bored into the young darkness mage. “Step forward.”
I could see Oliva bristle when he saw Lisabelle. “I can’t believe you’d betray your friends,” he said, “including those who were so close to you. You’re going to watch your uncle die?”
Lisabelle’s expression was unreadable, but by the way her hand twitched a fraction I felt sure she wanted to hit Oliva, or blast him.
“If you kill a committee member of Public, it means war,” Oliva warned desperately. Malle stopped laughing and looked at her replacement with interest.
“We’ve been wondering what’s wrong with you paranormals,” she mused. “There’s no fight in you. We couldn’t figure out why. Possibly it’s because you still don’t understand that we are at war, that we’ve been at war, and that you’re losing. Goffer understands, don’t you, dear?” She smiled at the paranormal general. He looked like the hard man he was. And he didn’t respond.
“Killing Risper gets you nothing,” said Caid.
Risper barked a laugh, and all eyes turned to the chained man. “They don’t want anything,” he said. “They already have all they could want. They just need to demonstrate their power.”
Caid pursed his lips. “I think that’s a pretty fatalistic take on the situation.”
“You aren’t at Public. We have control of the only university that matters. We have all the Objects on the Wheel, and we have Lisabelle Verlans. What else could you be questioning?”
“We have an elemental,” said Caid, even more desperately. “We don’t need the Objects on the Wheel.”
Malle snorted. “You’ve marginalized her and put her at risk, and she in turn has no use for you. She has so little use for you that she’s taken up with that crazy little werewolf in trying to mount a resistance. In fact, she still thinks Lisabelle’s on her side. A fact we have every intention of using to our advantage.”
Malle wasn’t looking at Lisabelle, but I searched my friend for any sign that she didn’t agree with Malle. There was none.
“Are you alright?” Malle said, turning to Risper with a sick smirk. “Please stay awake. The show will be much more believable if you scream.”
I flinched, but Risper didn’t. He met Malle’s eyes and smiled.
“Do your worst,” he said. “I have faith in the paranormals and in my family.”
“Ah, yes, family,” said Malle. “Tell me, Lisabelle, do you think your mom and dad will forgive you when they find out you watched your uncle die and did nothing?” She smiled as if she was enjoying a good show, but Lisabelle didn’t respond. She was examining Risper with something very close to interest, but I couldn’t figure out why.
My attention was quickly taken away from the niece and her uncle when a rumble rippled through the hall. Malle’s smile widened.
“The demons are restless,” she said pleasantly. “We did call them here for a show. Let’s get on with it.”
“Wait,” Caid cried. “What do you want? We’ll give it to you, just tell us what you want.”
“We will do no such thing,” Goffer cried angrily, slamming his fist into his hand. “We do not negotiate with darkness.”
Cynthia Malle swept her arms out wide. She no longer even looked at the paranormals gathered on the screen.
“My fellow Nocturns, what do we want? Do we want anything from the paranormals? What could they possibly have to offer us now?” She pretended to listen, but she was met with nothing except silence.
“We could ask for the elemental, but what do we care about her? We’ve been offered her many times, had many opportunities. We have all the Objects on the Wheel, so we can destroy her from afar. What difference does it make if she doesn’t even truly know what she’s capable of?”
I wondered if they had breached Astra and found the Mirror Arcane. Malle certainly talked as if they had, but I had trouble believing that Astra would still be standing if demons had managed to get in.
“Ah, just a
I could see Oliva bristle when he saw Lisabelle. “I can’t believe you’d betray your friends,” he said, “including those who were so close to you. You’re going to watch your uncle die?”
Lisabelle’s expression was unreadable, but by the way her hand twitched a fraction I felt sure she wanted to hit Oliva, or blast him.
“If you kill a committee member of Public, it means war,” Oliva warned desperately. Malle stopped laughing and looked at her replacement with interest.
“We’ve been wondering what’s wrong with you paranormals,” she mused. “There’s no fight in you. We couldn’t figure out why. Possibly it’s because you still don’t understand that we are at war, that we’ve been at war, and that you’re losing. Goffer understands, don’t you, dear?” She smiled at the paranormal general. He looked like the hard man he was. And he didn’t respond.
“Killing Risper gets you nothing,” said Caid.
Risper barked a laugh, and all eyes turned to the chained man. “They don’t want anything,” he said. “They already have all they could want. They just need to demonstrate their power.”
Caid pursed his lips. “I think that’s a pretty fatalistic take on the situation.”
“You aren’t at Public. We have control of the only university that matters. We have all the Objects on the Wheel, and we have Lisabelle Verlans. What else could you be questioning?”
“We have an elemental,” said Caid, even more desperately. “We don’t need the Objects on the Wheel.”
Malle snorted. “You’ve marginalized her and put her at risk, and she in turn has no use for you. She has so little use for you that she’s taken up with that crazy little werewolf in trying to mount a resistance. In fact, she still thinks Lisabelle’s on her side. A fact we have every intention of using to our advantage.”
Malle wasn’t looking at Lisabelle, but I searched my friend for any sign that she didn’t agree with Malle. There was none.
“Are you alright?” Malle said, turning to Risper with a sick smirk. “Please stay awake. The show will be much more believable if you scream.”
I flinched, but Risper didn’t. He met Malle’s eyes and smiled.
“Do your worst,” he said. “I have faith in the paranormals and in my family.”
“Ah, yes, family,” said Malle. “Tell me, Lisabelle, do you think your mom and dad will forgive you when they find out you watched your uncle die and did nothing?” She smiled as if she was enjoying a good show, but Lisabelle didn’t respond. She was examining Risper with something very close to interest, but I couldn’t figure out why.
My attention was quickly taken away from the niece and her uncle when a rumble rippled through the hall. Malle’s smile widened.
“The demons are restless,” she said pleasantly. “We did call them here for a show. Let’s get on with it.”
“Wait,” Caid cried. “What do you want? We’ll give it to you, just tell us what you want.”
“We will do no such thing,” Goffer cried angrily, slamming his fist into his hand. “We do not negotiate with darkness.”
Cynthia Malle swept her arms out wide. She no longer even looked at the paranormals gathered on the screen.
“My fellow Nocturns, what do we want? Do we want anything from the paranormals? What could they possibly have to offer us now?” She pretended to listen, but she was met with nothing except silence.
“We could ask for the elemental, but what do we care about her? We’ve been offered her many times, had many opportunities. We have all the Objects on the Wheel, so we can destroy her from afar. What difference does it make if she doesn’t even truly know what she’s capable of?”
I wondered if they had breached Astra and found the Mirror Arcane. Malle certainly talked as if they had, but I had trouble believing that Astra would still be standing if demons had managed to get in.
“Ah, just a
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