by John Corwin
I snorted. "It just so happens I'm the master of naming."
"Let me guess, your idea of a wonderful name would be sky angels." She raised an eyebrow as if daring me to contradict her.
I had to admit, I liked the sound of it, but I wasn't about to let her know that. "No, that's an awful name. How about the Valkyries?"
"Now you're just stealing names." She frowned. "I'm actually a little disappointed hearing that from the same person who named a hellhound Cutsauce, and calls their arcphone Nookli."
"Don't forget Captain Tibbs."
She wrinkled her nose. "What poor creature did you call that?"
"That's what I called Nightliss in her cat form when I rescued her from a dog." I shrugged. "I thought it was a cool name."
Elyssa giggled. "Poor Nightliss. I'm glad that name didn't stick."
I rubbed my hands together. "Back to business. What's a good moniker?"
"Let's call them skydevils."
I scrunched my forehead. "I'm the only one who'd fit that description. I want something to make enemies fear our wrath. We need to up the poop-in-the-pants level."
"Hmm, I like the sound of that."
I raised an eyebrow. "The poop in the pants part?"
"No, silly." Elyssa tapped a finger on her chin. "We need a scary name."
One thing I'd always found frightening—besides clowns, of course—were ghosts. I imagined flying ghosts trailing tattered clothing, their skeletal hands coming for the throats of our enemies. That was when the name hit me. "Skywraiths."
Elyssa looked at me in stunned silence. "I can't believe it."
"What?" I winced in anticipation of her scorn. "Does the name suck?"
She shook her head slowly. "No. It's actually the coolest name you've ever come up with."
"Really?"
She nodded. "Totes, babe."
I pumped a fist. "Woot!" Unfortunately, I had no idea if our new Skywraiths would stand up to the archangels. "I just hope we can get them off the ground."
Elyssa made a dorky face. "Oh, you're so punny."
I tickled her until she threatened to karate chop me if I didn't stop, then we curled up together and made out like it was our first time, though this time she didn't pin me to the ground and hold a knife to my throat.
I felt so relaxed, so at peace. Deep down, I knew that every second of idle time with Elyssa was a luxury. A part of me argued I couldn't afford it. I put that part of me in timeout and ignored it. I'd been so busy over the past few months I'd almost forgotten what it was like to be bored. People who had that much time on their hands didn't know how lucky they were.
After a few more minutes of bliss, we grunted, groaned, and got up. I typed up a quick report on the day's events and sent it to Thomas so he could disseminate it as necessary.
At ten o'clock sharp, Elyssa and I arrived at the Science Academy ferry dock. Shelton and Bella flew to a position just beneath the cliff, their carpet hidden by a camouflage enchantment.
The bipedal robot guard for the dock was slumped over, its single, unlit eye facing the ground.
The air flickered, and suddenly Lina and a tall male appeared. Ryan lifted his finger from a button on his belt and nodded at us.
"Neat camouflage belt," Elyssa said under her breath.
I landed the carpet next to the dock.
"It is so good to see you." Lina gave me a firm hug and kissed me on both cheeks, Colombian style before repeating the greeting with Elyssa.
I shook her boyfriend's hand. "Ryan, I presume?"
"That's me." He was tall, thin, and geeky, but handsome in his own way. "We don't have a lot of time. I can only disable the robot here for twenty minutes before someone notices it."
"I'll get straight to the point, then." I looked around cautiously and then launched into my mini-speech. "Daelissa has massive battle golems. We don't have much to counter her and were hoping Science Academy might come through. I have to admit I don't know everything you all are capable of, but any help might turn this war around."
Ryan pursed his lips and nodded. "It just so happens that we have several brand-spanking new battle bots that could probably help."
I felt my hopes rise. "That's great."
His face darkened. "When we first started working on them, we thought they'd be for defending the academy in case the war spilled over here. One of my friends overheard Frankenberg talking to Newton recently and it turns out that's not the case at all."
"What do you mean?" Elyssa asked.
Ryan frowned. "I think Frankenberg is waiting for both sides to wipe each other out while he forces us to build an army."
"This campus isn't just on lockdown," Lina said. "It's become a prison."
"They keep us working like slaves." Ryan gazed longingly across the valley at the lights shining from Arcane University. "I could escape, but I wouldn't be able to get everyone out." His jaw tightened. "Frankenberg told me that if anyone leaves, he'll take it out on the other students. He's keeping some of my friends in an undisclosed location." Ryan's face screwed up in disgust. "He showed us video of his people threatening a girl. Even if we could escape, we can't leave anyone to suffer."
I briefly thought about using the map and key, or even a series of omniarch portals to help the students, but since I didn't know where the hidden students were being kept, that approach wouldn't work. "How is he maintaining control?"
"The council controls the security drones and bots." He regarded me. "From what I heard, they're no problem for you, but we can't handle them."
"How many?"
"Fifty airborne drones. They look like small flying saucers, and they pack a wallop." He jabbed a finger toward the disabled bot. "They have approximately thirty security bots."
"What about the battle bots?"
"Thankfully, they aren't powered." He looked around nervously and continued. "They use a hybrid aether-nuclear core that won't start without an Arcane. The students at the School of Magical and Scientific Synergy escaped before lockdown occurred, so Frankenberg has no way to ignite the power cores." He nodded his head toward Lina. "They don't know she sneaks in to see me."
I felt relieved. "So if we mount a rescue operation, we won't have to fight them."
"Exactly." The wind rustled nearby trees, causing Ryan to scan the area once more. "But there's another problem. Frankenberg claims that he has a failsafe. If he dies, or if he activates a trigger, he'll set off a series of explosives and take out everyone on campus."
My stomach knotted. "Like a nuclear bomb?"
Ryan shook his head. "No, I think it's more conventional. From what I understand, the Arcane Council set up wards to prevent Science Academy from detonating weapons of mass destruction after the Einstein Crisis."
"Well, we got that going for us, which is nice." I bit my lower lip in thought. "In other words, we have to do this quickly and covertly."
"There is no other way," Lina said. "I wanted to come to you for help sooner, Justin, but you've been so busy with the war."
"We tried to escape before the lockdown." Ryan looked down. "We're all supposed to be so smart, but everyone is too scared to do anything. I'm just ready for this to be over."
"We've all been there before." I thought about our options. "I'll need a complete list of Frankenberg's supporters, drone patrols, etc."
Ryan handed me an ASE. "This all-seeing eye has everything you need. We've been collecting the data ever since the campus went into lockdown. If you can help us, we'll get those battle bots online and do everything we can to win this war."
"We'll get you out of this," I promised. "You should get back to wherever you need to be before you're missed."
Ryan shook my hand. "Thank you, Justin."
I looked at Lina. "Is it safe for you to be here?"
"I'm sneaky." She smiled. "I can take care of myself."
Elyssa hugged her. "Be safe."
We headed back to the university.
"I always figured Frankenberg for a dumbass
," Shelton said as we flew over the sparse lights of Queens Gate in the valley far below. "If he thinks he can mop up the winning forces after the war, he's gonna be in for a nasty surprise."
"I know who'd be perfect for this job." I looked at the others. "Underborn."
Shelton wrinkled his forehead. "Isn't he busy screwing around with the Alabaster Arch?"
"My mom can handle things there." I rolled the ASE around in my hand and tucked it into a pocket. "If he lives up to his reputation, he should be able to take out Frankenberg and his failsafe without raising an alarm."
"I agree," Elyssa said.
Elyssa and I parted ways with Shelton and Bella back at the mansion and went through the omniarch portal to El Dorado. We found Mom, Underborn, and Adam Nosti working intently on the Alabaster Arch.
"We're extremely close to a solution," the assassin said.
Mom nodded. "I think this might actually work."
Adam Nosti flicked a hand across his arctablet. "Serena probably knows we're up to something, so she opened a portal to Seraphina and has been keeping it open. That's why we can't take control of the Alabaster Arch network." He looked up from the screen. "We're going to bind the Chalons into one big Mega Chalon to concentrate their energy and send a power surge through this arch and into the nexus. That should cause it to reset and sever the connection to Seraphina. Then we'll have at least a minute to take control."
Mom's forehead wrinkled with worry. "We don't have long before the Second Battalion reaches the gateway in Seraphina. This has to work."
"I have complete faith in you." Worry tried to wedge itself into my chest, but I couldn't let it—not now. I turned to Underborn. "I have an important matter that requires someone of your particular talents." I led him to the far side of the room, explaining the situation at Science Academy. Elyssa walked by my side, but said nothing.
Underborn frowned. "I don't believe I'm best suited for such an operation."
I felt my eyebrows climb. "What do you mean? You're a stealthy assassin. Taking out some bureaucrats shouldn't be an issue for you."
"You're right. I could easily take them out and escape unharmed." He shrugged. "I am an expert at precisely nullifying a target or small number of targets. I can infiltrate just about any location. I might even be able to save a few people." He shook his head. "What you're asking me to do is carry out a complex rescue operation. Even though I could get past the drones and security bots, I would also have to neutralize this failsafe Frankenberg has and find the hidden hostages. To accomplish that, I'd likely have to capture this man and interrogate him for information."
"I never said it would be easy." It was hard not to feel disappointed. "After all the hype about you, I figured you'd be a shoo-in. Now you're telling me you can't do it."
Underborn smiled. "I never said I couldn't—I simply said I wasn't the best suited for such an operation." He sighed and looked at the Alabaster Arch. "Truthfully, I don't want to leave this project. We're so close to a solution, I can taste it."
I countered his assertion. "If we don't get those battle bots on our side, this project might not matter."
He pursed his lips. "Can you confirm if Kanaan is back from his mission?"
I almost asked him how in the world he knew Kanaan had even been on a mission. Even I didn't know all the details. Then again, Underborn probably knew how many times a day I used the bathroom. "I don't know. I can ask Captain Takei."
He nodded. "Ideally, his help would be invaluable. While I am skilled at extracting information, Kanaan has an uncanny ability to get straight to the point. He's also an excellent fighter."
"That's an understatement," Elyssa murmured.
I put in a quick call to Takei and asked him about the Magitsu master.
"As a matter of fact," Takei said, "Kanaan returned just last night. I'll have him report to Underborn immediately."
"Thanks, Captain." I disconnected and looked at Underborn. "Kanaan is on his way. Do you need anything else?"
"I'd like Michael Borathen on the team."
Elyssa's face registered shock. "He swore he'd never work for you again after you made him lie to me."
Underborn smiled. "Nonetheless, I need someone with expertise in rescue operations."
I squeezed Elyssa's hand. "Is it okay if I ask him?"
She took a deep breath and nodded. "Of course." She took out her arcphone. "I'll let him know."
I handed the ASE to Underborn. "This has all the information we have."
A loud thrumming noise filled the control room and a Klaxon wailed. I spun around to see Adam and Mom watching the Alabaster Arch. Magical energy crackled up and down the surface. The three Chalons, bound in a triangular formation, hovered between the columns. Adam slammed his staff against the floor. Brilliant energy cascaded from his staff and into the Mega Chalon. The three orbs soaked up the energy until they glowed.
Underborn trotted across the room toward the arch.
I glanced at Elyssa. "I'm gonna wait at a safe distance just in case."
She seemed unable to break her gaze from the arch. "Good idea."
The thrumming crescendoed into a whine. A gateway opened within the arch. The Mega Chalon unleashed a torrent of energy into the portal. Thunder rumbled and, with a blinding flash, the portal closed. The arch went dark without even the usual humming noise as it wound down.
The Mega Chalon dropped to the floor. Mom ran into the binding circle around the arch, scooped up the bound orbs, and pressed them to the arch. She sang a familiar tune—one that she'd used to attune the Chalon to an arch. The Mega Chalon clicked against the arch, and emitted a sullen glow.
Mom closed her eyes and pressed a hand to the Mega Chalon. She remained that way for only a moment, but it felt like forever. If this failed, Daelissa's army would soon outnumber us even more.
Mom's eyes blinked open. She backed away from the arch, a smile lighting her face. "We did it! We control the Alabaster Arches!"
Chapter 31
I sagged with relief and a lump of fear melted away. "All your base are belong to us."
"Yes!" Elyssa clapped her hands and cheered my mother. "You go, girl!"
"Daelissa's reinforcements are trapped in Seraphina." Mom breathed a sigh of relief. "We just have to hope they can't reverse the process."
I wasn't ready to celebrate just yet. If Adam was right and Serena knew what we'd done, she might be able to divine our location. Even without the battle golems, it would be a formidable army. We had to lock down this facility ASAP. "Are all the portal blockers active?"
"Everywhere except designated zones," Elyssa said. "Daelissa won't be getting in here that way. Slitheren and the other ley worms blocked most of the surface tunnels. She'd have to march her army down the same dangerous path we took the first time we came down here."
A hulk of a man entered the control room and approached Elyssa. "I hear you need me, Ninjette."
She smiled at the nickname, but it quickly faded. "Underborn requested your help on an urgent mission."
Michael wasn't one to emote very often, but this drew a scowl. "Explain."
Elyssa told him about Science Academy. "It's imperative we secure their help."
Underborn approached from the arches looking like the cat who swallowed the canary. "Good to see you again, Michael."
Michael looked at the assassin with a dark expression.
A hooded figure appeared in our circle. He lowered the hood to reveal a face of mixed Caucasian and Asian descent, and a head of thick black hair. "I am here as requested," Kanaan said.
A loud pinging noise echoed in the control room, causing some of us to jump. I looked toward the Alabaster Arch and saw Adam, a concerned look on his face, tapping away on his arctablet. He jogged over to us.
"Serena pinged the arch network before I could get a portal blocking statue in place." He ran a hand down his face. "If she wasn't sure where we hijacked the nexus from, she knows now."
"That means we don't have long."
I turned back to Underborn and the rescue crew. "Free Science Academy. We need all the help we can get. Underborn has all the intel on the situation."
"I'll put Phissilinth in charge of our military operations," Underborn said. "He should be able to hold the fort until we return."
I nodded. "Good luck. Keep me informed."
"It was nice to see you again, if only for a moment." Kanaan nodded his head at Elyssa and me. "May fortune favor you."
Underborn flourished a bow, turned, and led his merry trio away.
"I texted my father," Elyssa said. "He's mobilizing all our forces, but it'll take time to transport them via omniarch portals."
"Does that include Ketiss and the Darklings?"
She nodded. "The army will gather in El Dorado on the surface."
"Shouldn't we set up the army below ground?" Mom asked. "It might be easier to defend the tunnels." She looked toward the main chamber. "Plus, we have the dragons out there."
"The cavern is too small for all our forces, and he has valid concerns about trapping our army in an enclosed space." Elyssa motioned us to follow her out of the control room. "If Daelissa somehow deployed a malaether crucible in here, it could kill us off in one blast." We stepped into the main chamber and looked across the vast space. Large as it was, I'd seen a malaether crucible, the equivalent of a magical nuke, explode. Thomas was right. It'd be like a firecracker exploding in a bottle.
I looked toward the dragons. They appeared to be sleeping. "I wonder how long we have until Daelissa's army arrives." Using omniarch portals, she could have the bulk of her troops here in hours if she so desired.
"Let's just hope she takes her time."
It was almost midnight. I figured we'd done all we could do at the moment so we returned to the mansion. I tried to sleep, but the dreams of war and battle kept shocking me awake. I must have finally stayed asleep because the next thing I knew, my alarm was going off.
After showering, Elyssa and I went downstairs for a quick breakfast. Surprisingly, Bella and Shelton weren't there.
Elyssa received a text on her phone and read it. "Templar scouts report no signs of the enemy mobilizing." She looked up. "Maybe we have more time than we thought."