This was an interesting new twist. However, we welcomed this one.

“You didn’t mention you had a Correction Officer in there,” Jax said to Peyton, who smiled.

“I said I still had spies in Azure Heights. I just didn’t mention their positions,” he replied.

A couple of seconds passed as Jax accepted the argument and cast away the last shred of doubt he had left. “Okay. What do you have for us, Aymon? And how are you able to move around with so much ease, given the circumstances?”

Only then did we put our weapons away. Aymon looked young, in his early twenties, at most. He wore his pale blond hair short, in a crew cut, while his blue eyes pierced everyone with chilling intensity. I figured he was part of the younger, more rebellious generation. According to Sienna and Peyton, the newer generations had been more likely to rebel over the past century, proving that the Maras’ nature didn’t have to be the horror currently manifesting in Azure Heights. Just like the White City Maras had been reformed, so could the likes of Sienna, Peyton and anyone else from their species who opposed the Lords.

“I’m a Correction Officer,” Aymon replied nonchalantly. “I go wherever I want, especially if I suspect I might return with rebel Maras. They pay heavy bonuses to those of us who bring back the runaways.”

“And do you do that?” Hansa asked, raising an eyebrow.

Aymon sighed, appearing somewhat saddened by the choices he had to make. “I have to. Otherwise they’ll sense I’m working against them. But my numbers are lower than the others’,” he said. “If I get caught, the resistance will be in trouble.”

“There’s an Exiled Mara resistance?” I replied.

“No. It’s mixed and scattered all over,” he said. “Maras, Imen, even daemon pacifists. You know some of them. I’m involved, and I put my life at risk to do it, in case you’re doubting my allegiance.”

“It’s okay, Aymon,” Peyton replied, resting a hand on his shoulder. “They don’t doubt you. They’ve just been betrayed one too many times already. They have to be diligent. Now, tell us what news you bring.”

“Ah, yes,” Aymon said, lighting up with a smile. “I walked in and heard you talking about splitting up to scour the Palisade to look for the swamp witch and your friend. Like I said, there’s no need. They have her in the same room with Lumi.”

“No freakin’ way!” Heron gasped, his eyes wide and a grin slitting his face from ear to ear. My heart skipped a beat. Was fate finally playing in our favor?

Aymon chuckled softly, then leaned against the doorframe, hands resting in his pant pockets in a most casual pose. “I said the same thing, believe me. Thing is, it’s meant to be psychological torture for Harper. Keeping her there, inches away from Lumi but unable to touch her or get her out—or that’s what the Lords are thinking, anyway.”

“If she’d been taken for real, I would curse at how devious the Lords are,” Hansa muttered, slightly amused. “But given the circumstances of her capture… Well, I have to admit, this is a little hilarious.”

“It just proves that Rowan and Emilian’s emotions got the better of them,” Jax replied.

Aymon nodded his agreement. “They’re both stricken with grief and seething at the same time,” he said. “It’s nearly impossible to get them into such a state of mind. Of course, losing a child will make you flip out. But yes, they’re definitely emotional and prone to making mistakes.”

“What about Caia and Blaze?” I asked. “What do you know about them?”

“The dragon and the fae, you mean? They’re cuffed and held in Lord Obara’s mansion,” he said. “They’re safe, for now. Shaytan will come for them, though.”

“What about Velnias? Do you know anything about a daemon pacifist who fought COs in the prison yesterday?” Avril asked.

Aymon frowned, then shook his head. “No one was captured down there. But they’ve reinforced security now. It’ll be harder to go in, next time.”

“What makes you think we’ll want to go down there again?” I replied, raising an eyebrow.

“It’s one of the first things I would do, if I were you, to wreak havoc in the city and distract them from Lumi’s extraction. The prison is filled with Exiled Maras and other creatures they’ve captured over the years. It isn’t just the daemons collecting ‘soul food’ in cages. You know that,” Aymon said.

We looked at one another for a few moments, before Caspian asked his most burning question.

“Did you see Harper in the Palisade?”

“I did,” Aymon replied. “She’s okay, for now. I was on the midnight detail outside her and Lumi’s door. I heard the conversation between her, Lord Obara, and Lady Roho. Those two were fuming. Lady Roho got a little physical with her, but one of the daemon guards reminded her that she’s soul-chow for Shaytan.”

Caspian nodded slowly, darkness settling in his jade eyes. It kind of terrified me to see him like this, deprived of Harper, knowing she was in danger. It did a nasty number on him. I didn’t want to be in his way of getting her back. To some extent, I even pitied the daemons and COs he was going to encounter in the process.

“She’s chained to a wall with charmed cuffs,” Aymon added. “One of you will have to take them off. There’s no magic in that room, though. It’s warded up like crazy.”

“What about weak spots, access and observation points?” Jax asked. “We’ll need good angles of attack all over the city. Before we launch our signal for the allies to lay siege on Azure Heights, we’ll need good locations to stay in, undetected and ready to strike.”

Aymon stepped closer to the table, then picked up a piece of writing coal from a small brass plate and marked ten points across multiple levels of the city. “These will give you good vantage points. Kind of a bird’s eye view of each level. COs rarely venture to these parts.”

“Thank you,” Hansa replied.

“It’s my pleasure, believe me,” he said. “I have COs willing to rebel with me. They’re ready to help you. They’re not liking this situation either.”

Hansa and Jax looked at each other. Jax offered a faint nod, and Hansa shifted her focus back to Aymon. “Can they be trusted, though?”

“Absolutely. Once the siege begins, they will take up arms against the Lords with the rest of you,” he replied. “They’ve had enough. Believe it or not, many of us do have a conscience. Some fall in line to avoid punishment. There are plenty who eat souls and drink the Imen’s blood dry just for kicks. But there are dozens of us who would certainly choose another path if given the option. If you get the witch out and she brings the shield down, I assume your forces will storm the planet.” He exhaled sharply. “Then all my COs and I will require is amnesty. Whatever you do to the Lords and their acolytes, don’t do to us. I assume it’s a simple, manageable demand?”

“We have no quarrel with those of you who wish to bring this nightmare to an end,” Hansa said. “The Exiled Maras who receive pardons or amnesty after all judgments are made, however, will not be allowed to stay on Neraka.”

“We’ll bring you all back to Calliope and resettle you in White City,” Jax continued. “We cannot allow the Maras to settle in this world again. We’ve thrown it out of balance already. We need to remove the toxic element from these lands.”

“I agree,” Aymon replied with a brief nod. “I would do the same, if I were you. Besides, to be honest, this never really felt like home to me.” He straightened his back. “That being said, there is something more you should know. First of all, the Lords are watching the stars through their special lenses. They confirmed foreign elements trying to come through several days ago.”

“Wait, what? Foreign elements?” I breathed, my temperature suddenly spiking.

“A capsule in an interplanetary spell,” he said. “They tried to get in, but couldn’t, and eventually settled on one of the moons. They’ve been there for days.”

“Whoa. If they used an interplanetary spell with Neraka as the destination, how come they didn’t get blown up like I did?” Avril muttered.

“And, follow-up question, how were they able to steer and change its course to land on the moon?” Ryker added, visibly confused.

“Ah, I think the Daughters might’ve had something to do with it,” Patrik replied. “Viola has become pretty adept at complex swamp witch magic. Given her natural powers, I wouldn’t be surprised if she figured out a way to adapt the spell to work in her favor.”

“Plus, she’s probably got Corrine, Ibrahim, and the other witches from The Shade on board,” I said, then gave Hansa and Jax a hopeful smile. “This is it, guys! Our troops are out there, ready to come in!”

We needed a minute to let that sink in, to relish the temporary relief and flicker of joy that followed, before Aymon brought us back to the obvious and unpleasant repercussions.

“The Lords are planning an attack on your friends,” he said, crinkling his nose. “They’ve got enough swamp witch spells and knowledge between them to disable the capsule without leaving Neraka. They’ve got incendiary projectiles that can explode upon impact and cause catastrophic damage to large areas. The capsule itself would be obliterated.”

The good mood suddenly evaporated, as the state of emergency set in. My stomach churned at the thought of our people out there, sitting ducks for the Exiled Maras. I was willing to bet that our families were in that capsule—our parents, specifically.

“Jax, we have to do something,” I said, struggling to keep myself calm, despite the growing restlessness that made my heart pump faster.

“When do they plan on attacking them?” Hansa asked.

“I’m not sure,” Aymon replied with a shrug, “but it will be soon. It takes a few days to prepare the spell itself, but I don’t have any precise information on the matter. However, you won’t have to wait another day for Shaytan to come to Azure Heights,” he added. “There’s a funeral service for Amalia and Vincent today. They’ve invited Shaytan, and he’s accepted. Chances are he’ll bring Darius with him, too. The Lords have specified that they wish to meet with the daemon king after the funeral.”

“Consider that our silver lining, then!” Hansa quipped. “We’ll have to get ready and deploy as soon as possible.”

“The ceremony takes place at three. It starts at the Lords’ mansions, and then it goes down to the cemetery at the base of the mountain,” Aymon explained. “They’ve already mobilized the COs for war, just so you know. A battle for supremacy is about to ensue, and I doubt Shaytan will come unprepared. They’ll get into a fight, and you’ll need to step in and cripple them in that precise moment, with your allies. Catch them unprepared. They won’t see you coming. They’re too concerned with stabbing Shaytan in the back.”

Fiona cleared her throat, looking at Avril and me. “I think it’s safe to assume that Corrine and Ibrahim will be in the capsule, too,” she said. “Which means they’ll keep some protective measures around it. I’m guessing there’s low gravity and no atmosphere on the moons, so they’ll have a living system in place to allow them to stay there for days on end. And if they’ve been in the area since before we destroyed that Telluris hijacker, it means they’ve already caught on to what’s happening here. I’m willing to bet they’re prepared for whatever gets hurled at them.”

I nodded. “Fiona’s right. GASP is always prepared for the worst,” I replied. “We need to focus on this second stage of the mission, then, and allocate resources to finding out where the Maras plan to launch their attack from. We could stop them, while everybody else goes ahead with the original plan,” I added, then looked at Aymon. “Are you able to find out where they’d launch the spell from?”

“I think so, yes,” he replied. “I’d be more than happy to assist with the disabling part, too. Your people will need someone to guide them and cover their backs. I volunteer. Now is the perfect time to strike, with the Maras and daemons quarreling. The bigger and more confusing the distraction, the higher the odds that you’ll get Lumi out of there.”

“I agree. Good. Thank you, Aymon,” Hansa said. “Now, everybody, get ready. We have a funeral to attend.”

We had our work cut out for us. It wasn’t the first time we’d had to move and act fast to prevent a catastrophe, nor would it be the last. We’d succeeded before. And damned if I was going to let the Exiled Maras and the daemons ruin it for us.

We were so close to victory, I could almost feel freedom itself fluttering like a butterfly, just inches away from my face. One more push, and we’re out of here.