Streaks of Purple Saga/Spectrum Force - Heather Ray (best beach reads txt) 📗

us off guard while Phaedra finalizes some new scheme to conquer Earth."

"I suppose that is possible," Luminus conceded, "but there are much more effective portals to manifest. She could have banished your team into another galaxy, or another dimension, altogether. Why send only one through, and why replace her with another potential enemy?"

"The girl Kimberly has no powers here," Spectra explained. "Her powers are tied to her own dimension."

"It is still an unlikely scheme. And it does not sound like something Celea would think of. The princess has all her mother's impatience, but exemplifies her father's endless ambition and complete disregard for life. Add to it her own unique recklessness and you have an explosive combination. Subtlety and complex mind games are not her method."

"Perhaps she wants to dishearten my Force," Spectra suggested. "Dissolve their confidence and camaraderie."

Luminus looked to Spectra. "If Celea's aim was to dishearten your team, she would have killed one."

Spectra paled in shock.

Luminus nodded, confirming Spectra's surprise. "Her evil has blossomed since your last battle with the princess. She is more than the spoiled child you remember. Her ruthlessness and battle skill eclipse what she was before. During her brief rule of the conquered planet Fesp, her experiments with magic killed hundreds of Fespin slaves. Whether it was accidental or intentional I cannot guess."

Spectra shook herself, trying to absorb the unexpected information the High Father had given her. Her mind strayed to the danger the Force might face, should Celea return to Earth before she could complete her research.

"Luminus, I must get back," Spectra murmured.

"And we must solve this puzzle," Luminus reminded her.

Spectra took an anxious breath. "But how?"

"Perhaps, we can repair the damage without directly undoing what Celea has done," Luminus suggested. "It should not be difficult to open a conventional portal; a doorway into the Realm from which this 'Power Ranger' came. Once there, you can search for your missing member telepathically."

The youthful warrior's eyes widened. "Can you do that?"

A wry smirk touched the old man's face. "The aura of the origin world always lingers with a traveler, and my sensitivity to alternate worlds is uniquely sharp. Provided this Ranger recently emerged from the Multiverse, I should be able to retrace her steps. But I will need to be in the girl's presence."

Spectra shook her head. "I cannot let you come to Earth. If you should die-"

"If I die, Child, our forces will fight on. I am a Warrior of Light, just as you are. I just happen to be a little older."

He unhooked his outer tunic from beside the door, and slid it on. "Besides, this will be an excellent opportunity for you to learn about alternate dimensions."

Spectra gaped, scandalized. "Me? But I've always been taught to avoid creating portals, at the risk of the entire universe!"

He nodded solemnly. "Unfortunately, our enemy does not share our concerns."
Chapter Forty-One

The North Pole

The princess materialized in the frozen tundra of the barren north. This time, she wore the protective regal battle suit, just in case she should run into any more interfering humans. The enchanted metal plating provided only minimal protection from the bitter cold that threw her forest green curls in a chaotic whirl.

The resilient girl shrugged off the cold temperature and forceful gales, following the faint glow of energy back to the portal she had created a few hours ago.

Her eyebrow quirked. "So the portal remains? I thought it had closed when the Spectrum Force played with it. Interesting."

She didn't take the time to consider how this unexpected development might complicate her plan. Instead, she unrolled a parchment, drawing a dagger from her belt. With a careful eye, she examined her own carving, and etched the subtle changes that made all the difference in the incantation.

Then, she rose to her knees. "Now, to give my spell new life."

She slid her blade over her palm, drawing enough blood to lend new energy to the spell.

The brand flashed with the infusion of life energy, encouraging Celea to continue.

"Malah'nit junsu narehn ki ma. Olon parecht ni lai nar. K'hami sur ha QUAOSH, hei himi he lai. Hianep Jai hunrai khel nar, j'se karin lai!"

Upon completion of her spell she braced herself for the explosion of power that had knocked the wind out of her earlier. This time, the explosion did not come.

The winds began to howl as the brand glowed a steady red, darkening from a vivid fiery shade into a deep, bloody crimson. That crimson saturated the existing portal, erasing the view screen and replacing it with a new, abstract image.

It was fire. Anguish. Darkness. Rage. Lust. Death. All unbridled, all eager to consume.

She watched, folding her arms as lightning crackled from the edges, flashing just enough light in the darkened cavern to make the princess squint.

Then a narrow, spidery leg about four feet long stretched from the portal.

Celea held her breath as the six-legged beast emerged. It wasn't much larger than five feet tall, but the oily skin, rows of shark-like teeth, and empty eyes gave testament to its origin. The invisible aura around it screamed of power begging to be released. Of muscles that had not been stretched in the name of destruction for eons.

The princess cleared her throat. "I am Celea, crowned princess of the Denebian Em-"

The leg snapped like a whip, plowing into the princess' puffed chest, forcing the air out of her lungs. She stumbled back, shaking off her daze as ruby eyes glared at the monstrosity.

"So, I must prove my worth to you," she sneered, twin scythes gleaming in her hands. "As you wish!"

She crossed her blades at arm's length, creating a flash of energy that blocked the Chaotic's attack. Just as its leg bounced back after impact, she slashed one scythe, neatly amputating the limb.

The limb disintegrated, but the Chaotic merely stumbled back and waited.

A heartbeat later, the limb grew back, good as new.

Celea's released a startled grunt as the Chaotic lunged at her again, both of its forelegs slashing in rapid succession while it moved ever forward.

The princess deflected each blow, her teeth gnashing as she was forced inexorably towards the cave's entrance.

Celea allowed herself to be herded backward until she felt the frigid chill of the arctic winds. She smirked, confidently backpedaling into the snow, evading each of the creature's blows as she awaited its reaction.

Sure enough, after it stepped into the frozen tundra, a shudder made the creature pause.

That was all the time Celea needed. She tightened her grip on her scythes, focusing her power, and slashed at the thick neck of the creature.

She didn't stop there. Once her opponent was decapitated, she meticulously dismembered it, ignoring the thick black ochre that spurted from the abomination.

Finally, once the creature was no longer recognizable, she paused.

"Try and regenerate that

," she sneered, wiping the acrid black blood from her cheeks. Her smile stretched as a flash of energy swallowed the creature, leaving only bloodstains and melted snow behind. Once her opponent vanished completely, she approached the cave, her scythes at the ready and a gleam of anticipation in her eyes.

When she rounded the corner into the cavern, another vicious blow caught her by surprise. The spidery leg smashed into her chin, knocking off her helmet and throwing her into the unyielding cave wall.

Celea shook her head to clear her daze, and stared at her new opponent. Or rather, opponents.

Two spider-like Chaotics crawled along the cavern floor, and one stared down at her from the low ceiling.

She reached for her fallen scythe, only for the nearest monster to thrust its leg into her shoulder, right between the plates of her armor. The princess screamed as the creature held her fast, its leg piercing through her arm and into the rock wall behind her.

Celea bit down, suppressing her pained howls as her free hand drew a small dagger from her belt. She flung the sharp blade into the creature's most prominent eye, earning a high-pitched shriek that rang in her ears. Then she tightened her grip around the prickly leg that impaled her shoulder, and concentrated.

A fierce red glow suffused her hand, and the energy released let her crush the limb, forcing the creature to draw it back. She breathed with momentary relief as the burning pain subsided, letting her battered arm fall to her side.

But she never got the chance to escape.

The creature slapped her cheek with crushing force, ripping open the skin and knocking her head against the cavern wall.

Chapter Forty-Two

Langstrum Alps

The alarms screamed with such sudden urgency Keith leapt from his seat, dropping his textbook and study notes to the floor. Ignoring the mess he just made, he stared at the information flashing on the large screen of the planetary security system.

"Satellites have picked up a burst of energy at the North Pole," he read aloud. "Could that mean Jocie found her way back?"

Keith's eyes trailed over the details of the energy reading. "I can't make heads or tails of all this info," he realized, shaking his head. "I guess there's only one way to find out what's going down up there."

He pressed a sequence of buttons, sending an alert to his teammates. Then, he stepped away from the console, lifting his Spectrum Stone to the sky.

"Spectrum Sync!"

A flood of vivid red energy bathed him, forming a snug bodysuit while charging his form with the power of light.

A moment later, the Red Enforcer looked back at the monitor with a grimace. "If Jocelyn materialized at the Pole, she could freeze to death," he reasoned. "I'd better scout ahead and let the others catch up to me."

Keith ran to the hatch and pressed the code, letting the hangar open to reveal the clear skies in which the ship hovered. Then, he launched himself