A Battle of Souls Read online

  Caspian nodded slowly, darkness settling in his jade eyes. It kind of terrified me to see him like this, deprived of Harper, knowing she was in danger. It did a nasty number on him. I didn’t want to be in his way of getting her back. To some extent, I even pitied the daemons and COs he was going to encounter in the process.

  “She’s chained to a wall with charmed cuffs,” Aymon added. “One of you will have to take them off. There’s no magic in that room, though. It’s warded up like crazy.”

  “What about weak spots, access and observation points?” Jax asked. “We’ll need good angles of attack all over the city. Before we launch our signal for the allies to lay siege on Azure Heights, we’ll need good locations to stay in, undetected and ready to strike.”

  Aymon stepped closer to the table, then picked up a piece of writing coal from a small brass plate and marked ten points across multiple levels of the city. “These will give you good vantage points. Kind of a bird’s eye view of each level. COs rarely venture to these parts.”

  “Thank you,” Hansa replied.

  “It’s my pleasure, believe me,” he said. “I have COs willing to rebel with me. They’re ready to help you. They’re not liking this situation either.”

  Hansa and Jax looked at each other. Jax offered a faint nod, and Hansa shifted her focus back to Aymon. “Can they be trusted, though?”

  “Absolutely. Once the siege begins, they will take up arms against the Lords with the rest of you,” he replied. “They’ve had enough. Believe it or not, many of us do have a conscience. Some fall in line to avoid punishment. There are plenty who eat souls and drink the Imen’s blood dry just for kicks. But there are dozens of us who would certainly choose another path if given the option. If you get the witch out and she brings the shield down, I assume your forces will storm the planet.” He exhaled sharply. “Then all my COs and I will require is amnesty. Whatever you do to the Lords and their acolytes, don’t do to us. I assume it’s a simple, manageable demand?”

  “We have no quarrel with those of you who wish to bring this nightmare to an end,” Hansa said. “The Exiled Maras who receive pardons or amnesty after all judgments are made, however, will not be allowed to stay on Neraka.”

  “We’ll bring you all back to Calliope and resettle you in White City,” Jax continued. “We cannot allow the Maras to settle in this world again. We’ve thrown it out of balance already. We need to remove the toxic element from these lands.”

  “I agree,” Aymon replied with a brief nod. “I would do the same, if I were you. Besides, to be honest, this never really felt like home to me.” He straightened his back. “That being said, there is something more you should know. First of all, the Lords are watching the stars through their special lenses. They confirmed foreign elements trying to come through several days ago.”

  “Wait, what? Foreign elements?” I breathed, my temperature suddenly spiking.

  “A capsule in an interplanetary spell,” he said. “They tried to get in, but couldn’t, and eventually settled on one of the moons. They’ve been there for days.”

  “Whoa. If they used an interplanetary spell with Neraka as the destination, how come they didn’t get blown up like I did?” Avril muttered.

  “And, follow-up question, how were they able to steer and change its course to land on the moon?” Ryker added, visibly confused.

  “Ah, I think the Daughters might’ve had something to do with it,” Patrik replied. “Viola has become pretty adept at complex swamp witch magic. Given her natural powers, I wouldn’t be surprised if she figured out a way to adapt the spell to work in her favor.”

  “Plus, she’s probably got Corrine, Ibrahim, and the other witches from The Shade on board,” I said, then gave Hansa and Jax a hopeful smile. “This is it, guys! Our troops are out there, ready to come in!”

  We needed a minute to let that sink in, to relish the temporary relief and flicker of joy that followed, before Aymon brought us back to the obvious and unpleasant repercussions.

  “The Lords are planning an attack on your friends,” he said, crinkling his nose. “They’ve got enough swamp witch spells and knowledge between them to disable the capsule without leaving Neraka. They’ve got incendiary projectiles that can explode upon impact and cause catastrophic damage to large areas. The capsule itself would be obliterated.”

  The good mood suddenly evaporated, as the state of emergency set in. My stomach churned at the thought of our people out there, sitting ducks for the Exiled Maras. I was willing to bet that our families were in that capsule—our parents, specifically.

  “Jax, we have to do something,” I said, struggling to keep myself calm, despite the growing restlessness that made my heart pump faster.

  “When do they plan on attacking them?” Hansa asked.

  “I’m not sure,” Aymon replied with a shrug, “but it will be soon. It takes a few days to prepare the spell itself, but I don’t have any precise information on the matter. However, you won’t have to wait another day for Shaytan to come to Azure Heights,” he added. “There’s a funeral service for Amalia and Vincent today. They’ve invited Shaytan, and he’s accepted. Chances are he’ll bring Darius with him, too. The Lords have specified that they wish to meet with the daemon king after the funeral.”

  “Consider that our silver lining, then!” Hansa quipped. “We’ll have to get ready and deploy as soon as possible.”

  “The ceremony takes place at three. It starts at the Lords’ mansions, and then it goes down to the cemetery at the base of the mountain,” Aymon explained. “They’ve already mobilized the COs for war, just so you know. A battle for supremacy is about to ensue, and I doubt Shaytan will come unprepared. They’ll get into a fight, and you’ll need to step in and cripple them in that precise moment, with your allies. Catch them unprepared. They won’t see you coming. They’re too concerned with stabbing Shaytan in the back.”

  Fiona cleared her throat, looking at Avril and me. “I think it’s safe to assume that Corrine and Ibrahim will be in the capsule, too,” she said. “Which means they’ll keep some protective measures around it. I’m guessing there’s low gravity and no atmosphere on the moons, so they’ll have a living system in place to allow them to stay there for days on end. And if they’ve been in the area since before we destroyed that Telluris hijacker, it means they’ve already caught on to what’s happening here. I’m willing to bet they’re prepared for whatever gets hurled at them.”

  I nodded. “Fiona’s right. GASP is always prepared for the worst,” I replied. “We need to focus on this second stage of the mission, then, and allocate resources to finding out where the Maras plan to launch their attack from. We could stop them, while everybody else goes ahead with the original plan,” I added, then looked at Aymon. “Are you able to find out where they’d launch the spell from?”

  “I think so, yes,” he replied. “I’d be more than happy to assist with the disabling part, too. Your people will need someone to guide them and cover their backs. I volunteer. Now is the perfect time to strike, with the Maras and daemons quarreling. The bigger and more confusing the distraction, the higher the odds that you’ll get Lumi out of there.”

  “I agree. Good. Thank you, Aymon,” Hansa said. “Now, everybody, get ready. We have a funeral to attend.”

  We had our work cut out for us. It wasn’t the first time we’d had to move and act fast to prevent a catastrophe, nor would it be the last. We’d succeeded before. And damned if I was going to let the Exiled Maras and the daemons ruin it for us.

  We were so close to victory, I could almost feel freedom itself fluttering like a butterfly, just inches away from my face. One more push, and we’re out of here.

  Fiona

  One hour later, we were all geared up once more and ready to return to Azure Heights for the second stage of our plan to cripple Neraka’s leading coalition. Had it not been for the secret tunnels and the swamp witches’ invisibility paste, we would’ve lost this fight days ago. I had to take a mom
ent to thank the universe for throwing these artifices into our paths.

  The sun was out and bright as ever, prompting the vampires and Maras in our group to cover our heads and faces as usual. Zane stood next to me, his towering presence casting a shadow in which I took comfort. Just having him close to me was enough to pull me through whatever lay ahead of us. The looks he gave me helped, too. We’d slept in the same bed, his arms wrapped around me. He’d held me close, dropping kisses on my temple as I slipped into my dreams. The memory of waking up in his embrace continuously filled me with the kind of energy and strength that could make me move mountains.

  “Okay, now that we’re all here, time to split into teams, like we discussed,” Hansa said, standing next to Peyton, Jax, and Alara, Meredrin’s Iman leader. She first nodded at our allies. “Colton, Nevis, and Neha will lead their forces from the Valley of Screams in the siege against Azure Heights. They’ll wait for my Adlet flare to go off before they charge. All squadrons will come out and converge on the city at once.”

  Nevis clicked his teeth, then gave Neha and Colton a playful smirk. “Ready to slaughter some Exiled Maras, then?”

  “I thought this day would never come,” Neha replied, feigning excess emotion. “I might just tear up.”

  “Good grief, we’re about to kill creatures. Maybe dial the enthusiasm down a notch.” Colton scoffed, crossing his arms.

  “Oh, please. At least our people got killed by these monsters. Yours got turned into monsters,” Nevis shot back, then stilled when both Hundurr and Rover growled, uncomfortably close to where he stood. “Hey, just being honest here,” he said to the pit wolves.

  Colton grumbled, but gave Hundurr and Rover a playful wink. “That’s true,” he replied. “But now we get to fight our way to freedom, no matter what it takes.”

  “Okay, you take the high road,” Neha said, smiling as she put an arm around Pheng-Pheng’s shoulders. “I’m perfectly happy to enjoy this moment on behalf of all the Manticores that have bled for the daemons and the Maras.”

  In any other circumstances, I probably would’ve been creeped out, if only partially, by Neha’s morbid enthusiasm. But after everything I’d witnessed in this world, I had to admit, at least to myself, that I completely understood where she was coming from. Most of the Exiled Maras thrived on making other creatures suffer, and so did the daemons. I wasn’t one to pass judgment, in general, but these bastards had it coming tenfold.

  “Fiona, Zane, Caspian, Avril, and Heron will handle Harper and Lumi’s extraction,” Jax continued. “You’ve made your ingress plans, I presume. Aymon here was kind enough to provide additional intel on the Palisade’s underground structure, so as to avoid their alarms and traps in the process.”

  Caspian nodded, patting his chest. Beneath his dark blue coat, tucked in an inside pocket, was a hand-drawn blueprint of the Palisade, with key traps and triggers marked to help us avoid them. “Yes, we’re good to go,” he said.

  I could almost feel his drive, though I didn’t have Harper’s or, as of recently, his sentry abilities. But his expression was like an open book: Caspian was determined and would stop at nothing to get Harper back.

  “Patrik, Scarlett, Cadmus, Pheng-Pheng, Tobiah, and Sienna, you guys find out where they’re planning to launch the attack on our moon-based people, disable that endeavor, then handle the prison. Aymon will join you for support. Sabotage the living daylights out of it all, until the Correction Officers lose control over that part of the city,” Hansa said, smiling at them. “Let all the prisoners out. Those who can stay and fight are welcome to help us wreak havoc through the city once the signal is launched. The others can be escorted out of the city via our tunnel.”

  Sienna gave Cadmus a gentle nudge and a knowing smile. “Cadmus will handle their extraction.”

  “Don’t you think that will make them reluctant to follow me back to the sixth level tunnel entrance?” Cadmus replied with a frown. “They’ve known me as a House Kifo lieutenant for a long time. There’s no trust between us.”

  “Do you think they’d be more willing to follow a daemon out of the city?” Sienna retorted with a raised eyebrow.

  She made a good point, though. At least Cadmus was a familiar figure. I wouldn’t have followed a daemon out of prison. After everything those captives had been through already, I had trouble seeing them following a potentially soul-eating daemon.

  “Fair point,” Cadmus replied with a sigh.

  “Besides, we’ve got your back down there, if you need any help convincing them to follow you out,” Scarlett added.

  Ryker came over and showed them a duffel bag filled with small jars, all topped with shimmering paste—a large supply of invisibility spells, ready for consumption. “I’m not sure how many prisoners they’ve got in there, but this reserve should cover at least half,” he said. “They’ll need to keep a low profile on their way out of town, especially if they’re weakened or wounded.”

  “Thank you, Druid,” Cadmus said, taking hold of the duffel bag. “I’ll pass the contents along as needed.”

  Alles stayed close to Dion, listening to the conversation with sad eyes. He still felt horrible for what had happened, even though it wasn’t his fault. Scarlett, Avril, and I had already spoken to him, reminding him that he’d been mind-bent without his knowledge. No one could have predicted he’d been tainted—especially him. He was no longer under the Maras’ influence, and that was what mattered the most.

  “Dion, Alles, Arrah, Idris, Rayna, and Ryker,” Jax said, “you will all assume your assigned positions on the sixth and seventh levels of the city. You’ll stand by and be ready to intervene as soon as the Adlet flare is launched. Given where Hansa and I will be located, we will most likely need your support up there, more than anything. At the same time, some of you will need to keep an eye on the Palisade. Once the swamp witch is out, the Maras will stop at nothing to get her back.”

  “Duly noted,” Arrah replied with a nod. “We’re stocked up on invisibility paste and red garnet lenses, too. I’ll have a good bird’s eye view from my position, thanks to Aymon. I’ll be able to spot any inconsistencies and foreign… horned elements,” she added, giving Zane a brief glance.

  He scoffed in response, feigning offense. She chuckled.

  “Sorry, Your Grace, but we both know Shaytan won’t come alone,” she added. “I’m willing to bet he’ll have at least one of his other sons with him.”

  “I’ll raise you all five, actually,” Zane replied. “Father is no idiot. The younglings and a handful of generals can watch over Infernis, easily. He’ll want his strongest and most able with him to provide cover. Expect five princes, plus armed guards. Keep your red lenses on at all times.”

  The group nodded in agreement, and Hansa and Jax stepped forward.

  “Hansa and I will tail the Lords and Shaytan, from the beginning of the procession down to the cemetery, and back to whatever meeting place they’ve set up to discuss their fracturing alliance,” Jax said, then reached out to gently pat Hundurr on the top of his ginormous head. “Hundurr and Rover will stay close, in case anything unexpected happens. They’ve caught the scent of everyone in this place now, so they’ll find you if we need you. And by ‘you,’ I mean any of you or all of you. Hopefully, however, that won’t be necessary. I’m more comfortable knowing we’ve got pit wolves watching our backs in there.”

  “Yeah, I don’t blame you. Emilian alone gives me the heebie-jeebies,” I replied dryly. “Not to mention Rewa, the giggling psychopath.”

  “Don’t worry, Rowan and Farrah are just as bad, if not worse.” Arrah scoffed, her lips twisted with disgust. “My personal issues with House Roho aside, believe me when I say that you don’t want to see Rowan’s bad side.”

  “Oh, what we’ve seen so far wasn’t her bad side?” I replied, chuckling softly.

  “Not even close,” Zane muttered. “She can be exceptionally cruel. Personally, I’m not comfortable with Harper, Caia, or Blaze being in there right now. We kill
ed her son. She’ll want retribution, and I’m pretty sure Harper, for example, doesn’t need all her limbs for my father to feed on her soul.”

  We all gasped and looked at Caspian, whose expression darkened instantly.

  “Maybe you should’ve kept that little nugget to yourself,” I murmured.

  Zane shrugged. “Sorry, but it’s the truth, and Caspian knows it better than anyone. He just can’t tell you anything about it because of the blood oath.”

  “As for Farrah, she is an evil opportunist,” Arrah continued, dragging the conversation away from Harper’s potentially unfortunate predicament. “She will tank her own people for her survival and profit. You’ll have to be extra careful with her, Hansa,” she added, frowning.

  Hansa gave her a confident smile in return. “Worry not, Arrah. I’ve seen enough of these people to know what to expect from them,” she said, then shifted the focus to another group. “Moving on now. Laughlan, Vesta, Rush, and Amina, you guys will take your position in the fields between the mountain and the gorges. You’ll be the welcoming committee for our people once the shield comes down. They’ll need someone to stop them from going into Azure Heights blind. Chances are there will be dragons on board, so we want to make sure they don’t go in blazing. There are hundreds of innocent Imen still living in the city.”

  “They’ll most likely be aware that there’s something weird going on here,” Jax added. “Once the shield comes down, we’ll be able to resume Telluris communications with Draven, too, but we might be too busy fighting for our lives at that point to effectively convey what’s really going on here. So we’ll need you to bring them up to speed before they swoop in and finish the daemons and Exiled Maras off.”