70 – Grand Legate

Incense burning. The room smelled of cedar and old paper, and the afternoon light came through stained glass and striped the marble floor in red and amber.

Lila put her hand on the chair in front of her, and squeezed. The wood cracked.

“Imbeciles.”

She saw her close guard flinch. Ignored them.

“How could you let him get to her first?”

None of them dared to answer.

“Samir.”

The Architect stood to attention. “Yes, Legate.”

Raymond. It was his fault. She was going to kill him. All those years she spent cultivating her image, washed down the drain by this moronic rumor he decided to spread just to spite her. Now, even her own people were afraid of her.

“How many times have I told you to call me by my name?”

“Many times. I apologize.”

She shook her head. “Can we activate our people inside the Iron Library?”

“We can. But getting them inside without being detected was nearly impossible. If we do, I fear we’ll never have eyes in Kator again.” He paused. Hesitated. “The Magus’ surveillance is thorough.”

“Permanently?”

“As good as.”

Lila gritted her teeth. Why couldn’t it ever be easy? Out of seven, she and Arthur were the only ones still committed to fighting demonic influence. The rest had quit, or never cared to begin.

Losing their spies meant going in blind the next time Raymond decided to move something he didn’t want her to know about.

“Then we don’t touch them,” she said. “What else?”

And now he had her. A new divine class. Under his thumb.

Alexandra was not needed in Laika. She would show them that.

Her grip on the chair tightened. It broke apart. She let go of the severed piece in her hand.

“What do you suggest?”

“Attend the conclave,” Samir said. “Get other heroes on your side.”

“I don’t need help to deal with Raymond.”

“Say it.”

“You can’t move on him without risking open conflict between Architects and Keepers. That’s a precedent you don’t want.” A pause. “And if you don’t go to the conclave, he does. He frames the narrative. Alone.”

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She exhaled. “You think he’d move that fast.”

“He already moved fast enough to reach the girl before you did.”

Lila locked eyes with Samir.

“Have you gathered information on my peers? Who will be there?”

Samir nodded. “The Divine Executioner will naturally be there.”

Lila knew that. Arthur’s main residence was in Samarand, to watch over the Scale of Judgement. Since the conclave took place there, it was a given he would attend. She was confident he would see her side.

“Reports from our men at the Mother Well indicate that the Saint plans to make the trip.”

Perhaps she could convince him, but he’d never follow through.