Blood Finale (God Wars #5) (27 page)

Trajan's Journal

Still nothing
, Jayson reported.
Terry and I have been waiting in a coffee shop nearby, and there's absolutely no activity
.

It's nearly sundown in Chicago
.
This bothers me
, I said.

Me, too. I feel itchy, but there's nothing to indicate a cause
.

We have to consider that they may be more devious than we think. They have plenty of power, after all, and who knows what the Tanners, the Sirenali, and Moxas and Saxom have brought to the table. Granted, Moxas has been taken out of the game—at least that is our hope, but there are others in the General's arsenal
.

Did Breanne read Moxas and Saxom, or could she see through their disguise without reading them?
Jayson asked.

Good question. I'll ask her. She hates reading people unless there's no other way.

Let me know what you find out.

Will do
.

* * *

Breanne's Journal

Bree, did you read Moxas, Saxom and the others at Fes' restaurant?
Trajan sent.

No. I can see through any disguise. I knew it was them and frankly, I really didn't want to see their plans for Kiarra.

What about the Sirenali?

She didn't know anything. I shut down her reading fast. I didn't try reading the rogue god. I could see in the Sirenali that he was a rogue.

Bree, I hate to ask this, but I think you ought to go back and try reading them. Can you be in the same place at the same time?

I can.

I think this is important,
Trajan said.
Would you mind going back?

I'll go back.

* * *

I chose an appropriate moment to bend time and mist into the restaurant. Saxom, Moxas and the others had just been seated and were giving their drink orders to the waiter.

Lowering my mental shields, I read them. And then I began to scream a warning to anyone listening.

* * *

Tory's Journal

The nexus echo net alarm sounded, but Dragon sent all of us at once. Twenty arenas on old Earth—at different times, were being hit. My blades were in my Thifilathi's hands the moment we hit the floor, and I barely had time to notice that the arena was filled past capacity with humans. What concerned me—and the High Demons around me—were the creatures pouring out of the gate at the center.

Were the humans hoping for a reenactment of those vids they'd seen on their archaic Internet? If they were, they were more than surprised to find they were the targets this time.

All the exits are blocked,
Sali shouted into my mind before turning into the largest werewolf I'd ever seen and snapping heads off rogue Ra'Ak.

"Get to work," I shouted at those around me. With blades flashing, thirty Thifilathi stalked forward, intent on destroying monsters. That's when the explosion came.

Ry, we need you
, I sent.
The roof is about to cave in
.

* * *

Stellan, Astralan, bring your brothers
, Ry sent a desperate message.
We need your help for Crane, Caylon, Drake and Drew. Dad and I have our hands full, helping Tory and Salidar. It'll take your power to hold up large roofs while they kill monsters spewing from temporary gates.

On our way,
Stellan replied
.

* * *

Lissa's Journal

"We were overwhelmed, but we did take many down." Dragon dropped his blades on the edge of my desk with a weary sigh. "We only lost twenty-six. That in itself can be counted a victory for us, although the enemy won the battle."

"Attacking twenty at once was something we weren't prepared for." I dropped my head into my hands. "We managed to save four cities out of twenty on Earth. Former Saa Thalarr attempted to help those attacked in both Alliances, but fifty venues were hit there at once. We were overwhelmed. There's no other way to describe it." I didn't mention that my son might have died had he not called for Ry and the Starr brothers—Ry and Erland held the huge arena together while Sali and Tory's High Demons killed monsters. The Starr brothers helped Crane, Caylon and my Falchani.

Ry also managed to get the doors open, too, allowing some of the humans to escape. I held little hope for their continued survival, however. They'd been marked by the enemy, and he likely didn't appreciate his targets slipping through his hands.

"Chicago, New York, Atlanta and Los Angeles survived—for now," Dragon agreed with a nod. "Phoenix has been taken over by spawn. Kansas City, Miami and thirteen others are overrun by spawn and monsters. Those cities are also on fire, thanks to the General's chimeras. We were thinking in a linear fashion. We won't make that mistake again."

"We got a little bit of warning from Breanne as to what was coming, we just didn't have enough ready to go," I said. "We need wizards and warlocks, too, looks like."

"They'll need the power of gods to get around the High Demon ability to nullify their power," Dragon pointed out.

"Take a look at this," Grant walked in with a comp-vid in his hand. "These are the feeds I'm getting through Trajan, who is still on Earth in the past with Bill, Jayson, Opal and several others."

Dragon and I watched as Ezekiel Tanner announced that he and his brother, Obediah, were leading the new world order of werewolves and other unsavory characters.

Then, as if that weren't enough, a video was shown of the U.S. President's office exploding, followed by the bombing of the White House. Then the Houses of Parliament and every other powerful government was taken down across the globe.

Grant's face paled as he watched with us, and I held a shaking hand at my mouth as I considered what this meant. People screamed while rogue werewolves led an army through the streets of major cities, gunning down any in their path.

"Pull all of ours away from old Earth," Charles arrived and sat heavily on a guest chair. "It's a lost cause."

* * *

Breanne's Journal

"Somehow, they chose the ones who kept watching those internet videos," I said. "If the same person watched it more than five times, they were targeted for an arena."

"There were plenty of those, then. The arenas were packed full."

"Zeke and Obediah are gloating. They think the planet is theirs," Bill muttered. "If you don't count Calhoun and the General, that's pretty much correct."

"Charles just pulled all of ours away from Earth. He declared it a lost cause," Ashe sat heavily beside me. We'd gathered at SouthStar to discuss what had happened—and our loss—to the General's forces.

"Fuck," I muttered, dropping my head onto the island with a small bump. "We may as well have walked away from it in the beginning. We lost twenty-six High Demons in those battles."

"Spawn have taken over sixty worlds, by the latest count," Trevor took a seat on my other side. "Love, I'd like to tell you not to fret, but I can't stop myself from doing it."

"Trevor," I sat up and held out my arms to him.

"Hush now, no tears," Trevor brushed moisture away from my face. "We'll figure something out. These things take time."

"Time just ran out for too many," Ashe mumbled. He rose and stalked angrily away. Trevor pulled me tighter against him as we watched Ashe leave.

* * *

Lissa's Journal

"The nexus echo net operated perfectly. Our preparations were flawed," Dragon admitted. "While we were prepared for four attacks, the enemy had prepared more than seventy."

"You're not counting the worlds taken by spawn," Kooper pointed out. "More than a hundred of those, now."

"I'm not ready to raise a white flag," I snapped.

"I'll die fighting before I bow to the General," Dragon huffed.

"That's probably what he's hoping for," Aurelius said. "To engage us in combat and destroy us. He's confident that he has sufficient power."

"It's done—all those who were currently alive and important to the future have been pulled away from old Earth, but the rest," Weldon announced. He, Wlodek and Winkler had arrived at SouthStar. "We put them with the others that Corent, Flossie and Amos are watching. Obviously, we didn't bring any of the bad ones forward. They will remain with the General."

"Do we need to bring the ones you saved to Avendor?" I asked.

"Charles says no. He says they're fine where they are, but they are getting a bit testy. I suggested separate quarters. I think they enjoy arguing with each other, so we left things alone."

"It's mostly vampires," Winkler pointed out. "A few wolves. Shapeshifters. A handful of humans."

"Are they well-supplied?"

"Yes. Conner is seeing to that, with Larentii assistance."

"Good."

"Corent seems to be an effective peacemaker," Wlodek said. "If the arguments get too heated, he places a sound shield around the verbal combatants. Nobody hears them until they cool down again. If it looks as if it might come to blows, Amos Thompson builds a power shield around them. Nobody sees or hears them until they calm down. It appears to be quite effective."

"Too bad we can't do that for a lot of folks," I sighed. "We need another meeting. I just don't want to have it right away. Ask everybody to bring their best ideas in two days. Maybe I'll be better prepared by then. Right now, I have nothing."

* * *

"This has been tampered with." Calhoun shoved the Sirenali to her knees before the General. "I asked her to place obsession. She attempted it. It failed to work. Somehow, that ability has been removed."

"When did this happen?" the General demanded. Calhoun wanted to back away from the immediate anger. He couldn't.

"I do not know. I never felt an increase of foreign power while she was with me, and she has been with me continuously."

"Give me all your locations—when you have been among others," the General snapped. Calhoun opened his mind and prepared himself for the mental rape.

* * *

"Brother, I have been rendered blind," Moxas whispered.

"What?" Saxom's concern was immediate. "You cannot see?"

"I see in the physical sense, but my visions do not come. I can no longer command even the simplest thing to appear in my mind."

"How?"

"I never felt it," Moxas wailed. "I do not know."

"We are in danger," Saxom muttered. "Come. I will employ what I have to keep us safe."

"What?"

"I still have my vampire abilities, although Calhoun made it so I might walk in daylight and eat normally. Those filthy Saa Thalarr think only they might do that. Calhoun can accomplish it as well."

"Calhoun will kill us if he discovers I am no longer of use to him."

"I'm attempting to prevent that, brother. Let's leave before we are discovered."

* * *

Charles's Journal

"Just stack them. Have you never seen the catacombs in Paris?"

"I will stack them, although I bemoan the fact that we cannot properly catalog them first," Nefrigar sighed. "How many are there?"

"I brought two thousand, this time. As you see, I've been busy."

"I see you have been quite busy. Has the General not noticed their absence?"

"He hasn't missed these—yet. That may be about to change."

"I shudder at what he may do when he learns of their demise."

"As do I. Things will go as they will, Archivist. Keep your faith and remain strong."

"That may become difficult in the coming days."

"I know."

* * *

"Quislus, I am incensed. Call the Hidden. It is time they obey my commands. One of mine has been altered by the enemy. I wish to make retribution."

"As you command, General," Quislus bowed and sent out a message.

* * *

Breanne's Journal

"Ildevar?" He'd surprised me by knocking on my bedroom door. He stood in my doorway, smiling.

"I can kiss you now," he said. "Without worry that I might damage you."

"How about eating real food—at least something cooked," I said.

"I can also do that. I've developed a taste for rare steaks. I can still change to my other form, and continue to consume ah, criminals," he added.

"Not a problem."

"I hoped you wouldn't mind. Might you join me for a walk through the groves?"

"I might."

He offered his arm.

I took it.

* * *

Ashe's Journal

"I've never seen you drink," I said.

Charles sat beside me, tossing back expensive bourbon.