Dread Nemesis of Mine

chapter 18

Elyssa

A klaxon wailed in the Templar compound.

"Crap, crap, crap!" Elyssa said as she and the others left the officers' quarters. "Why are they sounding the assembly?"

Fausta shook her head. "No idea. But maybe it's a good thing. We need to warn Christian."

And I need to tell Underborn about our discovery, Elyssa thought. But would it do any good to tell him every Templar was a potential spy?

"Is Healer Delgado stationed on this base?" Bella asked Fausta.

The Italian woman nodded. "Yes. Why?"

"I want to consult her patient file on Lieutenant Martinez. Perhaps something in there will shed light on matters."

"Why don't you ask her yourself?"

Bella shrugged. "It would probably be faster if we continued our criminal activities."

Fausta looked toward the brightly lit assembly area, a large paved area as big as a football field. "I'm going to warn Christian first. Maybe he'll check into it himself."

Elyssa wasn't all that sure how Christian would react upon hearing their report. What if he didn't believe them? What if he had them arrested? They had to convince him. Find evidence to support their claim. "I'm going with Bella."

"Me too," said Adam, face grim.

"I can't go tell Christian one of his lieutenants is a mole all by myself," Fausta grumbled. "I'll look like an idiot."

"I'll go with Fausta," Meghan said. "I'm a healer, after all. Perhaps I can run a diagnostic on Gigi and find out how vulnerable we are to Daelissa." Her lips tightened. "I did not join the Templars to be used for evil."

The two groups set off in opposite directions. Healer Delgado's office was located just outside the center of the compound next to the armory. The building was dark, but Bella detected no wards guarding the door. Elyssa looked around the deserted area, assuming everyone had responded to the assembly signal.

Bella unlocked the door within a few seconds. They filed inside and looked through the building until Elyssa found the door with Delgado's name on it. The room was devoid of filing cabinets or any paperwork for that matter. A quick search revealed a complete lack of such mundane things.

Adam found a slim tablet on the Healer's desk and turned it on. An orange logo appeared, but a flick of his finger to peel it met with an error.

Warning: This device is property of Healer Delgado and cannot be accessed without her permission. Any further attempts to access this device will be met with unpleasant countermeasures.

Elyssa cursed.

Bella looked the device over and gave a helpless shake of her head. "I'm not so good with these fancy gadgets."

"Just happens to be my specialty," Adam said, pushing thick glasses up his generous nose. He pulled out an arcphone and held it next to the tablet. "It uses a face print," he said after a moment. He looked around the desk and found a picture frame lying flat on the surface. He touched the edge and a holographic image, presumably of Healer Delgado and her family, flickered on above the frame. Adam smiled. "Perfect."

He activated a spell on his arcphone. A pale light wrapped around the three-dimensional holograph of Delgado's head, taking in her auburn hair, brown eyes, and fair skin. He stared at his phone for a moment, and grunted. Elyssa forced herself to remain patient, though she couldn't help stalking back and forth while he worked. After that failed to keep her anxiety at bay, she pulled out Gigi's journal and read more of the entries to see if anything else stood out to her. Bella watched over Adam's shoulder, apparently fascinated with his process as she oohed and aahed.

Adam sat in the chair before the desk. He said a few words, closed his eyes, brow furrowed in concentration, and drew his fingers in a wavy pattern across the surface of his arcphone. A beam of light speared from the phone and struck him in the head. His face screwed up in what Elyssa guessed might be pain, though he didn't scream or shout. The blinding light from the phone covered his face in a red glow then faded, leaving spots in Elyssa's vision.

She hoped nobody had happened to look at the office over the past few minutes. They'd have to be blind not to have seen the glow coming from the spell. The dancing colors in her eyes faded and Elyssa sucked in a breath as Healer Delgado looked back at her and smiled.

"Adam?"

He nodded. "Hang on. This effect won't last long, and it hurts like hell." He flicked the tablet on.

"Good evening, Healer Delgado," the tablet said in a soothing female voice. "How can I help you?"

"Grant full privileges to Bella—uh, what's your last name?"

The Arcane smiled at him. "Bella will do just fine."

"Are you sure you'd like to add Bella Will Do Just Fine to your list of administrators?" the tablet said.

"Yes," Adam said, his face tightening and twitching.

An orb of light spun from the tablet screen and settled around Bella's face. "Welcome, Bella Will Do Just Fine. I am now yours to command."

Adam lurched from the chair and ran down the hall, hands pressed tight against his face. Elyssa stared after him in alarm.

"It's a side effect of the spell, dear," Bella said. She motioned Elyssa closer. "Let's see what we have here." She held up the tablet. "Computer, please show me all files on Gigi Martinez."

"There are ten recordings, ranging from two hours in length, to thirty minutes. Which would you like to see?" A holographic list sprang into the air in front of Bella's face. She jerked back and almost dropped the tablet.

Elyssa took the device and laid it flat on the desk so she could see the list. Bella gave her a sheepish grin.

"Did Healer Delgado come to a conclusion or guess as to what was wrong with Gigi?" Elyssa said.

"Bella, would you like me to answer the question from Unauthorized Individual?" The disembodied voice spoke the last two words in a robotic monotone.

"Please answer all of her questions," Bella said.

"Very well. Here are excerpts from recordings made by Healer Delgado as to the cause of Lieutenant Martinez's medical issue."

Delgado's face flickered on in place of the holographic list. "In conclusion," she said, "I prescribed her a potion from the apothecary made up of fish oil and green tea, and recommended a series of treatments with Healer Arroyo, who specializes in treating dysfunctions of the mind. I do not think this issue will persist. It's likely caused by stress."

The image vanished to be replaced by another. "Lieutenant Martinez's issue has persisted for quite some time. According to Healer Arroyo, his many sessions with her have failed to pinpoint any specific trauma, save for one. When she was still a raw recruit, she escorted a group of Arcanes into El Dorado to map out the caverns beneath the cursed city. Lieutenant Martinez was one of two survivors of the expedition and was so scarred by the experience, she requested the White from then Commander Anise Pratt, who, with great reluctance, granted this request."

Healer Delgado looked down, as if consulting something and then back up. "I can only assume the trauma from this scarring event continues to haunt the officer despite taking the White. Since we know so little about what happens in the communionary, or the effects of taking the White, I can only theorize it did not completely wipe away her memories. Healer Arroyo observed a much greater gap in Lieutenant Martinez's memory than just the expedition, however. Indeed, she was missing almost two months' worth of memories. For now, I have no easy answer to this issue, but maintain Lieutenant Martinez is still fit for duty as these dreams have not, so far, affected her exemplary performance."

They watched through the remaining excerpts, but the healer had no further clues as to the cause of Gigi's dreams. Elyssa, however, had a sinking feeling she knew what caused it. The White. It was a rare ritual, but using it for Gigi's purpose—to forget a traumatic experience—was not unheard of. Elyssa had no idea how many people had taken it. She wasn't even sure if the Templars kept records on such a thing. Daelissa obviously tampered with the memories of anyone who underwent the rituals, even the Blessed or Novice, because nobody remembered a thing about what happened during them. Elyssa was an exception, thanks to Nightliss, the dark angel and friend of Justin’s, who opposed Daelissa.

But the memory gaps so typical after rituals were short, hours at most as opposed to months. If the nightmares Gigi had were indicative of Daelissa's probes for information, Elyssa could ask her father or Christian to have anyone who'd experienced such dreams to step forward. But maybe Daelissa couldn't invade just anyone's dreams. She might be powerful, but she wasn't omnipotent. What if she could spy on the thoughts of those people whose long-term memory she'd affected? That meant anyone who'd taken the White was susceptible. It meant Elyssa was susceptible.

Not good.

She shuddered. Good news, bad news. Either way, she was far more informed than she had been an hour ago. Even if it meant she could no longer be a Templar, at least the vast majority of her comrades would be safe from the rogue angel's touch.

Adam returned. His face had returned to its normal gawky appearance, though his skin glowed sunburn red. "Now I remember why I hate using that spell unless I really, really need to."

"You must bring me up to date on these gadgets," Bella said. "It makes me feel like an old ninny when I have to look up something on my arcphone. Sad to say, I use the gizmo mostly for phone calls and pinning pictures on social media instead of using it for magic."

He offered her a strained smile. "Any time."

Elyssa grabbed the tablet off the desk. "We have to get this information to my father and Christian."

"You saw something incriminating?" Bella asked.

"The White." Cold prickles ran up Elyssa's back at the mention of it. "I think Daelissa can reach Martinez because she had her mind wiped. At least, I hope so. Otherwise, it means Daelissa can enter the dreams of any Templar."

Adam gave her a curious look. "Didn't you take…" he didn't finish the thought.

"Yeah. I took the White." Elyssa's voice came out rough with emotion despite her best efforts. She'd squandered her childhood, devoted almost every moment of her life for the Templars. But if she was a danger to their secrecy, she couldn't stay. Even her father would be forced to agree to her resignation.

They raced across the compound to the assembly area. Nearly two hundred Templars stood in perfect rows as a tall man with a long red robe walked along the large stage in the front and spoke. Elyssa wondered where the rest of the legion complement was, or if her quick assessment of the crowd’s size was wrong.

"Who in blazes is that?" Adam said, pointing at the man on the stage.

"Oh, goodness." Bella's eyes widened. "I believe it's Artemis Coronus, the Seneschal to the Grand Master of the Templar Synod."

And a Templar Knight. Elyssa almost stumbled with the realization as they jogged along the perimeter of the assemblage looking for her father. Very few of the Knights Templar remained, and almost no one in recent memory had been granted the ultimate honor. Even the great Thomas Borathen had never been offered the position, though he was known throughout the Overworld for his military victories over the centuries. For one of them to be here meant something serious was going on. For the Seneschal to be here meant—well, she didn't know what it meant, except major political forces were in motion.

Artemis held up a gloved fist. "The days of pitchforks and persecution are over. While the Synod does not agree with the actions of the rogue vampires known as Blood Rush, we strongly advise against a military course of action."

"You've got to be kidding," Adam said. "Since when would a Templar Knight back down from a fight?"

A deep chill gripped Elyssa's chest. The Synod could command the local legion to stand down if they brought it to a vote. They spoke for the Divinity. Supposedly, they were the only ones who had personally spoken to her—and remembered it. Elyssa didn't know the truth of the matter, but seeing how the Divinity and Daelissa were one and the same, it didn't much matter to her. If the Synod still trusted the Divinity, it probably meant they'd work against the Templars.

"There's your father," Bella said, pointing to Thomas. Fausta and Meghan stood nearby, engrossed in conversation with the Commander Salazar while Thomas looked on as Artemis continued to rail against the decision to attack.

"You two run ahead," Adam said, stopping and panting. "I don't have supernatural endurance. I'm gonna puke if I don't take a break." He gave Elyssa another look. "And let me know when you talk to the other guy.

Underborn. "I will."

Bella and Elyssa blurred around the perimeter, reaching Christian within seconds.

The Templar commander looked at them expectantly. "Recruit Borathen, you'd better have an excellent reason for not being in formation right now."

"I told you she was getting proof," Fausta said, and spun to Elyssa. "You got proof right?"

Elyssa put on her best poker face and held out the tablet to Christian. "I don't know how much they told you, but here it is in a nutshell: Daelissa has been invading Lieutenant Martinez's dreams to spy on the Templars. It's possible she can do that to any Templar, but I think she's more limited than that. After examining the Lieutenant's records, I believe I have reached an explanation. Daelissa can do it because Lieutenant Martinez took the White."

Christian's jaw tightened. He folded his arms and narrowed his eyes. "Fausta, maybe you'd better tell me again exactly what you did. I know for a fact Healer Delgado is here at assembly, and only she, Lieutenant Martinez, and I know about her taking the White."

Fausta's face went white. "Uh, we…" She cleared her throat, looked down and said in a rush, "Broke into the officers' quarters where Meghan Andretti made sounds come out of the walls and figured out that Lieutenant Martinez was having bad dreams, and Elyssa read her diary, and then we—"

Commander Salazar held up a hand, his eyes going cold with disbelief and anger. "Slow down and back up. You forcibly and illegally entered the officers' quarters, and read Lieutenant Martinez's confidential journal?"

Elyssa decided Fausta wasn't doing a very good job of explaining things. "I think you're overlooking the importance of my discovery, sir."

Christian's stern eyes locked onto Elyssa. "You expect me to believe Lieutenant Martinez is a mole?"

His angry look only hardened her resolve. "I expect you to believe Daelissa can use Lieutenant Martinez to find out our plans in advance. Daelissa is helping the vampires, and Maximus probably knows we're coming."

"How would you know that?"

Elyssa took out the diary and turned to the last page. She read an entry she'd discovered while waiting on Adam to break into Healer Delgado's tablet. "This dream was much different than the others. At first, I was in the House. As usual it was foggy and rainy through the sliding glass door in the back, but outside the front door, the weather appeared beautiful and sunny. I walked out the door, toward the sunshine, and suddenly found myself reliving the briefing with Christian and the other officers as we discussed Thomas Borathen's plans to come via arch to La Casona. It felt like a lucid dream, except I couldn't control myself. I practically relived every conversation I had with Christian and the other officers from the day, but skipped everything in between. Usually, I don't remember every little thing about a dream, but this one I do. Maybe because it was almost an exact repeat of my day? I don't know. I don't feel stressed, but maybe this new war Thomas Borathen wants to start scares me more than I want to admit."

Elyssa turned to the next page. "Another strange dream. I started in the house, and after walking out the front door, found myself in the briefing with Christian, Thomas Borathen, and the other officers. In fact, this dream was exactly like the one from my previous entry—I relived briefings and several conversations from the day. This is too strange to be coincidence. It's almost like something is forcing me to relive this. Is it my troubled conscience? I never wanted war with the vampires, but after the ambush on our convoy, we don't have much choice. In my dream, I kept looking at Ludovico's empty chair and feeling the anger and pain. He shouldn't have died. How did the vampires know to be there?"

Elyssa looked up from the diary. "I think Daelissa is somehow pushing her to dream about Templar briefings. It would explain how the vampires knew about our arrival at La Casona."

"They're dreams, recruit." Christian made an exasperated noise. " Lieutenant Martinez is obviously under great stress. Most officers, including myself, probably dream about briefings." His eyes hardened to steel. "As for you and Fausta, you'll both have nightmares once we determine the punishment for your actions tonight."