“The lighthouse was Concealed, Highness. Not until after the Executioner visited it did our people sense it, and then only gradually.”
“And why would a Concealment that has existed for so many years suddenly fail?”
Gothriel swallowed. “We are uncertain, Highness. Perhaps the Executioner set something in motion while she was there, which unraveled the Concealment. We are still investigating.”
“I need the woman from the lighthouse found.” B made his tone cold and sinister. Gothriel swallowed again, bowing lower this time. “Of course Highness. We are still looking. We will find her. And soon.” His confidence wasn’t feigned. That was Gothriel. One of B’s most useful captains because his confidence always yielded results.
B nodded. He ought to punish them, but if he did that for every failure, he wouldn’t have anyone else to do his bidding.
“Why didn’t the assassin succeed?” B whispered to the entire room.
“She would have, Highness” Daynog said. Her dark hair was closely buzzed. She had a habit of running her hand over the stubble to calm her nerves, as she did now. All of them possessed tells that flashed like neon to B’s eyes. “The Executioner sent herself from the future somehow. The future version of her knew how to destroy the assassin.”
“There is still time,” Gothriel said. He sat down across from Daynog. “The Executioner of the present doesn’t know everything yet, Highness. We will take her out before she learns more.”
“You say that with such confidence,” B rasped. “But you’ve failed three times already. What will be different this time?”
“We have a plan for finding their hidden mountain compound,” Daynog said, rubbing her hand over her stubble again. “It’s not ready yet, Highness, but will be any day now. We are confident we will be able to find their hiding place. They’ve always retreated to it in the past. Once we know where it is, we will attack. Drive them into the open. With a single action we will smoke out the Executioner and annihilate the resistance, Highness.”
B nodded as another man spoke. Jebril, a light-haired, quiet man sitting near the back. The quiet ones tended to be the most sadistic. Jebril was no exception. “There is also the sleeper-cell to consider, Highness. It has been ready for months. Now, it’s in a prime position to strike, whenever we decide to make use of it.”
B nodded. “And Sephina? What results did you have?”
Honey-colored hair adorned Sephina’s head, accentuating her lean figure. The most beautiful person on the Council, she also had a scorpion’s tongue. “The Arachnoid transmitted a plethora of information before they disabled it, Highness. The Executioner’s added abilities are already taking root, though they are undeveloped. We must strike at her quickly, before she learns how to use them all, or the Union will be—” She cut off when she glanced at B’s face. “She will be much harder to defeat, Highness. The good news is, we have a current sample of her DNA, which we can put to good use.”
B nodded, digesting all the information. “Very well. Keep me apprised of the plan to find their compound. That is our priority.” Daynog nodded. “Sephina, prepare another assassin, using the DNA. I’ll want to look over the blueprints myself before they are finalized.” Sephina bowed her head. “And Jebril? Ready the sleeper cell. We will soon put it to good use. I want to implement each of these elements simultaneously.”
Gothriel gave a wicked smirk. “They won’t know what hit them.”
“They won’t be able to fight a battle on three fronts!” B snapped. “Now leave me.”
As one, the Six inclined their heads and shuffled from the room. Caneeda and Brosuth had remained silent, but B didn’t need to ask about their progress. He knew more about their work than they did.
B leaned back in his chair, steepling his fingers. Fools. He would reward them for their loyalty, surely enough. They truly did not understand, though. At the heart of things, they functioned only as his tools. Nothing more.
He needed the woman from the lighthouse. Adaiah, she’d once been called. Once one of the most powerful women to walk the earth. And she’d spoken to the Executioner, instructed her in some way. B seethed with frustration. He’d known Adaiah once. Even loved her. He’d abandoned such things long ago. Love was an illusion—a trick of the hormones and sub-par human DNA. Adaiah was the answer to the Binding. The only answer.
Only a few more pieces, Dr. Johann, and then I’m coming for you, B thought. And when I do, you won’t find assimilation, but annihilation. Of everything you’re so sure makes you human.
With a rare smile on his lips, B left the conference room. He had work to do.
End of Book 2
Author’s Note
Thanks for joining Maggie and the Interchron team! Book 3 of Interchron, Dark Matter, is available for purchase!
GET DARK MATTER, BOOK 3 OF INTERCHRON, HERE!!!
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Also by Liesel K.Hill
Do you enjoy other genres? Visit Liesel K. Hill’s website to check out her crime fiction and historical fiction series.
Crime Fiction:
Dark Remnants, Book 1 of Street Games (Writing as L.K. Hill)
Desolate Mantle, Book 2 of Street Games (Writing as L.K. Hill)
Damaged Hope, Book 3 of Street Games (Writing as L.K. Hill)
Historical Fiction:
Citadels of Fire, Book 1 of Kremlins (Writing as K.L. Conger)
Bastions of Blood, Book 2 of Kremlins (Writing as K.L. Conger)
High Fantasy:
The Hatching, a prequel to Dragon Magic
About the Author
L.K. HILL IS AN AWARD-winning author who writes across three different genres. Her historical fiction is published under the pen name, K.L. Conger. Her sci-fi, fantasy, and dystopian are written under her full name, Liesel K. Hill. And her crime fiction is written under L.K. Hill.
A graduate of Weber State University, she comes from a large, tight-knit family and lives in northern Utah. She is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and cherishes her faith, her family and her country. (http://www.lds.org) She plans to keep writing until they nail her coffin shut. Or the Second Coming happens. You know, whichever happens first. ;D
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