Halo: Ghosts Of Onyx Novels & Stories

Her body hadn’t stopped shaking, her skin clammy with sweat, and her breaths shallow as if she were trapped somewhere deep inside a nightmare. Then I noticed it. A soft glow began to rise from her chest, subtle at first, then brighter, warmer. My brows furrowed as the source revealed itself: the pendant she always wore. It floated, weightless, just above her skin. The light it cast was golden, pulsing like it had a heartbeat of its own. I blinked, unable to look away. Was this... magic? A relic? Something ancient? My heart pounded as questions raced through my head. Who exactly are you, Lyra?

“It’s a city.” Raven’s hands trembled as he scanned signals on his wristpad. “More than that. This is where Orion’s Ghost multiplies. The shards—they’re feeding out from here, into every ocean cable.”

And from somewhere beneath her feet, the same voice whispered fractured now, multiplied, hundreds of layers deep: “Phase D – Initialization complete.” The ground trembled. The horizon bent. Clara staggered backward as the skyline itself rippled glass melting, towers bending inward as if drawn into some unseen vortex. The compass shattered in her hand. A single phrase scrolled across every screen, burning through the static: HOLLOW NETWORK ONLINE. Then everything sound, light, gravity folded into black.

Before he could recover, she planted her boot squarely on his chest, weight pressing down until his breath wheezed out. She looked up, meeting the eyes of every wolf in the circle. “Listen well,” she said, her voice steel wrapped in fire. “This pack does not serve ghosts. I stand here. I bleed here. I fight here. And if any of you think to test me again—” She pressed harder with her boot. Garron coughed, choking. “—then remember this moment before you step into the circle.” She released him, stepping back. Garron rolled to his side, humiliated but breathing.

Apollo recedes from the front line of our consciousness and allows me to claim back my human form. One of the guards senses me, he squints and rubs his tired eyes, straining to get a better view of me through the thickening mist. Then his jaw drops and he screams, “Arghhhh! Ghost! The ghost of Alpha Helios is here!” The second guard does a double take and quickly runs through the gates, sounding an alarm with a blaring horn. And all too soon, more guards pour out. Looks of apprehension, hope and fear fill their faces as they all stand in line.

No matter the cost. A hush descended over the room, a fleeting peace before the gathering storm. I embraced it, letting its tranquillity seep into the cracks of my being, fortifying the fragile barriers around my heart. Tonight, it seemed, the Luna of Death still had one battle left to fight, one that I could not lose.

He was losing in his own game. Silvia blinked rapidly trying to stay conscious. "Ah," A soft moan left her lips and her breath hitched, eyes going wide as saucers. Hunter paused, pulling back he looked into her eyes. Hazel dunes with specs of violet gazed into jade spheres with specs of gold swirling in them. The intensity of their smoldering gaze had them both consumed by the invisible aphrodisiac that flickered in the hot air that cocooned them. None of them broke eye contact. He licked his lips and her eyes dropped down to those full pink lips before meeting his gaze again.

All of us, Kalix and Shayla included, turned to see every one of Gideon’s warriors on their knees, fists clasped over their chests. They weren’t looking at Nox and me. No, they were looking at Shayla. “You—” Kalix rasped, “You’re Luna now.” Shayla blanched, her fingers curling into fists as she shook her head. “I don’t want to be Luna.” Her eyes snapped up to us, scouring our faces until they drifted over to Natasha. “What do I do?” The expression on the oracle’s face was nothing short of peaceful. “You already know.”

It can't be. *** The previous day, below the city's ground... The black haired girl skipped through the falling ceiling and dead bodies. She stopped just outside of storage. Her hair swung, revealing a golden eagle with red eyes on her leather jacket. "Where are the rest?" asked someone behind her. She turned around, revealing her green eyes and tanned skin. Her short frame doesn't make her afraid despite the blonde muscular guy standing in front of her. "They're coming," she answered. "Good. Do you have any information on Victor Clyde?"

Once he was no longer needed, Pete joined Melody in holding vigil at the window. They said nothing, but each was well aware of the difference in the behavior of a few of the spirits that wandered the charred earth. Not only were they looking more alert and becoming more animated, but they were starting to speak with each other. Pete was relieved to see that it was only a small portion of the spirits that were coming to life, but it was still enough to worry him. If bullets didn’t work on them, what were they supposed to use if those devils decided to attack? Harold’s vicious end would be embedded in his mind forever.