Sinister Seraphim of Mine (Overworld Chronicles Book 8) Read online

  Daelissa blessed Exorcists, though not usually with physical enhancements since most of them possessed Arcane talents. This woman's physical abilities could be improved no further, but her talented mind was another story.

  Daelissa bestowed the blessing. Before she withdrew from the woman's mind, Daelissa sensed something familiar. I have touched this woman's mind before. She suddenly remembered why. A satisfied smile curled her lips. Oh, irony, how I love thee.

  The woman drew in a long breath as if tasting fresh air for the first time. "Thank you, Mistress."

  Daelissa cupped the woman's chin and pulled her to her feet. She peered into the woman's glowing white eyes, an aftereffect of the Blessing which would fade with time. "You can thank me by dragging this rotting corpse of an order into the present time. Montjoy will serve you. If he does not accede to your every whim, let me know."

  "Yes, Mistress," the woman said, eagerness brightening her eyes.

  "What is your name?"

  "I am Luna."

  Daelissa graced her with a benevolent smile. "Prove your worthiness to me, child. Show me my faith in you is not misplaced."

  The new Exorcist leader bowed. "I will create a new strategic plan and present it to you forthwith, Mistress."

  Daelissa turned without another word, boarding her flying carpet, and directing it up out of the quarry pit. It was time to kill an old friend, and an even older enemy.

  Chapter 2

  "We need all the warm bodies we can get," I said to Elyssa as she followed me downstairs to the mansion cellar.

  My girlfriend grabbed my arm and wrenched me around. "We can't trust him." She pointed to a bracelet on her wrist. A gem in the middle glowed blue. "See? My even my bracelet agrees."

  I raised an eyebrow. "Say what?"

  "It's my prediction bracelet." She touched the gem. "When it glows blue, it means we're making a bad decision."

  It took me a moment to realize I'd seen this bracelet before. "You've worn that thing plenty of times right when I was in the process of making awful decisions and you never said anything." I crossed my arms. "In fact, you were wearing it when I took us to that Indian restaurant and that spicy curry made us—"

  She threw up a hand to stop me. "Please don't say another word."

  I chuckled and nodded my head toward her magic bracelet. "What does it really do?"

  She sighed. "It's a mood bracelet."

  "And blue means what?"

  "I don't remember." Elyssa poked the gem. "I think it means I'm feeling feisty."

  I snorted. "That would be all the time."

  She crossed her arms. "This is still a bad idea."

  I took out my arcphone and showed her the numbers on the screen. "When Cinder showed me this, I almost had a heart attack. We've been wasting too much time reacting to Daelissa, and not enough time proacting."

  She rolled her eyes. "That's not a real word."

  I resumed walking down the stairs. "You know what I mean. We need to recruit more allies or we're screwed. We need Jeremiah Conroy."

  Elyssa sighed. "I'll admit the numbers are a little scary—"

  "A little scary?" I scrunched my forehead. "The forces of darkness have five times the number of supernatural allies we do, not counting their secret agents in the nom government."

  "You're not being proactive. You're being stupid," she said.

  I reached the bottom landing just as her words hit me, and turned to face her. "Ouch. I can't believe you just said that." I touched her bracelet. "If I was wearing this, it would turn dark blue."

  "Dark blue?"

  I gave her a hurt look. "It means you're about to make me cry."

  She sighed. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean it. I just think you're being a little reactionary."

  "Proactionary," I corrected her.

  "Still not a word," she said defiantly.

  I held out a hand. "Can I have the picture, please?"

  "Maybe we should bring your mother." Elyssa took my hand. "Please?"

  "You're just saying that because she's in Australia and you know I'd have to wait." The Templar legion there hadn't sided with the Synod or Borathen Templars, but Down Under had been getting more than its fair share of supernatural action lately. Elyssa hoped my mom could woo their support.

  "Of course I do." She frowned. "Let's wait for them to come back."

  I took out my phone and scrolled through the pictures. "Never mind. I think I still have the picture of the hallway."

  "Fine," she growled, and handed me her phone. On it was the picture of a bedroom. Stuffed animals covered the four-poster bed, and the walls were pink. It was obviously a girl's bedroom. More specifically, it was my sister's old room at Jeremiah Conroy's mansion.

  I stepped through the door at the bottom of the stairs and into the chamber deep beneath our mansion near Arcane University. In the center of the room stood a black arch bordered by a band of silver. An adult elephant might be able to squeeze through it, should such an animal somehow find its way down here.

  Stranger things have happened.

  We stepped inside the silver circle. Pressing a finger to it, I willed it closed, stood, and focused on the image in the picture. A shimmering portal appeared within the arch. It was like looking through a window at the precise location in the picture. Elyssa and I stepped through the gateway and into Ivy's former bedroom.

  "Where's his office?" I asked. Elyssa and Ivy had visited Jeremiah only a couple days ago while trying to rescue me from the Gloom. The old man had told her I was destined to go to the shadow dimension and make a choice, which would affect everything. He'd been right. I'd had to make a choice between the light, the dark, and the gray. After overanalyzing my choices, I'd finally decided to go with all of the above.

  Thankfully, the universe hadn't immediately imploded.

  "Follow me," Elyssa said. Her hands reached back and touched the hilts of her sai swords where they protruded diagonally above her shoulders, as if seeking some reassurance from them.

  We stepped into the hallway. To the left, the door to the master bedroom hung open. I peeked inside, glancing around to make sure nobody was in there. Elyssa waited at the top of the master staircase. The last time I'd been here, she and I had sneaked around the house in search of Ivy. It felt strange to be walking around like we owned the place. I sniffed the air. "Do you smell something?"

  Her nostrils wrinkled. "Smells like someone left on the oven."

  "Didn't he have guards last time?" I asked, looking over the balustrade at the floor below. With my newfound powers I wasn't terribly afraid of confronting guards, but knowing I wouldn't have to bitch slap anyone for getting in my way made me feel a little better.

  "He didn't have guards when I came with Ivy," Elyssa said. She headed down the stairs and stopped at the bottom, pinching her nose. "I found the source of your odor."

  A human skeleton lay amidst a pile of ashes. I backed away in horror. "Maybe Jeremiah fired him?"

  She gave me a troubled look. "Can't you be serious? Something is terribly—" She held up a hand. "Listen."

  The sound of a female voice echoed down the hallway. Against my better judgment, we crept toward the talking. It appeared to emanate from a room halfway down the corridor.

  "I feel as if I have not rewarded you enough for being my most loyal and faithful servant," said the woman in icy cold tones.

  Daelissa!

  Elyssa's wide eyes met my gaze.

  My knees went weak as I scoured the hallway for someplace to hide. Anything, a closet, a blanket, or a fortress of couch cushions would work. Elyssa flattened against the wall on the same side of the hallway as the room, and frantically motioned me to do the same.

  "Don't waste my time with this passive-aggressive nonsense," Jeremiah said with southern flair. "I can tell you're madder than a mule with a mouthful of bumblebees. Perhaps you can tell me why."

  Daelissa laughed, but there was no warmth to it. If anything, it seemed to suck the heat from the air. "When we first met, I wondered how anyone could be so confident and unafraid when facing me, no matter how powerful an Arcane they might be."

  "Confidence is hardly based on power alone," Jeremiah replied.

  "No, it is not." She paused. "I cannot believe I did not see it all these years. You are obviously stronger than you led me to believe."

  Elyssa pointed to an intersecting hallway just across from us and crept to it. Despite my uneasiness, I followed. Once there, I ducked and peered around the corner. From this new vantage point, we could see inside the office. Daelissa's back was to the entry.

  Jeremiah stood calmly on the other side of the desk. "You're fishing for something, but I'm not biting the lure."

  Daelissa's fists tightened. "I have already caught the fish. What I am determining now is how to cook it."

  A smile creased the Arcane's lips. He removed his top hat and set it on the desk. "I see." Gone was his southern accent, replaced by a flat tone. The gray in his hair melted away to black. His skin changed from fair and wrinkled to olive and smooth.

  My stomach clenched. Elyssa and I had seen Jeremiah looking like this the last time we'd sneaked inside his mansion. At the time, I'd been too scared to stick around and investigate.

  Jeremiah raised a dark eyebrow. "How, may I ask, did you discover my secret?"

  "One of Montjoy's people," Daelissa said, her voice growing quiet. She backed away a step. Her shoulders began to shake. "Even though I see you revealed with my own eyes, I cannot believe it."

  I felt my jaw drop. She's crying! She wasn't the only one having trouble believing something.

  "I'm surprised by your reaction," Jeremiah said.

  "You are my oldest enemy," the angel said, wiping her face. "But Jeremiah Conroy was also a trusted frie
nd. There are not many in this world I view as equals or trust so implicitly." She sucked in a deep breath. "Why this deception? Why go through the motions for so many years? Why did you do this to me?" Her last question was a desperate wail.

  "Because you killed my Thesha," Jeremiah said in a harsh whisper. "You annihilated my people. You Seraphim nearly destroyed my world." His eyes narrowed to slits. "Vengeance consumed me. I could think of only one way to repay the Seraphim for their misdeeds."

  "I will give you no such chance," Daelissa said, raising a hand. "Jeremiah Conroy, my friend, is dead. My enemy is arisen from the grave." She tilted her head. "What name shall I put on your tombstone? Jeremiah Conroy? Moses?"

  Jeremiah's face shifted again to one even I was familiar with. "Perhaps you could inscribe Ezzek Moore on my tomb."

  Ezzek Moore? The Founder of the Arcane Council? I almost keeled over in surprise. Elyssa's hand tightened on my shoulder.

  Daelissa staggered back. "Ezzek?" Grief wrenched her voice. "Have you done nothing in your vile life but deceive me?" Her voice rose to a shout. "Ezzek swore he loved me! He protected me during a time of need. Even after he abandoned me, my heart still longed for him. No other man could come so close to being my equal." A pulsating orb the size of a marble formed in her hand. "Your vengeance is complete, Moses. You have shattered my heart!"

  An almost evil smile spread across Ezzek's face. "You attempted to use me in your scheme to repair the Grand Nexus." He shuddered. "Do you know how much I loathed having to be with you? Every vile kiss was an affront to my Thesha. I rationalized that it would all be worth it someday."

  "Celebrate this day," Daelissa said. "Your mission is complete, and I will reunite you with your dead wife." She held up her hand as if to blow a kiss. "Goodbye."

  The burning orb floated through the air like a dandelion seed. Jeremiah never moved. He simply smiled as the deadly sphere touched his forehead—and went right through it. He vanished in a puff of aetherial mist.

  Daelissa shrieked. "You will not escape me, betrayer!"

  "I never intended to," Jeremiah said.

  I glanced right and saw him standing in the hallway Elyssa and I had used. His eyes narrowed on us. He made a slashing motion, as if shooing us away. Elyssa hauled me backwards just as a deafening scream shattered the air. A bolt of Brilliance lanced down the hallway toward Jeremiah's position. An explosion shook the walls. Pictures tumbled to the floor, shattering. Cracks ran down the marble floor and up the drywall.

  "Shiznit just got real," I said. "Let's help Jeremiah."

  "Are you crazy? We'll be crushed between them." Elyssa grabbed my arm and ran down the hallway. She took a left. We ran through a kitchen filled with industrial stainless steel appliances and out a side door. Something with a huge head and a mouth full of razor teeth lunged from a bush. Hair bristled like porcupine quills from its scalp. It stood about four feet tall, but looked stocky enough to stop a speeding truck.

  Elyssa flipped backwards. I threw up a shield of Murk as the humanoid I now recognized as one of the trolls Jeremiah used to guard his residence roared and bit at the ultraviolet barrier.

  "We come in peace!" I shouted.

  It seemed to realize it couldn't punch through the barrier and backed off. It made a god-awful whimpering sound I thought meant I'd hurt it. Bushes and trees rustled as more of the short creatures appeared.

  "Oh no," Elyssa whispered. Her blades sang as they came free of their sheaths. "I don't think these will hurt them much."

  "No, but this will," I said, drawing upon Brilliance and forming twin swords in my hands while dropping the shield.

  The trolls looked at each other, their thick, gnarled hands tightening into fists. I counted about nine of the stubby buggers. Judging from the quick reaction of the first troll, I knew they were a lot faster than they looked.

  "Justin, I just thought of something," Elyssa said.

  A plume of Brilliance blew a hole through the roof of the house. Chunks of adobe shingles and wood rained down on the driveway. Windows shattered, and the ground shook.

  "What is it?" I said, wondering if it might be a better idea to run back inside and help Jeremiah fight Daelissa instead of taking on trolls.

  "If Jeremiah is really Moses, that would mean he's a good guy right?"

  I shrugged. "Are we talking about the guy from the Old Testament, or the man who brainwashed my sister and tried to kill me?"

  "Both? I guess?" Elyssa still looked as shocked as I felt from finding out the man I used to think was my grandfather was actually one of the original biblical ass-kickers himself.

  "Since he's trying to kill Daelissa right now, I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt and go with good." Personally, I still bore a lot of anger toward the man, but now was not the time to air those grievances.

  "Agreed." She assumed a defensive stance next to me. "He has some kind of friendly relationship with leyworms, too."

  I nodded. I'd seen the man pet one of the leviathan dragons like a dog once.

  "Would you characterize the leyworms as good or bad?"

  The leyworms, aka earth dragons, had been mostly friendly to us. They were reviving husked angels and letting us take care of them. "I'll go with good." The trolls began to advance. "What's your point?"

  She nodded at the hairy creatures. "Maybe the trolls aren't bad either."

  I would have shot her a shocked look if the trolls hadn't been so close. "Since when are trolls good? Don't they like eating poor billy goats who only want to cross bridges?"

  "You wanted allies against Daelissa right?" Elyssa feinted at a troll who'd come too close for comfort. The creature jumped back, growling. "Maybe the trolls could be allies if we don't kill them."

  The entire front end of the house exploded in a burst of brilliant light. Jeremiah flew backwards in a spray of debris, an azure shield sparking around him. He whirled his staff and his backward momentum stopped. With a graceful twist, he landed on his feet, shouted a word I didn't understand, and planted his staff in the ground. The air formed a mirror in front of him just in time to intercept another beam of brilliant white. It reflected the destructive energy back at the mansion and sheared off a section of the garage.

  Neat trick! I had to incorporate that into my shields.

  Thankfully, the trolls seemed just as distracted with the battle as I was. "We're with Jeremiah," I said to them.

  One troll with three nubby horns on its temples and forehead narrowed its huge black eyes in suspicion.

  "We're with Moses," I said. I dissipated my energy swords and showed them my empty hands. "We come in peace."

  The other trolls growled and advanced.

  "I'm Ivy's brother, Justin," I said. "I'm the Cataclyst." I really hated to play the whole, "I'm kind of a big deal" card, but with the battle going on behind me, and the possibility I might have to kill potential allies, I didn't have a lot of time.

  At this, the horned troll made a confused noise. His comrades looked shocked and disappointed, each one chiming in with growls, snapping teeth, and noises which made it sound like they'd really wanted to tear me apart. After all, spending most of the time hiding in a bush while waiting to gobble up intruders was probably really boring.

  "Daelissa is trying to kill Jeremiah," I said. "We need to help him."

  The troll leader roared, displaying a mouth big enough to swallow a dog. They moved toward Jeremiah's position as Daelissa's attacks pummeled his mirror defense.

  Jeremiah looked over at us. He made some awful growling noises and shook his head. The troll leader replied with snapping teeth, but Jeremiah seemed to override him with the kind of bellow usually reserved for someone passing kidney stones.

  The troll leader gave me a long look before bending over and burrowing into the ground faster than a cartoon rabbit. The last thing I saw was his hairy rear end. The rest of his posse followed.

  "You need help!" I shouted at the stubborn Arcane.

  "Leave, boy," Jeremiah said through clenched teeth. "This is my battle to win or lose."

  "You're a fool," I shouted. "We need you."

  His magical mirror shattered. I threw up a shield of Murk around me and Elyssa to protect us from the pieces. Jeremiah threw up his hands and thrust them forward. Something sparkled in the sky above. He flipped sideways to avoid another bolt of Brilliance. The distant object in the sky streaked earthward, trailing blue flames in its wake. Jeremiah dodged more attacks, each one closer than the last, as if taunting Daelissa.