”