Divinity Circuit (Senyaza Series Book 5)

by Chrysoula Tzavelas

  Penny pressed her hand against Branwyn’s back comfortingly and Branwyn realized she had her fingers twisted tightly in her hair. Her cheeks were hot and her eyes wet and abruptly her fury turned onto herself, for being weak, for looking at more than she needed to, for reacting physically to what she’d seen.

  “Come on, cupcake, get it together,” Severin urged. “That’s very attractive and you know it but this isn’t the time or place.”

  And just like that her rage was redirected at him. “What do you want? Why are you all here? I never thought you were a herd animal, Severin.”

  “Ouch,” he said mildly. “Look, we know who has your little toy, and with your help we can lure the thief out and deal with it.”

  So you can get the circuit for yourself? Branwyn laughed harshly. “How and why am I supposed to help you?” Then she added, jeeringly, “Don’t you remember what happened last time you wanted my help?”

  Aleth leaned his chin on his fist and said in an aside to Severin, “It’s interesting how she seems to want to pick a fight with you. She’s not normally this overwrought, I can see that.”

  “Her eyes are bigger than her stomach,” said Severin briefly. “Do you want me to remember, cupcake? Shall we talk about that? Must I go find your friend Simon and bring him to the discussion table, bleeding and begging?”

  “You’re the one who’s asking for help again,” Branwyn said. “I just wanted to point out that it didn’t go so well last time.”

  Aleth said, “This is a ridiculous conversation. Let me clarify. He did not ask for help before; he used you, willing or unwilling, as bait for his game. This is true; you know it to be true. He is not asking for help now. We require your participation in luring out prey. If, even when we suppress our numina, you find Severin too… over stimulating, turn your attention to me.”

  “Or me,” offered Max. “I’m much prettier.”

  “I want to hear what they have in mind,” said Rhianna, her voice breathless and higher-pitched than usual and red blooming in her cheeks. “I want to know who has it. Or what? You said ‘it’.”

  “An angel by the name of Hadraniel stole the divinity circuit from your Rhianna’s master. It abstains from gender, in the traditional way,” said Aleth, spreading his fingers on the table. “Max has personally confirmed that this angel was the thief. I am in contact with Hadraniel; I know it. It is a… cautious entity; it does not maintain a fully inhabited vessel on Earth. This makes dealing with it properly a challenge.”

  “Wait,” said Penny. “Why are you and an angel buddies?”

  “Oh, almost everybody likes Aleth in small doses,” said Severin. “Especially the angels.”

  “You know I appreciate your candor, Severin, but at the moment, it is counter productive. Be quiet,” commanded Aleth.

  Severin accepted this with equanimity, much to Branwyn’s shock. He did smirk and hold his thumb and forefinger an inch apart, as if to indicate a very small dose.

  Aleth ignored him. “Hadraniel has a weakness we may exploit, though: It would like to have a supply of circuits that it can share with its fellow traditionalists. That isn’t possible without you, Branwyn.”

  “If you think I’m making any more of those things—” Branwyn began.

  “I will arrange for Hadraniel to meet you. It will be eager to do so. You need only convince it to fully inhabit its vessel, and then we will take over.”

  “How am I supposed to do that?” Branwyn was not particularly impressed by the plan and more than a little concerned at the things Aleth was leaving out.

  “Be skeptical, cupcake. You’re good at being skeptical.” Severin tapped his fingers on the table.

  “Take over. Deal with.” Rhianna had reclaimed her self-possession. “What exactly do you mean?”

  “Murder,” suggested Severin, and Branwyn had déjà vu from a previous conversation.

  “Nah, bro, it’s an execution, isn’t it?” said Max. “It’s deserved. Hell, it’s self-defense.”

  “My boss knows Hadraniel,” said Rhianna quietly. “They’re friends.”

  Max nodded sympathetically. “Ain’t that always how it is, though? Some guy steals your favorite stuff, and it’s always the guy you thought was your pal.”

  “What about the divinity circuit he—it—already has?” asked Branwyn.

  “Well, we outnumber it by quite a bit,” explained Severin.

  “No!” said Branwyn impatiently. “What’s your plan for the circuit after you deal with the angel?”

  Severin looked between Rhianna and Branwyn, smiling, and didn’t answer.

  “I have no interest in the device itself,” said Aleth. “It’s irrelevant.”

  Branwyn didn’t believe that for a heartbeat. “Yeah, right. Valuable enough that an angel would steal it but you don’t care at all. Why exactly are you putting together this whole operation, then?”

  Max put both his palms on the table and leaned forward, his eyes sparkling in apparent enthusiasm as he said, “You want to refuse? Here, I’m going to tell you what will happen if you do. We’ll do the exact same thing, right up until our old-school friend comes looking for you. Then, since you’re not helping us, we’ll have to convince him another way. Tricky. But there’s power in a vessel. He might do that to save a valuable resource that will otherwise be destroyed, especially if he thinks he has an edge.”

  “And of course the time and place of the meeting would be up to us. There might be collateral damage,” added Severin.

  Aleth said, “On the other hand, I swear that if you do voluntarily help us, I will make sure my personal attentions never come upon you and yours without an invitation being extended first.”

  Penny said incredulously, “People ask for your attention?”

  “He lives in hope,” said Severin. “It’s a nice offer. Better than the alternative.”

  Branwyn shredded another napkin. “Nothing you want is ever nice,” she muttered. “Are you two going to offer the same thing?”

  Severin only smiled again, while Max clasped his hands behind his head. “It’s hardly fun without an invitation, but if it reassures you, I can make that promise.” He winked at Rhianna, who went rigid beside Branwyn.

  Branwyn hesitated. She had no idea what she’d just asked for, she realized. But how did one bring it up? How exactly are you dangerous? What terrible things do you do? Severin had always struck her as somebody ready to burn the world down, but these other two… didn’t.

  And then there were the other two, the women sitting at another table and watching them….

  She imagined the divinity circuit with Severin, with an angel. Rhianna nudged her foot under the table, and oh yes, she was thinking of that too. Rhianna’s angel probably wasn’t any better and certainly couldn’t stop his celestial friends from borrowing the device for a joyride.

  No. None of those were the answer. None of those were going to happen. She was going to have to take steps.

  “If I went along with this plan, when and where?”

  Severin shrugged and leaned back in his chair. “Where would you like?”

  “Someplace public, though,” added Aleth. “It is as cautious of private encounters as you are.”

  “The Huntington Gardens,” Branwyn suggested.

  Aleth pursed his lips. “Not enough people.”

  “Yes, that’s the point,” Branwyn said testily. “If you’re going to ambush an angel, I don’t want a lot of innocent bystanders.”

  Aleth merely spread his hands and waited on her. While Branwyn was thinking about other locations, Penny suggested, “How about one of the college campuses?”

  “Yes,” said Branwyn. “Pasadena City College. There’s at least plenty of room to scatter there.”

  “I will arrange it,” said Aleth. “It will be soon.” He stood up.

  “Wait. I want to meet the other two first.”

  “Recovered from your last bout of psychic indigestion, have you?” inquired Severin solicitously. “Well,
I’m sure your best friend and your little sister are up for anything you are.”

  He did nothing more than look in the direction of the women’s table, but it was enough. A moment later, a heavyset woman draped in flowing layers of sheer brown fabric sat down in Aleth’s abandoned chair. Her hair was dark and her eyes were reddened, as if she’d been sobbing. She even held a handkerchief in one hand.

  The girl squeezed in between Max and Severin and plopped on Severin’s lap. She did look like she was fourteen, but it was fourteen going on twenty-six, with artful makeup and clothing carefully picked out to show off a half-developed figure. Branwyn looked at her more closely and decided glumly that the girl was more like twelve going onto barely legal. She wondered why a celestial, who constructed their body to their own specifications, would rely on makeup to appear older.

  “I’m Candy,” the girl announced, and wriggled on Severin’s lap. “That’s Dolores. You wanted to meet us? Here we are.” She leaned forward and said to Rhianna, “You’re really pretty. Maybe I could get some tips from you later? Max has been having dirty thoughts about you for days.”

  Max said mildly, “Hey now. Be good or I’ll spank you.”

  “Ooh, do you promise?” She wriggled again and gave Max a look so lascivious that Branwyn looked away. She and Penny met gazes and Penny raised her eyebrows in a silent query that Branwyn couldn’t quite understand. Penny wasn’t nervous anymore, that was clear, though.

  Rhianna said, composedly, “Max isn’t exactly unique. And I doubt there’s anything I could teach something like you, Candy. No offense.”

  Candy giggled. “None taken. You’re pretty and smart. Well done!” Then she nuzzled Severin’s neck while watching Branwyn. Severin slouched in his chair, one arm casually balancing Candy. He was watching Branwyn too. Everybody was watching Branwyn, except the woman identified as Dolores, who was staring down at the table.

  So of course Branwyn couldn’t resist talking to her. “You don’t seem excited about the big plan, Dolores?”

  Dolores merely shook her head and didn’t look up.

  “Dolores doesn’t talk much,” said Severin. “When she does, we listen.”

  Branwyn drummed her fingers on the table impatiently and then pushed herself away. “Fine. I think we’re done.”

  Aleth said, “Very well. Severin will let you know the exact time within an hour.”

  “By phone,” said Branwyn sharply. “He’s not hanging around. I need some time without monsters before I do this.”

  “If you think that will help….” said Max.

  “It won’t,” said Severin, and then all five of them vanished.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Branwyn and Marley

  Branwyn

  Branwyn went back to her apartment with Penny and Rhianna and stretched out on the couch to think about the meeting, while Penny busied herself in the kitchen and Rhianna poked at her phone. The thinking time only lasted until Titanone texted her again.

  Somebody else is trying to break into Nakotus’s encrypted parts. Why can’t I? If I could just see what the data was I could protect it myself.

  Have you told anybody?

  You! And Leonard and Mr. Black. They’re not worried.

  They know a lot more about computers than I do so I won’t worry either.

  I’m studying them. They had digital circles. I’ve never seen digital circles before.

  Branwyn wasn’t sure what digital circles were but she was amused by the amazement she read between the lines. You and your grand old single year of life.

  I’m a little older than that, you know. I was just asleep before. But my elevators worked and my cameras recorded and my security systems identified people and I found all that when I went looking. Now I remember when they put the book into the basement and when the cage was empty.

  What’s in the cage? Branwyn asked. What could she say? Titanone was very persuasive about its claim on information.

  I don’t know. Something sad. I’m too afraid to look closer. What if I get caged too? The circles are very powerful.

  Wait, are these the same kind of circles as the digital circles?

  Oh yes! It’s so weird. The digital ones only exist when there are four different attacks happening, but then they mesh together and everything starts moving differently. Except me. They don’t know how to account for me. So the circles fall apart.

  Huh, Branwyn thought. Magic hackers. It was a whole new world these days. Fortunately, magic hackers were not her problem, except for the bad habits they might teach Titanone.

  What they’re doing is wrong. The data is encrypted for a reason. You don’t like being invaded, do you?

  It’s interesting but it itches, too. I don’t like that.

  Exactly. Nobody likes the idea of their data being invaded. That’s why we don’t do it.

  Titanone didn’t answer. Shortly after that, a taxi delivered Marley and Neath to the apartment, and Branwyn had to pay an extravagant fare.

  “Wait, you left your purse again?” Penny demanded. “Bad Marley!”

  “They’re never going to let you live this down,” Rhianna told Marley as she handed her a glass of lemonade.

  “I know,” said Marley. “Can we go get my car now?” She looked back and forth between Branwyn and Rhianna. “I’m glad you’re okay.”

  Branwyn scratched Neath between the ears. “I need to wait for a phone call first. I might need to be somewhere soon.” The cat swiped at Branwyn’s hand. Then she headed to her food dish where she started yowling until Marley gave her two cans of wet food.

  Rhianna stretched. “That reminds me. I have some errands of my own to run before the big showdown.”

  Branwyn eyed her sister. “Are you planning on coming along? I’d hate to tell Mom you got caught in a crossfire.”

  Rhianna tapped her lips. “You’re right, I should go see Mom first. But I’m certainly hoping to come along. Girls’ night out! You don’t want to leave me behind.”

  Penny shook her hair out from a tie and said, “Just what kind of directions did you give to Max, anyhow? You blushed when you first saw him.”

  Branwyn blinked and then remembered what Rhianna had said when the kaiju first appeared. Rhianna put her fist on her hip. “Very proper ones. Don’t try to start something, Penny Karzan.”

  “I suppose it’s just him, then,” Penny said vaguely and went to the mirror near the door to look at her hair. Rhianna followed her to the door and waved at the others before opening it and leaving.

  “Did she seem like she was in a hurry?” Branwyn asked. “That’s a rhetorical question. I wonder what she’s up to.” She reflexively checked her pockets—Rhianna amused herself picking pockets sometimes—but nothing was missing.

  “It’s Rhianna,” said Marley. “When is she not up to something?” She regarded Neath as the cat finished her lunch, moved to her usual spot on the couch and promptly fell deeply asleep. “Tell me about your meeting?”

  Branwyn did so, trying not to linger over the parts that had bothered her. It made for a pretty hurried recital. Marley sat on the couch taking notes while Neath snuggled next to her. When Branwyn was done, she tapped her pen on the paper. “They’re not very imaginative in their name choices, are they?”

  “Aleth seemed a little weird to me but otherwise… no?” Branwyn wasn’t sure why their names, of all things, were being discussed. But Marley was Research Girl for a reason.

  She explained. “Aletheia is a Greek word meaning ‘truth’. Basically. And from what you said, he seemed all about the truth. Dolores means ‘sorrow’ and she was crying. Candy…” Marley made a face. “She sounds like Lolita, from the Nabokov book. Or at least what some people would like Lolita to be.”

  “Bad people,” said Penny flatly, still looking in the mirror.

  “Great.” Branwyn paused, then added, “Actually, yes, great. That’s useful information. What about Max?”

  “No idea. It’s too common.” Marley frowned. “Don�
��t make too much of their names, Branwyn. I bet they’re just… flavor.”

  “Like you dyeing your hair green, Bran,” said Penny, and turned away from the mirror. “It was odd,” she added. “I could tell that looking at them really bothered both you and Rhianna, but they were just… pictures to me.”

  “You saw the—?”

  “Yes, I did. And I got a closer look at Candy and Dolores than you did, too.”

  Briskly, Branwyn focused on the important question. “Do you think you could do to them what you can do to faeries?”

  Penny hugged herself. “I don’t know.”

  “Well, maybe we’ll get an opportunity to find out.”

  With an alarmed look, Penny said, “Branwyn, you don’t want to be in a situation where you’re relying on what I can or can’t do—”

  Branwyn’s phone rang so she only said, “Shh, it’ll be okay,” and answered it.

  Severin’s voice enveloped her, as if he was standing right behind her. “Hello, cupcake. Our friend wants to meet at nine o’ clock in the morning, which gives you a whole night to sit on your hands.”

  “Good,” said Branwyn. “I have a party in the evening.”

  “How fun. Oh, and it’s changed the location.”

  Branwyn exhaled and walked into her bedroom so she wasn’t distracted by her friends. “Are you even using a phone? You don’t sound like you’re on a phone.”

  “I have a phone. One of those slick Senyaza phones, the ones they only give to employees.”

  “How did you get it, then?”

  She hated the laugher in his voice as he said, “How do you think, cupcake? I took it from somebody who didn’t need it anymore.”

  Branwyn took another deep breath. Last time she’d let Severin’s phone call go to messages. This time, she’d answered the phone for a reason. But before pursuing it, there was a dreadful detail to learn. “Where do they want to meet now?”

  “There’s a coffee shop called Zona Rosa. Near a bookstore called Vroman’s. Do you know it?”

  “Yes. I didn’t want a coffee shop, Severin.”