Blood Finale (God Wars #5) (22 page)

Tory, I know that
, Reah snapped.

Everybody remain calm
, Charles interjected.
Now isn't the time for this to fall apart. Proceed with the plan. We'll take them after they eat and are too full to move quickly
.

I didn't say anything, but my heart skipped when Charles said
now isn't the time for this to fall apart
. Perhaps I'd read his statement incorrectly, but I felt he meant it—that at some point, it
would
fall apart.

* * *

Breanne's Journal

"They're late."

"Stop worrying," I nudged Jayson in the ribs with an elbow. Bekzi stood nearby, eyeing Jayson as if he were studying what part of him would be easiest to bite. Jayson's worry was increasing everybody else's apprehension, and that wasn't a good thing. Kay was ready to hyperventilate as it was, and I was very grateful Charles had sent her away from Tulgalan.

They may fold in—they're not all that worried that we'll be here, waiting
, Ashe pointed out.

They just checked in
, Bill announced.
I can't tell—they don't look like the description I have, but they're definitely twins. Two more with them, too
.

I'm going
, I said and turned to mist. They wouldn't detect me that way. I zoomed toward the front of the restaurant, where Bill sat at a corner of the bar, in disguise and seemingly waiting for a table.

* * *

Lissa's Journal

They ordered the chocolate cake with gishi fruit ice cream
, Tory reported. The fish course had been consumed, and I could tell they'd enjoyed it immensely. All of us were on edge, waiting to see if they wanted dessert. They did, and ordered the most expensive dessert on the menu.

Plating it up now
, Reah responded.

* * *

Breanne's Journal

It's them
. It was—there was no doubt. I stared at Saxom and Moxas, both disguised by the rogue god who accompanied them. They imagined they were protected by the rogue and the female Sirenali, whose hand was on the rogue's arm, as if they were together.

Hank calls that one Calhoun
, Trajan informed me.

Gotcha
. I'd already seen that, in addition to other things as I studied Calhoun. His death now could impact future events. My plan would definitely have to work or we could all be screwed.

Ashe, we need Kay to be functioning and coherent for this to work
, I sent.
If she's both those things, it'll go without a hitch. If she's not, we could be in trouble.

On it,
Ashe responded.
I'll let you know
.

* * *

Lissa's Journal

They went through that fish like seagulls on a beach, and now they want to take their time with tea and cake
, Reah grumbled. She, Grace, Devin and Kiarra had worn themselves out in the kitchen, filling other orders while waiting for our targets to finish dinner. A second shift was scheduled to come in for clean up, and it was nearing closing time as it was. Song and Serenade were making an evening of their outing—they'd already been at the table for nearly three hours.

They're signaling for the check
, Tory announced.

* * *

Breanne's Journal

They ordered four different kinds of fish
, Fes informed me.
We're working on it now.

Kay?
Ashe asked.

I'm fine. Just a little queasy
, she replied.

Let me know if that changes, sweetheart
, Ashe coaxed.

I will
.

I was listening to two conversations—that of Moxas and Saxom, plus the one in my head.

"This had better live up to the hype," Saxom grumbled as he sipped an expensive glass of wine.

"I heard very good things about the chef." The Sirenali examined her carefully manicured nails absently.

Moxas toyed with his knife and soupspoon, clinking them together in an annoying fashion. He'd already finished one glass of wine and waited impatiently for another to be brought. Obviously, he appreciated the wine selection Fes suggested.

"You prefer raw fish," Saxom lifted his wineglass to her. "I prefer mine cooked, although I do like tuna and salmon sashimi."

"Squid is better," the Sirenali countered.

"I'm not that fond of squid."

"Octopus," the Sirenali baited Saxom.

"Absolutely not."

"Your wine," the wine steward arrived with a clean glass and a bottle of wine. Moxas went through the motions of sniffing a sample and tasting it before nodding approval. The wine was poured, the steward disappeared, Moxas drank and Saxom and the Sirenali continued their dispute.

Friendly argument?
Jayson joined Bill at the bar, but sent mindspeech to me.

Sounds that way. Don't know how well they know each other
, I said.

Maybe he wants her real claws to come out
, Jayson mused.

That wouldn't clear the restaurant or anything
, I replied sarcastically.

I'm sending out a complimentary appetizer of several types of fish, including tuna sashimi
, Fes sent.

You listening in?
I asked.

Of course. I set this up early on. I know what all the customers are saying
, Fes sent a mental grin.

Kay, are you ready? If they get into this appetizer, you can do your thing without their suspecting. Just leave the rogue alone. He'll never know.

I'll do this
, Kay sounded determined.

* * *

Lissa's Journal

The only reason the other restaurant guests didn't scream or panic was that Reemagar held a shield around our targets' table. My breath stuttered and stopped as the rogue god collapsed inward, as if everything inside his body was being siphoned away.

I wanted to gasp—this was how Jarnis died. I didn't make a sound as I watched a rogue god die while the Sirenali and two sadistic women stood and screamed. I wanted so badly to tell them that their screams couldn't be heard; the other guests continued eating as if nothing were happening.

Get the Sirenali
, Charles's voice entered my mind. I separated particles in a blink, causing Song and Serenade's screams to reach a higher frequency.

Time to force them to tell us what they know,
Tybus, followed by Aurelius, made his way toward the two women.

They're shielded
, Renegar said as the two vampires reached the table and each grasped a woman by the throat, issuing mind-bending compulsion.

We're going
, Charles announced, pulling us away before Desh's exploded.

* * *

"Don't worry, the Larentii got the people out of the restaurant," Charles sighed as I dropped to a tiled floor somewhere.

"Who?" I blinked up at Wisdom. Aurelius and Tybus were working on getting information from Song and Serenade nearby, while Grace, Devin, Reah and the others watched.

"Who do you think? If my guess is correct, he has some connection to all the Sirenali. When they die, he knows. I figure Quislus set it up, somehow, after the one in D.C. The only good thing is this—if Quislus did it, he may not have had time to get to all of them yet, or only booby-trapped likely targets—the ones who might come in contact with us."

"But we still don't know how many Sirenali are out there. Even if he's got them stashed away somewhere, we'll never find it by
Looking
."

"I know. All we can hope for is to get lucky on that quarter."

"What about those children? Will he?" I began.

"We know where their compound is," Tybus walked toward me and extended a hand. I allowed him to lift me to my feet. "I just hope they're still there and alive," he muttered.

"Larentii will take you," Renegar offered. He and Reemagar folded us away.

* * *

Breanne's Journal

Change the lines, sweetheart. Do you see them?
Ashe asked. All of us listened in while Kay attempted to carry out my plan—the one where Saxom, Moxas and a Sirenali would be disarmed of their abilities and rendered mostly useless. Ashe, looking through Kay's eyes, directed her as she attempted to change lines.

Saxom and Moxas' lives would hang in the balance if the rogues ever learned they'd been tampered with, but with so many deaths attributed to them, I had no problem with that.

All of us held our breath while I received mindspeech from Lissa—the General, with probable help from Quislus, had destroyed Desh's number one in Targis.

I'll let Fes know—we're in the middle of something here
, I replied.

Understood. We are, too.
Her mindspeech cut off, so I went back to concentrating on Saxom, Moxas and a Sirenali, whose lives, hopefully, were just about to change.

* * *

Lissa's Journal

"Gassed. It was the quickest way. At least they didn't suffer long." Aurelius shook his head at more than forty small, crumpled bodies, scattered about a windowless room. Some had clawed at the door, hoping to escape. The walls were steel and concrete. They never had a chance.

"We can't stay—someone may be laying a trap," Charles announced. "Leave these. They are past our help."

I hadn't realized I was weeping until then—when my vision blurred with tears and a sob escaped unchecked. How? How had this come about? I failed to understand such cruelty.

"Cara, no," Gavin pulled me against him as Reemagar folded us to Le-Ath Veronis.

* * *

Breanne's Journal

Are you sure?

As sure as I can be
. We watched as Saxom, Moxas and their two guests walked out of the restaurant, seemingly unscathed. They'd never known that Kay adjusted their lines, rendering them nearly helpless.

They'll know the moment that Sirenali can no longer place obsession
, Trajan declared.

Then let's hope that happens far away from here, so they won't suspect
, I said.

Fes, is it time to turn in your resignation?
Bill asked.

I'm ready
, Fes responded.
I'll do it after my shift tonight
.

I'll hang around, just in case
, Jayson offered.

Me, too
, Bill said.

* * *

Lissa's Journal

"I would very much like to draw out your deaths," Aurelius growled at Song and Serenade. We'd transported them to my dungeon and placed them in adjoining cells.

"We know the laws," Song sniffed. "You can't kill us without a proper trial."

"Then you know little about us," Ildevar appeared, his arms crossed angrily over his chest. "If we were merely humanoid and you an ordinary criminal, that might hold true."

"I'm not afraid of you, Founder," Serenade spat, gripping the bars of her cage.

"You should be afraid of me," Tybus hissed before misting inside Serenade's cell and decapitating her the moment he reappeared.

Song screamed as Serenade's head rolled across the stone floor, leaving her body to drop in a heap near the bars.

"You get the same," Aurelius folded inside Song's cage and relieved her of her head. I watched with a bit of satisfaction as their blood pooled on the floor. No more children would die at their command. We couldn't save the ones we'd found, but those would be the last taken by these two bitches. I wiped away more tears as I contacted my sister.

* * *

Breanne's Journal

We took down Song and Serenade,
Lissa reported
. They're all dead
, she added.
All the children—dead
. I heard the mental sob accompanying her words.

Oh, no
, I replied.
Look, I'll try to get Kal to bring me there
.

Oh, lord
, Lissa said, and then went silent.

What? What happened?
I sent, suddenly terrified.

Bree, get here as fast as you can
, Charles said. I gave a mental shout for Kal.

* * *

Harm mine, you pay
.

"A message from the General?" Ashe asked, anger vibrating from his body.

"A message spelled out in children's bodies," Tybus growled beside me as we stared at the vid screen in shock. The message had been left outside the Reth/Campiaan Embassy building on Tulgalan.

Already the news agencies were reporting on the incident. Wild speculation as to how the children died had everyone in a panic.