Wicked War of Mine (Overworld Chronicles Book 9) (28 page)

"A magic snow globe caused the storm." That was something I certainly never expected to say.

Elyssa pressed her face to my shoulder. "A whole town, Justin. My god, what have we done?"

"Such an outcome would have been likely even without the snow," Kanaan said. "Those same people would have been out doing their daily business when the army marched through." He looked up at the gray sky. "This storm may save lives. It will keep humans indoors and perhaps save them from Daelissa's soldiers."

Elyssa looked at him with a spark of hope.

I squeezed her tight. "It was an accident, babe." I kissed her forehead. "Kanaan's right. I'll bet a lot of people got out of town or stayed indoors when the storm hit. That means thousands of people won't be on the roads between us and Daelissa."

She looked at the snow-covered ground and begrudgingly nodded. "Maybe you're right." Elyssa seemed to steel herself and strode forward. "I can't let it affect me now."

We walked to the large barn and took a levitator underground to the armory. After the Synod, the ruling council of the Templars, declared Thomas a traitor, he'd been forced to significantly broaden his scope of his legion's duties. A year ago, the underground portion of the compound had been little more than a few holding cells since, in the past, most prisoners were moved to centralized compounds run directly by the Synod. Now it was a veritable labyrinth running through the bedrock hundreds of feet below the surface.

We rounded a bend in the wide tunnel and came to a warehouse the size of a wholesale discount club. Shelves filled with all sorts of gadgets both mundane and magical loomed behind a transparent barrier of diamond fiber. A Templar with horn-rimmed glasses looked up from an arctablet.

"Can I help you?" His head jerked back when he saw Elyssa. He jolted to his feet and saluted. "Yes, Sergeant Borathen?"

Elyssa rolled her eyes. "Stop brown-nosing, Roger. That's what got you desk duty in the first place."

Roger sighed and deflated, shoulders slumping. "Sorry." He swiped a finger to the diamond fiber barrier and a door swung open.

"If you're a Templar, why do you need glasses?" I asked him.

He took them off and held them out so I could see through them. "They're not prescription. I just like the way they make me look."

"Glasses are so peculiar," Lanaeia said, taking them from him and putting them on.

Roger's eyes turned dreamy. "Wow, you look totally geek chic." He narrowed his eyes as if trying to figure who she was. "Are you a Templar?"

Elyssa raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms. "Where's the equipment we took from the Seraphim soldiers?"

"In the testing section," Roger said. "Just take a left—"

Elyssa nodded. "I know where that is, thanks." She plucked the glasses off Lanaeia's face and handed them back to the clerk.

"They are lovely spectacles," the Brightling girl said.

Roger practically drooled as he looked at her. "Thanks. Maybe later—"

Elyssa clapped her hands. "Back to work, Templar!"

He jerked back and saluted. "Yes, Sergeant!"

My girlfriend motioned us to follow her and took off at a brisk pace.

"Are you usually so quiet?" I asked Kanaan as we walked.

He carried himself with a casual grace that left no question in my mind he could respond to any threat in a heartbeat. "I prefer to listen rather than speak."

I waited for him to say more, but he remained silent. "I've tried listening before, but I like the sound of my own voice too much."

Kanaan smiled. "There's no shame in that."

I almost asked him if he'd teach me the wax-on, wax-off technique and maybe toss in some crane-kick lessons, but a loud bang startled me from my smartassery. I looked forward and saw a person in a black lab coat hammering away on one of the crystal swords with a sledgehammer. She stepped back and made a notation on an arctablet.

"Hello," Elyssa said.

The woman shrieked, jumped, and dropped her tablet. It stopped just shy of the floor and floated back up to her. She stared at it a moment before snatching it out of the air. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Kanaan holster his wand.

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 attacked. "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.