AllFreeNovel
Share Us
"I suggest we go to the meeting tent. There's a long table where we can sit and talk in peace," Aspasia suggested, leading us past several small tents to a huge one. When we entered it, I was surprised at how spacious it was. Beautiful carpets were everywhere, and there were several seating areas, a fully functional kitchenette, and a long table, which the Amazon had mentioned.
After everyone had found a seat, Tanael placed the papyrus with the last known whereabouts of the Holy Grail on the table.
"There's a lot we need to discuss today," he told the group. "But first, we should all agree that we are ready to go to war against the Brotherhood and especially against John Adam Nash." He looked from one to the other in silence. "Because a war is coming."
War. A word I had hoped not to hear again so soon. But here it was. Knocking on the door of our lives, and we had no choice but to let it in. I saw the uncertainty in the eyes of my friends and family.
"You know, Luze, that the last war in the magical world wasn't that long ago," Maggy sighed. She looked at Lariel and took his hand. "We hoped to be spared from it for the next few centuries."
Tanael nodded to her.
"I understand that no one here wants to go to war. Honestly, if I'd had a choice, I would have run away during the fight on the pier," I admitted honestly. "But let's not kid ourselves. If we don't stop the Brotherhood and this John Adam Nash in the human world, he'll show up here in Brysalia at some point. He's obsessed with finding Lilith's daughter. If he doesn't discover her among the humans, where will he continue his search for her? He also seems to have an interest in Lilith herself. I don't know which world she is in, but he will find her, too."
"Lilith has her own realm in the underworld," Tanael informed me. Pride glowed in his eyes as he looked at me. "Myrina is right. No world is ultimately safe from him and his Knights of John. So, who's with me?"
Without hesitation, I raised my hand and saw my brothers' and father's small spark of hope I would withdraw despite my speech dying out.
"If my sister goes to war, it will never be without us! Won't it, Chris and Jordy?" Rick looked at his brothers challengingly, and they both nodded devotedly.
"I'm going wherever my children are drawn to," my father announced firmly.
Slowly but surely, the angels, the demon, Hecate, and Edward also raised their hands.
"My Amazons and I will definitely be there. We've been preparing for a battle for years," Aspasia and Emma nodded in agreement.
Only the dryad and the shapeshifter remained. The two looked at each other and seemed to understand each other wordlessly.
"When it comes to kicking the butt of a powerful being, you've come to the right place because we've got experience," Lariel finally laughed. "And we're never too bad for a good fight, are we, darling?"
Maggy grinned at him, and sparks seemed to shoot out of her every pore.
"Absolutely! So, what do we start with?"
CHAPTER 24
The first thing we should do is pool our information. From there, we can decide on our next steps." Tanael stood up, and suddenly, a large board appeared in the corner of the tent. How did he do that?
As if it were the most natural thing in the world, the angel grabbed a marker from the edge of the blackboard and began to write.
"So, let's start with the Brotherhood. What do we know about them?" he asked as he wrote Knight of John.
"They're all men, and the Brotherhood came out of nowhere five years ago," Rick said.
"The first point is true. This organization has only male members. The second point is incorrect. The Brotherhood has been around for a very, very long time. Sam, do you remember when we first noticed it?" Tanael turned to his assistant.
"That must have been when the tower was built in Babel."
"That was thousands of years ago!" Chris looked at the angel with wide eyes. "So, did the tower really exist?" he quickly followed up. Sam nodded.
"We're talking about an organization that has been recruiting and planning in the underground for thousands of years," the God of First Light summarized, noting it on the board.
"That makes them all the more dangerous," Lariel interjected thoughtfully. "The enemy is probably prepared for anything because they've had time to think through every possible scenario and know how to react to any obstacles thrown in their way."
"That's right. But the worst thing is that their leader, John Adam Nash, is immortal and has been able to preserve all the information and plans that the Knights have gathered over the years," Hecate reported.
"An immortal being? Do we know exactly what he is? What we're dealing with here?" Maggy wanted to know, biting her lip uneasily. "We fought a goddess in the last war, and believe me, even with the help of another god, we had trouble defeating her."
"Who did you have to go to war against?" Hecate's silver eyes shone. She obviously loved such stories.
