by John Corwin
The analogy made her face scrunch with confusion, but she got the point. "You will tell me what to do while we wait."
"Fine." I looked up and to the right with just my eyes. "Shall we go look for a vantage point?"
Bliss backed up a step and jerked me off the wall. Her dagger poked me in the back. "I think I know where to go."
I sighed. "Okay, well you'd better give me directions if I'm supposed to lead."
"Go to the end of the alley and take a right," she said.
I followed those instructions and the ones after it until we reached a tower near the northwestern edge of town. The buildings here were dark, the streets mostly deserted. She charged a gem on the side, and a doorway appeared.
"This is where they housed many military families," Bliss said. "There is no one to see us and no one to save you if you try to escape." She looked back over her shoulder as she'd done many times during the walk here, presumably to make sure no alliance members were tailing us.
"You're a cocky little brat, you know that?" I stopped walking. "I'm not going another step until you apologize."
"Move!" She jammed the dagger against my back. It would have been enough to draw blood, but instead, it clinked against the shield I channeled against my skin moments before.
I blurred forward a few steps and spun to face her. "Do you really think you can best me, you little rat?"
She lunged with the dagger. I channeled a shield of Murk and slammed it hard against the weapon. Crystal shattered. Bliss shouted and fell backwards. I channeled a blade of sizzling white Brilliance with my right hand and slashed it toward her neck.
Bliss gasped and tried to back away, but she had nowhere to go.
I held the humming blade inches from her throat. "You're a pathetic shadow of the real Nightliss. A mean, inferior copy of a great sera."
Bliss's eyes went wide. "H-how did you know?"
"I know you're not here to help Victus." I leaned over her. "You're here to help Aerianas take control of the other golems here, aren't you?"
"How—"
"Answer the question!" I roared. "Answer it now before I end your miserable existence!"
"Yes!" she cried. "Aerianas is my creator. I am here to ensure her rule."
I heard a grinding noise and realized it was my teeth. I was so furious, I wanted to destroy this thing where it sat. I knelt in front of her, my light blade at the ready. "I knew Nightliss. She was one of my dearest friends. Your very existence offends me."
"Then kill me and be done with it," Bliss said, defiance rising in her voice. "If I am nothing to you, then it should be easy."
I shook my head. "No, not yet. You have a purpose to serve."
Slow, rhythmic clapping echoed in the empty streets.
Bliss's looked around like a frightened rabbit. I leapt to my feet and searched for the source, but saw no one.
Another pair of hands joined that one, and soon it sounded like I was in the middle of a stadium full of invisible spectators clapping to the same maddening metronome beat—clap, pause, clap, pause. And then those spectators emerged from behind nearby buildings—more and more of them until they surrounded me and Bliss on all sides.
I released the channel on the shield and sword. Neither would do me much good now.
Ontidam stepped from within the crowd, a smug grin on his face. "Thank you, Justias. You have confirmed my suspicions. Bliss is a traitor to the cause—she has betrayed Victus as has her mistress, Aerianas."
I suddenly knew why Ontidam had let me go. He knew Bliss wouldn't be able to resist the siren lure of my shortcut to the Brightling throne. He knew she'd try to take possession of the bloodstone. And now I'd just unmasked her in front of the alliance. The problem was, he also knew that I knew about Aerianas and the dolems. He knew that there was more to me than met the eye.
I had likely unmasked myself.
Play innocent until you know for sure. "What's this about?"
"Ensuring the rule of the true master, of course." When Ontidam looked at me, he seemed to see through me. "Is it time to signal the ship, Justias?"
That son of a bitch heard everything I told Bliss! "You never intended to keep me around, did you?" I tapped into the aether, pouring energy into my body. There was no way in hell I could overpower all these people. I might be able to punch a hole in the circle, but I wasn't fast enough to escape.
I could run inside the tower Bliss had opened. With just a narrow doorway, I could probably hold off Ontidam and his people.
"I would not rid myself of a valuable asset," Ontidam said. "I saw you channel both Murk and Brilliance at the same time—a feat only the most powerful Seraphim can perform. If you proclaim your loyalty and give me the bloodstone, I swear no harm will come to you and we will fight together."
It might have been the truth, but I wasn't counting on it, especially since I didn't really have a bloodstone to bargain with. As with Bliss, I needed to buy some time. I hoped Elyssa had plenty of time to get the flying carpet and return.
"Fine, I'll signal the ship." I jabbed a finger toward the tower. "But I need to do it from up there."
"You can do it just fine from right there," Ontidam said. "I have already witnessed your power."
Oh, you ain't seen nothing yet. "Sure, but I can send it higher from the building."
The Brightling shook his head. "Do it from right there."
Yeah, he wasn't going to give me a chance to get away. "Fine." I summoned a crackling sphere of Brilliance around my fist.
Dozens of other Brightlings channeled their own much weaker, smaller spheres and aimed fists at me—an insurance policy in case I opened fire on them. They might be shades weaker, but it would take only one to slice me up.
I held my fist high and fired three pulses into the air. The miniature stars exploded into English letters, SOS, briefly lighting up the sky. The Brightlings wouldn't know what they meant, but Elyssa would.
I looked around, hoping and praying for a sign from above.
Bliss backed up against me, teeth bared like a cornered dog. "Do not trust them," she hissed. "Use your power to fight back. It is better to die than live as prisoners."
"As a wise man once said, you've got to know when to hold them. Know when to fold them. Know when to walk away, and know when to run." I looked at the circle of Brightlings. "This is the time to fold and run."
"Fold what?" Bliss barked a sarcastic laugh. "Run to where?"
I didn't answer. I didn't want this thing to betray my flimsy plan of escape. Elyssa would scout the ground. She'd see the mess I was in and figure out something. Would she swoop in and snatch me? Create a diversion and pluck me during the confusion? What if I was supposed to do something?
As the minutes ticked past, I began to wonder if she'd even seen my signal.
None of the others had their eyes on the sky, and I remembered why. I'd told Bliss the contact would come into town on foot. That meant they were expecting someone to waltz in here any minute with a bloodstone in hand. They certainly didn't expect my girlfriend on a flying carpet.
"My sentinels report no one new has entered the city," Ontidam said. "How long will this take?"
"They may not have seen the signal," I said. I raised my fist and fired three more pulses. Once again, SOS lit the sky briefly before fading. I used the opportunity to scan the sky. A shadow flitted past. Was it a bird? A flying carpet? My super woman?
An explosion rocked the buildings fifty yards south. Another explosion lit up the city to the east. Ontidam and his people cried out with surprise and began firing wildly.
Even I was surprised by what happened next.
Chapter 23
The Falcheen rose over the wall, levitation foils burning bright, and opened fire on the alliance. Shouts and screams of fear echoed in the streets. The powerful beams smashed through buildings and threw up crystal shards all around the fleeing alliance members, intentionally missing them while driving them away.
I pumped a fist in the air
. "The cavalry to the rescue!"
Bliss grabbed my arm. "Please take me with you. Don't leave me here to die."
I jerked my arm free. "Why should I save you? You planned to take the bloodstone and kill me."
"Please!" Her wide green eyes filled with tears. "I do not want to die."
I knew it was all a ploy, an innocent façade intended to buy her a little more time to do what she was ordered to do. But she looked like a real person. She sounded like a real person. I couldn't just leave her to the mercy of Ontidam and his goons.
"Fine," I growled. I jabbed a finger toward the ship where the Mzodi crew lowered shimmering nets over the side. I saw Elyssa waving to us frantically over the railing. "Run!"
"Justias!" Ontidam cried over the roar and din of his fleeing comrades. "How is it the Mzodi fight on your side?"
One of the nets hanging off the Falcheen came into range. I clambered up it a few feet, then turned and gave Ontidam a jaunty salute. "I'm just so damned sexy they can't resist," I shouted back.
Bliss climbed up beside me and held on for dear life as the Falcheen spun and sped away. "I thought the Mzodi stood alone and apart from the other Seraphim." Her face pinched with confusion. "And yet they rescue you—a reborn Brightling who fought for Daelissa."
Wind buffeted the nets, banging us against the hull as we traveled away from the city and out over farmland. I looked away from Bliss without answering. She'd been ready to kill me thirty minutes ago. Don't trust her no matter what.
"Babe, are you okay?" Elyssa called down.
I gave her a thumbs up as the ship slowed to a halt so we could climb up. I grabbed Bliss's arm tight enough to draw a wince from her. "You owe me." I showed her my teeth in an attempt to look fierce, but it probably just looked like indigestion. "I want to know everything you know, got it?"
Her eyes hardened with anger, but she nodded.
I was surrounded by family and friends the moment I reached the deck. Bliss received a more guarded welcome since nobody knew who she was, but recognized her for a dolem.
"I take it the mission went exactly as planned," David said dryly. "That's my son, everyone. He makes even the toughest mission look effortless."
Adam barked a laugh. "You were supposed to go in and ask a few questions, not rouse the entire city against us."
Alysea stared coldly at Bliss. "Who is this?"
"Someone with information." I gripped the railing as the Falcheen accelerated for open waters. Illaena caught my eye and shook her head disapprovingly as if even she couldn't believe what she'd just had to do to rescue me.
Shelton held down his wide-brimmed hat as wind gusted across the deck. "Man, I can't wait to hear this story."
I turned to Elyssa. "I guess you didn't have time to explain everything?"
"Since when do I ever?" She shook her head in disbelief. "Justin and I spent a while walking around casually inquiring about Kaelissa, but on the way back out, an insurgent group caught us and tried to recruit Justin."
"Justin?" Bliss seemed confused. "I thought your name was Justias."
"Uh, yeah." I realized Bliss didn't know who I really was. "I'm Justin Slade. I'm not a reborn Brightling who fought for Daelissa."
"Then who are you?" Bliss asked.
Shelton barked a laugh. "Man, are you kidding me?" He slapped me on the back. "This here is the guy who killed Daelissa and sent her army packing back to Seraphina."
Bliss gasped. "No, this cannot be!"
"Oh, it is, all right." Shelton blew out a breath. "So what's this about an insurgency? Is there a rebellion against Kaelissa?"
"Not a natural one." I jabbed my thumb at Bliss who seemed to be recovering from the shock of my true identity. "Bliss here pinky-promised to tell us everything she knows, but it's complicated."
"Complicated how?" David said. "Plots within plots within plots?"
I blew out a breath. "Let's just say it's more complicated than a Russian nesting doll with mommy issues."
"I fail to see how an inanimate object could have relationship problems," Cinder said. He stood at the back of the crowd, Issana by his side.
Issana stared at her dolem sibling, a blank expression on her face, as if she still didn't know what to think about everything. I could imagine how traumatic it might be to discover you were one of many demonic constructs with no past, no family, and no idea how long your body might last.
Cinder's confusion got a round of chuckles, but I couldn't help worrying that now we had two dolems on board, both of whom might be programmed to act against us. Just as Ontidam worshipped Victus, did that mean Bliss would do absolutely anything for Aerianas? Had Issana been programmed to follow Cephus's every whim?
Victus might have colluded with Cephus and Aerianas, but everything I'd witnessed indicated that all three of them had their own agendas. Cephus had used Issana to spy on Kohval and the Brightling beachhead—now abandoned—north of Kohvalla. Kohval had been replaced and was under the control of Aerianas, while Ontidam had been cloned by Victus.
It was enough to make my head swim.
"Son, you okay?" David clapped me on the shoulder.
"Yeah." I leaned back against the railing and tried to clear my head. "I don't know which way is up with all these conspiracies." I told the group everything that had happened in Guinesea, and tried to convey why I was so confused. "There are three sides vying for power, not including us. Issana for Cephus, Bliss for Aerianas, and Ontidam for Victus, and those are just the agents we know about."
"Cephus is dead," Issana proclaimed. "I owe him no loyalty and will not betray you."
"You say that," I countered, "but can you be sure you're not programmed to respond in specific ways to certain situations?"
"I have free will!" Issana's mouth widened with horror. "I choose to lift a hand, and the hand responds. I choose to be loyal to you, and I am."
"There is nothing to indicate she is brainwashed." Cinder put a protective arm on Issana's shoulder. "She is in many ways more real and human than I am."
Issana nestled like a frightened bird in Cinder's arm, though I knew she was anything but. She looked a lot like Nightliss, but she was rude, aggressive, and demanding. Was this an act, or was she really so frightened?
"I'm more concerned about Bliss." Elyssa folded her arms and delivered a stern gaze to our newest dolem in the group. "What are your intentions?"
Bliss turned her narrow-eyed gaze from Issana to Elyssa. "Aerianas is my creator. My mission is to ensure the Brightling throne goes to her and no one else. She originally worked for Victus, but he is no longer in Seraphina and cannot return since the Alabaster Arches no longer work. I was sent to undermine Ontidam since his blind loyalty to Victus will work against my mistress's goals."
"Simple enough." Thomas had remained quiet at the back of the group, but his calm words drew everyone's attention. "You were sent to Guinesea to undermine or take control of Ontidam's efforts because Aerianas knew about him from her time working for Victus."
"I was sent to prevent Victus's agents from claiming the throne," Bliss replied. "That duty has not changed."
Thomas walked between the others until he stood only a few feet from her. "How many more of Aerianas's agents are there?"
"I cannot say."
"Cannot or will not?"
Bliss's eyes darted back and forth as if gauging the expressions of the others in the group. "Will not."
"Then why are you so forthcoming with your own mission?" Thomas asked.
"Because it is no longer a secret." She folded her arms and clammed up like a pouting child. "I will not tell you everything about her plan."
"Would torture loosen your tongue?" Thomas asked.
Bliss's eyes flared. "No!"
"The threat of death?"
"Just try it!" she shouted. "I will not give in."
Thomas fired off another question. "How long were you in Guinesea?"
"Less than a month."
And another. "Are you important to Aeri
anas?"
Bliss's fists clenched. "Very important."
"I don't think so. Why were you chosen above the others?"
Bliss stomped a foot on the ground. "I am the best."
"The best at what?"
"At the mission!"
Thomas rapid-fired several more questions on a wild variety of topics, all of which seemed to impugn Bliss's ability to do her job.
As Bliss grew more agitated, I began to see a pattern. It was something I'd noticed in all the other Nightliss dolems, whether it was Issana, Bliss, or any of the numerous Daskar.
Bliss responded like an angry child who'd just been scolded by a parent. Her vocabulary might be more advanced than a child's, and her physique might be that of an adult, but maturity hadn't caught up with the rest of her.
All of the Nightliss series of dolems were, by default, under a year old since it had only been months since Cephus captured Nightliss and stolen some of her soul essence. They came out of the oven looking like adults, but their attitudes were like spoiled kids.
Thomas broke off questioning and looked at Elyssa. "I don't think Aerianas entrusted her with troop numbers, much less anything else. She's just a tool."
"There are nearly a hundred of us and more all the time!" Bliss shouted. "Aerianas is powerful beyond your comprehension."
"How did Victus expect to return to claim his prize if the arches are closed?" Thomas said.
"I don't know." Bliss didn't even seem to realize she'd just served up the whole enchilada on a silver platter to Thomas already.
"Where is Aerianas now? What are her plans for conquest? How did she expect to overcome Kaelissa? Where will she retreat if she fails? Has she summoned other demons to her aid?" Thomas peppered Bliss with more questions until at last, she broke.
"Just stop it!" Bliss covered her ears. "I have no more information."
"Yes, I know," Thomas said. "Your knowledge of Aerianas's plans is rudimentary, probably gleaned from observation and not directly conveyed by superiors."
David pinched the bridge of his nose. "Man, remind me to never let you interrogate me."
Thomas folded an arm across his chest and rested the other elbow on it. "I don't see any signs of direct cognitive interference. If anything, I would say she was force-fed propaganda during her brief training."
