Sinister Seraphim of Mine (Overworld Chronicles Book 8) (42 page)

"Which was where?" I had to know what their next target was. Were they moving in response to the attack on the Grotto?

"We never found out. Jeremiah Conroy, or should I say, Ezzek Moore, approached me in our camp. He convinced me now was the time to act. Most of the other lieutenants in my legion are still loyal to me so I gathered them and formulated a plan to take the Obsidian Arch to another destination. Jeremiah told me the Blue Cloaks had already done so."

Elyssa and I exchanged a surprised look. Jeremiah hadn't said a word about that. "The Blue Cloaks defected?"

"Yes. Jeremiah told us he would create a diversion to keep the Synod loyalists busy while we altered our arch destination. We only had to incapacitate Commander Davis, the man the Synod put in charge of my legion." Olson muttered something that sounded like a curse. "My intel officer infiltrated Davis's tent and knocked him out. We went inside and combed the place for documents with information pertaining to our current orders and discovered plans to use a powerful bomb in our next strike." His voice tightened with tension. "Each of the three legion commanders, including Davis, had been given one of these bombs, but we found no information telling us where they were to be used."

Elyssa and I exchanged troubled looks. "Commander, those bombs are like magical nukes."

Olson drew in a sharp breath. "We found Davis's crucible bomb inside his munitions locker. Lieutenant Archer stayed behind with a complement of volunteers to guard our flank and use the bomb as a last resort. The rest of my officers ordered the legion to the arch. As we were marching into the building, all hell broke loose. I saw Archer's people fighting alongside Jeremiah." He made a frustrated sigh. "We opened a portal in the arch. I marched my people through and held it open. I ordered Archer and his men to retreat, but the only reply I received said, 'Too late to run. Make this worth it, old friend.'" Olson went silent for a moment. "I ordered the portal closed. I haven't heard from him since, and I've been unable to reach Jeremiah. I assumed they all died in the battle." Olson's commanding voice betrayed a note of worry. "I tried to contact Commander Borathen but couldn't reach him. One of my people who trained as a recruit in the Borathen Templars had your contact information, Sergeant Borathen."

I suddenly felt really bad about my treatment of Jeremiah. He hadn't been the one to set off the bomb—Lieutenant Archer had done it in a last-ditch effort to let Commander Olson's legion escape.
Why didn't he tell me?

Elyssa's jaw tightened. "Welcome to the Borathen Templars, Commander Olson. I promise we'll make Archer's sacrifice worth it. Where are you now?"

"Jeremiah told us Commander Salazar controlled La Casona, so that's where we are now."

"Are the Blue Cloaks there as well?" she asked.

I heard Olson talking to someone on his end. "Yes. They arrived before us and are waiting at a facility nearby."

Elyssa's forehead wrinkled. "I don't think my father knows about any of this yet."

"I don't think any of us expected events to move so quickly," Olson replied. "Unfortunately, we don't have time to relax either. I need to meet with your father as soon as possible. We'll need Captain Takei of the Blue Cloaks present as well."

I wondered if it was too soon to start feeling optimistic. "At least we stopped the legions from executing their orders on the next target."

Olson blew out a breath. "Unfortunately, we probably only delayed it. An entire order of battle mages, several broods of vampires, and dozens of Nazdal already passed through the Obsidian Arch at the prison. Wherever the target is, they are already there."

"I'll have my father contact you ASAP," Elyssa said. "We'll be in touch."

"I'll be waiting," Olson replied and ended the call.

I felt a smile tugging on my lips. "We just scored two more armies for our side and wiped out two Synod legions, not to mention a horde of other nasties."

Elyssa gripped me in a hug. "I can't believe it. We're turning this around."

Urgency gripped me. "We need to find out what their next target is. Do you think they went to the Grotto?"

She took out her phone. "I'll warn them and let my father know. We need to put everyone on alert. There's no telling what Daelissa has planned."

I pecked her on the lips. "I need to talk with Jeremiah. I yelled at the poor guy, and he wasn't even the one who set off the bomb."

"He really pulled through for us tonight." She shook her head in wonder. "Then again, he is the man who founded the Arcane Council and helped form the Overworld Conclave."

"Men of good conscience answered his call," I said. "But there are too many others who don't care who he is." And I felt like a Class-A douche for yelling at him.

Elyssa went to her father with the good news and the troubling mystery about Daelissa's next attack while I went upstairs. On the way up, I received a text from Katie.
Mission Accomplished. The Grand Nexus is blocked.

I pumped a fist in the air. We had just bought ourselves the time we needed.

Rounding the corner, I heard Jeremiah talking in the war room. Even though he spoke in low tones, my supernatural hearing picked up on the conversation.

"Are you absolutely certain?" Jeremiah asked, his tone troubled.

"Ezzek, I am surprised you would even ask me such a thing," said a baritone voice I knew all too well. It was Underborn, the most notorious assassin in the Overworld. "Vadaemos died by my hand a day after Daelissa's minions released him from his prison. The man was an element of chaos that would have derailed everything."

"Would you not say everything is already off the tracks?" Jeremiah said. "Fjoeruss should have learned by now that the more you try to prevent change, the more change happens."

"This was of my own doing," Underborn replied. "I have, on occasion, allied with Fjoeruss, but we are not in lockstep."

"Then this is very troubling," Jeremiah said. "There are few who could summon such creatures, and fewer still who could maintain control of them."

"I agree. Orionas Assad died long ago at the hands of her own people. There are none besides Vadaemos who would offer their services to Daelissa."

Jeremiah grunted. "What of Aerianas?"

"The daughter of Vadaemos and Orionas? Even if she were still alive, she is far too young." Underborn chuckled. "The girl was adept at manipulating people for her father, but little else."

What are they talking about?
The thought had hardly entered my head when I suddenly knew. The giant scorp, the crawlers, the demon spawn—Vadaemos had nothing to do with any of it. Underborn had killed the Daemos. If it took a very powerful Daemos to summon these creatures, who would have done it for Daelissa?

I entered the room. "Who is capable of summoning those spawn?"

Jeremiah was sitting at the table. A gold ASE hovered in the air in front of him, projecting the face of Underborn. Jeremiah glanced at me, but betrayed no surprise. "I can name only three who could maintain control over so many at once."

"What do you think, Underborn?" I said the name with contempt just to let the man know I hadn't forgotten all the crap he'd put me through.

"It is good to hear your voice, Mr. Slade," the assassin replied. His holographic image turned to face me. "You've performed far better than I ever expected."

I bared my teeth. "Yeah, we should grab brunch sometime and catch up. So, do you agree with Jeremiah?"

"I do indeed," he said. "There are only three with the ability to summon so many scorps, crawlers, and hell hounds, and maintain control over all of them. Daevadius, Vallaena, and Kassallandra." He paused. "But, there is only one who would also have motive to help Daelissa."

My heart turned to lead in my chest. "Kassallandra."

Jeremiah's face turned grim. "I can think of no other it could be."

"If she's helping Daelissa, why would she still want to marry my father?" I asked. "Does she plan to kill him and take over House Slade?"

"I cannot fathom why any Daemos would willingly help Daelissa," Jeremiah said.

"She wants power," I said. "I'm sure Daelissa promised her plenty of it."

Jeremiah shook his head. "Kassallandra would not be so foolish as to believe Daelissa's empty promises. There must be something else."

"I would dearly love to know what it is," Underborn said, sounding as though the prospect entertained him. "If I discover her motives, perhaps I will share them. For now, I must go."

"Wait," I said. "Don't you care about the fate of the world? Daelissa is on the move—"

"I'm aware of what is happening, Mr. Slade. I simply have different objectives." He made an amused sound. "Good day, gentlemen." The ASE blinked off.

I turned on Jeremiah. "I didn't realize you could use an ASE to call your good buddy, Underborn."

He picked up the gold ASE. "He and I have exchanged favors in the past," he replied. "He owed me a small favor. I asked him if he knew where I could find Vadaemos so we could finish the miserable creature off once and for all."

"But Underborn already killed him."

"Indeed." He stood and pocketed the ASE. "If we are to divert catastrophe, we must prevent your father from marrying Kassallandra."

My heart leapt with joy at the prospect. "My pleasure." I sobered quickly. "I know what really happened at Kobol Prison. I spoke with Commander Olson."

"I see."

I lowered my head. "I'm sorry I doubted you, and thank you for all you've done."

"I should have told you what happened, but so much death…" He shook his head as if clearing it. "Even with all I've seen and done, it is never easy to deal with." Jeremiah seemed to steel himself and rose. "We should contact your father."

"Justin?" someone called.

I walked outside the war room and into the main den. Zagg and MacLean were there with frantic looks on their faces.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"We were scouting the school for more people to join the cause," MacLean said. "We heard a commotion coming from Colossus Stadium and took a peek."

Colossus Stadium was a massive outdoor arena where they held sporting events at Arcane University, including a popular tournament known as the Grand Melee where gargantuan golems battled giant robots from Science Academy.

Zagg turned his frightened gaze on me. "There's an Obsidian Arch in the middle of the stadium. The place is full of Daelissa's troops."

"Aye." MacLean's lips curled into a snarl. "We've got an army marching straight at us."

Chapter 38

I asked Zagg to put out a red alert with his phone. Within minutes, everyone gathered in the war room, though it was a much smaller gathering than before. Katie and her group hadn't returned from blocking the portals at the Grand Nexus. Ryland and Stacey were with the lycans, hopefully convincing them to actively join our cause.

"Daelissa has done an end-around," I said.

"This looks more like one of Phoebe's plans," Thomas said. "She must have known that marching an army from Thunder Rock to Kobol Prison wouldn't go unnoticed. She wanted us to know the army's location so we wouldn't be concerned about our position in Queens Gate."

"Justin and I noticed the missing arch cubes when we revisited the artifact room." Elyssa seemed angry with herself. "I should have known they were planning something like this."

"Why grow an Obsidian Arch at the university?" I asked.

"It's no longer a secret the mansion is your headquarters," Thomas said. "If Kassus knew where you were when he was with Darkwater, it's a surety Daelissa found out. But the mansion is on top of a mountain. Marching an army here would be a logistical nightmare."

"Putting an arch in Colossus Stadium just to attack the mansion seems like a waste," Elyssa said.

"Arcane University is of vital strategic importance," Thomas replied. "It's a perfect place to train and stage troops without drawing attention from the noms."

"Can we send our own troops through the same arch?" Zagg asked.

Thomas shook his head. "We'd require control of the modulus. Otherwise, there's no way to target it as a destination since it's not on the world map in any of the arch control stations."

"One thing is painfully clear," Jeremiah said, a hint of sadness in his voice. "Our army is not here to counter hers. We should evacuate."

My breath hitched in my throat as the weight of his words hit me. The mansion had been abandoned and lifeless when Lina Romero showed it to me. It had been a safe haven from Daelissa's minions during my short stint at Arcane University. Shelton and Bella had been among the first of my extended family to start living here. Mom and Ivy lived just down the hall from them. We'd celebrated Christmas within these walls and fought to defend this place from Kassus and the Black Robe Brotherhood.

The mansion was no longer just a place or a roof over my head. It had grown into something far more significant than that.

This is my home.

And we had no choice but to leave it.

I felt a hand squeeze mine and saw my pain reflected in Elyssa's eyes.

"I don't want to go, but we have to," she said in a soft sad voice.

"What about all our stuff?" It was a stupid question. We could replace everything, even the collage of pictures Elyssa had made and hung on the wall during our first few days here to make the place feel less scary.

I caught Shelton and Bella looking at each other with dismay and knew they had to be thinking the same thing. Somehow, I found my voice. "We need to be out of here in five minutes. Pack what you can. Destroy anything the enemy might find useful."

Thomas nodded his head. "Agreed. I suggest we evacuate everyone to El Dorado. Since there's no Obsidian Arch there, it's unlikely Daelissa could quickly mount an offensive, and the dragons should also discourage them from an attack."

I clapped my hands together. "Let's do this, people."

Elyssa and I ran upstairs and into our room. We grabbed our duffel bags and threw in as many clothes as possible. I grabbed a picture from the nightstand. It showed me and Elyssa kissing after our first date night in the Grotto. Both our bags were bursting full when we raced from the room and downstairs. I spotted Bella and Shelton following us with their own bulging suitcases.