The Path to Loss (Approaching Infinity Book 4) by Chris Eisenlauer Read Free Book Online Page A

over Suunt’s giant corpse and engulfed every last one of Peshil’s group, blasting the meat from their bones almost instantaneously.
    A light shone in the pits of Jav’s hollow skull eyes, giving rise to the tell-tale, high-pitched whine that initiated his control of the dead. None of the charred skeletons fell. All stood straight as if suspended by invisible marionette strings. Their weapons, no matter what they had been, were restructured by the Kaiser Bones into uniform pole swords, weapons that were ninety centimeters blade and ninety centimeters hilt. The group of them shifted into a perfect column of ten across by eighty deep and proceeded up the road they’d come down, back up towards the castle.
    Suunts left no remains. Jav noted that it probably wasn’t because of having borne the brunt of Gran Mid’s fire, either.
    Jav turned to address Raus on Gran Pham and Icsain within Gran Lej. “You two stay here and ensure the Palace’s safety. Porta, you’re with them. Hilene and I will go on ahead to clear out Peshil’s residence.”
    Raus nodded. Gran Lej waved in response.
• • •
    Gran Mid slid steadily behind the group of blackened skeletons, themselves a single unit and serpent-like. As before, Hilene flew alongside Jav who stood atop Gran Mid’s head. As they climbed the road to the castle and their vantage improved the vast lava sea opened up below them to their left. Viscous glowing orange bubbles of molten rock popped with a slow but inevitable repetition and sent a fine mask of smoke into the air. Looming ahead was the castle itself. Its spindly black arms of porous volcanic rock made it seem frail, but as they neared, the sheer size of the castle dismissed this impression.
    “How did you know?” Hilene asked. “That Peshil was gone, I mean.”
    Jav shrugged. “Practicing AI makes me sensitive to spatial relationships. I felt him leave.”
    “General Holson, I have asked before, but still you have not answered me. Why will you not teach me Approaching Infinity theory?”
    “Not this again,” Jav said, sighing.
    “And why not?”
    “Hilene, I’ve seen you use the Spear Hand at practice and on the field. When you use it, your technique is excellent. You would make a very good sparring partner, in fact. But your martial prowess, while impressive, is moot. You can breach any barrier, bypass any armor, and kill effortlessly. There’s no need to teach you Approaching Infinity. Besides, it makes me feel a little safer to know that I have some defense against your otherwise indefensible power.”
    “Do you fear me then, General Holson?” She sounded hurt.
    “Hilene, you are the only thing I fear.”
    “You’re serious.” Her voice was low and breathy. It was right and appropriate for others to feel this way, but she would have to show Jav Holson that he had no need of any such concern.
    “Well, then,” she said, coming out of her reverie and brightening, “perhaps I could be your sparring partner.”
    Jav had the sense that there would be no escaping her. This both pleased and annoyed him. He liked her, and he couldn’t deny a sense of pride at being the focus of her attention when so many others received nothing but disdain. Though he hadn’t given up women after Mao Pardine had died forty-four years ago, he had never again allowed himself to form attachments. He felt like his well of affection had dried up and been steadily filled with something dead and rotten. “We’ll see,” he said.
• • •
    Once they’d reached the castle, Jav sent the skeleton troops into any and all openings accessible from the ground, ordering them to kill on sight. Jav hopped down from Gran Mid and, together with Hilene, entered the castle through the main gate—there was little in the way of defensive fortifications.
    The interior of the castle was a like a warren, with natural tunnels crisscrossing, opening into small chambers and vast halls. Jav and Hilene had taken their course alone,