Despite my logical nature, deep down I’d always tried to find the bright side of any situation, if only to help myself process a solution faster. Even when Ta’Zan was threatening to bring his brainwashed Perfects out to conquer everything in sight, I’d had hope that we’d eventually find a way to stop him. That the mass memory wiper would work.

In this case, however, I had a hard time finding any kind of silver lining. Anything that would present a solution to the problem.

If there was one thing I was certain of, it was the low probability of finding an inhabitable world close enough for this mass evacuation to work. It wasn’t impossible, obviously, but when the odds were low, the outcome was usually grim.

Nevertheless, I kept my game face on. Looking at Inalia, I could only imagine what she was going through. She didn’t deserve any of this. It was bad enough she’d almost ended up a living battery for Dellon Figgis and Nalyon Mars’s greedy pockets. Now, she was looking at her own sacrifice to save her people. I’d read stories of great heroes who’d given their own lives for a greater cause—I could certainly understand the mindset that would lead to that decision, but I also knew it couldn’t be easy.

Our lives were the single most important possession we had. Without life, we had nothing. The main reason why I’d chosen to become a vampire in the first place had been so that I would never stop living. It came with its perks and downsides, but it gave me life. Life! Inalia wasn’t so lucky. Vampirism wasn’t going to solve her problem.

The Hermessi had pushed us into a nasty corner. Our options were limited, and I could tell we were all frustrated about it. Even Raphael, the dashing and most confident of all creatures I’d ever come across, was wavering in his resolve. He didn’t have to say anything. I could see it in his strange but beautiful eyes.

When they found mine for a moment, my heart skipped a beat. But a spark was also lit in my head. If only we could learn more about the Hermessi and about this replacement process. Maybe there was some kind of loophole we could take advantage of. Maybe we could even strike a deal with those eternal bastards.

“You know, it’s a shame we don’t have access to the library anymore,” I said after about twenty minutes of silence. “The few parchments that Riza and Herakles salvaged don’t have any information about a Hermessi being replaced.”

“Mm-hm. They’re mostly legends, but in the end we know there’s a grain of truth in every page of mythology,” Eva replied. “So far, Cerix has been a remarkable treasure trove of Hermessi lore. We’ve learned more from here than from anywhere else.”

Varga sighed. “I wonder if we still would’ve helped them with the Blackout, had we known then what we know now.”

“I would’ve,” Raphael said. “Granted, I may be biased in the matter, since I was okay with doing pretty much anything just to stop Ta’Zan.”

“And to think that at first, you didn’t want to have anything to do with Elonora’s crew,” Varga chuckled.

“Hey, I had a change of heart. They pointed out what really mattered,” Raphael said.

“That, plus you had a bit of a crush on my sister,” Varga teased.

I wondered what it had been about Elonora that got Raphael all riled up. She was fierce, that much I knew. Educated, and determined. She had that royal noblesse that came with being a Nevertide heir, much like Varga. I wound up comparing myself to her, somehow, and I felt like I was lacking something. Maybe it was the long, curly blond hair? The sentry abilities?

Snap out of it.

My cheeks burned, as I realized how out of control my train of thought was. I was headed straight for the edge of a cliff.

“Given the circumstances, I think I should tell you something,” Emperor Tulla interjected. “I haven’t been entirely truthful with you, but you do need access to as much information about the Hermessi as you can get right now.”

We all went silent. Our eyes were on him.

“Your Majesty?” I asked, practically on the edge of my seat. Without even knowing what he had to say, my heart was already forcing itself into a lump in my throat.

“While it is a senseless tragedy that the library burned down, most of the literary materials in it were, in fact, copies,” the emperor explained.

“Whoa,” Herakles blurted. “What?!”

The emperor smiled. “My great-grandfather had the original books, manuscripts, journals, and scrolls hidden away in the Samotarcis Domain, shortly after one of the last rebellions to threaten our capital in Silvergate. In fact, not all of the originals were copied into the recently defunct library. I suppose you’ll need all the help you can get, and those documents might, in fact, assist you in your mission.”

“And you didn’t think to tell us sooner?” Lumi asked, raising an eyebrow.

I doubted anyone had ever raised an eyebrow at the emperor of Cerix like this before. Our swamp witch was on fire…

“Circumstances have changed,” the emperor replied. “No matter what happens with Inalia or the neighboring planet, I know our people will survive. But, like I said earlier, it’s my duty to make sure they survive for as long as possible. So, if there’s so much as a faint possibility that the original library might give you ammunition against the Hermessi, I’m willing to overlook the oath I took upon my coronation to never tell anyone about it.”

“It’s nice not to have all our eggs in one basket, I’ll tell you that,” Raphael chimed in, slightly amused. “Better late than never, Your Majesty. Thank you.”

“Oh, don’t thank me yet,” the emperor replied dryly. “Though it may very well be the motherlode of tactical information you require, you’d have to find it, first.”

Herakles was the first to sigh with frustration, rubbing his face with his palms. “You’re killing me here.”

“The original library used to be guarded and curated by a group of soldiers most loyal to my great-grandfather. Today, they’re better known as the Brothers of the Shadow,” the emperor said. It drew a collective gasp from Inalia, Eira, and Trap.

“What?” Eira croaked.

“They weren’t always like that,” the emperor replied.

“Brothers of the Shadow?” I asked. I’d heard about them and some hostilities involving them, but I didn’t know any details. I’d not had time to study Cerixian history. I’d been too busy getting zapped around the empire so as not to get my ass fried by some very hostile Hermessi.

“They’re a rebel faction,” Inalia said. “They go around from one domain to another, starting fights, blowing up buildings, and attacking Armed Forces outposts. They claim to be fighting for the domains’ independence, but, factually speaking, all the domains have been much better off as part of the empire than they ever were on their own.”

“They’re violent Cerixians. Ruthless and calculating. We haven’t been able to find their HQ yet.” Trap added. “Not for lack of trying, though. They’re just that good at hiding.”

“They used to be good people,” the emperor continued. “They grew uneasy, then restless with some of my great-grandfather’s policies in the Samotarcis Domain, at first. They failed to see the bigger picture, and my great-grandfather wasn’t one to negotiate with ‘terrorists,’ as he called them. The lack of communication and pride on behalf of the empire led to the Brothers of the Shadow shifting their allegiance. Before the Armed Forces could intervene, they’d already stolen the entire library originals. None of us have seen them in centuries.”

“I had no idea,” Eira mumbled, her eyes wide. “So, who are today’s Brothers of the Shadow?”

“Most likely the descendants of those who first opposed the empire. Maybe youngsters from the domain slums. They do have appealing messages, and they always recruit from the poorest neighborhoods,” Trap said.

The emperor nodded. “My great-grandfather refused to let the library’s theft sway him in any way. He simply decreed that they were all enemies of the state, and it’s been like that ever since. We took comfort in knowing we had most of the copies in the Silvergate library.”

“Now that’s gone,” Herakles replied, pursing his lips.

“Where would we find the Brothers of the Shadow?” Taeral asked.

“Some, you’ll find in our local prison.” Trap chuckled. “But they won’t tell you much. Believe me, we tried to get them to talk. We even offered them freedom and complete rehabilitation. Nothing worked because they were only privy to limited, almost useless information.”

“I’d give it a shot with your prisoners, but I’m not that good at getting people to talk,” Varga interjected, biting his lower lip. “A Mara’s mind-bending would’ve come in handy here.”

Sentries were known for their ability to syphon energy and read emotions. In some cases, they could also manipulate minds. But Varga’s skillset was more focused on True Sight and Barriers than anything else.

“I doubt the Brothers in our custody even know where the original library is,” Trap said. “I am aware of how the group operates. Only the leaders would have such valuable information, and the underlings in our prison don’t even know where their bosses dwell, other than the fact that they’re holed up in the Samotarcis Domain somewhere. That’s the most we could get out of them and I’m sure they didn’t know more.”

“Your best chance is to go into the Samotarcis Domain and search for them,” the emperor suggested. “Surely, one of them will hear that you’re looking for them. I trust you’ll be able to find them, as seasoned GASP agents.”

I shrugged. “Well, I wouldn’t say seasoned. Capable, maybe,” I muttered, mostly to myself.

“Yes, please, keep pointing out your imaginary inadequacies, Amelia. It makes you so attractive,” Raphael replied, his tone clipped. Was this his way of reprimanding me?

“We could give it a shot,” Taeral said. “The emperor is right. We can’t bank solely on the two options we have now. If there’s information in the original library, information that we could use against the Hermessi, we’d be foolish not to try and get it.”

Lumi nodded, then got up. “Okay. But what would you hope to achieve with it?”

“I don’t know yet. We’ll have to read the documents first,” Taeral replied.

“Right. But you must have some expectation in mind, Tae.”

Taeral blinked rapidly several times. His shoulders dropped. “Maybe we can push the Hermessi into a position that makes it easier to negotiate Cerix’s fate.”

“And have them do what? They were pretty specific when they laid out the options,” Lumi said. “Inalia’s sacrifice or the planet’s doom.”

I couldn’t keep my mouth shut on this one. “Maybe we should take everything the Hermessi say with a grain of salt, from now on. They obviously don’t have our best interests at heart. They could be lying just to mess with us, to hurt us, to keep us distracted while they do their… influence thing with our fae.”

Realization seemed to dawn on Lumi. Based on the light glimmering in her strange, white eyes with blue iris contours, she hadn’t considered this. I could see why she hadn’t. The Hermessi lacked our moral compass. They didn’t require deception to get things done. They seduced their cult members differently, from what we’d seen so far.

“You might be on to something,” Lumi finally said, then looked at the emperor. “Your Majesty, do you, by any chance, have a last known location for the first Brothers of the Shadow?”

“It used to be on the southern border of Samotarcis,” the emperor replied. “The town is gone, but surely the people living in the area would know something. We do know they haven’t left the Domain, but like I said, their minions don’t know where exactly. Tell you what… I’ll write them a full pardon and a promise to sit down for negotiations with their leader, if they give you access to the original library,” he added, looking at Taeral. “You’ll have that document with you and can use it as a bargaining token. It might get you somewhere once you do cross paths with them.”

“You must be careful, though,” Trap said. “They’re extremely dangerous, especially to people who are actively looking for them.”

Lumi smirked. “I doubt Taeral’s crew will have much trouble getting them to cooperate,” she replied. “Especially when they realize what’s at stake regarding their planet.”

“Lumi, I would like you and Trap to stay here,” the emperor cut in. “We can work on the evacuation plan and the message for the people of Cerix. Your input would be greatly appreciated.”

“I’ll be glad to assist with whatever you may need, Your Majesty,” Lumi said.

“Then the rest of us will head out to the Samotarcis border,” Taeral replied.

“Twenty-four hours,” the emperor reminded him, sending chills down my spine. “I expect Inalia to be back by then.”

Taeral offered a faint nod. “Yes, Your Majesty.”

“I choose to trust you, Taeral. Don’t make me regret it,” the emperor said.

“You won’t.”

“And don’t make me send out one of your own to drag Inalia back here, either,” the emperor replied, referring to Lumi.

It was probably why he’d asked her to stay—the logistics of a mass evacuation aside. He needed to be able to hold her accountable, and to ask her to intervene if the rest of us, particularly Taeral, let our emotions get in the way.

I certainly understood where he was coming from, but we weren’t children. We’d been trained for stuff like this in GASP. We were able to discern our priorities and act accordingly, even if it meant sacrificing one or more innocent people—if it meant saving many others.

“Your Majesty, we will not disappoint,” I said.

I was determined to dig up as much dirt on the Hermessi as possible. Fortunately, the ancient Cerixians had been industrious enough to document everything on the Hermessi faith. Their lore was a priceless source of information, and if I had to go through an entire rebel faction to get to it, then so be it. The prospect of Inalia’s sacrifice did stay with us, though. It was silent, heavy, and uncomfortable, making sure none of us forgot about it.

How could we?