Sinister Seraphim of Mine (Overworld Chronicles Book 8) (25 page)

If there was anything we needed more of it was security. "I should ask Justin Minder if he can supply us with more orphaned minders. They're creepy as all get-out, but at this point, I'll take what I can get."

"Great idea," Elyssa said. "We need to find out how to make them loyal only to us."

"I'll put it on the list," I said. As usual, my list was looking moderately impossible.

"Yeah?" Shelton said in a sarcastic tone. "Where is it on the list? Is it under 'Sneak into an impenetrable prison' or 'Prevent world domination by an insane angel'?"

Bella placed a placating hand on his arm. "Don't be so dramatic, Harry."

Shelton snorted. "I don't know about you all, but I still don't have a clue how we're supposed to get back into Kobol Prison, deactivate the portal-blocking statues, and steal hundreds of cherubs without being detected."

I put an arm around Elyssa's neck and grinned at him. "As luck would have it, we came up with an idea." I told him about Jeremiah's idea of using trolls.

"I could just fart for joy," Shelton said, a noticeable lack of joy in his voice. "So what if we tunnel up into the prison? Won't the place be swarming with nasties?"

"Why should it be?" Elyssa replied. "As far as Daelissa is concerned, the perimeter is impenetrable, so why waste units inside the parts of the prison they don't use?"

"I sure as butt burgers hope you're right." Shelton folded his arms and frowned. "Otherwise, this war is gonna be short and violent."

Chapter 23

Daelissa

Intricate patterns glowed along the surface of the black orb. Daelissa held it up to her eye, barely able to contain the fierce joy threatening to burst from her. "You are certain this is it?"

"It is most definitely from the Shadow Nexus. The Nazdal finally found it in the rubble," Serena replied. She turned to Luna. "Wouldn't you agree, young lady?"

The Exorcist nodded. "We won't know for sure if it will work until we leave the Gloom."

Daelissa giggled. She felt bubbly, full of life. Lingering doubt abruptly weighed down her mood. She had to know for certain it worked lest it completely ruin her mood. "Let us go, then."

"Might I ask what your plans are for the fortress?" Serena waved an arm at their gray-walled surroundings, eyes lingering on the countless apparatus littering the lab.

"There is little use for this place now that we have this." Daelissa clutched the orb in her hand. "How much longer until the remaining troops are in Eden?"

"We have used the ripper to access the Obsidian Arch in Thunder Rock so the Nazdal and ghouls can cross from the Gloom into Eden." Serena consulted a notepad. "Most of the new equipment is in place."

"It is time to return to Eden." Daelissa touched Serena's chin and drew the other woman's gaze up to meet hers. "Once there, I will decide if I am pleased with you."

The short Arcane held Daelissa's gaze for several seconds before looking down. "I understand."

The three women stepped onto a thick flying carpet with Luna at the helm. The Exorcist deftly guided the carpet through the halls and out the back door, taking the carpet high to fly above Bellwood Quarry. Bodies and rubble littered the ground below. Daelissa had incinerated the Templar bodies she'd found, unable to suppress her rage.
Who do these specks think they are? How dare they raise their hands against me, the one who gave them their gifts! Undeserving children, all of them. I will eradicate every betrayer, their families, their loved ones, even their very homes!

"Are you well?" Serena asked, her fingers lightly touching Daelissa's arm.

The Seraphim's lips peeled back in a snarl, but her senses quickly returned since she'd recently fed. "I am weary of this constant struggle." Already her earlier joy had turned to ashes in her mouth. "I wish to go home." She noticed the uncertain look Serena cast at her.

"We will have the way open to Seraphina quite soon, Mistress." Serena offered a smile, though it looked quite frayed at the edges.

Within minutes, they reached the forest surrounding Thunder Rock. Luna guided the carpet down into the gaping hole where a lake once drowned the facility. A large Obsidian Arch occupied the once empty space. Serena had been concerned about anomalies in the ley lines here, but Daelissa had commanded she install the arch no matter the risks.

Daelissa idly ran a hand across her head and felt rough stubble greet her skin. Serena had offered to concoct a potion to speed the regrowth of her blonde locks, but Daelissa refused. Her singed scalp was a reminder just how dangerous Jeremiah Conroy was.
Or should I say, Moses?
Had the Slade boy not interfered, she could have killed her ancient nemesis.

The carpet veered down a long corridor. They passed the entrance to the massive room of artifacts, where strange statues and the arch cubes had been discovered. A little further down and they reached the small room with the Gloom arch inside. Daelissa activated it, and Luna guided the carpet through the portal between the columns, taking them back into Eden.

Daelissa noticed the other women drawing in deep breaths the moment they passed into Eden, as if tasting fresh air despite the confines of the stone walls around them. Luna directed the carpet down the long corridor and back into the main way station.

The massive cavern thundered with activity. Squads of blue-cloaked mages formed neat ranks as a grizzled man with a thick black staff walked up and down the lines, barking commands. A squad of airborne units on sleek broomsticks practiced maneuvers, weaving through stalagmites hanging from the ceiling.

A group of Arcanes in green cloaks organized an army of stone golems. Each craggy creature stood twenty feet high. Their hands resembled sledgehammers, their feet shaped like those of an elephant. Their creators had carved faces into the boulders that served as heads, each one a fierce or gruesome expression intended to strike fear into the heart of the enemy.

"Take us higher," Daelissa told Luna. She wished to see everything.

Across the room from the Arcane forces stood precise rows of vampires clad in crimson diamond fiber armor, built to resist magic and keep sun exposure from weakening them. There were at least a thousand or more of the elite vampire warriors, each performing quick slashes with their swords in perfect sync with the soldiers around them. Even Daelissa had to admit Red Cell, the vampire army, was impressive.

A cluster of disorganized vampires stood nearby, some of them watching the training ritual with awe. Daelissa felt her lip curl with disdain at the sight of the main bulk of the vampire army. Most of them were raw nom recruits with no military training. Many had jumped at the chance for immortality. Maximus had attempted to turn this detritus into a military organization he'd named Blood Rush. Few of these vampiric offal would survive to see anything close to immortality. They would be the cannon fodder used to weaken the Borathen forces before the real army struck.

"Mistress, look," Serena said in a relieved voice. "Look at the rune." She held out her open palm to display the black orb.

Daelissa had almost forgotten about it, such was the curse of her mind. She watched as the inky darkness receded from the surface of the rune, leaving behind a pure alabaster with glowing lines. "It looks like the Cyrinthian Rune."

"Bringing it into Eden has reversed its properties," Luna said. "It should function as intended in the Grand Nexus."

"We are still clearing the husks from the Grand Nexus," Serena said. "As you can imagine, there are more than we have facilities to handle, since it was the focus of the main battle." She sighed. "The Flarks are proving to be quite troublesome. They change shapes so quickly, we cannot contain them. Already, they have killed a dozen workers."

Daelissa raised an eyebrow. "Darkwater was adept at clearing the infestations previously. Are you unable to replicate their success?"

"As you might recall, all available Darkwater Arcanes including those of the Black Robe Brotherhood are stationed at Kobol Prison, per your command." Serena shrugged. "We have had to resort to using untrained vampires. I believe those fools have done more to add to the infestation than to relieve it."

"Do you care if the Flarks and other non-Seraphim husks are destroyed?" Luna asked in a soft voice. Her eyes had a distant look as she watched a squad of Synod Templars perform maneuvers near Red Cell in an obvious attempt to upstage the vampire army while Daelissa watched.

Daelissa watched the Templars for a moment before answering. "I care only about the Seraphim."

"Mistress, we have been able to revive Flarks and human-based husks with the aether pods." Serena cast a sideways glance at Luna. "The Flarks are especially valuable."

"They are delaying us," Luna said. "If we destroy the Flarks, moving the husked Seraphim will be much easier, and speed our access to the Grand Nexus." She nodded at the white orb. "What good is the key if we don't have a door in which to use it?"

"What is your plan?" Daelissa asked.

"It is simple." The Exorcist withdrew an arcphone from her pocket and tapped on the display. "The battle mages helped me modify a flash-concussion spell into what I call the Supernova." A video played, showing a glass sphere the size of a head of cabbage. "When activated, it will create a light so bright, every husk near it will burn out."

"And the Seraphim husks?" Serena asked.

"It will not be enough to harm them." Luna turned off her phone. "They have a much stronger constitution."

Daelissa smiled. "You have my blessing, child."

Luna nodded. "I will do it at once."

Serena didn't look very happy, but said nothing more.

"Take us outside," Daelissa commanded.

The carpet under Luna's guidance shot straight up through the lake-sized hole in the cave roof, past giant barge-shaped levitators working ceaselessly to ferry troops to the surface. They reached the top of the quarry just as a levitator delivered a squad of Blue Cloaks. A long furrow cut through the thick forest, running beneath a gray sky, straight toward the prison.

Hundreds of troops marched toward the prison. Battle mages had disabled the interdiction spells surrounding Thunder Rock since they were no longer necessary. Daelissa itched to end the subterfuge and political games. She loathed dealing with the Overworld Conclave and the mindless buffoons who jockeyed for what they perceived as higher positions.

Luna's arcphone chimed. She looked at it. "It's Cyphanis Rax. Do you wish to speak with him?"

Daelissa felt her lips peel back in disgust.
I must suffer these fools for only a short time longer.
"Very well." She took the phone and regarded the admittedly handsome face of the Arcane leader. "What news on Unity?"

"It is always a pleasure to see you, Daelissa." Rax bowed his head and then turned his confident smile back on her. "The lycans are a serious obstacle. If we change the council rules to allow a supermajority vote instead—"

"As I have said before, such a move would be too costly."

"You have never told me why—"

"Of course not!" Daelissa felt her temper flashing and quelled it with great effort.

"If you would just let me convince Yuria Assad to vote with us to change the rules, we can easily overcome the lycan objections."

Just thinking of the Daemas made her thoughts spring to Daevadius and how he had tricked her time and again. A fresh spark of rage ignited. Extinguishing it proved difficult. "If you convince the lycans, the Daemos will follow."

Rax sighed. "I cannot be effective at my job if you don't allow me, Daelissa."

How dare he act so familiar!
"If one lycan stands in your way, replace him with one that will not."

"Assassination would be too obvious." Rax shrugged as if it were no matter. "Without the Unity Amendment, I won't have control over the Obsidian Arch network. This will make it difficult to transport our forces where we wish and even more difficult to bring the rebels to heel."

Our forces? They are mine, you presumptuous fool!

"Even now, I'm certain Borathen knows why the Grotto and Queens Gate were temporarily shut down." He made a wistful sound. "One vote more and I can change the rules."

"I have made myself clear on the matter." The Daemos would never fall prey to Rax's amateur political maneuvering. Before the man could utter another word, she handed the phone back to Luna. "Switch it off."

Luna did so without hesitation and tucked away the device.

"Return me to Kobol," Daelissa said. "Use your Supernova to clear the Grand Nexus. I wish to see the fair skies of Seraphina before sunset two days hence."

Serena's eyes widened. "Two days?"

Luna nodded. "It will be done."

"Done how?" The short Arcane looked very confused. "There are so many husks there."

The question went unanswered as Luna directed the carpet at top speed for Kobol. Daelissa felt a fierce smile stretch her lips as they passed over rows upon rows of troops below. They reached the prison. A slight tingle ran through her body as they entered the interdiction field cast by Luna's strange device. She rubbed one of the rings on her fingers and drew in a torrent of Brilliance to reassure herself the tokens would allow her to channel as Luna had promised.

While she could not channel at full strength, it wouldn't matter. Anyone without a token to allow channeling or spell casting would be helpless as a nom. Flying carpets patrolled the air above the prison. Hundreds of tents occupied the surrounding terrain. Thousands of troops stood ready around it. If Slade attempted another assault on this place, he would be doomed.

Luna looked up from her phone. "Daelissa, the surprise visit I planned is ready."

The Seraphim felt her lips stretch into a wide smile. "Let those who would betray me enjoy their surprise."
Goodbye, my dear Alysea.

Chapter 24

We're under attack!

The text message on my phone sent a shock of horror through me. "We've got to go to Australia."