“Yeah, but maybe the Hermessi seduced them into joining them. Maybe they promised them some ethereal, nonexistent afterlife in exchange for their service. What if these people had no idea what they were getting themselves into?” Harper insisted.
“Brann tried to talk to them before he eliminated them,” I said, no longer willing to give anyone in those cults a chance. I’d buried innocent people because of them. I’d lost my friend, Starlin. I didn’t feel anywhere near forgiving. “We were wrong when we first thought the rogue Fire Hermessi was tampering with their bodies and their abilities. He wasn’t. He was actually trying to stop them from going ahead with their nefarious plans. They rejected him; they tried to go ahead with it. I’m sorry, Harper, but I don’t think the cultists are innocent. Not anymore, anyway. They’re wearing pleasant personas, sure, but they’re rotten to the core now.”
We all heard her frustrated sigh. “Listen, Tae, I know that, and I get it. I’m just saying that minds can be feeble no matter a person’s true personality. Those who feel frustrated or incomplete or cast out, in any way, would be easier to lure into these death cults. It doesn’t make them irreparably evil. That’s not how radicalization works. Most of them have the potential to be good people. They probably were, until the Hermessi got to them. They probably didn’t even realize what they were getting themselves into until it was too late. The Hermessi could’ve lured them under false pretenses just so they could get their allegiance past the point of no return.”
“I don’t care!” I snapped, shocking my crew. All eyes were on me. “They made their bed. Now, they have to lie in it, while we risk our lives to save our worlds. Because of them! So, pardon me if I don’t give a rat’s ass about what happens to a bunch of death cultists!”
The silence that followed was awkward. Derek, in his nearly infinite wisdom, chose a path that ran straight through the middle. “I suggest we try to rescue as many of them as we can. They will, of course, spend the rest of their lives in prison. I think death might be an easy way out for these creatures. We’ll have the Maras mind-bend them until their noses and ears bleed, until they tell us everything they know about the Hermessi and this supposed ritual.”
“And those who refuse? Who insist on serving them?” Jax asked.
“We execute them,” Derek replied.
Harper had good intentions. She’d lost some of that cold edge since she got together with Caspian, but the Harper I knew was still somewhere in there—ready to cut off the heads of anyone who threatened her and her loved ones. “That sounds reasonable,” she said. “You’re right, Taeral. Some people don’t deserve mercy.”
“I must say, I agree with my son on this one,” my mom spoke, her voice crystal clear on the line. “The damage they’ve done, the lives they’ve already destroyed, it’s unforgivable. They could find a way to reach out to us, to ask for our help in breaking away from the cult, if they really wanted to.”
It gnawed at my stomach that we would have to resort to such lengths, but I was glad my mom and I were on the same page here.
“I’m sorry, Harper. I really am,” I said. “You know I’d be the first to back you up on pretty much anything, but in this case, we’re better off killing them if they don’t renounce the cult and sever their ties.”
“That is, if they can sever the ties,” Corrine chimed in. “Sorry I’m late. I’ve been listening in but couldn’t speak. I had some cult members to… interrogate.”
“How’s that working out?” I asked.
“Not well. They’re remarkably resilient to Mara mind-bending. My magic isn’t doing much either. We’re noticing cracks in one individual’s resolve, but we still have a lot of work to do in breaking them. We’re bringing in the Daughters next to assist us, like I told you earlier. We’re continuing to try and break them until they arrive. It will take some time, either way.”
“So, what do you mean by ‘if’ they can sever the ties?” I replied.
“They could be in too deep. They might want to break away from the Hermessi, but the elements’ influence may be too strong,” Corrine explained. “It’s only a hunch right now, one which I’m honestly hoping to turn into fact, but… I wouldn’t count on it. Derek is right. I don’t like this any more than you guys. However, we have to be realistic. If we can’t get them to cut their ties to the Hermessi, we’ll kill them. They’re essential to this ritual, from what I understand.”
Amelia pressed the speak button on her earpiece. “Yes, they are. And they’re recruiting more,” she said. “We’re hoping Brann will tell us more when he can, but, until that happens, it’s safe to assume that the cults are looking to grow their numbers. There’s a certain formula they’re following.”
“Okay, so how do we do this?” Kiev replied. I didn’t even realize he’d been looped into the conversation. It meant Mona wasn’t far away, either. “Where do we start? In my experience, cults aren’t easy to take down.”
“My experience, too,” Mona said wryly. There she is.
“Ringleaders, especially,” Derek said. “We’ll have to work our way to the top. Start with the new recruits, get them to lead us to their lieutenants. The bigger the fish, the closer we’ll get to the chapter leaders on each planet where cults have been identified. We bring them all in, squeeze as much information from them as we can, and, if saving them is not an option, we terminate them.”
“I’ll notify all the GASP bases across the In-Between and the Supernatural dimensions,” River said.
“You’ll have a detailed report in the next few minutes,” Amelia replied. “I suggest including it in the notification.”
“Where do we start searching for cult members?” Erik asked. Since his daughter was here, with us, he made sure he was always present for the larger group calls. I’d yet to hear from my dad, but I had Mom on the line. I’d ask about him later. “The ones we caught were the result of blast scene investigations. There are more of them out there, surely.”
“We should start with the outskirts of all major cities. Rural areas. Any place that has been stricken by poverty. The disenfranchised and forgotten are usually the first to fall prey to this type of radicalism.”
“But we do our best to keep our people happy and thriving.” My mom sighed.
“You can’t please everyone,” Draven said. “Look at Eritopia. We still have incubi rebel groups on the outer planets. Granted, not as many as, say, a year ago, but they’re holding on. People who miss something in their lives, people who feel wronged or discriminated against… those are the easiest to lure into a cult. People who don’t think they belong anywhere else.”
“It’s easy to lie and make them think you can help them, if you need them,” I muttered, then froze, as my brain made a most important connection, a few minutes too late for my own comfort. “Oh, damn… Hold on, it just hit me.”
“What is it?” Derek asked.
“I think Vikkal lied to us,” I said. “When we went to the Fire Temple on my planet. He said the symbols that the cultists carved on their faces were meant to protect them. In hindsight, I’d have to ask, from what, exactly? A Hermessi killed them. We killed them. Symbols and all.”
Amelia gasped. “If Vikkal lied, then the symbols mean something else entirely.”
“That would imply dishonesty from fae in high positions across the In-Between,” Mom replied.
“If there are fae out there, actively deceiving us, then we could be looking at a wider reach for the cult,” Sofia said. “It’s not looking good for the species, as a whole. Ugh, Ben, Grace… They’ll be devastated.”
“I’m thinking we can verify Vikkal’s statement again,” I said. “Zeriel, are you on the line?”
“I am, yes. And so is Vesta.”
“Oh, good! How are you feeling, honey?” Sofia asked.
“Not peachy, but okay,” Vesta replied dryly.
“The enemy could be hiding in plain sight, Vesta. Vikkal might be a quicker way to destroying the cults, if we grill him and we find
out he lied to us,” I said. “I’m here, for now, but you and Zeriel could go to the Fire Star and check on him.”
Vesta paused for a moment, as if thinking about it. What was there to even question in this hot mess? I… We needed her to come through for us.
“Yeah, we could do that.” She didn’t sound all that enthusiastic.
“Listen, I know it’s a stressful time for you and all the fae.” I sighed. “I’m part fae, too, remember?”
“Yeah, but you’re not feeling it like the rest of us,” she grumbled. “Maybe it’s your jinni half that keeps you afloat.”
“Maybe. I don’t know. Nevertheless, I understand. I need you to do this, Vesta. You’ve got four elements on your side, and you’re strong. If anyone can grill Vikkal into a confession, it’s you.”
“Taeral is right,” Zeriel continued. “I’ll be with you every step of the way.”
“Okay, fine!”
“Just be careful,” Amelia said. “The Hermessi can be tricky. Heck, even this conversation has to come to an end, soon, before one of them catches on and starts listening.”
I’d already briefed the entire upper echelon of GASP about our conversations with Brann and Acquis, along with our conclusions about how the Hermessi kept tabs on us—as best as they could. All our officers now knew that they couldn’t be in one place for too long. It was a tad complicated, in terms of logistics and movement, but it was worth it, since it helped secure our communications.
“I will,” Vesta said. “If Vikkal is involved with the cult, I’ll find out. Don’t worry.”
“Thank you,” I replied. “You’re one of the few people I can trust to do this right now. And I don’t mean to offend anyone…”
“No, it’s okay, we understand,” Sofia interjected. “Even some of our GASP fae have been affected by the current climate. Everyone’s on edge. Some are pointing fingers at the wrong people. You know how it is, when there’s no clear enemy, per se.”
The fae sure as hell weren’t the enemy. The Hermessi weren’t, either. Well, not all of them. One thing was clear. We couldn’t blame an entire species for the foul deeds of a few. The same had to be said about these elemental entities, as well. So far, we had Aya, Brann, and Acquis helping us.
“Before I leave this call, I was going to suggest something,” I said. “We do have the support of a few Hermessi. Shouldn’t we find a way to get more of them on our side?”
“How could we do that?” Derek asked.
A sigh left my chest. “I’m not sure. But we should start thinking of a way. If we get one of them to tell us what the purpose of this ritual is, we could get closer to stopping it.”
“I agree,” Jax replied. “But we need to do this discreetly, without triggering a hunt from the other Hermessi.”
“I think that’s where I come in, again,” Inalia said, looking at me. “I can try with Brann again, at some point.”
“And I, with Acquis,” Eira added.
I felt as though we’d been dropped in a most uncomfortable limbo. We only had half of the information we needed to take action. The death cults were still spreading. The Hermessi were following us and trying to stop us, already. And we had no clue as to how we could stop them.
“I wish I could say I regret waking them up in the first place,” Raphael muttered, crossing his arms. “But I can’t. They saved us all from Ta’Zan.”
“Which makes everything harder to understand. They saved us, yes, so what are they trying to do next? Destroy us?” Sofia replied.
That was, by far, the best question I’d heard all day. Were the Hermessi looking for a way to destroy us? Was their power as natural elements not enough to wipe us all out, perhaps? I could keep wondering about this, or we could get some answers from the likes of Brann or Acquis.
In the meantime, however, it was time to move again.
Lumi
I’d listened in on Taeral’s conversation with the rest of GASP, but I’d kept my mouth shut. I had no solution to offer, for the time being. I knew my mind would be much clearer once I got this Nalyon-exploiting-Hermessi-children out of the way, first. My only concern was that Emperor Tulla himself was involved, despite Skit’s impressions.
“I have to say, I’m in no mood for Cerix’s petty policies,” I muttered.
Skit and I stood before the palace gates—ginormous things, tinted an elegant shade of silver. The metal was beautifully crafted, with leaves and flowery motifs that glistened in the sunlight. Beyond, the sumptuous gardens unraveled, with elegant and neatly manicured shrubs and blossoming bushes. Water gushed from fountains made of white marble. The lemony scent of nearby trees tickled my nostrils.
“Is everything all right?” Skit asked me.
“Meh. No.”
I raised a hand, noticing a dozen soldiers emerging from both sides of the street. We’d been spotted—and that didn’t come as a surprise. In fact, I thought they were a little slow to react. My wrist flicked, and they were all thrown back. My patience was long gone.
The grunts coming down the palace stairs were even less impressive. I whispered a protective spell bubble. It swallowed Skit and me, shimmering gold as I moved. The gates opened with a loud creak as I made my way onto the imperial property.
“Stop right there!” I heard one soldier shout as he pointed his weapon at me.
Ignoring him, I kept moving, with Skit shivering by my side. “Relax. They can’t hurt you,” I said to him.
That didn’t stop him from yelping when the Armed Forces started firing. The pellets bounced off the shimmering bubble. Hundreds of them moving with enough speed to tear through flesh and bone. Oh, the damage they could do, in the wrong hands. I understood why Earth had been such a volatile world. Mankind, like the Cerixians, was curious and enterprising and extraordinary—at the same time, they were terrifyingly destructive when faced with something they feared or misunderstood. The same could be said for this world and all the others we’d encountered, if I were to be honest. The daemons, the Maras, even the Druids—case in point, Azazel. Evil was universal, unfortunately, but the Cerixians lacked magical and supernatural abilities, making Mankind the closest thing we had for comparison markers.
They’d already been warned, yet they continued with their aggressive ways.
“Stubborn, to say the least,” I whispered, then waved all the soldiers away with a single crippling pulse. It flashed outward, the air rippling before it hit dozens of Cerixian torsos at once. It knocked the air out of their lungs and left them unconscious on the marble ground.
Skit and I went up the palace stairs, the shimmering bubble still shielding us from harm. I had a feeling that half the Armed Forces were in this place. They kept pouring out of all the nooks and crannies like ants out of a burning stump. They all tried the same tactic—first, they told us to stop. Then, they fired their weapons at us.
Rolling my eyes, I released another pulse and kicked them back. Rinse and repeat. On and on. Until I set foot in the main lobby. It was huge, the ceiling tall and domed. Golden arches framed it like the titanic artwork that it really was. Cerixian warriors and damsels stretched across the gypsum surface, all of them looking up at a brightly colored sun. Around it was a ring of orange fire, which, in turn, was closed in a water circle. Beyond, a strip of tree branches curled around them, followed by puffy white clouds. I figured it had to be a depiction of the natural elements—the Hermessi.
The palace was old. It had to date back to the early days of the empire, when the Hermessi belief was still strong and active. Or maybe this was just the original artist’s way of stating his affiliation—whoever he was.
Everything around me spoke of a lavish, yet ceremonial lifestyle. Antique decorative pieces were littered around, mounted on handcrafted tables and in elegant display cases. Flowers filled every vase. And more soldiers came in, more terrified than the ones before them, as they realized we’d made it this far without a single scratch.
Then again, the shimmering bubble was enough to
leave them flabbergasted.
“You have two choices now,” I said. “Either you stand back, or attack us and get your asses kicked. I’m tired of doing this dance, already, and I’d like to speak to Emperor Tulla.”
One of them stole glances at what I’d left behind outside—too many of his colleagues on the ground, unable to move, temporarily paralyzed by my magic. He seemed to think about it for a moment, before he signaled the others to stand back.
“But, sir—” one of them tried to object, but the officer cut him off.
“Move back!” he snarled. “We obviously can’t take her down,” he said, then looked at me. “Please, don’t hurt our emperor.”
“I won’t. I just want to talk to him,” I replied. An exasperated sigh rolled out of my chest. “Honestly, if you people were better at listening, you’d have already known this. I’ve said it repeatedly. I come in peace. If I didn’t, you would all be dead already.”
The officer didn’t respond, his wary expression telling me everything I needed to know. He’d already heard about me and what I could do. A message must’ve reached the palace by now. He’d probably hoped he could beat me with Armed Forces numbers, but clearly, that didn’t work. The only thing he could do was hold his position and hope for the best.
I wasn’t going to disappoint him.
The shimmering bubble stayed. I didn’t trust the Cerixians enough. One of them could easily go rogue and shoot me as soon as I turned my back.
“I can’t believe this,” Skit mumbled, in awe of what was happening.
“Where am I going to find Emperor Tulla?” I asked him.
He nodded at a set of massive, gilded double doors to our left. “There. I heard my superiors talk about that room. It’s the only one with doors made entirely of gold.”
A Shade of Vampire 70: A Breed of Elements Page 14