“You really think you can stand in my way?” Alice asked, arching an eyebrow at Carmen while Garina looked between the two, still trying to piece together what was happening. “You think you have time to stop me?” Carmen mirrored Alice’s stance. “It won’t be long before other mages arrive. Then we’ll both end with nothing. Everyone here will be stolen away by the sects until none remain — and we will be left empty handed.” “I’ve always been the type to prefer a toy be broken than to share,” Alice said with a one-shouldered shrug. “I’m taking my half. You can have what’s left. Or you can fight me and we both end up with nothing.” “You aren’t stronger than I am in single combat,” Carmen said. “We both know this.” “But I’m strong enough to waste more than enough time,” Alice countered. “You get one offer. I choose the ones I’m taking. You can keep the rest.” “Are you really talking about us like we’re a bunch of prizes to be distributed?” Moxie asked, her eyes narrowing dangerously. The power from her rune coiled within her like a snake waiting to strike — and the rest of the group weren’t far behind. Garina’s teeth clenched. Her own magic was coming back, but the fact of the matter remained that they couldn’t afford a fight right now. And, worse, Alice had been right. A single soul with the remnants of the Arbalest Empire upon it wasn’t that easy to find. But this many… it would be easy. Even if she and Jalen took everyone and managed to escape now, tracking them would be painfully simple. Separating the group might actually be the smartest move we can do right now. “You are,” Alice said, her gaze snapping to Moxie. “And you don’t have the room to bargain right now, I’m afraid. We’re your only hope of survival. Just ask Garina or her shiny boy-toy what will happen if everyone here stays together.” “She’s right,” Ferdinand said tersely. “It’ll be easy to locate us. The Church of Repose excels in tracking. So do many of the other groups that were present here today. Finding such a concentrated group will be simple.” “Until your souls are refined and those fragments of what happened in Arbalest are buried deep within them, you’re all just apples bobbing in the water and waiting to be caught,” Alice. Her lips twisted into a sultry smile. “So wouldn’t you prefer I be the one to catch you? I take good care of my toys.” “I volunteer as tribute,” Jalen said, raising a hand into the air and waving it around like an eager schoolboy. “You’re strong for a Rank 6. Could be fun.” Alice’s smile fell away. “It’s beyond me how Garina has put up with you this long.” “It’s my charming personality and good looks.” “I don’t think it is,” Fuyin said. She paused, then glanced to Silvertide. “Is it? I don’t know him very well. I’ve only read the Inquisitor’s records on Jalen. I never got to know him very well.” “No,” Silvertide said. “It is not.” “Do any of you have any sense of urgency?” Carmen asked. “We need to be moving quickly. We only have minutes at most.” “Before we die?” Isabel asked, tilting her head to the side. “Sorry. It’s a bit difficult to stay in a state of high-strung when we’re constantly at threat of being killed.” “We’ve been hunted for years,” Todd said. “And by people way stronger than us. Nothing has changed. There’s no way I’m going to die begging for someone to stuff me into their collection. I’d rather die standing.” “I would prefer not to die,” Alexandra said. “But I will not be a slave again.” “Nor will I,” Yulin said. Her eyes narrowed. “I have already chosen who to serve. One Heir to the Torrins remains alive. I will not change allegiance while she still draws breath.” “I’m just fed up with people like you,” Emily said with a nod. “Everyone keeps trying to control us. You want us to be leverage against Noah? Then you better make it worth our while. What’s in it for us?” James yawned. Emily elbowed him in the side. He let out a sputtering cough. “Yeah. What she said. Also, I’d like to point out, while all of us were arguing, Revin grabbed Eline and made a run for it.” Garina blinked. She hadn’t even realized Revin was gone — but there was no trace of the insufferable former Apostle anywhere. She suppressed the urge to curse. Revin had definitely had enough strength to get a number of them to safety. That bastard. When I get my hands on him, I’m going to wring his throat. “That’s just like Revin,” Alice muttered. Then her eyes narrowed. “But are you really threatening me? What leverage do you think you have here?” “I could kill myself,” Vrith said. “I don’t think I’d be a very good bargaining piece if I was dead.” “We would be capable of doing that,” Aylin allowed, picking his words carefully. “But—” “Yeah. Just like Noah!” Sticky said with an excited nod that didn’t seem to have any of the fear it really should have borne. “We could kill ourselves!” This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. “No!” Lee snapped, glaring at Sticky. “No copying Noah! We’ve covered this.” “Oh,” Sticky said. “Right. What do we do, then?” “We go with them,” Brayden said softly. “What?” Moxie asked, her eyes widening. “What are you talking about?” “Look at Garina,” Brayden said. “She’s not shutting them down. If we all stay together, we’ll get caught. Ferdinand also said as much. We need to separate. These two are from outside the Empire. They know Garina. They know Noah enough to know that crossing him is a bad idea. They want his favor. That means they have to keep us all alive.” “I don’t have to—” Alice started, her eyes narrowing in anger at the challenge in the large man’s voice. “Yes, you do,” Brayden said. “Do you really think he’d give a shit about any favor you did him if you got even one of his students hurt? He’d thank you for saving everyone else, then kill you. And if he wasn’t strong enough to kill you, then you wouldn’t be here trying to manipulate him.” Alice’s jaw ground shut. Anger sparked within her crimson gaze like speckled embers. Carmen snorted. “I one. He’s coming with me.” “Then I’m taking her,” Alice said, thrusting a finger at Moxie. “As well as the rest of the humans. You can keep the demons.” Tim’s eyes narrowed in anger, but Moxie held a hand up. “No. Brayden is right,” she said. Her tone was grim, but there was no fear within it. Only a warning. “Going with them might be the only way we can all make it out of this.” “Do I count as a demon?” Lee asked. “Yes,” Carmen said. “You have horns.” “They’re fake,” Lee said. “No, they aren’t,” Carmen said. “Lee,” Moxie said, sending a sharp glance in her direction. She didn’t say another word. She didn’t have to. Garina read the look in her eyes just as easily as a written letter. There were too many children among the demons. They needed someone to look over them. Garina couldn’t help but notice that Yoru was already walking over to stand beside Carmen before any of them had finished talking — almost as if she’d known the results of the conversation before it had finished. “Tyler and I will also go with the demons,” Silvertide said suddenly. “The groups are unevenly weighted otherwise. They need a teacher present.” “Hey,” Lee said. “What am I?” “A menace,” Silvertide replied, ruffling her hair but keeping his gaze firmly fixed on Carmen. “I trust you have no issue with this?” Carmen shrugged. “Do as you will. I’ll never stop someone from stealing from Alice.” “As if I want some doddering old sod,” Alice said with a sneer. She snapped her fingers and a crimson portal tore open beside her with a snarl. “He and his fledgling can do what they want. Every other human — you’re with me. In you go.” Carmen summoned a similar portal of ruddy yellow-golden magic beside herself. All of Noah’s students looked to Moxie. The demons glanced to Lee. Moxie gave them a slight nod, but she made no move to release her Rune. Lee nodded as well, her eyes still narrow in suspicion and muscles tensed to burst into motion at the slightest provocation. Updates are released by novel•fire.net Everyone split off into two groups, slowly moving to gather around the Alice and Carmen. Jalen took a step toward Alice’s group. She glared in his direction. “You’re so steeped in Arbalest Empire that you reek of it,” Alice said with a shake of her head. “You, Garina, and that bald one from the Church — you’re not coming with any of us.” “That’s just cruel. I really felt like we had something going there,” Jalen said. “You wouldn’t happen to be concerned that I’ll destroy whatever plans you’re working on, would you?” “Stay right there,” Alice said coldly. Her eyes flicked to Moxie. “In you go. We really are out of time, and I’m not risking my neck to protect all of you. I will not be here when Carmen’s ward falls. No part of this involves me having to put my neck on the line for you. Go in — or don’t. Noah can’t blame me if you kill yourselves.” Moxie’s eyes bored into Alice for a long second. She glanced back at Brayden, who gave her a slight nod. Then she stepped into the maw of red energy. The other students followed after her. Yoru was the first through Carmen’s portal, and the other demons weren’t far behind. Within seconds, the disciples were the only ones that remained in the clearing across from Garina, Ferdinand, and Jalen. “What are you playing at?” Garina asked. The scraps of her magic were finally coming back, but there was still nowhere near as much as she needed. “Do you really expect me to believe this convoluted plan is all just to get Noah in your debt?” “I don’t care what you believe,” Alice replied. “Don’t come looking for us. I don’t need the Hound sniffing around my dwellings.” Garina blurred. Within an instant, the distance between her and Alice vanished. Fear flashed through Alice’s eyes as she suddenly found herself standing nose to nose with Garina. “If you hurt even one of them, there won’t be enough of you left to scrape off my shoe,” Garina whispered. “Until Noah returns, those mages are my responsibility. Don’t mistake my limits for weakness. It is for their sake that I let you take them. If you let Kyyle turn even one of them into a weapon—” “Kyyle isn’t part of this,” Alice said, taking a step back as she took control of her expression once more. “He doesn’t know about them, and he doesn’t know about your friend. I won’t be changing that if you don’t.” Garina blinked. “What? He doesn’t know? Then why are you here?” Alice’s lips curled into a smile. Then she took a step back, falling into the waiting maw of red energy. It snapped shut behind her, swallowing the woman whole and leaving no trace of her passing. Carmen was gone as well. She’d left the moment Garina’s attention had pulled away from her — and with her went the protections she’d erected. “We need to leave,” Garina said, turning away from where Alice had stood. “Jalen, do you have enough power to teleport again?” “Yes,” Jalen said. “Where?” “Anywhere,” Garina replied, grabbing Ferdinand by the arm. “When the time comes, I’ll find you.” And then she was gone, a streak of black tearing through the air like a meteor. Jalen’s eyes traced her receding form until she’d vanished into the horizon. Then he let out a yawn. He crossed his legs and sat down right on the spot. “Running sounds like such a hassle. There’s something more going on under the covers… and living out of some cave while I wait for Garina seems lame. I’ve got a better idea.” He looked out in the direction of where they’d come from — but he was a moment too slow. A deep thrum tore through the air as an entity wove itself into being before him of silken thread. It was a woman, flowing pearl robes enshrouding her body and streams of silky pink twisting around her like snakes. Power flooded though a ring of raw runic power that floated behind her. This was the woman that had fought the Night’s Shadow. The one who had defeated a Rank 8 monstrosity that had been trapped within Arbalest for centuries. Her eyes bore into him like a pair of suns had been enshrined within her nigh-incomprehensibly beautiful face. She did not look particularly happy to see him. “Well, hello there.” A slow smile crept across Jalen’s face. “Could I interest you in a game of darts?”