I think the mutants would have used destruction to fight me."
"I agree." She ran a finger across the pink scar on the sera's head. "Cephus implanted something here. I believe it's what grants him control."
Just thinking about it gave me the heebie-jeebies. "I thought Seraphim were all about magic and not wetware."
The last word didn't translate well into Cyrinthian, leaving a puzzled look on Flava's face. "I cannot fathom what he might have used. The Ministry of Research was often the focus of controversial projects."
"I've seen them firsthand." Nightliss's bruised and battered body sprang to mind before I could stop myself from flashing back to her rescue from the ministry. "Is it possible to reopen the wound?"
"That is not something I dare start now, only hours before the attack," Flava replied. "I need to do a deeper scan and that will take hours."
"We don't want your attention split now," Elyssa said. "Whatever Cephus did can hopefully be reversed."
"You were right about not waiting for another legion to arrive," Flava said to Elyssa. "Even if we win, there will be hundreds of citizens affected by Cephus's monstrous violations."
The gut full of guilt I'd carried around since the crystoid incident grew even heavier. "I should have stopped him right after I rescued Nightliss. I had the entire legion with me."
"You needed me to heal Elyssa," Flava said. "It was imperative we reach her immediately."
"I could have sent you ahead and remained behind with Ketiss." I pounded the flat of a fist against the wall. "If only I'd done it right then. We could have saved thousands of lives."
Elyssa crossed her arms. "To quote the great Harry Shelton, if ifs and buts were candy and nuts, we'd all be farting fairies."
"Isn't it 'fat as pigs'?" I said.
"Not according to Shelton." She looked at the stricken sera on the table. "You did what you thought was right at the time, Justin. As much as you wish you were a military genius or all-powerful, you're not. I understand that and Nightliss did too."
Flava looked down. "I am sorry for blaming you for everything, Justin." Her gaze wandered up to meet mine. "The only fault lies with Cephus. I am weighing you with guilt that is not yours."
Her words and Elyssa's lightened the load a little. Nightliss was gone and Tarissa all but destroyed, but nothing I did now could change the past—only the future. I would do everything in my power to ensure a beautiful future for Seraphina, or die trying.
Night arrived and it was time to leave. Since the only reliable way to measure time in the no-magic zone was with mine and Elyssa's arcphones, I hesitantly gave Nookli over to Philas so he'd know the precise time to start his attacks.
"Why couldn't you give him your phone?" I asked Elyssa after he left with his group.
"I have the battle plans on mine." She smiled reassuringly as she double-checked her Nightingale armor for any damage. "I'm sure you'll get Nookli back."
We joined the others. Flava wore Tryphiss's armor but without the helmet since she said it hindered her vision. A group of Nailan's people had already left for the east to stage diversions. Nailan came with us, his people carrying the two crucibles I'd filled with Stasis in black webbing.
I took all the aether packs with me on a rocket stick ride and flicked on my incubus vision. Sure enough, once I achieved line of sight with the ultraviolet pimple in the city center, thin aether beams speared into them, and hopefully charging them to full. Since Cephus's evil minions hadn't thought to put a battery gauge on the side, I tested each by touching the crystal prongs and sensing the energy bursting across my senses.
Man, this aether beam works fast.
Back on the ground again, I rejoined the others and handed out the packs. Flava's eyes glowed purple when she affixed one to her back. "Now we have a chance," she murmured.
"We always had a chance," I countered. "This just gives us more opportunity to hand out some
"I agree." She ran a finger across the pink scar on the sera's head. "Cephus implanted something here. I believe it's what grants him control."
Just thinking about it gave me the heebie-jeebies. "I thought Seraphim were all about magic and not wetware."
The last word didn't translate well into Cyrinthian, leaving a puzzled look on Flava's face. "I cannot fathom what he might have used. The Ministry of Research was often the focus of controversial projects."
"I've seen them firsthand." Nightliss's bruised and battered body sprang to mind before I could stop myself from flashing back to her rescue from the ministry. "Is it possible to reopen the wound?"
"That is not something I dare start now, only hours before the attack," Flava replied. "I need to do a deeper scan and that will take hours."
"We don't want your attention split now," Elyssa said. "Whatever Cephus did can hopefully be reversed."
"You were right about not waiting for another legion to arrive," Flava said to Elyssa. "Even if we win, there will be hundreds of citizens affected by Cephus's monstrous violations."
The gut full of guilt I'd carried around since the crystoid incident grew even heavier. "I should have stopped him right after I rescued Nightliss. I had the entire legion with me."
"You needed me to heal Elyssa," Flava said. "It was imperative we reach her immediately."
"I could have sent you ahead and remained behind with Ketiss." I pounded the flat of a fist against the wall. "If only I'd done it right then. We could have saved thousands of lives."
Elyssa crossed her arms. "To quote the great Harry Shelton, if ifs and buts were candy and nuts, we'd all be farting fairies."
"Isn't it 'fat as pigs'?" I said.
"Not according to Shelton." She looked at the stricken sera on the table. "You did what you thought was right at the time, Justin. As much as you wish you were a military genius or all-powerful, you're not. I understand that and Nightliss did too."
Flava looked down. "I am sorry for blaming you for everything, Justin." Her gaze wandered up to meet mine. "The only fault lies with Cephus. I am weighing you with guilt that is not yours."
Her words and Elyssa's lightened the load a little. Nightliss was gone and Tarissa all but destroyed, but nothing I did now could change the past—only the future. I would do everything in my power to ensure a beautiful future for Seraphina, or die trying.
Night arrived and it was time to leave. Since the only reliable way to measure time in the no-magic zone was with mine and Elyssa's arcphones, I hesitantly gave Nookli over to Philas so he'd know the precise time to start his attacks.
"Why couldn't you give him your phone?" I asked Elyssa after he left with his group.
"I have the battle plans on mine." She smiled reassuringly as she double-checked her Nightingale armor for any damage. "I'm sure you'll get Nookli back."
We joined the others. Flava wore Tryphiss's armor but without the helmet since she said it hindered her vision. A group of Nailan's people had already left for the east to stage diversions. Nailan came with us, his people carrying the two crucibles I'd filled with Stasis in black webbing.
I took all the aether packs with me on a rocket stick ride and flicked on my incubus vision. Sure enough, once I achieved line of sight with the ultraviolet pimple in the city center, thin aether beams speared into them, and hopefully charging them to full. Since Cephus's evil minions hadn't thought to put a battery gauge on the side, I tested each by touching the crystal prongs and sensing the energy bursting across my senses.
Man, this aether beam works fast.
Back on the ground again, I rejoined the others and handed out the packs. Flava's eyes glowed purple when she affixed one to her back. "Now we have a chance," she murmured.
"We always had a chance," I countered. "This just gives us more opportunity to hand out some
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