by John Corwin
Thomas continued with the troubling news. "Legiaros Meera led Gallix Legion into the city and assumed control of the south." An orange line highlighted the route from the western side of Pjurna and into Tarissa. "As of now, the Eden army is trapped between the two forces. Civil war could break out at any moment."
Illaena remained quiet, but her eyes flared in alarm.
"Are you safe?" Elyssa asked.
The map vanished and Thomas reappeared. He nodded grimly. "We're safe, but we're in no position to intervene between two full legions."
"What do our faction leaders have to say about it?" I asked.
"McCloud says the lycans will do whatever I request, but he already told me in no uncertain terms that if I can't force peace, we should let Kohval and Meera fight it out." Thomas folded his arms, a façade of steely resolve covering his frown. "Saber said the felycans will follow whatever the lycans propose, while the Blue Cloaks want to try to force peace talks."
Elyssa bit her lower lip. "What about the vampires?"
"They want to abandon Tarissa and wait it out." Thomas looked down at something. "Flava and her people have recruited nearly two hundred Seraphim for their new Tarissan Legion, but they still have to heal hundreds of the citizens Cephus mutated into his flying soldiers."
My stomach knotted. "I take it she wants to stay and fight?"
"She won't leave Tarissa," Thomas said. "If we relocate, we'd have to leave her behind."
"What about other citizens?" Elyssa asked.
"I don't know." Thomas sighed. "It's not an easy decision, but it's one we need to make soon."
I pounded a fist on the table. "We need to make Kohval and Meera realize that the Brightlings are the real enemy!"
Elyssa squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head. "What if we relocated our troops to Atlantis?" Her eyelids blinked open, revealing the sadness behind that question.
"We'll consider it if the logistics work," Thomas said. "It would mean asking a lot of the Mzodi."
Illaena, who'd remained quiet until now, spoke. "We will help you however we can."
"Is Atlantis big enough to support so many people?" I said. "Vampires, werewolves, felycans—it would be a tremendous change for everyone."
"We'll have to ask Adonis." Elyssa's lips formed a tight line. "If we allow Kohval and Meera to fight each other, the Brightlings will sweep in and take over what's left. All our sacrifice, all our hard work will have been for nothing." The sadness and uncertainty in her voice vanished, replaced by resolve. "I say we move the injured and non-essential personnel to Atlantis, and rouse every able body to help us fight for the future of Seraphina."
I felt a fierce grin stretch my lips, and a surge of pride warmed my heart. "I'm with Elyssa. We've lost too many good people to give up now." We'll do this for Nightliss.
A smile broke Thomas's mask. "Agreed. I'll work on the logistics from this end. Find out what the Atlanteans are willing to put up with. The more civilians we can evacuate, the easier it will be to fight."
Elyssa pressed a hand to her chest in a Templar salute. "Yes, Commander."
Pride shone in Thomas's eyes. "As you were, Templar." The holographic image vanished.
Illaena took Elyssa's hand. "I will consult with Xalara. Together, we can prevail."
Elyssa pressed her other hand over Illaena's. "Together we can do anything."
Illaena nodded. "I will join you outside after I've contacted the Muhala Kajeen."
"We'll let the others know what's going on," I said.
Elyssa and I returned above deck and told the others about our plans.
"Well ain't this just a ray of fairy-farting sunshine!" Shelton grumbled when we finished. "Do you really think the Atlanteans are gonna want to put up with a refugee crisis?"
"The Lyrolai won't like it either," Adam said. "The island is plenty big, but most of it is controlled by them."
Elyssa didn't look a bit deterred. "Atlantis is the safest place to keep those who can't fight out of harm's way."
"We've been in more difficult situations," I said, not entirely sure if that was true. "We'll get through this."
"And I'll be there to save your bacon." Shelton flashed a grin. "No rest for the weary."
Adam snorted. "Or the wicked."'
Illaena returned to the top deck and spoke with her first mate. Tahlee shouted orders and the Falcheen set course back through the portal and toward Atlantis. I hoped the denizens of the island would be willing to help us.
Once we arrived back in Atlantis, I spoke with Adonis and told him that we'd need to speak with the Lyrolai once Narine and Balaena were freed from the grasp of the bloodstones. He agreed to make the arrangements.
It took a few days, but Eor finally destroyed the bloodstones, restoring free will to Narine and Balaena. Dolpha took them back to the underwater city of Pacifis with her to help them recover, but they promised to return the next day to hear the requests we had of them, the mortals, and the Lyrolai. I hated the extra waiting, especially with Pjurna teetering on the brink of civil war. Unfortunately, it couldn't be helped.
The next morning, we met the others on the turtle pier. Narine, Balaena and Dolpha were all present, the first two looking no worse for the wear after their brief bloodstone captivity. Kalume, the Lyrolai representative watched us approach. The tall man looked apprehensive, but the way his eyes darted toward the ship and us, he was probably curious about these newcomers.
Adonis stood between the other parties, shifting nervously foot-to-foot. This was probably the most important meeting he'd attended in a long while. He cleared his throat and made introductions. "Kalume, this is Justin, Elyssa, Shelton, and Adam."
Kalume looked at us, green, almond-shaped eyes regarding us suspiciously. His long silver hair hung in small braids, and his skin held an almost bluish hue. Otherwise, he looked mostly human. I wondered if he had any powers over nature like the ones Cora exhibited.
"A pleasure to meet you." I didn't offer him a handshake, figuring he wouldn't know what it meant.
"I am pleased to hear you prevented an attack on the island," Kalume said in a sonorous voice that commanded respect. "The people of the wood are grateful."
Narine smiled inhumanly wide. "Your brave actions have also returned us to our sister," she said to us. "We owe you a debt."
"Would you consider helping us defeat Kaelissa once and for all?" I asked.
Her smiled faded. "We swore long ago never to use our abilities for harm. Fighting a war would go against everything we believe."
"But Dolpha helped us fight for you," Elyssa said. "Isn't that the same thing?"
"Dolpha requested the aid of our brethren in the sea," Balaena said. "She gave you a counter spell to our song. She did not use the song to fight."
"That's kind of a fine line," I said. "With your song, we could reunite Seraphina without bloodshed."
"You cannot force harmony among enemies," Narine said. "Powerful as the song might be, it grants only temporary unity. Hearts must be changed from within, not without."
Balaena nodded her agreement. "We will help you in other ways, but we will not use the song as a weapon."
Elyssa's shoulders slumped.
"War is an evil we left behind long ago," Kalume said. "For millennia we have lived here in peace and the wood, the glade, the glen, have prospered."
Adonis rolled his eyes, but didn't offer comment.
I'd expected things to go this way which was why I'd baited the hook with talk of war. Now they'd hopefully talked their way into a corner. "If you will not help us fight, then may we request asylum for those of our people who cannot fight? We have civilians and others injured from previous battles that need refuge. The citizens of Pjurna may soon face a civil war that we have to stop."
Narine's eyebrows rose sharply. "How many people?"
"Several hundred," Elyssa said. "Most of them will be Seraphim—citizens from the capitol city of Tarissa."
Adonis's eyes grew wide.
&nbs
p; Kalume frowned, but he didn't dismiss the request outright. After all, he and Narine had just talked a big game about peace and gratitude. Turning down peaceful asylum would make them look like jackasses.
"We can certainly accommodate more people," Adonis said. "Thousands once lived in this city, so there are plenty of empty homes that can be used. We may need additional farmland for the food supply, if the Lyrolai are willing."
Kalume's frown deepened, but he nodded. "There may be room, but we would need assurances that they would not intrude on our domain."
"We approve," Narine said. "But request that you not base your army here."
"We'd like to have some defenses," Elyssa said. "Would that be acceptable?"
"Yes," Narine said.
Kalume nodded. "So long as they remain in the city."
Adonis rubbed his hands together. "Goodness, this is exciting! I can only imagine the stories your people will bring with them."
It was a good start, but there was a lot more to talk about, so I let Elyssa get down to the nitty gritty details.
That night, Elyssa and I sat on the hill next to our temporary home in Atlantis and looked at the dazzling sky and huge moon overhead.
"When I spoke with my father earlier," Elyssa said, "he told me something I didn't want to repeat in front of the others."
A knot formed in my gut. "What is it?"
"Issana isn't Nightliss's daughter." She let that sink in before continuing. "When Cephus took Nightliss captive, he tried to copy her."
I gasped. "He cloned her?"
Elyssa shook her head. "Issana is a golem."
The knot in my gut turned to ice. "The only person who can make such lifelike golems is Fjoeruss."
"Cephus and Serena were working on perfecting his technique," Elyssa said. "Thomas said that our people found plans to replace high-ranking officials with golems."
"Why make someone like Issana?" I said. "It doesn't make any sense even by their sick, twisted standards."
"Maybe they thought she'd make a good heir, or maybe their attempts to make a golem clone of Nightliss failed." Elyssa stroked my neck. "I just thought you should know."
I gripped her hand and kissed it, tear burning my eyes. "I'd almost hoped…"
She smiled through tears of her own. "I know. It would have been nice if Issana was Nightliss's daughter even if she's not that pleasant."
I took a deep breath and let the grief melt back into numbness. "It makes me happy that we're not abandoning Seraphina. I know Nightliss wouldn't have given up on her people even if they're acting like idiots."
"She would be very proud of us right now." Elyssa wiped tears from her face. "I know it feels like all of Seraphina is against us. We might have to fight Kohval, Meera, and Kaelissa."
"God, I hope not," I said.
She leaned her head on my shoulder. "It doesn't matter."
I stroked her hair and kissed her forehead. "Because we have each other?"
Elyssa looked up at me with big violet eyes. "Because you never give up on your friends and you always find that one ray of hope in the worst situations."
"That's not what gets me through my worst times." I pressed my hands to her cheeks and drank in the most beautiful sight in the universe. "When Kaelissa was about to steal my mind with the bloodstone, all I could think about was how much I love you and how awful it would be to lose you. Whenever I feel lost, I just think about you, Elyssa. You're my center."
Fresh tears welled in her eyes, but her accompanying smile was like the sun on a rainy day. "Justin, you are so cheesy, but I love you."
I planted a kiss on her soft lips and sighed. "And that, my dear, is why we will win."
She laughed. "Is it really that simple?"
"As simple as this: One ass-kicking at a time, we're gonna bring Seraphina together." I looked up at the stars, swallowing the lump in my throat. "And on that day, I just know Nightliss will be smiling down on us."
Elyssa held out her fist. "One ass-kicking at a time." We bumped fists and made explosion noises before bursting into laughter.
I had a feeling Nightliss was already smiling.
###
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Demonicus Chapter 1
The last person I expected to see after a nice, relaxing vacation was George Walker.
I nearly dropped my purse at the sight of my enigmatic handler for the Custodians. "What's wrong?" My heart skipped a beat.
"Apologies for catching you so soon after your return, but we need your help, Miss Glass." He motioned toward a sleek black sedan. "If you don't mind, the situation is rather urgent."
Tyler wrapped his arm around my shoulders. "I don't know how you do business in the Custodians, George, but a text or a phone call would have been nice."
"I tried to reach her, but never received a response." George seemed to take no offense to Tyler's stern tone.
"It's okay." I took out my mobile and looked at it. "I put my phone on airplane mode and forgot to switch back to normal."
"What's the emergency?" Tyler asked.
George regarded him calmly. "That's for Miss Glass to know."
Tyler shrugged. "Then tell her. I promise I won't listen."
I held up my hands. "Let us put our luggage away and we'll come, George." I pointed toward his car. "Please go wait there, and I'll be down shortly."
George nodded and walked to the car.
On the way up the elevator, Tyler cornered me with a kiss. "We're not home ten seconds and you're already off on another adventure."
"Indeed." Despite all the intimate time we'd spent on holiday, I could hardly get enough of this lovely man. The thought of taking off on a Custodian mission without him left me feeling empty. "I want you to come."
"Moi?" A corner of his mouth lifted into a lopsided grin. "Whatever will your handler say?"
I pecked a kiss on his lips. "Absolutely nothing, if he knows what's good for him."
George raised an eyebrow when the two of us approached his car.
"We're both coming," I said.
George glanced at Tyler. "Mr. Rock isn't a Custodian."
A tall man emerged from the passenger side of the car and narrowed his eyes at Tyler. Mr. Sticks didn't say a word, but it was more than obvious how he felt about me bringing a playdate.
"Does he talk?" Tyler bobbed his head toward Sticks. I had, of course, told Tyler all about the people I'd met during my work with the Custodians, including the ever-silent Mr. Sticks.
George smiled pleasantly. "He communicates if that's what you're asking." He turned to me. "I suppose Mr. Rock may ride along. Are you ready, Miss Glass?"
I took a deep breath and nodded. "Let's go."
Tyler ran his eyes across the sedan. "What kind of car is this?"
"A custom model," George answered.
Mr. Sticks held open the rear door and motioned me inside. I slid across the seat so Tyler could climb in beside me. The smell of new leather pleased my nose. Once Tyler was seated, George climbed into the driver seat.
Tyler leaned forward. "Who makes your custom models?"
George touched a handle on the steering column. Soundlessly, the car accelerated toward the exit. "This is the latest out of Science Academy."
"Science Academy?"
Mr. Sticks glared over his shoulder at Tyler.
"You really must attend an orientation soon," George said. "It would answer many of your basic questions."
I pulled Tyler next to me. "Let the man drive." My stomach fluttered with anxiety. Since saving Tyler from the Exorcists nearly three mont
hs earlier, I hadn't been on any missions for the Custodians. Tyler and I had taken a long overseas vacation to make sure he was safe and to give my sanity a chance to recover.
He ran a hand across the leather and looked around the car, obviously wanting to talk more about it, but finally relaxed and slung an arm over my shoulders. "Sorry, Em. I've just never seen anything like this."
"Boys and their toys." I tried to give him a serious look, but couldn't stop from smiling at his enthusiasm. "I didn't realize demons were into automobiles."
He squeezed me tight. "I acquired the taste from one of my previous hosts."
This turned Sticks's glare toward us once more.
"Perhaps it's best if you don't discuss Mr. Rock's true nature right now," George said amicably. "Mr. Sticks is a stickler when it comes to the rules and is none too happy that I promised to let Mr. Rock be."
"He's really a very nice demon," I told Sticks. "Once you get to know him."
The man shook his head and faced forward.
George pulled into traffic, drove a couple of blocks, and turned into a blind alley I'd seen him use before. Excitement replaced the anxiety. Before I'd discovered the true nature of my work for the Custodians, George had always blindfolded me before we traveled anywhere. Considering how quickly we made it across town, I knew there must be something special about the cars they used.
I wasn't disappointed.
At the press of a button, the outside of the car blurred and faded until it matched our surroundings. George pulled a lever and the car lifted from the ground, rising quickly until we were above the city. I gasped.
Tyler's hand tightened on mine. "I think I'm in love," he said.
The early morning sun hovered behind the Atlanta skyline, dividing the city into shadows crisscrossed with corridors of light. My sense of wonderment fled, replaced with worry gnawing at my insides. I didn't know what prompted this abrupt shift in my emotions. I haven't been on a mission for a while. It's probably just nerves.
