by John Corwin
Ivy solved the problem by sliding off the bench and stretching. "Let's go on a walk, Conrad." She turned to Linda. "Thanks so much for breakfast. It was wonderful."
"Come by for supper." Roger jabbed a thumb toward a grill shaped like a green egg. "We're smoking a pig."
Ivy's eyes brightened. "Sounds great!" She took my hand and marched down the gravel road.
I tried to keep up, but my exhausted limbs were having none of it. "Could you slow down, please?"
She grimaced. "Oh, sorry. I forgot how tired you are from all the fighting last night." Ivy walked past the end of the road and sat beneath a tree where the hill sloped down into a valley of olive trees.
I sat next to her, my hands folded in my lap. "That was a nice breakfast."
"Yeah, they're nice people." Ivy leaned back against the tree. "Do you think the wandslingers will find us here?"
I groaned. "I hope not."
"I hate them so much." Ivy's hands curled into fists. "I can't wait until I can fight again." She tucked a lock of blond hair behind her ear and sighed, turned her big blue eyes on me. "I feel so helpless. I probably would've died or worse if you hadn't saved me from Delilah."
My mouth went dry and my tongue stopped working, so I just nodded.
"You're a fighter, Conrad." Ivy took my hand. "Those bounty hunters are way older and probably more experienced, but you beat their asses."
I didn't see it quite that way. "I survived."
Ivy laughed. "No, you're a hero." Then Ivy Slade, hero of the Overworld leaned over and kissed me.
Chapter 16
A tingle ran down my spine freezing me in place. This kiss was different than the peck on the lips in the van. This one felt real.
Ivy pulled away. "Did I do that right?"
I nodded, unable to speak again.
"I should know all about kissing and boyfriends by now, but I'm just a stupid kid thanks to Victus!" She sagged. "I'm supposed to be almost twenty by now. I mean, technically I am, but he got me when I was fourteen or fifteen." Her forehead pinched. "I can't even remember that for sure!"
"Maybe you know more than you think." I squeezed her hand. "When your memories come back, maybe you'll know as much as an adult."
She kissed me again. "I like you, Conrad."
"I like you too." My hand stroked her cheek. Ivy was so pretty, so soft. Something about her frightened and thrilled me all at the same time.
She pulled me closer and we kissed again. I closed my eyes. Felt her melt against me. Heard her soft sighs. But another face filled the darkness. I jerked back.
Ivy blinked. "Is something wrong?"
I cleared my throat. "I-I'm just tired, I guess."
She put her head against my chest. "I really liked kissing you."
"I liked it too." I got up. "Galfandor wanted to talk to me about something. I'm going to see what it is."
Ivy's eyes narrowed. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm great." I forced a smile. "I'll see you later, okay?"
Her lips twitched down. "Okay."
I felt bad about leaving her like this. Any sane male would have gladly kissed such a beautiful girl as much as she wanted. I turned and hurried back down the gravel road, hands stuffed in my pockets. I cut between two RVs and over to the road where our stolen van was parked. I was so confused. Ivy was pretty, but I didn't like her like Max did.
Nightliss was achingly beautiful, but far too old. I loved Ambria like a sister, but I'd seen her face when I kissed Ivy. Did I really feel something more?
Romance should be the last thing on my mind right now.
With the wandslingers on our tails, Victus plotting his Overworld domination, and mysterious forces looking to compress the realms back into one, death could come at any moment. If we didn't focus all our efforts on survival and stopping Victus, we'd be too dead for kissing.
Concentrate on what's important.
I looked around at all the happy campers frolicking the late morning sun. Kids played. Adults relaxed and drank. Dogs chased balls and happily returned them to their owners for another toss. I let my worries fade away and just watched. Ivy was right. Moments like this were worth fighting for—worth dying for.
I walked back to the van and saw a lone figure crouched against a tree behind Geron's RV. I knew it was Ambria from her long brown hair and slender figure. Her head leaned on bent knees. She looked so tired and defeated, I want to run over and hug her. But I stopped myself. I'd deal with personal issues later.
Galfandor and Geron sat in the chairs once occupied by the illusionary family members, a half-empty bottle of amber liquid on the table in front of them. I drew up a chair and sat opposite of them.
"I want to know more about this secret order of yours." I was surprised at the steel in my voice, but happy I didn't sound like an impertinent child. "What's it called?"
Galfandor and Geron exchange surprised glances, but Geron nodded. "I suppose you deserve to know after all this time."
"We call ourselves the Night Watch," Galfandor said. "After the way Victus subverted the Arcane Council the first time, we wanted to be ready in case anyone ever tried it again."
"Except Victus did it again." Geron chuckled wryly. "He's a roach. Hard to kill, and can slip through the cracks without you knowing."
"Yes, the infernus are pure genius." Galfandor stroked his beard. "Never would have thought infusing soul fragments with demon flesh could produce replicas of people, but here we are, faced with an Overworld government full of impostors."
"What if I'd turned out like my father?" I asked.
Geron dragged a finger along his throat. "Sorry, lad, but we were ready to nip that in bud."
I tried not to shudder and failed. "It took over two years to decide I wasn't a threat?"
"I proposed changing your status after your first year at the university," Galfandor said.
"The rest of us wouldn't hear of it." Geron offered an apologetic shrug. "Unfortunately, while we were so watchful of you, your resurrected father executed a masterful plan of deceit utilizing Xander Tiberius as his puppet. Now the council is divided among impostors and his willing supporters. The few remaining opponents of Xander are in hiding under our protection."
"How many of you are there?" I asked.
"We have thirty agents in all." Geron poured himself another finger of whiskey. "It may not sound like much, but they're all first-rate Arcanes, well-versed in espionage and covert operations."
"But earlier you said the time for stealth was over." I let that statement linger a moment. "You have no idea how many operatives Victus has working for him. If you come out of the shadows now, you'll be targets."
Geron pursed his lips and looked at Galfandor. "Sounds familiar."
Galfandor raised an eyebrow. "Like I said, going for Xander's jugular is a foolish move without knowing the extent of the corruption. Getting rid of him and his cronies won't accomplish a permanent resolution."
Geron smacked the back of his hand into the other palm. "We know the main players are Xander, Grint, and Quiff. We can easily assassinate them and the infernus on the council before anyone is the wiser. This leaves Victus open and vulnerable."
"It will reveal the Night Watch." Galfandor set down his drink. "Victus will simply use his other operatives to rebuild the council."
"No, he'll come out of hiding and take power himself," Geron said. "And that will leave him wide open for the killing blow."
"You're wrong." My words drew their eyes back to me. "Victus wanted to own the Overworld, so what did he do? He manufactured the Crystoid Incident and tricked the entire Overworld army into going to Seraphina so he could trap them there. As insurance, he sent Aerianas to take over Seraphina with infernus to destroy Justin Slade's army so one day he could rule both Eden and Seraphina." I leaned toward them. "Does that really sound like the sort of man who leaves himself open for the killing blow?"
"Well…" Geron frowned. "Perhaps not."
I pushed on. "Do you reall
y think Victus doesn't have a contingency plan in place if his people are killed?" I didn't give him a chance to respond. "Do you think his people are unprotected? He had Seraphim prisoners. For all we knew, he made demon clones of them and has them in reserve."
"Doubtful." Geron took a sip of whiskey and shook his head. "If he had successfully made clones of Seraphim, he would have already taken power by brute force."
"That's not how he works," I said. "Like you said, the man is a cockroach. He'll infest your walls before he comes out to invade. Even if he doesn't have Seraphim, he's building a monster army in the Dark Forest. How do you propose we beat that?"
"Is he pulling frogres out of the forest to fight?" Geron snorted derisively. "We'd destroy them before they even got close to us."
"But what if that's just the tip of the iceberg?" I hated playing devil's advocate, but I'd lost to Victus too many times to underestimate him. "Victus layers plots within plots."
"Conrad is right," Galfandor said. "Killing Xander and two minor cronies will do nothing to draw out Victus."
"There's another way." I settled back into the chair.
Geron's eyebrows rose. "I'm listening."
"When my father's soul shard was still inside me, I had flashbacks and dreams from his perspective. If I concentrate, I can still bring back memories up until the time the shard left me." My chest tightened at the terrible visions still trapped in my head. "One thing he said more than once is that a baited trap is the best way to reveal your enemies even if it doesn't catch them."
"Traps within traps," Galfandor said.
I nodded. "Xander is an obvious target. He's bait to make Victus's enemies reveal themselves, because you can't kill enemies who are hidden."
"And you know all this from Victus's soul shard?" Geron asked.
I shivered. "I know more than I want to know."
"It's why Conrad is so powerful for someone his age," Galfandor said. "He had the memories of his parents sharing the same headspace with him."
Geron nodded. "And he's the progeny of Ezzek Moore. I've no doubt he'll be as powerful as Delectra someday."
"Even more powerful." Galfandor offered me a faint smile. "Don't let it go to your head, son."
Geron's lips flattened into a line. "What do you suggest we do, young man?"
"I think you should make a go at Xander," I said.
Geron frowned. "But you just said—"
"Yes, I said trying to take out Xander would trigger a response." I let him stew over it for a moment. "Your assassination attempt would bait Victus's response plan."
Geron clapped his hands together. "So we trip Victus's trap to lure his people into a trap of our own."
"It's the only way to outmaneuver him." I shrugged. "The only way to stop Victus is to take out his support structure. Xander and his puppets on the council aren't our primary targets. We need to reveal all the hidden cogs in his machine so we know what we're dealing with."
Galfandor nodded. "The hidden roots of corruption spread deep and wide."
"I'll talk it over with the others," Geron said, "but I think it's a rather sound plan."
"As do I." Galfandor took a sip of his whiskey. "It will not be easy to pull off, but the payoff could be excellent."
"We'll need to leave for Paris in the morning," Geron said. "I'll leave the RV here for your companions to use as a safe house."
I turned to Galfandor. "You're leaving us?"
"I must, Conrad." Galfandor put his glass on the table. "We've called the other members of the Night Watch for a meeting. Naturally, we will also try to convince them to use your plan."
It seemed to me their secret group might be the best chance at holding off Victus until Ivy and Nightliss were back to full strength. "May I go as well?"
The pair looked at each other in silence for a moment. Geron turned back to me and nodded. "Yes, that might actually be a good idea. I think it might raise morale to see the son of the Overlord leading the battle against his own father."
"You're not going to Paris without me." Max folded his arms and glared at me after I told him and the others.
"I'm coming too." Ivy latched onto my arm and kissed my cheek. "I may not have magic, but I can still kick ass."
I shifted uneasily, trying to slip my arm free, but Ivy didn't seem to notice.
Ambria looked down and shook her head slowly. "I won't let you go without me either." Her voice was soft and sad.
"I'm afraid Conrad is the only one allowed to go," Galfandor said. "We cannot simply bring the entire group with us to a secret meeting."
"Why?" Ivy jutted out her chin. "You don't trust us?"
"Either Conrad goes alone with us, or he chooses to remain behind." Galfandor held out his hands helplessly. "That is the way it must be."
All attention shifted toward me. I knew Max and Ambria would want to come, and I wished they could, but Geron and Galfandor had made it clear I had to go alone. I held up my hands. "I wish you all could come, but you can't. This is important, so I'm going alone."
"What if the wandslingers find us while you're gone?" Max said. "What if we have to run again?"
I tapped my arcphone. "Then just call me."
"Percival has the keys to the RV," Geron said. "I also took great pains to ward a three-hundred-yard radius around this area."
Ambria turned her big eyes on me. "Will you come straight back after Paris?"
"Yes." I wanted to reach out and take her hands, let her know I'd be okay, but Ivy held my arm hostage and it would look odd. "I think it's important to meet with the Night Watch. Because a part of Victus lived inside my head for so long, I know him better than anyone."
Max grunted. "You're probably right, but that doesn't mean I have to like it."
"It's not like we can do anything else," Percival said. "I've started preparing the ingredients for the memory potion, but it will take me the better part of the week to finish."
"I think Conrad will be safe." Nightliss took my hand from Ivy and pressed hers over and beneath it. "You are strong and resourceful and a leader."
Her touch made me tingle and gave my heart wings. I shivered and grinned like a fool. "Thank you."
Asha nodded. "You're not a kid anymore, Conrad. I'm proud of you."
"Agreed," Granddad Stan said.
"Sure looks like a kid." Natalia stuck out her tongue at me.
While their compliments filled me with warmth, I just couldn't see what they saw. I'm just a kid. Victus could kill me in an instant. Those wandslingers nearly killed me. If not for my mother's intense magical defense classes and Kanaan's magitsu training, I probably would have died already.
Ignoring the conversations around me, I looked at Max and Ambria. If not for them, I would have died two years ago after the late Rufus Cumberbatch captured me and released the demon that bound my soul to those of my parents.
Despite Galfandor's assurances that the Night Watch had decided I was mostly harmless, I still didn't entirely trust them. I had doubts they'd listen to the advice of a teenager or heed my warnings about Victus. As with anything else, I had to plan for the worst-case scenario. The two people I trusted the most were my best friends.
I met Max's eyes and nodded slightly toward the door. Ambria's gaze was harder to capture since she sat down and stared at the floor. Max nudged her. She blinked as if coming out of a dream, looked up at him and nodded.
I stretched and casually walked toward the door while Galfandor spoke with the others. Once outside, I slipped around to the other side of the cargo van. Max and Ambria met me there a moment later.
Max rubbed his hands together. "What is it, Conrad?"
I folded my arms. "I'm not going alone with Geron and Galfandor."
"You mean—"
I nodded. "You two are coming with me."
Chapter 17
Ambria perked up. "But how?"
I peered around the van and pointed to Geron's compact SUV. "We're taking that to the train station. From there, we'll t
ake the high-speed rail to Paris."
"Are we supposed to hide in the back?" Max said.
I nodded. "I'll get money from Stan to buy your train tickets."
"Why don't you take Ivy instead of me?" Ambria said. "She's a lot stronger."
I took her hands. "Because you're my best friend and I trust you with my life."
She pulled her hands away. Nodded. "I'll go."
Max frowned at Ambria, but for a change, didn't say anything to start a fight. "I'm with you too."
"Great." I walked toward Geron's SUV. "Let's see where you can hide."
I tested the door handle and it clicked open. The inside was small, but the cargo area behind the back seats offered a little room to hide.
Max opened the back hatch and tried to curl up behind the seats. His longs legs folded until his knees touched his chin. "Both of us will never fit in here." He climbed out and let Ambria try.
She lay in the small depression and bent her knees ever so slightly. With a blanket over her, no one would even know she was there. Ambria sat up. "Will they have suitcases? How far is the drive to the train station?"
"I believe they'll have satchels, and the nearest high-speed rail station is twenty minutes away." I motioned to Max. "Can both of you try to fit?"
He shook his head. "I can't even fit in there by myself. They'll see me right away."
"Maybe you can follow on a flying carpet." I said.
Max looked at me like I was crazy. "With all these noms around? I'd have to walk pretty far away before I could fly, and then I'd have to get off and walk miles before I got to the train station."
I climbed in and curled up, but didn't fit any better than Max. "The back of the seat will hide you. I'll just make sure they don't come back here."
"Bad idea." Max put a hand on my shoulder. "If they find us, they'll send me and Ambria back. Ambria is the only one who can stay hidden. It's better you have her along than no one at all."
Ambria nodded somberly. "He's right, Conrad."
I hated the thought of leaving Max behind, but just having Ambria along to watch my back made me feel immeasurably better. "Fine. Let's make sure we can hide you."
