by John Corwin
"I should be thanking you," Horace said as he looked with interest at the soul essence pouring from his fingers. "I was dying from terminal cancer, but your healers cured me."
Beatrice's eyes flashed wide as I began feeding from her. "I knew you looked familiar. You are Justin Slade."
I forced a smile. "Yes."
"I heard about Elyssa Borathen." She looked as if she wanted to gesture with her hands, but the feeding process locked them into place. Instead, she motioned in the direction of the healing ward with her head. "How is she doing?"
From the corner of my eye, I saw Nightliss give me a troubled look. "She'll be better soon." I wasn't lying. I would make the Darkling healers in Seraphina help.
Katie's hand rested on my shoulder. "I just know they'll figure out a way to patch her up."
I changed the subject. "How are Ash and Nyte?"
"They're helping recruit noms." Katie stood behind Beatrice and leaned on the divan. "A man named Abe has been taking them around to veteran hospitals with a couple of healers."
"I know Abe." I'd met him in El Dorado. "How many new volunteers have we gotten so far?"
"Two hundred and twenty," Katie said. "The batch of revived Darklings from a few days ago are already looking like teenagers."
"And Melea?" I asked.
Katie flinched at the name of Fjoeruss's sister. "She's aging more quickly."
Melea wasn't Seraphim. She was what I referred to as a siren, a member of the race we theorized built the arches and possibly the pocket dimensions. Fjoeruss had agreed to ally with us if we revived his sister. What he hadn't told us was that she was his adopted sister. She'd been the one to cause the Desecration during the first war against the Seraphim by removing the Chalon from the Grand Nexus without properly attuning it.
I felt a slight change in the quality of the soul essence coming from Beatrice and knew I was nearing her limit. I stopped feeding. "Thanks, Beatrice."
She beamed a smile at me. "No problem at all."
Nightliss finished feeding from Horace a moment later and thanked him with a kiss on the cheek.
He blushed furiously. "It is a pleasure to be kissed by a beautiful woman. Please call on me anytime you desire."
Nightliss smiled. "Goodbye for now."
After the volunteers left the room, I hugged Katie. "We've got to go. I really appreciate everything you've done with recruiting."
Her arms tightened around my waist. "Justin, be careful. I know you've backed Daelissa into a corner, but that might just make her more dangerous than ever." Katie released me and stepped back. "And if you ever need a friend to talk to—I know this sounds crazy"—she put her thumb and finger to her ear and mouth like a phone—"but call me, maybe?"
I managed a smile. "I will."
Nightliss and I headed back outside and went right. We went about a block to where the street ended in a large set of double doors. We opened them and stepped through to the La Casona way station. An Obsidian Arch loomed in the middle of a huge warehouse. Minders, creatures that looked like floating brains with long tentacles, drifted around the interior, keeping guard. I followed the left wall and entered a door to the main control room.
A huge world map spanned the slab of carved rock forming the front wall. A raised pedestal ran the length of the map. In the middle sat a pedestal with a large gray orb called a modulus, the control device for the Obsidian Arch.
We walked across the raised platform and turned left to view rows upon rows of small black arches with Cyrinthian numbers imprinted on the floor in front of them. Across a wide aisle to the right stood several slightly larger arches without numbers of any kind. Three of them were marked with green paint to indicate they worked. A Templar operator manned each one. We called them omniarches because they could open a portal to anywhere without requiring an arch at the exit.
A group of blue-robed Arcanes, Blue Cloaks, stepped through a portal in the first omniarch while a column of Templars vanished inside a portal between the columns of the middle arch as they headed to parts unknown. Nightliss and I dodged around the line of Templars and went to the last omniarch.
"Queens Gate mansion, please," I told the Templar.
He saluted. "You may enter the circle, sir."
Nightliss and I stepped inside the silver band around the omniarch. The Templar pressed a finger to the circle. The air seemed to fill with static as the circle closed, trapping magical energy within it. A look of concentration came over the Templar's face and a portal winked open within the arch. Nightliss and I stepped through and into a large, perfectly square cavern. The portal closed behind us.
We stood in a yellow square painted on the smooth stone floor. Another Templar stood outside the travel zone.
She saluted. "Welcome back, sir."
"Thanks." I offered her a brief nod since I wasn't much for saluting and headed toward a large mansion. Although giant stone golems were still constructing the west wing, the building was nearly identical to the mansion Daelissa had destroyed almost directly above this cavern.
The caverns themselves were part of a network of tunnels and old dungeons called the Burrows by those who attended Arcane University. Thomas Borathen's Arcane engineers had enlarged a section of the former dungeon in order to fit the mansion inside. The omniarch that had been in the old mansion's cellar was now on the same level as the new mansion and only about fifty yards away down a wide corridor.
Several yards in front of the mansion, Shelton sat across a table from Bella as they played a game of Scrabble and idly watched the stone golems build the house. Shelton looked to the side and spotted us. "The mansion's looking good, ain't she?" He grinned.
Bella perked up when she saw us and ran over to distribute hugs. "How is Elyssa, Justin?"
"The same," I said, trying and failing to keep a grim note out of my voice. "We just came to pack."
Shelton's eyes narrowed. "You're going, aren't you?"
I nodded. "As soon as I pack a clean change of underwear and a toothbrush."
He grunted. "I had a feeling it would come to this. That's why we packed our toothbrushes just in case."
I felt my forehead scrunch. "Say what?"
Bella squeezed my hand. "We're coming, Justin."
"That's a bad idea." I gave them stern looks. "There's no telling how friendly they'll be to us, much less humans."
Shelton looked affronted. "We ain't no ordinary vanilla noms, bud."
"Even Seraphim who haven't fed on human sustenance are still strong." I shook my head. "It's just a bad idea all around."
"I must agree with Justin," Nightliss said. She took Bella's hands. "I also believe it would be too risky for you to come."
Shelton slashed the air with a hand. "Tough butt nuggets, honey. We're coming whether you like it or not."
I sighed. "Your funeral." Without another word, I headed for the finished east wing of the mansion to pack. I hadn't gone far when Shelton appeared at my side.
"You're pissed off and sad about Elyssa." He shrugged. "I get it, man." Shelton gripped my shoulder and stopped me. "But you'd better get your head in the game if you want to win the Darklings to your cause. You've been a real sourpuss all week and it showed when you were talking to those muckety-mucks at Science Academy."
I felt my hackles rise. "Do you expect me to jump for joy with Elyssa about to die?"
"No, but if you go begging for help with the attitude you've had lately, they're gonna throw you out a window just like Chancellor Frankenberg wanted to do."
I hated to admit it, but I knew he was right. I'd been all doom and gloom this week. Since managing the magical equivalent of tearing a muscle after overextending myself during the battle at the Ranch, recovery had been painfully slow, giving me plenty of time to brood and wallow in a huge vat of self-pity.
I ran a hand down my face. "Do you have a happy pill I can take?"
He slapped my back. "Nope, but I can give you a swift kick in the ass if that helps."
"
Nothing cheers me up more." I managed a smile. "Let me grab my things. I want to leave as soon as possible."
The mansion buzzed with activity as smaller construction golems installed aether-powered light fixtures and put the finishing touches on the east wing. Shelton, Bella, and I were the only ones living here. Mom, Ivy, and Dad were living in El Dorado for the time being, but planned to move into the mansion when it was ready. Most of our troops were still stationed there or at La Casona. I knew I should tell my parents today was the day I was headed to Seraphina, but Mom had already tried to talk me out of it several times and I didn't want to hear another argument against going.
I jogged upstairs, threw the essentials into a backpack, and grabbed a couple of the high-performance flying carpets the Templars had given me. Shelton met me outside with his and Bella's bags. A part of me still didn't like the idea of them going, while the other part felt relieved to have more friends watching my back.
We headed back to the table where Bella packed her Scrabble set. She pushed it inside the pink backpack I assumed was hers and picked up a broom. Unlike most household sweepers, it had a leather saddle and stirrups affixed to it.
"Are you seriously taking Scrabble with us?" Shelton asked her.
She smiled sweetly. "Perhaps if they imprison us, they'll at least let me play Scrabble to pass the time."
Shelton face-palmed. "Just what I need—an eternity of losing that stupid game to you."
"What's with the broom?" I asked.
Bella's face brightened. "It's an old flying broom I found in the Burrows. I used to race these things long ago. I thought it might be nice to take with us."
Shelton gave it a dubious look. "We have flying carpets. They're a heck of a lot more comfortable than stinking brooms."
"We need to pack light," I told her. "Why don't we just stick with the rugs?"
She gave me a sad look, but set it in a corner. "Very well. I guess it's not practical anyway."
I looked around. "Where's Nightliss?"
"She said she'd meet us at the omniarch." Bella slung her backpack over a shoulder. "She's retrieving her things from El Dorado."
Nightliss was just stepping back through a portal in the omniarch when we arrived. She had a small rucksack on her back and wore black Nightingale armor. I'd opted to wear jeans and a T-shirt, but wore a thin belt of the armor beneath so I could extend it if necessary. Nightliss closed the portal behind her.
"Do you think five pairs of underwear will be enough?" she asked me.
Shelton snorted.
Her innocent question brought a smile to my face. "It'll have to be."
"All right, cowboy, what's the plan?" Shelton asked.
I knelt and sealed the circle around the arch. "Pjurna is the Seraphina version of Australia, so using the Alabaster Arch at the Three Sisters will be the quickest route." Forming a vivid image of the tunnel mouth that led down to the way station in the Down Under, I willed a portal to open. The air within the omniarch flickered to reveal the mouth of a cave covered partially by vines about fifty yards away from us.
I stepped through the portal and into the jungle. Humidity and heat greeted me since it was still summer in this part of the world. My companions stepped through right after me. Shelton quickly shed his leather duster, but kept the hat even though the trees provided ample shade from the sun.
"This place is almost as creepy as the Dark Forest." Shelton ran his gaze over the thick foliage.
"No tragons in this place," I said. The words were hardly out of my mouth when shadowy figures stepped out of the cave. Shelton went for his staff, but I stopped him. "They're Templars."
"Scared the crap out of me," Shelton said.
The Australian Templars had taken control of the way station deep underground, but given our current shortage of healthy troops, I hadn't been sure how many were guarding this place. I raised my hand and opened my mouth to shout my identification.
Blurs of white streaked from above. Lightning crackled, and several of the Templars went down. My jaw dropped open as winged Seraphim swooped to the ground, swords drawn, and attacked the survivors.
Chapter 2
"Justin, watch out!" Nightliss dove into me and sent me tumbling over the jutting roots of a nearby tree.
I spun onto my back as a Seraphim flew past and slashed a hunk from the tree at the height my head had been. Shelton and Bella ducked behind the tree with us.
I watched as the attacker soared higher. "Is he really using his wings to fly?"
Nightliss looked as shocked as I felt. "I don't know how it's possible. We can levitate through channeling, but our wings are not solid."
"Save the scientific debate for later," Shelton growled. "We've got unholy terrors attacking one of our bases."
The last Templar guard went down beneath the onslaught of a lightning-wreathed sword. The Seraphim bearing the weapon stood at least six feet tall and wore sleek blue armor with a blazing white sun symbol on the front. The other flying Seraphim sported red armor that shimmered by the light of their swords. They all wore helmets with wings jutting from the sides.
"Their armor doesn't look the same," I said. The Seraphim we'd beaten before wore translucent crystal armor. This stuff looked almost like rugged but flexible plastic or carbon fiber.
"Looks like something from a galaxy far, far away," Shelton murmured.
I heard the Seraphim who'd attacked us shouting at his comrades on the ground and pointing our way. "We're about to have company."
"Christ Almighty in a walrus suit." Shelton pointed to our right.
I caught glimpses of another formation of Seraphim a hundred yards away as they flew through the trees. Beneath them marched infantry wearing armor similar to their flying buddies, though it was less ornate.
"This is not the same army we fought last week," Nightliss said.
"I have a feeling Daelissa must have received reinforcements." Bella had her wand in one hand and staff in the other.
I couldn't help but draw parallels to my LARP—live-action role-playing—days. "They're like knights and infantry."
"They're our death if we don't run like hell soon," Shelton said.
I stared at the opening to the cavern. Any other Templars below might be completely unaware of the army about to march down their throats. They'd be slaughtered. It didn't take a lot of brainpower to understand why Daelissa's forces were attacking the Three Sisters way station. It was one of only a few such places that had Alabaster Arches—the only arches capable of opening a gateway between realms. She undoubtedly knew about the Darkling Empire's location in Seraphina. Once she super-powered her army with human soul essence, they could march through this arch and lay waste to the Darkling nation.
I looked at my companions with grim determination. "We can't run. If we do, we'll lose a lot of good people and give Daelissa the perfect backdoor to attack Pjurna."
Shelton wrinkled his forehead. "We sure as hell can't fight."
I gripped him by the shoulders. "Nightliss and I will distract them and try to get into the way station. I need you and Bella to escape so you can have someone open a portal for you. You have to warn Thomas about this new army so they can reinforce our positions."
"I don't gotta run back to base." Shelton gave me a strange look and pointed at his arcphone. "I already sent a video of the invasion back to headquarters. It's the twenty-first century, man."
"Oh, um, yeah." Something about fighting sword-bearing angels sometimes made me forget we had magical cell phones. "I still want you and Bella to escape while Nightliss and I try to make it inside."
"They're coming," Nightliss said before Shelton could answer.
Sure enough, I looked up to see the small surprise attack force walking toward our hiding spot. I counted four of them. I unrolled our two flying carpets and stood on one. I felt the carpet's enchantment bind my feet to it. Nightliss got on behind me and wrapped her arms around my waist while Shelton and Bella boarded the other one.
&nbs
p; "We're not leaving you," Shelton said. "Lead the—"
A bolt of lightning speared from the sword of the enemy leader and exploded against the tree. Two of the Seraphim in red armor blurred to our right. Shelton's carpet rose and zipped back away from us to escape the attack. The two Seraphim extended their huge ethereal wings. Their eyes glowed bright white and their misty, vaporous wings seemed to solidify into brilliant flames as they leapt from the ground and flew in pursuit
I directed our carpet to the left to avoid attacks from the other two Seraphim. The angel in blue wore a confident smile on his face as he angled his sword toward me. I wasn't feeling a hundred percent, but I wasn't helpless either. I shot a tendril of Murk and latched onto the decorative wing on the side of his helmet and gave it a hard jerk. His helmet twisted sideways and he lurched forward as my tug pulled him off balance. The sword speared into the dirt and his companion tripped over it.
I was actually surprised my trick worked. "The armor didn't repel the attack."
Nightliss lanced an ultraviolet beam at the Seraphim in red armor. Her attack crystallized a spot on the breastplate before punching through. The man—the seraph—gurgled and went down.
"Foul Darkling magic!" the seraph in blue armor cried out at us.
I shot him with a beam of Brilliance and knocked him back a few feet. "Here's a whiff of foul Brightling magic, jackass!"
I wanted to finish him off, but saw the rest of the army quickly closing the gap. "Where's Shelton?"
"I don't see him or Bella anywhere," Nightliss said.
A huge explosion erupted in the jungle behind us. I craned my neck and saw flaming boulders rolling through the trees. "That's one of his spells!"
Someone roared. The blue seraph lunged at us with his huge lightning sword. Swinging the carpet like a surfboard on a huge wave, I narrowly avoided the deathblow and sent a wave of Murk at him. He leapt into the air with one beat of his huge wings and avoided my attack.
