Sinister Seraphim of Mine (Overworld Chronicles Book 8) (39 page)

"Go ahead."

Takei took out a pair of disillusionment spectacles and held them to his eyes. He stared for a long moment. "How, may I ask, are you able to change your face like that?"

"When you are as old as I am, you learn a few tricks." Jeremiah checked the time. "How long do we have for you to hear everything?"

"I have thirty minutes before I have to execute our marching orders."

"Then I shall be quick about it." Jeremiah took out his pipe and lit it with a tap from his wand. "It all started quite some time ago when a Seraphim named Alysea accidentally opened a gateway to Eden."

Jeremiah had grown practiced in condensing important information into short stories, so he finished his monologue with ten minutes to spare. It was obvious Captain Takei and his people had been kept in the dark about almost everything with regards to Daelissa's plans. The man had scant information about the Seraphim and even less about their abilities. Jeremiah even revealed his origins as Moses in the original battle against the Seraphim.

Captain Takei was a very practical and pragmatic man, and it was obvious his history with Jeremiah made him far more likely to trust his word. With the truth laid bare, he quickly reached a decision. "I always suspected Cyphanis might have had Jarrod Sager murdered. Sager wasn't much better, but at least he didn't go declaring himself king of the council." He stood, strapping on a belt with his compact staff and wand. "You realize you must reveal yourself as Ezzek Moore and take back control of the council, correct? Technically, you were never voted out of the leadership position, but everyone thought you were dead."

"It will not be so easy." Jeremiah shrugged. "Cyphanis will be toothless as a hillbilly if the Blue Cloaks defect to our side. I fear the Synod Templars and Exorcists will be much harder to convince."

Takei touched a hand to his chin in thought. "We can't just walk off the field. If we try, we'll have an army of mercenary battle mages, vampires, and Templars attacking us."

"What are your current marching orders?"

"We leave through an Obsidian Arch to an unknown location to engage enemy forces." Takei blew out an exasperated breath. "How are we supposed to prepare for a fight when we don't even know the geography or the enemy?"

"You are to march back to Thunder Rock and use the arch there?" Jeremiah asked.

Takei shook his head. "No, supposedly there's an arch in this facility. From what you told me about those cubes, they must have grown one here."

"Cunning," Jeremiah said. "This must have been Luna's doing."

"Her strategic brilliance makes all the sense in the world, knowing her father is Thomas Borathen." Takei grinned. "I had my doubts about the rumors of his treason as well. Truth be told, I didn't shed a tear when I heard the man had separated Artemis Coronus from his head."

"I wish I could plan your defection," Jeremiah said, "but there isn't enough time. I will leave the method in your capable hands."

"We will not fight another battle for them," Captain Takei said. "I will do what I must. In the meantime, I'll speak with my most trusted people and find out if there are any Cyphanis loyalists in the leadership so I can send them off on a random errand while we make good."

"I hope the other leaders can see the truth as readily as you." Jeremiah stood. "I must be getting on and making the rounds. I hope Arcane Heyward is with the Synod Arcanes here."

"He's a good man, but I don't know if he's stationed here." Takei held up a finger. "Speak with Lieutenant Olson of the Synod. He was a commander, but Bara Nagal demoted him for questioning Thomas Borathen's guilt and the war the Synod has waged on the supposed rebels."

Jeremiah remembered Commander Taylor's mention of the man, but his demotion might be a problem. "If possible, I suggest you go to La Casona. It's controlled by Commander Salazar. I can send a message and tell him to expect you, if you'd like."

The other man nodded. "I would appreciate it." Captain Takei took a piece of parchment and drew a simple map of the prison on it, placing a star on the opposite side of the facility. "The Synod camp is there."

"I'm not sure what a lieutenant can do for me," Jeremiah said.

"Olson has a very loyal following in the legion he formerly commanded. Other commanders still look to him for advice, almost as much as they used to look to Thomas Borathen." Takei slid into his blue cloak. "If you can convince him to defect, you may very well topple a critical domino." He headed for the tent flap and turned. "If you'll wait a few minutes, you should be able to slip out unnoticed." He chuckled. "Then again, you did just sneak through a supposedly impenetrable perimeter and right into my command tent. Very impressive. You'll have to teach me a few of your tricks sometime."

Jeremiah smiled. "If we outlive this conflict, I would look forward to that."

Captain Takei gave a brief bow, Japanese style, and left the tent. A short time later, trumpets sounded, and a call to assembly preceded a stampede of Blue Cloaks leaving the camp and heading to the large field in front of the prison. Jeremiah walked with the stragglers, using them as cover to get a good view of the surroundings and to close in on the Synod camp, which was in the same direction. He sent a message to the Templars at La Casona and told them not to attack should an army of Blue Cloaks appear on their doorstep.

The Blue Cloaks assembled in neat rows and headed for a large outbuilding Jeremiah hadn't seen before. Judging from the simple square shape and the cleanliness of the granite used in the construction, it was quite new and had been carved by Arcanes. He stayed in formation and went inside the large building.

An Obsidian Arch stretched from one side of the structure to the other, the top of its arch nearly touching the ceiling. Judging from the questioning looks the nearby soldiers gave each other, it was evident none of them had known this was here. An Exorcist stood at the control modulus. Captain Takei said a few words to the man. The Exorcist seemed ready to argue, but a sharp look from the captain stopped him cold.

One of the Blue Cloak lieutenants escorted the Exorcist outside the building. Jeremiah broke from formation and followed the two men as they disappeared around the edge of the massive structure. He peered around the corner and watched as the Blue Cloak zapped the Exorcist with a sleeper spell, and then concealed the slumbering form beneath a pile of tarps.

Takei will obviously be at La Casona sooner than I thought.

The Obsidian Arch hummed to life. Jeremiah ducked behind a chunk of granite that had gone unused in the building construction and let the Blue Cloak officer walk past him. The old Arcane waited a moment and then looked inside the arch building as the army of Blue Cloaks walked through the giant portal between the obsidian columns. Though most Obsidian Arch way stations looked alike, their destination was easy to determine. They had indeed gone to La Casona.

One army down. Many more to go.

Jeremiah looked to the east where the Synod camp waited and began the walk he hoped would lead to another key defection.

Chapter 35

Luna strode into the loading bay, her eyes on an arctablet while Elyssa and I lay in wait. Jenkins was doing his best to act interested in another of the null cubes we'd placed next to the first anomalous one he'd discovered.

"Here it is," Jenkins said, his voice betraying a slight tremor.

Luna's eyes snapped up and looked at him for a moment. "You look sick. Are you feeling well?"

"J—just stressed." He smiled, but it looked forced.

My nerves knotted.
Get her to inspect the cube before you pass out, Jenkins!

Elyssa and I knelt in front of the Darkling cube stacks with our camouflage on. We were only feet away from Luna and couldn't move at all, lest her ninja vision pick up on the distortion in the air. To make things worse, I really needed to scratch my butt.

"Take a break after you explain the anomaly," Luna said, taking her eyes from Jenkins and turning them to the cube.

Elyssa raised her arm and fired two Lancer darts. The only sound they made was a slight whisper as they flew through the air. That was apparently warning enough.

Luna stiffened for less than an instant before rolling to the side, a sword sliding free from the scabbard on her back. Elyssa dropped her camo and lowered her hood as she drew her sai swords and rushed to meet her sister.

"You!" Luna said, lips peeling back into a half-smile, half-snarl. "Didn't I defeat you soundly enough last time?" She swung her katana at Elyssa, but a sai sword blocked the swing easily.

Elyssa disengaged and backed away a step. "You are my sister, Phoebe."

Luna's eyes filled with rage. "Phoebe died the day I was betrayed. I am an orphan."

"Don't be so melodramatic," Elyssa said. "Our parents explained everything to me. They didn't intentionally send you and my brothers to their deaths. Thomas Borathen is a hard man, but he's not heartless."

"He is no longer my father, and you are not my sister." Luna slashed at Elyssa, who backed away again. Luna swung a flurry of strikes, but Elyssa blocked them all.

"Phoebe, listen to me! Don't let hate consume you." Elyssa blocked another thrust and locked swords with Luna's katana to bring them to a temporary stalemate.

Fury filled the other woman's eyes. She finally wrestled her sword free and lunged. The two figures blurred and sparks flew as they traded blows, though I could tell Elyssa was doing more blocking than attacking.

She's going to get herself killed.

Luna was acting as reasonably as a kid throwing a tantrum. We might be able to eventually penetrate her barrier of rage, but this was not the place or time.

The two women danced back and forth. Elyssa flipped backwards as Luna slashed at her legs. Elyssa dropped low and swept a leg toward her opponent. The other woman flipped toward Elyssa, sword a silver arc over her head. My girlfriend crossed her sai swords high at the last moment, blocking what would have been a fatal strike.

My heart leapt into my throat.

Elyssa rolled away and shot several darts at Luna. The other woman spun her sword and knocked the projectiles from the air. Again, the fighters blurred into action. I channeled a stream of aether, waiting for an instant I could end this, but they were moving too quickly for me to single out Luna.

"You have parents who love you," Elyssa said. "You have another brother named Michael."

"Shut up!" Luna practically frothed at the mouth. "No more lies!"

Elyssa continued to talk about their family, even going so far as to mention her dead brother, Jack. "My big brother, Michael, calls me Ninjette. You'd like him."

"Stop talking about them!" Luna shrieked and lashed forward.

Elyssa faltered as she stepped backward. Holding her katana with both hands, Luna swung it down as Elyssa fell.

"No!" I shouted. Before I could channel a shield, Elyssa recovered, dodged left, and landed a hard kick on Luna's backside, sending her straight at me.

I didn't waste the clear shot. Ultraviolet light lanced from each of my fingers, shackling Luna in a glowing web. Elyssa shot the woman in the neck with two darts. Her sister groaned, slumped, and fell silent, katana clattering to the floor.

Jenkins, standing a safe distance away, fell to his knees and dry heaved. "I feel like such a traitor."

I almost slapped him on the back, but decided he might spew if I did. "You did the right thing."

I released the binding spell and scooped Luna into my arms. With the peaceful look of sleep on her face, she looked so much like Elyssa, they could have been twins.

Elyssa grabbed the real anomaly cube and turned to Jenkins. "You should probably come back with us."

He cast an almost adoring look at Luna. "I'll come with her. She'll need a familiar face to wake up to, even if it's the face of a traitor."

"The reason you feel that way is because you're a good, loyal person." Elyssa's face softened. "You haven't betrayed my sister, you've saved her." She motioned toward the far back corner where the Darkling cubes hid the portals. "Let's go."

Other Templars had taken positions around the room in case reinforcements showed up during the confrontation with Luna. The minute they saw us with our quarry in my grasp, they resumed taking cubes through the portals.

"How did you open portals here?" Jenkins asked. "Maulin Kassus warded this facility against them."

"We have him in our custody," I said. "All his secrets are belong to us."

Templars formed a chain through the portal. They tossed cubes from one person to the next, making quick work of each stack. We stepped around them and went through the portal back to the mansion. The chain of Templars extended through the omniarch room and into the corridor leading to the Burrows, a network of tunnels and old dungeons beneath Arcane University. They'd already stacked dozens of cubes against the wall.

"Do you have any more deliveries from the Grand Nexus scheduled today?" I asked Jenkins.

He shook his head. "They just put a fresh batch of cubes in the aether pods, so I doubt anyone will go to the loading bay until tomorrow morning."

I looked around. "Let's put Luna—I mean Phoebe—in the gauntlet room until we can relocate her to the Templar compound." We headed into the corridor and took a left into the door leading to the large room.

I set the woman down on the floor. A moment later, a Templar with a diamond fiber restraint table came through the door. He set it down, saluted Elyssa, and left. Elyssa picked up her sister, placed her on the table, and strapped her into place with the diamond fiber straps. She pricked a finger and sealed the straps with her blood so only she could free the woman.

I shuddered as a wave of claustrophobia washed over me and memories of my imprisonment on such a table flashed before my eyes.

Thanks for scarring me for life, Maximus.

Elyssa stared at her sister, as if still unable to believe she really existed. I heard a throat clear and looked at the entry. Thomas and Leia Borathen stood there. My mother and Ivy were behind them. Elyssa's parents walked up to the table. Leia was as tough and battle-hardened as most Templars came, but she looked visibly shaken by the sight of her long-lost daughter.