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She doesn't sound happy about what I told her, but I know she will do as I asked.
Now, it's time to storm the throne room.
But we don't burst in, surrounded by a hail of bullets. No, I have a different plan, and it depends on the creatures behaving the way they have since the moment the machine revealed itself.
Aldith stays huddled just out of sight, at the threshold.
I walk into the room, working hard to stop myself from seeming anxious, and casually pass by the creatures who are arrayed around the periphery of the room, including at either side of the doorway. Though my pulse kicks up a couple of extra notches, I remain outwardly calm. The creatures don't seem to notice me, not yet. They're chanting wordlessly while rocking side to side.
Gabriel watches me.
He probably wants to tell me to go away, but he knows as well as I do that any sound might set off the creatures. I hold my machete in one hand, while I have the canvas bag over my opposite shoulder. The grenades are in there. I hope I don't need them, but I won't hesitate if they threaten me or Gabriel.
A shiver sweeps over my skin from head to toe, raising every hair on my body.
I glance around, but the creatures still seem entranced and unaware of my presence. But my intuition warned me to watch out. That's what the shiver meant. Something is about to happen, and I need to be hyper-aware of my surroundings.
Halfway across the room, I stop. Another shiver, much colder than the first, tingles over my skin. I look around but can't see anything. That doesn't mean nothing is going to happen. If my intuition needs to warn me about something, I'll pay attention.
But I won't stop. I can't.
So I start walking again.
Gabriel mouths, "No."
He doesn't really expect me to stop. He knows me too well to believe I'll do that.
A shimmering curtain of magics drops down at the foot of the steps, enveloping the entire dais and the machine. Wards? If quantum Sefton wants a fight, he's about to get one.
I approach the invisible barrier and speak in a calm tone. "Come out, Sefton, and let me see you. Or are you afraid of me?"
"Afraid? Hardly." The ghost of Sefton has appeared on the dais, between me and Gabriel. "You are a foolish child, coming here alone."
He doesn't realize Aldith is in the corridor. Guess he's not all-knowing.
"Why didn't you let me see you last time?" I ask. "If you aren't afraid, you had no reason to hide from me."
"I simply had no desire or need to speak to you."
The sounds of the apocalypse in full swing continue outside, though the ruckus became a background noise the moment Aldith and I entered the castle. I suppose the real Sefton didn't want to hear the agony and suffering of living beings and made sure to dull the noise in his cliff-top hideaway.
"I want to talk to Gabriel," I tell Sefton. "Take down your wards and let me talk approach the machine so I can speak to him. Please."
Might as well try politeness first.
He glances down at the machete in my hand, then raises his brows. "Why on earth would I do that? You mean to murder me. Not that you will succeed. I have no physical form."
"I know that. This weapon is for your minions, in case they get a little too frisky."
A quick glance at my watch warns me I have only six minutes to complete my task. Screw this. If the ghost of Sefton Stainthorpe won't get out of my way, I'll move him myself.
I shift slightly to the side, where I can see Gabriel, and tap into the connection between us, which makes his eyes flare wide for a split second. Then he reverts to the neutral expression he's worn ever since I entered the room. The power we share sizzles inside me, enlivening my skin and diving deep beneath it to awaken the most sensual parts of me. My nipples tighten. I grow slick between my thighs. The nature of our shared magics has always been erotic, and I no longer worry about why.
I revel in it.
We gaze into each other's eyes, and I feel the Echo energies gathering inside us both.
"Stop that," Sefton snarls. "Stop it now, or I'll have my disciples do it for you."
