Кристи Голдэн - Twilight

JAKE BLINKED AWAKE, TEARS WET ON HIS FACE. For a moment, he was disoriented. He felt as though he had forgotten something very important, lost it or misplaced it—and stared blankly up at the protoss faces peering down on him. And it was then that he realized what had happened.

Zamara was gone. She was no longer anywhere to be found in his mind or thoughts. For a second, he thought he would be sick, so overwhelming was her absence. Four-fingered hands, strong but gentle, closed on his arms, slipped under his body and eased him to a sitting position.

"She's gone," Jake gasped, reaching to clutch Krythkal's robe. "She—"

"We know," came the thought in his head. At least he could still understand them. But he felt like an amputee. God, were humans really this... alone?

Krythkal lifted his hand. Resting in his palm was the crystal that Jake had given him before the ritual had begun—the crystal that he, Rosemary, Alzadar, Ladranix, and all the others had found deep in the labyrinthine heart of Aiur. Then, it had been luminous, clear... clean. Now Jake stared at the crystal fragment. Its hue was now dark, yet still glowing somehow with a sullen purple-black hue. Something swirled inside it, and there was the occasional spark of brightness that surged forward only to submerge again.

Jake took it gingerly. He had always had difficulty holding the crystal before. It had emanated a power that gradually would hurt if he held it too long. But that pain was somehow cleansing, scouring. Something too strong for him to hold or wield, yes, but not hostile.

But now, as it lay in his hand, it felt...wrong. He could think of no other way to describe it.

"I...blacked out," Jake said, staring at the crystal. It felt cold, and a numbness began to spread across his palm. "What happened? Did she...did she do it? Did she manage to trap Ulrezaj in there with her?"

"It is difficult to tell," Krythkal said, his mental voice rich with sympathy. "Ulrezaj did disappear. The Dominion and the zerg are fighting one another now. The zerg appear to be losing that conflict.We felt—something at the very last moment. A surge of power from the crystal, from Zamara, reaching out...before we were unable to sense her anymore."

The cold increased. Jake stubbornly refused to release his grip on the crystal. He felt he owed it to Zamara, somehow, to hold it as long as he possibly could, and closed his fingers about it tightly. Just as she had hung on to her mission as long as she possibly could. And maybe —was still holding on to it.

"Did she get all of him?" he demanded, his voice harsh with grief. "His soul, his memories, all of him?" Was it worth losing her? "And what about her? If she's in there with him—"

He couldn't speak the words, but these were telepaths, and so he did not need to. Were they trapped together in some kind of hellish, eternal battle? Was she still self-aware? And if so—was she in pain? What could he have done to stop her? Should he have done something?

Human fingers, small and warm and gentle, closed on his where they clutched the crystal and unfolded them. Jake let Rosemary open his hand and stared dully at the blood that coated the pulsing, sickly dark stone. He'd grasped it so hard he'd sliced his hand on its sharp edges. Jake looked up into Rosemary's heart-shaped face, naked pain on his own. She smiled gently and then turned to hand the stone to Selendis.

"Jacob," came Selendis's mental voice, and he dragged his eyes from Rosemary's to look at the executor. "Zamara lived, died, and found a way to live again in order to serve her people with everything she had. We must now do the same to honor her memory and sacrifice. The zerg are all but defeated, their leader slain, and that means that Valerian will soon be here. He has come for Zamara, but he must not find her."

So, Ethan was dead. Jake wondered if Rosemary had killed him or if the Dominion or Selendis had taken him down. It didn't matter —as long as he was alive, the zerg had an intelligent leader other than Kerrigan. He had to go if they were to win. Jake dragged his arm across his eyes and nodded, pulling himself back together.

"You're right," he said. "We can't let what Zamara did be for nothing."

"Valerian does not know the transfer has been successful. If he finds you here..."

"Whoa, whoa," Rosemary said, frowning at Selendis. "You're just going to leave us here for him to kill? A decoy while you make off with Zamara? Sorry, that's not my idea of a good time."

Jake looked up at her. "Selendis is right. We can't let Zamara and Ulrezaj fall into the hands of the Dominion. Think what Mengsk would do with a weapon like Ulrezaj—and you know he'd try to set him loose and control him."

Rosemary's face was still contorted in a frown. Jake continued.

"Besides—I'm going to need medical care. Human medical care. The pain...hasn't gone away. I think the tumors are still present. The protoss are smart, but they wouldn't be able to cure me in time. Valerian's people might. And he might not be as bad as you think. There was something—genuine about him. And about that Devon Starke fellow. I can't explain it, but..."

He took her hand. "And...damn it, I'm tired of running. So very, very tired. But... Rosemary, I think you should go with the protoss. Valerian won't be looking for you, just me. I can delay him long enough for you and the protoss to escape. But you've got to hurry."

In the midst of his grief for Zamara, his heart lifted as Rosemary shook her head, her fine, short black hair flying with the gesture. "Not likely," she said. That was all, but it was enough. More than enough. Whatever was going to happen, they would face it together.

Selendis cocked her head. "The tide of battle turns," she said gravely. "The zerg are all but vanquished."

Jake got unsteadily to his feet and for the first time saw the bodies just outside the door—two protoss and a zerg. "What—"

"Long story," Rosemary said.

"I will want to hear it—but not now. You need to go," he said. He looked at them in turn—Krythkal, who had possibly saved his life; Selendis, so strong and tall and proud; Vartanil, who had believed in him; Mohandar, the dark templar, who had worked side by side with Selendis and Rosemary to retrieve a preserver's knowledge. He knew they could read in his thoughts his admiration and respect.

"Jacob Jefferson Ramsey," Selendis said, "you are a hero to our people. We will not forget. You will become part of our history—a bright part of it."

"And you as well, Rosemary Dahl," said Vartanil. Rosemary's cheeks reddened.

"Hell, I'm no one's hero," she said roughly.

"You are mine." Vartanil gave them a protoss smile.

Jake hissed slightly and staggered as pain shot through him. Rosemary caught him, small and slight but strong, steadied him. Overwhelmed, he turned his face from the protoss. "Thank you. And I will not forget Zamara."

As one, the protoss bowed deeply to him. Then they turned and quickly headed down the corridor, maneuvering around large chunks of stone and debris. He watched them until they vanished from sight, going deep below the temple to the hangar and the single ship. Krythkal did not go with them.

" You' re... staying?"

The protoss nodded. "The Alys'aril was damaged in the attack. The zerg killed many of the alysaar. Many, many crystals were destroyed. We will not leave it."

Jake and Rosemary exchanged glances. "Valerian will look at this site as a treasure trove. He's all about ancient knowledge," Rosemary warned.

Krythkal half closed his eyes and tilted his head. "He would have to be protoss to understand it."

"He'll figure that out," Jake said.

"He would doubtless plunder, as you fear, if no one were here to prevent him. But perhaps we can engage in a dialogue. I have lived here for most of my adult life. I cannot leave it, regardless. And who knows. It could be that the time has come when we will need to cooperate and share our knowledge with lower—with other species."