First and foremost on my list was the repopulation of the covens, and making sure the Bestiary was in good working order with its Beast Master in place. The covens would be empty now that I’d taken Chaos away from the magicals, since they would have identified their residents as humans and kicked them out. Ah, security protocols, how I do love thee.
I turned to my gathered minions.
“I need you to track down the highest ranking former magicals from each coven and give them an Ephemera. It will grant them enough Chaos to get all of your teams inside the covens. Force them in whatever way you have to and burn the old registries. Create new registries and add your names, then see to it that the high-ranking magicals are restrained—or bend them to our cause. If they refuse, lock them up. If they relent, bring them to me. If any of you high-ranking individuals are already among us, then select a coven and begin, taking a team with you,” I ordered. “The cult must spread out and occupy the vacant covens. From there, you must hijack the systems and turn everything to our cause.”
“Yes, Eris,” the gathered cultists chorused.
How I loved the sound of unadulterated loyalty.
“For now, however, we keep all of this secret from the humans. They shouldn’t know of our plans just yet. That battle will come later, and will be easily won once we’ve infiltrated every city in the United States and beyond.” I smiled at the thought. “We conquer the magical world first, and the human world will follow.” And, after I got my new body, the real show would begin.
“Yes, Eris,” they chorused again.
They had all had enough of their Chaos restored to be able to gain entry into the covens, and those who chose to serve along the way would be granted the same gift. I was a magnanimous goddess, after all.
As they made their way through portals created by those to whom I’d given that ability, I turned back to Lasher Ickes. He stared up at me with those feeble eyes, now a satisfying shade of purple. With a swipe, I lifted the curse from him. There was something about the way he’d been trembling that gave me an idea. He seemed like exactly the sort of person who could be made to change sides, now that he’d seen what I was about. The weakest minds were always the first to fold.
He flung himself down on the ground at my feet.
“Mighty Eris, spare me,” he begged. “Preceptor Bellmore tried to get me to come with her to join you. I refused then, but that was before I understood your strength and your wisdom. Please, spare me, and I’ll be your loyal follower. I swear it.”
“Why should I trust you?”
“Because you have made me see the light. I understand now, in a way I didn’t before. I have seen your kind across the years in my history books, and I know there would be no use in disobeying you. I would rather be on the winning side, Eris. I would rather live and have my Chaos returned.”
I smiled.
I’d known taking magic would be a useful tool of persuasion, and it seemed to be working out rather nicely. Although, that didn’t mean I was foolish enough to just outright trust someone who’d fought against me barely a few hours ago.
“I will give you a task so that you can prove yourself to me.”
He nodded effusively. “Anything, Eris. Anything.”
“You will be the one to lead the way into the SDC.” I nodded to a small cluster of cultists who stood nearby. “This will be your team. If you try and betray me, they will kill you on the spot. Understood?”
“Understood, Eris.” He was practically licking my shoes.
“Take this, and it will allow you inside the SDC.” I took an Ephemera out of my dress and handed it to him. It was charged with enough Chaos to get him into the coven and keep him there.
He frowned. “But… what about my own abilities?”
“They’ll be returned once I’m certain you can be trusted.” I had trouble trusting anyone from the SDC, to be quite honest, given their track record. Bellmore had tried to doubt me, and now she was dead. Ickes would go the same way if he slipped up. Ickes is the perfect name for you. Just looking at his weaselly face made me shudder, but at least he could be useful.
He bowed down again. “Yes, Eris. Of course, Eris. I won’t disappoint, Eris.” Yes, sir. No, sir. Three bags full, sir. I abhorred grovelers, but I could swallow that contempt for now.
“We have work to do, so I suggest we get on with it. I won’t be far away, so don’t think you can run off and sound any alarms. That won’t end well for you. I doubt you’re too keen on becoming Ickes the Headless Historian, are you?”
“No, Eris.” He looked about ready to pee his pants, which meant he was at the perfect stage of loyalty.
“Good, then let’s get to it.”
I held up my palm and opened a portal into the SDC. A risky necessity, but it didn’t seem to be making too much of a mess of me. This was small stuff in comparison to a blanket curse or a blast of spidery Telekinesis. Other cult members had been gifted with the ability to open portals, but they were handling their own missions.
Walking through the portal into Imogene’s old stomping grounds, I braced myself for the hard work that was yet to come. Namely, using just enough power to get Tobe to obey me without tearing myself to shreds. Harley’s allies were still too numerous for my liking, but I’d deal with them as the opportunity arose.
I put on the guise of Imogene for what I hoped would be the last time, and the coven accepted me at face value as Ickes and the small group of cultists followed me inside.
“As I mentioned, see to it that the registry is burned and create a new one. Add your names to it, and add mine for good measure,” I ordered.
“You aren’t joining us, Eris?” one of the cultists replied.
I shook my head. “No, I have my own business to attend to.” Rearranging the magical hierarchy and burning registries was a small-fry operation compared to what I had to do. I needed to make sure my power source was all in order so these covens would keep running the way they were supposed to. Without that measure in place, it wouldn’t just be me who would start to fall apart.
Leaving them to it, I headed straight for the Bestiary, reveling in the silence of the empty hallways. When I reached the doorways, I pushed them open in the most dramatic way possible, feeling like an ancient warrior about to break down the stronghold of my enemy.
That heroic sensation died as I froze on the threshold, swearing so loudly that it echoed across the vast atrium. The boxes were open. Lots of the monsters were running free, but I knew a ruse when I saw one, and I was willing to bet my left ass cheek that there would be some missing when we did a head count.
Tobe included.
Four
Harley
We had to get moving, but I couldn’t help staring back out of the window at my misty Purge beast, still stretched over the lake in a foggy mass.
What was it doing out there? Why was it just… sitting like that? It wasn’t like any creature I’d ever seen. The black smog creature that had almost wiped us out in the French church was the closest thing to it, but that beast had at least had eyes. And it had made its intentions majorly understood when it swept toward me like it wanted me dead. If it hadn’t been for Finch, it might’ve finished the job.