"It's tricky, but it's nothing new to my father."
"Was that a hint of pride I heard in your voice?" I asked, winking.
Elyssa rolled her eyes. "Maybe. He might be a crusty old bullheaded ass, but he's also pretty good at his job."
"Is Michael helping?"
She almost shuddered at the name. "I don't know."
Narrowing my eyes, I said, "Okay, spill the beans. What in the world is going on with you two? He used to be your fave, and suddenly you act like he's the world's worst brother."
Elyssa's mouth tightened. Her eyes looked away. "He's working for Underborn."
Surprise sprung my jaw open. "Say what?"
She told me all about a visit from Underborn and a hulking figure in black. How she'd fought him and figured out who he was. She also told me about the Key of Juranthemon and how she'd nearly stolen it from Underborn. I imagined a hefty steel key with a head shaped like a skull, twin rubies for eyes. It had to look pretty badass with a name like that.
Her story also kicked loose a suspicion I'd had about Michael but never been able to pin down. Now, I felt pretty certain what that tingling sensation had been. "I think your brother's been working for Underborn for quite a while."
She raised an eyebrow. "How would you know?"
"If I'm right, he saved me from moggy mutilation and a swarm of gray men."
"What are you talking about?"
It seemed so long ago, but, in reality, it hadn't been more than a couple of months. "When I didn't know what I was, I went looking for Stacey. One of her moggies jumped me and almost bit off my face. Someone whooshed past and sliced off its head." My chest pounded faster at the horrifying memory. "And when you and I were looking for Underborn in the Grotto and the gray men attacked, a big dude in black jumped down and sliced them to bits."
"I was unconscious, but I remember you telling me about it later." Elyssa gave a slow shake of her head. "I don't understand. Why would he work for that snake? Why would he betray me like that?"
"I think he did it for you."
Her forehead wrinkled. "You've gotta be kidding."
I shrugged. "Think about it. He's known for a while you and I were tied together. I'm sure Underborn let him read Foreseeance Forty-Three Eleven. Knowing the way that slime ball operates, he knew your brother wouldn't say no to an opportunity to protect you, especially with inside knowledge."
"But he could've done that without joining Underborn." She huffed out a breath. "He could've told me."
"First of all, I'm sure Underborn didn't tell him everything. He probably told Michael just enough and guaranteed him more if he gave his word." I chuckled. "I can guarantee you Michael didn't join Underborn to help me."
The hint of a smile brightened her face. "Thank you," she said, her voice wavering.
"For what?"
She gripped my hand and kissed me. "For making me feel better."
"Justin, I hope this is not an inopportune time to ask you a question," said a calm voice from a short distance away.
Elyssa and I jumped.
Cinder still sat on a bench twenty feet away, his form so still I hadn't noticed him.
"If this is one of those girlfriend things you mentioned, I can wait." His shoulders went up in a stiff shrug.
"Um, actually I do have an answer for you," I said, hoping the answer didn't break his little golem heart. "Nightliss doesn't know if you can become real or not."
He stood and nodded. After a brief pause, his lips turned down into a very glum frown, almost as frightening as his horrific smiles.
"Oh, god, make him stop," Elyssa said, looking away.
"Until I get you some soap operas to watch, maybe it's best if you lay off the body language," I said, feeling sorry for him.
His features snapped back to default. "Perhaps that is best, Justin. I don't wish to frighten anyone."
"We need to get a move-on," Elyssa said. "I'll find out what plans my father has. Maybe we can coordinate with him."
"I'll get the gang together."
"Uh, who would that be?"
"Bella, Meghan, Adam." I pursed my lips in thought. "I guess Fausta—"
"No," Elyssa said, voice firm. "First of all, she's bound to her unit here. Second of all, I can't stand that bossy bi—"
"And Fausta's off the list," I said, grinning. "How about Katie?"
"Now I know you're just testing me." She stuck out her tongue.
I laughed. "You've gotta admit, she's proven herself capable."
Elyssa nodded. "She might have actually graduated from being an irritating little bi—"
"Geez, babe, you're determined to use that word, aren't you?"
"If the shoe fits, wear it."
I shrugged. "Even though she helped rescue me, she's just human." It felt very strange to say those words, I realized.
"Yeah." My girlfriend tugged me toward the buildings in the center of the compound. "She wouldn't last long."
"Not without an automatic rifle at least." I motioned Cinder to follow us and we made our way toward the building with the briefing room in it.
By the time we saw the building, it was obvious something big was up. Templars and other personnel swarmed the area. Elyssa stopped a guy as he emerged from the building.
"What's going on?"
"Artemis Coronus is in there. He just ordered us to stand down."
Elyssa frowned. "He can't give an order like that. Not without—"
The man shook his head. "The Grand Master sent the order." With that, he stalked away, face grim.
We waded through the crowd of Templars until we could see inside the briefing room.
"Clearly, a military solution did not work," said a tall man in a long, red robe at the front of the room, his voice pompous. "Many lives were lost and the leader of this vampire rebellion escaped."
I studied the man, noting how his attire looked like he'd just stepped from the set of a movie about the Roman Empire.
"The Divinity has spoken. The Grand Master and the Synod have voted. The Templars are to stand down from this conflict. Our duty now turns to shepherding negotiations."
Christian Salazar stood from his seat at the side of the podium. "Honorable Knight, you do us great honor with your presence. However, Maximus has never responded to our attempts at diplomacy. His army represented a growing cancer in this city. We had to act before it metastasized."
Artemis nodded gravely. "Perhaps we should have stepped in sooner, Commander Salazar. The Synod feels confident Maximus will respond to us. Even the Divinity granted us clarity on this matter."
"If I may speak," Thomas Borathen said, standing.
The Templar Knight narrowed his eyes. "Despite your circumvention of the Synod's orders, and assaulting the vampires, I will allow your voice to be heard."
"First, the Synod's orders were never circumvented," Thomas said. "The vote had not yet been cast. Second, we have evidence the Divinity, an entity who goes by the name Daelissa, is directly involved with Maximus."
"Cease your blasphemies!" Artemis boomed. "The Divinity has guided our holy mission for thousands of years. I will not hear you speak of it this way."
"My daughter heard the truth of the matter straight from the Divinity's own lips," Thomas said, face defiant.
"The Divinity reveals herself only to the Synod," Artemis said, eyes glowing with anger. "To claim otherwise is blasphemy and untruth."
Anger boiled in my stomach. I felt my fists tighten. Heard my knuckles crack. This idiot didn't know what he was talking about.
"Should you continue to spout such lies, Commander Borathen, we may have no choice but to relieve you of leadership." The knight put a gloved hand under his chin. "The Synod is aware your daughter had—how to put it politely—psychological issues, which you deemed damaging enough to order her to take the White."
"It was an error on my part," Thomas growled.
"You have not made many command errors during your service," Artemis said, his voice taking on an insulting air of pity. "But where progeny are involved, it is easy to let one's judgment be clouded. Still, not every child of a Templar is sturdy enough to become a Templar."
"My daughter—"
"Your daughter proved reckless and immature." The knight sliced the air with his hand. "She let evil guide her and it sounds as though you have done nothing more to help her. Her morally corrupt—"
"You, sir, are a blithering idiot!" My face burned with rage.
All heads turned to me.
The knight turned to me, his eyes bright with outrage. "How dare you speak to me in such a manner, Templar."
"Elyssa Borathen is not evil or morally corrupt, sir. But I can tell you who is. The Divinity, aka Daelissa, aka the brains behind Maximus's operation and god only knows what else." Artemis tried to speak, but I cut him off. "Daelissa is using her influence to pit the Synod against the Templars now. She wants all the factions to be weak so when her people invade, the Overworld won't be able to resist."
"Blasphemy!" Artemis said, his face glowing red. "Who is this Templar?"
A thin man with stooped shoulders stepped from a dark corner in the front of the room and spoke into the Templar Knight's ear. Artemis's back went stiff at whatever he heard.
His finger stabbed toward me. "He is not a Templar. This boy is the demon spawn known as Justin Slade. He is the instigator of this sordid mess."
"Daelissa started it," I said. "Not me. But I sure as hell intend to finish it."
"You will finish nothing, boy." The knight pointed at me. "Arrest him."