Lethe, there is more. Things you don't know. Listen to the truth in my mind. There are only two people on this planet who have the knowledge and the trustworthiness to carry the Dragon Heart across to the astral plane. Two mages specified by Dunkelzahn. Neither of them would have anything to do with Burnout. Everything we are fighting for will have been for nothing.
In that moment, the odds were put on the scales, the risks were calculated. Ryan could sense the spirit's thoughts turning as Lethe made his decision.
"You have still not convinced me that you are devoted to taking the Dragon Heart to Thayla," came Lethe's reply. "I will honor my agreement with Burnout."
Ryan couldn't breathe, and he felt the power of the Dragon Heart fading with the last of his strength. Tiny splotches of black touched his vision, like droplets of dark oil on his eyes. I'm going down.
Burnout targeted the Manhunter, his finger poised on the trigger. But he didn't fire. "I have detected the rise in oxygen," he said. "Any spark would blow this whole room. I think I'll move outside before I riddle your flesh with bullets."
Into Ryan's mind came Dunkelzahn's voice. A follower of the Silent Way uses the terrain to his advantage, Ryan-thusar. Uses all his assets in a fight, even those that seem to be lost.
Grind's voice came dimly, as if from a great distance, yelling, "Get off him, Ryan! I've got the shot! Get clear!"
"Negative, Dhin," came Jane's voice. "At his current position, Quicksilver is not covered by sprinklers. Even if you don't hit him with the sniper gun, he'll buy it in the explosion."
Ryan felt the zen of the Silent Way creep over him as he centered himself. It had been too long since he had felt this way, ever since Roxborough had taken control. Now, as he focused, his spirit meshed with his body in perfect synchrony. And he knew what to do.
Ryan closed his hands over the Dragon Heart, hanging from Burnout's waist in its cloth sling. He brought all of his strength to bear, making sure that his grip was iron-tight.
Then he concentrated and used his telekinetic magic. Ryan nudged Burnout's trigger finger with a focused magic push.
The Manhunter roared, and Ryan could see the muzzle flash just as he heard the distant sound of Grind's heavy-caliber sniper rifle.
Ryan felt the Manhunter bullet blow through his armor and throw him back, knocking the breath from his chest.
Then everything turned the nightmare orange color of Hell. The exposed flesh of his face and hands began to sizzle and cook as he flew through the air. The pain was too great, the force too strong.
Ryan lost his grip on the Dragon Heart.
The skin of Ryan's eyelids split and began to bleed as he closed them against the roaring wall of flame that engulfed him.
His blistering ears could hear the sound of glass shattering above him as the roof blew outward.
Ryan drew on every reserve of strength he possessed, and focused to hold his flesh together.
And he heard the sound of something heavy, something metal, hit the floor just beside him, and he knew it was Burnout.
Something pushed Ryan violently across the room and into the soothing cool of the sprinklers. Jets of cold water, which at first simply turned to steam, finally fought their way through the fire on Ryan's skin to gently caress his wounds and soothe them.
Then it was all over.
Ryan opened his eyes, which were covered with a film of red, making the purgatory scene in front of him even more lurid. Am I still alive?
The small pockets of flame that still remained were hissing and smoking under the constant spray of water.
As Ryan rolled slowly, trying to get to his feet, he could feel the huge blisters on his cheeks break open on the blackened marble floor.
Across the room lay the motionless, charred body of Burnout like some child's fallen nightmare, a huge hole in his chest from the sniper round.
"You have won, Ryan Mercury." Lethe's voice was weak, distant.
You saved me? That push into the water spray was you?
"I saw your willingness to sacrifice yourself. I see the truth that you have changed."
Thank you, Lethe.
"Just fulfill your promise. Take the Dragon Heart to Thayla."
I will. But I could use your help.
"I have used up the last of my strength."
What do you mean?
"Ryan Mercury, we all make mistakes, and we all pay for them. When this fragile mortal coil dies, I will die with it."
Don't die, Lethe. You have to help me take the Dragon Heart to Thayla.
No response.
Lethe?
There was a crash behind Ryan, and Secret Service agents stormed into the room, weapons ready. Grind followed a minute later and rushed up to Ryan's side. The dwarf took one look at Ryan and spoke into the air. "Jane, get that Doc Wagon crew in here pronto. Quicksilver's so fragged up I'm not sure why he's still alive."
The only answer Ryan could hear on his melted earphones was distant static.
"Ryan?" The voice came from behind him.
Floating into his vision came Nadja. She was sopping wet, her ruined gown clinging to her. Her black hair was plastered to her soot-smudged face. Standing there, like some war zone survivor, Ryan thought she was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen.
40
In the swirling darkness of the interface between Burnout's meat body and his cyber, Lethe found the silver cord-the trail Burnout's soul left as it struggled to find an exit from the magic that held it trapped. The cord draped downward into Burnout's inner darkness.
Without hesitating, Lethe plunged into the blackness, following the cord as fast as he could.
It didn't take him long to find Burnout's essence.
To Lethe, it looked like a small human boy, with skin of liquid silver that shimmered as the boy trudged slowly downward.
"Burnout?"
The boy did not run, did not slow his descent.
"Burnout?" Lethe said, again.
The boy turned slowly and looked at Lethe with dull, tired eyes. Eyes that spoke of a weariness no child should have to suffer. "There is no Burnout here. He is dead. I am all that is left. Now leave me alone."
Lethe moved closer. "If you are not Burnout, then who are you?"
The boy turned away, but called over his shoulder, "My friends call me Billy. Billy Madson."
Lethe continued to follow him. "Where are you going, Billy?"
"Go away. I'm going to rest. I'm so tired."
Lethe thought about it for a moment. There had to be something that would draw Burnout's soul back to his metal body, something this young boy would find enticing.
Then it came to him.
"Billy, you want to see a magic place?"
The small figure stopped. Turned. For a moment, Lethe could see the excitement behind the exhaustion in the boy's eyes. Then a look of suspicion crossed the young face. "What magic place?"
Lethe came up close. "There is a place in the meta-planes, a spike of mana. There's so much magic there that it fills your whole spirit."
Billy's eyes narrowed. "I've heard of that place. A lot of people died there. What's the magic in dying? I mean, if you're dead, how're you going to enjoy it?"
Lethe laughed. "Billy, I can show you a side to that place that very few people ever get to see."
"Oh, yeah?"
"Look." Lethe formed an image of Thayla in his mind. He drew from his memory of her song, of the sheer perfection of her beautiful magic. He showed Billy the power of the white light that radiated from her.
The small boy drew breath as the vision took him.
After a minute, the vision faded.
The boy looked up at Lethe. "You've been to this place?"
Lethe nodded.
"And this is a real place, not just something you made up?"