Whispers of Nowhere

Chapter Twenty-One: Part Two

I really hate this place. Athian darted forward, guided only by the pale sliver of moon peeking between the clouds. A human might not have been able to see the outlines of sand dunes and cacti with such poor lighting, but for a Bajang, the landscape was as clear at night as it was during the day. Easier, in fact, to pick out all of the little details; from the shadowy ripples in the sand to the rocky crevices of the surrounding cliff faces.

This did nothing to ease his tension, however. It was bad enough having Reeves send him off to negotiate with the other escapees of Nowhere—Ha! Negotiate, he thought sourly. More like blackmail!—in an attempt to garner their cooperation in the fight against the Regulations Force.

But what Athian found himself doing was tantamount to suicide.

"I must be out of my mind," he muttered under his breath. What else but madness could have compelled him to do this of all things?

Still, if they could be persuaded...Well, it would be worth the shot, wouldn't it? And if I fail—

"But we won't think about that," he said with a shaky laugh. "By the gods, I must be going mad. Talking to myself, in the middle of the desert, no less..."

As he clambered up a particularly large dune, panting as he struggled toward its peak, he finally spotted it: The enemy encampment, far below. Or at least, one of the three he had visited tonight. He'd managed to convince two of the separate factions—the Whispering Atentatori and Ventétas clans—to join together, rallying them against Reeves instead of convincing them to swear allegiance to Her Ladyship's forces.

However, even having succeeded in doing that much, the leaders of both had insisted on one thing: that Athian secure the remaining five factions before they dared to even attempt a coup. Unless the other clan chiefs agreed to work together, they wouldn't take the risk. After a bit of arguing and much hesitation on his part, Athian had finally agreed to seek out the other factions.

"Madness," he repeated to himself, feeling the fine sand shift under his feet as he began his slow descent down the dune.

Still, it had to be done. If Apophis truly was the one responsible for all the current happenings, from the seals of Nowhere being released to the events that had followed over the past few weeks, he had to be stopped. When Athian had told Phenex he stood to lose as much as every last entity within the Spectrum—operative, civilian, or otherwise—he had meant it.

The Spectrum, the human realm, Mythos, and every other known world under the High Council's protection... All would fall to ruin, if those who had escaped Nowhere had their way. The fact that he'd had to sway the separate factions to his cause filled him with revulsion. The simple act of speaking with them, pretending to be of their ilk—it was downright insulting.

But, if he could convince all seven renegade factions to join together and overthrow Reeves, Her Ladyship, and all those under their command...Worst-case scenario, one side or the other would perish. Best case scenario, both armies would destroy each other, leaving the Spectrum and all other realms in peace. And if all other realms were left in peace...

Good-bye informant business, he chuckled to himself. No more dirty deals, no more skulking in the shadows. Just me, a nymph or two at my side, laughing it up in my moonstone vista overlooking the Corporeal Mountains, and drinking ethereal wine out of—

Caught up in his fantasy, he didn't see the lithe figure making its way toward him until it was already too late. There was a high-pitched whistling as something whipped through the air, moonlight glinting off metal. Then pain exploded through the back of his head, stars erupting before his eyes as he dropped to his knees.