A handsome woman with long black hair and a haughty tilt to her head acknowledged me with the barest of nods. She extended her hand as a queen might to a subject. "A pleasure."

  Her imperious British accent rankled me, but I forced a smile, gripped her hand, and shook it vigorously. "Nice to meet you."

  Her eyes flared and for a moment, I thought she might yell at me.

  Victus wrapped an arm around her waist. "We were hoping we might speak with you in private later."

  "Absolutely not!" The other Arcane slipped in between them and me. "I must insist that any conversation regarding the Arcane Council take place with me present."

  I was about to ask him who he was when a slap on my shoulder jolted me forward.

  "Justin, lad!" McCloud appeared from behind me and gripped my hand. "Good to see you again." A Scottish brogue thickened his words. "We're having a lively political discussion." He shuddered.

  "Justin Slade?" The tall pale man offered me a curt bow. "I am Komad Rashad, executor of the Red Syndicate—"

  "The bloody vampires want back in," McCloud interrupted. "Just in case you didn't recognize him for what he is."

  I blinked back confusion. This was the vampire head honcho? "What happened to Otto Strassman?"

  "Our former leader was relieved of his position." Komad offered an unsettling smile.

  I didn't need to guess what he meant by that.

  "Doesn't matter who's in charge of the vamps," McCloud said. "You betrayed us once, and you'll do it again." He pounded a large fist against the table. "The vampires have no loyalty but to themselves."

  "It comes as no surprise a lycan would say such a thing." Komad's calm words slithered around the accusation.

  The other Arcane tugged on my shoulder, drawing my attention back to him. "Mr. Slade, my name is Evan Farnsworth and I'm also running for Arcanus Primus." He jabbed a finger toward Victus. "This man would have you believe he's the best qualified—"

  "Farnsworth, I'm certain we could arrange for a civilized meeting, but now is not the time to hound Justin." Victus shook his head slowly. "I believe we are here to discuss an issue more pressing than politics."

  "Nothing is more pressing than politics with you, sir," Evan shot back.

  "You would do well to remain quiet," Delectra said in a calm tone.

  "What stake do the vampires have in this discussion?" McCloud said before Evan could retort. "For all we know, they're behind these anti-magic attacks."

  A sensuous, burning odor tickled my nose. I whipped around as Kassallandra Assad strode purposefully into the room. Her flaming locks hung across milky white shoulders bared by her low-cut glittering red dress. Sensuous lips curved into a small smile when our eyes met. She bowed. "A pleasure, Kohvaniss."

  I'd hoped to permanently shelve all the Daemos social niceties, but it looked like I was back in the thick of things. It's like I never left. I bowed to her. "The pleasure is all mine, Maedras Kassallandra Assad."

  She took my hands and kissed me on both cheeks. "House Assad stands ever ready to aid."

  "Thank you, Maedras." I waved a hand around the room and introduced everyone, including those I'd just met.

  Kassallandra simply nodded and said, "A pleasure," as they greeted her.

  Delectra seemed none too pleased to have another woman in the room as snooty as her. I didn't know much about Victus's wife, but she certainly hadn't made a good first impression. Kassallandra and I had a history rougher than Colin McCloud's mutton chops, but after I'd saved her life from Aerianas, another crazy Daemas, she'd been the first to acknowledge me as Kohvaniss—supreme devourer of all souls. It wasn't something I'd put on a resume.

  "It is good to see the Templar Clarion," Kassallandra said to Nightliss. "I had heard you took a leave of absence."

  Nightliss offered her a small smile. "It is no small thing to fight a war, and harder still to recover from the toll on one's body and mind."

  "Wise words indeed," Kassallandra replied. "I should enjoy a holiday as well, but fear the houses of Daemos would not afford me the leisure."

  Thomas, who'd withdrawn into a corner to speak with Elyssa, finally took back the reins by knocking on the conference table. "Now that everyone is here, let's proceed." He turned to Elyssa. "You have the floor, Templar."

  "Thank you, Commander." Elyssa gave everyone a moment to find seats before continuing. "We have disabled five crystoids."

  McCloud grinned and slapped the table. "Bloody good work!"

  "Remarkable," Komad said.

  I watched his face for signs of disappointment, but his poker face revealed nothing. Delectra narrowed her eyes and looked at Victus. His shoulders stiffened, but he maintained his affable smile.

  "I am pleased to hear this," Kassallandra said. "Is there a plan to quickly disable the rest?"

  Elyssa's eyes paused on Delectra, and I wondered if she'd seen her reaction as well. "We're working on a way to bypass the various nom military forces that control the other crystoids. Unfortunately, it will be a slow process."

  "Might I ask how you disabled the crystoids?" Victus asked.

  "Channeled Stasis renders them inert," Elyssa replied.

  "Ah, the third element of aether," Victus said. "The other two are Brilliance—destruction—and Murk—creation."

  He apparently didn't know about Clarity.

  If he was looking for a gold star from Elyssa, she wasn't handing them out. "Correct."

  "How did you channel magic without aether?" Delectra asked.

  "The crystoids emit a beam of aether." Elyssa said. "We intercepted the aether beam with an omniarch portal and used it to channel magic."

  "Ingenious." Victus turned toward me. "It's no wonder you defeated Daelissa."

  Nightliss's eyes went hard at the mention of her dead sister.

  I wasn't quite ready to take his compliments, especially since they reeked of politics.

  Evan glared at the other man. "I'm sure we can agree that Mr. Slade is quick on his feet without the brown-nosing."

  Delectra turned a fierce gaze on Evan. "Perhaps you should learn to detect a genuine compliment when you hear one."

  Evan pshawed. "Genuine? More like—"

  "That's enough." Elyssa's steely voice quieted them. She displayed the crystoid map. "As you can see, we have a monumental task ahead of us." Next, Elyssa showed them the video footage from the ASE that went into Seraphina. The big reveal about Cephus brought a round of concerned looks.

  I was going to remind her to tell them about the robot attacks, but everyone began to speak at once.

  McCloud pounded a fist on the table. "We win a war, and yet Eden is once again besieged by the Seraphim." He leaned forward. "We need to end this threat once and for all."

  "First, we have to disable the crystoids here," Elyssa said. "We have to ensure the health of Eden before embarking to another realm."

  Victus raised a hand and spoke. "Might I ask how you propose to compromise nom security around the other crystoids without magic?"

  "We're still working on it," she replied. "Omniarch portals would offer the easiest way, but without a clear picture of the crystoid from a position directly in its aether beam, we can't open portals."

  "Nor can you send ASEs," Evan said. "I suppose using nom aircraft is out of the question."

  "We'd likely be shot down on sight," Elyssa said. "We've also received news that some nom governments are enclosing the crystoids in concrete domes."

  "A reaction to reports that several exploded?" Victus asked.

  She nodded.

  "I have other troubling news," Evan said. "According to some of my best researchers, the affected ley lines will be permanently damaged within a month." His mouth set in a grim line, he delivered the kicker. "Magic in Eden will be no more."

  Chapter 16

  Delectra didn't seem convinced by his dire prognosis. "Won't the ley lines simply refill with aether once the crystoids are gone?" She gave him a disbelieving look. "After all, a dry riverbed can still sustain a river once the water returns."

  "Your analogy is not quite on point." Evan seemed to repress a smug smile and turned to Elyssa. "When the organisms in soil die, vegetation can no longer thrive. This is why enemies would salt the earth of the conquered."

  "Are you saying these crystoids are like someone salted the earth?" I asked.

  He nodded. "The lack of aether is killing the ley worms." He steepled his fingers. "No doubt many of you have at some point seen Altash and the smaller ley worms in El Dorado."

  "Aye, I've seen them before." McCloud's grew troubled. "Are they dead?"

  I shook my head. "No, we've managed to preserve them."

  Evan raised an eyebrow. "Interesting. Unfortunately, the ley worms in El Dorado are but a small sample of the creatures that keep the magical ecosystem in Eden healthy. The vast majority are, no doubt, dying like fish out of water."

  His warning sounded much like Meghan's theory. "You think this aetherial annihilation will kill the earth dragons within a month?" I asked.

  He nodded. "We discovered several smaller ley worms in Thunder Rock. One of them appeared dead. The other two were alive, but slumbering."

  "They should recover now that the Atlanta crystoid is gone," I said.

  "There are ley worms in other realms," Delectra said. "Even if we lose many of the ones here, I'm certain we could import others."

  "They're sentient creatures," Elyssa said. "I doubt they'll move here at our request."

  "Let's call them what they really are," I said. "They're earth dragons, and they're far older and probably far smarter than anyone here."

  Even Kassallandra didn't argue that point.

  Thomas broke his silence. "The reason I called you here today is to gain cooperation for a common cause."

  "It would seem to be more of an Arcane problem," Komad said. "The vampires have no stake in this."

  McCloud made a spitting sound. "Spoken like a true vampire. The lycans don't use magic, but we're ready to assist in any way we can."

  "As are the Daemos," Kassallandra said.

  Victus tossed his hat into the ring before Evan could. "Science Academy and the Arcane Council are, of course, committed to doing whatever it takes to solve the crisis."

  "Despite my disagreements with Victus over who should lead the Arcane Council, I agree with him there," Evan said. "But, I'd like to point out why the vampires have a major stake in this fight."

  Komad regarded him coolly. "My interest is piqued, Mr. Farnsworth."

  Evan leaned his elbows on the conference table. "When Daelissa was the Templar Divinity, she used her powers to 'bless'"—he wiggled his fingers like air quotes—"Templars. During the original reign of the Seraphim, they also used a similar method to create the original vampires." He looked at Nightliss. "As the Clarion, you now grant Templars and others the blessings of supernatural strength and longevity."

  She nodded. "I plant a seed of power within a person to enhance that which they already possess."

  "All very interesting," Komad said, "but vampires do not use magic."

  "You don't actively use it, but at your very core is an ancient enchantment." Evan nodded toward Elyssa. "The same goes for the Templars. Picture it like concentrated magic at the core of your supernatural identity."

  Delectra's eyes widened. "An enchantment will eventually expire if there is no aether to sustain it."

  "Precisely." Evan gave that a moment to sink in. "Without magic, vampires will either die or revert to normal humans and Templars will lose their supernatural strength and other gifts."

  "What about lycans?" McCloud said.

  Evan shrugged. "Lycans are a natural magical product of Eden. It's possible you'd lose your ability to shapeshift." He turned to Kassallandra. "I don't know much about Daemos, but I'm certain your shifting and feeding abilities would be affected as well. Without magic, we would lose our connection to the other realms permanently." He waggled a hand in a so-so manner. "On the bright side, there would be no more demon possessions."

  Kassallandra's lips peeled back from her teeth with distaste. "Mr. Farnsworth has made it quite clear that the Overworld as a whole must invest in a solution. Otherwise, we supernaturals will cease to exist and noms will rule Eden."

  Her statement cast a pall over the room.

  Komad's forehead furrowed—the first sign of distress he'd shown. For a long moment, he stared at the table, then finally spoke. "The Red Syndicate stands ready to serve."

  No one cheered.

  Though we still didn't have a plan, at least we had everyone on board. Despite converting the vampires to the cause, I knew better than to celebrate. As I turned back toward Elyssa, I caught a meaningful look from Evan. He gave me a brief nod. Victus and Delectra caught it too. Evan had just proven he could be an asset. So far, Victus hadn't done much except try to sell me snake oil.

  Though I was still a baby by Overworld age standards, some people regarded me as a hero. If I endorsed someone for a particular office, they would almost certainly get the votes they needed. On the other hand, if I publicly announced that I really liked Komad, his people would probably kill him. The vampires bore me all the ill will of a conquered nation. I might have won the favor of young vampires compelled into fighting, but those in power might still despise Komad's decision to ally with me, no matter the cause.

  I thought back to an earlier discussion about the vampires and decided now was a good time to find out. "Are the ancients back in control of the Red Syndicate?"

  Komad shook his head. "They have no interest in the affairs of modern vampires. The only being they revered was Daelissa, for she gave them their powers."

  "The goddess of the ancient vampires is dead," McCloud said, a troubled look on his face. "Perhaps they will be more dangerous now than ever."

  Komad didn't offer an opinion. Instead, he turned to me. "As I said, the Red Syndicate will join in your cause."

  "A wise decision," Kassallandra finally said, since no one else offered encouragement. She turned to Elyssa. "How should we proceed?"

  "Am I right to assume your organizations have contacts within nom governments?" Elyssa asked.

  "Aye, but not many," McCloud said. He nodded toward Komad. "I know for a fact the vampires have plenty."

  "I'll be more than happy to use our contacts," Victus said quickly.

  "As will I," Evan added.

  I looked at Kassallandra and raised an eyebrow. "My father told me the Daemos do as well."

  She seemed reluctant to answer, but finally relented. "Yes, but I will have to speak with the other house heads for a better assessment."

  "We might be able to use those contacts to get images of the crystoids so we can open portals." Elyssa waved a hand toward the holographic map. "I can give everyone a list of the nations involved, then meet again tomorrow to discuss our potential reach."

  Komad shook his head. "That doesn't give me much time."

  "Agreed," Kassallandra said. "It could take several days to find the information."

  "Share with the others in your organizations what we've learned here today." Elyssa gave them both stern looks. "If we don't act fast, magic in Eden is finished."

  I pounded a fist on the table. "Aetherial annihilation."

  My melodramatic demonstration elicited hesitant nods from Kassallandra and Komad.

  "I will do what I can," Kassallandra said.

  Komad sighed. "As will I."

  "Let's adjourn until ten tomorrow morning," Elyssa said. "Send me whatever images or information you can in the meantime. If any of it is actionable, we'll get right on it."

  The meeting broke up and I noticed Victus and Evan dithering nearby, casting furtive glances at me. They obviously wanted a word.

  "Might I speak to you in private?" Kassallandra was never one to beat around the bush when she wanted something.

  "Sure." I motioned toward the hallway.

  "I'd also like a moment when you're done," Victus said.

  "Me too," Evan added.

  McCloud snorted, obviously finding the whole thing amusing. He walked around the table and slapped me on the back. "Being important is quite the bother, eh?"

  I smiled and shrugged. "Thanks for coming, McCloud."

  "Aye, my pleasure." He tipped his head at the others and left.

  I went into the hallway with Kassallandra and walked to an adjacent conference room. Once inside, I closed the door. "How can I help you?"

  "Why hasn't your father taken a more active role in house politics?" she asked bluntly.

  I sensed her frustration and saw it plain on her face. "I think he's happy letting you take over. Wasn't that what you wanted?"

  She frowned. "If we had married, it was to be a joint effort."

  "That's not how I remember it." I pressed on without waiting for a reply. "You threatened to throw your support to Daelissa if he didn't marry you. By combining the two most powerful houses of Daemos, you planned to rule them all." I held out my hands in a what gives? gesture. "Isn't that what you wanted?"

  Kassallandra's frown deepened, marring her beautiful face. Finally, she huffed. "Yes, it is precisely what I wanted, but now that I have it, I must admit it's very difficult controlling everything on my own. Every house has a mind of its own, and the house heads have insufferable egos I must deal with."

  I tried not to laugh, really I did, but it burst out. "Coming from you, that's a rather ironic statement."

  "Do not mock me," she hissed.

  I stiffened. "I'm calling it like I see it, Kassallandra. As the noms say, be careful what you wish for—you just might get it."

  She threw up her hands. "I would kill Yuuki Wakahisa with a blunt object if her murder brought me no consequence." Her red eyes blazed. "And Godric Salomon would be next."

  "I wouldn't blame you one bit if you did." I held up a hand. "That's not permission from the Kohvaniss to start killing other Daemos leaders just because you hate them."

  Kassallandra looked down, for once appearing almost humble. "Please speak with your father about helping me."

  I almost felt sorry for her. Almost. "This is what you've always wanted. I'm certain my father is happy to let you lead and most likely won't interfere unless you really mess up." I shrugged. "I'll tell him, but no promises."

 

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