Wicked War of Mine (Overworld Chronicles Book 9) Page 22

  Elyssa gave the woman an apologetic look. "I'm sorry, Leanne, I didn't mean to startle you."

  Leanne took a deep breath. "It's okay. I was so engrossed in examining this sword I didn't hear you approaching."

  "Have you discovered anything so far?"

  She nodded and consulted her tablet. "It appears to be made from steel like any other sword, but the forging process turns it translucent and makes it incredibly strong."

  I took the sword off the table and hefted it. The handle was wrapped with soft leather. When I ran a finger along the flat of the glowing blade, it felt like warm metal. "Is that why it breaks ordinary swords?"

  "May I?" Leanne held out a hand.

  I transferred the handle to her.

  She walked to a bar of steel secured between two clamps. Using both hands, she swung the sword. It flashed when it struck the bar. Tiny white scars glowed in the stricken metal. She pointed to the marks. "The sword discharges destructive energy when it hits. As you can tell, it stressed and weakened the metal here."

  Elyssa ran a finger over the damaged material "We need a counter."

  "I don't know what to tell you," Leanne said. "Only diamond fiber could resist this kind of energy output, and we couldn't possibly forge enough swords out of it anyway."

  Kanaan inspected the steel bar. "When something is struck"—he slapped the heel of his hand into the other palm—"it absorbs the energy of the strike." In one precise blow, he karate-chopped the steel bar where the sword had weakened it, snapping the metal like a twig. "If an object cannot absorb the energy, it breaks."

  I almost called him Captain Obvious, but decided now was a good time to listen and not speak.

  He took the sword and looked at the blade. "This sword's strength comes from its ability to absorb great amounts of energy." He held it to Elyssa. "Please hold this out for me."

  She took it and held it in a defensive position. "I'm ready."

  Kanaan removed the lower half of the steel bar from the clamp. He swung it and delivered a vicious blow to the sword. Elyssa's arm hardly even moved but Kanaan's arms jerked back as if she'd struck the bar.

  She looked surprised. "I hardly felt the blow."

  He nodded and showed us the bar. Fractures laced the steel where it had hit the sword. "The impact is absorbed and returned to the origin."

  I whistled. "No wonder. How are we supposed to fight back against that?"

  "Oh, it's much worse than you think," Leanne said. She took the sword and leaned it against the table, backed away, and looked at Kanaan. "Hit it with a spell."

  He flicked the wand from its holster and pointed it at the sword. A jagged bolt of blue energy struck the sword. The blade glowed a little brighter, but the sword didn't even move. Kanaan knelt and examined it. "It absorbs the energy from spells. I had surmised as much when observing how their armor functions."

  Leanne twisted her lips with a regretful look. "Their armor is made from the same material."

  "Let me try something," I said. I took aim with one finger and channeled Brilliance into the blade. It glowed brighter and brighter until the metal began to rattle against the floor. I stopped and watched as energy leaked from the blade like white flames, warming the air around us.

  "It has a limit," Elyssa said. "But our Arcanes would be hard pressed to reach it. Their spells aren't as powerful as Seraphim channeling."

  I thought back to the battle. "When I hit the enemies with one strong burst, their armor cracked and broke immediately."

  "It could not absorb it quickly enough," Kanaan said.

  I nodded. "If I trickle energy slowly until it's full to bursting—"

  Elyssa's eyes widened. "It could cause an explosion."

  "Would you humor me and channel Murk into the blade?" Kanaan said.

  "Sure." I extended a finger and trickled ultraviolet into the translucent metal. The white glow abated after several seconds until the sword was suffused with gray.

  Kanaan picked up the sword and gently tapped it against the workbench. It shattered like glass.

  "Brilliance and Murk neutralize each other," I said.

  "They form a delicate balance," Kanaan said. "It corrupts the metal alloy and makes it fragile."

  I looked at the broken shards. "This is helpful, but it'll take forever to infuse the blade and armor of every soldier with Murk, even if all our Darklings pitch in."

  "It is a beginning," Kanaan said simply. "Now we know."

  "And knowing is half the battle." I said pursed my lips and attempted a wise look.

  Elyssa punched me in the shoulder. "Now is not the time to start quoting after-school cartoons."

  I gave her a hurt look to cover an impish grin. A thought occurred to me. "Kanaan, how did you kill that one Seraphim when you put your wand to his armor?"

  "I cast the spell into the gap between scales." He pointed to a pile of the crystal armor on the workbench. "Like most rigid materials, it must leave gaps to allow movement. When I cast the spell, it refracted within the armor. I suspect the inside of the armor is not enchanted for absorption."

  I grunted. "I suppose that's good for close combat, but I'm not as agile as you."

  He nodded. "It is not a tactic I would recommend to others, even those skilled in Magitsu."

  Leanne brought in another set of armor and placed it next to the first. "I'll keep plugging away at it. Maybe I'll figure out something useful."

  "We're about to attack Thunder Rock," Elyssa said in a grim voice. "Do your best to discover something quick."

  She nodded and pulled out a wand. "I won't let you down." She looked at Kanaan. "You've got a great Zen aura going on. I dig your style."

  He offered her a curt nod of his head. "Thank you."

  I gave him a sideways look. "I want whatever body spray you're using. Maybe you should turn that Zen charisma on Daelissa and teach her to make love, not war."

  "Justin," Elyssa said in a warning tone.

  Kanaan simply smiled.

  We went back through the warehouse, up the levitator, and to Thomas's dining quarters. It was empty, but a helpful Templar told us everyone was gathering in the war room. I would have helped myself to a second helping of roast beef, but settled for a couple of apples to munch on. We reversed course and went to the meeting. Mom and Dad were there along with leaders of all the major factions. I spotted Nightliss next to Mom and walked over to them.

  "Justin, I am very sorry about your Aunt Vallaena," Nightliss said.

  Dad flinched when he heard the name but didn't say anything.

  "Thanks." I took her aside. "I don't know if anyone mentioned the plan to ask the Darklings in Seraphina for help, but we might need your ambassadorial skills."

  "Alysea told me about the plan." She gave me a worried look. "It has been so long since I've been home. I don't know how useful I will be convincing them to join us."

  "We don't have much of a choice." I blew out a breath. "I have a terrible feeling about attacking Thunder Rock."

  "As do I." She touched my arm. "Whatever happens, you must not risk yourself."

  "I don't think I'll be able to help that."

  She gave me a sad look. "To think we almost won."

  I squeezed her hand. "I know." A melancholy feeling weighed me down. "I know."

  Thomas called for quiet and the conversations in the room died away. Everyone took seats around the table. He remained standing. "Daelissa is marching for this compound."

  Stunned looks greeted this announcement.

  "We prepare and face them here," Colin McCloud said, baring his teeth. "We'll wipe the floor with them on your home ground."

  "I'm itching for some payback," Dad said.

  Cries of agreement went up around the table.

  I saw Fjoeruss looking calmly around the table, but I couldn't tell if he agreed or not.

  Thomas held up his hand to quiet everyone. "Unfortunately, it's not as simple as that." He projected a map of Atlanta and highlighted the town Daelissa had a
ttacked. "Our scouts report that the Seraphim are advancing in a line that will take them through the city, feeding on humans as they go. If we allow them to continue, the casualties will be staggering."

  "Do you suggest we march to meet them?" Fjoeruss said.

  Thomas shook his head. "No." He drew a line to the south. "We stage an attack on Thunder Rock and draw her forces there."

  "Suicide," Colin McCloud said. "We don't know what forces she has stationed there, or what defenses she'll have."

  "It will merely be a feint," Thomas said. "If we draw them back to Thunder Rock, it will give us time to prepare our defenses." He drew a new line from Thunder Rock to the Ranch. "Their return course will likely take this path through the southern part of the metro area. The Custodians have put emergency protocols into effect to vacate the noms. With the streets now mostly clear of snow, that should allow the humans clear passage."

  "Emergency protocols?" Dad asked.

  Thomas projected a television broadcast above the table with newscaster Dave.

  Dave smiled. "The cold from the snowstorm apparently has given the communities of East Point, Decatur, and several other parts of southern Atlanta even more unwelcome surprises this winter. Gas leaks in stressed pipes have caused officials to evacuate people from several affected areas." A map of Atlanta appeared with several pulsating red markers on it.

  Thomas paused the broadcast. "The Custodians faked those incidents. We need to buy as much time at Thunder Rock as possible to allow the humans to clear the corridor."

  "Tricky." Dad smiled. "It would lower the collateral damage."

  Captain Takei made a thoughtful sound. "If we are to prepare a strong defense, we can't send all our forces to Thunder Rock. The logistics would be too demanding."

  "If we send a small strike force, Daelissa might suspect it's a diversion and keep marching for us," Commander Taylor said. "We need her to think it's a fully committed assault."

  "I might be able to help with your problem," said a tired voice from the doorway.

  All eyes turned to see who spoke. I turned in my chair and saw the person who'd once commanded the enemy forces.

  Phoebe Borathen.

  Chapter 25

  "Who's this?" McCloud asked.

  Elyssa gasped. "Phoebe?"

  Her sister gave a tired smile. "Nightliss cleansed me of Daelissa's tampering. Now that I know the error of my ways, I want to help."

  Thomas froze for a moment and leaned down to converse with Nightliss. She looked none too certain herself.

  "That's Luna," Captain Takei said. "She was Daelissa's chief strategist."

  Murmurs went up around the room.

  Nightliss stood. "Quiet, please."

  "I'd be bloody interested to know why that woman is here," McCloud said.

  "I am Luna no longer," Phoebe said.

  McCloud put a hand to his heart. "Ah, well what a relief. Why don't you come sit in on our top-secret meeting then, lass?"

  "Why is she walking free through your compound?" Captain Takei asked Thomas.

  Thomas looked at Phoebe. Uncertainty flickered through his face but vanished behind a wall of resolve. "During the American Civil War, I lost my daughter and two sons battling vampires. My daughter was taken by Daelissa, her mind implanted with falsehoods to turn her against me. Over the decades, those falsehoods festered and grew. True, she was leading Daelissa's forces, but Nightliss has managed to heal her damaged memories."

  Captain Takei looked uncertain. "How can you be sure she is free of Daelissa's influence?"

  I spotted every woman's favorite Magitsu master leaning against a wall in the back of the room. He watched the proceedings with a neutral expression. I stood. "Kanaan, what do you think?"

  Takei raised an eyebrow. "How could he know if her mind is free?"

  I motioned toward Lanaeia. "He took one look at her and said she held no evil in her heart. Maybe he can do the same with Phoebe."

  A smile broke on the captain's face. "He said that, did he?"

  I felt my forehead wrinkle. "Why's that so funny?"

  "It was merely a gut feeling," Kanaan said. "I'm no mind reader."

  I gave him a dirty look. "Well, that's good to know."

  A female cleared her voice loudly. I turned toward the noise. Nightliss stared at the assembly with narrowed eyes and hands on her hips. "I have been working nonstop with Phoebe. Though she is still weak and tired from the treatments, I am confident her mind is once again her own." She directed a glare at Takei and raked it over McCloud as well. "If you have any doubts, you can take it up with me."

  "Oh, my." Takei gave her an apologetic smile. "I will take your word on the matter."

  McCloud gave her a tooth-baring grin. "I'd much sooner stay on your good side, Clarion."

  Nightliss folded her arms and looked slightly less peeved. "Now that the objections have been cleared, perhaps we should let Phoebe speak."

  Phoebe looked like the perfect combination between Elyssa and their mother, Leia. She had black hair, fair skin, and was Elyssa's height. Phoebe's nose, however, was more like Thomas's, and her lower body was a bit thicker than Elyssa's. The last time I'd seen her, she'd been convinced her family had intentionally abandoned her and her brothers to their deaths over a century ago. Thankfully, we'd managed to capture her and subsequently discovered the tampering Daelissa had done to her mind.

  "Come to the front and speak," Thomas said. His voice sounded rough.

  Phoebe made her way toward him. She moved slowly, and it was obvious removing Daelissa's influence had taken a physical toll on her.

  I felt Elyssa's hand tighten on my forearm. I met her moist eyes.

  "Are you okay?" I asked.

  She wiped a tear gathering in her eye and smiled. "I'm just happy."

  I freed my arm, wrapped it around her shoulder and squeezed. At least this is something we can be happy about.

  Thomas leaned toward Phoebe and whispered something in her ear. She nodded and whispered something back my supernatural hearing couldn't pick up. I suspected he'd asked her if she was up to this. Considering how effectively she'd managed Daelissa's troops against us, I prayed she was.

  "I watched an ASE recording of the battle at the Grand Nexus provided to me by Nightliss," Phoebe said, getting straight to business. "I'm still analyzing it for weaknesses in the Seraphim fighting technique, but with their superior armor and weapons, I'm afraid we'll have to resort to trickery."

  "Do you plan to trick them into removing their armor?" McCloud asked.

  She shook her head. "You need a diversion that looks like a full-scale invasion. I know how to make it look like one."

  I snapped my fingers. "Just like you did during the attack on the Australian Templar legion."

  She gave me an apologetic look. "Yes." She opened her hand to reveal an ASE. It projected what it had recorded as a three-dimensional holograph. "Using about a hundred of these, I was able to make our force of battle mages look magnitudes larger than it actually was."

  "The question is, will Daelissa's forces fall for it?" I asked.

  "You'll need an initial show of force," she said. "I'd suggest a battalion at least two-hundred strong to strike the first blow."

  "How many ASEs will you require?" Thomas asked.

  Phoebe bit her lip. "In order to make them think we have a full army, I'd need several hundred."

  "We don't have that many," he said. "Ever since our split from the Synod, we haven't been able to spare Arcanes to make them." He tapped something on his arctablet. "According to inventory, we have one-hundred and fifty-three not in service."

  "That poses a problem." She folded her arms, a pensive look on her face.

  The solution seemed pretty clear to me. "Why don't we record formations of four people for each ASE? Heck, we could record an entire army and have it project that."

  "The ASE wouldn't be strong enough to project a full-sized recording of an army," Phoebe said. "At most, it can project two people at full
size."

  "How many could it handle at half size?" I said.

  "What good would that do?" McCloud asked. "We won't frighten them with an army of midgets."

  I shrugged. "Maybe if we dressed them up as clowns we would." That raised a few eyebrows. I waved my hands. "Sorry, bad joke."

  "I personally find clowns terrifying." Phoebe flashed a smile. "To answer your question, an ASE could project about ten people at half size."

  I did some quick math. "An army a thousand strong would work."

  McCloud's forehead wrinkled. "But, midgets!"

  "Everyone hold your thumb and forefinger in front of one eye." People shifted in their chairs and exchanged confused looks, but eventually complied. I repressed a grin. "Now, holding your thumb and forefinger a few inches from your eye, look at the person's head across the table and pinch it."

  McCloud chuckled as he pretended to pinch Thomas's head. "I think I see where you're going with this."

  "Everything is a matter of perspective." I put on my most devious look. "We simply need to position the holographic troops in a place that makes them look full sized from a distance."

  Phoebe pursed her lips. "I think that would work."

  "We need to include every Darkling and Brightling we have in the real strike force." I held up a hand before anyone could object. "We pack a strong punch for such a small force, and once Daelissa gets word that Nightliss, Alysea, and I are hitting her, I guarantee she'll turn her army right for us."

  "I can't agree to that," Thomas said. "If anything should happen to you, this war is lost."

  I stood and pressed a fist to the table. "I absolutely disagree." I met the gazes around the table. "Even without me, you are still stronger than Daelissa. She fights for one thing only—power. There is nothing more hollow than power. It fills you with an insatiable need you can never fill." I touched Elyssa's shoulder. "We fight for the ones we love and the realm we hold dear. Eden is our home. We will never let Daelissa take her from us."

  "Aye!" McCloud shouted and pumped a fist into the air. "We'll give her a nip in the arse and send her packing."

  "Hear, hear!" Dad said.

  Cheers erupted around the table.