Nothing! Not in the faintest glimmer of intelligent life! I walked to the King’s room. I would need him to try his own method to rip what information he could from Somiel’s body.

Of course, you played no small role in stalling us, didn't you? The King was indisposed.

###

Gianna slept through the night restless and shaken. The chair she had wedged against the door gave her no solace. It wasn't the night before that gave her nightmares. There was a new dread on the horizon being in this city, because this city was close to the end. And that was the one thing she dreaded above all else-- the end. By the time a rapping knock sounded from outside the door, she was almost relieved. The days moving forward were bad, but at least she wouldn't be alone for the moment.

Pivoting out of a tangle of sheets she had cocooned herself in, Gianna was at the door in two strides, kicking the chair away and wrenching it open. Joshua drew back and stood stammering, eyes transfixed on Gianna's.

"Well? What is it?" she asked annoyed.

"I. Uh. Ell's here. Meeting downstairs. We're uh. Heading for the palace." Joshua finished stammering, with his cheeks growing red. Gianna slammed the door on his square nose.

With hands shaking, she approached the mirror in her bathroom and looked at her bloodshot eyes. And then she smiled. The only time she could smile, when she was alone. As she glared at that alien reflection that never seemed to be quite her, she realized what had sent Joshua into such a tizzy. I really should have put on clothes first, she thought.

###

Joshua sat at the dining room table, his forehead resting on the cold marble as everyone entered. “Quite the night you had,” Ell acknowledge seeing Gianna slink through the door. Join us,” he motioned to the table as Kael clambered up from behind, apparently late as well. “It took us a while, but my team snuck into the country as well. Not as flashy as your entry on the train, mind you, but it takes work.” His pale cheeks and skin had an abnormal flushed hue to them. Even the most distant, inhuman person in the room was showing nerves today.

At the other end of the table, Prime Minister Akaska. failing to stifle his shaking leg, stared at Ell through hollow eyes.

“So you two don't get along?” Avonly asked, looking back and forth. There was some weird energy in the air.

“Considering my role in all this, no, I am not in the most pleasant of moods.” The Minister’s fingers rolled on the tabletop, staring down Ell.

“What is your role?” Kael cut in. “What is our role? I think it's time you told us specifically.”

Ell shrugged, almost mocking. “What does it matter? You already agreed to do it. So when I give an order, just follow throu–”

“You said you wanted a guide who knows the palace before. If that isn't what you--”

Ell held up his hand and made a quick silencing motion. “The first thing you need to do is accompany the team to the palace. His lordship is here for what the Taerosians suppose to be standard diplomatic pomp. That will get my team, and you brats close. From there, follow orders. That’s always been the deal.”

As the room grew quiet, Ell stared down at his poorly chewed fingernails. As he fiddled his fingers, unease sinking into the room, he looked up at Gianna who stared right through him. He locked eyes for one uncomfortable second and then looked away, his brow furrowed.

Whatever remained to be done was done while pushing Joshua, Kael, Avonly, and Gianna aside. They had seemingly been called down to do nothing but dawdle and watch everyone else prepare. Ell's commandos were all here, armed to the teeth. The vehicle convoy and its drivers were being briefed. And for all they heard, they just couldn't see what their role would be in the plan. If the Emporer-King of Taerose and the Dark Element would die today, it didn't seem like they would factor in with that.

And if their performance in the woods was any indication, the Serians had enough guns to kill every Syche in the Dark Element and then the King himself. Of course, there wouldn't just be Syches today. It was Taserose they were fighting and Taerose had plenty of guns on their side as well. But not like these. Joshua had never really inspected the weapons up close before, they weren't quite right. Joshua scooched towards the older, grizzled commando leading the group and heard his voice crack as he asked about it.

The man scratched his chin and looked to Ell wearily before nodding and pulling out two shells from his belt. “This one is incendiary and this one is electric, kind of like an EMP. I heard how you lectured one of my men on how these freaks work and they were kind enough not to correct you. Because we know how they work and we know what stops them. Whatever magical tricks they might use, it's fundamentally a type of energy, and these rounds are, theoretically, an even higher level of energy. They'll kill a human all right, Syche or not, but they'll also shatter any strands of energy they output if it comes into contact with said energy.” With a lazy toss, the man tossed the incendiary bullet into Joshua's fumbling hands. "If I ever hear you lecturing one of my guys again, I might have to show you how those work." Joshua moved to give the bullet back but the man was already halfway across the room so Joshua just shrugged and pushed it into his pocket.

"They don't seem to like you very much," Ell yawned, coming up behind him. "Speaking of which. . ." he said slowly looking Gianna right in the eye, "perhaps you should stay here. You don't really know the castle right? We have enough manpower; a lone Syche won't affect that. So just. Maybe. Stay here?”

Joshua watched as Gianna stood slack-jawed, fumbling for words. She might not be the most eloquent, but she always held her ground. This was unlike her entirely.

And whatever might be said aloud, it was clear that everyone had their own plans. Ell had yet to tell the truth, that much was clear. The Prime Minister wasn’t on the same page and was just as likely to put himself before the mission. And Kael, for as simple as he was, wasn’t patient; this facade of cooperation with Ell would only last so long. Avonly was. . . . Well hopefully Avonly wouldn't get in anyone's way. And that only left Joshua and Gianna to deal with whatever came up. And now Ell wanted her out of this?

Fishy. Fishier than a moray carp.

Mulling over how to respond, Joshua was shocked when Avonly entered the fray. “Screw you, buddy," Avonly snapped like a wild dog. "We trust her way more than you. Former Element or whatever your problem is, she stays with us.”

Taking a deep breath, a slow, forced smile stretched across Gianna's face. “I guess I'm going with them.”

“We don't want to hear it, right K?” Joshua added, looking around for Kael.

“Yea. We have our people. You have yours. So butt out.” Avonly ended in a huff.

For a split second, the placid, if not droll, look on Ell's face shattered before the mask came back. "Then let's get to work. Everyone is suited up and waiting to go. The cars are out front.” Ell gave an uncomfortable shrug and left the room with one last lingering look on Gianna.

The Prime Minister followed shortly behind and left the room to the group.

Kael marched in, nearly stumbling over Akaska. “I feel like I missed something. We still killing Dad, or are we back to looking for the Book?”

“We can’t do that, man,” Joshua said. "We made a deal.”

“He still pushed us out of a plane,” Kael hissed.

“Nah man Joshua’s right,” Avonly said. “You guys made a deal. Let’s suck it up and help them break into the palace. What could go wrong?”

The matter decided, they took off after Ell and the Prime Minister. Leading the pack, Joshua muttered to himself, “don’t say ‘what could go wrong?’ Never say that. Even sarcastically, that’s foreshadowing.”

Laying in wait in front of the embassy, a pack of black SUVs surrounded a stretch limo. Ell waived them over and divided the group between the two vehicles in the back. Gianna and Joshua sat down across from two faces he recalled seeing before. No names, but he distinctly remembered them in Dania. If the tactical gear and bulletproof vests didn't give them away, the large automatic rifles they were holding left no question as to what the rest of the day would entail.

“So, uh,” Joshua started, “dressing like that. Won't it give us away?”

“The first group is dressed a bit more modest. They will go in with the Prime Minister. Once we get the signal then we will escort you guys in so you can do your thing.”

“What thing is that?” Joshua asked as the man stared back. “Do we get bullet proof vests?” The man refused to answer and just stared ahead. “It feels like you are intentionally trying to piss me off-- with all this nonsense.”

They wouldn't respond.

###

Kael felt the vehicle lurch as the sound of tiles crunch under the wheels down the decrepit streets of Taerose. He had engaged in a similar line of questioning as Joshua and came to the same results. In a huff, he threw himself back in his seat and crossed his arms. They're taking us for granted. As if we'll help no matter what. Give the others an excuse to follow me; we'll leave in a heartbeat.

Much like Avonly, Kael turned and stared out the window, trying to calm himself down (albeit for much different reasons). He watched the scenery fondly, remembering sneaking out and running through the canals. It had always been dirt ever since Kael could remember. The country was poor then. It still was, but things were better. Not the palace though. You wouldn't know by looking at the rest of the country. Kael smooshed his face into the glass and peered ahead towards the palace grounds, seeing the tops of giant buildings, seeing the three mountains. And his heart skipped a beat. So close. It has to be there.

Time seemed to dilate and slow the closer they got to the palace, to the Book. Kael had to pull himself back with gritted teeth from the window as they passed through the gate. He wanted to look.

The palace, as large as it was, could barely even be considered a part of the city. Past the gate, there were deeply green fields, gardens, chateaus, various other buildings designated for opulent uses. At the far end of the grounds, the palace hid in the arms of the mountain. The red hewn brick stood out against the dusty black.

A wave of emotions Kael couldn't quite place gurgled up inside as they neared the remains of his old home a half-mile from the palace. He tore his gaze away and focused on the Book. That was all he needed to think about. I have to convince Joshua, there's nothing else to it. We need to go, right now.

The convoy pulled up before the colossal metallic outer doors of the palace, and Kael almost shook watching the Prime Minister take those stairs one at a time, flanked by his band of suits. And then it struck Kael: Where was the King? Shouldn't he meet them? He was grateful he didn't have to look on that monster, have to stifle an urge to run forward and kill him right then, but this was strange. This was wrong. The fact became crystal clear to Kael that whatever this was, wasn't what they were told.

They were Syches, goddess condemn it all. Every Dark Element agent within the mile would be focusing on this convoy and would feel them. Clenching his fingers tight, Kael closed his eyes and focused, tried to probe into the palace and sense just how many Syches were there. He almost reeled back in shock before he could name his confusion. He couldn't feel anything, but that wasn't from some hostile group. It was Gianna again. She was already looking. Always looking. Kael gave a deep sigh. He wouldn't fight the tug of war with his powers to push past and see for himself; he needed to conserve his strength.

Wrapped in his thoughts, fears, paranoias, and every other descriptive word for the process of the human mind, Kael actually jumped when the commando across from him jerked upright, pressing her finger to her earpiece. Leaning forward, trying to glean what he could, Kael couldn't hear a thing.

“Ell says it's time to go. You'll be told what to do once we get inside.” The commando paused awkwardly and coughed. “And he also says don't screw up.”

And rage joined the host of emotions swirling in Kael. Seething rage. As the commandos alighted ahead of them and worked their way up the palace steps, Kael looked to Avonly, “I hate these people.”

As Kael jumped out of the vehicle and dashed over the hood to catch up with Joshua, Avonly, and Gianna slowly walking up the steps, they halted as the staccato thump of gunfire signaled from within the building.

“We need to leave now. Find the Book now,” Kael spoke firmly. “You all have to know this is wrong. If we go inside here, we're never coming out again.”

Joshua bit his lip and cautiously gazed over the giant black crack in the door, leading to some unknown warzone within. “If that’s your call, I’ll go along with it.”

Kael held out his hand for a fist bump and smiled. “Then that’s my call.”

Avonly's eyes grew wide looking at her two brothers. “Wait. Are we actually doing this? Are we going to get the Book right now?”

###

Inside the foyer of the palace, the soldiers fanned out stepping over bodies, chunks of metal, blood. The Captain looked back at the rearguard and received confirmation that their supposed guides had fled. He grinned and pressed a button on his earpiece. “Sir. The kids all left. Already. Didn’t even get through the door.”

Back in the embassy, the corners of Ell's lips flared upwards momentarily, “All according to plan then”. He took a sip of tea and mulled the words over. "As his fingers danced across the keyboard Ell spoke once more, “I’ve put you on every possible channel, say the line and let Taerose know.”

On the other end, the soldier spoke calmly and clearly: “The King’s children have moved west of the palace towards the mountain.”

Ell leaned back and took a calming breath. “And now everyone within earshot will know where those kids are.” At these words, Ell closed his laptop and drummed his fingers on the grand dining room table for a second. Biting his pale lip, a droplet of blood began to protrude, to the notice of the chauffeur in the room.

“Are you okay?” the man asked. He twitched; he checked his watch. “We are the last ones here, the plane will wait, but--”

“I've changed my mind,” Ell waved him off. “I'm going to the palace.”