Halfof his mouthquirked upin a smile, causing thesmall linesaround his eyes to deepen. “Every Order has a difference in opinion when it comes to serving the Light. Despite what you think, since the Veritas has come under new leadership, much of their time is spent on the streets protecting the people and seeking solutions to our new world order.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Are you the ones disclosing to the media the profiles on the different beasts of the week and how to kill them?” Without those reports, the world would havecontinued to spiral into chaosfor much longer. Themilitary and thepeople were given a way to fight back and protect themselves with some simple guidelines and tools.
Phillip shrugged. “Knowledge ispower,and we believe in sharing the truth.”
I knew all the Orders kind of sucked for sticking to their own selfish dogmas, but I had to admit, the Order of Veritas was my favorite.And I couldn’t think of anyone better to run things.Had his wife been the one left in control, Iimagine she would have their agentspatrolling the streets,forcingpeople to stay indoors. Phillip had a more diplomatic touch to things.
Phillip led Sophie and Noah into the house and to the gigantic theater room with a whole wall ofDVDs.We left themsettled in the red recliners, ready to watchThe Princess Bride.
Twoagents of Veritaswould stay onguardoutsidethe theater room, so Phillipled Travis, Gregory, and me out to the carriage house. Instead of knocking, he punched in a digital code on apin pad that was hidden under a home sweet home sign on the siding.
Inside, we were met with two women standing guard in a small roomthat barely fit all six of us.Unlike the charming, farmhouse exterior, the inside had slate-gray, padded walls.They were forsound-proofing the place.Phillip ledus through the lone door.
The windowless room was padded like the entrybut in here there was awoman strapped to a chair, a black bag over her head.
When the door closed behind us, we spread out to fill the room in asemi-circlearoundourmystery woman. My fists clenched shut as Phillip pulled off the head covering.
The woman blinked and sneezed. Not the most dignified unveiling for an evil demonmistress.
“Hello again,” I said, showing her my teeth.She reared back slightly.She received the message I sent with my eyesloud and clear.Iwilltear outyourjugular if I have to.
The Asian womanresumed a cool expression ofhaughty defiance, her lips pursed shut.
“Has she been refusing to talk?” I asked Phillip.Please, please say she is refusing. I’ll make her talk.
Phillip’s eyebrows raised as he shook his head slightly.“She insists if we don’t let her go, more people will die.”
“A threat?” Mr. Smith asked, arms crossing over his chest.
“No, youfools,” she said. “You are preventing me from hunting the demon and destroying it. I would have already done so if it weren’t for these two idiots intervening,” she said, jerking her head at Travis and me.
“That’s what you were doing?” Travis asked. “Trying to kill it?”
“I was luring it to me,” she said.
“Who are you?” I interrupted.
“It does not matter who I am.” Then with a secretive smile she added, “I am a servant to the Light, and if you don’t let me go, there will beconsequences.”
Only one kind of person spouted junk about serving the Light. Someone from one of the five Orders.
The rest of us exchanged confused looks. “She’s not one of yours?” I asked Phillip. He studiously examined her but shook his head.
When I looked at Mr. Smith, he said, “We did not train women for missions.Unless things have greatly changed since my time, it’s doubtful.”
I snorted. Bunch of sexist assholes. Sounded right though. Until Emma of course, but they’d made an exception in her case.Plustheir following had been nearly all butexterminated.We hadn’t heard a peep out of any of them since the tear was healed.
“Didn’t look like you were serving theLight,” Travis said to her, leaning over to meet her eye. “Looked like some dark magic you were using back there in that alleyway.”
She tilted her chin up, as defiant as possible for someone trussed up like a pig. “It is sometimes necessary to fight evil with its own darkness toserve the greater good.”
“You sound like thoseassholes fromthe Order ofTenebrae,”I said.
Her eyes flared.
“Oh shit, youare,aren’t you? You’re one of those Tenebrae a-holes who serve thedark.”
She scowled.“The Order of Tenebrae does not serve the darkness. We simply respectand understand its role in the balance.”
