The Spectrum Force Volume Two by Heather Ray (affordable ebook reader txt) 📕

restrained laugh.

Matthew then cleared his throat. "What the heck," he decided, claiming the green ring, "I've always wanted to be a super hero."

Rachel smiled her appreciation to Matthew, and then turned to Jocelyn, who still hovered at the window. She kept her gaze at Rachel, and then looked at the others.

"This all so... hard to believe," she confessed, slowly walking towards them, "but if you guys are in... so am I."

She chose the orange ring.

All eyes fell upon Craig, who remained separated from the rest of the group at the kitchen counter.

He turned away from their gaze, and stared at his hands, which he folded at the top of the counter.

"Craig?" Tamara said quietly.

He didn't answer.

"There's room for one more, Buddy," Keith offered.

"There's no one else I'd rather have serve by my side as the Blue Enforcer," Rachel stated, her voice sure.

Craig looked up, and stared at her for a moment.

She smiled gently.

"Blue Enforcer, eh?" he repeated, standing up. He stood beside Rachel's chair, and watched as she lifted her hand in offering.

He grinned as he accepted the ring. "Kinda catchy."

Craig then slid the ring onto his finger, blinking as the ring managed to fit perfectly on his rather large finger.

The group then fell into an expectant silence.

"What now?" Jocelyn asked curiously.

Rachel shrugged. "I... I don't know, actually."

Once again, all eyes fell upon her.

"Well... Spectra said that we'd be instructed when our hearts are united."

Matthew's eyebrow rose. "And that means what

, exactly?"

Rachel bit her lip. "I don't really know," she confessed quietly.

Chapter Twelve

General Yrty stood before the large, ornate opal doors that stood forebodingly in his path. His arms folded tightly over his chest, and his steady jaw gave no sign of the terror he felt within.

His decades of combat training taught him never to display fear before his subordinates.

"What do we say, Sir?" a younger officer asked meekly.

Yrty didn't even look at him. "I am the superior officer," he reminded him coldly, "So I will make the report."

He then turned around, and looked at the two remaining soldiers from his scouting party. "Garni, Fed'er... give me your scanners. Then, report back to duty. I shall deal with the Empress."

The two subordinates bowed their heads in submission, and handed the seasoned officer their wrist-unit devices. Yrty clutched the small computers in his hand, his knuckles growing white as he turned back to the obsidian doors.

This was probably the last time he would stand before them... alive.

Taking a deep breath to steel himself, he stepped forward, the doors hissing as they yielded to his presence.

"Welcome back, General," a soft, slightly menacing voice cooed from the darkened chamber. Yrty peered into the darkness, until he saw a faint glow of red energy. His gait slowed by hesitation, he moved toward it.

Standing at the far wall, searching through a bookcase of ageless volumes, was Empress Phaedra. Her flowing hair was styled in a tight array of twists, and her sleek gown was covered by a heavy velvet cape that hung from her shoulders.

She turned, her fiery ruby eyes falling upon him like twin suns rising.

She had never looked more frightening.

Yrty's knees weakened, forcing him to try and cover up his fear by kneeling before his Empress.

But Denebians could smell fear.

"That was a short mission," Phaedra noted, turning back to the books. She still watched the general through the corner of her eye.

"My team collected data on the Humans in the designated territory," he reported with a façade of calm, "The area in which we were sent is a city called Langstrum Alps, one major city in the country designated the United States. We were able to infiltrate a library within the community, with an archaic form of computer system. We downloaded information from a digital encyclopedia, to give a compendium of knowledge of the Humans. This information, in conjunction with the Ohana'Kree Scrolls, should prove sufficient for you to devise the perfect strategy."

The report given, Yrty laid three wrist computers onto the floor as an offering to his empress. "Everything we have collected is stored in these computers."

Phaedra was silent for a moment, as she pulled a raggedy volume from the shelf with her claw-like fingernail. "And what is it you haven't told me yet?" she inquired casually, flipping through the tattered pages.

She duly noted the droplet of sweat that slid down the side of her general's forehead.

"Kirik is dead," he whispered finally.

Phaedra didn't show the slightest reaction to the surprising news. Instead, she continued to move through the book. "How?"

Yrty swallowed. "We are not certain, but when he failed to respond to communique, I returned to the last place I had seen him. He was dead... his torso nearly torn apart by a weapon of some sort."

Phaedra sighed with slight impatience. "...and?"

"There were traces of... white magic in the chamber," Yrty breathed.

Phaedra then froze, her eyebrow arching at that small detail. She whirled around, fixing her high-ranking officer with a blood-curdling glare.

"Spectra," she spat, throwing the book she was casually flipping through to the floor. She grabbed the skirts of her ornate gown, and marched furiously to her throne, her heels clapping against the cold marble viciously.

Yrty nearly trembled at the fuming anger of his sovereign. The Denebian monarchy was universally known for their short tempers... and he wouldn't grant his present circumstances to his worst enemy.

No one should have to bear the brunt of Phaedra's fury by delivering bad news.

"There is... no evidence the traitor we are dealing with is Spectra," Yrty pointed out in a desperate attempt to be the voice of reason.

"It is Spectra," Phaedra growled quietly, resting her chin atop her hands as she leaned into her throne, "It is always Spectra. My nemesis... following me through the cosmos, standing in my way!"

She cradled her face within one hand, and tapped her other hand against the armrest. "How did she beat me to Earth? How is it possible...?"

Her eyes widened. "What if she has prepared for my arrival?!"

Her almost paranoid glare then returned to Yrty, who trembled at her attention. "How could she have slipped onto Earth without our knowing it?!"

"I... I do not know..." Yrty gasped, lying his face on the floor humbly.

Phaedra's eyes glowed as her rage built. "You are useless," she spat indignantly, "Now that Spectra has killed one of my soldiers, she has his scanner too! She knows exactly what we were searching for."

Yrty trembled as Phaedra rose to her feet, glaring down at him like storm clouds in the heavens.

"Incompetence will not be permitted," she decreed icily, raising her hand.

"Mercy!" he begged, his forehead to the ground, "It isn't my fault!"

"A worthy general should have been able to keep better track of his officers," Phaedra growled, wisps of black lightning building at her hands. The energy stretched out, and caught the general in their web of power. "Now, she has eliminated one of my warriors, as well as collected whatever information he had on him, while we have nothing

on her!"

Her blood eyes narrowed. "Sentence is death."

Yrty howled as the energy built around his body, singing both skin and armor in a torturously slow manner. After a solid five minutes of excruciating pain, Yrty's howls ceased as his body disintegrated.

Phaedra exhaled sharply, her passionate fury appeased by the violent act.

"No, little Spectra... you won't stop me now," she whispered with an eerie calm, "Earth is mine. And I know just how to draw you out."

Chapter Thirteen

"Once the hearts of your team are united, then the instruction can begin."

What the hell is that supposed to mean?

Rachel groaned quietly, burying her face in her pillow. She felt so foolish she couldn't get a wink of sleep.

It was so hard to get her friends to finally put an ounce of trust in her wild story of alien encounters. Finally, after putting faith in her, and expecting some magnificent show of power from their new rings... nothing happened.

She had wanted to just melt into the chair she was sitting on.

I should've asked her what she meant,

Rachel lamented in silence, turning again to stare at the ceiling, I don't understand. We're united! We're ready! But now... I'm sure everyone's convinced that I'm insane. I give them rings with extraordinary power, and they don't work!

Rachel groaned again, sitting up in her bed. Her weary, bloodshot eyes turned to the window, whose curtains remained parted to allow the steady lights of the city to dimly illuminate her darkened room.

She slid out from under her sheets, and walked to the window. Leaning against the windowsill, she stared out into the city, which still buzzed with some activity despite the late hour.

"So where's this big threat?" she wondered aloud, combing back her dark waves with her fingers.

Suddenly, she became aware of a faint purple light emanating from somewhere in her room. She froze, her hands falling to her sides.

The light followed.

She blinked in astonishment, her gaze slowly inching towards her right hand.

The ring glowed steadily, the light increasing in brightness.

Her lips trembled. What did this mean?

Just then, a faint tremor jostled Rachel's balance. Her eyes widened as she crept back to her bed to sit down.

"Just another California quake," she decided. Her gaze then fell again to her finger.

Or was it?

The small tremor was followed by a larger one, shaking the room vigorously. Rachel yelped as a vase fell from her dresser, shattering on the floor.

She jumped when a shriek reached her ear.

"Tammy?" she whispered, hurrying out of her room. In the common room, she met Jocelyn, whose eyes were