The Nameless Assassins

The Reconciled

The audacity of that request actually stunned Ash into silence. After a brief moment, he recovered enough to say, "As you know, that is something we are capable of helping with, but it is not...uh, easy."

Faith, predictably, was less than impressed. Tipping her chair back from the table, she yawned, "I have considered doing something like that, but it seems like a lot of work."

I couldn't quite suppress a snicker.

Nyryx, who by now had found a seat in the corner, flicked a wary glance between Faith and Salia, as if afraid that her friend was making a poor impression on her superior.

The Reconciled leader, who must have been forewarned about Faith's unconventional personal style, so to speak, eyeballed my crewmate and then rebuked her, "I realize that your modus operandi is to be flippant, but please understand: If the Ascendent set in motion the things that we think they intend to set in motion, it will be catastrophic for you, us, and most of the Imperium." (Salia's information brokering must have broken down entirely if she thought that a "Think of the Imperium!" appeal would move Faith.) "They must be stopped – and quickly."

Here I saw a chance to extract intel while testing the Reconciled's cooperative spirit. "What do you know about the pillars?" I interjected, making it sound as if I already knew everything and merely wanted to see how much she would tell us for free.

Salia didn't hesitate. "We think they're planning to steal the Demon Princes."

"My gods," I breathed, giving myself away.

Faith's chair legs thumped back onto the carpet. "Ha! I was right!" she crowed – before suddenly remembering that she wasn't supposed to care. With a shrug and eyeroll, she slouched back down and drawled, "I mean...."

"Holy – " Ash gasped. "And harnessing them for their Ascension ritual?"

"Of course," replied Salia, matter-of-factly.

In my head, I was arguing ferociously with myself over whether I should stay to see how the rest of this conversation played out – or leave immediately to warn Sigmund.

Ash's next question – which I hadn't even considered – decided me: "Could it be possible that one of the Ascendent is already paired with one of the Demon Princes? I'm not an expert on demonic lore. Or terrifying Church rituals."

I settled back into my chair, tense and expectant.

"I'm not either," Salia responded, picking her words with a care for ambiguity that, magnified thousand-fold, might remind me of Grandfather. "But my presumption is that that is their plan. How feasible it is, I don't know. Obviously, they've never attempted Ascension with anything nearly so powerful."

Somewhat perversely, I felt a twinge of pride in our Demon Princes, who trumped Akorosian demons any day. Although, speaking of the Demon Princes.... I reached into the corner of my mind where Grandfather always hovered, and poked it to make sure it was paying attention.

It most definitely was.

Did you know about this? Do you want this to happen?

I had begun to suspect. And no, it replied with uncharacteristic directness.

Although anything Grandfather said was automatically suspect, it actually sounded sincere (for some definition of sincere). I was sure that it had already known more than it suggested, though. Ixis always knew more than he suggested.