Page 47 of Crimson Skies

A Reaper dropped down beside them from the silent troops hovering in the sky. He bobbed his cowled skull at Cassius. “Hello, Cassius.”

Cassius’s shoulders loosened a little. “Benjamin. It’s good to see you.”

A muscle jumped in his cheek. He walked over to the dead warlocks. Theo and Loki joined him.

“They were after the summoning staffs,” the imp told Cassius somberly.

The dying screeches of war demons echoed above them as the Goddesses disposed of the last of the monsters. Julia and Zach emerged from the building with the deities, faces grim and blades and armor stained with the blood of their enemy.

20

Kazmi lookedlike she’d aged ten years when she appeared on the display.

“What’s your status?” the Argonaut head asked without preamble.

“We lost thirty agents across the board.” A muscle jumped in Victor’s jawline. “The death toll is likely to rise once we locate the missing.” His tone hardened. “Most were human magic users. There were three casualties among the otherworldly.”

Guiying swore. Viken scowled. Satoru and the other members of the U.N. Security Council exchanged nervous glances in the bunker where they had taken refuge. Their eyes kept straying to the Reaper God and Mortis.

It wasn’t every day Death and his assistant featured on the list of attendees at one of their meetings.

Strickland was the only local bureau director at the emergency assembly being held in the makeshift command center in Golden Gate Park. Reuben and Jasper had returned from London and were busy dealing with the aftermath of the damage to their respective agencies. Brianna was at Hexa doing the same, despite Eden’s protests that she should rest.

It was the last thing everyone needed right now and a blow to morale.

Though Lucy had healed Strickland’s injuries, Morgan couldn’t help the remorse that twisted his insides as he stole a glance at his old friend. It had been his idea to take Cassius to the cabin for the night. He would forever wonder if the number of casualties from the coordinated attacks Elios’s warlocks had unleashed upon the city would have been smaller had they been around.

Cassius’s knuckles brushed against his hand under the table. The resolute look he gave Morgan told him he didn’t have anything to feel guilty about. Theo had said the same when he’d seen his conscience-stricken expression while they’d still been at Argonaut.

“Are the summoning staffs safe at least?” Guiying asked in a harrowed tone.

Victor nodded. “Yes.”

His gaze shifted to Eden.

“Cassius and Atropos’s theory was correct,” the Magus told the agency heads and the security council in a steely voice that belied her youthful appearance. “Our mages will be able to use the summoning staffs to garner the powers of the Hells against Elios and his army.”

Wallace and Ortega shifted awkwardly next to Galliad and Elwyn. Yuan had stayed back to help the Terrene angels and demons look for the dead amidst the wreckage of the four bureaus. Bostrof had assigned a team of Lucifugous demons to assist them and remained on site with Izaran.

From the reports Morgan had heard of the battle at Hexa, though the five mages had initially struggled to wield their new weapons, Eden’s guidance had helped them overcome the issue of their clashing magic.

As for Bailey, Hesperia had patched him up and sent him to get some rest at Adrianne’s place. The Hesperides had insisted on assisting the medical mages tending to the wounded. As custodians of the Garden of the West, their healing powers were second to none in all the realms.

The tent lapels parted. Atropos walked in briskly with Tenebra and Tisiphone.

The security council rose awkwardly at the sight of the armored Goddesses. It was their first time seeing the deities in battle mode.

“At ease,” the Moira said.

Morgan could tell from her curt tone that she was still troubled by what had transpired that morning. The fact that neither she nor Clotho nor Lachesis had divined Elios’s plan meant he still had the ability to shield his schemes from them.

It must be because of Hypnos’s lingering powers, like Atropos suspected.

“This attack was Elios’s second endeavor to secure the summoning staffs. This confirms what I’ve suspected for some time.”Atropos’s face tightened. “The God of Darkness may very well be attempting to use them to open the Abyss.”

Theo startled. “What?”

Eden stared, pale-faced. “Those staffs really have the power to do something like that?”

---