Blood Finale (God Wars #5) (23 page)

"Kay's sleeping," Kevis appeared beside me and put an arm around my shoulders.

"Thank you," Ashe muttered absently, still staring at the screen.

"These aren't the ones from Ooblerik," Charles said.

"What?" Lissa grasped his arm. She was still brushing away tears. I held out a hand to her; she came and hugged me. I gave her as much
Love
as I could. I'd have to take care of Kay later—when she woke.

"These are from Yalles—the General destroyed the entire planet."

Chapter 13
 

Breanne's Journal

"What can we do?" I asked. We sat inside Lissa's private study and pondered the situation over a cup of tea. Most of the others were in her library, likely doing the same thing.

"At least Song and Serenade are dead—Tybus and Aurelius decapitated them," Lissa sighed. "We promised Kay, so we didn't separate particles. We needed bodies."

"She'll really be upset about the children," Kevis said. He sat next to me, my hand firmly held by his, as if he were afraid I'd disappear again.

"I'll try to fix that," I said. "When she wakes."

"Take it easy, baby," Kevis whispered. "You're not responsible for fixing everything."

"I can't fix anything right now," I pointed out. "I'm too weak and that's a real pain in the ass."

"Kay really changed Saxom and Moxas' lines? The Sirenali, too?" Lissa asked.

"Yeah."

"Kiarra is hoping that worked. Do you know if Kay got rid of that obsession they had for Kee?"

"That was part of the plan. I hope it worked, too."

"I feel like crap," Lissa muttered, rubbing her forehead.

"I hear you," I said.

"Lissa?" Karzac walked in.

"Honey, what's up?" Lissa blinked wearily at her physician mate.

"I think you need sleep. It's three hours before dawn, love."

"Karzac," Lissa muttered while hunching her shoulders.

"Come. I'll take you. Leave Kevis to talk with your sister."

"Karzac, do you think he'll do this from now on—destroy a world whenever we have any sort of victory?" Lissa mumbled as Karzac steered her through the door.

"A valid question," I sighed, covering my eyes with a hand that wasn't completely steady at the moment.

"Come," Kevis repeated his father's words, only he folded me away instead of walking with me through the doorway.

* * *

Ashe's Journal

"You think Quislus found a way to booby-trap the Sirenali?" I asked.

"It makes sense," Charles said. "It was a relatively new development, don't you think? Terry Johnston's office exploded when he separated a Sirenali's particles. That was the first incidence. Now it happens again to Desh's. Notice that only the building around the Sirenali explodes—not the entire planet. The General chose a seemingly innocuous target after that to destroy."

"That's fascinating," Hank said. He and Kifirin had joined us in a corner of Lissa's library, so we could have drinks and discuss recent events.

"We're here," Trajan arrived with Bill, Jayson, Opal and Fes.

"I think you went the better way," Charles nodded to Bill. "Changing lines instead of separating particles. The longer the enemy doesn't know they've been affected, the better off everybody is."

"That was Breanne's idea," Bill pulled out a chair and sat. The others followed suit—we were all tired, we just hadn't gotten the night's events out of our systems yet.

"Then we need to give Breanne a big kiss," Charles said. "When she's awake. Kevis is quite handy with a healing sleep."

"So it doesn't register if a rogue god dies—only the Sirenali?" Opal asked.

"That's what it looks like," I nodded to her. "Charles believes Quislus set up some sort of alarm within the Sirenali. If they die, the building around them explodes."

"Hell of a theory," Jayson muttered. "How did he manage to accomplish that?"

"By subverting cells," Kifirin growled. "Placing microscopic explosives inside those cells—sufficient to destroy a building, but a Sirenali isn't big enough to carry enough explosives to destroy anything larger, such as a planet."

"Holy shit," Bill whistled. "That takes a devious mind."

"Quislus has that, most certainly," Hank said. "It is likely that he holds a separate key to setting off those explosives, in case the Sirenali displeased him for any reason or becomes too demanding."

"Or if he discovers one is close to any of us, perhaps?" Bill asked.

"Also possible," Charles agreed. "He should know that it won't penetrate a good shield, however."

"So he can only catch us off guard."

"It's moot, we know of his game, now," Kifirin blew smoke.

"True. So Sirenali can only blow up buildings and any people inside them, if they die."

"Have we explored the notion that it may only occur if the Sirenali's particles are separated?" Renegar and Pheligar folded in to join our conversation.

"Another theory to test," I sighed. "Kay's asleep or I'd ask her if she saw anything unusual in the Sirenali's lines that she altered."

"You know Calhoun and a few others will be pissed if they learn we fucked with Saxom and Moxas," Trajan pointed out.

"I don't care how pissed he is. I'll take him on," Opal muttered.

"There's something you should know about Calhoun," Charles said. "Bree knows. The rest of you may not. He's important to maintain the integrity of the timeline. Don't kill him unless it's your life or his."

"Fuck," Jayson mumbled.

"Is there anything we can do in the meantime?" Opal asked. "How many died on Yalles?"

"Three hundred million, but who's counting?" I said. Just the sound of it depressed me. And then the General had the temerity to spell out his message in dead children. I wanted him gone. He was an evil and deserved to be destroyed.

"Kooper, Lendill and Trevor are taking care of the situation on Tulgalan," Charles said. "As much as they can. Obviously, they can't announce on the vids that rogue gods are attempting a takeover. That would result in even greater panic. As of now, people are speculating that Ranos technology was used in Yalles' destruction, but what they can't determine is the reason, or the intent behind the message."

"We have the first of those arena rentals in two days," Bill said. "We still have no idea what that's about."

"Where are we with the power version of nexus echo?" Charles lifted an eyebrow at Renegar.

"It has been successfully tested," Ren replied. "The net is ready to implement."

"Great. Do it immediately," Charles said. "Ask them to form High Demon squads, no more than thirty to a squad, and have them ready to go if there's a hit."

"I will carry that message," Pheligar said and disappeared.

"Good. At least something's going right," Charles huffed.

* * *

Breanne's Journal

"Hey." Kevis brushed hair off my forehead with gentle fingers.

"Huh?" My eyes work first. Doesn't mean my brain is connected. Not after a sound sleep, anyway.

"I love you," Kevis leaned in to kiss me.

"Where are we?"

"At EastStar. Mom, Aunt Devin, Dad and Lissa are here, too."

"Why here?"

"Because it's shielded against the General," Kevis grinned. "I don't want you worrying about getting blown up while we're fooling around."

"You know, that hadn't occurred to me until you said it just now. I'll worry about it from now on," I said.

"Stop." He kissed me again.

"Are we fooling around now?"

"I'm getting to that. First, I have to undress you."

"Okay."

"Then, I get to kiss whatever I want."

"Okay."

"Then, well, hopefully you'll be asking for it by that time."

"I'm asking for it now."

"Seriously?"

"You're not undressing me yet."

"Where did this forwardness come from?"

"Fes taught me a few things."

"Remind me to buy Fes an expensive bottle of wine."

"Are you kissing me yet?"

"I'll get there."

He did.

* * *

Adam's Journal

"How will we know if it worked?" Kiarra paced inside the kitchen at EastStar.

"We have to wait—the same as we were doing before. I'm cautiously hopeful," I said.

"I never want his hands on me again," she shuddered.

"I'll kill him again," I growled.

"Mom, stop fretting," Franklin walked in, closely followed by Shane and Trace. "This isn't good for you or anybody else."

"I know, honey. Where's your father?"

"He's talking with Pheligar, Graegar and Garegar. They said they'd be here shortly."

"Did anything else happen while I was asleep?" she asked.

"Not that I know of, and we've been checking the vids regularly. No new information, just rehashes of the old."

"At least nobody else is dead."

"Sweetheart, slow down," I said. She was back to pacing.

"I want my hands around his throat," she muttered. "Or a sword in my hand that will kill him."

"I assume you're talking about the General now?" I asked.

"Yes. Saxom I leave to you. I want the other bastard. The one responsible for bringing Saxom back."

"My darling, are you discussing someone's demise again?" Merrill appeared, accompanied by four generations of Larentii—Pheligar, Renegar, Graegar and Garegar.

"You know it," Kiarra huffed.

"My love, stop with this incessant pacing." Pheligar lifted Kiarra and soothed her gently.

"Honey, I really love you, but you ought to put me down. I have a snit going and I don't want to be interrupted."

"A snit? My love, a snit only agitates you, and then passes like a virus to the rest of us. I prefer snit-free mornings. They go much better with my sunlight consumption."

"Mom, let's have breakfast and table this for now, pun intended," Franklin suggested. "Then you can snit again if you want. Shane and I will cook."

"No snits," Shane declared. "I don't like it when somebody snits where they eat, more pun intended."

"What in the name of the Dark Realm is going on?" Kevis arrived, pulling Breanne after him. I wanted to laugh—she didn't look very willing to interrupt our morning.

"Snits and breakfast," Pheligar offered a long-suffering sigh and set Kiarra down.

* * *

Breanne's Journal

It looked as if we'd interrupted a family discussion. I wasn't comfortable with that.

"Hello, Love," Graegar stepped toward me and gathered me up. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine." I leaned in to kiss him. He offered me a dazzling smile afterward. "I've missed you."

"And I you. Conner wishes to see you soon."

"Then I'll visit."

"I'll take you."

"Okay."

"Breakfast first," Franklin announced, pulling pans from a cabinet and setting to work.

We had breakfast. Franklin cooked a vegetarian version of an egg and biscuit casserole. The dish was outstanding, so I gave him a hug for it. Lissa came in while we were eating, herded by Karzac. She sat beside me and had ham with her biscuit and egg casserole.

"What are your plans for today?" she asked.

"Seems I'm expected at Conner's," I said. "Graegar is taking me."

"Can I go?" Lissa turned to blink at Graegar, who sat on my other side, watching me eat.

"Of course. Kiarra may come as well, if she wants."

"I do." Kiarra nodded.

"Barrigar?" Graegar spoke to empty air. His protector appeared quickly.

"Hello, my love," Barrigar leaned in to kiss me.

"Have you had breakfast?" I asked him. Honestly, Barrigar was amazing. I thought that about him and Graegar, actually. Kal still had a way to go, in my opinion.

"I have collected a sufficient amount of sunlight," he smiled and kissed me again.

"You smell like sunlight," I said. "That's wonderful."

"We will take you to Conner, when you are finished eating," he said.

"That's great, hon. I'll be done in a minute."

* * *

"We just ate," I waved off an offer of tea or coffee from Conner when we arrived in England later. This was England present and not past, although Conner's manor had been placed in stasis and looked exactly as it had centuries earlier.

"Hello, ladies." Lynx wandered in dressed only in pants, a cup of tea in his hands.

"You just wanted to show off, didn't you?" Conner pointed a finger at him.

"Caught in the act," he laughed and pointed his cup to her. "I wanted to get more tea." He rummaged in a cabinet while all of us watched shamelessly.

"Now, down to business," Conner said when Lynx walked out of the kitchen. "I have this."

"What?" Kiarra asked. Conner didn't seem to have anything.

"Me." Someone I didn't know walked in. Yes, I read her—and almost recoiled. She was Sirenali. Not only was she Sirenali, she was V'ili's sister. His older sister—V'era. She was supposed to be dead—V'ili killed her long ago, so he'd be first in line for the Sirenali throne.