“He’s absolutely correct!” Seir called from the next row. “And I’ll be there, too, if that counts for anything.” He jogged over. “Can I have one?”
I laughed, his pleading puppylike eyes never not amusing. “Of course.”
He enthusiastically grabbed at the treat and crammed it in his mouth. “Delicious,” he mumbled over the bite.
Tap just shook his head and sighed. “Are you ready?”
I froze, recalling how going to d’Arcan that first time had gone this same way. “Now?”
“Sorry, but yes. There’s a meeting shortly. Even we didn’t find out until just before I asked you.”
Irrational panic rose. “Okay. Do I need to change?”
“No. You look beautiful, as always.”
“Aw,” Seir said from near a portal with red flames on a black frame marked The Pit. “You two are adorable. Shall we go?”
“Was that always here?” I asked. “I think I would remember it.”
Tap offered me his arm, and after I hastily patted my hair down and straightened my clothes, I accepted. “It’s a new addition,” he said. “Ready?”
Seir stepped through before us, and as was my habit, I scrunched my eyes closed and held my breath until we were on the other side. When I opened them, I found myself in what was essentially a room like our libraries, just without all the shelves.
A shiny ebony table equipped to seat at least twenty sat in the middle of a room decorated with sculpted garnet wallpaper and gold fixtures. The fire was lit and burning at a cozy level. There were several small tables at the fringes of the room witharmchairs on either side and low lamps on top. It should have come across as gaudy, but instead just seemed entirely fitting for the location.
Seir took another cookie off the plate and set it on the table.
“You brought them with you?” Tap chuckled.
“I certainly wasn’t going to leave them behind,” he chuffed. “I’m hungry and they’re delicious.”
The door we’d come through opened and a massive demon strode in, dropping a heavy folder on the table as he selected a chair.
“Thank you for coming on such short notice. I’m Keplar.” He frowned in concentration as he arranged a crystal orb on the table in front of himself. “Shall we get started?” He seemed stressed, but once he glanced at Tap and I, he took a deep breath and relaxed. “Sorry. My workload is… not your issue. Like I said, I’m Keplar. I assume you’re Tap?” He reached out a meaty hand and they shook.
“Yes, that’s right.”
“Nice to meet you. The crossroads is no easy assignment; you have my respect for how well you’ve held it all together.”
“Appreciated.” Tap blinked, his nod stiff with surprise. “This is Phin.”
“Hello,” I said, unable to keep myself from being shy in the presence of yet another massive demon.
Keplar’s hand shifted to me. “Pleased to meet you, as well, Phin. It’s not often—well, never, actually—that I get the honor of meeting a Nephilim.” I only blushed harder and he cracked a grin. Then his eyes shifted to Seir, and he exhaled a long-suffering sigh. “Yes, and how are you, today, Seir?”
“Well, thank you, sir. Cookie?” Seir was positively bouncing in his seat as he shoved the plate Keplar’s direction. The big demon took one between his finger and thumb, making shortwork of it in one bite. He nodded his approval, which gave me an odd surge of pride.
“Alright. Shall we get started? We’ll get the other introductions out of the way all at once.” Keplar adjusted a few things, and the orb threw three windows of light into the air above it, all of them slowly rotating around in a circle.
One of the windows showed an office with a squatty demon sitting behind a desk with a high counter in front of it and a cheery, red-skinned demoness standing next to them. The next was what I assumed was the forge at the stone kin conclave, because Imogen and Magnus were sitting side by side. The last window showed a room I recognized all too well—the archives in Heaven. I leaned forward in my seat, happy to see my parents.
“Good to know the orb and scrying mirrors work well together. That will aid communications immensely. Alright, we’ve got Seir, Tap, and Phin with me here representing the crossroads and the Emankor ruins. Rune and Meg are representing our assignments and records office. I’ve also invited stone kin forge mistress Imogen Aurichal and General Magnus Aurichal. Welcome everyone, thank you for coming. I’ve spoken with most of you separately, but I thought it would be beneficial to have everyone in one conversation.” There was a general murmur of greeting and then Keplar launched right into what seemed essentially to be a business meeting. “If you wouldn’t mind starting us off, Councilman?”
I flinched at the title, but it was my father who responded to it.
“Certainly. Negotiations here have stalled for the moment, but we’re still compiling cases and locating those who were wronged under the current council. Overall, the current oversight structure is crumbling as supporters of Armaros are rooted out. I didn’t plan to take a seat, but that’s proven necessary to prevent further devastation to vital infrastructure.We’ll be located here for the time being.” I nodded as my parents looked at me, eyes pleading for understanding.
“Understood. General?”
