Specter Rising (Brimstone Network Trilogy) by Thomas E. Sniegoski Page A

lives are kind of similar.”
    Lita threw some more wood on the fire and it blazed all the higher. “I’m not sure I follow,” she said.
    “I was being groomed to carry on the mission of my father,” Bram explained. “As I’m sure you are being prepared to become the next queen.”
    His sister stared quietly into the fire. “A task that I’m not at all ready for,” she finally said.
    “I felt the exact same way,” Bram told her. “I still do really, but I guess I realized that there’s just no way around it. It’s something only I can do.”
    “I wonder if I’m strong enough,” Lita said, still gazing into the blaze.
    “You’ll be great.” Bram smiled warmly at her. He had known her for just a few hours, but already he felt a special bond.
    She seemed embarrassed, refusing to look at him. But the potentially awkward moment was interrupted by a noise from the burrow. They looked over to see Stanis and Yosh emerge, followed by Boffa.
    Lita got up from the fire.
    “My mother, is she . . .”
    “Not dead,” Boffa said. “But for how long, I do not know. Terrapene medicine keeps her in breath.”
    The princess reached out a hand and touched the turtle’s scaled arm. Boffa flinched, his arms and head partially retreating into his shell.
    “Thank you,” she said. “I’m not sure why you’re helping us . . . after all we have done to your kind, but . . . but thank you.”
    Boffa moved away from Lita’s touch. “Ligeia came to Boffa when she first become queen,” the Terrapene explained. “Came to him alone, without soldiers, swords or knives . . . came to him to tell how sorry she was for what Specter had done to Terrapene kind.”
    Bram rose from the fire and went to stand with his sister.
    “She say that I could take her life for what Specter kind had done; that it was payment due Boffa as the last of Terrapene.”
    “She offered you her life?” Lita asked.
    The last of the Terrapene nodded. “And Boffa almost accepted offer . . . remembering all who had died . . . remembering that Boffa was alone . . . but there had already been too much death.”
    “You spared her life,” Lita said quietly.
    “And for that she made Boffa promise of peaceful world . . . world where Specter not conquer and kill anymore . . . a world of ascension.”
    The turtle gazed up into the night sky.
    “Boffa hold her to promise,” he said. “Boffa protect her from dying with all his might.”
    At last Bram understood why the Terrapene had saved them—a promise from the queen of Specter had guaranteed their lives.
    The Terrapene returned his gaze to them. “She awake now,” he said.
    Lita made a move toward the burrow, but Boffa reached out and grabbed her arm with thick, powerful fingers.
    “Not you,” the Terrapene said, and then his gaze fell on Bram. “She ask to speak to boy,” Boffa said. “She wish to speak to son of Stone.”
     
    D ez imagined that he could see his father behind the twisted monster’s gaze.
    “Are you all right?” his father asked, wearing the form of a monster that mere seconds ago had been a nearly unstoppable force.
    “Yeah, I’m good,” Dez answered. “Could you give me a hand getting up?” He struggled to get his legs beneath him, and to retrieve at least one of his crutches.
    “Desmond, get back!” a voice bellowed from within the chamber.
    Dez and the monster looked to see that Stitch had ripped up a large piece of the stone floor and was preparing to hurl it, even as Emily stalked toward them, fangs bared.
    “Oh, crap,” Dez said, managing to get to his feet. “Stop! It’s not what you think!” He got between his attacking friends and the monster that currently contained the essence of his departed father.
    “Get out of the way, boy,” Stitch yelled.
    “You have to stop,” Dez cried.
    Emily reached them first, her snout twitching as she sniffed the air.
    “What’s going on, Dez?” she growled.
    “It’s my father,” he said, pointing to the